SATURDAYS WITH STYLE

Welcome to my blog! If you've been reading, you know that I've been a little bit "all over the place" up to this point in regards to blogging. I just haven't been able to decide on a direction! But, I may be getting on track now...or at least beginning to get on track...

I have decided to have "theme days" on my blog...not everyday, all the time, but sometimes. I like the idea of the following theme days (let me know what you think!): Monday's Ministry, Travelin' Tuesdays, Worshipful Wednesdays, Thinner Thursdays, Family & Friends Friday, Saturdays with Style, and Sundays are the "So Blessed, Day of Rest" days. These are subject to change. :)

Saturdays with Style is exciting to me, because I have always been obsessed with design, especially interior decorating and event planning. I have enjoyed decorating our homes over the years, & helping family and friends decorate theirs. I've also had several opportunities to work as an event and wedding stylist. I've been a little bit of a "jack of all trades", doing everything from assisting the client with choosing a theme, doing the actual styling and floral arrangements for the event, to even doing the catering and "food styling"! I love this work, but it is HARD and time consuming! And, it tends to put my loved ones through the wringer because I always call upon them for help. :) So, I limit the number of events I take on each year.

I love design, decorating, and staging so much that a couple of years ago I became a certified specialist in "Redesign & Staging" by IRIS (Interior Redesign Industry Specialists), and also as a "Certified Color Consultant" by Dewey Color Consulting.

My plans at the time were to begin my own business in redesign, staging and event planning, and I started out doing this with a friend in a business we called Interior Expressions. However, I became pregnant in the early days of our business with my second child, William, and this brought all of my plans to an abrupt halt. (My pregnancies are another blog story altogether - I am always out of commission for the full nine months.) So, I had to postpone my dream of my own business for a time. Thankfully, my friend was able to go on and successfully establish her own business as a real estate agent and staging/redesign specialist.

I hope to start up a business again one day soon. For now, I am content to help out friends and family whenever I can, and loan my services to charities on occasion, as I am raising my sons and addressing a few health issues. Maybe by next year I'll be ready to get it going again, if I can narrow all of my interests down into a marketable product/service! We'll see what the Good Lord has in store!

But for now, on Saturdays with Style, I'd love to take the opportunity to share some of the ideas that I've either had and implemented, or some of the great ones that are shared with me by so many of the talented individuals I know. Sometimes, I may just run across something on the internet, in a shop, or in a magazine that just calls out to be shared! I'd love to see and hear about the stylish ideas you love! Just email them directly to me if you want to share! Who knows? I may want to "borrow" them, with your permission, for Saturdays with Style! :)

Since today's blog entry has been so long, I will only share with you a few pictures of some of the table decorations I created for an autumn wedding reception at the gorgeous Allandale Mansion in Kingsport last fall.

I'm inspired to post these today because my church had their annual Women's Ministries Holiday Dinner last night. At this event, many of the wonderful ladies share their gifts and talents by beautifully decorating a table for the holidays with their own personal style, and serving for the evening as a hostess to seven guests, for dinner and a wonderful program of entertainment, which includes music, skits, and a speaker. I was so sad to miss this year's event! I usually help decorate for the event and serve as a hostess for one of the tables, but this year I have had a lot of health issues that prevented me from attending. I am sure it was an incredible event, however, and I can't wait to see the pictures! I am sure they will be posted on our Women's Minsitries blogsite very soon: www.isbcwm.blogspot.com.

So, today, I hope you'll enjoy these pictures of table arrangements that I designed for the wedding reception. I did the floral arranging and styling, as well as the catering for this event.

In the weeks ahead, I will share some more photos of the other decorations, such as the entry, doors, etc... from the same reception. In the meantime, maybe you will find some ideas among these that you would like to include for your own table decor this season! Enjoy!









It rained before the reception, so we had to fold the chairs for a while:

Rainy Days and Mondays

That old song by the Carpenters..."Rainy days and Mondays always get me down..." is so melancholy and sad! "Hangin' around, nothin' to do but frown..." Is that the truth? Is there really nothing to do but frown on days like today? Sometimes it sure feels that way, but it doesn't have to be the case.

