New Tracy Porter Store!

Okay, my loves... You have been so patient with us... Eagerly anticipating pics, videos, something to whet your appetite...... Well, here she is in all her glory... The new Tracy Porter Store in downtown Ripon, Wisconsin! My sister Robyn has done a tremendous job... truly outstanding. She's barely come up for air since jumping in... but the results are well worth the wait. If you're in the area, please do take a moment to pop in... 200 Watson Street, right on the corner. (You can't miss those darling red awnings!). The vignettes that Robyn has created are sooo inspiring. She's done such a wonderful job of bringing our catalog pages to life... and then rounding out the look with other smashing goodies you simply cannot resist! If you've already made the trek, we'd love to hear from you! And for those of you from afar... we hope this little taste will have your mouth watering in no time!!! xoxo, T.

Altars... not just for adults!

I'm a huge believer in letting our children be a part of our daily rituals... everything from helping in the kitchen during mealtime, to talking about the next paint color going up on our walls. As you might imagine, they have very strong opinions... And while I may not always bend to their wishes (no, I won't be putting up a huge Transformers poster above our fireplace anytime soon!), John and I always encourage them to take an interest in their surroundings, and create spaces all their own. The boys' playroom is a great example of this. The walls are a bright, glorious shade of deep coral... and each of the boys has their own painted shelf, striped canvas bin, and wicker basket for storing and displaying cherished books, keepsakes, etc.

I admit I'm a bit of a magpie, so I'm already passing along these tendencies to my children! So you can imagine they like creating vignettes as much as I do!! The boys love to create paint by numbers... and I'll admit I have such a weakness for them myself... they all collect snow globes of various shapes, sizes, and themes! Grandma Nettie bought them the framed butterflies... (now they catch their own on our farm and even try their hand at the framing and labeling). I always frame their artwork, truly it is my favorite... and not only do these get proudly hung in "their own" spaces... but as you know, I hang them amidst all of our other walls and vignettes as well... (Remember, it's your house... it's about YOU and your family!!!) Plus it's cool and quirky and not overly serious as "decorating" can be for people sometimes!!

As the boys have gotten older, they've definitely had their own ideas about what else they would like to include... Lego's, army men, dinosaurs, etc... Some have even spilled out into my other vignettes throughout the house. I lovingly embrace it all... For me, it's a constant reminder of their precious little souls - who will all too soon be fully grown!!

Think outside the frame

With all the recent chatter about altars, vignettes, London Walls... I thought I'd share a super quick tip for "framing" a treasured photograph, postcard, piece of child's art, etc. This is so simple, but instantly charming! Take a vintage frame (mine happens to be a lovely round metal gem) but rather than cutting the black & white photo to size and placing it inside... I decided to layer the photo on top of a torn, antique book page first... then rested the frame, glass and all, on top of that. Voila! The frame still anchors everything, but gives the whole look a much more casual, old world feel. (If you look closely, I also used the torn book page to help prop up the photo.) Try it on! You could experiment with so many different variations on this... Think of it as a creative collage for your wall!

Nettie's Shortcake

My mom has made this shortcake since I was a kid. She has veered off this path now and again over the years, but we all keep steering her back to this one! I have now adopted it for my own family... It's the perfect texture to soak up all that luscious berry juice!



THE SHORTCAKE (makes one 9" cake):
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
4 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup butter (cold)
1/4 cup shortening
1/3 cup milk
1 egg beaten
1 Tbsp. grated orange or lemon rind

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and grated rind. Add in shortening and cold butter using a pastry cutter or two forks. Blend together until the mixture has a cornmeal like texture. Add in the egg and milk; mix only until the dough comes together. (Don't over handle these, as it will ruin their texture and they will become too hard.)

You have basically two choices now: you can grease a 9" pan and pat this dough in, then you can cut into nice wedges once it's done baking. Or... you can form it (gently) into biscuits, whichever size pleases you. Several mini ones or a handful of nice large ones. Either way I like to brush them with some cream or milk then sprinkle sugar on the tops (just a light dusting will do). This will give them nice color and taste. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Hint: I always prefer to open the shortcake up (meaning cut it horizontally once it's baked) so it can have ultimate soak-up-the-juice powers!


THE STRAWBERRIES
6 cups fresh strawberries
Sugar to taste

The strawberries that you use should be divided into two parts. Half of them should be sliced and then left alone. The second half should be smashed. (Just get in there and do it by hand, don't be wimpy here. Just gush them between your fingers - or let a child help.) Then add sugar to taste. Start slowly with it... maybe a 1/4 cup at a time. You may need to add an entire cup. If they are winter strawberries you will. In the summer I doubt it. Mix the cut and the gushed ones together. Serve with an abundance of freshly whipped cream. (Is there ever enough?? Not for me!!)

p.s. This makes an awesome breakfast as well!!

