Beverage Dispenser

We often have houseguests so I am used to serving a lot of people. Last weekend my son hosted a sleepover for some of his 8th grade friends. There were 8 of them. By our standards that was actually a small group.  For breakfast I served fruit, muffins and juice.

Sometimes I will just serve store bought drinks in their original containers, as I did then...

But sometimes I want to serve home-made drinks or gussy up the store bought ones and the best way to do that is by using a beverage dispenser.

I love this beverage dispenser from Z Gallerie.

But I wanted something a bit more rustic looking to go with the simple decor that we have at our lake house, as well as something that would work when we have 30 people so I bought 3 of these from Amazon.

Make sure that you also buy some colored chalk so that you can be artistic on the chalk board. (I need to work on this!)

Once you have your beautiful beverage server you will want to use it often so here are some suggestions...

Mint Iced Tea

In the south people drink a lot of iced tea. Being English, I never liked it, and I still won't drink sweet tea but in the summer I really enjoy a glass of unsweetened iced tea. I put a sprig of mint from our garden into the dispenser and I just love the flavor combination. I sometimes make a tiny amount of simple syrup to slightly sweeten it.

Sangria

Orchard Punch - I love to add some fresh cranberries to the dispenser when I serve this. You can also replace the ginger ale with champagne for special occasions.

Pancake Day

A British tradition that I continue to follow even after living in America for 20 years is to celebrate Pancake Day.

In America it is known as Mardi Gras and it is traditional to eat a King Cake.

In England the day before Lent in called Pancake Day and growing up my mother would serve as many pancakes as I could eat for dinner that night.

I top it with sugar and lots of lemon juice.

I use Delia Smith's recipe , but its basically the same as a crepe if you have a recipe that you already love.  Just remember to smother in lemon juice, and then sprinkle with sugar.

I always roll mine up, and put more lemon and sugar on the top...delicious!

Valentines' Day Gift Suggestions

For Him

Every man needs a bow tie, and this one from Brooks Brothers hits just the right note for Valentines Day.

Click here if he needs help tying it!

For the man who isn't afraid to wear a pink shirt, this one from Charles Tyrwhitt is beautiful.



These heart cufflinks are a discreet nod to romance, available on Amazon

For Children

How about a trip to Build-A Bear 

Or a Red Razor Spark Scooter

For Her

Who wouldn't be thrilled to receive these diamond earrings from Tiffany on Valentines' Day?

This belt from Tory Burch is sure to make your heart beat a little faster!

Serving the Perfect Cheese Board

I like to serve a cheese board at the end of a nice meal. I sometimes make a small dessert but I will always serve cheese and port. It amazes me how terrified a lot of people are of the cheese counter. It can be a bit overwhelming trying to pick just a few cheeses when faced with so many choices, so here are some tips for selecting a good variety of cheeses.

Select a mixture of hard and soft cheeses.

Select some blue cheeses. They are an acquired taste, I know, but once you learn to love them you will LOVE them.

Have one unusual cheese on your board.

A basic cheese board could include :

Cambozola
Stilton
Goat Cheese
Cheddar
Brie

If you wanted to serve more varieties then you could add :

Boursin
Edam
Camembert
Port Salut

Once you become familiar with these cheeses and know which are your favorites then you can start experimenting at the cheese counter. Ask for a sample of something that looks interesting.

I like to display my cheeses on this.

      

Cashmere Coat

On mild winter days my favorite coat/jacket is the cashmere Shere Sweater Coat by Lilly Pulitzer.

I have three plain ones in navy, black and coral plus a cabled one in beige.

The Shere sweater coat by Lilly Pulitzer is my classic recommendation of the day!

Decorating the walls

I'm sure you have a lot of fun choosing furniture and accessories for your home. I know I do.

However I always have a hard time finding artwork. It doesn't seem to matter if its original or mass produced, it just seems to take me a while to find the pieces that speak to me.

When I was building our country abode I found that since this is a second home that not only did I need to devote a lot of time and energy to the building process but I also needed to fully furnish it from scratch. That meant a lot of new artwork.

Here are some of my finds...

In my foyer I have a very large map of London that I found at Restoration Hardware. The color of the river exactly matches the silk curtains. A very lucky coincidence!

In my sons bedroom there is a gorgeous framed photo of a yacht from Ethan Allen.

In my daughters bedroom there are six framed antique pressed flowers that I found at Scotts Antique Market in Atlanta.

In our bedroom there are four pictures of birds (you can just see the edge of the fourth on the far wall of our bathroom)

I won't admit how long it took me but I actually made these myself. They are all cross stitched on linen...

Barbour

Barbour has been quietly providing us with beautiful clothing since 1894.

Their coats and jackets are worn in London and in the countryside, by royalty and by those attending the Glastonbury festival.

When I lived in London it seemed to me that just about everyone we knew owned a waxed jacket from Barbour and judging by the picture of Kate Middleton wearing one I strongly suspect that they are just as popular today.

(Helen Mirren in The Queen)

I have a green Border Jacket which is over 20 years old and will probably last me at least another 20, but I would love to get another one in either black or navy.

Clothing is available in the US from the Barbour website ....