Jazz Up Drinks for the 4th

I ran across this idea a year or so back through a newsletter. It's a fun way to jazz up drinks for the 4th. I rimmed the glasses with lime and then dipped in the colored sugars. Then using a small star cookie cutter cut stars from cake and put on skewer for an extra pop! You could make small star cookies, too! I just used what I had on hand.

This idea could easily translate into other themes. For fall use a leaf cutter and orange and brown sugars. For a spring brunch or shower use a flower cutter and pastel sugars. For Valentine's day, a heart cutter and red and white sugar. The list is really endless - what are some other ideas?

UPDATE: I'm linking up with Jen from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Check out her July 4th version of Tasty Tuesday for more fun ideas and recipes!

I'm Back...

DH and I had a WONDERFUL time in Cancun last week! The tab was picked up by Southern Living at HOME and we were given the royal treatment! DH went deep sea fishing and I cooked (myself) on the beach. I will post pictures when I get a bit more organized. I always create more work for myself when I'm on vacation - why is that? Our home looks like a tornado ripped through it so that will be priority one on Monday!

This week is Vacation Bible School at our church and I am looking forward to getting lots of stuff done in the evenings while BBC is there. If all goes well I may register him for another VBS next week - is that wrong?

I am still collecting orders for the Cordova Firescreen until about 5 pm central on Monday, June 29. It is an incredible steal at just $39.95 with any $29.95 purchase. Shoot me an email for more details.

And finally, I am probably the only person out there that hasn't read this series. I started reading over the weekend. I'm still not totally convinced that I am going to read it but at least I started - ha! I would much rather read all my favorite blogs so this is definitely a low priority.

I can't believe that July begins this week. I'm looking forward to some fun posts to get us ready for the 4th. What are your plans for this week?

Bloggy Break

Well BBC has headed to the farm for a week and I will be taking a Bloggy Break to spend some quality time with DH. I will miss checking out your updates this week and will probably go a little crazy next week trying to get caught up - ha! Hope you have a fabulous first week of summer!

Saturdays with Southern Living at HOME Treat Your Family

Hello and welcome to this week's edition of Saturdays with Southern Living at HOME! Like many families these days, we are working to be more budget conscious and one way we can do that is by enjoying more family meals at home. I have found that for around the same cost as one family dinner out at a restaurant we can invest in beautiful pottery, iron, or glass! It's fun and easy to jazz up dinner PLUS it makes the family feel special!

This past week I prepared Artichoke Chicken (thanks for the DELICIOUS and EASY recipe, Sunshine!) in our Gail Pittman Hand Painted Rectangular Casserole dish (color: Provence) nestled in the Two-In-One Iron Stand (both on page 59). I prepared green beans in one of my all-time favorite products, the Tuscan Everyday Baker (page 23). The robin's egg blue coordinates beautifully with all our painted pottery! Our pottery is the best out there! It is restaurant quality which means it is chip resistant, microwave safe, and oven safe. Another important feature is that it is DISHWASHER SAFE which makes cleanup a cinch!

Another fun way to dress up a regular 9x13 or 8x8 Pyrex casserole dish is to drop it into one of our Clairmont Casserole Caddies (pg 9). The 9x13 size is one of my best sellers and a Southern Living at HOME classic! It also serves the additional function of protecting your table from the hot casserole dish!

I featured this setup a few weeks back but it is worth mentioning again. Imagine the rave reviews from your family and friends when you turn store-bought lemonade into this refreshing treat! Products featured are our Jamestown Tray (pg 9) and Southern Sippers (pg 40). Hurricane featured is retired but similar to Hemingway Hurricane (pg 6). Our large Madeline Hurricane (pg 35) would also be a nice choice!

Check out my personal website for online catalog and more information about what we offer. Don't forget when you spend $29.95 or more this month you can pick up our Cordova Fire Screen for just $39.95 plus shipping and tax (regular price is $149.95). Kimba over at a Soft Place to Land is hosting a blog party this week if you want to get in on the deal!

Cloche Party!

I just started following Roeshel over at Evangeline's Vine. Today she is participating in a cloche party at A Stroll Thru Life. I can't wait to get some new ideas! PLUS I knew this would be the perfect place to share my latest cloche idea...

