A Collection That Sings to My Soul On top of my piano at Henington House sits one of my favorite collections. There are lovely greens, touches of blue, little birds, leaves, fruit, and handles shaped like branches. Each piece has something that makes me want to look a little closer. Now, if you asked me to tell you much about it, I couldn’t. I couldn’t give you a proper history lesson or tell you what every piece is worth. But I can tell you this: it sings to my soul. And tha

Let Your Home Be a Light A lamp glows among gathered branches, its warm light spilling across an old urn, folded napkins, and the familiar pieces that make a house feel like home. Behind it, a mirror carries that glow a little farther. Such a simple thing, turning on a lamp. Yet it changes how a room feels—and how we feel when we enter it. I believe our homes can do something much like that. In Matthew 5:14–16, Jesus calls His followers the light of the world. He speaks of a

Hosting a Tea: A Lovely Way to Entertain The tea is hot, the scones are waiting, and there is a place at the table just for you. A silver teapot passes from hand to hand as guests settle into their chairs. Little cakes tempt us from tiered stands, china cups meet their saucers and someone’s wonderful hat brings a smile before the first sip is poured. There is no need to hurry. Stay awhile. Have another cup. This is one of the reasons we love hosting teas at Henington House. T

There is something especially wonderful about a dining room that tells a story. Not a room where everything was purchased at once, perfectly coordinated, or carefully selected from a furniture showroom, but one that has come together over time, piece by piece, with a little imagination, a love for old things, and a desire to make everyone feel at home. That is certainly the story of our dining room here at Henington House. Recently, we were able to expand our dining table an

Seasonal decorating can be as simple as noticing what’s around you and giving it a place to shine. Here at Henington House, a familiar welcome sign takes on a fall personality with muscadine vine gathered from our own yard. I actually let that vine grow SO I can prune it in the fall and use it for decorating! Those wandering stems, curling tendrils, and changing leaves have a lovely character all their own. Wrapped into a wreath and tucked into itself, the muscadine vine need

Dear Friends, I’m Catherine Strange, and my husband Randall and I are so glad you’re here. Henington House is our home in the historic neighborhood of Hattiesburg, Mississippi—the place where we live, tend our gardens, and enjoy the everyday beauty we love sharing with others. When you join us for a scheduled event, you’re welcomed into a cherished part of our lives. Through our teas, coffees, seasonal gatherings, and hands-on workshops, we offer opportunities to learn, laugh

Prepare Now for a Season You Can Enjoy Christmas lights glow in familiar corners of Henington House as friends settle in for conversation, refreshments, and time together. These are the moments that make the holiday season so dear—the pleasure of opening our doors and sharing the home we love. Hospitality is a gift that blesses both the guest and the host. For a guest, an invitation says, “You are thought of. You are welcome. There is a place for you here.” During this cheris

The Artist? Just a Homeowner Expecting Dinner Guests. By Catherine Strange “Who is the artist?” We’ve been asked that question many times about the piece hanging above our dining room mantel at Henington House. I always enjoy the answer. There was no commissioned artist. Just me—a homeowner preparing for dinner guests, looking at a blank space and thinking, Something needs to go there. The solution? An empty frame in the Henington House attic, a leftover piece of sheetrock, s

Grandma Chic? We’ve Been Living It for Years! At Henington House and Gardens, kindness, beauty, and connection have always been in style. Apparently, there is a name for the life we’ve been loving all these years. Grandma Chic. Well, how about that! Long before Randall and I were grandparents, we were setting tables with collected china, bringing the garden indoors, finding treasures in thrift stores, and making something delicious to share. We’ve spent years perfecting the l

By Catherine Strange | Henington House and Gardens A bowl of apples. A stack of little plates. A favorite platter filled with oranges. Garden greenery tucked among blue-and-white treasures. At Henington House, these everyday things come together to say something I hope everyone who visits feels: There is something here for you. Help yourself. That is what makes a serving area warm. Its beauty invites you closer, and its usefulness gives you a reason to stay. Looking at this p

The beauty we find when we slow down long enough to notice. Sometimes the loveliest combinations in our homes and gardens happen without our ever planning them. We set a favorite pitcher down. Find a spot for a fern. Lean an old window against the back of a weathered table. One by one, things we love find their way into the same little corner. Then, one day, we stop long enough to really look. And there it is. An unexpected harmony. A quiet pleasure. JOY, unplanned. This litt

As evening settles over Henington House, the porch takes on a lovely glow. Pumpkins rest among the greenery, ferns spill from their pots, and little lights twinkle around the windows. The chairs seem to say, “Come sit a while.” This is fall in the South—where the pumpkins arrive while the ferns are still flourishing, and a warm evening can invite us to linger on the porch. I love how it feels here. But as you watch this little glimpse of our home, I hope you’ll think with me

There is so much I love about this photograph: the white flowers, the trailing greenery, the graceful ironwork, and the view beyond our porch into the gardens. But the heart of this picture is the cross. Standing among the flowers, crowned and lifted above them, it expresses what Randall and I want at the center of our home and our lives: Christ. We delight in making things lovely. We enjoy growing, gathering, decorating, baking, and celebrating. But our faith gives purpose t

Some of the most important things you bring into your home for a celebration aren’t things at all. They are people. Talented, dependable people who understand your style, know what matters to you, and bring their own special gifts to the occasion. Over time, you discover how much easier—and more enjoyable—hosting becomes when you have people you can count on. This photograph captures that feeling for me. The warm lamplight, the greenery, the piano, and a moment shared beside

This photograph holds such a precious memory for our family: our eldest daughter, dressed as a bride, standing in the familiar rooms of Henington House—the home where she grew up. Family pearls fall down her back, clasped with her great-grandmother’s brooch. Those treasured pieces brought a little of the generations before her into the day she began a new chapter of her own. Before this home held her wedding day, it held her childhood. And on that beautiful day, it held us al

Before you buy something to decorate your home for company, take a little walk around your yard. You may already have just what you need! Look at the mantel in this photograph from our home, Henington House & Gardens. Leafy branches reach upward and spill over the edge, mingling with clear glass and crystal pieces. The lamplight brings out the sparkle, while the greenery adds softness and life. The decorating idea is simple: bring something fresh from outside and pair it with

Though my baby and only Sister lives many states away, we have many common interests that keep us connected and are in constant...

During the Christmas Holidays we’re often asked, “When do you begin to decorate? Not far behind that question is “When do you take your...

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDszB6ut_it/?igsh=MWMwN3AzaWFuZGRxOQ==