spring fever

Spring has sprung, and after years of dealing with the azalea bushes we inherited (which were literally drowning the front of the house), we decided to re-landscape our front yard. Right now, our front yard is bare...nothing but dirt! But everything should be complete this week and I can't wait to see the end result.

Since our front yard is off-limits, we spent some time working in the backyard this weekend. After about a year or so of neglect, it was time to finish raking, plant some flowers, and lay down new mulch.
 

We tackled this little area below, which is outside of our screen porch and a small walkway to the deck. It desperately needed some love and was looking mighty sad! We dug up the existing sod/dirt, planted simple plants, and put down new mulch. We used red mulch (because that's what the hubs came home with) because that's the color of the leaves that fall there, so it won't be as much upkeep.
 

We also tried to improve this little eyesore too. What a difference that made!

And every year we plant our herb garden. This year, I planted basil, oregano, parsley and mint. Our rosemary is the same plant from last year...you can't kill this stuff...which I love! See my previous herb garden posts here and here. I can't believe this is my 3rd year to blog about this. Time continues to fly by!
 

 

And for some reason, our mint does so much better in a pot by itself. I guess you live and learn, and I've learned mostly by trial and error.

 So with just one Saturday of work, Calder has a much friendlier backyard to play in :)

And I can't get enough of those little thighs and pig tails! I.could.eat.her.UP!

The art of cross stitching

Cross stitch is a true art form. It takes so much patience and creativity, not to mention time! My mom is so very talented, and for as long as I can remember, she has loved cross stitching. I think it's therapeutic for her—she loves to cuddle up with her colorful threads and stitch away. But what makes her designs so special is that it is all freehand, and not done with a pattern. If you've ever tried cross stitch or needlepoint, you know how hard that is!

I guess it runs in the family, because her mother did some beautiful cross stitch and needlepoint work. See the wedding sampler/birth announcement my grandmother did below. I don't think I've inherited this gene. I'm not patient enough for this, nor do I have the time, but I hope later in life I can at least try :)



And here's the amazing wedding sampler my mom did for us. I adore this so, so much, and it will always hang in our living room, and remind us of that special day. Every little detail reflects our wedding...down to the flowers, the church and the exact bench where Bruner proposed to me.



Mom recently designed this beautiful sample for Calder. I can't even describe how much I love this. It is absolutely beautiful, and something Calder will cherish forever, as well as her parents.

 I could stare at it forever.

 

Mom, you are so talented and I can't thank you enough for these treasures. You inspire me everyday, and I hope I am half the artist and mother you are!

Going home

Yes, I know now that I have a family of my own and am almost 30 (sigh), my "home" is in Mobile, but Chattanooga will always be my real "home." Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Mobile and have some of the best friends here I could have ever dreamed of, BUT, there's something about going home that makes you miss where you came from. It's where your roots are, where everyone knows you and who your folks are. It's like going back in time — to where all your childhood memories were made. And let's be honest, I may be near the beach in Mobile, but I miss the mountains! I guess you always love what you're use to :)

Bottom line is — I don't go home often enough.



When Calder's with her Grandaddy, she forgets about everyone else.  I was a huge daddy's girl, so it warms my heart to see this. Of course, she loves SuSu too, but right now Grandaddy is "it"!

Calder with her Godfather, Uncle Jake.

The weather was perfect for a downtown river walk.

 I love this place. I use to sprint up this zig-zag trail all the time, whew...those were the days:)

Mom will probably kill me for posting this photo, but I thought it was so sweet. I think they were very concerned about the wind in her face. Gosh, I love my parents. Calder-bear is so very blessed to have them.

The girl loves to wave ... to EVERYONE.

 

It really was the perfect weekend. We cooked out both nights, had several dance parties (Calder's dance moves are hilarious!), slept in past 7 am (which is a BIG deal), and laughed a lot!

Such a sweet, sweet time. Too short of course, but couldn't have been better medicine for the soul.

New Branding: Liz Legg Designs

Liz Legg recently contacted me to develop a new logo design for her business. Liz designs the most fabulous jewelry and ceramics (mostly decorative bowls and platters). Her work is organic and edgy (not to mention good-looking!), and we wanted her branding to reflect that.

I recreated her personal signature, and we decided to use the top logo (in the image above) as her primary logo, and the bottom design as a possible icon in the future.

Here are some images of Liz's work. For now, you can view more of her work on her facebook pages (here and here), but her new website is coming soon!

 Liz is based in Birmingham, but she recently had a trunk show at Debra's Boutique in Mobile.

I can't wait to see what's ahead for this talented, young designer!

Wise Words by Peter Marshall

This may not be a "pinterest" design, but it is a quote by own kin, which makes me extremely proud :)

Every day I recieve a devotional from sweet Miss Janey, my college pledge sister's mother. She writes about whatever is on her mind, and many times I feel like she's speaking directly to me (or the Lord is speaking through her), and it's just what I need to hear. Well, today, her devotional consisted of this prayer by Peter Marshall.

I rarely mention this, but our family (The LeSourd's) and the Marshall's have been joined together through marriage (is that even how you descibe that??) by my grandfather (Leonard LeSourd, Author and Guidepost's editor for 25 years) and the New York Times Best-selling author, Catherine Marshall. I often forget that we are not related by blood since we've always been so, so close.  To me, they have always my "grandmother" and "aunt and uncle" and "cousins". I NEVER put the word "step" in there. See this post for more background...but every time I read Peter Marshall or Catherine Marshall's words, I feel a HUGE sense of honor to be part of the family. 

And a needed sidenote: My grandfather was so, SO special. Kind of like "my dad kind-of-special." You know exactly what I mean if you know my Dad. But my Grandfather had a heart of gold, and most importantly, a heart for the Lord.

Click here to read my step-grandmother's amazing story, and how she married my precious grandfather, Leonard LeSourd.

And while researching this online, so I could share some relevant, interesting links with y'all, I came accross this gem. Click here to read this article. That's my grandfather to the very left. And that's my dad to the left in the picture to the right. I think I look so much like him here!

It's so fun to see and read things about your family, that you never knew...