At our house we LOVE college football. We start Saturdays watching ESPN Game Day and we have been known to have different games going in different rooms.  What can I say... we are cheerleaders at heart...!! Who will you be cheering for this season?  Comment me and show your pride! 

In deference to Nicole and David and the special place of honor they hold in my mind because they produced Claire...here's a head nod to Alabama's Crimson Tide with this bobbin bug creation of a gameday onesie for those cute little guys attending the games! 

Ironing Out The Wrinkles

Over the years I have spent many hours at the ironing board.  My love of cotton and linen required me to either lower my anti-wrinkle standards or plug in the old iron and pull out the spray starch!


Back in the day (which in this case means when I was 12 years old) I learned how to iron.  On Saturday mornings the board would be set up along with a very heavy iron and a bottle of water with a sprinkle top... and I would "practice" the art of ironing out the wrinkles on a basket full of cotton pillow cases.  All ironing for the week was done in one morning; a ritual of sorts.


I took that ritual with me into married life and for years ironed once a week...that's how it was done!  Then after Nicole left for college and Chelsea and Katelyn were nine and seven, I went back to work.  Coinciding with that was the addition of a new master bathroom; complete with a big walk-in closet and an ironing board that lived inside a cabinet.  To use I merely opened the cabinet door and Voila...ironing board.  It was sooo convenient that it became a permanent fixture in that closet...open and ready to use at any moment.  It was often loaded with clean laundry that had yet to be put away...and yes all the ironing that used to be done in a day and now got done as needed.  Suddenly my school of thought was...why iron ahead?  That was just a waste of time!  I prided myself in being organized and so while I ironed as needed...I did it the night before.  That lasted for a couple of years.


You see where this is going...eventually I ironed hurriedly in the mornings...didn't iron...and yes, developed a lovely friendship with my neighborhood dry cleaners!!! 

Skip ahead to present day and Katelyn's love of white cotton shirts with fancy details. When she happens across one (usually in Banana Republic or Anthropologie) she snaps it up!  She likes to wear them to school...they pass dress code and look nothing like a polo or a t-shirt!  So this week when I washed and put up the ironing board (no ironing board in the cupboard in this house) and ironed her white cotton shirts with all their glorious details...I enjoyed it and the trip down memory lane!

 

So here is my question to you...do you iron?  Are you possibly one of those with some sixth sense and know exactly when to open the dryer door and hang those clothes so that they are wrinkle-free? Do you love to iron and maybe have some ritual or a tried and true ironing tip?  Tell me your story...leave a comment!

My New Favorite Things...

This leather backpack from our recent trip to Italy keeps calling my name...but I am waiting for fall (Okay...September) to carry it!

I love these necklaces that I found at Irene & Co at Pier Park on Panama City Beach...just need some bracelets!

Spotted this pillow in Pottery Barn and couldn't resist...It reminds me of Italy!
                                     

Okay...I also am loving Root Beer Jelly Bellies = )

And last but not least...the bobbinbug's (that would be Nicole) newest creation...mommy and me fall aprons!!

Sunday Night With Amy Grant and Michael W Smith

Went to see Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith last night on Panama City Beach.  It's been so rainy here and there was a fierce storm in the afternoon...but the evening turned out beautiful.  We met up with Rich's mom and dad and headed down to a very crowded beach.  We didn't have a great view, but the music was awesome.  The evening ended with fireworks...wouldn't it be nice if every Sunday evening  could end this way = )

What Can You Do In 27 Hours?

So this past weekend our small town on the gulf coast welcomed President Obama and family for a 27 hour vacation!  I marvel at the idea of a 27 hour vacation and so I spent a bit of time this morning perusing the News Herald to see how his visit played out.  I was in town for a good portion of those same 27 hours, but had other priorities as it was Chelsea's last day at home before leaving for college.  So I am thinking to myself...hmmm how did our day compare to theirs?


