After Paris: Following Up with a Bestselling Author

Published on March 2, 2015June 29, 2017 by In The Vintage Kitchen15 Comments

One of the most fun and inspiring reads of 2014 was Paris Letters by the effortlessly engaging Janice MacLeod. If you are unfamiliar with this book (now #7 on the New York Times bestseller list!) it is the ultimate manifesto for the creative spirit. A true, real-life story about how one woman dared to dream and then dared herself to really live that dream.

In Janice’s case, the dream was quitting a corporate job in California and traveling abroad to find fresh perspective and a renewed zest for life. Not unlike Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love, Paris Letters is an inspiring memoir of a spiritual journey that transformed one life in a 360 degree manner, but unlike Elizabeth, Janice isn’t hashing out her past along her journey – she’s finding her future – and detailing it one small step at a time.

Literally, by book’s end, you know how Janice got from point A to point P (Paris!) because she tells you specifically in 258 pages of detail how she did it with a satisfying and surprising one-thing-leads-to-another trajectory of events. Paris Letters is part serendipity, part planning, part passion and part blind-faith. Along the way, you’ll laugh, you’ll sympathize, you’ll understand. As you begin the last third of the book you’ll begin telling yourself that you know how the book is going to end and you’ll feel happy that Janice found what she was looking for. But this is a real-life story and real-life endings never dissolve into the sunset in the same tidy way they to do in a movie. Paris doesn’t become Janice’s be-all end-all, there are new adventures to be had and she eludes to the possibilities of a new life in Canada in a city that Christophe (her Parisian/Polish love!) became smitten with in the same way that Janice was smitten with Paris.

And so a move was made! This is where Ms. Jeannie picks up the story. What’s life like now for Janice post-Paris Letters, post Parisian romance, post France?

MS. JEANNIE: At the end of Paris Letters you imagine a life in Canada… a house, a lake, a garden, little Janice’s and Christophe’s… now that you are living there is your daydream still the same?

JANICE MACLEOD: Before Paris, I had BIG dreams of exploring Europe. Right now my daydreams are smaller and seasonal in theme. For example, in the autumn I dreamed of hiking along paths of golden autumn leaves. Did it! Then I dreamed of having a gorgeous Christmas tree. Did it! Now I’ve got dreams of spring and gardening on my mind. I’m starting to drool over seed catalogs.

It may not be the historic streets of Paris but, as the seasons kiss in Calgary, you can sense just as much romance in the landscape! Photo via pinterest

MJ: How has your move to Calgary broadened your point of view?

JML: I’ve been pondering the idea of the pilgrimage. Life in Paris was a sort of pilgrimage because 1) I did a lot of walking and wandering 2) Everything was more difficult. Language, administration, maps… EVERYTHING. Now that I’m in Canada, everything should be simple but really the pilgrimage has just become more of an internal exploration. The outer may be easier but more intense inner work is beginning. I’m still on that pilgrimage.

photo via pinterest — Traveling the roads of calgary via pinterest

MJ: For those of us who have never been to Calgary can you sum up your new city in a sentence?

JML: Four seasons of splendor inhabited by shiny, chatty people.

MJ: What are you most attracted to about life in Calgary? Has Christophe found his Paris?!

JML: Definitely the four distinct seasons is the most attractive quality of Calgary for me. Calgarians like to play in all seasons, too. They don’t huddle up in winter. They hit the slopes and polish off their skates. I’ve revisited skating. Oh how I adore skating. And I’m delighted to announce that Christophe has found his Paris! He loves the wide open spaces here. It’s big sky country. Very different from Europe which, in his view, is more cramped.

Paintings of Janice's adventures in Paris are available for sale by clicking on this image — Paintings of Janice’s adventures in Paris are available here

MJ: Do you think you will ever live in Paris again?

JML: Never say never. Though for now, my intention is to flourish in Canada. Now that we are settled in, it’s time to let the flourishing begin.

The recently discovered 1920s Paris flat that was left untouched for almost 100 years. Read the amazing story here. Photo courtesy of thedailybeast.com

MJ: Recently on your blog you posted the news article about the 1920s Paris apartment discovery. If someone came across a time capsule of your space in Calgary what might they find?

JML: HA! They would find thousands of photos and paintings of Paris. I’m currently sifting through all the art I did in Paris and will be posting it to my shop. It’s a big Parisian whirlwind here in my Calgary home.

Capturing the essence of Paris. A scene snippet fresh from Janice's blog. — Capturing the essence of Paris. A scene from the St. Paul Metro fresh from Janice’s blog.

