Welcome to the creek and my blog! Let me be completely honest – this is hard for me. I’m pretty much an introvert and to “put myself out there” is painful, but I’ve wanted to write a blog for a long time. I love to write, decorate, cook, travel, read, and share beautiful finds with my friends. For several years now, I’ve had friends insist I should find a way to share my ideas, so I’ve finally decided to just do it. Let me start by saying that I am not a decorator or a chef or a travel agent or a stylist, but I know what I like and a lot of the time, it’s what others like, too, so why not share? That’s what makes life fun!
I live in a cozy farmhouse-style cottage on Sarah’s Creek (see what I did there?) near a very historic area of Virginia. I love the history of this area especially during the fall and at holiday time when there is so much to see and do and enjoy and the weather is cool but rarely cold. I’m proud of my state and want to share it with you. Hopefully, you’ll find it as special as I do and make plans to visit this area.
I’m a Southern girl who loves pearls, and I monogram absolutely everything because that’s what we Southern girls do! Although I am “north” of 40, I firmly believe that I can still look stylish and have some fun with fashion. I follow lots of fabulous women on social media who share my philosophy, and I’m looking forward to sharing their style with you! I don’t really have a personal philosophy about my style, but I know what makes me feel good. When you look good, you feel good, right? I will see an outfit someone shared on Pinterest, and it’s almost as if a lightbulb goes off! I’ll think, “Hey, I have pieces identical to those, but I never thought about styling them that way.” It makes accessorizing so easy, and I get the best ideas this way. Does this ever happen to you?
I also love good southern cooking, and I’m excited to share some family recipes as well as some good old Virginia recipes with you. There’s nothing quite like comfort food to put a smile on our faces, is there? I know we’re all busy living life and sometimes a home-cooked meal takes a back seat to grabbing whatever’s convenient. I get that. It’s unavoidable a lot of the time, so when I do have the time to devote to making a meal, it had better be worth my effort! If I’m actually going to spend my time cooking a meal, I’ll usually invite my Mom and Dad, my boys, my daughter-in-love and my sweet grands to eat with us. When I put that much effort into something, I expect an audience!
If you ask me my decorating style, I would have to say I love farmhouse and cottage style. I decorate with lots of black and white accessories – it’s classic and timeless and seems to make everything “pop!” I love anything whimsical especially fabulous folk art. My favorite artist is Nancy Thomas, another Virginia girl who, until her recent retirement, had a gallery in Yorktown which is right across the river from my house. I have spent many, many hours in her gallery over the years and have her pieces displayed throughout the house. I collect Mackenzie Childs Courtly Check enamelware – it’s black and white check, of course! I also collect Emma Bridgewater Toast and Marmalade pottery from England. It’s black script on cream pottery and just beautiful.
We built our farmhouse cottage on Sarah’s Creek about 6 years ago and because it was a little bigger than our previous home, we didn’t have nearly enough furniture. For the year it was being built, I haunted several wonderful consignment shops in the surrounding area and turned up some treasures. I believe in the adage that smart women don’t pay retail price, and the consignment shops in this area have some incredible bargains. I also believe in the design philosophy that if you love something, you will find a way to make it work in your home, so if I like it and it’s the right price, I will bring it home.
Finally, I’m a Disney fanatic and have lost track of the number of times we’ve been to Walt Disney World! My most wonderful memories are of the fun I’ve had with my kids and grandchildren at Disney World. I love to share what I know about how to create Disney magic with your families and am happy to answer any questions you may have.
Even though I honestly would describe myself as an introvert, I do love meeting new people, and I’m always eager to make new friends. I’m really looking forward to meeting y’all through this blog, so please comment on my posts or drop me an email at onsarahscreek@gmail.com, okay? Let’s get to know one another!