A Huckleberry Over My Persimmon

Facebook Update

2012-02-01T15:07:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago Singer and I fought a cough hard. We were both down for about twelve days, and those days were long. Four of them we spent alone, without David, as he was on a business trip. The lack of adult engagement was excruciating. I found myself sitting on the couch for almost two weeks checking and rechecking to see if anything new happened in friends lives via Facebook while I waited for ours to get better. It had been raining on and off during our time on the couch, and I think we were both about to go stir crazy. Then as the sun came out we both got better, so we put on our shorts, I strapped the baby to me, and she and I got back in the yard after I missed the last few growing seasons due to... baby stuff.. With new additions and growing methods this year we are prepping for a huge season ahead.

Then I did it. Something told me to temporarily delete my Facebook account. How long will it last? I don't know. I've been trying to call, text, or email friends to say hi and catch up. After I deleted my account I found myself sitting at long stop lights with nothing but my own thoughts, or a baby to sing to if she was awake. My habit has become so second nature in my eyes that I no longer remember the days of patiently waiting for the light to turn green. The days of being disconnected, yet connected.

As I sat at another red light today I thought about when David and I started dating. Before I had a "smart phone", we didn't know every movement a friend made unless we partied, called, or texted. He mentioned this point last night over dinner, and he is right- it's a method of connection, but it's somehow less.

Social Networking definitely has it perks, I enjoy seeing where folks check in, share good news, and mobile uploads are a favorite. But what better time to try something "new" than spring. Right now I've enjoyed not walking by my phone and clicking the little F on the screen to see what everyone else is doing. Instead I'm doing more longer without breaks, and there's a lot to be done to get the largest scale garden growing that I've ever attempted without my grandfather.

I've got every single thing I've ever really wanted right here, my own personal fairytale. A garden in the sun, a yard that is prepped for plants, a workable kitchen, a beautiful husband and baby that love me, and a camera to document it all with. I'll still let you peak in our life via the blog and hope that you will keep in touch with us as well. That's the catch-22 to this whole thing, missing what you guys are putting out there. We hope to see you soon. brinsonfolks@gmail.com

Singer's First Visit from Santa

2012-01-03T15:36:00.002-05:00

Perhaps we went a little overboard this year, I mean Santa did- right? Perhaps he didn't, we don't have a lot of friends with children so we're not really sure how to gauge this part. We did know that Singer didn't have a lot of age appropriate toys around as she's grown and her skills have greatened. So we went ahead and stocked up. Santa came down the chimney and left her presents old school style right there set up and ready to play. She was napping when he did so, because we called him to let him know we would be leaving town the next day to visit family for a few days. Bless that fat old man. So easy to work with.

Boot stockings. I still haven't found fabric or a particular stocking that I like that isn't 50 bucks a pop.

Singer woke up as soon as David and I finished opening our gifts. We showed her what Santa left before she opened her 5 gifts from us.

The hammer ended up being the star of the show.

A Want, a Need, a Wear and a Read + a Give

2012-01-03T13:35:00.006-05:00

Last year David and I started the tradition of scaling back and giving each other a want, a need, a wear, and a read for Christmas. It's fun to give and receive, but what do we really need? We both felt like our gifts in years past were thoughtful, but there are always those few that would potentially never be used, or needed. What can we make room for that will enhance our life, and be really enjoyable for the receiver? We agreed after last year that this was the method for us. It was easy throughout the year to pick up on clues and buy the perfect gift for each other.

This year when my dear friend Meg suggested that we add a "give" to the mix I jumped right on board and surprised David with a last minute task.

With a growing family we want to make sure we focused on not only ourselves, but to those who have less and need more. We are often thinking of ways to show our children how to live a life full of growth for self and others. We don't want to simply tell them, we must also be an example. The two of us have been thinking of creative ways to do so to promote interest.

We give throughout the year, but to give in someone's name is a welcomed thought in this household, so our tradition grows with our family. From here on out we will continue to donate something in each family members name, wrap up the receipt, or a picture that that relates to the give for them to open on Christmas morning.

Here's the loot with a few pictures below:

David
Want: Stereo receiver with 7.1 surround
Need: Marmot 3 in 1 jacket
Wear: I went all out and instead of one thing I got him two hiking shirts and some Mountain Khakis. I totally broke the rules, but the man WILL NOT buy himself ANYTHING. Thus he really does need new clothes.
Read: Time Magazine and Relix
Give: 20 degree sleeping bag and headlamp for a homeless man who visits Peter Street Homeless Day Center. David has always said that if we were independently wealthy he would open a shelter.

Michelle

Want: Canon 580 Flash

Need: Knife sharpening certificate! I was so excited about this, David found a cool man out in Hull who sharpens not only knives, but also chainsaws and other interesting machines. He said we would be able to shave with our knives when he was finished with them.

Wear: Boots!

Read: Plate to Pixel

Give: A donation in form of a Bookstore gift card for a women who recently obtained her GED through Action Ministries and will be headed on to Athens Technical School in a few weeks. Love me some higher education! You go girl!!!

Singer

Want: Rody! We were in Treehouse when she went bananas over Rody. Only the yellow one would do.

Need: Cloth diapers

Wear: Fox leggings and a sleeper

Read: Madeline

Give: A donation to Nancy Travis Hope for Babies, Care for Kids. I am on the Board of this non-profit and we raise money to help families send their children to quality childcare centers in Athens. Because we are so thankful that I am able to stay home with Singer and she doesn't yet have philanthropic give close to her heart we picked one that she might appreciate.

A fancy flash to take better low light pictures for the blog and our memories!

David's Give

Why do I often look like a pirate? The knife sharpening gift certificate.

Appropriate.

Yes, I wrote that. He was busy. ;)

Gift Card donation to Athens Tech Bookstore

Good thing she likes paper, she thought her Give was super cool.

Singer's new diapers.

Madeline +I'm already wearing the boots that he gave me. They were all over Pinterest . Once purchased from Free People's website they arrived, and we'll both tell you they don't look the same in person. We'll be sending them back due to weird slashes in the leather across the toes and heel. I tried to let them grow on me around the house and the slashes just don't do it for me. I'm back on the hunt for a new pair of boots.....

Her wears

Papa brings out Rody from behind the scenes. He was too big for a box, and she was immediately smitten (again) with him. She takes off.....

We have everything we need, managed to avoid overconsumption and spending. Plus, we were able to put a lot of thought in to the five gifts for each of our family members. I immediately started organizing the new and cleaning/donating out the old and no longer used.... Of course Santa stopped in for a visit, pictures on the way...

Friday Photodump

2011-12-16T15:03:00.000-05:00

Today we're busy with present wrapping and spending the day together, so I'm gonna do a dump from my camera instead of taking the time to upload and make a collage from the phone:

Wednesday night live.

These guys are amazing. Lotus Landscaping has made us prouder of our old house than we could have ever imagined. The flooding is fixed and the yard looks better than ever. Update to come.

Perhaps next year we'll have new shrubbery and front yard grass to go with our Christmas decor.

pre seeding and flower bed design.

The "sticks" my father in law brought me from his farm down south so we can make a rustic fence for the veggies next spring.

This guy here is supposed to help solve our flooding problems. Cross your fingers!

Papa gets a smooch under the mistletoe!

Singer loves to wave, pat, and clap MY hands these days.

We trimmed the tree up to "baby proof" it, I like the look.

So does Singer.

Yard Progress Sneakin' a Peak

2011-12-15T12:30:00.002-05:00

Working on a few things around our home today, so very little time to blog. Here's a peak at progress.

RECIPES: Hot Potato

2011-12-14T15:06:00.002-05:00

I show a great deal of my love through cooking, and it's not a big secret that I love and am best at cooking in the country. Fat is my forte. It's easy to make fat taste good. I learned from the best, she helped me get the patience part down. Slow heat.

On Monday our dear friend Meg came down from Greenville, SC for a Sweet Singer visit and I cooked lunch. Pork burgers adorned with a fried egg and sautéed red onions. I didn't get that, or the sweet potato fries on camera because we were busy catching up, but I did get some fry action this afternoon when David came home for a quick bite.

These guys are quick and easy to make- you can use any potato you have on hand (the key is a mandolin, or steady hand for thin slices) although you will get different results depending on the make up of your potatoes starch. Today I used red potatoes, and while they don't crisp as well as yams, or baking potatoes I love the grown up flavor that they produce when you hit their prime crispy spot, and add salt and coarse black pepper.

Remember to slice your chips as thinly as your steady hand will allow. Use the sharpest knife you have on on the block. We have a great variety of knives, but I've found that a recently sharpened paring knife works the best for me.

Heat oil (I use sunflower for high heat) to about 350, a heat hot enough will produce bubbles when you gently splash a drop of water in the hot oil. Place a single layer of your soon to be chips in the pan or dutch oven carefully not to burn yourself. Stay watch and turn with tongs when you feel they're crispy to your liking.

What you'll get has more flavor than you'll ever find in a bag. You can whip this freshness up in 5 minutes.

New Earth

2011-12-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I spoke about locally grown food and that segued in to a new project that is audible from our backyard as I type this. We've got a great crew of men from Lotus Landscaping grading it to prevent flooding, with that comes a bonus- a new, sunnier spot for our garden. Here's a view of the progress:

We will move the compost that you see behind the stump grinder, as well as the wood piles of seasoned and green wood- they'll go up on the hill behind the shed pictured below. To the right of the photo (above) you can see our brussels sprouts and collards, they are currently up and out of the ground- waiting on their sunnier location. The stump has been removed and grass will soon be added. We'll start with a rye for the winter and then sod come spring. I can't wait for Singer to feel the grass between her toes!

Flooding is the main reason that this project is being done by professionals, instead of our own hands. There is a significant amount of water backup in our backyard. So dire that come the harsh winter rains, and lack of sun we have had actual flooding in to our basement. When we bought this home no problems were mentioned on our sellers discloser, perhaps if we had known what a lemon we bought we would have walked away, but we're making the best of this old clunker. In order to one day sell the house and be honest- we've got to fix the problem, and avoid the problems that could happen in result of ignoring it. The main area where you see the "grass" will be lightly graded to send water out of our yard and in to the storm water drain. The small trench lines that you see around the perimeter of the garden shed, hill, fence line, and house will soon be mulched and turned in to flower beds. Think beautiful perennial garden folks. I will be in heaven.

Speaking of my personal heaven, back to the point of this post- the dirt on the other side of the fence is where the new garden will grow. It was very hilly so Lotus is grading it in order to give us a flat and tilled surface to grow our food on, the earth was really hard, but surprisingly we found good dirt there once the grading began. Stairs will lead up the hill to a newly installed gate and we will have a "rustic" fence around the veggies to keep Bambi out. The shed will become potting and tool storage to make more room in our garage. Come spring we will pressure wash the shed and paint it. A friendly little window box is in the works, and we're in the market for some rusty old tools to accompany the weathered Coca Cola sign that has been so lonely for the last two years.

Here's another look of some of the drainage issues we've been having and the former spot of the veggies. Everything that you see here will be graded down, it is an area of huge concern. Come rain David's truck sits in a foot of water, soon that water will be channeled down the driveway and in to the storm water drain. The fence line will be cleaned up and we'll get some shrubbery growing to hide our eyesore of a chain link fence.

The landscapers are out working hard again today after a long weekend of rest. I hope to get some great pictures in the morning to show more progress. Next spring we look forward to having a a solid foundation of plants and vegetation to enjoy and share.

Locally Grown

2011-12-12T21:44:00.000-05:00

Each week during the spring and summer we try to visit The Athens Farmers Market on Tuesdays or Saturdays. We've developed a relationship with Greendale Farms located on this side of Madison, Georgia and even bought a half piggie from them a few months ago. The amount of meat that we received for payment was outstanding. The quality and service wasn't within comparison to our "local" grocery meat service. This pig was allowed to graze naturally. The ground pig in our freezer is from one pig, not hundreds. It was fed a healthy diet, a diet that affects our bodies due to consumption.

Years ago our family decided to cut back on other expenses, and to never sign up for certain luxuries in order to continuously put food on the table that is the freshest, healthiest, and best tasting that we can find. We decided we wouldn't say that type of food is too expensive like we have heard others say so often. Is it more expensive? Perhaps, I have been buying an almost all organic diet since late 2004, so I haven't really comparison shopped in a while. I do buy less, eat less, and try to sustain on less in order to be healthy. I shop the perimeter of Trader Joes. I'm willing to drive an older car in order to spend more on what we put in our bodies- because what's the real cost when you buy cheap, processed, genetically engineered ingredients?

The theory of good food and spending money on it goes much deeper than just doing so. I want to note that many families don't have any luxuries at all and aren't able to pound for pound provide their family with enough calories of healthy food on their budget. I'm not sure how to solve that dilemma but also don't want it to go unmentioned.

Add the hundreds of pounds of piggie to the venison that we put feelers out for each fall and we are set for the winter. We've had numerous dinner parties and have fed so many friends off of our little piggie- but we still have a freezer that is busting at the seams. Eating ethically and sharing around our dinner table has come back to us tenfold and we acknowledge that.

With fall fading fast, the Tuesday Market at Little Kings has closed for the cold months and it is becoming less and less pleasant to walk around the market on Saturdays with an infant. This coming Saturday is the last Bishop Park Farmers Market gathering until spring, so I've turned back to the internet to order our local veggies and goods by the fire. Luckily my friend Mallory hooked me up with her brother and sister in law who own Native Sun Farm. Each week The Lopps send out an email with their list of goodies, I respond with our family's order and I usually get a thoughtful message in return from the people who grew our food! Isn't that amazing? Knowing your farmer by first name. Making that sort of connection with your table. Having them ask how your child is doing during pick up, and attentively listening to your reply! Driving only 7 minutes to a farm and coming home with a bag of fresh veggies picked right from the ground.

