Summertime, and the livin' is easy...

A few summer blooms for you, friends.

It might be sweltering, but summer is my favorite season here in Georgia. 

I love the symphony of frogs and cicadas and the sweet perfume of gardenias in the morning. I love the flickering fireflies and swooping bats at dusk. Even those wild summer storms--the thunder and lightening and torrential rains that seem to come out of a clear blue sky--hold a certain kind of electric magic for me. It must be the sweetness of summertime in the south. 

~Nel

It's All Greek to Us!

May seems to be the month when a lot of Greek Festivals take place. Our family loves to celebrate our Greek heritage with the delicious food...

festive dancing...

and religious art. 

This year, my brother treated my mom to festival tickets and a hearty sampling of homemade dishes.

In addition to the baklava and powdered sugar cookies (my mom's favorite), there was a scrumptious new chocolate dessert, which went perfectly with the rich coffee.    

My mom and brother admired the beautiful brick buildings, ornate lanterns, and paintings of two very special saints. 

I wasn't able to make the festival myself this year, but the pictures made me feel like I was there. Hope you enjoyed this little taste of Greece yourself!

~Nel   

Showered with Magic

My sweet colleagues at the university decided to throw me a baby shower last week, and I have to tell you, it was pretty magical. 

It was Harry Potter themed! 

The Harry Potter books are a treasured favorite. You can read about how me and Jess came to love Rowling's world of wizardry here. The theme of the shower was a total surprise, but it just goes to show how well my coworkers have come to know me!

Don't you just love these golden chocolate snitches...

The Ollivander pretzel wands...

And the polyjuice potion punch...?

My husband was able to join us for the party on his lunch break. We were so overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of everyone who came out to help us celebrate.

And I think we've decided on a school for the little one... ( ;

~Nel  

A Special Visit

Recently, I had a couple very special visitors fly all the way across the country to see me!

We had so much fun over the course of the week. I made reservations at a charming little tea shop in my neighborhood. Tea for three, please.

And we took a day trip to Savannah, where we admired the twisty Southern trees and wispy Spanish moss...

...drooled over sweet treats...

...and made ourselves comfortable in the historic homes. Can you spot Traveling Teddy?

The next morning, we grabbed a couple hot drinks at the Coffee Fox and took a stroll down the picturesque Jones Street.

We stopped at Forsyth Park for a quick photo shoot...

...and then made our way to the Book Lady to browse the stacks. 

It was raining back at home, so we spent the next day in jammies snuggled up with our books.

To cap off the trip, we had a big Cajun dinner complete with gumbo, jambalaya, étouffée, fried chicken, boudin balls, and jalapeno cornbread!

We don't get too many visitors out here in Georgia, so it was wonderful to spend the week with my sister and little Goddaughter.   

And I know this is just the first of many adventures to come for our baby traveler in training! 

~ Nel