Southern Hospitality at the HGTV Smart Home 2014

Last week I was invited to attend a special sneak peek event for bloggers to tour the 2014 HTGV Smart Home in Nashville. Since I was already planning to be in town for the Cher concert, I thought it was perfect timing, plus it sounded like a really fun opportunity.

The house is located in the beautiful Duncanwood Reserve in Nashville's upscale Green Hills neighborhood. An English cottage-style residence, it has three bedrooms and a whopping 4 and a half baths. Not only is the home beautifully designed and decorated, but it's also equipped with the latest and greatest technological advances, which is what makes it so smart.

The house was conceived by P. Shea | Design and constructed by Carbine & Associates. Just 15 minutes from downtown Nashville, it's convenient to some of the most desirable attractions Music City has to offer.

Not to mention just around the corner from a delicious eatery called the Copper Kettle (where the southern beau & I enjoyed a tasty lunch.) If you eat there, please get the cornbread salad. You won't be sorry.

But the best part about the HGTV Smart Home is you can win it! The house is part of a grand prize package valued at more than $1 million, and also includes a 2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and one hundred thousand bucks to boot. Pretty sweet deal, huh? The HGTV Smart Home 2014 Giveaway opens for entries at 9 a.m. ET on April 15 and runs through June 9. I really hope you win. Then have me over for supper, okay?

Here are a few of my favorite features of the 2014 HGTV Smart Home...in no particular order.

1) The Gorgeous Blue Kitchen Cabinets

2) White Painted Brick Fireplace and Bold Art** on the Mantle

**All the art in the HGTV Smart Home was incredible...I'm working on a post featuring the different artists whose work was included. You're going to love it all.

3) Chalkboard Wall + Stage for Impromptu Basement Concerts 

4) Closets that Went on for Days...Seriously, I could live in here

5) Pops of the Loveliest Shade of Kelly Green in this Guest Bedroom (I never wanted to leave)

6) Industrial Touches (like these great letters) & a Relaxed At-Home Feel 

Seriously, it would tickle me to death if one of my readers won this amazing house. I've got my fingers crossed for you!

The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen Giveaway!

Happy Friday y'all! Hope your week has been enjoyable. Mine was great, including the chance to meet that talented pair of food lovin' gents, the Lee Brothers! Matt Lee and Ted Lee, southern cooks, authors (in my opinion, southern food anthropologists) are on a whirlwind book tour that happened to include a stop at a fabulous local bookstore in Knoxville.

{What's a southern book signing without some snacks? Pimento cheese on a biscuit anyone?} 

I was fortunate enough to meet them and chat a little bit about the latest book and what makes it special. If you're a fan of theirs, you won't be disappointed in this volume, The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen. It's more than just a cookbook...it's really a narrative, a love story to Charleston and all the wonderful, delicious food dishes the city is known for.

{image via Charleston City Paper} 

And you have a chance to win a signed copy! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me the last thing you cooked/baked/made in the kitchen...even if it was just a mess! The giveaway will run through Friday April 12 at noon EST. Now what are you waiting for? Don't you want to win?

You can also order a signed copy (among other goodies) from The Lee Bros. website! And if they are coming to a city near you, I highly recommend you go see 'em and tell them I said hi! 

Sinfully Delicious: Maple Bacon Bread Pudding

Y’all are in for a real treat today. My dear friend Ms. Amy, a talented cook and delightful Tennessee belle, has agreed to share her top secret recipe for Maple Bacon Bread Pudding.

Yes, you read that correctly. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever eaten. I even broke from my vegan diet to indulge in some this past weekend. In fact, Ms. Amy entered her creative dish (she came up with the recipe) into a bake-off and I was able to photograph the finished product before it was whisked away to the judges. Alas, she didn’t win, but I think the judges must have been crazy because I can’t imagine anything better.

Maple Bacon Bread Pudding

• 2 dozen glazed doughnuts (Krispy Kreme preferable)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 pound bacon, fried and crumbled

Shred doughnuts into a large bowl. Mix milk, syrup, and eggs. Pour over shredded doughnuts and let set until all liquid is absorbed. Fold in all of crumbled bacon, reserving a cup or so for topping. Pour into baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until mixture is set in middle.

Hot Fudge Sauce

• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 bag caramels
• 1/2 pound bar milk chocolate
• 1 cup vanilla ice cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Heat milk and caramels until melted into a smooth sauce. Add chocolate until melted. Fold in ice cream and vanilla. Stir until well blended and creamy.

