Atlanta Botanical Gardens: Cocktails in the Garden

 

A few weeks ago a couple girlfriends and I made the trip to Atlanta Botanical Gardens Cocktails in the Garden series. It was hot and muggy but we still had a good time. Especially once the weather cooled {at least a little} and the drinks started kicking in. The gardens were so pretty, the roses were my favorite! And I love all the different ponds. So soothing.

 

Why hello there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lilly Pulitzer hosted Cocktails in the Garden in June. Hence the bright prints.

 

 

 

 

Pretty crepe myrtles

 

 

 

 

What a cool fountain!

 

 

I love all the different purples. So pretty and not too fussy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look how many lilies are on that plant!

 

 

I like the way they built up the walls for the rose garden and used different kinds of foliage to add texture, dimension, and color. Everything is a little different but goes together so nicely.

 

 

 

Cool sculpture!

 

Purple hydrangeas

 

Vegetable garden. This inspires me to have my own veggie patch. Somehow I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon, lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In case you were wondering when to do your planting here you go!

 

Vertical herb garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entering the {partially air conditioned} green house. We pretended to be stranded in the Amazonian forest traipsing through the muggy climate. But the hallway was a nice blast of cool reprieve!

 

So cool! Plants hanging from the ceiling of the building.

 

Such a pretty pond filled with lily pads and lotus plants.

 

 

 

 

 

Ribbet Ribbet! Oh hello there!

 

 

It takes two to tango!

 

Off to get a bite. Thanks @ATLBotanical for a great night! Hope to be back soon, hopefully on a cooler evening.

 

 

Have a bright night!

Bright Girl

July photo a day so far..

Okay haven’t posted my pics in a post in a while so here they are. Remember to check out fatmumslim.com.au for the complete Photo A Day Challenge, twitter and instagram #photoadayjuly.

 

 

Day 1} Self Portrait~ Generally how I’m forced to sleep with this pumpkin cat upon my head.

 

Day 2} Busy~ Our caterpillars transformed into butterflies! I became a temporary vet again creating the perfect home for these critters.

 

 

 

Day 3} Best part of my day~ If you fall asleep near me I’ll probably take your picture if you look cute. Mom and two sleepy babies.

 

 

Day 4} Fun~ Cute art project for the 4th! I’m lucky to be able to do creative stuff like this at work. Fun fun!

 

 

Day 5} On the floor~ Stella and Remy having a ball. That girl is crazy!

 

 

Day 6} Chair~ Waiting in the movie theater waiting for “Magic Mike” to start. It was just okay in case you were wondering. But I had fun with my girls:)

 

 

Day 7} Garden~ We had TONS of Casablanca lilies this year. So pretty!

 

 

Day 8} Lunch~ Reliving my Vinings days with a meatloaf sandwich at Jacks New Yorker Deli on the Marietta Square. Yummy.

 

 

Day 9} Big~ Came across this beaut at the antique mall. Woah that’s a lotta Elvis!

 

 

Day 10} Favorite color~ I have many favorite colors but my favorite color to decorate with is French blue. My whole room is French blues, greens, and creams. Very feminine. What is your favorite color?

 

 

Day 11} Letter~ So I didn’t take a picture this day but isn’t this fun! Village post office I drove past whilst in England a few years ago. Oh how I wish I was there now.

 

 

Day 12} Texture~ Rubbing from my art classes in Italy several summers ago. Again, oh how I wish I was there.

 

 

 

Anyone else doing the challenge?

Hope to post again tomorrow, antiquing and thrifting on a hot summer day is the best indoor activity. Scott antique market this weekend, who’s going!?

Have a bright night!

Bright Girl

***Happy 4th of July! ***

I hope everyone has had a great Independence Day! Good food, fireworks, and a little R&R tossed in for good measure. I’ve been watching the Macy’s fireworks in NYC, so cool! I would’ve loved to be there in person watching all those glittering lights. Maybe someday. For now we stayed home and lounged most of the day. Maman cut loads more white lilies and made some pretty bouquets. The whole house smells so good!

           

Yves Delorme “Liberte”

Stella approved of the improvement but promptly proclaimed that since we took away her basket she would claim this spot as her own.

The door has been redecorated in red, white, and blue!

