Season's Greetings... Cards

Hi Friends:

One of my favorite holiday traditions is sending seasonal greeting cards. It's such a nice way to tell people you are thinking about them during this time of year. 

As I am sure you have experienced, displaying these cards can be a trick. Here are a handful of ideas to help you showcase your cards and add charm to your holiday decor.

When you rifle through your Christmas decoration box, do you have any extra ornaments that just don't seem to make it to the tree? Add them to a decorative bowl and add your cards. The bowl will look great on your coffee table or sideboard.

You can use the same philosophy with bells -- add them to a decorative bowl with your cards and voila!

Do you have a table with glass on top of it to protect the surface? Slide the cards underneath the glass for a great display.

We just love this idea from Martha Stewart! Simply punch a hole through your holiday cards, add a ribbon to form a loop and hang on tree branches. So cute and festive.

You can also purchase card holders that can be hung over the back of a door or mounted to a wall. I have a vintage card holder that I hang from a ribbon on my door (image on the right) but we found a great vintage-inspired piece at Pier 1 this year (image on the left)!

 How do you display your holiday cards?

Here I Am...On The Road Again...

Hi Friends:

Gosh, don't you just love that Bob Seger song? It's my favorite road trip song.

Alright, now back to business. As many of you know I recently returned from a whirlwind road trip through the South where I ate grits and biscuits (by the ton), visited with family and friends, and experienced some great sites and sounds from three of the South's best cities: Charleston, South Carolina; Asheville, North Carolina; and Nashville, Tennessee. Talk about some good times. Here is a snap shot of my trip (I'll do a post on each city) including not-to-miss places, friendly faces and lots of fun - Charleston-style.

The main purpose of my visit to Charleston was to witness the marriage of my brother-in-law to his beautiful bride. But while I was in town, I found time to enjoy the history of the city.

Here is my not-to-miss list:

A carriage ride through the city (I always research to find the one that takes the best care of their horses). Carriage ride operators will give you the history of the city as you travel down original cobblestone roads.

Visit the city's many famous landmarks (which you will learn about on the carriage ride). I loved St. Michael's Episcopal Church on Board Street. It's the oldest surviving religious structure in Charleston.

Be sure to go to an Oyster Roast. Restaurants around the area often offer all-you-can-eat roasts on Thursdays and Fridays. Not only are the oysters from the local waters, they are delicious and the roast is a great activity with friends. Just shuck, dip into your favorite condiment (I like horseradish), enjoy and repeat! Now, if only I could find a vintage shucking instrument...

Do you spy what I spy at the front of this bus? A vintage copper boiler! The bus driver and I had quite the spirited chat about this gem from the past - he uses his very differently than we use ours!

Gosh, there are so many great restaurants to visit while you are downtown. I loved Amen Street Fish and Raw Bar. Don't be shocked, but I had the shrimp and grits, which were delish. I also had hushpuppies and shrimp corndogs. We also tried Water's Edge in Mount Pleasant (just outside downtown Charleston) and loved the Herbed Grouper. The Seafood Pasta was also a hit at our table. And... we even saw dolphins during our meal!

I stayed with family while I was in town, but on previous trips, I've stayed at the Planter's Inn on Market Street and Hampton Inn on Meeting Street. Customer service at both hotels was impeccable.

Have you visited Charleston? Do you have recommendations on places to visit and places to eat? Let us know in the comments section!

I'll sign off for now. My next blog post will feature the best of Asheville, North Carolina (...well, from my perspective at least). Bye ya'll.

Lisa & Nikki's Spooktacular Friday Finds!

Hi Friends:

Here at Georgia's we love Halloween. But not the scary, gory Halloween, we like the "Happy Pumpkin" kind of Halloween. So, what has inspired and delighted us this week? Here they are - the spooktacular sights, sounds, tastes and one-of-a-kinds we loved!

Remember when we made ghosts out of lollipops? Why not make mummies out of chocolate bars! We love this idea from Fun Family Crafts.

Want an easy-to-make door decoration that you can keep year after year? Visit your local craft store and purchase a twig wreath, gloss black spray paint and your favorite Halloween-themed ribbon. Simply spray (two coats), dry, add the ribbon then hang. This wreath is currently on my door and I think it is just adorbs.

Don't these jack-o'-lanterns just make you happy? We spied these at Brimfield this year and enjoyed their unique, industrial character.
We all love our pets, but aren't they even cuter when dressed up in Halloween costumes? These are the pets of Georgia's Crew: Ally "the shark" Bechtold, Ricky "the sailor" Ackleson and Johnny "the skeleton" Ackleson.

Looking for more great Halloween ideas? Follow our Halloween Pinterest Board, we populate it year round with our favorite finds!

On behalf of Georgia's Crew, we wish you all a safe and very happy Halloween!

A San Francisco Treat...Make that Treats!

Hi Friends:

Georgia’s was on the move again last week, this time hitting the west coast. For what? To eat and shop our way through San Francisco, CA while visiting some great friends. Take a look at the sights and tastes that inspired us!

First up, a trip to the Saturday morning market at the Ferry Building on the bay for some homemade oversized fig newtons, donut muffins and pluots. Yummy.

While there we found a stand devoted to mushrooms. Check out all of these varieties!

We also stopped at the can’t miss Cowgirl Creamery for easily one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I’ve had in recent years. Their grilled cheese special of the day is not to be missed and be sure to ask for extra homemade bread and butter pickles, they are delish!

