:: March Madness, Part 2::

Easter was also in March this year and we were excited to get more Easter chicks for my "chicks". Between us and our nephews we had 6 chicks to love on! Parrish named them Otter jr., bunny and peep and enjoyed playing with them while his cousins were in town.

I don't think Knox knew quite what to think about the chicks! He just watched them calmly most of the time (there was that once he reached out, grabbed one and squeezed...ahhhhhh....the trauma!).

I love this picture of two little chicks.  His twirly toes remind me so much of his sister.

Later this week we'll take the chicks to live at a friends house. She keeps chickens and says she'll even share some of their eggs with us. Yum!  It will be so much fun to show Parrish what they look like all grown up.

The Saturday before Easter our neighborhood does a big egg hunt and this year we REALLY hunted in style. 4,000 eggs were dropped from a HELICOPTER for the kids to hunt! The picture above is Parrish staring at it taking off.  It was a surprise and the kids were all amazed. I can't say that I ever went to an egg hunt that involved a helicopter growing up! Where will we go from here?! Don't think the neighborhood will be able to top that next year!

Knox met the Easter bunny for the first time at the hunt and his daddy even helped him hunt eggs. In his words..."babies like to hunt eggs, too!" Ha! He'd hold him up to a egg and Knox would grab onto it with a precious, chubby little fist. The problem was getting him to let it go in the Easter basket!

Easter Sunday Cannon surprised me with an Easter dress! Can you believe that? It was so sweet I almost cried! I had been complaining the day before that I hadn't given any thought to what I was going to wear, so he took it upon himself to go buy me something new. I just love that man. He was even smart enough to buy it in two sizes! He really brought a smile to my face. What girl wouldn't like a new dress?

Another very special part of my ensemble was the beautiful, old-fashioned Easter corsage that Cannons sister Christy brought me to wear in memory of our precious Olivia. I loved wearing the dainty, pink flowers all day because they reminded me so much of the bouquet she carried at her dedication. It was a small but special way to help us feel like she was with us.

Here's a family shot from the egg hunt.  Parrish ADORES his cousins and it is fun to watch a house full of boys when they are all in town.  As you can imagine, there is lots of energy and never enough food to fill them up!

And of course the bunny made his appearance on Easter eve and left baskets for the boys to find in the morning. He brought Knox some super cool baby shades pictured below.  I couldn't believe they lasted 5 seconds on his little face, much less 5 minutes, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much he liked them!

The boys got matching shark bathing suits from the bunny.  I am dressing them alike as much as I can this year because I have a feeling that Parrish wanting to dress like Knox will be short lived.  I must take advantage of it while it lasts!

Knox's favorite part about his Easter basket was trying to eat the grass, of course.  Parrish's was his book of paper airplanes and of course all the candy!

Here they are in their coordinating Easter "finery."  Aren't they cute??

March was also a busy month for Olivia Charles Antiques!  As I mentioned in a previous post, we are partnering with Southern Stationery (SouthernDipity gifts) to offer engraved gifts like the cross above.  The back of the cross has the family name and each member's name engraved as well.  These have been selling really well (they are $30 + engraving cost and can be purchased here) in addition to the double cross (shown below in natural and red barn wood).

These crosses are $50 and can also be engraved.  You can purchase one here.  Please specify if you would like a red cross.  We only have one left.

 

Mary Catherine of Cotton + Quill has been engraving up a storm for us and here is a bathroom caddy engraved with the old fashioned word for out house, "Privy".  Clever, huh?  Mary Catherine has her own line of hand-drawn and custom fabric available to the trade.  Check it out here!

I promised a picture of the bedside table/bookcase that we did for a client and here it is!  The grass green interior is such an unexpected pop of color in an otherwise all natural barn wood piece.  I am in love with it and can't wait to see it in the room.  

These tables are a steal at $150 and I happen to have one more in turquoise.  If you are interested email me at info@oliviacharlesantiques.com and I can email you a picture of that color way and give you measurements.  It will also be for sale with our other items at the Mt Laurel Spring Festival which is next Saturday, April 13th!  I hope to see you there.

I want to close with a prayer request and some words from my heart.  I have been struggling this last week emotionally.  When you loose a child, every day has it hard parts and lately there have been more of these moments.  I mourn our little girl, and the loss of normalcy for us.  It is tiring going out into the world, living a daily, normal life, but always anxious because you don't know when you're going to be put in a situation where you are expected to talk about our loss, especially with people you don't know well.  It's like having a wound that has scabbed over, but suddenly is ripped off.  Emotionally and mentally I don't feel strong enough to talk about this personal, deep loss with people I have just met.  And that makes me want to isolate myself from situations where this might occur.  Please pray for courage, strength, and endurance for me in these situations, in addition to Cannon and Parrish as it is just as hard for them, but in different ways.

