The Gahan Girls

The Baby Shower Invitations Have Left the House

2012-01-26T19:02:00.000-05:00

All the invitations have been distributed or are in the mail. I really didn't want to just drop them on gals' desks at work or stuff them into cardboard envelopes without wrapping them in something. They deserve to be unwrapped like the little gifts that they are. And so I wrapped each one in tissue paper with a sticker closure. So much better!

Baby Shower Invitations from Baby Clothes

2012-01-25T17:21:00.002-05:00

I'm hosting a baby shower for co-worker Molly and in typical Dawn E. Girl fashion wanted to set the stage for a most heartfelt shower by creating a special crafted-by-hand invitation. When Harleigh was little and had a sleepover birthday party, I made invitations out of fabric that were sleeping bags. Inside the bag was the invitation, and at the top of the invitation was a drawing of a little girl from the shoulders up. That peeked out of the sleeping bag. They were adorable. Even had little flannel pillows. For Ali's bridal shower I made the apron invites. And for Sherry's bridal shower the seersucker pocket invites. If you can't tell by now, I'm a big fan of using fabric and even sewing on paper (see my business cards here).

And so I entered into this invitation brainstorming with fabric and sewing a gimme. And came up with using actual baby clothes to create the envelope, with a paper invite inside with a sewn-on fabric backing and ribbon trim. What sweeter way to open an invitation than to undo baby buttons or snaps.

I started off buying thrift store baby clothes. Found out that sleepers work super well and that clothes with gathers work OK but don't create quite the same even seams. Once I had amassed the clothes (and I tried to either go on "1/2-off on clothes"days or took advantage of "1/2-day off on a certain colored tag" days), I carefully cut off the tags on the inside neck, then I created an insert for sewing the outfits into "envelopes." I cut a piece of foam core into a 5 1/4" x7 1/4" rectangle, which when inserted into the piece of clothing (and pinned down to hold into place — I just took two or three straight pins and pushed them straight down through the fabric, into the foam core), was easy to sew around. In fact, the lip of the foam core created a super easy guide for the presser foot.

Sewing done, template removed, and fabric turned to its right sides, I now had the "envelope" done. Onto the invitation. I printed them out on a nice velvety matte stock and cut them out to size (5x7). Putting them aside, I turned to the backing of the invitation.

I knew I wanted to back the invites with fabric and have a slight overhang, trimmed with pinking shears. With the overhang a must, the fabric backing had to look good from both sides, so I used fusible web by-the-yard to adhere fabric, creating large pieces of fabric pretty on both sides. Cut those into pieces 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 and sewed the paper invites to the individual sheets (I used double-sided tape, just two small pieces, to hold the invite onto the fabric. The fused fabric proved to be a little on the stiff side, which made it super easy to sew with. Once the invite had its back, trimmed the fabric with the pinking shears.

Glued a ribbon onto the top of each invite and stuffed them into the "envelopes," "sealing" them by buttoning or snapping the outfit closed. Half of the invites will be distributed at work, so an outer envelope is not needed, but for those to be mailed, I'll wrap them in tissue and stuff them into a cardboard mailer.

What fun to make these!!!!!

Balancing Act

2012-01-22T19:42:00.000-05:00

The past three weeks have been about as unbalanced as you can get when it comes to work/life balance. There's no splashy photo with this post. In fact, I'm luck to find the time to populate this space with words. My personal commitments have been too numerous to count, but they're also what brings me such joy. The work commitments have kept me from seeing and feeling the light of day for entire work weeks at a time. I experience a great deal of camaraderie at my job, and laughter often accompanies the late nights. But after a while, it gets rather stale. It's what I've got to do in these busy times (and, to be frank, I'm lucky to have a good job), but I, the gal who can juggle more than most — and do it with a smile on her face — am raising a little white flag. I'm not all emotional and dramatic in this declaration, merely stating the truth and resigned to get it all back on kilter.

Catching up from the holiday

2012-01-14T15:26:00.003-05:00

Harleigh is back at school. She returned a little early to start her job, every Saturday, from 9AM to whenever, working in a gown shop in little downtown Statesboro. She happened to be in the store one day poking around, killing some time, and the manager approached her about applying for one of 26 positions needing to be filled for prom season. She started today (after an afternoon training session yesterday), and I can't wait to hear how it all went. I'm sure she'll be pooped from being on her feet all day. How fun to channel "Say Yes to the Dress" while helping high school girls find their special gown for the big dance!!!

I'd been eyeing these ceramic berry baskets online

and I'll be darned if Molly didn't get me one from Anthropologie. Love it!

Am just getting around to putting all my Christmas decorations up in the attic. Ugh. One of the things I look forward to when pulling everything down from the attic come holiday time is looking at Christmas cards I received the year before. Every year I tie up the cards in ribbon and a little perty thing, and then unwrap them the following year, a little gift unto themselves. This year they'll be packed away wearing a little knitted mitten and twirled candy cane.

Was super excited to get this book from co-worker Julie. Any gal who has a blog or reads blogs knows of Liz Owen from Mabel's House. We cherish her posts. She's like a neighbor, a gal pal. She bares her soul, and I can't imagine blogland without her presence. Her book was a tonic to the end of my holiday vacation. I expected to smile a lot, even laugh out loud, both of which I did. Get yourself a copy and you'll find out that there's much much more to it than her witty storytelling . . . the tears will come, and you'll love and respect her even more.

Found these Matryoshka (Russian nesting doll) manicure kits at, of all places, Party City. They came in many colors, but I picked up the black and purple ones to keep for gifts. How cute is one of these for a stocking stuffer!?!

And then there's this new addition to my craft table from Ali! She and Matt are building a home in Serenbe, a 900-acre sustainable community in Palmetto, GA. She got this big spool (almost 6" tall) of jute with hand-forged scissors at one of the local shops. Think it's just about the best part of my craft table!

Love Fest

2012-01-09T14:19:00.001-05:00

Harleigh and I agreed that this visit home has been, by far, the best in all the time she's been away at college. It's been a mix of holiday-related busyness and idle vacation-time relaxing. She has matured a great bit since going off to school, and I've gone from loving a little girl to admiring a woman.

While the routine of home (me) and school (girlie) get lost in the straddling of one year and the next, we've come to appreciate what this time should capture for us . . . building our relationship with each other and with God, encouraging each other to be the best we can be. While both of us will welcome routine back into our embrace with familiar fondness, there will be much to miss about two girls and a big hairy dog living under one roof (and all the spontaneity, laughter, talking and loving it entails). As we approach the day to hug and once again say goodbye, each of us knows that a huge part of our hearts go with the other. In reality, we really won't be leaving each other at all.

Gideon and his best gal givin' each other a smooch. (His head is the size of a hydrangea bush. Lots to love.)

Photo Shoot and Some Christmas Pix!

2012-01-06T09:34:00.000-05:00

I did a family photo shoot for the Klein's right after Christmas.

The weather, alas, was miserable, and so no outdoor photos were captured

(with the exception of me going outside and shooting some of the kids through a picture window).

Here are some of what I captured.

For some of the images where the indoor lighting, even with a flash,

resulted in mediocre exposure, I did some photoshop techniques just for fun.

At our own family Christmas it was all about Grayson! And we loved every minute of it.

We plopped him front and center in the middle of my parents' living room.

His Dad holds one of those recordable books — Poppy reading The Night Before Christmas.

What a treasure and tradition it will be.

Harleigh's boyfriend, Kasey, joined us and had no trouble fitting into our family holiday rituals including poppers at dinner (complete with paper hats) and the singing of Christmas carols.

He even did a requested solo without blinking an eye. Our kind of guy.

Grayson arrived for the day's festivities all decked out in a Santa hat and sporting

a just-woke-up-from-a-car-ride look on his face.

On the Eve of 2012

2011-12-31T16:18:00.001-05:00

It's coming up on late afternoon here in the hamlet of Norcross (and it's almost beach-like weather here; sunny with a warm breeze). It was a week of both getting things done and not getting to some things I had hoped to squeeze in. Par for the course for the week we always get off between Christmas and New Year's Day. I head back into work on Monday morning and Harleigh heads downtown in the afternoon for the beginning of Passion.

I met Harleigh's boyfriend, Kasey, over the holiday, and then last night met up with his family for dinner out. His mom and I are two peas in a pod. Kasey and Harleigh headed up to Gainesville this afternoon where her roommate Emily's family is hosting a group of kids for New Year's. I have a New Year's Eve date with Mr. G, snuggling on the sofa and watching period-piece movies.

In the meantime, I'm slowly putting my Christmas decorations into tubs heading for the attic. And the tree comes down tomorrow. But the saddest of all . . . the Christmas music has stopped playing.

Happy New Year to everyone!

Here are some Christmas gifts I hate to put away! A pair of vintage Santa mugs from Julie.

Vintage egg nog cups from my sister-in-law Teri.

And this glitter church (it lights up from the inside in changing colors!) from my sister. It comes from Vintage Bliss, a shabby chic store in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Christmas Eve and a Baptism

2011-12-25T20:09:00.003-05:00

There is something about being around a baby at Christmas that brings home, all the more, the pure and faithful joy that it must have been to welcome our savior into the world. He himself an infant.

Karla, forgive me, please (my beautiful sister who is Grayson's mom) for what may be a blog that brings your dear boy front and center for all the adorableness that he is. What a trooper. His baptism was on Christmas Eve, and he reveled in every bit of the celebration that is Christmas, without a tear or a fit of frustration.

This is an expression our dear boy shares quite often. Gotta love pure happiness.

His christening gown, brought from Italy by his godparents.

What a treasure, both the the outfit and them.

Devon and Ryan's Wedding

2011-12-23T11:48:00.000-05:00

I had the honor of being day-of coordinator for past co-worker Devon's wedding this past September in Athens, GA. What a treat it was to be a part of the special day, and a beautiful one at that. The couple and their festivities now grace the pages of Style Me Pretty (all photographed by my favorite photographer of all time, drumroll, Ali Harper).

Advent Dessert

2011-12-21T23:22:00.000-05:00

Last year I co-hosted a table at my mom's church's Ladies Club Advent Dessert. My mom and I decorated a table together, a whole lotta fun for two gals who love to entertain! This year we were in it with just as much spirit, putting together a table with a silver star theme. My mom made the navy table overskirt, chair backings and napkins. We fashioned the napkin rings from shower curtain rings covered in navy ribbon, then festooned with a silver wooden star. The centerpiece is a styrofoam tree-shaped cone covered in garland greenery, and decorated with battery-powered lights and silver glass balls hung from silver, curled pipe cleaners stuck into the base. Once the lights were turned out, all the tables, bathed in Christmas lights and candles, made quite a spectacular sight.

The gift boxes (wrapped in silver paper, navy ribbon, and topped with a bottle brush tree) hold my mom's delicious white chocolate peppermint fudge. The coffee urn is decked out in stars and the creme puffs and mini eclairs share a spot on the sterling silver platter with a star hanging from an ornament display stand.

Next year, due to popular demand, we're doing a Polish-themed table.

An extra silver ball made its way to my bathroom to hang on a wall pocket lilac.

Wrapping, Baking, Cooking, Decorating . . . it's all soooooooo good!

2011-12-18T18:18:00.002-05:00

This weekend I got all the gifts bought (even made a trip to the mall, where I enjoyed slowly walking, shopping, and people watching . . . a pleasant experience!). I tend to go for the vintage, tacky kind of wrapping. It isn't unusual for me to be gluing stuff to box tops, mixing all kinds of ribbons with papers, curling pipe cleaners for makeshift ribbons, tying on jingle bells. It's all about the "happy."

Decorating never stops. A big ornament that once graced a bookshelf now finds a home on a living room chair relegated to a corner because its seat is too fragile to sit on.

Despite the mind-numbing busyness at work, we squeezed in our gift exchange on Monday and then the cookie swap on Friday. I made my "this-ain't-no-stinkin'-cookie cheese wafers," a crowd favorite for their spicy bite, a palette cleanser from the sweetness of the true cookies.

A view down the swapping table. There was a whole other table set up real perty like for the grazing.

Molly's Iced Mollys take front and center stage.

Since I made my usual non-cookie, I really wanted to contribute to the sweet contributions, AND I've been wanting to make these peppermint cookies for the last few Christmases.

Usually for the swap I buy plates, but we have so many plain plates leftover from other events that I took those and with a box full of Christmas stamps and a stamp pad fashioned using food coloring, created custom-made holidayware!

