Gardening Q/A

Q: 1) i want to decorate my lower balcony with ivy, like lattice work - didn't you have some experiences with ivy not cooperating with the whole crawl effect? what would you or your momma recommend?

and i lied, i have two - 2) my jade plant/money tree stopped growing, and i haven't taken the time to check but it's probably root bound - do i just need to put it in a bigger pot, or are there special tips? your is so big and pretty :)

A: Dear Osayi,

1) For a confined space like a balcony you could try these ideas:



Directions: Before and After balcony



Love this canopy! So great. Instructions here.



Who says you need a yard to have a garden?

2) My beloved Jade Tree was a gift from my sweet brother, Jake. He carried it to my house from Home Depot, then Marta, then a bus. I cherish it. I have had great luck summering it. I also feed it in the spring and make sure that there isn't a lot of debris in the dirt, they like a clean home. You very well may need to move it to a bigger pot. Make sure you use fresh succulent potting mix. Good luck!



Jade Tree Care


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Gardening Q/A

Q: Surprise, surprise I have a gardening question!!! We are in massive landscaping and home improvement mode :) We are looking to improve the privacy of our backyard and make a little oasis for ourselves. I want to train a hearty vine with good foliage to grow on our deck railings, that could possibly grow very tall if we ever build a pergola or archway in the future. Direct sunlight, preferably one that flowers or is fragrant, good for Georgia and drought conditions. Any ideas or tips? Thank you thank you!

A: Dear Jodi,

Great question! I'm excited to see what you create in your backyard. For a great hardy vine, for direct sunlight I would recommend the Akebia vine. The foliage is so beautiful, it flowers in the spring and it grows very fast. Most vines take several years to really spread, but not the Akebia. There are two different types, white and chocolate flowers and they are both beautiful!! Good luck:)

A link: Akebia Vine



I don't recommend Jasmine, because I lost my jasmine to the drought:(


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le jardin maintenon

-the sunflowers are popping up
-the nastersiums are growing like crazy!
-all of the seeds we have sowed have popped up
-they need to be thinned
-we've had plentiful rain to aid our little sprouts
-i like examining our garden with wine in tow

how are your gardens doing? have you planted anything?

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This delicious chunk of man is having a birthday today. He wished for sleeping in and I am happy to report that he is sleeping like a baby and speaking of babies...my little one is talking up a storm!

Sam, my biggest hope for you is that you can stand your birthday without your new gun and that I can make you feel as special as you make me feel. I love you so much!

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Traditions We’re Skipping by Kate

When it comes to wedding traditions, I believe in picking the ones that work for you and leaving out the rest. I’ll wear a long ivory dress and my dad will walk me down the aisle (But come to think of it, I’m not really interested in being “given away.” Maybe we’ll go with “Who presents the bride?”), and of course, we’re embracing tradition by getting married in the first place. But we’re not following all the rules. Andy and I plan to skip these five traditions: 

Bouquet toss 

If you’ve ever been a single woman at a wedding, then you know that standing in the middle of a crowded room while a hundred happy couples watch you desperately try to catch a hand-me-down bouquet can be a horrifying experience.  

Words like “submit” and “obey” 

We’re going to use short and sweet wedding vows from the Book Of Common Prayer. But while I’m sure we’re in for a lifetime of giving in to each other’s demands, Andy and I just aren’t comfortable with the old-timey “husband makes the rules, wife makes dinner” language. I think we’ll stick with non-controversial words like “love” and “trust.”  

Bride’s side and groom’s side 

This is a wedding, not a ball game, and there won’t be side taking of any kind. (Full disclosure: My opinion might stem from the fact that Andy knows more people than I do so his side would probably be fuller, and I tend to get competitive—so its really just a recipe for disaster in our case.) 

Garter removal 

First of all, I’m not really sure what a garter is. Secondly, I sometimes duck when Andy so much as kisses me in public—I’m certainly not going to let 200 people, including but not limited to my grandmothers, watch him grope me. Later that night, he can remove whatever he wants in the privacy of our hotel room. 

Seating chart 

Our wedding guests are big boys and girls, and they can decide where they want to sit. Since single people get to bring dates, no one should feel like it’s the first day of school and they don’t have anywhere to put their tray. Also, we’re trying to keep the planning process as simple as possible, and a seating chart sounds so…time-consuming. 

