Tracy Porter Blog… be inspired!

A Close up of “December”….. of the boxwood kitties.

Gus is quite pleased to have kitties in the house, as you can imagine these
little darlings are not suffering for attention!

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Labels: more Tracy Porter, nature's inspirations, snippets in the real

Meet “Zoe”…..Fin had her purring in no time.


If you have been tuning into our radio show you have possibly heard me speak of the “boxwood Kitties.” If not, I’ll give you the short and sweet, so you can be in the know…! So….the other day when shooting videos, I was outside snipping away at the boxwoods in my herb garden to add a bit of green gloriousness to our vignette. And what should appear…..2 plump wee kittens! Hiding under the boxwoods….as any smart little kitten looking for a warm home would! (well…I knew right then and there, those kitties were for us). Naturally I started re~living my farmy childhood…all that time in the barn ambushing kittens was not going to be wasted! So I put out some dog food soaked in water….and sure enough it was swallowed up in no time. A plan was set in order….(read; I needed to get my boys in on this….and I was certain John would go for it too, sort of…well…not so much).


Naturally the boys were in…especially Fin. He is me…in little boy version…. when it comes to the critters. So a few days later….after we “all” agreed to the adoption…..we set out a “have a heart” trap….and within hours we had ourselves a tiger striped kitty! Promptly the boys named her “ZOE”….and the love fest began.

This is my attempt to photograph the kitties with their mama to show the boys before we adopted from the wild.


I realize I am getting wordy, but you know it’s my way…….So, as the week went on, Zoe got more friendly by the hour, the boys are loving her non-stop, and Fin and I are doing our best to convince one of her sibs to join us…to no avail. Then this past Sunday I nearly took the trap down, (but never got to it) as we all thought we’d go to the local shelter to adopt a kitty friend. Then December 1st rolls around…..and as always I look in the trap several times a day……just in case. I went out to check the scene, and it seems St. Nick came a wee bit early! Sure enough, the plump wee tabby was there waiting……spitting, hissing…but ready for our LOVE!!! Fin has named her fittingly “ DECEMBER”…….he told me when he saw her in the trap his heart had never beat so fast in his life. Kind of like I felt when he and his twin brother Max came six weeks early 9 ½ years ago, and I saw them in tiny preemie incubators with tubes and tape and beeping lights all over their little selves. I was filled with joy and love and all sorts of childhood gushy feelings that morning….…”December“ the first. Just had to share.


Cheers and Boxwood Kitty Kisses!!
Xoxo,
T.

P.S. Yes, I know…we simply must do the illustrated storybook…..adding it to the list as we speak, I can see it already!! xoxo





FINAL HOURS!! A Festive Sale! Includes all fashion & select home goodies (excluding rugs & lighting). Enter code “festive45″ at checkout & hit “Go”!! Expires TONIGHT at midnight CST! xoxo.

Labels: more Tracy Porter, nature's inspirations, snippets in the real

Where’s Waldo?

We have this thing at our house, well…he’s a goat and his name is Mailbox. He is very Waldo-esque. He refuses to stay in his pasture, much to his BFF Rodeo Jack’s sadness. He wakes up, gets out, by squeezing his body through the little opening in the gate…… (we’ve tried locking it in numerous ways trust me…he is Houdini) then he wanders about. Sometimes into the garage, or the gardens…he eats the fruit from the trees, breaks the tiny limbs from our new apple trees, how lovely. He is a menace and a darling at once. He is our “where’s Waldo.” I get random reports from the boys as to his whereabouts…I’ll keep you posted on his latest adventures, or if he sends postcards I will surely share. Thank god he can’t drive yet. (yet)

“Rodeo Jack: fastest donkey in the Midwest “…(yes, that is his full real name)…getting ready for his winter coat to pop out. Soon he will look like a little fuzzy wooly bear encrusted in seeds and grasses that stick to him as he grazes. Think a hair brush that sorely needs cleaning, that your kids ran through the marsh with. That’s more the picture I was trying to share.




Xoxo,

T.

Tracy Porter

Labels: nature's inspirations, snippets in the real

I adore that blaze of color, and vibrant tang……you now see how nature inspires me so!…….especially this time of year……along with today’s frozen hoses, the end of the season veggies from the garden…….steam coming off the pond and me planning a jaunt this weekend to fleet farm to get heaters for the water tanks! Ahh…country living!


Kisses + Tea


Xoxo,

T.

p.s. Do join us for our radio show premier TOMORROW + spread the word to receive a $25 gift certificate to TRACY PORTER by attaching our radio logo, pictured below the invitation, to your social network(s), blogs, etc + linking it to our retail home page: www.tracyporter.com!

In order to qualify for a gift certificate, click here for source code.

Labels: more Tracy Porter, nature's inspirations, snippets in the real

Any excuse to create something simple and lovely… To capture a moment… To spark a memory. Beautiful journals are fun to keep on hand… With a few art supplies (watercolors, monogram stickers, pretty papers)… an hour of freedom can turn into an hour of creative bliss. I made this darling journal for my love, John… Think I’ll make more for some upcoming birthdays on my list… Don’t you think this is divine?! Have you ever made one? Is there someone in your life who would love one?! Surely!!! Tell us what you’d include… the ideas keep us invigorated!!! To you, darlings… and all of your creative musings!! Kisses to all… T.

Labels: books and such, make & create, snippets in the real

Just a fun clip of our wintry Saturday night family activity… We made homemade pasta!! Such a treat from start to finish… I so love when a family activity can blend effortlessly into dinnertime…! You see, it snowed about 6” on Saturday… There wasn’t a chance we would think of leaving… so a cooking activity for all to partake in was just perfect! We all mixed, fed, cut, and hung the dough… I love mine with butter, salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of some Parmesan / Romano cheese to top it off… We also made some red sauce on the side which was simply scrumptious. If you don’t have this fabulous contraption for your Kitchen Aid mixer… it’s worth the investment. You may never want to eat anything else!!

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

EGG NOODLE PASTA

4 large eggs
1 Tbsp. water
3-1/2 C. sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt

Place eggs, water, and flour in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater. Turn to Speed 2 and mix for 30 seconds.

Remove flat beater and attach dough hook. Turn to Speed 2 and knead 2 minutes.

Hand knead dough for about a minute. Cover with dry towel and let rest 15 minutes before extruding through pasta maker.

Labels: eating & gathering, snippets in the real

I know you love the details as much as I do… It just makes any moment that much more interesting!!! So here’s a quickie craft project for you… amazing to have on hand the next time you entertain. Only three ingredients required: shells, a spot of hot glue, and tiny millinery flowers. You and your guests can delight in having your own personal salt & pepper, right at your place setting… Oh, rapture!!!

Five seconds… So fast, so fabulous!!!

What ideas do you have to pamper your dinner guests? Do share… We so love to hear!!!

xoxo,
T.

Labels: eating & gathering, make & create, snippets in the real

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Labels: be extraordinary, snippets in the real

Labels: do you ever..., make & create, snippets in the real

Labels: nature's inspirations, snippets in the real

Labels: make & create, snippets in the real

Labels: snippets in the real, soulful nesting & decorating

Labels: eating & gathering, snippets in the real

Labels: make & create, snippets in the real