Spoon bread pudding into individual dishes. Top with hot fudge sauce. Sprinkle with remaining crumbled bacon. Enjoy!

Many thanks to Ms. Amy for sharing her one-of-a-kind recipe with us here! She is a precious friend and I'm so impressed by her creativity to come up with this dish. Rumor has it she makes a wickedly good banana pudding...maybe she'll share that recipe too!

Design*Sponge Event & Giveaway

Earlier this week I traveled across the state to Nashville for an event I just couldn’t miss. After the much-anticipated release of her first book, Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge has been doing a book tour and the West Elm store in Nashville was one of the stops on her agenda.

Not only was I able to meet Grace (who is tiny in real life) and get a copy of the book signed, I attended a special pre-book signing event where we were able to complete a fun little craft from the book.  I took my mom along for the adventure and we had a blast.

Here Grace, Amy A. (left) and others ham it up for the camera. We were all encouraged to take silly pictures in front of that bright backdrop and they should be posted on the Design*Sponge Facebook page. I’m going to do another post detailing the craft, but you might be wondering about the giveaway.

I had pre-ordered my copy of the Design*Sponge book as soon as I heard about it, but a signed book was included with each ticket to the event so I asked Grace to sign the extra copy for me to give away to one of you. She wrote a sweet note inside for the SBS reader who wins. 

Design*Sponge at Home Giveaway:

1 entry per person for a chance to win a copy of the book signed by author & D*S creator Grace Bonney. You can leave a comment here OR comment on the Southern Belle Simple Facebook page OR tweet me @sthrnbellesimpl. It’s that easy. The giveaway will be open through midnight on Thanksgiving and I’ll announce the winner on Friday November 25. Good luck to everybody!

Happy Friday!

Win a Bag for the Cure

Since joining my college sorority ten years ago, I’ve looked forward to participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure every year (I know they don’t really call it Race for the Cure anymore, but I can’t seem to call it anything else). Current partnerships with Komen, the NFL and other organizations have helped my sorority to spread awareness and promote breast health. One of the projects we did in college was to distribute shower cards with instructions for how to do a self breast-exam.

{Here’s one of my dearest college friends hanging with the mascot at a TN Titans Think-Pink event…she’s the president of her area alumnae chapter for our sorority…ZTA}

{THINK-PINK is a registered trademark}

I know there are a ton of products available right now with pink ribbons, logos, etc. and they all claim to support breast cancer research. I think it’s important that we do our homework and make sure the proceeds actually go where we think they do when we make purchases. I saw these cute reusable bags for sale at my local grocery store and thought they might be a fun thing to give away. Fifty cents from the sale of each goes to Komen for the Cure. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but if we all pitch in, it adds up.

If you’d like to win one of these adorable bags, just leave a comment on this post! I’ll choose 5 winners on Friday October 22nd! Maybe you’re a breast cancer survivor, maybe you’re doing your first race this month, maybe you just like pink...whatever you’d like to share, comment away!

I’ll do the honors…Awards all around!

One thing that I really love about blogging is how supportive all the other bloggers are of each other. From leaving daily comments, re-posting on twitter and “liking” on Facebook, there is no shortage of community where we can build each other up! Awards are another great way to let a blogger know that you love what he/she does. While these might not be actual trophies or those fancy acrylic awards, a little virtual pat on the back does a body good! 

I understand that some folks would rather not participate, which is also fine. I just wanted to take today’s post and give out two awards (both created by moi) to some of the wonderful friends I’ve made along this journey. If you are looking for a bit more reading material, these are a great place to start!

The photo for this award was taken at my great-grandparents’ farm…they’ve passed away, but the legacy they left was a magnificent one!

In no particular order:

Farmchick at It’s a Small Town Life …this lady is such a talented photographer and her glimpses of daily life “through a fishbowl” make me long for simpler times and a town with less traffic. Her Thoughtless Thursday posts are works of art!

Lana at Walking the Off-Beaten Path…never short of farm adventures, Lana shares her exciting experiences with her Tall Guy, including visits to festivals, machinery mishaps and her unique perspective which will definitely make you smile.

Tyla at Tire Swings and Fireflies…we both call Tennessee home and I love it when we visit the same places, even if we haven’t managed to be at the same place at the same time yet! Plus she’s got a gorgeous new Halloween header and I do love Halloween!

