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We’ve been nominated for an award!!!

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‘We’ve been nominated for a Liebster award! Can you believe it Walter? I hate to disturb your nap, but Camellia’s Cottage has been nominated for an award!’~ Walter is looking at me like I’m crazy but Allie Mac, Brenda and I are excited around here! I mean, an award? y’all…really?photo Let me tell you what it is…The Liebster Award is given to new bloggers by another blogger. A big southern ‘Thank you darlin ‘- goes to an amazing blogger -Agatha Chocolats ! I think I’ve gained weight just looking at her blog with all of that chocolate! You have to go see what that little Southern girl is up to! To thank her properly here is a thank you note especially for you, Agatha- imageI like Agatha’s blog because of the images she uses- some are even short video clips, the 13 recipes she does once a week, the unusual combination of mystery and chocolate is intriguing and the playful, tasteful way she produces her blog. Currently it has to be my favorite! She has inspired me to be a better blogger.

Agatha had some questions for me when she nominated Camellia’s Cottage-

  • What would be the motto of your blog? Agatha, I would have to say, ‘Our Sweet Home in Alabama ‘.
  • What is your favorite childhood book? Hands down, it’s ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ – I love the question in it- ‘How do you know you’re ‘real’? And the reply, ‘You know you’re ‘real’ when your eyes fall out, your fur gets loved off and you are very shabby ‘ – by that definition, I am well on my way to- ‘becoming real’!
  • What is the best pairing for chocolate? It took one second to answer that one! Coffee!
  • What forms of social media do you like best when connecting with your readers outside of your blog? I’m old timey here, I would love to chat with them by phone or at an old fashioned ‘tea’ .
  • If you could invite 3 people (living, dead, fictional…anybody!) who would you invite? Well, darlin’ I would have to have 2 parties or one ‘dinner in the ground’! If I could have them back for just one meal, I would choose my grandmother, my husband’s grandmother and my precious mother in law for the first party. For the second party I would invite the ever inspirational Jesus Christ, who attended and even served some of the most miraculous meals ever! Then, C. S. Lewis,  one of the most scholarly and prolific authors ever! And of course, Thomas Jefferson- whose wide range of interests never fails to amaze me!
  • What would you serve? Agatha, I would want the ladies to cook for me! My grandmother’s turkey and dressing, my mother in law’s famous fresh coconut cake and my husband’s grandmother made delicious ‘southern baked-with-brown-sugar acorn squash’! For the men I would serve Parisienne Chicken, steamed broccoli, Sweet Orange Rolls, and a Mandarin Orange/toasted almond salad.
  • What are your 5 best qualities? Well now, that’s a hard one- I suppose (1)my sense of humor, (2)my love of place, (3)I hope I am creatively inspirational, (4)my concern for victims of poverty and domestic violence and the welfare of children; and (5)I would never want anyone to leave here- hungry or empty handed.
  •  What is the best thing covered in chocolate? Agatha! I hate being pinned down but I would have to say-  my homemade English Toffee!
  • What is your passion? My threefold passion is a love of learning, reading and writing, all of which come together at Camellia’s Cottage.
  • If you had 3 wishes what would they be?  Bless your heart, who wouldn’t want 3 wishes? (1)I wish Alabama could be experienced, not by the headlines, but by her natural beauty, a place where talent and  technology rub shoulders with farmers, football players, fashion designers and fishermen, where world renowned chefs and home cooks learn from each other; where goodness and greatness show their generosity regularly and where writers and publishers, art and industry exist on a level barely acknowledged; where kind gentle folk work hard, love their families and appreciate what true southern hospitality really is.(2) I wish I could read at least 100 books in 2016- I’ve read almost 50- so I’m making a good start, and finally, (3) I wish folks would choose watching, listening and reading things that aren’t loud and cynical ( where are Huntley/Brinkley?) but factual news which would inform and fill us up with hope and goodwill- I think those things should start with me and hopefully Camellia’s Cottage will do that.

Finally, Agatha Chocolats asked, which is the my most favorite published blog post? No contest! It was the least ‘liked’ or noticed on Camellia’s Cottage- called ‘ Lookin’ for Fame?’ Posted on March 23, 2016, about the amazing music, talent and recording genuises in the ‘Shoals’ of Northeast Alabama -I hope it will inspire you to at least see the ‘Muscle Shoals’ documentary! here’s a link- https://camelliascottage/2016/3/23/look-in-for-fame And we hope to do a part 2 to go with it, because world famous fashion designers, Billy Reid and Alabama Chanin are doing amazing work up that way too!