Which wedding traditions would you skip?
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I resisted this

For 8 whole months, but honestly how could I deny my child and Grammy and Lynndaddy such joy? Now where to hide it put it...











I will say that in just a few short days Miss M has figured out how to put her pacifier in her mouth (score one for us!), how to jump, how to accidently hit the music buttons, and she is waving more and more. Thanks baby einstein!

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Miss us?

Since I don't really like giving criminals the a-ok, hit us up, "we're out of town" notice, I don't usually advertise our trips. However, we spent a lovely long weekend in the woods and I would love to tell you about it, but I'm tired so pictures and highlights will have to do for now. I do love getting a few chastising notes when I'm absent. It makes me think someone reads this little blog.xo.




Matilda fully embraced her woodsy girl self. We're talking cargos and hats all weekend.

We got to test out this pack...finally!



There were so many wildflowers in bloom. Queen Anne's Lace and daisies galore.

Guinness needed three baths to get all of the jumpinginmudpuddleschasingblazerollinginthedirt debris off.

The days were spent in doors with coffee and wonderful conversation when it rained and when the sun peeked it's head Sam was out the door with Lynndaddy to tear up some targets. Grammy and I played with Matilda and sat outside in the cool breeze.



We also went to Grammy's wonderful weekly tea party. Her friends are fabulous! Made me want a weekly tea party of my own...

The last day was spent taking a dizzying drive to Cheahaw Park (the highest point in Alabama). Matilda was wearing an outfit deemed unsuitable for public view by Grammy (she was also the one who gave it to her. hehe.)



The weekend was absolute heaven as always. Thank you beyond words Lynndaddy and Grammy. We loved it!
ps bangs are superfun in humid conditions. forgot just how fun!
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i had such a fun day yesterday. mary alice came over for brunch, the holiday, and lots of catching up. i adore her.
dinner with rach, anna, and skye. perfect.
i love seeing my friends and sharing my lovely matilda. i fall more in love with her every day.
what are your weekend plans???



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Here's to long weekends

{Red Balloon Diaries}

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Every Picture Tells a Story by Kate

There’s no place like a funeral to meet your fiancé’s extended family.

This past weekend I traveled to Florida with Andy’s family for his grandmother’s funeral. Walking into the visitation, I found myself in a selfish panic. Which comes first—“Nice to finally meet you” or “I’m so sorry for your loss?” Is hugging appropriate? Would they notice the hole in my blouse? Were people going to cry? Dear God please no weeping strangers. But they warmly welcomed me and the whole thing turned into a bittersweet family reunion, as funerals often do.

After the service we went back to Andy’s grandfather’s house, where photo albums were conveniently strewn. The family started reminiscing, and after a day of trying not to cry, they let a few much-needed tears of laughter slip out.

At one point I was sitting alone on the couch and Andy’s grandfather backed into the empty spot next to me. I didn’t quite know what to say, so I picked up an album, assuming that pictures of his grandkids at Christmas would lead to an easy conversation. But I opened the book to find a collection of photos of his late wife. Not exactly what I had planned. I tried to gauge his reaction, and he nodded, as if to say, “Go ahead. I’m ready to talk about her.” I flipped through the pages as he narrated—there were old black-and-white images of her in sundresses from before they were married, faded pictures of her pushing their kids in a stroller, recent ones of the pair holding hands and wearing matching blue T-shirts at their 60th anniversary celebration (60 years!). Every photo had an anecdote—sometimes about his wife and sometimes about the cabinets behind her, the baby she was holding or the vacation they were on. He got wistful once or twice, but mostly the fond memories made him laugh—and oh, how an old man’s laughter is contagious. When we got to the album’s end I realized that without knowing it, Andy’s grandfather had treated me to an old-fashioned love story.

His grandson and I have a love story too. It began a few years ago, and I commit to documenting it with pictures—real, printed-out pictures that go in albums, not iPhoto libraries or desktop folders. I’ll keep them in order, scribble names, dates and places on the backs and slide them into books that I pull out on special occasions.

I can only hope that 60 years from now I’ll have the chance to sit on a couch, flip through a photo album and tell some wide-eyed kid about how much fun I’ve had with my husband. But since I get to imagine this scenario however I want: It won’t follow a funeral, and Andy will be sitting right beside me—because frankly, I’d rather die first.


