9.9.09

I felt compelled to create a little design for this special day.

Today is a very unique day. I went to get a massage today (not something I do often, but hey, I had a gift certificate) as I was writing the date on my check it struck me...9.9.09. I had a flashing thought back to the 3rd grade when my teacher said. You know today is unlike any other day, it can never be duplicated or changed, it is a day like none other. I think there was some sort of lesson in that (evidently there was because I remember it!) but today IS unlike any other day, never to be duplicated. As a mom, sometimes you think(at least i know i do) that I am in GroundHog Day, every day is exactly the same...but it isn't. So I am embracing the day.

It is also, I might add, easy to embrace the day when it is GEORGEOUS outside, and my muscles are no longer tense after an hour long massage, and my kids are surprisingly agreeable. But hey whatever it takes.

How are you embracing your day??

Interesting side note...represents the last set of repeating, single-digit dates that we'll see for almost a century (until January 1, 2101), or a millennium (mark your calendars for January 1, 3001),

In the Morning,
G

Getting back to the Stationery...

Little Lady Thank Yous and Calling Cards

I have not done any stationery for a VERY long time, b/c my printer has been shot...but we just got a new one, and in time to do this sweet suite of stationery for a friend of mine. I have missed, missed, missed my paper designs. opening the files was like seeing an old friend, I was like "I remember you" you were one of my favorites. Inspired by my little lady.

If you notice from the post below, the embroidery design compliments the stationery. Business idea??? Maybe...

Enjoy.

In the morning,
G

My very OWN Embroidery Designs...

Sweet Flower Embroidery Design

Little Chick Embroidery Design

So I am in the process of digitizing some of my stationery designs into embroidery designs. This was prompted by a few friends wanting me embroider a couple of baby blankets for presents. Being the "I can't just do any ol design girl" that I am, I decided to download a couple of free 30 day trials for digitizing software and go to it. This is the result. I am actually quite happy with them.

What do you think? Should I do more???...Hmmmm, maybe I will. Maybe there are some more 30 day trials, b/c I don't want to fork over the $$ just yet for the software.

This makes yet another crafty notch in my belt...

Now that the kids are going back to school I will have time to do more.

In the Morning,
G

Channeling my Inner Southern Girl Cook

Okra and Tomatoes in Prep,
don't have the final product, we were to busy eating!

The graciousness of a next door neighbor brought about my inner Southern Girl Cook the other day. He is 98 years old and still tills about a HUGE garden by hand...and has more bounty that he and his wife and extended family can endure! He dropped a whole bag of okra by on our front door and I thought I HAVE to do something with these. I do like Okra and tomatoes, and have needed a new vegetable recipe. Soo... Foodnetwork.com here I come...the next stop...the consomate Southern Cook Miss Paula Deen. (you may have heard of her!)

I grew up in the south but my parents were transplants from "just north of the Mason/Dixon" in Maryland. We really never had the classic southern cuisine of fried chicken, okra and tomatoes, macaroni and cheese, cobbler, etc. (my waistline is much appreciative:) So I must rely on the good ol internet to bring them to life. And this recipe did the fresh okra justice. E kept asking for seconds, and thirds! So a winner all around

This is one of the more healthy of the Southern Favorites, so you should try it.

Here is the recipe... Okra is almost out of season.

In the Morning,
G

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, diced into small pieces
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chicken base
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups fresh okra, cut into 1-inch pieces (may use frozen, if fresh not available)
• Fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Cook bacon slightly. Saute onion and garlic with bacon until tender. Add tomatoes, chicken base, sugar and pepper. Stir well and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed. Meanwhile wash okra and remove fuzz if using fresh and cut into pieces. Add the okra and simmer until okra is done, about 20 more minutes (less if using frozen okra.)

I can do that...my matra!

Please ignore the wrinkles, I just got out of the car!
and the photography isn't my best.

So I decided that I was going to make something for myself the other day. Of course I am not a big planner, and didn't have a pattern, or fabric that was especially inspiring, but when I get something in my mind, I can't get it out.