MJ: What inspires you about the view from Calgary?

JML: I live along a river here in Calgary so I spent a lot of time just staring at the river. It’s an open-eye meditation. If you’re not moved by nature you’ve got problems. Then when you drive half an hour west BOOM! There are the Rocky Mountains. Those mountains were here long before I arrived and will be here long after I leave. Knowing that helps me not sweat the small stuff and to just be grateful to behold them here now.

MJ: Do you feel as strong a need to share with people about your daily life in Canada? Is there a sense that life there is as equally entertaining as life in Paris?

First scenes from Calgary! Photo via Janice's blog. — First scenes from Calgary! Photo via Janice’s blog.

JML: I haven’t shared much about Calgary simply because so much of it has been administration-focused. Do people want to know about me changing my drivers license and health card? Do they want to know about my visit to the dentist? The doctor? It’s not quite as difficult or funny as it was in France. I spent my first season here just settling in. Plus, my brain went quiet after writing and promoting PARIS LETTERS. It will take some time to restart that part of my brain and then we will be back on, entertaining the masses one blog post and letter at a time.

MJ: One of the most inspiring things about both your book and your blog is your confidence in pursuing whimsical endeavors. Is that something you find you must continuously develop and encourage or is it just a part of your natural makeup?

JML: Ah yes, I’m sure there will be some whimsical moments as I attempt to become outdoorsy here in western Canada. I write to amuse myself, so that’s likely to continue. Then if it’s good writing I share with the world via my letters, books or blog posts.

MJ: Of all the attention you have received from the Paris Letters journey, what is one of the most surprising experiences that has stemmed from the project?

JML: Two things. First, my book, the travel memoir PARIS LETTERS made it on the New York Times Best Seller list this month. I didn’t expect it at all. Total delightful surprise. Second, people who write me telling me the letter I sent them made their day. There is a lot of tough stuff out there to deal with in this world. The letter in the mail helps ease some of those burdens. I love when that happens and someone feels compelled to sent me a note in thanks.

janicemacleod4 — Each letter is prettier than the next!

MJ: If you were the recipient of a painted letter from anywhere in the world, past or present, where would it hail from and who would be the author?

JML: I would hope to get a painted letter from Percy Kelly, whom I learned about when I traveled through the UK. It was his painted letters that inspired my project. To get a letter from him would be dreamy, but he passed away years ago, so it would also be super weird.

MJ: What’s the next day dream?

JML: Sharing my photos and paintings. I created so much art in Paris but didn’t share it since I was busy making it. Now is my time to curate, edit, refine and share. It’s going to be great! I’m so excited to share it. There is a lot of pretty Paris art in my collection.

MJ: Just out of curiosity, did you ever meet up with Mary in Canada? [Note: Mary was a Paris Letters recipient who turned out to become penpal to Janice. She’s mentioned throughout the book.]

JML: Not yet. She still lives as far from me as my friends in California. Canada is a big country. But one day I’m confident it will happen. As fate would have it, her son goes to my mom’s dental office. Can you believe that? So I’m sure at some point we will be in the same town at the same time. If not, I might just have to make a pilgrimage to Massey, Ontario, to see for myself where all her letters to me are written.

—

Perhaps that meeting with Mary will launch a blog post or launch a chapter in a new book! You just never know! But there is two things that Ms. Jeannie does know for certain – However Janice chooses to document Calgary, whether it be through photographs or paintings, words or wisdom it will be beautiful and it will be entertaining just like the lady herself!

In the meantime, read Paris Letters! You will love it!

Other fascinating interviews with fabulously talented individuals can be found in the interview section on Ms. Jeannie’s blog. Stop by and take a peek here!

**** UPDATE 6/28/2017 **** Janice just published a new book all about her Paris adventures. It’s called A Paris Year and this one includes zillions of Janice’s photographs and paintings of magical, marvelous Paris . Read about it here. And grab your copy of the book here.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Published on February 14, 2015February 13, 2015 by In The Vintage Kitchen2 Comments

Today Mr. Jeannie surprised Ms. Jeannie with this love poem. 17 lines. 67 words. 2 people. 1 romance. Ms. Jeannie is ever grateful to be ever in love with this giant heart of a man who matters so much. On this happy day of love dear readers, may your words be equally as prized by others, whether it be for a spouse or a sibling, a friend or a furry four-leggeder – never underestimate the power of the alphabet:)

Happy Valentine’s Day! Cheers to making the feeling last all year through!

