Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Kim at Work


Yesterday, I went to ADAC (Atlanta Decorative Arts Center) with my decorator/designer/daughter from Regas Interiors - Kim Regas herself. This morning when I was thinking about blogging, I realized once again that she had had me so engaged in what we were looking for that I forgot to take pictures of this precious woman doing one of the things she does best. I promised myself last time we journeyed into her world that I would do just that, so I could share it with you here. Well, pictures or no, I'm sharing anyway!

What maddening conditions Kim has to work under! Her creativity is always limited by the client's financial means, color taste, style and time frame, not to mention personality. Then she has the limitation of her own personal schedule: she has to meet the needs of the ever-present carpool line, afternoon snacks and motherhood. I watched her tackle this task up close yesterday, always acting as if she had all the time in the world, always greeting everyone in the showrooms with a warm demonstration of respect, kindness and professionalism and always, always being patient and understanding with me. She worked so hard giving me all the time I needed, trying to hear what I wanted and turning it into reality without letting me make big mistakes.

When another client calls her cell phone (and they do frequently), she talks to them as though they are the only client she has, yet efficiently, without letting them know that she is busy and doesn't have time to talk. It's amazing. She has learned to keep good notes, remember names of showroom vendors and to keep up with what is new and old in the design world.

She also gives much of her time and talent away pro bono (and I get my fair share!). Last week, Kim's months of accumulative work came together helping the children's school with their annual fundraising auction/gala that provides the school with tens of thousands of dollars.

I watch all my daughters interact with their families and each other and I think they couldn't be any better. I hear about their great accomplishments in their chosen professions and know they are excellent at what they do, and it is a privilege to watch, to get a glance at the woman away from being a daughter, a wife, a mother. As exhausting as their lives must be, I think Hanna Montana doesn't have anything on any of them...they are the best in both worlds!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

A Regas Spring Break...

Joining friends in Orlando, the Regas family spent several happy days at Universal Studio over their Spring Break. I delighted in seeing their happy faces through pictures. I know you will too!


Regas Spring Break at Universal Studio 2009 from Croft on Vimeo.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Spring Break has come and gone...

Highlights from the S-C's Spring Break Vacation.

This was truly a special trip because it was five year William's first trip to Disney Word and everything was seen, once again through the fresh eyes of a child. Away from the park, they all just hung out together, swimming at the pool and playing in the sand at the beach. This family enjoys their down time!

Let me know about your Spring Break experience and I'll post it too!

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Phillies 4 - Pirates 2 !



I don't have the stats of this game but this guy (Keegan) looks like he can hit it out of the ball park!



And pitch too!! Look out Ford and Joe, I think you two may have more than a little ball throwing competition this summer at Grayton.

You know what I think...any fellow that looks up for the answers can't go wrong!

Note: I got these great pictures today from Keegan's ipod (?). I don't know how he sent them but I was tickled to see them. Thanks so much for letting us see you play!

Posted by Picasa

Thursday, March 19, 2009

My Day in the Mountains


My Day in the Mountains 3-19-09 from Merry Croft on Vimeo.


Yesterday I got up with the sunshine and had coffee on the porch by the creek. I set up my easel and started a new painting, trying a new technique using a black and white underlay. I took my camera and walked through the woods taking pictures and enjoying the solitude, until I ran into mountain friends, which I enjoyed even more! I got a lesson on using my new camera. I read a chapter in Acts. Kim sent me a picture of Emily and William taken in a pile of stuffed animals while on vacation. I heard the sweet voices of Terrence and Kate on the telephone before going to bed....It was a really good day.


Monday, March 16, 2009

Happy Birthday Kristin!


May all your dreams come true.

With love for a Happy Day,

Dad and Merry
Posted by Picasa

Thursday, March 12, 2009

10 From 10th Street

A Musical Review presented by The Children's School Players.

Morgan performed once again, by signing songs from The Lion King, in this musical review of the past 10 years of performances of the TCS Players. An AMAZING job done by lower school age children!

Next week Morgan is off to Charleston for a rock climbing competition.

Way to go Morgan!!!


Wednesday, March 04, 2009

A New York Experience

New York (March 1 – 3, 2009) was a trip filled with new experiences. Upon arriving at the airport, Terrence and I loaded our things into a car that Kate had sent to pick us up. We were delivered to a bed and breakfast in Brooklyn called the Akwaaba Mansion…six blocks down and two blocks over from the brownstone where Kate and Jeremy live. We found Akwaaba to be well maintained, old but delightfully decorated in eclectic antique furniture and African art. Our room was called the “Jumping the Broom" room - one of four guestrooms - and was designed for newlyweds and romantic weekenders. It had a double-sized jacuzzi, which I later discovered filled with a bubble bath and strewn with rose petals! Down the hall from us was a small, one-chair reading library, and next door to it, an equally intimate room for watching television. A cozy fire warmed the living room downstairs that connected to a huge dinning room where the guests shared morning breakfast as well as afternoon tea. Across the hall was a ball room with two fireplaces , and it is often used for parties, weddings and other such special events.

After we met the staff, Kate came in, greeting us with hugs, kisses and a bottle of wine. We checked out the upstairs, put away our things and headed out for lunch at a place called Peaches. Kate and I later chilled and chatted in the TV room while letting Dad take a rest - he was trying to feel better from the results of a terrible cold made worse by a head-packing airplane flight!

Saturday evening, Kate literally took care of us at her apartment on Putnam Street. She pampered her father with a eucalyptus steam bowl, cold medications, and hot herbal tea with ginger and honey. If he didn’t feel better after all of that, he most certainly did while being served a wonderful dinner of local sole over a bed of lightly sautéed radicchio, small white beans, shallots and fish broth with a side of beer-steamed maple kale (the like of which I have never tasted before!). It was an excellent dinner and a memorable evening.

Kate joined us, and the rest of the B & B guests, in the dinning room the following morning for breakfast. We ate and talked, learning about each other and again enjoying good food. Of course Kate made friends with all those who were there.

Sunday afternoon was spent at Kate’s, playing Rummikub (that ended in a three way tie!) before heading down to Manhattan to check into the W Hotel in Times Square. Kate was scheduled to be in Washington the next day, meeting Jeremy at an environmental conference; and we had business in the city. But as luck would have it, the snow started to fall, and the weatherman was predicting a foot or more in Washington and NYC, so Kate canceled her trip and went with us into the city.

Our hotel room made us feel as though we had been teleported into a space ship, so we seized the moment and took advantage of the photo ops! The freaky glass walls of the bathroom provided our main foreground, and although the water reflection didn't show up in the photography, Kate did a great imitation of a mermaid in the lobby where the ceiling and walls were made of glass with water running over them!



Dinner, a movie, a late night snow walk (after putting Terrence to bed) and eating black ‘n white cookies in Times Square finished off our night, before Kate took the subway back to Brooklyn (much to this mother’s dismay). It was hard to see her go. She called me less than an hour later to reassure me that she had made it home safely.

Snow fell steadily all night and much of the following day as Terr finished up his business on the 34th floor of a high rise building. I was given a comfortable place to read, write, text and hang out while he was in meetings. I was invited to lunch together with the group and enjoyed watching the way my husband conducts himself professionally. I found it no wonder that he is so successful and a true “super lawyer.” I don’t get to see that side of him very often and it was a pleasure to be there.

Well, we made it home about midnight, even though many of the flights were cancelled. The Atlanta snow was all but gone. The house, bird and fish were fine and it felt good to get back into our own bed. I’m sure you all have many snow tales to tell, and I want to hear them all! I miss you when I’m away.
Thanks to Mike and Kim for sending me snow pictures while we were gone...