Show Us Your Life - Wedding

UPDATE: New pictures posted HERE.

Kelly over at Kelly's Korner is having a Show Us Your Life party and this week's topic is your wedding. I could not join in last week's fun because I didn't have a wedding dress. I'm a bit of a cheapskate and I'm a perfectionist. These two items did not combine well in my mind for having a wedding. I wanted it to be cheap but I wanted it to be perfect. I was having trouble reconciling these two as we planned for our wedding. And then DH had the perfect solution. He asked me to skip the planning (we had a future date picked and rings already) and just marry him that day.

I told him if he could pull it off I would do it. Jeff called his mom and she called her local county clerk to see if we could get a marriage license that day. The county clerk agreed to meet us at the courthouse in Mt Ida, Arkansas at 6 pm. DH's family lived about 20 minutes from here. We called my family (mom, stepdad, dad, granny, brother and sister-in-law) and asked if they could meet us at 6 pm at the courthouse. It was 4 hours away for my brother and his wife and 2 hours away from everyone else.

Image courtesy http://www.arkansasties.com/Montgomery/CourtHouse.htm

So shortly after 6 pm we all met here, got our license and were married under that tree to the right by DH's maternal grandfather - he is a Baptist preacher! The ceremony was about 3 minutes long and we wore khakis!!! It was May 6, 2000 so the trees and flowers were gorgeous!

We only had snapshots taken by our family. I'm out of town so I don't have access to any pictures. I found this one in a past post. I know you can't tell much but that is our wedding day photo!

The pictures were hilarious - especially the one my MIL posted in her local paper. There was a green water hose coiled up to the side in the picture! I about died when I saw that. Oh well!

After the wedding we went to the Fish Nest in Glenwood, AR for dinner. My dad treated - he got off SO cheap. This is why I am his favorite daughter to this day. OK, I'm his only daughter, too.

Anyway - after 9 years we are still happy as ever and I LOVE our wedding memory. And it was the perfect way to keep it on the cheap! Come to think of it - what a perfect wedding for a Southern Fried Gal!!! Thanks, Kelly, for asking us to share!

DIYY Party Fun

I really don't like to miss a party. I haven't accomplished anything by way of projects this week so I decided to blow the dust off these pictures in order to join in the fun over at Kimba's. We'll call it the second installment in a Do-It-Your-Youngself party. (You can check out the first installment here.)

I always like to do something fun but cheap and homemade for the kid's parties. My sweet sister-in-love has dubbed me the "trier" (is that how you would spell that?). Anyway I've tried everything from a Princess cake to a Pirate Ship cake! A couple of years back I was feeling a little uninspired and lazy, um I mean, I wanted to let the kids have a go at some fun.

I declared Big Red's third birthday party as "Design-Your-Own-Cupcake" day. I whipped up some vanilla cupcakes and a batch of icing, separated into four containers, and added the color. I always have fun sprinkles of some sort on hand because I shop the clearance section a week or two after a holiday - you can get some crazy good deals that way! I think that container was around $0.25!! Threw in a few popsicle sticks for applicators and this idea was a hit!

Of course Princess K's was beautiful!

Look at the concentration on their little faces!

And they added as much of everything as they wanted!

(be sure to have lots of popsicle sticks for the lickers)

A fun time was had by all!

Especially the adult men - I should have posted pictures but I value my life! They really got into their designs. One paid homage to his High School Mascot and the other to a favorite Dallas Hockey Team! Oh my!

Don't forget to check out all the REAL DIY projects over at A Soft Place to Land this week!

Sunshine Update

OK - the party's over. So what do I share with you now? How about a little Sunshine Update! This is not small talk. We are not talking about the weather. Remember my friend in real life, Sunshine? She's the gal behind all those delicious recipes over at Make Life Delicious. She also now holds the honor of having the Best Summer Dessert at the MyRecipes.com blog, You've Got To Taste This!

She won for her this beautiful Fruit Pizza - it's like a work of art! I can't wait for her to bring me a slice, er, um, I mean to try this recipe. Wanna give it a whirl yourself? Here's the printable recipe!