How do you spend a rainy Monday? Since I am a homemaker and mommy, I usually spend it at home, doing things such as surfing the internet and letting the kids watch too much TV. But, at the end of the day, that doesn't seem to be a great use of my time...and it is kind of leading me to frown now that I regret the way I've spent this time. After all, maybe I could and should look at this type of day as a gift, a time to do things that are out of the ordinary, and not the usual run, run, run day that is typical to most of us? So, is surfing the net and watching movies really a productive way to spend it?

Since we are all recovering from recent bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis, getting out and running around in this type of weather is not the best idea. So, stay at home we must. And, maybe I should have been motivated to do some things that are more productive, such as clean out closets, cabinets and refrigerators. But, no, I was not motivated to do such things.

However, here at the end of the day, I do feel that I'm missed a really good opportunity to connect with my children on a day like today. So, as I sit here, I have become motivated to put together a "Rainy Day Treasure Trove" - a box full of games, crafts, recipes, and ideas for things to do with my children on future days such as today.

This treasure trove is going to include things as elaborate as planning our next trip to Disneyworld together, to things as simple as building a tent indoors to climb into and read books together.

Do you have a "Rainy Day Treasure Trove"? What are some of your favorite ideas and activities? I'd love to hear from you!

nEARly Disney Moms Panelist!

Maybe you are wondering why I have chosen the retro Disney World ad as the profile picture for my blog? Most of my friends and family know what a huge Disney fan I am. In fact, it has always been my dream to work for Disney, and that's a dream that I still haven't given up on. I applied to the Disney college work program when I was a student at the University of Tennessee many, many years ago. Alas, it was not to be. They had a requirement that you were a major in either Hotel/Restaurant Management or Business. My major was in Education/Exercise Physiology. That didn't stop me from applying, and I did get an interview. And in the interview I tried to convince them that I would make a wonderful lifeguard, fitness center manager, even street sweeper!!...but they weren't buying it. I seriously considered changing my major at that point, just to improve my chances the next year, but when my boyfriend (now husband) told me how relieved he was that I wouldn't be spending the summer apart from him, I realized it was all for the best - at that time. Well, I admit - I did consider dropping him for half a minute before I came to my senses...hah!

But as I said, the dream lives on! Disney now has this wonderful new program called the "Disney Moms Panel". They choose a panel of 16 moms, and last year they also chose one dad, to serve for a year as panelists who answer questions about traveling to Disney World posed by visitors to the Disney website. The panelists enjoy a free trip to Disney World to go through the Moms Panel training and learn as much as they possibly can about the company, the parks, and what it means to be an important part of "Team Disney". They then spend a year answering questions and posting their favorite tips online. It is a wonderful honor and a great opportunity. For many of the moms, it has even led to permanent opportunities with Disney (what a dream come true!!!).

The first year I applied, last year, I didn't make it past the first round. However, the "losers" were invited to join a special "Mickey Moms Club" online. This was an opportunity to stay connected to the action and keep abreast of the latest information.

This year, I applied once again, and made it to the second round! I admit, I was getting my hopes up. But, alas, the second round was where my journey ended. It was a great disappointment, to say the least. But there was a silver lining....

By a strange happenstance, several of us "rejects" ended up on an email list together, so we had the opportunity to exchange emails and commiserate with one another on our rejection status. We even formed a Facebook page for the "nEARly Disney Moms Panelists" in which we are all now exchanging our own information and ideas with one another. Even though we aren't the "Real Deal", it has been great fun to connect with this bunch of moms and dads who are Disney fanatics, just like me!

What I have found out, also, is that so many of them have the same dreams as I have had - to work for Disney in some capacity. In fact, many of them have made this a part of their life goals, and they are working diligently toward achieving it. I have been astounded at the knowledge they all have regarding Disney, and how intensely they follow the latest news and updates on the parks and "all things Disney"!

At first, I was a little taken aback at the level of fanaticism I was encountering. After all, for me, it has been maybe just a little more than a "pipe dream". I would LOVE it to happen, but I haven't lost sleep over losing out. But after I began reading the Facebook pages, blogs and even websites of so many of my new friends, I began to realize - you know, this could be MORE than a pipe dream for me, too! I could really get serious about this! It could actually become a reality one day! I have really been very motivated by the opportunities that could ensue.

I have also been impressed at the entire world of "mommy blogging" on the internet! There are so many talented, smart, and savvy women out there who are doing an incredible job at sharing their knowledge and best tips on topics such as parenting, wellness, cooking, creativity, finances, product reviews, and more. And many of them have been very successful at parlaying this into a way to make some extra money through mommy blogging. It is something that has intrigued me for a while, and now I am interested in exploring this path a little further.

