Southern Fried Gal

A Look back at 2011

2012-01-22T21:00:00.000-06:00

First things first - Happy New Year! I can't believe it has been almost a month since I posted. 2012 is already going way too fast! Thank you to everyone who has dropped me a note while I was away. I appreciate your friendship!

I'm so late on doing a recap I almost decided not to do one. After taking the time to do so today I'm glad I did. It was a year full of inspiration, lessons learned and healing.

In January I was fortunate to attend the Willow House Leadership retreat in Birmingham. I fell in love with this gorgeous dining room. The simplicity of the centerpiece along with the textures of this room inspired my decor for the remainder of the year.

Inspiration continued to grow while at the doctor's office in February. I snapped a photo from a magazine and then took what I had around my home to mimic the look in my family room redo.

In March I finally got around to putting up a tutorial for the diaper tricycles I have been crafting for expecting friends. I'm glad I did - it has been one of my most popular posts to date! I recently sold the one pictured above. I think it is my favorite boy trike so far.

In April I found myself bored and uninspired with my front door - which is unusual for me. Thankfully a bunch of twigs and a bird's nest led to my favorite Easter Door Decor ever. I even sold a few of these sweet crosses to some gals around town. That made my heart happy!

In May, I scored too many bags of mossy rocks at our local Dollar Tree and was inspired to craft this Mossy Rock Wreath. I'm glad I did because it would be what I would be forced to see every single day for months to come after my surprise hysterectomy in mid May. I needed those happy little rocks!

In June I learned a valuable lesson - how to accept help from others. I was humbled by the outpouring of help, love and prayers from our church, from our co-workers and from friends and family (those close and far away). I hope I can pay forward all the blessings I received during this difficult time.

In July I was still down and out but had a little fun virtually at the Willow House convention. Flat Carmella traveled with some friends to the event. She was much more popular that the real deal...hmmm.

In August I was back to work full-time and feeling better. I finally got to get in the pool for the first time since the surgery. It was very hard to not join in the pool fun throughout summer.

I did not do a single post in September! I cannot believe that - especially since I missed out on sharing my family coming down for Labor Day weekend. It's always a joy to have the cousins all together. They are creating some fun memories for this old gal.

The creative mojo began to return in October with a lot of coaxing from BBC. We created our Halloween door together. It is by far my most favorite Halloween door because we did it together and well, because it looks really cool!

A miracle occurred in November. I finally found a Cornbread Dressing Recipe that got rave reviews, was super easy and wasn't dry!

December rocked. It is the best December I have had in years. I couldn't commit to the usual (craft fairs, paid decor engagements, home parties, etc.) due to my health. I kept my decor simple. I purged, donated and/or consigned SEVEN buckets of Christmas decor, SEVEN bags of clothing and two car loads of other decor items. Our Christmas was slow, quiet and enjoyable. I pray I remember how lovely the month was and follow it's example throughout 2012!

Well - enough about me! I hope your 2012 is off to a fantastic start. I'm ready to get back into the bloggy groove - whatever that may look like this year!

~Southern Fried Gal

A Merry Christmas Indeed

2011-12-25T21:00:00.011-06:00

This Christmas will have to go down as one of the best so far. As a family we weren't harried or stressed. We weren't doing things down to the wire as in the past. We got a chance to slow down and enjoy our little family Christmas. Here are a few highlights...

We hung our Santa Stop Here sign by the door. BBC was excited when he first saw it. I think DH was even impressed with how it turned out. BBC informed me this morning that he thinks he heard Santa at the front door because the sign was confusing. He suggested we add an arrow pointing to the roof next year. {giggle}

We baked and decorated cookies for Santa together. Even DH got in on the fun. He's responsible for the star character on the left.

BBC was about to bust at the seams. I didn't think we were ever going to get him to bed. I think he finally gave in to sleep around 10:30.

Santa cam caught this image shortly thereafter...

And sure enough this morning our stockings were overflowing with goodies!

BBC was so fun this year. Look at that pure joy on his face. He was gracious - thanking each of us for our gifts to him. He was also quite grateful for the gifts he received from Santa. I think he may have been a little worried about a choice or two as of late. Thankfully for all of us, Santa graded on the curve in our home this year. We are blessed.

That's a wonderful teaching opportunity. God grades us on what Jesus did in our place and doesn't give us what we really deserve. All we have to do is joyfully accept His gift!

I pray you and your family had a wonderfully merry Christmas!

Christmas hugs!

~Southern Fried Gal

Last Minute Project: Santa Stop Here

2011-12-24T00:01:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago I mentioned to BBC that I was planning a surprise project for him. That child doesn't forget things such as this. While he was at his Mamu's today I decided to give it a go. The end project turned out even better than I imagined!

My original plan was to take a piece of scrap wood, have DH drill holes around the edge with a spade bit and then paint the message. A bit ambitious for a last minute project, I know.

We both started brainstorming options. As I was heading to the garage to start digging I passed this in the foyer. See that frame in the background? That was a project from earlier this season that didn't quite turn out as envisioned. Perfect chance for a do-over!

I got a set of LED lights that change between red and green at Walgreen's on clearance earlier tonight. They didn't fit through the holes and I almost abandoned until I got the brainy idea to take off the bulb covers. Yay! That also got DH off the hook which made him quite happy.

With him off the hook, I decided to give myself a break, too. I jumped on the computer and used word art to quickly make the words. Next I printed them out and pasted them to a piece of foam board cut to fit the opening of the frame. I could have stopped there but wanted to jazz it up a bit more.

I grabbed a couple tools of the trade...

and it gave just the right touch of bling.

I needed to add a couple of pieces of foam board to make it tight in the frame. To finish it all off, I taped down the cords between the lights in the back so everything would stay in place.

Here it is all finished again. I can't wait for BBC to see it! We will hang it out front somewhere prominent so Santa will be sure to see.

Are you still doing last minutes projects, too?

~Southern Fried Gal

I'm joining Donna at Funky Junk for her Saturday Nite Special!

Christmas {Back of Home} Tour

2011-12-19T09:22:00.002-06:00

Christmas came early in the Southern Fried Home this past weekend - that is to say Momma got her way with the deep cleaning of the downstairs. I love how we are purging, organizing and simplifying! You'll notice the same theme in the back of home Christmas tour. Here's the front of home tour in case you missed it.

This is the view as you walk in the door and pass the formal living room. After soliciting your advice over a year ago I started the search for the perfect table in this space. I finally found it a few weeks back at TJ Maxx of all places! I also added a bench from there to the breakfast area to accommodate more little buns at family gatherings.

Here's how the table looks decked out for Christmas. I am mostly happy with it. It's still a little off but I'm not going to fuss too much until after Christmas.

On down the hall you'll catch another glimpse of the family room. This is the cozy room of our home and where we spend a lot of family time together. My boys love this time of year because they can cozy up in front of the fireplace.

At the end of the hall is the breakfast nook in the kitchen. I found that wooden tray for around $20 back in November. I envisioned a rustic centerpiece for the table with fresh greens and berries. The greedy birds around here picked every last berry of the bushes so I had to settle for faux. And of course I had to add a touch of whimsy with the cute Santa plates. Simple and fun!

I didn't do much on the work side of the kitchen. This mistreatment made from towels, fabric glue and a tension rod gives a nod to the season. This side of the kitchen is still a bit of a mess with half-painted cabinets. Maybe I'll get the energy (and budget) to get this project finished in 2012.

The powder room gets a touch of nature and another unexpected mistreatment. That is actually a table runner turned window hanging with a few simple folds and tucks over the existing treatment. Festive, fun and easy peasy - my kind of decor!

Finally as we circle back around the stairs we get to the formal dining room.The china cabinet is topped with a lighted greenery garland. A simple centerpiece of burlap, sugar pine cones, arborvitae and bling top the table. And that's it! Simple, simple!

Can you believe we are starting the last week before Christmas? This is the first time in the last few years where the downstairs is tidy and organized going into Christmas. Usually I'm snapping pictures around blue Rubbermaid buckets all the way up until the big day.

How about you? Are you all tidy, organized and ready for this week?

~Southern Fried Gal

I'm linking up with Nester and over 500 of her closest friends at the...

Christmas Centerpieces from Southern Fried Friends

2011-12-16T13:44:00.000-06:00

I love getting photos from Southern Fried Friends to share on my blog. Here are three fabulous centerpieces I have received over the past week...

The first picture (above) is from my friend Katie in Pittsburgh. First things first, I freaking love that hutch! Love the nativity scene there as well. OK - getting back to the centerpiece. This is classic country charm with a whimsical touch. Classic colors, greenery and flowers have a touch of bling with Christmas kisses and candle in the hurricane. Simple and lovely!

The next picture is from my friend, Kimberly, in Little Rock. This centerpiece is super fun and whimsical. I love how she brings multiple colors and textures together so effortlessly. It has an old world charm - don't you think? Gorgeous!

The final picture is from my friend, Shea, in Little Rock. She also combines multiple textures and colors to create her beautiful nativity centerpiece. I like her special touches of the burlap bag base, lights and especially the cross.

Thank you gals for sending me these lovely pictures. I would love to showcase more from my Southern Fried Friends so keep them coming!

~Southern Fried Gal

Nativity Candle Sconce

2011-12-14T22:42:00.001-06:00

I've gotten rave reviews on this Nativity Candle Sconce since I shared it on my front of home tour. It has a few secrets to share...

The nativity scenes are printed onto vellum paper and cut to the size of the glass cylinders on the sconce. I was inspired by nativity scenes from this art tutorial and this women's group. The candles are actually LED votive candles. I did a project similar to this with Santa photos and scripture a few years back.

~Southern Fried Gal

Christmas {Front of Home} Tour

2011-12-12T19:58:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Melissa @ The Inspired Room, is hosting a Christmas Home Tour that begins this evening. I am still tweaking my decor even though I started decorating earlier than ever this year. I caught the bug to simplify around here. That has translated not only to my Christmas decor but to my home in general. I have been a purging and organizing fool! So I'm not going to fret over not having everything just so-so for Melissa's tour.

AND I'm just going to stick with a few front of home touches for this tour. Maybe I'll have the rest of our home ready for Nester's party later this week. So here we are. My favorite part of our home to decorate - the door. In the past I've done it big. I've done it burlappy. And this year I went back to nature. My goal in all these looks is to say WELCOME!

With all the simplifying I wanted to make sure our home reflects the reason for the season. I have admired the Nativity Hurricane Candle Holder Trio from DaySpring for a while but really don't have a good place to display it. Instead I allowed it to inspire me to dress up this sconce in our entryway. LOVE! It was super easy, too. I did a project similar to this with Santa photos and scripture a few years back. You can see just a snippet of the mantel in this picture.

To the left of the entry is our formal living room. The formal, type A side of me loves this room. It's monochromatic. It's highly symmetrical. And it doesn't fall prey to the clutter of every day life. This is my retreat - where I hide when I need quiet, reflection time. This year it is host to my favorite Christmas crafty moment thus far - this simple boxwood centerpiece.

To the left I have a beautiful container filled with blooming paperwhites.Simple. Pretty. Are they real? I'll never tell. {wink}

Here's my favorite spot in the room. In the middle of the sofa looking through the french doors into the family room. The boys can laugh and play while I quietly enjoy a little me time just a few feet away. This time of year is extra special because it's the best view of our perfectly imperfect tree.

Thanks for stopping over for a look into my favorite room in our home. If you are visiting from Melissa's, please let me know you were here so I can be sure to stop over for a visit.

Merry Christmas!

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. I'm hosting a Christmas Door Linky Party all this week. I would love to have you join the fun. I'm always looking for new inspiration for my door!

Christmas Doors Linky Party

2011-12-08T21:00:00.001-06:00

This year I decided to go all natural on the front door. The only hint of faux is the wreath and there are still quite a few natural elements there.

A local nursery was having a clearance sale a few weeks back and that provided the inspiration I needed for the door. The tall arborvitae were just $9 each! I was planning to stop there but DH really liked the bird's nest spruce. I'm glad I went ahead and got those, too because they are darling! They were also a steal at $9 each.

I wrapped the arborvitae in burlap and dropped the spruce into metal buckets to hide the ugly black nursery pots. We will plant these either in nice containers or the back yard in the spring. I love that there will be minimal mess to clean up after Christmas and there are only a few things to store!

