Other Musings

happy (father's day) weekend!

in

via snippet and ink

This has been a crazy past few days. A lot of great things, one really not so great thing, and a lot of events for the weekend.

Let's start with the really not so great thing so we can end on a happy note.

After a few days passed and not hearing from my printers, I called them only to find out that my press operator had a sudden heart attack and died the week before. He'd never been sick a day in his life and was probably one of the nicest soft spoken men around. It's still kind of unbelievable and I can't stop thinking about his girlfriend and mother (who he had just moved up to Atlanta to be closer to him. And by just, I mean he finished moving her in, joked about being too old for that, and fell to the ground.) I'm so happy I got the chance to know him, even if it was only for a short time.

On to happier events though-

-I met one of my clients last night! (I rarely get that chance given that most of my work is done online so it was great. not to mention she's really cool- and surprisingly calm given that she's flying out of the country in less than 24hrs for her wedding.)

-One of my friends is getting married tomorrow! I just finished wrapping up her present and we can't wait to celebrate with the two of them! Oh I love weddings...

-Another of my close friends, Ms. Augusta Hyland, has an art show tonight that I am SO looking forward to. If you are in Atlanta (and didn't get the Daily Candy memo) you really need to be there. Great art, great food, and great drinks. What more could you ask for?

-And last, but certainly not least, Sunday is Father's Day!!! I won't get to see my dad this weekend (see wedding note above) but he can expect a call bright and early. He's the best dad EVER and I am so lucky to have been raised by him (and you too mom) and have him as a friend. Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

So any big plans for you all? Speaking of you all, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Happy Friday!

verde recap

in

I am way behind on this recap, but better late than never! So like I said last week, J. and I went to an event my sister organized call Verde and as predicted, it was wonderful! I was so proud of my sister. She has a gift when it comes to public speaking and event planning, so being able to see her in her element was so heart warming. Both J. and I were absolutely beaming watching her! So congrats on a great event, J! You did and AMAZING job! (This is the only time that using initials gets difficult... both my sister and husband have the same first initial!) And since a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few I took from the night. (all photos copyright of Courtney Khail Stationery and Design)

my good friend Augusta with Just Add Honey

iram-inal designs!

Presenting Korri Ellis with the Longleaf award after she was voted the 2010 Emerging Environmental Leader of the Year.

verde

in ,

If you happen to be in Atlanta tonight and would like to indulge in organic wines from Bonterra Wine, local Sweetwater beer, and tasty bites from Affairs to Remember- a local zero-waste caterer- then you should definitely come to Verde tonight. Although online reservations are closed, I think there are a limited number of tickets available at the door, so if you'd like to party with Generation Green make sure you get there early. It's sure to be a blast! And how do I know this? Well not to be biased or anything, but my sister is one of the hosts and she throws a mean party.

Find out more at the Georgia Conservatory site here or over at my sister's blog here.

See you tonight!

mother daughter day

in

(this title reminds me of college. we always had mother daughter days/weekends with the sorority) This past weekend my grandmother and Aunt L. came up from Florida to stay at my Aunt D's house and see the family- meaning my mom drove up from Augusta to hang out too! (my Uncle S. and Dad had a boys weekend at the hunting club prepping for deer season in the fall.)

Because my parents normally visit Atlanta "with a purpose" (Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays etc.) we rarely get to just relax and hang out like we do when we visit them. (Both my sister and I live in Atlanta and my mom's sister and her family live in the 'burbs so normally when my parents are here there is always somewhere to go or someone to see.) This time though, my mom came up early on Friday and didn't have anything to do until 6pm that night so I decided an introduction to some of my favorite places was long overdue!

First, I took her to Sun in my Belly for a late breakfast. It is by far J. and I's favorite place and I think after the meal my mom was served she will have no arguments when I suggest it the next time she and my dad are in town! You know you are in for a great breakfast when the server says "everything is amazing, but since you've never eaten here before you have to order something with the bacon. It's the best bacon ever." (and he's not lying. I could eat pounds of it. Even my mom- the lover of turkey bacon and healthy eating- was having a tough time not polishing off every last bit!)

After that we hit up Kudzu antiques in Decatur. If you haven't checked it out yet, take a few hours and go browse. It's basically just a huge flea market done right. My mom kept pointing out things that reminded her of her childhood- from retro furniture to shift dresses- it was all there.

Once we'd gotten our fill of Kudzu, I drove her to the Dekalb Farmer's Market. She used to go "back in the day" but hadn't been back in forever. Given that I call her every time I go and it always makes her jealous, I figured it was time to "share." We both really didn't need anything right then, but seeing all of the fresh produce, the wall of spices (which are absurdly cheap,) the fresh breads and the rows of newly cut meats- we just couldn't help ourselves. 5 bags later, we were on our way out.