With a hambone leftover from our office Feast, I made a huge batch of pea soup, probably the easiest of soups to make from scratch. Froze a dozen tupperware containers for wintertime meals.

Merry Christmas, everyone! This last week before our Lord's birth

will be one of great thanks and blessings too many to count.

Christmas at College

2011-12-15T17:24:00.000-05:00

Harleigh shares a duplex with three other girls, and they did us moms proud by decorating their place with a tree, garland, hanging stockings, and lots of Christmas tchotchkes to bring holiday into their home-away-from-home. Here is Harleigh's room, its dormer decked out in white lights and glittery snowflakes. And there's the pretty pink tree on her desk too!

A Weekend of Christmas Cheer

2011-12-11T18:21:00.000-05:00

The wreaths are hung. (Thank you, Big Lots, for these beauties that make an appearance every year.) Bottle brush with silver balls. In past years I've hung them from ribbon.

This year, the trusty suction cup.)

For my prayer pal at church, who is a member of the Crafty Ladies at our church, I made a craft belt. Fabric sewed on with embroidery floss (to cover the Ace logo ), pieces cut from vintage crocheted doilies and pillowcases, buttons, and a ring, fastened with antique lace, holding old skeleton keys along with a clip to hold scissors.

The craft belt was wrapped in a package decorated with a vintage deer, red seam binding ribbon, a bottle brush tree, and a piece from a crocheted doily. I'm liking using these little vignettes instead of bows.

Mr. Cuckoo decorated his house with a wreath.

Gideon is loving the cold weather. He assumes a position in the far part of the yard where he can watch the neighbors and all the comings and goings.

This year, with a small (but growing) Fontanini nativity set,

I chose to use a cloche and a single branch of green, front and center on the coffee table.

Purchased a bunch of poinsettias from a neighbor boy selling them

to raise money for a baseball trip next year.

They arrived huge and healthy. A lovely touch of Christmas.

A glorious weekend capped by baking this evening.

Balance

2011-12-04T20:19:00.001-05:00

I've managed (knock on wood) to create a balance in my life that can only be attributed to a renewed faith and a commitment to prayer and peace, kindness and gratitude. I won't go into all the details here, but suffice it to say that the last 3 months have revealed a "whole" me, a woman who has left resentment and regret behind, fully focused, now, on the joys ahead of me. Tomorrow may rear its ugly head in some stark reality of tragedy or ugliness, but I'll be facing it with a wholeness of good and humble self I've not felt in quite some time.

[The image above is of dear Gideon, home from the groomer on Saturday, where they shampooed him to perfection. Like a clean baby all powdered and snuggly, he napped on the sofa, awaking every so often to gaze at the tree, reminding himself that Christmas truly is the best season of all.]

Thankful for Grayson

2011-11-29T22:07:00.001-05:00

Not having my grandmother here for Thanksgiving was sad for all of us, but what a joy a new baby brought to our family. On Thursday it was all about Grayson. How could it not be? Come on, look at this cutie. I got a chance to experiment more with my camera (and Photoshop). I still find it all a bit daunting, but the thrill of capturing moments . . . priceless.

Mom requested that we bring over Harleigh's wagon from when she was little. I cleaned it up (it became a transporter of plants and gardening tools since my little girl grew up), lined it with a pretty quilt, and Poppy took a cardboard box to create a seat for our little man. I left the string on the back axle; Harleigh had put it there when she and the neighborhood kids strung all their wagons together to make a parade (little things like this have to be preserved).

After the walk and the warm temperatures, Grayson was down for the count. Poppy managed to slide the cardboard seat from under him and he took a nap while we ate our dessert.

And we can't overlook the additional cuteness at the table. As small a group we have for our holiday meals, we never go without placecards. Karla made this year's: Grayson's handprint cut out of scrapbook paper and laminated. Mom found these ceramic pumpkin placecard holders on sale at Williams Sonoma.

And Grandie's beautiful table all decked out in browns and golds. Just as scrumptious as the food!

Aprons and Birdhouses . . . It's Christmas Everywhere!

2011-11-27T18:17:00.002-05:00

Got the girl back on the road after church and a quick Target run. It was a great Thanksgiving long weekend. Not once did I feel overwhelmed or anxious. I do believe that I have paved the way for a relaxing holiday, both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Harleigh enjoyed Chateau Gahan, relishing a house not filled with girls and the temptation to stay up until 1AM watching 500 Days of Summer and eating cookie dough. She certainly missed her routine at school, but was happy to wake up to the smell of coffee brewing and breakfast cooking in the skillet. One of the true joys of motherhood is simply doing the things that make make home, well, home.

Will share pictures of Christmas decorating as I get things accomplished. In the meantime, an outdoor birdhouse needed a little Christmas.

Here are pix of the aprons she made for her roommates, what they'll wear when they bake goodies for holiday giving. She put her heart and soul into these. I am so proud of her efforts. The sewing machine whirred, she sang out loud to Christmas songs, and she seemed like a version of me when I cheerfully craft. Each apron's fabric was hand picked for the recipient (Harleigh's is the vintage Santa one). I love seeing her immerse herself into things that my mom and I both love . . . in this case sewing.

2011-11-27T00:36:00.001-05:00

The roller coaster weather brought about everything from my girlie hibernating from the cold temperatures (and the fact that I keep the heat at 63 degrees) to putting up our Christmas tree in swoony temps that begged doors and windows be propped open.

It was a glorious long weekend. A dinner at my mom's unrivaled by any past. Christmas tree shopping, donning our car grills with Christmas wreaths (and the reminder, out of this tradition, that no man will ever win my heart without wearing a Santa hat to Christmas shop), and nesting to Christmas music whilst crafting and cooking (my neighbor's Thanksgiving gift of a smoked turkey equals a turkey corn chowder that I'll enjoy for the next 8 months out of my freezer stash).

And Harleigh had two dear friends over last night who basked in the Christmas glory that Chateau Gahan wears like a badge of honor this time of year. And Hannah, dear Hannah, told me, "Mamma G, if I ever win the lottery I'm going to buy your house and everything in it. Maybe even you."

Enough said. I set out every year to create a home, a true home, in every sense of the word. When a 19-year-old gets it, I think I've struck gold.

This year's tree is all about being girly. Lots of pink, including a swathing of our dear tree trunk in a vintage hand-embroidered tablecloth in pinks and greens.

And Gideon now sports his Christmas collar.

[Pictures tomorrow of the aprons Harleigh made for all her roommates for their Christmas baking extravaganza. She made me so proud as she worked through patterns, fabrics and trim to make the ultimate heartfelt gift. You go, girly!]

The girly theme made its way to our front door where pretty-colored ornaments garnish a white wreath.

The Kids' Table — The Feast 2011

2011-11-19T16:36:00.002-05:00

This year's theme allowed me to channel the inner kid within this 51-year-old constitution. And it came quite easily, a pleasant reminder that I'm only as old as I feel. I decided to do The Kids' Table, a light-hearted theme that I knew would bring instant childlike abandonment to all those at the table.

I begin thinking of a theme for the next Feast right after one ends. And once I settle on an idea, then that leaves me a year to plan and craft. This year's was actually pretty easy. Instead of our usual drop-cloth tablecloths, I used plastic, and covered the table in one long sheet of white butcher paper, the idea being for everyone to write on the table using crayons and markers (hence the plastic underneath). To hold all the markers and crayons, I covered tin cans in yarn and in brown craft paper decorated with puff balls and pipe cleaners. I had forgotten just how fun it is to craft with pipe cleaners! It didn't matter that you could see tape holding the craft paper in place . . . it is the Kids' Table after all.

Each place was set with a large oval dinner plate and brown paper napkins rolled around utensils and secured with pipe cleaner napkin rings, each uniquely different (which we girls all turned into rings, dahling). Some of the rings had a Dr. Suess quality to them.

Down the center of the table I used oil lamps and small tealight candles.

Since this year we had a number of guests from outside the office, I made nametags, gluing writing/alphabet paper onto cardstock, adhering felt pilgrims (had both boy and girl figures with different colors of hair), using yarn to make a necklace, and then writing the names using Sharpies. Everyone proudly wore them . . . a big hit.

No Kids' Table is truly for children unless it has a crepe paper folding turkey.

I put signs out everywhere to stage where everything goes, and then throw away the signs as items make their way to their proper place. Next year (especially if we have guests like we did this year), I'm going to have to create prettier labels that serve to ID the food (not just help me get organized).

The Publix pilgrim salt and pepper shakers show up in the kitchen on the Monday of our Feast week, a reminder of what's to come!

And we have this morbid (but so very fun) tradition of doing a weigh-in before and after the meal. I won't go into all the details; you get the idea. (I do post all the results from past years.)

We even start the day with homemade goodies. These bacon date scones were a new addition this year and much loved.

Tod, our president, bringing out one of two 20 lb. birds.

And of course we MUST make crisp white cuffs for their little legs.

And you can see in the upper left . . . a treat I made for everyone. Setting on a construction paper leaf, two "acorns" made from a Hershey kiss, a mini vanilla wafer (held in place with a smidge of peanut butter) and then topped off with a "stem" of peanut butter created with a decorating tip on a pastry bag. Found this idea on Pinterest. If anyone has a genius idea for how to transport these, please do tell.

Here I am in my Christmas shirt. Such a freak.

Everyone gets in line to scoop up all the homemade goodness. Tod is carving at the head of the buffet table, taking requests for white vs. dark.

At the beginning of the meal I encouraged everyone to decorate the paper cloth and not to worry about spills and drops. That's half the charm.

Tod acknowledging our guests, our blessings (he's got last year's "thankfuls" in his hands as a reminder that every year we have so much to be grateful for) and the meal to come!

I plan on displaying the table art this coming Monday. And I'm onto next year's planning! (For past Feasts, see my event list on the right column for links to their posts.)

And thanks to Buzz Busbee for taking most of these photos!

Maybe winning the lottery isn't such a good idea

2011-11-13T21:16:00.001-05:00

Weekends are so wonderful. After a tough work week, there's nothing like settling into two days so very different in complexion from the work week routine. By Saturday at noon I had:
1) gotten groceries
2) made a dessert, crab cakes, the fixings for a caesar salad, and an artichoke and parmesan dip for my parents coming to dinner that evening
3) gotten a Feast project completed
4) listened to 5 Christmas CDs (one 3x — Andrea Bocelli's "My Christmas." Who knew that "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" could wind up becoming a favorite of mine!?!? I've yet to tire of listening to it. His duets with Mary J. Blige, Natalie Cole, The Muppets, Reba McEntire, and Katherine Jenkins. . . one is better than the next. And his "The Lords Prayer" with The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is touching beyond words.
5) and was ready to run errands, go to the gym, and, of course, listen to more Christmas music.

For dessert Saturday evening, I really wanted to have something fruity that I could pair with vanilla ice cream, so I went to my recipe file and found a recipe from, believe it or not, a file of good eats I had compiled from when my Pap Pap passed away. My Nana's house had been overflowing with food when he left us, every dish delivered from a friend stopping by with condolences in the form of hugs and casseroles — food never ceases to make a heart feel warm. There was everything from a delectable chopped ham spread, to dips, to this apple "pie" (at least that's what it was titled) that is really more of an Apple Betty. Easy to make and, in typical fashion of anything worth baking or cooking from scratch, better the second day. Here's the recipe.

6 cups of peeled, cored and sliced apples
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Bisquick
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. butter — melted
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325. Grease pie plate (I used a quiche dish and think it works better than a pie plate). Mix apples and spices, turn into plate. Beat remaining ingredients until smooth. Pout into plate. Sprinkle with streusel. Bake 50-60 minutes. [I made the whole shebang the night before and just put the streusel topping aside and put on right before baking.]

Streusel Topping

Mix 1 cup of Bisquick, 1/2 cup chopped nuts ( I used pecans which I think were way better a match to the apples and spices than if I'd have used walnuts). 1/3 cup brown suger, 3 Tbsp firm butter cut into small pieces.

P.S. And as much as I'd love to win the lottery, would weekends still be such a treat if every day were a weekend day? Perhaps reason enough to stick with the day job and be content with those two little gems in the week that shine with creativity, family, nesting and Chateau Gahan. Besides, where else but on the weekend can you afford to make typos? On a cozy Saturday morning, "continuous" can be spelled any way you dang feel like it (especially if it's on a fridge dry erase board).