I was originally planning to do my same old fake garland around the door but several of you inspired me to go fresh there, too. I got a few extra branches from the throw away pile at the tree lot and used that to wire together the base of the garland. I tucked those into the screw hooks I have around the top of my door.I'm such a good citizen, too. I pruned a few hollies around town to add color. I like to help others out as much as I can - especially this time of year.

I got the base of the wreath on clearance for $20 in the fall. It had the pine cones and greenery plus pumpkins and gourds. I ripped those off (to used in next year's fall decor) and added picks of berries and the burlap ribbon with rusty jingle bells. Then I hung it from the door with jute twine. I love the random funkiness of it!

Here's how it looks all lit up at night. It turned out really cute and was relatively inexpensive to pull together. I'm so excited! I could sit and gaze for hours.

I'm even more excited to see more door inspiration. Please link back to me in your post with a text link or manually link the button below so others can join in the fun!

Rustic Christmas Mantel

2011-12-07T21:29:00.007-06:00

I'm trying to simplify this year but for some reason my mantel was harder than ever. I've tweaked until I can't tweak anymore. I'm so thankful Beth @Home Stories A to Z is hosting her annual Christmas Mantel Link Party this week. It gave me the motivation I needed to finish this one up.

I found this guy a few months back and knew I wanted to feature him here. I love how he looks like he was carved from wood. He was a splurge. I didn't have a nice Santa figurine and I wanted to get one before BBC outgrows his obsession with the jolly ol' fat man. I think this one is classic enough to last through the years.

I originally bought this to put on top of the tree but the boys didn't want to stray from tradition. That was a win for me because I love my star and this allowed me to feature it here. One day on a whim I threw a piece of styrofoam into this pot, stuck in the star and filled with reindeer moss. Perfect!

I needed something to tie the two sides together and I didn't want to pull out my faux garland. So I crafted one of my own (from the tree scraps - good thing I over snipped). I originally wanted this burlap ribbon with rusty jingle bells on my door, but you couldn't see the detail from the street. I like it here even better!

Finally, I needed something in the middle where the garland switches directions and the burlap comes to a point. This sweet little bird's nest does the trick!

And of course we had to go with our traditional stockings. BBC wouldn't have it any other way! I like the pop of color they bring to this area. I'm pleased with how it finally came together.

I'm also joining the fun at Rhoda's Mantel Party. If you are visiting from a party, thanks for stopping by. I can't wait to see what everyone else has done this year!

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. I'm hosting a Christmas Door Linky Party here this Friday, December 9th. I hope you'll join me!

Christmas Centerpiece

2011-12-07T12:00:00.057-06:00

This year I'm trying to incorporate as many natural products as possible into my Christmas decor. Here's a quick (and fairly inexpensive) idea for a Christmas Centerpiece. I started out by purchasing three small boxwood bushes that were similar shape and size. I got mine on clearance for $3 each at a local nursery.

I wrapped each plastic, ugly black pot in burlap and ran a red ribbon around the center of each pot. You can use hot glue to secure the burlap and ribbon to the back of the pots.

I made the burlap a little long on top and frayed the edges a bit. Then I covered the dirt with reindeer moss.

I scattered a few shiny, red ornaments here and there to add one more layer of interest.

I dropped mine into my Charles Street Planter and placed on my coffee table in the living room. Beautiful! If I were going to use this as a true centerpiece, I would put down a runner, drop a few ornaments down to the table and add a few votive holders here and there.

As an added bonus, I can easily switch out the ribbon after Christmas to change the look for late winter/early spring. Then I'll have three bushes to add to our landscaping in the spring!

Do you use natural elements in your Christmas decor?

~Southern Fried Gal

Linking up with Amanda for another round of weekend reading!

Joining Melissa's party over at The Inspired Room.

O Tannenbaum 2011 - How Lovely Are Your Branches

2011-12-06T05:30:00.126-06:00

This year we found this beautiful and shapely fraser fir - a big improvement over our ugly tree last year. Except, well, I got a little chop happy with the bottom of the tree. Oops.

After all my chopping, my manly man got her in the stand and added the lights. He does the lights in 15 minutes and we are all happy afterwards. I used to take 5 hours with quite the opposite effect. It has been a nice process improvement over the past few years.

Our tree and BBC have a lot in common in the above picture - tall, leggy and missing an article of clothing on the bottom half. {giggle}

After we got the tree inside and all lit up, BBC and DH added most of the ornaments. In the past I allowed my image of a "perfect tree" to rob me of my joy. Now I sit back and let the boys do the heavy lifting.

Isn't this the cutest picture? I think it would make a lovely Christmas card - that is if I still had the time and energy to send them out. I admire all of you who faithfully send out cards each year. My hat off to you!

Now, where was I? Oh yeah - BBC was decorating the tree. I love giving him the freedom to decorate (almost) like he wants. It's important for me to let him experience the magic. I don't want him to be burdened by perfectionism as I am. I say almost because he hasn't quite mastered the laws of physics, yet.

I also like to go back and tweak to make sure a few of my favorite ornaments are visible. I could not be more proud to display this one front and center after the incredible season our boys have had. Woo Pig Sooie!

DH knows me oh so well. This year he surprised me one morning with a set of Starbucks ornaments (and a real drink, too). Mmm...a mocha sounds good right about now.

I won this cute ornament at the dirty Santa exchange at a friend's home this past Sunday afternoon. I love it's touch of whimsy on the tree. It reminds me of Bridget and her cute personality, too. Our tree isn't a beautiful designer tree like those I admire around town.

Instead, she tells a story of our little family. Each ornament holds a memory. This year the weight of the ornaments and the skirt help camouflage my over snipping. The burlap ribbon weaves the story together. And the crooked star is the most appropriate finishing touch. Once again we have our perfect tree!

Do you obsess over the getting everything just right this time of year? If so I hope this post encourages you to make a few tweaks and enjoy the imperfections of the season!

~Southern Fried Gal

Joining Sarah @ Thrifty Decor Chick for her Christmas Tree Linky Party.

Christmas Doors 2011 (part 2)

2011-12-01T09:19:00.000-06:00

I have been out and about around town snapping more Christmas door inspiration! Here are a few more of my favorites. This is my Sunday school teacher's door. She's the one who inspired me to add grapevine garland around the door several years ago. I LOVE her large Santa head and the rustic wreath he hangs from.

This large ornament on the door caught my eye. Simple and cute! If you like the look of the mesh garland, check out my polymesh tutorial on how to work with this fun material to create your own.

More lime green and red. This seems to be very popular still this year.

This lady always has her door dolled up perfectly. I like the addition of gift boxes in the door garland.

Here's a twist on traditional Christmas colors - chocolate brown and lime green. Gorgeous!

Mark your calendars and be sure to stop over and share your door (or your nieghbor's) in my first annual Christmas Doors Linky Party.

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Wednesday: Save up to 75%

2011-11-30T09:44:00.000-06:00

Today is the last day for my Willow House November Gift Giving Sale. There are over 50 items on sale for up to 75% off!

I've gathered a few gift ideas into categories. You can click the picture of the product to be taken to the product details in my ONLINE STORE.

Thank you for taking a look!

~Southern Fried Gal

Christmas Doors 2011 + Linky Party

2011-11-28T12:00:00.001-06:00

Let the Christmas Door stalking of 2011 begin! This is a creative approach to double doors - an extra large wreath cut in half and placed on each door. Brilliant! This one is super cute to boot. I love Santa on one side and HO HO HO on the other.

If you want to start with mesh and over sized ornaments this year but aren't sure if it's your style, this is the way to dip your toe into the water. Simple and beautiful!

This whimsical and colorful door topper is a non-traditional spin for Christmas and is perfectly executed.

These guys are always adorned for the holidays. Is it just me or does the one on the right look annoyed?

I'm going to post doors from around town all week long and then NEXT Friday, 12/09/11, I'm hosting my first annual Christmas Doors 2011 Linky Party with Southern Fried Gal! So be sure to check back for inspiration throughout the week. Then be ready to link up your Christmas door post next Friday (can be your own door (new or old) and/or doors you've stalked in your town).

Excited!

~Southern Fried Gal

Turkey Day Highlights

2011-11-25T08:54:00.000-06:00

This year's Turkey Day celebration will probably go down in the books (for me, at least) as one of the best ever. Besides the obvious reasons for a wonderful day of thanks (time with family, good food and lots of laughs), I want to highlight two of my favorite moments.

The first may seem a little shallow to some but this is the year I found THE dressing recipe for me. I have cooked the dressing the past few years and have not been satisfied with the results. I even tried a recipe from Martha last year and it was too dry for our taste. This year due to a last minute change of plans, I decided to go with a Slow-Cooker Cornbread Dressing from Southern Living. It was super easy to assemble, didn't require an oven and got rave reviews. Yum!

Another highlight of the day was the last minute dance party for the kiddos. It started out as a way to burn energy before the long drives home. It turned into an hour of entertainment for all. Here's a small excerpt with two of my nephews...let me know if you giggle out loud. I do every time I watch it - especially when the second nephew enters the dance. These boy got moves!

Well, that's a little look at our corner of the world on Thanksgiving. What were some of the highlights in yours?

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. I'm joining Amanda's party. Don't forget to shop small businesses tomorrow!

Willow House Wednesday: Shop Small

2011-11-23T08:00:00.004-06:00

This Saturday, November 26, has been declared Small Business Saturday. It's a day to celebrate small businesses across the country. If you’re interested in shopping small, I want you to know that I am offering over 50 items at nearly 75% off in my personal Willow House online store.

Here's a great gift idea for under $30 that promotes two small businesses! Our Hawthorne Hurricane is on sale in my store for $18.96 this month. Take it to a local engraver to have a monogram etched into the glass for a beautiful and personalized gift. My good friend, Shea, got hers etched for $10.75!

HERE’S THE SCOOP ON SUPER-VALUE SHOPPING: When you order $40 or more off the sale, you can qualify for anything at regular price under $40 in my store for 50% off! So if you don’t see your favorite item on sale, you STILL can get it for a discount.

I want to help YOU while you help me and other small business owners this Christmas season!

Please help me spread the word to shop small this year.

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. My new Online Jewelry Store just opened on Monday. You can shop small there, too!

Christmas Tree Inspiration At Park Hill Home

2011-11-21T06:00:00.001-06:00

As promised, here's more from the Park Hill Home open house. Let's take a closer look at the tree inspiration. You'll find a little bit of everything in this post from elegant to rustic. Let's start at the front and work our way around. As you walk in the door to the right is a tree that has...

Positively gone to the birds! Cute bird seed wreaths adorn this feathered friend lover's tree along with bird's nests and pops of red. After the season is over, hang the birdseed wreaths on tree branches outside. The bird's in your neighborhood will love you back. Here's a DIY birdseed ornament tutorial from Kimba if you are feeling crafty!

Following the natural theme, here's a tree for all the gardeners. Dried hydrangeas, red and green berries and sticks can be gathered from your yard (or your neighbor's yard, shhhh). Then add touches of glam with glass and bead acorns and pretty ribbon.

If you just aren't into the reds and greens of the seasons, this earth colored tree may be the inspiration you need. Look closely and you may see a partridge or two in this elegant tree.

Time to head up stairs. We have two lovely trees left to see. I love the lanterns lined up the stairs with magnolia garland and bows draped ever so carefully along the way. See the beauty at the top? I think it's my absolute favorite of all.

I love the juxtaposition of nature and bling/shiny and old. Oh my! I bought the star topper (made from old barn wood) for our tree. Only $7.50, how could I pass it up?

As you take a closer look you can see the tiny boxwood wreaths (similar to Garnet Hill but much cheaper) tucked here and there with pine cones and red berries.

Old postcards depicting the 12 Days of Christmas are framed out in distressed red frames and hung with twine. I see another inspiration for a thrifty craft project somewhere in here.

Did you notice the burlap and bird's nests? Be still my heart! Did I mention I love this tree? LOVE. I don't think I can get away with a tree just like this. I have a 7yo to please for now. This will be filed for future years for sure.

I'm also in love with this tree. This picture does it no justice. It is inspiring in more ways than one. It is stunning with metallic grays and browns, pretty ribbons and...

Beautiful words of inspiration including my two favorites, BELIEVE and DREAM.

The varying metal crosses are a sweet way to remember the reason for the season. Divine! I'm just a one Christmas tree kind of gal or I'd be the queen of copy of this beauty as well.