The inspiration for this sudden urge to make something for myself came from our Asheville trip...I had popped into JCrew and I saw this top for $98 and I thought. I can do that! I tend to say that about alot of things. So I just jumped in and sewed one for myself. This is the first rendition of many. It fits fairly well, There are a few things that i will change for the next one. I wore it with white pants and yellow shoes. (don't have a pic of that but hey, can only do so much)

What do you think?

The next one will be out of Dupioni silk with a silk ribbon trim...I think will be perfect for the fall.

In the morning,
G

I love a good field.

This is one of my favorite paintings that I bought at Meeting Street Antiques in West Columbia a couple of years ago...it was a splurge at the time, but it spoke to me. I was about to have my second child, and the mother with her children wandering through this field, I could see it being myself...it started a fixation with fields. It is hanging in my living room right where I see it often.

If there is a third child it will have a lot to do with this painting...and the fact that I might want one:) I digress.

There is something tranquil about a good field, the color contrast of the sky and land, that it seems to go on forever, its peacefulness, it is beautiful year round, I could go on. It makes me want to just jump on a horse bareback and gallop with reckless abandon or run through one with my family.

(it also might have something to do with my favorite childhood show "Little House on the Prairie" and the opening sequence of Laura running through the field like a plane.


Here are a few pics fulfulling my field fantasy.

Photo taken by Hope Bray of our Family in the Fall

Taken my Moi the other week on our drive to Aiken. Just stopped the car on the side
of the road and snapped away...something I have been wanting to do for a while.

In the morning,
G

Another trip to the FARMHOUSE....fabrics that is!

1. Rick Rack trim in all colors
2. Ribbon Rick rack (a special FarmHouse Product)
3. Dupioni Silk in many colors
4. Spaghetti Bias (a special FarmHouse Product)


I went to the the awesome warehouse of Farmhouse Fabrics to get my monthly fabric fix. Sally and the gang were great as always. Here are some pics of some of the awesomeness that is Farmhouse Fabrics . They manufacture their own spaghetti strap, bias, ribbon rick-rack, and wholesale BEAUTIFUL Double Faced satin ribbon in any size and color your heart desires....seriously! As well as all of their high end fabrics., ribbon, trims, etc, etc...it is a meca for all of your fabric needs.

They have a first Friday of the month Open Warehouse coming up, so if you want to head on over to Beech Island, SC...i am sure you will not be disappointed.


In the morning, G

All Local Farmers Market Goodness

Every Saturday we have the All Local Farmers Market at 701 Whaley Street (an awesome old refurbished building in the heart of Olympia, in Columbia, SC) Where they "promise no bananas". This morning we went out and bought a couple of things...I only had $10 so we bought potatoes, whole wheat aristan bread made by Heather's Artisan Bakery, and 3 sunflowers from Floral and Hardy Farm. one for me, E, and B...they got to pick out their flower (fowler...B's word) and pay for it.

I love the new look of the Market and wish it much continued success, I know I am glad we have it EVERY Saturday now!

Off to make some tomato pie!


In the Morning,
G

Garden's Bounty

From this

to this

to this.

SO REWARDING. All of the hard work, watering, weeding, is worth it.
Made a delicious ratatouille with the all of the garden's bounty, and it is still producing! YUM.

In the morning, G

Lovely Zinnias.

Zinnias traveling to Spartanburg in my lap.

I love zinnias! They are such a pretty summer flower. So easy to cultivate, and they bring such color to the garden when everything else is struggling in the stifling South Carolina heat. We have quite a few surrounding our vegetable garden this year, the kids love picking them and we have bouquets of them all summer long.

These particular zinnias did not come from our garden, b.c. I didn't have the forsight to pick them before we left for our weekend, so we dropped by our ALL LOCAL Farmers Market and got them from Floral and Hardy Farm.

This bouquet was for Grandma Bette for taking care of the kids this past weekend.

In the Morning,

G

An Asheville Escape

I don't know what it is but I LOVE mountain meadows.
Makes me want to paint this...on the list.

This past weekend we dropped the kids off in Spartanburg and headed onward and upward to Asheville for a much needed day/night away. Originally, Scott wanted to go camping, but sanity(me) won and we stayed downtown and had a day and a half of Asheville fun. I LOVE being in Asheville, it satisfies every bit of my being, from the bohemian/free spirit to the crafty/artist to the outdoorsy/hiker chic, to the refined/socialite (ala Biltmore, a girl can wish she was a Vanderbilt Heir):) Anyway, it was great. Every bit of me feels rejuvenated. I ate, drank, shopped and lazed around and even managed a bit of exercise. AND it was only 70 degrees it felt like spring.