And the etsy shell crosses are coming along. I so don't want to do this etsy thing half-arsed. They are done, photographed (but not to my exact standard of how I want to them to be portrayed), and the backs need my signature (a branding element) along with a scripture that fits each cross. The bottom line . . . I need another weekend. 5 days and counting.

TV Weaknesses

2011-11-10T08:32:00.001-05:00

One of the perks of going to the gym (and, in fact, what makes me want to go in large part) is that I can watch cable TV while on the elliptical or treadmill. Chateau Gahan gets about 8 channels; I'm just too cheap to subscribe to anything other than the $21-a-month package. And so I head to the gym a little before 8PM and settle into a good hour of the kind of programming I can't get at home, everything from The Housewives of [whatever city] on Bravo, to House Hunters on HGTV, to Dance Moms on Lifetime.

Once I'm back home, showered and in my jammies, there's crafting to be done, Gideon-snuggling to commence, magazine reading to catch up on, and one show (on network tv) that I never miss . . . Parenthood. If you've not seen it, it's worth catching-up on (Hulu and Netflix both have past episodes). It takes me back to the great TV of "thirtysomething," the show that I couldn't get enough of, and "Lipstick Jungle," which to this day I'm ticked was never picked up for another season.

[Yes, a drivel of a post. Guilty as charged. Craft posts to happen this weekend. Promise. The Feast, after all, is next week, and there's a tablescape just waiting to be created!]

Feel-Good Sunday

2011-11-06T15:41:00.004-05:00

What feels good today?

I woke up early, having gained an hour. The house was a bit on the chilly side, which is OK, 'cause I like putting on a pot of coffee on a crisp Fall morning in my jammies and wearing a woolen cardigan.

Within minutes of my feet hitting the ground out of bed, the Christmas music was on. That feels better than good.

I put a big enamelware pot on the stove and boiled chicken breasts to make chicken salad for lunches this week. Fasten the seat belt, it's gonna be a crazy one at Unboundary. I'll need lunches to grab on the go. The homey smell of chicken coupled with the Dutchman's Tangello candle burning on the kitchen island . . . one of the many reasons I love Chateau Gahan.

I got all of my errands out of the way yesterday, with the exception of grocery shopping, which I love, by the way. Besides shopping in thrift stores, I'll leisurely walk the aisles of Ingles any day over mall or retail store shopping. I've got to pick up items for an office birthday breakfast (I'm making my standard fare breakfast casserole with salsa side), for The Feast (I do the stuffing and Nana's cranberry salad; might do a green bean casserole as well. Oh, and I have a special treat I'm making as goodies for everyone to take. A little secret . . . this year's theme is "The Kids' Table"), and for our family Thanksgiving meal. What's better than grocery shopping? HOLIDAY grocery shopping!!!!

(And I was made to grocery shop today, and not at the usual Ingles, because I ran into friend Melinda at Publix and we're long overdue to get together.)

My sister Beth, living through a bit of upheaval and healing now, took time out of her crazy schedule to cross-stitch and sew these Christmas hangers for me. She knows I start Christmas November 1, and these arrived in time to kick-off the holiday season with a bit of Sissy to make me smile (and cause me, as always, to miss her like crazy).

Good is getting to the gym both yesterday and today. Come to find out, an hour out of the day to stay healthy is not only doable, but it feels amazing.

Church this morning, as it does every Sunday, made me well-up, especially this day as it is All Saints Sunday, when names of the departed are in print and read aloud, each name to the sound of a church bell. And I was in charge of setting the altar table for communion. I love Altar Guild, all the ritual and holiness surrounding the Lord's Supper.

And one of the sweetest musings of this Feel-Good Sunday post is what began Friday when I got home from work. A phone message awaited me. A woman named Laura who had just found my blog, gushed praises that reminded me how worth it it is to share The Gahan Girls, and apologetically said she had googled me on whitepages.com to find my phone number (All of us bloggers have felt like stalkers at one time or another. Laura, no apologies necessary. In fact, for the most part we're an over-trustworthy lot of well-meaning folks.). Anywho, she had an embroidered piece of art that she's had for awhile, and after reading my blog, she knew she was meant to gift it to me. I called her back and we hit it off immediately. Made arrangements for her to stop by (she lives two towns over), as her son had a sporting event in my neck of the woods. The embroidered piece has my name written all over it, but most heartwarming is that she and I have a ton in common and I've found a kindred spirit in a once-was-stranger.

On the right, it is covering my fireplace and so you can get an idea of its grand size.

Here it is in Harleigh's room where it goes so perfectly with her color scheme. She'd been drawn to embroidered artwork the few times we've gone into thrift and vintage stores, so there's a good chance she'll be smitten with this one!

May you have a Feel Good Sunday and a feel good week.

(And thank you, Laura, for doing such a generous thing, for making me feel so good!)

Being a mom, through a chair

2011-11-05T20:02:00.000-04:00

When Harleigh was little I never tired of making her days special. Whether it was helping her make a blanket fort or hand-crafting a Halloween costume like no one else's, there was such joy in the simple act of being creative. As she grew up, I thought that would change. That there would be fewer and fewer opportunities to show her my love and appreciation through crafting and imagination. I figured that holding her up as the wonderful being she is might be through words more than actions. But I've been proven quite wrong.

She appreciates my love-fueled creativity more than ever, especially as she sets out in the world to create her own surroundings and moments of beauty and happiness.

Her college-apartment bedroom desk and chair, a French Provincial set handed down from a graduating senior friend, is a great staple in her ever-growing collection of her own furniture, which someday will grace her first place when she's graduated and on her own. We kept the desk ivory with gold accents, but I wanted to spruce up the chair.

Found this gray and yellow floral satin fabric to cover the seat (not one of my best upholstery jobs at all, but it'll do). I wanted the chair to mimic one of those drop-dead gorgeous gowns, pretty from the front but, wow, when you see the back.

Oh so pretty back.

French Tomes

2011-11-02T23:38:00.000-04:00

Walking in the charming St. Simons Island this weekend past, I came across a book market and snagged these French tomes. They were corralled with a piece of jute, too sweet to pass up. Ya know how certain things just call out your name and you've no idea why you feel must bring them home? Dawn Gahan, I introduce you to five tomes of Le Vicomte de Bragelonne. A match made.

Spider Invasion

2011-10-29T14:16:00.000-04:00

For this year's mantle and spreading Halloween ghoulishness,

I opted for the invasion of the plastic, glittery spiders.

Boo.

Happy Friday!

2011-10-28T11:17:00.000-04:00

Harleigh comes home today for the weekend.

All is good because I get to spend time with my favorite person in the world.

October 22

2011-10-22T19:31:00.002-04:00

At yesterday's book sale, I found an older edition of Harleigh's favorite devotional book Streams in the Desert. I was happy to start my morning off on such a great note, and am looking forward to asking Harleigh if her daily devotionals from the newer edition mirror mine.

After breakfast and a slow, slow push to start the day, I made a trip to Christ Church, an historical landmark (and an operating church) set amidst huge oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. It was so very quiet, very few people on the grounds. I wasn't there at the times that inside tours are offered, but I was happy to walk the cemetery, sit on a bench, and take in the serenity.

Below right is one of the books I bought yesterday, Robert Browning's Poems, for a mere $2. I shot it on the sand, nature's loveliest backdrop.

For lunch I went back to the outdoor cafe where Julie and I had eaten yesterday. I liked that it wasn't a super busy place, there are tables in the sun, the food is good, and even though it's on the main drag of Pier Village, it's quiet enough that I knew I could read my paper and eat in a calm quiet.

After lunch I headed straight to the beach where I set up camp with a chair, an umbrella, and nary a piece of reading material. The sun was out, the temperatures enough to warm and not to sweat. I watched kites in the sunlight, dogs catching frisbees, kids building sandcastles, and closed my eyes every once in a while to concentrate on and savor the sound of the waves. October 22, a good day.

The Wedding Day

2011-10-22T10:58:00.002-04:00

Up early yesterday, breakfast snagged from the free buffet and brought up to my room, showered and dressed and off to downtown St. Simons, otherwise known as Pier Village. I'm not sure what I was expecting (and to be honest, with the weather sunny and in the lower to mid-70s, downtown could have been a Walgreens, a 3-foot pier and a single palm tree and the visit would have been perfect), but the town was absolutely adorable.

Such a variety of shops. The shell shop (and I always look for those when I go to the shore) called The Beach Bum was the best I've ever been in. It's a small, dark and dusty little shop, but chocked full of shells I've not come across before. I loaded up on items for my shell crosses, smiling like a kid at Christmas as I walked out the door.

And then there is Dutchmans. Can't get enough of the painted furniture and the smell of potpourri and Tangelo candles.

As I made my way down to the pier, I noticed something going on at the covered outdoor atrium of the visitors center. Appeared to be a bunch of tables. A farmers' market? Yard sale? When I got closer . . . table after table covered in boxes of books. The St. Simons Island Literary League book sale. Scored some beauties and will photograph them today to share.

Lunch with co-worker Julie at an outdoor cafe. We didn't want to leave. Sitting in the sun and eating fresh fish, sipping iced tea, chatting . . . so very good.

Wrapped up the day and then was off to Sherry's wedding. I didn't take any pictures as I was cabbing it and not wanting to schlep my equipment around. Suffice it to say a great great time —a heartfelt church wedding followed by a rooftop reception overlooking the ocean (here at Ocean Lodge). Sherry was the kind of bride you can't take your eyes off of. And husband Mario showered her with such affection and admiration all evening. Soulmates.

Have some sightseeing and beach time carved out for today. Heading home tomorrow. I miss Gideon like crazy. He so has my heart.

Let the vacation begin!

2011-10-20T22:01:00.004-04:00

Co-worker Sherry's wedding is tomorrow evening in St. Simons. Took today to make the trip. Usually a 5-hour drive would make me groan with dread, but I took a back-route to make the trip more interesting. Might not have been the smartest choice for a woman traveling alone, but I'm not one to shy away from making an adventure out of one of the few times I get to create Dawn time.

The landscape for most of the trip was Southern rural at its best. When I stopped to fill up at a mom-and-pop gas station (and I was only half a tank low but afraid I'd not see another sign of life before registering E for empty), there was a dog at the pumps, obviously the owner's and an establishment fixture. He didn't seem phased by any of the trucks or people, nor was he interested in being petted or fawned upon. A true front-porch kinda dog. And when I paid for my gas, the woman behind the counter talked to her husband who was standing behind me in a camo jacket and holding a shotgun. Only in southern Georgia.

I stopped at a few thrift stores on the way, the best being Southern Sisters right outside of Brunswick. I saw the owners sitting out front in rocking chairs and made a Smokey and the Bandit turn into the parking lot. Pure heaven. Got tons of shells, vintage ceramic ware, a like-butter leather Fossil messenger bag (for my dear girl Harleigh), and a few other random pieces. And struck up a great conversation with the owners. That's always an added bonus for me.

Got to the hotel, a charming spot, quiet and off the beaten path. Once I checked in, off to the beach, where I took all these pictures. More to come, but for now these images speak volumes about what a vacation means to me . . . white sand, salty air, and the sound of the ocean.

HUGE giveaway over at Jennifer Rizzo's blog

2011-10-18T12:10:00.000-04:00

Stop by this deeee-liteful post and see the magnificent giveaway celebrating the unveiling of the Vintage Tea Collection at Jennifer Rizzo's etsy shop. She's giving away $400 worth of merchandise AND a $100 gift certificate for jewelry. Too pretty to pass up a try at this one!

She's drawing the winner next Monday night, so hurry!

Calm . . .

2011-10-15T16:00:00.000-04:00

I wanted to do a calming post today, because that is how I feel. With the wonky week behind me (although I do have a daunting work project to tackle before my head hits the pillow Sunday night), I focus my weekend on nesting, our new senior pastor's installation on Sunday and "A Night on Broadway" at our church this evening. Got my flu shot today and struck up the best conversation with the CVS nurse; one of those times you find yourself walking away with a smile on your face, grateful for kindness in the world. Be kind to someone today; it's an under-rated gift.

So, I'm about halfway finished the four shell crosses I'll be listing on etsy. I've really put a lot of work into these; they're a little more involved than the ones I've done in the past. And inspired by shell encrusted busts I've seen, I'm going to give a stab at doing one myself, using the below ceramic bust.

Did you know yesterday was dubbed Footloose Friday? Harleigh celebrated by hanging out with friends to watch the old Footloose, and then on Sunday they'll go see the new one at a matinee. I think I'll wait 'til it comes out on NetFlix.

