Wedding Memories

 

With a shimmer of satin and sweep of organza I just wanted to share one of my favorite weddings of all times here at Magnolia Hill...our precious niece was married here last fall and her pictures are simply stunning. (Thank you Lori Sparkman Photography) 

Named after my mother, her grandmother,  she is the only girl in the family... Of course it was a sentimental family affair and a gathering of only a few special friends. 

We think she found the perfect match...

Look at these smiles....as they walk back up the aisle to begin their happily ever after !

Here is a glimpse of the ceremony, but there were so many 

special details

that went into the day from wearing 

Great Grandmothers necklace to the 

little members of the wedding party.

The littlest ones carried the hundred year old family Bible,

 and the one bursting with smiles and tiny hands, 

carried the "Here Comes the Bride" pennant flag.  

 

My heart was so full seeing my sister walk down the aisle on the arm of her son for he had been in a horrible near fatal motorcycle wreck only weeks before with broken legs and arms...his goal was to walk at the wedding and he did. There was not a dry eye as they walked to their seat for he was truly our miracle walking. 

The "Flower Man"

The family member who brought light hearted ear to ear smiles was our youngest son Samuel,  designated to be the "Flower Man"(who was a first I had seen of this!)...and oh my goodness....he had us in stitches as he leaped down the aisle tossing petals with tremendous gusto and epic determination.  

Tossing a little "happy"

Doves released at the end of the ceremony

No signing of a guest book....instant 

photos of guests were taken and placed in a keepsake book .

The ceremony concluded but dinner and dancing continued with the reception. 

At the end of the day we think our girl found her prince charming

 and they will live Happily Ever After!

You’ll find me on Instagram here:  Alda's Magnolia Hill 

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Thinking Fall Gatherings

When school starts in September it  makes me start thinking Fall. 

Lunch boxes and school bells are long gone from my house

 but I am grateful 

for a time of "Gathering in." 

 Gathering in for a wedding, gathering in for a reunion or just 

gathering in my husband

 at the end of the day !

Days are shorter and it seems that it is even a bit easier

 to gather Buddy my husband, when the sun sets earlier. 

I am sending him tomorrow to get more corn stalks and pumpkins.  

This cool crisp air has me excited for fall.

At Magnolia Hill, fall is the most popular season 

of all for weddings. 

It is quite busy around here getting ready for all the families 

that will pass through our gates.  

 

 I am grateful that most Southern families make it a priority to get together..especially if it is a wedding. 

Sometimes gatherings among relatives just happen, 

but once a year in our family

 you can count on a family reunion ...always

 the 2nd Sunday in September. 

 I have only missed three of the gatherings in my lifetime. 

 This year was the 87th reunion of cousins, 

nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles 

and a few friends tagging along.   

There were a couple of new babies to be held, and 

prayers for those no longer with us. 

 In the spirit of the old hymn, "We Gather Together"

 the harvest we give thanks for 

is a precious one of families and friends. 

Of course at any of our family gatherings there is always 

an abundance of food...not just good food, but great food. 

A single dad cousin brought muscadine grapes to share 

that he had grown and picked. 

And there was jelly he and his daughter made complete with 

a county fair blue ribbon !

Good food, good friends, good family 

make good memories. 

I have a list a mile long of stuff to do today- 

but hopefully I will 

get it all done in time

 to snap a few photos to share with you 

before the guests 

arrive for the wedding this weekend.

And Buddy has to get more corn stalks!

Hope your autumn is off to a great start

Happy Fall Ya'll ! 

A Trade Secret - Handmade Flower Girl Dresses

Pearls for the flower girl and matching headpiece

I’ve made some really special friends through my years of hosting weddings and one of them is Karen Ellis (no relation, although I would love to claim her!) who designs and hand makes the cutest Flower Girl dresses. A couple of years ago, her daughter Hannah was married here at Magnolia Hill. You know how you just "click" with some people, and become instant friends? I think that is what I love about what we do, is that I become friends for sharing in a lifetime event of a wedding.

