Posts Tagged ‘athens ga’

tiny farm

homes and habitats

August 25th, 2010

i am always amazed…and inspired by how much food can be grown on a small plot of land.  recently i visited my friends maggie an lacy out at their farm that they appropriately call tiny farm.   they have 2 garden sized plots of land where they grow food for their 11 person CSA and local restaurants.  every tuesday volunteers come out to help and be involved with the growing of their food.  take a peek at what i saw!

visit thier blog here for farm news and recipes and be sure to check out the weekly comic by member eleanor davis.

jittery joes: our local roastery

homes and habitats

July 21st, 2010

our local roastery is a gem to athens.  not only do they roast coffee for the entire city but they have a little coffee shop a block from downtown.

its rustic charm mixed with the smells from roasting beans make it a great place to sit around with a cup of coffee.  you can sit on the front porch or at the handmade tables inside, and in the winter there is a wood burning stove that makes it nice and cozy.

enjoy a few of the details..

i love to admire the old time signage throughout

the coffee bags from all of the different countries are so lovely!

here’s vernon, a local celebrity around town.  on friday you can find him delivering coffee bags to all of the downtown restaurants….on an old school bicycle of course.

(sorry for the light spot on his face)

the great signage on the side of the building.

shotgun beauty

homes and habitats

July 14th, 2010

i visited my friend maureen the other day and took some pics of her little shotgun, which sits between two other shotgun-style houses in normaltown.  the house, built in the 1920s, is part of only two native shotgun clusters in athens, and has gone through several different incarnations over the decades.  maureen rented it for a couple of years before taking ownership in 2005, when she added on a big bedroom/sitting room and a cozy screened back porch.  in 2007 she painted the house to match the beautyberries, and i can’t imagine it any other color.
maureen’s home has a little bit of everything tucked away in its own special place.  everywhere you turn there’s a new vignette, featuring a different local artist and another treasure.  every square inch of her home is filled with beautiful objects and patterns, all reflected in the many vintage mirrors placed around the house to catch the light.

there are some homes that i visit that are so expressive of Athens and the south.  this one in particular does just that: it feels like it belongs here.  in creating this place, in provided delight for all who pass and all who enter, maureen has joined the ranks of the local artists whose work she so values.  the little shotgun that houses all those creations is itself a work of art, an athens treasure. enjoy!

this is a painting of maureen’s front porch by mary porter.  she has done 2 paintings of maureen’s back porch and 3 of her front.


a vintage r.wood piece is home to some lily pads

the beautyberry shotgun is reflected in the mirrors that hang from the trees.

garden and gun….does athens

instant inspiration

July 9th, 2010

a few years ago rebecca and i were in the charlotte airport, catching a plane to new york to do the gift show for r.wood studio.  we were quickly grabbing a magazine to get us through the flight.  rebecca came back with a garden and gun and said “now this is my type of mag”.  ever since then we have been big fans.  the july issue has a big article on athens and gives a big shout out to rebecca.  be sure to check it out!

you can read the story here

and all of you southern artist folks, don’t forget about garden and gun’s made in the south awards!

summer’s bounty

instant inspiration

July 2nd, 2010

sundance farms showing off some of their home-grown summer offerings at the tuesday night athens farmers market.

it’s that time of year

in the country

June 4th, 2010

i was on a walk and saw this cute handmade lemonade stand.  made me smile!

grown for the people, by the people

homes and habitats

May 26th, 2010

last year we stumbled upon this community garden in a nearby neighborhood.  i wrote a little story on it last year but it deserves another shout out again this year.  unlike many community gardens, which rent out plots for the community to plant, this one is planted and entirely maintained by the community.   i decided to take a little walk through it this year and see what was going on.  this year they have added a couple of plots for people to plant their own personal gardens, but it is mostly community space.

let me just say, this place is so amazing!  the garden itself is so beautifully designed and immaculate, not a weed in sight!  oh….what a few helping hands can do.  check out what i saw…

what this ravine looked like covered in kudzu

looking down

beans…growing up!

compost piles

filled with rainwater…for watering

a museum of artifacts found while digging…. hand cuffs..marbles..plastic scissors..frying pan..records….

athens farmers market

garden to table

May 17th, 2010

the athens farmers market has been going for a few years now.  every year it gets better and better.  this past saturday we enjoyed catching up with our local farmers, listening to local music, and of course feasting on some fresh and local food.

lunch break in the garden

instant inspiration

May 14th, 2010

for years, r.wood studio has had a big company garden.  it is a great place to break for lunch, get some exercise, cut some fresh flowers, and of course eat some fresh and organic food.   a friend sent me over this article from the NY times about company gardens.  hopefully this will become a growing trend!