I have been planning a post about this beauty. What do ya think? Afterall a cloche is used to highlight something that is cherished, right? I first put the cloche over the cup a couple of months back just to be funny and then I decided it was a cute piece of pop art so I left it for a while. Sometimes I go a little crazy expressing myself.

And just to bring it back to reality, I thought I would post a more normal setup. This reindeer moss and nest have traveled all over the house with me. I can't decide if I like it on this barley twist pedestal or in my hurricane better.

Be sure to head over to the party for more cloche inspiration!

Show Us Where You Live - Man Cave

It's time for another round of Show Us Where You Live with Kelly. This week's theme is bonus room/playroom/laundry room. I chose to dedicate this post to my main squeeze and his man cave. One request when we got married is that he could have a man area. One where I have NO creative license whatsoever. The long bonus room over our garage was perfect for this. DH just rearranged the room and I must say I like the layout a lot better. Now if we could just get stuff back on the walls...

I think the furniture is man cave worthy - don't you?

I was asked to make window treatments in here and he chose a dark green corduroy. The bottom of this sofa is jacked up so I also made a skirt to cover it from the same fabric. Turned out alright for a man cave...doesn't have to be pretty just functional!

This is where the magic happens.

Gamer magic, that is.

If DH disappears, this is usually where I can find him playing with his online friends. From time-to-time he will allow a girl in here (me) and we have a pretty good family gig going with Rock Band. Our band is Barefoot Fryar and the Mushmellons!

Said window treatments.

They stay closed all the time.

The fabric allows no light through.

It is after all supposed to be a cave!

I am proud that he has recently given a bit of his cave to the boy. It's a real treat for BBC to get to play in the man cave! They do boy things like watch hockey, race cars, play with Star Wars figurines, etc..

This was one of the best investments ever.

Is it weird to hook ALL the engines and cars together?

Well, thanks for visiting the man cave.

And thanks to DH for opening up to us all!

Mardi Gras Salad

One of my June hostesses served a Mardi Gras Salad. She is originally from New Orleans and man this was so fabulous! I had never had one or even heard of it. It is named so because of the colors. I have been craving the tangy flavor mixture for over a week now and finally fixed it tonight. It did not disappoint! The best bites are those with a chunk of creamy avocado - yummy! I halved the recipe and served with ham and cheese sandwiches and rice crispy treats.

Mardi Gras Salad

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 heads romaine, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 small head of purple cabbage, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
2 cucumbers, peeled, halved, & sliced
2 avocados, cut into pieces
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

Mix the mayonnaise and vinegar in a bowl and blend well. Chill until ready to serve. Combine the romaine, cabbage, onion, bell pepper, cucumbers, and avocados in a large bowl. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add the mayo mixture & toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Her Source was Roux to Do: The Art of Cooking in Southeastern Louisiana.

Helpful tip: Unless you are serving a large crowd, you may want to toss half of the salad and then toss the second half later since it gets soggy and can't be eaten left over! Please enjoy!

It's a Garden Party, Y'all!

Kimba over at A Soft Place to Land is hosting a garden party! For once in my blogging life I wanted to join the party on time so I had to give up having EVERYTHING just so in order to do that - ha! Kimba is also very lenient in her rules for what constitutes a garden party post. So link up then sit back and enjoy all the fabulous garden inspiration out in the blogosphere!

Love this clematis that climbs the mailbox to greet you. You will usually find a bird perched on top to complete the look. Can you tell by the finish on the mailbox that they like to hang out there. There's a project lurking in my brain for the mailbox...

Come on up past my overgrown bushes. Lots of rain in Arkansas the past couple of months. Great for growth not so great for planting and maintenance. Pay no attention to the 4 pots of unplanted ferns, 2 pots of unplanted arborvitae, empty pots and bag of potting soil on the porch!

Remember this project? It's filling in nicely, eh?

We're going out back - that's where most of the action has been as of late. Come on in through the foyer into the kitchen. Take a quick look at this pot that I snatched up a week or so ago. It's just perfect to hold yet another rabbit foot fern! See that color in the background?