Mary at Life in a Small Town…a sweet friend who always has a kind word. She shares her life including her handsome sons, Chubby Hubby (her words!) and all the fun they have living in a small southern town.

Now, for the next award…

Searcy at Old Southern Garden…if you’re looking for scenes and stories of a simpler more peaceful time, look no further! I know we throw the term southern belle around loosely, but from her writing style alone I’d be willing to wager that this blog’s writer truly personifies that phrase!

kLl at Little Southern…we not only share the same town, but we root for the same team as well! Perhaps I’m just living vicariously through the adventures of a sweet college gal having much fun!

Ashley at Miss Ashley in Mississippi…this lovely southern sweetheart has a great perspective and her posts include fun & useful info about fashion, food and more! She is a Fla Gator fan, but I’ll let that one slide!

The Southern Lady at The Southern Blossoms…I just recently found this wonderful blog whose author is living in Japan with her darling family…and she still manages to keep all her southern traditions at the same time! She shares lots of insight and plenty of great images of life abroad.

Tiffany at Holiday…another new find, this dear one might be my long lost bff! Our shared faves include fried okra, banana pudding, the velveteen rabbit, flea markets and old souls! Her blog is lovely and so is she.

Angela at Slaughterhouse Rules…sometimes crafty, sometimes cheeky, but always tons of fun with this amazing writer/blogger! I got hooked after watching a video of her hubby attempting to say “Arnold Palmer” and then she lovingly makes fun of him for the way he said it!

The Rules: Whatever you want to do! If you were given an award, feel free to pass it on. But don’t let it be something burdensome if you’d rather just bask in it for yourself! If anybody else would like to give these awards to a blog you consider deserving, give away!

Hope you all have a weekend full of adventures!

Odds & Ends

Today’s post is a mixed bag of sorts, so hopefully you’ll stick with it! First, so as not to keep you in suspense any longer…the winner of the custom made Diana Warner necklace! (I did the selection via random generator and I can’t tell you how nervous I was before I clicked the button! I truly wish I had a necklace for every single one of you!)

 

Yes, Miss Rusty Belle, that’s right! You won! Email me and we’ll hash out the details! Congratulations!

…

Secondly, I’ve been given a kind award by Miss Carol the Gardener! Such nice words for my humble blog.

…

Thirdly, I’ve been given a sweet award by that lovely Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong over at How I Met your Father!

The rules of the award dictate that I share 7 things about myself, so I decided to share the last 7 books I’ve read…creative, no?

1. Last Night at Chateau Marmont: A Novel by Lauren Weisberger

2. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives: A Novel by Lola Shoneyin

3. Serendipity: A Novel by Louise Shaffer

4. The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper

5. Uncharted TerriTORI by Tori Spelling

6. My Fair Lazy: One Reality Television Addict’s Attempt to Discover If Not Being a Dumb A$$ is the New Black; Or, A Culture-Up Manifesto by Jen Lancaster

7. The English American by Alison Larkin

I have to say all were pretty good…3 stars out of 5 except for #7 which I gave 4/5. None life changing or anything, but enjoyable reads. I always like to know what people are reading, especially when it’s something good that I might like to give a try! So tell me, what’s the last great book you read?

 

{Think I should have passed these awards on to some other fine blogs? Never fear! I’ve got an upcoming post pegged for awards I’m giving out!}

Diana Warner Giveaway

I cannot tell you all how excited I am about today’s post. First of all, I had a chance to interview the fabulous Diana Warner whose jewelry has garnered international acclaim. Her designs have been featured in tons of magazines and adored by celebs from coast to coast. You’ve probably seen them on Gossip Girl too! She is a fabulous belle (from my sweet southern town!) and is as committed to giving back as she is to spreading style in the world.

SBS: Did you always know you wanted to become a designer "when you grew up?"

DW: Yes, well I wanted to, but I just did not always think it was possible. But the dream never ever left me. Growing up I used to draw women in dresses and then draw detail boxes highlighting their accessories! I would staple all the drawings together and give them to my mom---I called them magazines…I was always making my mother magazines.

SBS: What is the best thing about being a designer?

DW: UM…. freedom to dream while you are at work. Most people feel guilty if they day dream at work…or even get in trouble. I get to dream a good bit---and use my imagination! I know this will be what keeps me young, and I know that it is what keeps me laughing.

