Signature for HOPE, Concert with the Mercer Symphony, and i love macon- and you should too!

Well it's another busy week for this lil lady- tomorrow night do NOT miss Signature Salon and Spa's Signature for HOPE event to benefit Jay's HOPE. But why now? Did you know that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness month? I don't know about yall, but once I had my babies thinking about this suddenly made it more real to me. If you look up the numbers for childhood cancer, you can find this:

                      Each year in the U.S. there are approximately 13,400 children between the ages of birth and 19                                  years of age who are diagnosed with cancer. About one in 300 boys and one in 333 girls will develop cancer before their 20^th birthday. In 1998, about 2500 died of cancer, thus making cancer the most common cause of death by disease for children and adolescents in America. (http://www.acco.org/Information/AboutChildhoodCancer/ChildhoodCancerStatistics.aspx)

The numbers suddenly seem more real when you think about your own kids, or a child you know, doesn't it? Which brings me to Jay's HOPE- this local organization is here to help families who are dealing with the diagnosis of a child with cancer. I will never forget the first time I heard founder, Cindy Gaskins, speak about why she and her husband started Jay's HOPE. It was my very first Junior League of Macon meeting, and by the end of her talk I was in tears. To this day, I still cannot hear about Baby Jay or read about him and his family without tearing up. To read more, go here: http://www.jayshope.org/the-story-of-jays-hope/ .

However, to focus on the positive. Jay's HOPE is doing so much good and so is Signature Salon by hosting this event:


                “I realize how much we are all affected when a child is diagnosed with cancer,
                 and I am excited to join friends on the [Jay’s HOPE] Young Supporters Board to
                 support this incredible foundation,” said owner and stylist Nichole Mitchell. After a
                 successful two years playing host to a community of enthusiastic supporters and
                 donating over  $7,000 to two local charities,  Signature is  delighted to bring
                 together friends and other local businesses to gather around Jay’s HOPE
                 Foundation’s mission to support Georgia families with children battling childhood
                 cancer (from press release by Goods PR).

This event is not only going to benefit such a great cause but it's going to be a lot of fun too! The event entry comes with a raffle ticket and it's just $10 for one or $25 for three. Cole Swindell will be playing and really- let's be honest everyone is going to be there so you should too! I expect to see each of you there ;)

Now as for a couple of nights ago, I joined friends Betsy and Keith Fitzgerald and Collin Holder at the Mercer Symphony. It was damn near a full house too! I'm so happy to see Macon support live music, and it was a lovely performance. Congrats to all involved and I am looking forward to going to more of these events. There is just nothing like seeing and hearing music in person.

(Apparently I was not supposed to video tape... I swear I didn't see it in the program until after I had already done it... whoops.)

With so much great things happening in Macon, have you signed the  i love macon pledge? If you have not- shame on you. But it's ok because it's not too late! We are half way to the goal of 10,000 pledges. It's so easy just go to the website and write what you love about Macon. It's time we all started being more positive about the change in our town. And of course, sometimes we must be the change we wish to see in this world. And you can start right now by signing this pledge- by simply being positive about this town in which we live.

Macon Symphony Opening Night and Historic Macon's Idea House

This weekend presents a large conundrum for me. I really want to go to the Macon Symphony’s opening night , and I am planning on it. But how am I going to also watch the UGA game? I haven’t figured that out yet BUT for those of you who know me, the fact that I am even debating missing the Georgia game should let you know how excited I am about the symphony. It’s been a couple of years since I have been, and it seems something kept preventing me last year however THIS weekend my babies are with their father so I am going to the Symphony.

I’m not sure just how dressed up most people get here for the Symphony, I know it’s not exactly the opening of the Met (Metropolitan Opera of New York) but I love to dress up for any occasion. Right now I think it’s between a black dress with a plunging neckline or a green dress that Kourtney Kardashian was photographed in (but hers was blue).

The three pieces being performed by the symphony will be:

Stauss- Don Juan

Beethoven- Triple Concerto

and Tchaikovsky- Symphony No. 5 (see YouTube link below for example)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ96i-m6cBk

Even if you are familiar with these songs, there is simply nothing like seeing a live performance. Besides, don’t we want to give the new conductor a warm welcome to Macon? Perhaps you weren’t aware, but we do have a new conductor in town: Maestro Ward Stare, who has had nothing but glowing reviews through the various publications I have skimmed online.

