Celebrating my special guest ...

~~The Gayla Pink Apple~~

Yay, Blair is home visiting this week...

Fun place card holders for tonight's dinner

And, we celebrated her birthday tonight.  I blog about celebrating birthdays with my friends, and I blog about lunches with long lost friends, so why wouldn't I blog about my most valued guest, my daughter!

 It's a fun and playful birthday celebration!

Blair's birthday was only two days ago, so tonight's celebration is pretty good timing.  I love dining with her to celebrate HER.  Birthday cake and all the extras - yes indeed!!! 

 

A few gifts are a must at any birthday celebration

**Gift overload...no! just one for each year that I've missed seeing her and one for good measure! 

Pretty in Pink

Pretty Pink flowers wearing skirts

**Special flowers for our celebration - absolutely!

**Balloons too...yes!

**Strawberry cake...yes, indeed!

**Wine for the sommelier girl...of course!

**Champagne too?  Yes, Cheers!

A fun fun dinner!

Steak and brussels sprouts because that's one of her favorites. Well, the brussels sprouts are a favorite, not steak. I think living in NYC she most likely doesn't eat steak very often. I want her to EAT while she is HOME! :) I was pretty sure Randy would pounce on grilling steaks for her birthday celebration. Easy menu for me and a perfect dinner for the three of us.

I'm not into outgrowing birthday dinners with my child.  So, she very graciously accepted my need to somewhat make a fuss over her tonight.  It has been quite a few years since she has been in LR on her birthday or close to her birthday.   It has been a while since we had a birthday p a r t y with gifts, balloons, cake and ice cream!   To have her here, at home, two days after her actual birthday - well, I couldn't let the opportunity to celebrate HER go unrecognized. 

A fun birthday evening 

Blair has given me more love, joy, and appreciation than words can express.  She is the one person, in my life, that I truly love unconditionally, and I know she loves me back.  She is the absolute joy to my world.  She is the light to my life and brings a lot of joy to this home. 

She is smart, sophicated, poised, kind, gracious, appreciative, sweet, loving, and a selfless young woman.  And, not just to me - Blair is most of these things to most people.  Yes, I'm a little biased, but if you know me well, I'm very transparent.

 

It's going to be a great week, for me...

 

Some of my Blair photos...

3 days old - She entered this world with a head full of hair! 

And, to today's young Mothers - we had headbands 24 years ago, too!   

18 months old

Her Daddy was a big athlete, back in his day - so the baseball was fitting! 

2 years old -look at that hair :) more hair and longer than most 4 yrs olds!

She is searching for the "yellow brick road" on the Look and Find big framed print on the wall - a gift from sweet friends.  I hung it low so she could see and reach it easily.  Blair love love loved to sit in her little chair and search for the nursery rhymes. . . Jack and the Beanstalk; Hickory Dickory Dock; The Old Lady Who Lives in a Shoe, etc.  We still have the print - maybe it will be passed on to future generations.   

Westover Preschool - Dimples - age 3 yrs.

Tubby Time Fun

Top photo - no idea what she's doing or why she is on the counter.  Middle photo - pretend shaving her leg with "her" razor with no blade.  An excuse to play with my shaving cream :) and Bottom photo -  that tubby time shower cap :)  She was so funny.

As Dorothy with Toto for Halloween.

3rd grade with new puppy

Precious Casey (Shih Tzu) joins the household.  The smile on Blair's face pretty much says it all.  

4th Grader - she cut her hair shorter!  

Fast forward several years...

 

 American Heart Association Sweetheart - 10th grade

Senior at Episcopal Collegiate School

High School Graduation Party at home with friends and family.

Right before leaving for London - 2nd year college

(I doubt she has ever seen this pic - it was in my phone)

Home from London - 3rd yr. college

First apartment in Boston

and she can multitask - text and talk to me! :)

 

Moving to a studio apartment of her own - Sr. yr. college

Emerson College graduate

Boston, MA

 

Waiting for the trolley in San Francisco - June 2012

College Graduation mother/daughter trip/gift from me!

August 31, 2012 -- Her last task in Boston - turning in her keys to her studio apartment!

She was very sad that day.  She loved her studio in Boston.  This blog may be the first time she sees this picture.  I snapped the picture thinking to myself --- she's all grown up and heading to NYC.  Dear Lord, please take care of her and please give ME strength to sit on the sideline and let her blossom!!!

 

Goodbye Boston - Hello NYC...

 

She runs! 

10K NYC - Riverside Park - Jingle Bell Run

 

She has a new passion - Wine

Passed the American Sommelier exam this year while in NYC.

She eats mussels!!

Photo in a Neighborhood Restaurant - Manhattan 

 

And, she is pretty darn FABULOUS!

Photo after just getting her hair done in NYC -

which cost her a nice penny!  LOL 



And, last, but not least --- this Mother is pretty darn proud of her, too!!! 

 

Celebrating my favorite girl tonight, indeed a delight!

 

Gayla

 



Bald, Brave, and Beautiful

~~The Gayla Pink Apple~~

Today I witnessed a young lady getting her head shaved.  She appeared to be in her 30's, maybe.  I sat watching and observing as the stylist ran the clippers over the girl's head.  She had dark hair, beautiful skin, and what appeared to be family or friends gathered around her.  One lady was snapping photos like she was a photographer capturing the moment. 