Today I rejoined Athens Locally Grown. This is my haul. Pick up is at Ben's Bikes.

1 x Broccoli Crowns = $3.50

1 x Coffee --El Injerto --Guatemala = $13.00

1 x Garlic--Purple Glazer--Purple Striped Variety = $3.00

2 x Onions -- Spring Purple on root = $3.50

1 x Peppers -- Jalapeno -- Small Bag = $2.00

1 x Peppers- Green Bell Boy Peppers = $1.75

1 x Potatoes -- Purple Majesty = $2.25

1 x Potatoes -- Yukon Gold = $2.75

1 x Radishes--French Breakfast = $2.25

1 x Soap--Butter Bar Shampoo & Conditioner = $4.50

1 x Tomatoes -- Cherokee Purple = $4.25

Total: 42.75

We will be able to use these ingredients to make quiches, quick sandwiches, potato chips, a soup, BLTs and sides to accompany the fish, pork and venison already on hand. Note that the bulk cost of the order is due to a nice bag of coffee and some chemical free shampoo and conditioner.

I pick up a few other staples throughout the week at Native Sun on Wednesdays and Trader Joe's as needed. TJ's has dairy free breads (more later on hidden dairy and soy) and goat cheese that I use sparingly. Tomorrow I will be serving it as an appetizer to go along with local honey that my sweet Mother in Law "grew" herself! Topped with her honey, toasted walnuts, and cranberries it's a favorite starter at Mama's Boy, and is sure to be here at our table tomorrow night when we gather once again with three dear friends. The rest of the menu consists of Greendale sausage, peppers, onions and penne, with a side of white wine to cut the spice.

The "grocery list" example above, along with the food that we grow here at the Brinson homestead leaves us with more than enough to feed ourselves, and that special revolving door of dear friends. We currently have a winter garden that is being moved across the yard to a sunnier spot. Relocating it will allow for better yields as well as a nicer spot where it once stood for Singer and friends to run and play.

Next summer we will rely on our local farmers less than we usually do and I will miss that connection. The sharing of recipes, smiles, and handshakes. However, to get my farmer on more than ever will be a cross off my bucket list. I am so thankful to have a husband that is on board with this project, one that will help me lift the heavy stuff, gather our own crop, build a fence.. My love and I will prepare a meal that we grew, share a glass of wine, and talk about our day. It is that type of connection, a connection over sustenance that I cherish so much.

The scale of our garden is about to change significantly and I couldn't do it without him. Tomorrow I'll share a post about our progress and where we're headed as a family here in Athens.

Coffee Break

2011-12-07T10:22:00.001-05:00

Things have gone from haywire to pure pandemonium here at our abode. In efforts to keep calm and carry on I gotta take a coffee break. We have a ton of home improvements to tell you about, but no computer to blog from, or upload pictures... So check back soon while we repair this beauty of a disaster, and then some. Oh the "it's a long story"(ies) I have to tell. Luckily no one was hurt when it randomly came tumbling out of the wall.

Letting Go

2011-11-30T11:07:00.006-05:00

Look at all that junk. Who needs that many clothes? I decided a few weeks ago that I don't, I can't - this many belongings were more trouble than they were worth. Luckily my husband jumped on board and went through what felt like hoarded items.

We let go of clothes that fit funny, things that needed mending that we wouldn't get around to because we didn't love that item, pieces that had fallen fate to dryer shrinkage, spit up, olive oil, paint, wear. Clothing we didn't wear last season and the ones before that.

I found that letting go of things that I felt didn't look great on me were the hardest part. The items where cute, and somewhat costly, but I knew I would never wear them. What was the cost of a overstuffed closet? I couldn't see my options because all of them were so tightly packed in a more than adequate closet space. Strangely enough once we let all of these things go I felt like I had more. I felt like there was a concentration of better options looking back at me when getting ready for a party last Saturday. It was easier to get dressed, and has been since me and my dirty laundry parted ways.

We held on to our bests, and let go of the worsts in order to make room for more bests. More necessary items, a few classic pieces, we wont likely go back to bulging closet. We will choose carefully. Quality over quantity. Buy things we really love, versus a dress that's on sale or a thrifted shirt for D because it costs three dollars.

These first two photos are some mobile uploads I took when spring cleaning almost a year ago. Needless to say I wasn't ready to really let go until this past week. I stress that you have to be in the right mood to take on a project like this, or you will end up with more of the same. I really focused myself and let any alliance that I had to stuff fall. I set a goal to get rid of 75% of my clothing and I think I hit pretty close to that. David went through his belongings too, and our closet is noticeably lighter now.

This is what things started looking like when we pulled everything out. I offered up some dresses on Facebook and then divided the clothes in to two piles: one is going to Platos Closet (what they pick over will go to Cilies) and pile two went straight to the Habitat Restore.

I hope to be able to sell a good bit of of the first lot. I normally don't sell my clothes, but because I am parting with so many nice items I wanted to be able to reinvest what I make on a few key pieces.

David helped me raise the shelving in the closet by purchasing two 1x4 at Lowes. The original carpenter of this closet set the shelf too close to the hanging bar and it was incredibly cumbersome to access the hangers. I'm learning that nothing has to be permanent- through closing up doors, opening up new ones, rearranging furniture, and redesigning our laundry room to open up more space, although that project will come later next year.

I'm loving my new "wooden" storage basket below. I originally purchased it (at TJ Maxx) to store Singer's toys that get out of hand in the living room, but once I got it home I realized it wasn't quite sturdy enough for soon to be toddler play. It currently houses my sweaters.

I've called in another basket (50% off at Hobby Lobby) that may or may not work perfectly under the new bed. I'll give you guys another peak once I finish everything up since the bedroom and closet are still in a very transitional phase.

Our (somewhat of a) guest room was taken over by clothing:

The big plaid bag below on the left is full of Plato's Closet hopefuls, to be dropped off tomorrow. After I filled the bag up I went back through the closet and picked about 30 more items to donate/sell. I proudly filled up two huge black trash bags in addition to the plaid bag.

Right now my spring/summer clothes are in the blue Tupperware box that you see above. I'm looking for better storage, such as more baskets and sturdy boxes that will fit on the top shelf of the closet. That guy is far too big to fit, so I'm calling in reinforcements.

I think I'll retire the Tupperware to its intended home, the garage. Backyard games could fill it up nicely. We worked on cleaning out the junk in there last weekend and now we are pondering the best way to organize what's left. Just like I'm doing in every other room of our abode. I've become immersed in getting rid of things like never before. Less to tie us down, I don't want it. What I do want is a home that flows nicely, where we can raise a slew of children. Before we outgrow it, or I go mad, because everything has to have a place.

We're also working on new storage for lingerie, comfy pants, and t shirts. I'm donating my beside table/chest of drawers to Singer. This piece will fit nicely in her room. (You can view it in the first picture posted on this blog.) It was given to me by my mother for high school graduation, and has a cheerful bouquet of flowers painted across its drawers. As soon as the new bed gets set up this week it will become her new changing table. Her toy chest will have to be moved to the attic, or possibly used as winter storage for her papa's side of the closet.

We've been using a playyard/changing table in our room for the last 8 months, and with the addition of a larger bed its time for this staple to be folded up and used later.

With the loss of a bedside table that has substantial storage I might be forced to part with even more clothing items, which wouldn't be a bad thing.

We've had a proud little one in the house for about a month. In addition to standing she has enjoyed opening and closing cabinets. This past week she grew her world even more and began to climb in the cabinets. In order to be sure she didn't run in to any trouble I've set limits. She has free range of the Tupperware cabinet and I turned the board game storage in to her new toy storage. The cabinets still need to be rebilt, or given some simple updates, but this transition will get us to that point and help us understand what will work best for our lifestyle when the time comes to tackle them.

The first load of giveaways:

I've still got a lot of work to do, but I feel like I'm making good progress towards something simple and manageable. Next on the list, cleaning out our bathroom again. Each year I go through expiration dates and clean out beauty products that I no longer use. Over the last ten years I've switched to an incredibly simple regiment that I'll go over soon. The more I've let go of the lighter I feel. What have you recently let go?

Currently Pinning

2011-11-29T10:24:00.011-05:00

See that over there ---> By golly, its a button to follow me on Pinterest! To the right, to the right- now click baby click.

What? You missed that blog? Girlfriend please, Pinterest is the most amazing thing ever. Its like some genius married cutting out your favorite magazine clippings in ninth grade and virtual organization folders. Then added a dash of adulthood with recipes, exercise, photography, and whatever else you love. It's the filet mignon of internet eye candy.

Currently pinning:

Coffee table inspirations. I haven't found anything to permanently decorate this beast with yet, but I'm getting there.

Layered bedding. I tried to take advantage of Cyber Monday and get some beautiful things to make up our much needed new king size bed. There's a baby, cat, husband and me currently sleeping on a 15 year queen size mattress. She's teething and doesn't much make it past 4am without the aid of some serious nursing.

With super sizing comes new linens. I already have a proportionate down comforter, but I'm looking for the rest of the loot by Wednesday when it arrives. Ugh, that's tomorrow.

I love the layered look. I've veered away from searching for a generic bed in a bag and plan on making our own layers of comfort with separates that I find on sale. I'm trying to dress the house up in to a grown up retreat without being stuffy. I've erred on the side of masculinity for David's sake and I like it. But there's still a lot of work to do.

Garden Plans: I've mentioned that our home is about to sink in to the earth. With that comes some backyard grading and front yard hole filling. Its really an irritating situation, the sellers didn't disclose that this place can flood badly if the right conditions occur. We're past the statute of limitations, so we're stuck with a flooding yard. We have plans to sell this place one day. Brinsons don't lie- so we gotta fix it and ~~forget it~~ forgive.

We need to move our garden as well, my tomatoes simply can't get enough sun there, and its virtually impossible to keep the dogs out of it. What I really mean is that we need more space for a growing family of walkers. She's getting there folks, Singer wants to walk really bad. We imagine she'll want to play outside on grass as well. Pushed back due to the weather, next week starts our biggest project to date. Filling in the hole mentioned above, grading the backyard, planting grass, and creating spaces- like flower beds and a new garden area up on a hill outside the fence.

Dumping. Kids love to dump things. Singer is no exception. I've been learning about creating a home that is (almost) fully accessible to children. A key point about this practice that I love is that some advocates make sure that it focuses heavily on teaching children to clean up after themselves while curing their obsession to make what most adults view as a mess. I've been working hard in theory and physically to get rid of all the useless clutter, in order to make sure we don't grow out of this house sooner than later.

Spaghetti Squash. It's on the menu tonight, dear. Hopefully you'll enjoy it this time.

What are you pinning?

Brinson Thanksgiving 2011 in pictures

2011-11-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

Whew. I can't say I'm not glad that's over. Note to self: Never schedule a bathroom remodel the week of Thanksgiving, or any other major holiday. We were so tired from all of the activity and decision making around here that we didn't start cooking until 8am yesterday morning- with the help of a pitcher of mimosas.

Here's a look:

Farm fresh carrots from Native Sun Farm. I added fresh cranberries, and lots of veggie goodness to our dressing this year. I loved it.

Free range bird.

Pecan Pie (by David) is my most favorite dessert, except for a piece of dark chocolate, or two.

The secret to a moist bird is cheesecloth.

The link above includes the other "secret" ingredients, plus a cup and a half of orange juice.

Family photo ops:

Friday IPhoto Dump

2011-11-18T13:23:00.001-05:00

We have no computer. As in our MacBook broke. I have a replacement part on the way, but until it arrives I'll be MIA. Here's the photo dump via cellphone blogger app- with no explanations, other than we got some firewood and our bathroom is being remodeled. Enjoy your weekends!

Style Watch: Nordic Prints

2011-11-15T09:42:00.001-05:00

Nordic prints seem to be sticking around, showing up in more catalogs this season. Singer grabbed a vintage set of PJs at Treehouse that can easily double as a sweater or joggers separately. Here she shows them off with her signature pink hat. ;)

Duck, duck, boot.

2011-11-14T12:42:00.001-05:00

I love duck boots. You probably don't.

I've always had a pair in the closet, and grew up stomping around with folks in them. My parents wore them when working in the yard, and when they rarely went bird hunting. This is something that should probably sway my obsession, but it never has.

I don't wear them often because the hybrid pair that I have are a real investment to get on and off of my feet. Thus leaving their wear for days that invovle mud and water, and at least a few hours of wear. These shoes don't just slip on.

Last week at Trader Joe's Singer and I had just checked out, our buggy was loaded and ready to go. As I turned with her in hand I saw the most glorious boots ever. She was dressed perfectly for a cold fall day. Leggings, comfy sweater, and duck boots. Duck hybrids also, but not like my own. Duck boots and Uggs had a baby. But not the clunky side of Uggs, the fuzzy inside. Sounds tacky right? Well, that's subjective.

I almost chased her, but the gentleman helping me with the buggy was ready to head to the wagon so I followed thinking the whole time I was making a huge fashion mistake. A week later I still wish I would have asked him to wait for just one second so I could awkwardly chase the cute boot girl up the produce isle with my baby in hand to find out who made her boots.

I've searched Pinterest. Google. Polyvore. Newflash: They're in this year. JCrew said they were a go in 2009. Gucci is even doing them for men this year.

