After my incredible afternoon touring the farm, I was invited by the Southern Food Writing Conference to attend a champagne reception in the garden, followed by a lavish dinner in the barn. It was in conjunction with the International Biscuit Festival, and the guests were there to celebrate, and dine on, authentic and inspired Southern cuisine.

To get to Blackberry Farm, you'll drive down a quiet paved road, dotted with farmhouses and lush green pastures. You'll pass a small white church that I'm sure has seen many potluck suppers, community gatherings, and country weddings. I believe it's the drive that prepares your senses for the beauty that awaits. Beckoning you to a part of our country that is, undoubtedly, at it's finest. Preserved by those who tend it for the pure enjoyment of it's guests.

This coffee cake would be the perfect sweet ending to a Mother's Day brunch...or any brunch really. It's a delicate, buttery cake, packed full of raspberry goodness with a hint of almond. And if there's any left, it makes quite the treat for breakfast, with cup of hot tea or coffee alongside.

 I've always loved white houses with black shutters, they appear timeless to me, and never seem to go out of style. For the design of Grove House, this was the exterior I wanted to create. Defining the exact architectural style was a bit more tricky, since I'm drawn to both farmhouse and cape cod style homes. So our architect helped us create a hybrid of the two.

One thing I've been trying diligently to do, is simplify. I've slowly been going through cupboards, closets and drawers to sort through all my stuff. One of my recent projects was tackling all my packaging supplies. I've decided less is more, and have curated my collection down to the few items I use most frequently. The rest will be sold, donated or recycled. It feels like freedom.

The May issue of Country Living features a home I had the privilege of styling. It was a fun shoot to work on, with one of the sweetest homeowners I've ever met. She had such a creative eye and lots of ways to get "the look" for less!