Sunday, June 24, 2012

Busy, busy family time

The last few weeks have been super busy. We had a family wedding in Atlanta and a clarify and de-clutter weekend at my mom's with two of my sisters, squeezed in a farmers market and a few fun side trips.
 This is my farmer market friend, Mary Rose, mother of Ann and Kenny of Kenny's Cheese. The Bridge Babes go to Kenny's farm when we go to Rhonda's lake house. Mary Rose would be there and was the seller at our Bardstown Road market until she retired and Ann took over. She's had a mild stroke and her husband died. I hadn't seen her for 4 years. What a treat to find her with Ann at the market two weeks ago! She promises a return visit.

 The haul- lots of blueberries. I'll freeze a bunch and I should make a blueberry cobbler. I like eating them by the handful!

Last weekend we headed to Michael and Jeanette's wedding. Along the way we stopped near Chattanooga for the night. Since we had some time to kill before being able to check in the hotel in Atlanta, we took a side trip to Rock City!  All my life I've seen the barn ads to "See Rock City" and never knew what it was or what I might be missing. Time to find out. It was much nicer than I dreamed. Lots to see, natural rock formations and paths with labeled trees and plants.
( Evidently this is my favorite summer top- it keeps showing up- a freebie from my friend Karen who works at a consignment shop- aren't the free ones always the best?) Here I am in a tight squeeze between two boulders!
 Swinging bridge
 The highlight of Rock City, besides the gift shop which you must exit through. You can see seven states and have a great view of circling hawks.

 Mountain man? No, just Jim!
 Here I am posing in the iconic Rock City birdhouse.
 Jim enjoying the sights and waterfall.

On to the wedding! So great to be with Jim's super family for a happy occasion. Our last full group get together was when his mother died six years ago.
 We got to dress up!
 And enjoyed this beautiful wedding and wedding party of Michael, Jim's nephew, and Jeanette, his bride. Michael's sister Jennifer is on the far left.
 It was a lavender theme. The invitation had fresh lavender, the bridesmaids carried a bunch of it, the programs were decorated with a lavender stamp, each reception place setting had a tied bunch and there was lavender soap as favors and even lavender chocolate cupcakes!
Delightful!
 Jim's sister, Jean and hubby Keith
 Cupcakes!!
 Sister, Joan-yes, all names start with "J"- can you say Joe, Joan, Jim and Jean fast three times? And husband Mike.
 Joe, Jim's brother and wife, Linda- parents of the groom
 The other two nephews, sons of Jean and Keith
 The lovely couple's first dance.
We really had fun catching up at the rehearsal dinner, hanging out at the hotel, checking out Georgia Tech-where Joe, Joan, Mike, Michael went to school and where Joe and Michael work.
Then it was back home via Ruby Falls another "must see" in Chattanooga.


 This was my 75% off souvenir from Rock City hanging in my backyard.


This weekend my sisters, but one, gathered to help my mom go through her house to giveaway, throw away, sell what she might not need for her move to an apartment in the fall. It is a big apartment but a bigger house. We went through garage, kitchen,basement, all closets and bedrooms. Mission accomplished and some family treasures came to live with me! I did take somethings out of my basement equal to at least half of what I brought home! I'll swap out some more later.
 Mary Ann brought us t-shirts.

 And Mom joined in for a photo, too!

 Jim and I grabbed a little farmer market time before the Saturday clean out .




 This little flower holder intrigued me and came home to live with me

 At the end of the day we would go through a few "picks" that had been put in a box for the clean out crew to have if we wanted. There was a three way desire for this basket which came to me as winner of a name draw decision- there were more than a few of these three way solutions! The basket belonged to my maternal great,great grandmother. I love it hanging with these primitive drawings in my living room.

And lastly more family visits from Eric and his family today. Lots of family fun in the last couple of weeks!