Have a bright night!

bright girl :}

Lovin’ from the oven

The other day I had the afternoon off so I pulled out the measuring cups and spoons and did some baking. I really enjoy baking, much more than cooking. My baked goods are always crowd pleasers and it’s been a while since I did any baking so why not?
I love looking through old cook books and seeing all of the retro culinary creations of the past. Like Frenchie sauces, jello salad, meat casseroles galore. It inspires me to bring things back and get all Julia Childs on ya’ll. Not sure if that will happen but that could be an interesting blog series? Thoughts?
For now here are some sweet treats. Toasted almond cherry scones & homemade chocolate chip cookies. I found this scone recipe on foodtv.com from Chef Anne Burrell here. I love making scones, I find them very simple to make and I can make a lot from a single batch. I never cut them into wedges in the traditional manner because I prefer making lots of bite sized scones. The toasted almonds and cinnamon make these scones really tasty!



I found this chocolate chip cookie recipe in my Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking cookbook, the recipe is online here. Instead of using 3 kinds of chips I opted for just a single bag of semi sweet. I looked through an old, old cookbook for tasty chocolate chip cookies and found this Williams-Sonoma recipe was exactly the same just with different kinds of chips. I can vouch that they are GOOD! Plain sugar and brown sugar, yumm!

Cookies & Milk

One of my Biltmore Dairy Farms milk glasses holds fresh flowers & the other holds milk for my cookies. :}

Fresh flowers from the garden

If you give a cat a cookie, he’ll probably want some milk to go with it.

What are some of your favorite baking recipes or family favorites? I’m always looking for something new to try!

Have a bright day!

Bright Girl

I’m alive!~ Photo a day July & Show and Tell

So it’s been a while since I posted anything. I guess things have just gotten away from me between reading for my book club and starting an almost daily trek to the gym I’ve gotten behind on the blog. I’m foregoing finishing the June photo a day and moving onward and upward with July. Can you believe it’s July!?! Half the year has gone by without me even realizing.


Here’s the July List. My birthday is “upside down!” Let’s hope that’s not an omen!



#Photoadayjuly


July Photo A Day Challenge


1} Self Portrait~This is usually how I’m forced to sleep in some fashion. I’m pretty sure this week Pumpkin has been scratching my face in my sleep to wake me in order to fill his kibble dish. I feel like one of the characters in “The Birds” but my movie is called “The Cats: 5 is enough.”





2} Busy~ Today was a busy day as usual made even more interesting by the fact that all 5 caterpillars emerged from their cocoons and transformed into butterflies! I quickly picked them some flowers and made them sugar water to gobble up. Aren’t they pretty!






~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Show & Tell


So in case you didn’t know already I love antique china and have started collecting a few vintage patterns, which of course are hard to find. I bought some things on ebay last month to add to my collection. I think some of these would be so pretty hung as a collection on a wall someday. I even found a few pieces featured on Susan Branch’s blog, drool worthy kitchen and china collection! Take a peep here!
Here is the start of my own collection.

Part of my Tuscan English Bird of Paradise collection. I started collecting the pink pieces a few years ago because, well, I love pink. But the pattern itself is beautiful too. It’s really hard to find online, it’s over 60 years old and most sellers don’t put names and when they do they are rarely the same. I call it “Birds of Paradise.” I found a few mint green pieces that look very pretty with the pink and just got a cup that is a pale blue, I guess they made it several different ways.

 

Susan Branch has several pieces of this Minton Cockatrice pattern featured on her blog {unnamed creamers are pictured}. This hand painted pattern in a bright pink is very eye catching.

For obvious reasons I’ve also started collecting Chelsea Bird in the older aqua blue color. I just found a tea set of dessert plates, creamer, sugar, and cake plate.

I also found this adorable vintage Minton milk pitcher for a steal! The hand painted ribbon and flowers are so sweet, I thought it would be great for fresh floral bouquets.




Meakin Avondale in the lighter sage green color. So pretty! I found a huge collection of this at Scott Antique Market but held back from buying anything until I checked online prices which were MUCH less. I’m all about the deals!

Fresh peaches are the epitome of summertime!

Finishing up my photo shoot, every time I take pictures downstairs this Pumpkin cat comes around.






Is there something you love to collect? Scott Antique Market is next weekend, anything I should look out for?
Have a bright day!
Bright Girl