Mother of the Bride, Karen Ellis looks like she could have been a bridesmaid!

 

Since the wedding, I kept up with Karen and stay amazed at her design talents. She is a kindred entrepreneur spirit and I thought I would share some of her work....Everyone was talking about the cute "Fluff Ball" dress that the Flower Girls wore. The Mother of the Bride designed and made them, including a matching headpiece.

Our banner carrier says "Oh Happy Day" in a Karen Ellis designed dress.

 And for a Rustic Barn wedding...how cute is this?

or this...

A Denim top and cowboy boots complete the outfit for a Rustic Barn Wedding.

And so I am saving my favorite for last....I am crushing on these colors !

 

It was no secret I loved the classic vintage style Hannah and her mother, Karen chose for their wedding. I am so excited to share with all my brides the handmade element of these darling children's dresses...or Fluff Balls as I call them! 

 To contact Karen....

ellisoriginals501@gmail.com 

Or they can FB message me @ Karen Ellis or Ellis Originals 

Or 

can text Karen @ 501-951-2986

Enjoy!

Pickles in the Pantry- A Mother's Day Tribute

For as long as I can remember, my mother canned pickles.  Sweet pickles, bread-and-butter pickles, dill pickles  - rarely was a meal ever served at our house that didn't include a Mason jar of Mother's homemade pickles.


Not even the smallest step was forgotten when my mother made pickles.  Each jar was properly scalded and readied.  The cucumbers were grown from Mother's beloved kitchen garden, and after they had soaked adequately in the brine that filled an army of crocks and dishpans, they could be packed in jars one by one with Mother's careful hands and tightly sealed.  Each jar truly represented a labor of love.

One particular summer evening Mother and I were together in the kitchen, having just finished washing and drying the dinner dishes.  She was lifting the corner of a neatly placed dishtowel to take another peek at the dozen or so pickle jars cooling on the stove.   Her labor evidenced by a Band-Aid wrapped around a burned finger and an aggravating splinter stubbornly stuck in her hand, she awkwardly carried on her tasks.   At the same moment Mother was raising the dishtowel, the young man who had stolen my heart was sitting nervously in our living room, asking my daddy if he could marry me.

With Daddy's "yes" secured, a fall wedding was planned and the preparation began.  Mother spent endless hours sewing.  Bridal showers were given and thank-you notes written. my future in-laws invited us over for a celebration dinner where of course, Mother brought a prize jar of her pickles for the grand occasion. 

Over the years, my husband taught me to appreciate Mother's treat that I had so long taken for granted.  The homemade pickles were of a bygone era, and I never seemed to find the time or desire to make them myself.  But tuna fish sandwiches tasted better with Mama's pickles, my husband's grilled hamburgers weren't complete without them, and a proper Christmas dinner always included a crystal dish of the homemade pickles.

Right now I have a jar of Mother's pickles displayed in my pantry. I don't know when- or if- I will ever open them.  For every time I look at them, my saddened heart aches for my mother's company.  I think of the wonderful influence she had on my two sons when they were small, and how she wholeheartedly shared my joys and my sorrows.  I'd always felt comfort in knowing that I could pick up the telephone any time to ask her opinion on any subject, and she often kindly just listened to me as I rambled on.  She was dear friend, and I miss the gifts of time and energy she so generously gave.

My childhood gifts to her- a lopsided plaster hand print plate, a dimestore-bought bird figurine, a red rose vase- unfailing assumed a place of honor in Mother's living room.  She owned much nicer keepsakes to display and I never could quite understand why she insisted on displaying my clumsy gifts instead.  But I have a feeling that years from now, even as my mother is long gone, Mother will understand why a blue Mason jar of her homemade pickles still sits proudly in my pantry.  

Oh how we love Fall at Magnolia Hill !

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed... Fall, a time for counting our blessings!