We’re going to be homebodies for most of the summer, but all of that changes in August. I’m going to be doing some professional and personal travel and I hope to meet some of you along the way.
My first stop is the Haven Conference (August 1-3 in Atlanta, GA.)
Would you believe this is the only picture I have from last year’s conference?! I was involved with planning the event and teaching, so I was a busy girl. This year, I’m just teaching one class – Advance Painting with my dear friend Shaunna of Perfectly Imperfect. She’s my southern twin in so many ways it’s spooky. She just says “Ya’ll” a lot.
We’re going to be running a part lecture/part workshop focusing on Milk Paint and Chalk Paint. It should be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to hang out with all of my friends from blog land, including my roomie, Kelli of Restored Interiors. I love her.
The Haven Conference is sold out, but there are sometimes tickets available due to last minute cancellations, so keep an eye on their Facebook page.
Just a few days later, I’m going to Asheville, NC to the Becoming Conference August 9-10. This is a new conference for me and I’m very excited to be a part of it. Jen from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and I met in a crowded room at Blissdom when I was just a baby blogger. She’s the kind of sweet soul that makes an impression and I’ve kept an eye on her ever since. So, when she contacted me and asked me to speak at this conference, it just felt right.
I’m going to be teaching a class called “Home is What You Make of It”, sharing how to DIY your way to your dream home. I’m an open book in workshops like this and will share all of my favorite sources and secret weapons for getting the look I want that is affordable and realistic for my family to live in.
Tickets are still available and you can get information on pricing and registering HERE.
And the most recent event I signed on to is the Chapel Market in Pike Road, Alabama, hosted by Kevin & Layla of The Lettered Cottage on October 19.
When Layla first sent me a text about this, my immediate thought was, “Thanks, I would love to, but it’s in ALABAMA, Layla!” And I basically dismissed it. But she kept giving me more information about it and the more information she filled me in on, the more possible it seemed.
Then she sent me this picture, showing the venue…
…a meeting/event house that was built to look like a quaint, old chapel. Breath-taking, right?
And I get to stay in this super-cute loft while I’m there…
Oh my.
Well, everything fell into place, including my husband, and we’re going to pack up a truck and take the show on the road! I’m really excited about partnering with some people who I like personally and respect professionally AND getting to meet some of my southern readers who can’t make it up to the yearly Lucketts craziness. Come on…and it’s awesome to have an excuse to buy oodles of ironstone. I will be bringing a lot of my “staples” like preserved boxwood wreaths, dried lavender, European linens, painted dressers, upholstered French chairs and all things Miss Mustard Seed. I will have my book, Inspired You, available as well and I’d be happy to sign a copy you buy there or one you bring from home.
You can check out the details of the other vendors Layla has rounded up HERE…and it’s an awesome bunch.
In addition to the professional trips we’re going on, we’re also taking a trip out west to see the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Mesa Verde and then spend about a week in the Colorado Rockies at a family-owned cabin. I can’t wait to see some parts of the US that I’ve never seen before and watch my boys experience real mountains for the first time in their lives. Does anyone have any tips for visiting that neck of the woods? Especially the Grand Canyon?
Anyway, there is lots of exciting stuff ahead…
…but first, we have to finish our bathroom.
56 Responses
All sounds great! Yes I do have tips on the Grand Canyon. I hiked across it this past spring & it was spectacular. Get up early & venture down into the canyon. Your kids can go part of the way & back for sure. It is such a different experience inside than from the rim. And if you are up for it ~do it – go rim to rim! We did it in one day, but you can camp at about the 1/2 way point. Have a wonderful time with your family & on your business adventures!
Kelly
I love it…all the fun professional and personal stuff you are up to. I follow Layla and commented a while back on a post. She then mentioned something in the works and hoping to see you in the fall. (I had commented how neat it was as bloggers to have such amazing relationships with other women so like minded.) I always thought her neighborhood was too cute. Can you believe that shot? I saw it the other day and thought “if the cute post office wasn’t enough!”. You will have a wonderful time in that quaint area. And Layla seems to be such a kind hearted woman–though I about died to hear she was 39. Looks about 30! So happy for all you have planned–enjoy!
What a great summer you gave planned! For your trip out west, definitely try to see Canyon due Chelly – it is as wonderful as the Grand in a unique way. It’s very near & worth the side trip. For Monument Valley, we took the back road tour with a Native American guide. It was one of my most memorable experiences ever – it truly is a sacred place. Enjoy!
*have not gave
*de Chelly (blame that one on auto-correct) and, btw, even native resident jenn W-M below recommends it. 🙂
We don’t have conferences like that up in NY, or at least that I know of. Seems to be a Southern thing, but now going to keep my eye out. And that picture of the chapel looks so beautiful that it looks too fake! That’s really real? Places like this exist? God I need to get out of NY! The Loft looks amazing, and the trip sounds great! enjoy!
