Thursday, October 29, 2009

Time Flies....

This has been one of those weeks that has flown by. When I haven't been at work, I have been getting ready for the Halloween party at Mini K's school and our PGG trunk shows next week. For those of you in the D.C. area email me for details, but we have trunk shows in Alexandria on Monday and Thursday night with some fabulous holiday specials (buy 2/3 get 1 FREE, yes FREE), so bring your list and your holiday card photo and we will take care of everything else and leave you with plenty of time and money to spare.

Everyone has their own way of dealing with a crazy week, tea, coffee, an early bedtime, but I gravitate towards my laptop. It is as if I enter a trance, and by the time I come out of it, I have print outs or links of must purchase, or must remember items. Now if I placed these in the binders I have purchased for this very task I would be so very organized. Maybe that will be my project for this weekend when all of us are blessed with a Saturday with one extra hour. I still think if Congress is going to make us live for 6 months where it is dark by 5pm that I should get an extra hour of sleep EVERy NIGHT, just saying...

So tonight, the following items caught my eye...


This might be new go to girl's birthday gift for Mini K's friends. I love the ball of bands from J.Crew's Crewcuts.

I am loving this new tinted lip balm from Sugar.

At this rate 2010 will be here before I know it, and I am hoping everything is sunny in 2010. I have already ordered, and received, my yellow 2010 Graphic Image planner. Now I have to organize it.
If I can't will myself to a resort or make the sun shine, I can at least brighten up my day with a scarf from Lilly Pulitzer's Resort 2010 collection.
Revere bowls...I never tire of them. A classic that makes everything from apples to candy to flowers look elegant.
Can't decide on these FitFlop boots from Blissworld, because even I know I cannot wear my FlipFlops al winter long...


The large Trefoil key pendant from Tiffany. The blue box always makes anyone smile.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Seashells By The Seashore

We are back from a whirlwind 27 hours at the beach and I feel like a new person. I don't care what anyone says, the beach has the power to clear your mind, give you a fresh outlook and remember when life was as simple as finding that perfect shell to add to your collection.

This was the first time that Mini K got it. She went onto the balcony last night to hear the waves crash and say good night to all of her favorite characters from the Little Mermaid and asked them to send her shells. She woke up super early this morning and couldn't wait to finish breakfast so we could go explore.




Needless to say we all got soaked (thank heaven the water wasn't too cold) and filled a bucket with shells, and memories too.

I feel like this past week has been full of eye opening experiences. Or at least ones that make you think...if you truly know someone, if you are truly grateful for your blessings and how blessed we are to discover new friends.

Tonight I am back in reality, and it seems less stressful. If only I could bottle that beach feeling for the days I need an escape.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Pretty Thoughts

I came across some new baubles from one of my favorite jewelers: Atlanta's own Laura Pearce. All of these images are courtesy of her website. I should also say, as a result of these new FTC rules, that I do not receive ANYTHING in compensation from Laura Pearce. She is an amazingly talented designer and her pieces always make me think of soirees, good times and pretty clothes. I might be the only one, but I love pieces of jewelry that make me think of a memory, a past good time, a special moment with family and friends.




What can I say...pretty things make me smile! Happy Friday.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Speedy, Speedy, Speedy

I had a little shock today. I had forgotten I had ordered new counter stools for the kitchen. Well, I remembered, but for some reason I thought they wouldn't arrive until Christmas/new Year's time frame.

So when my fabulous Fed Ex man knocked and said he had 3 huge boxes I was surprised. Some of you, Hopsy, know that I spent an insane amount of time looking for bamboo style counter stools. The search + MAJOR FAIL. So I channeled my inner Lilly, or half Lilly and went green and a little wild too! The best part is that both the pillow fabric and the chair fabric are outdoor fabrics, so they repel water...I am hoping Mini K doesn't put them to the test tomorrow!


As I was unpacking them, I realized tomorrow our fabulous housekeeper comes. This translates to total panic attack of what to do with the old stools so there wouldn't be clutter. So at 4pm today up they went on Craig's List and and by 7:45pm they were gone.

I love it when things work out. There is always that little scare when you order something and wonder if it will work out, but this time I think it did.


Monday, October 19, 2009

Back To Stay

I guess you can tell I took a little time off. I spent last week in Texas, finding specialists for mom, making sure the contractors had not destroyed the house in her absence and well I confess just making sure that the happy, positive, brave voice on the phone was real.

As always, my mother amazes me. I have watched her survive divorce (love my Dad but they get along so much better apart and anyone who was at my wedding can vouch for that...strange, but true), cancer...twice, but West Nile Virus has left her with something called flaccid paralysis. In English that means she can feel her legs, but she cannot move them...her right one a little, her left one nada. So the woman who can power walk 5 miles in 57 minutes is in a wheelchair, and motivated as all get out to get out of it. Her spinal taps (poor thing had to have 2), CT scans and MRI's all show that it is metabolic and will return. The million dollar question is when.

