Cereal for Breakfast... and Dessert

I was surprised and excited to come home last week to find another box from General Mills on the porch!  They are launching a handful of new cereals this month and, seeing as cereal is how we start our day at least five days a week, we wasted no time digging right in.



While the littles have been gobbling up the Chocolate Toast Crunch and Dark Chocolate Crunch Cheerios like there is no tomorrow, Honey and I have both loved topping our plain non-fat greek yogurt with the Fiber One Protein (and a drizzle of Savannah Bee Company honey, dash of cinnamon and fresh berries).  I was skeptical at first, but BOTH the cranberry almond and maple brown sugar varieties are amazing!!  Truly!




I also gave their Individual Microwave Apple Crisps a whirl one night after supper since I had everything on hand.  They were pretty darn tasty - especially considering the whopping 10 minutes they took from start to mouth!

Individual Microwave Apple Crisps
Serves 2 (I doubled)

1 med apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tsp butter, melted
1 T brown sugar
1 tsp flour
1/4 tsp apple pie spice (I didn't have any so I did a mix of cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg.)
1/2 c Nature Valley cranberry almond protein granola
Vanilla greek yogurt and additional apple pie spice, if desired (I used plain greek yogurt)

1. In medium bowl, toss apple slices and butter.  Add sugar, flour and spices.  Toss to coat evenly.
2. Spray two 4-6oz ramekins with cooking spray.  Divide apple mixture between ramekins.  Microwave uncovered on high 1 1/2 - 2 minutes or until apples are softened.
3. Top each with 1/4 c granola and a dollop of yogurt and spices.  Serve immediately.


 
You can find the Hello, Cereal lovers website here and Facebook page here.

xoxo

PS. Check out Day 7 of Operation Organization at 11 Magnolia Lane today!!

Snow Day

We’re on our second “snow day” of the week down South.  And, sadly, this is the extent of the snow…



I’ll go ahead and state the obvious – there aren’t many snowmen being built with those ten flurries.  Rather, we’ve spent the last two days bundled up inside watching cartoons, playing games, trading football cards, sipping hot chocolate, building legos, and fighting (just keepin’ it real folks.) 



I figure this is as good a time as any to put out my annual plug for my two favorite ways to warm up on chilly days – Harney and Sons tea and the good old Cherry Pit Pac.



I am able to find two of my three favorite Harney & Sons teas at Fresh Market – Paris and Hot Cinnamon Spice.  I also adore the Wedding tea, but it has to be ordered online.  I’m trying to cut back on the sugar in my tea *gasp* but these are good enough to where I don’t miss it too too much.  Now, while I realize the cherry pit pac isn’t the most gorgeous thing in the world (hello, crazy cat lady), it is so so so wonderful to heat up in the microwave and drape over your shoulders while watching tv.  I also love to heat it and put it under the covers my bed while I brush my teeth.  Makes it so warm and cozy to climb into. 

With that, I’m off to entertain the monkeys.  They are climbing the walls… literally.
xoxo

PS. Check out the great wrapping station on Operation: Organization at 11 Magnolia Lane today!

Georgia Crafted

I exchanged emails a few weeks ago with kind folks at Georgia Crafted… and then promptly forgot all about it in the midst of Thanksgiving, two birthdays, Christmas preparations, two class parties, the leak in the ceiling, and so on and so forth.  So imagine my supreme delight when I trotted out to the curb and found this fine package in my box!  I knew it was going to be good just from the orange crinkles peeking out of the corners.

Georgia Crafted is a monthly subscription service featuring 4-5 carefully curated products made by Georgia artisans.  Each box includes full-sized products that range from food, body & bath products, music, stationery, art and more.  I love it!



The December box contained Pear Honey Jam (which I positively cannot wait to pour over goat cheese as suggested on the back side of the bottle) from Emily G’s in Atlanta, divine and (impressively) gluten free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies from Ratio Bakeshop in Decatur, three delightful handmade illustrated greeting cards from Erin McManness in Atlanta, and the most delicious smelling Peppermint IPA brew bar soap from Red Beard Brew Bars in Carrolton.


 
Now, it’s no secret that I’m pretty much head over heels for anything made right here in the peach state and am a huge proponent of shopping local.  So, it goes without saying that I find this entire concept to be a stroke of pure genius! 



