Tracy Porter Blog… be inspired!

Don’t you want to live life as beautifully as you can..(I sure do)?! Sometimes its the simple little things that make the experience more delicious!

Kisses,

T.

Tracy Porter

Dream delicious!

Shop Items We Love to Buy!!

Williams-Sonoma Ramekins

Xoxox

Tracy

Tracy Porter

Embrace the Sweetness of Life!

· Salted almonds

- Pretzels (with a pot of good mustard for dipping)

- Olives (lusciously marinated in garlic and herbs)

- Salt + vinegar kettle-cooked potato chips

– Gourmet popcorn loaded with butter, grated parmesan + seasoned salt

Shop Items We Love to Buy!!

Springtime Iris Candle Lantern

Yellow Green Ceramic Glazed Vase

Short Acrylic Tumblers Set of 4 – Blue

Join the lighthearted fun!!!

Kisses,
Tracy

Anyway… Later that day we were going to some friends’ house for dinner and Max was just so excited to show us something he made in the snow. Naturally, being the mother of four boys my mind goes to… did he pee a design in the snow?? Oh, joy… Or, is it a fort he dug out? What, what! Then sure enough, we happen upon it… a snow heart that he carved with his hands out of a random chunk of icy goodness. Sort of melts my own.

Happy Valentine’s Day!
love, love,
Max…… and me

A few things to consider…

* Buy some pretty candies and layer them (like kids do with colored sand), one kind over the next in a huge glass bowl… Even a darling hand-made tag would add a whimsical touch!

* Soup for dinner… serve it from a teapot!

* Set your entire table with different plates, glasses, etc… mix in some vintage… and anything else you have that will make you smile. Think magically!

* Do tell us… What do you do to shake it up around your house, my loves??

I will tell you that Skinny Brown Dog and Waiting for Gregory are regular reading in our home. I am a ridiculous sap… I was all teary the first time I read Skinny Brown Dog… it is a darling story that will simply melt you. I have to say the illustrations in Waiting for Gregory are over the top inspiring… beautiful collages and enchanting drawings by Gabi Swiatkowska that will make you smile. If you have your own small children, or you are a grandparent… or you just love gorgeous books and delicious writing, then these are must have delectable books from a thoughtful darling woman with a very big heart!! Thanks again, Kimberly!

xoxo,
Tracy

Spring will come… and when she does, we will appreciate all of her smells and colors and newness again… again… again!!

These are a few jewels to share… crazy good, aren’t they?

Simple in its beauty. Maybe a bit more of a shed than I have in mind, but fantasy nonetheless.

Chinoiserie…Well, you really cannot go wrong with any of it. The architecture is stunning, always colors of intense spiciness, the foliage… and waterfalls don’t hurt… add those to the ever-growing list.

A wee bit of a Gothic tree house, wouldn’t you say? Quite marvelous, really. I’m all for my gardening but… One could could just move in with a bottle of wine and a laptop… or even just a pillow and thick down mattress with a cashmere blanket… nap time, anyone?

Feels inspired by Antoni Gaudi… I am a huge fan. Love all the funkiness, imperfect to a T.

Words really cannot improve upon this lovely sight… quite possibly my favorite yet… waiting for me…

* A small library light over a poster print is spectacular.

* Consider an art print that is out of your normal “decorating comfort zone”… You will add an eclectic twist to your home at a splendid price.

* Try an art print mixed in with what you already have… like on your “London wall” perhaps.

* Don’t forget museum shops… These are some of my favorite places to hunt for superb art prints.

* Feeling crafty my loves? Decoupage one of these beauties onto an old door… Hello, pretty!

Almond Branches in Bloom, San Remy, c.1890
Art Print, 27 x 27 in
Vincent van Gogh

Little Owl
Art Print, 8 x 11 in
Albrect Dürer

La Branche
Art Print, 24 x 32 in
Marc Chagall

Horses
Art Print, 20 x 16 in
Edgar Degas

Die Tanzerin
Art Print, 16 x 20 in
Egon Schiele

p.s. As I write this from my luscious red library, with classical music playing, I can smell the kitchen… John is making our favorite family meatloaf… I will share soon… And God bless him, my darlings… He just brought me a glass of wine… Thank goodness it is 6pm!!


(Click here for Tracy Porter’s printable recipe!)