It's this tangerine canna lily - stunning! I bought a little pot of it 2 years ago and it has multiplied like crazy! Makes me happy!

I love to experiment with my containers. This is my favorite so far this year. We'll see how the others fill in. This one is my ode to ye old red, white, and blue. Red star flowers, white lantana and begonia, and blue sweet potato vine. The spike in the middle was one of the BEST purchases ever. I bought it 3 years ago in a little square pot for $1.29. Actually I bought two of them and they have come back in the center of my pots each year! I also have an asparagus fern in another container that keeps coming back! If you look closely in this picture you will see the right toe of BBC's rubber boots...

He's a great helper in everything! I love that he believes he can do anything and wants to learn. I think that is so important. Isn't he doing a lovely job planting these white begonias?

OK - this is the big project for now. We have been busy adding perennials to our butterfly garden. We are on a budget so we have to buy small and be patient. This bed is 3 years in the making and each year we add to it. We also add small so we don't disturb the oak tree. I can't wait to get our free milkweed in and planted. The plan is to put it to the left where that unplanted boxwood is sitting. BTW, isn't that birdbath gorgeous? My BFF gave it to us as our wedding gift - LOVE that!

A closer view of the plants over here. I try to add interest with rocks and unique stuff like this dried out tree root. We found it at Kendra's mom's home after the creek flooded. I knew it would be interesting. When I first brought it home, I had it sitting a little closer to the edge of the grass and DH thought it was a snake - it kinds of looks like one on this side.

I could go on and on - there are four other beds that didn't even make the pictures. I love to garden and wish I had more time and discipline to do it right. Thanks again Kimba for hosting the party and thanks to you for stopping by!

Rocks, Anyone?

Hello! Thanks for stopping by today!

Care for a rock?

What if you knew they were chocolate?

Care for a rock?

You can decorate AND have a

secret stash of chocolate in the house!

(Um, not that we keep secrets in the Southern Fried household)

Can you tell which is real and which is chocolate?

(The first and third are chocolate!)

And they go nicely with my new terrarium, don't ya think?

My BFF found them at Walmart in the fancy candy section. They are a little pricey at $5 a box but I think they are worth the splurge every now and again just for the fun. I like them in my estate canister but wouldn't they be cute to use as embellishment for a Mississippi Mud pie? Or how about for a little boy's Tonka truck theme party? Hosting a garden club meeting? Wouldn't they be cute to serve for that?

OK - creative people - what other fun projects could we use these for?

Saturdays with Southern Living at HOME Hot Product Hotter Price

Welcome to this week's edition of Saturdays with Southern Living at HOME. I have posted so late the last few weeks that I should probably change this to Sundays with Southern Living at HOME - ha! Anyway, this week I want to share a super HOT deal for the month of June!

Check out our Cordova Firescreen. I know with the summer temperatures the last thing you are probably thinking about is your fireplace, right? So just for a moment imagine those cool, crisp days of fall that will be here before we know it. Wouldn't you love to snuggle up in front of your fireplace with this beauty? And our firescreen is not only high quality and beautiful but is is highly practical as well because you can open the door to tend to your fire! How clever is that?

This firescreen usually retails for $150 but in the month of June, you can get this beauty for only $39.95 when you purchase at least $29.95 in regular priced merchandise! Check out our other customer specials here. Interested? Please send me an email with the subject HOT DEAL and I will send more details on how to place your order. Offer ends on June 30th.

Downstairs Half Bath Redo...

It's Friday and Kelly is hosting tours again this week. We are looking at bathrooms this week. My upstairs bathrooms are really boring right now. I'm excited to get lots of inspiration from the tours! I have been working on the downstairs half bath and just wrapped it up today. Perfect timing, eh?

This is the view as you walk in from the hall. When redoing a room I always shop my home first to see if something will work. I pulled this picture out of the hall and accented it with one of my SLAH Cordova Sconces*. Not a bad look for zero money spent! It will work for now!

As you pan right...

I don't have a really good before shot but I sure wish I did. This gives you an idea. When we moved in the walls were pink and blue duck wallpaper. Not my style so that came down quickly and we painted a neutral color.

Up until recently the faucets were these lovely things complete with mildew and all!

