Tennessee

Client Work: EllenMcGowanArt.com

For the past few months, I've been fortunate to work with the incredibly talented and charming Ellen McGowan.

Ellen is a 91-year-old sculptor who is more energetic than most 31-year-olds, and I had the honor of spending the first few months of my pregnancy planning and designing her new website. She was actually the second person after our family that I told about the baby, and she has since become its fairy godmother -- a title that suits her very well considering that she is a petite lady with rosy cheeks and the most wonderful sparkle in her eyes.

If it isn't obvious, Ellen is one special lady. She creates beautiful sculptures and uses a computer on a daily basis. She deserved a website where she could showcase big, beautiful images of her work and share news about upcoming exhibits. I also I knew she was fully capable of adding and changing content after the site was completed -- something she couldn't do with her old site. 

We spent several hours selecting her favorite photographs that we would feature on the new site, and then I scanned and edited each image. Next we created a simple sitemap and designed the site layout. I then put together a user's guide for Ellen and taught her how to make basic updates to her site. She enjoyed every minute of her tutorial and has already made several changes. We plan to review everything again in a few weeks once she finishes a big sculpture, but she is a natural!

It has been an absolute joy to work with this lady during this special time in my life. Please check out her site and browse through her work. She is a true inspiration!

EllenMcGowanArt.com

 

Birthday Boy

The love of my life turned 35 on Monday, so I thought it was fitting to share some fun childhood (and adulthood) photos to commemorate this milestone birthday. The 1980s-1990s photos are courtesy of his Aunt Linda.

It's hard to believe I've celebrated ten birthdays with this amazing man. Happy Birthday, Jonathan. I love you and this crazy life we've built together. 

Ten-month-old Jonathan with his great-grandfather Clovis Yates.

Ten-month-old Jonathan with his great-grandfather Clovis Yates.

Jonathan and his sister Julie in matching Ole Miss shirts with their cousin Michael.

Jonathan and his sister Julie in matching Ole Miss shirts with their cousin Michael.

Baby Jonathan with his great-grandfather Clovis Yates.

Baby Jonathan with his great-grandfather Clovis Yates.

Cousins.

Cousins.

Jonathan and his cousin Michael.

Jonathan and his cousin Michael.

Jonathan in our apartment two months after we moved to Memphis, July 6, 2006.

Jonathan in our apartment two months after we moved to Memphis, July 6, 2006.

Jonathan, Oscar, Eliza and Julie, July 7, 2006.

Jonathan, Oscar, Eliza and Julie, July 7, 2006.

Denise, Jonathan and Sadie, July 7, 2006.

Denise, Jonathan and Sadie, July 7, 2006.

My dad, Eliza, Anthony, Lauren and Jonathan celebrating his birthday in our first home, July 2010.

My dad, Eliza, Anthony, Lauren and Jonathan celebrating his birthday in our first home, July 2010.

Jonathan, Oliver, Julie and Eliza, July 7, 2010.

Jonathan, Oliver, Julie and Eliza, July 7, 2010.

Enjoying a birthday breakfast in Hermosa Beach, California, July 7, 2011.

Enjoying a birthday breakfast in Hermosa Beach, California, July 7, 2011.

Greg, Eliza, Jonathan and Anthony celebrating Jonathan's birthday in downtown Memphis, July 2012. 

Greg, Eliza, Jonathan and Anthony celebrating Jonathan's birthday in downtown Memphis, July 2012. 

Me and Jonathan celebrating at the Overton Park Shell, July 2013.

Me and Jonathan celebrating at the Overton Park Shell, July 2013.

Oliver and Porter a few weeks before we moved out of our first house, July 2013.

Oliver and Porter a few weeks before we moved out of our first house, July 2013.

Jonathan celebrating 34 at Boscos, July 7, 2013.

Jonathan celebrating 34 at Boscos, July 7, 2013.

Jonathan and Porter at Shelby Farms, July 2013.

Jonathan and Porter at Shelby Farms, July 2013.

Jonathan celebrating with Gerald, Denise and Josh (and the rest of his family), July 2013.

Jonathan celebrating with Gerald, Denise and Josh (and the rest of his family), July 2013.

Jonathan, Eliza and Anthony, July 2013.

Jonathan, Eliza and Anthony, July 2013.

After watching the Germantown fireworks, July 4, 2014. 

After watching the Germantown fireworks, July 4, 2014. 

joan's piano

We recently inherited Joan's piano. If there is such a thing as a family heirloom, this piano would be near the top of our list. Joan received the piano from her dad for her 12th birthday on September 10, 1945. It was her most prized possession. When the family relocated from Ohio to Southern California in 1960, the piano moved into my great-grandmother's living room because it wouldn't fit in Joan's apartment. Here's a photo of my mom playing the piano before her junior prom in 1973:

piano3.jpg

After my great-grandmother passed away the following year and Joan moved into her new house in the nearby suburb of Cerritos, the piano moved into a corner of her living room. You can see it in the background along with the chandelier that now hangs in our foyer:

piano1.jpg

For the thirty years she lived in the house, the piano occupied that space. When my sister and I were kids, we loved playing the piano. It was one of our favorite pastimes as children. After we sold Joan's house in October 2011, the piano moved across the country to my mom's house in Oxford, where it stayed until this spring when my mom decided to downsize. It now lives in our living room: 

piano3

We still have some work to do in this room, but we are excited to have Joan's piano in our home. Jonathan is already practicing his piano-playing skills. Porter sings along!