A Field of Flowers…

around her neck.

Tec Petaja Photography

Probably one of the most fascinating pieces of my wedding day attire was the intricately, handcrafted Flower Garden necklace. Hand sewn fabric flowers, delicately placed buttons, feathers, and even a tiny bird charm adorned the necklace. It was a true summary of all of the wedding elements and captured the very theme of homemade elegance.

Tec Petaja Photography

A special, hidden treasure included in the necklace was one of my Grandmother’s doilies. The doilie served as the backbone of the necklace, holding all of the beautiful pieces together. When I was a little girl, I spent countless hours with my Grandmother creating beautiful flowers for Flower Garden quilts. (Well, she did most of the creating while I scattered the fabric flowers on the floor and danced around on them.) We loved looking at the different patterned materials, deciding which colors went best together. She now has hundreds of flowers that will one day make their way into a quilt.

Tec Petaja Photography

The beauty of this necklace is a tribute to her. She has taught me to appreciate the “treasures” of the past, the quaint loveliness of handmade pieces.

Bonnie “Mema” Griffis

Posted 12/9/09, Topic: Blog

the best friends are homemade

Nothing puts a smile on my face like receiving a handmade gift. For my birthday, my sweet and very crafty friend, Shea, made this adorable felt owl ornament.

Photos by Chris Janos

I just love the big owl eyes and sweet hand stitching. The owl even has cute little eyelashes, very chic! With the owl she included this adorable message:

“Happy Birthday

to my friend hoo

is always a hoot

to be around!”

Posted 12/7/09, Topic: Blog

save room for dessert

Photo by Chris Janos

I dont think there is anything my husband cannot do. If it requires patience, precision, artistry and just downright skill, he’s your man. Not to be outdone by my delicious Thanksgiving dressing and dumplings, Chris decided to throw some homemade lovin’ of his own in a dish. The result…two of the best desserts I have ever tasted!

The Apple Crumb Pie (pictured above) was the hit of Thanksgiving. My sister’s culinary whiz of a boyfriend whipped up some fresh cinnamon whip cream and I made a small pot of warm caramel sauce to serve over this heavenly dish. (Let’s just say that this picture had to be taken really fast, no one wanted to wait before digging in.)

Chris’ Thanksgiving Pie was a wee bit overlooked during the actual Thanksgiving dinner, as I mentioned the Apple Crumb Pie was a show hog. But oh baby did that little pie pack a big punch! We enjoyed it with our leftovers the rest of the weekend. The Thanksgiving Pie is a simple twist on the traditional Pumpkin Pie. With a beautifully baked, hand-rolled crust, the pie bottom is lined with chopped pecans and then topped with delicious pumpkin filling. My favorite part of this pie was the crust, it tasted like a soft cookie. You can’t beat homemade goodness!

Posted 12/2/09, Topic: Blog

The Colors of Thanks

Photo by Chris Janos

There’s no better time of year to celebrate my love for all things handmade. Rich with color and taste, our holiday spread was packed full of slow-cooked, hand-rolled, perfectly chopped, tenderly seasoned and precisely prepared dishes.

This was the first Thanksgiving for the newlyweds and I had some big shoes to fill. After our wildly hectic year of travel and wedding shenanigans, we opted to just stay put on this year’s Turkey Day. However, Thanksgiving would not be complete without the taste of Mema’s delicious dressing and amazing chicken and dumplings. After a few phone calls and a list of ingredients scratched out on paper, I set out to attempt the impossible.

Photo by Krista Janos

The secret’s in the broth. I started with two organic roasting hens and proceeded to build the dishes with memories of both taste and smell. I have watched Mema make these meals many times and can still remember sitting on her counter when I was knee high to a grasshopper and helping her slice the hand-rolled dumplings.

Photo by Chris Janos

Lots of the things in our lives that bring smiles to our faces are just little glimpses, a snippet of a memory gone by. Time spent doing things the old-fashioned way, a renewed appreciation for traditions of the past.

Stay tuned for details from Chris’ lovely Apple Crumb Pie…

Posted 11/29/09, Topic: Blog

the birth of Blue Eyed Yonder

Let me be the first to welcome you to Blue Eyed Yonder, a playground for all things handmade, homemade, homespun and loved. Steeped in Southern tradition and blooming with hand-crafted charm, I hope this site and the lovelies shared within will touch your heart the same way they touch mine.