100 years and counting......

This year we are celebrating our homes 100th year!  Built in 1910, she has survived the changes of the times.

  

This was one of the first homes built in the neighborhood.  At the time this was a new and "segregated" development with a trolley running down the street... one of the new homes with electric lighting.  Today the neighborhood is diverse and thriving with shops, restaurants and bistros within an easy walk.

  

She survived the depression of '29 and was divided into apartments in the forty's after the war ended and the soldiers returned home. The area took a downturn in the seventy's when the Marta rail was developed.  Speculators wanted to reinvent the area with apartments and condos, Properties were purchased and the homes were allowed to fall into disrepair...  

We purchased this home in "96.  Moved in just before Halloween, exhausted and aching, we sat down at the end of the day and watched game 6, the Atlanta Braves vs the New York Yankees in the world series...  

In this home, we have raised our children into adults, celebrated successes and endured the loss of loved ones. All in a nurturing atmosphere that somehow seems to come from the house itself.

Over the years we have made a few improvements and tried to keep the beast of age from overtaking her, this home has nurtured our family for the last fourteen years.  

This week we finished the last area that had not been restored... The stairway!  We stripped layers of paint away and revealed the hardwood floors and hand rails, bring back the original beauty of the area as it was designed.

Now, as I look around... other areas of the house are ready for new paint and floor refinishing........ 'D

Happy October!

Welcome Fall!

To celebrate I am pulling out my autumn hued gemstones!

It is time to hit the water.....

Wow!  The weather has finally broken... 

Unbelievable heat this summer and now for the first time in weeks I can walk outside and breath.  

My mind slips off to re~live autumn camping trips and splashing kids in the North Ga rivers...

Maybe a trip to the ocean is due...

An earring army for a wedding posse

Feeding the Hungry

There is nothing more basic and important than the excitement of holiday meals and special treats. Deep within us all are the memories of pumpkin pies... roasted turkey... perfect whipped potatoes... and special bites that have been handed down by culture, religious tradition and family.

The holidays are here and there are many... many folks and children that are not secure in their ability to eat a nourishing meal each and every day... much less have a wonderful holiday table laden with glorious foods. This year and for many more to come I will be donating a percentage of my sales to help feed the hungry. 

The economy is still struggling and many middle class families have slipped into unemployment due to no fault of their own. Food banks are struggling to keep up with the expanded need... 

If you are interested in donating time or money to Feeding America or your local food bank you can follow the links below. Feeding America has links to most local food banks and offers many ways that you can help out. 

Here is the link to Feeding America and the Atlanta Community Food Bank. http://feedingamerica.org/
http://acfb.org/
 

Fall is just around the corner...

Fall is just around the corner and I am SO wanting to get out and enjoy the cooler weather! I know... lots of people love the summer. They don't mind the heat and the bugs, they like to get suntanned and be outside in the hottest of weather. But... I gotta say that I am a cool weather girl. Let me bundle up and go outside seeing the steam off my breath! I yearn for my outdoor fireplace to be burning each night while I curl up in a chair and enjoy conversation with friends and family... 

We southerners don't really get any truly cold weather, but as the days grow shorter my mind slips away and thinks about the refreshing breeze that is just around the corner... waiting for the leaves to turn and start their gentle decent to the ground, piling up in yards and setting the scene for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

While I anxiously await the cool weather I will continue to work away in the studio... Now instead of envisioning my current creations accessorizing summer fashions, I see them wrapped in shawls and wearing cashmere and wool... More long necklaces with leather and substance...

Happy Summer!

We have enjoyed a beautiful summer (so far) in Atlanta. Spring was cooler than usual and summer has followed it's lead. Unlike the last couple of years, this one has provided lots of rain showers and the garden looks very happy. That is to say except for the weeds who seem to enjoy the abundant rain too!

This year must be a big cicada year... I have seen a few laying around, their little lives all done. It has been to warm to open the windows lately but I am sure that the noise is impressive. It makes me glad to not be driving at dusk in the thick of cicada season... Been there!

In addition to the cicada there are all of those other insects that make me want to stay inside during the hot months. I'm sure there was a master plan involving the need for all of these annoying bugs, but really... some of them must have been a mistake! For now I go out with bug spray and off coils lighting my way.

I hope that the rest of you are having a great summer filled with fireflies, flowers and summer showers!