Florals with Ashley Woodson Bailey

Hello friends! The past month has been a whirlwind of school activities, fall travels, baseball games and various other commitments. My busy schedule left me completely exhausted and drained of creative energy. When my friend and talented designer, Ashley Woodson Bailey, offered a floral workshop in her new studio off the Marietta Square, I took the opportunity to recharge my batteries and my creativity.

I've been following Ashely's work via social media for a couple years now, even before her move from Texas to Atlanta. Ironically, her move landed her just minutes from my own home and shortly after, our paths began to cross. A few years ago, Ashley survived a horrific car accident that left her with a broken back and lengthy recovery. Her path was changed and while she always knew she would work with flowers, she wasn't sure where her journey would take her. Fast forward to now and Ashley is a budding entrepreneur, artist, floral designer and photographer.

She recently opened her new shop called 200 Mill where she displays her artwork, collaborates with other artists and hosts workshops. Ashley shared her skills and years of experience with us during the workshop, allowing us to create our own gorgeous floral creations. She gave us just the right amount of guidance without hindering our own creative process, which was just what I needed. I could have spent hours playing with the gorgeous stems!

Never in a million years did I think I could create a flower arrangement so beautiful! Yes, I MADE this!

It was hard to go wrong with the lovely flowers and stems Ashley had on hand for us.

Ashley let us make a mess of her studio, assuring us that most creative processes result in some mess. It's all part of the beauty. Even the clippings are stunning, don't you think? While we worked, Ashley shared her personal story, her love for flowers, how the accident changed her work and how she blossomed in the end. She says, "every stem has a story" and her story is certainly inspiring and hopeful.

After the design process, Ashley led us outside for a lesson on how she shoots and edits her photos. She can spend hours in this process, capturing the perfect shot or detail of a flower.  I am continuously amazed that she uses her iphone to create such masterpieces. After she's finished editing, the final images are sent off to a top notch printer and shipped to customers around the world. 

If you haven't discovered Ashley's work yet, be sure to visit her website,  http://www.ashleywoodsonbailey.com/  I also LOVE this recent feature on her via One King's Lane, where you can also shop her prints until Sunday, November 2. 

*photos by Amy Mikkelsen

Sid Evans for Southern Living + The greatest gardening book of all times!

Did you notice anything different about your latest issue of Southern Living magazine? There's a new editor-in-chief in town, Sid Evans, and he joins the magazine with a pretty impressive background. In his first letter to the readers, he writes, "If I'm doing my job right, you will have a sense of anticipation and discovery every time you open this magazine, and you will always find ideas in here that make you smile...I hope you find a little magic in this issue, and in many more to come." I've always found the magazine inspiring and look forward to a fresh perspective on tried and true southern traditions.

In other news from Southern Living, their Ultimate Guide to Gardening book is set for release in January 2015! This book is certain to be a must-have for any gardener and will certainly be tops on my Christmas list. Some of you may remember the previous version published in 2004 but the new guide promises more photographs, more organic gardening advice and introductions to plants that are new on the gardening scene. Sounds absolutely splendid, don't you think?

Flowering Container DIY by Southern Living Plant Collection

Have you ever admired the beautiful potted flowers gracing the magazine covers this time of year? Me too! As most of you know, I love playing in the garden but mastering the art of container gardening is still a challenge for me. It does require some planning and strategy! Last week, Carmen Johnston, garden expert for the Southern Living Plant Collection, invited me to a planting workshop at the local Home Depot where she shared a wealth of information. While I was digging in the dirt, I took some mental notes to share with y'all.

If you want to plant a large group of flowers, start with a large pot and be sure that the pot has drainage holes on the bottom. Also, use dirt that is specifically labeled as potting mix or potting soil. This dirt is mixed to produce optimum results and drainage!

When choosing flowers for your container, consider where your container will live and if you need to shop for shade or sun plants. This particular container is filled with shade loving plants.

When arranging the flowers, always remember the three T's... Tall, Thick and Trailing. For our "tall" plant, we used Caladium. For our "thick"plant, we used Heucherella. And for our trailing plant, we used three Creeping Jenny which will eventually spill out over the sides of the pot. We also added a flowering white impatient for color.

Carmen also advised planting the flowers in a loose triangular pattern. You cannot see in this picture but there is a third Creeping Jenny in the back which makes a total of 6 plants in this large container!