The Dodd Family Schedule
*Saturday morning Chelsea and I got up at 7:00 immediately had coffee and she made banana walnut muffins
*8:00 am Nicole, David, and Claire wander downstairs, followed shortly thereafter by Kate and Rich...let the fun begin

*Claire entertained us by crawling around and climbing (where were the reporters for this?)
*Last of Chelsea's stuff gets loaded into the third car (many hands make for light work is sooooo true)
*Around 11:00 am we gathered in the living room for a family discussion of  The Law by Frederic Bastiat. Rich had promised us a rousing discussion of this very thought provoking little book and other than Claire  falling asleep and a couple of eye rolling moments we did all contribute and learn something...though I have to admit it's not as much fun to argue a viewpoint when you are preaching to the choir!
*1:15 David, Nicole, and Claire left to attend a wedding
*Chelsea and Kate left to go eat Mexican food at Los Antojitos (cheese dip and chicken enchiladas)
*Rich got the oil changed in Chelsea's car and then proceeded to take all the rest of the cars too!

*I went to the grocery store to shop for Chelsea's last dinner (on the menu...scallops, barbecue chicken, scalloped potatoes, sauteed asparagus, salad with mandarin oranges, almonds, feta cheese and grated carrots...menu selected by Chelsea)...for dessert s'mores!
*A quick swim with Claire before dinner...no oil here!

*Dinner and then grandparents arrive for s'mores
*At 9:00 pm grandpa heads home, Chelsea, Kate, Nicole, grandma, and I head out to Pier Park
*Chelsea visits with Clarissa...Nicole and I get a double shot espresso at Starbucks
*9:45 we go to see Eat Pray Love
*12:15am back in the car headed for home
*1:00 am in bed
*5:00 am alarm goes off...moving day begins
*6:10 am on our way to Starbucks (no...that double shot espresso did not last)
*6:35 heading up 231 to Auburn
*10:10 Rich and I (in separate cars)  arrive at the Hotel at Auburn...Stephen pulls in a few minutes later...Chelsea and Katelyn....well they by-passed Auburn and were headed towards Atlanta!!!

*10:45  The girls arrive...we decide to eat the lunch buffet at the hotel (it is fabulous food, however no one is really hungry)

*Noon  we head over to Eagle Hall in the Village...moving in begins!

The Obama Family Schedule (do not know exact time nor order of events)

Saturday Morning the President arrives on Air Force One at Tyndall AFB

The family stayed at Bay Point's Marriott Resort

They had lunch at Marriott's Bayside Bar (fish tacos, burger and chicken fingers...guess who ate what)

A meeting with the governor, Panama City's mayor, and others at the Naval Coastal Systems Center

The President and daughter Sasha took a quick swim at Alligator Point...look no oil!

A boat ride on the Bay Point Lady around the bay

Pirate's Island Golf....both Sasha and the president made a hole in one (very impressive considering the number of spectators, secret service, and reporters lurking)!!

Dinner at Firefly with fried oysters, tuna, lobster, steak, shrimp, pasta, and creme brulee (what about the hydroponic salad???  It is divine)!

Bruster's Ice Cream...mint chocolate chip, hot fudge sundae, oreo cake batter (all sound yummy)!
On Sunday morning a quick secret trip to Wonder Works by the first lady and Sasha
Departure on Marine One from the Navy base

Amazing they fit so much into their schedule...but then there was the secret service and motorcade and police escorts and no lines....all those things necessary for a president just to be able to get where he needs to be! As for my family...I think we did pretty good with fitting stuff in...no secret service or motorcades required! 

I must say this...so much criticism follows the president through his day.  I am not into that...so regardless of the "agenda," the world does now know that there really isn't an oil problem on Panama City Beach...  merely a perception problem.  So many people cancelled their plans to vacation here this summer and that did hurt local business...but they all missed out on a great beach vacation in a real American beach town.  The summer season is almost over...but if you really want to know a secret...October is the best month of the year here.  I'd encourage everyone to come on down the water is fine, but I kinda like the quiet!