Places we went in Asheville.

Waechters Fine Fabrics: has fabrics for all types of sewing, they had a huge selection of Liberty of London fabrics so beautiful to the touch. I could have stayed all day, but the hubby was restless...(although what shop offers beer to the poor husbands and has a corner carved out with a nice chair, and men mags) Definitely on my list of places to go in the future.

Biltmore Gardens with Home in the distance.

Biltmore Estate Winery: Really fun in the afternoon, Tour the Winery, have wine tasting, and finish your tour with a glass of wine outside with a bluegrass band playing, and the mountains in the distance.

Outside of the Bistro at Dusk

Bistro 1896: On Pack Square downtown Asheville. Weather was so gorgeous we had to sit outside. Awesome people watching, The Napoleon appetizer was to die for, and if they had not overcooked my steak it would have been perfect, but the Chocolate Torte made up for it:)

Tupelo Honey Cafe: For Sunday Brunch. Even though I didn't NEED the Eggs Bette (benedict) I had them anyway and they were DEVINE! The hollandaise to DIE for! THE reason I worked out 10 min. more on eliptical this morning!

Back to the Biltmore: Went for a stroll around the Bass Pond, and went to the River Bend Farm. They have the kitchen garden, and chickens, and tons of stuff for the kids.(for next time) Must have the Moose Tracks Ice cream.........YUM!

Moose Tracks Before and After....
a great way to end a nice getaway. Even if it cost me 5lbs

Wouldn't you know we went to the Biltmore and saw the house but didn't go in..
I have been so many times and Scott just didn't want to, so we explored everything
ELSE the Biltmore has to offer.

Then home, Sigh.... all in all a great trip.

In the Morning, G

A sketchbook confession!

My sketchbook at the park in a tree!

My Sketchbook lying in a bed of Creeping Jenny.

All designers have a sketchbook, RIGHT? They sketch wherever they go, to keep ideas written down. Their sketchbooks are literally bursting at the seams, a treasure trove of ideas, inspiration, etc. When they have a block, they can always go to their handydandy sketchbook for inspiration, b/c they have everything written down, sketched....

NOT THIS DESIGNER!

I have a confession to make...I have many sketchbooks and rarely write in them, I usually grab them to write the occasional phone number or grocery list (you can grab any of my books, and see what i got at the store on any random day.) I sketch when I HAVE to, but I very rarely "sketch" for fun. I think it is because i don't have a sketchbook that inspires me....my mind has been bursting with ideas lately and I can't keep them all straight...

SO....

I marched down to my local stationer Jot owned, by talented graphic designer Tara Felder, (if you haven't been in her store you must go she has great taste and really awesome things in her store. In case you are wondering the sketchbook is by ELUM.

I have started sketching, during the day, night, and at the park, whenever an idea strikes me....and i must say it is LIBERATING.


I can only show you the outside, b/c I am a bit shy of my sketches at the moment, but isn't it loverly.

In the morning, G

Typecase to Threadcase.

In the last issue of Sew Hip Magazine, they had an article on one of my favorite Pattern Designers Oliver + S. They showed pics of her studio and she had a wooden case holding some of her thread. Since letterpress is one of my artistic endeavors, I have a few old typecases hanging around. I decided to use one of them to hold some of my thread. This way I can see it out, it is more accessable, and it is also colorful and graphic on an otherwise VERY drab wall. I can also show my husband that I ALWAYS find a way to use things that I buy and stash away. He just has to put up with the stashing part until I find an appropriate home for my finds!

This is a little sneak peak into the studio, but until I find a way to make it look less "basementesque" this might be all you see for a while:)

I have a few ideas up my sleeve to make it cozier, it is just finding the time...imagine that!

And in case you are wondering what is holding my scissors in such a nice way, that is an antique flower frog...usually hold flowers in vases, but in this case the flower are scissors! Scissor Frog!

Enjoy.

In the morning,
G

Fun with Fabric Scraps!

