Karen Clare

For many people who live in places where they get an actual winter, with freezing temperatures, snow, and all that comes with it, the approaching spring is something to look forward to. I get it -- my parents were lifelong New Englanders till they were in their 40s, when we moved to California for my dad's job, and then moved again a few years later to Florida, where I've been ever since. I appreciate that to see foliage and flowers blooming again, to be able to open your windows again, must be lovely after months of dark dreariness and cold.  But here in the south, it's the opposite. It's too hot for most of the year to be outside much, unless you have a pool or a beach to take a dip in to cool off. It's during winter that we Floridians can actually be outside in comfort (most days) and get a break on our electric bill. We hole up in the air conditioning from April to October.  Typically, it's right about now that I pack away my winter decor and bust out stuff ...

 Yesterday was dreary, chilly, and a little rainy... it's been an El Niño winter for sure. But I got myself out of the house in the morning to take a trip to Whole Foods to return an extra power cord I'd ordered from Amazon (they own Whole Foods) for my laptop that was the wrong kind.  I had never been to Whole Foods before, and I have to admit, it's a pretty nice place. I don't typically enjoy grocery shopping, but this place has enough interesting and fun products that it doesn't really feel much like a chore.  They have ready-made pastries that you can just pop into the oven to cook, great meats that aren't much more expensive that Publix lately and look better, and a whole section of custom soaps that I enjoyed spending some time in.  I ended up getting some soaps, chicken wings, two pints of heavy cream, eggs, and toasted sesame oil. When I got home I preheated my oven to 190 F and poured both pints of heavy cream into my white casserole dish. It was about ...

 This was my first time planning a tea, and I won't lie: it was a lot more work that I had thought it would be. But it was also so much fun, more fun than I've had in a long time, and I don't know what took me so long to do it. The tea took place yesterday, Saturday, and more perfect weather for the day could not have been ordered; low 70s and sunny. I woke up early Saturday, because Friday night after work I honestly had no energy to get the head start I'd been intending. I started by getting the simple white tablecloth I wanted to use out of my closet and realizing that it badly needed an iron, something I haven't taken out in about three years, and gave it a good steaming before putting out on the patio table that I'd recently cleaned.  Then I made the deviled eggs and cucumber sandwiches (recipes at the end). Scones and cookies were store-bought, because, working full-time, I simply hadn't had the time or energy to make homemade ones in addition to the e...

 The past six months or so have felt incredibly fast. Feels like it was May, and then I was decorating for fall, then Christmas was here, and now it's almost spring again.  I am a winter girl -- I come alive in autumn, and love the "ber" months with the festive vibes and holidays. And then I love January and February, with their reprieve from the holiday hustle and slow winter coziness -- curling up on the couch with a chenille blanket with my dog with my electric fireplace going. Living in Florida as I do, however, I dread the coming heat and humidity and look forward to spring about as much as a root canal. When Christmas is over, I pack up the things that are chiefly Christmas -- the tree, ornaments, and anything red or with Christmas sayings. But I leave out plain garlands and greenery and pine cones, and replace red candles with white ones so that the house doesn't feel bare. For Valentine's Day this year, I've been inspired to host my first-ever afternoo...

 Welcome to my new site! This is basically a "lifestyle" blog that looks to history for inspiration we can use in our modern lives regarding cooking, baking, cleaning, decorating, homemaking, fashion, etc. If that sounds like something you're interested in, please follow so that you don't miss any posts.  I used to blog back in the first decade of the 2000s, when personal blogs were big, and it was so much fun. Social media just isn't anymore, for various reasons, and I really miss writing.  There are many great things about the modern world -- much as love history, I am grateful every time I flush a toilet, take a shower, do laundry, and turn on a light that I live when I do. But I think we've lost much, and this is an attempt to regain some of these things. Hope you join me as I share my thoughts here regarding how to learn from days gone by and look for ways to incorporate the good parts about them back into our lives.