IceMilk Aprons & Saks Fifth Avenue.

Saks Fifth Avenue is made of what little girls dream of, reminiscent of the elegance of only the most proper of ladies dressed to the nines in heels & fur on a snowy-charmed street of the City.

IceMilk Aprons so proudly announces our line of heirloom aprons will be in-store at the Saks Fifth Avenue Atlanta store at Phipps Plaza beginning December 9th as part of the Trinity School Spotlight on Art Artists Market Preview, along with 11 other fabulous Atlanta artists.

We are just thrilled to adorn the luxurious shelves of Saks with a whole bunch of preserves jars each carefully packed with our aprons waiting for you to come in for a holiday visit! Hope you’ll stop in and check out our display as you’re out gift-gathering for the loved ones.

Oh, Peppermint Sticks.

Delectable sticks of soft peppermint delight, Bob’s Peppermint Sticks are a must-have vintage confection for the holidays.

Wooden barrels brimmed-over with small bags of these fragrant peppermint sticks fill your head with reminiscent memories of noching on the simple treats. Wrap a stack with a simple ribbon for a beautiful stocking stuffer or in place of a traditional bowl of dinner mints. Adding a peppermint stick to a mug of cocoa or coffee for a tasty stir, or as garnish in a specialty holiday drink.
Be sure to grab a tiny bag of these sweet pieces of peppermint sticks and add a classic twist to the candy canes of today to freshen up your holiday cheer.

National Tie One On Day (An Apron!)

National Tie One On Day™ is today, Wednesday 11/25, Thanksgiving Eve. In its 4th year, National Tie One On Day is an opportunity to put a little “give” back into Thanksgiving.

My dear friend, EllynAnne Geisel, author of The Apron Book, Apronisms & The Kitchen Linens Book, created this event. The event centers around wrapping a baked good in an apron, writing a note of prayer or encouragement, and tying one on…an apron, of course! and delivering the wrapped bundle to someone in need of physical or spiritual sustenance, a bit of recognition or just a kind word.

Visit her website www.apronmemories.com for more information and to enter the goodie bag giveaway! Six winners!!

I hope you’ll join me and participate! It’s such a win-win. As EllynAnne says,”Women clad in aprons have traditionally prepared the Thanksgiving meal, and it is within our historical linkage to share our bounty.”

IceMilk Aprons and Urban Cottage.

Located in the preserved & bustling Virginia-Highlands neighborhood in Atlanta, we are excited to have Urban Cottage as our newest Gourmet Retailer of IceMilk Aprons.

Housed in a fabulously quaint cottage set just off the road, Urban Cottage has a myriad of wonderful items, both large & small. Their beautiful furniture is all custom and can be tailored to your every whim – a gorgeous tufted ottoman caught my eye immediately.

You’ll be quick to notice a fabulous selection of carefully chosen books – from cookbooks to home to wedding to idea inspiration – all urging you to flip through. One of my favorite finds was pinched pottery from a local potter in Cabbagetown, with a rustic finish and done in fabulous neutrals. Mother & daughter Silverstein team own this glorious shop, along with the beautifully designed Breathless Paper Co. well worth taking a peek.

We are thrilled to be in the treasure-filled Urban Cottage and excited to have them as a partner – hope you’ll stop in for a visit!

Heirloom Recipes: From Amy Deaver at Lemon Bird Handmade Jams

Part of our Heirloom Recipes Series, featuring foodies, artisans & fabulous folks willing to share their stories, recipes and photos in an effort to help preserve and share these family recipes for generations to come.

Amy Deaver is the owner & jam maker at Lemon Bird Handmade Jams. I found her delightfully packaged and beautifully designed jams online and instantly fell in love. I adore their simple design, beautiful photography and their dedication to using seasonal and local fruits. Here is what Amy had to say:

What recipe are you sharing with us?
I found this recipe in my Grandmother’s file, and I also scanned in the front of the recipe book.

What makes this recipe meaningful to you?
I was really surprised when I found this card in my Grandma’s collection of recipes.  The recipe is for a barbecued brisket and this has been our family meal on Christmas Day for as long as I can remember.  My Dad gets up early and gets the brisket ready to roast in the oven all day long.  While it cooks, we spend the entire day together as a family opening gifts and enjoying our time together.  In the late afternoon, we all sit down at the formal dining table for a meal of the brisket and cheese grits.  This is the one day out of the year when we eat this meal and everyone in the family loves it.  It’s a really special day and time for all of us to be together since we all live far apart.  On Christmas day we all cook together, eat together, and celebrate together.

