Foodie Friday -- December 26-27

 

It's time for Foodie Friday, when the best cooks gather to exchange recipes. Come on inside where it's warm. I've got soup on the stove.

 

 Rustic Potato Soup

 

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday. I visited with my mother, who'd just

gotten out of the hospital. She looked great and was the life of the party. No one could believe that she'll celebrate her 86th birthday in a few months.

 

We veered away from traditional fare this year: Bandy smoked a beef brisket, and he'll share his recipe in a future post.

 

What was on your holiday menu?

 

 

If you are participating in Foodie Friday, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x" beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only. Pretty please do not pin images from the FF thumbnails. Visit the source

blogs. Thanks.



For a complete guide to this linky party, click HERE. Thank you for visiting.



 

 

Christmas Is Coming -- Plus Giveaway Winner Announced

 

Ready or not, Christmas is coming.

 

I hope you will enjoy a few scenes from previous holidays.

 

 

 

 

A few Christmasses ago, a baby goat managed to lock herself in the front seat of my

husband's truck--and the engine was running. A quick call to On-Star solved the problem.

The Christmas Goat: An On-Star Story

The winner of Becky's Povich's new memoir is Rettabug. Rett, please email Becky with your

address. I will email you, too, Rett. Congratulations!

Happy Holidays to all of our friends in the blogging community. We wish you

a Merry Christmas!

 



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Foodie Friday -- Giveaway!

Do you recognize this sweet face?

 

Here are a few hints:

1. She celebrates the long lost art of writing lettersm using pen, paper--and stamps.

2. She has a marvelous sense of humor.

3. Her first memoir was recently published.

 

The adorable smile belongs to Becky Povich, author and blogger, and she is celebrating the publication of her delightful memoir, From Pigtails to Chin Hairs.

 

  

Becky always has a smile and kind words for her friends and fellow bloggers. Her work has been

included in many publications, including Chicken Soup for the Soul. Becky has generously offered to give away a copy of her memoir (see below for details).

       

Becky sent along a few beguiling chapter titles. Don't they sound like fun?

     

“Mother Knew There Was No Santa in More Ways Than One”

      “Piggyback Toes and Coffee Can Spittoons”

      “That Crowbar Changed Everything”

      “The Tupperware Queen of Tacoma, Washington”

      “Doris Day, AE Hotchner, and Me”

      “Thoughts on Love and Forgiveness”

 

Here's a snippet of a chapter:

 

……..I know I was only five or six years old during that time. Knowing my fear of the dark, during those same years, one of Mike’s [my brother] favorite things to do was to scare the living daylights out of me. When it would be nighttime, he’d say, “Let’s go play in our room!” To which I always happily agreed. (Ah, I was so trusting and naïve.) We’d scamper into the room and begin to play a game when all of a sudden he’d let out a bloodcurdling scream, turning the light switch off as he ran out the door, slamming it shut behind him. I’d run out seconds later, as soon as I could find the doorknob, squealing and crying hysterically. He’d be standing nearby laughing his head off. I think he got into trouble the first couple of times, but I fell for it so often that it just became Dad saying, “Mike, don’t scare your sister in the dark.”
 

 (c) Becky Povich, 2013

 

Congratulations, Becky! The book is a humorous, moving look at life. Visit Becky's Amazon page: Click HERE.  At  Becky's website  , you can find out how you can order an autographed, gift-wrapped copy.

 

The winner will be announced Monday, December 23 at Rattlebridge and on the farm's Facebook page. Becky will personalize and wrap the book for you--a great gift from the author.

 To enter the contest, leave a comment, using the words "chin hairs."

 

If you are participating in Foodie Friday, locate the blue Inlinkz icon in the lower, left-hand portion of this post. Click on the icon and follow the directions. After you complete the process, you will see a red "x" beside your name. This allows you to delete your link if you made an error; the red "x" is visible to you only.

For a complete guide to this linky party, click HERE. Thank you for visiting.
 

 

 

Images supplied by Becky Povich.

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Renovation Diary: Finding the Right Accent Colors

 Choosing a backsplash is not recommended for the faint-hearted soul.

Last week, I'd brought two tile samples to the house.

 

At the store, the tile and granite looked compatible.

 

 

But the fading light wasn't flattering at Rattlebridge. 

 

I'd just about decided to paint the backsplash and choose the tile later--much later.

I painted a few sample boards and brought them to a construction meeting.

Because the kitchen was flooded with light, I tested the

tile samples one last time.

 

Sunlight was a game changer.

So, instead of painting the backsplash, I'm going with tile (after I get estimates).

But I'm going to add painted beadboard to the backs of the cabinets--the perfect

backdrop for Ironstone and white pottery.