Coming up next month- I discovered in the newspaper today some great workshops in Berea, KY next month at the Berea Festival of Learnshops 2012, they even have a class for Songwriting for Social Justice! Can you believe it? I registered for three classes, a metal earring class on a Saturday, metal bracelet class on a Sunday a week later and a beginning watercolor all day class on a Tuesday!  Jim is joining me the first Saturday for a class making a wood cutting board, the blacksmith class was full. :( You might enjoy seeing what all they are offering. I can't wait until next year!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Gee, where to start! Vacation, Art,and two showers!

I've been on vacation, hosted two showers and hung a collaborative art piece. So, let's get started!
How about a vacation- who doesn't love the beach? I do! And nothing is more restorative to me.
I read, slept, ran, walked, and just enjoyed every minute of this beautiful week.
 Morning walk

 Late afternoon
 Sunset at Dewey Destin's for dinner
 Sun was setting just as we left
 The sand configuration changed drastically every day- look at this big sand wall
 A typical early morning for us.
 Three of my 5 books I read.  I highly recommend these three. I also read Things Fall Apart and No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay. I was looking for a Harlan Coban-like mystery writer for some lighter reading after the other four. 
 Don't you love this birdie who joined us for breakfast?
And how about this view through the railing at the Whale's Tail?

It was all-around wonderful!

I was excited to hang the art that had returned to me from more than a year on the road.
I met some artists at ArtFest in 2011 who were doing a round robin journal and graciously included me. I chose to do canvas circles that I planned to hang in embroidery hoops in my dining room.  I made my piece and send the varying sized circles out not know what would return to me. I loved what everyone did!
This is the tiny closet under my stairs where the grandchildren have their toys.



 This was mine and set the theme and tone










Aren't they all wonderful!  I thank each person who made a loving contribution. I worked in their journals and one person had prayer flags.

On to showers!
Lacey, our dental assistant is getting married in Destin at the end of the month. I wanted to celebrate her so I invited the office staff to my house after work Friday (which is their short day and my off day)

I did a pink, white and silver theme with a little beach thrown in.
Little Banner love
 I found these fun flip flops on etsy, They leave a message in the sand with her new name.


 Chalkboard greeting in the kitchen
I spray painted a terracotta pot silver for the pink centerpiece. Paper plates, napkins and bubbles from the Dollar Tree.
 Toast for the bride-to-be


 The gang minus Dr. Kirsch


Me and Lacey- isn't she a cutie?

And last but not least and hopefully you haven't nodded off
A Cute as a Button shower for April, my dear friends Dave and Karen's daughter expecting unknown gender baby Williams in August.

 Claire at the farmers market made these little bouquets for me and they were prizes.
I love the buttons in them. I did buttons in a round bowl with a clear votive holder added to put the flowers in.

Favors to take home, suckers that say "Sew sweet of you to come" and Cute as a button soaps.

 Button banner
 Paper mache box to hold blessings
 Folks wrote blessings for the baby on the button die cuts.
The invitation that Karen found that set the theme.

 Aren't baby things cute- there were lots of books, lots of ducks and lots of guitars from this reading, musical family

Thanks to Nord's bakery for creating just the cookies I envisioned.



 Karen, April, Carolyn-grandmother, Jean and Lea-aunts
A finger puppet books from little cousin Ava




An etsy find- the button toothpicks, which I loved. Also had button confetti

Gotta love a pretty theme. We had a great time!
Our other activities that I didn't take pictures of were: signing a swaddling cloth with best wishes and blessings that included sweet drawings. Baby will like being swaddled in all this love
. Also a little card where people could write their best motherly suggestions and their favorite memory of their mother. Whoever's card she read was the gift she opened. It was fun that the sisters all picked memories of traveling and their mother (who was there) and a mother/daughter team that came both picked the same memory of their respective mothers- watching them get ready to go somewhere.

Sweet.
Our last activity was to take a bead and make a wish for April's labor and delivery and string it on a necklace that she can choose to wear during labor and delivery to remember all the women who are cheering her on.

That's about it from here. I'll catch you up on the market soon!
Thanks for hanging in.
Hope your week is fabulous!