Things I've been asked.

1.//>>>  Tea or Coffee?

Tea.  I have a particular favorite flavor involving raspberry.  My husband and I stayed at the "Chanticleer Inn", on Lookout Mt, Tennessee the weekend before a very stressful surgery and they served raspberry tea.  Hooked ever since.  

2.//>>> Favorite City?

Hands down, "San Francisco".  I would like to say because of it's romance or unique artistic vibe but probably more so because it's the one place I'm in love with and was able to share with my husband, that he had never been.  

3.//>>>Spring or Fall?

Definitely Fall.  I was born in the spring and tho I do enjoy the longer days it brings I love the comfy-ness of big sweaters, sweeping wind, fire trees and quiet time.

4.//>>>Bloom of choice?

Seems for every stage of life I've had a favorite flower depict of that time.  In childhood it was daffodils.  They were as wild as I was and I picked them every spring to take to my Granny Arthur. (((one of my best memories)))  In my teens I loved roses because I guess I was looking for love like most teens.  In my 20's it was daisies, I was poor and daisies grew wild and were free.  Plus I had a little boy that picked them for me non-stop.  In my 30's it was hydrangeas because the years came and went and I forgot we had them when I was small growing beside our house. (((snowball bushes!) and now in my 40's I would say Peonies.  Seems a graceful surrender of beauty, a very gentle and feminine flower.  

5.//>>> Most prized possession?

Past the gold, the diamonds or any other thing, it's a folder I've kept since 1989 full of drawings, letters and cards from my babies.  One day I'm gonna frame it all in some fancy arrangement on a memory wall. 

6.//>>>On weekends?

Short day trips, early morning coffee in the sunlight, Charlie watching me intently... I tend to day dream much and love everything around me to be luxurious, soft and sense pleasing.  

Weekend Review

Good Monday morning my loves...

Saturday
I woke up early, picked up my supplies from the grocery store to make a pumpkin bundt cake and a green bean casserole to take to my Aunts on Sunday.  Family day whoo hoo.  In the process of doing all this, I managed to color my hair and clean.

By 5:00pm it was DATE NIGHT!   Dre (my hubby)  invited me out on date night.  We don't normally get too much time alone and this was absolutely the best idea.  He preplanned the whole thing.  Picked me up even.  He had pre-booked an Italian cooking class at Mia Cucina which I have been dying to try.  We made grilled salad, (3)types of homemade pasta and wonderful fruit desert. A great time!

Sunday
Up and at'em, the family and I headed to Sand Mtn, Georgia.  Aunt Jean is in her 80's and had some recent health concerns.  She is unable to do many things for herself.  My mom and brother take excellent care of her when they can and they do so so much!  My husband offered to paint her living room so the family took some food and we all hung out with this crazy lady on Sunday.  She is so funny and so honest!  We were there until 7:00pm.  So we painted, had haircut time, ate dinner and laughed  like crazy.  Love this woman!

So, no time this weekend to read the book I wanted to post for the upcoming "Book Club".  However, I will seriously have it ready by the weekend.  I wish you all a great week and lot's of plans for the upcoming weekend!

xoxo

-Teresa Ann

Weekly Online Finds.

So the week is winding to an end and the weekend is on the horizon.  All week I have been eyeing a few things online and I am sharing them here. 

My sweet friend Tamara is getting married next fall.  I have been trying to think of a cool congratulations gift and a card.  Sugar Paper out of  Los Angeles, CA has the best individual cards, (among other things).  The search continues for just the right gift cause she's worth it!

One of my favorite blogs is by Lauren Conrad and she has a site called "The Little Market".  It is an absolutely wonderful site that promotes female artisans in helping them support their families.  There are some wonderful pieces here and one of my favs Lauren mentions on her website is the blush tray.  This would go perfectly in my bedroom to hold my iPad, notebook and glasses.

Big surprise field trip coming up to the Z Gallerie at Atlantic Station so stay tuned for that.   Hopefully this just might be the place to find that perfect gift!

I leave you with this...
Everyone knows I always have my children on my mind and no matter what the days bring, I am never far from them, though they be far from me.  Days sometime bring moments of silence between two people and only space and time can be the medicine needed to mend a broken thing.  So this week in my quiet I went back to an old familiar place in poetry where thoughts were struck with deeper meaning and a remembrance that today is fleeting all the while.  I found this poem and loved it because it was so real...so raw and full of strength for whatever life brings.  Even a little hope. 

Mother to Son

By Langston Hughes 1902–1967 Langston Hughes

 

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

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Game Day!

Happy Friday Yall!  Yesterday was such a crazy day.  I had meetings, ortho appointment, vendor visit, and was excited to make it to little's first soccer game.  She's growing up so fast!!  This was their scrimmage and she played so well.  It's going to be a busy weekend but a nice one I hear, so everybody have a good one and I'll see you back here real soon! 

