St. Nicholas Day

December 6th ~ Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Forget to leave your shoes out last night?

Visit Maggie & Reese to add these 

vintage St. Nick's or many other holiday goodies 

to your holiday decor.

~Maggie

Polar Pairing

Weather watch says more cold weather is on the way!

What better way to keep the chill at bay than
to wrap yourself in our beautiful Boucle style throw.

Boucle Beauty

Pair it with our vintage cocoa set and

Vintage Cocoa Set

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

For other great pairings, visit us at 

Maggie&Reese

Happy Thanksgiving to all,

Maggie

Halloween Headway

I must say that as far as Halloween parties go,

I tend to lean toward the smiling pumpkins cookies

as opposed to the bloody hand jello mold kind.

Don't get me wrong, it is not that I don't think

the bloody hand jello mold or gummy worm 

infested drinks are not creative, 

it is just that I would rather not feel 

trepidation while picking up a 

party snack from a tray!

With that in mind, here are a few

ideas I came across for those who

desire a friendlier type of celebration.

Strawberry Ghosts courtesy Taste of Home

Mummy Hot Dogs courtesy Between the Kids

Candy Corn Punch from BHG

Visit

www.MaggieandReese.com

where our Halloween decor is now on sale
through October 1

~Maggie

Labor Day Results ~ Just Peachy!

So here are the results of the rustic

Tomato~Ricotta Tart 

The Rosemary Lemon bread with the smoked

Goat cheese made for a delicious appetizer.

The olive oil crust was crisp and a perfect vehicle for the

ricotta cheese which was smooth and creamy.

As we enjoyed the fresh tomatoes, the smell

of the Peach Croustade filled the house

with scents of fall.

Thank you Cowgirl Chef for inspiring our holiday ~

Good food, good wine and wonderful memories.

Chinon, France

Bring a little bit of France home for your 

next holiday and visit

Maggie & Reese

to take advantage of the last day of our 

Labor Day Sale

Code: LABOR

~Maggie

Labor Day Relaxation

With a three day weekend starting and nothing
on our agenda, I decided sleeping in was a waste
of time so after hubby finished his morning run, 
with coffee cups ready for the road 
we headed out to our old neighborhood to visit
the Saturday morning Farmer's Market.

Farmer's Market, Texas

Because life has been running at a hectic pace 
we had not been out in the recent past so we spent the 
first few moments marveling at the facility 
improvements since the market first opened.  
Where as before we trooped through the elements be it
too much sunshine or muddy fields, always 
praying for a place to park, today
the market has a pretty shed, playground 
for the kids and best of all, 
wonderful produce and products.
After we walked past all of the vendors
scouting our options I remembered my menu 
for the evening was a Tomato Ricotta Tart so in
addition to some beautiful large tomatoes I decided
to go all out and create a holiday meal as if I were
back in Avignon France. 

Farmer's Market, Avignon France

 That meant a loaf of European Bread
 with Rosemary and Lemon,
a fresh smoked Goat cheese, that's sample 
was beyond description and a bag of
beautiful peaches for a 
Peach Croustade.

I had never heard of a Croustade
until I bought my latest favorite cookbook, 
 Cowgirl Chef
but how can you go wrong with a French Pastry!

This fabulous book combines two of my favorite places,
Texas and France
and is my "go to" source when I am feeling the urge
to "get away" from daily stress by cooking.  
The previously mentioned Tomato-Ricotta Tart 
also comes from these pages.
I even admit to finding a Breton shirt to look 
the part of a chic French traveler on my last trip!
So here is our start, the pastry is ready to pop in the
refrigerator and in a few hours I will 
be ready to slice the peaches.

Until then, maybe it's time to 
bring out the smoked Goat cheese 
and reminiscence.

Looking forward to your return and sharing our results!

~ Maggie

Summer Sendoff

August 15th, halfway through

the month and I am all ready

dreaming of Autumn wardrobes

Crock~pot meals and hot cocoa!

Although August is traditionally a hot

month here in Texas, we have had

an unusually mild one this year

with many mornings actually 

suitable for outdoor dining.

So this week, 

we begin our fond farewell to summer,

celebrating life out doors

as it is meant to be!

One last lemonade anyone?

Photograph courtesy of Houzz

Nothing says summer in the South like

a porch surrounded by Hydrangea's.

Photograph courtesy of Southern Living

Possibly the cutest "to go" salad I have ever run across!

Photograph courtesy of 24/7 Low Carb Diner

Need to clean your garden before the first frost,

make it a festive outing.

Jute Baskets available on www.maggieandreese.com

Perfect summer sundown setting.

Photograph courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Celebrate summer's end with a few new items

for your table like our vintage juice glasses, 

woven placemats, studded napkin rings and

colorful napkins, all available at

Maggie & Reese

Visit our "I can hear the slamming screen door" board on

Pinterest for more outdoor ideas.

 ~ Maggie

Midnight in Paris

As temperatures hovered in the triple digits Friday

it was time to pull out a movie that 

would transport me to another place.

As I closed the blinds in preparation for

"movie mode" I pondered,

"if I could take off on a plane right now, 

where would I go?"

Paris! Or more exactly Paris in the rain!

Scene from "Midnight in Paris"

I love this movie with Owen Wilson 

and it's quirky characters from the past, 

but it is the opening slideshow of Paris 

life that always pulls me in; 

the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre

and of course the Paris streets in the rain.

