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Southern Christmas Gifts under $25!

November 25, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

(This Southern Christmas Gift post is sponsored by

P. Allen Smith, Bourbon and Boots and Bentley’s Batch 5. All opinions are my own.)

Once again, Christmas is rushing up on us, and I have a problem—I hate to shop. If shopping doesn’t involve plants, books, an antique/thrift store or the farmer’s market, I DREAD it. And because I dread it, I do most of my shopping on-line. For those of you who enjoy shopping from the convenience of your cozy home, I’ve rounded up these southern Christmas gifts, something fun for everyone on your list.

Everything is locally made in the South.

Everything is priced under $25. You don’t have to spend a pile of money to buy something perfect and thoughtful and full of southern charm.

Before you get started, I have two deals that will save you money on several of these gifts found at the online stores of P. Allen Smith and Bourbon and Boots.

Deal #1

Sign up today to receive news from P. Allen Smith and you will immediately receive a 25% off coupon code to use in his on-line store. Click HERE to sign up. Easy money! Your inbox will not be bombarded with tons of emails, I promise. Plus, once you do this you will be eligible to win one of ten $50 gift cards to Shop.PAllenSmith.com. The winners will be selected by random draw. Offer good through December 12, 2014.

Deal #2

Use the code bloggracegg14 for 5% off any purchase at Bourbon and Boots. Offer good through December 31, 2014.

Okay, now on to my Christmas gift list…

For the Dedicated Gardener:

As a gardener myself, I love these herb stakes made of natural wood. They come perfectly packaged in a whitewashed box and make a great little gift or stocking stuffer!

click to see more: HERB STAKES

For the Sweaty Outdoorsman:

If you’ve spent any time in the Ozark Mountains, you know the area is special. These 100% unbleached cotton bandanas are hand printed with eco-friendly water-based ink. These babies make me wanna go hiking.

click to check this out: OZARK MAP BANDANA

For Girls of all Ages:

How seriously cute is this? These state charm necklaces are made in Oklahoma but available in several different state versions. I bought the Texas one for my niece’s birthday last year. The chain is a simple antiqued brass and the charms come in a variety of fun colors.

Click to see all the options: STATE CHARM NECKLACE

For Thirsty Farmers:

Raise your hand if you know a thirsty farmer? Every farmer I’ve ever known is thirsty at the end of a long day in the fields. Could this gift be any more appropriate? At $10, buy one for each of your farmer friends. I bet they will crack open a cold one for you too.

Click for all those hardworking farmers: TRACTOR BOTTLE OPENER

For the Crafty Seamstress:

I don’t sew, and I love this pincushion. I do have a junk drawer with straight pins just laying around waiting to stab me. This little treasure will wrangle all your pins and be stylish doing it. Just think how much someone who really sews will appreciate it.

Click to view: ANTIQUE-STYLE PIN CUSHION

For the Stylish Imbiber:

In a word, cool. These flasks are pocket sized, stainless steel and covered with synthetic leather. The images range from deer and fish to guns and mustaches. Perfect for tailgating and other southern hipster activities.

Click for more coolness: HIPSTER FLASK

For Sweet Eating Book Hoarders:

This book by Arkansawyer Kat Robinson includes everything you ever wanted to know about pie in the Natural State. And she will sign it for you too. An autographed book always makes a delicious gift.

Click here: Arkansas Pie

For Squealing Babies:

If you’re a Mama, you appreciate the beauty and simplicity of the onesie—THE newborn wardrobe essential. Plus, doesn’t every child deserves to start out life with a Merle Haggard-ism on his or her chest? Absolutely.

Click to try: MAMA TRIED ONESIE

For Fashionable Dogs:

Nothing says southern like a bit of gingham flair. All the fashionable fidos agree.

Click to sniff: GINGHAM DOG COLLARS

For the Hot Grillmeister:

Elevate your barbecue with this bold, rich sauce made from an old Texas family recipe. Better buy all three because each is wonderfully different. Isn’t life too short to eat less than stellar barbecue sauce? I think so.

Click to buy pronto: BENTLEY’S BATCH 5 BARBECUE SAUCE

For Dirty Men Everywhere:

What do these three things have in common—gravel roads, gunpowder and home brew? They all lead to fun times and big trouble. Clean your man up with this soap handmade in Little Rock.

Click for fun: MEN’S BAR SOAP

For the Ornament Collector:

Show your state pride with these wire ornaments that aren’t just for Christmas. Hang them from your doorknob, rearview mirror, wherever. If you have a family divided like ours (Razorback and Longhorn), you will need more than one. Currently available for the folks who love Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

Click for more info: SOUTHERN STATE ORNAMENT

For the Hostess with the Mostest:

Ahhhh, this candle is light and refreshing like a sip of sweet tea. Hence the name. Any southern hostess would be happy to receive it. And really, you can’t have too many candles.

Click to buy: SWEET TEA CANDLE

For Santa Claus:

Let’s talk about Santa. He works hard all year with a bunch of elves way up at the frozen North Pole so that he can pack his cramped sleigh and deliver a bundle of soon forgotten toys down your sooty chimney. Doesn’t he deserve chocolate? Real chocolate. Chocolate with moonshine? Yes, yes he does. He’s tired of slice and bake chocolate chip cookies. He told me so.