{a fabric night light in my ken}

Never thought I'd say this, but I've been inspired by Marc Anthony. Yes the scrawny singer who snagged the staggeringly beautiful J-Lo and now has a line of menswear at Kohl's. His commercial on TV draws me in every time, just to hear him say near its end "Your passion chooses YOU." Love that.

{flowers in my ken}

And in the spirit of keepin' it real, my aging face has developed that soft pocket of fat under the chin, known as "the waddle." It's not need-plastic-surgery bad (at least not by my standards), but I do notice it in pictures and wince when I see it. Yesterday I noticed a pimple (I'm 51, what the heck?) . . . on my waddle. What's worse than a pimple? A pimple on your waddle.

Have a great weekend to all my blog followers. And thanks for hanging around, especially through my less-than-I'd-like postings. The holidays are coming and you know what a Christmas freak I am! (The Christmas music comes out November 1. Enough said). I'll be knee deep in Christmas-related crafts to share.

Before and Afters

2011-10-09T21:13:00.002-04:00

I'll get on with the craft before and afters in a bit. But for now, let me just say that a gab session with God can do wonders for the soul and a girl's outlook on life. It will, no doubt, create a before-and-after much more monumental and life-changing than any room redo or wardrobe fix. I entered the weekend defeated and crippled with guilt and confusion. By this evening, well, let's just say that I listened for a change. I handed it over, and He took charge. I don't do that nearly as much as I should. This stubborn old mule knows when she's beaten down enough to surrender. She knows when her behavior has taken her hostage. And she admits that happiness is to be found in things worth fighting for, but doing so with humbleness and grace. That, my friends, is the big before-and-after.

On the homefront, I enjoyed a weekend like I've not experienced in quite a while. Chateau Gahan held me within its warm embrace for the good part of two whole days. And excursions out were for the single purpose of nourishing my body and soul. What more could I ask for?

Harleigh has a lighted paper lantern in her apartment bedroom and I'd wanted to do something to spruce it up. I saw this idea on the Dos Family blog that used a large round balloon and crocheted paper doilies. Seemed to me that I could hijack that idea for the paper lantern. I think the end result is pretty — not as lovely as my inspiration — and will make Harleigh's French Provincial Bohemian Chic room sing with vintage sweetness. Here are images of it hanging in her room at Chateau Gahan. It will soon grace her Statesboro crib. I used doilies from my Nana's wellspring of handmade doilies. They can live in a closet or be cut up and used to enjoy. I think she is looking down and smiling.

And I began, in earnest, my work on several shell crosses for my Etsy shop. I've got four going at one time, each one with a special touch. Just putting my hands to shells at my craft table makes me feel as if I'm on a white sand beach, the sun on my back, not a worry in the world.

And here is a before picture, the after to come soon. Harleigh's desk chair is in major need of a redo. And so I'm hatching something wonderful. Stay tuned.

Giveaway at Cynthia's Cottage Design

2011-10-05T17:38:00.000-04:00

I love visiting Cynthia's Cottage Design, pouring over her miniature creations. Sights to behold, each and every one! She's giving away one of her pieces, a kitchen baker's rack complete with treats and treasures. Stop on by to enter! And wish her congrats on being published and an early happy birthday!

Two pretty images

2011-10-05T13:12:00.000-04:00

This past weekend while mall shopping with the girlie for winter clothes,

I saw this ice cream cake and had to take a picture.

I've seen similar cakes before but perhaps this one caught my eye

because the colors are so my palette.

And here is a snapshot of a hodpepodge of items on my craft table.

I used Photoshop to make it look like a painting.

I plan on getting back on the craft wagon and posting some handiwork.

And of course Trunk or Treat is just around the corner!

And FYI, the colonoscopy went fine. Considering I was in twilight sleep for the icky part, it was rather a spa-like experience. Everything from the darkened room where the procedure took place, the hushed voices of the nurses and doctor, and the relaxing meds they had me on, I'd like to think that I woke up after a soothing body massage rather than an invasive exploration of an orifice.

The Prep

2011-10-03T20:25:00.000-04:00

One of the "joys" of turning 50 is having to get a colonoscopy. Happens tomorrow for dear old Dawn E. Girl. And so today I left work early to start my regimen of pills and water to clean me out. It's 7:59 as I write this, about time for round 2 of pills, and so far it's not been nearly as dramatic as I'd thought it'd be. TMI, I'm sure, but keepin' it real, keepin' it real.

Last night, though, I enjoyed an evening outside, chilly temps, Gideon at my feet, and a chiminea stoked and warming. Sat outside from 6:00 until well after dark. The fireside is one of my weaknesses.

corduroy and sandals

2011-10-01T20:31:00.006-04:00

Harleigh is home this weekend! We spent a filled-to-the-brim day in Athens on Friday. The day started off chilly and by afternoon was humid enough to stir a sweat. A corduroy and sandal kind of day. She has been considering (and after Friday has pretty much cemented her decision) a transfer to UGA for junior year.

Honestly, when we arrived in Athens, we felt like Dorothy landing in Munchkinland and then Oz. From the little town of Statesboro to this bustling and huge campus, complete with a stadium that seemed too surreal to digest. We got there early (as all Gahan Girls do . . . always, always arrive well before expected). Walked around campus, shopped in the bookstore, then had our appointment with an advisor. He had a student meet with us — most helpful. We ended early and had hoped to meet with the girlfriend of one of my coworker's (she's a student there), but the timing had gotten a bit off, and we were anxious to get to the admissions office and get the rest of our questions answered.

With the school-related items checked off our list, we grabbed a quick lunch patio-side on Broad Street and hit the vintage clothing stores. The two of us can never get enough of others' castaways.

Harleigh scored some jeans and a cute hippy-chick top. We then parked ourselves in a sunny spot, grabbing an iced tea and talking, talking talking, laughing, laughing, laughing (something we've quite perfected). In the early evening I dropped her off downtown to meet up with some friends over tapas, grabbed my own self some dinner (something my blog readers know is one of my favorite things to do — eat dinner out by myself), then I picked her up and we headed back to the hamlet of Norcross. An hour-and-20-minutes home. Quite a difference from the 3+ hours it takes to get to or from Georgia Southern.

We're feeling very good about this. A bit like Dorothy. But a Gahan Girl caught in a cyclone can land on steady ground, a smile on her face, and stand bolstered with a wisdom beyond compare.

Some random pix from the weekend:

With her trustworthy 4G iphone (and my ancient 3G) — where WOULD we be without these???? —along with her vintage Coach messenger bag (glued to her side constantly),

we made an adventure out of a trip to Athens.

And boy was it good to have my girl home, sleeping in a rumpled bed of Holly Hobbie sheets, mismatched blankets and a fiercely loyal herd of stuffed animals.

Her room will always welcome her with open arms.

Chateau Gahan never disappoints in the arena of little niceties that make it a home, whether it be shells nested in the fruit bowl, plants in spice tins or dear boy Gideon doing what he does best . . . looking cute and hangin' out.

It's the little things . . .

2011-09-27T17:31:00.001-04:00

. . . that make me happy.

Like thrifting and finding more afghans for my collection. This striped multi-color one is a keeper. The other is cream, chocolate brown and baby blue, one of my favorite color combinations. It even has fringe.

And can a plastic watering can get any cuter than this?

My desk lamp with my shoji screen behind it. Lots of pretty and happy patterns, from the florals on the lamp, the Delft tin, the embroidered scarf, to the hodgepodge of scrapbook paper that I used to turn the screen from blah to boing.

And then there's my dear Gideon. I suppose he isn't a "little thing" that makes me happy. This big thing is joyful to me by simply licking my hand or resting his head on my knee. Here he is at the front door, sporting a summer haircut just starting to grow out.

MIA

2011-09-21T19:10:00.000-04:00

Been gone for awhile but for good reasons. Last weekend was Jesse's wedding. I drove to Augusta on Wednesday to drop off a ton of stuff and help the bride, came home that evening, took Thursday to do all the final crafting and packing, then left Friday morning, back to Augusta for the rehearsal dinner. The wedding was Saturday. Back home Sunday to sleep, sleep and sleep. It was a whirlwind of a long weekend, all of it bathed in happiness and DIY heartfelt decor. Ali shot mostly film so it will be a bit before we have images to share, but I promise, you won't be disappointed!

In the meantime, busy preparing for Devon's wedding this weekend. I'm day-of-coordinator for her big day. I drive to Athens this Friday for the rehearsal, the wedding is on Saturday evening. The Foundry, where both the ceremony and wedding are taking place, is so quaint. Here is a picture of the hotel portion of the complex. It feels like it's straight out of New England.

And on the Chateau Gahan homefront, Harleigh is looking at transferring from Georgia Southern to UGA. We have an appointment next week to visit with a UGA advisor. She wants a more expansive education department so that she can broaden her early childhood course load with things like nutrition science. At first I was a bit overwhelmed at the thought of the transfer logistics, but the bottom line is that I want her to be happy in her studies. I've always liked the size of Georgia Southern, but now that I've seen Harleigh integrate into college life so seamlessly, I think she'll do fine on a huge campus like UGA. The girl knows how to find her place with the right group of kids. And she knows tons of kids there from Providence Christian Academy where she went to high school and from her summer camp counselor work at Perimeter's Camp All American. I'll make sure I take my camera next week so that I can share our trip!

Eat Pink Cake

2011-09-11T11:14:00.000-04:00

A great birthday yesterday, complete with this pink strawberry cake slice, a freebie from my favorite Saturday lunch spot, My Friend's Place. Brought it home and topped it with a candle and a plastic sentiment! Dinner and drinks at Altobelli's, the family's favorite piano bar ('cause we love us some piano bar!). And the weather, warm and breezy with a touch of autumn in the air, was certainly a gift.

Clean Fridge

2011-09-10T10:22:00.000-04:00

I like keeping the clear shelving in my refrigerator/freezer clean, and there are certain culprits that always seem to leave evidence of living within its doors. Culprits: milk cartons, jelly jars, syrups. And so I've put to use a lovely tray gifted to me by Gretchen over at Bird Nest Cottage. It now holds all those jars and cartons. If they happen to leave behind a ring or drip, 1) you can't see it, and 2) clean up is easy once a week, simply pulling out the tray and giving it a good swipe with a damp cloth. It looks nice. Home decor in your home appliances. We nesting gals know how to take decorating to a whole new level! (And, yes, I have lost the lid to the Reddi-Whip.)

And at the end of the day . . .

2011-09-09T10:52:00.000-04:00

. . . there are dog toys and stuffed animals to be put away.

I find these as endearing as a house full of kids' toys.

Contentment

2011-09-08T21:53:00.002-04:00

The planets have all aligned. And that doesn't imply, by any stretch of the imagination, that things are going perfectly. Sometimes, for the planets to align, it simply means that I am feeling good about life . . . where I am, how I'm dealing with and reacting to the bumps in the road, and that I'm finding happiness in being . . . content. It's what I strive for each and every day. Sometimes I'm able to snatch it like an Olympic sprinter crossing the finish line. And sometimes it's achieved with the slow deliberation of a baby bird learning to fly. In either case, it's work well worth it. It's called faith. It makes the good great and the not-so-good easier to swallow. And I find the older I get, the more of a prize it is to fight for.

A few pix, just 'cause I haven't posted in a while. Have been busy at work, spending evening hours at the gym and then home to craft and work on wedding preparations. The balance has suited me well.

Here's my trusty sidekick; without him by my side, things at home wouldn't be nearly as fun. I've just got to kiss that big black nose to be reminded that I'm lucky to be loved by an Old English Sheepdog like no other.

The crucifix hanging in my foyer, a wedding gift to my late grandparents. Such a treasure. And so beautiful.

The wedding coming up September 17 is outside at this lovely spot on the Savannah River.

And one of my many welcome-home chairs. Either filled with my busy self or a sleeping Gideon. The chairs at Chateau Gahan are cushy and homey, and usually with a warm body in their arms.

4 days of this . . . who's complaining?

2011-09-02T11:44:00.001-04:00

I'm certainly not. I've got four whole days of crafting, working on Jesse's wedding. The table is in shambles . . . lovely, crafty, paint and Mod Podge, fabric and ribbon shambles.

