Little Beauties

I'm not a huge fan of the "push gift" idea, but if my husband had given this ring to me in the delivery room I would have quickly changed my song. I love motherhood jewelry as long as it's subtle and simple. I love jewelry that is highly personal. This ring brings all of that together with its delicate little engraving on the side, like a secret meant only for the lucky mama and those with whom she chooses to share. I found this on one of my current favorite blogs, A Cup of Jo, by the way.

Speaking of motherhood jewelry, the bracelet below was a collaborative gift between my mother and my husband. The line is called Waxing Poetic and can be found at one of my favorite places Gatewood Hall Gracious Home in Blue Ridge, Georgia. This store is my happy place and deserves a post all its own, so be on the lookout for that. What I love about this bracelet is that you can add onto it as your family grows, as mine did. Mine are both March babies, so the aquamarine is the birthstone for my boy and my girl.

The last picture is a necklace given to me by my gorgeous and always stylish friend Marcee. The engraved letters spell mom, and the peridot is for my August birthday.

What are your favorite motherhood gifts?

Zoo Animal Limousine

My son spent much of the afternoon building and playing with this car full of animals. He calls it his limousine and he's very particular about who rides where. It reminded me of this beautiful quote by Fred Rogers: "Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood." Oh how I love seeing my little boy do his work, and how I hope I remember not to rush him through it.

Windy Reading and a Copper Lantern

I won't forget the snowstorm turned ice storm that hit Atlanta when I was in my early twenties. When the bad weather hit we were lucky enough to have my grandfather, Will Hayes Roberts, visiting from Nashville. He dug up the poem Snowbound (The sun that brief December day/Rose cheerless over hills of gray...) and suggested we gather around the table to read by candlelight. I don't know about you, but my early twenties weren't characterized by a desire to sit around a table reading poetry with my family members, and the poem is very, very long. I think I left the room after the first syllable or so. Nonetheless, something from that day must have resonated with me because when my cousin Hayes sent this over the weekend, it made perfect sense: sit inside, make a drink, and read great literature about hurricanes during a (potential, not so big after all) hurricane.

The Bar at Husk via

Meanwhile, we got out on Saturday night to celebrate an anniversary of sorts. The town was sleepy and the streets empty thanks to the tourists staying home in fear of Irene. We were able to walk right up to the bar at Husk and sample two of their highly raved about cocktails: the Copper Lantern and the Swizzle. I am a sucker for anything retro, and I'm in love with the new retro cocktail trend. While the Swizzle was excellent, the Copper Lantern was the kind of cocktail recipe that will survive for the next 100 years...smooth, honey-flavored, belly-warming deliciousness.

Hello Irene

The kids and I drove to Isle of Palms today to see what the waves looked like. Rain was coming down and the clouds were ominous looking so we stayed in the car, and I'm no surfer (surprising, I know) but the waves were truly rad. The schools are closed, the air here feels electric, and there is excitement everywhere. Best of all there were kids in the streets holding surfboards in hand, headed for the beach.

Some people are taking Irene very seriously. This is Meeting Street today via

Back to School

Is there anything better than back to school? When I was a student I loved going back to school for the fresh start it gave me and for the experience of shopping for and organizing school supplies. I had a desk in my room which I kept filled with bright pens, paper, paper clips - anything I could talk my mother into buying for me.

 via PBteen

When I taught fifth grade I loved back to school because I enjoyed getting my room ready and meeting my students for the first time. Fifth graders are so eager to learn, and again I loved starting the year with a clean slate (for them and for me). Now that I'm a mom, I look forward to back to school for the obvious reason - that I get to farm my older child out for six hours a week so I can grocery shop alone, shower without wondering whether he's in the other room hurting himself or breaking my china, and spend some one-on-one time with my five month-old who never gets me all to herself. I also look forward to getting back to having some structure to our weeks and of course to watching my son delight in learning new things. 

My oldest will be starting the two year-old program at our church two mornings a week. His teacher sent him this sweet note welcoming him to her classroom. It came in the mail addressed to him, which he of course loved.

And here's my little guy beginning Mother's Morning Out last year. 

Make this Summer Salad

Today at 4:30 I was wondering what to make for dinner as I railed through the grocery store, one child strapped to me and the other crying while driving one of those hideous race car shopping cart things around. This salad never fails. You can add things or take them away depending on what you forget at the store, and you can easily make it a meal by adding protein. Here are the ingredients:

arugula (my go-to lettuce because the nutty flavor can't be beat)

mango (it's so sexy and the color looks so pretty with any shade of green)

red onion chopped fine

tomatoes

toasted almonds (just put them in a pan with a little olive oil - it's easy)

avocado

Dress it all by mixing white wine vinegar, fresh lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper together. Make sure to  start with the vinegar and lime juice and then whisk the olive oil into that to emulsify it. Tonight we added rotisserie chicken and it was so easy. 

Hurricane Preparedness

When we moved to Charleston less than a year ago we expected we'd encounter a hurricane or two, and now with Irene barreling up the coast it's ON. In our house we like to be prepared, so we're busy getting our hurricane kit ready. Here's what it includes:

2 oz. light rum
2 oz. dark rum
2 oz. passion fruit juice
fresh limes
tall glasses

Directions:

1. squeeze juice from half a lime into a shaker over ice
2. pour remaining ingredients into shaker
3. shake well
4. strain into a proper hurricane glass and garnish with what you like: cherries, oranges, more lime
you can add orange juice, grenadine, or simple syrup to sweeten it a bit.

Of course the original hurricane comes from Pat O'Briens in New Orleans. The drink was developed as a way to use up rum during prohibition when rum was plentiful and other liquors like whiskey were in short supply. To read up about how to host a proper hurricane party, see here.

Now close your shutters, hunker down, and enjoy!