There are options for one-month, three-month, six-month and month-to-month subscriptions (starting at under $30 with shipping included!).  This would make such a fantastic and so-Southern gift for pretty much any occasion (or a gift from you to you…I love those).  And for you last minute holiday shoppers (me included), simply order the gift subscription, add a note in a card, and call it a day.  Orders placed by 12/31 will receive the January box.  Imagine how merry it would be to find this in your box amidst all the post-Christmas bills!

Georgia Crafted

website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest

I’m dying to hear what y’all think!!!  Order up, gals.

xoxo

House Proud {Giveaway}

This giveaway is now closed.  Congrats Sarah on the win!  For those that didn't win, all is not lost!  Ron is giving away a second copy on his blog starting October 1!!

I love a good decorating book – both to relish the pages of over and over with a glass of wine or cup of coffee and to use as beautiful and functional pieces for adorning coffee tables, side tables and bedroom tables around my house.  House Proud: Unique Home Design, Louisiana by Valorie Hart is my new favorite - not just because of the gorgeous Southern interiors and homeowner must-dos, but also because my dear, dear friends Ron and Jeff of The Uptown Acorn blog are in chapter 7!!  Their Uptown New Orleans home is stately and gracious and jaw droppingly gorgeous and they did it all themselves.  Sister and I unfailingly await our annual visit with bated breath, and as soon as we pull up to the curb we immediately take a FULL tour of every inch of everything new.
 

Amazon says: Experience the joy of decor and design, restoration and rebirth, color and comfort - all in the enchanting locale of Louisiana. A New Orleans-based interior designer, Valorie Hart expertly leads a private tour of the most fashionable homes in the state. Sara Essex Bradley's photographs document the personality of Louisiana's homes, from the formal Greek revival house to the warm Creole cottage, the pre-Civil war beauty to the kitschy 50s-style ranch, the grand Victorian to the modern urban loft. This is not simply a design inspiration book, but rather a thoughtful compilation of homeowners' personal stories of restoring and redesigning their dream houses - the stories of the "house-proud."In addition to Debra Shriver's foreword, Hart gives her creative expertise on repurposing furniture, displaying art collections, creating extra rooms, and rethinking storage. Hart presents us with today's Louisiana homes: the feel of southern hospitality married with a look of contemporary chic.







 

I am positively delighted to be able to give away a signed copy of House Proud compliments of bestie R!!  And I’m slightly green that my own copy has not yet been signed :-)

The giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only.  Post a separate comment for any/all of the following – if you don’t have a blog, leave your email address so that I can find you.  You will get one chance to win for each thing you do – leave a separate comment for each of the things below!!

1. Like the Uptown Acorn Facebook page and leave a comment letting me know.
2. Follow the Uptown Acorn blog and leave a comment letting me know.
3. Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know.

The winner will be announced Wednesday September 25.
xoxo

Read more or order House Proud HERE and check out the House Proud Facebook Page HERE!

Hello, Cereal Lovers

I was *delighted* when the kind people at General Mills reached out and said they wanted to send little ol me a package with a selection of their cereals, favorite recipes to fuel learners throughout the day, and other essentials in a fun lunch box!!  The baby helped me tear into the package the minute it arrived (any time the door bell rings is cause for excitement around here).



He scurried off with the lunch box, glitter gel pens and stickers (I was able to get the darling notebook paper treat bags from his clutches) and I excitedly looked through the recipe cards.





The timing could not have been more perfect and I’ve already got a fun fall treat planned with one of the recipes and some of the cereals (I’ll share in the next couple of weeks)!!  And I hope to make some of the other things (can you say Breakfast Fondue?!?!) between now and then.

You can find the Hello, Cereal lovers website here and Facebook page here.

Thanks for thinking of me “Big G”!!
xoxo

Dressing Southern Tots {eBay Sale}

After my original Dressing Southern Tots post, I received quite a few emails asking how, if and when I sell our outgrown clothes.  Well, I have been selling them twice a year (spring and fall) on eBay since Whit was one, and have just listed a new slew of clothes out there.  Some are new, many are like new, and some have been well loved but still have life left in them.  I start all of my auctions at $0.99 and I do combine shipping.  Most of them are size 3/4 but there are a few larger and smaller sprinkled in.  Auctions will start ending Monday 9/16.

