It's Spring at the Oaks Plantation

     Well, once again, Spring has sprung. This is most definitely my favorite time of year. I've been in such a hustle and bustle lately,  but today I decided that I was going to enjoy this beautiful weather. There is nothing like Spring in Texas with the lush fields of wildflowers (i.e. bluebonnets, indian paintbrushes, etc), birds singing in the beautiful, copious oak trees while you sway gently back and forth in the warm breeze in a hammock or enjoying a picnic with a luscious and abundant spread on a soft blanket spread across "the perfect spot" in a grassy field after a long day of fishing.

    The hydrangeas are in full bloom here in Texas and we've got some "busy bees", as they buzz to and from the flowers. The birds are resounding their songs through the trees and splashing in the bird baths in the gardens. It seems as though everything has come out of sleep and sprung into full life. Spring is all about passing the lazy Saturdays out in the garden tending the blooms and gathering fresh rosemary for supper. It's about raising the windows to let the fresh air move about the room and consume the entire room until it smells of Spring. There is no other season quite like Spring.

      Be sure to keep following our blog, as we tell of all the Spring happenings here at the Oaks Plantation. We will also be posting some recipes and ideas, so be sure to keep your eyes and ears open for the next blog. Happy Spring from all of us at the Oaks Plantation and at Carolyn Westbrook Home!

See Y'all Soon,

Carolyn

Carolyn Westbrook: Super Glam Glam

Hey Everyone. Loving the TV show, "Million Dollar Decorators." Have y'all seen it? Always on the lookout for wonderful interiors and last week, while watching, heard Mary McDonald say..."I'm tired of groovy. I want beautiful." I would have to agree. While I grew up with very contemporary furnishings, and I do love the mix, I do not love a room full of any one look. I too am quite tired of geometric prints and cheap, groovy furnishings. When it comes to the bedroom, I want super glam-glam. A bit contemporary, like a chrome and marble Parsons table, the glamour of a silver leaf mirror, a sparkling chandelier, and Flokati rug, are just the thing. Of course you just cannot have a great interior without vintage pieces and of course the French inspiration. An old French loveseat is paired with a chrome and glass table, and a mercury glass lamp. Still loving me some antique toile curtain panels in cobalt blue which overlay blue velvet panels, that would make Scarlett Ohara jealous. It all comes together to make for the ultimate bedroom, that appeals to all of the senses.I am hoping that everyone will learn to appreciate the beauty, style and sophistication that only the vintage pieces have to offer, and go on the hunt for these to beautify your own home. Happy Hunting!
xo Carolyn

Live from the Oaks Plantation: Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hey Everyone! I have been so busy this week in preparation for Thanksgiving, have not had a chance to get a blog done, until now. I cannot believe that we are already on to Christmas. We had a huge Thanksgiving with lots of loved ones and lots of pies this year. Nothing like doing some cooking, in the kitchen in your p.j.'s and making pies. We ended up with homeade cheesecake, pecan pie, cherry pie, pumpkin pie and Alex's favorite Coconut pie and Nicholas loves Chocolate Meringue pie. It was crazy. We also ended up with plenty of leftovers, including lots of turkey.

Right about now, we are tired of turkey and leftovers, so I made this for dinner and wanted to share. It is a great way to use your leftover turkey and who isn't hungry for some good 'ol Tex Mex and coming from Texas, we are all about it. How about some delicious Sour Cream Chicken...I mean Turkey Enchiladas? My kids thought it was chicken...they never knew, as they were devouring them for dinner. Here's how to do it...

Homeade Sour Cream Chicken/Turkey Enchiladas

Chop up turkey or chicken meat- We made two pans of enchiladas, so used a little over 1 lb. of turkey meat.
1- Diced Onion
1 small can of chopped green chilies
1 clove of fresh garlic minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1tsp. cumin

Sauce:
1 cup of sour cream
1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 small can of chopped Green Chilies
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cups of Colby Jack Cheese shredded
Sliced Jalepenos (optional)
15 corn or flour tortillas

In a skillet, add your olive oil and saute your onion and garlic until soft. Add Turkey or Chicken and green chilies. Heat this until hot and add seasonings to taste. If it seems dry then you can add a bit of chicken broth or water until it is moist.

Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together Sour Cream, Soups, Green Chilies, and salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to skillet and heat until warm, adding milk if needed to make it more juicy. You want to be able to pour it over enchiladas.

Use room temperature tortillas. You want them pliable, so you may need to heat them as  you go, in a small pan with some butter and oil.
Take a tortilla, and put a small amount of filling in one end, then roll it up and place in a 9x12 baking pan. Roll them tight and continue the process until all of the filling is gone. You may need more than one pan...but remember...these freeze well.
Once you are finished rolling, pour the sauce over the enchiladas and top with cheese. You can top with sliced jalepenos if you like it spicy. Bake in oven at 350 degrees until cheese is gold and bubbly.

On second thought, you may not need to freeze the second pan. Mine are already gone, as Victoria just came up with the last one.