I hope you enjoyed the Christmas tree inspiration from my favorite local boutique. Which theme inspired you the most?

~Southern Fried Gal

Park Hill Home Open House

2011-11-17T07:00:00.108-06:00

Last night my favorite boutique opened its doors after hours for a Holiday Open House. I couldn't wait to stop in to see what brilliance owners Todd Smith and Charlie Groppetti had on display. I was not disappointed! I snapped a few (OK, a few hundred) photos to drool over and inspire.

You know I'm also a sucker for whimsy - like being greeted by a pair of rusted horse heads dressed for the season as you walk into the store. Did I mention this store is actually in a historic home on the main drag in North Little Rock? That adds to the charm of the store and helps you visualize the wares in your own home.

This is the view as you turn to the right. I'm going to do a follow-up post to showcase the trees and wreaths throughout the store. I could stand in one spot, look for an hour and still not see all the fun ideas in one area. For example, how cute is that ladder hanging in the window in the far back?

And this is the view to the left. There are lot of things going on in this store, but the vignettes still give the feeling of simple, rustic charm. Your eye never rests but there is an ease to being in the store.

You have to be vigilant because you never know what treasure you may miss. If you are in the market for a one-of-a-kind gift, this is the place to shop. Be sure to inspect every nook and cranny or you might miss the sweet journals, wood disks...

Soaps, candles, a large spool of jute twine, a sweet little iron bird and so much more! I almost forgot why I snapped this picture - isn't that hanging light shade divine? It's perfect to bring a touch of old country whimsy to any breakfast nook.

I'll hush now and let you browse around a bit more on the bottom floor...

Mantel Area

Gorgeous Chandi

Isn't it all so lovely? I'll be back on Monday with part deux featuring all the trees and wreaths throughout the store. I hope this post has inspired you as you begin to decorate for Christmas.

If you are in Central Arkansas, be sure to stop into Park Hill Home to experience the magic for yourself. Please let them know Southern Fried Gal sent you so I can continue to snap pictures and share on this blog!

What is your favorite piece of eye candy in these photos?

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. Joining the fun at...

Willow House Wednesday: Christmas Mantel Tutorial

2011-11-16T12:00:00.002-06:00

Recreate this simply beautiful mantel on the cheap with special purchases from my Willow House Online Store, greenery, candles, cranberries and ornaments.To recreate this look...

Today's mystery deal in my outlet is the Small Madeline Hurricane for only $7.96 each. Pick up three for a subtotal of $23.88.

Then add two Cordova Candle Sconces to your cart (on sale for $9.96 each or a subtotal of $19.92).

BONUS: The subtotal of these purchases is just over $39.96, which qualifies you to pick any product under $40 (regular price) for half off! My store prompts you through the details to get this special.

While you wait for your items to ship, you can gather up the other items from around your home or at your local craft store.

You will need:

2 red long taper candles

3 white small pillar candles

2 inch wide red ribbon
fresh cranberries

Ornaments (optional)

You will also need a greenery wreath and garland. Using clippings from your tree and/or from trees and bushes around your yard you can craft your own following Martha's Fresh Wreath Tutorials. These are also items that can be purchased fairly inexpensively at places like Lowe's and Home Depot.

This is also a lovely inspiration for a gorgeous Christmas centerpiece. using the hurricanes, greenery, cranberries and candles.

HURRY - the Hurricanes are on special for $7.96 TODAY ONLY or while supplies last. As an added BONUS, spend over $50 TODAY and I'll refund your shipping costs via Paypal.

Weekend Organization

2011-11-14T07:01:00.056-06:00

This post is going to get ugly fast, so let's start with a pretty picture.

Doesn't this make your heart want to sing?

And...the not so pretty.

Remember how I said I was going to work on Christmas decorations this weekend? Well I got side tracked. This pantry and my kitchen cabinets were driving me crazy. Thankfully messes like these are behind closed doors.

Another pretty picture. Now my heart is really singing - LAAAAAAA!

Sadly this area had become a pit stop for things that had no place. Several items were purged and several others were identified for resale. These were the surviving pieces and I now have room for some of the products from my Willow House warehouse (aka - the dining room).

It's beginning to look a lot like...a well-organized home around here again.

How about you - do you have a catch-all area that needs a bit of attention in your home?

~Southern Fried Gal

More Harvest Decor

2011-11-10T12:00:00.074-06:00

I scored a few new goodies on sale this year to add to my harvest decor. These giant fiberstone pumpkins are by far my favorite! I got these at half off and they were still a pretty penny but aren't they gorgeous tucked in our landscaping to greet friends?

There are few singles tucked here and there as well. Those mums are from the burlap mini bags project last year. I can't believe they came back out this year. This was a fun surprise as I obviously didn't get them planted properly.

I LOVE the breakfast nook this year. That scarf (a steal at A to Z for $6) brings a bright pop of color to the area. The actual centerpiece is sort of an accidental design...

I found this rusty wire basket tucked in the sale closet at my favorite store (only $12 - a steal in my opinion). Anyway, I carried it out and put it in the back of my bestie's car. When we got home we were gathering my stuff from her car to take in and she threw that burlap bag in the basket. I love how it folded in there and it inspired me to leave as is and tuck a few fall goodies in to complete the look. Accidental design happens a lot around here!

Finally, I scored a pretty fall garland for 75% off (or $12 - woo hoo) at my favorite store as well. I love that the colors still represent fall but are more muted. It was the perfect addition to my mantel.

Well that's about all I have for my harvest decor this year. The funny thing is I'm taking it all down this weekend and starting my Christmas decorating. I haven't been able to enjoy the holidays as much the past two years so I'm breaking a long-standing family tradition and decorating before Thanksgiving. I can't wait to hear what my mom says when I host the family for Thanksgiving - ha!

How about you? When are you going to start decorating for Christmas?

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. Joining the fun at Serenity Now...

Willow House Wednesday: Harvest

2011-11-09T12:00:00.037-06:00

I had a few Willow House gals over for a meeting earlier this week. This is the first time I've opened my home since the surgery. We had a few snacks, shared tips and had plenty of laughs. I wish I had taken pictures while they were here, but I was too busy running my mouth. I told you it's been a while. I was super happy to have folks in my home again.

I decided to add a few touches of harvest to my decor. Today I'll share a few of my favorite looks using Willow House products. Tomorrow I'll share a few more. Then I'm moving on to Christmas. Pictured above - smallest Parisian Luminary to hold plastic utensils. Fancy, eh?

To dress up the paper plates, I used the middle tier from the French Wire Tiered Stand. This continue to be one of my best selling products because it is so versatile and easy to store when not in use.

I thought I knew what napkin holder love was with my estate piece but I've found a new love and her name is Annabelle. She's simple, pretty and does her job with style. These napkins from the Dollar Tree are the perfect harvest touch.

Because our cabinets in the kitchen are half-painted and we removed the lights in the den while we wait on a special order to replace them, DH insisted I hold the meeting in the living room. This is definitely the most action this room has seen since we moved in. I threw a few "found" items into our Charles Street Planter to create this centerpiece. The scale in this picture cracks me up. While this planter is a substantial size, it is not as big as my sofa.

Here's a closer look. I layered a perfectly frayed burlap bag section into the bottom of the planter. Next I added pumpkins and gourds that I have collected over the years. I tucked in a faux antler from Pottery Barn and a few branches adorned with acorns from Park Hill Home. Finally I sprinkled a few leaves here and there to complete the look. I can't wait to dress this dude up for Christmas.

These items and many more are available 24 hours a day in my Online Store. Don't forget to check out my huge gift giving sale going on right now as well. Save up to 75%!

Happy Harvest!

~Southern Fried Gal

Best Dressed Harvest Door

2011-11-08T21:01:00.003-06:00

Y'all know I have a passion for well-dressed doors. BBC and I didn't get a harvest door up this year so we've been stalking the neighbors for ideas for next year. This is by far the best dressed harvest door I've ever seen. It is so cheery and warms my heart every time we drive by - especially now that the time has changed and the days are shorter.

What puts a little pep in your step this time of year?

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Wednesdays: Save up to 75% in our November Sale!

2011-11-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

Whether you need budget friendly Christmas gifts or you would like to entertain your holiday guests in style you need to check out our Willow House November Sale where you can save up to 75% off retail! There are over 20 items priced under $10.

Another 20 or so priced $10 to $20...

And several in the $20 - $30 range.

That's over 60 products under $30 PLUS when you spend $39.96 or more you can pick an item (regularly priced under $40) for half off to extend your savings.

Shop safely and securely in my ONLINE STORE. Everything ships directly to your home. Please let me know if you need help or have any questions.

Thank you!

~Southern Fried Gal

aka

Carmella Fryar

Director, Willow House

Independent Consultant

Tastefully Spooky Decor

2011-10-31T13:49:00.001-05:00

My friend Chas has done it again. She is the queen of tastefully spooky home decor. This year she was inspired by the headless horseman. He's even standing watch over her door to greet guests! (Remember: you can click on the pictures to enlarge the view.)

Here's a closer look. I love all the details she added - from the gloves to the Spanish moss he's standing in. She puts a glow stick in his head so it lights up over night. Brilliant!

Foyer
I love the weathered signs hanging in the tree most of all.

Dining Room

Notice the faux fence on the wall behind the chairs. Genius!

Simple and Spooky Centerpiece

This gallery of headless portraits is perfection! I believe she got the portrait prints form the Pottery Barn decorating website. The touches of Spanish moss and crow silhouettes give this area personality. Super cute!

Here's Madame

Poor thing lost her head but it's displayed nicely in the breakfast nook.

Family Room

LOVE the mantel and the faux lanterns hanging in the window.

Portraits and More

Even the guest bath gets in on the fun!

Finally, here's the Halloween Hostess in costume for this year. I love this girl's creativity and sense of style - even if she is dating a vampire. Muhahahaha! Thanks for letting me brag on you, Chas! Love it all.

Happy Halloween!

~Southern Fried Gal

Halloween Mantel 2011

2011-10-28T00:11:00.001-05:00

I'm still playing catch up around here and BBC is still encouraging me to get the Halloween decorations up. Here's the mantel just in time for the weekend. I do it all for him (OK so I do it for me, too).

BBC has actually been quite helpful in providing inspiring ideas this year. I never dreamed I would ever have a skeleton on my mantel or even in my home for that matter. He begged me to buy him this skeleton a couple of weeks ago. I agreed but only if he kept it in his room. That all went out the door when I was going upstairs one night and found...

THIS!! That child's sense of humor cracks me up.

I couldn't let his genius go unnoticed so now the skeleton and pose are the center of attention in the family room. Love it!

This jack on a pedestal and few other goodies balance out the other side. Now I'm sad I didn't get this up earlier. BUT I am happy that my creative spells are continuing. Praise the Lord!

How about you - what creative spells have you been up to lately?

~Southern Fried Gal

Joining the fun at...

Halloween Door 2011

2011-10-20T21:28:00.002-05:00

I'm still not quite back to my creative self, yet. BBC has been on my case about not having any fall or halloween decorations up, yet (can you say spoiled). Last week I had an idea pop into my head for a cheerfully spooky forest.We started our project by gathering perfectly weathered and spooky branches from around the neighborhood.

We added a few vampire bats that BBC found at Walgreen's for just $1 each.

We bought a total of 13.

BBC also begged me to get a spider web ($2.50). We compromised - I let him get the spider web but only if he picked the black web with the black spider (as opposed to bright green). When we got home he put it here and said, " This is where I pictured the spider and it's JUST perfect!" I have to agree - the little dude's got a good eye.

Next we added a few friendly ghosts. We were going to get fabric and make our own with wire hangers and Christmas lights. I spied this trio of lighted ghosts also at Walgreen's for $9.99. They were just the right size and all ready to go. Just what this tired ol' momma needed.

I guess really the only thing we crafted on our door this go around is the "wreath." Even that was super simple - $2 Goodwill mirror. We painted the frame black and added the vinyl decals to spell out BOO.

Finally we added a few pumpkins, our old faithful jack-o-lantern light and a few crows that we had on hand to complete the look. I couldn't be more thrilled with how it turned out. It was fun, easy and super cheap, too!

Here's how it looks all lit up in the evening.

S-P-O-O-K-Y!

Here's another view of our friendly greeters. I don't know who had the biggest smile - the ghosts, BBC or me!

