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August 14, 2017, posted by Gina – When my oldest son left for college I was a nervous wreck. I stood vigil by my cell phone because I was a worried Mom. I clearly remember one day going to lunch with a friend and placing my cell phone purposely on the table in case he should call. At the time, I saw nothing wrong with this. I was not talking on it and did not intend to take a call unless it was my son.

Fast forward to a few months ago and I read about how my act of placing the cell phone on the table was a rude behavior. It turns out that this truly irritates some people and in fact proper etiquette requires you to put your phone away and keep it on silent or vibrate mode.
To this day, I want to keep my cell phone where I can see it in case one of my children calls me in need. I am better than I was when our oldest went to college but I still have this need to be ever vigilant.

Now that I have learned my behavior was rude, I have changed my ways and keep my phone in my purse. On the other side of this situation, I truly don’t mind if someone places their phone on the table in the event of a call they need to accept. The only time I would get irritated would be if the person carried on a conversation.

As wonderful as cell phones are, they have certainly created some unwanted behavior. How about you? Do you keep your cell phone with you at all times? Would you place it on the table in a restaurant? Would this drive you insane? Are there other cell phone practices that make your hair stand on end?

August 11, 2017, posted by Gina – Mother Nature is taking over the blog this week and sharing some of her marvels with you. Let’s take a look, shall we?

|   NO FEAR DEER    |
It’s not often you see deer without them scattering immediately. We took a drive out in the country and these two were unimpressed with our truck. They did not budge and even let us take their picture.

|    FEATHERED FRIENDS    |

Take a look at this snooty woodpecker! These regular, everyday birds just love my home and visit me very often. For anyone new here….I tried for years to attract hummingbirds with no success. I changed to a regular bird feeder and all types of feathered friends visit me daily.
This feeder sits outside one of our windows and as you can see the birds do not detect my presence and so I am able to see them up close and personal. For anyone interested in placing a bird feeder in your yard, this feeder is a Squirrel Buster Birdfeeder. It is such a joy to be able to watch these little creatures.

|    RAIN, RAIN, DON’T GO AWAY    |

Do you ever plant flowers or plants and think they really aren’t growing very much? Well, I think this quite frequently. Recently, we have had a lot of rain and our plants have loved every drop. Let’s look at a few before and after photos to see what a difference a few months makes in a garden.

PURPLE RAIN

These Sunpatiens were planted in early May. We had to “baby” these plants and even had the owner of the garden center look at them. He even called the grower. They just did not seem like they were going to make it. We had planted Sunpatiens the year before with none of this drama. Upon investigation, it was determined that I had the perfect growing environment for these plants. I was pretty sure I did but it never hurts for the experts to take a look. It was decided they just needed a little more time and some extra careful attention. I stood vigilant with these beauties and months later we are reaping the benefits. I am not sure I will have this kind of patience (ha ha) again but they sure are pretty.

CUTTING GARDEN

You may remember that in April I decided I wanted a cutting flower garden in my yard. I mapped out a plan and decided to give it a try. Some things made it and some things did not. I really felt like I had not made much progress that is until I saw these before and after photos. The true test will be next Spring to see how many of these flowers return.

JASMINE

This confederate jasmine has taken much longer than I thought to crawl its way along this trellis. I feel as if time is standing still in this area of my yard. Alas, in these before and after photos you can see some thicker growth. I finally can see the light. For the record, this vine is 3 years old for any of you considering growing one for yourself. Patience is a virtue…. right?

SUNFLOWERS

A few weeks ago, Mr. GDFC and I visited a fabulous sunflower field in Memphis, TN. I shared one of the photos on Instagram (if you aren’t following us on Instagram, please start today! CLICK HERE to check us out). I thought it would be nice for you to get a feel for how large this field actually is. In the first photo, we see the whole field and honestly this photo does not do it justice. In the second photo, we see these gorgeous flowers up-close. And finally, we see how many people were at this field with cameras in hand. It was quite a site to see.

Enjoy your weekend and enjoy some nature of your own. We will see you next week!

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July 31, 2017, posted by Gina – I can’t believe today marks the last day of July and while it’s not the official end of summer, school will be starting in the first few weeks of August giving us that Fall feeling. And as this last day of July falls on a Monday, we’re talking about manners. The subject of this week’s manners post is one we all encounter from time to time so let’s get started.

The Seinfeld show had a humorous way of treating everyday experiences and it made us feel better. One of the episodes was about the “One Upper”. You know, the person who is better, smarter, richer, busier, healthier, happier or whatever than you or anyone else. In the episode, Jerry becomes more and more frustrated as the One Upper continues with their conversational dominance. No matter the topic, the One Upper topped his experience.