I didn't find the boots my unnamed fashion muse had on, but I found a few to marinate on. Meet the "new-old" wellies, ladies:

Uggs Belcloud $275.00 Zappos

Tretorn Aspelin Rain Boot $134.95 Nordstrom

Tory Burch Leather Duck Boots ~~$295.00~~ SALE: $206.00 NetAPorter

Photo and look by Cardigan NYC

Photo and look by Jcrew 2009

Photo and look by Matchbook Magazine

I'll leave you with my favorite, they might just change your mind:

Of course they're by Free People, and of course, they're the most expensive at $448.00

Would you rock the duck boots?

Cousins

2011-11-13T11:43:00.001-05:00

I've been so excited to get beautiful Chamblee in one room with my camera since I upgraded the lens, used in the first photographs. It wasn't easy to shoot an on the move 13 month old, but it was good practice. Hopefully next time I'll be able to get a better shot of her beautiful eyes. Plus we got to play dress up and get a few GA Cousins shots.

Friday iPhoto Dump

2011-11-11T09:28:00.000-05:00

1. we had a large weekend after last friday's photo dump. met up with some friends up on the roof and watched the game.
2. kelly and meee.
3. party ensues on the deck after the game. some of the boys. david cooked up some pork burgers. they were amazing. this is becoming a staple.
4. fresh eggs to top off the burgers.
5. lucky.
6. pass the baby to miss conyers.
7. purple potato, broccoli, and red onion frittata.
8. bacon pieces. perfect for seasoning greens.
9. singer and her duckie. sha-nay-nay.
10. i don't think i'll ever finish all the framing projects i have collected over the years.
11. singer drums on her papa's guitar.
12. sweet baby.
13. apple cider.
14. it's that time of year.
15. floor time.
16. mr. krabs

Eye Candy: SHB

2011-11-10T14:25:00.000-05:00

No time for a proper post today. I've been running around mad getting ready for a chilly weekend and two separate guest visits on Friday. Lots of laundry, landscaping bids, and bathroom renovation logistics to work on this afternoon. So I'll leave you Singer fansmily members with some EYE candy:

Singer had the first terrible night since the hospital on Sunday. She now proudly displays five teeth and is happy again. It worries me if she's ever inconsolable. Like we should probably call the doctor, because she never has been. Luckily Hylands Teething Gel solved her pain in about 5 minutes.

I also picked up an amber teething necklace from Treehouse Kid and Craft on Tuesday. There are a ton of folks who support it, and just as many who don't. Either way, she'll only wear it under supervision and luckily each individual stone is knotted off to prevent a spill and choking.

She's loving her little felt necklace, also from Treehouse, and handmade by owner Kristen Bach. Again, only under supervision.

Afgan by Singer's Great-Grandmother Mimi (Brinson). Mimi is so incredibly talented. We have a mile high stack of homemade knits and quilts.

She had to have them. She wanted them so badly. Baby girl has style. How do you tell a baby no to moccasins? They're certainly on my wish list too. Sadly I can't find some just like hers. Also from Treehouse.

My husband is off come 5pm today and we're stoked to spend an entire (3 day!) weekend with him. He's worked every day for two weeks, and did I mention he threw his back out? So tonight we've decided to stay in with a pot of chicken and wild rice soup, a fire, and some hot cider. Perfect for this weather. Stay warm folks.

Making it Home: Another door opens when one closes...

2011-11-09T11:08:00.001-05:00

For two years I've been searching for the perfect front door to let natural light in to a corner of our living room that lacked windows due to the original door. I told you all about that in this post here. Just so you folks who haven't made it over for dinner yet, or in a while, can see what we were working with here's a peak of the old door before. I snapped it while doing a vine project that went terribly wrong (muuurder). I'll have to revisit it next spring to achieve my dream cottage look out of this old cedar ranch house that we love:

To sum the whole fiasco up, one day I walked in from wandering through the door section at the Habitat Restore and realized that I didn't have to buy a door. I already had one that had proudly been displaying the garage that we haven't quite tweeked to our likings. I wasn't feeling a warm and cozy vibe when guests gathered in the kitchen and could see my car, half finished projects, and tools.

Ding! Switch the two. I was a little annoyed that we didn't think of that before. So David tried his hardest to do so and it didn't work. Ah, first world problems. The door needed to be planed and torqued more than my husband's tools could offer. In comes a Daily Deal from the Athens Banner Herald.

I buy these suckers up all the time. Massages, food, retail, carpet cleaning, and now half off an hour of handyman work from one of the best contractor groups in Athens, Bonafide.

Russ Sanders came in and did a great job in a little over an hour. He was super friendly and professional.

Here's a way way before in June of 2010 before temporary curtains, wall decor that we already had on hand to get us through a few years, and minus one of my favorite pieces that we've bought to date. The coffee table. The room was super dark, and that's even after we painted the heinous maroon walls Casa Blanca. (the available light also has a little to do with my {lack of} camera {phone} skills):

Behold, light! This picture was taken around the same time in the late afternoon as the one above with two table lamps on, minus the overhead light- of course it was taken with a digital SLR , which helps- but you get the picture. Bah duh dum:

Up next, wall hangings, new curtains, and some coffee table flair. All on a budget. I'll also cover the front facade soon with new lighting that my dad installed. David has been working like a mad man and my pops has stepped in a few times with a hand, I'm pretty sure he does it as an excuse to see his granddaughter.

As far as our to do list goes, and it is long, most importantly we're going to fix the sink hole in our front yard. I've been gathering quotes, and I'd love to have it done in time to reseed the yard for winter. Our daily reminder? A 5 gallon bucket on a copper pipe which was first placed there to protect trick or treaters from breaking a leg. The neighbors love us. Our earth will swallow you.

Friday iPhoto Dump

2011-11-04T10:35:00.004-04:00

After a weekend full of food, drink, and friends (nothing to complain about there) we took it easy this past week. David is incredibly busy at work, which is rare come November, so while we're exhausted, things are going well. I give you my phone photodump: October 28 - November 4.

1. A couple of weeks ago we went up to Buford, a major consumption junction to score a few winter items. One of which was an awesome little hat to keep our baby's head warm.
2. Last night the rest of the Nancy Travis Hope for Babies, Care for Kids Board Members and I had a new member meeting at the Taylor Grady House. It was amazing. Great food, incredible cause, 7 new awesome community members! I would be honored to get you a sticker to adorn things (ahem, your car) with if requested.
3. On Saturday one of my bestest friends, former roommate came to visit. Silliness ensued.
4. I sold my ipod to a friend. Smooth transaction. I had planned on dealing with Craiglist, but so glad I didn't have to. I hope it gets more use than I was able to give it. This iphone has ruined me over the last few years and we're scaling back on technology that seems to be collecting dust around here. Those other two packages behind the ipod are our old phones. We sold them to Gazelle in order to help pay for our new 4s models. They even sent us the boxes and postage. Simply toss them in there after clearing your data = cash $$. Thanks Brother in Law. You school us in all things digital.
5. This sammy is the most sinful thing we probably did all week. Greendale Farm fresh pork, topped off with a fried egg, dijon mustard, and spinach. I tell ya, it was a real hit on facebook. Virtual taste buds went wild. Head on over and I'll throw one on the skillet for ya. My husband has been deemed Mr. Meat Hoarder, we gotta start cooking, and cooking fast, there's a load of venison on the way. Garage refrigerators/freezers rejoice!
6. Singer is constantly in a state of shock. Those eyes. Oh, the eyes.
7. A toast to you from wine club.
8. Singer's first pumpkin, Jack.
9. A snack to go along with Strategic Planning for the Keep Athens Clarke County Board Meeting on Wednesday. Our Rubbage Ride/Junkyard Jog will be held on November 19, I hope you bikers/runners will join in. Click the link to sign up.
10. Oh how I'm enjoying this fireplace again and again.
11. Singer snacked on peas this week, wearing a bib that her Auntie N made her. This child will eat anything, but perfers dirt and leaves over most.
12. Sorry! (we're bringing it back)
13. A sirlon top roast that came from Wilson Farms down south. At first I thought it might be a disaster, but it finally tenderized and all was well.
14. Evidence of Singer playing in the plants that I brought in from the cold. I am currently looking for higher places to keep them alive.
15. In sock monkey slippers.
16. Exhibit B, Singer's love of leaves.

Enjoy your weekend folks.

Making it Home: Fireplace Screen

2011-11-03T12:47:00.011-04:00

Tuesday I shared our before and after fireplace project, but I didn't touch on many of the details. Today I'll go a little more in depth.

I'm currently prepping for a cold winter on the couch, curled up with a baby/husband, a cup of coffee/coca, a glass of wine, a book, (hell, maybe a combination of the four) in front of a fire. Imagery here folks.. I'm setting the scene.

I've been waltzing through some online stores to find the perfect safety first fire screen because we removed the old brass fixture that came with the house. That's my ultimate goal in this home, to get rid of all things brass. Here's what I came up with:

WalMart online $59

Horchow ~~$335~~ TAKE 30% OFF $234.50

Horchow ~~$625~~ TAKE 30% OFF $437.50

Restoration Hardware ~~$429~~ Final Sale $342.99

Wow. We could buy a lot of things for those hundreds of dollars, and I was a little worried about the WalMart purchase. And aren't the two in the middle brass? What a little geometry can do. Keeping those thoughts in mind I did what any especially frugal bargain shopper would, I poked around for free first.

That's code for I took a trip to my parents attic. (Sorry you're just now hearing about this Daddy, I meant to tell you... and you said I could have whatever I wanted so you can clear out the house. Of course I'll give it back, improved (as you will see below) if you so wish- I mean all this work was really for you in the first place. You can take it back home with you this weekend when you come to help with the project. loveyousomuch, and continue reading to see how this old pile of metal isn't going to waste...)

Low and behold there was my family's old fireplace screen, a 1980s original. Leaning up against the attic wall, so lonely. Just sitting there for 20 years, not being used, waiting for me to once again pick needles off the Christmas tree (and anything else I could burn that no one would miss) and try to catapult them over in to the flame, without getting caught.

My parents bought a house about 20 years ago that had a built in fireplace screen, so I assume this one just got tucked away. and forgotten. That's such a my mother thing to do, since she stopped having yard sales in the 90s. Hold on to it, it might come in handy. And it did. You did it again Susan. Thank you.

I loaded that sucker, brass flair and all, in the wagon and brought her home with high hopes. This is what she looked like:

Of course no where in those high hopes did I include keeping the brass visable. In comes my husband to the rescue, knowledgeable about all things coatings, not to mention good looking and funny... with his suggestion to use high heat spray paint:

I got to work once nice sunny day last week in order to cozy up the house for a wine tasting on tap for the weekend:

Then I let her cure outside for a day or two, to keep the bad fumes from escaping inside our home.

In she comes...

This isn't the perfect choice, but it only cost about 5 bucks. I would prefer look without hinges. However, saving money to move on to bigger projects is key right now. There is so much to do. Like redesigning and actually decorating those bookshelves up there.

We obviously still need to have the grout and brick cleaned. I'm still searching for the perfect find to hang above so we can break the brick up a little, but it's coming along nicely.

I've been brainstorming on how to hang this (amazing) custom fire poker that David had made for me last year by Tucker Iron Works. You can see that its adding to the grime on the brick, we need to drill a hole to house some sort of docking station for it. For kid friendly purposes I'm not leaning towards a pedestal.

The iron squirrels came with the house, I love them- my husband does not. Next time you see him make sure you mention how awesome they are. Cause you know they are.

I finished up the project just in time for a get together with some awesome ladies and a couple bottles of incredible wine from the Rhone Region in France. On the menu that night: Mini French Dips, mini quiches, a variety of cheese, dark chocolate, and pumpkin creme brulee.

Trick or Treat?

2011-11-02T11:48:00.000-04:00

A few photographs from Singer's first Halloween.

Singer's Nona made her an adorable Raggedy Ann costume.

It was clearly bedtime.

Perhaps you might think the wig is covering her face, its not- she's just looking to her left. I wasn't going to push it with another try.

Yup. She's done.

A few smiles, before bed..

Over and out!

Making it Home

2011-11-01T11:15:00.003-04:00

Two years after the purchase of our first home I think we're finally at a place to share some before and afters. This post is the first of the series. There may be some time in between them, we get to them as quickly to as we can. We initially hit up the musts and chose not to do one room at a time. We tackled what had to be done first and now as we continue to make improvements it's all coming together. This series is for my friends who are in search for first home, something that won't break the bank may not seem like a gem at first, but with some weekend sweat equity it can become that.

As a first time home buyer I remember the struggles and let downs, but the bad parts have mostly faded, now seeming like an initial inconvenience two long years ago. Even in a declining market, we felt like houses with good guts were expensive here in Athens. We wanted a home that wouldn't take away from our daily life and purchases, something that wouldn't make us house poor. A cozy place we could raise kids in, not too expensive so I could maybe even stay home with them if things went well. We kept telling ourselves what my Dad said, "this is your first house, not your last". We swallowed our pride and we found a tank on the other side of town (read that as not downtown and not a really overpriced 2 bedroom) that would make it through the early years. But it was tacky. REALLY tacky. Or what I like to call, dated. ~~Hello~~ Goodbye 1983, you've stuck around far too long.

It's taken us over two years, but I really feel like we're starting to make a lot of progress in making this house our home. Patience has been the key. It definitely feels like ours and did from the beginning, but it still didn't feel like it was giving off our full Brinson vibe. Until now, even though we have a way to go. We felt a hint of it when we walked through the door, I just knew. It had a great floor plan. New windows. New enough appliances. Some sun in the huge backyard and an incredible deck. Ah, deck living. But it needed paint. We got that. New fixtures. We could save for that. Plus a few other updates that we have accomplished, and those that have yet to be checked off. But we're getting there.

There's still a lot of work to do on this particular section of the house, but I wanted to go ahead and give an update on our fireplace area, since its such a focal point of the house, and we're headed in to its season.

