Getting Away to The Grand Hotel

"The sea pronounces something, over and over, in a hoarse whisper; I cannot quite make it out." ~ Annie Dillard

Over the past few years, The Grand Hotel, in Point Clear, Ala., has become a special retreat for our family. When we looked at the calendar and realized that the overlapping of summer commitments did not allow for a vacation for our party of six, Joe suggested I take Mary Ashley and Emma for a quick getaway. It has been several years since we planned a girls weekend, so we were excited to make the most of our time together while the boys traveled to a camp in Ohio.

One of the delights of staying at the resort is enjoying its many amenities. As we reminisced about last year's trip with the whole family, one of the girls commented that she wished we could stay for a week again. We had only spent a weekend, but I think that enjoying all of the outdoor activities made the vacation seem longer.

We spent two full days -- Friday and Saturday -- soaking up the sun.

Saturday, I took an early morning stroll through the property with my camera. I love taking in the scenic beauty while all is quiet.

Boats in the marina look ready for the next excursion.

What a beautiful day for setting sail!

I love the Southern setting here, with gracious trees and lush lawns juxtaposed against the seaside treasures of sand and sea.

Because our time was short, we decided to make the most of our two sun-drenched days by staying at the resort.

I couldn't wait to feel my toes in the sand! Saturday afternoon we picnicked on the beach -- one of our favorite experiences of the trip.

Our days in Birmingham are so full that it was nice to enjoy some unhurried time together.

Reading, swimming, talking -- just enjoying one another's company.

Bicycling is one of our all-time-favorite resort activities. In an upcoming post, I will share some photos taken during an afternoon ride.

We felt so pampered relaxing in this coastal oasis. The weekend was bliss!

And true to expectation, that brief getaway has renewed within us the joy of an unhurried summer.

"Beauty sleeps on the calm dreamy bosom of the ocean, or lives in the dance of its wild waves." ~ T.C. Henley

Happy Father's Day & a TeaTime Winner

"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!" ~ Lydia M. Child

I hope you will enjoy a blessed weekend honoring the special men in your life. Along with my husband, who has had a rough summer recovering from surgery for a broken leg, we will also be taking time out to honor my father, Joe's dad, and my grandfather. How blessed we are to have each one!

Thank you for the lovely comments you shared regarding the TeaTime feature that was photographed in our home for the July/August 2016 issue. The magazine staff did a beautiful job creating a menu and tablescape for "Lavender & Lace Tea," and it has been a special thrill to see their images in print. Congratulations to Michele, from The Nest at Finch Rest, for winning a complimentary subscription -- beginning with this current issue.

I took the photograph above last weekend during a quick girls getaway to The Grand Hotel, in Point Clear, Ala. While Joe and the boys headed north for a varsity wrestling camp in Ohio, we girls went south for a slightly less intense vacation experience. One of the highlights for me was getting to use my camera, so look for several posts from me over the next couple of weeks.

Happy Father's Day!

Beautiful Hydrangeas in Bloom

We have a single hydrangea bush in our yard, but it is giving us a splendid show this year. Each day I marvel at the spectacular blooms and lovely colors. Here are a few photos of these blossoms -- a delight of June!

If you haven't entered your name in the teacup for a subscription to TeaTime magazine, be sure to visit this post.

Just My Cup of TeaTime: Sneak Peek and Giveaway

As a longtime reader of TeaTime, you can imagine my delight when their stylist, Lucy Herndon, asked if they could photograph a summertime menu in our dining room. The shoot took place last August, so I stopped by that afternoon to catch a little of the magic just as the children arrived home from their first day of school. It was so surreal to greet them with dainty treats prepared by the magazine's talented test-kitchen professional, Janet Lambert. Chicken salad croissants, lavender cakes and decadent chocolate macarons -- the after-school snacks of my dreams!

Since last year, we have eagerly awaited the release of the July/August 2016 issue. How exciting it was to discover that the cover image was shot in our home! Although most of the photos showcased in "Lavender & Lace Tea" are tight shots of the food, you can glimpse a little more of our interiors in the opening spread. To my delight, Christian showed me that holding the magazine at just the right angle superimposes the magazine's tablescape over our view of the dining room. Here is a little peek of that feature!

To celebrate this happy occasion, Editor Lorna Reeves has kindly offered a complimentary subscription to Teatime magazine to one tea-loving reader of A Little Loveliness -- to begin with "our" July/August issue. To enter, please leave a comment below!

"I take pleasure in tea, appreciating it with my spirit and therefore cannot explain why." ~ Sen Joo

Classroom Craft: Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub Tutorial

"Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever." ~ Author Unknown

The precious third-graders Joe and I teach in Bible class love to do creative projects. Last Mother's Day we made these watercolor mugs. That was a great craft, but we completed it in stages over several weeks. This year, I wanted to plan an activity that we could do in one class period. Making a sugar scrub was the perfect solution!