I am not sure about you but I will put up with this for a while but then my blood will start to boil just as Jerry’s did. How are we supposed to deal with a person that does this? First, we can find a way to walk away. Drinks always need refreshing, the powder room calls, the other line is ringing or whatever. I like to have some excuses prepared so I can get myself out of these situations in a nice way.

Turns out that these One Uppers are really not trying to make you feel bad. They are insecure and are trying to convince themselves that they are wonderful. They have low self-esteem and this is a way for them to make themselves feel better. While this makes me sad for them, it is not our duty to be their punching bag.

Next time you encounter a One Upper, take a deep breath and have your exit plan ready.

So, as we started this post off with Seinfeld’s humor about his annoying One Upper, we’ll end it with a funny video. If you’ve ever seen the Penelope character on Saturday Night Live, you know she’s the ultimate One Upper. “I invented air, so every time you breath you owe me ten cents.” Click THIS LINK to see it and have a laugh.

July 30, 2017, posted by Gina – This past week I worked on an arrangement that looked great in two totally different locations. I used it for a centerpiece on a super summery tablescape and again by itself on a console table. Let’s take a look at how I used this little versatile arrangement.

Here we see the arrangement on a glass topped wrought iron table cosied up between two lamps with burlap shades. The galvanized container used as a vessel for the arrangement seems right at home in this rustic environment.

Moving on to the second location…in this overhead view of the table, the arrangement is pleased as punch to be the centerpiece on this brightly colored tablescape.

Here is an up-close view of the arrangement on the table.

In this long view of the table you can see all of the elements that make it so colorful and inviting.

Can’t you just imagine yourself sitting right here?

We hope this brightly colored table inspires you to create a similar one for yourself. It is amazing how a few flowers can bring life to a room and transform a space.

Sources:

Galvanized vessel for flowers: Gina Diamond’s Flower Co.
Table runner: Home Goods
Flatware: Southern Living at Home
Monogrammed glasses: In Gina’s family for a LONG time.
Fringe Napkins: Gina’s personal collection
Dishes: Alexa by Southern Living

July 28, 2017, posted by Gina – Happy Friday! After traveling the past few weekends, we will finally be staying home this weekend. I have been playing catch up since last weekend and have finally crossed the finish line, so I can enjoy my few days of relaxation. Son 1 may pay us a visit so I have a few recipes on deck. I was able to get the peach hand pie recipe that I mentioned in last week’s Friday post and will share it with you next week. You will want to try them as they are delicious! In the meantime, here are a few fun things that caught my attention this past week. Enjoy your weekend and we will see you on Monday!

|   RED SUNFLOWERS   |

This time of year, these bright red sunflowers start showing up. The color is very eye catching and rich. Would it surprise you if told you this sunflower does not naturally grow this red? They are dyed to be this vibrant color. I hope I have not burst your bubble. I tend to prefer naturally occurring colors when it comes to flowers but this red can’t be ignored. There truly are sunflowers that are classified as red but they tend to be more burnt orange or rust in reality. Some of these varieties include Moulin Rouge, Velvet Queen, Autumn Beauty and Floristan. As the Fall approaches, you will begin to see these more frequently as their colors more closely look like the deep oranges to burgundies we all enjoy using instead of this bright red.

|    ORGANIC PROTEIN BARS    |

I found these protein bars the other day at Sam’s and thought I would give them a try. I will admit that after I tried them I rushed back to get more. They have fewer calories (150) and sugar (5g) than most bars of this type, taste delicious and help you fill full. I am not sure of the organic benefit in a bar like this but a doctor developed these while looking for a healthier alternative to these kinds of energy bars. A perfect snack if you are on the run.

|   NEUTROGENA TO THE RESCUE    |

After washing and drying your face do you still find make up on your towel? How does that happen? In a quest to get my face squeaky clean, I chose these make up remover towelettes that will flat out get your mascara off. I follow this with the cleansing gel and there is not a trace of make up behind, leaving my face ready to accept my anti-wrinkle cream.

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July 21, 2017, posted by Gina  – Here’s the round up for this week’s fun stuff post…

|  EASY UPDATE  |

Do you ever just “have” to do something different in a room? Somehow you feel like you need to make it look a little different without having to call contractors to your home. Well, that was me earlier this week. I got this bright idea that instead of a small rug in front of my laundry room sink, I wanted one for the whole room. I set out to At Home to rug shop and just look what came home with me. The rug you see here is so soft and I love the bit of personality it brings to a rather utilitarian spot in my home.

|  SOLAR LIGHTS  |

If you are like me, whenever you visit an At Home store you never come out with just the one thing you are looking for. On this trip, I was very happy to find these solar outdoor lights on their Flash Find Sale. I mean seriously, they are only $4.99 each! If you have a dark area in your yard that you wish had a little light then go to At Home now because these won’t last. I will confess that I purchased more than an average share of these. If you see a bright light in the sky, chances are it’s coming from my home. At the store near me, these were displayed just inside the front door.

