January is “White Sale” Month

Bedding at West Elm

Organic Diamond Texture Duvet Cover + Shams

When Philadelphia’s John Wanamaker decided to discount his white bed linens in his department store two centuries ago, the “White Sale” was born. It was called a White Sale, because sheets didn’t have color in the 1800’s.  Unfortunately John Wannamaker’s department store has closed its doors but the tradition lives on and January is still the best time to buy bedding.

Today, sheets come in an unlimited variety of colors, patterns, textures, and themes. Prices can range from $10 to $20 in a small variety store, from $100 to $500 in a department store and from $500 to $2500 for designer bed linens in exclusive specialty boutiques. That right $2,500, “the higher the price the nicer the nice.” So whether you choose to spend a little or splurge on some new bed linens, now is the time get a great “white sale” bargain.   

Check out West Elm for more bedding.

New Year, New Art!

Art: Monna Morton @2013

Wishing You Good Luck for the New Year

 If you want to start the New Year off right, you’ve got to cook some black-eyed peas.
Although this legume has been around for centuries, the tradition of eating black-eyed
peas on New Years Day started in the south during the Civil War. Served with “greens”
the peas are supposed to bring you good luck and prosperity and should be the first thing
eaten on New Years Day.

There are a variety of ways to cook black eyed peas. You can make traditional Hoppin'
John, a dish made with black eyed peas, rice, onions and fatback or bacon; although a
healthier way is to substitute smoked turkey for the pork-age. Or you can add your own
mixture of spices with garlic and peppers along with the smoked turkey onions and peas.
However, the one thing you must not do on New Years Day is use canned black-eyed
peas; that would be blasphemous. And don’t forget the cornbread.

Greens & Cornbread, a traditional New Year's meal

Tis the Season for Celebrations

Give

Create

Tis the Season!

Photo: Raymond Holman Jr.

Photo: Raymond Holman Jr.

Let the Holiday Celebrations Begin!

Seed Pod Season

“Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn.”   
William Arthur Ward

Now that the leaves are falling from the trees and the flowers are starting to die, we know that Fall is in full effect. Mother Nature is so fierce that she made the plants and the seeds beautiful.  Autumn is also Seed Pod season and they are the essence of plant beauty. They come in all kinds of weird and wonderful shapes, sizes and colors. They can be used for decorating projects like wreath making, napkin rings and they make a great centerpiece. In addition, they serve as the base for making potpourri. You can even buy them, but before you do, just go outside and look around, they are everywhere. However beautiful, seed pods can harbor bugs and pests, so be careful before you bring them into the house.  Methods like freezing or heating pods in the oven can help get rid of those pesky critters. For more information about how to preserve your pods go online. 

So before you clean them from your gutters, and rake them up to throw away, remember one mans trash is another mans… future craft project.