No Plane Jane: The 1960’s Flight Attendant {As Per Pucci}

Published on January 30, 2015 by In The Vintage Kitchen6 Comments

A bright, bold color palette burst into the grey, chilly landscape of Ms. Jeannie’s winter the other day when she went to view an exhibit devoted to the career of Italian fashion designer Emilio Pucci (1914-1992).

Thoroughly modern back then and still incredibly wearable today, Ms. Jeannie most loved his wrinkle- free derby dresses designed specifically for the globe-trotting woman.

With beautiful, bold patterns and feminine drape, Pucci was best known for his clean lines, carefully tailored silhouettes and what he called his ” fresh but violent” color pairings. He was creator behind the iconic “Italian look” for his most favorite body-type – the curvaceous American figure. Lucky us!

The exhibit showcased pretty dress after pretty dress before segueing into his collection designed specifically for Braniff Airlines flight attendants…

Cleverly coined the “Air Strip” collection – these transformative uniforms were designed as layered pieces so that the flight attendants could go from outside meet and greet situations on the tarmac to several different versions of uniform depending on the task at hand once inside the cabin. There was an outfit change for cocktail hour, one for dinner service and one for post-dinner refreshments.

In case of inclement weather, the flight attendants even had special hats…

A plastic bubble helmet, inspired by the astronauts, to protect from rain or snow!

The innovative marketing concept rolled out in 1965 and was the brainchild of real-life MadWoman ad executive Mary Wells who titled the advertising campaign “The End of the Plain Plane.” Peggy Olson would have been proud!

Considering that this was the look of 195o’s flight attendants…

which carried through up until 1964 as seen here in this ad for Delta airlines…

You can see how Pucci’s Braniff girls really spiced things up a notch…

When presenting her marketing campaign ideas to Braniff, Mary Wells reasoned that tired businessmen deserved something pretty to look at. Oh my! And while this sort of ideaology sets the womens lib movement back by miles, you can sort of understand what Mary was going for and what Pucci delivered…

excitement and glamour in the air! Sure the skirts were pretty short, and the idea of flight attendants being required to go through wardrobe change not once but several times on a trip across the country seems silly, there is still something validating about women being encouraged to dress like women.

Now most of our air service crew across all major airlines dress like this…

… androgynous corporate America, at its best speaks of neither fun nor glamour.

Of course ever since 9/11 airplane travel has become serious and suspicious. You can’t fault airlines for just trying to focus on the major task at hand – getting passengers from point A to point B safely. But back in the 60’s they had that same task too and managed to both make flying feel enjoyable and exciting.

It would be nice of some of these shiny bells and whistles returned to the sky, even if it was just a relaunch of brightly colored uniforms for flight attendants today. Never underestimate the power of color to help change mood and alleviate anxiety, Ms. Jeannie always says! And that simple adjustment just might work wonders in bringing a bit of enjoyment back to sky-bound travel today.

Pucci never underestimated the power and beauty of natural curves. Mary Wells never underestimated the power of pretty presentation. And jet-setters never underestimated the allure of the travel experience. By bringing back a bit of showmanship to the skies, it might encourage people to experience more of our vastly interesting planet.

What do you think, dear readers? Do you think the 1960’s travel campaign is sexist? Would you like to see a return to the excitement and glamour of the golden age of travel or are you happy with the current state of shuttling to and from that is our contemporary state of air affairs? Please comment below! Ms. Jeannie would love to hear your thoughts!

In the Kitchen with Indie: Organic Homemade Dog Treats!

Published on January 24, 2015October 28, 2016 by In The Vintage Kitchen5 Comments

In this week’s culinary adventure, Ms. Jeannie is focusing on something delicious for canine-minded readers of the blog: organic flaxseed dog treats! Or biscuits, if you’d like to correctly call them.

Around “officially” for over 150 years, specialty biscuits for dogs were created by this enterprising American electrician…

James Spratt, who patented Spratt’s Meat Fribrine Dog Cakes, after he noticed a pack of dogs chewing on hardtack biscuits in the street. The city of London became his manufacturing mecca of choice in the 1870’s where his dog treats became quite a big British hit.

Before long, exclusivity was compromised and the Bennett Brothers of New York City took note of the popular Spratt product and brought the concept home to America.

The Bennett Biscuit Company was established in the NYC’s Lower East Side in the early 1900’s, making Maltoid’s – milk, mineral and meat dog treats. Later Bennett’s biscuit company would be bought by National Biscuit Company (know known as Nabisco) and their production of Milk-Bone dog biscuits would become a household name by the 1940’s.

