Mother's Day, A Winner and Macon, Georgia

Congratulations to Ann of Moonbeams & Fireflies!  

 You were the 19th person to leave a comment and your number was selected by my friend the Random Number Generator.  

 You are the lucky winner of the beautiful candle from Cartini!!   I'll be contacting you by email so that I can send you your beautiful candle gift.  

Growing up did you have a powder puff and bath powder set?   In my younger days I would often get a nice bath set for my birthday and I loved them.   The last dusting powder set I received was probably 15 years ago and today my husband surprised me with a Shelley Kyle powder puff set from Cartini Home.   This set is gorgeous and for all those Frenchies out there, this is a must have.  Such a thoughtful and beautiful gift from my Hossy.

 And speaking of old-fashioned, yesterday my husband treated me to a day of reminiscing poking around Macon, Georgia.   I love the beautiful city of Macon and while it is not my hometown, I grew up nearby and spent a lot of time there in my youth.   It's hard to decide between Macon and Savannah when trying to choose Georgia's most beautiful city but there is no doubt both cities are worth seeing.  

Both cities have beautiful handmade brick streets in some of the historic areas.   

In some areas of the downtown there are a number of hilltops and I recall growing up there was an old law still on the books that made it illegal to curse on a certain street on Sunday.  Apparently those trying to get their horse and buggies up the hill to get to church were creating a bad atmosphere for worshippers.

Saint Joseph's Catholic Church - from Wikipedia

 So here is a sampling of scenes from yesterday's drive.

My doctor's office growing up.  I hated the shots but love the doctor and his office.

The Hay House

If you are ever passing through Georgia, be sure to plan some time to stop in Macon.
Today I'm linking up with The Tablescaper to celebrate her 100th post!!!

Let's Dish for Mother-in-Laws

An engagement photo

 I never met my mother-in-law but thanks to her sister, in some ways I know her.   Unfortunately she died while trying to give birth to a baby girl when my husband was not yet 3 years old so he can't remember her.  Early in our marriage on my first trip to Beirut, my mother-in-law's sister spent some very special time with me, telling me about Selma and sharing some items from her trousseau (I have several beautiful handmade linens and lingerie).   Her family also gave me her china and my father-in-law paid more than what the dishes were worth to package them up and ship them to me.  

Set with the demitasse instead of the tea cup

 Though this tablescape may lack the artistry and beauty of many bloggers table settings, it makes up for it with love - lot's of it.

 There are many things I 

cannot tell you about my my husband's mother, Selma but I love her lemonade set.  I can just imagine her girlfriends gathering for tea and the trays and tables being set with beautiful hand-embroidered pink doilies and napkins.  
Had the Noritake dishes she used been sold in the U.S. at the time they were made, the set would have been marked Made in Occupied Japan but because they were purchased in Lebanon, this was not required.    There are 24 place settings and the set has all sorts of serving pieces such as this domed dish with a porcelain strainer that my husband calls the olive dish. 

 We have finger bowls too.  I'm not sure that I would know exactly how to use them but I love them simply because they connect me to my husband's family. 

Today I'm linking up with Cuisine Kathleen to enjoy the Let's Dish for Mother's Day.   Hope your Mother's Day is full of happiness and wonderful memories.  

Cartini Home and a Giveaway!

Today there were several other things to I was planning to post about but on my drive home I happened to pass by a new shop near my house so I changed my mind and decided to post about the shop.  (Don't you just love those colorful dot wall vases pictured above?)

Getting a new store in the area where I live is a really big deal.  Our neighborhood has several unique restaurants (other than franchises) but we don't have shops.  The best we have nearby is Scott Antique Market but it's only once a month so you can imagine my excitement today when I discovered Cartini Home!

The store is loaded with soaps, candles, handmade vintage jewelry, kitchen items, cool items, nostalgic items, garden goods, gifts and even candies from the 60's.   Carter and Jim are the shopkeepers and my husband and I had a great time talking with them and hearing about some of the local items they sell. 