SBS: When you feel a little less than creative, how do you get inspired?

DW: Well. I never really force myself to design; I try to design as I go. It is like breathing for me some days and some days I have to put all my efforts other places. You know how writers tell you to write from life, when I was in art school a really amazing artist was in my studio. She told me I was a story teller, and for me making art was a simple as telling my story…So I just had to find the courage to tell my own story...and that is what I did. Sometimes my art, my designs just simply tell a story or speak of where I am in my life. Sometimes I feel like I am telling someone else’s story. Often I get inspiring letters from customers or I am lucky enough to spend time with amazing southern women, I do what I can to tell their story through my art too in a way that I think will honor them.

SBS: What is your favorite spot to get away from all the hustle and bustle of everyday life?

DW: I live on the East River in New York City. It is my escape. I am in a pent house 40 floors about it all. I can look out my window or stand on my roof and see the entire NYC skyline. My home is a gift from God. It is my retreat; it feels like a vacation from it all (the hustle and bustle) every day. To me East Tennessee (my original home) is the perfect mix of city and country, and lucky for me the area just north of New York City reminds me so much of East Tennessee. So I do have dreams of having a weekend home in the country some day (north of NYC). I have made myself a goal of finding and purchasing a little cottage in the next two years, a place where I can get my hands in the soil and make a garden, and make a home. I am also very lucky to have so many friends and so much family in the south, so quite often I go to Tennessee and spend time at my parents’ Lake House, or spend nights on my good friend’s farm.

SBS: My friend bought a pair of your earrings to wear on her wedding day. It must be an amazing feeling to know that people want something you created to be part of their most special days! How does it feel to know that people everywhere are wearing (and loving!) your designs?

DW: You know that feeling when you have a crush, and you see them (your crush) and your stomach drops? That is how I feel. I feel embarrassed, but excited, honored and humbled, and nervous all at once! Those are little parts of me that they are wearing, and sometimes it feels vulnerable, similar to how an artist feels when they hang a painting for the world to see. However I love love love it, I have the greatest job in the world and to help people feel beautiful and express themselves is incredible. I also do feel a huge connection with my customers because I do get to be a part of the big days in their lives, it is such an honor to be there with them on those days.

SBS: I'm really proud of my southern roots...what is your favorite thing about the south or being southern?

DW: I am proud of my southern roots too. Um…sometimes you don’t know how fabulous being southern is until you are in a place where you are all alone in your “southern-ness” like here in NYC. My favorite part about being southern is that we are all characters, somewhat freer to be ourselves than any other culture I have encountered. I think this comes from our rich history of rather eccentric people in the south. I also love that southern women are kind, hospitable, loyal and feminine--- but we are also capable of saying anything and we generally get away with it --- because we do so with a sweet southern sound and a smile. A smart southern woman knows how to use her charm for good…. it is like having a super power!

SBS: Is there anything else you'd like to share with the readers?

DW: Challenge yourself to remember your dreams and try to make them a reality. Love who you are and where you are in life even when it hurts. Love well the people put in your life, they are there for a reason. Celebrate your culture (mine is southern), but remember one day you may fall in love with a Yankee, and that is okay too.

The Giveaway:

Ok loves, Diana has something else she’d like to share with you all and I’m simply blown away with her generosity. 1 lucky reader will receive a Diana Warner design, and not just any piece of jewelry…one created exclusively for this giveaway!

I’m so not kidding. This piece didn’t even exist until I contacted Diana! How fabulous is she? And one of you darlings is going to win it! Of course you’ll get your own initial charm…the “K” was just so I could swoon over it! The tag was specially stamped with all you belles in mind! Made from antique brass, gunmetal and pewter on a 16” gunmetal chain, this necklace retails for $138! And you can win it!

The Rules:

1. You must be a follower of Southern Belle Simple (via Google follower/friend connect).

2. Become a fan of (Like) Diana Warner on facebook

3. Visit Diana Warner Studio and take a look at all her lovely items.

4. Come back and leave a comment telling us about something fabulous that you found!

These 4 things count as ONE entry.

For Additional Entries (1 each):

Follow sthrnbellesimpl on twitter and Tweet about this giveaway

Follow Diana Warner on twitter and Tweet about this giveaway

Include this giveaway in a blog post and leave a comment with a link

Become a fan of (Like) Southern Belle Simple on facebook and tell me you did

Leave separate comments for each entry. The Giveaway will be open for entries until Sunday Sept. 26th at midnight. I will announce the winner Monday Sept. 27th so make sure to leave a way to contact you in case you win. Best of luck to you all!

