I was a little girl who decorated everything! Nothing within my reach remained plain. A pair of white keds became a canvas for a personalized pastel work of art. If we baked, I delighted in decorating with icing and garnishment. I painted rainbows on my roller skates. My dad, who can do just about anything handy, helped me transform my standard issue huffy bicycle into a perfect pink and purple dream bike, by introducing me to spray paint.
Read MoreSunshine On A Cloudy Day
It’s a rainy Sunday here in Nashville, but I’ve got sunshine looking back at pictures from a September Sunday dinner alfresco. Early fall can bring us those ideal afternoons when the weather just seems to lure us outside to savor. I consider this type of weather too good to take for granted, so we often dine alfresco.
Read MoreStarting the Day Right With Blue and White!
“It’s much too beautiful a day” I can hear my Mimi say. It is a turn of phrase that just becomes her. But when these words depart her lips, they hold more meaning than just the obvious get out and enjoy the day….As in her favorite song, In The Garden, “She goes to the garden alone” each morning-VERY early-and in these early hours, she does the things that make up her personal routine and feed her soul. And then she sets out to make it happen!
Read MoreThe Yellow Dress
The summer before my mom went off to college, my grandmother helped her sew a twiggy inspired mini dress from a pattern. A soft yellow cotton piqué was perfect for late summer, and the scalloped details gave this dress the ladylike charm most appropriate for a first impression. And as such, Mom recalls choosing that dress to wear for rush when packing her closet for the dorms. I can picture her stepping onto campus, fresh faced and confident. She had heard about rush, what would it hold for her?
Read MoreFinding Purpose in Re-purposing!
In 1997, my grandmother was awarded the Keep America Beautiful Lifetime Achievement Award, named for the late First Lady, Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson. This award recognizes a lifetime of work, dedicated to beautifying America. Mimi operates by the principle “Leave a place better than you found it, and always give back more than you take.” And she strongly believes in teaching, and leading by example. Both, she sees as her duty to God.
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