Posts

After spending so much time choosing the perfect paint color, a cohesive array of furniture, and the perfect area rug, your window treatments can often feel like an after thought. As long as they look good and can properly open and close, they’re good enough, right? Well, not exactly. Just because your window treatments serve a utilitarian purpose—to keep harsh sunlight out and get some privacy from nosy neighbors—doesn’t mean they can’t look good, too....

Peace lilies, also known as spathe flowers or spathe lilies, are an easy-to-grow indoor plant that can express purity, support, forgiveness, and healing. Peace lilies are often given as a housewarming or sympathy gift, and they have health benefits too. This NASA-backed, air purifying plant helps remove household toxins, according to Healthline. If you received a peace lily as a gift, or you’re just looking for a low maintenance plant, explore our growing guide for this blooming houseplant....

A Florida man’s video of an unexpected visitor who showed up on his front porch last week gave the Internet (and his mama!) quite the scare. Joycelyn Penson shared a video her son, Frank Crowder, took of a giant lizard crawling on the window screens of his house in Apopka on Facebook. “OMG! LOOK AT THIS!” Penson wrote alongside her son’s now-viral video. “Needless to say I won’t be visiting him any time soon!...

No one likes clutter, especially in a kitchen, so turning to products known for their versatility and simplicity is key. That’s why chefs, home cooks, and food editors love cast iron. Whether you’re a seasoned user of this type of pan or a novice looking to try a great tool from a trusted brand, the one you need to know much about is this customer-loved Lodge cast iron skillet that’s on sale for under $20 weeks ahead of Prime Day....

Each spring at Moss Mountain Farm in Roland, Arkansas, the stars come out twice—once at night, like everywhere else, and again in the daytime, when innumerable daffodils illuminate hills and meadows from horizon to horizon. The plantings are the handiwork of the farm’s owner—author, designer, and TV personality P. Allen Smith—who has loved these flowers since he was a boy. Allen believes the impact of a display depends on more than just numbers....

Scientists are one step closer to unlocking the dizzying truth behind why certain marine animals occasionally swim in circles. Animals, ranging from whales to penguins, have all been observed exhibiting this perplexing behavior. According to the results of a study published in the journal iScience, however, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for every species—at least not yet. In a recent article for Vice, Becky Ferreira explains how it all started with green sea turtles....

It’s All About Fabric Think of styling your swing as you would your sofa. It can have three square cushions across the seat, or one long cushion with a pair of square, round, or bolster pillows on each end. Even if your porch is covered, you should still purchase pillows and cushions made from outdoor, acrylic fabric. Some of our favorite outdoor fabric collections include Sunbrella, Scalamandré, SeaCloth, Waverly, Robert Allen, and Perennials....

Self-Rising Flour Essential for biscuits and layer cakes, self-rising flour is made with a special type of wheat that is softer and lower in protein, which helps produce baked goods that are more tender. But that’s not all that’s in there. Self-rising flour also contains salt and a bit of baking powder to help increase rise. If you’re in a pinch, you can make your own self-rising flour by combining 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon fine grain salt (place coarse-grain salt in a plastic ziplock bag and crush it with a mallet, if necessary), and 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder....

A 10-year-old Texas girl used a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prove that anything is possible. Last month, Mary Kathryn, who was born with dyskinetic spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, got to steal a base at a Houston Astros game. “Her doctors basically gave us no hope,” her mother Kalyn Burnaman told KHOU11. “They told us she wouldn’t be able to eat, she won’t be able to talk, she won’t be able to walk, she’ll need help for the rest of her life....

If Southern dads have taught us anything, it’s to never go to an outdoor event without at least one portable chair in the trunk just in case. Oh, and a bottle of spray sunscreen. What? His neck is sensitive! Having a designated seating situation—no matter if you’re at a soccer game, on the beach, waiting in line for a HomeGoods sale, or just sitting in the yard while burgers are on the grill—is about being prepared for anything....