DH painted the walls a nice chocolaty color and changed out the light fixture a couple of years back. That made a world of difference and really drew the walls in for a cozy feeling. I replaced the faucet with birthday money last fall (thanks, BFF) - love it! The mirror used to be over the mantle in our first home and then hung out in the dining room for a while. When we replaced the faucet I knew I needed a mirror worthy of it. This one worked perfectly! Hmmm - looking at this picture I think I need something above the towel holder to fill up that space...

Recently found this fabric and had to find some place to use it. I just finished this one and love how it turned out. The trim is a fun accent and ties it all together.

Kind of weird to show the toilet on the web, but I believe this Galveston Tray* is PERFECT for the back of the toilet. It's just the right size and adds a lot of interest! For now I've simply added a diffuser and our Estate Canister* filled with mossy clumps. I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this come fall and Christmas!

Well, I guess that wraps up this little bathroom project. It has been a work in progress over the years and I'm really happy with the way the recent changes have turned out - especially for a minimal amount of money spent to update it. Having blog parties gives me the deadlines I need to get projects in my head completed. Have fun touring all the other potty rooms!

*p.s. If you like the sconce, tray, or canister you can check them out in our catalog and details on how to order through my personal Southern Living at HOME website.

Terrarium On a Budget

It seems like everywhere I go these days I see more and more terrariums. I am instantly drawn to them especially in light of my current fern and moss fetish. Those pictured above can be found in the Anthropologie catalog and the large one sells for $228! Wow! One of my absolute favorite stores in town, Park Hill Home, has several cute ones made with pots and bell jars but the least expensive one in there is around $100. I've been tempted to splurge but so far have been able to control myself. I knew I could do something on the cheaper side.

So I have been on a mission for the past few weeks to craft my own. I knew exactly the jar that I wanted for the project. I have had my eye on it for a while. The lidded jar is from Walmart and cost only $12.97! What a deal! You could always do this in an apothecary jar or other container that you already own!

Here are the other supplies I rounded up and in the order layered into jar...

pebbles ($3.00)

activated charcoal ($4.00)

spaghnum moss (on hand)

potting soil (on hand)

rabbit foot fern ($3.69)

peacock fern (pinched from big plant)

strawberry begonia (FREE!)

ressurrection fern (FREE!)

sheet moss ($3.50)

cute boy (didn't go into jar but priceless!)

A nice gal at another favorite spot in town - Botanica Gardens - gave me small pinches of the begonia and resurrection fern when I told her what I was up to! Tip: Share what you are working on when you are out scouting materials. You never know when you may score a generous deal such as this!

So here's the finished product - for now.

And here's the top view.

It's a little busy. I had originally envisioned just the rabbit's foot fern and moss. I would have never picked the begonia but is is super cute. The resurrection fern intrigued me because I'm not sure if it will work in a terrarium environment. I may end up pulling that out and replacing with more moss. I'm going to let it grow (ha) on me for a week.

All in all it was a super easy project for around $30 - $35 and I saved at least 70% off those in the stores. I have a few smaller glass containers and I am sure I will be experimenting with those since I have the supplies on hand. I know I will for sure make an all moss one and I can't wait to share that with you. For now the moss is being quarantined to make sure there aren't any critters hatching into it!

This project is so 1970's of me! I'm totally cracking up - my mom will laugh when she sees this. She had one of those funky space cadet terrariums back in the day. Do you know what I'm talking about? How about you? Do you have one or have you ever crafted one?

Got Milkweed? Butterfly Project for Kids

Photo Courtesy KidZone

We are working on planting some butterfly friendly plants this year. Hopefully we will have them planted in time for Kimba's garden party next week! BBC has a butterfly life cycle book that he loves so I thought it would be fun to have more of these creatures around.

We have a local family magazine (Little Rock Family) that is a fabulous resource for local events. This month an article with the title Got Milkweed? caught my eye. You can read all about the decline in the Monarch population, why milkweed, and other details in the online article. I wanted to share with you how to get your own milkweed seeds from the Live Monarch Foundation.