What photos are you sharing with us?
To save my family (and self) the shots of us in our PJ’s all day on Christmas Day – I’ll instead include a photo of the Great Snow Storm of 2008.  We live in the mountains of Southern California and last year we received about 3 feet of snow in one week.  We were actually snowed away from home for a few days.  Here’s a photo of some of our beautiful snow coming down.

Special thanks to Amy. We hope you’ll check out their delightful line of handmade jams at lemonbirddesign.com!

IceMilk Aprons and Harris & Clark.

In my very humble opinion, there are few places in this world more delightful than Serenbe. Located just south of Atlanta, the community was build as an organic farm with green-space galore and the most whimsical little town you could ever imagine.

I am so delighted to share that IceMilk Aprons has partnered with our newest Gourmet Retailer, Harris & Clark – a “thoughtful grocery & food school” located in the heart of the Serenbe community. Founded by Anissa & James Harris, the duo aims to provide a nostalgic & local Southern fare of artisan products within their quaint market space.

From pear butter and pickled peaches, to Farmer D’s organic compost, fabulous loaves of crusty bread, the most beautiful local honey you’ve seen, farm fresh eggs & local cheeses, and of course – IceMilk Aprons. They have so many wonderful cooking school events that are hosted there at Harris & Clark, partnering with local folks to help bring some gourmet learnings & good times.

Spending the late afternoon with Anissa & James was such a wonderful experience and I’m thrilled to be a part of what they have created with their shop. Stay tuned for a special “Heirloom Travel” post on Serenbe, but in the meantime be sure to go out for a visit and explore all there is to love about this little place lost in time.

IceMilk Aprons 1-Day Sale: 25% off this Thursday

Join us in celebrating our annual 1-day sale at IceMilk Apron – this Thursday, November 12 and receive 25% off your order by entering code: thankful at checkout!

We are thrilled to carry on this tradition for another year as a birthday celebration in memory of the late inspiration and original seamstress for IceMilk Aprons – better known as Grandma!

This year the celebration gets a little sweeter – you could be entered to win an IceMilk Apron of your very own! There are a few ways you can be entered to win:

• Facebook – share our 1-day promotion in your status to all your friends & family and then write on our Facebook Page wall sharing one thing you are thankful for.
• Twitter – simply RT our promotion (be sure to mention @icemilkaprons so we know!)
• Blog – share our promotion or feature one of our aprons on your blog, you can email us with the link and we’ll share with all of our friends too!

Now is the perfect time to buy your IceMilk Aprons and get a headstart on your holiday shopping. Making a perfect hostess gift for holiday parties, great to have in time for Thanksgiving cooking with family & friends, as well as December holiday baking!

The Mantel Clock.

The mantel has long served as the focal point of the family room, making the mantel clock something of much significance.

From their intricate detailing, ornate facing, solid frames and resounding chimes – their nobility has a sense of grace and stature at the very same time.

I am so thrilled to have recently been given this heirloom mantel clock, passed down to me through the generations that was originally owned by my Great Aunt Ashley, for whom I was named. I can’t wait to get it restored to its former glory and hear the beautiful chimes.

The Passing Down of Heirlooms: Vanity Fair.

While some companies are off looking for the latest & greatest new look, Vanity Fair has captured the essence of their brand by going back to their roots.

Their latest ad campaign calls on one of days past (1955 to be exact) featuring elegant ladies tastefully posing in their VF lingerie.

Vanity Fair has brought back the very essence of their brand and conjured up the sense of beauty and femininity that lacy undergarments should evoke.

Have you seen the “modern” ads? What do you think?

The Creation of Family Traditions: The Signed Book.

A thoughtful gift can be pages found wrapped between the cover of a book.

Books come in such a variety that you can truly make the most personal of gifts for any occasion. From the loveliest of photo books to the thickest novels.

When giving the gift of a book, commemorate the experience with a delightful message scribed just inside.

Note the occasion, the date, the to and from. And, make it lovely.

What a wonderful, throwback treat such as this one given to my great grandfather from his

sister Lena as a Christmas gift back in 1912.

Who knew a dictionary could be such a treasured heirloom?