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There is more to accepting this award, including my personal nominees for the Liebster Award, which I will do in my next post…

In the meantime go take an indulgent visit to- Agatha Chocolats @ https://agathachocolats.com !   Love y’all, Camellia

01bfc08b061192c2354e9003ed02f0a27f3b4d7e3f

 

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The Stalwart Pear Tree…

This little dogwood tree struggles and survives every year despite it’s poor location, yet it reminds me of another tree,  ‘The Quickened Stalwart Pear’, found in chapter 38  of my book- ‘Four Days- the Lazarus Principle’img_1996

Here is an excerpt with some added emphasis…

“Go with me…to New York City. While we were there we visited the 911 Memorial. I was expecting to be moved by it. I was expecting to feel anger. That is not what I felt – I felt an overwhelming sadness for what America had lost…the loss of a type of innocence which turned many of our people into distrustful cynics. A harsh rhetoric, indicative of anger and fear has descended on our people…the-stalwart-pear-planted

The most hopeful thing of all in that tragic somber place was a Stalwart Pear Tree, known as the Survivor Tree. It is now 30 feet tall and was the last living thing to be removed from the rubble. The tree was moved to a park in New York to see if the broken charred remains could be revived. By the spring of 2012, having survived two collapsing skyscrapers, several moves, and one hurricane, the stubborn little tree is a testament of resurrection power; a living lesson that we can survive, we can be quickened after the worst loss imaginable. Many Wounded Warriors come to the 911 Memorial to have their photo taken by the Survivor Tree. Native New York Swamp Oak trees were also planted, they are alive but are not yet thriving.

Isn’t that the choice we have? We can be alive, cloaked in grieving clothes-south-tower-world-trade-center-stalwart-pearor we can yield to the Savior who has breathed the Breath of Life into us while we are bound by our circumstances… We can struggle and thrive like the Stalwart Pear or we can merely survive like the New York Swamp Oaks. When I saw the Quickened Stalwart Pear, it gave me so much hope amidst all the sadness. So, hear this-

‘For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for your welfare and peace, and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome….you will find Me…when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you…and I will release you from all captivity…’  from Jeremiah 29″

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Whatever it is that is holding you back, whether sorrow or sighing,  alive but not yet thriving, the survivor of disaster or dogged with depression, I hope on this blessed Lord’s Day, you will read of the survival of the Stalwart Pear Tree and find sweet comfort in this – and in the Love of God.

Love y’all, Camellia

The Stalwart Pear – New York, 911 Memorial -images from AOL images

The Survivor Tree The Survivor Tree

Four Days- the Lazarus Principle Four Days-the Lazarus Principle

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Purses, passion and pimento cheese…

imageThis is my grandmother, Betty Jo Sparks Holmes, standing by a fence in Alabama with her small son and her young brother. This photograph was taken in the late 1920’s. She was a working woman beginning in the late 50’s –  because her husband and her son were disabled. For almost 20 years she rode a bus to downtown Birmingham to work as a florist. She could squeeze a dollar harder than anyone I have ever known and get more out of it too! She was passionate about her work, her home and her family; always making sure her home was clean and beautiful and that there was something on the table that was fit to eat. To this day some of the best food I have ever eaten, the best meals I make, came from MiMi.  I still use her recipes and methods to make good food for my family or for pretty tea sandwiches –2015-06-05 12.02.11 I even grocery shop with her advice filling my head! No one ever left her home hungry; she was immensely talented and seriously funny. She believed in the old ways of putting out fresh tea towels, using the good silver often and being grateful enough to write a thank you note or compassionate enough to write a sympathy card. And she continued to do these things whether her pocketbook was full or not. This week, in her honor and in honor of other amazing women I know- I hand painted a ‘spring collection’ of notecards with cute little handbags.image

Susan B. Anthony said, ‘A woman should always have her own purse.’ This week in Birmingham Alabama, 100’s of women, with purses of their own, raised over $600,000 for victims of domestic violence. The YWCA Purse and Passion luncheon has been raising money and awareness in Central Alabama for over 15 years, they do an amazing amount of work which benefits women and children who often do not have access to safety or a purse of their own. These passionate women are proof that when a woman has a ‘purse of her own’ she can be a tremendous help and an outspoken voice for less fortunate women. The YWCA of Central Alabama is living proof that a passionate young woman named Susan B. Anthony was right about women and their ability to be a force for good and actually do need a purse of their own! In the 19th century, she began fighting for women to have the right to go to school, she went to school then began her own career as a teacher who fought for decent wages for teachers. She became convinced that women should have the right own personal property and earn a decent wage no matter what work she did. Ms. Anthony believed that the only way these things would ever become the law of the land was if women also had the right to vote. The passionate activist, Susan B. Anthony, died before women received the right to vote early in the 20th century, 1920, I believe. In Alabama, 90 years ago this week,voting rights for women weren’t  extended until 1956, more than 30 years after the rest of the nation.  Fast forward to the 21st century as famous Alabamian, Lily Ledbetter, also fought for several decades for equal pay for women. A bill with her name on it was signed in 2009- more than 100 years after Susan B. Anthony died. Yes, ‘Women should have a purse of their own.’

As a bonus, to honor these women- I will make available the closely guarded recipe for my grandmother’s award winning pimento cheese.