On a closing note, I hope all is well with my bloggy friends. I miss you all! I've changed my blog relaunch to January. I was a bit too ambitious with the September date. I'll be posting other projects and ideas centered around the holidays here until then. Thank you for all the kind words and blessings! Right back at you all!

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. I'm joining the fun at Serenity Now with Amanda this week, too...

Keeping it Real with SFG

2011-08-28T23:00:00.033-05:00

I had to have emergency surgery about three months ago to remove a basketball-sized cyst from my abdomen. I also ended up needing a total abdominal hysterectomy with complications. Needless to say it has been a rough few months.

I haven't had my normal creative mojo and I was beginning to think they removed that during the surgery as well. My mantel hasn't changed. My door decor hasn't changed. I haven't started any new projects. I haven't completed any old projects. I was really worried. Thankfully, I am finding that as my energy returns my desire to get back to projects has returned as well. Whew!

During my down time we had lots of friends and family stop over and love on us. It was a little embarrassing because I'm always switching stuff up in my home. Because of my blog and local design classes, folks expect my house to be perfectly manicured and styled. I had several BIG projects in process before my surgery. (Some in process for longer than I care to share.) I had to humble myself, open my doors and let people in on my secret life. It wasn't so bad.

BUT day-after-day of explaining why this was here and what I wanted to do there I realized that I need to get my house back in order with what I have now, make a list of projects, prioritize, plan and then get busy.I think this falls under a little thing most folks call BALANCE.

If there is one thing about my personality that I must feed, it's the need for reflection and recalibration. I find it wonderfully validating that this desire falls as my blog anniversary and birthday approaches. I've had my head in the clouds the past few days dreaming of my path for the next year. Now it's time to put those dreams into action.

I'm going to relaunch my blog in ~~September~~ January with a few changes in priority and focus. The main topic of my blog will continue to be creative projects for home design and entertaining. My home will take the spotlight (the good, the bad, and the ugly) for the next few months to help keep me on track with my list of projects. I also want to get back to regularly sharing the tales of BBC, tasty recipes, southern fun and much more.

I am super excited and can't wait to get back into the routine. I will begin making the rounds to some of my favorite blogs again this week.

If I haven't visited your blog lately, please leave a comment letting me know what you've been up to so I can be sure to drop by for a visit! The relationships are my favorite part, y'all!

Excited!
~Southern Fried Gal

My Big Second Grader

2011-08-15T09:08:00.000-05:00

Today is a bittersweet day - the first day of school. Can I get a witness? Here's my handsome boy all settled in and ready to go. I pray he and all the other kids, teachers, and administrators across Arkansas (and elsewhere) have a fabulous first day of school.

What's going on with you today?

~Southern Fried Gal

Cool Pool Time with BBC

2011-08-02T21:00:00.005-05:00

My incision is finally healed enough to get into the pool. It's a nice way to relax, do a few exercises, and cool off. Last night DH wasn't feeling well so BBC and I had a mom/son date in the pool. It started with a lot of showing off on his part.

Look at the height he got off the diving board!

Cannon...

BALL!!!!

Remember, don't splash mom (yeah right).

Yes, diving - much less splashing involved.

Don't flip out, mom.

It has been pure joy watching my water baby grow up right before my eyes. I was a water baby, too, so this brought back lots of fun memories. After BBC tired of the diving board he brought the float mat over to me and asked me to float with him and tell him stories from my childhood. After I shared each story he shared one from his childhood. Precious times are these.

This is how we are beating the record breaking heat in Arkansas and creating memories - how about you?

~Southern Fried Gal

Still On The Mend

2011-08-01T08:50:00.000-05:00

It is officially eleven weeks since surgery and I still feel like I'm on the mend. I started back to work (half days) a couple of weeks back. I still tire by mid afternoon. I cooked dinner twice last week - woo hoo. My mantel and door decor hasn't changed at all since the surgery - a true sign I'm not quite myself, yet.

I'm trying to be patient and take this healing stuff seriously but dang...

Thank you again to everyone who has or is praying for me and sending well wishes. Friends help chase away the blues the most.

~Southern Fried Gal

The Adventures of Flat Carmella: Willow House 2011 Convention

2011-07-21T21:00:00.040-05:00

Flat Carmella made it safely to the Willow House 2011 Convention in Atlanta, GA. Kim, Shea and Bridget took very good care of her. She was met with love and support from other Style and Dream Star Sisters.

The product showcase was filled with creative ideas for simply good design. My heart goes pitter-patter for this craft/art station.

Josh is one of the creative masterminds behind our product showcase, My Style Share, and so much more. I heart him! Based on this picture I choose to believe the feeling is mutual!

I'm sad that I didn't get to meet my dear friend, Debbie @Love the Decor, in person. She is a super star for Willow House. The good Lord knew I needed her in my life. Love you, sister!

Here are more wonderful Willow House friends and celebrities. Look who is holding me - Sara Blaine, our new Willow House jewelry designer!!! Left to right: Cathi, Shea, Kim, Sara Blaine, Bridget and Sara's husband.

I will be loading all the photos of Flat Carmella along with pictures from the product showcase to my Willow House with Southern Fried Gal Facebook page over this weekend. I hope you'll stop over and check out all the beautiful ideas.

Don't forget to check out the BIG Summer Sale in my Willow House Online Store. There are still 10 days left to take advantage of the savings!

Have a wonderful weekend!

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Wednesday: Flat Carmella is Heading to Convention!

2011-07-13T21:00:00.008-05:00

This week is the Willow House National Convention in Atlanta. I am super sad that I have to miss this event this year due to my surgery. I can't remember the last time I didn't attend convention. It's a fun time to catch up with girlfriends from all over the country. The product showcase is full of fabulous design and entertaining ideas. It's also a place for personal and business development.

The more I thought about not being able to go, the more it bummed me out. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I decided to follow Tidy Mom's lead from Blissdom a couple of years ago and send Flat Carmella to convention. She left tonight dressed for travel with my friend, Bridget. Although I'm jealous Flat Carmella gets to make the trip, I don't envy her being on the road at 5:30 Thursday morning. I can't wait to see all the fun Flat Carmella has at the Willow House convention.

Living vicariously through a paper doll...

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Red Hot Savings SALE

2011-07-01T12:00:00.004-05:00

The weather in AR is HOT and so are the prices on over 100 Willow House products in my online store!

Several of our large products are listed at drastically reduced prices. A couple of my favorites have already sold out but for now the Cordova Nesting Tables are still available and priced under $40 each! Where else can you find such an adorable accent table for so little?

My Sedona Wall Sconce (on sale for $16.96, over 70% off) is a fun welcoming piece into my home. I dress it with the seasons. Right now it hosts spring green candles. For summer I will add white candles with sea shells tied around the glasses with jute rope. Pictured is my favorite look for Halloween. For Christmas it greets guests with a bit of J O Y! BBC squeals with delight when I change out decor seasonally.

It's hot now but winter will be here before we know it. We'll be getting cozy in front of the fire and spreading Christmas cheer. Our Cordova Firescreen is as beautiful as it is functional! The door opens so you can tend to your fire without moving the screen. This impressive piece is listed for just $39.96 this month!

Speaking of Christmas, why not do a little shopping in July. There is something for everyone on the sale list. Don't forget when you spend $39.96 or more you can pick an item under $40 for half off as well! Your friends and family will think you spent a fortune on them but your good deal will be our little secret! Shop my online store anytime - no minimum purchase necessary! Everything ships directly to your home.

These great deals are available throughout the month while supplies last. A few items have already sold out. Here are those that have low inventory. Hurry to get the best selection of products. Items are first come first serve.

The following items may sell out quickly (due to low inventory):

41438 Alfresco Spice Cellars (set of 3)

41065 Cinnabar Baker

41222 Cinnabar Canisters: Medium & Small

41388 Cinnabar Casserole: Rectangular

40998 Cinnabar Tidbits

41186 Cordova Nesting Table: Large

41185 Cordova Nesting Table: Small

41150 Covington Accent Tray

41244 Cyprus Footed Bowl

54063 Double Dish Stand

41162 Estate Dispenser

40808 Estate Napkin Holder

40979 Filigree Iron Candlestand

41329 Gallery Appetizer Spoons

57107 Tiramisu Mix

41083 Galveston Collection Tray

41152 Galveston Footed Hurricane

41256 Galveston Footed Hurricane: Large

41158 Galveston Sectioned Server

41073 Galveston Two-Tiered Stand

41330 Graymont Accent Tray

41336 Hathaway Soap Rest

41250 Mix-and-Match Wreath Hanger

53045 Napa Tray

41406 Portico Accent Plates

40400 Rosedale Plant Holders (Set of 2)

41215 Royal Street Urn

41135 Santorini Urn

41327 Scrollwork Throw: Chocolate and Spice

41149 Sedona Sconce

Stay cool and happy shopping!!

~Southern Fried Gal

Looking for the Good

2011-06-20T11:25:00.012-05:00

It's been five weeks since surgery and I'm still doing a lot of sleeping. It can be easy to get discouraged and down in the dumps. Sometimes I give into that feeling. I try to look for the good as much as I can.

Last week my bestie and her three schnauzers (Bella pictured above) came down for a two day visit. It's the most I've been awake in weeks. I slept all day Wednesday to make up for it.

My doctor visits have gone from daily to weekly (yay). I still am unable to drive. Last week while waiting for DH to pick me up for an appointment I spied this little guy just outside my window. His nest and sibling were just below this picture. I had a bird's eye view of this little mockingbird family for a few days. It was sweet and quite entertaining.

A few days later I opened the front door and found the little fella on the front porch. He stayed long enough for a picture and then flew to the neighbor's yard. I haven't seen him or his sibling since. Hopefully mom and dad will come back for round two.

Our landscaping may not be as pristine as normal with me being down. I have learned that sometimes less manicuring means better results. This clematis is so big and full this year. I didn't have a chance to trim the dead wood. Who would have thunk!

BBC is attending a daily summer camp at a local athletic club. He is having a ball playing and being a boy. He gets to swim and do other fun athletic activities throughout the day. They go on a field trip once a week. I'm happy he gets to play and have fun instead of being home worrying about this old gal.

DH has been a saint in all this. He keeps the house looking nice for me and visitors. He has been doing all the dishes, laundry, and other house work. He also has to tend to my wound daily so I guess you can say he's my home nurse. And he's doing this all on top of his hectic and demanding job. I'm REALLY testing out those in sickness and in health vows.

Wow! I'm glad I wrote this post. I know I am blessed. I'm thankful. Sometimes we just need to remember to look for the good. Now it's time for a nap!

Hope you are well and enjoying summer.

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Wednesday: Easy as 1-2-3

2011-06-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Do you love simply good design as much as I do? This month it's as easy as 1-2-3 to stock up on beautiful pieces that will help you update your home and entertain in style!

1. SHOP I have quite a few favorites on sale for up to 50% off this month. I will be purchasing the Charles Street Planter. It's a steal at only $49.96.

Other steals include the Nola Entertaining Bucket, Medallion Mirror, & Kensington Platter and Stand. Multiply your savings with our customer special! Spend $39.96 or more and pick an item under $40 for half price. Sale items are available for this special!

Visit my online store to shop and save 24 hours a day. Everything ships directly to your home (or a friend's if you want to send a gift).

2. SHARE It's easy to earn all these items and more for FREE or at a deeply discounted price. As an added bonus in JUNE, hosts who collect $500 in orders can pick any sale item for just $1.50! Even better, collect $1000 in orders and pick THREE sale items for $1.50. That is in addition to the regular host rewards!

Contact me to get your online or catalog party set up today. Share these fantastic offers with friends and family, collect orders from across the U.S. (everything ships directly to them) and reap the rewards!

3. SHINE Love it all? Save big on simply good design, earn additional income, meet new friends, and follow your dreams as a Willow House consultant. This month's welcome starter kit is only $49! It includes everything you need to start your business. You will also get a 30 day trial on your own website and online store!

There has never been a better time to shine as a Willow House consultant. Oh and this fall we'll be shining even brighter when we launch our Jewelry Division! Our designer is Sara Blaine. Don't miss out on this ground floor opportunity.

Contact me if you want to learn more about your future with Willow House.

~Southern Fried Gal
aka
Carmella Fryar

Director, Willow House

Gathering Moss

2011-06-06T22:32:00.006-05:00

I'm officially three weeks post surgery and all it seems I do is sleep. I feel like these bricks - gathering moss. I ended up having a complication that has me down and out longer than expected. I have my good days and bad. It's hard work not doing a thing - especially for those that are constantly doing something like me.

