Southern Charm

{Magnolia Farm, North Carolina}

I often pinch myself for being lucky enough to have family in North Carolina. As a child, I would visit my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bill and their three boys Will, Seborn and George, and we’d make the kind of memories to last a lifetime. I remember catching fireflies, eating real bar-b-q, swimming in the country club pool and overloading on Southern cooking such as chicken and dumplings, fried okra and black eyed peas like it was yesterday.

Pictured here is my cousin George’s home, Magnolia Farm, which was built in 1860 and has housed over six generations of Ragsdales. This home is the epitome of Southern charm with its surrounding magnolia trees, mulberry bushes, horse pasture, barns, vegetable garden (I picked lettuce!) and good ol’ American feel.

This patio lined with six rocking chairs begs for fresh-squeezed lemonade, right? Let’s take a peek inside now…I am so obsessed with this country French bathroom it’s not even comical. Talk to me about the powder-blue hand-painted mural of Magnolia Farm’s horse pasture — so BEYOND!I also LOVE 3-year-old cousin Katie’s room. The choice of pinstripe blue wallpaper, hand-painted monogrammed curtains and green gingham sofa are adorable. Even more sweet, though? Seeing my kids play and ride horses with George and Will’s children. At one point during last night’s dinner, my eyes welled up with tears because I was taken back to our tender youth. And what a splendid time it was.