As for other goings on in Macon, be sure to go ahead and pick up your tickets for Historic Macon’s Idea House- many of you are aware of the Decorator’s Showcase, however this event will focus on smaller spaces.  To quote Heather Moore:

The Idea House will involve a group of local decorators under 40, who will decorate and stage one of Historic Macon's recent rehabilitated homes in Beall's Hill.  The decorators are encouraged to use affordable furnishings, showcase DIY techniques, and include pieces from Historic Macon's Flea Market.  The home will be open for tours for 2 weekends, where visitors can get inspiration for their own homes, and learn more about the benefits of small-space living.  To kick off the event, we will be hosting a Preview Party where you can get the "first look" at the home.

The designers include in this event are:

                        Martha Maxwell
                        Canaan Marshall
                        Andrea Crawford
                        Carrie Robinson
                        Betsy Campbell
                        Kim Bonner
                        Merritt Jones
                       Ashley Smith

Tickets are now available online by going to https://historicmacon.wufoo.com/forms/z7p6p1/.

So, in conclusion, I will see you at both the Macon Symphony this weekend and the Historic Macon Idea House, right? Right!

The Roaring 20's Revisits the Wise Blood House: A Birthday Soiree

This weekend was one spent with my children, but when I received an invitation from Leila Regan-Porter to her birthday party, I knew I could not miss it. Not only that- but I also skipped watching the Georgia game- and for those of you who know me, you know this is huge. (Granted, they were playing Florida Atlantic but still...)

When we first walked in the door we ran in to Chris Howard, carrying this lovely fur coat. I did not have the chance to ask what type of fur and it probably would have been in poor taste to do so- but I did think about it. 

Shortly after arriving we ran in to Jodi and James Palmer, who we had just seen at downtown grill with Joe and Evelyn Adams (who also attended the party). I always enjoy speaking with Jodi, perhaps it is because I have written for their publication, Macon Magazine, but really I think it is because she is one of those people who can carry a conversation with most anyone. That's a rather rare talent, and it takes work.

And to get a little sidetracked- if you are not familiar with Joe Adams' artwork, you need to be. I love abstract artwork and his is some of my favorite.

This type of party is one of my favorites, not just because the theme was carried to the 9's complete with gin filled tea cups and a thesaurus of 1920's lingo, but because of the ecletic mix of people. I always love to run in to friends from all different circles at one event, such as Stacey Harwell (former ADPi sister, minister at Centenary Church and girlfriend to Jonathan Dye), Eleta and Alex Morrison (we go back to our days at Mercer), Betsy Fitzgerald and Canaan Marshall (two of my frequent social companions), Marla Kaplan- who I once had an art class with at Stratford and apparently worked with Leila in Atlanta, Carly Carden- who I swear I am always running in to, and Carey Pickard- who let's be honest, it isn't a real party unless he is there. I even got to meet new people, such as Liz Fabian- although in a strange way, she didn't seem to be a new acquaintance given her long standing in the local news community- Harold Goodridge, who I believe I have met before and is also serving as a volunteer with Spirits in October with me- and Cory Albertson, who I learned was the person to introduce Tim and Leila, as he was an intern at Paste Magazine and when he left said internship insisted that Leila take his place. 

The view from the main room we were in was simply amazing- but even more so on this upper deck that we were on at one point. This was when I learned from Steve and Laura Bell about the wild chickens in his hometown of Fitzgerald- really that doesn't sound like as random of a conversation as it seems. Although I can't exactly remember how it came about. It was upstairs that I ran in to John Buckner, yet another Mercer acquaintance. 

Sarah Gerwig I think had the best flapper dress there, mainly because of the lovely blue color but I also appreciated her wig- as I was wearing one also ;) 

We also ran into Sherrie Marshall, who was my editor when I wrote for The Telegraph, and I have to say it's always nice to run in to someone who you have worked with previously in a more social setting. I always enjoy reading her editorials, so it was also nice to get to speak with her one on one.

I'll also admit to a geek moment, when I noticed that there was a signed guitar on the mantle and I actually recognized one of the bands: Ponderosa. You see, an ADPi sister of mine is married to one of the band members. So of course I had to say something to Tim. Yep. I was that person. But that's ok, I generally am.

