Meet Rhoda

Welcome to Southern Hospitality! I’m Rhoda, a woman raised in the South who loves life and enjoys all the blessings that God has given me and I enjoy sharing my creative endeavors. I’m originally from metro Atlanta, GA and after my hubby and I got married in 2005, we moved to Birmingham, AL at the end of that year. I have thoroughly enjoyed my new city and all that it has to offer. I’m stepmom to my husband’s three 20-something young adult children and they are all living out of state, in school and working.

I worked for 30 years in the Corporate world and now I’m a stay at home wife, with a small decorating business from home and I absolutely love what I’m doing. Join me as I share my creative ideas of decorating on a budget, while I hunt down yardsale and thrifty bargains, pass on those tasty recipes, dig in the dirt a bit, as well as enjoy many excursions around town and especially in the South. I grew up in a Pastor’s home, where not only was my Dad shepherding the church congregation, but he was also a handy man and I learned a quite a few things from him over the years, helping out with many projects around our house along the way. With my dad's help, I built my first house about 25 years ago as a single girl and that began my journey of making a house a home and doing it on a budget. I carried around idea files filled with tattered magazine clippings of the home I wanted to create.

I’m so glad you stopped by my blog and I hope you’ll feel right at home. Southern Hospitality is what I aspire to practice in my real life, as well as here on the blog. I’m an at-home decorator, who loves to share ideas and creativity with those of you out there who are also feathering your nests and making your homes a peaceful and pleasant haven for your families. I also believe that you can do that on a budget and you don’t have to spend a fortune to have a beautiful home. With a little creative thinking, anyone can have a pretty home without breaking the bank. That’s the main focus of what I talk about here. This is simply my life in the South, sharing what I do and how I do it. Most all the pictures you see here on my blog were taken by me and if I post any inspiration pics, I'll tell you that too. This is real life living, with real projects and real results. I hope you’ll enjoy your visit and come back often.

I’m not a fancy designer with a degree, but I did work for Ethan Allen for awhile and went through their training program, where I learned some valuable information about furniture construction and putting a room together. Most of what I’ve learned has been on the job training, real life experience in my own homes. You’ll find me sharing all sorts of DIY projects around here, as I get my hands dirty with caulk and paint inside the house, or in the dirt outside in the garden. I wear the toolbelt around our house and my hubby lets me do my thing, thank goodness. He cheers me on from the sidelines and is there with some muscle or a steady hand when I need it. I’m the one up there on the ladder hanging a new light fixture that I probably found at a yardsale, adding trim molding to the walls, spray painting something black, or building a rock wall outside.

Yardsales are really a passion of mine, as well as thrifting of any sort. I’d much rather be digging through someone’s junk at a yardsale or thriftstore, than hanging out at the mall. Nothing thrills me more than rescuing something that is old and vintage, bringing it home and giving it new life. Join me for my project tutorials and I’ll show you how to do it at home too. There’s not much that I’m afraid to try!

I adore old antique furniture pieces and that’s what I’ve built the bones of my home with. I’ve found some great deals out there and that old vintage furniture is so much better made than new. I believe in mixing the old with the new and that’s how I decorate my home. A well loved and acquired over time look is what I love. My family didn’t have a lot of heirloom pieces to pass down, so I have to find mine from someone else’s family pass-a-longs.

I also love to get out and about my new town, discovering fun new places to shop and eat, and travel every chance I get. Whether it’s to the beach, big city, Caribbean island, or West coast, my hubby and I enjoy seeing new places and experiencing all that life has to offer. So, every time we travel, I share that here on the blog too. Sort of an online Southern Living, from my point of view.

I also do a lot of cooking around our house, so I share any new and tasty recipes that come my way. I mostly cook from scratch just about every day of the week and we love to eat a variety of good food here in the South. All family and special events revolve around what’s being served on the table and desserts are a big part of that.

So, I hope you’ll take a look around Southern Hospitality and make yourself at home.

There’s always another project in the wings, something good to eat, pretty flowers growing in the garden, and a yardsale adventure or three, so come back often! You won’t want to miss a thing. In fact, be sure to subscribe to my blog and you’ll get each and every new update.

Thanks for stopping by. Please make yourself at home!