The market is home to many local artisans who come out on Wednesdays and Saturdays to sell their handmade jewelry, clothing and woodwork. We could have snapped something up at every booth.

Next up, as we made our way down The Embarcadero, we stopped in at TCHO, a chocolatier that calls San Francisco home and boasts some of the most delicious dark chocolate around.

Moving right along our next step was, of course, the world famous Boudin Bakery for a Sourdough bread bowl filled with Clam Chowder.  

To wash it down we sampled the local brew Anchor Steam and it was such a delight. Boudin, you never disappoint.

All this walking, eating, sightseeing and shopping left us in need of a serious caffeine pick-me-up, so we swung by Buena Vista for one of their famous Irish Coffees.

Named the “Best Irish Coffee in Town" by the New York Times, Buena Vista boasts that their establishment perfected Irish Coffee. We took their word for it and gladly partook in the spiked, caffeinated delight.

Last stop - the famed Ghirardelli Square because we couldn’t end our day without one last taste of San Francisco, chocolate style.

We took a lap around their mix-and-match candy bar and picked up a few of our favorites including the luscious pumpkin spice caramel square and peppermint bark square before departing for home.

Liz, Sameer and San Francisco: thanks for your hospitality, history and great food. We will most certainly be back!

Care for a Toddy (wait...what's a Toddy?)

Hi Friends:

For those who have followed Georgia's for the last several months, you've surely noticed our coffee obsession. You know how we brew the hot stuff, so let's talk iced coffee now that temperatures are rising (finally for us Midwesterners).

Coffee, an acidic beverage, can have a bite or bitter taste when we brew it hot. Plus, brewing hot java then adding ice waters it down. I suppose we could go the brew it hot then stick it in the freezer route; but come on, when we brew coffee, we want to reap the reward instantly.

Our lives changed when we discovered the Toddy Cold Brew System. Easy to use and the best way to reduce acid in your coffee, this system is a must have for any coffee connoisseur. And, the deliciously smooth coffee concentrate the system produces is just what this summer heat calls for. Here's the how to.

You start by setting up your Toddy; it has four parts: the bucket, the handle, the plug and the filter. Slide the handle on your bucket, put in the plug, then wet your filter before placing in the bottom of your bucket.

Next add 1 cup of water then half a pound of coffee. As you know, we are all about organic so we make a quick trip to Whole Foods to pick up a medium to dark roast variety. Be sure to coarsely grind your coffee.

Add 3 more cups of water in a slow circular motion. You don't want to clog the filter by compressing the coffee grinds into it.

Wait 5 minutes then add the remainder of your coffee and 5 more cups of water. Your bucket will be very full so be careful.

The hard part's now done. On to the waiting game...a 12 hour waiting game. We recommend setting it up in the evening so it can steep overnight. (Side note, we add a plate to cover the top of our toddy bucket to seal it off from the elements in our kitchens.)

12 hours later: voila! The smoothest, best-tasting coffee concentrate you can find. Simply pull the plug and drain your coffee concentrate into your carafe, then refrigerate. The concentrate stays fresh for up to two weeks in the fridge!

To enjoy: pour a shot of coffee concentrate into your vintage glass, add water and a splash of milk (we recommend trying almond milk) and you are ready for a caffeinated summertime treat.

Don't forget the whipped cream!

Fire-King Batter Bowls!

Hi Friends:

One of my most vivid childhood memories is that of my mom making corn muffins or whipping up pancake batter in her Fire-King batter bowl. Every time I use mine, I think of her, and I can't tell you how often I use this bowl! 

Fire-King is an Anchor Hocking brand of glassware that was made from the 1940s to the 1970s for everyday use. This glassware comes in a variety of colors. The jade green color known as Jade-ite was made popular by Martha Stewart. Fire-King pieces were popular as promotional items back in the day. Batter bowls were given away with the purchase of flour. The Fire-King line of dishware is sought after by collectors and can be found in antique malls and flea markets.  I love that its durable, utilitarian and filled with nostalgia. Should you acquire a piece, do not put it in the dishwasher as the harsh detergent and high water temperature will etch and dull the finish over time.

Georgia's has been on the hunt for Fire-King batter bowls; we have three colors in our inventory: Jade-ite, white and ivory. Contact us for more information! 

 

Lisa and Nikki's Friday Finds!

Hi Friends:

What has inspired and delighted us this week? Here they are - the sights, sounds, tastes and one-of-a-kinds we loved!

Amaretti di Saronno, an Italian almond-flavored macaroon. These traditional biscuits made with egg whites, sugar and apricot kernels have a romantic history. In the 18th century, a bishop surprised the town of Saronno with a visit. A young couple paid tribute to him with this sweet treat they had baked. The bishop was so pleased that he blessed the two with a happy and lifelong marriage resulting in the preservation of the recipe for generations. Available everywhere, they are the perfect sweet bite to have with coffee! 

For next to nothing, you can brighten a dreary winter day with Daffodils or a Hyacinth. Hyacinths smell heavenly! 

We love method's planet-friendly products, but the new dish + hand soap is truly inspired. Packaged in a bottle made of recovered ocean plastic and post-consumer recycled plastic, this soap comes in two scents: sea minerals and sweet water. Even cooler, the ocean plastic used to make these bottles was collected by method employees!

Kelly Clarkson's performance of the patriotic song "My Country, 'Tis of Thee'" at President Obama's inauguration this week was truly moving. But let us not forget that globally, we all love our native country. So, "long may all lands be bright, with freedom's holy light."