This is what the house looked like on the day that we decided to buy, it was still occupied by the prior owner:

We started chipping away those old layers. First we painted and purchased new living room furniture:

Then came the hardwood floors:

At some point I finally convinced my skeptical husband that it would be easy to take the mantle and old brass fireplace screen off this potentially amazing fireplace. It took 5 minutes and this is what we got:

We still have a lot to do. Should we deal with the dust and remove the stipple ceilings, or leave them be? I think it would be one of the biggest improvements we can make, but will we get any return on the process?

The bookshelves are next. I'll have to do it when David isn't in earshot, I could potentially ruin them. But the scalloped edges have got to go.

I'm to the point that I've been collecting decor for the room. I hadn't even looked at a price tag before now because I wanted to get a feel for the completed room before I started decorating. I just set a few old things of ours out to do for now.

I've been keeping my eye out for a HUGE round mirror to soften the fireplace and add even more light.

At some point I plan on replacing the linen curtains. They look too blue jean-y against the couch. The art above the couch is temporary too. I guess you could say the couch is, but that's not until Maxwell stops squishing the pillows while I'm gone. It's cozy, for us and him, for now.

Here's the before and after together:

Pumpkin Eater

2011-10-31T14:16:00.000-04:00

Strange title? That's what my mom called me all my life.

I know I left you guys on the edge of your seats regarding the pumpkin that Singer picked while we were at Washington Farms in early October. This post is pretty self explanitory, so I'll let the pictures do the talkin'. Singer was very enthusiastic about the pumpkin, and didn't even fall over.

As you can see, I just woke up.

We decided to go old school for Singer's first Halloween.

This is the point that my camera broke. The shutter just stopped working. Oh darn, I might have to get a new one. It's self cleaning right now and if that doesn't work I'm going to take it to Wolf Camera today to see if there's anything they can do. I was counting on selling this one to put towards a new one.

Anyhow, we continue thanks the glorious iphone:

Singer will become my pumpkin eater. Saving for baby food and toasted treats:

most babies love slimy.

"This is my buddy Jack."

"He's not like those other pumpkins that push you over."

Loss of camera = loss of tripod, so no family pumpkin picture this year. Oh? Do you notice our new front door again? More on that later.

Tonight we're ready for the trick or treaters. I don't know if Singer will stay up for the festivities, but she has an adorable costume to dress in around 6pm for a photo op, at the very least.
Let's hope we can get this camera working.

Friday iPhoto Dump

2011-10-28T09:58:00.003-04:00

a view inside our life, thankful for these and so much more...

1. fall perennials to welcome our guests at the front stoop.
2. a preview of our new to us front door and the neighbor that is borrowing my wreath twigs for her new front door.
3. my hand me down vacuum couldn't take one more day of sucking, so we got a refurbished dyson on woot!
4. david's drawing of a piggy and notes on the farm fresh piggy cuts that will soon be in our freezer for winter, yum. we buy in bulk when we can.
5. our pumpkins had babies!
6. i do.
7. singer's favorite toy, for the moment. a tupperware ramekin.
8. tj's best blend for my taste buds.
9. my most favorite accessory to dress our baby in. thank you <3 LR
10. a pair of earrings that one of my gals made me, inspired by anthropologie.
11. my favorite new textile, an ikat pillow for 5 bucks via american mills in griffin.
12. canon 50mm 1.4
13. an old pic (2004) i found while digging around the other day, i placed it on the fridge for good memories.
14. singer's best friends. ouchie.
15. bountiful baskets bounty. i see banana nut bread in our future.
16. dr. tichenors will set your mouf of fire. good fire.

Winter Greens

2011-10-28T06:54:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of October I started the revamp of our garden. Moving the bulk of our crop space to a sunnier area. This is the first step in moving the entire veggie operation out of the fenced in area, and up on the hill in a far corner of our yard. The "new" garden fence isn't up on the hill yet to protect our crop from all of our sweet forest animals, so here our greens lay...

There simply isn't enough sun/space to yield a worthy amount, even the bright corner you see here isn't roomy enough for a summer crop. However, this will work perfect for a winter garden, come spring we will add more jasmine to give old chain link fence a new facade.

At the beginning of the month:

Today, all of the cabbage, collards, Brussels, and lettuce are about a foot high.

Last week we visited The State Botanical Garden sale and brought home the little guys you see on the left hand side below. Three varieties of mint, a bay leaf tree, and st. john's wort.

You can also see some picked over herbs, a Russian sage root ball that Elsie Lou decided was delicious a few days ago, and a rebel ginger plant that came about by throwing a soon to be done ginger root in some dirt a few months back. I have also ordered a large variety of bulbs to get in the dirt asap.... tap, tap, tap... The proceeds benefit the Botanical Garden in addition to the herb sale.

Anyhow most of these guys needed a little TLC before the weather gets cold...

So I gave them a new home and some fresh dirt before they overwinter in the garage. Once everyone gets through the winter all of them, BUT THE MINT, will go in the ground Spring 2012. Never, ever, ever put mint in the ground.

Surprise! The fennel is confused. Lovely to see it come back out to play for a day or two. Let me know if you're interested in some fennel seeds:

Above the Hem

2011-10-27T07:54:00.008-04:00

I'm just going to put this out there and hope I don't offend any fashionistas. I can't bear to wear tops/skirts that have pointed hems on them. I feel like they draw the eye down. Usually to bigger than I once had hips, or smaller than I would like to admit I have always had feet.

So I marked a line through an item on my (year long) to do list last week while I was waiting for David to check his email before we left to go out for lunch. A sweater I love, but often pass over or cringe at has been begging me to do so. I bought this sweater when I was pregnant because I refused to wear/buy maternity clothes. Leggings, long tank tops, a sweater to cover my bum, and a scarf became my uniform.

I hemmed it faster than I got dressed. It was that quick.

I just grabbed the sewing machine off shelf, and plugged in on kitchen counter. I love not having to use a pedal foot. I was a lucky duck because I already had the perfect bobbin and thread ready to go. Isn't it satisfying when things like that happen?

Fold. Sew. Snip. Done.

A quick hem and then a snip of the extra fabric...

Before (left) and After (right)

Sew easy.. If only I could get to the stack. I've got a few more pointed hems to tackle. I've noticed that cheaper clothes have this point often, such as cute tops at Marshall's or TJ Maxx. We know that equals affordable. I've looked over a lot of them because of that. Maybe I won't next time.

For the fam... new lens should arrive tomorrow. Singer and I can't wait to play!:

dee-licious.

Papas Home

2011-10-25T21:09:00.002-04:00

I recall a time, when she hadn't yet developed daily intentional smiles, or those notably big eyes, full of wonder and excitement for almost anything in her expanding world. David would come home and you could see a little disappointment on his face, and in the way he held his shoulders. I hope I eased his worries with words of encouragement, noting that one day he will be her prince charming, and she will wait at the window come quittin' time.

She's not quite there yet, but the time is drawing near... I was able to capture some sweet moments when he came home last week. She was playing with her toys, and I was snapping away when I heard the garage door open. I kept at it, as you will see in the progression below. After the last few arrivals home I knew I might be able to capture a sweet moment between Papa and Singer, this is the best part of my day after we open our eyes....

Fri.. Monday IPhoto Dump

2011-10-24T09:39:00.001-04:00

This past Thursday Singer and I loaded up the wagon and headed to Griffin to see my Dad and to get out of the house because we were having our hardwood floors redone. What's that, we just had them done in February? You're right. But that's another blog, for a later date.

Here's last weeks dump, a few days late after a busy weekend:

1. Family floor time
2. Singer and her handsome friend Aaron. AaronMo is one of my oldest friends 1st baby, and let me tell you he is SO handsome. His favorite ~~drink~~ word is jewuuuice. I left their home with a toothache.
3. The Radio Flyer display at Normaltown Hardware. Singer is ready for spring.
4. We stopped in Las Conchitas Friday for some fish tacos. They were amazing, as always.
5. Luckily Friday is live music night, Singer loved it.
6. My new coffee press, I have a HUGE one and it's not good for a single brew.
7. Sleeping baby in my arms.
8. Singer plays with my Dad's puppies.
9. My Dad's newly remodeled kitchen. My Mother would have loved it. DOUBLE OVEN LADIES.
10. It's five o'clock somewhere. Stopped by my parents best friends house to show off Singer and laughed about the clock while visiting in the sun (gathering) room. Turns out my Mom made it for them. Of course she did.
11. I am loving this Trader Joe's dish soap. Smells like Dr. Bronners' Lavender.
12. Baby carrots to go with...
13. For my David.
14. Boiling angel hair.
15. Day of the Dead Angel from my friend and mentor Art. This sits on my kitchen window, in memory of Susan.
16. Trader Joes' Tahini Free Hummus, truly the best store bought, and we've tried them all. To go with the baby carrots above. A favorite Brinson snack.
17. Learning about the Rhone Region in France to prepare for Wine Club at our home on Friday. Can't wait ladies.
18. Lovely new variegated orchid. So beautiful.
19. Sleeping beauty.
20. Downtown Athens Art.
21. Amazing Pork Sammich from Trapeze.
22. Papa/Daughter photo opportunity.
23. Sunning on the deck.
24. Singer with her pink dolphin. A dear friend adopted one in her name.
25. New Ergo. Gift cards finally spent. So worth it. Once you hit 18 pounds you gotta have it. Should have gone with it from the get go. Sorry Bjorn.

365 Days Later

2011-10-18T09:55:00.000-04:00

On the first day of the second year since my mom's death I'm going to spend it with my family doing what we love to do. I think we'll hit up downtown Athens and have lunch, puruse some shops we love, and then come home to spend the rest of the day at our favorite place. We'll plant some more plants to honor my mother... What a sneaky way to get David to dig a hole or two in our rock solid soil.

October and its beauty shouldn't be wasted on sadness, its a great month to plant, and watching things grow is what I love to do. Each year I have decided to spend October planting and thinking about what we have accomplished.

We've reached so many goals and joys together in the last year, we had a baby, our home is really becoming such, I left my dream job to stay at home and discover another. David has received recognition at work, he has hit sales goals that seem almost impossible. We worked hard and paid off our loans, debt, and called our monthly service providers to lower any bills we had. We did this so that we could give Singer what we both had, a stay at home mother. It wasn't a must, simply what we see as a luxury. We tried to achieve it, thinking it would be great it if happened, but we knew it might not, and we would be ok with that, we would make a different life work. Getting here wasn't easy, and there were so many times we thought we would never make it, but in the end it paid off. Leaving my job has proven to be one of the best, but hardest choices we have made in the 5+ years we have been together.

I love staying home with our child, my mother did it for almost 30 years. I don't see it as a career for myself, but I cherish every single day, all 24 hours with her, and am so thankful.

I've typed and retyped this blog a few times and it just hasn't flowed well, I've never been good at forced writing. So I'll leave you with two things:

A rant: Check your breasts monthly ladies (and you pay attention too, men!), take care of yourself first, because if you don't you might not be here to continue the great work you did for others. Eat less sugar, bad fats, processed foods and pay attention to everything you put in or on your body. It all counts. Start today.

Her last story: the story I wrote about October 18, 2010 and the day we buried her:

------

I told myself I would write this before I went back to work. Then I realized I was putting off both goals, that I wasn't doing anyone any good sitting at home sad. Especially myself, and I help people for a living. As in assist in changing their lives and reaching positive goals, for which I am thankful to do and thanked for. What better therapy could there be out there than that? So tomorrow it is, I go back to work. My mom would like that, she'd tell me to stop pitying myself.

Which leads me to how hard she was on me, and how that carries over to thoughts that run through my own head. I wouldn't give that up for anything, I think it's why I've done remarkably well for a gal whose high school teachers said might not graduate, due to inability to focus and hyper socialization.

Mom was tough on me, but it was because she loved me and I was her great focus other than sports, organizing, and being right. My dad once told me when I left for college that she was so cold because I had school, he had work, and all she had was me for 18 years. I was 75 miles away focusing on my own life.

He's a smart man, a brave gentleman. I owe him a lot, everything left over after what she gave me, and she gave me him. He came in to our lives when I was 2, he was the perfect fit. I was blessed to be given Moe Brooks as a daddy. Today I am focusing on his love and understanding of my mother. Someone so complex, yet incredibly simple in theory. I'd like to share his eulogy for my mom with you. Some might find it harsh, but I find comfort in truth at time of death. It was very consoling for her close family and friends, because she was hard to get along with at times. She loved us all very much. She just didn't know how to show it.

Susan Hubbard Brooks was born on October 5, 1956 and died on October 18, 2010 at the age of 54. That is way too early, but it is part of God's plan.

She is the love of my life and will remain so forever. We were married for a wonderful 27 years. And while that is over a quarter of a century, it went by in the blink of the eye.

We have one daughter Michelle, who is pregnant. The saddest part about Susan's death is that she so wanted to see and hold her grandchild. It was something she talked about for years.

She loves you Michelle- don't ever forget it. And when you deliver the baby and you feel a touch on your shoulder, know that it is Momma next to you, trying to keep you safe. And know that Momma is so thankful for David having come in to your life. He'll take good care of you and your baby. She would have taken credit for that too, if she could.

And there has never been any doubt that she loved her mother, GranEv, and wanted to be the one to take care of her. And she will always be with you, and love you GranEv.

There's her oldest sister Madelyn, who was always full of hope, praise, and inspiration for Susan. It's really amazing how well Susan listened, because usually she didn't.

And now comes Ann. From Susan's birth it was the classic "sister vs. sister" battle. Spitting, clawing, name calling, bloody, ugly battles. But in the end Ann, she heard you talking to her on her death bed. She knows you love her, and she loves you .