But because Indie has some food allergies and has to therefore exclude most grains from her diet (and unfortunately most over-the-counter dog treats like Milk-Bones), Ms. Jeannie is always on the lookout for a good recipe that won’t give Indie a rash.

Ms. Jeannie has found a favorite in this organic recipe and as you can see Indie is quite an enthusiastic kitchen helper when these are on the baking menu!

Simple, easy to make and abundant in quantity you start out by combining yeast, warm water, chicken broth, maple syrup, dry parsley and an egg in a large mixing bowl…

Then you add ground flaxseed meal until it forms a stiff dough…

Next, roll the dough into a ball and knead for a few minutes…

Then you are ready to roll the dough out in a thin layer and cut out the shapes. Ms. Jeannie lost her cookie cutters in the move somewhere so she improvised using the openings of two different sized glass jars…

Once you have all shapes cut out – place them on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake them in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn them over and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Once finished in the oven, let them cool on a rack for an hour.

Depending on the thickness of your dough – you can make chubby treats or paper thin treats. Ms. Jeannie likes to do a mixture of both. On the days when Indie does something really good or listens really well – she’ll get a chubby treat:)

By the time you get to this stage you’ll have several dozen homemade dog treats and one anxious sampler at your feet.

If you’d like to share your treats, it is fun to package them up and give them as little gifts to the extra-special creatures in your life. They make fun hostess gifts, thank you gifts and special holiday gifts. Or if there is a secret canine valentine in your life…

… you’ll win their heart by giving them these:)

Here’s the complete recipe breakdown once more…

Organic Flaxseed Dog Treats

2 teaspoons dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

2 tablespoons dry parsley

1.5 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey)

1 egg

5 cups ground flaxseed meal

Preheat oven to 350. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Add parsley, broth, syrup, and egg and stir to combine. Slowly mix in the flaxseed meal until it forms a stiff dough. Form dough into a ball and transfer it to a flat surface (you can sprinkle some additional flaxseed and parsley on the surface so that the dough will not stick) and knead for a few minutes.

Roll dough out into a thin layer (about 1/4″ inch for thin crispy treats or about 1/2″ inch for chubby chewy treats) and cut out shapes with cookie cutter. Place treats on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. then turn each treat over and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Place cooked treats on a cooling rake for 30 minutes.

Store all baked treats in an air-tight container.

Happy baking dear readers!

The Education of Ms. Jeannie: A Move to the Schoolhouse

Published on January 20, 2015January 20, 2015 by In The Vintage Kitchen7 Comments

Happy New Year dear readers! Ms. Jeannie has missed you, missed you, missed you! It has been several months since the last post in October, and in that interim between then and now, a flurry of behind-the-scenes activity has been occurring in the land of Ms. Jeannie Ology.

Most notably, there was a move to a new house and a new town.

As Ms. Jeannie said goodbye to the garden and the greenhouse, and the friends she made of the birds and the butterflies and the bald-faced hornets of the last few years, she said hello to a history-soaked house and a bustling university town.

This was not a move to just any old house – with luck as a tour guide, Ms. Jeannie found a converted two room schoolhouse built in the 1930’s. Here’s a vintage picture of her new abode…

Not too much has changed in appearance from that picture to today, except maybe the yard is a little more tame:) All the character and all the history are still exactly where they are supposed to be and that is pretty fantastic.

Originally part of one of the largest cotton plantations in the County, the schoolhouse was built along with a church and a commissary building for the plantation slaves. There is still quite a bit of farmland surrounding the house, especially across the street, so it is not hard to imagine what the scenery might have looked like 100 years ago…

Replace the wheat fields above with acres and acres of cotton and knock down most of the trees and that would be the agricultural landscape here of the 1800 and 1900’s. While the church still remains open and active next door, the original schoolhouse caught fire and burned down completely. In 1936 it was rebuilt and continued to be operated as a public school for black children up until the 1960’s when desegregation put it out of commission entirely.

Ms. Mary Willingham was a former student of the school house…

Photo courtesy of the WPA Federal Writers' Project Interviews — Photo courtesy of the WPA Federal Writers’ Project Interviews

In 1939 she granted an interview about her life for the WPA Federal Writers Project. When asked about her education in the schoolhouse, in particular, this is what she had to say…

“So it’s my schoolin’ you wants to know about now?” she asked. “I got as far as the second grade. That’s how come I can’t talk proper now; I didn’t have enough schoolin’… us chillun went to school there during the week, and to church and Sunday school there on Sundays. That’s the way colored folks done in them days.”

