• First off, I’m in love, love, love with this porch swing. And those shutters. I’m thinking both need to be added to Grove House. Everyone agree? Just say yes.
• My days have been consisting of meetings with electricians, plumbers, foundation guys, and about 1,000 other people who will have their hand in the pie of building the house.
• Choosing all the lighting is lots of fun…if only I could decide on all the lighting.
• On that topic…too many opinions aren’t always best. They don’t always agree and I’m finding they have their own “likes” and “imaginary budget”. Which don’t coincide with mine. But I blame this on myself…I asked for their opinions in the first place.
• Did I mention that we’re also building a large studio workspace? I feel like a kid on Christmas morning every time I think about it! I can’t wait to share the details and plans for it.
• In non-house building news, I was recently interviewed by Cedar Hill Ranch.
• Our chickens are laying eggs like it’s a competition. We’re getting one-a-day from each of them, which means we’re giving them away to every person we come in contact with.
• In my little spare time, I’ve been sorting through every drawer, cupboard, closet and nook & cranny to have the most massive yard sale in history. Down sizing the “stuff” is so liberating!

So what have you guys been up to? Is school out for all the kiddos? Any vacations planned?

Image via House & Home

I had the privilege of styling a home feature for the June issue of Country Living Magazine. The Ojai, California home of Greg and Kelley Motschenbacher has been lovingly updated and restored since the couple purchased it in 2008. It’s inspiring to see how they enhanced the charm of their 1950′s ranch home and property with true DIY spirit…and a lot of elbow grease.

For the styling, I wanted to maintain the simple, fresh-country appeal of their home, and let the rooms and decor speak for themselves. It was such a fun project for me to work on, since it included not only styling the entire home, but also the gardens, porches, and patios as well.

Here’s a few photos from the story, which were taken by the fabulous, Victoria Pearson.
My assistant on this shoot was Pam Garrison, who helped me with the beautiful florals, and all those pesky behind-the-scenes details and errands.

I hope you’ll pick up a copy…it’s on newsstands now and is a fantastic issue! Resources for the lighting, furnishings, fixtures, and props are listed in the magazine.

If you have any questions regarding my styling work on this photoshoot, I’ll try to answer them in the comments. Thanks for stopping by!

Photos by Victoria Pearson  Styling by Heather Bullard

As we all know, Freedom isn’t free.
Thank you, to those of you who have served, or are serving our country.
And remembering those who have fallen with honor.
This day is for you.

Image courtesy of Fabulous Savers.

You can’t take a trip to the International Biscuit Festival without coming home with some great swag! This year a few of the event partners who donated items were the Food Network, Southern Living and my favorite White Lily. BTW, it was pretty much unanimous from attendees, competitors and southern cooks, that White Lily flour makes the best biscuits!

I made sure to bring home a Biscuit Swag Bag to giveaway to one of you!
It will include, White Lily’s fun Save the Biscuit canvas tote, a biscuit and pastry cutter, Biscuit Seeds, southern candy favorites, a cooking video from the Food Network, an issue of Southern Living Magazine, a copy of Cornbread Nation and The Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook, and a few other goodies tucked in.

To enter, leave a comment answering this question:

What is your favorite Southern food?

Can’t wait to hear about what you love! Winner will be posted Monday, May 27th!

THE WINNER IS:

KRISTEN from Windy-Poplars!
That’s a tough question, but I’m going to go with Shrimp and Grits

CONGRATULATIONS, KRISTEN!
Please send me your address so I can get your Southern goodness in the mail!

After my incredible afternoon touring the farm, I was invited by the Southern Food Writing Conference to attend a champagne reception in the garden, followed by a lavish dinner in the barn. It was in conjunction with the International Biscuit Festival, and the guests were there to celebrate, and dine on, authentic and inspired Southern cuisine.

Perfectly worn picnic tables were set out under the trees, and adorned with simple country floral arrangements and galvanized bucket candles. The setting and ambiance were gorgeous.

There was a bluegrass band plucking away at tunes that made you feel as though you’ve lived there your entire life. And that maybe Tennessee is where you were meant to be born.

The elegant hors d’oeuvres and icy cold champagne were served by their excellent wait staff….

And those freshly picked radishes from earlier in the day, made their appearance on a slate tray. I loved the presentation and will be sure to recreate something similar at home using butter and dijon, topping them with sea salt flakes.

After the champagne reception, we walked up to the barn for our dinner…

Please excuse the quality of the following photos, I shot the remaining ones with my cell phone, as to not distract from the dinner or intrude on the other guests enjoyment. Although looking back, I think everyone was snapping away.

When we first walked in, I admired this entry table. In fact, I can’t stop thinking about it and hope The Man will make one for me some day.

They have an amazing demonstration kitchen in one area of the barn for culinary classes.

We were seated in the central dining area, with towering vaulted ceilings and iron chandeliers. The tables were dressed in linen with a selection of wine glasses, beautiful china and flatware.

Let me know in the comments, if you’d like to know which wines were my favorite. We were served five. Although I didn’t get to drink them all, I made sure to taste them and take notes.

And I loved this wall filled with wine glasses from floor to ceiling. And the library ladder too. Really, everything about the place was impeccable. In fact, I’m still dreaming about the best shrimp and grits I’ve ever had…sublime!

All in all, it was the perfect day. From beginning to end.
And I can’t imagine ever forgetting a single moment.