in a snowglobe...

atlanta has been experiencing some serious winter wonderland-ness. i love it. all of it. things i am grateful for, in no particular order...

...i love that atlanta is wildly unprepared for any sort of snowpocalypse and most schools were closed all week long.

...i love that ed didn't have to go to work for half the week.

...i love walking our beagles in the snow(even though i slipped and fell flat on my back).

...i love numb noses and sloshy bean boots.

...i love walking to the grocery store for silly things like paper towels.

... i love hunkering down in my home and giving each neglected room the care it needed.

... i love making various soups for days on end(beef tenderloin, cauliflower, chicken & almond, and a hearty chicken and vegetable).

... i love curling up in my weathered leather club chair wrapped in a wool blanket, beagle in lap, book in hand.

i love being snowed in, because it gave me time to be extremely introspective and calm. it gave me incredible time to tend to the parts of my home that i had ignored. and it gave me time to be with my family in a warm and happy home, with burning cedar incense to pretend a fire was blazing. and lots and lots of soup.

today i am grateful for...

{via here and here}

1. finding cheap shelves at the goodwill to house my props(the organizing continues)
2. substitute teaching in my highschool's art department and getting to teach them fashion illustration.
3. playing with the amazing, amazing art supplies at school. LOVE.
4. taking a long nap with my beagles piled on top of me.
5. waking up to a really, exceptionally delicious cup of coffee.
6. receiving a thank you letter in the mail from my aunt & uncle-in law(love hand-written letters).
7. finishing a book and starting another.
8. meditating my way through a stressful parking lot and not panicking!
9. this website! and this one too!
10. prepping my interview with one of my favorite talented ladies for tomorrow's design*sponge column!

resolution: write down my gratitudes(and practice my calligraphy)

very wang thank you cards

i started this blog back in 2007, with the intention of chronicling my daily gratitudes. i'm a huge believer in thankfulness and mindfulness, and i want to make an effort to daily write down at least five things i am grateful for(and improve my calligraphy). it puts me in SUCH a better mood, and usually i start with five and end up with 17(random, i know).

so, even though currently i am in the middle of the torturous process of trying to organize my prop room, allow me to list 5 bright spots...

1. oprah has her OWN network!!! this is helping me feel better as i purge and turn my entire apartment into a war zone as i sort through my props. i love me some oprah. majorly.
2. in 2010 i have had the pleasure of working for (and with) incredibly talented women i admire, and continue to learn so much from them. annette joseph, grace bonney, joy thigpen, jamie freed, and amy osaba, this one's for you!
3. my husband walks the dogs every morning and brings me coffee. i'm not a morning person, and he's pretty awesome to let me sleep in.
4. i am a proud new owner of an ipad which is helping me be a better woman! seriously, it is like instant organization in one little screen. i feel so tech-y!
5. i just remembered i have some leftover bubbly in the fridge, which might make my prop overhaul more enjoyable- ooh la la!

*bonus- i scored some lovely flowers from amy osaba that are cheering up my war zone of an apartment. every time i look at them i bust out in a perma-grin.

new york moment...

oh new york. i told myself i wouldn't miss you, but who was i kidding? as soon as i got off the airplane it felt like coming home. i felt like i was seeing the city with the same bright eyes as i did when i first moved to nyc. i am kind of kicking myself for not taking more pictures, but i was too happy to think of anything other than living in the present.

here are my favorite new york moments that i am so grateful for(in no particular order)...

1. dinner at flatbush farm, thursday night with my nearest and dearest. i talk annette's ear off about my friends and she finally got to meet (almost) all of them. there was plenty of delicious food, healthy libations, and a glittery feather headpiece(thank you peter hale cooney III, you never fail to deliver).

2. drinks at little branch with chelsea, lauren, and madeleine. i can't remember that last time i have laughed so hard. we were definitely a bawdy bunch, giving the folks next to us more than an earful! this was followed by late night french fries at pomme frites, more wine, and ended with three of us cozied up in lauren's bed falling asleep to reality bites.

3. brunch at diner in williamsburg with chelsea and jamie, a delicious upscale diner that gives watercolor pencils instead of crayons to the kiddies. paper tablecloths for the waiters to write the ever-changing specials on. early morning brooklyn fashionistas in full regale.

4. my "polite new yorker" pin from gray's papaya. if you live in new york, i highly recommend getting one. it is the best conversation starter in the world! everywhere we went, folks commented on it!

5. visiting my friends sarah and ryan's AWESOME store, life curated, in williamsburg. nuzzling with nutmeg, brook farm general store's beagle. marveling at darr's treasure-filled new williamsburg outpost.