While it is unclear why Mary had to leave school after second grade, we do know that the process of educating black children in the rural South both before and after the Civil War was not an easy task on many fronts. Back in the 20th century the original schoolhouse was considered primitive by many standards. By 1915, the children still had no desks or even a cloak room to hang their coats and they would have just sat on benches lining the wall. Black teachers made 1/3 of the salary of white teachers, which meant their monthly take home pay was about $25.00 and if white teachers were teaching black children, they would have had to tolerate a lot of ridicule from the white community for their professional choices.

All this seems pretty unfair from both sides, but this schoolhouse, in particular, was actually considered pretty great back in its day because it was in a good location, had ample grounds for playing and the exterior was painted and therefore not subject to rot and mildew.

Inside, the school house is laid out like this…

Thanks to Mr. Jannie Ology for providing the drawing:) Little nods to the buildings history are everywhere from the “house” key…

little nods to the buildings history are everywhere from the house key…

to the all-wood walls…

to the giant 4′ foot by 5′ foot chalkboard in the kitchen…

6′ foot tall windows line both the front and back of the house and 11′ foot ceilings make all 1300 sqf feel large and airy. Two pot-bellied stoves serve as heat…

exactly what did the job way back in 1936. A few massive pieces of furniture have also been left behind from classroom days which now serve as bookshelves for Ms. Jeannie’s vintage book club…

It seems fitting to be surrounded by so many books and to be managing a book club while living in a historic schoolhouse. It makes Ms. Jeannie thankful that access to education and to books and to higher learning for all is so much more accessible today than it was in the 1800 and 1900’s. Living in such a space that encouraged minds to build more intelligent futures is very inspirational – whether it be a 7 year old Mary or twenty-something year old school teacher or an eventual history-loving book club tenant. Education continues…

Boyo quite agrees. He has learned a lot himself moving from the wild back yard that introduced him to Ms. Jeannie in the first place and settling in to his new post as babysitter of the books in the new house…

As you can see education extends to all here:) Ms. Jeannie is really looking forward to sharing a variety of new adventures with you in the new year… in her new house… in her new town. Happy January dear readers, Ms. Jeannie’s glad to be back with you all:)

106 Years Later, Dudley Sends a Message: A Preview of Things to Come

Published on October 19, 2014October 19, 2014 by In The Vintage Kitchen4 Comments

A letter postmarked 104 years ago to the very day! — A letter postmarked 106 years ago to the very day!

How mysteriously wonderful is this dear readers? Ms. Jeannie has been running around so crazy this week she barely has had a moment to breathe let alone time to stop and smell the roses. Thank goodness she took care of that last week! But then, just when she thought she was going to spin herself silly, Dudley stepped into her life like a little angel with a message. Dudley, is Florence’s brother, as in Miss Florence Taylor of New Berlin, NC. Ms. Jeannie became reacquainted with the two siblings when she discovered this old letter tucked away in an even older box that she had not looked through in quite a few years.

The correspondence is a typical brother/sister conversation… not much new here…sorry I haven’t written… the weather is fine…looking forward to coming home for a break…send my love to everyone…etc, etc, etc. But what struck Ms. Jeannie as most exceptional about this letter was not the contents, dear readers, but the date! Postmarked exactly 106 years ago today – October 19th, 1908! Imagine that! That’s Dudley’s message to Ms. Jeannie – to take time for a break so that you can see the details in life instead of just pushing past with productivity.

Thank you Dudley!

So in the spirit of Ms. Jeannie’s wise pen-pal, she is taking a moment to stop and share some lovely new treasures with you that will soon be added to the shop. It’s like a little preview show dedicated to details! If anything catches your heart, leave a message in the comments section and Ms. Jeannie will be happy to reserve the item in your name.

Vintage 1930's First Edition book - Lady - This is Love - $25.00 — Vintage 1930’s First Edition book – Lady – This is Love – $25.00

A rare first edition book published in 1930 looks at the humorous side of love from feminist author Irene Bueno de Mesquita. Great cover typography makes this a wonderful coffee table book or eye-catching wall art if you are so inclined to frame it. Interesting details include handwritten notes from a previous owner who has her own attitude on love…

A beautiful 9.5″ inch x 13.5″ inch vintage framed botanical print in all its elegant shades of beige, black, lavender and green comes to the vintage home decor section of the shop. Botanical prints are one of the prettiest ways to showcase your love of flowers. Especially in winter when it becomes difficult to remember what the summer landscape looked like buried under all that snow. This print works well in all seasons because it contains both light and dark colors and a natural, aged vignette which helps add a layer of warmth and dimension.