I am so excited for Sunshine! If you get a chance jump over to her blog to congratulate her! WARNING: You will want to add Make Life Delicious to your daily updates so enter at your own risk! Be sure to tell her Southern Fried Gal sent you her way!

What's your favorite summer dessert recipe?

Saturdays with Southern Living at HOME

Welcome to this week's edition of Saturdays with Southern Living at HOME. I hope you have enjoyed all the ideas from convention and the fall 2009 product showcase! Don't forget to link up with my Show Your SLAH Style party and enter the Gail Pittman Giveaway! I talked a lot about our products this week and wanted to take a moment to talk about the other "products" we have to offer!

One of the very best "products" we offer is friendship! I have added so many beautiful ladies to my friend list through this wonderful opportunity. We are friends outside the business as well. I am so thankful and blessed to have these ladies in my life!

Another "product" that has meant the world to me is confidence and personal development. I used to have a panic attack at the very thought of getting in front of folks to speak. I have found through my business that this is something I now enjoy! I present our products and offerings in homes about 6-8 times each month now. I also get to share my success and help develop others through training at our monthly team meetings!

The "product" I value most is being able to start and run my own business with minimal start up costs. I paid my initial investment back with my first two parties! I don't have to answer to anyone about my business. I can take a nap in the middle of the day with my BBC, have something to call my own, and still add to our monthly income!

And I have the ability to bless others! In August we can bless our hostesses with the FABULOUS Savannah Beverage Server for FREE (value is $130). So far this year I have blessed my hostesses with over $5000 in FREE products! How cool is that? And I also use my business to help with fund raisers. Last year we helped several organizations such as the Make-a-Wish foundation, Komen Race for the Cure, Heifer International among others!


As you can tell I love what I do! Sound fun and interesting? Let's chat to see if this would be a good fit for you, too! Have a great weekend!

Show Your SLAH Style Party and Giveaway!

This Giveaway Is Now Closed.

I have had SO much fun sharing ideas from the Southern Living at HOME Fall 2009 Product Showcase at convention! I so appreciate your comments and I'm glad you have been enjoying all the eye candy! So now let's have a party!!! Convention was in TX where everything is bigger and better. I'll kick off the party with a TX BBQ! Then y'all link up with your favorite SLAH ideas and products! Sound fun? Let's get going!

Come on over and don't be shy.

We have a little something for everyone!

Here's our menu - sound yummy?


What, you never served from a garden planter before?
You should really give it a try!

OK - now it is YOUR turn! Kimba introduced me to McLinky. It's our first date and I'm a little nervous!

Here's how to play (and I borrowed and modified her rules, thanks, Kimba!)...
1. Add a permalink to your specific post, not the main page of your blog.

2. Include a short description of your post in parenthesis after the name of your blog. For example, SouthernFriedGal (Texas BBQ).
3. Link to this party from your post so everyone can get in on the fun.
4. Visit, visit, visit and comment, comment, comment!
5. Double-check to make sure your link works and goes to the right page so it doesn’t get deleted! If you come back and see your link is gone, re-read these rules and try again. No worries!

Oh and I mentioned a GIVEAWAY didn't I?!! I'm giving away a Gail Pittman Large Serving Bowl valued at $44.95!! It's simple to earn an entry - link up with your favorite Southern Living at HOME products and then leave a comment. If you don't have a post you can still enter by sharing which idea you enjoyed most over this past week in the comment section. That's easy - super easy! I hope we get lots of ideas!!!

Styling Shelves

Can you believe we only have a couple more days left in the Southern Living at HOME Convention/Fall 2009 party? I am having so much fun pouring over the pictures and finding new nuggets to share with you! Let's take a quick look at styling shelves. I have a lot of built-ins in my den and it's hard for me to get just the right look in each one.

I could sit and stare at this shelf all day long. I love to layer the accessories into my shelves to create depth and interest. I think these are perfectly layered. I can't wait to incorporate a few of these ideas/layouts into my built-ins. Is it fall, yet?

