When It Comes to Decor, I'm No Switzerland

As you may (or may not) know, we've been in the throes of redecorating our new house since we moved in a year ago. (To see posts on this, click the New House label on the right.) To that end, I've been perusing magazines, blogs, and Pinterest, as well as pinning like mad to my Gorgeous Home board --

(Aside: You've never seen my Gorgeous Home board on Pinterest? Well, get thee over there! I've got 1,375 pins and counting, people!)

-- and I've discovered one thing: I have definite preferences.

• I do not care for neutrals, neutrals, everywhere. That look is too sterile for me. I prefer color.
• The industrial look. Yuck. And I'm sorry, but to my way of thinking, "industrial farmhouse" is a totally made-up thing.
• Gray, grey, and greige? Maybe in small doses. But everywhere? No, thank you.
• "Carefully edited"? Again, no, thank you. I like lots of interesting and beautiful things. More is better. Always. (Unless it's clutter. Which tends to happen around here. But that's another matter entirely.)
• Modern is not moi.
• If it's trendy, I'm suspicious. Like the antler craze of late. (Another aside: I grew up gazing at taxidermied deer heads on the walls of my grandparents' house. I'd rather not see animal parts on my own walls.)
• I don't need a big sign in the kitchen imploring me to EAT. I do enough of that already.

So here's the thing: I can pin all I want and tear out magazine pages and all that, but I still have problems making it happen in my own home. Part of that is my pocketbook. I can't run out and buy what I want. Perhaps that's good because I'm forced to take my time and think about things. But it's also frustrating. I'm still working in the kitchen with ONE overhead light because Himself and I can't agree on lighting.

I mean, come ON.

Any advice would be appreciated. In other words, HELP!






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Peaches in September

Ever since I fell in love with Mary Chapin Carpenter's song, "I Am a Town," the month of September means peaches to me. Have you heard this song? Take a couple of minutes to click below, close your eyes, and soak it up. It's my gift to you today.

http://youtu.be/BlnMmwGoFY8

Isn't that pure perfection?

Last night, I made a quick peach crisp with South Carolina peaches. Yes, I know I live in the "Peach State," but South Carolina actually produces more peaches than Georgia does. Instead of following a recipe, I did this:

I peeled three peaches and sliced them up. I placed them in a small Corningware casserole dish. I sprinkled a bit of sugar over the peaches. Then I mixed rolled oats and flour together at a 3:1 ratio, diced up some butter and "forked" it into the oat/flour, added some brown sugar and a bit of cinnamon, and mixed with my fingers until it was crumbly and yummy. (I tested it to make sure.) I sprinkled this over the peaches. I like lots of topping. Then I baked everything at 350 til the topping was light brown and crunchy.

Perfection.

This was wonderful both warm and cold. No cornstarch, no lemon juice, little sugar, pure flavor.

And if this is your first introduction to Mary Chapin Carpenter, you're welcome.