she was raised by a mother from the south

and she has an elegance about her that she inherited from her southern mother.

 when you're with her you are treated to the kind of hospitality and generosity of spirit 

that i just don't think those of us born and raised in the frigid north country can quite pull off.

we can't help it, it's just not in our half frozen DNA. : )

*think mint julips, wide brimmed hats, confederate homes, wide front porches

and collard greens.
v.s.
 tator-tot hot dish, jello, ice fishing and moon boots.

today i'm talking about my friend leslie.  we've been friends so long now that

we don't quite know where our stories begin or end. we've 

spent over half our lives sharing each other's lives and families.

it had been over a year since i'd traveled the 2 1/2 hours to spend 

time at her house, so in November we both carved out a few days and 

up the interstate i went.

i wish i could bring y'all (that's southern talk) with me sometime so
you could experience what it's like to stay with a friend who treats you like royalty,
but since that's not really possible
(come on people, she's great and all, but she doesn't really want to wash that many sheets and towels) i walked around their beautiful home so

i could share a bit of my experience with you once again.

she and her hubbie's home is always changing and always endlessly interesting.
it takes me forever to see every little detail (and i do so love the details) and of course
i've got questions and i have to take pictures.
these two are retired and they love to travel around the usa, stopping in
every little mom and pop antique shop and church basement sale so
you just never know what new treasures they'll have to show me!

anyhoo, here we go,
here is the tour i took so I could share their delightful home with you.

both sides of the front entry hall are lined with treasured family photos and i

always love to stop and look at them all. 

(i'm honored that some of mine are even included.)

walking into the kitchen the coffee was on and i loved her reindeer bowl (target) that she'd filled with coffee beans and tea lights. she lights candles everyday. (see? she's got this appreciation

for the little things one can do to make life more pleasant).

this house was leslie's parents home. it's where leslie and her two sisters grew up.

when bob and leslie bought it they did quite an

extensive remodel, adding on to both sides, but keeping the original middle of the house

like it had always been. it was great before, but they made it work a little better

for them and we all love the nostalgia of it still feeling a lot like it did when

her wonderful mom and dad lived there.

in the hall right outside the guest room I slept in hangs this embroidered

picture that 3 of leslie's grandson's made for her.

isn't it dear?

here's my bed and here are my bed prizes! 

leslie introduced me to this wonderful tradition many years ago and now it's a

given that she and i and her two girls look forward to 

when we stay with each other. 

*it's like mini Christmas's throughout the year. : ))

hohoho

love the simplicity of the white rocker with the white polar bear pillow.

my little brother does these european mounts with deer and leslie wanted

one real bad, so he gave her one.

*he's nice like that and she may have sent him a nice tip.

the studio

leslie made this beauty!

so many interesting things line all the shelves- it could take a whole day

just to explore in there.

tiaras for everyone!

we've both got a thing for vases.

another vase? why yes! thank you~

after a lovely dinner out, we decided to stop at a friends to forage for things

to make an ice lantern. it was a beautiful foggy night.

so handy that our phones are also our cameras now. always there when you need them.

: )

I was assembling her ice lantern here on the kitchen counter- and made a big mess

but she doesn't care about stuff like that- it's all about the fun.

*in case you'd like to try making one, an empty ice cream pail works great and you

just fill it with whatever you want, we used bittersweet vine, cranberries,

various evergreens, sliced oranges, nuts, pinecones and cinnamon sticks.

then you fill with water and tape a small plastic container down in the 

middle (this becomes a place to put a candle) and freeze till solid.

to get it out of the pail you just set it in some hot water for a couple minutes 

and it pops right out.

now don't you feel like you've had a tour of a house in the south?

leslie's decorating style is very much like her mothers and

we all just feel cocooned here in this beautiful space.

 leslie has lived in 6 different homes in the 35 years we've been

friends and no matter which of those homes she's lived in,

some teeny and some grand, the feeling is always the same.

come on in, all are welcome here.

it's almost Christmas now and i may or may not be back but

if i'm not, 

blessings~  many, many blessings to you and your family.

xox beth