Baby Steps

Well that is what I hope my mother is taking by the end of the week. She released herself from the hospital late last week and checked into a rehab center to get her strength back. Only to prove that when you have been in the medical field for as long as my mother has, the rehab center, well she was the boss there too at one time. Her room sounds like a party and I have had no less than 5 people tell me that mom was the best boss they ever had and they miss her daily so I know she will be getting the best care. And by care I mean 5 hours of rehab a day. I never thought a good day would be my mom being able to stand for 10 minutes with assistance...this is a woman that up until 2 weeks ago saw 15-20 patients a day and walked 3-5miles daily rain or shine. And now she is trying to move her left leg, because of 1 little mosquito bite. Why people don't spray for mosquitos I will never understand, but I will get off my box.

I also wanted to thank the amazingly talented Marie at Paper Menu. Over the years we have become friends. I can always count on her for top of the line products, a listening ear and a prayer and feel truly blessed to call her my friend. SOmehow she remembered that I needed to approve my own invite order and got them out to me with an adorable nightgown for Mini K. Marie...I promise I proper thank you is coming your way, but I confess I am still behind. She also just finished a BEAUTIFUL, I mean flawless birth announcement for another friend and client. How cute is this...and yes I am talking about the baby and the announcement.

I mean this baby boy looks like the poster child for a classic southern baby. Am I wrong? This little cutie is going places!

Thank you for all of you who have emailed or left comments for me over the past couple of weeks. I am truly grateful for your prayers and they are working! We were told mother would be in the hospital for at least two weeks and in 7 days she is out. I might not be back everyday, but I promise I will be back on the blog train.

I need to start thinking of Halloween decor this week, so if you have any great ideas please help a sleep deprived lady out. Anyone else been to Target lately? It seems that I somehow have slept through Halloween and Thanksgiving, because the Christmas decor is out. I saw it and walked out the door. If I have learned one thing is that life is too precious to rush through. I plan on making many memories before Christmas!

Enjoy your week, because at the end you won't be thinking of the one errand you didn't have a chance to complete.

Welcome Distractions

First, thank you all so much for all of your kind comments and most of all your prayers for my mother. Please keep them coming. She has gotten a little movement back in her left foot, but still cannot move the rest of her left leg and still has a fever. I have learned more about West Nile Virus in the last few days, and let me tell you, it is scary. It can last days, weeks or months, it just depends. Well you can imagine how much that unknown is to my control freak, science always has an answer medical mother. I might get grounded for some of the stuff I pulled today, but she is in a hospital in Dallas and I am in D.C., what is she going to do ground me? She is so focused on not asking for anything special, because she is the boss, that she is miserable. So I got her hospital food menu changed, and before you think she is getting filet and everyone is getting mush, relax. Iced tea instead of coffee, no gravy and cheerios instead of cornflakes. Seriously, minor things, that I know will make a big difference. Unfortunately, my list of names of people who feel that this is the perfect time for them to plead their case before her since she is trapped, well I have news for them....just as soon as they tell me I can be in the same room with her, watch out. If you are not nice to my mother, then you will deal with me.

I cannot believe tomorrow is Friday. Thank you to all of our fabulous clients that have kept me busy with orders. I have loved the distraction of focusing on smiling babies, happy couples, new houses, birthday parties. I started this business as a creative outlet, but this week it has become a welcomed distraction, that constantly makes me stop and think how many special, talented and kind women I have met.

One of my favorite designers just finished a birth announcement for a dear friend and I promise to share it with you tomorrow. And yes we carry invites and holiday cards, but no they are not on the website. There is a reason to this madness. When you need these, it is a special time, and Grove Gal E and I are a small, okay really small, company and we love to give our clients personal attention. SO we like working with each of you one on one. You tell us what you need and we email you options, once we have found that perfect one, you are all set. Plus if everything was on the website, I would have spent the last 3 days thinking, okay worrying, about my mother nonstop.

