Grandma's Sewing Basket Planter

One of the treasures Julie gifted me with as she cleaned and moved was this wicker sewing basket that once belonged to her grandmother. As you can see, the lid is ripped and beyond repair, but I like the way it looks like a window curtain blowing in a warm breeze. Found a plastic tub the perfect size to fit into the basket portion and planted it with $1 annuals. It's now put to good use; I think grandma would approve.

Fun Totes

Thought that the reusable shopping bags at TJMaxx were probably the prettiest I'd come across (we packed most of Harleigh's clothes in them when she went off to college; easy to store once the unpacking was done, and reusable to boot!). Then I chanced on Jo-Ann Fabric's $1.99 reusable shopping bag . . . smitten. Measuring tape handles? I'm in love.

And then there's this vintagey wooden-handled bag, reversible with a yarn-embroidered/block-printed side and the reverse in a pretty retro "quilt" pattern. Found in an Athens,GA, thrift store. Harleigh's nabbed this one.

If Heather Bullard has one, then it's gotta be a keeper

With all the events I'm working on, carrying things around has become an issue. There are just certain things that I need to have at an arm's reach. My first attempt at corralling what needs to be close at hand was my "tool" belt; a lifesaver it's become. But I had a need for something bigger, to carry items that I don't necessarily need to have on my person, but need to come with me. I saw this bag on Heather Bullard's blog and was smitten. OK OK, her photography makes even the most mundane item covetable. But in this case, the bag's utilitarian pluses had me wanting one. For starters, the price is cheap; I picked mine up at the local tool supply company for under $20. The bottom is flat (and I enforced mine with a piece of foamcore wrapped in toile fabric). The pockets, oh the pockets, lots of 'em.

Succulent Wreath

Lately I've been really impressed with the Better Homes & Gardens line at Walmart. I've been looking for something for the front door. When I saw this wreath (a BH&G creation) — on sale for $7! — it seemed the perfect marriage of my love for succulents and the sweltering heat we've been having here in the ATL.

IKEA gets girly

I saw this planter in Country Living and was surprised to read that it's from IKEA. With an IKEA just around the corner from where I work, I headed over this week to discover that it comes in not just the round-bottomed hanging version, but two tabletop versions. The larger of the two has a different pattern on the top. How cute for showers! At a price I couldn't turn down, I bought a total of 8.

Vanity Chair

While out running wedding errands near Grant Park, an area I rarely visit, I came across this little gem of a thrift shop. Lots of kitchenware and furniture, and since Harleigh and three other girls will be furnishing a four-bedroom duplex in the fall, thought it be worth a stop (especially since — with my girl's welcoming encouragement — we plan on making their house a home on the cheap). 

Emily and Harleigh have the two upstairs bedrooms, both with a portion of the ceiling at an attic-charming slant, and with dormer windows. Their shared bathroom (with shower, tub and a double sink) is the size of a small bedroom, so there's room for a big chair and even a dresser or vanity. We might even be able to put in a three-panel screen for some dressing room drama.

I fell in love with this wooden vanity chair (in a pretty mustard yellow), which I know they can find use for in the bathroom. In the meantime, it fits nicely at my small kitchen table, its shallow depth perfect for the ken, where space is at a minimum.

It's Spring!

Found these Department 56 finds at the Junior League thrift store. The original price tags were still on . . . $17.50 a piece. Would not have given them a second look, but at $2.00 each . . . they're coming home with me. I'll be using these for the veggie tray I'm doing for Easter.

Also found this baby scale. This is soooo holding a cake at the next shower I do.
And my kitchen windowsill. You can see the windowbox flowers peeking out at me.

A little bit o' Bobby & June's

Around the corner from where I work is a bit of Atlanta history that is closing its doors. Bobby and June's Kountry Kitchen was an institution in Atlanta for 30 years. Bobby Crowe served as greeter, a rotund Santa Claus of a man, calling the men by name and the women usually by "darlin." His wife June ran the register and was just as much of a people person as her husband. Their two kids worked there also. The food, in my estimate, was not near the draw as was the Crowe family and the atmosphere they and their longtime staff created.