Make sure you have lots of extra batteries for your camera! You will be blown away by the sites.
Oh mms I would be honored to escort you and family to the canyon we are 1 hr from it. The south rim has buses that go every 15 min and stop at all the viewing sites.hermits rest is at the end there is a small store there with snacks and drinks. It is more developed with a lodge and cabins. The north rim. Is totally different more desert like and wilder. I know folks who hike the canyon and do the rim to rim but remember we are at 7000 feet and that kind a hike is not for everyone.
You’re going to be where I live when you travel west! Monument Valley, Canyon De Chelly, as well as the Grand Canyon are breathtaking. (maybe someday you will come out for business. Though my mom lives in TN and I told her this year she and I were going to road trip to Luckets one year.)
Bring good, comfortable shoes, lots of water & sunblock, good lip balm, and better lotion. And sunglasses! Yes it is hot, but it is a very different heat. The first year we lived here I ran the humidifier all the time. It is very dry. I can not tell you the last real rain fall we had.
Most importantly bring a good camera and a notebook for reflection and remembering. There is so much history in this area, it is overwhelming at times.
Don’t over book yourself trying to do everything. Take your time and enjoy the scenery, find a good tour guide. Canyon de Chelly I think requires you to have a guide or park ranger for you to walk in the canyon. They can further guide you on very specifics of each area (monument valley and canyon de chelly) I promise you it is like nothing you have ever seen before to this day the area still takes my breath away.
Enjoy!
So glad you’re getting to come back to beautiful Colorado! I moved here late last year from Texas and fell in love with this state. If you find yourself around Castle Rock (about 20 minutes north of Monument), I recommend checking out The Emporium and The Barn and then have tea or lunch at Augustine Grill (http://www.augustinegrill.com/). There are also lots of open space trails around that offer great hiking, bike riding, horseback riding, picnicking, and photo ops. I love my town!
Happy travels!
Melissa
If you’re looking for some thill seeking out west I definitely recommend finding a zip canopy tour! My husband and I work for an adventure company training and inspecting zip lines and I can tell you there are some really fun ones in Colorado! Just make sure to check ahead of time about their policies for children riding, not all of them accept young riders. Hope y’all enjoy your summer and have a blast on vacation!!
All I can say about the Grand Canyon is that it’s worth seeing. I love being out west.
OMGoodness…I can’t believe that we are finally getting a Vintage Show right here in Alabama…I have waiting for this for years now and best part is…I get to meet all of you:) Marking my calendar ASAP. Maybe we should have a bloggers party while we are there:)
Blessings,
Linda
I’m from Europe and saw GC two years back while on a breathtaking road trip from Texas. Can’t recall seeing anything better in my whole life. Surprisingly enough, the enormous August crowd completely disappeared after the sunset as if people had thought there would be nothing to see at night. On the contrary, it was a cloudless, almost full moon night and the canyon looked fantastic, magical, full of details and bright. We also tried communicating with people staying hundreds of yards down from us, using torchlights. I strongly recommend staying some time after the dark, if you can 🙂
“Thanks, I would love to, but it’s in ALABAMA, Layla!”
As we say in Alabama, “Bless her heart.”
I just want to be in your back pocket 🙂 Oh how I wish I lived closer. Can’t say there’s a lot going on in Wisconsin but I’m looking for it!
Yay! So glad I am going to Haven this year! A class with you and Shauna sounds dreamy 🙂
Yea! I am so excited … Pike Road is less than an hour and a half from where I live! I’ll be there with bells on!!
Diane
MMS~I truly hope to see you at the Chapel! I read Layla’s post about it yesterday and cannot believe the lineup of vendors. Only a little more than a couple hours from Atlanta. And I’m bringing my copy of Inspired You for you to sign!!
WOW, what a terrific bunch of venues for you to attend & speak @. Love everything about your trip to Alabama!
Have a wonderful tie with your family out west!
Maybe one day you will get up the coast on the west, and over the border to us Canadians!
Happy summer!
oh! how exciting! how EXCITING! that little “loft” is the cutest thing! have FUN! see you i August!
-b.
What an exciting summer you have planned! So much fun for you and your family. You are so close to where I live in the state of Idaho. I live in one of the prettiest places, an hour and a half from Yellowstone and a hour and a half from the Grand Teton mountains. Mountains that would take your breath away. Real mountains! I envy where you live and enjoy so much seeing different parts of the country. A great opportunity for children and families to bond and learn about this beautiful, diverse country of ours!
After eagerly anticipating a trip to the Grand Canyon, I was shocked that I found it terrifying and dizzying and could not get out of there fast enough. But it is no doubt beautiful though. I just didn’t realize my fear of heights (or fear of depths is perhaps more accurate) would be so overwhelming. Psyche yourself up if you have any fear of heights issues.