Our new photo wall... I mean, mantel

The temps are gradually warming here in Wisconsin, but the evenings are still a bit cool, if you can believe that one... (No lie... How 'bout it??... Come on people, it's June!!). So the thought of turning on our fireplace will (soon? I hope?) be put to rest for a few short months... Nevertheless, she still affords a wonderful nook for building creative vignettes! As you know, I love mixing very classic, traditional elements with a few twists of the unexpected... a bold, ornate mirror for height and drama... a petite chandelier for added whimsy... a cowhide zebra print ottoman for exotic flair... We recently took down a lot of our family photos to make room for another project we were working on... so I had these great black and whites just leaning up against the floor next to our fireplace. I was vacuuming one morning and literally just happened to throw them up on the mantel to get them out of the way... and when I stepped back for a moment... voila! I loved the look! Now my beloved family photos are again at eye level... I don't even mind that some of them are overlapping here... I can always pull a couple of them forward if I want to make them the center of attention for awhile. You could easily do the same with framed art or hand-painted canvases instead... and a large shelf, buffet, or side console works great if you don't have a mantel. Plus, if you ever get tired of your display, just move the pictures to a different ledge in your home (or lean them up against the floor) and you'll have a fresh altar in a snap!

Do you ever...

* Display rustic garden statuary inside your home?

* Keep a list of movies you've watched (or books that you've read) in the past year? Perhaps you'll find one you want to peruse again... Or, if you find your list is rather short... what a great excuse (reminder) to find a little time to indulge yourself!

* Try something new on the menu each time you visit a favorite restaurant? And then encourage your children to do the same?

* Bookmark all of your favorite shopping sites, blogs, and other online sources of inspiration so you can visit them at a moment’s notice?

* Enjoy little guilty pleasures? Like watching E!'s The Soup... Host Joel McHale is so wickedly amusing... and with TiVo... we can buzz thru it in 20 minutes!!

* Treat yourself to that new cologne you've been dying to try? I love anything spicy or citrusy... Jo Malone's Amber & Lavender or Lime Basil & Mandarin are two of my all-time faves...

* Keep a checklist of cities you want to travel to someday - and then start crossing them off, one by one?

* Read Daily Candy? Hip, eclectic, fresh... Just like you!!

The imperfections of charm

You may have caught a glimpse of these smashing curtains in one of our other videos... Curtains (throws, quilts, fabric remnants) of any kind are such a wonderful way to warm up and soften a window or doorway. I found these antique panels in a flea market in Paris... A little bit tattered with age, but how could I resist?? These beauties finally found a home around our front foyer entrance. I of course had to embellish them with a few yards of vintage trim (using my trusty hot-glue gun)... along with a pair of yummy woven & beaded tiebacks that I also unearthed in France. I keep the curtains casually cinched for a more easygoing feel... As a side note, I personally love it when curtains are long enough to puddle on the floor. There's just something very romantic about them that way... (Bonus that they hide any raw edges... and believe me, there are several! You should know me well enough by now... I'm all about the no-sew option whenever possible!!) The valance is another vintage find, with more unbelievable fringe... Very simple to install - just tacked onto a board that John put up above the door frame. Again, for me, it's all about the melding of interesting textures and layers here. I'm not overly concerned if the colors in the curtains match the colors of the valance or the wallpaper exactly... Who has the time or the energy?? Instead, it's the eclectic mix that allows the whole look to feel warm, inviting, and altogether charming.

Cheeky conversation!

Ah, the IF game! (John's sister Ann is notorious for this one... and we love her for it!) Here's the basic premise...... One person asks a question (it can be anything, from the frivolous to the philosophical) and then you go around the room and everyone has to answer... Truth is preferred, but of course, grand embellishment is always a plus!! We love playing this game with friends and family over a long dinner and a big bottle of wine... And while half the fun is coming up with intriguing questions of our own... Evelyn McFarlane and James Saywell have compiled a wonderful book for you to check out if you need a little help in getting started! In their words...

"If... poses hundreds of questions ranging from practical to maddening, moral to hilarious--which, if read alone, inspire self-exploration; if shared, spark fascinating discussions at gatherings, dinner parties, or meetings."

Below is just a sampling of questions to tease and inspire you... Cheers!!

* If you could have any view in the world visible from your bed, what would it be?
* If you had to name the most important ingredient of human beauty, what would you say it is?
* If you could suddenly find out that one work of fiction was actually true, what book would you select?
* If you could have back one article of clothing you gave or threw away, what would you want it to be?
* If you could name the sexiest words anyone could say to you, what would they be?


p.s. There's also a great kids' version by Bret Nicholaus & Paul Lowrie called KidChat... We keep this book near our dining table so we can play this with our boys during dinner. They absolutely adore it... and so do we! Here are a couple of excerpts...

* If something could fall from the sky besides rain or snow, what would it be? (Example: jelly beans)
* If you could be shrunk down to one inch tall for a day, what do you think would be the most exciting place to explore?

Make & Create... more is more!

One of our dear artists and friends gave me the most delightful gift recently, so I just had to share... Isn't this plate spectacular?? She started with an antique porcelain gem... and then layered on all the goodies in the most fanciful paisley design... metallic silver seed beads, tiny felt flowers, silk millinery petals, velvet leaves, sparkling rhinestones, and more... (Hint - if you use a dab of hot glue to assemble everything, the embellishments will come off quite easily down the road... if you'd even want them to?? Personally, I'm not sure if I could ever go back...) An assorted trio of these lovelies would be stunning mixed into a London Wall... They're also the perfect accent for my many altars and vignettes... some lying flat, some perched up against the back of a bookshelf... Such a sweet gift for a friend, grandmother, auntie... or anyone else that you hold near and dear. I hope you're as inspired by this one as I am!! I know I'm ready to go antiquing and start ferreting through all those juicy baubles out there... How 'bout you?? xoxo