So, who was Susan Brooks? This complicated, yet so simple woman?

She was many things and she was not without her weaknesses.

She was tumultuous, volcanic, controversial- she did things that often created her own unhappiness. She was stubborn, I've seen her dig her heels in, plow up pavement, and still not give in. She was opinionated, she'd tell you what she thought: good or bad.

But on the other hand, she was very loving. Our chemistry blended and bonded and we told each other every day "I love you". And we knew we meant it. She was a hard worker for our marriage. She tried every day to make it special, and she did.

She was a determined soul. When we would go to the mountains with Jack and Debi, she always thought that she could walk Debi's 3 mile Bataan Death March around the mountains. Sometimes she could.

She was dependable. I never feared most of her decisions. She was competitive. When we would play tennis with Morgan, Becky, and Reba; Morgan would bait her to try to make the hardest shot in tennis-straight down the line. She wasn't scared to try, sometimes she'd make it.

Lastly, she was a fun person and a jokester. She greatly enjoyed Ann Dillion's "It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" standing invitation. She loved John's Friday Night Supper, and our group of close friends. Her "napkin" and "feathers" jokes became famous, you knew she was going to tell it, it was just a matter of when.

When we leave here today, we will have some good memories, and a few bad of Susan. I ask that you let the bad ones go, and concentrate on the good ones, there were many.

She was my love, my confidant, my soul mate. She struck me as no one ever could, which is what love is all about. For all that she was, and still is today, I will love her for an eternity.

I smiled the entire time and only shed a few tears, which I think is the way my mom would want it. It wasn't very specific if you didn't really know my mother, but if you do, you know Daddy hit the nail on the head.

For those who didn't have the pleasure, my mother was an athlete that fought cancer for almost 10 years. Everything had to be her way, or it wasn't right, and she'd let you know. She somehow got away with it. Now you know I get it honest.

She was incredibly organized, though her attention to detail somewhat faded over the years while she fought that awful disease. She could clean, lift, or fix anything and continued to try. She played golf from the white tees in her prime, and lost the invitation to play with the guys when they realized she would beat them every time.

She won ALTA matches, bragged about it, played #1 spot while fighting cancer, and was team captain. She was so strong, which is why it's so hard to believe that she's gone. Other than the day that our child is born the hardest part will be each day when I get off of work, I called her daily just to talk about nothing in particular, but usually her.

I'd like to share two more things with you. My mother died a hard and beautiful death. She went from a 90 day death sentence given to her on Monday, October 11th, to fighting for every breath on the morning of Monday, October 18th. The day before her friends and family rallied around her, there were dozens that came to hold her hand, kiss her, and let her know that they loved her. She couldn't speak or open her eyes, but she could hear us and knew we were there. On her last day of battle we pleaded that she lose, just once, and she finally gave in. She was in my fathers arms, surrounded by her family, all letting her know that we love and will miss her. I never knew that death could be so hard and beautiful, as I have never lost anyone under the age of 70 until last Monday. But, it was the most beautiful, loving thing I have seen in my 30 years.

On the day that we scattered her ashes, she was with us. My Auntie Ann saw a leaf twirl gracefully in the air, down in to the hole that her ashes would soon be placed. As the priest opened the bag of her ashes, I gasped in agony, then a stream of light came down through the trees and hit me, and only me.

Athens-Clarke County Recyclers: Single Stream Info

2011-10-17T14:30:00.002-04:00

You gotta let some things go

2011-10-16T20:27:00.005-04:00

This is something around the lines of what my great friend Erin said to me when I was pregnant with Singer. We were sitting outside on the deck while her little boy, who was crawling at that time starting playing in the dog's outdoor water bowl. Fast forward 9 or 10 months and look who's in the water bowl now. You gotta let some things go.

I was paying bills to Singer's left at our kitchen office desk, and Singer was on the floor. Suddenly splish! splash...

Of course I bathed her afterward.

This what Singer looks like when she blinks:

This is what she looks like the rest of the time:

New bathroom remodel should be complete in two weeks. I cannot wait. I hate putting our child in this dirty old tub.

Friday iPhoto Dump

2011-10-14T15:29:00.003-04:00

David and I took the bait. We finally have new phones on the way. I grab mine constantly throughout the day to take pictures of the little things. The phones aren't here yet, but on the day of release I thought I would start a new weekly blog, photo dump Friday. In two weeks you should notice a little more quality due to the new phone, which is the main reason, other than speed, that we went with the 4s.

We sold our old phones on Gazelle and can't wait to get the new ones in the mail so we can throw these slow dinosaurs in the box that Gazelle sent us and get some cash.

This is what's been going on here since last Friday...

1. Singer has been diligently reading the Elmo book Erin gave her.
2. Lots of toasted sandwiches for lunch.
3. Fruit before the earth gets cold.
4. Kitty naps.
5. Singer's journal.
6. The last fresh cut "flowers" until spring.
7. We painted the bedroom, changed the furniture around.....
8. A $1 Kindermart sweater that just needed a little TLC
9. Time to go to the grocery store to fill the fruit and veggie bowl back up, next week we'll hit up Bountiful Baskets.
10. fresh grounds.
11. Cousin Cham.
12. Belted in.
13. Wall collage collection.
14. Vitamin D, the only nutrient babies need that isn't in mothers milk.
15.... Our new armoire. It is a BEAST.
16. Singer loves her present from Uncle Deedo

How to Empower Your Daughter

2011-10-06T14:19:00.000-04:00

by Kathleen Odean

I have gleaned these ideas from many sources. Try some you haven't considered before, keeping in mind that no parent can expect to be doing all of them all the time. For excellent suggestions to introduce business and entrepreneurial thinking into your daughter's everyday life, see No More Frogs to Kiss...
Let your daughter get dirty. Children need to explore the world around them and be physically active. Science, nature, sports, arts, and crafts--all these important parts of growing up entail getting dirty.
Give her time to try to do a task herself rather than "rescue her" by giving advice or doing it for her. Encourage her to be persistent in working out her own solutions.
Encourage your daughter to state her opinions and thoughts, and listen respectfully to what she says. If she has trouble speaking out in class, practice with her at home and help her plan strategies for the classroom.
Notice how you compliment girls. Typically girls get compliments on what they wear or how they look, while boys get compliments on what they do. Try to give compliments on specific accomplishments, not general qualities. "Your speech had a powerful opening," not "You are a good speaker."
Encourage her to participate in sports. Give her the support to join a team sport. Show her you value physical fitness and strength in girls and women.
Watch television together and discuss the portrayal of women, how realistic it is, what messages it sends. Extend this to movies, videos, magazines, and computer games.
Find ways to help your daughter develop math, science, and computer skills. Provide games that develop spatial skills such as puzzles, model kits, checkers and chess, etc. For older girls, look into after-school classes or summer camps on math, science, and computers.
See that she learns some mechanical, building, and repairing skills, and becomes familiar with tools. Give young girls blocks and simple tools. Have older girls learn to repair bicycles and encourage them to take apart old appliances, etc.
Emphasize the importance of developing talents and interests. Such pastimes give girls pleasure and a self-image that doesn't rely on appearances, popularity, or relationships. Girls need to be good at doing things as well as at dealing with people.
Examine your expectations for girls and boys. Do you give boys more leeway to be rowdy, physically active, outspoken? Do you expect girls to be more domestic, caring, polite, thoughtful? Do you expect boys to help with outdoor tasks and girls with indoor ones?
Introduce her to strong female role models. Expose her to a variety of career possibilities and women who enjoy their work. Teach her to assume she will have to make her own living someday, as most women do. Participate in Take Our Daughters to Work Day in April!
Support your daughter in pursuing her interests and in taking risks. Be ready to help, but encourage her to make her own decisions and choices. Praise her for her intelligence, abilities, and initiative as well as hard work and dedication. Most of all, believe in her.

October 5, 1956

2011-10-05T20:59:00.007-04:00

A year ago today I was stuck at home in bed with the flu. My mother was in a hospital bed with cancer. We were apart.

Now that I have my own daughter I can't imagine how hard it might have been to be my mom, facing death on her 54th birthday. My Dad told me at the beginning of 2011 that they knew for two years my mother didn't have long, but they didn't tell me to protect me. They knew 4 days after our wedding. At the time I was upset with both of them, but he said I would do the same when I had children. A few weeks later I had a child, and they were right.

I want nothing more than to protect Singer from hurt, regardless of the character it might build. When we have had to hold our strong willed baby down for medical testing in the hospital I have cried tears of agony. This morning I held it in the best I could as she was getting those regular old booster shots. The despair in her face, not understanding why the nurse was poking her was so painful for me, even for a moment, but then quickly everything was better. It doesn't always work out that way.

There must be nothing more agonizing than to lose a child. You are supposed to go first. Or to lose a spouse young. Loss in general is gut wrenching. I never lost anyone, until Mama. This morning I read a little of In Jennie's Kitchen. I am so thankful for this child, husband, our luxuries, and pray that they are never taken from me. At least not for a long, long time. I held my husband tighter, and smiled wider when he walked in the door today.

So here I am a year later, on the 5th of October, her day. Maybe I was in denial. I will never forget an old friend of mine dismissing her metastasized breast cancer, acting as if it was totally curable. I Googled. I looked at the percentages, but it didn't seem real. I wanted to believe the friend and father I knew were wrong. She was so alive. She was so.. young. I didn't know mom would die soon. I didn't know until my dad called while I was at work around the 11th, and it was then we were given 30 days with her. We didn't even get that. She wouldn't make it a week..... We rushed to her side. I was prepared to stay every day for 30 days, and then she was gone in seven. We were thankful and relieved she didn't suffer long. It was that week that she was the most pleasant she had ever been. Possibly in her entire life.

I recall losing it with David. He said something. I don't even remember what it was. But it seemed insensitive at the time, especially to a 30 year old pregnant girl whose mother was about to die. The girl people were going to feel sorry for. I've never wanted that... Her mother wasn't going to get to hold her first grandchild. The grandchild that was going to change everything. The one we always knew would. I was so angry, so I yelled at him in my parents house. My mother heard me, and for the first time she truly wanted no conflict in her home, and she meant it. What she said sounded smarter than any life advice she had ever given. So we learned from her again, and respected her wishes.

*******

I wrote the above this morning. Pittled around the house and garden and tried to gain more perspective on how to spend my mother's first birthday "without" her. I thought about erasing it all, but then that seemed dishonest. So I'll leave it. I like raw emotion, in private, but I'll go public once again.

David came home for lunch. He knows me. He said we should raise a glass to her tonight. He's right. I'm about to get behind the stove with a glass of wine. That's what she would beg us to do for her on her birthday, she would want me to make her some type of fettuccine, with a fattening cream sauce. Side of wine.

After his comment I carried on my day, and focused on what I had been trying to do all along. Thank her. Thank her for protecting me. To not sulk. She always got on to me if I sulked. I needed to thank her for teaching me, from her life. Through her brutal, but always honest policy... except sometimes with herself. She was a regular Honest Abe when it came to the little things. She once made a young man go back in the general store at White Water to apologize for stealing a candy bar. She saw the fraudulent act and got involved. I wonder where that young man is now?

I've rattled off her qualities so many times.. She had a lot. She was good at "stuff". She was strong. She made up her mind and she did it. She would surprise you. She was funny. The life of the party. Great at jokes. Athletic.I can clean anything because of her. My home is better because of her.

So that led me to think about what I want to teach Singer. Which crossed my mind long before we even celebrated my mom's last birthday apart. I want to hold on to, but also sway from what my mother taught me. I want learn with Singer, there are a million different ways to do one thing, and that may not necessarily be my own. Thus teaching her that we can learn together, and our interests will change, but I will always be there to grow with her, never staying the same. Even when I'm gone. But when I am gone, I hope that she will be self-reliant and confident. Those are the two most important things Susan taught me, other than to love a good man hard, and keep his belly full.

Today Singer and I finished planting the aster and butterfly bush to celebrate SHB. I took some photos, dirt and all on that chubby face, like I always do. I'll note that we need more photographs together. You can never have enough.

Inspired by: The Hamptons

2011-10-04T22:03:00.000-04:00

I discovered Kelle Hampton and her incredible family a few months ago, and ever since I have been stuck on this beauty and her clan. Enjoy the most recent and moving small things with her and the rest of the Hampton Crew. This is one of my favorite posts to date..... Oh, October.

Just your average days...

2011-10-04T19:03:00.001-04:00

The last two days have been full of average chores and hobbies that I love. I toyed around with my mom's old Canon SLR. A welcomed addition to our home, because my Nikon D80 rarely decides to cooperate. I've decided to sell the two and move up, possibly to a Canon 7D, or possibly even a 5. Regardless of what I choose, it will NOT include a factory lens. I'm going to get something with a much lower f stop. I'm thinking 1/4, but I do sometimes glaze over at those 1/2s.

I've come to accept that I like to take close ups. (IN THE DARK) Possibly too close, but that's just my style. Yesterday I worked (a little) on not doing so. It was tough. I wanted to get closer. I love a photograph that is full of a chubby little angelic face, especially the one that belongs to our daughter.

Today I worked further on the quotes for our new bathroom, and the bedroom carpet. I've decided to go with berber, because the "new" carpet in the bedroom now is already matted to the floor.

I also expanded our winter garden. I prepped the soil for what will become a flower bed next year, but it will also host our winter veggies over the next season.. until we can move them up on the hill, where all the sun resides. The tomatoes will thank us profusely.

I prepped the front flower (red clay) bed for some plants that I plan on getting in the ground by tomorrow to honor my mother's birthday. She would have been 55. So young.

Baby is asleep. About to prep Chicken with Tomato Herb Pan Sauce from Cook Like A Champion.