Award Season

I’ve been honored with a blog award by sweet Miss Lana over at Walking the Off-Beaten Path. Her blog provides a wonderful glimpse into her life on a farm…and all the adventures she and her Tall Guy experience together. Drop by and say hey to her if you haven’t already made her acquaintance!

The rules of this award dictate that I share these 10 tidbits so here goes…

1. If you blog anonymously, are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now? I don’t blog anonymously…Kate is my real name…and I’m fine with that. But I don’t throw my loved ones names around unless they want me to. I mention my grandma sometimes and while some might think Me-me is an alias, that’s what she is called.
2. Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side. Only one? Ha. I’m pretty stubborn. Since this is my blog and I’m choosing not to incriminate myself, we’ll just leave it at that.
3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror? A pretty cool gal
4. What is your favorite summer cold drink? UN-sweet tea is my favorite anytime cold drink
5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do? walk aimlessly around Target, read magazines, catch up on the blogs I follow
6. Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it? get paid to write
7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever, the class shy person, or always ditching school? I always did pretty well in school, but I like to make people laugh also
8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment in your life, what do you see? Good lord, these questions are deep! If you’re looking for a sweet moment, let’s go with my high school graduation when several sets of grandparents were there to celebrate with me
9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events? I like to blog about other interesting folks and events, but since I’m the author, my personality still comes through in the writing. I knew I didn’t want to do a really ‘personal’ blog but I think those are great too.
10. If you had the choice to sit and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why? I enjoy doing both so it’s kind of a toss-up. I love reading good books and I love catching up with good friends!

Now to pass this award on…a few wonderful blogs that I’ve recently found:

Miss Katie at Harrington House

Miss Bright at The Bright Life

Officially Mrs. at Thirty Something?

Rachel at Nest Egg

Hope you lovelies are having a wonderful week! Any great blogs y’all have found recently that you think we all need to know about? Don’t keep them to yourself! Share!

Gracious Hostess Winners

 

My most recent giveaway ended this past Sunday at midnight and it has taken me way too long to acknowledge the winner…or should I say winners? I was so impressed with the entries for this contest, y’all really pulled out all the stops with your best party hosting tips and ideas. From the delicious recipes shared to the “why didn’t I think of that? ideas,”  I will be much better prepared the next time I host a shindig, thanks to all of you! Since you lovelies put forth such an effort, I thought it my blogger duty to do the same, so I rounded up eight more copies of the book and will be giving it out to nine lucky folks!

 

 

Here are the winners, randomly (blindly) drawn out of a hat in no particular order:

Susan

I Do Declare

The Simple Life

Leiah

L.A.S.

Ashley Stubbs

Meg Mitchell

pve design

Leigh Pearce Weddings

 

 

Hopefully the next time you winners play hostess, you’ll have a great little volume in your hands to assist you…although from your comments, it sounds like you are all set! Such an inspiration to me! Be sure to send me your contact info so I can get your prizes in the mail soon! And to those of you who didn’t win this one, keep playing because I have several giveaways coming up! And you never know when I just might hand prizes out to all those who comment!

 

Happy Friday!

Seeing double

I’ve been honored with the Versatile blogger award by two sweet ladies…does that mean I’m doubly versatile? Huge thank you to Miss Liza over at The Smiths for deeming me worthy of this honor! Another huge thank you to Miss Kelly at The Simple Life for honoring me as well! I must have done something very sweet to deserve these!

 

Per the rules, I gotta share seven things about myself, so since I’m dreaming of cooler temperatures, I decided to share seven things that I’m looking forward to in my favorite season…fall!

1. blue jeans and sweaters

2. Hayrides, scarecrows & pumpkin patches

3. football Saturdays in the south

4. Blues & Brews

5. Thanksgiving

6. leaves crunching under my feet

7. no more mosquitoes! hip hip hooray!

 

Now for the folks I am passing the award to…

Miss Southern Prep

 The Southern Belle Fashionista

Rebecca @ Ella Mae’s Barn Gathering

Jo @ Bees and Fleur de lis

Tyla @ Tire swings and Fireflies

Farmchick @ It’s a small town life

Angela @ Slaughterhouse Rules

Congratulations lady bugs…you all make my daily blog reading a little sweeter!