My Life In Pictures...

swip swap cake in the bakery / trick glasses that look surprisingly realistic on me / my lovely handmade glasses case / Pimm's for girl's night out / not-so-fancy garnish / Tullah's feeling blue / so are my hands / new mug love / my Mom and me

Brady and I have been really, really, really busy the last few weeks.  Well, some of the 'busy' has involved park trips, date nights, brewing beer and the like but, hey, when you couple that with a mini-tour, management and bakery shifts out the wazoo, cleaning up the never ending tide of doggy hair, and planning a hiking trip, it's been a whirlwind.  In a very good way.

And now for something completely different...and yes, I've said this before but I'm a huge Monty Python fan so it won't be the last.  Can't help it.

Title designs by Saul Bass in under 2 minutes.

Stranger Bird Vintage is offering a 15% discount to G&M readers!  Use code GRIT15 to get your bargains today.  My favorite?  This one...

The blog of unnecessary quotation marks.

Interesting read...Domesticity, Feminism and Food.

NYC MoMA's Rain Room = freaking amazing.

I love these photographs of paper cranes via Shell at Kitty And Buck.

The hubby's band The Barlettas received a nomination for best upstart band if you want to vote for him...*wink wink nudge nudge*

There's still time to read our Feminist Book Club (FBC) book o' the month - Half The Sky.

Spring cleaning means culling our possessions again.  Maybe this will help...

Brady and I are going to Cloudland Canyons today for camping and hiking and to swill beer around a small fire.  Good times!

Flower named fonts.  I adore the fennel one.  And sweet pea, orchid and lavender...  

Moving words.

My friend who was hiking the Appalachian Trail is one lucky gal to have survived a weird incident.  I can't wait to give her a big hug while she recuperates!

I'll be back soon with more adventures, a recipe for the best chocolate chip cookies EVER and our new record selection...

----For the next 24 hours I'd like to offer the opportunity to advertise for FREE on G&M for the first 10 folks who snap it up.  Yep, free.  Any size ad for up to 3 months except the super duper which is for 1 month only.  ANY.  I know many are booked but you can use the code to get in line for rotation.  Yes, even if you're on the blog now.  Grab 'em up.  This is my way of saying 'happy spring' and 'thanks' because without you all I'd have no blog to love!  Use code GRIT24FREE to claim your goods.  Booya!----

Walk The Dog...

Vienna loves, loves, loves to go on long walks.  Maybe it's because she likes to be the 'only dog' for a short period of time since she's the lone one who enjoys being on the leash and roaming the city.  The other dogs?  Pfffft.  They want seasonally adjusted temps (cool in summer and warm in winter) and a quilt or 2 to snooze under.

Or maybe because she loves to roll in grass and stinky things more than anything else.

Or maybe she likes the wind in her fur.

Or maybe it's all the above. 

I love these times with Vienna because she seems so darn happy.  Plus we get to enjoy the beautiful GA spring weather and our local down-the-street park...

Is there anything better than a smiling, happy dog?

PCSW - Postcard Swaps Finalized...

 

I've emailed everyone who has provided me with a current address but I'm waiting on just a few more folks to get back in touch.  If you can, please contact me by tonight in order to be matched up with another person or I'll have to move you to rotation for next month.  If you've provided information and haven't received an email with your swap pal's address then email me as soon as possible and I'll fix you right up!

Thanks again for your participation and patience.  I never expected to receive such a great response and I'm stoked to start mailing out this huge stack of postcards to folks all over the US and the world...

Missed this month's swap?  Don't fret!  Next month's swap is right around the corner and the call will go out soon!  If you'd like to get a jump on joining then email me at gritsandmoxie[at]gmail[dot]com with the subject line June PCSW and I'll be in touch with more information.

Oh, and I'm also taking suggestions for next month's theme.  This month's was where you live.  Leave a comment below with your idea(s)!

Feature Sponsor - Rachel From Swell And Stylish

While I'm finishing up the postcard swap information, Rachel from the design fashion forward lifestyle blog Swell and Stylish is going to stop by and take over G&M for the day.  She's one incredibly nice person, and I really love her positivity and support of the blogging community.  One of my favorites for sure!

Hey! I'm Rachel and I blog at Swell and Stylish.  So glad to be here today!

I'm drawn to design and fashion goodness so you'll see a lot of both on ze blog. I love to share unique finds, fun gadgets, anything vintage, beautiful spaces and some fine friends.