You might not be ready to move all the way out to the country, luckily the American Farmhouse house plan gives you just enough country to be satisfied closer to the city. Coming in just under 2,800 square feet, this four bedroom, three and a half bath house plan is a perfect forever home. Why We Love It Residential designer Mitchell Ginn thoughtfully kept our best notions of rural living—an off-white clapboard exterior with rooms spilling out to large porches—but upgraded the layout for modern suburban life....

Are you a fan of period drama shows like PBS’ Downton Abbey or Netflix’s The Crown? Well, we hope you have a Hulu account. Come May 15th, Hulu will debut The Great, based on the life of 18th century Russian empress Catherine the Great—and we’re already at the edge of our seats: “The Great is a satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest reigning female ruler in Russia’s history,” the show’s description reads....

New year, new Netflix series to anticipate. And right about now, we’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of Firefly Lane, an upcoming Netflix original series starring Katherine Heigl, Sarah Chalke, and Ben Lawson that debuts on February 3. The show is based on the eponymous novel by Kristin Hannah, and, as Glamour put it, looks like a mashup of Sweet Magnolias and This Is Us. According to a 2019 press release from Netflix, the show centers around the characters of Kate (Chake) and Tully (Heigl) who “meet as young girls and become inseparable best friends throughout thirty years of ups and downs, successes and failures, depression and disappointments....

Whether you’re eating hush puppies, fried green tomatoes, Nashville style hot catfish, fried chicken, beignets, or chicken fried steak, there’s no denying the fact that Southerners love fried food. If you have been known to whip up a batch of crispy fried okra or coconut fried shrimp in your kitchen, you may want to start keeping a supply of chalk nearby. It’s not to keep track of your calories (heavens no!...

Make a day trip to these small Kentucky towns, and prepare to be charmed. There is something for everyone in these one-of-a-kind small towns, from hiking trails to antiquing. Plan whatever strikes your fancy. You can sip bourbon or brunch in a sweet tearoom in these towns, but pack your walking shoes because there is a lot you’ll want to see. These Kentucky towns are easy day trips from Louisville, and you should put them on your must-visit list this year....

On Friday night, 12-year-old Branson Maners got the chance to hang out with his favorite football team: the Ardrey Kell High School Knights, from Charlotte, North Carolina. “To him, it’s just as great as the NFL,” Lindsy Maners, Branson’s mom, told The Charlotte Observer. “These guys just welcomed him, and for him to be out on that high school field was pretty big time.” After getting some VIP treatment in the locker room, the fifth grader at Polo Ridge Elementary led the Knights onto the field for their last home game....

Venture to Topsail Island, North Carolina, for your next vacation. The serene beaches and small-town atmosphere offer a laid-back getaway. Legend of Topsail Island, North Carolina According to local legend, Topsail got its name centuries ago when pirates hid their boats in the channel between the island and the mainland. Only the top of the boats’ sails was visible to ships approaching from the Atlantic. Rumor has it that Blackbeard’s treasure is still buried somewhere on the island....

Musical power couple Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani haven’t offered many details about their October engagement, leaving fans to speculate about the value and design of the giant diamond ring with which he popped the question. In a recent interview with radio DJ Bobby Bones, however, Shelton revealed where he hid the costly sparkler leading up to the proposal. Spoiler: it’s the last place you’d expect to find an engagement ring rumored to be worth as much as $800,000....

I can think of at least three great trees I like that bloom in summer. But my favorite tree of the bunch—chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus)—stands up to dry spells in the summer heat, grows just about anywhere, and comes with cooling blue or white flowers. About Chaste Trees Native to southern Europe and central Asia, chaste tree quickly grows into a multi-trunked tree about 10 to 20 feet tall and wide with a broad, spreading habit....

“Being away fromCharleston for periods of time made me appreciate where I’m from and the richness of the city—you know, the food, the culture. Just the serenity of being here is what I love most,” says chef Kardea Brown, who grew up spending time between the sea isle of Wadmalaw Island and the suburb of West Ashley. She was raised by her mother and grandmother, who taught her all about Gullah cooking, and it’s those foodways and traditions that she celebrates in her Food Network series, Delicious Miss Brown (the fourth season aired this winter)....