BACKGROUND:Several weeks ago, after about the fifth trip down to South Ga only two months into 2011, my husband Lander and I decided we would spend our summer a little differently...
On the way home after that trip, I had been thinking about how much fun our family had been having going to see Nanny El, Aunt Van (Lander's mom and sister) and Ms. Pam (who is the couponing queen!!) and our chosen family "Uncle" Danny, CJ, Alli, and Daniel (I say this because Danny is Lander's best friend and one of his business parteners, but people swear they have to be brothers!) and all the Herrin extended family, and other family and friends and so on and so forth!!
And I tell you this, there is no place like home for me. NONE. I have left, I have been away and came back. Ellijay is my earthly home. But I realized something on that trip home... I want to build an old fashioned style large farmhouse when we build a house. I already collect and savage all things antique. I have a vast collection of my favorite: mason jars. I enjoy all things old fashioned. Sewing clothes. Home-made this. Hand made that... I have an "old soul". I have an "old soul". That's what it is. That is why, when I mentioned my idea to my sweetheart, I knew again, he is my "old soul-mate" :)
That night,I tell Lander I asked his mother about the empty trailer that is on the same property as the house she lives in (that Poppa Tiny built like 40 something years ago), could we do some fixing up on it and stay in it the whole summer, and whenever else we can come down, which I hope and Lander assures me, will be o-f-t-e-n. I want a kitchen with wooden countertops, and no cabinet doors but curtains, and shelves, and a garden full of everything we, and his mom and sister like... and about a million other details we discussed that night... He wanted to "make homemade ice cream with all 3 of my boys like I did when I was a young 'un. With the hand crank maker that wears your arm slap out.." I wanted 2 things: to live simple, and off our land for the summer. Also, I want my boys to really get to know Nanny El and Aunt Van.
So we asked Nanny El, and got the go ahead. And I started packing and gathering. And thrift store searching for this. And that. And this. And some of this .... all on a small budget we set just to see what little we could spend on SO MUCH we got... and WOW at the stuff we had that we took that was in our basement not being used, like it had been there the whole time waiting to be called on a mission..
It was something like this for 2 weeks before we left...
"LANDER! we can take these chairs and use them at that 8 foot long table I am going to build! All 5 are already painted!"
"LANDER!! Mom says I can have the bunkbeds we had when I was a kid and take those too!! I can paint those when we get there! BECAUSE, I have 14,824 cans of leftover paint (really like 10!) that I can use!"
"LANNNDERRRR!!!! Oh my goodness, I had to wake you up to tell you that all 5 trays and 30 POTS with over 350 jiffy pots I spent 10 hours planting seeds that day, are SPROUTING!!!!!"
So, the past few weeks we have had THE BEST time preparing for this. And the WHOLE MONTH of April was spent working in that South Ga trailer that now suits not only my vision, but coincidentally what Nanny El had a page ripped out of Country Living magazine, for her vision for that place long before this came about. Lander and I convoyed out of Ellijay, with his truck, my suv, one closed in travel trailer, and one open trailer ALL fully packed with everything YOU CAN THINK OF. From tools and saws for the renovation, enough clothes for a community, to a steam cleaned thrift store sofa, the Rhino and Myles' little Rhino, to 350 sprouting plants!!!! I must add here that (my mom)Nanny Jo's heart went with us! She reminded us everyday we were gone how much she missed and loves us!
The trailer is done. I do have to say, Lander did NOT partake in any of the renovation process (he works!!) Nothing but 3 Home Depot trips, 1 full week and 3 solid weekends of taking care of Myles and Diesel while I was M.I.A. (I was working in the trailer!) calling us for dinner and steady rounds of complementing and seeing the progress I, along with those who did help me during thier spring breaks, were making. CJ and Alli and lil Sarah, all I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart. CJ, that was "The house that built US" :) Lil Lander and Daniel, thank you guys for all you were able to do, and the demolition of the prior kitchen and bathroom interiors. And thank you Nanny El and Aunt Van for helping with Myles and Diesel. Lander and I finished our very large garden(thank you Randy and Deanne for bringing the tractor to till for it!), and blooms were peeking here and there before we had to leave out for Ellijay for a 3 week "get some stuff done" trip before our full-on summer return to the McCall Plantation... read more
www.mccallplantation.blogspot.comCURRENTLY:NOW, for all you South Ga readers, because Ms. Pam has encouraged me, I will be taking appointments while I am here! Family, children, couples, seniors, maternity, newborn and babies... I will also have a couple of Photo Session Days! I have already gotten some surreal places picked out and in mind, and of course I cant forget how close to the beach I am here!!!! I CANNOT WAIT!
For all of my back home readers, I will look forward to seeing you all in August!! Please feel free to contact me anytime this summer for booking dates I have when I return! Continue to check the blog for some FRESH and INVIGORATING photography!
sarahmccall2@hotmail.com4043193222 by phone
I am planning a Fall Photo Day for Saturday, October 22, 2011. The location will be in Gilmer County and will be for anyone and everyone! The leaves will be amidst turning those beautiful, rich fall colors, and our set will be nothing less of frameworthy. Location will be announced right before Photo Day. You can choose whether you would like a more simple arrangement, or to use props to accent. I have purchased some amazingly cute props for this day!!
When you first step foot inside the front door, it is hard to decide whether to begin left or to the right. There is so much to look at. To browse through. To BUY.
Thanks Monica Eaton for the fabulous TV idea!