Shopping for plants can be overwhelming even for the most experienced gardeners. Did you know Home Depot's plants are marked with a QR code that you can scan and quickly retrieve information on that specific plant? I LOVE that! Y'all have got to try it out next time your perusing the garden center. It's so much fun. If you see some crazy lady endlessly scanning plants in Home Depot, it's me.

I also learned that you can join the Home Depot Garden Club for promotions, offers and additional expert advice and it's totally FREE! 

A big thank you to Home Depot, the Southern Living Plant Collection, the farmers at Pure Beauty Farms  and Carmen for sharing your tips and love of gardening with us. I'm looking forward to creating many more flowering containers in the future.

If you decide to create your own flowering masterpiece, be sure to share it with Carmen on social media by using the hashtag #southernlivingplantcollection I know she and the team would love to see your containers too. Happy planting fellow peaches!

Meet me in the Garden: April 2014 blooms

Can I share a few photos of what's blooming in my yard as of a week ago? I like to keep a photo journal of my yard for three reasons. Number one, I can go back and look at the pictures for pure enjoyment. Number two, it's helpful when I want to divide things later in the season when things are not in bloom. And number three, I love photographing flowers! Even before I discovered my passion for food photography, I was snapping pictures of flowers.

I wasn't born with a green thumb but over the last several years, I've learned so much just by trial and error. If you're new to gardening, or want to experiment with it, rest assured that most flowers and plants are so forgiving. Most of what you see here, I consider to be very low maintenance varieties. And of course if you have any questions, I am happy to help where I can! Also, at the end of the post, I'll be sharing a special invitation from Home Depot and Southern Living so please scroll down and enjoy the beauty!

The bearded iris are gorgeous this year!! They love cold winters and Georgia gave them one this year. I've got a variety of bulbs that my sister gave me when she divided her yard a few years ago. The bearded iris are one of my favorite spring flowers because the blooms last a long time and they make great cut flowers for gifting. You also don't have to bury the bulbs very deep so they're easy and quick to plant.

This is one of two peony plants that I have. These can be a little trickier to grow in Georgia but it's absolutely possible. Just be sure to give them enough afternoon shade and good soil. Like the iris, they love cold winters so the I they have lots of blooms this year. This article will give you more tips and tricks for growing peonies in the south. 

Salvia..the bees love it and I do too! It's such a tidy compact plant that also has a long bloom time and makes great cut flowers.

If you don't have a few knockout roses in your yard, RUN to the closest nursery and pick up a few. I know some people find roses to be a little too common but I adore them. This knockout rose variety blooms all summer, grows quickly and is so low maintenance. I like to prune and fertilize mine early in the season (around March) and then sit back and watch them GROW!

I also have two Lady Banks Rose bushes (one white and one yellow) blooming out back. I planted them last year to help disguise the chain link fence on the back of our property. This is a very aggressive rose bush so be sure you have lots of space for them to run and prune them regularly. They are stunning on fences and arbors!

These hostas (3) have been moved several times around the yard but I think they've found their final resting place in this shady corner with some creeping phlox. The bright lime green really brings life to an otherwise dark spot in the yard.

And finally...this is my sweetest little garden helper who loves to play in the dirt with me. And yes, my hair has looked like this far too often lately. 

Okay, here's the invitation! If you live in the area, Home Depot is cordially inviting you to the "Spring Made Simple"garden party this Saturday (May 10) from 10-4pm at their Acworth, GA location. While you're there, you can check out the new Southern Living plant collection  and pick up a variety of gardening and planting tips from the experts. I attended a few weeks ago at the Atlanta location and it's tons of fun! Happy gardening fellow peaches.

Southern Living Feature

I'm having a complete pinch me moment here. If you haven't heard yet, my ambrosia cocktail and the blog is featured in the latest issue of Southern Living! Any other fans out there? I've been reading SL since I was a teenager and it's always been a dream of mine to grace the pages. So when a food editor contacted me this summer about the opportunity, I jumped at it like any southern woman would. The December issue has always been my favorite and this one is no exception. The double issue is packed with holiday inspiration and is nothing short of stunning. If you want to find me in all those lovely pages, you'll see my humble little feature on page 16 in the Community Cookbook. And of course, you can grab my ambrosia cocktail here on the blog too. If your copy hasn't already showed up in your mailbox, you can grab a copy on newsstands now. Hope y'all have a great weekend and thank you for visiting and reading. I am grateful.