We took Parrish to visit Olivia's gravesite for the first time on Easter and it was a bitter sweet time, but he was ready.  He had asked several times to go and see it so he could bring her the minnie mouse ears that we bought for her birthday while at Disney.  And he really, really wanted to take his new paper airplane book there so we could fly airplanes "with" her.  And so we did.  At first it almost felt disrespectful to fly airplanes with him there, but gradually I felt a peace that she would want to see him happy there.  What a study of opposites.  I place full of sorrow suddenly filled with the joy of a little boy flying paper airplanes.  

What broke my heart the most was him asking for some privacy to go and talk to her.  As I walked toward the car he was sitting on her bench and all I could see was his swinging little feet as he spoke to her.  He is so young to have endured so much and I am so proud of his sweet, tender, and strong little spirit.  

Last week I learned that some old family friends lost their second child.  Their first son in a pool accident at least 20 years ago and their second son, a college student, just last week in a car accident.  Please keep this family in your prayers.  It is unfathomable to me how a family could endure the loss of a child for the second time, yet I know they will have no choice but to do just that.  You don't ever think that lightning is going to strike in the same place twice and hearing that it has has been a hard reality for me to take in.  My heart aches for them, but the only thing I know to do for them right now is to pray, so I would ask that you please remember them in your prayers as well.  

"Now you don't need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day; nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning." Psalm 91:5-6

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:: Roast Pork with Pears ::

We're hosting Cannon's aunt and uncle for dinner tonight, so Parrish and I made this recipe today. I've made it a few times and it is impressive (perfect for the boss' dinner, holidays, etc) without being difficult.

Roast Pork with Pears

3/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh sage, plus sage leaves for roasting

3 garlic cloves

Salt and pepper to taste

5 Tbsp olive oil

1 boneless pork loin roast, about 3.5 lbsm halved horizontally (I get the butcher to do this step for me)

3 ripe Bosc pears, halved lengthwise

4 leeks, white portions, halved lengthwise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In mini food processor, process parsley, chopped sage, garlic, salt, pepper and 3 Tbsp oil into fine paste. Spread on cut side of one pork half; place other half on top. Tie roast with kitchen twine. Tuck sage leaves underneath twine. Season roast with salt and pepper.

I told Parrish to get next to the roast for a picture and he literally touched the side of his head to the raw roast. Oops. I couldn't stop laughing. I guess he took me literally.

In 5 1/2 qt. dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbsp. oil. Add pears, cut side down; cook 5 minutes. Transfer to plate. Brown pork on all sides, 8 minutes. Transfer to plate. Place leeks, cut side down, in pot in single layer. Set pork on top. Place pears along sides of pot.

Roast for 45-55 minutes. Transfer pork to carving board; tent with foil. Let rest 10 minutes. Transfer leeks and pears to platter. Slice pork; arrange on platter. Serves 8-10

(recipe from the Williams Sonoma catalog-I changed the type of pears to one that is in season during the summer)

Herb snippers-a life saver. I cook with a lot of fresh herbs during the summer and have recently found the solution to getting that tiny foliage off the stems without going crazy. These snippers (from Fresh Market-found in the produce section) have a center section that you place the herb stems in and then pull gently to remove the leaves! It's a snap. One more reason not to go the easy route and head to the spice cabinet!

I'm serving the roast with these baby carrots. I get tired of making the same old veggies and these provide some variety. You can get the recipe here.

Parrish helped me clip some hydrangeas from the yard for a centerpiece. Someone once told me that if you go to a lot of trouble with centerpieces and fancy dinners it looks like you're trying too hard because everyone knows it's not something you would normally do. I have the exact opposite opinion. I don't just do this for company. I don't always make a fancy dinner and have centerpieces on the table, but I do prepare meals with love and set a pretty table at least a few times a week because it is a way that I show my love to my family and friends and something that I both enjoy doing and get satisfaction from.

Parrish has been earning marbles now for about 2 years. A friend told me about this parenting tool and I love it. When Parrish does a chore (like setting the table) or gets a good report from school, or has good behavior, or has to have a shot, or does a workbook page, he gets to choose one marble for his jar. When the jar is full he gets to pick out a new toy. It helps so much with the daily shouts of, "mommy, come here-this is so neat-I want that!" while watching commercials. I just say, "oh, that's so cool. Are you going to earn your marbles for that?" He always says yes (and yes, every other day what he is earning his marbles for changes) and that's the end of it. Same goes for when we're at the store and he's begging for some toy. It instantly puts the ball back in his court. I've said no without making him feel like he's not in control. He knows that if he earns his marbles he can have it. Just not today. It has been a life saver for me. Telling Parrish I am going to take a marble from his jar for bad behavior is like telling him there is going to be no Santa Claus this year.

Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.

Proverbs 15:17

She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still night;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her female servants.

Proverbs 31:13-15

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:: A Few Favorite Things ::

Thanks again for coming to Pepper Place and supporting Olivia Charles. We had a great turn out on Saturday and made lots of sales. We have the kids to thank for a lot of those sales! They couldn't resist plopping down in the youth adirondack chairs as they walked by. One grandfather of a little boy who came back three times said he had to buy one just to get him to leave! Guess we should have paid that little guy a commission. We left one great table behind at Charlie Thigpen's Garden Gallery, so stop by and take a look if you're needing an outdoor table. We'll be adding some benches for it this weekend and have decided to do Pepper Place one more Saturday, so we'll be back this weekend from 7-12 if you want to stop by.

I've recently found a few items that make me smile without spending a fortune and wanted to pass them along to you.

Most of you who know me well, know that I am love Pureology Shampoo and Conditioner. My sweet sister Caroline is a hair stylist and can get it at a good discount for me, so I always ask her to get it for me. But even with her discount it's not exactly "cheap" so I'm always on the hunt for a less expensive alternative (because let's face it-with the thickness and length of my hair, I have to use half of a bottle in one shampooing!) Recently I found and fell in love with Simply U Shampoo and Conditioner at Walmart (of all places!). It has a great pump bottle and is only $3-4 dollars/each and sulfate and paraben free! It's my new every day ritual (but I still reserve my beloved Pureology for special occassions!)

I've fallen in love with collecting jars and bottles since starting Olivia Charles Antiques and although this cool, blue bottle is not old, it is reminiscent of my favorite blue "Bell" jars and has become a favorite. I bought it at Home Goods for about $6. I've been keeping citrus water in it and there is something that makes me happy about the simple everyday "luxury" of pulling out the pretty bottle and pouring a glass on a hot summer day. It will make a great flower vase, too.

At Home in Homewood has these amazing pottery vases right now in this taupe color, mustard yellow and ice blue (I spent way too much time deciding between the mustard and taupe!!). There are all different shapes and sizes and some that almost look ruffled. I was shocked when the vase I bought was only $9!! And Publix has these really pretty mixed Sunflower bouquets for $9.99 right now that are so happy. It's not every day that I see a mixed bouquet that I actually like, so I was pretty excited about this one. The next time I'm in Homewood I'm going to go and buy a few vases to keep on hand for hostess gifts, birthdays, etc. I can always pick flowers up at the grocery store when I'm shopping, but running to Homewood is not always in the cards for me, and it will be nice to have a quick, but thoughtful gift in a time pinch.

Last night we attended the pre-opening dinner at Frio en La Paz (Chill in La Paz) at the Vestavia City Center (in the old Nonna Rose space). Cannon and his partners are very excited about their modern take on the classic family favorite and the food was delicious. We had a great time seeing friends and tasting all the yummies. I ordered the summer squash burrito and it was DIVINE. I am truly a meat-eating girl, so this was a departure from the normal for me, but I was surprised at how filling and delicious it was. It had yummy goat cheese inside and a house-made sauce drizzled on top. The official opening of Frio is tomorrow (Monday, May 23rd) so stop by this week and check it out. You won't be disappointed!!

When we walked in last night from having a fun night with friends at Frio, it hit us like a ton of bricks again stepping into the house. The immediate guilt of smiling and laughing that night, the longing for Olivia to be in her crib sound asleep, the realization that our life is not normal, even though we were able to go out and be normal for a few hours. As I was getting into bed I read this passage from "Whispered Words of Encouragement:"

King David quoted Jesus as saying: "I know the Lord is always with me. He is helping me. God's mighty power supports me. No wonder my heart is filled with joy and my tongue shouts His praises! For I know all will be well with me in death." Acts 2:25-26 (TLB)

I take solace today in knowing that all is well with Olivia in heaven and it is only us, the ones left here on earth, that are suffering and mourning her presence here with us and look forward to the day when "all will be well" with us, too.

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:: Surgery #2 Report & Easter Happenings ::

The last two weeks have really flown by-between Parrish's cast change, our anniversary, Easter events and working on Olivia Charles Antiques I really don't know how it's almost May!