The absolute best thing I can say about all this is that I realize how truly blessed am. My family has been wonderful. I have also been blessed with gifts and cards from all over the country! This edible arrangement came from my friend Katie in Pittsburgh. Yum!

Friends continue to bless us with yummy dinners, too. This is such a blessing to our family. Sunshine @ Make Life Delicious brought this Mexican meal a couple of weeks ago. It was accompanied by a key lime pie. Double yum!

I hope to be back in gear soon. At the last visit they said it could take up to 3 months for everything to heal. Yikes. I appreciate all your prayers and well wishes.

Do you and your friends bless others with meals at times like this? I'm trying to determine if this is a southern tradition or if it translates across the miles. It is really an awesome way to bless a family.

~Southern Fried Gal

Friday Hodge Podge

2011-05-20T09:41:00.008-05:00

Good morning, friends! Surgery went well. I stayed two LOONNNGGG nights in the hospital. My best friend, Kendra, stayed with me both nights so DH could be home with BBC and provide some sense of continuity there. As of yesterday afternoon I am home sweet home - yay!

Debbie helped me sum up how I feel right now - sore and spoiled! I got so many wonderful gifts and visitors while in the hospital. You all loved and encouraged me through words. Dang, I am one blessed gal!

My home is full of cheery flowers now. This is from my team at work - it's a bee in a nurse outfit carrying a sign - Bee Well. Too cute! It looks great on my breakfast table.

My mommy got me these balloons. I love the smiley face with band aids. One balloon say "It's All About You." Mom still knows me all too well.

My precious BBC brought me this vase filled with Gerber daisies. He picked it out all by himself and charmed the florist to toss in two extra blooms. He is so inquisitive and caring. He's at the grandparents for the weekend to give me a little extra time to heal.

This gorgeous bouquet is from DH's work team. I love all the vibrant colors.

My sweet friend Shea stopped by to see me on the second day. She came with a funny card, a sweet book, and emergency chocolate. Too funny!

This is the bouquet my Sunday School class sent to me. I haven't been to Sunday School in a month of Sundays so I'm thankful to still have their love and support.

Now the hard part begins. It has always been a challenge to allow others to care for me. I am out of commission for six weeks. This is going to be a good learning experience for me. We have so many wonderful friends and family offering to bring us meals. My dear friend, Bridget, brought us a yummy home-cooked meal last night.

We are so blessed. You all have been so wonderfully encouraging. Thank you so much for your prayers and well wishes! I hope to be back to fun projects and simply good home design soon!

~Southern Fried Gal

Time Out Tuesday: Little Lucy Lu

2011-05-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled to introduce this week's guest blogger, Bec. She has the cutest style (both home and writing) and the most adorable partner in craft, Lucy. I love this simple and inexpensive project she shares and especially how she incorporates it into her charming home. Take it away, Bec...

Hey there! I'm Bec from Little Lucy Lu -- a blog about my life as a mom, wife, and kindergarten teacher, my vintage-inspired style and craft projects, my shopping addiction, living in the country, a recipe here and there, and most importantly - my Little Lucy Lu! Carmella has kindly invited me to guest post on her beautiful blog today, so I'm gonna show you one of my latest projects while I'm here .... I hope you like it, and I hope to see you again at Little Lucy Lu!

I hate cluttered counters, don't you? Especially the kitchen counter, where everything seems to pile up throughout the day -- the dishes, the mail, the cell phone, the keys ... among other things! I decided the last thing I needed was my grocery lists ~~accumulating~~ laying around on the counter, too ... so my newest project began.

I got a long, white, wooden picture frame at the craft store for $11.99. (It was marked way down because it had black marks all over it.) Luckily, the black marks didn't make a bit of difference to me since I was planning to paint it RED, anyway! :-)

I used black primer first ....

...then Krylon's Cherry Red spray paint.

I only gave it one coat, so the black shows through a little bit in spots - which I love!

Then, I took the glass from the frame and gave it two coats of black chalkboard (spray)paint.

I reassembled the frame and strung a piece of olive green ric-rac through the rings on the back....

..... tied in a knot, and hung from the side of an antique cabinet in my kitchen.

Here are some pictures of the finished product!

(By the way, I have chalk-a-phobia ... can't stand the feel of chalk ... so I use chalk ink markers! They ROCK!)

The antique cabinet has red handles and interior paint, so the red on the frame is a perfect match with rest of the piece! :-)

Cute, right? And SO easy to make yourself! :-)

Yes, ma'am. Super cute. I love the touch of green ric rac - it's those little touches that make the project. Where do you find the chalk ink? I swear I looked everywhere in Hobby Lobby to no avail. Thanks again for stopping over and sharing your charm, Bec.

~Southern Fried Gal

Keeping it Real with SFG

2011-05-16T12:00:00.001-05:00

So for the past year or longer I have looked like this...

Even though I haven't been carrying one of these.

I found out last Friday that I've really been carrying around one of these - or at least a cyst that size. Yikes! Tomorrow I am having emergency surgery to have it removed.

I will be in the hospital a couple of nights and then a total couch potato for two weeks. I am scheduling a post or two tonight but I may be MIA for a bit. Just know while I'm away I will be missing y'all and sending love from the hospital.

I appreciate your prayers and well wishes! Have a blessed week!

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Wednesday: May Days Sale

2011-05-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Save big with our Willow House May Days sale! These fabulous deals and more are available in my online store.

Happy May Days!!!

~Southern Fried Gal

Time Out Tuesday:

2011-05-10T07:35:00.002-05:00

It's time to meet a new guest blogger. This week I introduce Audreya of Arkansas (ooh - doesn't that sound cool?). I met this cute little spitfire at an Arkanasas Women Blogger roundup. I love her fun quips. She's a hoot to follow on Twitter (@audcole), too. And heeeere's Audreya!

I'm Audreya. Most days, I can be found sharing opinions no one asked for on my blog If You Ask Me. Today, however, I'm excited to share a project I recently completed at my house.

Over a year ago, my husband painstakingly stripped heavy, oil-based paint off of an old dresser. He then sanded and stained the dresser. It looked great... except that it needed some sort of drawer knobs or pulls. I promised to come up with something. However, having also recently finished a mostly-DIY kitchen makeover, I was still in shock over the amount of money we spent on new hardware for the cabinets. And we didn't even get anything fancy or "high-end"! So, run out and drop more money on hardware for the dresser? No thanks! Leave the drawers "naked" and wait until he brings it up again? Sounds like a plan!!

Well, he brought it up again. But I still couldn't see spending a lot of money on drawer hardware. Especially since the dresser is in our guest bedroom. A bedroom "decorated" by my husband... complete with camo bedspread and deer head on the wall.

Then, I came across some ideas on a blog one day. (If I remembered which blog, I'd be glad to credit them, but I don't. So, thanks for the inspiration, whoever you are!) I took some of their suggestions, infused my own, and came up with some great, rustic, and most importantly, affordable drawer pulls.

Supplies:
Measuring tape
Roll of jute, twine, or sisal. (I used jute.)
Glue (I used Gorilla Glue because I had it on hand. Fabric glue or even hot glue would do the trick.)
Drill (Depending on the size / placement of existing holes in the drawer.)

First up, our drawers only had a single hole on either side for a knob. As I was crafting pulls, it was necessary to drill additional holes. Also, because the pulls are somewhat thick, I had to increase the size of the existing holes.

I used an index card to make a template for the new holes. I spaced them 4" apart. I drilled them out with a 1/2" drill bit.

Next, I prepared the handles. I measured out about 12" of jute. I cut 6 pieces of this size per handle. Firmly tied a knot at one end, then braided them to about 7". Finally, I put a piece of tape around the unfinished end. (This kept the handle from coming unbraided and also made it easier to pull through the holes in the drawer.)

I fed the handle from the inside of the drawer to the outside. (Gave it a firm tug just to make sure the knot held up.) Then I fed it into the next hole and back inside the drawer. As it was a pretty tight space and difficult to tie the unfinished end, I used an additional bit of jute and tied several knots until it was thick enough not to pull through the hole. I trimmed off the excess. Finally, for added strength, I added a drop of glue to each knot. (Note: I used Gorilla Glue, which expands as it dries, so literally a small drop was all that was necessary. I also made sure the knots were not up against the wood as the glue dried.)

And that's it! I repeated the process for each drawer pull. After everything was dried, I returned the drawers to the dresser and proceeded to the final and most important step - admiring one's own handiwork!

The nice thing about a project like this is that the look is not supposed to be perfect. I thought it fit in very well for the rustic nature of the dresser and the room. Plus, the project took just over an hour and came in at a whopping $2.33. That's right! The only thing I had to purchase was a roll of jute.

But don't just think jute. Ribbon can also be used, perhaps for a little girl's room. I followed the same process here, just added a knot in the middle for a better grip. Of course, this is just an example. My husband wasn't too keen on pink ribbon in his man cave!

Braided handles could also be added to baskets or boxes. It's a quick and functional solution I will definitely use again!

Thanks for sharing, Audreya. I think the pink ribbon is perfect for the man cave! You should tie bows in the antlers to coordinate. What do you think? Ha! I admire your use of Gorilla Glue. Let's just say I had a little mishap with that stuff and I'm not allowed to use it again.

~Southern Fried Gal

Mother's Day Gift of Service

2011-05-08T20:14:00.008-05:00

This year for Mother's Day I played things a little differently. I asked for a gift of service from BBC which means DH had to be up for the challenge, too. Last year in early spring I realized I lost my azaleas, my dogwood, and several other plants in my secret garden. They just couldn't hold up to the 90 inches of rain the prior year.

I was too depressed to do anything about it last year so the area was a mess this spring. I asked the boys to help me clean it up so I can start over. They cleared out the deadwood a couple of weeks ago but have been hindered to finish because of all the rain the past two weeks.

Today they finished the project by bagging up all the leaves, branches, and weeds. BBC wasn't that excited about the project today. I am in physical therapy for a back injury so all I could do was hang out and encourage. Other than a few random side eyes from DH, I think we ended up having a good time after all.

We played with worms and had a buddy or two stop over to dine and drink. I was amazed at how close this dove was to us. It stayed there a long while. We also had a greedy robin taking the worms we uncovered.

This is BBC trying to coax one to perch on his finger. "Here birdie, birdie." That child cracks me up. I'm so blessed to be his Momma!

This is probably the most expensive gift I've ever requested - in man hours. They hauled a dozen bags to the curb. The boys were exhausted but I'm a happy gal! I totally appreciate the labor of love. I'm a little nervous about the payback on Father's Day, though.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

~Southern Fried Gal

Weekend O'Celebration

2011-05-06T14:13:00.006-05:00

Eleven years ago I 'hitched my cart' to DH in true Southern Fried style. DH says he asked me to do this on May 6 because it would be easy to remember our anniversary as the day after Cinco de Mayo. This year we have the added fun of Mother's Day falling on the same weekend. And as if we didn't have enough to already celebrate, my precious BBC has earned three green lights in a row for behavior at school (hoping for the fourth today - fingers crossed). I wish this wasn't as big of a deal as it is. We have been blessed with a ring-tailed-tooter.

Woo Hoo! That's what we are celebrating - how about you?

~Southern Fried Gal

Start Your Willow House Business for Only $49!!!

2011-05-04T08:58:00.005-05:00

Have you ever thought about owning you own business? If so it's time to take a closer look at Willow House. Right now we are offering you the opportunity to kick your Willow House business off for just $49! Where else can you start a business with little to no risk?

Whether you want to build a team and earn a full-time income on a part-time schedule, work a part-time business for an extra $500 or so in cash each month, or work our online store opportunity, this is the day to give it a try for little to no risk!

I have worked my business at every level as it fits my lifestyle over the past several years. You can see why I LOVE Willow House and what our Vice President, Jerry Vitale, has to say about our opportunity.

Contact me with any questions and to learn more. If this is the right fit for you, it takes about 30 minutes to join my team and be ready to kick your business off in style.

Excited!

Carmella Fryar

aka Southern Fried Gal

Time Out Tuesday: Vintage Windows

2011-05-03T08:34:00.013-05:00

Please help me welcome Nancy from Crafter's Window to this week's Time Out Tuesday. She has a lovely project to share with us. I also think her freebie find will make you a little green with envy - or at least it did me - ha! Without further ado, here's Nancy...