She knows about the blog, but doesn't read it. We were talking and she asked what Grove Gal E and I were showcasing for the holidays and I told her I had taken a break. She promptly gave me some words. Now for those of you not from the South, words are shall we say, not sugar coated and not always what you want to hear. She made me promise no more posts on her until she was back up and at them, so friends I am back. Please keep her in your prayers. I am constantly inspired by her attitude and her refusal to accept anything but 110% from herself, even in the dark days.

We are escaping on Friday night to the beach...just for a night. This may sound strange, but to me, there is something truly calming about walking the beach in the fall bundled in my fleece and feeling the weather change. The one thing I have learned is that life can change in the blink of an eye. Year after year I have said we would take Mini K on a fall beach trip, and with everything that has happened I just decided no more putting things off....the good or the bad. So I am now out of my shell, not going back in, ready to tackle the good and the bad with the best attitude I can.

The long plane rides allowed me to finish some good books (I will share with you this week), plan out my gift giving list for the holidays and plan a few special surprises for my mom.

And for the record, can you believe it is almost November???? We are going to Texas for Thanksgiving and my treat to myself will be a visit to the new Bendels. If any of you Dallas gals will be in town let me know!

Happy Monday friends and thank you SO MUCH for all of your kind emails, and most of all your prayers for my mom. Please keep them coming.


Thursday, October 8, 2009

Etsy Find

I don't know about all of you, but I can find etsy to be overwhelming. If you don't get the description just right you might end up with 0 results, or if you are too general you end up with 4,000.

But a few weeks ago I lucked out and Olive & Ollie and trust me, I will be ordering from them again and again. I love the ask the seller a question feature, but this time I really loved the answer.

I asked the talented designer at Olive & Ollie to custom make a monogrammed applique hoodie for Mini K. After two short weeks a package arrived and it exceeded ALL of my expectations. Her price was a steal and the quality is amazing. She wore it today and we were stopped no less than 5 times asking where we purchased it.


Since I believe in sharing with friends, I wanted to give all of you the source. These hoodies, or any of her other creative shirts would make great holiday or birthday shirts.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

So Much Prettier Than A Trophy


I know I have blogged about Sew Girlie before...they solved my problem when I was trying to find scrapbook covers with a preppy monogrammed twist. Sew Girlie hosted a contest..how would you use one of their monogrammed buckets. Well I won!

My bucket arrived yesterday, and I simply adore it! I can't show you mine, because I had her put my name on it. And in case you were wondering what I plan to do with my monogrammed bucket.

I always wonder where to put our guests/party favors when we have people over. So I had our bucket customized with a chocolate brown and cream fabric and our last name in celadon green. It will sit by the door and keep our happies organized until the last guest leaves.

I also want to say thank you to all of your for your prayers and emails about my mother. She is hanging in there. I was given the all clear to travel so next week I will be back in my beloved Texas and able to go with mother to the Lyme specialist. I am so thankful that I can finally feel useful.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Happy Fall Y'all!


We have a neighborhood festival every year at the beginning of October. To me that is the start of fall. Well the day is here and I have caught the fall spirit. We had a new flagstone patio installed this week and I cannot wait to go sit in my chair, with a cup of coffee and watch Mini K play in the leaves.

I also added some fall decor to our farm dining room table thanks to a blogger friend. I am always amazed at how many truly talented women I have met through blogging....and all of you know that I like to support women owned businesses. Some of us have these businesses to pay the bills and some us do them because we have a passion (in my case Mr. Grove would say paper obession!) for them.

So if you haven't met the talented Miss Jennifer click on over to her blog Southern Living: Preppy Style. She made me the most amazing double ball fall topiaries for my table. I also ordered another pair in what else but pink and green to put out from Valentine's Day through Easter! I was stunned when they arrived yesterday. Have you ever seen anything so festive and preppy? Mini K's is calling them her ribbon trees and wants to go buy a bow tree so she can always have new hair bows.



Here are another one of Miss Jennifer's fall designs.
You can place an order by emailing her at: slpreppy @ gmail.com. Single tall topiaries in the pot(5" ball and 5" pot) are $35, the single low topiaries (6" ball and 6" pot) are $45 and the double ball ones like mine are $75. Prices are for each individual topiary. The best part is you can pack them up and use them year after year. And let's just say you don't have much luck keeping actual plants alive (that would be me!)...no watering needed!

I am off to make homemade roasted tomato soup and grilled pimento cheese sandwiches.

Happy Fall Y'all.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Mother Knows Best...

She has been telling the doctor's since she was first admitted to test her for Lyme Disease. Everyone kept telling her she was paranoid...she had West Nile. Her response was you could have both.

Well guess what???? Mother was RIGHT!

We have taken a step backward....she has both West Nile and Lyme Disease. West Nile she will get over...but Lyme can become chronic.

I mentioned to her I had been blogging (ok not often, but I am trying) and she wanted me to pass a message on:

1. Thank you for all of your prayers and please keep praying

2. Ladies, trust your gut, you must ALWAYS advocate for yourselves when it comes to your health and everything else.

SHe has an appointment with a top Lyme doctor on October 14th, and that has taken some stress off of me.

I will be back later with a non-health post.