photo greener grass logo new_zpsew0enxyv.png  photo stitches copy_zpsp3oydyai.png

 photo about_zpshba0art5.png  photo shop_zps24sfyl5o.png  photo workshops_zpsycwnndbh.png  photo craft parties_zps5jskxbkf.png  photo tutorials_zpscfm8kqak.png  photo contact_zpsfhv565sj.png

Halloween Supper Club

Hi Friends.

Happy Halloween or Happy Reformation Day, depending on which camp you fall in.

Our town sent children out Trick-or-Treating and celebrated Halloween yesterday rather than today. Does your town do that...have Halloween on Saturday instead, if it falls on a Sunday? Is that a Southern thing?

Who knows?


We are having several fall get-togethers at our house and this is my "last through the season" fall decoration. It's corn vase filler and I'm putting it in ever clear vessel I have in the house. It's actually deer bait feed and is very inexpensive. If you know/are a hunter then you may have some on hand or you can pick some up at the hardware store. This was my Mama's idea and I think it's a pretty good one!


We live in a pretty heavily Trick-or-Treated neighborhood, so we invited some friends over to have supper and hand out candy.

I have a group of friends from college that mostly live in Macon and we decided to start a supper club, because we never see each other even though we live very close. Everybody gets so busy with their own schedules and "have-to's" that we don't have time to get together, so we marked out a time each month to be together. Scheduled fun, if you will.

This was our first official meeting.

We had Sue Anne's Chili, delicious Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread (I love you, Barefoot Contessa!), and Chocolate Chip Pound Cake. We also ate our fair share of spinach dip and Halloween candy.

One day I may give you the recipe for Chocolate Chip Pound Cake and then you will never make another cake again. I promise.

Let me show you the illustrious members of Supper Club.


Meet Tiffany and Chris. They are getting married in 14 days. Isn't that exciting? Tiffy was my roommate for 3 years in college and the maid of honor in our wedding. She has advised me in many a clothing dilemma. She can tell you every movie or commercial that any actor has been in. It's quite a talent. She is the also the person who took me on my first trip to Ikea and, for that, I am forever in her debt.


This is Kysten and Brad. Kysten and Tiffany are sisters (like you couldn't tell). Kyrsten is not really that much shorter than Brad, FYI. They are just standing on my front steps. They live just around the corner in a house that they are DIY-ing and they have the world's cutest puppy, named Seattle. Kyr and I like to talk paint chips together.


This is Ashley and Alan. Ashley and I were roommates for 2 years and she was my big sister in our sorority. Allen builds houses and he built the house that they live in now. Ashley is super good at couponing and finding deals, and she makes really yummy pizza dip.

Sidenote: Ashley and I will be the moms with our kids dressed as angels and Moses one day going to the church fall festival because our husbands are both anti-Halloween.

Ash, I'll help you make angel wings if you'll help me make fake beards. Deal?


And this is Jessica and Ryan. They actually live in Atlanta and came all the way down just for Supper Club. We are so glad that they did. Jessica and I were roommates for a year, I think? Maybe just a semester? I used to leave Jessica notes on her door at night that said "Please wake me up in the morning at 7:00. Do whatever it takes."

It really does take drastic measures to get me up in the morning. I can't help it. I'm not my best self when I'm sleepy. I used to hide under the covers and tell her that I was already awake and that I had even been to the gym. I don't know what's wrong with me.

I still do that to David.

Thanks, Jessica for waking me up and  doing it so nicely even when I lied to you or was mean. I'm sorry. I'm glad we're still friends.

It's great to be able to spend time with good friends. Some things are important enough to be scheduled. Friendships are one of them.

Do you have a Supper Club? How do you make time to see the people you like the most?

Happy Halloween!
Melissa

PS: Some kids switched all the neighborhood pumpkins. If you are looking for a white plastic pumpkin, it is on my porch. If you find my orange real pumpkin, I would like to have it back.

If you want your white pumpkin in one piece, I would suggest you come quick...Jack thinks it's a ball.

Birthday by the Numbers

This guy turned 31 yesterday. I have known him since he was 21.


I made him "31" shaped pancakes for breakfast. He only ate 4 pancakes...not 31. Please don't be confused.