It is the best pimento cheese you will ever eat! If  you register your email address with Camellia’s Cottage, we’ll let you in on it! Use the sign up box or email:  brenda@camelliascottage.com

As always we will never ask for your height, your shoe size, when you started dying your hair or where you were when you got those redbug bites. We will never share your email address with anyone, we will never ask if the weight on your driver license is the same as the weight showing on your bathroom scale, we will always let you unsubscribe if you want to- but we hope you won’t, because we’ll never let you leave Camellia’s Cottage without knowing that we are grateful you stopped by! We’ll leave the light on…

Love y’all, Camellia

Grace and Grit –http://amzn.to/1XzrcBX Grace and Grit

Susan B. Anthony –Susan B. Anthony

YWCA YWCA

Visit YWCA of Central Alabama’s website – http://www.ywcabham.org

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Designin’ with Barn Board…

 

red car barn- miniard

On the backroads of Alabama you will find old barns like this one Jeremy Miniard photographed. When I look at this, I think of Alabama now – from old farms and steel skyscrapers, cotton fields sidled right up next to engineering firms making technological advances these old farmers never dreamed of! Old courthouses and turn of the century homes stand not far from national championship football universities- training future scientists, engineers and teachers.  That’s Alabama for you – a study in contrasts.

Designing with Barnboard and Reclaimed Wood

The photograph of an old barn inspires me-I love the decorating trend to use old wood, old barn boards and discarded wooden pallets for interior and exterior design.  As we have been renovating the cottage, we have used a study of contrasts-

  • Old wood with marble-
  • Slipcovered sofas with French chairs-
  • Pine floors painted black
  • Shiny black doors with linen and bright white square columns.

Contrasts please the eye. Let me show you a few things we’ve done with old wood…

A French side chair with an old barn board topped table, natural sisal rug and black painted floors- the contrast of styles and even rustic with silver is lovely…

Marble countertops with a contrasting barn board tray…These trays are perfect for cheese boards or to pile up some citrus- and they are my favorite prop for photos!

In a powder room, the old cabinet seemed low so we put a nickel faucet and elevated the look by putting up ornate white brackets topped with two pieces of old wood …

And a sofa table behind the slipcovered sofa was too short, so we placed old boards on it, to extend the table, now a lamp, a plant and other items can be better situated.

Then, in the foyer, a large chest was replaced by a ‘floating’ contemporary shelf which was topped with old boards. See the old map of St. Clair County above the shelf. Now the foyer feels more spacious.

Even the deck needed to be re-done, we’re still not completely through with that but…we reused the old wood and made a planter and we bleached out the thick wood steps to prepare them for stain-

The contrasts of old rough wood with linens, rounded French curves, the sheen of marble- contrasting with fresh whites and grays- pleases us, we hope you agree! The good ol’ boys who’ve helped us achieve this still walk in and roughly say…’I never woulda thought this would look good, but it does’ . Bless their hearts.

Love y’all. Camellia

jeremy-miniard.fineartamerica.com

This article was originally posted April 13, 2016 as ‘Barnboard…’ and has been updated to include more projects!

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Sparks of Joy…

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One of Alabama’s first governors was named Chauncey Sparks, my grandmother’s maiden name was Sparks, the owner of the old Birmingham Barons baseball team was called Sparks DeMent. Both noun and verb- sparks- could describe all three of these individuals. Yet I suppose my favorite definition is a ‘glimmering particle’ which imparts an emotion. This is what New York Times bestselling author, Marie Kondo speaks of so eloquently in her two books, ‘the life changing magic of tidying up’ and ‘spark joy’. I have read the first- the Japanese art of decluttering and organizing, all the way through and have finished most of what she suggests. All throughout she speaks of keeping ‘whatever sparks joy’ and discarding what doesn’t. I found her writing style so charming- she could be a southern girl the way she says- ‘tidying up’! Everything we do here is ‘up’…’clean up, make up, mess up, mop up, wash up’…! Marie Kondo is a successful smart lady from Japan. Her methods really work.  I have dipped in and out of her second book, ‘spark joy’ , but somehow until I finish all of the tasks in the first book, I cannot move on to the ‘master class’ in next one. That’s how powerful Ms. Kondo’s books are! They spark something inside me that I know is true, they inspire me because I have glimmering particles of joy each time I look on my bookshelves, in my closet and drawers which have been the recipients of her advice! Take a peep inside a few of my drawers, they were done months ago. I realize there are enough striped shirts to outfit the Royal Navy, but my drawers have stayed organized just like she suggests. Better yet? I can find things, I can put things back, I like what’s in there and it truly does ‘spark joy’ when I look in those drawers!

Now, I know writing about peeping inside a lady’s drawers alongside the words – ‘grandmothers, governors and baseball barons’ is scandalous especially in Alabama, but Marie Kondo’s books are just too full of ‘sparks of joy’ not to shamelessly let you in on it! I hope you will read them both and let me know what you think.

Love y’all, Camellia

http://amzn.to/1S1UmWG  ‘the life changing magic of tidying up’ by Marie Kondo

http://amzn.to/1N1xdMK ‘spark joy’ by Marie Kondo