It is as pretty on one side as it is handsome on the other. A whole completely different story is written in the compromised papering of the back…

Call Ms. Jeannie crazy but she finds a lot of beauty in the backsides of antique art. Their subtle color shades, the thin delicate wire hangings, the marks of time and place…

It’s dramatic and different while being subtle and soothing at the same time! Sometimes it’s just nice to let your imagination create its own picture.

And speaking of pictures, three new vintage photographs are coming! Each of them contain fun and whimsical details about life lived long ago…

Little Carola on haystack circa 1957. $6.00 Love her shoes! — Little Carola on haystack circa 1957. $6.00
Love her shoes!

Men at Work - $9.00. Love the slight smile on foreground face. It's not all serious in this office! — Men at Work – $9.00. Love the slight smile on the foreground face. It’s not all serious in this office!

The Road Trip - circa 1950's. Love the head scarves and the school sweater! — The Road Trip – $8.00 Love the head scarves and the school sweater! Circa 1950’s.

Of course Ms. Jeannie will be telling some stories surrounding this trio of scenes as she likes to do with all the old photographs in her shop.

If you follow Ms. Jeannie on Twitter or on Facebook (which she just joined!) then you will receive a message when all of these above items have been listed in her shop. Look for these and more fun treasures coming soon! Hope you are having just as much fun during your weekend as these ladies above had during their road trip!

Fernbank in Autumn: A Trip to the Rose Garden

Published on October 14, 2014February 27, 2022 by In The Vintage Kitchen2 Comments

A magical visit to the rose garden at Fernbank.

The award-winning writer and gardener Sydney Eddison once said that gardens were a form of autobiography. How true! You pick your favorite plants and flowers, you prune and pluck or you let it go and grow, you decide neatly clipped and ordered or wild and whimsical, you choose colors, height, dimensions, you choose careful maintenance or natural ease. Essentially you write a love story with your landscape.

Ms. Jeannie was thinking about all this the other day when she finally (after many months of waylaid attempts) managed to visit the rose garden at Fernbank, Atlanta’s natural history museum.

What a gorgeous marvel this site was! Named in honor of Robert L. Staton, a local gardening enthusiast, Robert built this story of a garden in the 1980s to not only explore his own passion of cultivating an incredible flower but also to provide an educational tool for rose enthusiasts around the world. Autobiography is right, dear readers!

The Fernbank rose garden is one of only three gardens in the United States that serves as a testing ground for rose varietals in accordance with the American Rose Society, which makes it an intriguing platform for experts and novice hobbyists as well as a place of beauty for the community.

Laid out on two sides of a big lawn joined by a paved walkway, over 1,300 rose bushes live in long raised beds, bordered by bricks and grass alleyways. Being that it is now mid-October, Ms Jeannie didn’t know what she was in for in the bloom department. She thought she might be missing the season entirely, but was so happy to be proven wrong. At every turn there was something lovely to look at…

Roses came in a rainbow of colors and caught the light in all sorts of dramatic ways…

Such a visual feast for the eyes! Stately buildings belonging to the museum and a view of the neighbor’s house next-door were tucked into the landscape and lent a fairy tale magic to the whole setting.

Even Indie, Ms. Jeannie’s travel companion, was overwhelmed with the spectacle of it all. Not only was this her first walk-around trip in Atlanta but it was also an exercise on how to behave in a city environment. She was a good little pup through it all despite the enticing distractions (so many squirrels!) and the fast moving cars. But it also was a trip not without its perils…

Dog down. Thorn in the paw! — Thorn in the paw!

Oh poor thing! Some quick attention and one freshly dug hole later…

and she was back on the trail again.

Rumor has it that many a marriage proposal has occurred in the garden, and Ms. Jeannie can definitely understand why. Clearly Robert Staton was a romantic on a mission. The garden seduces you at every chance. From varietal signs…

to traditional symbolism…

petals pull at your heart from all directions.

And now Ms. Jeannie is so thoroughly inspired to start her own assorted rose garden she can barely stop daydreaming about it all. More to come on that front soon!