But back to the topic at hand- it was a lovely party and I am so thankful to Tim and Leila Regan-Porter for being such lovely hosts! Oh, and if you are curious about the blog title- to explain a bit: the movie Wise Blood (from the book of the same name by Flannery O'Connor) had some scenes filmed in the house, as I have learned- and now so have you.

Bravo Meets Ward Stare and Junior League of Macon

I'll admit, fitting certain functions in to my schedule takes some work. For instance, the past two evenings I was late for two events due to work- but I still went.

Two nights ago was the first meeting of the year for Junior League of Macon AND the start of our 75th year in Macon- truly amazing. If you aren't familiar with Junior League it's really time to do something about that. JLM's mission here is to promote literacy, actually Macon-Bibb County received the Certified Literate Community designation recently. Yay! Anyways part of this effort has been to partner with Barnes and Noble. In fact- you can help too. Starting yesterday and going through this Sunday, if you use the code 10840981 for all of your purchases and a portion of your purchase will benefit a local Macon elementary school. Yay!

Last night I very briefly stopped in to the Bravo event at Marco's to meet Ward Stare, the new conductor of the Macon Symphony. Of course I saw my usual group of friends: Canaan, Tori, Betsy, Jonathan, Ricky, DeeAnn, David, Steven, JJ, Andrea, etc. There was a really good turnout for this event and I am told I just missed James and Jodi Palmer taking pictures for Macon Magazine (darn it). I meant to introduce myself to Amy Schwartz Moretti and tell her how much I loved the McDuffie Loves Macon event- I even downloaded One Note Samba because of that night (go get it now- although it still doesn't stack up to the live performance ;) ).

But these are just the first of many great events for both Bravo and Junior League. There have been some very good looking shows posted by the Grand Opera House, and you can get discounted tickets to some with your Bravo membership. And I am really looking forward to the Junior League's Touch a Truck this year, my kids love it so much!

Now, as for last weekend, since I am behind as per usual, I attended the opening reception of the Macon Art's Alliance "Slow Down, Step Back: Paintings and Porcelain". As usual, it was a crowded event- and well worth attending. If you haven't been I really stress that you should go. Heck, make it your lunch break. What I loved most about Carol Porter's works is that many of them incorporated some kind of inspiring verse. 

Speaking of Carol Porter, she has certainly been one busy lady! I had to miss the Historic Macon Salon featuring her, did you know she has a cooking column in The Telegraph? 

Another event I sadly had to miss out on this past weekend was my friend Collin's birthday party at Natalia's- I know I have told you on Facebook and in person how sad I was to miss it but let me said it here again, dear! If yall don't know Collin then I frankly do not know under which rock you have been hiding, he works for Cherry Blossom and is also the chair for Taste of the Arts to benefit the Macon Arts Alliance. (And see- we start to come full circle here.)

This past weekend also saw the opening of Becky's New Car, which I am told is quite entertaining.

As for what is coming up in the near future? Well, I touched on this weekend's fundraiser through Barnes and Noble, and Junior League's Touch a Truck (that's not til the spring though), but we also have Ocmulgee Indian Celebration this weekend. And on October 4th is the Historic Macon Idea House Preview Party- go here to buy tickets now (http://www.historicmacon.org/idea-house) as this is an event you do NOT want to miss. I will be covering that in another blog post this weekend ;)

Oh and here's a YouTube link for one of the performances coming up at The Grand:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3F9JQ96HCcU

However, I do have a regular job to do- remember DealChicken? Of course you do... as if you could forget. Time to get ready for work! Til next time...

9/11/01- We Will Never Forget

I'm going to do something unusual, and post here and my other site- and not about fashion or stuff around town.

On 9/11/01, I was a college freshman at Mercer University. I was in class on the second floor of Stetson- the business and education building. It was some kind of freshman orientation class, UNV 100 I believe. We heard something was happening, how we heard I cannot remember but I do remember we urged our teacher to let us go and see. After some perusation, she let us go downstairs. The first tower of course had already been hit, they had CBS News on this large screen that took up the whole wall. When I heard Dan Rather’s voice it all became real.