(By the way, this is what Dave-O wears everyday to school...a blazer and a bow tie. How cute is he?)

Two 12 year old students put approximately14 birthday signs on our front porch.

Here.


Here.


And more here.


I was at home while they did this and I thought I was about to be robbed because of all the sneaky noises. I nearly had 1 heart attack and hid under 2 blankets. It took me 4 hours to fully recover. 

Our 5 year old neighbor also left us this leaf art on the porch. Yes, we have a very high traffic porch.


In 16 days, these 2 thirty-one year old legs are going to run 26.2 miles.


Happy Birthday, Dave. 143.
4 reals.

We are
2 people
2-gether
4-ever,
Mel

The Country Living Fair

Hi Friends. Long time no see.

We are having a busy week here on the home front...but it's all good busy, not bad busy. There's a big difference, ya know?

I wanted to tell you about what we did this weekend. It was awesome. First, we spent Saturday morning at the State Cross Country Meet [read: last time I have to wake up at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning]. The kids did great. We didn't come home with any trophies this time, but all of the runners improved their race times from the beginning of the season by several minutes. That's a big deal in middle school cross country. It was a great season, but I'm glad my husband will be coming home from work earlier now that he doesn't have practice everyday.

Saturday night we went to a pumpkin carving party and then my parents spent the night at our house. They were in the neighborhood. Kind of. They drove to Helen and decided it was lame, so they came back here to see us.

Sunday was a beautiful day, so we got in Daddy's truck (he got a new flashy ride) and went for a drive.


We drove to Stone Mountain Park in North Georgia. It is the Mount Rushmore of the South.


The park is beautiful and the leaves are just beginning to change. But that's not why we went. No, sir. We went for this:


Yepppers. We went to the Country Living Fair.  Tag line: "The pages of Country Living Magazine come to life!"  And that's about what it was. It was primarily a craft fair...a really good craft fair. There were tons of vendors and most of them had been featured in Country Living Magazine. I didn't take pictures of any of the booths because I thought that might be weird and people would think I was trying to steal their ideas or something, but there were plenty of other beautiful things to look at.

Quilts hanging from the trees...


 Huge, lovely Mums...


Dog topiaries...


Fall decorations...


and a great pumpkin patch.


It was all very inspirational. In addition to the amazing vendors and eye candy, there were also speakers and classes that you could attend on decorating, crafting, cooking, etc.

I got to go to a session with Modern June, who has a fantastic and hugely successful Etsy store. It was fun hear how she started her business and how she comes up with ideas. She's kind of famous, I think. I started to ask to have my picture made with her, but then I thought that might be too weird. I really tried hard to avoid being weird at this thing.

I did make one purchase at the craft fair.



It's a sugar mold. It holds candles or flowers. You can't tell from this picture, but it is super long. Probably about 3 feet.  It's the perfect center piece for my dining table, which is really long and skinny...like my legs. Just kidding.

It's not on my dining table right now because of my fall pumpkins which I will show you another day.

I had so much fun with my parents at the Country Living Fair. I think Mama really enjoyed it and I could tell how much Daddy liked walking around carrying my sugar mold for me. I could see the joy in his eyes. That man loves a craft fair. 

Again, just kidding.

David went to Stone Mountain with us, but instead of going into the fair and having fun, he went on a 21 mile run. He makes poor choices.

Mama bought him a bag of Kettle Corn.

Don't you wish you had gone to the fair?
Melissa

CSN Gift Code Giveaway Winner!

Hi guys! Hope you've had a good weekend.

We went somewhere fun. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone who entered the CSN giveaway. I enjoyed reading all the things people love about fall!

The lucky winner is comment #2, AC Davis!*

Congratulations to AC and a big thanks to CSN Stores.

Love ya.
Mel

*Winner was chosen by Random.org.

Blog: Meet Lady

David says that it's not fair that I talk about Jack so much on the blog and not Lady.

I told him that I don't talk about her because she will not let me take her picture...Seriously. It's like I'm the paparazzi and she's Lady Gaga.

I have a theory that she is trying to stay off the grid because she is wanted by dog catchers in other states.

Here was our solution.


