Foodie Night: A Sort-of Supper Club at M&T's

via Garden and Gun

As Garden and Gun, the Wall Street Journal (I think?), CNN, and everybody else has reported, Secret Supper Clubs are back and better than ever.  Underground dining has been around since the late 1800s... and I daresay a more valued invitation than one to those secret societies at any good University (and yes, I'm saying that in part because I was never invited to join one at UVA.... but also because these secret societies involve great food. And drink.)  I especially appreciate the phrase, "collaborative dining."

While I've managed to receive a few elusive invites, I've never been able to attend an event.  I got sort-of (ok, not really) close last night.  Muss & Turners, a nearby deli/restaurant/wine bar, held a local dinner featuring food from Riverview Farms.  Admittedly, I thought I was signing up for Chef Ryan's Staplehouse dinner (I think I'm on all their mailing lists, and it's easy to get confused).  Ah well.

About Riverview... the farm is a family-owned, certified organic, and sustainable operation just north of Atlanta (near our camping/cabin getaway in Ellijay).  The raise cows (I'm guessing steer actually, but enough semantics) and Berkshire pigs and grow a plethora of fruit of vegetables.  

Of course, hearing the title "Riverview Farms Tomato and Corn Dinner," I had grandiose visions in my head of an outdoor, secret but beautiful location and making best friends before the night was over.  

via Content-Agency

While we did have some lovely conversation over a long table, it was indoors.  And it certainly wasn't secret- I think Muss and Turner were happy to take as many participants as they could get.

via Content-Agency

While perhaps the evening didn't (and couldn't) measure up to my romanticized vision, the food was quite good- and more memorable than our first dining experience with them- Valentine's Day a few years ago.  So we'll return for dinner- and not just stop in for the huge, fantastic sandwiches offered at lunchtime (their pulled pork BBQ is the best ever).

Have you made it to a Secret Supper Club?  Better yet, want to start one? ;-)

CLARIFICATION: Want to make a quick clarification after reading some of the comments below!  We had a fabulous time- the food was great, the company was great... all in all, a lovely evening.  It is just that the idea of of dining in a not-so-traditional spot, under trees and stars, and making new friends, and enjoying great food and wine... is there anything much better than that? 

--Emmie

READ MORE - Foodie Night: A Sort-of Supper Club at M&T's

Floating Down the River... in a House

Welcome Back! Hope y'all had a fabulous weekend.  I got in some great girl-time Friday and Saturday and then Mr. Southern and I attended a golf tournament to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on Sunday.  And I am NOT a golfer.  But I made a few decent shots that we actually used!

During the outing, one of my friends mentioned an event she attended earlier in the weekend- a party on a houseboat.  Oh, the houseboat. 

 

Gangplank Marina Washington, DC via Flikr

When I lived outside of Washington, DC, I snagged invitations to several parties floating on the Waterfront.  Though I struggled somewhat with the fact that the house was moving- exacerbated by our imbibing - few things are cooler than a party on a houseboat.

There are several houseboat neighborhoods across the country-way more than I ever could have imagined- and several much more famous than DC.

 via MetroShip

Many of these locations also feature "floating homes," which differ from houseboats in that they are not self-propelled.  The history of Houseboat across the US varies by location, but reports suggest it dates back to at least the 1880s.  In Washington, DC, the houseboat community grew due to the shortage of homes during World War II.  Nearly every houseboat community, in the US at least, has been embroiled in political battles- regarding property taxes, water usage, ownership challenges, etc. 

Eastlake in Seattle

San Francisco, CA (Sausalito)

 

via Joe Inc TV

photo via Boing Boing

photo via Boating SF

This is also not a US-phenomenon- I found houseboat listings in the UK,  Canada, Australia, Netherlands, etc.

Morgan Waterfront Marina (Australia)

Amsterdam

 

via Houseboat Apartment

London

 

via Holiday Lettings

What do you think?  Could you adopt the Houseboat lifestyle?  Perhaps for a vacation?

--Emmie

READ MORE - Floating Down the River... in a House

Weekend With the Girls

Side by Side Girls at the beach,  Kay Crain

Headed off to Florida to enjoy a fabulous with "the girls."  Hope all of you have a great weekend!  And a very special thank you, readers! Your comments, thoughts, ideas very much keep me inspired and blogging.

--Emmie

READ MORE - Weekend With the Girls

Hawaiian Inspiration

Hotel Hana Maui

Mr. Southern and I spent the evening engrossed in The Bachelor Tuesday evening. Far too many commercials to watch it live, so we catch up sometime afterwards. We were both (OK, mostly I was) eagerly awaiting the rose ceremony, "the most dramatic one yet" to be sure, and see which poor guy Jillian would kick off the island... though we both predicted the outcome correctly. (Side note: I watch Ice Road Truckers and The Deadliest Catch with him, so it's all good).

I've been in a tropical mood of late and given that Mr. Southern and I have our belated honeymoon coming up in Hawaii, I thought it would be fun to look as some Hawaiian decor and Pacific-inspired style.  Looking through design firms and local home listings, I'm not sure that the styles I selected are "typical Hawaii."  But these are the ones I fell for!

First up, and the most selections, from Pacific Home Studio.  Designer Jamie Jackson Smith hails from the East Coast and I think you see that in her style.  A hint of Hamptons/Nantucket design.  These are ideas I could easily incorporate into my home.

 

 

via Hawaiian Style Magazine (Jamie Smith Jackson) and Pacific Home Studio

Another modern/transitional view- I love the pale blue wall in the background with the dark wood and white upholstery chairs.

via Hawaiian Style

I adore the vaulted ceiling with grasscloth(?) in the next one.  This room definitely reflects more Asian influence.

via Fine Design Hawaii

Next, a great shot of  recovered chairs with Hawaiian fauna in the backdrop.  

via Design Savvy Maui (website design by Rachel of Dwellings and Decor!)

These last are back to more Asian/modern with crisp lines and lots of warm wood.  Check out the view and location from the second bedroom.  Can you imagine!!  Who cares what the rest of the house looked like with that room.

last three via Own by Design

I'm quite confident you'll see a few more Hawaii posts as we continue to plan the trip... and of course, from our vacation there!  Would love to hear any suggestions you might have.

--Emmie

READ MORE - Hawaiian Inspiration

A Tropical Safari: Manuel Canova's Bengale in Paprika

StyleRedux recently did a fabulous post on the combination of pink and orange. One of the things I loved most were all the pink and orange combos found in nature. However, my absolute most favorite was the Manuel Canova fabric she highlighted- Bengale in Paprika.

The pattern is available both as a wallpaper or a fabric... I'm considering recovering one of my "antique" chairs from my grandmother in this. I adore the color combination and LOVE the elephant in it (too many shots of the pattern show the lion... I'm much more impressed with the elephant).

I've found a few examples of the fabric out there...

Homes and Gardens May 2009 via NenaghGal

via Lillian Kim

So, do you think I could pull this off in an entire armchair?

Thorigny, via French-Brand

via Veranda

Mandarin

Eloi

last two images via Complete Home

Or, I could always frame it.

via Homes and Property

--Emmie

READ MORE - A Tropical Safari: Manuel Canova's Bengale in Paprika