Carl Bray is gone, but his touch will never leave me

2011-09-01T21:27:00.000-04:00

Those of you who have read my blog for quite some time remember my postings about Carl Bray, a California plein air painter whose work I fell in love with when my then-husband and I lived in southern California and traveled to Palm Desert for business and relaxation. If you've not read the posts, they're worth reading. It's quite a story. It begins with this one and then leads to this one. God at work, no doubt, touching people in the most unexpected ways. (The picture above shows my beloved Carl Bray painting hanging above my fireplace — the image is small so I apologize for the lack of clarity.)

Well, every once in awhile I google Carl Bray, just to see what he's up to. A few weeks ago, I was saddened to chance upon his obituary. I emailed Kim, a friend of his and the one who had passed my blog post onto him, passing on my condolences. She sent me this link, a lovely tribute to a man I've never known but who is a part of who I am. And he left the world knowing he had made a difference in my little life.

Weekend Randomness

2011-08-28T16:00:00.000-04:00

A bit overwhelmed this weekend with all I've got on my plate. In fact, so much so that I took some things off my list completely. The Etsy shop I have set up and had planned on stocking this weekend with a ton of items (mostly decorative tinware) . . . it ain't gonna happen. And I'm OK with that. I think I would have accomplished much more this weekend had I not been slammed with a bout of depression. I'm currently on estrogen for my hot flashes, but I might have to call into the doctor about adding progesterone to help battle the downtimes. They don't happen all that often, but when they do, they're crippling. And I don't have time to shut down. (Random photo above of the wall in my laundry room, a quilting of scrapbook paper glued to the wall.)

For Jesse's wedding coming up September 17, I'm making some birds to sit in the rafters of the reception pavilion. They'll be holding a banner in their beaks. I bought Halloween crows at Michaels (the kind covered with black feathers) and have just about papier mached them completely. Then they'll get a coat of paint and a decorative treatment. Love 'em.

One of the fun things about Harleigh's room at school is that we really didn't finish it. She wanted a giant mirror to lean against a wall. Those suckers are expensive. And we couldn't find one that fits in with her decor. Not until I made a pit stop at Goodwill yesterday! Saw this for $25, slapped a sold tag on it, and sent her a picture. She loves it! It isn't exactly the width we were ultimately wanting (we wanted something huge, like a museum painting!), but with all this gold filagree . . . perfect! Needs a few touch-ups with a gold paint pen and we're good to go.

It's hot, so very hot . . .

2011-08-27T22:58:00.000-04:00

While the northern East Coast suffers the wrath of Irene, we here in Georgia — at least those who don't rely on the earth for a living — face the drought with humble gratitude. I look at a lawn of dirt, plants that haven't survived and will need to be replaced come Spring, but at least the devastation can be managed without loss of lives or property. It's merely the greenery surrounding our homes. I can deal with that. For sure.

Children

2011-08-25T13:32:00.000-04:00

In addition to my dear girl (pictured above at the beach when she was little), I have a "little man" in my life. Well, far from little. And he IS a dog. But one of my children nonetheless. Feeling a bit under the weather he is. He's missing out on a playdate with his friends today. The picture above shows why I have a king-sized bed. He's as big as a full-grown human when he stretches out to sleep.

New Header — New Retro Obsession

2011-08-22T20:27:00.000-04:00

Found the above cement planter at a thrift store. Weighs a ton, and love the shape. I painted it the color that Harleigh and I used for her dresser (that accompanied her to Statesboro for college living) and dressed it up with bad fake flowers, my newest obsession. They remind me of my grandmother's rowhouse in Baltimore, the way an arrangement (back then mostly plastic) would take center stage on a front porch or a side table. They remind me of memorial parks, where each gaudy but happy arrangement is lovingly placed by family. They're often in restaurants thinly veiled in dust, but an attempt nonetheless to bring elegance to a tabletop. Their colors are way beyond what you see in nature. They live indefinitely. What can I say . . . they make me smile somehow.

National Thrift Store Day — A Day Late

2011-08-18T10:51:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was National Thrift Store Day. Yay! I love to thrift. Yes, in my world it's a verb. It's what I do. My thrifting finds have furnished my home (and now my daughter's college apartment), have made me money (the $1.99 tablecloth from Goodwill that I sold on Ebay for $150.00, the $5.00 birdcage appraised at $585.00 that I might sell . . . someday), and turned many of my events into something special.

In honor of yesterday's holiday, I share with you my most recent find. This adorable vintage lampshade found at Goodwill for $4.00. Since Harleigh took her nightstand lamp with her to college, I needed a new lamp. Paired this shade with a $20 Target lamp (a simple white ceramic retro-looking one), and I think we have a winner!

Her previous black and white drapes (now also at college) have been replaced with airy lace curtains from IKEA.

For me, everyday is National Thrift Store Day!

Waiting for the Ice Cream Man

2011-08-16T21:39:00.002-04:00

As a child back in the 60's, my summers would not have been complete without the daily visit of the Good Humor truck and the musical jingles that announced his coming (I can see the row of bells, above the rear view mirror, that came to life with the pull of a cord). This was back in the days when:
- we rode bikes without helmets on our heads
- played barefoot at construction sites
- used a key to adjust the roller skates we wore over our Converse sneakers
- went trick-or-treating, with no parents, over the entire neighborhood and beyond (including strangers' houses) THEN came home and ate all the candy, including homemade candy apples and popcorn balls
- went in roving packs from sunrise until sunset, playing the most imaginative outdoor games ever, and came inside to bathe only when our moms called it a day by popping out the screen door and bellowing our names to come home.

And the ice cream man wore a white shirt and white pants, with a jaunty white brimmed cap with a Good Humor logo. And he was a nice guy we all knew by name. And his truck was clean and obviously his pride and joy. And with popsicles or ice cream bars or cones in our dirty little hands, we lined up, sitting on the curb, thinking life couldn't get any better. It was summer, after all.

This picture is one that my mom took of me waiting for the ice cream man at my grandparents' house in Westminster, Maryland. I'm sitting on the bottom step, in a cloth diaper and a sleeveless undershirt (we always wore undershirts back then), with my Pap Pap, who smokes a pipe, and with his graying temples and horn-rimmed glasses was as handsome as any Mad Men executive out there. I love the neighborhood gals across the street coming out as well, their sleeveless Peter Pan collar shirts.

This makes me nostalgic as can be.

And so when Harleigh and her Poppy waited for the ice cream man, there was a picture to be taken. Granted, there was no Good Humor truck with a white uniformed man (rather, it was a van of sorts with some chap out to make a living and quick to dole out a treat and move on) . And Harleigh always wore a helmet when she rode her bike. She would wear hard-soled shoes IF I let her play at a construction site. You get the picture . . . Times changed, but something as simple as waiting for the ice cream truck with your grandfather is about as good as it gets.

Pierrot

2011-08-14T16:39:00.000-04:00

Harleigh took the picture above her bed to use in her apartment bedroom, which left a big blank space reminding me that she' gone. Wanting to put something up, but with nothing extra laying around the house, figured I'd scour the local thrift stores for a find under $10. Found just that yesterday. This lovely embroidered Pierrot picture in a gold frame. The embroidery is pretty enough, but the yarn pom poms caught my attention.

Mexican Farewell Party

2011-08-12T12:24:00.001-04:00

Today is the last work day for two co-workers. As we do for any occasion — and do very well here where I work — we will have a party. It's a Mexican theme. I volunteered to do the flowers. Purchased Mexican groceries to use the cans and bottles as vases, then chocked them full of bright fake flowers. More pix to come of today's par-tay!

Sweet Girl Visit

2011-08-10T16:36:00.000-04:00

She got all settled into the apartment at school. Classes start 8/22. She has a campus ministry leadership retreat next week. So this week was fairly free. She did some nesting in her new digs. Met up with some friends already back on campus. Got in some swimming and sunning time at the school's RAC.

And now she's home for a few days. Got a call from a church friend of ours who has a craft website and needed a model for an instructional video. In addition to getting paid, she also gets to expense a manicure, since her hands will be front and center. How fun is that?!?!?!

On her way home, she stopped by my office. We grabbed lunch and I snapped a few pictures. Gosh I love this girl.

I love this image. The tan arm with blonde peach fuzz. The handmade bracelets. The James Avery ring.

Sophomore Year

2011-08-08T20:32:00.002-04:00

This year the girlie is moving into a duplex with three other girls. What fun it's been to work on decorating their place, making sure we have all the furniture we need, moms putting in their two cents, dads doing all the heavy work and electronic "stuff."

While the communal spaces have been tackled with gusto, the decor of Harleigh's bedroom has been chipped away at with great detail and love. She wanted a French Provincial Bohemian Chic room. For the door to her room (and Emily's room, which is also on the second floor), I found these letters at Michaels. They rang up at a penny a piece. Really, one cent each. And so an H was put onto Harleigh's door and Emily has her E to put up. (Not really French Provincial Bohemian Chic, but for a penny, they're cute.)

While the other girls' rooms look typically Target-flyer dorm room, Harleigh's is much like her . . . true to who she is, a nod to vintage and hippie-girl. She found these two wall hooks at Pier I.

We brought her chair from home and the thrift store dresser (originally black and white and now a peachy pink with gold hardware).

Her bedroom curtains from home are perfect for this dormer window. And a desk we bought from a graduating senior fits into our theme. The chair pad needs a new cover (a faded yellow gingham just doesn't work for us), but that will happen soon enough.

Harleigh really wanted a wall treatment. The thought of trying to paint her room in a day was a bit daunting, and stencils are so iffy in terms of the finished product, so I came up with the idea to do a hairline stripe on the existing ivory walls. We did the treatment on one wall. Easy peasy. I used gold Elmer's Painters' Pens and a piece of foamcore cut to a 7 1/2" width to use as my guide. It literally took me an hour to do. And gave just the right amount of elegance yet understatement to the room.

She brought her jar of "fireflies" for her nightstand.

And Justin Bieber finds a place in the dormer window area, with a vintage Hanson poster front and center. French Provincial Bohemian Chic meets I'm-19-and-still-loving-my-heartthrobs.

I found this bedskirt in a thrift store. With the mauve ball fringe it screams Bohemian Chic.

The painting gifted me by Julie fits in perfectly with the feel of gold and florals.

And the bathroom that Emily and Harleigh share (the size of her bedroom at home . . . it's huge) has a picture of the four roommates. We pray for a wonderful year for the girls, filled with friendship, laughter and growing as women of God.

Bryson Baby Shoot

2011-08-04T12:25:00.000-04:00

Had the honor of photographing the adorable baby boy Bryson. What a cutie. So many expressions.

Bryson actually struck the below pose on his own. I do believe he was channeling Sears Portrait Studio.

Bird Bath

2011-07-31T17:26:00.000-04:00

Julie gave me this lovely bird bath and I just love how it makes my front garden look like, well, a garden (as opposed to the sun-baked island that it really is).

Mandy and Todd's Wedding

2011-07-29T13:03:00.000-04:00

I'd been holding back on featuring the June wedding I worked on so that Ali, the photographer of the wedding, could work on having it featured on one of the big wedding sites. Well, hold back no more! Mandy and Todd's wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty!

Go here to see the mention on their main page.

And then here to see the wedding in all of its yellow, papaya red and coral glory!

The sewing for this reception was by far the most fun. Yard after yard of fabric (good upholstery fabric no less) went into runners, pillows, and accents. Heaven. It was a very modern and elegant wedding with the bride handling an impressive amount of the DIY projects.

The entrance table when you entered Greystone featured a vase covered in her signature fabric. The florist, Tulip, was wonderful to work with!

(Note UGA Hairy Dawg in the background. He showed up for dancing, pictures,

and to remind everyone what school rules!

Mandy had some frames on hand that mimicked the yellow fabric and so we utilized those.

Here on the gift table.

Even the outside patios got a little fabric accent with these squares.

Adjacent to the dance floor, window seats provided extra seating.

I sewed all the pillows using the yellow signature fabric and a floral one.

Two pillows, using a coral shade of cotton, sported their B monogram.

I had this designed by Laura Gosnell (who also designed my business cards!).

I enlarged the monogram on the copier, cut it out and then traced it onto the fabric.

Used acrylic paint mixed in a lovely ivory shade with fabric medium.

Such a great keepsake . . . pillows.

For the runners on the small tables in front of the window seats, I created geometric ends (to mirror the geometric pattern on the fabric). There's not a picture here, but the giant runner I made for the food table is in her yellow signature fabric. The ends of that runner was the same but instead of square shapes they were circular (again, to match the pattern on the fabric).