This is such a fun craftroom nook. Love mixing all the bright colors together and using our many baskets, planters, buckets and such for organization. Doesn't this just make you want to craft something?

I especially like how they took advantage of every bit of space on that shelf - even the sides!

This shelf is a little fruity - ha ha ha! The lighting in these shelves is beautiful and I love how they are playing with complimentary colors here. Bright and fresh!

Two favorite new products displayed here. Up top the Gail Pittman Al Fresca Accent Server and on the bottom the Galveston Memo Board with Must Have Holder.

Are you nifty at styling shelves? What are some of your tricks?

Sweet Baby Shower

Be prepared for lots of oohs and awws on this next idea from the Southern Living at HOME Convention/Fall 2009 party. This is the sweetest baby shower setup and could easily be modified for a wedding shower or even a wedding reception.

Love all the attention to detail!

Like these Amelia Beaded Glass containers hanging with ribbon from the canopy and with a sweet little flowers.

I came home and immediately ordered the 3 tiered stand (on sale for $12.95 in July) and Large Glass Dome (on sale for $14.95 in July) so I can create this centerpiece (and other variations). I love how the dome gives it more height and then that can be embellished - super cute!

I am ALL ABOUT dressing up the chair backs after this convention. How about a sweet vase filled with flowers and secured to the chair with gauzy ribbon - simple and sweet!

Mixing and matching collections to create the place settings. The charger is our new Dress Me Up Glass Platter (on special in August). Gallery collection is next followed by the Verde collection to bring in a pop of color. And aren't those baby pictures a cute way to carry out the theme?

This makes me want to get out there and host a baby shower in my home right away!

Tablescape Thursday Southern Living at HOME Style!

I am SO excited to be able to join in on Tablescape Thursday hosted by Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch. Each week she features beautiful tablescapes and then encourages readers to link up. I love all the beautiful ideas but never seem to have the time to create in time for the party. I'm excited to share lots of inspiration this week from the Southern Living at HOME 2009 convention featuring products from our Fall 2009 catalog!

WARNING: Lots of pictures loaded with inspiration to follow...enjoy!

Let's start with a fun SEASIDE theme.

So cute to have the starfish in the netting!

(you can click to enlarge all photos)

One of my favorite new products are our Soda Glass Containers. Here they are filled with colored water and floating candles and bundles of daisies. Love the color pop in that bundle to the right - perfect!

And a closeup of the place setting. Never thought of using actual sand and shells but it works in our new Cyprus Footed Bowl as a charger!

Moving on to my personal favorite - I'm calling it SIMPLE GREEN. Those centerpieces are just perfection in my book. And again I love the pop of color in the oranges scattered on the table.

The place settings are simple and elegant. I like the layering of color from the Gallery Collection white to the Verde Collection Green, and finishing off with the fun Terrace Appetizer plates.

How about a FIESTA?

Unexpected pairings for the place settings. The charger is a platter from our new Verde Serving Set. The dinner and salad plates are from our hand-painted Gail Pittman Garland collection in Siena. Clever how they used the polka dot spoon rests to hold individual salsa!

Another favorite table...simple and elegant!

You had me at Agapantha!

LOVE the layering here! Charger is Covington Accent Trays. Dinner Plate is Villa Stoneware Collection. Salad plate and bowl are from Verde Collection. And that gorgeous smaller plate is a new Gail Pittman collection called Al Fresco! The Chesapeake flatware brings out the brown from each collection. Gorgeous!

And I know it is still five months until Christmas but it is never too early to start collecting inspiration! This is so my style in that it simple with big WOW factor. Love that nature was pulled in with that large branch for the centerpiece. I can't wait to get my hands on some of those funky ornaments!

Our Gail Pittman Christmas Memories dinnerware is to die for. And it coordinates beautifully with our Verde and Cinnabar Collections!

And last but not least, love the look of this metal stocking to embellish the backs of chairs. Good thing those buckets are on sale for just $9.95 through July 31st so I can stock up for this look!