 

I love the color contrast in a piece from Ballard Designs. My cabinets would be
the opposite--light exterior, darker interior.

 

I pulled out my sample boards and set them in the cabinets. Horizon Gray is a gray-green that brings out mossy tones in the granite. But the granite is horizontal and won't be all that visible. The paint seemed wonderfully complex, changing from gray to gray-green and back again.

Rockport Gray seemed a little dark, but it worked

with the brown/beige tones in the granite.I'm trying to imagine white Ironstone in the glass cabinets and a darker beadboard background.

 

 

Just for fun, I tried a sample of BM Prescott Green. 

The cabinet doors will be installed tomorrow,
and I'll see how the painted beadboard looks
behind the glass. I'll try to remember to bring a few white dishes, too.

 

BM Gray Owl (far right) was too light. 

 

I'm returning to the paint store tomorrow for more sample pots.

I've already tried BM Cashmere Gray (too blue).

 

I like the ceramic tile. It isn't stark white, won't fight the pattern in the granite, and, best of all, it's made in Tennessee. I'm pretty sure that the tile can be cut into 3 x 6 subways.

 

I like the marble, too. It is shot through with warm streaks, but

they probably won't show up from a distance.

 

I will have stuff on the counters, such as our hardworking espresso machine and other

items. I can definitely see a topiary next to the window.

I'm returning to the Ben Moore store tomorrow to get more samples.

My GC is cutting beadboard to fit the cabinets (only the ones with glass).

He gave me a few slabs so I can paint them.I'm going to try several colors, tinkering with the formulas, if necessary.

 

So far, I've found BM Sandy Hook Gray is a lighter version of Rockport.

Galveston Gray will probably be too dark. And I've already nixed Gray Owl (though Bandy

liked it for his room). Ballet White and Winds Breath may work if the formulas are darkened.

 

Choosing paint is a daunting task. It's difficult to select a color from memory or photograph. You have to be in the room. Finding the right color comes down to sunlight, luck, and a room's unique magic.

 

Hope everyone is staying warm and stress-free during the mad holiday dash.

Thank you for visiting Rattlebridge!

 



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The Stone Stairway

 

Shhh, don't tell.  Santa is bringing Dr. W a garden goodie.

 

We started with a little tick-infested hill.

 

I talked to a local landscaper, Jason Moles. It turned out that Jason had planned all of the existing gardens at Rattlebridge. 

 

 

Jason had been a Master Gardener at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville.

He outlined a long-term plan for Will's garden, beginning with bluestone steps.

 

 

In November, workmen and heavy machines arrived.

 

 

 

Bluestone slabs were cut to fit the stairs. 

 

My GC's assistant, Medana, passed along the latest photo of the steps. 



 





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Renovation Diary

 On this cold, rainy evening, I'm drinking eggnog and looking at the latest

photos from the renovation.

 



 

The kitchen should be finished by the end of December.

In addition to the lanterns, I'd asked the electricians to give as much

light as they could, and they did an exceptional job.

 

The lanterns are by Currey & Company. I found them online.

 

 

I added a prep sink in the island and a disposal.

 

 

A peek at the granite (my GC covered it to prevent accidental

scratches). The tile sample was pretty but way too white for this room,

overall.

 

 

 

Since the kitchen is on the fast-track, and I'm having trouble

finding a backsplash, I've decided to just paint the walls for now and wait for

until I have time to visit a few tile stores.

 

For the paint, I'll pull a color from the granite.

 

 

 



The floors are in the process of being refinished. They were sanded

and sealed (clear). 

 

Below, the wallcolor is BM Ballet White, a soft gray-beige, which changes with the light.
The trim is BM Simply White. It has few tricky undertones.




 

 The Master Bath is coming along. We ordered two vanities from Restoration

Hardware (minus the marble tops). The large piece came with two undermount sinks, but I didn't need three sinks; the carpenter reworked the space. 

I'm looking for a chandelier.

 

Since I needed counter tops, I went shopping for scraps of marble and granite--I've found great buys in the past. I was intrigued by a marble-like slab of granite at the fabricator's shop. It was the only one, just enough to cover the vanities and tub surround. 



 



 

The walls were repainted BM Ballet White (25% darker). The ceiling is BM Ballet

White (25% lighter). Trim is BM Simply White.

The small vanity fit the wall perfectly.

Rather than ordering the RH faucets, I ordered Kohler (old fashioned type, polished nickel, but much less $$) from a local store.

 

 

 Moving on to the potting shed.

Here is the inspiration picture.

 

Need to decide on colors, windows, and walls.

 

 

The bluestone steps to Will's garden are coming along.

 

 

The copper squares are lights.

 

 



Time to pick a weathervane. Which one do you like?

 

  

 Thanks for taking the tour with me tonight.

Stay warm this weekend!

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