#TBT - Fall Creek Falls Last Year

The fall is a most awesome time of the year.  Last year about this time we were all about family and visiting with my father-in-law Papa Peter who flew in from Eugene, Oregon.

We took a day trip to Fall Creek Falls about an hour north of Chattanooga.  This is one of our favorite places to hike and in the fall it's so peaceful.

So find your favorite place and go say hello this fall.  Our earth misses you and seeks to embrace any and all who will acknowledge her beauty.  This was a great time with Peter and we look forward to many many more visits! 

What a stylist would never tell you.

     I have been a hair stylist for right about ten years now.  I no longer work in a shop or do hair for a living but I have these valuable tid bits of wisdom that I've been longing to share with my fellow sisters.

• Salons do not add fillers to their services (unless you ask, then most don't carry them) because it means your color wont fade as quick.  They actually want you to come back sooner.  Need I say more?  $$$$
• A filler is a protein product added to your hair to equalize porosity.  This helps ensure color absorption for an all over even color.  Ideal for you beauties out there that love to bleach and dye different colors frequently.  You can pick up a filler yourself from Sally, here is a link for the one I use religiously! .  Very inexpensive and take it with you on your next color service.  Your stylist will be impressed! *wink*
• Every stylist wants you to know the difference between a trim and a shave.  
• most people ask for a trim and feel they got too much taken off.  If you ask for a shave off the ends, the stylist knows better to not take any length at all, just the dead ends. Sometimes its not in what you say but how you say it.

•  Do not wash your hair before going to the salon unless you've been sleeping with pigs for two weeks.  
• Bleach works best on dirty hair and is less damaging.  Washing your hair strips it of it's natural oils so keep that in mind for any chemical treatment.
• A home mask made of an egg, two tablespoons of olive oil, and some honey work just as good as most professional products for deep conditioning.  
• Wash your hair, load this cocktail on, wrap it up in a towel and clean the house or something.  Let it sit for a spell.  Then wash out gently. 
• Stay away from Sodium Laurel Sulfate shampoos as much as possible.  
• Heck, we all should no matter what.  This is going to do nothing for you but strip your hair.  Try to wash every other day or use a dry shampoo in between washings.  (personally I just use a little baby powder on the second day).  Your hair will grow faster and be more healthy if you just listen!
• When you condition, do not condition your roots!!! 
•  Move out to the ends where your natural oils have farther to carry oils.  A little word of knowledge.  Keratin products seal the hair shaft and smoothen but slow down hair growth.  That too, just on the ends.   
• When you flat iron your hair, do not go slowly.  
• Use consistent, quick strokes.  Holding the flat iron for too long, sucks the moisture and fries your hair.
• If you color your hair often, wear a hat in the sun.  
• If you spend $100 or more on your hair service it's a disgrace to not take care of it and your stylist will know when they touch it and your character/life will be judged.  
•  If you have natural curl in your hair, ask for a dry cut. 
•  If your one of those customers who always complains that they cut too much, then more than likely your hair has a curl in it and when it's wet it's hard to measure the elasticity.  Also, if you have a hair pattern that's always hard to control, speak up!!  Hair cuts can be tailored around the pattern making it look much more natural then trying to train a cow lick to lay down. 
• Don't expect your stylist to do anything but what you tell them to do. 
•  Most are customer pleasing and care about the $$$  so they won't always suggest a cure for something your not ready to or willing to hear.  The key is to know your hair and what you want and for God's sake be REALISTIC!  You wanna enhance what the good Lord gave you, not reinvent nature! 
• Just good common sense and a pet peeve!
•  If you can spend $6 a week for pumpkin spice lattes, you can pop in a salon for a blow out! Plus it's less fattening and will make you feel 10x better! 
• To all you young girls out there.  Straight, stringy, flat, dull hair pulled back in a pony tail is not a hairstyle!  Do something with that mess besides let it grow and hang.  You know your out there, yes you!  Sometimes you sport this style with wearing a pair of pajamas at Wal-Mart.  DRESS AND STYLE FOR THE LIFE YOU WANT, NOT THE ONE YOU HAVE!

-xoxo  Teresa Ann

My neighborhood autumn.

 

Everybody has to have some mums and a pumpkin or two.

 

The colors are beginning to change here in Tennessee.

Sneaking pics of pumpkins from the neighbors.

 

 

 You can see the colors peaking through.

Home Sweet Home through those trees!

 

Baby pumpkins. 

 



Scarecrows on my evening walk.

This is Dre having to control our little social butterfly as there are four dogs and our neighbor walking behind us and Charlie thinks he's the life of the party!