Auburn Decorating...War Eagle!

I've decided if the girls are back in school then summer is officially over so let's have some fall-like weather!  We made the trek up to Auburn on Sunday...three cars loaded with furniture, clothes, and stuff!!  Between the four of us and Stephen (Chelsea's boyfriend) the unloading was pretty quick...the deciding where everything would live...not so quick.

The guys vacated the premises and we got to work and within a couple of hours it started looking like the room Chelsea had planned during the summer.  At 4:00 that afternoon Rich and Katelyn headed back to Panama City.

  Chelsea's three main colors were turqoise blue, green, and brown.  She made the picture hanging on the wall.  It says:  

                                     Live Simply    Give More    Expect Less

                                    .

                                       
That evening and all day Monday we made lists...ran errands...and unpacked.  By 5:00 that night we were finished!

Lamp shade is from Anthropologie, coat rack is from Urban Outfitter

cross is from Hobby Lobby (what can I say...we get around)

Dorm chairs are both uncomfortable

and unattractive.  We found this

chair cover on a great website...

dormsuitedorm.com

Area rug is from Target.com

Shelving and baskets are from Target

Mirror is from Kirklands Home

The curtains on the closet and window are

from Urban Outfitters.com.  Nicole lined these

so you couldn't see the stuff in the closet...then

we tied them back!

                                                 
                                               This bulletin board from last year's dorm
                                                was updated by changing the ribbon and
                                               buttons.  The how-to for making a fabric
                                               covered bulletin board can be found on
                                               my Projects page

                                                   


Chelsea did a great job designing her home away from home...I think her mother's decorating bug has bit her.  At the end of a long and very tiring Monday she said "some of this stuff will be able to go into my apartment next year..."  To which I am thinking....who said you are moving : ) 
Oh well, this is my life!



                                               

 

Chelsea's Last Day

Today is Chelsea's last day in Panama City before moving back to Auburn.  The cars are packed...so I guess we are ready to go.  We are having our family dinner tonight and if the weather holds out we will make s'mores over the fire pit.   Late tonight (after Claire is in bed asleep) Chelsea, Katelyn, Nicole and I are going to see Eat Pray Love!!  I know it is time for her to go...but I hate it. So say some prayers for her and if you've got one to spare... send it my way!!

We've reached another milestone in our house...Kate has started her senior year.  Didn't she just graduate from K-5 at Holy Nativity Episcopal School?

 

Magazines and Paper Dolls

My love of magazines comes from my dear grandmother.  I grew up living next door to her and spent a lot of my free time hanging out with her.  She subscribed to several magazines and I loved to go next door and collect them from her black wrought iron mailbox on her front porch.  My very favorite was McCall's magazine.  I loved everything about that magazine; the ads, the fashion and decorating articles, but mostly the page with Betsy McCall the paper doll!  Through the years I followed Betsy's life as if she were a real American girl!  Years later, married with three daughters and my very own stack of glossy magazines arriving in my mailbox monthly, I happened upon paper dolls in the Mary Engelbreit magazine and it was like deja vu!!  My girls were past the paper doll phase in life (apparently they are more mature than I ha ha) but I couldn't resist and once again found myself joyfully turning to the paper doll page...admiring the latest outfits of Anne Estelle and her friends. I bought a box covered in Mary Engelbreit's signature print and collected those paper dolls, saying all along that someday I would have granddaughters who would enjoy them (don't be fooled though...they were for me too)!   Now that my first granddaughter has joined our family I can squint and see to a future when she will arrive at Gi Gi's and want to play with the paper dolls in the box.  But then again, she is part Dodd...she might rather go out in the yard and kick a soccer ball or head to the bookstore for the latest book... Either way would be just fine with me as I have enjoyed my little side trip down memory lane.

My very own Mary Engelbreit Paper dolls