I know there are tons of great ideas here and I hope you have found inspiration from at least one picture. I hope to craft my own tablescapes in the very near future and become a regular participant in this party. Be sure to skip over to Susan's and check out all the other inspiration!

p.s. Want your own copy of the Fall 2009 Southern Living at HOME catalog? Send me an email with your name, phone number, and address so I can drop one in the mail to you!

We Interrupt This Party For...

Don't you hate it when you are hosting a week long party but two other fabulous gals are also hosting parties at the same time? If you are like me this happens often in REAL life - ha! I hated that I missed Kimba's DIY fun last week and I don't want to miss out this week - especially since there is a giveaway that I have a slim-to-none chance of winning with this post - double ha!

As you know I have been busy getting back from convention and processing all the pictures, tools, and information given there. So I'm really cheating in this post this week. That Kimba is a nice gal and doesn't make too many rules so I think I should be OK.

I guess I could REALLY cheat and share this table that you could craft from reclaimed wood and tiles. I bet some of y'all probably have spindles or something funky cute around your home to use for legs...

I could talk about adding painted board to the back of your firescreen to dress it up for summer even though I have never done this myself...


I could tell you to carefully drill a hole in the back bottom of a cute little olive jar and use a lamp kit for a fun little accent...


I could even tell you to be on the lookout for some cute metal buckets, drill a hole in the bottom and use for light covers in your dining room...

But instead I chose to share a simple "project" that I did with BBC this afternoon. He is so stinking excited about starting kindergarten in just under a month. We have found that he does well with a countdown. I had these balloon cutouts left over from another project and we numbered them, added double-sided tape and stuck them up in his room. Y'all can't imagine how excited he was and all he could talk about was getting up in the morning to remove one. I'm thankful that a simple project can serve so many purposes and give me a little break from my busyness to enjoy the simple things...I so needed that reminder today!

Hop on over to Kimba's to check out all the REAL DIY projects!

IF you like the inspirations you saw in the post you will enjoy the other posts this week - Clever Ideas, Lamp Inspirations, Beautiful Rooms, and Mantles. Check back for tablescapes and other inspiring photos!

Clever Ideas and Announcement

Are we having fun, yet? I sure am! I love sharing ideas from the Southern Living at HOME convention/fall 2009 product showcase. I am energized even more by your comments! As you can imagine there were LOTS of clever ideas so I picked out a few of my favorites to share with you!

Love how the new Allegria Wall Tiles were used to create this table top. And how in the world did I miss that lamp made from the Verona Olive Jar in the background in my last post?!

Who would have thought to hang coffee mugs to the carafe with ribbon? This idea can translate into many others for a fun brunch or coffee chat! Oh, and if you love that carafe you can get it for just $14.95 as a hostess in August!

How about turning our small Cordova Table into a bench by adding foam and covering with beautiful fabric (like from our shower curtain)!! Love it! I also like how the Parisian Luminaries were hung from the mantle.


Did you figure out how these tree displays were made? Our Farmhouse Tiered Basket is sitting on top of that piece of birch and filled with pots of red flowers. Then the greenery is tucked and shaped around to create the tree. Too cute and you will be seeing this concept in my home later this year.

Another idea that I will be rocking out in my home. The Filigree Iron Candlestand is hung on the wall and the large Rosedale Plant Holder is wired to the bottom leg. Finish off with a beautiful planter (like our new Bradshaw House Planter) nestled inside and add flowers and greenery to to match your personal style!

You really have to keep your eyes open at the product showcase because they are hiding everywhere in plain site! I took a picture of this sweet chair because I thought the new Petite Accent Tray was so cute with those desserts. When I was going through pictures I noticed how they tied the napkins to the back to create pockets where they tucked our petite bud vases in to embellish the chair! I believe this is where some of you might write something like - SQUEEAALL!

How about crafting your own awning - out of rain gauges??? They make this stuff look easy, don't they!

Ideas abound everywhere in these pictures - have you seen something that catches your eye? I would love to know about so please leave me a comment.

ALSO - I know all you fabulous ladies have clever ideas so I am going to host a Southern Living at HOME - show me what you got party later this week. So start snapping pictures of your products and get ready to join in the fun! More details to come.