Bobby himself rocking on the front porch.




Running out to lunch last week I noticed that the front door of the place was propped open (as you can imagine, a rickety screen door probably original to the building). I had forgotten that for close to a year now they've been selling off all the contents of the restaurant. I popped in, was greeted by the ever-smiling Bobby, and surveyed what was left of a family's dream. Mostly big items (deep fryers, stoves, tables and chairs), but I decided to dig a little. And hidden behind a shelf of pots and pans was this little gem. Bobby's right-hand worker, a near toothless older gent, faithful to his boss to the very end, explained to me that this was used to corral all the waitresses' checks (each waitress had a number), with totals tallied at the end of the day by Bobby and June. When I asked Bobby how much he wanted for it, he said "how about $5." Sold. I explained that I wanted it because it had their names (or what was left of their names) on it, to which he replied, "that's the last thing left, other than menus and business cards, that has our names on it." I plan on using it on my craft table to hold . . . who knows what. Because when you think about it, it's chock full already, with a ton of memories and lives.



(I also bought five giant lidded pickle jars for $1 a piece. Sure to find a good use for these.)

(Photos of restaurant courtesy of AJC)

The Craft Table is Home

Remember the craft table that I inherited from a stash of items my boss was wanting to get rid of? Well, she's home. Thanks to my Dad who put it all together for me, it is now THE nucleus of my craft room. The top measures 40" x 97", the base is on casters so it rolls so very easily, the wood braces at the base are perfect height to rest my feet on from my tall stool perch . . . it is so everything I've ever wanted in a working surface!

The top is a plain ol' piece of MDF which was paint-splattered, so I knew I needed to cover it. Tried finding white oilcloth, but the cheapest to be found online was at Amazon, and when I put it into my cart, it came up as out-of-stock. I called around, and the girl at Hancock Fabrics told me they carried white oilcloth. When I went in to buy it, turns out it isn't white oilcloth, but fleece-backed tablecloth plastic. On sale for $1.69 a yard (and at 60" wide), I figured it might be the better option. Not to mention that it's a bit easier to fold than oilcloth.

With a few folds and a staple gun, my table is now covered in a wipeable, water resistant fabric. I have a cutting matte for when I use an exacto blade, and a piece of glass for when I need an extra-hard surface. Not too shabby for a free piece of furniture. I plan on sewing a gathered skirt for around the table, to hide all the storage I'll be creating below.

Now I can use the filagree bicycle basket as a holder for all of my event folders.
And the framed Home Arts cover mirrors my very own table and stool!

Jean Jacket

I remember back in my late teens and early 20's when a jean jacket was a staple in every girl's wardrobe. And it appears that it's becoming the case with this generation. Harleigh chanced upon one at Old Navy that she deemed the perfect shade of denim (a lighter version very ala '80s). A week went by. And when I went to buy it, only XLs remained. The sales girl told me, "Ma'am, when you see something in Old Navy, you have to buy it. Coming back a week later and hoping it's there is a real gamble. A week in Old Navy time is like a year." A few phone calls later, and she had one on hold at a mall not too far away.

And in typical GahanGirls fashion, I added a vintage brooch, a daisy (Harleigh's favorite flower).

A new generation of collections

I've loved creating a home for my daughter. And in that home, the collections have always been appreciated. The morning after a sleepover, a house full of girls, breakfast enjoyed on mismatched vintage china with cloth napkins, cereal milk in a ceramic pitcher, a roaring fire in the fireplace, and lots of afghans to wrap up in. The love and care I put into making cozy and homey experiences was never lost on the girls, who could never seem to get enough of the girliness of Chateau Gahan.

As Harleigh has grown into a young woman, away from home, I adore that she is wanting to create her own atmosphere of home, even if it's in the stark bedroom of a dormitory. This coming Fall she'll be moving into a four-bedroom duplex with three other girls, and she is most anxious to set up house, and is starting collections of her own. One, that I've begun for her, is her desire to collect big and pretty mugs. Her collection is off to a great start, with the bird one from Hobby Lobby and the other two from Anthropologie. My hope is that she has these mugs for her whole lifetime, that one day her daughter will be amongst friends, in jammies, up in the morning, drinking hot chocolate from big and pretty mugs, wishing that they lived in a house as homey as Miss Harleigh's.

