cousin Lee's pepper jelly appetizers

Our cousin Lee Oakley makes the most delicious pepper jelly from an old treasured Douglas family recipe. She incorporates this yummy pepper jelly with brie cheese and chopped roasted almonds to create a scrumptious filling for little phyllo dough cups. 

These Mini Pepper Jelly appetizers are amazing and the perfect party starter for your guests!  Lee recently added the sweet and hot pepper jelly to her already established line of southern pickles. 

Her company, Oakley's Southern Delights is a true family business. Lee and her son Kerry are the team behind the delicious treats and their recipes are passed down from Lee’s mother Leila and from Leila’s mother. 

This is a real southern recipe handed down by many generations of Douglas’ in Nashville. Oakley’s pepper jelly and pickles area a real homemade treat for us Californians!

In a bind with unexpected guests?

Keep Sweet and Hot Pepper Jelly on hand

and serve on crackers with cream cheese.

It’s a classic that everyone loves!

MINI PHYLLO PEPPER JELLY PASTERIES

Ingredients:

2 (1.9 oz) packages of frozen mini phyllo pastry shells, thawed

3 oz Brie cheese, rind removed

Oakley's Southern Delights Sweet and Hot Red Pepper Jelly

             3 Tablespoons chopped roasted salted almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place mini phyllo pastry shells on a baking sheet. Cut Brie cheese into 30 small pieces and place in pastry shells. Spoon 1/4 teaspoon of OSD's Sweet and Hot Red Pepper Jelly and topped with crushed almonds. Bake pastries for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is soft.

Meet Lee,
 and try one of her yummy recipes! 

do something amazing today! 

ciao,  fabiana

💕

While I’m here today, I wanted to share some of my "Tablescaping Essentials" with you. I have a whole page on the Amazon website with my favorite picks for setting a beautiful table.

Quite often time is of the essence, and I have last minute projects or events to work on, so I turn to Amazon for one or two day delivery. You’d be surprised at how many amazing items they have to offer! And I'm constantly updating this page with my new favorites. 

You can check it out here, at “Tablescaping Essentials”.

spring colors : yellows and greens

Better Homes and Garden magazine’s  April color palette is so pretty and inspiring for Spring!   The variety of greens is pale and fresh and the yellows are bold and tangy.  The colors remind us of being out in the garden with different hints of sunlight. 

We can use these colors as a design incentive in our own homes by adding new accessories and accents in to liven up our rooms as we say goodbye to Winter.  Pillows, lamps, glassware and plants are a great start in revamping our spaces. 

You may even want to think about painting an accent wall or piece of furniture!

ciao! fabiana 


photo credits: BH&G, Brooke Wagner Design

Roger’s Garden's 3rd annual “day of art"

Doesn't this look like a fun way to spend the day? Roger’s Gardens will be hosting their 3rd Annual “Day of Art.” 50 talented artists will be there to paint and draw in the Gardens for the day. A painting by each of the participating artists will be on display and available to the public for purchase. 

This year they'll be judging the artwork and presenting awards. All visitors will have the opportunity to be an artist for the day with scheduled workshops and demonstrations! For the event schedule, visit the Rogers Gardens Art Gallery page. 
  

Sunday, April 26 from 10 AM – 4 PM

ciao! fabiana

black and white for outdoor spaces

  

For the chicest of chic looks for your outdoor living areas,

try a dramatic black and white color scheme.

A solid black wall is brought to life with an eye catching display

of all white plates and black and white Spode transferware plates,

and then grounded by a great zebra-print area rug.

 Keep the design classic and simple. 

Stripes are always a nice choice for a table cloth. 

Color can then be added with gorgeous flowers. 

Create an outdoor retreat with a resort vibe.

Large or small, your space will shine.

A large plain wall can be simply adorned 
with stencils or real bird cages.

A softly draped area is sure to add ambiance. 

Bring out some of your indoor pieces 
for a special gathering.

Mix and match beautiful geometric prints.

Your space will be pretty to look at,

and even better to relax in.

Here are a few picks from Frontgate to get you started.

ciao! fabiana


photos  1  | 2  |  3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  |  9  |  10  |  11  |  12

tangerine dream

A little bit of tangerine can liven up an otherwise neutral room,

or outdoor space.

ciao! fabiana

photo credit:  tangerine on pinterest

morning beauty

"Every day I feel is a blessing from God. And I consider it a new beginning. 

Yeah, everything is beautiful."

--Prince

ciao! fabiana

#relax

some of my favorite ways to relax...  

-drinking a cup of green tea

-eating dark chocolate  

-remembering to breathe deeply

-cuddling with my dog or cat

-laughing

-going outdoors and smelling the flowers

-listening to my favorite song 

-stretching 

-getting organized  

-being alone to clear my thoughts for at least 15 minutes
  

-running cold water on my wrists

-closing my eyes.

ciao! fabiana

for more great ways to relax, check out the Greatist List.