The store is in an old auto repair shop and it's been transformed into a great space.  As we were headed out the door Carter and Jim gave  me a beautiful Himalayan Trading Post candle (which is made right here in metro Atlanta) for me to giveaway on my blog.   So, I will be giving away the lovely candle pictured below on Mother's Day.   Please leave a comment so that your name will be entered to win. 

Don't you love the candle container?  I brought home several other items that I couldn't resist.

Also, for those of you living in the Atlanta area, I'm thinking of holding a bloggers event on the south side later this summer and including Cartini Home in the outing.  Email me if you are interested in attending and I'll let you know when I get the event organized.  

Today I'm linking up with The Tablescaper to celebrate Seasonal Sunday.  Hope you will stop by and see what other bloggers are up to.

Vern Yip, UNICEF and The Experience

Last night I had the pleasure of attending one of the most exciting fundraising events for one of my favorite charities, UNICEF.  

 As I child I remember going trick or treat with my UNICEF box and since that time UNICEF has been a part of my life.  

In Atlanta UNICEF offers lectures throughout the year, providing updates on their work and areas of focus but last night I had the "Experience."   Below are a few photos and experiences.   

As guests arrived we were given a card with our "child" and their personal story.   My child's name is Joy and she's from the Philippines.   Her home was washed away in a tropical storm that washed away hundreds of homes in her community.  Joy is still with me.   

 As the evening began the first thing guests were asked to do was to pick up and carry a 5 gallon container of water to see what life is like for those without water resources.  They must carry what they need and most of the time the distance from the water source is great.  Lucky for me I just had to walk down a long hallway rather than a long distance.

It was interesting to see how much water we use for simple tasks.   Having spent time in Lebanon during the war I know what it is like to have limited water though I'm guilty of taking a hot shower for granted (25 gallons of water to take a shower).

Throughout the banquet hall there were stations sharing facts about health, nutrition, education and disaster relief.   At each station were UNICEF volunteers providing details about UNICEF's work and how we could help.  

Guests were given cards with prices of each item and details on how each purchase meet needs. 

  I bought a desk for classroom.   One of the things that I learned during my experience is that after a disaster a classroom helps restore a feeling of community and normalcy, even when housing is still lacking.  

UNICEF brings communities together through schools. 

It was so precious that children attended the event, and yes, a few celebrities too, like Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Vern Yip.   Rebecca Gupta chaired the event and Vern is a UNICEF Ambassador.

It was an evening of immersion in the lifesaving work of UNICEF. 

Georgia Market Bulletin

 Every year for as long as I can remember I've enjoyed reading the Farmers Market Bulletin.   I'm not a farmer but I did grow up in an agricultural area and have spent many a summer in the field or in the yard, picking, shucking or shelling by the bushel.   

Until now I'm still a big fan of the Bulletin which has ads for just about anything agricultural you might need.  Equipment, animals, bees, land, etc., and also recipes but my favorite listings are the plants.   

Thanks to Summerhill Seeds for the photo

 This year I bought seeds, yellow datura, ginger lilies and found a new friend!  In the bulletin you can also post items that you are looking for and there was someone looking for a swamp hibiscus.   I called the number posted in the ad and what do you know, Ruth lives just 5 minutes from my house.   She stopped by to pick up her swamp hibiscus and brought me a tree lily!  I'd never heard of such but it's already about about four feet tall and can reach heights of eight feet or so.   Ruth brought several other plants including lemon balm and we had so much fun going through my beds picking out other plants we could swap out.   

My mother always told me never to say thank you for a plant, and before I could tell Ruth we shouldn't say thanks, she reminded me that we better not thank each other for the good health of our plants (I'm so superstitious)!  Instead exchanged lots of hugs and decided to keep in touch so that we could continue our swaps.  This week Ruth sent me a beautiful card with the sweetest note. 

The Market Bulletin is more than just ads, articles and agriculture, it's a connection to some of Georgia's finest.  It was great to meet you Ruth.

Today as soon as I link up with The Tablescaper, I'm heading out to the garden.