Parrish did great at his cast change last week. I think he knew what to expect so he was agitated and upset that we wouldn't let him eat breakfast. The nurse saw that he was upset and decided it would be best to give him some verced to help him relax (and provide us with some entertainment!). They ended up just sedating him for the pin removal so he was back to his usual self before we left the hospital and asking if he could go home and play with Jackson.

The day before his surgery we had a scare because his pediatrician called and said she had just gotten the ekg report from the hospital and it noted a possible heart problem. We went to see the pediatric cardiologist that day and thankfully, what they thought indicated something more serious turned out the be just an innocent heart murmur (thank you, Lord!). That said, the visit did shave off about 10 years of our lives. While he was doing Parrish's ultrasound (which seemed to take forever, but in actuality was probably only 10 minutes) several doctors came into the room and I just knew we were about to get bad news. I really didn't think I could take one more thing and the whole time I felt like I was about to burst. When he said everything was ok, I burst into tears of relief.

We are so thankful that we are almost done with this process. Parrish goes back to Dr. Killian's office in 3 weeks to have this cast taken off and will be in a walking boot or cast, depending on what the x-rays show. I am glad to be done with the hospitals and hope we won't have reason to visit another one any time soon!

Last Sunday CC and Grandaddy Jack had some Mt Laurel friends over for lunch and an easter egg hunt. Parrish's best buddy Kaden and his little sister Gabby were there with us. Parrish tells me all the time, "I can't get enough of that Kaden, Mommy!" Cracks me up. Today he told me he wants to move to Mt Laurel so he can play with him every day. They already see each other practically once a day, but apparently that is not enough. I remind myself that he doesn't have a sibling at home to play with every day and that is lonely. We are blessed with great neighbors and friends who fill that need for him.

Parrish didn't let the wheelchair slow him down hunting those eggs one bit. It has been amazing to see him maneuver around that cast. He will walk on his knees, crawl, scoot on his bottom or balance on one foot to get where he wants to go. He is so independent and I am proud of his determination.

I arranged some of CC's favorite pink peonies in an Easter basket for the lunch as a thank you to her for all she has done for all of us over the last 5 months. She has devoted herself completely to us by moving to Birmingham full time and done everything from cooking and helping me with my antiques booth (she helped me open it in under 24 hours) to laundry. "I have your Favorite Laundry!" has become one of my favorite sentences to hear. We will all miss her as she heads back to Florida for the summer and I know her new Garden club and neighborhood friends will, too! I keep telling her that we want her back this fall. Thanks for everything, CC! Hope you get some rest this summer between grandkid visits!

I have to include a picture of the anniversary present Cannon got me as a surprise. I came in from the kitchen on the morning of our anniversary and found Parrish perched on top of one of the bedside tables I had been admiring the past few weeks at Hanna. They yelled, "Happy Anniversary!" It was the sweetest surprise. I love that Cannon likes to get furniture for our anniversary gift to each other-I can walk around my house and tell you which piece he got me for what anniversary. It is neat to see our collection grow with our marriage.

As I look forward to Easter Sunday and read again the passages in the bible just prior to his death and resurrection, I am reminded that our Savior is familiar with our sufferings and disappointments. He was betrayed by one of his 12 closest friends to be hung from a cross. He has endured many tragedies and knows how we feel. I am so thankful that we have a loving Jesus that rose from the grave so that one day I can live with him in paradise. I hope there I will get to see the things that I am longing for this Easter-to see Olivia toddling around with her basket hunting eggs, to watch her face light up with laughter at her big brother's antics and to see her scrunch her nose when she bites into a peep marshmallow for the first time. One thing I know I'll see there that can't compare to any Easter celebration here on earth? The celebration of our savior in heaven...I bet that's one heck of a party, the likes of which we've never seen!

As the precious Easter stickers Deanna made for Parrish say, "Happy Easter to My Peps!"

And he said to them, "Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. Mark 16:6

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:: Birds & Birthdays ::

In my last post I mentioned the bird motif on this blog and that birds are a special reminder of Olivia to me. That's because God sent me a bird in the weeks following Olivia's death. It was an answer to a prayer I prayed daily-that God would just send me a sign, anything, to let me know that my baby girl was safe with him in heaven. I can remember praying, "Dear Lord, I know true faith doesn't require signs, but please, I have to see your hand in this. I have to know you are in control and my sweet baby girl is safe and sound in your arms." That afternoon I was trying to watch my first mindless bit of reality television when a bird started chirping so loud it kept me from hearing the television. I would turn it up and it seemed like the bird would just get louder. A bird that loud cannot be ignored, so I paused my show and went to the window. While I was looking for the bird I told God that I would take it as my sign if I could just see the loud bird. Well, I looked and looked and could not find it in the trees or shrubs or grass, so I returned to my show and not 2 minutes later the bird started up again. Annoyed now, I went to the window thinking, I just want to forget about my life for 30 minutes and this bird will not be quiet! So I go to the window and crane my neck in the direction of our front door and there sat the bird, perched on top of the wire topiary in my flower urn. Our eyes locked and I have no idea how long I stood staring at him. Cars parked across the street, kids ran by, doors slammed and the bird didn't budge. I know that God sent him just for me. The bird came back at the same time every evening for a week and I haven't seen him since. I wish I had thought to snap a picture to show you.