After some shopping (you can't not shop with your mom) and driving through some of the neighborhoods around our place, we came back to the apartment made a snack and just hung around and talked. I got some work done, she "napped" and next thing we knew it was time to meet the rest of the family (my other aunt and grandmother were in town!) for dinner at the Nail. (shameless plug, if you are looking for a bar/restaurant to try out in Atlanta, go to the Rusty Nail on Buford Hwy. My aunt and uncle own it and the food is amazing. Brisket sandwich anyone? Ribs? Best smoked turkey sandwich ever? Oh yum. I get hungry just writing about it...)

Anyhow, back to my mom. It was just so great getting to catch up face to face and just spend some quality time together. Not to mention I love seeing people feel "at home" in our place, so when she started making us a snack without feeling "strange" about opening our frig or pantry it just warmed my heart.

Love you Mom!

DIY picnic tote

in , ,

I'm huge fan of all the beautiful and unique picnic bags popping up lately, butcouldn't bring myself to buy another bag when I already own too many (I'm really working on the "less is more" philosophy.) Instead, I decided to take an old canvas tote I already owned and make it over. So here is how it turned out!

via personal collection

Step 1: Get a plain tote. This one (from LL Bean) used to be my grandmother's, but she handed it over to me awhile back because she never used it. Instead of taking off her initials (which I kind of like) I simply turned the bag around to the blank side. If you wanted though, you could pull out the seam ripper and go to town removing the monogram. I just didn't think it was necessary.

via personal collection

Step 2: Sketch out what you would like on the bag in pencil. I went with the whole "looking into an open picnic basket," but you could draw out wine bottles, loaves of bread, herbs...whatever you'd like. I'm a big proponent of drawing from life though, so I pulled out the mismatched flatware, the wine opener etc. to make sure everything would look close to how it should. (For me, this was most important for the buckle around the plates. I drew a blank when trying to remember what it should look like and had to bring out a belt!)

via personal collection

Step 3: Trace over your sketch with a Sharpie. You could probably use a fabric pen, but I didn't have one handy. (As an artist though, I always have sharpies around!) I decided to use two sizes- thick and thin- to create more depth in the objects. Pick where you'd like the light source to come from (thanks to studying scientific illustration, I almost always have it coming from the top left) and use the thick Sharpie on all of the areas that should have a shadow. For me, that meant I used it on the right side of my objects. Once that's done, use the thin Sharpie to finish the other parts and to add delicate details to the flatware, plates etc. I kept going and added more values to the straps etc, but that's not necessary. I just thought it made everything pop a little more!

Step 4: If you feel like it, erase your pencil marks. I didn't care if you could see the sketch so I didn't worry about it, but if it bothers you, feel free!

via personal collection

Step 5: Step back, marvel in your handiwork, and get to planning a picnic so you can show off your new bag! Hope you all enjoy!!

the search for the perfect suncreen

in

alexis mire photo via oh hello friend

I know the official start of summer isn't until the 20th, but for me summer is here as soon as Memorial day rolls around. (According to the weather here in Georgia though, it's been summer for weeks now. It is so hot outside!) Summer isn't my favorite season (thanks to that hot GA weather I just mentioned) but I do like how it makes people want to get outside. For example, just this past weekend we kayaked 14 miles down the Toccoa (such a pretty river!), spent the next day at Decatur's Art Festival and then hung out by the pool the following day! And with all of the time we spend outdoors, sunscreen is always near by. To give you all an idea, we've already gone through 3 tubes. In 2 months. (You know you are supposed to be using a full shot glass size of sunscreen for your body, right?)

And even though we use so much of it, I never could find the right spf+moisturizer. If we're swimming or paddling, I stick to Coppertone's face sunscreen (no fragrances or dyes), and use the blue bottle sport one on my body (helpful, right? I think it's Hawaiian Tropic. Maybe it's Coppertone too...) but I needed an everyday one for under my makeup. My skin can get oily (esp in the summer) and every other moisturizer + sunscreen I tried either felt too oily or irritated my face. Thanks to my healthy fear of premature aging and cancer though, I kept searching and just a few weeks ago I found it! Biore' (whose face wash I swear by) carries a oil free spf 15 moisturizer that is just perfect. It doesn't break me out/cause irritation AND it moisturizes without making me feel oily! I know to some of you this isn't a big deal, but to me it's a huge accomplishment- and for all of you ladies (or gents) out there that are still searching I encourage you to try this one. It's awesome.