 

 

I haven’t been able to figure out a good way to give you a link to all of my items.  Here’s a surefire way to find them:

1. Go to www.eBay.com and click on Advanced next to the blue Search button in the upper right corner.

2. Under Items in the left hand menu, click By Seller.

3. My Seller ID is ratsisters.

 

Feel free to message me through eBay if you have questions about a particular item.

xoxo

I Love {Moulthrop Studios} + A Winner

Okay, so the first title I put on this post was I Love {Matt Moulthrop}.  But seeing as he’s the husband to bestie blonde Amanda, that seemed just plain weird.

Anyhoo… our dear and quirky friend Matt is a third generation wood turner.  He hails from a legacy of immensely talented Atlanta artists (his grandfather is recognized as the father of modern wood turning), and Moulthrop pieces can be found in renowned galleries, museums and private collections all over the world. Last year, Matt’s turned-wood vessels joined those of his father and grandfather in the permanent art collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.

VISIT THE MOULTHROP STUDIOS WEBSITE

Even the family’s coffee table book is gorgeous - Moulthrop - A Legacy in Wood.  Matt gave us a signed copy after helping him out in a pinch with his Smithsonian photo shoot.





This guy is so humble, that when we were first forging a friendship, he said that he “worked with wood for a living”.  Honey and I love to support our friends, so I immediately launch into a monologue about how he should “totally get a table at the Jonquil Festival in Smyrna” to peddle his wares.  He graciously smiled and thanked me for the suggestion.  Fast forward about six months and he invited us to a gallery showing in Buckhead (which I was beyond excited about.)  On the way there, Honey and I had a very serious conversation about how we should purchase at least something small to show our support for Matt and decided that $50 would be our max.  bwahahahahaha.  If only I’d had the foresight to Google him.  These guys are masters of their trade and their work is simply stunning.  I mean, I was hanging with blonde Amanda one day when the lead singer of a very well known band called to inquire about the next piece for his collection.  Oh, and another day the prince of some small country called.  Helloooooo…. I’m lucky if I get one call per day that isn’t trying to cut down my trees or consolidate the debt of various people that I've never in my life heard of and certainly don't reside at my number.

I can hardly believe that it’s July and I never shared what Honey got me for Christmas last year… my very own, very beautiful, very special Matt Moulthrop bowl.  When we lost the big oak original to our property last year, Honey commissioned the vessel. 







Matt has been quoted as saying “each tree has a story to tell.”  My bowl tells the story of a well loved home, a young family making it their own, and a dear, dear friend that put his heart into the piece.  And I just adore that.

xoxo


PS. The winner of the HKL Designs monogrammed spiker and koozie is...

Natalie Leatherbury said...

I recently discovered your blog and am really enjoying it! I shared the keychain, but I also love the tumblers and car decals! So many cute items!

Congrats!  Send me an email and I'll hook you up with Tricia!!

Find me at: My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design, Tatertots and Jello, A Stroll Through Life, French Country Cottage, No Minimalist Here, The36th Avenue, It's Overflowing, Shine on Fridays, DIY Show Off, House of Hepworth, 52 Mantels, I Heart Nap Time, The Frugal Girls,Six Sisters Stuff, One Project Closer, Jennifer Rizzo, Le Chateau des Fleurs, Common Ground, Liz Marie Blog, Not Just a Housewife, Miss Mustard Seed, Sugar Bee Crafts, Elizabeth and Co, Rain on a Tin Roof, Coastal Charm, Uncommon Designs, Mop It Up Monday, The Tablescaper, A Lived In Home, Monday Funday, The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch, Remodelaholic, Evolution of Style

Disney Drinks + Another Fabulous MONOGRAM Giveaway!!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.  CONGRATULATIONS Lauren & Eddie ON THE WIN!!

Do y’all remember this fabulous monogram giveaway from Tamera at Scrappin Plus and Crafty Little Things?  Well she is too too good to me!  I asked her to cut out a darling little wood crab for a project I have in mind and these were also in the box!!!



They are SO completely adorable and fit a 16-oz drink in the double wall tumbler.  We’ll totally be using them at our non-stop baseball, football and tennis games this fall and can’t wait to pack them up for our next Disney adventure (which is coming sooner than we’d dreamed!)!!!



If Mickey isn’t your thing, she has tons of other designs and is so crafty that I’m sure she can deliver whatever you can dream up!



And since I mentioned it, here is a before pic of my crab.  Next time you see him he’ll be sporting a blue coat of paint!




Now, for the really good stuff...  Tamera is letting me give away ANOTHER 24” Vine Connected Wood Three Letter Monogram (with your very own initials, of course)!!