Your blog is a lovely mix of so many things...you're one creative lady!  Could you describe some of them for us in your own words?

Wow, this one is harder than it looks -- I'm going to have to think. Let's see..

Crafts- I love whipping things together with things I already own. I don't really plan my crafts but they come to me once I've gathered my materials.

Talents- I have a great photographic memory! (most of the time)

Interests- I'm keen on interior design, want to get more into gardening, love yoga & coffee!

Ok, this is kinda the 'spill the beans' time of the segment.  Would you tell us some things about yourself that no one would know/guess?

1. I'm allergic to nickel, soy and some unknown thing in my yard when I'm doing yardwork.

2. I recently took a liking to running and I've been running at least 1 mile per day.

3. My roots are mainly german, however I'm 1/8 latina.

4. I love rap music.

I'm an avid reader and I always have to ask the simply difficult question about choices for top 3 books of all time...so, what are yours? 

1.A childhood favorite was anything with Amelia Bedelia

2.A high school favorite was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

3.Currently love The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

What would you say are your 2 favorite things that are happening in your life right now?

Numero Uno is definitely the anticipation of my family and I moving! We're in the process of selling everything off and downsizing so we can haul everything cross country from the Midwest to the Southwest! My other favorite thing right now is taking my 4 year old son to his weekly art classes. We go every Tuesday and he just loves it! 

    
Name 1 thing you can't/couldn't live without?

My 1 thing is COFFEE!

Any favorite blog posts from other bloggers that you think folks may like and/or get to know?

I love Sarah from Yes and Yes! She always has the best life posts that you can relate too!
Here are 3 of my faves from her-- Things we don't say enough (and when to say them), No and No: When NO is better than YES, and a 4-Step Plan to feel better.

Thanks Jennifer for having me today! =) You're fabulous!

Last Call For The Postcard Swap! UPDATE: CLOSED UNTIL JUNE

via

Today's the last day to sign up and join in the G&M postcard swap.  So, what are you waiting for?

Here's the idea:

1) I will send postcards to every single person who participates in the swap.  You can stop there and we'll be creative together and it'll be awesome.

2) We can take it one step further and I can pair you with someone from a very different locale and you'll swap with them too.  That way you can make new friends every single month.  Only your address will be shared and everyone who participates must provide their information (address/email/etc) to me before they are cleared to participate.  So no one will have your address without me having theirs too!  P.S.  I will not use your information for any purpose other than this swap.

Please feel free to contact me questions at gritsandmoxie[at]gmail[dot]com and I'll be glad to help.  You can also email me if you're interested in participating or you can leave a comment with your contact information.

So, if you're a new participant then please let me know which option you'd like.  To those of you who've already signed up, I'll email you to confirm which choice you'd like.

Tomorrow all information will be emailed and the swap closed til sometime next month...

Athens Life - Shaking Rock Park...

My first day back in the bakery since the spring semester ended was a slow one.  I took a small coffee break at the bar and began chit-chatting with one of our regular customers only to find out about a small, now virtually unknown park just outside of Athens.  Well, I'm a sucker for the obscure so I immediately finished up my work, called Brady and we hopped in the car to drive the short distance (20 minutes) to Shaking Rock Park in Lexington, GA. 

A few website entries and newspaper articles talk about how Shaking Rock no longer shakes due to the Charleston earthquake of the late 1800's but the local legend is that the area is home to a vortex and that Gilmer found numerous Native American artifacts, including a secret underground room and statues and the like, but gave them away or inadvertently destroyed them.  Lots of history and rumors swirl around the place.  Now the area is a bit overgrown, full of seed ticks and is very, very, very secluded.  The directions are it's off of highway 78 near Lexington and the sign on the road is actually a small granite block with tiny lettering.  In other words, it's not easy to find and I don't think people hunt it out very often except for local teenagers and climbing enthusiasts.  During the 2 hours we were there we didn't see another person or hear anything other than wildlife.  It was just lovely!

Beware!  I, uh, took lots of pictures.  Lots.

It's hard to take pictures of huge rocks and make it look cool.  I still don't have the hang of it but I had fun trying!

Shaking Rock!

Do you see the person in the lichens?

Side view of Shaking Rock and some lovely *sarcasm* graffiti...

We couldn't get there because the recent rain flooded out the footbridge.  Maybe next time...

Crane Fly or, as they are known around here, Mosquito Hawk.