6. celebrity sightings: caroline rhea in the container store and jack mcbrayer(kenneth the page) at the today show's green room.

7. touring the west village with annette and natalie. seeing my favorite peeps: judi at cafe cluny, mohammed at casa magazines, a former client roy, and my peeps at marc jacobs' bookmarc store and maison martin margiela. if i could collectively give the west village a group hug, i totally would.

8. snagging a copy of lula. if anyone knows a source in atlanta, let me know! i can never find it anywhere but nyc...

9. attending amy merrick's awesome wreath-making class! she and her adorable sister, mischa, foraged the woodlands of maryland and brought back the most delicious smelling firs, juniper, sweetgum balls, and other holiday foliage. they even marvelously merchandised everything in trapper baskets,fishing baskets, and old wooden crates.

10. befriending cabbies. asking them how they aren't afraid to drive in new york, and how many accidents had they been in. also, announcing that i just got my license to all of them.



i miss my friends every.single.day. i am so grateful the majority of them are all corralled in the city that never sleeps. my resolution for 2011 is to travel more, and definitely to frequent NYC much, much more.

grateful weekend...

1. host an impromptu wine and cheese party. take cues from this lady for budget-friendly suggestions. and totally try trader joe's cinnamon cheese... it is mouth-wateringly delicious.
2. make a dash to the craft store or here for pipe cleaners. i think pipe cleaners might be my new favorite crafting staple and i plan on using them for everything- unexpected ornaments, unusual "ribbon" to wrap presents with, napkin rings with place cards, you name it.
3. dig out your old camp blankets, tartan stadium blankets, and wool throws. the temperature is finally dropping, even in georgia! this place has some delicious blankets...
4. if you haven't already, sample kiehl's musk oil. it smells like fall to me. best musk scent there is! ask amy merrick and peter hale cooney III...
5. buy or make a hot water bottle cover(out of an old sweater). our beagles make pretty good bedwarmers, but i will enjoy having an extra!
6. gratitude cards. i am a major fan of the attitude of gratitude, so much so, that it was the reason i started this blog in the first place. i will definitely be extra thankful this month, won't you?

peachy keen...

attempting to have a productive saturday. made homemade hummus and rosewater infused lemonade. started a georgia ephemera wall in our living room. soon-to-start sorting my thrifted findings from yesterday with momma stelling. stay tuned...

happy weekend to all you sweet peeps in blogland!

simple delights...

july has been a deliciously calm month. i've had time to play housewife, go on long walks, learn new recipes, crack open new sketchbooks, and make homemade iced lattes. i know the fall will bring hustle and bustle and tons of wonderful projects, so now i am soaking up every last play day of summer. i hope y'all are doing the same! here is one of my favorite tree blossoms of georgia. the crepe myrtle. happy summer y'all!

wanderlust...
today i am grateful for...

my grandfather's drawings. when i moved back to georgia, one of the treats my mother gave to me was his collection of travel sketchbooks. he and my grandmother traveled all over europe and asia together, and thankfully, poppa kept a visual record of their journey. i come from a long line of nostalgic folks. it's in my blood.

sigh. i want to mary poppins jump into these pen-and-inked pieces of paper.

i have been bitten by the travel bug. i want to go anywhere and everywhere! give me a map, passport, camera(s), a sketchbook and some pens, and i will be set! a drivers license might help too(but that's in the works).

take me anywhere! it can be in georgia, lebanon, maine, morocco, panama, wherever! i am game. i have a list of places in georgia that i will be dragging my husband to this summer. i'll start small and local, but dream big.

planes, trains, and automobiles. i want it all.

in the meantime, i'll hang some of these on my walls and just play make-believe. and maybe make a travel map like halligan's. best summer idea ever! i love looking at everyone's summer snapshots on all y'alls blogs. keep up the good travelin'!

summer solstice...

this summer 2010 i am grateful for...

1. sitting outside on quilts. preferably in a sweet, cotton day dress.

2. streamers in trees, and when the wind rushes through them.

3. old, southern, delapidated barns caving in on themselves.

4. playing with flowers. in a car. on a ladder. in an arbor. in a field. in the rain. on the side of the road. in a box with a fox. here and there and everywhere

5. drinking delicious wine from north georgia vineyards after a hard days work.

6. long weekends at the lake with my husband and his family.

7. ridiculously campy, road trip pit-stops(preferably in a penske truck).

this summer is starting off to be one of my favorites yet. even though it is unbearably, criminally, sweat-stinging into-your-eyes, sweltering, no relief-kind of hot this summer. which really is a better excuse to reach for that second glass of (semi)sweet tea.

southern summers...

today i am grateful for...

my first real vacation in a looooooooong time. we loaded up my brother-in-law's truck and journeyed out to alabama for a memorial weekend at lake martin. while i was there, i crossed off some summer to-dos. here is how i began a good start to a southern summer...

