Spring Is In The Air!

Ahhh... Here in the great state of Georgia it is a warm 73 degrees. Its is sunny, birds are chirping, and I am one happy boy! This winter has seemed to have lasted a year! In Georgia we have had more snow than I can ever remember and temps have dropped below zero many times. Also, lets add an earthquake to the mix of crazy things you'll experience in Georgia (all in one week might I add). 

So with spring time quickly approaching and with this unusually warm weather it has got me thinking of some great design ideas to brighten your house up for spring! 

With Spring comes color. 

The ability to use whatever bright colors you want should be taken full advantage of. I like to get my color inspiration for Spring from the beautiful flowers that bloom during this wonderful season. 

So whether it is a kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom that you are decorating this Spring make sure and draw your inspiration from something you love to look at everyday. 

Just by adding some simple touches to a room can make the biggest difference in the atmosphere of the room. You don't have to spend boat loads of money in a decorating project. To create a simple, yet stunning center piece for you kitchen table hit up The Home Depot or Lowes and buy a bag of spring time bulbs. Plant them in cute containers that you picked up from the thrift store and BAM! Cheap and easy center piece.

Whatever you do in your home this Spring, make sure that it is something you absolutely love. When you wake up everyday you should be excited to look around your home. So this Spring make your house a home. Love where you live.

Love,

The Old Soul

Just Plain Cute! - Paperless Post

I was stumbling around the interwebs tonight when I came across a website I'd never seen before! Paperless Post. Totally cute. Tons of fun and fresh cards and stationary for any occasion or event in your life! 

So head over to www.paperlesspost.com and check it out! 

Love,

The Old Soul 

 

Paint The Town White? Maybe Just The Kitchen

I have been seeing so many kitchens done in white. White walls, white counters, and white cabinets! So here are a few of my favorite types of white!

For the walls I'd have to go with Benjamin Moore's White Dove(benjaminmoore.com). For me personally I don't want to feel cold in any room in my house. This color is clean, but still warm.

Next onto the counters. I found a gorgeous granite that I have fallen madly in love with, River White Granite. The grain in this granite is subtle yet it will stand out again the white of the walls. 

If you don't have room in your for an island, then you can try something portable. This super cute and function movable island by Crate and Barrel(www.crateandbarrel.com) is perfect.

So get out there and paint that kitchen white! A plus to having a white room in your house are the endless possibilities when it comes to accessorizing! Any color! Ah! 

Love,

The Old Soul

Old Fashioned Southern Divinity Candy!

Hi Y'all! Day two rolls in of being "snowed" in.. Cabin fever has set in and so has my sweet tooth! Funny how when you get "stuck" at home you get so hungry(or maybe that's just me..). As we braved the roads today around noon, we were talking with my great friend Cheryl about how we were all craving Divinity candy! The longer I thought about it, the more I craved it. I pulled out old recipes from my grandmother and great grandmother and found my Memaws recipe. So I made it! And today I am going to share this old family recipe with you all!

First you'll need to gather all of your tools and ingredients. I find it is so much easier when you have everything sitting on the counter, that way you don't catch yourself running around after you've already started cooking. Here's what you'll need:

1. 2 quart sauce pan
2. Candy thermometer
3. Preferably a stand mixer(I used my KitchenAid mixer aka lifesaver).
4. You will need the whisk and paddle attachments for this.
5. Wax paper(I covered baking sheets with the wax paper for easier moving)

Secondly, I will go over what ingredients are needed for this. These are:

1. 2 and 2/3 cups of granulated sugar
2. 2/3 cup of light Karo Syrup
3. 1/2 water
4. 2 egg whites from X-Large Eggs or Jumbo Eggs
5. 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
6. Chopped pecans (optional)

First thing you'll need to do is get the water, Karo Syrup, and sugar into the sauce pan. Turn on to low heat or low flame. Stirring constantly until sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved stop stirring. Keep the candy thermometer in the liquid, but NOT touching the bottom of the pan(this will give you false temps). While you are waiting for the candy to get to 260 degrees, go ahead and separate your egg whites into the bowl of your stand mixer. Right before your candy reaches 260 using the whisk attachment on the stand mixer, beat the egg whites until they have reached a stiff peak. Once you have done this you will need to change out the attachment to the paddle attachment. When the candy has reached 260 pour in a thin steady stream with the mixer on medium speed. Add vanilla extract. Continue to beat this until it holds its form and becomes dull. Once you have mixed this to the appropriate consistency use a buttered spoon to dollops of the divinity candy onto your wax paper. I topped mine with chopped pecans! But that is totally optional. Let sit for the longest 12 hours of your life at room temperature. Then, enjoy this old fashioned, mouth watering, nostalgia inducing, and decadent candy.

This recipe is idiot proof basically. If I could make them, anyone can! So go create some delicious treats!

Happy Thrifting and Cooking, Y'all! 

Love,

The Old Soul

We Are "Vintage"!

I've had quite a few things on my mind today, being stuck in a house during a winter storm will do that to you. I write my blog entries on vintage materials things, but aren't we somewhat "vintage"? Maybe not in the sense of being old or out of date, but in a sense of being worn down, weathered, and maybe a little cracked. 

In life you have ups and downs, there's no surprise there. But what you do is what defines you. How you overcome adversity and ridicule is what builds your character. Like an old weather, worn, and cracked piece of vintage pottery. Though this piece of vintage brilliance is blemished and been through hell and back, it still holds it's beauty and stands tall in a world of shiny new things. It is our choice whether or not we get thrown into a "junk" pile or showcased on a shelf. Whenever people or things in life wear you down, show them how strong you truly are by getting right back up! 

