Mary Kay Andrews

This morning was gloriously cool and bright in Atlanta–perfect fall junking weather. Posse member Jinxie and I headed out to a very promising “Meemaw” estate sale in nearby Virginia-Highlands. What is a “Meemaw” sale? It’s the real-deal old-lady kind of sale–where nothing has been replaced (or cleaned!) in decades. You know you’ve hit a Meemaw sale when you see either a walker, bedpan or potty-chair on the front porch. Today’s sale had walkers AND bedpans, so that was promising.

It was a sweet little duplex and by leaving at 7:30 a.m. (and driving past all those annoying health-nut runners) we were there when they opened at 8. Meemaw sales are growing increasingly rare around here, much to my sadness. What did I get? A couple of ribbed-glass aluminum-lidded Hoosier cupboard jars (my most expensive purchase), a couple of gigantic gallon glass jars (for some kind of Halloween display in booth at Seaside Sisters) and my favorite item of the day, a complete stack of four nesting Pyrex Butterprint batter bowls–plus an additional fifth bowl. Also a cute pelican planter and a way cool vintage Black Flag pump-style bug sprayer. The bug sprayer will look great in my Halloween display at the shop. And a little green wood-handled sugar scoop.

One of the bedrooms had been designated the crafts graveyard. Sewing supplies, knitting supplies, plastic funeral arrangements, a nifty sewing machine and cabinet full of thread and accessories. A sign on the door said every object was $1. Seriously? I found a plastic box full of two different kinds of completed quilt squares. There were 31 completed Vogue-Art cross-stitch squares and 37 of the sunflower appliqued squares. I may just have to try and list these on Etsy or eBay. Score! A big bag full of knitting needles, crochet hooks and yarn. Double score. Do I knit or crochet? Well, no, but I have friends who do, and for a buck a bag, I couldn’t not get them.  I also picked up a plaid wool stadium blanket which will be a great addition to the red/green/plaid/fall/camping theme I’mm planning for my booth.

Then we got to the basement. The basement at a Meemaw sale can be very scary. I myself have spotted rat skeletons and unknown vermin poop, not to mention toxic levels of mold, mildew and rot many times in basements.At one Meemaw sale earlier this summer we noticed they had at least a dozen aquariums lined up on wooden benches. With gravel in the aquariums. It gave me a bad feeling and I could not have gotten out of there fast enough. Upstairs, I asked Vicki, the dealer running the show—if the aquariums had been for snakes. “Um, maybe?” Yeah, I was mouth-breathing the whole time!  This basement wasn’t so bad. Jinxie pointed out a gigantic galvanized tub with chippy red paint. We got the price–which was less than a Happy Meal, and of course I had to get it.

After we paid and went on to another sale–at a ritzy condo in Buckhead where you had to be escorted in and out of the locked building–I realized I’d left my horse trough behind. Back we went, and fortunately, it was still there. All in all, a fabulous fall day of junking. Made better when I did a little research and found that the Pyrex nesting bowls book for between $50-$75. Yay, me!

And before you ask–TFB (the friggin’ book) isn’t done. Yet. But it will be, this week.

A junk round-up

 

My Little Runaway

Next summer’s book is due. Like, now. But life was closing in on me. So I ran away. This time I went to the mountains of North Carolina, to my friend Richard and Beth’s house. I left home on Sunday. Remember the cruise of the Good Ship Minnow? A three-hour tour? Mapquest said my trip would take five hours, fifty minutes. Hah! They forgot to figure in junkin’ time. I’d been wanting to check out a junk honey hole called , The Depot at Gibson Mill in Concord NC. No matter that it would take me 45 miles out of my route. The depot was fabulous! An old Cannon textile mill given over completely to junk/antiques! I gave myself an hour to shop and only hit a small portion of the building. Still, I managed to drop some bucks–all in the name of my booth at Seaside Sisters. My favorite find was this lovely quilt made of old feed sacks, with a backing of mattress ticking.

Feedsack quilt with backing of mattress ticking from the Depot. Love!

 

No fancy quilting, it’s a utility quilt made with a fine eye for color and composition. I posted pix on Facebook and a couple of alert readers told me it’s the string pattern. As I pulled away from the depot, I wanted to pull an Arnold Swarzenegger and whisper, “I’ll be back.” Instead, I steered toward my true destination. After a quick grocery stop, I easily found the mountain house. Which is delightful. Tucked away outside a tiny town in the northwest corner of the state, it’s a crazy combination of masculine/mountain with French country. The scenery near the house is lovely. A closed-down country store, an alluring barn/garage, the most adorable carpenter gothic house, nestled into the valley with the green hazy mountains looming behind.

If these walls could talk...carpenter gothic house in NC mtns.

 

Makes me wish I were a real photographer. Beth is my sister from another mother. We met just as I was moving back to Atlanta after a three-year stay in Raleigh. She loves antiques–of course, she loves the very fine, expensive, French and English real, true antiques, which she sells through her business, Knick-Knack Paddywack. I love that stuff too, I just can’t really afford it. She loves to travel–I love to travel. She loves going to the theatre, I love the theatre. She has an master’s in English lit, I do not, but I’ve been known to write. And most importantly, she drinks Diet Coke for breakfast. She completes me. We’ve done junking trips to Europe and a couple to Brimfield, and I expect we’ll try to fit another trip in sometime soon. After I finish this next friggin’ book. In the meantime, I’ve been puzzling out the big problems of TFB. But today, I needed a break. I told myself I was going to town for groceries. But really, I needed to junk. I found an antique mall with a trio of good ol’ boys settin’ around talking about cars, and cruised into the windy maze of booths.

Closest thing to Wally's Gas Station. Gomer sez' fill 'er up!

