Sunday Evenings belong to Downton!

Enjoyed the first episode of Season 4 with my grandfather's proper English Tea Set

I'm not sure if it's my Scottish Heritage (my mom was born and raised in Scotland) or just the fantastic writing and acting but whatever the reason, I am in love with Downton Abbey.  I started watching just prior to Season 3 and after the first episode, I was hooked.  I was so hooked that I actually binge watched the first two seasons in less than two weeks.  And that, my friends, was a problem.  The problem being that I had to wait an extraordinary amount of time for Season 3 to begin.  I got through it, but it wasn't pretty.  Now, here we are at Season 4 and I'm still loving it.  Some people feel that it's moving too slowly but I guess with so much loss and excitement in Season 3, I was ready for things to slow down a bit.  I am not quite ready to lose anymore characters as I'm still trying to accept the fact that Matthew Crawley is gone.  My only gripe with Downton is that the season seems entirely too short and it tends to take entirely too long before the next season begins.  And...while I'm on a bit of a tear,...why does the U.S. have to wait so long after the U.K. to see it?  Hardly seems fair!  

If you are a Downton Fan, what did you think of Season 4?  Did it move too slow or just right?

Perhaps I was in denial but until this very moment, I hadn't realized tonight's two-hour episode was the season finale.  Already counting the days until Season 5 begins....sigh.

Spring Forward

As if the weather today in Northern Virginia wasn't enough to get excited about (for those of you in other areas, we actually saw the sun in the DC area AND it was over 60 degrees - big improvement!), the spring lines from Kate Spade, Tory Burch and Lilly Pulitzer are have gotten me jumping up and down!

Let's start with Lilly...
Since I sold my shop  in 2009, I have not been overjoyed with a lot of the looks.  This is not to say that I haven't purchased anything since then, but if I'm going to be honest, there was more than one occasion that I went to a Lilly shop with the intent to purchase and walked out empty handed.  There was nothing I really "had to have".  I felt like they moved too far away from the classic Lilly style and I wasn't in love with a lot of their offerings.  While I did enjoy some of the prints, I didn't not enjoy the neon colors (what was up with that?!).   I feel they were trying too hard to attract a younger crowd without realizing that the younger crowd that loves Lilly - are part of a group that loves classic style and they don't need to change a thing.  Case in point, my daughter is 18 years old and when she saw the new looks for spring, she was overjoyed!

Meanwhile, Kate Spade & Tory Burch are feeding my need for Parisian Flair!

Tory Burch

Kate Spade

At the end of last year, my kids got me the Rosetta Stone for learning the French language ~ something that was on my bucket list.  I'm determined to conquer the language and then plan a family vacation to Paris.  Thanks to Kate Spade & Tory Burch, I feel like I'll be one step closer!  Oui Oui!

What are your favorite looks for Spring '14?

The Perfect Truffle

On President's Day, my friend P & I went to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Founding Farmers.  I will save my post about Founding Farmers for another day, but if you haven't been there - you must put it on your list.  It's really wonderful.  On the way there, we took a detour through Frederick, Maryland and went to The Perfect Truffle.  Once you have a chocolate from there,  you'll never look at Godiva the same way again.  These chocolates are truly PERFECT!  I decided to pick up a box for my son and daughter, to send them at college and thought I'd share a picture:

As you can see, they are beautiful as well as completely mouth wateringly good.  (I'm pretty sure that wateringly is not a word, but I can't seem to find a description for you that is on par with the fabulous flavor.)  If you are near Frederick, Maryland, I highly suggest you stop at The Perfect Truffle.  My favorite is Salted Dark Chocolate Caramel but Lavender is pretty amazing, as well.  Actually, they all are!

To find out more about The Perfect Truffle, this link should take you there.  The Perfect Truffle

Procrastinate Much?

Today is the day...I begin (again) to get some things done that I've been putting off for...well...years.  That's right...years.  I am the Queen of Procrastination but I will tell you, this is one tiara that I don't wear proudly.

Approximately 5 years ago, I sold my beloved Lilly Pulitzer specialty store and ended up with a whole lot of inventory.  Under the terms of the contract, I was not allowed to sell any Lilly Pulitzer products for 2 years and it sat in boxes, in my house.   I now have an entire room filled with Lilly Pulitzer.  I know how colorful and happy that sounds, but I've got to tell you, it's become such a thorn in my side. I know that I need to move these goodies out of my home.  A few years ago, I was on a roll and selling things on eBay, which was great but time consuming.  I'm now ready to put my procrastination aside and find these fabulous frocks new homes.  The question is, do I go back to eBay - tried and true, yet time consuming?  Or, do I give Poshmark a try?