So, though this "random blogger" will definitely continue to be random for now, you will definitely catch me blogging on these issues - "mommy blogging", product reviews, ideas and tips for improving our quality of life, healthcare issues, and of course, DISNEY! I can promise all this and more...and I definitely look forward to reading your ideas and knowledge as you feel led to share it with me!

So, at this point, this "nEARly a Disney Mom Panelist", is content to continue exploring and learning.... looking forward to becoming closer and closer to whatever it is I'm supposed to eventually become. I want to encourage you to also find the thing you are passionate enough to "nEARly be", and continue exploring and working toward BECOMING the "real deal"!

Warning: Random Blogger!

"Life is far too important a thing to ever talk seriously about." - Oscar Wilde

So, it's been a while...what can I say? Sometimes I just don't have anything to say!

Well, that's not so true. I've always got something to talk about - the question is whether or not it is interesting enough to say aloud or write down!

Truthfully, I worry a bit about blogging. I have no idea who is reading this...what if I say something to offend someone? Or, maybe even worse, what if NO ONE is reading it? Does it matter? Isn't this just supposed to be my personal blog, my own (sort of ) unedited ramblings? Is it just a way to journal for my own peace of mind? Or is it more?

To be honest, I'd have to admit that my desire to blog comes from a personal desire to "connect" with others in some way. Not necessarily person-to-person - not that that wouldn't be nice on occasion - to meet others online with similar interests and all. But rather, my desire to blog comes more from a desire to connect "on another level"... the hope that maybe, just possibly, something going on in my life or in my mind (or heart) finds its way out to someone else out there going through something similar. You know - the whole "we are not alone" thing. And then, even better, maybe something I write just happens to offer encouragement or hope to that person. This comes from the whole "we all have a purpose in life" thing. I think that is truly what motivates me to blog.

I don't believe that anything I write here will change the world. My thoughts are so random, as are the people, places, and events that concern me in this life. One day I may really be torn to pieces about human rights issues across the globe, and the next day I may be super-excited about the perfect favors for my son's birthday party! So, there is no telling what may end up on this site!

What I do hope is that, no matter what the topic is, when I blog about whatever topic comes to mind, it will serve to help put the details of life in the proper perspective - definitely for me, and hopefully for you, too.

After all, our thoughts and feelings may seem to be "random" at times - but our purpose for living is not! :)

Proverbs 19:21
Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

Beginning a Bible Study

I am so excited to have begun a new "Beth Moore Bible Study" at church this past week! A wonderful group of ladies came to share in Beth's first study "A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place". We are using the updated version of her study and after just one week I have been so blessed! I have truly missed participating in one of these studies...it has been such a long time!

I always find that when I am devoting myself to a structured Bible study such as this, my life just seems to fall into place in a way that just "makes more sense". Everything seems to be so much more "natural", and my list of priorities becomes so much more clear. I know this is because the Lord is making good on His promises, in which He commands us to: "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4) & Matthew 6:33 which states,"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Isn't it amazing how the Lord knows our own hearts better than we know ourselves? And if we just trust Him in this, and allow Him to lead and guide us, to have control over our lives, and the way we live them, then He will bless us, and His Spirit will guide us into living that life of abundance for which we are always searching, trying everything from fad diets to Oprah's book club to find!

So for me, making this Bible study a priority is one way of surrendering to Him. The rewards are so great.... an "ordered" life, a sense of purpose, and most of all, time with my Lord and an opportunity to know Him better, and therefore know myself a little better....

If you are searching - searching for answers, searching for your purpose, searching for your sense of identity - then I would just like to suggest that you realize that you will not find those answers anywhere but in turning to God. He is your Creator, He made you and He knows you better than you know yourself. He cares for every last hair on your head - he even has them numbered! Turn to Him.... study His Word so that you will know Him better. And in knowing Him, you'll know more about yourself.

Another year......wiser???