Hope y'all enjoy!!! YUM!
xo Carolyn

Carolyn Westbrook: Live from the Plantation: Happy Halloween

Who doesn't love decorating for the change in the seasons. Here in Texas, we are all weary
from the 100degree plus temps and humidity and welcome a little cooler weather. When that first
cool breeze blows, and pumpkins and mums are spilling forth everywhere, it makes one want to grab the wheelbarrow and fill it with a load of pumpkins. I happen to love the ghost pumpkins and the more bumps the better, but there is always a place in my yard for the traditional Jack-O-Lantern that is perfect for carving. I am crazy about the stem of any pumpkin and the longer and twistier the better.
Every fall, my company always has to do some wonderful plaid cushions, as they are so hard to find in beautiful fall colors. Victoria's birthday is coming up this weekend and so there has to be candy apples and costumes. We were able to find some great spooky labels that we adhered to apothecary jars and filled with eyeballs and teeth (candy corn) and spider web is strung everywhere. Cannot wait for the first trick or treater. I love to see all of the little ones dressed up in their precious costumes. Happy Fall Everyone! xo Carolyn

Live from the Plantation: A Fairy Tale Party!

So, it all began with a promise to my four-year-old niece who wanted
a pink fairytale party, as she eyed a piece of pink satin that was laying about my warehouse.
She asked me, "Aunt Carolyn, what is this?" She was holding up a piece of beautiful pink satin.
I told her that it was pink satin and she asked if that could be on the table for her party....and that is how it started. I was leaving for Roundtop at the time, and she made me promise that I would save it for her party. Her exact words were, "Don't sell it Aunt Carolyn...promise." The ideas swirled about as I was on the book tour, and I was ready to be home and decorating the pink paradise that was going to be her party. As soon as the plane landed from Phoenix, I was rounding up the troops and we began putting out mounds of pumpkins, urns filled with ghost pumpkins and lining steps, and jars filled with candies. Victoria made these phoenomenal tiers of luscious, pink, frothy cupcakes and decorated them where they were the highlight of the party. There were pink flowers, sprinkles, balloons, glitter and all that is magical, sparkly and fairytale like for our little Carrington.
It was all things that little girls dream of and we were happy to be a part of a celebration to remember.
xoxo Carolyn

Carolyn Westbrook: Live from Sweet Salvage Phoenix AZ.

 Hey Everyone. We have the priviledge of being a part of the once a month market in Phoenix Arizona...and guess what??This month is the French themed market!! Woo Hoo!!
 We got in yesterday and I had never been to Phoenix...what a shocker! It is beautiful. I was not expecting all of the palm trees. Our hotel is gorgeous with the whole place being centered around an outdoor courtyard and you can see the mountains off in the distance.
 Two of the Sweet Salvage girls wheeled up in their pick-up truck to take us to the store. Gotta love a girl with a truck. These are true junkers and gatherers.
Let me just say, that I was not prepared for what was about to happen when I walked through the door. I told them that I had found my mothership.

 These men and women know what they are doing. I have never seen this much great stuff gathered together in one place and displayed to perfection. I told them that I could just spend the night there.
Oh, and I was not kidding. I heard their stomaches growling, as they were ready to head out to dinner, and I was just mesmerized and distressed because I was wondering how I was going to get some of this back to my place...really. They told me that the line snakes around the building and down the street on opening day. I am not surprised. They said that it gets so crowded that one cannot see across the isle. I cannot wait to see it.
You can see all of the fabulousness in the pics. So, today I get to sit in the middle of all of this wonderment and sign my new book. What an honor.
Before they had to drag me out the door for dinner, we were able to get a picture of the Sweet Salvage gang, plus Joe and I. What a great group of creative souls, who definitely have the "good stuff!"Hope to see you here!!
xoxo Carolyn

Carolyn Westbrook: Live from the plantation.

 Hello everyone. Hope all are well and just dashed in from the yard, as the rain started pouring here. I love fall. As I made my way down the road, back from Roundtop, it was chilly. That nip in the air that makes you know that the season is changing and maybe the 100 degree plus weather is behind us. It makes me want to decorate...inside and out. This shot that you see here, I took in Roundtop somewhere a few years ago. You can imagine how this would make a great Thanksgiving table for all to gather, but first we have to do Fall and Halloween. As the crew was packing the trucks and trailers for Roundtop, my niece Carrington was visiting. You will notice her dedication in my book, and she is my little protege at 4 years old. She asked if she could have her birthday party here again. You all know how I love any excuse for a party and who could say no to that beautiful blonde headed angel. So, of course I agreed.

Her birthday will be next weekend and her mother wanted a tea party, but Carrington wailed that she wanted a weenie roast and hayride like last year. Secretly, I agreed. I love it. So, I will be in charge of the party decorations and Carrington has given her orders. She found a piece of pink satin in the warehouse, and asked if that could be her tablecloth. She gave me specific colors and such. I told her that I would make it very special. In between book signings, I have to get that going.

Speaking of book signings...tomorrow is a signing at the Beaucoup store on Henderson in Dallas, TX. from 11-1pm. and Saturday will be the Beaucoup store in Richardson, TX. on Arapaho from 11-1pm. Then next week we jet off to Phoenix to meet up with the bunch at Sweet Salvage for a book signing on Thursday the 18th from 9am-1:30pm. Hope to see yall at one of these signings for the new book, Carolyn Westbrook: Through the French Door." If not, check out Amazon or Barnes and Noble for a copy!
Y'all wish me luck on the party planning and of course will post the pics for you to see!!

Happy Fall Y'all!
xo Carolyn