This cutie was having some difficulty navigating around a recently fallen tree so I picked him up, took a few quick photos and then placed him back in the direction he was going.  He trundled on his way no worse for wear.  Promise.

Smiley face caterpillar!

Such a beautiful day for an adventure!  I can't wait to go back to Lexington and take photos of some of the houses and sites/sights there.  It was such a quaint small town but quirky too...

How My Garden Grows...

I shared some photos a while back featuring my container garden and I'm a bit taken aback at how quickly all of the plants have grown!  I even added a few new additions including locally grown sweet basil and fennel, and some other herbs and peppers only to find them shooting up and blossoming overnight...

How about you?  Any gardening adventures had?  Plans in the works?  I'd love to hear...

Happy Mother's Day!

Vinyl Fever...

Record Store Day was a while back and Brady and I decided that we would make it a weekly goal to trek to the local record store to buy an album or two.  Well, we've held good on our goal although I've been slack in sharing our finds with you.  One of our latest purchases is a recording by a local musician and co-worker Jacob Morris.  This is actually our 2nd copy of the album Moths since the last one met with a kitty-and-claw accident.  Yikes!

"Athens, Ga. has long played host to a wealth of musical talent, and musician Jacob Morris has seen the benefit of living and performing in such a cultural hotspot. With a multitude of collaborations in his history ranging from Patterson Hood to Liz Durrett, he’s been able to practice his craft among talented peers." - Paste Magazine

Jacob's music is both ethereal and a bit folky frustrated, and the fact he has a number of strings (I'm a sucker for strings) in the band makes it a favorite of mine.  Go here for a listen, eh?

Blue And Green And Everything In Between...

 

This week has been beautiful...really!  After the rain of the weekend it seems that even more flowers/trees/etc have been bursting out with new life.  My favorite are the pecan trees.  They're this green that I can't even begin to describe and when you couple it with a backdrop of cloudless cobalt blue sky, well, it's magical and fantastic and just darn amazing.  I gawp at them every single day...

I wonder what the mountains around Boone, NC look like right now?  I guess I'll find out in a few hours since we're packing up for a mini-vacation of visiting family and attending a local festival so the hubby's band can play a few tunes.  Ah, the bliss of not having to work UGA graduation weekend!

Before we hit the road for our adventures, I thought I'd share with you all some of the things that I've reading, watching, trending (did I just type that?), drooling over, etc, over the last few weeks...

Dog nap pillows on my wish list!

I love this Nature In The Home series.

Everything in this Cats Love Rats collection is absolutely adorable.

Grow your own bean sprouts...why, yes I will.

A new documentary on Vivian Maier that is a must see.

Wes Anderson From Above = my new favorite quick make-me-smile video.

Hello May.

A new addition to my spring accessory wishlist.

My road trip dreams fueled by Atlas Obscura.

12 months of bread?  Oh YEAH!

Tiny dreams.

9 types of hangovers.  Last week I had an unexpected 'false dawn'.

Stop beating yourself up over creativity.

One of the dangers of the fire swamp can be yours forever.

My Mom got to see Ron Burgundy fight a shark last time she went to Saint Simons Island, GA.  Coolio!

Amazing.  Jes is amazing.

Hyperbole And A Half is back..with no apologies and a story about life that can't be missed.

The Spocks battle it out and funny shit ensues.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures while I'm gone!  Oh, and the postcards are starting to roll in (!YAY!) but there's still time to sign up for the swap if you're interested.  I've got all mine ready to go and I'm starting to partner folks and organize stuff.  The 15th can't get here soon enough!

Talk The Talk...

The other day Brady and I were talking about an ongoing situation and I said that I was 'waiting for the other shoe to drop.'  Well, needless to say, Brady had no idea what I was talking about.  I told him that it meant that I was waiting for something else bad to happen since something already had once before.  Um, a bit negative but also a bit realistic and phrased oh-so-politely.  Kind of like the southern folks I grew up with in the once small but now fairly bustling farming town of Waycross, GA.

That conversation got me thinking about all of the idioms (the bee's knees!) that my Nana, Papa, Aunt Bertie and all the other family and people around town used to say on any given time.  I sat down and made a list of a few of them to share.  Some of them are pretty funny.  Some of them are, well, surprisingly crass.  Just like me!  So, enjoy this lighthearted foray into my version of southern speak!