|  SHOES!  |

Last week I shared the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale with you. My items arrived yesterday and true to form, everything fit perfectly. I wanted to show you these shoes I purchased. I have never seen this brand but let me assure you the bed of this shoe is cushioned very well and is unbelievably comfortable for a heel. The zipper on the back gives this shoe a bit of an edge which I think is fun. You do not have to unzip it to get into the shoe. So, while you may not need shoes, don’t forget that there are so many FALL things on sale now but it will end soon, so get shopping!

|  PEACH PIE  |

A friend of mine moved to a new house not too long ago and she has done a lot of work on it. So, it was time for her to let a few of us see all the wonderful things she has done. We started with a brunch that was just perfect for the hot day. A delicious salad with a French tarragon dressing and chicken salad (from me) were the main course. My friend made these absolutely delicious peach hand pies. Now let me say this, I really am not fond of fruit and most of the time will pass on a fruity dessert. Since there were just a few of us, I decided to “soldier on” and eat one of the pies. Thank goodness I did because these little pies are so good. I promise to get the recipe and share it with you before our wonderful summer peaches go away.

That’s all my fun stuff for this week. Here’s hoping you have a nice relaxing weekend or one that is filled with fun projects.

July 18, 2017, posted by Gina – I recently worked on a tablescape with a tropical theme that is perfect for a summer time gathering. I’ll show you all the elements of this brightly colored and texturally interesting table in this post.

Fabulous pineapple napkins and oranges were the inspiration for this summer time tablescape. I saw the napkins while at Home Goods one day and knew they had to come home with me. I really had no idea at the time how I would use them but little by little the ideas for this tablescape came together.

Notice the small flower arrangement on the salad plate. I used a hollowed orange as the vessel for the flowers. You can see the tutorial on how to make these individual arrangements HERE.

Here is a close up of the floral arrangement filled with two roses and greenery. I chose green roses to compliment the orange as well as the other elements on the table.

All the elements of this tablescape came together quite nicely. I started layering with the burlap table runner followed by the orange and white placemats and topped with wood carved chargers and white plates.

In this photo, you can see some green compotes filled with oranges. I love to put some type of interesting object on the table and these vintage green and silver compotes certainly did the trick.

I decided it would be fun to use pineapples as the centerpiece to coordinate with the napkins. Oranges added to the fun, bright vibe and coordinated with the napkins.

A long view of the table.

This side view of the place setting shows off the orange element of the flower arrangement.

Here is a view of the centerpiece along with 4 of the 6 place settings.

One final view of a bright and summery table that’s quite an audacious welcome!

Sources:
Burlap table runner –Home Goods
Orange and White placemats – Vietri
Wood carved chargers – Pier 1
Plates – Alexa by Southern Living, Dillard’s
Flatware – Ballard Designs
Green and Gold tinted glasses – Home Goods
Centerpiece – McCarty

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July 17, 2017, posted by Gina – People in the service industry make our world go around. Think about it. There’s more than likely one person from the service industry that does something for you throughout the course of your day. Whether it’s someone helping you pack your groceries or a server at a restaurant, we are impacted by people who rely on tips to help them make their living. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some common tipping practices.

Food Service
I think it might be fair to say we all know how to tip in a restaurant but basically the rule is 15-20%. I use this rule and most of the time I tip 20% unless the service was just not very good. I used to wonder about tipping at a buffet. After all, the server is not bringing you food but most of the time they bring drinks and make sure you have the condiments you need. For a buffet, the rule is to leave 10%. And just what do you do about take out? The rule is that tipping is not required but if special attention was given to your order then a tip is always a nice thing. Then there is pizza delivery. I wondered about this for years and finally found out that a 10 – 15% tip is standard. If you see a tip jar at a counter, you are not obligated to leave a tip but if your service was efficient and friendly it’s a nice idea.

Traveling
I have always tipped valets but never knew what the going rate was. It is anywhere from $2-5. Bellhops are invaluable when you are checking in and out of a hotel. The standard rule is $2-3 per bag. I have become aware only recently of the general rule for housekeeping tips. We were left a nice note from housekeeping and I wondered if we should tip them. After further review, I found that is standard to tip housekeeping $2-5 per day. It is also suggested that you leave a tip each day of your stay instead of at the end as the staff may change from day to day.

Personal Care
I am a ‘frequent flyer’ at my hair salon and try to leave a nice tip with my stylist since I am usually there for three or more hours. During that time I think of how tired my stylist must be dealing with my thick mop of hair. The standard tip rate is 15-20%. Other similar services such as manicures, pedicures, facials and waxing carry a 15-20% tipping rate as well.