Image credit: Southern Living

Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Natalie of The Southern Hostess!  You were randomly selected by random.org as the winner of Southern Living's "Feel Good Food" cookbook.  I'll be contacting you today for your shipping address and hope you enjoy the book.  Thanks to everyone else who entered the giveaway!

*image found here

Strawberry Mint Julep and a Giveaway!

I've got a real treat for you today that involves bourbon and Southern Living!  Does it get any better than that? With the Kentucky Derby just around the corner, I couldn't resist mixing up a mint julep for this weeks installment of The Weekend Cheers. Strawberry season came early here in Atlanta so I took advantage of that as well as the mint that grows year round on my back deck.  And for those of you who are looking for more Kentucky Derby party inspiration, Southern Living asked me to share some fresh ideas for setting up a mint julep bar  via their new cookbook Southern Living Feel Good Food.  This cookbook is such a prize with approachable recipes, lovely photos and charming entertaining ideas.  Lucky for y'all I'm giving away a copy to one lucky reader.  But first let me share some recipes with y'all!

***** Strawberry Mint Julep ******

// Ingredients //

2 oz. bourbon

2 strawberries, chopped and stems removed

3 mint leaves

1/4 tsp. sugar

// Instructions //

In a small bowl, muddle strawberries, mint and sugar.  Then add them to a rocks glass and top with crushed ice.  Pour bourbon over ice and stir.  Garnish with mint sprig and fresh strawberries.

***** Julep Bar *****

from Southern Living Feel Good Food

Set up a mint julep bar with an assortment of flavored syrups at your next gathering.

mint syrup: Boil 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups water, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add 15 fresh mint sprigs, and cool completely. Cover and chill 24 hours. Strain syrup; discard solids.

grapefruit-honey syrup: Prepare Mint Syrup as directed, reducing sugar to 1/2 cup and stirring 3⁄4 cup fresh grapefruit juice, . cup honey, 3 (2- x 4-inch) grapefruit rind strips, and rind from 1 lime, cut into strips, into sugar mixture with mint. For julep, muddle with 1 small grapefruit rind strip.

peach-basil syrup: Prepare Mint Syrup as directed, substituting basil for mint and stirring 2 (5.5-oz.) cans peach nectar and 1 split vanilla bean into sugar mixture with basil. For julep, muddle with 1 peach slice.

blackberry syrup: Prepare Mint Syrup as directed, adding 6 oz.fresh blackberries, halved, with mint. For julep, muddle with 2 fresh blackberries.

pineapple-lemongrass syrup: Prepare Mint Syrup as directed, reducing granulated sugar to 1 cup, adding . cup light brown sugar to granulated sugar and water, and stirring 1 cup pineapple juice, 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, and 3 (3-inch) pieces fresh lemongrass into sugar mixture with mint after removing from heat. For julep, muddle with 1 small fresh pineapple chunk.

*This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for entering! *

Now, let's give this book away! If you're anything like me, you can never have too many cookbooks.  All you have to do is leave a comment below and be sure to leave a way for me to contact you if you win whether it's your email, Twitter handle, etc.  I'll pick a winner on Monday at noon using random.org.  Due to shipping costs, this giveaway is only open to U.S. residents.  Good Luck and happy weekending everyone!

*Photo #1 by Amy Mikkelsen (YSP)
** I received no compensation for this post and all opinions are my own. 

The Greenbrier Resort :: West Virginia

IMAGE 1-5 VIA MATCHBOOK MAG // IMAGE 6-14 VIA GREENBRIER // IMAGE 15 VIA SOUTHERN LIVING // IMAGE 16 VIA TRIPADVISOR

Over the weekend, I found time to read the recent issue of Southern Living magazine where they featured The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.  Have of you been?  Between the rural mountain setting and the gloriously bright decor, I'm just dying to go!  I can't get enough of these images and every time I glance over them, I see something new.  The intricate crown molding, the spectacular flooring, the ornate chandeliers, the dashing fabrics!  I love that The Greenbrier has stayed true to the original decor of design legend Dorothy Draper. Each room is so unique yet the resort feels so cohesive, doesn't it?  

Hope your Monday is as bright as The Greenbrier fellow peaches!

Your Southern Peach,

Amy