In the meantime, in honor of such a magical place Ms. Jeannie is having a little sale just for her blog readers on anything floral (including all things photographed with flowers!) in her Etsy shop. Stop by and have a look here. Use coupon code FLOWERSFORALL to receive a 25% off discount.

Combining Past With Presents: A Holiday Gift Guide (Week 2)

Published on October 10, 2014October 11, 2014 by In The Vintage Kitchen2 Comments

Last week we looked at incorporating heirloom lace and crochet into pottery. This week, in Ms. Jeannie’s unique Holiday Gift guide that aims to combine the old with the new, she is highlighting handwriting and all the magical ways you can incorporate the penmanship of ancestors into a contemporary gift.

Idea No. 2 – Handwritten Gifts

The gift of a word can hold profound meaning. And when you see those words written in their owner’s own unique way it adds an entirely new level of depth and emotion to a gift. A custom necklace that replicates the exact handwriting of an ancestor makes for incredibly sentimental presentation and keeps loved ones close at heart…

A custom Handwriting necklace made by BrittanyLeighJewelry — Custom Handwriting Necklace made by BrittanyLeighJewelry – $205.00

Everybody who enjoys cooking knows that family recipes are the source of stories and memories just as much as they are the source of good food. If you are looking for a special host or hostess gift for your best gourmet, this one combines a treasured handwritten family recipe with a very useful kitchen apron. This is a gift they can be used every day of the year!

Custom Recipes in Custom Handwriting on an Apron made by LindsayBurkeDesigns — Custom Recipes in Custom Handwriting on an Apron made by LindsayBurckDesigns – $31.00

Enlarge a piece of beautifully scripted mail, a journal entry or an antique love letter for a unique piece of wall art…

Or enlarge an old family land deed or immigration document like these below. Old plats, sales receipts, contracts and assorted paper ephemera from the 1700’s and 1800’s are gorgeous in all their weathered glory with scripted fonts, aged paper and range of neutral colors. No two look alike!

Old documents pertaining to family history can be found online at ancestry.com or on file at local libraries and historical foundations. These make especially great gifts for anyone who has recently moved into a new house, started a new business venture or just needs a little visual reminder that great things are possible.

When looking through old cards or letters, if a poetic sentence jumps out at you or if one of your family members was always known to say a certain phrase, or lend certain words of encouragement, pay tribute to their mindeset by keeping their thoughts alive, in their own handwriting, on a decorative pillow that can be incorporated into a variety of different decor situations…

Handwritten signature pillow made by LifeCraftsWhatever – $47.00

With these handwritten gift ideas, you’ll only be the bearer of good news this holiday season! And just like gift idea No. 1 your recipient will be able to enjoy these items the whole year through. It’s the 12 week holiday countdown – stay tuned next week for gift idea No. 3 🙂

Monday in the Kitchen: It’s Sopa de Fuba Season!

Published on October 6, 2014April 24, 2024 by In The Vintage Kitchen2 Comments

As the outside temperatures start leaning towards Autumn, Ms. Jeannie starts dreaming about soup in all its different variations. Undoubtedly one of her most favorite things to make in the cold months, she was practically giddy today in anticipation of inaugurating the season with one of her very favorites…Sopa de Fuba, a native recipe to this gorgeous place…

Can you guess where there is? Photo via pinterest. — Photo via pinterest.

Can you guess where in the world this picture was taken? If you guessed Brazil then you are right! To be more particular it is Minas Gerais – the fourth largest state in Brazil, known for it’s precious gem, diamond and gold mines, its historic colonial charm and a certain something special in the warm and hearty soup department.

Sopa de Fuba combines just a few simple ingredients in an unusual manner which makes it fun to cook and a bit out of the ordinary to serve.

It starts with the browning of cornmeal on the stove…

And then the sauteing of sausage…

You can use any variety of sausage from kielbasa to ground from pork to turkey depending on what you prefer. In this case Ms. Jeannie used organic hot Italian chicken sausage. Eventually you will wind up with slices or crumbles…

The trickiest part of the whole production is when you incorporate one cup full of cornmeal broth to two lightly beaten eggs…

The slower you whisk the hot broth into the cold eggs the better so as not to curddle the eggs. By drizzling instead of pouring and whisking quickly with a fork its easier to incorporate the two and makes for a nice, thick, creamy looking mixture instead of thin and runny with floating flaky egg bits.

In the very end you wind up with this dreamy concotion that tastes like it has been cooking for days and feels like you have sweatered your insides in something soft and warm like cashmere.