Wiser? I don't know about that. I am definitely another year older, however, and certainly feeling it on most days!
It has been a wild year... we welcomed a new addition to the family this year, and my second pregnancy was a doozy, just like my first. I have this fun little condition called "hyperemesis gravidarum" with my pregnancies, which is a fancy way of saying that I vomit constantly, day and night and end up dehydrated and hospitalized over and over and need medication and IVs for 9 months....but I digress. HG is for another day, another blog! I have to offer some praise here, because the Lord got me through it and we are blessed to have our second baby boy. What a wonderful blessing it is! God is so good, and He is always faithful to see us through the difficult times! And isn't it amazing, how he uses these times to teach us so many new and pertinent lessons? Again, another day, another blog for that one!
Now, I have a 5-year-old and a 4-month-old, and find myself experiencing severe insomnia as I pass my 39th birthday (which was yesterday, 7-27). Breastfeeding has taken its toll on me this time. My "circadian rhythms", which have always been wacky, have gone completely haywire! I am pretty much physically and mentally exhausted, but again, God is getting me through these sleep-deprived days and nights, and He is doing it in a way that still allows me to appreciate the wonders and sweetness of it all. There is nothing in this world that compares to having young ones...especially when you are able to live in the moment and give thanks for it all as it happens!!! The days and years go by so fast, and nothing causes you to realize this more than your children....and your birthdays....
Yesterday, Sunday, July 27th, was my 39th birthday, and throughout the day I was reminded so many times how life is flying by. I have nieces and nephews who are adults now, and got to visit with two beautiful nieces today who are quickly approaching that era, full steam ahead. I realize that sometimes I am able to fool myself into believing I'm still young because of the fact that I have such young babies. But the truth is, I am old enough to have an "adult child" of my own! Thankfully, children do keep you young - at heart, anyway!
At my parents' home tonight, we watched a show on my beloved Travel Channel about the Grand Canyon. My dad told us, "You should make SURE you go see that one day!" I sat there thinking, "well of COURSE I'll see it... in fact I plan to go white water rafting down the Colorado River one day....", when all of the sudden, it hit me. Hard. I may not live long enough to do that! There are so many things that I want to do, and places that I want to go, and people that I want to meet, and goals that I want to accomplish, and sunsets that I want to chase......and now, I'm on the brink of 40! Will there be time to do it all??? Have I put off doing too many of those things I have planned to do all my life for too long now? Will my health hold out so that I'm even ABLE to do the things I want to do?
I have to say that I have never thought about my life in these terms before tonight, and it was quite an eye-opener. Of course, none of us has any way of knowing how many sunsets we have left to chase. Only God knows that. Sometimes I wish that I could know exactly how many I have left, then I'd be able to plot my course and do the things that I really want to do! And then, I think, I'd probably live out my days a little differently as well, in how I relate to others. I believe that I would feel much more urgency for openly loving others - caring for them in special ways, saying the tender things that I often think, but hold back saying for fear of sounding crazy or sappy, sharing the wonders of LIFE with them, and most importantly, sharing the love of CHRIST with them, and the message of the Gospel, so that they could know the REASON for my HOPE, and accept Jesus as their personal savior!
But then, isn't that how I should be living out my life everyday, anyway??!!!? My prayer, as I enter into the 40th year of my life, is that God will grant me the courage, the strength, the fortitude, the ability, the wisdom, and the desire to live every day with that sense of "urgency", in a way that will take me into each sunset with the full hope and expectation of hearing those words I long to hear on that great day, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
Come chase the sunset with me, my friends! Be blessed! Tron :)

Savannah on my mind

Last week I was blessed to take a "girls' getaway" trip to Savannah with my wonderful friend, Jill. Of course, I took my baby, Will, along as well because I am his only source of food at the moment! My 5 yr old, Aaron, stayed home with his Dad, who is a wonderful man for encouraging me to take this short vacation, which was much-needed. Thank you, Boog! (yes, I call him "Boog" or "Boogie". Sorry.) And, I missed you so much, Aaron! (That was tough...taking one and missing the other...).

But, it was time to get away for a couple of nights, and Jill and I had a wonderful stay right in the heart of Savannah at the Hampton Inn, right on Bay St. The hotel was nice, our rooms were fine, the price was right, and we were in a great location for walking to many attractions. There is so much more to Savannah than I have realized before!

We enjoyed eating some delicious meals. Those especially of note include Vic's on the River & A.J.'s on Tybee Island (worth the drive out there for the beautiful sunset alone!).

Our first evening in Savannah we walked along the riverfront, and were enticed into a lovely restaurant named "Vic's on the River" by a sweet-talking lady out front. Vic's was a little bit upscale, which we weren't quite ready for...we went in without a reservation and with a 3 month old baby in tow. It became apparent that we were "outcasts" when they seated no one else around us within a 5 mile radius (it seemed). Oh well, at least we enjoyed privacy and a delicious meal! A good way to start off our vacation, especially with a nice walk around Reynold's Square to end the day.

