Greens, the freshness of them, all year round. In spring, I have to admit the tender leaves are such a relief. The first spinach salad with nothing but a simple vinaigrette, perhaps some slivers of onion and lots of bacon are a wonderful treat! We enjoy broccoli all year round yet, I do love it when we’ve grown our own! When grapes are in season, they are plumper and better than the rest of the year- and go with almost anything.
Green… eating green, is a healthy thing to do. When my children were small, I would say- ‘Eat your green vegetables- they have B vitamins, the Beauty vitamins!’ It must have worked because they are beautiful healthy ladies who truly love their vegetables, green or not. If I have a fresh cabbage, I cut it in thick slices and use it as a ‘nest’ for meatloaf or stuffed green peppers- it’s double whammy of deliciousness!
Collards are a favorite in the Deep South. I took some tender leaves, smeared on a cheddar, blue cheese/ pecan mixture; rolled them up. On a grazing board they were amazing- no cooking required. For the recipe- it’s called Camellia’s Bleu Pig A similar thing could be done with kale or chard- which is so beautiful.
A staple green vegetable here, is the ever present Celery. Take a look at them- filled with a soft cheese mixture- then three stalks are pressed together Tied into bundles and chilled, it’s another addition to a charcuterie board. When sliced, they turn into Camellia’s Celery Blossoms It’s amazing what a bit of crunch can do, look how pretty and fresh these simple blossoms are!
So? Why all the green? Well, I’ve just sown some salad green seeds, we have time for another round as we head into Autumn, and it’s always good to have easy nibbles on hand.
Then! there’s that Color I love talking about! Color is one of my 9 Principles of Design. Green comes in so many shades and plays well with others…look at how pretty green is with dark burgundy salad leaves! For every color, there’s a corresponding Green that will add a bit of freshness to anything- your Wardrobe, Online shop, your Photography Backgrounds and Backdrops, any of your Designs even your Blog or Social Media feeds!
Green always sends a message of life, growth, nature and freshness that no other color can quite pull off. I personally think green is a neutral. Just think green leaves or grass- everything goes with Green. It’s just the color to add those Beauty Vitamins to anything! Color as a Principle of Design- is an amazing tool!
Love y’all, Brenda
I’ve always believed that readers make the best writers. Any skill I have has come from reading books. I’m a collector of books. I treasure them. I also treasure handwritten notes and am especially proud of the few recipes I have which are written in my grandmother’s hand. It’s like having a bit of her still with me- unique to her and I would recognize her handwriting anywhere. I have a handwritten Cheese Sauce Recipe which has stood the test of time too. Written after World War II – it helps me realize that while ‘oleo’ was almost never used- it was during the time when supplies were rationed. 
Always protect Home Plate. That old baseball term, still holds true. Home Plate, home base whichever you call it- it’s where your true base of support resides. No matter where you live or work, there’s always a certain amount of uncertainty, yet generally we know where our most consistent support resides. In the South, the weather is almost on our radar. A tornado or hurricane can destructively come through certain times of the year. When bad weather is in the forecast, if we have a bit of warning or just feel it in our bones- we always protect home base. We board up windows and secure the doors. We round up our loved ones, we know instinctively where ‘to get’… the safest places to stay until the storm passes over. Then, when the danger’s passed, we assess the damage, then set about rebuilding- doing what we can to get our homes and businesses back up and running.
Think of it as preparing a garden, planting seed, giving it time to grow…
Growth, we all want it. Whether it’s in our gardens, our knowledge, wisdom, in our businesses or our bank accounts. Maybe you want to grow your circle of friends, your following on your blog or social media sites. We feel better when we are growing in all of the good ways. So how can we do it? And just how much growth would it take for you to feel good about it all?
Stop. Look. Listen. Those street crossing instructions not only kept us safe, they also sent us across the street and on our way. In our continuing series of ‘What will I do with this Time?’ There are design tips, there are inspirational tips and there are marketing tips, which we hope to include as well. Creating streams of income in these challenging times is certain to be important. In a recent Instagram post
You: ‘Throw out those old spices, make potpourri bags or something.’ * When actually – ‘I was hoping you could help me organize and plan new shelves.’ *If you’d stopped long enough before advising and just listened.
You: ‘Why in the world would you put a chair out here?’ ‘Oh, I thought it would be fun to have our coffee out here, while we talk about that new addition.’ *Yikes, if you’d just stopped and listened…
Take this dark linen closet- You: ‘Let’s get this cleared out, lighten it up, put in some shelves…’ Stop. Listen. ‘No, I wanted to step into my little home office first- am really interested in…’ *What you saw, wasn’t what she wanted you to look at!’
Or listen in on this exchange- You: ‘Mary Beth, the sewing circle would love to have all of this! Then you could have a guest room!’ No, no no. ‘Actually, I was hoping you could design a craft room for me.’ *I hope you didn’t dampen her enthusiasm or talk yourself right out of a job!
Look at this all white kitchen- You- ‘We need to get you some color in here, liven things up!’ Really? Here’s what was said- ‘Well we like it, I just need a sisal rug and was hoping you could tell me what size to get.’ *Stop. While you’re ahead.
What about those lovely old windows? You: ‘We can get you some shades or curtains in here to cut the glare.’ Um no. ‘I love the light coming in here.’ *Listen. You just lost that job. Full stop.
Take this lovely old plant room… You: ‘Let’s replace these rickety doors, get you some metal shelves you can wash down.’ * Really, you just said that? ‘Well, I wanted to give you a plant before we talk about replacing the bathroom wallpaper.’ Thud. Just stop. Listen.
And this gorgeous flower room? Please don’t say- ‘Let’s clear it of all the clutter, make it easier to clean…then see where we are!’ Uh NO. ‘Actually, I’m hosting a flower arranging workshops- I really needed help with my son’s room.’ *Please stop while you’re ahead.
Camellia's Cottage 