Jacquin: Hi Alicia! What can people expect from your blog, the Lush List?
Alicia: Thanks for having me today Jacquin! The Lush List is a lifestyle blog focused on Style, Food & Entertaining, Clean Beauty, Travel and Design. I am truly a “List Maker“ and I'm always being asked by others for my ideas and lists, so The Lush List blog is where I share them with everyone.
Jacquin: Being that you come from a long line of cooks, do you garner a lot of inspiration from the recipes you've grown up with when creating recipes to share on your blog?
Alicia: Some of my earliest memories are in the kitchen with my mom or one of my great-grandmothers. Every holiday we went to Arkansas to see family, and food was always the centerpiece – both preparing it and sharing it. One special recipe we make every holiday are these angel rolls. We’ve even adapted them to be gluten-free to be able to continue to enjoy them. My great-grandmother baked a lot and I think of her every time I make a pie. This rustic apple galette is my favorite recipe to make and I think she’d like it very much.
Jacquin: As a foodie, if you could only eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner food for the rest of your life––which meal type would you choose?
Alicia: This is so hard for me! Anyone who knows me very well, knows I love a good soup. I could truly have it for every meal. This Watermelon Gazpacho is a favorite. I have actually eaten it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! It also makes a great appetizer. However, I do also love a great steak with Green Eggs and a glass of Cabernet.
Jacquin: What attracts you to certain types of fashion? Where is your favorite place to find fashion that matches your personal style?
Alicia: I realized a long time ago that I love classic style in both fashion and interiors. I’m only 5’2” tall and crazy trends seem to wear me, so I learned how to style my body best. Well-tailored pieces seem to prevent me from appearing so small. Friends are always surprised when talk moves around to height…great heels don’t hurt, either. Grace Kelly, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Kate Middleton, Amal Clooney and Olivia Palermo are women whose style resonates with me. Because we are such a busy household, I do most of my shopping online, which allows me to find great deals on my favorite designers. Some of my favorite stores are Neiman Marcus, Shopbop, J.Crew, Saint Bernard, Veronica Beard, and Tory Burch. I love the style and vibe at these stores each season. One of the great things about The Lush List is that you’ll always find sale round ups and notices of sales on my blog, simply because I love a good deal!
Jacquin: How is your personal style reflected in your home's decor?
Alicia: It would be a tie between my kitchen and my master suite. My kitchen is one of my favorite spaces in my home. We remodeled our home about 2 years ago. I was able to completely start over and create these rooms for the way we live. Every drawer and cabinet in the kitchen was designed for the way I cook. I have a huge refrigerator because with our food allergies, I don’t use much packaged or dry goods and it’s always full with fresh fruits and veggies. My favorite element is the huge white marble island that is always full of cooking prep and someone doing homework or eating a snack. The breakfast area features one of my great-grandmother’s dining tables that I had refinished. The Hermes scarf was a gift from my husband that I only wore a few times. After we remodeled, I was looking for art for this wall. I had always wanted a vintage Hermes scarf to frame. When I realized it was the exact color of my chair cushions, I wasted no time having it framed. It is such a happy room that really pops with my signature pink!
The master is calming and serene. A great escape from the world. I wanted lots of white and shimmering details. I’m so pleased with the way it turned out. The monogrammed chair at my dressing table and the fretwork on the built-in cabinets are my favorite details…and the two chandeliers!
JacquiYou menn: tioned on your "About me" page that you go overboard for birthday parties. Share a story with me, please!
Alicia: I love birthday parties! There is nothing better than celebrating someone’s special day. A few years ago, my middle daughter requested a Nancy Drew Party for her 8th birthday. I created clue invitations that set the tone for a missing puppy mystery. The clues were hidden all over our home and yard. The girls each had a notebook to collect the clues that were written in crazy ways: backward to be read in a mirror, with invisible ink and in code. It was so fun to watch them work together to solve the mystery! Party favors were inspired by Nancy Drew mystery #8.
My youngest daughter loves the color blue so I created a Bluealicious (think Pinkalicious) party for her. I had special decorations designed to match the invitations, games with blue prizes and everyone wore blue, too! The candy buffet was her favorite because I found so many different nut free and gluten free candies and popcorn for her to choose from! That is a true dream come true for a food allergy kid!
I have always made my girls birthday cakes and love to create their vision. My favorite cake was a Frozen themed cake with white and blue rock-candy towers making Elsa’s castle. Baked Alaska is a tradition for my oldest daughter who wants to run the Iditarod one day!
Jacquin: Where is the most extraordinary place your wanderlust has taken you?
Alicia: My husband and I love to travel. For our 20th anniversary, we decided to go literally halfway around the world and spend time in the Maldives. He loves to surf and I love blue water and white sand, so this was the perfect spot for both of us. Because we have a busy household with three girls ranging in age from 15 to 8, I have used a pallet of calming colors of whites, grays and blues, similar to the ocean, throughout our home. I also love a bit of the unexpected, so I’ve used a pop of fuchsia throughout... from art, accessories to flowers, I like to keep it fun! My husband is ok with it though because he has “his” study in a darker, more masculine color palette of gray and blue.
Jacquin: How has blogging and founding The Lush List influenced your life so far?
Alicia: I think the biggest influence the blog has had on me is to continue to push me to learn new techniques and recipes to share with others. My readers inspire me with their questions and suggestions. The Lush List has certainly enhanced my life and I hope it inspires others for many years to come.
Photos
by Mary Summers-Hafner and Aaron Doughtery
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