I've never used the below birdcage for any event.

But it was made for this one, as the clover shape in the lattice matches the yellow fabric pattern!

The florist filled the feeders on each side with flowers. So pretty.

It held all the envelope gifts.

The cookie table had a papaya runner, and the cookie jars (straight from Walmart) boasted cardstock signage on floral fabric that I Mod Podged to the glass.

All photography courtesy of Ali Harper Photography!

Hansel and Gretel Furniture

2011-07-27T20:18:00.000-04:00

Some people like to infuse a bit of red into every room, but I much prefer a hit of black. I bought this chair at a thrift store ages ago and it has served us well. See the before, a faded minty yellow flat finish. I adore painted black furniture — ala Hitchcock chairs, Swedish painted furniture, cottage furniture, or, what I like to call, Hansel and Gretel pieces. The chair got a heavy coating of gloss black, then the acrylic paints came out to make flowers, finished off with gold detail using a gold paint pen. Belongs in a forest cottage!

A Seersucker Bridal Shower — A Blingy Beach Wedding

2011-07-24T19:09:00.003-04:00

I hosted Sherry's bridal shower this weekend. A chance for all of the office girls to get together and celebrate the upcoming October nuptials of Sherry and Mario in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Sherry's wedding is beachy and blingy, a nod to Sherry's love of the beach (her parents live in St. Simons) and the fact that she's about as girly as you can get, loving the pretty, sparkly things.

Having decided early on to do a seersucker theme (see the invites here), I decorated using seersucker fabric along with silver, shells and jewels. (Her wedding invite has a silver shell on it).

The day before the shower I took off from work to get ready,

making a stop at Trader Joe's for flowers, 2BuckChuck, and pink lemonade.

At the entrance to Chateau Gahan I put out my child-sized adirondack chair.

I made two little pillows to decorate the chair (keepsakes for Sherry as well).

I kept my succulent wreath on the door and added a picture of Mario and Sherry (I printed a bunch of pictures out on the BW printer, glued them onto poster stock and cut them out with a white border; attached them to skewers so that I could put them into flower arrangements.)

Sherry's mom, BJ, brought two of her famous dishes — meatballs and mini-cupcakes.

I had spray-painted silver shells and made picks for the meatballs.

Utilized the blue and white seersucker fabric to make flags for the cupcakes.

I used the red and white seersucker to make a runner for the buffet, and bought white wooden letters

(S for Sherry and M for Mario) which I decorated with silver-spray-painted shells and bling.

A simple round glass vase is dressed in seersucker with a ribbon "belt" and silver shell "buckle."

The white filagree metal bucket from IKEA became a vase on the coffee table,

where I did a blue and white seerscucker runner.

I saw this fabric-lined shell on one of my new fave blogs junkaholique

and knew just what I would make to nestle into a bowl of shells.

A vintage pocketbook became a perfect vase, especially when adorned with a seersucker bow.

I made Pink-Pull-Your-Panties-Down (yes, it's just fun to say), which is pink lemonade, 7-Up and a splash of vodka. Since Sherry is in what was once our print production department (and well versed in ink and paper color swatches), I made the drink label using a paint swatch strip,

one appropriately with a pink shade called Blushing Bride.

And for the bouquet made from all the gift ribbons and bows I decided to opt out of the traditional paper plate base and create a paper cone.

What a fun shower to create!

A Beautiful Mess Giveaway

2011-07-18T20:14:00.002-04:00

Pop on over to Elsie Larson's fabulously fun blog and check out her giveaway . . . a $150 gift card to one of her sponsors shop, ThreadSence. My Harleigh Barley would love anything in this store! Check out their lookbook for fashion images that ooze Indie loveliness.

And hurry, 'cause it ends July 25!

Grandma's Sewing Basket Planter

2011-07-17T21:44:00.001-04:00

One of the treasures Julie gifted me with as she cleaned and moved was this wicker sewing basket that once belonged to her grandmother. As you can see, the lid is ripped and beyond repair, but I like the way it looks like a window curtain blowing in a warm breeze. Found a plastic tub the perfect size to fit into the basket portion and planted it with $1 annuals. It's now put to good use; I think grandma would approve.

Love Arrows

2011-07-14T13:53:00.000-04:00

And so Jesse, one of the two September wedding gals whose wedding I'm helping with, fell in love with the arrows featured on DesignSponge. And so I got to work on crafting them. Instead of using wooden hearts, ala designsponge, I made a felt version and a paper version. Had some trouble gluing the cut feathers onto the dowel (because the feathers aren't straight, I'd glue down one end only for the other end to pop up and visa versa), and so I opted to glue the entire feather to the wood, knowing that you'd only be looking at one side. (Laura at work said I should steam the feathers to straighten them.) The paint and embroidery floss are in her wedding colors. Love her palette!

I plan on making more, trying out wooden hearts, straightening then cutting the feathers, and gluing on paper like the ones on designsponge.

We'll incorporate them into the wedding ceremony and reception. Got to give that some thought.

Fun Totes

2011-07-12T18:40:00.003-04:00

Thought that the reusable shopping bags at TJMaxx were probably the prettiest I'd come across (we packed most of Harleigh's clothes in them when she went off to college; easy to store once the unpacking was done, and reusable to boot!). Then I chanced on Jo-Ann Fabric's $1.99 reusable shopping bag . . . smitten. Measuring tape handles? I'm in love.

And then there's this vintagey wooden-handled bag, reversible with a yarn-embroidered/block-printed side and the reverse in a pretty retro "quilt" pattern. Found in an Athens,GA, thrift store. Harleigh's nabbed this one.

A Little Decorating at Chateau Gahan

2011-07-10T18:59:00.001-04:00

I've been wanting an upholstered headboard for quite some time. Do you know how expensive they are to buy? Expensive enough that I took matters into my own hands. And here's how I did it. Now keep in mind that an equally inexpensive way to do it would have been to buy and cut plywood, but there are two obstacles there for this single mom: 1) too doggone heavy to work with, and 2) I would have had to put it up using hardware. Two things I knew I could work around. AND, the most important reason to tackle it as I did is that I want to have some flexibility with the shape of it.

I'm starting with a rectangular shape but think ultimately I'd like a curved shape like the Cleveland below.

So here's how I created my headboard . . . I bought an inexpensive piece of foamcore. Gatorboard would have been better, but it was not in my budget. Gatorboard doesn't bow like foamcore does. So to alleviate the bowing, I stabilized the single thickness of cheap foamcore by duct-taping smaller pieces of used and ready-to-be-thrown-out foamcore onto it. Not pretty to look at, but it achieved the rigidness.

The foam. Expensive expensive expensive by the yard. Even with the 40% Jo-Ann coupon, it was still going to be costing me more than I wanted to spend. Right next to the by-the-yard foam was a display of eggcrate mattress toppers. I purchased a full-size-bed one, which after the coupon came to around $20. The foam, even with the coupon, would have been close to $60. The eggcrate side of the topper goes against the foamcore, so what is exposed is flat foam. Perfect. (Although I did have to cut the topper to cover the foamcore in its entirety and have enough to fold under the edges; not a bigee, though).

The fabric was a find at Hancock Fabrics. I so wanted an eggshell blue or dove grey velvet, but . . . someday. In the meantime, this pretty floral was on sale for $4 a yard (and it's 54" decorator fabric). A steal.

I pulled the fabric over the edges of the foamcore, pulling enough mattress topper with it to give the edges a soft rounded feel. And I secured the fabric with T-pins. Yes, T-pins. If you put them in at the perfect angle, they ain't goin' anywhere. They push right through the foamcore.

And when it was done, I put it against the wall, resting the base within the metal bedframe. As you can see, I need to pull the fabric a little tighter to get rid of some wrinkles. And I'm debating whether to add buttons to give it a tufted look. How easy would that be??? Simply pull the thread through the foamcore and tie it tightly on the back so that the button sinks nicely into the topper foam.

So, I'm going to live with this a bit, then cut it to make the curved shape I think I'll be happiest with.

And here is a painting a friend gave to me (along with some other true treasures). She's moving and purging, and some of her items now have a home here at Chateau Gahan.

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T13:45:00.000-04:00

It's hot as all get out here, and so we set-up our parade-watching spot accordingly. Cooler with lots of cold water, lawn chairs, a blanket, lots of sunscreen and a beach umbrella.

What's more American than the flag, watermelon and watching a television show on your phone while waiting for the parade to begin.

I love it when even the dogs get 4th of July accessories!

The bands, my favorite. The military ones always get me choked up.

Then there are the ones that make me laugh and proud to be an American,

free to be whatever we want to be!

Grayson on Father's Day

2011-07-02T16:42:00.000-04:00

Got a chance to photograph my adorable nephew when we all got together for Father's Day. Am working on getting my black& white images to where I want them; have a baby shoot next weekend and the mom specifically asked for some BW pix. Here is the handsome boy Grayson.

Overload

2011-06-29T21:24:00.000-04:00

I felt it a bit today. A culmination of living. The eating well (it's a discipline, I tell ya). The working out 6 days a week. In bed by 9 and up at 5. And while I'm awake . . . busy, busy, busy. The house is in summer shambles. With a daughter who's a camp counselor, each day's dump of belongings in the kitchen includes a knapsack, wet bathing suit and towel, two pairs of shoes, a water bottle, lunchbox . . . you get the picture.

And today when I got home, I simply said "I'm doing nothing." I grilled a hot dog, slowly ate an Italian ice, opened mail, played with my doggie, and forced myself to not feel guilty. And when my head hits the pillow tonite, I will try my darndest to fall asleep counting sweet sheep instead of tomorrow's TO DOs.

Playing with my camera . . . and Harleigh, the good sport that she is

2011-06-26T18:09:00.000-04:00

I've been after Harleigh to help me get better at photography, and all she needs to do is stand there. And so today, in the 100 degree heat no less, she gladly took on the role of model. We went after a pensive look, intent on working through the humidity where anything but a pensive look is really too much work. We have plans on a fun vintage '70s bathing suit shoot. What a good sport my girl. Stay tuned for more pix . . . we're having fun with this photography thing!

If Heather Bullard has one, then it's gotta be a keeper

2011-06-24T08:05:00.001-04:00

With all the events I'm working on, carrying things around has become an issue. There are just certain things that I need to have at an arm's reach. My first attempt at corralling what needs to be close at hand was my "tool" belt; a lifesaver it's become. But I had a need for something bigger, to carry items that I don't necessarily need to have on my person, but need to come with me. I saw this bag on Heather Bullard's blog and was smitten. OK OK, her photography makes even the most mundane item covetable. But in this case, the bag's utilitarian pluses had me wanting one. For starters, the price is cheap; I picked mine up at the local tool supply company for under $20. The bottom is flat (and I enforced mine with a piece of foamcore wrapped in toile fabric). The pockets, oh the pockets, lots of 'em.

Jesse's Wedding

2011-06-21T15:01:00.000-04:00

First of all, I haven't forgotten to post pictures from Mandy's June 4 wedding! Rather, Ali is going through all the photography and once the bride sees all the pix, Ali can share with me. And (I'm excited to say), Ali plans on submitting them for publication. How exciting is that!

In the meantime, I'm on to planning Jesse's wedding. Jesse used to work with me. She now lives in New York and plans on marrying in her small hometown outside of Augusta, GA. This weekend I'm heading there to meet with her mom and future mother-in-law to tour the outdoor venues for both wedding and reception. If I were to describe her in actress terms, Jesse is this wonderful mix of down-to-earth Sandra Bullock, earthy Darryl Hannah, witty and smart Tina Fey, and confident and sassy Dolly Parton. I like the girl; it's hard not to.

Her wedding/reception color palette is every bit as playful and engaging as she is. Will definitely get Dawn thinking in a new color direction (just love pushing myself into new creative pools!). For color palette books for her, her mom and her future mother-in-law, I had these giant faux-matchbook notepads. Glued the color chips inside the front flap. Perfect to carry in the purse, AND have a place to jot down wedding ideas!

Easter in July

2011-06-20T13:56:00.001-04:00

When Laura sent me this post via Barbara, I knew I couldn't wait until next Easter to try out a Martha craft using silk ties to dye eggs. I made a pit stop at my local thrift store but could only find two 100% silk ties with a decent pattern (but alas not a lot of color, which is supposedly the way to go with these bad maama jaamas). I tried this one (a black and white Art Deco-ish pattern) and it came out wonderfully. So now I'm on the hunt for silk ties — loud ones. Just one more reason to stop in every thrift store I come across!!!