If you are on twitter than you know that the fabulously chic KEP Designs is offering their followers 20% off through Saturday. I am thinking I will order mom a little pick me up.

Please do me one last favor, since I cannot hug my mother or hold her hand, I have to think of her sayings and how much she teaches through her words and actions everyday. So I leave you with this:

Remember that when you fight with someone you love, you love them regardless of how you feel about their actions. And when the fight is over, it is over, unless you want to be reminded of your worst hair moment forever.

See why I love her? I have chosen not to discuss how horrified that I am by the fact that I am pretty sure I caught her talking back to Fox News today, and she emailed me an update on the injury status of Dancing With The Stars contestants.

So go be with your loved ones, dear readers, and sleep tight.

Imperfections & Explanations

You can obviously tell it has been awhile since I have blogged. I started this blog to promote PGG, connect with our clients and have a little fun. Since then, I have "met" so many wonderful and amazing women that I now call friends.

I also know that blogworld at times to appear to be some utopia with daily new clothes, perfectly behaved children and no worries. I saw this blog as a creative outlet, but we are all friends here, the "perfect" no problem life walked right on by me. That is a statement, not a complaint. I would not on any given day change a thing. Well that's not true, I wished that pain was NEVER inflicted on the people I love.

I have been hesitant to blog about this, but have decided if it helps someone it is worth it. My super healthy, extremely active mother collapsed Sunday. She has survived cancer, twice, but this is the weakest I have ever heard her. We are waiting on the final tests results from the Mayo Clinic, but her doctor's are pretty sure she has West Nile Virus. She doesn't live in a jungle, or a swamp, and unless you consider eating at Highland Park Village, Northpark Mall or Central Market places where you can catch West Nile, you are as stumped as we all are.

She is alert, still trying to be the mom, and from all accounts sounds like normal...she just cannot move her left leg. Let me tell you, for a woman as active as my mom, that is pure torture. I wish I could be there, but both my mom and her doctor's have said no until we know exactly what it is due to Mini K's compromised immune system. SO we all wait. These past two days have seemed like eternity.

I just hung up with her and thought, whatever, I am going to blog about this, because like Mini K's temper tantrums, my weekly cooking disasters, countless unfinished to do items and the constant struggle to cram as much as possible into a day this is my imperfect life. It is mine and for those of you that know me...wait for it....IT IS WHAT IT IS.

I have heard this phrase from the fabulous woman who now sits in a hospital bed, but with her own special twist:

It is what it is, embrace it and move forward, because God is in the pilot seat and you are not in charge.

This phrase could not be more true. Tonight I will send off a few proofs to clients, give Mini K an extra kiss goodnight and pray for mother's speedy and complete recovery. Everything else is out of my hands.

I think sometimes the hardest lesson we learn as women, daughters, friends or mothers is to focus our energy on the things we can control and good or bad embrace everything else.

I know this will attract the negative comments, bring them on, I will publish them, because life is not always perfect and if you try to make look perfect you are wasting time that you could be spending on friends and family. I seriously doubt anyone looks back on life and wishes they had purchased one more outfit, but an extra hug from a loved one is PRICELESS.

I am off to bed to dream happy thoughts and am hoping to wake up tomorrow to good news from mother's doctors and a better day.

Fall Is Here

I spoke to my mother today, and it seems that fall might not be in Dallas yet (is it Hopsy?), but the temperatures in D.C. are dropping and no not from the health care debate.

One of my favorite things about fall, and winter for that matter, are sweater coats. In fact I will try to wear them as long as I can instead of a blazer, jacket or coat. Mr. Grove refers to my collection as daytime pajamas. Make fun of me all you wish, but let me tell you, pair a sweater coat with a classic preppy basic like black pants or dark rinse jeans, a statement handbag and some black wedges, boots or heels, and well you are the perfect combination of chic, preppy and stylish. And the bet part.....you are COMFORTABLE and WARM, and as a working mom, that is a big deal.