Here is the little block, i embroidered and sewed together for Baby Page. It is a great project to do with scraps....plus I got to play around with my machine and the embroidery. I also, figured out the best way to sew the square together, I have had trouble with that in the past.(will post that at a later time) I wish it was as perfect as these designed by Lesley over at Smidgebox, but I think it is getting there.


Oh and I made my own tags to go on it...Fun! My Logo printed on ink jet fabric paper that you can get Dharma Trading Co.



In the morning, G

Welcome Baby Page!

You might remember that in May I designed a baby shower invitation for a my good friend's brother and his wife...well, Page Julie Mcgregor was born Monday afternoon. My friend C wanted me to make something for her and I knew just the thing. I have been wanting to monogram on this soooooo soft receiving blanket which you can get at my favorite Farmhouse Fabrics. Baby Page's new bedroom is decked out in butterflies, green and purple... , so it was only fitting....

I also have to reitterate that I LOVE, HEART, LOVE my new Babylock Ellure sewing maching. It is so fun to play with...oh the possiblilities!

Congratulations to the new Parents. It is an amazing adventure and I always shed a happy tear when I find out that someone has become a parent...the happiness is surreal.

I hope I am not ruining Aunt C's gift surprise, as I am sure you have more on your minds than seeing this before you get the gift.:):)

I have something up my sleeve that i am making, but I have not finished it yet...here is a sneak peak. Hmmmmmm.

Sneak Peak of my gift....wonder what it will be. Stay tuned.

In the morning, G

Happy Fourth of July!!!!

Happy Fourth of July everyone. Here are the outfits made from this fabric from Farmhouse Fabrics. Eliza's is a dress of my own design, I LOVE the halter in the summer and she really likes it too. I will post the pattern design when i get the chance SUPER SIMPLE!

That's all for now, must now go make peach cobbler, tomato salad, star cookies, etc. you get the pic, for our Fourth Bash.

In the morning, G

Oh Martha!

I have to say I am a Martha Fan. I LOVE HER! I think she is an amazing talent, and eventhough she has a gaggle of art directors, designers, etc. I think she is an inspiration. I horde her magazines and refer to them often for inspiration (I feel like I have used that word alot lately) I actually think I am deluged with inspiration lately and I don't know how to process it...therefore "the blog"! Anyhoo, i digress.

Today I got a pile of her mags and just flipped thru them...thus the picture. I like to grab a pile and go outside onto our deck, let the kids play and i flip, and flip, and reflip...SIGH:)

Please disregard the wilting plants...it is HOT!

Hope everyone is having a great summer.

In the morning, G

Designing for myself is FUN!

Designing is Fun!

I had some time today to play with this design. The Pattern Feature in Illustrator ROCKS! It is a pain trying to get it all to line up...but in the end it is much easier.

This design is called"Summer Lattice" for the time being....in 5 different colorways that I am feeling today. I am not the most creative when it comes to naming things and wording.

I am trying to decide which color to print on spoonflower. I think it would make a really nice classic print and I have about 10 more colorways i want to try....trying to reign in my design isn't the easiest thing in the world...but i am trying.

Which color would you like most?

Enjoy.

in the morning, G

Hot Off the Press!

Entire Wedding Suite with Letterpress Plates

Here are the wedding invitations that I designed for my good friend Todd and his soon to be wife Liz. I am so excited about the design and I hope they are too :)

The dots emulate vines in a way, and it is also contemporary look, which compliments the couple to be. Plus the impression of the dots is great for letterpress. I am so happy they chose this design.

Look at that impression! My little Pearl Press did a good job!

What shall I name this design suite.....any ideas????

Enjoy.

In the Morning, G

A Baby Shower invitation

Just a invitation that I designed for my dear friend's brother. They are about to have their first child...a girl, and I was asked to design the baby shower invites. The shower was at a family home on the intercoastal waterway in Charleston, SC and her brother likes to fish, so it was only fitting that I illustrate a little girl on the dock scoring her first fish!




For the present I printed out the illustration on ink jet printable fabric , you can find it online at Dharma Trading and made a little pillow with pink rick rack trim and a green flannel back. Of course I thought of doing this right before we left for charleston, so I didn't take pictures, but it turned out beautifully.


In the morning,
G