I have said many times that I love vintage things because of the stories they hold. Well, we all have stories. Good ones and bad ones. Good stories bring us happiness and joy and fulfillment. Bad ones can bring us pain, sorrow, and regret. Break free of those regrets. Break free from the pain and sorrow. You are not your past. You may have a few dents and cracks in your heart, just like that old piece of vintage pottery, but you are still beautiful. Think of your cracks, dents, and blemishes not as wounds, but as battle scars! They show that you have stood the test of time and you don't plan on backing down or giving up anytime soon. Be proud of who you are and what you are. Because what you are and who you are is perfection in the eyes of the only One who matters. 

So be proudly "vintage". Do not let this world or the people in it throw you into the "junk" pile, push yourself to the front of that shelf. Own your battle scars and let them be a warning to the ones who may attempt to attack who you are. You may have blemishes, cracks, and dents but you can always shine. 

Thank you all so much for you continued support in my blog. Each and everyone of you have had a hand in making a dream of mine come true. I pray that God will bless you all. 

Love,

The Old Soul

Kim In The Kitchen: Interview!

Hi Y'all! I had the pleasure of sitting down with Kim Teasley, owner and operator of Kim in the Kitchen! She talked to me about all the services and tasty products she offers!

Kim has been cooking her whole life, but really took a true interest in it around the age of 15. As any Southerner has, Kim grew up in the kitchen and learning all the tricks of the trade from past generations. Kim had a restaurant in our small town of Hartwell, GA. The restaurant closed due to economic struggles. Kim took this opportunity to pursue her true passion in life, cooking on a more personal level. Around 2008 Kim started a small catering company, Kim in the Kitchen. As it is with any small town business, start up can be a daunting task. But Kim held true to her passion and is still cooking her heart out!

In our interview Kim discussed with me the importance of adding that personal touch to her cooking. Family is number one for Kim, so it was only natural that she would want to help families make their lives easier. Kim offers a wide variety of products and services. These include: catering, meals-to-go, canning, jarring, candies, and more! During the interview Kim told me about one specific product that I am particularly dying to try, Apricot and Habanero Pepper Jelly! One thing you need to know about the south is that we LOVE pepper jelly! Lay out a block of cream cheese (room temp), then pour the pepper jelly over the top, and eat with crackers!

Kim in the Kitchen is featuring their Sea Salt Dusted Caramels($5 per bag). I had the wonderful opportunity to try these decadent delights and I can tell you first hand that these candies are no run of the mill candy. They are top notch. Fine ingredients are used in making these along with skilled cooking ability. These are made fresh to order! They were the perfect mixture of salty and sweet. The caramel was creamy and cooked to a gooey perfection.

Kim in the Kitchen will ship to you! So don't worry if you aren't local, you can still have a chance to get your hands on her product! They offer a flat rate shipping and remember when ordering to allow enough time before you actually need them. Kim in the Kitchen makes everything fresh to order, so make sure and allow them the time to perform their magic! You won't be disappointed!

For more information on the variety of products offered at Kim in the Kitchen visit their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/KimintheKitchen) or email them at KimintheKitchen@gmail.com.

So why not surprise your sweet heart with some home made caramels? Don't wait until last minute to get your orders in!

Thanks for "tuning" in today! Leave a comment below or email me with your thoughts on my first interview blog entry!

Love,
The Old Soul

DIY Pom Pom Flowers!

So I have been wanting to do Pom Pom flowers since I saw them in Country Living Magazine! Well I did them! And I am totally obsessed with them.. Great, another obsession.. Sigh. On today's blog I'm going to give you a quick tutorial on how to make them for yourself! So let's get started!

First you'll need yarn, any color you want, and any type you want! I went with some of my favorite colors, mustard yellow and a light teal. The mustard yellow was a regular yarn, the light teal was a wooly thick yarn. 

Step two of this process is to figure out what product you'll use to make them. I used something called, Doodle-Loom by Bucilla. You can find these at Micheals or Hobby Lobby and they cost around $10. You could probably get them for less on Amazon. This tool made making these Pom poms super easy and quick! 

Obviously the instructions on how to make the Pom Poms are with the package. Don't get discouraged when first attempting them, it gets easier once you've made a few!! The smallest "loom" was my least favorite, because I could never get the Pom Pom to look right! However, the medium and large sizes worked like a charm! 

I made my mom Valentines Day "flowers" instead of buying the typical roses. Here is how they turned out: 

Of course they were showcased on the mantle in a vintage Floraline pottery piece! Cute and vintage seem to go hand and hand perfectly! 

Here are the ones I made out of the original yarn I got: 

They turned out great! 

Step three is to go outside and find some smaller twigs. I used these to give it a rustic feel. Then I simply hot glued the Pom poms onto the small branch. See, super easy! And cheap! 

Of course once I got into the rhythm of making these cuties I went a tad bit crazy.. 

You may want to use more spring type colors. I prefer teals, grays, oranges, and yellows! 

So guys, I hope you enjoyed this post! If you have any questions or comments on tonight blog entry please comment below or feel free to email me! 

Happy thrifting, Y'all! 

Love,

The Old Soul

PS - make sure and be back here tomorrow night at 8PM for my first ever food blog! We will be joined by Kim Teasley, owner and operator of Kim in the Kitchen! She will be talking to us about her newest item, Sea Salt Dusted Caramels! Yum!! Perfect timing for Valentines Day, right?? :) more info tomorrow night on how you can order these for your sweetheart!