I haven't decided on my fall handbag purchase ( I still have a month and change before Care for Kids Card and Partners Card...read GUCCI 20% for a good cause), but here are so

me of the sweater coats and jackets I am considering from anthropologie this fall.

Chic Tuesday

If only. I really wish I had some fabulous shopping tip for you, or a preppy tip or two, but instead I have a stack of orders to process (THANK YOU fabulous PGG clients), a hamper full of laundry that I am avoiding (because it will eventually take of itself right?) and thank you notes that I must write.

And while I am confessing, I did get the Boden 20% email and the Ballard Designs 20% email and am thinking...does Mini K need anything, should I just go ahead and order the new barstools. Then I have a J. Crew moment, are these 20% off emails, just the teaser to the 25% off emails? Because we all know what comes after the EXTRA 20% J. Crew FINAL SALE, the EXTRA 30% off FINAL SALE email. Oh yes I am on to you J. Crew.

If it wouldn't keep me up all night I would go get a fountain diet coke in a styrofoam cup from McDonalds.

So since life is anything but chic right now, I had to at least give myself a pretend post title. Please tell me I am not the only one living a very not glamorous life today.

Have A Seat

I have been trying to finish up Mini K's big girl room for longer than I care to admit. We are down to 2 different shades of green for the wall paint, and Mr. Grove is NOT looking forward to having the wall monogram he painted covered up, but I even draw the line at the total number of monogrammed items allowed in one room.

Which brings me to my latest preppy (and pink) project. We have moved the most comfortable chair with us for the past 3 moves. I love the chair, hated the fabric. It was one of those impulse buys at the Design Center Annual Sale and I always told my self I would have it recovered. In fact I was in such a hurry to have it recovered that I forgot to take a before picture. So imagine this chair covered in a natural linen Laura Ashley print. Not our style, or 2009.

So I had it recovered in this....

And then I found this AMAZING MONOGRAM COMPANY who turned it into this...

Chateau Embroidery is a local company that works by appointment only in D.C., Virginia and Maryland, but for those of you far away, they will work with you via email, mail, etc. The quality of this monogram is amazing. The only place that I know of around here that does a monogram this large is Calico Corners and Chateau's price was one-third. The best part, I supported a woman owned business, and as a business owner, that is really important to me.

Crawling Out...

I realized when I finally sat down today to watch my beloved Longhorns that you were probably wondering where I have been. Let me tell you, it has been quite the week.

Mini K LOVES her new school. I mean runs to the door in her pj's in the morning, puts her backpack by her bed at night, love. I am thrilled, but it has been an adjustment. Before this week, Grove Land woke up around 8am and arrived at school between 9:30-10am. Well Mini K HAS to be at school...by 8am...and I just don't think I can send her with a note that says: "My mom is really proud of me that I can sleep in, sorry I am over an hour late...everyday." Needless to say those early mornings have made me adopt a new bedtime of 10pm.

Exciting no, but true.

And speaking of the Grove, we have been busy. Baby announcements, wine tastings and holiday soiree invites galore, the orders have been coming in. THANK YOU!

I spent today packing up all of summer clothes and unpacking fall ones...now I just need the weather to cooperate with my organization skills.

Tomorrow, I am tackling the PGG website....so many new products to add, finishing my must purchase for fall list and deciding on a new hair dryer. And I am guessing half of you are thinking I have lost my mind for researching a hair dryer, the other half of you (Nina) know that thick hair can mean an hour long date with your dryer so a great one is like buying time, and now that I have to be up at 6am...I need the time.

And with that, go back to your exciting life.

Off She Went...

Well Mini K was on a mission from the moment she woke up this morning. We dropped her off at her classroom and wait for it...she asked Mr. Grove and I if we would be okay. We said yes and asked her if she was okay. Her response, I love life.

Well said my little princess, well said.