Succulent Wreath

2011-06-19T13:36:00.001-04:00

Lately I've been really impressed with the Better Homes & Gardens line at Walmart. I've been looking for something for the front door. When I saw this wreath (a BH&G creation) — on sale for $7! — it seemed the perfect marriage of my love for succulents and the sweltering heat we've been having here in the ATL.

Hometown Nazareth VBS — The Rolling Sets

2011-06-19T13:27:00.000-04:00

Bad me. I didn't capture pictures of the rolling sets as they were used during VBS. We had fake trees all around them as well as children dressed in costumes. The little girls carried baskets of fruits and vegetables on their heads; adorable. I took these pictures inside. Sorry they're void of any charm and character, as I took these pictures in an empty children's auditorium. But you get the idea.

This rolling set has a gate that opens and closes. The men who built it for me thought of everything, including the one-piece ramp that fits snugly over the base of the frame. The clothesline holds a fabric sign — I painted the theme name on it. It's clothes-pinned on so that it can easily come down and clothes can be hung.

The second set has a doorway. For both pieces I glued straw on the "roof". After gluing it down I staple-gunned a strip of cardboard the full length so that stray pieces of straw would stay in place.

The opposite side of both sets is an indoor scene. I hung these plastic peppers and perched a dollar store bird on the roof. The curtains at the window and doorway are hung on branches. And there's even a little mouse hole (I printed out an illustration from the web, which when I enlarged it became very pixelated, so I just painted over it to give it definition.)

My Evolution with Color

2011-06-14T19:45:00.000-04:00

Molly and I were chatting today about home decor

and she was talking about a friend's house and her own home — lots of white and cream, woods and burlap fabrics, with minimal pops of color — and how much she gravitates toward that style.

I was quite the white and cream gal awhile back

(and to this day feel nostalgic and sometimes a bit homesick for those surroundings),

but for some reason I've become quite the lover of color.

Over the last five years I've fallen in love with English country homes

and their mismatch of faded-from-washing fabrics.

I've watched Rachel Ashwell over the years begin to pepper her white palette with color

and still create calming atmospheres.

I'll still always love a beachy white room

and swoon over the interiors in Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware,

but I live with color now, lots of it, perhaps a nod to my own evolving,

wanting to surround myself with whatever I like as long as it makes me happy.

Seersucker Bridal Shower

2011-06-13T18:47:00.001-04:00

What could possibly say summer more than seersucker? It's not a scream, or a bark, it's more of a southern drawl that speaks to the summer season. A good looking man in a seersucker suit, white bucks, a bow tie, is . . . well, even better looking.

And so with Sherry's bridal shower scheduled for July 23 at Chateau Gahan, I wanted to pick a summery theme. She's getting married in October on St. Simons Island in a beautiful boutique hotel on the beach and will be incorporating beachy items, so I wanted to keep the beach theme exclusive to her wedding. With a little brainstorming, seersucker seemed the perfect fit to decorate with.

For the invitations, most of which were handed out at work to the gals (and a handful to be mailed), I covered a piece of foamcore with seersucker fabric, folded and ironed a pocket which I then glued down, printed the invite itself on some nice cream matte stock, tucked it inside the pocket, and attached a flower tied with a floral ribbon.

For the shower, I plan on doing seersucker table runners and maybe some little keepsakes for all the girls. So much to think about!!!!

IKEA gets girly

2011-06-12T08:12:00.000-04:00

I saw this planter in Country Living and was surprised to read that it's from IKEA. With an IKEA just around the corner from where I work, I headed over this week to discover that it comes in not just the round-bottomed hanging version, but two tabletop versions. The larger of the two has a different pattern on the top. How cute for showers! At a price I couldn't turn down, I bought a total of 8.

Vanity Chair

2011-06-08T10:13:00.000-04:00

While out running wedding errands near Grant Park, an area I rarely visit, I came across this little gem of a thrift shop. Lots of kitchenware and furniture, and since Harleigh and three other girls will be furnishing a four-bedroom duplex in the fall, thought it be worth a stop (especially since — with my girl's welcoming encouragement — we plan on making their house a home on the cheap).

Emily and Harleigh have the two upstairs bedrooms, both with a portion of the ceiling at an attic-charming slant, and with dormer windows. Their shared bathroom (with shower, tub and a double sink) is the size of a small bedroom, so there's room for a big chair and even a dresser or vanity. We might even be able to put in a three-panel screen for some dressing room drama.

I fell in love with this wooden vanity chair (in a pretty mustard yellow), which I know they can find use for in the bathroom. In the meantime, it fits nicely at my small kitchen table, its shallow depth perfect for the ken, where space is at a minimum.

Troop Chair

2011-06-07T10:22:00.001-04:00

On Saturday morning as I was nose to the grindstone working on last-minute wedding preparation, I noticed a sign for a yard sale with all proceeds going toward the troops. The sale was in an empty store, the space generously donated by the barber shop next door. Lots of furniture (in fact, a huge kitchen hutch that I would have snapped up had it not been for my new arrangement in the ken that has a cafe table and two chairs now populating real estate on the main wall in the room). This chair had to come home with me (and at $30, duh). I have another wing chair in the study that is navy with a white pin stripe, so this fits in nicely. And there was a spot in the living room made exactly for it.

The Big Wedding Day

2011-06-04T08:20:00.003-04:00

(Print from Valentina Design)

I have put my heart into this day (as I do all the special events I plan, of course :-)

but this event has been a bit different for me.

Mandy's original wedding planner backed out at the last minute and

left her hanging with details and projects daunting to a bride with already enough on her plate.

I took on this project knowing that it didn't afford me the luxury I usually have . . . time to daydream ideas, craft when I please, and peruse TO DO lists with a relaxed commitment.

Instead I hit the ground running,

and, if I must say so myself, revealed a side to this ol' gal that cements the realization that I can get way more done in the course of 24-hour period than most.

AND, I can tackle it with joy and calm.

For that alone, I am grateful for this opportunity.

And as pictures hope to show soon, I didn't disappoint in the creativity department!

Hometown Nazareth VBS — The Sanctuary

2011-06-03T21:01:00.001-04:00

This year's theme was especially fun to do. People from both church and my workplace donated items that helped me create the feel of Biblical Nazareth. Pictures to come of the set that was built, and the costumes I sewed, as well as the wishing well that was donated by another church. But in the meantime, here is the sanctuary (and this just the altar area; I'll make sure I get pictures of the entry). The antique rabbit hutch is on loan from my favorite thrift store, Best Thrift, where Dan and Bobbie Sue always help me out come VBS time. (I've seen hutches like this made into rolling coffee tables, simply by attaching industrial wheels to the bottom.) One of the Crafty Ladies cut out and painted the sheep and roosters.

A little bit o' this, a little bit o' that

2011-05-29T23:27:00.002-04:00

A post of randomness, but then again, this long weekend, as focused as it's been on the upcoming wedding, has been so wonderfully full of happenings. Time with Harleigh, probably more one-on-one time than we've shared in a while, long talks at the kitchen table in the early mornings over coffee. Lots of episodes of Parks & Recreation because we love laughing with each other as much as we love our gabbing. A long overdue trip to Target (I honestly haven't been there in for-e-ver) where we stocked up on summer sunscreen and goodies for her campers. Grocery shopping and then cooking dinners together. Working out together, our earphones on as we catch up on the Bravo Housewives. Tomorrow for Memorial Day I will be at church for a good part of the day painting scenery for Vacation Bible School.

Here is a small sampling of my hydrangea cuttings

(I so need to add some other colors to the purple blue ones I have).

When Gideon was younger, he loved to move furniture and pillows.

We'd come home and find a chair pushed to a new location, the pillows

rearranged on the sofa. A would-be interior designer?

Whatever the case, this poor boy, living in a house with two girly girls,

is bound to appreciate beauty in his surroundings.

His bed is no exception. He loves to sleep with his head resting on something.

And so we added these pillows to his bed.

Big spoiled boy. Adore him.

Mandy, the bride stopped by today to drop off more stuff that I'll need to transport to the

reception site. The living room and study are covered in boxes and bags.

Keeping my fingers crossed that everything fits in my SUV.

Here are just a few of the items I've crafted. Mandy and Tod are doing a cookie bar, with homemade cookies for the guests to take home in sweet little paper envelopes. I took one of her fabrics and decorated the jars; each will have a label with the type of cookie on it. They are also having a photo booth which we've created using a camera on a tripod, her signature yellow fabric as the backdrop, and enough props, hats and chalkboards to make for some fun picture keepsakes.

The fake gift that I created for the gift table is made especially for them (despite the fact that it's empty). The coral paper fits in with one of the main colors of her wedding, and the shells on the paper and as a topper are reminiscent of the beach where they got engaged (literally on the beach!).

Last Minute Wedding TO DOs

2011-05-28T15:20:00.001-04:00

Taking these next few days to wrap up all of the wedding decor for Mandy and Todd's June 4 wedding. Gideon has a favorite napping spot underneath my craft table.

Found this miniature hutch at the thrift store and think it will be nice to hold my smaller sized scissors. It needed something to warm it up so I made this fabric banner cutting up an old lace-edged hanky and stringing them onto embroidery floss. My idea of taking a break . . . tackling a little, just a little, craft project.

No Rest Around This House

2011-05-27T19:36:00.002-04:00

Well, except for Mr. G, who prefers the air-conditioned comfort of Chateau Gahan. And even shaved to a near-naked state, he likes his walks short, his play time to a minimum, and plenty of sofa time. But I on the other hand have been full of energy, haven gone back to the gym and gotten on a healthy eating regimen, thanks very much to my dear daughter, herself a good eater and regular at the Y. We've been getting up at 5:45 every morning, at the gym by 6:00, work out for an hour, then have time when we come home post-shower to have breakfast together and talk, which is super special for me since her work schedule at camp has her gone all day, at least two evenings a week, and a good many weekends. I feel energized yet calm, a wonderful combination that feels very peaceful (not to mention that in a household with no cable, the TV time on the elliptical is as decadent as a piece of chocolate cake).

Today I had off work, and after my morning gym time, sewed for the wedding I've been working on that happens next weekend. Sewed all day, loving every minute of it. My king size bed has become a work surface, the sewing machine is a permanent fixture on my craft table, and the ironing board has become a piece of bedroom furniture. Can't wait to share all of the prettiness!

oiy vey

2011-05-26T09:54:00.004-04:00

Please forgive me as I try to find a template for my blog that allows me to post large pictures. This is driving me nuts!!!!

Wedding Bliss

2011-05-21T16:36:00.008-04:00

I'm in the midst of working on a wedding, my first for a bride who came to me via a recommendation (my dear friend Ali, who just happens to be photographing the wedding and reception). It''s been a whirlwind!. The bride, Mandy, has impeccable taste and so it's been pure pleasure to work with her. From the yards and yards of beautiful fabric we purchased (so much fun to shop for fabric, especially when it's an integral part of the feel of the reception) to her appreciation for all the little touches, I couldn't be happier. Will have so much to share! The wedding is June 4.

(Image are just random shots I took today around Chateau Gahan.)

iPad2 Giveaway at Design for Mankind!

2011-05-19T09:48:00.002-04:00

Take a stroll on over to this link and enter yourself in a bomb-diggity suweet giveaway! Thanks to Design for Mankind! Winner will be announced June 1.

The Joys and Bumps of My Trip to Statesboro

2011-05-13T12:43:00.006-04:00

Harleigh finished up finals on Wednesday and then had to be out of her dorm yesterday by 11:20. It took us two cars to get her moved in and two to move her out. And so it was necessary for me to head to Stateboro. But we had other fun things to accomplish, which made the trip something to look forward to!
I left yesterday morning at 5AM. Bought a giant coffee at MacDonald's (hands down my favorite of all the coffees, including Starbuck's) and detoured into Cracker Barrel to rent a books-on-tape. What a great resource that is! Great selection, $3.49 a rental, and a guarantee that the trip will not only fly by but be spent doing something I rarely get to do . . . read a book (or in this case, the relaxing relative of book reading: having a book read to me). I rented I Think I Love You, about an insecure 13-year-old in Wales in 1974 with a mad crush on the pop star David Cassidy. I had heard Terry Gross's interview with author Allison Pearson on NPR's Fresh Air. So when I saw it as an option for an audio book, it seemed too good to pass up.