{ATL}
click on the image to enlarge

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Recipe: Fail Proof Bruschetta

pronounced (bru.skeh.ta)
or if you're Giada (and I'm not) "Bruuusskkaeeettaaaa."
does that drive anyone else crazy???
First things first.
Ingredients:
cherry tomatoes on the vinefresh garlicolive oils+ploaf of fresh french breadfresh mozzarella
I first wash the tomatoes. It's good to be sanitary. Then I preheat the oven to 400.
While things are heating up I take (I don't use exact measurements sorry) a few splashes of olive oil, fresh garlic (or I typically get the minced garlic in the jar in the produce section) salt and pepper, I tear the mozzarella ball in to pieces, and then stir together.
Meanwhile, have the tomatoes roasting in a baking dish until their skin begins to crack (that sounds gross, but it's oh so good ).
After the tomatoes do their thing, add them to the olive oil mixture, squishing the tomatoes as you go. It's a delightful feeling.
Spoon out mixture on to pre-cut slices of bread and then return to the oven until the cheese is melted.
I guarantee a very happy mouth and a fast and easy appetizer.

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Interview: Amy Davison

Here is my first interview, of hopefully many...

Meet Amy:



She's an artist, a collector, and a friend. Here are the back notes from her recent exhibition.



I love the concept for your (BFA art exhibit?), the Art of Recollecting. The beautiful quilts contrasting against the black and white signs are so captivating. I really wanted to be able to share your creation, because to me it is magical. Tell us more about your vision and how the collection formed.

This was my Bachelor's of Fine Art senior exhibition--I am graduating with honors from the University of West Georgia, with a degree in Art Education. in August. Each art student has to give a senior art show to kind of show to their mentors, their peers, and themselves that they are prepared to enter into the world of art. The Art Educator's decided to put on a group show to showcase all of our skills--seeing as we have to be very well rounded--and I decided on the idea of a conceptual show to display further my ideas of art and community rather than just give examples of artworks I have done throughout my years at the school.

The idea behind my concept, which would be collecting, has come from a pretty elaborate search and discovery I have been experiencing throughout the last few years of my life.



There are a lot of southern and folk undertones in your work. What do you love most about living in the south?

The South to me is a plethora of wonders. Anything to do with our vegetation and our climate.. I love spending time outdoors and getting to know my surroundings. I am constantly searching for an excuse to be wrapped up in all of its glory. I love the thought of establishing roots… I was born and raised here in Georgia, but I am always searching for a chance to get away; however, I know I am grounded here, so I know I will always return. I feel like I belong here and I like that feeling.

I grew up in a sweet Southern home filled with memories, objects with memories, objects that relate to other objects with memories and a family who obviously loves to collect. As I grew up, I noticed that there were many gatherers in my life that absolutely loved to hoard, like myself, such as my family members, best friends and many of my favorite teachers. Within the last couple years, it finally occurred to me that collecting was, and always has been, present in my life as a type of art--versus the internal/external conflict I had been struggling with for years. I feel like collecting, to a certain extent, tends to be a rather Southern thing. As far as I'm concerned, it's a learned trait and I am okay with that. Seeing as though my grandparents grew up in a time that every person and family's possessions were appreciated to the furthest extent. And I believe that it has just been passed down to each generation, as a necessity, to gather and appreciate anything and everything that you own. From the Great Depression up to now, in the financial crisis we're all experiencing, we all have to learn to love whatever it is we can get our hands on and learn to recognize the value of all that we have for all that its worth.



It has taken me many years to find an outlet, as well as an actual form for my art, through which I can express my concern for the multitude of objects that seem to be growing by the day in and around my home. In 2008, an identity piece I worked with in my sculpture class caused me to interview those closest to me. I conducted a survey with each individual and placed the written interviews in old books, which were then used to fill a hollowed log—returning the books to their original state. I was then able to give each of the carefully selected books a purpose and a personality, one that was more meaningful to me. The log was symbolic of my connection to the earth, to my surroundings, as well as its contents and the individuals that each book contains within. This project helped open my eyes to the lives of the wonderful people surrounding me and led to further interest in examining them; therefore, it was the actual contents of the log library that essentially led to this exhibition: The Art of Recollecting. Therein, both re-collecting the collections of others that are close to me, and also, reminiscing on the pasts of each person and the objects they have collected.