I have never been so excited to make a post as I am today. When Southern Fried Gal put out that she was looking for guest posters, I so wanted to post for her blog. However, I never thought I would be chosen. AND here I am! WooHoo!!

My name is Nancy and I am from Crafter's Window. I am a wife to a, now, retired Navy man and a mom to 3 children, ages 22,11, and 6. It wasn't until this point of my life (I'm 44) that I have found that I love working with my hands. I'll be honest, my mom owned a ceramic business while I was growing up and I did most of her finish painting for her craft shows. However, it was always for my mom and never thought of doing something with my hands was what would, ultimately, make me happy.

For those of you that know my blog, I have been planning a series on vintage windows and the many things that you can make with one. So, here is my first window that I have to add to my series that I actually created.

I already owned the mail/key thing and had it hanging where this family information board now hangs with it attached. I needed a central location for my family to find out where each other is, what is going on that night, or to find out if I can drive them anywhere. This will fill all those needs.

I started out with windows I obtained for free from a Craigslist posting. Just a hint all: When the post states to make offer, be honest. This posting stated he had over 40 windows that he wanted to get rid of and to make an offer. I was honest and responded that they require a lot of work to refurbish and that I would be happy to take them off his hands, but that I wouldn't be willing to pay for them. I drove an hour to get them, but that was a very small price to pay for over 40 of these windows.

Well, OK, now onto how I did this.

Step 1 - Clean the windows as best as you can with cleaner and paper towels.

Step 2 - Either clean the glass, if using, or remove, if not.

Step 3 - Sand the window as much as you can. I recommend wearing a dust mask for this as these windows most likely have lead base paint on them and you don't need to be inhaling this. I used a palm sander for all my larger, flat areas and my Dremel with a sander attachment for around the actual window panes.

Step 4 - Paint - I chose to use spray paint on this window and it required about 3 coats. Still debating on if that was the best type of paint to use or not. Will keep you posted!

Now, at this point, you have to decide what you want to do with the window. I knew I wanted this window for this family message board. So, to accomplish that, these are the directions:

Wipe Board

I cleaned two of the original glass panes and put back in with a light scrap paper behind so that writing will show up clearly. Don't mind my messy work space. This is a makeshift spot that I was using to paint another project earlier today.

Cork Board

I thought it would be easier to have a piece of cork that went into two of the window panes rather than two separate pieces of cork in each pane. So, I removed the back of one of the cross sections.

I then attached a piece of chip board to the cork using Mod Podge. There has to be an easier way as I found this very messy. But, it worked!

Magnet Board

Almost daily, I check out a website (yes, other than Southern Fried Gal's) by a fellow blogger called Greenbean's Crafterole. Recently, she had a post about some small boards that she makes out of galvanized flashing. Well, I went out and bought a roll at my local Home Depot and it only cost me $8.48 for a 10" x 10' roll. So, I cut out some from that roll and covered with some scrap paper. I used fleur de lis as the hanger that I attached also had a fleur de lis on it (plus, it is one of my favorite things).

Lastly, I attached my key holder to the bottom (really the side, as I turned it to make it fit best) of the window. I keep my Bed Bath & Beyond Coupons as well as take out menus there. Plus, I have always found that it is so much easier to find my keys if I have a designated place to put them. It took me a while to get used to hanging them up, but wow, I would be lost without it now.

I forgot to mention that I used glazing points to hold all items into the individual window panes.

So, there you have it! That is all it took to create this great family message board:

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and I would love to have you visit me at The Crafter's Window. Thank you so much Southern Fried Gal for having me over for the day.

Thank you, Nancy, for sharing this cute project with us. I love all those vintage windows you have and can't wait to see what other fun you have with them. We'll definitely have to have you back to share another project.

~Southern Fried Gal

Mossy Rock Wreath

2011-05-01T23:32:00.020-05:00

I'm excited to share my first Dollar Tree Designs project.

To create this project you will need several bags of mossy rocks (I used 15 bags @ $1 each from Dollar Tree), a styrofoam wreath form (I used the largest one from Hobby Lobby), and toothpicks.

To get started, stick toothpicks into several rocks and begin attaching to the wreath. I chose toothpicks to secure the rocks to the wreath because I have trouble committing to a design. I like to recycle and reuse items. I suppose glue would work if you wanted a permanent wreath.

Then start working the puzzle.I found it was easier to cover the top of the wreath with most of the larger rocks, fill in with smaller rocks, and then start working the inside and outside of the form. Make sure to fit together tight so that none of the styrofoam shows through.

The inside of the mossy rocks are styrofoam. This means you can manipulate the rocks into the shape you need to complete the puzzle. These both started as the same size and shape. Vary the angle of the toothpick to make the fit more secure.

I ended up cutting a handful of the rocks to fill in the weird spots on the inside and outside of the wreath. I did not use any cut rocks on the front of the wreath.

Your finished product should look something like this. I had planned to embellish it but after I finished I decided I liked it plain. I think it has a higher end look and it cost just over $20 and an hour or so to make.

For a finishing touch, I simply added a burlap ribbon and hung from the ceiling over my mantel. It's the perfect touch to my garden inspired mantel. I'm in love once again with another simply good design on an unbeatable budget!

~Southern Fried Gal

Joining the fun at...

Dollar Tree Designs

2011-04-28T07:51:00.011-05:00

Every now and again I will wander into the local Dollar Tree on a mission. This time I was on the hunt for a little girl's umbrella. The bad news is I didn't score what I was looking for, but I did score some fun items for my southern fried design aesthetic...

Like these mossy rocks. I usually pick these up at a local garden boutique so imagine my delight when I found a bag of 5 for a dollar! Needless to say, I bought all they had.

These are cute and handy little objects. Throw them in a wire basket for a simple pop of color. They make perfect filler for hurricanes. Or just pop them here and there where you need a touch of nature and green. LOVE these!

I picked up a couple of bags of polished river rocks. Another great filler item to have on hand.

One of my favorite looks this spring has been simply adding a few river rocks in my charcoal platter with a white candle. There's just something about this super simple combo that soothes me.

You know I'm picky when it comes to faux flowers, but I have a project in mind and I think these little babies will do the trick. I will keep you posted (literally, hahaha) on how the project turns out.

Just for fun I decided to take these items and put them together in a quick look to hopefully inspire. I grabbed a glass trifle, dropped a few river rocks and mossy rocks in the bottom, added a sweet little nest, and tucked in a few of the flowers. Simple and sweet!

I still can't believe I found the mossy rocks - my favorite find ever from Dollar Tree. If you like them as well, I suggest you run to your local Dollar Tree store (before I get there) and scoop them up. I was also lucky enough to find several bags of reindeer moss a few months ago. I have several projects up my sleeves using these items that I will be sharing over the next week or so.

What's your favorite score from Dollar Tree?

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Wednesday: Mother's Day Ideas

2011-04-26T20:00:00.007-05:00

Can you believe Mother's Day is just two weekends away? Don't let it sneak up on you! This tablescape from convention 2010 has lots of pretty ideas for Mom's special day.

This is the last week to take advantage of our Spring Into Savings Sale. Several of the products on sale are featured in this tablescape, like this Ruffled Glass Pitcher for just $23.96.

Treat Mom to a gorgeous cake with a surprise bonus - our Adair Upside-Down Cake Stand. This piece is a classic and can be flipped over for use as a dip and tray set. The coordinating Celebration Cake Dome is also on sale.

Our set of two Camille Vases filled with gorgeous fresh flowers make a perfect embellishment for the table if you are hosting a group of moms (or a group of friends or whomever) for brunch. For a sweet touch, give one as a parting gift to each guest.

Be sure to check out all the other items on the sale through Saturday. Don't forget to pick out your half price item (under $40) when you spend $39.96 or more. Items usually ship quickly if you are purchasing for gifts. You may also want to drop hints to your loved ones on what and how to order from my Willow House Online Store if you see the perfect gift for YOU!

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. Want more ideas, recipes, and tips? Subscribe to my newsletter and like my Facebook page!

Time Out Tuesdays

2011-04-26T09:59:00.005-05:00

Wanted: Guest Bloggers! Each Tuesday I take time out from my blog and share this space with others. Do you have something you would love to share? Home decor projects, DIY ideas, door decor, recipes, kids projects, entertaining tips and the like are what I'm looking for.

I have a couple of open slots in May and would love to include you! It is super simple to guest post. To help get as much exposure for you as I can, I will also tweet about your post and give a shoutout on my Facebook page. It's a great way to meet new bloggy friends!

Drop me a line with your post topic (southernfriedgal @ gmail.com) and we'll go from there! The first three to book a date for a guest post will receive a gift from me!

Excited!

~Southern Fried Gal

Easter Celebration

2011-04-24T22:02:00.011-05:00

Happy Easter! I hope you had a wonderful weekend celebrating New Life! We had a much-needed, quiet family weekend.

When BBC was two we bought him Resurrection Eggs. I highly recommend these. I love that the included scripture and messages grow with the child. It is absolutely precious to hear BBC tell the Easter story in such great detail. Occasionally he will add a little BBC embellishment. This year he announced that he wants to try wine and it's OK because Jesus did. Oh that child.

We don't make a huge deal out of the bunny. He usually brings a couple of small gifts and lots of candy. BBC has had the same bunny basket (and grass) since he was born. I love carrying on a tradition and it makes it so much easier for the bunny.

I felt a little bad when I saw Amanda's baskets for her girls. They were mostly filled with gifts and a little candy. Quite the opposite of BBC's basket. I guess the bunny knows this family has a sweet tooth - ha!

Finally, we hunted eggs in the back yard. As you can see in this picture, BBC is not a very good hunter. He comes by that honestly from DH. Let's just say if anything needs to be found in this home, I'm on the case.

That's how our Easter shaped up. How about yours?

~Southern Fried Gal

Good Friday Hodge Podge

2011-04-22T09:14:00.013-05:00

Happy Good Friday! Happy Earth Day! Isn't it crazy that these two celebrations fall on the same day this year? As a Christian and tree hugger I totally love it. Both celebrate life - today and forever, on earth and in heaven. Isn't that cool?

I hope the weather hold up so BBC and I can go grab our free tree from Lowe's tomorrow. I'm excited about planting it together. It's a memory we can watch grow over the years as it grows in our hearts.
Speaking of BBC, he brought home this adorable sock bunny yesterday. He made it in art class from a girl's sock. It is filled with beans and tied at the neck and head. The top of the sock is cut to make floppy ears. Googly eyes, felt teeth, cotton balls, ribbons, and markers were used for finishing touches. I love the personality of BBC's bunny - it represents him well.

I'm looking forward to a low key weekend hanging with my boys. We'll follow our Easter traditions. BBC will share the Easter story using his Resurrection Eggs (so precious). We'll decorate eggs and eat too much candy.

How about you? How are you spending the weekend.

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. Don't forget to enter my giveaway!!!

I'm joining the fun at...

Park Hill Home Inspiration

2011-04-20T20:59:00.009-05:00

My favorite local boutique is Park Hill Home owned by designer Todd Smith. This store is filled with fun ideas and lots of eye candy. Here are some of the looks I'm loving this spring...

This photo does not do justice to the live branches that greet you as you walk through the door. The long baskets hanging on either side of the doorway conceal jars of water. I could not believe how long these branches flowered. Gorgeous!

To the right of the store is a dining room vignette. I'm in love with the use of old burlap bags to add interest to the chair backs. Aren't those old bottles and clay jars yummy, too?

These metallic eggs hanging from faux willow branches are simple and elegant. When you are finished oohing and ahhing the tree, check out all the other details in this photo. I could stare for hours.

I also love the simplicity of this mistreatment. Simply gather a length of burlap, poof and hang on each corner of your window. Easy peasy and cute to boot!

There are so many fun ideas in this store. I go in at least once a week and slowly peruse every inch of the store. If I could live anywhere in central Arkansas it would be in Todd's store. If you are ever in the area, give me a shout so we can visit and be inspired together!

Where do you draw inspiration for your home projects?

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. Don't forget to enter to win a magazine subscription!

Willow House Wednesdays: Magazines & Giveaway

2011-04-19T21:10:00.009-05:00

It's no secret I have a thing for magazines and draw tons of inspiration from them. Did you know I also offer some of the best prices around on magazines through my Willow House business? Southern Living was one of my first loves. Some of my best home decor inspiration, entertaining tricks (like this fun spring party), and recipes have come from the pages of this magazine.