Everyone has their own idea of what makes

Paris special to them the architecture,

the light, fashion,food.  Here are a few

of my Parisian favorites:

Channeling Audrey Hepburn~

Image re-pinned from Vogue and Coffee

Why is it that even French chickens are pretty?

And when I think of all the people who are not

particularly fond of the French, I think

how can a country who loves dogs be all that bad?

Fashionable Paris Pooch

So if you are suffering from soaring temperatures,

dust storms or just the good ole summer blues pick out you favorite summer movie and take a break 

from the heat.  

And if you love Paris then too, visit us at 

Maggie and Reese

where we are celebrating all things French and

 take a little bit of Paris home with you.

Au revoir

~Maggie

And visit our Midnight in Paris board on Pinterest

  

In less than 24 hours and we will find out

if California Chrome will win the second jewel of the

Triple Crown!

2013 Preakness ~ AP Photo

While not as well publicized as the Derby,

the Preakness is much more exciting.
In the Derby, I pick a my horse by name, silk colors, 

jockey or anything that strikes my fancy but

at the Preakness, I want to see history so I

pull for the Derby winner.  And this year

the Derby winner was spectacular,

California Chrome!

California Chrome winning the Kentucky Derby

From humble, California roots, this chestnut horse

with the beautiful blaze and purple silks looks like

he could actually pull it off. 

So while I dream about race time tomorrow, 

here are a few fun facts about the Triple Crown 

and Baltimore to ponder.

There have been only 11 Triple Crown 

champions since 1913 with the last one being

35 years ago.

Most poignant race:

Affirmed and Alydar ~ 1978~ The Greatest Rivelry

Calumet Farm's Alydar came in second to

Affirmed, the last winner of Triple Crown (1978)

in each leg of the race, a feat 

that has never been duplicated. 

Pimlico is home of the Preakness and while there

are no funny hats or signature drinks

there is plenty to like about Baltimore, 

here are a few of my Baltimore favorites:

Baltimore Crab

The Inner Harbor

Baseball!

So set your watches and be ready to sing,

"Maryland, My Maryland"

and maybe, just maybe 

we will be on our way to witnessing a little 

bit of history!

Winner's Circle ~ Black Eyed Susan

~Maggie

And they're off!

Mid-April I feel the excitement starting as the 

first weekend in May looms on the horizon.  

Why?  

The Kentucky Derby!

My inner equestrian starts dreaming

of all things Derby...

Simple syrup ~ Mint Juleps

 Tasty treats ~ Southern Style

HATS

Roses

And of course, horses!

My selection strategy includes silk colors,

horse color, name or just a personal connection.

So taking all of that into consideration, 

this year I am going with 

Wildcat Red 

in honor of one son in
Arizona and my red headed son across the pond!

Wild Cat Red

So visit the official web site

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/horses

and be part of a great American tradition.

Post time~

Saturday, May 3rd

5:45 ET

~Maggie

Visit our Derby Day board on Pinterest for more Kentucky Derby ideas...

April in Paris

There are songs about Paris in April,
"I love Paris in the Springtime..."
or how about
"I never knew the charm of Spring....til April in Paris"
So with those verses running through my head, 
my husband and I headed to Paris in a April as part of an anniversary trip a few years back.
After the trip, my best advice for April travel in Europe,
go to Rome!
Granted it was early April but I did not expect 
the cold, rainy gray days that greeted us.

Maggie wrapped up for train trip into Paris from our small cottage outside the city.

We arrived at Gare du Nord 

(train station in Northern Paris)

and stepped out into a cold wind reminiscent

of our days on Texas Tech's campus. 

The crowd from the station quickly dispersed and 

we were soon the only souls trudging along the 

avenues in the whipping wind.

Destination ~ City Center.

After a good 20 minute walk (at a very snappy pace) 

we made it to the Seine.

The cloud covered sky was gray and threatening

rain but as they say in Paris

c'est la vie!

Gray Seine

We continued our stroll through the streets, 

looking for landmarks.

Notice everyone wearing coats.

 

Eiffel Tower blending in with the gray horizon.

In the park, we came across school girls whom

I suppose were out enjoying the spring weather,

all in their Madeline uniforms.

Jardin des Tuileries

More coat~laden Parisians in the park.



Gray skies across from the gardens...

Musee' du Louvre

I think I know now why there are so many paint colors

that are called French Gray!

Just as the sun started peeking through the clouds

I decided it was time for a break from the weather,

but no wine for this Parisian visit, 

today called for hot chocolate!

There are several establishments famous for their 

concoctions, Angelina's or Jean Paul Hevin, but

we settled for a simple walk up cafe' out of the wind

where we could listen to the street performers.

 

Because this trip itinerary followed a route from 
Rome to Belgium, we only had Paris for a day so 
with at least our insides warmed up, we headed 
back to the train and our small cottage on the
outskirts of town.
So lesson for the day ~ when traveling don't let 
weather slow you down.  
When in Paris, don't be a tourist, be a Parisian!
 Join the families in the park for a stroll, 
sit on a bench along the Seine and people watch,
amble arm in arm gazing through shop windows.
Just enjoy the fact you are there 
and the next time you travel
to Paris remember the next line of Cole Porter's song...
I love Paris in the Fall!

Can't take your mother to Paris for Mother's Day?
Visit our April in Paris sale and bring a 
little bit of France to her!

~Maggie

April in Paris

on Pinterest.