"The foundation is making it easy for families and schools to help. Just send a self-addressed, business-sized envelope with a 44-cent stamp to receive seeds and instructions for raising milkweed and monarchs in your community. While the seeds are free, a suggested $2 donation will help cover packaging, printed information and program costs."

Send to:

Live Monarch Foundation - Seeds
3003-C8 Yamato Road #1015
Boca Raton, FL 33434

Let me know if you decide to do this and how it turns out! Happy planting!

Bloggy Blessings

Having a blog is fun. It requires love and attention. You meet lots of nice folks out here. You get to know them in the context of the blogosphere. You feel sometimes like you know them better than your next door neighbor. You hope to meet and become friends in real life. That day came for me last night!

I went to my home town last night to help Jennifer at Destined for Gratefulness host her friends and family for a Southern Living at HOME party. I was a little nervous to meet her (that 5th grade mentality coming into play again -ha) but mostly very excited! When I first arrived we hugged like we were life long friends. She is super sweet, her boy is HILARIOUS, and she is just so stinking cute. She had on the cutest apron while prepping the food for the party - love it! I wish I had my camera. She is a FABULOUS hostess - the model Southern Living gal! Her home is warm and inviting! Her friends and family were so much fun. Her living room was packed full and the energy was exciting! I'm so glad we got to meet in real life - what a blessing!

I was the lucky ducky that won her 100th post giveaway (my first and only win thus far - I won't give up!). She gave me my loot last night. It was wrapped up all pretty in this gift bag.

Love the loot! See that microfiber covered sponge -too cool! And those mitts are for dusting and window cleaning! Be still my heart! I can't wait to give those a try. I think I will give the microfiber dust mitt to BBC and let him give it a try - ha!

The bloggy blessings don't end there. I also got to meet another bloggy friend - Shelley - from Another Day at the Freemans! Another sweet and fun-loving gal! I love to see how she uses her Southern Living at HOME pieces on her blog and she joins a Tablescape Thursday party each week. I wish I had enough serving pieces to join every week - I'm so jealous! Her sweet mom was with her and reads my blog, too! Isn't that fun!

And last but not least, dear Kimba over at A Soft Place to Land gave me some linky love for the Summer Wreath on a Budget. There are 25 comments on that post! I {heart} comments! It is so fun to hear from y'all! Thank you again, Kimba! I hope we get to meet in real life one of these days and I know I will need to get in line for that one - ha!

How have you been blessed this week?

Saturdays with Southern Living at HOME - Ultimate Cookbook

Welcome to this week's edition of Saturdays with Southern Living at HOME! Growing up, Southern Living recipes were prized at any social gathering or potluck. If it wasn't the cooks original then this was the next best thing! You really can't go wrong with a Southern Living recipe! This week let's look at one of my all-time favorite Southern Living cookbooks..

The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook is an absolute must for any kitchen. This is a great reference cookbook with everything from basics to gourmet. Enjoy more than 1,250 updated recipes and 500 photos, PLUS a food terms dictionary and nutritional analysis of all recipes! This is the first book I grab when I want to try something new and I have several pages bookmarked with recipes I go to on special occasions. A few of these include Standing Rib Roast, Basic Yeast Bread Dough, and Banana Nut Bread.

Here's my favorite recipe for chocolate frosting. I usually bake a Duncan Hines cake and then frost with this. It's fabulous and is met with RAVE reviews!!!

Perfect Chocolate Frosting
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup butter
2 1/2 cups sifted powders sugar

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring until chocolate melts. Remove from heat; add powdered sugar mixing well.

Place saucepan in a large bowl of ice. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until frosting holds its shape and loses its gloss. Add a few more drops of half-and-half if needed for desired spreading consistency.

Yield 2 1/2 cups

I highly recommend this cookbook as a gift for any student heading to college, a college grad heading off to start their career, or a new bride. Personalize the gift by writing a message on the front inside cover and it will be a gift that is cherished for years to come.

Pick up one for yourself as well along with the Ornate Iron Art Bookstand to display the cookbook in both open and closed positions. You can find both items in our Spring 2009 Catalog on page 59. For more information on placing your order, please contact me a j.fryar (at) comcast.net.

Did you grow up on Southern Living recipes, too? What's your favorite Southern Living recipe?