The day was kind of blurry, I honestly can’t remember exactly seeing the second plane hit, I think I did. What I remember is one classmate was very upset: her father worked in one of the towers. Another classmate and fellow ADPi suggested we try to organize a campus blood drive, so we called the Red Cross: they were already booked up with people wanting to give blood and do something.

I’m pretty sure we had a candlelight vigil that night as well, someone who was there can remind me.

I remember also, that year one of our required readings was this book called Jihad vs. McWorld, that professor now seems prophetic.

I have no wise words, nothing really of importance to say, other than this is what I remember. Being a college freshman, wanting so much to make a difference in the world and to see it change right in front of you- it still impacts me today. I suppose it always will. I was a political science major, and 9/11 affected almost every class I took, aside from the classical political science classes.

It’s just heartbreaking, I think about those families, the children who were left behind, the children who must have died- I believe there was a daycare in the towers. I believe being a parent puts things in a different light as well.

I am watching this program on the History Channel at the moment- and I am hearing the story of one person for the first time. It seems there is always a new story, every time I watch. I suppose for this reason, and to pay tribute, I will watch every year. To remember. They deserve that much from us.

McDuffie Loves Macon and Meet and Greet with Ward Stare

I promise- I did not mean to post this the same day as Larry Fennelly’s review in Out and About. In fact I am purposely waiting to read it until after I post this. It’s really my own fault for waiting so long to post. Anyways…

WOW. First- congrats to all of the staff at The Grand Opera House, this was an amazing show and I am so happy I got to see it. I had promised myself I would NOT miss Robert McDuffie’s next performance in Macon. I had to miss the last one for whatever reason or another, I am not sure why I just know I meant to go and didn’t. I am also happy to have been able to see the McDuffie Center String Ensemble. We have such talent here in Macon because of Mercer. Which brings me to my second thank you, to Mercer University,  I am so proud to have attended this fine university, and even more so now . My third thank you, to everyone who attended, I would have expected in typical Macon fashion for there to have been seating a plenty before the show but there wasn’t- in fact it was standing room only and I believe people may have had to leave.

I also now have a new favorite classical song: “ One Note Samba”. Steve Moretti’s percussion performance was truly remarkable. And it was fun to see him and his wife, Amy Schwartz Moretti, perform together. I have seen her perform via YouTube before and already had an appreciation for her work. I also enjoy shows like this that perform familiar numbers such as “ It Ain’t Necessarily So” by Gershwin and “Adagio” by Samuel Barber. It’s kind of like when you get to see a Picasso for the first time in person, and really every time after that (I have seen two Picasso exhibits): it’s just awe inspiring to feel that music that you have seen in the movies in person. And even if you are not familiar with the music, like my introduction to “One Note Samba”, there’s just something about seeing it in person and watching the performers and how they connect to the music that makes it more alive. Pardon me, but even as often as I write I still struggle to accurately describe how live performances, especially of classical music, move me.

I can say this- I am going to make a more concerted effort to go to live performances. Whether it be classical music at Mercer or the Macon Symphony or even live theater, Macon has SO MUCH to offer. For anyone to say we do not have the amount of culture as Atlanta or even Savannah makes me want to pull my hair out. If you ever feel tempted to say it- reach out to someone and ask “what’s going on this week?” Heck- reach out to me, I don’t mind. Even if I don’t know I generally know who to ask!

That being said- who all did I see at this performance? I know you want to know. Right as I walked in I ran into Mayor and Dele Reichert (who just celebrated a birthday- be sure to wish her a Happy Birthday!) as well as Susannah Cox Maddux and Collin Holder- manning the I Love Macon sign up table. I also later saw Catherine and Brother Liles, who I know from church, as well as Sarah Gerwig and her two lovely sons. Frankly, it was so packed in there it was hard to see everyone I knew. I know there were more I know in attendance.

The lesson here? If you missed it, well I feel sorry for you, but be sure to not miss the next performance of live music. Perhaps you will spy the next Robert McDuffie performing.

Now, something else you don't want to miss is the Bravo! event with Ward Stare. You remember Bravo! The Social Club of the Grand Opera House, I have written about it before. This is a private event for members only and really, they ask that you RSVP first. (We all know about RSVP'ing, it's just polite.) It's just $40 for membership to the club and not only do you get to meet Ward Stare but there are all kinds of other benefits. To join or renew your membership, email Betsy at fitzgerald_me@mercer.edu. So, I'll see you there, right? Right!

