home

I moved back in with my parents. For awhile. I don't really feel like writing about it right now.

What I did want to mention, however, is that my sister Caroline is ENGAGED! To a WONDERFUL man. I am absolutely in awe of Caroline and her fiancée. They are both so honest, caring, mature, and full of life and love. I know they are making measured and careful decisions about their future, which is very key when starting a life together. My hope is that they will always be honest with each other. Not the kind of oops-I-left-the-gate-open-and-the-dog-got-out honesty, but the bare-your-soul-ugly-truth kind of honesty. The kind that hurts feelings at first. The kind that causes anger, shame, and doubt at first. Without this level of honesty, a marriage rests on sinking sand.

But thats quite enough of that.

Its PARTY TIME!!! Here's to you Caroline and Brandon!! I am so thankful to be home with y'all celebrating in this season of love, new beginnings, and hope for the future.

Celebrate your Family

I'm working on a gift for my grandmother- its kinda like a family tree, but not. I don't want to give away the surprise, so I'm not gonna talk about it anymore..... but..... in the course of researching this gift, I ran across some truly fabulous family trees!

Take a look.......

First is my all-time-favorite family tree from my Norman Rockwell book- remember the one I talked about during Thanksgiving? As a child I stared at this picture for hours. I used my finger to trace each branch of the tree, stopping at every couple, imagining their lives together, how they met, where they lived, how they died.... And it tickled me pink every time I made it all the way from the grubby pirate and his dark and mysterious Spanish lady up to the scrubbed and shiny red headed boy.

The next three are all from My Tree and me. Love the colors, love the lines, love the fresh take on the family tree idea..... love it all.

The next two are fabulous because they include pictures!
You can find this one here.

And you can find this one here. By the way, EVERYTHING in this gal's etsy shop is FABULOUS!!! (edit: oh man! I just found out that this print is sold out.... what a bummer. Well, it's still awesome and so is the artist.)

Now, this next piece is a non-traditional family tree. Here you just print the names of all the people in your life, or your child's life, or whoever this little creation is for- and attach those names to the balloons. What a creative way to tell someone," these are the people who lift you up, who make your life bright and cheery, who float around above your head and occasionally loose their helium and start to sink......" well, lets don't take it too literally. Isn't it SOOOOO CUTE? Find it here

Now for a little DIY.... I found these wall decals here , but you can find them all over your world wide interweb. I thought it might be fun to create your own wall art/family tree combo. You could purchase one of these trees (or paint one if you are so inclined) and then add the names of your family members by hand- you could paint them, or find a cool font and print them out.... ooh ooh! and then you could collect small frames and frame each name and "hang" them on the branches of the tree...... I love that idea. Feel free to steal it.

And finally..... click here for a super cute DIY family tree, directions and all. When you finish it should look a little something like this.....

Bye y'all!

A little on the Crafty Side.....

I may have mentioned this before, but I have the best in-laws a girl could asked for. This Thanksgiving was spent getting to know my mother-in-laws side of the family a little better and I had such a FABULOUS time! Aunt Linda (mom Williams' sister) is accomplished at all kinds of handwork- crochet, knit, sewing. For example, take a look at the gorgeous curtains she crocheted....



But I found out Aunt Linda also renovated her basement-turned it into a game room. And most recently she redid her bathroom, re-tiled, built an "open shower" ALL BY HERSELF. She has her own wood working shop in the basement with BIG saws, and nail guns, and caulk... I am jealous and she is amazing.

One of my most favorite surprises was finally meeting Uncle Hank, who is married to Mom Williams' baby sister Gene. Hank is pictured below on the porch of a little cottage he built for himself. Its a tool shed, a craft shop, a hangout and so much more. Hank calls it "Margaritaville"

I told Uncle Hank I was making a mobile to give to my Goddaughter Wynne, and he showed me the mobile he is making for one of the new babies at his church... I mean really? Coincidence? Perhaps. Solid proof that I married into the right family? Oh yes. Below are pieces of his mobile- fabulous little dragonflies and a gorgeous branch from which they will dangle. LOVE IT.


My favorite part of Margaritaville are the green doors. And yes, it does say "What would Jimmy Buffet do?" above the doorway. Look closely and you can see Hank has hung all different types of keys on the door frame. See, its the little touches that make me love this so much. Like the license that says "2 Chill".... Hank has a licence to chill....and chill he does.








Aunt Gene is also a force to be reckoned with. The pics below were taken in her sewing room. She works as a seamstress for an interior decorator and she has every color and kind of thread known to man, an industrial sewing machine, a serger, and a hemming machine... I want to sit in Gene's sewing room for a week and just watch her work. I should have taken more pics of the actual room, but I was mesmerized by this little contraption that Hank made. Its a "bench" for all Gene's bobbins- a "bobbin bench"- and the "seat" is lined with magnets so the little bobbins wont' go rolling around. Its brilliant. And very photogenic :)





And here are more pics of the table cloth that covered the "kids table" this Thanksgiving- I am crazy about it!


I was delighted to finally meet everyone on Mom Williams' side, and doubly delighted to find out how much we all had in common. Life is like that, isnt' it? Full of surprises and hidden treasures, if you just open your eyes, open your heart, and have faith.

Fabulous Friday..... family style

This is the Robinson Clan-My entire extended family on my mama's side. Thats my Grandmother, Aunts, Uncles, First cousins, and spouses of first cousins... and the babies are all children of first cousins(is that second cousin?). I grew up with these people. At least once a year around labor day, we make it our business to get together at my grandmother's cabin and spend the weekend together- we eat, we drink, we tell stories, dress up in costumes and put on shows, and laugh so hard that all the women end up wetting their pants. I didn't always love this giant family though. When i was drowning in the sea of teen angst, I spent all of labor day weekend with headphones glued to my ears and a book 2 inches from my face. I was embarrassed by these freaks. All they did was talk about other people and lecture me about my life and my choices. They were too conservative, too southern, had too many children, were too religious. I was NOTHING like them. They didn't understand me- they had no idea what i was going through. I was CERTIAN I had been adopted. Oh, how things change. This family (and my Daddy's side too) have shaped me into a person I am not ashamed of- in fact, I like myself. I owe them all so much... I owe my aunts who wrote me so many letters brimming with love and hope when i was "in a bad place". I owe my uncles who, along with my daddy, cranked up the "beach music" and let me stand on their feet to dance. I owe my cousins who taught me how to steal smokes from yot-yot, how to put on one helluva talent show, and how to share. I owe my papa who started all this fabulous-ness and who ALWAYS had bubble gum for his grandchildren. I owe my grandmother whose faith is unshakable, whose love is unbreakable, and whose laughter is unstoppable!

Why all the nostalgia? I missed cousins weekend this year. 3 years ago the cousins decided we needed a weekend just for us- away from the "adults". And its an effort to continue this tradition of getting together year after year, even after all the "adults" are gone. And Its another excuse to eat drink dance sing dress up in costumes and wet our pants. I hate that i missed all the fun...but this crap economy wouldn't allow a weekend away.
So, here are my fabulous cousins (with The Grandmother), all on our best behavior cause we just got out of church.... don't let anyone fool you- these people are FREAKS! and I LOVE THEM!!!!

And now- a couple of pics of us "showin out"-- We are all singing a song mama wrote for The Grandmother's 90th birthday-- yes, that fabulous lady is now NINETY ONE-- can you believe it?

Don't you wish you were here?
Happy Friday everyone!