WeekEnd Review

2011-10-02T20:55:00.000-04:00

I'm not really sure I'm able to go where I want with this blog right now. So for the time being I will use it to update family and friends. I am working towards a separate page for brisonfolks updates, to keep the every day life separate from my musings or projects. I go back and forth on where I'm headed...

I have worked all week on repairing and priming the walls in the master bath. Someone did a poor job on the drywall, in this room only for some reason. There were a ton of dips (dents?) and I learned a lot about this type of repair. The old carpet that was insanely placed in the bathroom before we moved in will be ripped out over the coming weeks and replaced with tile. Who carpets a bathroom? We didn't.

Want to know a secret? When Singer was on her way in to this world we planned on me laboring at home in our bathtub before it was time to make it to the hospital. Things didn't work out that way. Although everything went smoothly I was in the guest room shower (standing up during 7 showers, due to a small hot water heater) instead. Our tub sprung a leak a week before Singer made her entrance and we haven't bathed in our bathroom since. We've been saving our pennies to redo our master bath, taking showers in the guest room to not cause any further rot on the band aid that was hastily laid below the fiberglass tub. Oh, the joy of home-ownership and the thoroughness of former owners.

We have worked on making the main living space of this house a home that we love. There is still a lot of work to do on the deck, living room, kitchen and Singer's room. Those first three are basically one room to us and were the most important, so we tackled what we could first.

We haven't done anything to our bedroom in the two years since we bought the house. I'm not ungrateful, we have nice furniture but we're ready to make a retreat that will also stand in as a Saturday morning gathering place for the whole Brinson Tribe. I have tested 5 different colors in our room this week and finally settled on one. We have an armoire on order, to replace the one that I've had since I was 6 years old. New carpet and a king size bed will follow. This is long overdue.

I also picked up some shrubbery this week, after I returned a few plants that didn't make it through our vacation. The madevilla didn't make it in the spot I chose in advance, so I welcome a new 20 dollar plant in it's place patiently. My face was a pale shade of pink during that outing. One year plant guarantees are one reason I love to buy any landscaping projects through Home Depot. I keep the receipts on file (my husband thinks I'm crazy) and throw the pots that they come in under the house. If they die, I dig all three out and take them back for exchange. Despite my green thumb, It's happened more than once.

Winter veggies are in the ground. Brussels, collards, lettuce, and cabbage so far.

Squeezed some oranges for mimosas, they lasted all weekend. Kept nicely in the fridge overnight for a pancake, egg, and bacon breakfast made by my delicious cowboy. To view proof of cowboy-dom please scroll down. I. Am. So. Lucky. I married WELL. Welldone. Fork. In. It.

David in heaven with our little girl in all red and black. I'm certain he's been waiting for these days longer than any of us ever knew. He is a natural.

Still trying to get that Maxwell to warm up. It isn't working.

She's still loving the avocados. I don't know what I would do without the bib that Singer's friend Clare left here, it is the best ever. Better than any other bib we have, except for the Elsie Lou bib...

Elsie Lou is still loving our Singer, and newly loving avocados.

Guitar lessons.

We headed out to Washington Farms today to take Singer to her first Great Pumpkin Patch... or to take me to another photo op.

I'm not sure what I did in life to deserve THIS. That flannel shirt. Those dirty jeans. The boots. I only mention it because sometimes there's a man... I won't say a hero, 'cause, what's a hero? But sometimes, there's a man. And I'm talkin' about the Dude here. Sometimes, there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that's the Dude.....

You see my hair in her hand? We're probably about to say "Gentle Singer..."

These pumpkins average 20 pounds, interestingly enough so does Singer.

She makes friends everywhere she goes.

OOPS. It still happens. She shakes it right off.

Getting serious about some pumpkins.

Maybe this one?

Which one will Singer pick?....

To Doing List

2011-09-30T15:24:00.002-04:00

There's been a lot on the list of late, travel, family time, good meals, home improvements. I've avoided blogging, maybe because my heart aches to come back to this particular website, I know I'll see those last photos of my Grandmother with Singer, near the year anniversary of my mothers death. Or maybe because I'm so close to getting the new site up I'm procrastinating any type of news or reports due to good old fashioned excitement, and want to do it there.

It's probably a little of both. Nonetheless October could be a very exciting month for a lot of reasons, but at times it will always be a month that I carry a heavy heart.

My Parents' Anniversary, October 1st. My Mother's Birthday, the 5th. My Mother's last day, the 18th. Maybe I'll stay busy and blog right through it . I can't promise though. September wasn't the easiest either, simply because its so close to October. Oh, October. What a bittersweet month you will forever be.

Things have been going down at the Brinson abode and around the southeast. I uploaded the pictures from the last month today, and it was then that it really hit me- I'm not recording these memories in the place I like to gather them together. Though its rare that I do, I love to browse back through the last 3 years and see where we were and where we seem to be going.

David and Singer at Memorial Park, to feed the ducks, who had clearly been overfed and weren't hungry by the time we got there. So we went for a swing.

tummy.

I love this one, good job Papa. Oh those little wrists kill me.

anticlimactic slide

Singer is absolutely smitten with Mr. Bigsby, he tolerates her. Her first real crawl was after him, she booked it.

Maxwell still wants nothing to do with her. (ignore the laundry drying)

She and Elsie Lou are still thick as thieves.

My Auntie, cousins, and our friends had a great time celebrating GranEv. Man, that night will go down in the history books. Our sides were splitting. "There was a reeeal good turn out."

(Yes, that duck is a baby bathtub, not a float) We took Singer on her first family vacation. Complete with pool. For you young families out there, or those in the planning stages, get a pool if you can. It is key for grownups during naptime (in addition to a monitor). Babies can have a hard time on the beach. It's windy, loud, and the sun is intense.

That's our beach rental to the right with the blue roof. It was amazing. Appropriately named Here Comes the Sun.

Singer's world is opening up, and so are her bumper pads. Thanks Nona!

She ate her first solid food last night, avocado. She liked it, Max liked the aftermath on the floor, but remains indifferent to our child. Mom saved my baby plates, spoons, forks, bowls, etc. for me- it was awesome to pass them down to Singer last night, her Papa and I were excited about that.

Of course we're still busy cheering for the Dawgs.

Evelyn Lowrey Hubbard

2011-08-30T12:59:00.000-04:00

May 20, 1924 - August 30, 2011

Last night my maternal grandmother, more affectionately known by all who loved her as GranEv, passed away. She was admitted to hospice two weeks ago, and had been declining slowly ever since then.

GranEv had one special request, that I know of, and that was to see Singer. David and I drove her down to Columbus last Tuesday and GranEv perked up, so much I thought she may hang on and go back to her assisted living home.

Always a beauty, she had her lipstick on and her hair fixed. We had a great visit, and I was so thankful to get a few good shots of our little girl with her great grandmother. GranEv became non verbal few days later. For the last five days my aunt and cousins have sat by her side telling funny stories about her, loving on her, and calling me so I could still be a part from far away.

GranEv was a spunky grandmother in her prime. She fed us whatever we wanted, let us stay up late, and would "pinch the fire" out of us should we act up beyond even a grandparents reasoning, the threat came more often than the act.

This week our family will gather together to celebrate GranEv- more funny stories, songs, and a drink or two. She wouldn't want it any other way.

GarlicFest and DeSoto Falls

2011-08-29T11:00:00.006-04:00

This weekend we packed up the wagon and took a quick day trip over to Cleveland to hike and visit Garlicfest- my husband's personal heaven on earth. David Brinson LOVES garlic. I adore the daily use of garlic too, but it's not the same for me. He eats garlic bulbs whole, without peeling them. I'll let you decide if I'm slightly exaggerating, I learned from the best. Yes honey, that's a slight nod that you should write more. Back to our travels... We hit up Blood Mountain's Mountain Crossings at Walasi-Yi and DeSoto Falls first and then we backtracked to LoganBerry Farm for a celebration of all things garlic.

Singer's first view of a waterfall. In the middle of a little to no rain summer. Not so cool to us, but she seem very interested.

Hiking is exhausting, isn't it sweetie?

This child still takes 3-4 naps a day.

Good thing we took a photo.

You know the old photos of your family car? We decided we wanted to show Singer what we carted her around in one day.

Our first view of LoganBerry Farm.

Singer's first hayride.

LoganBerry is the prettiest farm I have ever visited. There were butterfly gardens all over the place, I didn't want to leave!

Just what she needs, a bigger noggin.

Minus the dress, this is appropriate.

Bulbs were hanging throughout the entire barn.

David went to Garlic School and earned his garlic diploma by tasting TEN different types of garlic. He has had a wonderful aroma for the last two days.

Singer has never met an alpaca before.

I believe this is her first cow as well. She seems thrilled.

What a great day trip. We left with LoganBerry's own produce- kale, corn, white peas and tomatoes. All delicious, but the tomatoes have been the star. I fried a green one up for BLT's last night and it was perfectly tangy.

We seem to forget of late how much there is to do if we head northwest. We took it for granted when David lived that way and I miss those old days in the Appalachians. Kids add a new world to the old stomping grounds, a new take on good clean fun. To view more GarlicFest and DeSoto photos, start here.

Fair Singer

2011-08-28T15:50:00.004-04:00

Today on our trip to Goodwill mama hit da jackpot. Score on a hat just like Singer's favorite honeybee hat, only this time yellow and a size XL. Yes, my five month old's skull is a XL- the prettiest big little noggin we've ever seen. Here she models it for you:

I'm melting, it cost .99, and her head is still sunburn free.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sweet Singer Giggles

2011-08-25T21:57:00.000-04:00

This evening our family went out to celebrate two friends who have made amazing choices in life, including one another. When we got home I meandered through the house prepping for bed and came back to a giggling baby in her papa's arms. I had to capture the sweetest sound.

We are obviously smitten by our child, what parent isn't? But, I must admit a camera phone does not capture the audible pleasure that Singer found this evening in her friend we call Elsie Lou, oh my it was worth a try... as we are trying to capture as many moments as we can, because to mimic an old cliche, they grow up so fast.

WeekEnd Review: Door Jams, Late Night Jams, Singer uh, jams?

2011-08-22T17:35:00.007-04:00

We just wrapped up another weekend surrounded by those who support us- we seem to have a lot of those in our life, and we are thankful.

Thursday we worked on swapping doors, we attempted a fruit basket turnover for the garage and front door. We've been looking for a replacement for our windowless front door since we moved in, stopping by the Habitat Restore or Southern Surplus when we get a hankering for it. We are in search of a replacement with windows, because the corner with the door in our living room is too dark. It needs some natural light.

After measuring my choices at Habitat last week I realized that they were all short of my goal, so I headed home with my finds. When I walked in the garage door it hit me, why in the world haven't we just swapped the two around? We lived here two years and it took me that long to think of this freebie? I've always gotten a little grumpy when I think about guest convening in our kitchen, and having a pretty little door/window to look through and gaze out at our... garage.

I wanted to shut it off, but somehow the ingenious idea never occurred to me, my husband was in agreement. So he got out his tools, made the remark that it would be hard to fit, because houses settle and we he got to work. It didn't fit. He's right more than I let on.

Well, the glass door didn't fit where the solid one once stood. Although the solid door fit like a glove in its replacement spot, lookin' all perfect in our kitchen and keeping our imperfect garage out of sight.

David went to Lowes after consulting our builder friend, who said to get 4 inch screws and, uh... torque? them as tightly as possibly into the door jam. Thus bringing the door to a more precise 90 degree angle, hoping that this would make room for an easy open and shut case. It didn't work. But I snapped a few pictures anyhow, so I can dream about letting more light into the living room one day....

He's so handsome and fixity. See all the paint supplies to the side? I owe ya a post about that too.

The switch really made a difference, too bad it didn't work out. We are still thinking about making the switch- we just need to get a builder in who knows a little more about home repair (and door jambs) than we do.

Let there be light

To get an idea of what the corner looked like before the swap, and right when we moved in and starting make the upgrades to this old house, here's a view:

I think we've come a long way, although we still have some road ahead of us.

Here's a shot with the temporary stand in outside, it would have looked great red:

Back to the drawing board..

A few more from the last few days. David threw a party for his employees, to thank them for working so hard. It was good times. I didn't get the camera out until late night. He played a super secret show for Craig, the dogs, and me. I love it when his guitar comes out.

Sweet Singer turned 5 months young this weekend. No family shoot yet, we had to cancel, but I took a few myself:

The Price is Right

2011-08-19T05:30:00.003-04:00

I've been pining over new plates for months, it wasn't something I went in to lightly. Most things I buy these days I buy with purpose, and with thoughts of them lasting us years. So I research, compare, hold out for a deal. I make sure I love the purchase. I have a list, itemization that contains elements we really need, or that will add to the value, or to the functional style of our home. I go through a store slowly, with intention (clearly laid out on my iphone notepad) and then I put a few items back. I will tell you this saves us money, my husband would probably say the same thing my dad told my mom- you aren't saving me money when you're spending it. Tomato, tomahto.

I picked up the large plate (set of 12) at Pottery Barn for $49 dollars, which worked out to be about 4 dollars a plate. See? Saving those dollar bills. They are sturdy and 10.5 in diameter, nice and big for lots of yummy food. Nom, nom, nom..

I had become annoyed by my old green plates (I only had 6) that I found at a true junk shop in college, they didn't photograph well, and let's admit that white is the most appetizing color to serve on. The food just looks better, each morsel isn't competing with a pattern. Needless to say, my sentimental husband was disappointed last night when he realized that I not only donated the green plates, but also the mismatch assortment of smaller plates too. Good thing I found 5 appetizer plates at Goodwill today for 2 dollars. Even better that I'm not super anal when it comes to sets. Just kidding, I usually am, but cheap and well made cancels out my obsessive tendencies. They are the same color as the PB plates, the picture just has uneven lighting.