Parrish had his 4th bday party on January 15th and it was so nice to have something to look forward to. He had a great time hunting treasure, escaping to the fort turned pirate ship, roasting hot dogs and eating cake! He has had such a hard time since his "Sissy" passed away and I am thankful that the party was something he could be excited about. Please pray for his heart and spirit-he is so sad that his baby is not here to play with and protect anymore. The other night we were laying in bed reading a Charlie Brown Christmas Story (yes, it was January, but he didn't care) and at the end I sang the words to "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and he said, "Mommy, that's Livia's song." He is like that-so thoughtful and attentive to detail. Then he said, "Mommy, Sissy is happy in heaven because angels are rocking her, but I hope they don't put her down on the hard floor with other kids because she might hurt her knees or get stepped on by the bigger kids." He is always worrying about her in heaven. Whether she is hot or cold, who will feed her a bottle, etc. He has a heart of gold and is such a great big brother. I can't believe he is already 4 years old!

Since Olivia would have turned one tomorrow we are having close friends and family to her gravesite to release pink balloons to her in heaven, then hosting a casual dinner and cupcakes at our home afterward. I had a mini break-down tonight that I was arranging flowers and decorating for a party she wouldn't be attending, so I am hoping tomorrow will be better than today. At least maybe there will be as much joy as there is sadness as we celebrate the 9 months we got to spend with our baby girl. I am putting her little first birthday hat and outfit out on the foyer table. Being OCD, I had ordered them months ago and they arrived the week she died-talk about a shock. Anyway, my sweet friend Courtney is so creative and she had already made invitations, cupcake toppers and banners, so we had everything we needed for Olivia's "cute as a button" party. I will post pictures of the event soon but please remember my precious baby girl tomorrow and pray for us as we endure another terrible 1st without Olivia.

"Hope does not necessarily take the form of excessive confidence; rather, it involves the simple willingness to take the next step." -Stanley Hauerwas

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Happy Halloween!

Happy Fall, Y'all! It's been awhile-okay, FOREVER-since my last post (what can I say, infants seem to take up all of your time) but I am SO HAPPY for the cooler weather and change of season. We have started decorating for Halloween at our house and our two "major" projects turned out to be not-so-major after all. I got the idea for the rope garland in Lowe's Creative Ideas Magazine. I bought 60 feet of 3/4" rope at Lowe's, hung it around our front door then cut 20, 2-foot sections, unraveled them and tied them onto the rope around the front door spacing equally. The result is a nod to the ever-popular corn stalks without the funky smell!

I bought the stacked pumpkins from the Mt. Laurel Grocery store and stacked them without the use of a dowel rod to hold them in place. If you take some time to stack them before you buy them you can usually get lucky and puzzle piece them together and know they will work when you get them home and arrange them on your front doorstep. I find the heirloom pumpkins work best for stacking because of their flatter shape. If all else fails, you can always trim the stems of the bottom pumpkins.

The do-it-yourself "floral" arrangement is so simple! Just fill your favorite container (in my case, a soup tourine) with dry floral foam, cover the top with lime (or any color) reindeer moss (can be purchased at Hobby Lobby, Michael's or your local wholesale florist) then top with mini pumpkins. To give it that rounded look, stuff some smaller pieces of moss between the pumpkins once you get them placed.

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Spring Has Sprung!

Springtime brings warmer weather and beautiful blossoms, and that always gets me in the mood to freshen up the inside of my home with some of those same flowers. Above are some of my easy, do-it-yourself arrangements. Lately I've been choosing monochromatic colors-in the first two pictures all green or all pink-and grouping each flower variety together for a graphic arrangement with more impact. The photos of the orchids are from a baby shower I hosted. It was so easy to combine 3 orchids in my silver punch bowl and cover the tops with moss. To add to the look I placed soaked oasis floral foam in the bottom of my old silver baby cups and bowls and arranged roses and alstroemeria in coordinating colors. I scattered these on the food table and throughout the house.

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