Do you see how she's trying to get away from David? Do you see how she won't look at the camera? She looks angry.

In the name of keeping things fair between our furry children, I give you...

Things You Should Know About Lady:

We call her Lady or "L", not a lot of nicknames. Lady just suites her.

David got Lady from the pound before we got married.

She often jumps our fence when things get boring here and goes into our neighbor's house through their doggie door. They like it. Sometimes they ask if she can spend the night. 

She is the sweetest dog in the world...but she is also devious, deceptive, and plotting.

She takes mouthfuls of food out of her bowl and hides under a chair to eat. Weird.

Lady can jump really really high on her back feet. She does it all the time. It's how she lets us know she's excited. I think she could have had an excellent career in the circus as one of those dogs that rides on the backs of horses.

She knows if you are sick or feeling down and she will be extra sweet to you. This may just be a ploy to lay on the couch. Hmmm....

Lady lived inside until we got Jack.

Lady hates Jack with a passion.

When Lady slept inside, she would wait until we fell asleep and then go get in the bed in the guest room. I didn't know it until I woke up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and saw two shiny eyes hiding under a pillow.

Lady likes to play chase, but she will not do any tricks or play with toys. She thinks that it's below her.

I once snuck Lady into a La Quinta in my backpack. We later found out that La Quinta is perfectly pet friendly, so the sneaking was unnecessary.

 ============================================================

I really don't mean to give Jack all the blog attention. Lady is just a good, regular, loving dog. She goes about her business everyday, chasing squirrels and wagging her tail, just doing her thing.

Jack just demands a lot of attention. Even as I type this, Jack is howling at a passing firetruck so loudly that people are coming out of their houses to see what's wrong.

"It's nothing...don't worry...just my dog...he's fine....sorry..."

This picture is from about 3 years ago.


I ask you now, who would you give the most attention to? The sweet, normal dog licking David's face?  Or the crazy dog, wallowing in the grass, waving his bandaged paws madly in the air?

I rest my case.
Melissa

Tea Towel Art

I made mac and cheese last night...blue box style. It was only when I poured the noodles out of the box, that I realized I had purchased Toy Story mac and cheese. Fun surprise.


Anyway...

Have you seen these State Pillows by CatStudio? They have a pillow for each of the 50 states.Each pillow is beautifully embroidered with facts, cities, and details the state. Here is the Georgia pillow:


They are so unique and special, but a bit pricey for me. I was happy when I saw that the state designs were available as tea towels, and now many other products, from the same company. The towel design is screen printed with a little stitched border.


David gave me the Georgia tea towel last year for Christmas, but I'm always so afraid of ruining it that I have hardly ever used it. What fun is having something awesome if you can't use it? Not much.

So...I decided to turn the towel into something that would not need to be exposed to spaghetti sauce or washed often. I thought about a pillow, after the original design.

Instead I landed on this...stretching the towel over a canvas to make a wall hanging. That way I'd get to look at it all the time!


You could do this project with any pretty tea towel, beautiful fabric, a meaningful T-shirt, or one of those cool coffee sacks that you can find at flea markets...the world's your oyster.

Here's what you need:


  • Material that you want to stretch over the canvas (In our a case this tea towel)
  • Staple Gun
  • Artist Canvas (size depends on your material)



I used a 12x12 canvas because the design on my tea towel was about a 10x10 square and I wanted a little blank space around the edge.

My canvas was also 2 inches deep so I could stuff all the extra towel inside when I was finished. I didn't want to cut my towel in case I needed to return it to it's original towel existence one day.
I have issues.


You'll also need a pair of needle nose pliers in case you make a mistake. If you do not plan on making a mistake, you won't need em. I make lots of mistakes, so I keep the pliers handy.

Okay, let's get down to business.

First, center the design on your canvas and staple one edge of the fabric along the back of the canvas. Make sure that the pattern stays straight and that you don't stretch the material. I put one staple in the center and work out from there.


Go to the opposite side and pull the fabric tight, but not so much that it stretches the design. Staple this side of the fabric to the back of the canvas, starting in the middle and working your way to the edges.


Now you should have the top and the bottom stapled, but two loose ends on the sides. This next step is just like wrapping a present, okay?


