Front Porch Facelift

I closed on my house at the end of June.  The roof was in extremely poor condition, so I decided to have it replaced immediately. This is not the best "before" picture, but it does capture the problem areas: the roof, the overgrown landscape, etc.

I opted for the architectural shingles, although more expensive, I believe they will pay off.  Immediately it transformed the exterior look of the house and gave me peace of mind knowing I had a secure roof.  The previous owner had painted the swing black to match the shutters.  I felt this blended too much with the house.  I wanted my front porch to POP.  I painted the swing white, added red wicker chairs to match the red door, hung flower baskets and a beautiful American flag.  I also trimmed the amazing gardenia bush, laid pine needles, and planted flowers along the walkway. 

LEE HUKILL

Robert Peverley Hukill IV

"Lee"

At 11 am on October 18th, 2012, my brother-in-law informed me that Bethany was being admitted to the hospital.  I rushed to the car, went to pick up Gidget, and took off for Raleigh.  The hospital allows for three people to be in the room at the time of delivery and Bethany wanted Rob, my mom, and myself.  My mom and I made it just in time to see the most beautiful little boy come into this world.  At 3:51 pm, just under five hours after being admitted, Bethany gave birth to Lee.  

Papa and Grandma Judy

                            

Lee and His Dad

Aunt Sam and Lee
Uncle Taylor and Lee 

Just some more of his preciousness

Ahoy! It's a boy!

 Ahoy!  It's a Boy!

I am going to be an aunt for the very first time this October!!!! We found out that the little bundle of joy is going to be a boy.  I was convinced for the first few months that it was sure to be a girl, but my brother-in-law called me back in June to brag that he was right and I was wrong.  I think because my grandmother had six girls and my mother had two daughters, the thought of a "boy" coming is a bit unusual.  Although I didn't guess it, I am over the moon about this little nuggets arrival! 

My sister, Bethany, and her husband, Rob, are getting the nursery organized and trying their best to prepare for Little Man Lee's arrival.  This past weekend was Bethany's baby shower, hosted by myself and some of her nearest and dearest friends.  The baby shower took place in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  The weather reports all claimed that it would be 80 degrees and sunny, but instead it was one of those wonderful Chapel Hill days that threatens  fall is just around the corner. 

Everything was nautical, from the cake and decor, to the baby quilt adorned in whales.  It was simply too cute for words!!!  

Erin, one of the hostesses, had the wonderful idea to substitute books for cards.  Everyone brought their favorite children's book and wrote a note to Lee inside.  Rob's mom, Heidi, brought all of Rob's favorite books, from the dog spot to the bird books.  My mom paid tribute to Bethany's childhood favorite, The Boxcard Children. 

Bethany's pregnancy craving, fried chicken!

Bethany with all of her best friends! 

Hurry up Lee, we can't wait to meet you. 

Celebrations

Birthday Celebrations

Pet Night 

Wine & Design

My friend Danielle's birthday was this past Thursday and we decided to do Wine & Design to celebrate.  In case you are unfamiliar, Wine & Design is a cute franchise that specializes in paint instruction.  They have a set object or scene that you will be taught to paint and instructors are there to talk you through it.  You are invited to bring your own wine and snacks to enjoy while you paint.  Danielle and Holly arrived with not only wine, but hummus and wasabi peanuts.  Red wine and snacks, this should inspire greatness, right?

We are are "slightly" obsessed with our pups and it just so happened to be pet night on D's birthday! Pet night is supposed to be open only to "experienced" painters; we didn't get this memo.  We sent in  photographs of our adorable pets and they were transferred to the canvas to help guide our painting.  This is what we saw when we arrived....... 

First up..... The Birthday Girl and Gus Man

Holly and Ellie May 

The Gidge and Me : )

I was a little concerned about butchering such pretty black and white canvas photographs. We poured ourselves a glass of red wine, picked up a brush, and started painting.  Three hours later, this was the result.

I am still searching for the perfect spot in my house for this creation! 

Happy Birthday D!

Wilmington Food Crawl

My dear friends from Charlotte came to town a few weeks ago and since they weren't overly familiar with the area, they wanted to see it all!  We spent quality time at Wrightsville Beach, getting way too much sun (note the photos below, lobsters!!), we cooked a delicious dinner, walked to Port City Java for coffee, and enjoyed catching up on my front porch.

The last night they were here we decided to explore some of the restaurants downtown.  It was impossible to hit all of them, but we decided to do a progressive dinner, having a cocktail and food at a variety of places.

