Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings - Cross Creek

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!  I was in Florida for a week. The weather was perfect. It was a very fun trip made even better as we added an adventure to see the cousins in Ocala. It was a gorgeous drive through horse country.  We made a small detour to Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Cross Creek, (which is between Ocala and Gainesville) it is preserved as a historic site in a state park. As she knew we were headed that way, my mother had suggested that I read the book Cross Creek about her life there. We had lunch in the small town of Micanopy which is mentioned throughout the book.  If you have a chance, you should visit.  If you won't be anywhere near it consider the book which I enjoyed immensely!

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings with her dog Moe c 1940s

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is most well know as the Pulitzer prize winning author of The Yearling.  This is also the name of a favorite restaurant just down the road from the Cross Creek site. It was closed the day we were there but I've heard quite a few recommendations for it from the Florida cousins and others, so I would be remiss if I failed to mention it in this post.

What did you do for the Holidays?



Do me a favor

Here is a fun party idea.  It is festive and reminiscent of a Christmas cracker but just colorful enough to be appropriate for non-Christmas events as well.

Kate Spade Prize Ball

Unwrap yards and yards of crepe paper streamers to reveal hidden surprises. It's a melange of trinkets and treats that are both festive and fun. The crepe paper wrapped ball is filled with surprises including: tic tac toe game, barrel of monkeys, pop balloon, custom spade tattoo, custom mini book, mini deck of cards, beaded necklace and a whistle! enjoy!

I thought it would be a cute idea to put one at each place for a dinner party.   The customer care people at Kate Spade assure me that they are about the size of a grapefruit so not too big.

Click here to order

This could work too

dressed with our colorful ribbon, this go-anywhere thermos is the perfect companion on chilly afternoons spent sledding or making snow angels.

holds 16 ounces

stainless steel interior

10" h x 3" diameter

Click here to order thermos

~ Happy Holidays! ~