Real Simple is another great resource for beautiful organization (like this closet makeover), easy decorating, and simplified entertaining.

If you are looking for a smart magazine purchase, you can't go wrong with All You Magazine. This magazine is full of high value coupons on items you use everyday, ideas for fun crafts (like this ribbon basket), and other ideas for enjoying life for less. It's definitely worth the spend.

I have been toying with the idea of becoming some degree of vegetarian. I love veggies and if I have them on hand I really don't miss the meat. I love that Cooking Light regularly features vegetarian recipes (like this Chipotle Bean Burrito). For just $24 you can have inspiration for healthy cooking delivered to your home once a month for two years.

You can check out these and more in my Willow House Online Store. We have something for everyone (like Sports Illustrated, People, and more).

Now to the GIVEAWAY! Winner will have choice of Southern Living (2 years), All You Magazine (1 year), Cooking Light (2 years), Real Simple (1 year), or Health (2 years). To enter, simply leave a comment letting me know which you would choose and why.

I will leave comments open through Sunday (April 24 at 12 pm CDT) and announce the winner on my Willow House with Southern Fried Gal on Monday, April 25.

For extra entries, leave a separate comment below if you are a follower of Southern Fried Gal (1 extra entry), if you LIKE Willow House with Southern Fried Gal Facebook page (1 extra entry) and if you subscribe to my Willow House e-newsletter (1 extra entry).

Time Out Tuesday: Vote for Heidi

2011-04-19T09:05:00.013-05:00

It's Time Out Tuesday where I take time out and share my blog with others. This week's guest blogger is Heidi from Little People Wealth. She has helped me out with my Willow House business in the past so when she contacted me to ask for help getting her dream job how could I resist? I pride myself on helping others dream big. I hope you will take a moment to get to know Heidi and support her dream with your vote.

Hi! I'm Heidi Ramsey and I hope to earn your vote to win the job of my dreams (as a Hopscout editor). This would be a dream job for me. I have been blogging at Little People Wealth for over 3 years now and I love it! I quit my job to be home with my children about eight months ago and although I do make some money with my blog, something a little more steady would be nice.

The Hopscout editor position is a part-time stay at home job (average of 4 hours per week). It would be perfect for me, my husband, and my children. If I earn your vote today you are helping me get the job of my dreams! I can't do this without your support.

Please head on over to my video and click "vote"! If you are feeling generous, please share the link with your friends! You can vote for me here and it takes about 5 seconds! Simply click the "vote" button to the right of the video.

Thank you from he bottom of my heart!

Way to go, Heidi! You are not only dreaming big but also following it up with action. Good luck and we wish you the best!

So how about you? What's your dream job?

~Southern Fried Gal

Easter Yum Centerpiece Ideas

2011-04-14T19:13:00.017-05:00

Hello. My name is Carmella. I'm addicted to decorating with peeps. Who can resist these cute little sugar creatures?

It all started in early 2009 when I was inspired by a project in All You Magazine. I put together this centerpiece for a ladies brunch. After all the ooh's and aah's, I was hooked.

Last year I impaled the poor little guys with kabob skewers, tied ribbons to their underside and arranged them in a jar of jelly beans. To keep them soft I covered with a large glass cloche. BBC was wowed. It was a special treat to eat a bunny on a stick (no, not the ones from Pier 1).

This year for a quick centerpiece, I gathered up an odd number of glass containers and filled each with classic Easter candy. To finish off the look, I used tags to spell out y-u-m. Cheap, easy and best of all edible!

Do you decorate with peeps or other candies? What's your favorite?

~Southern Fried Gal

I'm joining the fun at...

Willow House Wednesdays: Easter Entertaining

2011-04-13T09:46:00.008-05:00

Here are some fun ideas for Easter Entertaining from the Willow House design team. See something you LOVE? Check out more product ideas and how to purhase in my Willow House with Southern Fried Gal Online Store.

Do you have a favorite tip or trick for Easter entertaining?

~Southern Fried Gal

Time Out Tuesday: Frou Frou Britches

2011-04-11T23:30:00.009-05:00

It's time for my new Tuesday series where I take Time Out from my blog to share this space with guest bloggers. This week I'm excited to feature another local bloggy friend, Tanya from Frou Frou Britches. Can you believe we met over the blogosphere and have not met in person, yet? We live about 30 minutes away from each other but sometimes that feels like the other side of the world. Shame on me! We are trying to hook up soon and I can't wait to hug her neck. She has the sweetest spirit. I think you'll see that for yourself...take it away Tanya!

Hello Carmella and Carmella’s bloggy friends. I’m Tanya, from FrouFrouBritches (yes, there is an “r” in that last word). I’m so glad that Carmella has invited me over to share a few of my little projects with y’all today. I’m VERY excited to meet y’all. Sit down, have a piece of virtual coffee cake (let’s have whip cream on top too since it’s virtual and we don’t have to worry about the calories) and coffee or sweet tea and let’s talk. Shall we?

Okay, so as I said, my name is Tanya. I’m wife to a wonderful, sweet husband and mother to four sweet little monkeys. I love to craft, cook and sew. So, today I thought I would share a few of my sewing projects.

My latest project was for my front door. I’ve been looking for something different (bye-bye burlap wreath) for spring. I’ve seen such adorable Easter decorations all over blog land. I settled on my version of big hanging carrots for my front door, out of burlap, of course. So, what do you think? I love how they turned out. See the tutorial here.

I do a lot of sewing for my daughter. This is my favorite. Well, at least today it’s my favorite. By the way, pay no attention to the dead plants in the background. I have a black thumb. I kill every plant that comes within 2 feet of me.

I also love to make baby gifts...

and I have a little bit of an obsession for kitchen towels, especially for the holidays. This is one I made for Christmas. I think I see a bunny towel in my very near future!

Thanks so much for having me Carmella!

Thanks for sharing, Tanya. You always have the most adorable ideas! Tanya also has an ETSY store where she sells her creations. I hope she doesn't mind me giving a shout out.

~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. I am looking for guest bloggers (read FREE advertising). I would love to fill up the next two months worth this week. Shoot me your idea(s) of what you would like to share to southernfriedgal @ gmail.com.

Easter Door Decor

2011-04-10T20:14:00.012-05:00

It has been a while since I've been inspired with new door decor. I'm embarrassed to report I just took down my Valentine bucket this weekend.

I found my inspiration hanging on a door at a local boutique a few days ago. It was a sprig of blooming twigs tied with a burlap bow and a bird's nest. Simple and sweet. Here's my twist on that inspiration...

I wired together some twigs into the shape of a cross. I bought these twigs several years ago - they have tiny green balls glued to them to mimic buds. There are four bunches of twigs wired together in the center to make the ends more uniform. I used green florist wired to bundle altogether.

I tucked a few deep purple flowers from Hobby Lobby into the wire. Purple just says Easter to me. Then I tucked a few sprigs of greenery on the angle to offset the cross.

Here are my tips for getting the most expensive look with fake flowers: 1) Be picky when choosing fake. Think about what you would see in nature and get as close to that as you can. 2) Simple is usually best. 3) Remove the leaves and add in your own greenery or none at all. I find even at the higher end stores that the leaves are cheap and tacky on flowering bushes and picks.

Next I wired a sweet little nest with eggs to the center. I just ran the wire through the bottom of the nest to secure. For a sweet touch, I tucked in one of my Willow House Must Have Mini Markers with the message "Celebrate New Life."

I must say I'm once again in love with my door decor!

Have you been in a creative rut lately? How do you find your way back to inspiration?

~Southern Fried Gal

Sharing this post at...

Centsational Girl Easter Party

Friday Hodge Podge

2011-04-08T08:58:00.007-05:00

TGIF! What a week. I think I can say this is the week that Mella Got Her Groove Back - or at least a good start! I'm not one to toot my own horn, but it has been a FABULOUS week for my family, a consistent week of blogging, and a productive week of work. Woo Hoo! It all started when I joined the Ultimate Blog Party 2011. I love this party because it forces me to revisit the goals of my blog and tweak for the coming year. It gives me the chance to meet lots of new bloggers, too. Did you join the fun? It's not too late - the party runs through today.

Tuesday was the launch of my new weekly feature, Time Out Tuesday. To help with the whole work-life balance struggle I have decided to take time out each Tuesday and share my blog with others. This week http://isogina.blogspot.com/ wowed us with her Carrot Cake Cheesecake! Do you have something to share on Southern Fried Gal? Send me your idea southernfriedgal @ gmail.com.

Wednesday I shared ideas for spring entertaining using Willow House products. Bonus - all of the products featured are part of our Spring Into Savings Sale this month! If you see something you like visit my Willow House Online Store and scoop it up. Some items will begin selling out as early as this week.

Yesterday I linked up with Beth's Spring Mantel Party where I drew inspiration from the garden. My favorite part of my mantel is the nesting cloche. Be sure to head over to the Stories of A to Z for more spring mantel inspiration! <BR> Well that sums it up for me this week. How has your week been?
Happy weekend!
~Southern Fried Gal

p.s. In addition to wrapping up taxes, working in my flower beds, and responding to visitors and comments, I'll be checking out Weekend Bloggy Reading posts over at Amanda's.

Spring Mantel: Inspired By The Garden

2011-04-06T18:33:00.019-05:00

It's time again to tweak my mantel to fit the whim of the moment. I love inspiration from the garden so I decided to take that cue back to the mantel for spring.

Three of my favorite obsessions are mosses, ferns, and urns (sounds like a country song or something). Spring is the time of year when these elements can take front and center.

I got the fun idea to build a cloche vignette on this over sized nest. The spring poem, over sized eggs and tall glass dome bring together this sweet look.

The nest needed a little height and this petite pedestal is the perfect size, height, and color for the job. This cute little wooden bird finishes out the trio. Hmmm....there's still a little something missing.

There - a little touch of fabric does the trick, don't you think?

Now on to the left side. I found these two urn cuties hiding in the corner of my favorite local boutique. I adopted them for just $3 a piece. To balance out the greenery on the other side of the mantel, I filled one with reindeer moss and a few faux bulbs. I layered the other urn inside my drake lantern and placed a candle filled glass on top.

This sweet little nest completes the look. I love how it looks like shellacked pine straw.

And here's the look all pulled together once again. I love how it all came together. I especially love that my obsessions are front and center for spring.

Do you have any design obsessions for spring?

~Southern Fried Gal

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I'm joining the fun at...

Beth's Spring Mantel Party @ The Stories of A to Z

No Minimalist Here for Open House

Willow House Wednesdays: Spring into Savings

2011-04-05T19:40:00.012-05:00

During the month of April I am hosting a Spring into Savings Sale in my Willow House Store. Several products are on sale for up to 50% off retail! Items ship quickly and you'll be off to fun Spring entertaining and decorating on a dime in no time! Here are a few of my favorite sale items and ideas...

Want to take your centerpiece to new heights? Here our stylists wired three Tealight Garden Stakes (item 54046, $19.96 set of two) together and hung vases with gorgeous Gerber Daisies. Simply stick into a container of wheat grass and voila!

One of my very favorite ideas from our stylists is to tie vases to the backs and sides of chairs. Our Camille Vases (item 41155, $14.96, set of two) are the perfect shape and size for this look. These vases can also be hung with ribbon in the first centerpiece - stretch the value of your spend!

Looking for a FUNctional centerpiece idea for spring entertaining? Then you'll want to mix and match our Hawthorne Hurricane (item 41395, $22.96), our Hawthorne Trifle (item 41460, 27.96) and our Stiletto Pedestals (item 41471, $29.96 ). Fill these with candies, desserts, or fruit for an instant centerpiece - and edible, too!

The best steal of a deal this month is our generously sized Gramercy Beverage Server (item 58053, $69.96). This gorgeous piece hold 30 cups of your favorite ice cold or piping hot beverage. You'll use this year round! Imagine flavored tea or sangria for spring and summer entertaining and hot apple cider or hot cocoa for fall and winter.

There are plenty of other steals and deals in our April Sale. One word of advice - if you see something you love go to my online store and order it today. Some of these items can begin selling out as soon as this week. Don't forget to pick up your half price special when you spend $39.96 or more!

Happy shopping, saving, and spring entertaining!

