The Bayou Belle

From my family to yours…..Wishing you all the Merriest Christmas and a peaceful, prosperous 2026! If you’re in need of a last minute gift, I’ve got a few extra sets of these adorable, paint-your- own nativity scene Sugar Cookie gift sets left from a custom order…. So much fun at the 2025 Monroe Garden Club Martini Mingle….. if you missed out, don’t forget to buy your ticket at the plant auction in the spring! 😎🙋🏼‍♀️👏❤️A BIG Thank you to Alan Futch @thedeanofflowers For the stellar design lessons and your snazzy attire was 🔥 Had a fabulous and festive time at the Monroe Garden Study League Christmas party at the new Biedenharn Event Center on Riverside Drive in Monroe. Food, fun and friendship in a stunning setting! Now available for event rentals! 🎄🧑‍🎄 It’s the most wonderful time of the year to view the spectacular holiday decor at the iconic jewel of Monroe…. The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens. Decorated throughout by the dedicated members of the Monroe Garden Study League each year, it is not to be missed! @mgslmonroe Dreaming of a pink Christmas? Check out these amazing personalized, needlepoint stockings from Amazon. If you missed out on ordering the “designer version,” here’s your chance to get the look for less. Thankful, grateful, blessed…. happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours! Such a fabulous night celebrating my nephew @graysonjones and @brittanymills11 engagement! They skies cleared just in time for all the festivities! Just wish I took more family pictures!! Today is the last chance to check out these amazing florals, botanical arts, horticulture, photography, and educational exhibits at the Gardens of Somerset. This MGSL Flower Show event only happens every three years, so don’t miss out! So worth it!

Tag: Hospitality

  • Cookie of the Week

    Lemon Lavender White Chocolate Cookies

    So good!

    Every week brings a new reason to bake… At least that is my story and I am sticking to it. There are always people, places, and things in need of some freshly baked deliciousness. Portable hospitality is my jam… I love seeing the happy look on people’s faces when you show up with a goodie for them (unless, of course, they are watching what they eat..).

    With the temperatures sky, high outside in this Louisiana humidity, I thought a cool, refreshing treat would include something with a tangy, fresh lemon zest. This week’s recipe is reminiscent of the south of France with its lemon – lavender combination. With just a hint of lavender, the intensity can be adjusted to your taste, adding more or admitting it all together. It adds a really unique flavor, so I highly recommend it.

    Culinary Lavender & Pure Lemon Extract

    The ingredients were not available where I live, but Amazon… They shipped them right to my door. Here’s the link for the products I used and they turned out so delicious.

    Amazon favorites

    Amazon Essentials:

    Neilsen Massey Pure Lemon Extract : https://a.co/d/9GTETTt

    Culinary Lavender: https://a.co/d/dFHcKhY

    Lemon Zester/ Microplane: https://a.co/d/j3M85je

    Wrapping the cookies is almost as fun as eating them…hmmmm, maybe.

    Amazon links for packaging:

    Brown Kraft Boxes: https://a.co/d/37c3Ohv

    Moss Green Ribbon: https://a.co/d/3Tff8zS

    Green Gingham Waxed Deli Paper: https://a.co/d/32x3FsE

    And if that was not AMAZING enough…

    How about the adorable gift tags??🍋

    Join me over at The Bayou Belle on Instagram and see my link in bio for details on downloading a free copy of this cute tag!

    I hope you have a wonderful last bit of summer and take a shot at making these delicious cool treats.

    Thanks for joining me here!

    Warmly,

    Allison

    The Bayou Belle

  • The Squirrel Nest

    Good things come in Small Packages

    When I downsized my home in 2021 from over 4000 sq. ft. to one a quarter of that size, there was some serious purging and careful selection to be done. Necessities came in first, of course, followed by the objects that bring on the personality. An avid collector by nature, the bits and bobs gathered over my lifetime quickly filled the space, earning my new place the moniker, “The Squirrel Nest.”


    Uprooting my life after a couple of decades in the same house was not an easy undertaking. With it came anxiety, stress and grief over a life I once lived. I had raised my children in this home and our history as a family was under its roof, until it wasn’t. My marriage had dissolved, things were packed, moved and now reassembled in this tiny new dwelling place.

    Overwhelming is an understatement, but I had a strong determination right out of the gate to create a safe, peaceful, happy environment that seemed like it had always been there. I wanted a home that felt like a warm hug for hurting hearts. I believe that I have created that, no matter how tiny it is. It does feel tranquil and loving, welcoming to all who enter here. It is our home.

    I decided the moment that I moved in that I would not let the diminutive size limit my possibilities. I have always enjoyed the art of hospitality, caring for and sharing food with those I love and want to spend time with. It takes some serious imagination to host a dozen people in a Squirrel Nest on Christmas Eve, but I did just that, weeks after moving in. I made it possible by stepping out of my comfort zone and into new possibilities. The disassembling of a marriage and family unit is like a wrecking ball through your heart and home. Everything you knew is wiped away in a moment, forever changing the trajectory of your life story. I was determined that it would not be the end of my story, but rather a very sad chapter on a journey to a happy ending.

    The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Is that an easy thing to do? Absolutely not, but I have found it to be necessary in order to move forward in a new life as you know it. It is the secret sauce to a life well-lived, trusting that God has a plan and it does not include giving up. When we are forced to rearrange things in our life, both literally and figuratively, doing so with a heart of gratitude and openness allows us to see new possibilities for ourselves, our families, our homes. Limited spaces do not equal limited opportunities to love, welcome and serve people. Hospitality lives in your heart and travels with you wherever you go.

    So, welcome to my little Squirrel Nest. Let’s enjoy a lifestyle of hospitality and friendship, loving and serving others in whatever way we can, in whatever spaces we occupy, with whatever gifts God has given us. Let’s get going, y’all.