The next morning, our first and only full day, we had breakfast at the hotel and then ventured out toward the City Market. Our goal: shopping and art galleries. We found both...but now realize that we need a full week to even scratch the tip of the iceberg in Savannah!

I have been to Savannah many times in the past, but only for short day trips, hopping over from Hilton Head. This time, I found so much more to fall in love with in this city. I mean, I love Charleston so much, and love to take day trips and vacations there...but I now realize that I need to spend some more time getting to know Savannah better. Savannah has so much to offer... art, shopping, architecture, tours, theater, history, mystery, local character, and more. She (Savannah) has been called "the Southern lady with the dirty face". I agree... she has great "bones", but just needs to be tidied up a bit. I believe that much has already been done, and they are in the process of polishing her up even more. It is exciting to be exploring Savannah while they are in the process of such exciting growth.

Jill, Will and I lucked upon "The Lady & Sons" restaurant (Paula Deen's establishment) at lunchtime, with no line in sight. We had not even planned to eat there, but couldn't pass up the opportunity. We had heard that you needed to arrive to "line up" by 9:30 a.m. in order to be seated for lunch, but we were seated immediately, and enjoyed a lunch of her chicken salad sandwiches, with which she famously began her business, "The Bag Lady". We enjoyed ourselves, and topped it off with a visit to her store next door, buying gifts and trinkets we didn't need and taking each others' pictures with her lifesize cardboard cutout. Hey...we are tourists, and fans...we can't help it!

We spent the rest of the day wandering through myriad shops and galleries. One of our favorite shops was "Terra Cotta". This is an upscale boutique on Bernard Street that carries unique clothing and bath/body products. The owner was kind enough to allow me to breastfeed William in one of her dressing rooms - thank you so much! But...I scared Will to death when I jumped sky high and screamed when her cat scurried under my legs! I didn't know she had a cat...I had no idea what it was! Too crazy.

I really enjoyed talking with so many of the artists downtown who were working in their studios. I am thinking about taking some classes on painting, (I'm convinced I'm destined to become an artist :)) and they were so patient in answering my endless questions. I bought a couple of paintings, with no particular place in mind to hang them in my home. This is a habit I have, for which my husband wants to strangle me. He has warned, "No more art until what you have is framed and hanging on the wall, and you know exactly where the next piece is going!" Ha. Ha.

One interesting thing to note...we observed that some of the local artists and business owners are not so enamored with Ms. Paula Deen. Just a warning...be careful how you gush about Paula in front of native Savannians...they might be quick to inform you that she is not the ONLY attraction in Savannah, you know! Whew! Excuse me!

Our first (and only) full day ended with the drive to Tybee Island and dinner at A.J.'s on the marsh. What a dive, with great food and an unbelievable sunset! We enjoyed our meal from the dock, with great fried shrimp and great service. Don't forget to try the yummy spinach-artichoke dip appetizer. You'll learn that my husband and I adore "dives"...we actively search them out and become loyal patrons. I'll share a blog on my favorite "dives" one day soon... Maybe I'll get to take Guy Fierri's place on the Food Channel...:). The "final ending" of our day came when we arrived back at the Hampton Inn only to realize that I had left my stroller at A.J.'s! So, we drove all the way back to Tybee to get it. So much for our plans of settling in with some chocolate and enjoying a movie!

The next morning was check out. We drove around Savannah, enjoying the scenery, and attempting to gain a better perspective of this city and all she has to offer. Again, we were so impressed with all that we have missed here on previous trips, and can't wait to get back to explore further. We stopped at a quaint little Mexican restaurant off of Abercorn, near the mall, can't remember the name of it...for lunch. It was good, fresh. And then we headed home.

I was so thankful for such a great trip, and some special time with my friend. She is such a blessing to me! And Will was a wonderful baby on this trip...I was so grateful for that, and for all of the patience Jill had for us with all of the feedings and changings and everything! Thank you so much, Jill!

I hope you'll think of Savannah next time you want an interesting trip with a taste of the South! And ladies, I highly recommend a "girls' getaway" with your BFF on a fairly regular basis. Your husbands will thank you for it! :)