 

I was in Scarlet - a clothing store in the Pleasant Ridge Shopping Center.  There is a salon in the back of the retail store.  I didn't realize there was a salon in the store until recently.  I couldn't help but watch the girl as her beautiful long black hair fell to the floor.

 

My body was flooded with memories.  I knew exactly what she was feeling, how strong she had to be at that very moment.  After glancing back into the salon, quite a few times, (where the hair stylists are) I decided I'd go back there and speak to the young lady.

 

I took her hand, asking her if she had cancer.  Yes, she replied with a smile, breast cancer.  I said:  I am a survivor - 8 year survivor...I know how you feel at this very moment.  Just know you are beautiful and stay strong...you'll be a survivor, too.  I'll be praying for you and keeping you in my thoughts for the strength of the days ahead.

 

We hugged and I squeezed her hand gently as our eyes met and unspoken words were exchanged.  As I walked away tears sat behind my eyelids. 

I knew it was OK to ask the cancer question. Many people hesitate to ask someone about their cancer. Being a breast cancer survivor myself, I knew it was 100 percent OK to inquire. Most cancer patients and survivors are not offended - usually the opposite - when people ask about it. 
 

Just a reminder how proud I am to be a breast cancer SURVIVOR, and the importance of women supporting each other and staying strong as women of all ages battle breast cancer. 

 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  The Susan G Komen Race for the Cure is in a few weeks - October 19th.  Downtown Little Rock will, once again, be a sea of pink! 

Pink is Beautiful,
Gayla

 



Silver Punch Cups...

~~The Gayla Pink Apple~~

I have a small collection of silver punch cups.  I have a passion for silver - fine silver and not so fine silver.  It doesn't necessarily have to be expensive silver, even though those are the pieces which are usually the most beautiful. 

 

If I'm out shopping an antique store, in particular, my eyes automatically zoom in on silver pieces - silver trays, silver candle sticks, silver serving pieces, silver tea / coffee pieces, etc.

 

A wonderful surprise today...

Set of 12 silver punch cups gifted to me today!

These twelve beautiful silver punch cups were given to me.  It's a cute story and I'll share it with you...

 

Several years ago, one of the senior ladies at the church, where I grew up, asked me to locate a silver punch bowl for the church.  She wanted to purchase one and donate it to the church for use at weddings, showers, receptions, etc.  I loved the request and off I went in search of the perfect silver punch bowl. 

 

I found a gorgeous large punch bowl, tray, and twelve silver punch cups.  We bought it and had it engraved with the name of the church on the front.  I think it is one of the most beautiful punch bowls I've ever seen. 

 

A couple months ago, while visiting my Mother, she told me the punch bowl was sitting out uncovered, unprotected, and badly tarnished.  It was in desperate need of polishing.  I took my polish to her house with plans to go to the church and polish the punch bowl.  It broke my heart to think that beautiful silver punch bowl was not being taken care of properly.

Up close view - look at the pretty ornante design at the bottom

It just so happened that an event was going on at the church that day and I wasn't able to polish it without being seen.  I didn't want to make a fuss over doing it.  I wanted to quietly polish it and wrap it in plastic wrap. 

I kept my silver polish in my car -- the next time I was visiting, I planned to go polish it.   We weren't sure where the tray was, and we thought the punch cups were there - it appeared they had never been used.  They were still wrapped in plastic wrap - I had wrapped each individual cup to keep them from tarnishing so quickly.

The silver punch cups are in perfect condition!

I collect silver punch cups and have two silver punch bowls of my own, along with the trays and punch ladles.  Any time I'm out and about, especially in antique stores, I am always on the look out for odd silver punch cups in good condition. 

 

This morning, my parents came by my home for a quick visit while in LR.  My Mother was carrying a bag and inside were these 12 silver punch cups.  The lady who purchased the punch bowl set for the church sent them to me in honor of my Mother.  She knew I collected silver punch cups and she knew I would love them.   People weren't really interested in using them because there are only twelve.   She wanted me to have them. 

I was elated!  A smile immediately hit my face and heart at the same time.  I love them!  I am honored to own these particular silver punch cups.  They're beautiful and have a special meaning to me.  And, a cute story, too. 

A very special thank you to Ms. Oneida!!! 
Much love to you,
Gayla

 

 

Just a little backyard garden update...

~~The Gayla Pink Apple~~

I thought I'd update you on some of my backyard garden, which has grown successfully over the summer months.  You may recall, I started the backyard make-over in April and finished it in July. 

Below are progression photos of the large planter I planted in memory of our little dog that passed away six months ago...

Photo #1 - first planted

Photo #2

 

Photo #3  

                                                                      

Photo #4

The photo taken today (pic #4) of Casey's planter - look how much it has grown!  It has completely covered the top finial.

~~~~~~~~~

The ivy trellis in a planter has also grown nicely.

 ~~~~~~~~~

 

July 2013 - barely can see the little ground covers planted between rocks

 

The ground covers, planted between the rocks, are beautiful today (two photos above.)  All of the different ground covers just took off.





Just about everything has done very well.  I lost two shrubs, of the nine, I planted close to the patio.  I'll replace them and if they do not make it through the 2nd planting - I give up and go with something else. All of the 12 little gem boxwoods which outline the walk are doing great. 

 

All-in-all, everything looks nice - I've really enjoyed it this summer.