What about you all? Do you have a sunscreen that you use all the time or do you just slather on whatever made it's way into your bag?

looking polished

in

J. and I watched An Education a few nights ago (I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it if you like more Sundance-ish movies. It's not a thrilling story, but the cinematography was amazing.) and during one scene he asked why we all stopped dressing like that (see the photos to see what he meant.) And honestly, I don't know.When did the majority of us give up on looking "polished?"

Personally I long for reasons to get dressed up, but there really aren't many places for it. It used to be (and I mean used to as in the 50's) that going out to dinner or to the movies was an occasion. People got dressed up; no one looked as though they just got hit by a car/rolled out of bed. But today, even if you go to the ballet or a Broadway show "dressed up," you are likely to be way over dressed.

Now don't get me wrong, I love jeans. And my Rainbows? As much as I know they make my mom cringe and they aren't flattering at all, I love them. But I love love love dresses. And heels. And having a reason to get all dressed up. Oh! and a reason for J. to wear a tie (he hates ties but likes how the men of Mad Men dress so secretly I think he just wishes he had a real reason to wear one.)

And I know I am not the only one out there that feels this way because (yay!) designers are bringing out more and more collections full of dresses. Dresses that leave something to the imagination and are inspired by the dresses our grandmothers wore. I for one think it's amazing. I'm not at all saying that we should revert to the days when women weren't allowed to wear pants or anything, but I think there is something to be said about embracing femininity. Look at Jackie O, or at Audrey Hepburn. People still talk about and try to emulate their styles years later. (I can guarantee that no one is going to look back and say "wow. I wish I had bedazzled cargo pants and a tight t-shirt that said "easy" on it.")

So what do you all think? Do you wish people still dressed up?

my parents are really cool.

in

Like I mentioned last week, I spent the past few days at my parents and it was absolutely wonderful. We definitely missed J. (he had to work and couldn't make it) but it was nice  to catch up and spend some quality face to face time with my parents and just hang out! And you know what I found out this weekend? That my parents are really cool. Like more so than I already thought. I was going through my parents storage when I found a baseball autographed by Hank Aaron to my dad. The conversation went something like this: "Hey! Mom! Dad has an autographed Hank Aaron ball!"

"Yea, I know."

"When did he meet Hank Aaron?"

"He didn't. I know him."

"You know Hank Aaron?!"

"Yea. I hung out with him for a day when he came to Augusta a few years ago. I was the liaison for United Way."

"How did I not know this about you?"

"Never asked I guess."

Thanks, Mom. She's right though, I never asked if she knew Hank Aaron, but then again, when if the last time you think to ask that? (J. got really excited when I told him that night because he adores Hank Aaron.) Apparently she also didn't know too much about him so he spent the whole day telling her about his career and family and then asked if she wanted him to sign anything. My mom didn't have anything on her so he waited in the car while she ran into a sports store to buy a few baseballs. (I couldn't stop laughing at the idea of my mom running around a store looking for baseballs while Hank Aaron sat in her car.)

Oh. And she dated the bassist from Lynyrd Skynrd in high school ("did you not know they started in Jacksonville?") and had dinner with Paul Simon. After all that my dad casually mentioned that they went to Johnny Cash's funeral ("signed the death book too!") And that was all after hearing some pretty amazing stories about my dad (just to hear about the cars/motorcycles he owned and raced impressed me enough, and that was only like 1% of the cool things he's done!)

So yea. My parents kick ass.

How was everyone elses' weekend?!

happy birthday mom!

in

via saipua

Today is my mom's birthday so I'm heading to my parents to celebrate! (Happy birthday, Mom!!) Running a little late, but that's kind of a trend with my family so I don't think anyone is surprised at all.

This weekend is also my (practically) little sister's high school graduation. Come Saturday I'll be sitting in the audience watching her walk across the stage and most likely repeating to myself "I can't believe she is already going to college." Seriously, where does the time go?

I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week and weekend! See you all on Monday!

girls lunch

in

Today- in between running errands and mailing packages- I went to lunch with my sister and my best friend A. It was so good to see both of them and get to catch up mid day. It was such a beautiful day and it only made it that much better eating pizza outside with friends. I get to see A as much as wedding season allows (i.e. with every weekend in May/June already being dedicated months in advance you make more week day dates), but my sister is another story. We already have really different schedules, but lately her work schedule has been even crazier than normal (meaning even less face to face time) so it was really great getting to hang out together!

How has your Wednesday been?

Oh! and a big Happy birthday goes out to J's mom! We'll see you tonight to celebrate!