If you recall, I have one hanging in my dressing room...

...and a second glittered monogram on burlap that I used on my porch for the holidays!  The possibilities are ENDLESS!  For the full run down on how I made my two canvases, look here and here.  

The giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only.  Post a separate comment for any/all of the following.  You will get one chance to win for each thing you do – that’s five chances per person!!

1. Visit the Scrappin Plus etsy store, pin an item you love to your Pinterest board and leave a comment letting me know.
2. Visit Scrappin Plus’s sister store Crafty Little Things, pin an item you love to your Pinterest board and leave a comment letting me know.
3. Like the Crafty Little Things Facebook page, tell them Dixie Delights sent you and leave a comment letting me know.
4. Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know.
5. Leave a comment letting me know what fabulous thing you’d do with a wood monogram!!

The winner will be announced Wednesday August 14.

xoxo

I Love {calliespondence}

It’s an amazing place, this blog world.  One of Honey’s friends married this darling girl that I never really got to know until I started blogging – even though she lives close enough to visit and our paths often crossed at events and football games.  She’s the creative wonder behind calliespondence – a paper goods outfit that offers custom wedding invitation suites, birth announcements, stationery and anything in between.  And I do not exaggerate when I say that the girl is just as fashionable, proper and delightful in real life as her designs are on paper. 

Callie recently did a giveaway for a set of personalized gift stickers and I was as pleased as punch to have WON!  Imagine my joy when these pretties arrived in my mailbox last week…



Let me assure you that if you can dream it, she can do it.  Oh… and in addition to running her own small biz while keeping up with two precious littles, Callie also pens one of my don’t miss daily reads – the calliespondence blog. 

Go check her out!
xoxo

PS. I saw Medieval Times Atlanta has a Living Social deal right now for $36 adult and $29 child tickets.  It seems that their JULY20 coupon code (expires thursday) can also be applied to bring it down to $30 adult and $23 kids.  Not cheap but a very entertaining night out for sure considering dinner and entertainment are included.  Read all about our visit here!

I Love {Grits Bits} + A Giveaway

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.  CONGRATS Gypsy Heart ON THE WIN!!

There’s no denying that Southerners have a convicting, albeit perplexing to our friends above the Mason Dixon, love affair with grits. They are part of our past, our customs, our hospitality and our sheer Southern-ness.

Many moons ago, Sister and I stumbled across Diane Pfeifer, accomplished Atlantan and purveyor of Grits Bits (think the ubiquitous cheese straw but flavored and better and even more Southern…if that’s possible), at the Junior League’s Mistletoe Market. Somewhere between a couple of babies, a move and life in general, they completely slipped my mind. So, imagine my delight when the fine folks at Grits Bits came a-knocking on my door I-don’t-even- know-how-many years later!!

Suffice it to say that I fell in love all over again at first bite. The Variety Pack (think sweet, savory, spicy and cheesy) was not only spot-on for a delish and so-Southern gift, but was practically begging to round out a little cocktail hour on the porch. And let’s face it, I adore a reason to uncork a good cold bottle of pinot.
 





Grits Bits has recently expanded into gift baskets and I am currently racking my brain to come up with some sort of soiree in which to enlist their services. I mean, how marvelous is this Atlanta Sip ‘n Snack gift set chocked full of Grits Bits, a glass bottle Coke, Georgia Peach Jelly Bellies, Georgia peanuts and a peach shaped chocolate?!?! Where was this eleven years ago when I was searching high and low for items for my out-of-town wedding guest bags?


It seems I’m not the only one raving about these delish little bites these days – Diane just brought a little bit of the South up to DC for the First Lady’s Legislative Wives’ Luncheon earlier this week, and spent a few days rubbing elbows with the likes of fellow Georgians Paula Deen and Tricia Yearwood!!!


 
Now, compliments of Grits Bits (website here), I am giving away a variety pack in cheddar, butter cookie, Vidalia onion and jalapeno flavors! There are three ways to enter and the giveaway is open to US addresses only.
 

 
Post a separate comment for any/all of the following…
1. Like the Grits Bits Facebook page and let them know Dixie Delights sent you – leave a comment letting me know.
2. Follow Grits Bits on Pinterest and leave a comment letting me know.
3. Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know.
The winner will be announced Saturday May 25.
 
Put some South in your mouth, y’all!
xoxo