I packed a picnic basket with all the essentials we would need for slipping into the church kitchen to make Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub after our Bible lesson. I was so excited about making this with our kids, I literally dreamed about it all night!

Class Supplies Needed

Aprons

8-ounce Quilted Crystal Jelly Jars

Small mixing bowls

Measuring cups

Tablespoons

Sugar

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Scrapbook paper

2" round scallop-edged paper punch

Glue stick

Ruffle ribbon

Scissors

Spoons

For the sake of time, I punched scalloped circles of scrapbook paper and cut strips of ribbon before class. But I knew the kids would want to do as much of the project as possible, so we set aside time for each student to don an apron, measure and mix the sugar scrub, transfer the mixture to a jelly jar, and finish off the presentation with a ribbon and tag. In our congregation's large kitchen, I set up four stations, which kept the children engaged throughout our "field trip."

Sugar-Scrub Stations

Mix It Up: Having two mixing bowls allowed me to work with the students in pairs. Each donned an apron, and I stood between them as they measured and mixed ingredients. Then they transferred their scrubs to a jelly jar.

Clean It Up: At the sink, Joe then helped the kids rinse their hands and wipe away any sugar or oil that had spilled from the jar.

Dress It Up: Next, the kids used a glue stick to attach a scrapbook tag to the top of the jar. Then they tied a ruffle ribbon around the rim and completed the presentation by tucking a wooden spoon under the ribbon.

Write It Up: On the other end of the counter, we spread out cards, crayons and markers. This allowed the kids to make cards for their mothers before and after visiting the other three stations. Joe said our only boy in the class wrote in bold letters this sentimental greeting: "DO NOT EAT THIS OR YOU WILL DIE." Not quite accurate, but I did tell the kids that this scrub, though edible, would probably not taste good. Keep reading for the simple recipe!

Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed or bottled)

In a small mixing bowl, stir together sugar, olive oil, and lemon juice. Transfer mixture to an (8-ounce) jelly jar. Keep salt scrub at room temperature. To use, gently rub a spoonful of mixture over hands to exfoliate. Rinse with warm water, and pat skin dry.

I hope the sweet mommies of our beloved third-graders will enjoy their gifts of pampering!

"Mother, the ribbons of your love are woven around my heart." ~ Author Unknown

Happy Mother's Day!

"The sweetest sounds to mortals given

Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven."

~ William Goldsmith Brown

Wishing you a lovely and blessed Mother's Day!

Cut Footloose with a Country Barbecue

Carson stepped outside his comfort zone recently to two-step his way through Oak Mountain High School's spring musical, Footloose. He had a blast and is already planning to perform on stage again. Much of the production is set in Texas, so before the Saturday night show we invited family to join us for a country-style barbecue inspired by the Lone Star State. Here is a peek at our menu of summertime favorites, along with a couple of delicious recipes from the evening.

I made this Slow Cooker Texas Pulled Pork for the party. Starting the meat the night before and cooking it on low all day yielded a succulent and flavorful main dish.

Vases of daisies topped a red-and-white checkered tablecloth for our festive gathering.

My blue-and-white Spode transferware took on a country look with burlap place mats and lace-edged linen napkins. I made the napkin rings 20 years ago, so it was fun to pull those out for this occasion.

Votives in jelly jars cast a soft glow on our table.

Texas Caviar

Enjoy this garden-fresh dip with tortilla chips.

1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped green onion
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can corn
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup zesty Italian dressing
Fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, stir together yellow onion, bell pepper, green onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, tomatoes, corn, black-eyed peas, and coriander. Pour dressing over vegetables, and stir gently to mix. Add fresh cilantro to taste, and stir gently. Refrigerate to chill. Before serving, add more cilantro, if desired.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

My talented friend Loren, a chef and test-kitchen professional, shared this delicious recipe with me. One taste, and Christian said, "Mom, we never need to buy bottled ranch again."

1 cup mayonnaise
1 pint cultured nonfat buttermilk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Whisk together mayonnaise and buttermilk. Whisk in chives, parsley, dill, garlic, salt and pepper. Refrigerate to chill.

We invited friends from church who came to the show to join us at home afterward for sundaes. Along with vanilla ice cream, we served chocolate chip cookies, chocolate and caramel syrups, sweetened strawberries, whipped cream, candies, and star-shaped sprinkles.

Well, enough with the opening act and on to the main event!

Carson, third from the left, played Garvin. These guys did a great job singing "Mama Says." When my firstborn delivered the line "Who cares what Mama says?" before the music began, I knew he was a gifted actor. (Smile)  

From first scene to curtain call, the show was a great success. We already can't wait for next year's production!

"Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music." ~Ronald Reagan