  First Stop:      

Dockstreet Oyster Bar
Note: This is one of the coolest dives in Wilmington.  They have a signed photograph of Ernest Hemingway that says, "Thanks for the tequila," for crying out loud.  Anywhere cool enough for Hemingway is cool enough for me. 

Food:

Crab Dip

Second Stop:

The Little Dipper 

Food:

Cheese Appetizer: vegetables and bread come along a spicy cheese fondue

Cocktail:

Champagne 

While Julie and I had no problem with a dinner of crab dip in a gooey cheese sauce, followed by cheese fondue, Randy was ready for something with a little more substance.  

Third Stop:

Nikki's Sushi 

Food: 

Roll wrapped in cucumber (can't recall the name) 

On the way to our fourth stop, I had shoe trouble; Randy was kind enough to help a girl out.  Lace up espadrilles are much more complex than they appear.  I am convinced there is an art to wearing them all evening and walking without loosening the laces. 

Fourth Stop:

Cafe Phoenix- 

my sister and cousin used to rave about the bread pudding and cappuccino at Cafe Phoenix. 

Food:

Banana Bread Pudding: as far as bread puddings go, this was excellent.  I am not a big fan of banana flavored desserts, but Julie loved it and the cappuccinos were spot on. 

Randy's Final Stop

  Randy loves ice cream and so before we headed home, in a complete food coma, we stopped by Kilwin's for ice cream, fudge, and other great treats. It doesn't matter where I am, Blowing Rock or Wilmington, when you arrive within a four block radius of a Kilwin's you are drawn in by the smell of  butter and sugar. 

Beach time, great friends, great food = Great Weekend. 

oh my! tomato pie!

I saw this recipe while watching the Paula Deen show the other week and knew I had to give it a try.  My father and grandfather have always had gardens and summertime just isn't the same without fresh tomatoes. 

My friends were in town this weekend and we decided to incorporate this dish in to the mix one night.  One of the greatest things about the pie is the simplicity of it. Let me say, this pie is some kind of delicious!  I never really grasped Paula's expression, "smack your mama," until I tasted this savory goodness.

My rule of thumb when trying new recipes is to follow the recipe the first time for accuracy and then alter it to my specific taste anytime after.  Although there was one or two things I would change, like switching the regular mayo for reduced fat and leaving out the green onions because I am not particularly fond of them, the overall pie is pretty perfect.  We made one pie for three people and we were left with one slice at the end of dinner.  We literally could not get enough.  This has become a must try and now a staple in my recipe book. 

Happy Eats Guys! 

My Adaptation

Tomato Pie Recipe:

• 15 fresh basil leaves chopped

• 4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced

• 1 prebaked deep dish pie shell

• 1 cup grated mozzarella

• 1 cup grated white cheddar

• 1 cup reduced fat mayonnaise

• Salt and pepper

MAKING IT HAPPEN

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

I stuck the pie shell in the oven and allowed it to bake until it was light brown.  This allowed for the crust to begin to harden and kept the tomatoes from making the bottom of the pie shell too soggy.  

Slice the tomatoes and allow time to drain. Paula Deen's recipe suggest putting in a colander and allowing tomatoes to drain for 10 minutes.  I found this to not be a sufficient amount of time.  I would recommend allowing to drain for longer over a glass bowl so that you can see the juices that have been drained.  I would then recommend patting each slice with paper towels in an effort to get all liquid juices out. 

Layer the tomato slices and basil in the pie shell. Season each layer with ample amounts of salt and pepper. Combine the grated cheeses and mayonnaise together. Spread mixture on top of the tomatoes and bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. (Next time I make this I believe I will add a layer of the cheese mixture to each layer rather than just on top. I can't see additional cheese as bad thing!)

Let pie sit for 5 to 10 minutes, slice, and serve!  ENJOY!

so it begins

After months of house hunting, getting in to multiple bid situations, I finally have found myself a new homeowner in the quintessential southern neighborhood. Within days of moving in I met all my neighbors, each coming by to welcome me to the block and offering to lend a hand.  Ancient oaks and pecan trees line the streets that are perfect for walking and running on a beautiful afternoon.  The bungalows, with their deep front porches, give the area historic charm unlike many developments today.

While I knew I landed myself in a great location, the house needed a bit of a “facelift”.  The 20 year old roof and overgrown landscape needed immediate attention (before and after pictures to come). 

When searching for a home I knew I wanted an older home and with older homes come many projects.  At the end of the day, this house has GREAT bones, fantastic potential, and the perfect fenced in backyard for my shaggy girl, Gidget.