The stag bookends and bits and bobbins are so charming. What is your favorite thing to collect?

Throughout my life, I have been known to collect many things such as board games, license plate tags, random objects from nature, antiques, old keys, and odds and ends, but first and foremost, before any other item, I like to think I have collected friends. I have friends from almost every state I have every traveled to and really appreciate the fact that I can keep connections alive after such a long time and over such great distances.



You said that you conducted interviews with your family and friends. What kind of questions did you ask?

This installment allowed for the chance to share with the world a gathering of both my friends and influences in the art world and the incredible assemblies that have been acquired from them. I hoped that with this project I helped open the eyes, hands and hearts of my audience to the wonderful world of collecting, with every intention of finding beauty in the bountiful. Some of the questions I asked each person were put forth in a way that it truly questions the collectors’ intent and connection to their collections. I asked about how they started their collections and where. I asked how each collection was shown in their home, if it was shown at all. I tried to ask a few questions that made some of the collectors a little uneasy, such as,
  “How many pieces make up your collection?—Why do you feel this constitutes as a collection?” and “What purpose(s) does your collection serve?” 
I also asked if anyone else in their families collected and what. I think it’s important to know if a collector comes from a long line of collectors or if it’s just something they picked up during their childhood.



The questions were mainly just to help both the collectors, myself and the audience understand some background information about each one of the twenty-four collections put forth for viewing. Each of the interviews were sent to the participants then hand written and mailed back to me in specific envelops from six different states. I really loved the idea of inserting both travel and correspondence into the mix of collecting. I felt like it helped tell another tale of my collections and my interests, as did the inclusion of the BINGO game setup and cataloging. I collect board games and wanted my show to be interactive—therefore, each collection, along with its interview, was assigned a BINGO number for the viewers to call upon and research… It was a very elaborate plan! And I think it turned out to be beautiful.



I do too. Thanks Amy.
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Being Impulsive

Is my new motto. Why yes it is. Rachel and I had planned to go to church this sunday. I don't even want to tell you the last time I went. In fact, I can't remember. I can't remember anything these days. It's scary. So...I packed up Matilda's bag, thought of anything the nursery might need, panicked about leaving her alone with strangers (what if she's too tired and can't sleep? what if they don't know what to do with the cloth diaper?), and off we went. We got to church and there was a full parking lot, no traffic directors, and Rach is like "Are you sure the service starts at 12:30?" me: "Absolutely." We both get out our phones trying to beat each other with the answer. Sure enough... the service started at 11:30. Noted.

This led us on thoughts of an adventure. We're already out, bags are packed, we can do anything. Rachel was all "What about the aquarium?" and I was all, "OKAY!" So the aquarium it was...



Neither Rachel nor I had been. I had been holding out, waiting for the buzz to die down. Rachel said it had been open for 3 years. THREE??? So, we got there and it was raining, we got in the elevator and then we saw them. The people. Wooooof. There were so many. So many strollers, babies, running children, people with video cameras. I am not a crowd person. At. All.



Matilda was very interested in the fish. This was the tunnel in the "ocean" exhibit. No one was moving. It was hard to see much. We travelled to and fro and then it happened. We discovered a secret looking glass that had the "ocean" and the "belugas" it was a slice of heaven.








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Lakewood 400

I've come to grips with the fact that I am no longer an adolescent. I enjoy gardening, npr, and antiquing just to name a few very "adult" things I partake in.

This saturday I enjoyed a mother/daughter day at Lakewood 400. Being a big fan of the previous Lakewood, I didn't have very high expectations. I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived to a vision of cottage flowers, iron yard art, and table after table of, as I affectionately call it...junk.











My favorite booth was Annie Grosgrain. Her shop was stocked full of vintage spools, hand dyed ribbon and lace, and lovely old gift wrapping supplies. Heaven.







Other favorite was this hardware and wood salvage booth. I love these old letters. I bought some wood block letters and numbers from him. I could have gone crazy, beautiful glass knobs, door knockers, hardwoods.





I bought a few pieces and you will just have to wait and see how I turn them in to little wonders in my home...


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