Pet Services
We used to have two beautiful light blond cocker spaniels. Cocker spaniels require a lot of care with their coats as they have long hair. When it came to tipping the groomer, I tended to be generous as I knew what a challenge it was to work with our beauties. The standard tip rate is 10-20% but if your pet is unruly, extra-large or needs extra care, it’s a good idea to tip on the higher side.

While these tip rates are standard, each situation is different. You know when someone has gone above and beyond, so it’s up to your heart and wallet to give what you like. And while tipping is a good idea add a smile and a thank you and you might make someone’s day.

July 14, 2017, posted by Gina – How did the weekend slip up so fast? Maybe it is because it was such a busy week for me. We have lots of fun stuff to share with you so let’s get started.

Ya’ll, this stuff works! I mean it really works! Over the years I have tried a million different creams and products that were supposed to make me look years younger and soften wrinkles. I really never saw a difference. One day about a year ago I was in Sam’s and saw this Olay Regenerist. I thought it would be good to put on my face before my make up so in my cart it went. I really never thought about it actually helping wrinkles. Last week, I noticed that several of my wrinkles actually looked softer and just plain better! I really was not even trying and had lost all hope. I will say, it did take a year for me to notice results and while it is not a facelift or Botox, I will purchase this little jar of wonder cream again. It’s very creamy but not greasy. I think we would be safe in saying I recommend this.

Before we moved into our home five years ago I had cleaned and organized every nook and cranny of our former home so it would look perfect once we placed it on the market. This type of organization should happen before you are ready to sell your home but I procrastinated. Upon moving into our new home, I had grand ideas of how to organize my closet. I had mastered organization in my former closet and was so proud I wanted to keep the closet door open. The other day while getting dressed and struggling to find the jewelry I wanted, I realized it was finally time to master my new closet. These simple command hooks are how I organized my jewelry in my former home so I chose to use them again. The organization has made it so much easier and fun to get dressed. I have been asking myself why I waited so long to do this simple chore. While the jewelry is organized, I still want to work more on the clothes and shoes but everything is already so much easier to find. I used to think the closet was the problem, but now I realize I am the problem and I can change it. How about you? Is your closet picture perfect or do you struggle to find things? If I get brave, I’ll show more of my closet once it’s as pretty as I want it.

Well HOWDY Fall! This was on the magazine rack at the grocery store and, of course, it had to come home with me. While we are smack dab in the middle of summer and I did not think I could embrace anything Fall, I must admit that the magazine plunged me into football season, comfort foods and fall décor. It was fun while it lasted plus there were some great ideas and recipes. Very inspiring.

The other day I was greeted by these hydrangeas as soon as I entered the grocery store. I wondered why there were so many of them. Upon closer inspection, I noticed they were wrapped up in ice cream cone printed paper. Many of you may not know that I worked for an ice cream manufacturer doing their marketing and PR. It’s a good thing because I know that every third Sunday in July is National Ice Cream Day and obviously these hydrangeas are dressed up in honor of this fabulous event. I mean how fun is it to celebrate ice cream? While working for the ice cream manufacturer, I would plan events to honor this day in seven different cities that were held simultaneously. Trust me when I tell you that not many events could need the amount of coordination and attention to details as this did. It was all in the name of ice cream and while it was a lot of work, we had a great time.

Last week I mentioned we would be celebrating Mr. GDFC’s birthday and celebrate we did! I put this quick place setting together for his home cooked meal on his birthday. I love the green and the blue combo and it certainly looks summery.

I made a recent trip to a farmers market not far from my house. Two things that caught my eye were the peaches and the tomatoes. Since they’re in season this is the best time to enjoy these beauties. In addition to these items, some lady peas and zucchini made it home with me. Enjoy the bounty of the season while you can. Now is the perfect time to stock up on peas and fresh corn for your freezer. I love doing this so I can have a taste of summer on a cold winter day.

I shopped the Nordstrom Anniversary sale today and found five wonderful items. I loved this top as I felt it could be great alone or under a jacket. I also purchased a dress, shoes, t-shirt and active wear. All in all, I saved hundreds of dollars. Fingers crossed everything fits.

Speaking of summer sales….Michelle told me that the sales started in France a couple of weeks ago and she’s been scouring the shops, not for GDFC this time, but for herself and her apartment. She shared a couple of her finds with me; this black mini bag she’s had her eye on for a while and a marble and wood cheese board she stumbled upon and couldn’t pass up.

And lastly, it’s Bastille Day in France, so Michelle will be out watching the fireworks and setting off a few of her own!

Here’s wishing you a wonderful weekend and we hope we inspired you in some way. Check back next week when we will be sharing some tips on summer tablescapes, tipping and a recipe or two.