Girls Dinner Party

When my husband’s hobbies take him away for a night or two on a hunt — it means two things : girls night & a chance to practice my hobbies! To be extra self-indulgent, I arranged for the kiddos to have a slumber party at their Grandparent’s and texted some friends to join me for a Friday night dinner at home.

I took full advantage of the fact that it was a “girls only” night and set my menu for a simple, easy, and not super filling dinner. Which means a good drink, light food, and of course, dessert!

The menu :

Old Fashioneds

Chopped Salad with Rotissiere Chicken

Cheese Wafers

Pots de Crème

SET THE TABLE

A whole afternoon of doing what I love — setting the table, arranging flowers, and cooking in the kitchen. I’m not sure which is more fun the preparation of everything or the actual dinner but I’ve determined it’s totally therapeutic and something I enjoy creating and getting lost in doing.

Luckily my favorite flower shop (aka Mom’s garden) had a surplus in Dahlias and end of Summer flowers that I went and cut from.

Summer’s finale showing off beautiful colorful blooms made for a bright and fun setting! I used a brown block print table cloth, a pair of antique wooden candlesticks, and dried mushrooms to bring in hints of Fall.

O L D F A S H I O N E D

We started off the night with one of my favorite cocktails — they were a hit, used my Dad’s tried and true old fashioned recipe!

Served a chopped salad for the main entree— recreated one of my favs from True Food Kitchen with manchego, dates, marcona almonds, farro, dried cranberries, and pulled chicken with a homemade champagne vinaigrette. Paired cheese wafers with the salad and it was just right — a light dinner means room for dessert!

***Also something I learned by my mistake — because it’s all about trial and error — I ended up making way too much salad. Next time, if I’m serving a salad as an entree, I will portion out the lettuce per serving ahead of time then construct it all together. Note to self!

P O T S D E C R È M E

The best part of the meal by far . . . and always a crowd pleaser — pots de crème! It’s so incredible easy and my favorite party trick because the presentation looks like you went to a lot of effort but let me assure you - its so simple and delicious!

Served with homemade whipped cream and a caramel drizzle. I have a few recipes that I like for this yummy dessert — this time I tested Ina Garten’s Pots de Crème. Slightly surprised she didn’t include coffee (as she uses it often in Chocolate recipes) but it was delicious - I added a splash of Grand Marnier to give it a rich flavor. I may be adventurous next time and try to whip up my own recipe?

We talked the night away, listened to some fun disco beats, laughed a lot and lost track of time.

Lingering at a pretty table and uninterrupted time with friends is good for the soul!

It was the perfect “farewell to Summer” dinner party with girlfriends!

Check out my instagram reels to get a glimpse into the night.

Also, what is your favorite dessert to have or make at a dinner party? I would love to know!

XxChelsea

September Mood

Come September, I’m over the summer heat and about ready for a change. Although not quite able to commit to plaid wool blankets, pumpkins, and mums at my front door - I eagerly anticipate the exchange from Summer to Fall.

Labor Day always feels like the official goodbye to Summer for me so I’m welcoming Fall as it’s one of my favorite seasons! One problem, it’s still hot in Nashville but we can visually start making the shift from the bright colors to natural earth tones. Whether it’s in the clothes we wear, home accessories, the food we eat, etc. Also, the children are in their second week of school and we’re settling back into some nice routines around here - lots of shifts going on and it’s quite lovely!

I’ve thrown together some of the things that I’m inspired by for September - holding on to natural textures, the vibrant greens of summer florals while welcoming rich warm velvets and gold tones. I’m in love with this acorn/leaf motif fabric, my Grandmother’s music box, and Husband’s fishing flask - of course a touch of antiquity & silver - always! This is my kind of palette and it’s the perfect mix of the two seasons.

Anything goes this month. If you love Summer, let it linger — eager for Fall, dive right in! Or if you’re like me enjoy the blurred lines of the seasons and this month of transitions.

Hope this inspires you. What do you gravitate towards during this month? I would love to know! Leave a comment below or send me a message.

XxChelsea

Last Days of Summer

My grandparents used to put up 100 ears of sweet corn from nearby Kentucky cornfields at the end of every Summer. My Mimi would serve corn at many meals throughout the year to come, and it was always so fresh and delicious!  After a trip to my grandparents (former) home, I decided to keep this family tradition going. I stopped by a local farmers produce stand while we were down at the farm last weekend and “put up corn”.

Since I wanted an afternoon activity, yet nothing too overwhelming, I bought 3 dozen ears - two bushel baskets full.

The boys went fishing and the girls sat on the porch to shuck the corn. It is actually a fun activity with little ones!

We dropped a large garbage bag for ease of clean-up later, and took all the husks and silks off each ear.  The very nice and helpful lady selling the corn showed me the best way to shuck it - pull one side down, then snap the bottom, and the rest comes off rather easily. 

Shucking over, we went inside and cut the corn kernels off of each cob.  Thankfully my mother-in-law helped so the process went fairly quickly! But it was a lot of work – it made me think of all that work my grandparents had done over the years. 

I called them and shared with them our afternoon of “putting up corn”.  My Papa was pretty tickled over it, and handed the phone to Mimi so she could give me some guidance. I asked for her recipe and a bit of “how to” and she told me to “just use your head, Chelsea”. 

So I did. Once you have all the corn off the cobs, you sauté it for a couple of minutes – not cooking it completely.  A little bit of butter, dash of sugar, pinch of salt & pepper, and dribble of milk (the latter only if the mixture seems dry).  When you’re ready to eat it in the cold of Winter, simply pull a bag out of the freezer and cook it through.