Taking about 90 minutes from prep to table, it is a robust rainy day recipe that makes you feel like you have spent some satisfying time in the kitchen yet doesn’t take all day nor the use of every dish. Pair it with a nice glass of wine and some crusty bread or a warm dressing salad and you’ll be fortified for hours when it comes to the task of raking leaves, shoveling snow, or hiking mountains to find that one perfect Griswold worthy Christmas tree:) It also freezes well so make a big batch if you are so inclined and dinner will be taken care of down the winter road.

Here’s the recipe breakdown from start to finish. Ms. Jeannie adapted this just slightly from the original saveaur.com recipe. Her alterations are in italics.

Sopa de Fuba

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

½ cup yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp. canola oil (Ms. Jeannie uses olive oil)
6 oz. kielbasa sausage, cut diagonally into ¼”-thick slices (you can use any kind of sausage here ina ny style from pork to turkey to chicken from italian sausage style to ground!)
7 cups chicken stock (you can also use beef broth, turkey stock or veal broth)
4 oz. collard greens, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 scallions, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat cornmeal in a 10″ skillet over medium-high heat and cook, swirling pan constantly, until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer cornmeal to a bowl; set aside. Heat oil in skillet and add sausages; cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

2. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a 6-qt. pot over high heat. Whisk in reserved cornmeal, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, whisking often, until cornmeal is tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in reserved sausages and collards and cook, stirring occasionally, until collards wilt, 15 minutes. Place eggs in a medium bowl and add 1 cup cornmeal mixture; whisk until smooth. Return mixture to pot and stir until incorporated; cook for 1 minute more and season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 6 serving bowls and garnish with scallions; serve hot.

And that dear readers is Sopa de Fuba! Fun to say and delicious to eat;) If you feel the winter blues coming on – make a batch of this, picture yourself here and you’ll feel instantly restored. Like a mini vacation to an ancient city…

Happy Autumn eating all you hearty ones!

Early Auditions!

Published on October 4, 2014October 5, 2014 by In The Vintage Kitchen2 Comments

This week in the garden there has been a lot of activity in the creepy crawly department. As it turns out Mother Nature was holding early auditions for her haunted garden tour that she’s hosting at the end of October. Naturally you have to pick the baddest of the bad and the most wicked of the wicked, and while there were a lot (a whole yard full) of entrants who came to try out, in the end it came to four who really made an everlasting impression. Here’s the cast of the 2014 Haunted Hollow Garden tour…

Most Haunting:

Camouflage of the most intellectual kind;)

…goes to Melvina, a 6″ inch long praying mantis. Six inches dear readers! That’s as long as Ms. Jeannie’s hand!

Most Scary

…goes to Pistachio, the poisonous saddleback caterpillar who auditioned with a hot pepper plant prop. Pistachio was quite cute in all his ferocity with a costume that looked like a cross between a scrub brush and a diseased finger.

If Frankenstein had a pet he may choose something like this!

If you come in physical contact with him Pistachio will not hesitate to sting you with his bristles – which then causes a welted rash for days. Luckily Ms. Jeannie does not know this from experience! While everything about him from his pudgy belly color to his markings makes you want to touch him – it’s his “eyes” looking at you from all directions that warn against it.

Most Creative…

goes to Roberto the red footed cannibalfly for his cool name and his cool conglomeration of costumes. Roberto couldn’t decide on which bug he wanted to be for Halloween so he decided to incorporate elements from all four of his favorites for a really spooky creation…part bumblebee and part beetle with fly eyes and dragonfly wings…

there's a lot of time and energy taht when in to building this costume! — There’s a lot of time and energy that when into concepting this costume!

Roberto was sure to incorporate the best features from each bug. He even threw in some spiky hair and extra long legs for added panache:)

And last but not least, the winner of the…

Most Creepy (but somewhat cute) category…

…goes to Wilomena the Wolf Spider and her four dozen back-pack babies! That’s right gang, all those little dots on her back are the kiddos. There was no holds barred when it came to Wilomena’s costume – this year, she was involving the whole family. Nothing like bringing your 57 kids along to make an everlasting impression:)

That’s a lot of eyes looking at you!

Wolf spiders are the only spiders that carry their kids around like this.

Here’s a close-up if you really want to see how that whole baby carriage works…

This picture gives Ms. Jeannie goosebumps every time!

Is Mother Nature holding auditions for a Haunted Hollow tour in your neck of the woods too? If so, You have to let Ms. Jeannie know who your winners are. Maybe next year the whole cast of characters can hit the road and go on a country-wide tour!