We just returned from the Grand Canyon last week! We live in Texas and went for our 2nd trip this year. =) It took my breath away again…one of Gods AWESOME creations! We decided this year to take our 3 boys on the Pink Jeep Tour. Sweet people but not really worth the $$ we spent. 🙁 I would have rathered we spent a little more and maybe went on the plane tour. Be prepared to go maybe 2 days so that you can see views from both sides and also allow time to watch the sunset!! Gorgeous…
I live in Denver, 7 or 8 hours from Mesa Verde – if you can make it a little further to Telluride,CO (same corner of CO as Mesa Verde) you will think you’re in the alps. It’s a small town, but completely breathtaking! There’s a beautiful waterfall you can drive part way up to, and you can get in the ski gondolas (even off season) and ride up over the mountains(free!). Well worth the trip!
So excited to meet MANY people at Haven this year! As for the Grand Canyon, it’s a splurge to do a helicoptor tour with a landing, but if you can it’s TOTALLY worth it!!! That was one of my best experiences when we visited Vegas 3-4 years ago. 😀
Wooo hoooo! So excited you are coming to Alabama! Pike Road is just two hours from me, so this will certainly be a girlfriend roadtrip in October!!
ALABAMA IS AWESOME!
Taking the train into the GC is super fun. Catch it in Williams,AZ.
MMS, enjoy your trip west. My husband and I just visited the Grand Canyon for the first time. Absolutely awesome and beautiful. You will definitely want to take lots of pictures. What struck me and my husband though is that you have to be really careful there with children. There are very few fences and there is a risk of an exuberant child going over the edge. Don’t want to scare you, but I can’t remember how old your children are and I wanted to give you a heads up. Along most of the walkways the only thing to keep you safe are boulders cemented on each side of the walk, about a foot high. We drove there from Las Vegas (4-1/2 hours), toured the west loop and drove back all in one day. I wish we had booked a hotel room (apparently they get booked up pretty fast) so that we could have done the east loop as well.
What a great lineup of fun in your future! have a blast and safe travels!
I love trips out west and traveled there many times while I was growing up here in Alabama. I still have memories of our trip to Mesa Verde. 🙂 Have a great summer and enjoy your time in Colorado. See you at the Chapel in October!
Marion, I’m sure you didn’t mean it the way it came across, but it kind of sounded like you were putting down Alabama. I am not from there but have been there a lot and the people are wonderful and hospitable, just like all southerners. In case you don’t know it, the comment from Emery was not a nice comment. In southern speak, it means “Kss My A……….! You may need to explain your comment or apologies to Alabamians………just sayin.
Boy, I was just referring to the distance from Pennsylvania, not knocking Alabama. Some of my very best blog friends (Layla, Shaunna and Kelli) are all from Alabama. Of course I didn’t mean it in an offensive way. I can’t wait to go there.
Oh for heaven’s sake. She meant she lives pretty far away! It was not a slam to Alabama.
Quite a great tour. I live in Virginia but Ashville is a great place to go. Take an extra day and go to the Grove Park Spa and enjoy the great pools and everything. You won’t be sorry. We stay there every year foe a romantic week (my hubby and me). Enjoy your tour. I wish I could go to one of your classes.
Wow Nancy, I can’t imagine the mindset you must possess to think Marion meant anything other than what was obvious to, I am sure, the rest of us.
I find it interesting that ‘bless her heart’ actually means something quite insulting. I’m from up north, and if we have something to say, we say it outright. We tell it like it is and whether you like us or not, you will always know where we are coming from and where you stand. Disguising one’s meanings doesn’t make one ‘hospitable’. It does, however, make one cowardly and phony.
Wow, Mchelle, I can’t imagine what mindset you have to slam me that way, but then, as you say, you tell it like it is. If I am so cowardly, I wouldn’t have said anything. I was just trying to tell Marion what Emily meant. You obviously didn’t even take the time to think about what I said. I told Marion I was sure she didn’t mean it that way but Emery took it that way. Maybe you should try some Southern grace! Also you should know that Capital letters in posts is Like yelling.
So excited for the upcoming market and to meet all of you talented designers. Thank you for the inspiration you provide every day!
All the best,
Shelly
I would say if you have the opportunity while in Colorado, head to Colorado Springs area to see the Garden of the Gods. It is, I believe, a very peaceful and special place….you can drive thru it and you can get out and walk a trail if you like. The rock formations are beautiful.
I’d love to find a friend who could come with me to Pike Road – it’s about 11 hours from Dallas so not too bad. I could drive to New Orleans where I have friends and then take the trip to Pike Road which would be less than 5 hours…hmmmm
Just returned from a trike trip through CO &UT last week and I must say the CO Mountains would be my favorite place to stay! Have also seen Grand Canyon and it is awesome but love the cool mtn air and the pine trees!