Please follow my progress (and hold me accountable)!  My ebay page is The Preppy One on eBay and my new Poshmark "closet" is The Preppy Closet on Poshmark and feel free to send comments and suggestions.

Winter in Northern Virginia doesn't do it justice
Persnickety Palm 2008

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Zucchini Sticks and Red Pepper Pesto

I made these zucchini sticks with red pepper pesto last week and thought I'd share this quick and yummy recipe.  While the pesto sauce isn't gluten free, I did use gluten free bread crumbs.  (I am really trying to be gluten free, whenever possible)

Ingredients:
1 zucchini (med-large size), peeled and cut into sticks
bread crumbs, 1-2 cups
1 egg
roasted red pepper pesto sauce

The Cibo Organic Roasted Red Pepper Pesto from Costco is kind of amazing.  One of my friends on Facebook felt the need to share how wonderful it was and I was so glad she did.  There are so many things you can do with it and it's quite tasty!

You can probably guess what to do with these ingredients, but I'll take you through it...
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat the zucchini sticks in egg and then dip in a bowl with the bread crumbs.  Place the breaded zucchini on a baking sheet with parchment paper.  (I use parchment paper a LOT.  It keeps the mess and cleaning to a minimum and you don't need to use oil.  Win-Win, if you ask me.)

Bake sticks for about 15-20 min.  You don't want to overcook.  Take them out and serve with pesto sauce.  Enjoy!

It's All in A Name

The following is a post from my blog that never quite got off the ground, "A Grateful Heart":

     As I mentioned in my first post, this is not my first time attempting to write a blog.  I have such diverse interests - thus, so many blog name possibilities.  I had started a blog last year on tumblr called "grosgrain & pearls" - homage to my love of grosgrain ribbon and pearls.  While I liked the name, I was really drawn to "the empty nest".  I felt that it would be reflective of where I am at in this stage of my life.  When I went to create my account, most variations of the empty nest had been taken, so I began to look at other possibilities.  When I think about my life, there are so many layers to it.  Many things have gone "right" and a lot of things have gone "wrong".  When things go wrong in my family, they tend to go really wrong at once and get ridiculously overwhelming.  One thing that gets me through these moments is gratitude for all that is right.  No matter what I am going through, I do know that I have so much to be grateful for.  My family is so important to me and I am forever grateful that I have them.  They make my heart happy.

While all of the above is true, "A Grateful Heart" just didn't "feel" like the right name for my blog.  I felt pressure to make a blog that was more intimate and meaningful...while, what I preferred to do was blog about things that might be less personal and more fun...crafts, shopping, cooking.  I realized I was avoiding posting if I didn't have something significant to contribute, which sort of defeated the purpose for having the blog in the first place.    As I've been on a quest to "embrace my inner Martha" for as long as I can remember and my love for Monograms knows no limit, I think this blog will be more fitting for me and allow me to take the pressure off and have fun with this.  Wish me luck!

Oh Snow! Post Valentine's Day Lunch ❤️

This weather...can you even believe it?!  If you are pretty much anywhere on the east coast, with the exception of Florida, you know what I'm talking about.  The last several days in Northern Virginia, we were hit with between 12-15 inches or more of that fluffy white stuff.  I love snow more than most but I've got to say, I think I'm over it now.

Along with the chilly temperature, I've been trying my best to get rid of a bad cold/virus so I really wasn't up for going out for dinner on Valentine's Day.  Today, we got a reprieve....both from the snow AND my cold.  My husband and I decided to go to Upperville for Brunch.  If you are in "hunt country" and want a great place to eat and drink, Hunter's Head Tavern is for you.  It had been many years since I was last there and today I was reminded how much I love it.  Hunter's Head Tavern is a completely charming British tavern about 3 miles from Middleburg, Virginia.  The staff is friendly and welcoming.  The food was great.  I had a crab cake because it was a special but my next visit, I'm embracing my Scottish roots and going for the Bangers & Mash.   We shared the "staff favorite" dessert, lemon pound cake with a lavender glaze.  It's now my favorite!

We had a great lunch near a roaring fire and walked around Middleburg afterwards.  It was a lovely afternoon.