~Southern Fried Gal

Time Out Tuesdays: Carrot Cake Cheesecake

2011-04-04T21:58:00.015-05:00

I'm so excited to launch my new Time Out Tuesday feature. I'm taking time out each week and lending out this space to guest bloggers. This week I'm excited to feature Gina from Desperately Seeking {gina}. I met her a few months back at the first ever Arkansas Women Bloggers Event. I thought as soon as I saw her she was my kind of gal. Now that she has created a yummy treat with two of my favorite desserts - carrot cake and cheesecake - it is settled. Without further ado...here's Gina!

Hey, Carmella and friends! I'm Gina from Desperately Seeking {gina}. Thanks so much for inviting me to Southern Fried Gal. I'm so excited to share my new favorite cheesecake recipe with you.

For as long as I've been baking {over 20 years now, yikes!} I've never been so intimidated in the kitchen as I am when the thought of baking a cheesecake comes to mind. I've attempted before- mini pumpkin cheesecakes made especially for my boyfriend who claimed to never have been baked a real honest-to-goodness homemade cheesecake. I scoffed at this and assured him that I could change that. Well, that attempt failed miserably and sadly, homemade cheesecake has not made it into my baking repertoire. That is, until a couple of weeks ago when, what I thought was a culinary revelation {or so I thought} came to me in a dream.

Cheesecake. With a carrot cake crust. I woke up excited {and a little hungry}! I was sure I had dreamed up a fabulous new dessert and surely, the cake destined to launch me into baking infamy. And then I Googled it. Turns out, it's been thought of before. So I combined several well thought out recipes, tweaking here and there, and added my own awesome cream cheese frosting and a surprise ingredient for the carrot cake crust: pureed carrot baby food. It helps the cake part stay moist and delicious!

Determined for cheesecake success, I searched the internet for the best cheesecake-baking tips & tricks. Here is what I found:

* Bring ingredients to room temperature.
* Mix until just combined. Don't overmix.
* Place a shallow pan of water in the oven on the rack below your cheesecake to keep the oven moist.
* Don't open the oven while cheesecake is baking.
* Cool slowly on a rack in a draft-free space.
* Refrigerate when completely cooled.

I'm happy to report that this attempt was a complete and totally decadent success! Research and patience {along with a killer cream cheese frosting!} were the keys to finally getting it right.

I hope you enjoy...and please stop by Desperately Seeking {gina} and let me know what you think!

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the cheesecake:
16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. flour
3 eggs

For the carrot cake:
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
8 oz. pureed carrot baby food {I use Gerber}
8 ½ oz. pineapple tidbits, drained
½ cup sweetened coconut
1 cup toasted pecans, divided

For the cream cheese frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1-2 tbsp. milk, as needed
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

For the cheesecake:
Beat cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Beat in flour and eggs {one at a time}. Mix thoroughly. Set aside.

For the carrot cake:
Mix together dry ingredients- flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside. In another bowl, combine oil and sugar. Mix in eggs until blended. Add carrot baby food and vanilla, stirring until well combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix in pineapple, coconut, and ½ cup pecans.

To assemble:
In a 9 or 91/2 inch springform pan, spread 1 ½ cups carrot cake batter over bottom. Drop dollops of cream cheese mixture over carrot cake batter. Top with more dollops of carrot cake batter, do not swirl. Repeat if necessary to use up batters. You will need to finish with a layer of cream cheese mixture spread over the top {about a cup of the mixture}. Again, do not marble.

Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 50 - 60 minutes until edges of cheesecake are slightly puffy and the center {about an inch-and-a-half in} slightly jiggles. Cheesecake will finish setting up as it cools. Cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. When cheesecake has chilled completely, finish with frosting.

For the frosting:
Beat softened cream cheese and butter until well combined & smooth. Lower beater speed and add confectioner’s sugar, adding milk a tablespoon at a time until spreadable. Mix in vanilla.

Spread cream cheese frosting over chilled cheesecake and top with toasted pecans.

Oh My Goodness - doesn't that look fabulous, y'all? Momma always taught me it was best to share and I'm so glad I decided to share my blog with Gina. And I'm equally glad she chose to share such yummyness with us! Thanks, Gina!

Please head over to Gina's blog and show her some Southern Fried love!

~Southern Fried Gal

I couldn't resist sharing at:

Ultimate Blog Party 2011

2011-04-03T15:23:00.016-05:00

I cannot believe the Ultimate Blog Party 2011 with 5 Minutes for Mom is already here! Actually, I'm thankful. It could not have come at a better time. This gave me the perfect opportunity to sit down this weekend and recalibrate the vision for my blog for 2011.

Who is Southern Fried Gal? Hi. My name is Carmella. I'm 38. Wife. Mom. Arkansan. Business Gal. Southern-ah. Social Media Geek. Weight watcher. Quirky. Allergic to cats, penicillin and flattery. Recovering perfectionist and people pleaser. Funny girl. Storyteller. Skeptical. Practical. Loving. Creative. Obsessive. Faithful. Learning how to say NO. Philosopher. Silly. Sometimes both at the same time.

You May Call Me JILL. One label that has followed me throughout my life - Jill of All Trades. That's why on my blog you will find yummy recipes, simply good design inspiration, DIY projects, kid friendly projects, easy entertaining ideas and any other whim that may cross my heart.

My hope is that this blog provides inspiration to help you fall in love with your home, feel comfortable entertaining others, and inspire you to follow the whims of your own heart.

You May Call Me Crazy. I've struggled many years with living a balanced life. In 2011 I'm taking on more than ever with the goal of doing so with greater focus on life balance. Here are a few regular features that will help bring balance to my blogging life:

Willow House Wednesdays - As a Director and founding Design Consultant of Willow House, I love to share ideas for our fabulous products, steals and deals, and updates on the benefits of our business opportunity.
Time Out Tuesdays - This is a new feature that will debut this Tuesday. I'm taking Time Out every Tuesday to allow guest bloggers to share projects. I would love to feature your project or post - pitch me your idea southernfriedgal @ gmail.com. Stop back by Tuesday for a yummy Carrot Cake Cheesecake recipe from Gina.
Southern Fried Sundays -I use this as a time for personal reflection and to share favorite photos, scripture, & what's on my heart any given week.

Any other day of the week is governed by whim!

You May Call Me Friend. The main reason I love my blog is the community it provides. I'm thankful for many new bloggy friends and the laughs, loves, and tears we've shared. A main goal of my blog is to always connect more. I make it a goal to visit everyone who leaves a comment here. I may be slow, but I'm generally sure. You can also connect with me on Facebook and Twitter. Let me know who you are! We'll chat. It will be fun!

To all my Southern Fried friends, thank you for sticking with me along the way! And for all you newbies, thanks for stopping over and checking me out! I hope you will consider following me on this Southern Fried journey!

Are you joining the Ultimate Blog Party?

Blessings to you!

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Wednesdays: Mad Platter

2011-03-30T20:44:00.014-05:00

I'm so excited to share a Mad Platter deal in my outlet this week. Our Gallery Collection Serving Platter is on sale this week only for only $17.95! I have had lots of comments on this platter an the many ways I use it in my home. It is awesome quality and generously sized (17" x 12 3/4").

It provides a lovely tray for creating beautiful centerpieces.

My absolute favorite use for the platter is as a dry erase board in my home. It has provided a fun way to engage BBC in study and homework.

Sometimes he draws pictures and I display them proudly.

Right now it greets visitors with a scripture or fun quote like this one from twitter a while back (wish I could remember the source). I thought it was hilarious and a perfect touch for March with a nod to the ol' leprechaun. My bestie came down for a visit and I knew as an Edward lover she would get a kick out of it, too.

Of course this platter is perfect for serving as well. It would be a lovely addition to a wall of platters and plates - the perfect center. It's gorgeous and will fit any style. Go grab one for yourself and a couple for gifts! Hurry - this deal lasts through Sunday, April 3rd or while supplies last.

~Southern Fried Gal

New Gig Update

2011-03-28T09:37:00.014-05:00

Last week I took my first business trip with the new gig to Hartford, CT. I've never been there so I was excited to add a new city and state to my travel list. Because of The Hartford commercials I expected lots of trees (and a giant stag or two). The trees didn't disappoint - and the charm of the town didn't either. This was the view out one side of my corner room.

I didn't see any stags but I was surprised by the number of barns in the area. This was the view out the other window in my room. I have a thing for barns. I think it is the weathered wood. I didn't get a photo but the sides of the freeways are lined with walls of weathered wood. Quite charming.

You may recall from my last travel story that I tend to experience the most random things while traveling. This trip was no different. I scored an exit seat on the way home. The door closed and we backed out. Yay - no one was in the seat next to me!

A few minutes later the captain came on to tell us he couldn't steer the plane. We would be towed back to the gate to figure out next steps from there. I instantly started praying, "Lord, please let it be something stupid. I don't want to give up my exit row or no neighbor status." I'm ashamed to say I'm not kidding.

A few seconds later the captain came back on to tell us the person that pushed us back from the gate forgot to pull the pin out of the wheel. He had since removed it, we had steering capability and we were heading out. This is one time that I thanked God for stupidity! AND we got to the our destination 20 minutes earlier than scheduled. Needless to say it was a wonderful trip home. I should have bought a lottery ticket.

Do you have any fun travel stories?

~Southern Fried Gal

Decorating with Lady Jane

2011-03-25T09:37:00.007-05:00

Do you think about your decor outside the four walls of your rooms? When we first moved into our home almost 10 years ago we ripped out all the landscaping closest to the home and planned out a new layout. My favorite placement of trees and shrubs is our Lady Jane Magnolia. She is right outside the window in our den. I love the interest she brings to this room throughout the year.

A few weeks back she was covered in large buds. Last week she was bursting with tulip-like flowers on her beautifully structured branches. I love the pop of color it brings into the den for an early spring look. Simply gorgeous!

This week she has put on her layer of spring green still holding onto her tulip accessories. In a few weeks she will be a beautiful green structure that will carry me through to winter.

In the dead of winter she has no leaves but her beautiful structure is just as pleasing to the eye. She is also a favorite gathering place for my feathered friends like the poppa cardinal in this shot.

What's your favorite outside focal point in your home?

~Southern Fried Gal

Willow House Wednesdays: Garden Inspiration

2011-03-23T13:39:00.008-05:00

My design style is eclectic - there's no denying that. A common theme to help relate it together is inspiration from the garden. You may have noticed iron pieces over my mantel, on the wall, and on my shelves. I could almost cover a wall in iron (and don't think I haven't given this a lot of thought). Here are a few of my favorite iron pieces from the Willow House Spring 2011 catalog to bring a little garden inspiration into your home.

My most favorite item is the Cottage Gate Wall Art (41475). It looks great hanging on the wall as is. I get several comments on the mirror over my mantel. This would be a great piece for that project. For a larger wall area, buy two and and hang them on the wall to create one large iron piece.

For the best bang for your buck, you can't beat the Charles Street Medallions (41453). I love this trio of iron circles. It makes me think of a garden path. There are so many interesting ways to hang these to accent a wall. My favorite is to hang one over the top of each other on a narrow wall or corner nook. These also make interesting chargers for your spring entertaining!

Can I ever do a Willow House post without mentioning a hurricane? Our new Parkside Hurricane (41468) is a gorgeous way to bring a touch of glass and iron into your home decor. Fill it with fresh flowers, your favorite candle or whatever suits your fancy!

Has anything from the garden inspired your design style?

~Southern Fried Gal

Friday Hodge Podge

2011-03-18T09:07:00.008-05:00

TGIF!!! I'm so thankful it is Friday. Spring is springing around here and it's gorgeous! This is a quick hodge podge of what's going on around here. It. Has. Been. Crazy! I'm linking to Amanda's Weekend Bloggy Reading party so I can have accountability for visiting my friends.

I've been MIA a bit on the blogosphere because I'm spending quite a bit more time here at my new consulting gig. I'm busy preparing for my first trip to Connecticut early next week. BBC is on spring break next week and heading to the grandparent's for the week. DH has a new video game to keep him busy while we are gone.

I finally remembered to take pictures as I was creating another diaper tricycle and made a tutorial. Wow your friends and family with this gorgeous-made-with-love gift!

And finally I hosted my first ever guest blogger. Dianne from The Inspired Wife inspired us to create a wreath with fresh flowers and clippings. Love it!

Do you have something crafty, yummy, or otherwise cool to share with my readers? I would love to host you as a guest blogger, too. It's super easy! Give me a shout for details.
Have a blessed weekend!
~Southern Fried Gal