We found what I think may be the right light for over the kitchen sink, more on that later. Speaking of the kitchen sink I discovered a vintage green one today underneath a pile of junk, but I cannot yet reveal where said junk is. So far I have failed to talk D in to letting me purchase it, key word being green here, or maybe the key word is olive, actually I'm pretty sure there are two key words: so and far. I digress, so we're knocking around Lowes, and dreaming, like we often do. We found a simple pendant light that could potentially work over our kitchen table- once I can no longer stand to look at the current spray painted stand in~~, it's not that bad~~. We also found a few ideas for out front door. We have a major problem with unwanted guests. Can you see them down there? See all that brown gunk in the light? Well, I can only assume that it's from leaving the light on while we were in California. Bugs always get trapped in this particular fixture, that's pretty obvious, and it worries me. I'm a lover, not a fighter, even when it comes to bugs. I'd really hate for them all to catch on fire, (of course they're already dead, maybe they don't want to be cremated) and then for our home do the same, that would really be hard to describe to our insurance agent.

This death trap has got to go, we decided we need something that had a hollow bottom, to ensure our little buddies wouldn't meet their fate at our front door. The lights we liked were going to run us almost 75 bucks. I could do a lot with 75 clams.

So today Singer and I went to see our thrifty friends down at Habitat's Restore and I found this gem for 3 dollars. Thanks, JP.

What? You don't think it's a gem? You think that there's a bird poop stain on it? I guess life wouldn't be interesting if everything came too easy, so I'll have to revamp my gem and try to change your mind. Stay tuned, it's going to be a challenge, not only due to the whole aesthetics thing, but the mount doesn't fit flush to our exterior cedar planks. My husband loves me. You readin' this honey?

I also found a basket for quick grocery trips, it was only 2 dollars, and has been on my want, but won't pay 30 dollars for it, list- no matter how much unnecessary plastic makes me seethe.

Habitat has a box of floating oil bulbs in the way back for 25 cents a pop, still wishing for something to turn up so I can float the 3 I chose. I found a dozen online for 30 bucks here, which makes feel feel uber satisfied.

And TADA! A new hat for Singer. What's that? You are either thinking that poor child, or praise the Lord! Cause we all know mama played the "Honeybee/Singer's favorite hat" thang out. I picked her new headgear up, 50% off, over at Treehouse. Go see Kristen Bach, she and her shop are simultaneously amazing. I'm telling you, I felt like I was 5 and in kiddie heaven.

As you can imagine a day full of skipped naps has Singer napping extra today, don't worry she'll model it for y'all later.. as in every day until it doesn't fit her fair little noggin', or until family members convince me that its leaving tiny marks on her scalp.

Iloveherandherinherhatsomuch!

Big Fruit

2011-08-18T20:28:00.005-04:00

There are a few choice sayings in our home when we discover a new wine we like. Not to be confused with David's choice sayings when he a.) stubs his toe b.) can't complete a task with a chosen tool c.) something extra tedious occurs. Can't you just hear Singer the Sailor now? Anyhow, back to wine you drink. David promptly smiles, holds the glass up as to admire it, and says "It's very oaky." Every single time, and I'm his bride and biggest fan, so it's still funny to me. Oh that man.

D called on his way home this evening to ask if I had any requests, so I petitioned him for a nice bottle of white, but not too nice or he's likely to come home with a 35 dollar bottle for a Thursday night. If you're reading what I'm putting out here we're on a budget.

In most people's younger years they start out on white, I went straight for red and saved the whites for outdoor weddings. But I've always enjoyed a nice white on a simmering Georgia night, or over a hot stove. More-so of late. I can use some of it to flavor our dish and save a glass for myself.

Tonight he arrived home with a new sample of a Bell's brew and poured me a glass of the white he had chosen. We went about our evening, which happens to involve a door swap that I am incredibly excited about... (... relays staying tuned) and a significant amount of time passed. I finally tasted the wine. WHOA. Big fruit. A common statement, right? It's like we're quoting Sideways here at the Brinson home, but it was big fruit- but not too big. I commented on it and Mr. Brinson said that's what he asked for. Now, I don't know a whole lot about wine. I do know I don't usually go for 3 dollar bottles, or the like with cartoon animals on them. Those bottles have burned me in the past, mostly on the first sip and in the morning to come. But, I do believe you don't have to spend a fortune on wine for it to taste good, and this did, so I looked it up.

Pine Ridge 2010 Chenin Blanc + Viognier

I usually go for a dry white or buttery chardonnay without too much fruit and a later date, but this one hits my palette right. It's big fruit without too much fruit- if you like that sort of thing. You can definitely smell the hint of white tea when you take big sniff and sip simultaneously. It's a great white for around 14 bucks, I can't confirm as David didn't have the right tools for the door job and has headed to Lowes. He didn't even use a choice saying this time, anything for Sweet Singer, right?

I have a wine tasting date amongst ladies at a dear friend's house tomorrow, it will be the sixth time I've left Singer since she was born. I called my dad last week as I was leaving her for the fifth time. When I mentioned our seperation he said that she would be ok, and I said something regarding the grocery store, and she was with David. Then I received the daddy sermon that I deserved. Duly noted. So what's not to be exciting about this Riesling party that is sure to be big fruit?

Pretty for Pennies

2011-08-18T11:10:00.001-04:00

Before Singer was born folks asked me- what are you going to dress your baby in if you don't know the sex? Do you have clothes?

I believe I've mentioned here before, my mom took care of that before I was even pregnant. I know, she was crazy, after all she was my mother. Yup, in true Susan form she was on top of things before necessary, as her hindsight was always 20/20. Mom introduced me to kids consignment sales, the big ones. Not the (awesome) stores, like Reblossom, but the church and community sales that hundreds of mamas, just like (potentially) you and me, join in and make a few extra bucks on the side once or twice a year.

She bought a HUGE lot of clothing, both boy and girl and we were set. Except we weren't, I wanted to contribute so I hit up the YMCA Consignment Sale last March, a few weeks before Singer was born. I spent 35 bucks and had an extra assortment of boy and girl clothes to add to Susan's collection.

Last month there was a sale in Jefferson, Georgia and I was really impressed with this one in particular. The woman who runs the Lollipop Kids Sale came off to be the Queen of Organization in my eyes, this wasn't her first rodeo. I went on the last day, as I do for all of these sales because that's when everything that isn't marked with a NR on the tag is half off. There are still plenty of adorable clothes left, in great or new condition, but you pay even less for them.

If you haven't been to a consignment sale, they aren't set up with booths- as this is not a huge assortment of yard sales. It's one big sale, set up by age group and sex, with tags on each item. You pay for all of your items at once, and the parents who put clothes in the sale are reimbursed later.

Helpful hints? Go early, leave your kids at home, and take a bag to put your clothes in because they get heavy. I like to try to leave the hangers on the racks, but many of the clothes are pinned to them in order to assure that they don't fall off- so bring a big bag (or two) that can handle wire hangers. Some sales charge a fee for the use of a debit card, so I take cash in order to keep the bill as low as possible. Because that's the point, right? Not to mention it's totally vintage and green of us. Singer will be the hippest kid in the sandbox.

A view of some of the 40 pieces I got at the last sale for only 50 bucks!

This weekend, starting today, is the Cornerstone Baptist Church Sale. To shop these sales on the first day you usually have to volunteer to work the sale, or pay a $5 preview fee. This time I plan on shopping first on Friday morning instead of Saturday, which remember- is half off day, to go ahead and buy the tags marked NR. They won't go on sale anyway, and are usually marked on the nicest items, like maybe an Ergo Carrier, which I'm in the market for.

If you're not in the Athens area and want to check out sales near you visit Kids Consignment Sales, they have a list of sales all over the country. Look for the sales to start in the early spring and fall wherever you may be, as they prepare you for the seasons, and occur right before the upcoming weather change.

Chaos

2011-08-16T21:38:00.003-04:00

This is what our kitchen looks like right now. We aren't in the middle of a major renovation, but it does feel like life (or my kitchen) is on hold until we get this mini one over with this week. It's the first step to a bigger picture, that'll come once we save up some more pennies.

Above the sink you might be able to see the green, it's a little tough due to the lighting- this color came with the house, its flat. Who uses flat paint in a kitchen? To the left is the new paint, Casa Blanca. It's the same color as the living room, which was MAROON when we bought the house. That took three coats to cover up. Since the two rooms are open to one another I wanted them to feel like a continuation, because they are.

Here's what else is going on in this catastrophe.

1. Ugly old brass chandelier, spray painted bronze. It looks 39% better, there's a globe at Lowes that owns the other 61%. We'll get there, this will do until then.
1a. Bronze spray paint, my hero.
2. Knife set that I'm thinking about claiming warranty on because they are worth over 300 bucks and have "spots" on them. When going through my warranty info Sunday I spaced and registered everything in this house that hadn't been, even the fridge that came with the house. Feels niiice. I try to do this as soon as we buy things, but sometimes you don't realize that a warranty comes on a 20 dollar air pump.
3. Spot where an ugly old florescent light once stood, it was hidden behind a piece of countrified wood that "connected" the cabinets on each side of the window. There's a new light in town. I have only been happier to see one other item leave this house since we moved in, more on that later.
3a. Fluorescent light fixture, on it's way out. Don't let the door hit ya...
4. Bills. Paid. Coupons, and to do list waiting patiently.
5. Baby chair, so the little one can watch me use my paint brush as a microphone. More on low VOC paint later.
6. Cabinet pulls, to be removed, painted and at some point replaced with something less countrified. Do you see a trend here?
7. Ceiling fan, to remove and spray painted on the metal areas, or to remove and replace? We're marinating..
8. Stools, need to be shortened, painted, and recovered.
9. My new Pottery Barn cushions for our freshly coated outdoor furniture. I got them on sale. Of course. Now I need a dry storage bin for them out on the deck. Happy Birthday to me.
10. To paint or not to paint the trim in the kitchen, we'll get everything except for the cabinets done and then decide... Don't worry guys, we've decided NOT to paint the fireplace....

Before I started this morning I got a chuck roast going, I braised it with cumin and kosher salt. Crock pot cooking is a must when you're in the middle of a kitchen project. It made this evening go slow.

**Oh, and if you're wondering about the X X X on the appliances? Well we're in the market for new ones, in our dreams. But we're working towards making those come true, it will just take a circle around the sun.

Brinson Folks Update

2011-08-15T12:47:00.000-04:00

It's the 15th of August and as promised I'm back, unfortunately the new website is not finished yet. I have been working on it myself and with a few artists, so we are on our way! Is there anything you would like to see on it? Not so much blog writings, but good ideas for a more complex website?

I have also been working on things around our home. I made a four page list of projects that I would like to get done so we can sit back and enjoy our labor before we sell and move on. Painting, removing dated fixtures, and updating. I've been perusing kitchen appliances and wondering what I should do to this kitchen to make it more appealing and easier to sell when we do. White appliances are not cool.

Today I'm working on the kitchen, finishing the paint job.

I'm a planner around the house, I enjoy setting goals and completion dates around big events and go for it. For my 31st birthday I set a goal of revamping our outdoor furniture. So I redid the iron deck furniture via a few cans (10 to be exact) of spray paint, and some sanding/staining for a pair of old benches that came with the house.

I used the furniture to help seat 23 folks that came over for a Pasta Margherita Birthday Celebration. So blessed. The benches now reside on the front porch, which will soon get a fresh coat of paint. Charleston Green for the shutters and window boxes, Pompeii Red for the front door (and the shed out back!).

I'll will posting updates here, even though the site isn't completed.. I've missed it a lot and have a lot to write about! When complete all posts will be moved over to the new domain and a link will direct you to it.

This weekend we're hosting another party, one for David's employees- to thank them for all the hard work they've done. We also have a family photo shoot that I'm especially excited about, this will be our first one since Twin Hearts did our Maternity Photos.

This guy and his friends were all rusted out. I picked the crew up at least five years ago at J and J Flea Market. They needed painting then, but had to get in line. I went from black to a rubbed bronze. I use Krylon brushed metallic oil rubbed bronze, you'll read a lot about this finish in the coming months.

This table was gold and was a hand me down from a friend, she stood in nicely until we bought a hefty wood coffee table and then moved out to the deck where she works well with the other iron furniture

The former home owners left a lot of junk for us when they moved, It's my job to weed it out or make it our own junk. I sanded two and stained them, now they reside on our narrow front porch waiting patiently for more useful decor friends to arrive. They are the first step to making the front of our home more welcoming.

Dluv and David prep dinner for over 20 people. I live for dinner parties, it made sense to give thanks with friends on my 31st, and first without mom.

Our family. You can see the color I chose for the formerly beige iron chairs, I went with a blue (to your R). Which is strikingly similar to some old chairs (to your L) that were my parents when they first got married. Those guys are in line for a sanding and painting as well. We keep them in the attic for times like this, but they need to be preserved, as I cherish them as heirlooms.

and one to grow on..

She's sitting up a little, gaining lots of rolls, and melting our hearts on a daily basis.

Sabbatical

2011-07-17T13:10:00.001-04:00

You see, I've got some things that I want to accomplish- housing, sewing, decor projects and I gotta step away from the computer for a second. I plan on being back in the swing of things by August 15th, so check back then, and check back often. Hopefully I'll have a new website link up by then with lots of fun things to look at.

For brief updates here and there, check us out on facebook.

