First Day In Paris

First day in Paris, France...more pics to come! Monet's Garden today-beautiful!

Allée:A landscape design element

There is actually a term for this landscape design element – it is called an ‘allée’. An allée is an walkway or path lined with trees of the same species, and is a formal design concept where the view is extended to a emphasize something in the distance, or extended to the horizon. This picture, with landscape architecture by John Howard of Howard Design Studio, beautifully illustrates this concept; the pea gravel driveway lined with trees frames the view and leads the eye to the house at the end.

Another iconic picture that beautifully illustrates an allée was taken at Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. The live oaks (believed to be 300 years old) provide a picturesque canopy that frames the quarter mile walk to the entrance of this magnificent Greek-revival style home.

More Burlap Ideas

Love this long tailored burlap tablecloth. Simple and beautiful for spring & summer...

Wouldn't this be so much fun to do for an outside party...how easy the burlap runners are on this farmhouse table...

Close up of the table set....Check out the lemon as a placecard/name-so creative! And a yellow bandana...hmmmm

Working In The Garden

We have got in so many wonderful new garden items. Antiqued large Saint Francis', wonderful aged pots in cream, greens, and turquoise. A variety of concrete mushrooms, flaming hurricane lanterns, and so much more. Stop by and check it out!

Spring Breakfast

This past weekend we had our quarterly shop employee breakfast. It was so much fun getting everyone together and enjoying good food and company. The breakfast consisted of:
*Glazed Ham with Garlic Rosemary Fruit Sauce(I used the Stonewall Honey Mustard and Stonewall Garlic Olive Oil, fresh lemon juice, and rosemary instead-so different and yummy!)
(click here for recipe)
* Baked French Toast with Mimosa Jam(wonderful and so easy!)
(click here for recipe)
*Raspberry, Strawberry, and Blackberry fruit salad with toasted pecans and fresh mint
*Mimosas
Feel free to stop by the store and let us show you the Stonewall products we offer in our kitchen-they make the difference in a recipe

Baked French Toast with Mimosa Jam

Table set-next time I will get pictures of people eating and enjoying! Lessons learned!

Fresh lilacs, rosemary, and mint as centerpiece-easy, beautiful, and simple. I had to walk down a muddy alley to cut the lilacs but it was worth it!

They look beautiful in anything!

Antiqued Mercury Glass

Love these antiqued zinc/mercury medicine bottles with the wire mesh wrapped around them...I have three on top of my antique piano and they look so old and wonderful! Even though mercury glass is so beautiful during Christmas it's just as stunning mixed with green ferns and white tulips for Spring...We have recently gotten in some mercury that has a tint of aqua blue in it-so it's different and fresh for this year.

Mercury glass was made in Bohemia, England and the United States from around the mid 19th century through the first few decades of the 20th century.Blown double-walled, then silvered between the layers with a solution containing silver nitrate and other materials, the glass was made in many forms, including vases, goblets, tableware, figures, lamp reflectors, and curtain pins.

Mercury glass, invented in 1849 and first produced in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), was once thought of as a sterling silver copy, but now it is revered for its unique beauty even with its imperfections.

Nouvelle Candle Company

Tired of the same old candles? I am-glass jars are getting a bit boring right? These Nouvelle candles are hand poured in wonderful rustic looking urns in fabulous fresh and new scents such as Italian White Sunflower, Fresh Linen, and Sweet Olive. Light one of these delightful candles and your house will smell so clean and inviting! They last forever speaking from experience and are a perfect house warming gift!

Nouvelle Candle Company LLC was founded in 2001 with the simple goal of filling a void they felt existed in the hand poured candle industry. While most of their competitors claim to be hand poured and offer expensive packaging that ultimately ends up being disposed of, where is their actual product produced and packaged?
They take great pride in the fact that their product is blended, poured, and packaged by hand in our warehouses located in the heart of South Louisiana. They feel that a candle should accomplish several things when it is lit. A fragrant candle should fill your home with an aroma that is pleasing, while burning clean with no smoke, for a long period of time. Their product achieves these tasks while being retailed at a competitive price. Simple yet classic packaging, warm muted colors, and divine custom blended fragrances join together to invoke a sense of old world charm that is Nouvelle.

Vintage Inspired Clipboards

So maybe the days of the clipboard are not over? These vintage inspired clipboards make taking notes fun! I would love one to use at work, at home to keep up with notes, or it would be a great gift for anyone that tries to or enjoys being organized...

The baseball inspired clipboard would be perfect for dad that coaches the little league team...the Paris one to keep in your kitchen for a grocery list...you can see the potential right?

Baked French Toast with Mimosa Jam

We discovered that everyone’s favorite Sunday morning cocktail makes a fantastic jam. This jam, the simple blend of oranges and sparkling champagne, makes every morning a celebration of flavor! What's more delicious then french toast? French toast with mimosa orange syrup!

Ingredients
For the French Toast-
1 2/3 cup light cream
5 eggs, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp. plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. pure vanilla
Pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg
1-12 oz. loaf rich egg bread, cut into 1-inch slices (trim crust if desire)
1 Tbsp. butter, softened For the Mimosa Orange Syrup-
½ cup Stonewall Kitchen Mimosa Brunch Jam
2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. butter
Sour cream and mint leaves for garnish.

click here for recipe

Mimosa's

Glass: Flute(champagne), Wine glass

Step 1: Fill half of your glass with orange juice, make sure it's cold
Step 2: Tilt the glass and fill it with your champagne or sparkling wine
Step 3: Give it a stir with you bar spoon or any long thin object
You can also use:Any citrus fruit can make a great mimosa, you can use grapefruit juice instead of orange, or cranberry juice, or make few of each kind, the colors are beautiful.

*Dip the rim in fine granulated sugar...Garnish with an orange on the rim of the glass, just cut a piece of orange any way you like, the person drinking the cocktail will be happy for that small bite at the end of the drink, or put a cherry in the glass.

Mediterranean Pottery

This pottery mirrors the shapes in a debut line of decorative, distressed pottery perfect for display in your favorite niche or other focal point. Presented in beautiful antique colors inspired by the Aegean, and with unexpected, intricate features such as triple or curled-rope handles, these substantial, distressed beauties will add the perfect visual element wherever you place them.
"Decorative, functional favorites with the allure of the Mediterranean." - KC Cunningham

Basket Arrangment

Nothing brightens up the front of your house more than a beautiful basket or container filled with bright seasonal florals...Have a basket or container already? Let us help you put something together with our wonderful new florals and ribbons....This arrangement has forsythia, purple lilac picks, and blooming fruit blossoms....

More Terrariums...