Map Letter Holder

Was doing some thrifting yesterday for some items for the upcoming baby shower and chanced upon this vintage desktop letter holder. Did the test "will I regret it if I leave here without buying this?" and there was a resounding "yes" in my head. Love old maps and their colors. And this caddy even has some rust spots, which I like. Using it as a vase for some silk flowers (until real ones bloom!).

Balmer Girl

There are many things I miss about Baltimore, and I list these in no order of importance:

- The row homes in ethnic, bustling neighborhoods, with marble stoops and painted screens.
- Steamed crabs, red with Old Bay seasoning, spread out on newspaper on picnic tables, wooden mallets, and big pitchers of cold beer. And I'll always be rather proud of my crab-picking skills.
- The Baltimore accent (with the famous ö), including the use of "hon" when addressing any female and the way we say "Downey Ocean" instead of "down at the ocean."
- The old days of the Orioles (known to us as the O's) playing in Memorial Stadium. Boog Powell. Frank Robinson. Brooks Robinson. Hot Cal Ripken. Jim Palmer. Eddie Murray.
- The inner harbor, especially back in the old days before it got all touristy.
- Eating mussels at Bertha's in Fells Point.
- Bowling duckpins instead of ten-pins. I can never look at a bowling ball with three holes and and not feel resentment, knowing that there's a better way of bowling up North where the ball fits within the palm of your hand.
- Broadway, Cross Street and Lexington markets (today's newfangled outdoor organic farmers' markets don't hold a candle to what was inside the brick walls of one of these gems).

And so I was especially touched when co-worker Laura, whose husband is from Charm City, went back to the hallowed ground on the Chesapeake Bay during the holidays and came back with this gift for me. National Bohemian, or Natty Boh, is a Baltimore institution, first brewed in 1885 by Baltimore's own National Brewing Company. This folk-artish sculpture, made from a Natty Boh can by Baltimore (actually Hampden) artist James Pollock.


Chateau Gahan may be all girly pinks and vintage florals, but this tin can angel will have a place of honor on the study shelves, a smile-inducing reminder of my hometown.

Randomness in the Warmth of a New Year

Today's temps were in the low to mid 60's today, and although that doesn't feel quite right for a New Year's Eve, it did make for a productive day. With the garage door open and Gideon dozing on the front porch, it was easy to start the chore of taking down Christmas decorations.

Next year Harleigh will be living off-campus, getting an apartment with sweet Anna, a new friend this year and one who lives close by us, in Roswell. We've started brainstorming about the apartment. We will have a lunch with Anna and her mom within the next couple of weeks and will talk about the living area of the apartment — couch, tables, lamps, etc. But in the meantime, we've started thinking about Harleigh's bedroom and bathroom. And when I say "thinking," I mean "thinking thriftily." We'll begin now, amassing furniture and decor; much easier on the budget that way. And so we went to several thrift stores a few days ago and found this dresser for $60. She fell in love with it and it's now in our garage. I love how the drawer pulls are not all the same. She wants to keep it black and white, and it's a piece that will stay with her forever and will probably enjoy many coats of paint in its lifetime.

After picking up the dresser today, I had to (had to, mind you) stop in Goodwill. It was, after all, right next door. Found these Strawberry Shortcake pillowcases (Harleigh will love them).

This Shabby Chic queen-sized duvet cover.

Two homemade Christmas tablecloths. Can never have too many of these.

And this Holly Hobbie fitted sheet (another for Harleigh's bed). And all of these for under $15.

I should have known I'd have good linen luck today. It started this morning when I met Sarah for coffee. A friend I've always felt a special connection with. And although we don't see each other or even talk all that frequently, we pick things up as if we've never been apart. I cherish every word we exchange. Here is the sweetest of kitchen towels she gave me.

Happy New Year to everyone who visits me. May 2011 be a special one, in ways we don't even know yet!

With love,

Dawn E. Girl