I haven't seen you since you were knee high to a grasshopper.  Translation:  I haven't seen you in a long, long, long time (in my mind) and I just might try to make you feel guilty about it.

If I had my druthers then I'd...  Translation:  If I had my way then a, b and/or c would happen and it would be better than Bobby's/Ernastine's idea that you told me about.

Slower than molasses in January.  Translation:  Even slower than things are right now...and that's pretty darn slow.

Bless her heart!  She got hit with the ugly stick.  Translation:  A bitchy way of saying that someone is intimidating someone else in an imaginary personality and/or looks contest.  Because, in my opinion, everything in the south is about some kind of contest.

An easier row to hoe.  Translation:  'We'll be on easy street soon enough!  Things just have to get better, right?'  My Great-Grandfather was a very, very poor sharecropper who worked in the cotton fields of southern Georgia and he passed this saying along to his daughter who became my Nana (Grandmother).  I heard it quite often in my childhood and was always amazed at the optimism that even the most down-in-the-heels (aka down on their luck aka unlucky) people had in their lives.

Madder than a wet hen.  Translation:  Really, really, really mad.  A 'stay-the-fuck-away-from-me' kind of mad.  'Someone's-sleeping-on-the-couch-tonight' kind of mad.

Don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining.  Translation:  This charming statement is about not telling a lie or exaggeration to someone.  If only so you don't have to hear someone talk about pissing on people's legs.

It ain't worth a plug nickel.  Translation:  A nice way of saying that something isn't worth anything.  I think this came from the West but it's become part of the vernacular in my hometown area.

You can stuff your sorries in a sack!  Translation:  Um, that isn't going to fly around here.  Hey, a twofer!  What this means is that your apology isn't going to be accepted but you should keep trying anyway or else things just might get even worse.

Not since Hector was a pup!  Translation:  See knee high to a grasshopper (above).  I've always wondered about that Hector...he must've been mighty special.

They don't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of.  Translation:  They don't have much of anything.  I must say that I'm starting to get a bit concerned at the numerous pee references in all these sayings...

I'm so hungry that my stomach thinks my throat's been cut.  Translation:  A very graphic and dramatic way to say that is one is very, very, very hungry.  The very opposite of peckish.

As nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.  Translation:  Freaking terrified.

If that don't get your fire started then your wood is wet.  Translation:  Not as dirty as it sounds...or is it?  It means that if a, b or c doesn't get you motivated then nothing will.  Still sounds dirty to me.

Annnnnnd, my all-time favorite and still used by me almost daily during pep talks with self...

Why are you going around your ass to get to your elbow?  Translation:  Why are making things so difficult?  It's easy peasy!

These are the one's that I heard the most often in my childhood but there are many more floating around out there.  You probably didn't expect all of the cursing and pee talk, did you?  I'm sure I'll lose a few followers over my pottymouth (it never fails that someone drops me after I write 'fuck' in a blog post...UPDATE:  make that 2 people and a scathing email about proper language from ladies...seriously?...have you ever read my blog before?...pfffft...) but for those of you who braved the whole read, well, I salute you!  You've made me happier than a pig in shit. 

Oh, and I'd love to hear some of the idioms from where you live!  Share!  Keep them nice though, ok?

My Life In Pictures...

local cheese and a pearl apple = perfection / trying out the Doris Day font / my version of the breakfast board / lunch beers with the hubby at Trappeze

see how my container garden grows / pollen is everywhere / Tullah loves to sun on the porch / one of many (too many) shots of schoolwork times but at least this one is outside

the hubby and band play the GA Theatre / wisteria and bright kicks / what's up with my fashion? / my 'record of the week' pick

Winthrope's cute face / locally grown / best. bread. ever. / have I mentioned how sweet that Mama Kitty is?

beautiful beets / our strawberries are in! / Oak Leaf Roller / duck eggs and grapefruit for breakfast

we get to see the wild roses bloom again / a much needed laugh from my bestie / the postcard swap is still taking names for worldwide swaps...are you in? / everything is so beautiful right now

...and then there's this.

I'm trying a new format for the My Life In Pictures segment but I don't know how I like it.  The other method didn't show off the photos too well but I had more room to share links, ideas, ramblings, etc.  This versions seems a way bit much but I'm not redoing it because Blogger is being a doody head about uploading my photos.  Ah, well, life's an adventure and subject to change!  So, onward with adventures...

Happy Tuesday to everyone!