Porter Family Sunday Night Pot Roast

4 lb. chuck or rump roast (can be smaller or larger ~ will not matter, dears)
1 head of garlic, chopped (or about 10 cloves)
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 onion, chopped
1 bag of frozen pearl onions (or approx. 2 cups)
2 cups baby carrots
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup red wine (nothing too pricey)
3 cups beef stock (I am okay with store bought… time saver)
1 28 oz. can of chopped tomatoes

Mix together salt, pepper and flour… then make a paste by adding in vinegar. Rub roast with the paste, just mash it right onto every spot, nook, and cranny. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in heavy pan (I use my dutch oven). Brown roast nicely all over. Remove roast and set aside. Add another Tbsp. olive oil to pan, add chopped onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook over medium heat until onions are soft… 7-10 minutes should do. Mix often to avoid burning. Add red wine & stock, pearl onions and the roast back into pan. Cover pan and simmer. I typically will cook a roast of this size for 3-4 hours, turning every 1/2 hour or so. When the meat feels very soft and you can easily pierce it, it is done. Remove the meat and shred it. I do this on a chopping board and basically pull it apart quite easily with two forks. It will literally shred. Add meat back to pan. Taste and season. What a happy, marvelous dinner!

Back to my story… So what I think happened to me along the way is that I became a bit closet obsessive. A girl (or home) just cannot have enough closets. Every home I have looked at, or lived in, or built, to date… Well, it is one of my first questions… How many closets? I like them big. I like them deep. I like them lit. I am actually sounding a wee bit high maintenance, and really, you all know me enough by now to know that is one thing I am not… But maybe in the closet department I am just a little bit needy. I really love to open up a closet and take inventory. You know… what’s in here, what do we need, blah, blah, blah. Since we’ve popped out four little munchkins, my organizing efforts have taken sort of a backseat. As an example, our upstairs main linen closet seems to have become a fun hiding spot, play area, take the sheets off the shelves and make little tents like thieving little nesting mice… kind of a closet. Yes, our boys get in there and cause a ruckus… It does make me laugh most of the time. So let me get to my point, my loves… I have recently pulled out all the goods, and now she is a beacon of loveliness… all my ducks in a row… (Until the cowboys come back to set up camp, that is!)

Here’s my linen closet organizing how-to tips… Always nice to have a fresh start!

* Drag everything out of that closet, for starters ~ it will only get better from here.

* Wash down the shelves with something you love the smell of. For me it’s the original Murphy’s oil soap. Old- fashioned clean… Love it!

* If you need to re-paint, do it now. Maybe a smashing bright cheery color like brilliant apple green, or dark and sexy like chocolate brown. ( I would only go dark if your lighting is excellent.)

* If you are supremely into organizing, or generally cool ideas, you could do a little metal label holder on each shelf to let the world know that pillow cases go here, for instance. (So librarian of me, I know.)

* Sort your goods. Determine if you like sheets sets all in perfect bundles… or, like me, individual stacks of goods, meaning all pillowcases go in one spot, all queen size fitted sheets in another spot.

* If your linen closet also serves as a place to store toilet paper, toiletries, and the like… consider storing those in canvas bins or even wicker or metal.

* What will you keep, what will you toss? Now “toss” is a relative term for me, it’s more like… will it become a costume for the kids? (Take pillow cases… Max just recently cut out the neck spot and top corners for a slip-on funky costume of a bright orange case that was ready for the trash.)

* Can any of your sheets be re-classified to table cloths or picnic blankets…? If not, consider donating your goods to your local thrift store or Goodwill.

* Consider the location of all the goods. All bedding near bedding… all towels, wash cloths, and the like together. Anything that gets less use or is seasonal should go near the top shelves.

* If you are really into organizing, check out Cheryl Mendelson’s book Home Comforts. This one… well, she is the queen of clean and organizing. Her home must be the mecca… kind of a scary thought. I don’t want her in my closets…… today, anyway!

So… starting with your plain Jane cardi, you can…

* Add three vintage pins onto the front… and I am not talking little ones! Make them glorious and showy… be fearless!

* Ditch those mother of pearl buttons and get your tail to the craft store… Or better yet, dig into your own button bin and mix them up… each one different and delicious (don’t be afraid to widen the button hole).

* Sew a gorgeous wide and splendid ribbon onto each cuff.

* Get out your acrylic paints, fabric paints (or get some)… and do a little simple doodling onto the backside… anything, my love… get fancy or just be avant-garde in any way you want.

* Do some embroidery on top of your cardi… Use all one color… maybe Google some smart stitchery ideas… I like a simple chain stitch and those little French knots…

* Add a pretty velvet ribbon along the placket edge (that’s the part where your button or zippers are located).

* Make a run to the craft or fabric store and buy your monogram letters… so Laverne and Shirley… I desperately need to monogram more cool things!