1. made a dent in my summer reading, on a hammock, underneath the poplars, oaks, and hickory trees.

2. witnessed spectacular sunsets(and thunderstorms) from our little cove.

3. fed some breadcrumbs to a family of geese, and collected a few fallen feathers.

4. collected dirt samples from the terracotta red clay back roads leading to our cabin.

5. captured a few lightening bugs in a tiny, hinged mason jar.

6. scoured a little alabama church thrift shop with my mother-in-law.

7. grilled most of our meals outside, next to a sweet-smelling gardenia bush.

i also managed to get tugged behind the boat on a tube. freckled all over. nearly stepped on a baby copperhead snake. weighed down my pockets with lake stones. witnessed the mimosas and crepe myrtles explode all over georgia and alabama. visited chimney rock and goat island, on an evening boat ride, courtesy of my father-in-law. and lounged, loafed, dawdled, and dilly dallyed all weekend long.

it was a perfectly lovely beginning to the summer. what is your recipe for summer?

i have a dream...

today(and always)i am grateful for...dr. martin luther king

thank you for believing in your country. for believing in change. for believing in the content of a man's character.

for believing in freedom and equality. for believing in love, and not hate. for leaving such a legacy. for having the courage to dream.

you are truly missed.

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. "

apples. peaches. pumpkin pie...

today i am thankful for...

my first thanksgiving with my husband! he suggested the macys thanksgiving day parade because it reminds him of being at home and of his mom. this is our first time not going to atlanta for thanksgiving.

breaking in my new boots and breakin' out my bling. i have missed my pieces of flair. these are two new editions. one is a pendant of my new initials( thanks amybranch munn). and the other is an old pince-nez pair i had hoped to put my prescription into. alas, i am too blind to wear such a dimunitive frame.

my mom's thanksgiving care package. the ingredients and recipe to make pumpkin pie and a set of my favorite plates. i love my mom. today ed and i are just a pair of peaches. in the big apple. eatin' pumpkin pie... and freemans later because i was too intimidated to take on thanksgiving dinner in its entirety!

i am always thankful for...

my husband. mom. dad. lisa. amy. barry. penny. mama. momma and poppa stelling. daniel. john. pop. kristie. rankin and travis. jessica. chelsea. corrie. petey-pie. haylie. john g. jessica. lauren(lo-ball). nikki and laraine. amy m. mary p. maddy. kristi. haynes and hunter. and many, many more. i love the people in my life. i wish i could have them all here with me today. greedy gus that i am.

grateful days: jenn alexander fletcher from blonde shot creative

today i am grateful for...

1- my wonderful & sober husband who has agreed to square dance lessons

2- our animals that are always happy to see me when I get home

3- my parents who are still happily married

4- that Autumn is around the corner

5- Pioneer Woman & the few minutes she gifts me of completely stress-free thought

today's grateful days list came from one of my former co-workers from the paris market in savannah, georgia. she was one of the adorable gals whipping up frozen hot chocolates and infused waters, while i was sweet talking folks into buying fantastic antiques and fresh products. jenn has a wild sense of humor, makes a mean espresso, and photographed one of my favorite pin-up girl series. i am so grateful for her list that popped into my inbox! and she had a mighty cute wedding too...

grateful days: allison rae hipple from the underwing

today i am grateful for...

1. The sweet smell of Nag Champa burning on muggy nights.

2. The lingering transcendency of Fleet Foxes' music, and the guitar pick I magically received from a very kind man.

3. My hair's innate decision to keep growing and growing.

4. Freshly sharpened pencils, set and ready for the first day of school, just like the little kid I am.

5. Learning how to undress in front of the mirror and knowing there's more to this life than what I cringe at.

thank you ahip for sharing your gratitudes! this list inspired me to start my morning off with "white winter hymnal" and sharpen some pencils to sketch with. i miss the first day of school. i was always so giddy, hugging everyone to pieces and itchin' to see who my new teachers were. and school supplies... i might have to share my favorites very soon. what are y'all's favorite school supplies?

grateful days: cara from hide & seek

today i am grateful for...

1. the ducklings on our walk this morning.
2. the big bear at his turntables. ohilovehim. <3
3. welch's grape juice & english ale cheddar.
4. saturday crafts & sewing.
5. baby smiles from my mae girl & her receding hairline.

thank you cara for your gratitudes. if you ever need a babysitter...