Some tips: Have your boys drink lots of fluids to help prevent altitude sickness. Look for the wild horses in Mesa Verde. Expect afternoon thunderstorms. You will love all these places!
I was so upset that we had to cancel our trip to Lucketts this year due to medical reasons. I am very excited to have another chance to visit one of your sales!! And the great part is… October the 19th is my Birthday!!!! Let the countdown begin!!!
MMS – Alabama is thrilled that you’re coming! Seriously, we didn’t take any offense at what you said because we knew that you meant the distance! I’ve lived in Alabama (less than an hour from Pike Road) all of my life (almost 60 years) and when we say “bless your heart”, we sincerely mean it from the bottom of our Southern hearts! Can’t wait to meet you!
And “Bless her heart” doesn’t mean to kiss it. It’s just a way of saying to “overlook a comment, she doesn’t know any better”. (A term of endearment.) Lifelong Alabama girl myself. Welcome to Alabama and I can’t wait to see you.
I took a river ride on the Colorado river for 15 miles just before canyon river mile marker 0. Water is calm. Wonderful experience for children young and old. I ranked this better than GC from the rim.
Come to California! 🙂
About the GC, I agree with Sharon B. Hold on tight to your boys’ hands. Not many guard rails. Disneyland it aint! Beautiful and amazing. Best to view in early morning and late afternoon when shadows and lower light accentuate the amazing geological layers. You will want to pick up a paint brush and it may even inspire a new milk paint color. We lived in AZ for quite a few years. Don’t want to scare you but be cautious, on average 7 people die each year there, most from falling and overexposure/dehydration. Side trip to Flagstaff is especially worthwhile, lots of gorgeous arts and crafts.
Sounds like an exciting summer!
If you are on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, take the east entrance. It’s a lot less busy than the main gate.
Make sure you take time to stop at the 4 corners by Mesa Verde. It is just a spot off the road where the corners of four states meet. There are some local vendors there and it’s a great photo op. Also make sure you do the tour at Mesa Verde where you actually go into some of the cliff dwellings. It is awesome. I am originally from Colorado (now in Kansas) so let me know where your cabin is and I can try to help you find something to do there. Have a great time!
I’m hoping to meet you at Haven! I’ll be there with my momma. I’ve been following you for a while and I think I actually live pretty close to you, funny that we’d both have to travel to Georgia for me to be able to meet you in real life. I’m bringing my copy of your book and Ana White’s, so I’ll be the crazy fan asking for autographs.
Oh my god that photo is real?
Where have I been?? God bless America that chapel at the center of the street is so beautiful.
Incredible.
Marian, you’re a real designer. I’m flabbergasted at every little detail. It’s incredible.
When I first moved to Montgomery, Alabama 30 years ago, I saw a poster advertising the annual craft/flea market in nearby Pike Road, Alabama. I couldn’t figure out how an event location could be a “road” but I found out that “PiKe Road” is an area ( which has grown since I have lived here). It got its name from an old toll road in the area that travelers used. They had to pay the toll before the large stick or “pike” blocking the road would be moved so they could continue their travels. I am SO excited that you are coming and bringing your wares…I will probably never get up to Luckett’s.
All I can say is whoo hoo! You coming to Alabama is the best news I’ve heard all week! The chances of me making it to Lucketts are slim, so this is wonderful! I already follow most of these talented bloggers so having you all together under one roof…or steeple…is a special treat. Looking forward to this fun event and hopefully meeting you and having you sign my already dog eared copy of Inspired You. You really are an inspiration. I was born and raised in PA and lived there most of my life and now live in AL…you will love it here! See you in the fall and enjoy your summer!
Darn you! I JUST checked the Chapel HIll loft to see about renting for that Oct. weekend, and I saw that it was booked…now I know who has it! 🙂 I can’t make Haven due to starting school, but I was hoping to make the Alabama event.
Have fun at Haven.
Hey Marian! I’m sure you’re in “Haven Heaven” right now! I’m cleaning out my overflowing Inbox and catching up on some of your posts. 🙂
Last April, during our move from the Seattle to Northern Virginia, we spent one day and two nights at the Grand Canyon. The Lord must have had a BALL designing the Grand Canyon because it’s beauty will leave you speechless! I wish I had seen it as a kid. Your boys will love it!
I highly recommend the “Sunset” tour. It takes about an hour + and the shuttle makes several stops, allowing plenty of time for pictures. The Park Ranger shares lots of tidbits about the habitat and animals. FYI – if you didn’t already know (I didn’t), there are very few railings anywhere around the rim. It means you can get really close to take great shots, but it also means you can learn you’re afraid of heights, like I did. 🙂 LOL…. Will you post some pics? Enjoy your family adventure!