Le Weekend

Handsome wants to know if you've had a good weekend.

I've been contemplating a new hair do...

How do we feel about bangs? 

I'm considering it. 

I spent some time this weekend playing with my big girl toys. 

My freshly painted chairs have been put back in place. 

I love it! How in the world did I get so lucky to find them? 

Thank you Craigslist "Gods".

Handsome and I taught lessons on Sunday afternoon. 

Handsome is my VP of operations/security.

The students love him. 

After church this morning (at St. John's Episcopal Church)

 the children had a lemonade stand.  It was so precious. 

The Emmy's are on tonight.  

Perhaps a rich beef stew will be cooked in honor of the program. 

Hmmm, perhaps to the store we shall go. 

Did you have a good weekend? 

Mega Wedding Fleurs

True Statement:

I absolutely LOVE flowers. 

Having a bundle around the house is such a great touch.  

Whether it is 1 stem or 50, it's a fantastic way to bring 

color and a bit of "fresh" to your home and it's decor. 

This week...it just so happens that I have flowers....everywhere!

I can't stop taking pictures of them...they're so beautiful. 

What a magnificent creation. 

"OH, EM, GEE HILARY"

I'm sure that's what you're saying to yourself. 

I've said it to myself a few times. 

The poor hubs, the kitty and I are sneezing like crazy!

Somehow, it's worth it.  

A peony in the late summer/early fall is a rare thing to come by. 

I was wishing for some and voila, there they were. 

So...wondering where they came from? 

Wondering...if this is what your house looks like, what did the church look like? 

Looking into the Narthex from the Nave.

This bundle came from one of the isle (pew) decorations. 

Looking into the Nave from the Narthex. 

The pew arrangements were moved for the Sunday morning services. 

The arches, alter flowers and pillar candle flowers stayed up. 

These were by far the most beautiful wedding flowers I've ever seen.

It looked like a scene from a Hollywood movie or from Martha Stewart Wedding Magazine. 

To go with the beautiful flowers, the male guests were adorned in their black tie

 finest and the ladies in the summer  2011 runway gowns and cocktail dresses. 

The bride wore a lace gown with a creme to light pink ombre underneath, with a light pink sash cascading down the back of her dress. I've not checked their line, but I'm pretty sure it was Vera Wang. 

The bridesmaids wore navy dresses that were oh so flattering on all TWELVE of them! 

The flowers they carried matched that of the church flowers.  

The multiple camera crews wisely documented every smile, ribbon, tear and flower stem. 

The homily was one to remember, the music was divine. 

I sure hope this bride and groom LOVED their wedding and never forget it. 

Of all the weddings I've been part of, this one is for sure one for the books!

The Graduate

By now this is old news, but still newsworthy in the story of my life...
you know...the one that is Mrs. Dow-Ward's Neighborhood.
On May 14th I graduated from Seminary.  Yahoo.  "Amen." 

Me at Memphis Theological Seminary...With my Clyde

My Mother and I after graduation, they actually gave us our diplomas the day of the graduation!

I just got my diploma from my undergrad about 2 months ago.  5 years later...no big deal. 

My Mom and Pop after graduation downtown at the Peabody where we had celebratory drinks with the ducks. 

Graduation flowers in a Kate Spade vase Geoff gave me the first Valentine's day in Memphis.

Graduation flowers with my new Jonathan Adler table runner

The naked table

These flowers were so pretty, hot pink peonies, red daisy, red tulips

Mrs. Dow-Ward with newly acquired Memphis Theological Seminary diploma. 

Recital

As promised...here are a few snapshots from the recital I gave Friday night. The recital was in partial fulfillment of the degree Master of Arts in Religion from Memphis Theological Seminary. My thesis project was on sacred music. 

All photos by Minda Anthony, a friend and classmate of mine at Memphis Theological Seminary. 

Recital Flowers

I'm getting closer to sharing some photos from my recital (Friday night). But in the meantime I do have a few photos of my "recital flowers" to share.  Since we are in the midst of Lent in The Episcopal Church having alter flowers were not an option.  My delightful mother decided we were in need of some flowers anyway! Lent, or not Lent,  girl's got to have recital flowers. 

She, because obviously this is a lady, still has 3 more buds to bloom.  

The flower shop said that she should say in bloom for approximately 3 months. 

We had the orchid put in my Nate Burkus bowl.  Mom thought it was kind of a "different" idea to begin with but when it was finished it sure was a surprise for us both.  This beauty surpasses my wildest dreams! 

She's such a delicate little lady!  

late to the party

Three words...Friday was lovely.  

Why you might ask? Not only because I said so but also because my parents were in town, because I got to spend an afternoon with my Mother doing Mom/Daughter things that we never get to do (because she lives hundreds of miles away) and, we had a party Friday night.  But let's not pass by the reason for the season, if you will. Friday evening I gave a recital that is in part thesis project for my seminary degree. The music on the recital was all sacred classical music (there will be more on this to come). For now, let's talk about something cute.  

About a week ago I was putting together party items.  I saw on not one but TWO blogs (gasp) these beautiful paper straws adorned with graceful little stripes. I said to myself, "Hilary, you need some of those beautiful straws!" Yes, straws...folks I believe we can file this as a cheap thrill. I was instantly excited.  The advertising parties were none other than Southern Vogue and Kate Spade-aholic.

I did the famous click, click, click and there were the straws, readily available for internet purchase. 

I ordered gray, yellow, blue, and green stripes. I was so pumped to have them for the party.  I was expecting them to arrive on Friday.  Here comes the sad part of the story, they didn't arrive until Saturday.  Which made me once again want to do this: 

No.  It wasn't that big of a deal...but I do enjoy getting some good mileage out of this picture. 

The straws will be safely tucked away for the next big party.  And GOD WILLING, it will be in approximately six weeks. 

straw photos via Google images
photo of me screaming: Annie Tichenor 

Something to think about...

This little ditty comes from  Children's letters to God.  

I saw it tonight while at school (Christian Ethics as it were).  

I thought it was worth a chuckle and a smile. 

3:48am

Well it is between Monday darkness and Tuesday morning light. The time is officially 3:48am. I have been reading since Damages was over at 1:00am and can't seem to talk my eyes into closing. I've at least moved myself and the computer up to bed so that it would be an option to negotiate the whole sleep process. As I'm sure most folks know...a racing mind is hard to slow down and almost impossible to shut off. Things have traffic-ed through my head like...what shade of gray the living room should actually be, did I pick the wrong color of brown for the downstairs bathroom? Then there's the important questions like...will I actually make it to Bikram Yoga tomorrow...and the ever more serious question of will I find another job. I think all of these other questions are just the trimmings to the actual pressing question. There's a commercial I see on tv frequently, Geoff and I have come to call it the "sad clarinet music commercial". I think it is advertising some sort of depression medication or something. The realistic part of it is that I hope I don't have sad clarinet music following me as my day goes by. Ha! I'd rather have a theme song like "Linus and Lucy" or "R E S P E C T" or something snappy by Earth, Wind, and Fire.....not the sad clarinet music. That in it's self is depressing. 

Earlier today I was looking on fb at other folks Easter photos I saw some from my "home parish", Grace Episcopal Cathedral in Kansas. A place that is important to me for many reasons, there's the obvious, and then because it was my first church job (choral scholar), a church I chose to go to...as in I WANTED to be there, and of coarse the church where Geoff and I got married October 1, 2005. A very fond sight for my sore eyes.

I think I may have finally negotiated some sleep time with my eyes/mind....time to not only put this hot mac to sleep...also me.
To borrow a line from my dear friend Dorothy, "There's no place like home!"