There’s your recipe – just use your head!   :)

Once cooled, we bagged them – about 6 servings in quart size ziplocks. I was a little surprised that only 10 bags resulted from the three bushels of corn. I now appreciate even more the work my grandparents did when starting with 100 ears of corn!

I plan to keep the “putting up the corn” tradition going forward and creating those memories for my own family. By the way last week,  my mother-in-law made a delicious peach cobbler from the last peaches of the season, and my Mom made a yummy blueberry pie from her last delivery from Mr. Blueberry.  What are you making to enjoy or preserve the taste of Summer crops?  I would love to know!

Enjoy these last few days of Summer and have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend! I am going to wait on some cold Fall weather before I pull from my stock pile in the freezer for a serving of fresh, sweet corn. Well, maybe not that long!

xxChelsea

Annabelles until Spring!

If you have Annabelle hydrangeas (or know someone that does) now is the time to clip them and bring into the house for a flower arrangement that will last for months! Right now in Nashville, the beautiful white snowballs have finished showing off and have turned an electric green and it’s the perfect time to cut and enjoy as they dry and keep this way.

The key is knowing when to cut - too early (too much moisture) and they won’t dry right and too late (already dried out) they will turn brown - you’re looking for the right color and amount of moisture.

I’ve been seen around my parents Hydrangea garden from time to time - I stopped by this week to clip a few for my home. See below for a very simple and easy way to bring in some florals that will truly last!

With Annabelles you can cut them as far down as you like - they bloom on new growth each year. If you are cutting other types of hydrangeas be careful as to where you cut - some varieties require old growth to form blooms for the next year.

S T E P 1

After bringing your hydrangeas inside I like to give each stem a fresh cut - always cut flowers at an angle - they absorb more water this way. I left about 12” as I think these look prettier the longer the stem but really judge it by your container. You want the hydrangea balls just at the top of the vase.

S T E P 2

Fill a vase or container with just about 2” of water.

S T E P 3

Take all of the leaves off each stem - as these will not dry well and just shrivel up. Also pinch off any brown petals that you may have.

S T E P 4

Keep your eyes open and shake for insects - a praying mantis jumped out at me! I screamed, took a picture for my son to see when he got home from school and slid him across the Kitchen floor and out the door (bye!)

S T E P 5

Place in a cool dry area away from direct sunlight (to prevent fading) and simply let the water evaporate and you don’t have to touch them again!

How simple is that - so quick and easy - filling your home with natural beauty and color that you can appreciate for months and months to come! I usually toss them when I’m bringing in Spring flowers but in the meantime you have something beautiful and chic in your home to enjoy.

Go grab your clippers and find some Annabelles . . . and if you don’t have any - plant some now for beautiful blooms next year - I just got some that I’ll be planting this weekend!

xxChelsea

W E L C O M E

As most of you know, I am an interior designer based out of Nashville, TN, now for over a decade – a woman running my own business, working out of my home, and managing the demands of family.  It is my passion to create beauty not only in designing beautiful homes for others, but also delivering the same beauty to my family daily. 

It’s no secret that I love decorating, cooking, entertaining, gardening, and DIY projects.  I find joy and peace in most anything pertaining to making my house feel like a home - except the laundry.  “Home” and all the beautiful things around it are the concepts that drive my work as an interior designer.

Becoming a wife to Beau and mother to Bowman and Collins has forever changed my perspectives as a woman with new roles and responsibilities.  These “new” roles have reshaped my inner domestic homemaking skills, bringing fulfillment and joy to me but also, I hope, to my family and friends.

There’s an art to it all – running a home while making it beautiful.  My wonderful friends have encouraged me to add narrative to what they see in person and in my Instagram posts.  So here we go!  This begins my creative journal – a place to share my journey in the art of homemaking, while also giving a few interior design tips along the way.  I hope you enjoy it with me!

Below is a glimpse of the sort of things you will see around here . . .

E N T E R T A I N I N G

Whether it’s a dinner party with friends or celebrating family birthdays - I absolutely love to host. I will give you my tips and ideas here!

D E S I G N

Every room should have layers - antiquity and a fresh timeless approach to interiors is what makes a home chic and elegant. I will be showcasing my design schemes & current mood boards.

G A R D E N

I’m an amateur gardener so I will be sharing my flower cutting garden and what to do in different months and seasons of the South. You’ll most likely get a glimpse of my Mother’s fabulous gardens - she is my mentor on this (and many things!) Arranging flowers is a form of art for me and I hope to inspire with these arrangements as well.

I N T E R I O R S

I’ll also be sharing peeks of past and present projects I’m working on - I have the best clients and love my job. It’s not always perfectly styled photoshoots - you’ll see behind the scenes of the construction, designing, shopping, and execution (installation days are the best part) !

F O O D

The kitchen is really the heart of the home - and as a mother and wife I do a lot of cooking these days - it’s not always culinary meals at our house (frozen veggies & chicken nuggets anyone?) but I will be giving you my favorite recipes. Whether it’s a fun cake decorating tutorial, Ina Garten’s delicious Engagement Chicken (make it this week if you haven’t already) or my favorite scone recipe to go with your afternoon tea or breakfast!

T A B L E S C A P E S

As Charlotte Moss says, “setting the table is everyday decorating” and I couldn’t agree more. I love to lay a table and will share my monthly tablescapes here.

H O L I D A Y S

Who doesn’t love a holiday and a reason to decorate to make things special. I’m getting excited because holiday season is right around the corner!

You will definitely see little hands around here as I will be documenting some of our every day and our greatest joys in life!

Because it really is all about creating beautiful memories in a place filled with comfort and love for your family and friends.

I’m excited to share this journey with you.

Please leave any comments below and subscribe if you like what you see!

Hope you’ll stay for a while . . .

xxChelsea