There's a First Time for Everything

2011-07-13T21:50:00.002-04:00

When witnessing someone's life from the very start you begin to notice things that one may not notice from the genesis of most relationships. Before we had children I noticed many of life's milestone, but not the early ones.. even though I thought I was there for those of the yougins I love, such as my cousins, nieces, and nephews. But you don't truly notice every move until you are a caretaker, which I have never been from birth, during growth until now.

This past week Singer and I flew to Arcata, California to meet her Papa, after he had a fun night worth of bachelorhood with his brother and friends in Eugene, OR. *More on the most amazing wedding ever tomorrow, for now we'll focus on firsts for our little lady.

She had her first ride in a swing:

She met her oldest cousin "Pixie" (and the rest of the C'ton crew for the fist time.)

First toes in a river, most specifically the Trinity River.. which was absolutely amazing and clean.

First late night jam out session, complete with yardsale find accordion.

Surprisingly enough SHB's first bluegrass session too!

First trip to see the largest living things on earth- aka redwoods.

and something her papa and I have been waiting on.. Singer's first hike, through Lady Bird Johnson Grove.

Singer gave her first hike a thumbs up!

On the way back from the grove we stopped at the Pacific Ocean for our little lady's first beach trip.

more to come, check here for the facebook album link...

Peekaboo: California Girl

2011-07-12T21:38:00.001-04:00

Our family of three just arrived home from a 25 hour flight worth of layovers/flight delays, after an incredible trip to California to witness the love of David's brother Justin and his beautiful bride Meg. Tonight we're resting up after coming back to the Georgia humidity. So for now a sneak peek, tomorrow look for more.

She's Watching Us

2011-07-08T07:35:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure we'll be able to pull anything by this little lady.

All We Need is Just a Little Patience

2011-07-07T06:57:00.002-04:00

“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience.”

“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.”

My first hands on lessons in patience most likely started intensely when I began working with folks who needed a little push, but I couldn't expect all of them to get it right then, and it could have worked out that I missed those exercises in patience.

But those were lessons that I learned by acting on them. I actually had someone who taught me patience before that, by example. Someone who gave me my second chance, and I have rarely spoke about him here since my mother passed away last October. But if we're friends and see each other a few times a year, as I find that most of my friends and I that are now scattered across the region and county do, you know what he means to me and how closely I watched him. So I dedicate this one to my daddy, my hero- a man of patience.

Before my last job I pittled in the garden since I could walk and was able to enjoy a somewhat good garden spot, mostly by way of porch pots in college. I think patience makes a good gardener and now that I have my own plot of land I can practice the patience of a hobby better than ever.

During a nap or baby bjorn time I have been working on different things, but I wanted to talk about one that I am particularly excited about- my mandevilla. There will be more patience blogs to follow as I have a lot of different projects going on right now that require such.

Mandevilla has beautiful flowers and lush greenery, but what I love about it most, and more than other vines is that you can propagate it, a true poor mans plant. I haven't done so, but have been studying the art of propagation and will when the time is right. If you're interested read on below for the method I have chosen at the end of the post.

After buying the perennial and planting it I learned that even though our new plant is a friend that will come back to visit each spring, it will not survive the winters in Georgia. I will have to pull it up after the leaves fall and put it in a planter, destined for the garage until the birds chirp again. This has changed my views on the spot that I chose for it. I want a long bushy vine that flowers to grow up and over the front porch, as we are somehow planning on a big, but easy and affordable, change for the front of our home to reflect a cottage facade.

Since my early days in college I lived in a cottage rental and was disappointed when we couldn't find one during our quest for a home that had ample space and was standing on all four sides in our pricerange.

So we'll make one ourselves. Focusing on the trim work, windows, porch, and the huge front bed. My first job was to get something to start it's trail up the front porch, this will most likely be my favorite change as I love climbing plants the most. Although I'll be replacing it come fall, the method will be the same.

My materials to trail the vine: drill, O hooks, and garden wire- plus fingernail clippers to cut the wire, although I'm sure most folks use something far more appropriate.

One climbing mandevilla coming right up. One reason I chose this plant is that it does well in shade, and we live in the shadow of a great oak.

I connected the O hooks to the post, via the drill and tightened the wire around each one so our buddy can reach for the sky.

What a mighty feat.

I even put one waaaay over here to promote growth along the banister as well.

This is where our little guy started out, and he's come a long way in the last month. I hate that the mandevilla won't work out for us in the spot I chose, but I am slowly researching what could go in the spot to be left there year around. Meanwhile, I've given him a chance anyway. Going out each day, roping those vines and training them to the spot I want them to climb.

Taking Cuttings
- Take cuttings from new growth in early spring or early summer. Softwood cuttings should be light green in color, while slightly older cuttings will have lost their light green hue, but aren't yet very dark in color. Cuttings must be 2 to 3 inches in length. Remove all but the top two leaves on older growth (summer growth) and cut off the tip and the bottom set of leaves on new growth of softwood cuttings. Removing the leaves allows the cutting to focus its energy resources on root development rather than foliage. Use clean, sharp pruning shears or a small knife to take cuttings.
Potting Medium
- Make your own rooting medium by mixing sand and peat at a 50-50 ratio. Such a mixture retains moisture well, but also provides excellent drainage to reduce the possibility of fungal disease in cuttings. Wet the mixture before planting so you don't dislodge the cutting from the soil when watering after planting.
Planting Cuttings
- Dip the cut end of the cuttings in rooting hormone powder. This natural substance will encourage root growth and stop the latex flow from the stem. Insert the cuttings into the soil and tamp down gently to secure them. Cover the cuttings with a plastic bag. Open the bag each day for an hour or so to release built-up moisture, or use a tray with a sturdy clear plastic cover with holes.
Repotting
- Cuttings could take anywhere from 20 to 70 days to root. Once the cuttings have developed roots, transplant them to 3-inch pots and pinch back any new growth to encourage the young plant to branch out. When that has happened, transplant the young plants into slightly larger pots to allow for more root growth. When you're sure that the plants are actively growing and they hold the soil when gently tugged, it's safe to transplant then outdoors. Select a site in full sun, but provide afternoon shade in very warm climates. The soil should be well draining. Mandevilla also makes an excellent container plant.

WeekEnd Review:

2011-07-06T11:16:00.002-04:00

A little late, I started this at last weeks end, but just kept having too much fun to get it done.

I deheaded, deveined, froze 10 pounds of shrimp. I learned a lot about the process from my gal Google once again. Getting so good that I could dehead two shrimps (that what we call them here, plural or singular) at once and pull the vein out super quick. We are going to be eating a bunch of them over the next month. Deck friends get ready for shrimps!

You might be wondering why my husband's initials are on the bag. I also froze 10 more pounds for a friend who is currently out of down. These jokers are straight from the Georgia coast.

These little shrimps made a delicious broth!

My trusty sous chef looks on in glee.

I found an amazing score of old cloth blocks for Singer. Yup, still no plastic and it's working well.

As well as an old school playmate for her favorite activity gym.

I repaired one of my favorite old quilts handed down by my daddy. It went through college and many camping trips with me and had holes all over it. I sewed it up to become a car blanket for impromptu trips to Terrapin and anything else we might need it for during summer fun.

There were at least six of these guys:

I used the hem scraps from an old vintage skirt for patches. Which reminds me I can't find that skirt, it's somewhere out there with my hot glue living it up, I'm sure.

I've been working hard on a childrens line of goods to get up on Etsy. I'm shooting for mid August, so keep an eye out for a revamped website and be ready to spread the word! Below is a shot of a dress that is for Singer, she gets all the "prototypes".

Singer's Aunt Lala sent her some fabric... I hope I can get around to making these pillow trains. If you have any old pillows that you're getting rid of please send them my way. I need stuffing and can upcycle them for you!

Of course we had great friends over on the deck this past week. We did so to celebrate a friend's accomplishment. We had a more than generous invite to a party on the 4th, that wasn't really photo-documented. We are so blessed.

Cheers!

more here

It's all (Tomato) Gravy

2011-06-30T09:45:00.001-04:00

I could fill this blog with shout outs of creativity and yummies regarding my friends, and in doing so some friends from David's southern hometown of Albany can't go unmentioned. The Woodalls are phenomenal at living off the land, so to speak, and likewise cooking with what John brings home after an early morning in the field. I often get recipes from Ashley, and they are always remarkable (I beg you to start out with her crab dip). Her husband John, has been known to fill our car up on our way back to Athens with local meats and freshly hunted game.

While we're on the note of public thank yous, our friend Paige gave us some venison from her parents freezer late last winter. We had a little left over and we weren't sure what to do with this particular cut, so I asked Ashley and John. Ashley gave me her version of the recipe below, I made a few tweaks of my own to cook our gifted venison ham steaks. ho-ly. deer. I wasn't prepared. I snapped a few pictures during my prep and when we were wowed by the flavor this tomato gravy produced I was disappointed that I didn't document it properly. So I tried it again, but this time with a pork loin. This time I was sure to get some better shots.

Before we move on, I have to say that the tomatoes are the star of the show here. Make sure you leave the ones initially put in the crockpot in their plump state. This could work for a veggie meal too, I certainly didn't need the meat, I could have gone with just the romas.

pork loin seasoned with garlic salt, salt, pepper

dredged in flour

chopped garlic and red onion, last time I used a Vidalia, I find that red onions mesh perfectly with tomatoes when cooked until translucent

If you use a can of tomatoes, and I suggest that you do if they aren't in season- get a good can such as Tuttorosso, or Muir Glenn, this can went in the crock pot

I used fresh tomatoes from our garden for the skillet

Note the change in the onions color, this is exactly what you want yours to look like before you add your meat

These guys right here make the dish for me, I hope they will for you too

Add pork loin to a hot skillet brown side and flip- transfer to crock pot (it will still be raw inside)

Some of the flour from the loin is left, that's a good thing for taste

Add flour and stir, you may need to add a little water

This is your reward

The recipe, or method is not rigid, make sure you read above for my notes. This is very lackadaisical cooking. I go with my gut and sometimes it works out, other times it's just ok. I've learned a lot that way, and I'm able to still have fun and create something on my own in my kitchen. This is one of those times that it always works out, no matter how you decide to do it- just pay attention to your heat in order to keep your meat moist.

What you'll need: your favorite cut of pork or venison, a splash of olive oil here and there, 1/4 cup flour + 2 tablespoons or more for thickness, garlic salt, salt, pepper, onion, garlic to tastes, 1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes -canned or fresh (I use both), a starch for the bed

*Season meat with garlic salt, salt, pepper, plus anything else that you love
*Chop your favorite onion, garlic and saute over olive oil in skillet
*Add 1 lb (fresh or canned, do not drain) of whole tomatoes to a crock pot on high
*Add 8 oz diced/chopped tomatoes to skillet (fresh or canned, do not drain) bring to a low boil
*Dredge meat in flour, brown in a skillet
*Transfer meat to a crock pot
*Add a couple of tablespoons of flour and cook for 1-2 minutes
*Season with salt and pepper
*Transfer roux to crockpot
*Cook for at least 2 hours on low, or until the meat is moist, able to be cut with just a fork
*Serve over your favorite rice or orzo

Singer Goes Breakdancing

2011-06-29T17:18:00.002-04:00

Not really, but a friend of ours referred to Singer's favorite hat as her break dancing hat on Sunday over lunch among friends, so true. She is hip.

You've probably seen said hat, as it's really her mom's favorite thing, and shows up in most photo ops. She wore it during her first swim meet, and wears it on most sunny day outings. Her pops notified me that I was wearing her favorite hat out, so I had to make a new one for her, and here it is... It's a little too small, I'll chalk that up to it's hard to make your own pattern as a novice seamstress. Or should I make excuses like our daughter has big brains? That's right folks Miss Singer is measuring in the 98th percentile for brains. She is her father's daughter... Nah, it's simply my seam allowance and I think I'll fix it, as I got a new pattern today.

Alright, here we go... have fun grandparents and aunties...

Oh yummy, rubber band wrists.

Singer notices their appeal too.

There mom goes again...

It's Just Thread, it's not Permanent

2011-06-28T13:38:00.000-04:00

Cue seam ripper.

A Huckleberry Over My Persimmon

Facebook Update

Singer's First Visit from Santa

A Want, a Need, a Wear and a Read + a Give

Friday Photodump

Yard Progress Sneakin' a Peak

RECIPES: Hot Potato

New Earth

Locally Grown

Coffee Break

Letting Go

Currently Pinning

Brinson Thanksgiving 2011 in pictures

Friday IPhoto Dump

Style Watch: Nordic Prints

Duck, duck, boot.

Cousins

Friday iPhoto Dump

Eye Candy: SHB

Making it Home: Another door opens when one closes...

Friday iPhoto Dump

Making it Home: Fireplace Screen

Trick or Treat?

Making it Home

Pumpkin Eater

Friday iPhoto Dump

Winter Greens

Above the Hem

Papas Home

Fri.. Monday IPhoto Dump

365 Days Later

Athens-Clarke County Recyclers: Single Stream Info

You gotta let some things go

Friday iPhoto Dump

How to Empower Your Daughter

October 5, 1956

Inspired by: The Hamptons

Just your average days...

WeekEnd Review

To Doing List

Evelyn Lowrey Hubbard

GarlicFest and DeSoto Falls

Fair Singer

Sweet Singer Giggles

WeekEnd Review: Door Jams, Late Night Jams, Singer uh, jams?

The Price is Right

Big Fruit

Pretty for Pennies

Chaos

Brinson Folks Update

Sabbatical

There's a First Time for Everything

Peekaboo: California Girl

She's Watching Us

All We Need is Just a Little Patience

Taking Cuttings

Potting Medium

Planting Cuttings

Repotting

WeekEnd Review:

It's all (Tomato) Gravy

Singer Goes Breakdancing

It's Just Thread, it's not Permanent