Fold the corner edge in and staple.


Then, fold the flap over and staple.Again, make sure that you don't pull the fabric too tight and stretch the design.


Repeat on the other three corners. You should have lovely, even corners like this. Don't be afraid to pull the staples out with your pliers and re-stretch or recenter your fabric if you're not happy with the results.


I'm stuffing all of the excess towel into the back of the canvas and taping it down. You could trim the excess at this point, if you are a normal person. I, unfortunately, am not.


Here's the finished product.


This whole project probably took me about 10 minutes.

I love having art that is unexpected and meaningful in our house. This little ode to my home state fits the bill. I'm not sure where I'll put the canvas yet. Maybe in the guest bedroom or the mudroom?

Go make some art!
Mel

Don't forget about the Giveaway going on through Saturday!





handmade projects

Giveway!

Some things you should know...

There are two dirty dogs in my bathroom.

I may or may not  have eaten leftover birthday cake for breakfast this morning. (but definitely did)

I am thinking about switching to Allstate Insurance because David Palmer told me to.

And I love y'all.

For those reasons, today is the very first giveaway in Greener Grass history. It's a short history, but none the less...

Today I'm giving away one $35 gift code to CSN Stores!

When the good people of CSN contacted me, I, unfortunately, had no idea who they were or what CSN was. I must have been living under a rock. I clicked on their link, though, and that all quickly changed.

CSN is a one stop shopping experience. They have everything. Over 200 stores of goodness, neatly organized and classified for easy peasy shopping.

They carry name brands like Pinecone Hill Bedding, Wusthof Cutlery, Le Creuset and Caphalon Cookware...

They have tools, toys, furniture, shoes...just about anything your heart could desire.

For those of you who liked my sweet adirondak chairs so much, how about these awesome adirondack barstools?

Shine Company Inc. Westport Counter Height Adirondack Chair - 4671

Super cute and cottage-y!

Or maybe you need your own chili pot to make Sue Anne's yummy chili?

 Calphalon One Infused Anodized 8 Quart Stockpot with Lid - DR808

 A fire pit would be perfect for this awesome fall weather we're having. We LOVE ours.

Uniflame Oil Rubbed Bronze Outdoor Firebowl - WAD792SP


Or how about some extra place settings for the upcoming holidays?

Lenox Dinnerware Chirp Luncheon/Salad Plate - 791847

I love this pattern...it's Lenox "Chirp."

I'm glad to now know about CSN Stores and I'm especially happy that they're letting me pass along a fun gift to you! I'm sure you'll love them as much as I do.

Here is how to enter for a chance to win: 
  • Leave a comment on this post telling me what you love about fall.
  • Followers of Greener Grass get a second entry.  If you follow my blog or become a follower, please leave me a separate comment letting me know that you are following.
The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian residents only and will end on Saturday October, 23nd at 10pm EST.

There are dogs in my bathroom and love in my heart.
Melissa

A Public Apology

I have a brother. He is two years younger and two feet taller than I am.


His name is Jonathon, but you can call him Big Country, Jon Jon, John Henry, or J-Money. I do.

I love him dearly, but I did him wrong. Really really low down wrong.

I am here today to remedy that.

You see, John Henry has helped with each and every project that I've told you my Daddy built. Daddy does not work alone. John Henry is his right hand man, partner in production, and collaborator.

He helped build the dock that we fish off of.


He helped build these chairs in my back yard and our deck.


He helped build the screens that we have yet to install on my upstairs windows.

He was number one nail gunner on my beautiful mudroom lockers and he even helped me finish painting it when I was looking tired and pitiful toward the end of the process.


He most recently helped me hang a shelf in my guest bedroom closet.

And I gave him ZERO credit.


That's the kind of person I am. I wear ridiculously huge sunglasses and fail to give credit where it is surely due. I have no excuse.

I am sorry, Jon Jon. I truly am.

And I can't end this without a shout out...Ladies, this man is handy, handsome, and single. What more could you want? 

I'm just sayin'.


I told him he was free to build me a coffee table so I could properly highlight his mad skillz on the blog.

Apologetically,
Melissa
Blogging tips