I didn't want the drive to end. I adored it (and am, actually, still listening to it, all 10 CDs of it!). As a product of that generation, I could relate, achingly so.

Here is an excerpt from a New York Times review:

"A romantic comedy tailor-made for the movies, 'I Think I Love You' is a sort of witty mash-up of 'Mean Girls,' 'Bridget Jones’s Diary' and one of Nancy Meyers’s fairy tales for the middle aged, with a little nod along the way to 'Cyrano de Bergerac.' Though we know after two dozen pages or so exactly where this novel is headed, Ms. Pearson writes with such humor and affection for her characters that we’re perfectly happy to sit back and see how she steers her people toward that happy ending. It’s a novel that’s as light and sugary as a pop song, but if its plot is a little too predictable and jerry-built, the book still easily transcends the chick-lit genre. It showcases its author’s skills as an observer and her uncanny ability to render on the page exactly what it’s like to be a teenage girl, trying to navigate the merciless social hierarchy at school, while pouring all her yearnings into the impossible dream of somehow, someday becoming Mrs. David Cassidy and moving to Los Angeles."

Good book, good cup of coffee, 3 1/2 hours later in Statesboro. We got Harleigh all packed up, cleaned the apartment, and said goodbye to freshman year. Surreal.

Next up, we got her bike rack onto the back of her car, then fastened on the quite-heavy Huffy cruiser (a bike I got for a steal, but one that she rarely rode — just not made that well). On our way to the next errand, Harleigh hit a bump, the rack fell off, the bike skidded across her trunk . . . ugh. Needless to say, two girls standing in a parking lot, surveying a scuffed-up bike, a rack that we knew we had put on correctly, and facing a long drive home (no, this could not happen on an interstate!), we did what any smart chick would do. Across the street was a pawn shop (neither of us had ever been in one, much less knew how they work), and so we wheeled the bike in and walked out with $20. Easily solved. And we could move on to the fun things in store for us the rest of the day.

At a local pottery shop, Harleigh picked up a bowl she made for me for Mother's Day, bearing two verses from one of my favorite Psalms. How lovely.

We had lunch with Connie, her mentor from Statesboro Baptist Church. They have a mentorship program where women of the church are paired with Georgia Southern girls. Connie — a woman my age and very similar to me in personality — and Harleigh would meet every week for lunch and to talk. Sometimes there was a Bible study involved, other times discussion of a book they'd been reading. I adored Connie the minute I met her, and know why Harleigh has cherished their relationship. They plan on continuing their mentor partnership this coming school year. What a blessing.

I met staff at the campus Baptist ministry where Harleigh is super involved and on council, met lots of her friends, said goodbye to many, and then headed home. Harleigh decided to stay the night with some girlfriends and plans on being home (home with me!) today. My 3 1/2 hour drive home took an extra two hours due to accidents on the interstates, my car overheated, I almost ran out of gas in the gridlock . . . but Harleigh's coming home. That easily turns the bumps into joy!

Tool Belt to Craft Belt

2011-05-08T15:54:00.004-04:00

Whether it's spending the day at an outdoor flea market or coordinating a wedding, I always have the need for something around my waist to hold the essentials (cell phone, eyeglasses, keys, etc.). I purchased one of those $1.99 canvas tool belts from Ace Hardware, and with a little hand-stitching, trims and fabric swatches (including a pocket cut from a shirt), turned the plain (and Ace-branded) into pretty. Now I can carry my stuff in something that doesn't look like an '80s fanny pack.

Pink Grapefruits and Peonies

2011-05-07T16:31:00.003-04:00

Two things I'm into lately — 100% pink grapefruit juice and peonies. If I have fresh pink grapefruits, I'll squeeze those. But bottled is also scrumptious. And the color pink is so doggone pretty. And my white peonies are going crazy this year. The pink ones should be blooming soon. So very English country garden.

Hometown Nazareth

2011-05-04T11:43:00.006-04:00

I headed up decor for our church's vacation Bible school last year (a space theme) and had such a great time that I offered to do it again this year. The theme is Hometown Nazareth: Where Jesus Was A Kid. How fun is that??!! And so I met with two of my most carpentry-savvy volunteer gents and told them I wanted a village set for the kids. Something that would make them feel like they are in Biblical-time Nazareth. Out of the meeting I drew up my plans, and lo and behold, I've got me a village! (I felt like Genevieve handing off drawings to Amy Wynn on an episode of Trading Spaces!) It's two walls, each about 3" thick and roughly 10' wide by 6' tall, on wheels, that I can paint on both sides. One side will be the outside of the buildings, the other the inside. They'll work great for skits and for outside of the church (on the first morning of VBS) where we create all sorts of hoopla welcoming the kids.

I plan on hanging fabric in the doorway, curtains in the windows. For one of the skits, Mary will be talking to the audience from her home, and I plan on having her holding a wicker basket of laundry and hanging the wet clothes to dry from the clothesline while she talks. Here's the list of what I've asked church members to donate/loan in the effort to bring Nazareth to life:

• wicker or cane baskets
• plastic fruits and vegetables
• bales of hay
• ceramic/clay urns, jugs and pottery
• feedbags that we can stuff with newspaper to look like real feedsacks
• fake stones (anyone have any that they've made for a theatrical set?)
• plastic or silk plants and trees (especially palms)
• Mexican blankets/rugs
• ANY kind of chairs and tables that look rustic enough to have been from Biblical times

Will share pictures of the final set-up in early June!

Looking forward. A baby. A grown woman.

2011-05-02T21:33:00.005-04:00

So, now that we have a new baby in the family, life is certainly more interesting. And when Karla and Lynn asked me if I'd photograph their family, I jumped at the chance. Not that I'm any pro at this photography thing. But I do love the learning. I do love the results (even if bad, it's still an attempt to capture something). And, in this case, I am quite rather fond of the subjects.

And on a side note, what is it about getting older that makes me want to try new things with a vengeance? Event planning, photography . . . it's all coming about with such joy. It's hard not to reach out for it. I'm older and wiser, comfortable and confident, with nothing to lose except the regret that I didn't try. I've said goodbye to the days of what-ifs. The past isn't something I can redo. The tomorrow is something I can mold. And I plan on turning it into something beautiful.

The Best Easter Ever

2011-04-24T18:28:00.003-04:00

So when my stepsister Karla gave birth to my most handsome nephew Grayson on Thursday of this past week, all Easter meal plans went out the door. With Karla in the hospital through the Easter holiday . . . well, the meal just had to come to her. So with all of us crammed into a hospital room (albeit at Northside Women's Center, the rooms are more like upscale hotel rooms), we ate a veggie tray, ham, baked beans, potato salad, rolls, lemon squares, and drank mimosas.

This little boy, with his dimples and full head of hair is quite the melt-your-heart kinda baby. (Harleigh's in love.) And Karla and her husband Lynn have taken to parenthood as if they've done it before. What a great story to tell Grayson, EVERY Easter, without fail, no matter how many times he looks at us like "do you really have to tell that story again?"

The picture above is the peony I took, fresh from my rain-soaked garden.

Asian-Inspired Easter Eggs

2011-04-22T17:15:00.005-04:00

Every year I try to do something different with the tradition of dying Easter eggs. This year I started out wanting to do a grey egg with white decoration, a Swedish Gustavian theme. But I just couldn't get the right grey. Dropping a watery black acrylic onto the shell resulted in a branch-like design and so I just went with it. (The egg with the butterfly on it was my failed attempt at a grey egg.) They're sweet, aren't they?

Lampshade Inspiration

2011-04-18T19:18:00.006-04:00

Have been especially inspired by lampshades lately. Friend and past co-worker Jesse is getting married in September and I've offered to help her with some ideas. Much like any kind of brainstorming, some brainchilds might not fit the bill, but can lead to other hatchlings. I'm sending her this outdoor chandelier I made. I used fabrics more in line with her wedding color scheme. I wrapped the jar candle-holder in eyelet (which is especially important in the wedding; don't want to spill the beans). Both her wedding and her reception are outdoors, in a rustic enchanted setting. And the whole shebang will span the range of daylight to dark, so candlelight ambience is a gimme. A row of these, all different shapes, but utilizing the same fabrics, might be a nice touch above the food table. Perhaps one or two over the guestbook table. When she opens the box, who knows what she'll think. To use? As inspiration? Who knows. But it sure was fun coming up with a project that I know I'll use again!

It's Spring!

2011-04-17T20:18:00.005-04:00

Found these Department 56 finds at the Junior League thrift store. The original price tags were still on . . . $17.50 a piece. Would not have given them a second look, but at $2.00 each . . . they're coming home with me. I'll be using these for the veggie tray I'm doing for Easter.

Also found this baby scale. This is soooo holding a cake at the next shower I do.
And my kitchen windowsill. You can see the windowbox flowers peeking out at me.

The TO DO List

2011-04-16T16:59:00.010-04:00

[Starting off this post with two pictures: the $1 tulips and the $4 roses from Kroger. Gotta love their bin of ready-to-be-trashed flowers. There's always some life left in them.]

I live by lists. On paper. Can't create them on my iPhone or on the computer. They must be on paper. I start one at the beginning of the week, add to it, and by week's end, the paper is as soft as flannel, worn by being folded, read, refolded, written on.

This weekend's list was a doozy. I started off the morning by waking up to the alarm set at 5:15. I've never been one to get up early for those day-after-Thanksgiving or -Christmas sales. Never done it. But Belk, the modest little department store at our Forum shopping center (and within walking distance of our house), was having a charity sale. Harleigh had gotten me a ticket through a school fund raiser. That, coupled with the fact that they were giving away discounts to the first 100 people to enter the door (anywhere from $5 to $100), made it a no brainer. Besides, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get my sorry butt out of bed early if for any reason to get started on tackling that "to do" list.

After my before-the-sun-comes-up shopping spree, headed home to meet up with two contractors, then to the P.O. to mail my taxes, then to church for pre-Easter housecleaning (a church-wide event as socially fun as it is hard work). I stopped in our favorite lunch spot, My Friend's Place, where on a Saturday it's not unusual to find me eating a sandwich, my "to do" list spread out before me, and the gals behind the counter chatting with me between customers and catching up on Harleigh. Had to stop in Goodwill after lunch; heck, it's in the same shopping center as the lunch spot. Then to Hobby Lobby to search for some fabric and trim, the pet store for dog food, and then one of my favorite stops, Pike Nursery, where I bought perennials and annuals to spruce up the front yard. Home to plant (filthy and happy in the breezy 70 degree temps), then back to church where I had to speak to the congregation with an update from the committee that I serve on.

One thing on the list was to switch out a plant stand in my bathroom for this quilt stand. Works rather well to corral t.p., magazines, a candle, my glasses, and a pretty vintage towel.

Oh, and this morning I also baked a poppy seed cake for a friend's christening brunch.
"To do" list has turned into "Done" list.

A little bit o' Bobby & June's

2011-04-09T14:30:00.006-04:00

Around the corner from where I work is a bit of Atlanta history that is closing its doors. Bobby and June's Kountry Kitchen was an institution in Atlanta for 30 years. Bobby Crowe served as greeter, a rotund Santa Claus of a man, calling the men by name and the women usually by "darlin." His wife June ran the register and was just as much of a people person as her husband. Their two kids worked there also. The food, in my estimate, was not near the draw as was the Crowe family and the atmosphere they and their longtime staff created.

Bobby himself rocking on the front porch.

Running out to lunch last week I noticed that the front door of the place was propped open (as you can imagine, a rickety screen door probably original to the building). I had forgotten that for close to a year now they've been selling off all the contents of the restaurant. I popped in, was greeted by the ever-smiling Bobby, and surveyed what was left of a family's dream. Mostly big items (deep fryers, stoves, tables and chairs), but I decided to dig a little. And hidden behind a shelf of pots and pans was this little gem. Bobby's right-hand worker, a near toothless older gent, faithful to his boss to the very end, explained to me that this was used to corral all the waitresses' checks (each waitress had a number), with totals tallied at the end of the day by Bobby and June. When I asked Bobby how much he wanted for it, he said "how about $5." Sold. I explained that I wanted it because it had their names (or what was left of their names) on it, to which he replied, "that's the last thing left, other than menus and business cards, that has our names on it." I plan on using it on my craft table to hold . . . who knows what. Because when you think about it, it's chock full already, with a ton of memories and lives.

(I also bought five giant lidded pickle jars for $1 a piece. Sure to find a good use for these.)

(Photos of restaurant courtesy of AJC)