The White Party: Who, Where, When, Why and What I Decided to Wear

For those of you who read my fashion blog, Make It Work Molly, or even saw my Tumblr page or Instragram photos, you might remember an assuage of white dresses being displayed. These were some of the many options I went through for Tori and Jerry Jennings' White Party- held annually for Tori's birthday. The anticipation had been building for sometime for this event, as I heard stories about how fantastic it was the year before. And of course I know that any event Tori and Jerry have anything to do with will be amazing. Their wedding was like nothing I had ever seen, of course the most important part being seeing two people so much in love with one another pledging their lives to each other.

Forgive me for being somewhat sentimental, but really watching these two together whether it be an evening after work or one of their phenomenal events is something special to me. Anyone who is ever around them can tell how truly dedicated they are to each other. I pray that anyone I know can find that kind of love.

The love they have for one another resonates even through their parties. The both of them are so giving that they want to share everything with their friends. So much so that I am not sure even Tori or Jerry knows exactly how many people they invited to their soiree.

David and I met up with friends Matt and Evah beforehand and rode out to Tori and Jerry's home together. (A side note: if you are ever around myself and Evah together we will usually break in to some kind of story about a mutual former employer. I will not name said former employer except to say that our stories usually revolve around pre paid debit cards and repos.)

Upon arriving we first saw Mrs. Betty Ann Jennings, Jerry's mother, I have to say this lady is so special to me because she has worked with my mother for years at Stratford and was really there for us during a personal situation. This lady has a genuine heart of gold- there are not many out there like her. Once walking in Tori and Melissa (Boren) and Donna (Jennings) were putting out various food items and utensils. In typical Southern lady form I asked if there was anything I could do, was given a small task, and then I stood and watched as these very capable ladies finished up. It was at this point that I decided it was best if I joined David, Matt, and Evah outside. We would eventually make our way to watch the Alabama game. (Is there even any need in mentioning Michigan? After all they seem to not make it to the game.)

And of course we saw a ton of people included (but not limited to): Jonathan Andre, Ricky Hale, Canaan Marshall, Drew Jennings, Ned and Priscilla Esser, Coy Gregory, Elizabeth Evans, Al DeGraw, Stephanie Robinson and her boyfriend Andre, Chanda and Kevin Akles, David Quakenbush, Stephen Fulbright, Melissa and Beau Boren (and her cousin Jessica visiting from England), Jessica White, Blair and Brandon Melton, Amy Thomas, Katie Walden, Paul Griffin and Vickie, Misty and Scott Kiernan, April Moulton Beale and Alvin Beale, Bart Campione and his girlfriend Den, Travis Clark and Lindsey Hubbard.

And as always when I am around Tori I meet someone new who I am thankful for meeting: I must beg forgiveness as I cannot remember this young lady's name but she did introduce herself to me. Apparently we both share a die hard love of Fountain of Juice and she had seen me there before. She is Tori's massuese and also cleans her home occasionally. Of course I had to ask her to please get her contact info to me through Tori- perhaps I can blog about her massages sometime? EDIT- Susie is her name! Lord help me...

I do need to add the flowers from Petals Flowers and More were simply amazing- as was the cake and all of the food. (I need to get the name of who made that cake! Wow!)

I also have to thank Stephen and David for giving us a ride home- I never ever advocate driving even after one drink (if nothing else you might end up in Cuffed or another one of those publications- yikes!). We discussed going out and dancing downtown, it's probably a good thing we did not as I had forgotten it was Boys Bid Day at Mercer. Probably most everything was rented out however I would hope having been a former KA Rose and Lambda Chi Alpha Crescent Court member could potentially still carry a little weight. (Maybe- I say this tongue in cheek.)

I will say, the most fun part of the evening was the most unexpected. Sometimes, dancing in one's own living room like a moron with noone watching can be more fun than anything else.

This being said... I do love an excuse to also get dressed up and go out.... check out my Make It Work Molly to see what I wore!

Til next time folks... gotta get ready to go. Going to try and make it to The 3rd Annual VNA (Vineville Neighborhood Association) Labor Day Wine and Music Festival to see Abby Owens perform. And then off to see Ned and Priscilla Esser!