Spring Is in the Air

ell, technically we have a few more weeks and it IS cold in Savannah. Usually this time of year it is starting to warm up and the azaleas are blooming. But not yet. The stores are selling spring flowers though and I did just get over sinusitis and bronchitis which usually doesn't happen too often to me. When is does, it's usually spring. So as far as I'm concerned, Spring has almost sprung!

Speaking of sprung, look at the beautiful Spring Tulips I bought at Home Depot yesterday. Aren't they lovely? Now, I know you're not supposed to transplant tulips once they've already bloomed, but it really is too late to force bulbs indoors, so I decided to take a risk and transplant them on my dining room table anyways. I just added some rocks for drainage at the bottom of this glass pot, and as best as I could, I tried to move the plant (after I cut off the plastic container) to the new pot without disturbing the dirt, bulbs and roots too much. So basically, the tulips are still in the same position and soil they were in before. I guess we'll see how long they last, or if they go into shock!

I really wouldn't recommend doing this, I just really needed to put a new plant there in that pot and I was desperate to get something there fast. Otherwise, I would've had some indoor appropriate bulbs ready once my amaryllis died. It's hard to find any in the store right now, but during Christmas, there are tons of Amaryllis and Paperwhites. Maybe next year I'll stock up!

Febuary 25, 2010

I love my newborn niece, Nevie Alane Smith! (pictures to come soon!)

A day late...

his is a day late, but I hope everyone had a Happy Valentines Day!! Savannah had snow this past weekend! Snow and Love. You can't get much better than that!

February 15, 2010

I love my boyfriend Drew so much!

Unique Valentines

emember when we were children, and the most exciting part of Valentine's Day was seeing how many cards you got from your schoolmates? That was always so much fun. I think everyone was pretty much guaranteed to get Valentines. The designs were always so cute. Even though I am no longer a child, I still LOVE to give out Valentines and to receive them. These days, the designs aren't as inspiring to me and the cards can get expensive, so if I'm going to buy some, I want to buy something unique that no one else will get. My other alternative is to make them myself. I think nothing is better than receiving a handmade card. It definitely shows that you were really thinking about the person and wanted to give them something special. It's better than receiving candy in my opinion!

So here's my quest for you... if you don't want to buy cards, make your own this year. Sit down with your children or friends and make an afternoon of it!

If you like the vintage, handmade look of the cards above and below, check out this Etsy store, Love You by ReverieCreations. She makes beautiful vintage cards from mixed media! You can use them for occasions other than Valentine's Day too. She does custom orders as well!

Another great blog with lots of inspiration for me is http://patinasoul.blogspot.com/. She has great ideas and I just love looking at all the photos she posts. You can get some great ideas on there. She's ALSO doing a $50 Vintage Jewelry Giveaway. How awesome huh? That could be a great Valentine gift for someone special right there!

I hope you enjoy these two sites. They are definitely on my lists of faves right now!

February 9, 2010

I love the creative mind. I love how another person's creativity can inspire you to be more creative too!

My new sister

ongratulations are in order for my brother Graham and his new wife Cyndi. They got married yesterday and I couldn't be more thrilled. I love Cyndi to pieces! She's by far the sweetest and most level-headed down to earth girl Graham has brought home. I couldn't have asked for a better sister in law. As an only daughter (well, I was for a while anyway before my little sister Michaela was born) I always worried about the girls who would end up being my sister in laws. I prayed that they'd be girls that I got along with naturally and would've hung out with in real life. Cyndi is definitely that. We have a lot in common I think, and I can't wait to share the things with her that sister in laws share together. I am especially looking forward to the end of this month, which is when Cyndi and Graham's daughter, Nevie is due! I get to be "Aunt Lana" again! Cyndi, if you read this, I hope you are as excited about being my sister as I am about being yours. I know I have a big mouth, talk kind of loud, say things without thinking, and can be a bit whiny sometimes... but it's really just the side effects of growing up with all boys. Now that you are in the family, I hope that will help! :)

Last night, after these two were wed, Drew & I, Cyndi & Graham, Jamie & Joe, Mom & Mike, and the children, Michaela & Gage, all went to Longhorns in Statesboro to celebrate. It was a LOT of fun. After that, we took a trip to Kay Jeweler's while Graham and Cyndi picked out their wedding bands. It was nice celebrating with a good portion of the family that were there! Good ole Statesboro, Georgia down-home fun

Congratulations you two! I love you and will always pray for your relationship!

February 5, 2010

I love the Blackberry Peach Margaritas at Longhorns. Talk about refreshing!!

(Savannah) Georgia On My Mind

ome days, like today, when I am really caught up at work, I will spend hours on Google Images searching for the most random things. Sometimes I'll actually look for files that I can use in my artwork, and other times I just get on there to find inspiration. Today I found the most wonderful old photos of my home, Savannah, Georgia, on Wikipedia Commons. The majority of the photos were taken in the mid 19th Century, some closer to the turn of the century. It is so incredible to look at all of these places where I've visited... stood!... and then see people who were born BEFORE the Civil War, standing in the same places. While America's history is fairly young, it still amazes me, because 200 years is still a long time.

Today is February 3, 2010 and I love this historical town, my home, Savannah.

Oh, and I love Chick-fil-A Icedreams too!

The History of the Apron

dear friend knows how much I love aprons and she sent me this little story about the history of the apron. Enjoy.

February 2, 2010

I love aprons or anything the my grandmama might have worn back in the 40's and 50's!

THE HISTORY OF THE APRON

"The principal use of Grandma’s apron was to protect the dress

underneath, because she only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons

than dresses and they used less material, but along with that,

it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children’s tears,

and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs,

fussy chicks and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in

the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal

hiding places for shy kids..

And when the weather was cold grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow,

bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were

brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetable

After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in

apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road,

it was surprising how much furniture that old apron

could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch,

waved her apron, and the men folks knew it was time to come in

from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that

will replace that ‘old-time apron’ that served so many purposes."

For a neat little apron shop on Etsy. click here.

To make your own apron using darling patterns, click here.

Love all Month

alentine's Day is just around the corner and today is the first day of the month of love! I found some great "modern yet folksy" Valentine's Day cards that I thought I'd share. They are a little pricey, but they are beautiful! They're definitely one of a kind, some made of wood and some are letterpress. They have quite a variety too, not just Valentines. Below are some of my faves but you can find more Valentines here.

One more thing...

I honor of love this month, I will share the things I love and am appreciative of.

February 1, 2010

I love my Father in Heaven who IS love himself.

"God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16