Click for Santa: MOONSHINE TRUFFLES

So that’s my list. Check it twice and don’t forget to use the coupon codes mentioned above.

Happy on-line shopping!

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis url=”http://wp.me/p58902-182″]#Southern #Christmas gifts under $25! #shoplocal @PAllenSmith @BourbonandBoots @TieDyeTravels @BentleysBatch5[/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

White Christmas Cartoon Song – The Drifters

Arranging a Photo Wall Display for Impact

October 15, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

In our Dallas house, we filled our entire stairwell space with a wall display of black and white family photos. It worked well in a space that would have otherwise been boring and blank.

Although for years we enjoyed the look, I wanted something different for our new Fayetteville home. Plus our Fayetteville stairwell is very narrow. I imagined if we hung our photos along the stairs, we would constantly brush against them resulting in forever straightening picture frames. That would make me crazy.

Instead, we chose an empty corner just outside our bedroom.

First off, this is not a post about how to measure so that you end up with flawlessly positioned frames. There are tons of pictures on Pinterest about templates and measuring if you are a stickler for perfectly aligned pictures. I’m just not that worried about it. Ask my husband…I think I make him nervous with my free-spirited hammering.

Unless we are hanging a heavy piece of artwork that involves screws and toggle bolts, I do minimal measuring and try not to sweat it. The only real “prep” I do is placing photos on the floor to roughly decide an arrangement. And the arrangement never ends up the way it starts. Even so, I do have a few tips that work for me.

1.) Pick a prominent frame/photo to serve as the focal point.

arranging a photo display - start by laying pictures on the floor

my original general design laid out on the floor

2) Locate the center of your space (sometimes I measure this). Once I hang the focal point photo, I typically abandon my first arrangement and begin holding up various photos until I find the next one that speaks to me. (You can use Command Strips if you are worried about nail holes, but I use picture hangers.)

3.) Hang photos 1-2 inches apart for a stylish, modern look that doesn’t seem contrived. I like to think of my style as Elle Decor meets Billy Reid, a bit eclectic yet not too over the top.

4.) After hanging a few of the center photos, live with the look for a few hours before adjusting or adding more. If something is off, you will notice. If you have a large collection of framed photos like I do, usually switching out the picture with a different sized frame will rebalance the look (rather than making another nail hole).

5.) Keep frames and photos in the same color family. They don’t have to be identical in shape, color, material, but they should complement each other. I used different color wood, antique frames, black and white and sepia toned photos.

6). Break the look up with something different to add interest. I hung a wooden cross and small vintage oil painting.

7.) Wrap the wall with photos to make an impact in a small space.

The plant in the corner softens the whole look plus adding something alive always makes me happy. (SaraBeth if you are reading this, your plant is doing well!)

This look may not be for everyone, but after stressing about it (and calling in my sister-in-law for her opinion), I’m enjoying the final result. Plus I love having our family members together in one place.

Now, you know those photos you’ve been meaning to hang forever? Get to it.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“A photograph shouldn’t be just a picture, it should be a philosophy.”
― Amit Kalantri

Musical Pairing:

Paul Simon, Kodachrome

working on my fall porch decor

October 8, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Fall is the best season for decorating a porch. Think about it. Most anything rustic, scary or harvest related will work. Throw in a few pumpkins, gourds and/or mums and you’ve created an autumn vignette to see you through to Thanksgiving.

We purchased these heavy clay pots years ago at Jackson’s Home and Garden, Dallas’ ultimate one stop shop for anything outdoor and garden related.

For the movers to bring our pots, they had to be empty. Plants cannot cross state lines. Texas plants are not welcome in Oklahoma. Oklahoma plants are not invited to Arkansas, etc. Sad really, but I suppose this is one way to prevent the spread of disease and bugs.

We could only bring so many potted plants in our vehicles, and these were super heavy with gravel in the bottom. After getting over the initial shock of dumping out (or giving away) perfectly good plants, I regrouped. An empty pot provided a fresh start. And what’s fresher and happier than pansies? I always have a difficult time choosing among all the colors, so this year I stuck with the traditional mix.

Lucy helped. Those plastic containers are her nemesis.

Along with the pansies, I planted salvia and ornamental kale.

A fall porch must have pumpkins, right? I love to mix the various shapes and colors.

Gnarly stems are the best.

I placed one warty pumpkin out on the front yard bench. He’s keeping watch.

Although most of my Halloween decor is still in Dallas (yes there are a few things in the Dallas garage), I did pull out this Halloween pillow that pairs perfectly with my vintage wicker rocker (a yard sale find!).

I’ll be doing a little more Halloween porch decorating soon once I find my bats… Stay tuned!

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“Fall makes me think that if I fail horribly at this art thing, and then fail horribly with this writing thing, I’ll go run a pumpkin patch.”
― Tyler Hojberg

Musical Pairing:

Neil Young, Harvest Moon

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