 

The clock was ticking–again, I’d only given myself an hour. As always, I had to wade through a lot of true junk–meaning anything I don’t like or collect or buy or sell. Repro tin gas station signs. Precious Moment figurines. Coins. Weapons. Nascar shite. (It’s North Carolina) ’80s crap-ola. Finally, I found a booth where they were singing my song. A sweet chippy white child’s bentwood chair.

Still life with child's chair, 'mater and rose

 

A toy stove.

Too hot to cook. Even on this retro toy stove.

 

An old wood grocery crate turned into a toolbox. I went to pay and found a huge painted white rotary fan at the cash register. Ka-ching! After I got back to the house, I went back to work. I’d had a late lunch, so I only stopped to eat at dusk. And to take pix of my finds for you. Even in the mountains, it’s hot. This house doesn’t have air conditioning, and in the mornings and evenings, it’s cool enough that it doesn’t need it. But in late afternoon, it gets a little toasty. I plugged in my new fan, and it works like a dream.

Too darn hot. Vintage rotary fan to the rescue.

 

I considered cooking, but it was too hot. Instead, I sliced up an heirloom tomato I bought in town, drizzled it with a little olive oil, sea salt and balsamic vinegar, and washed it down with my favorite wine of the summer, a yummy rose Mr. MKA buys for me. It’s called Angel’s Whisper. Sounds like a book title, yes?

Playing Catch-Up

Maybe you’ve noticed I haven’t blogged in, oh, I dunno, SEVEN WEEKS? Or maybe you thought I was dead, or perhaps I’d been unjustly incarcerated. None of these is the case. In fact I’ve had a severe case of the busies.

So let’s play catch-up, and hit the high-lights, shall we? Since I last blogged in early June my book SUMMER RENTAL came out. We had a fabulous launch party at Feast Restaurant in Decatur, where we celebrated with old and new friends and sold the most books ever in one night.

Launch night with the FoxTale Bookshop Babes

For me, anyway. (Thanks FoxTales Bookshop of Woodstock!) And then I hauled that overpacked suitcase of mine to a buttload of bookstores in a buttload of states. At Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC., I caught up with the Women of Weymouth, aka my writer’s group, for our celebratory pre-signing dinner. Big shout-outs to the WOWs; Alex Sokoloff, Bren Witchger, Diane Chamberlain, Margaret Maron, Katy Munger and Sarah Shaber, who helped, held my hand, and listened to me whine while I was writing SR.

Fairhope, Alabama and Page and Palette Books was wonderful as always, especially since an alert fan at the signing told me about an estate sale which I was able to hit on the way back to my hotel afterwards.

My Mobile estate sale find--antique quilt top

Selling buttloads of books + junk = happy author.

The next day, in Houston, I had a great signing at Blue Willow Books and got to have dinner afterwards with my cousin Art and his family, which was a great treat. I hope Art’s kids (he has about a dozen) never have to find out that he was the wheel-man on our illicit teenage liquor-buying capers. And I hope my kids (and grandkids!) never find out my part in said capers.

In Chicago, I had a morning off and took the Chicago Architectural Foundation’s boat tour, something I’ve wanted to do ever since watching Julia Roberts do the same thing in My Best Friend’s Wedding. Can’t hear the song The Way You Look Tonight without thinking of that movie, one of my favorite chick flicks ever. And the real boat tour, by the way, was wonderful. After my signing that night, I was dining at a swanky Italian restaurant (Thanks, St. Martin’s Press!) when I spotted an elegant gentleman winding his way through the dining room. At a table nearby I spotted a trio of earpiece-wearing security-types. My waiter confirmed my hunch, it was indeed, Chicago’s new Mayor, Rahm Emanuel. Who, btw, is one fine-lookin’ dude.

One of the biggest moments of the past seven weeks happened, serendipitously at my signing at Island Books, in the Outer Banks, where Summer Rental is set. I was chatting with fans when my cellphone rang and I saw that the caller was my editor, the amazing Jennifer Enderlin. Here’s how the call went. Jen: “Are you sitting down?” Me: “Yeeesss. What’s wrong?” Jen: Summer Rental is NUMBER FIVE ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST!” Me: SQUEEEEEEEE!” Seriously, I think everybody in the place thought I’d seen a mouse cuz I screamed like a banshee. Huge, wonderful, surprising thrill. My first time to make the list that high.

Cryin' and Signin' at Island Books

Then I called Mr. MKA and cried like a baby. And when I got back to my hotel that night, there was a bucket of iced-down champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries waiting for me. (Thanks, St. Jenderlin!)

The party continued the next night in Fairhaven, N.J., on the Jersey Shore, where the world’s best agent, Stuart Krichevsky, showed up for my signing with a huge cooler-full of ice cream, an armload of gorgeous roses, and a magnum of equally-gorgeous champagne, the last a gift from Mr. MKA. (Thanks, Honey! I think I could get used to this.) Also on hand for our gala was mega marketing maven Meg Walker, who single-handedly managed to corral nearly a hundred ladies to attend the booksigning that night. Even better—the  next day Stuart, Meg and I breakfasted on that Jersey delicacy Pork Roll.

Then I motored down to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, for a fun signing at Browseabout Books. Love that store.

After a round of signings in Atlanta, I flew off to the American Library Association conference in New Orleans. Loved seeing all the librarians and my St. Martin’s and HarperCollins peeps there, but more importantly, I got to have dinner with my brother and sister-in-law at their bar, Parasol’s, a local landmark in the Irish Channel. Experienced the wonders of their roast beef po-boy. Wowsers! You gotta go. The next morning I had another treat—hanging out with New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award winning, self-admitted showtune singer and shoe slut Laura Lippman. Good times.

The last week of June was RWA time—that is, Romance Writer’s of America conference, in New York. Picture 2,500 romance writers milling around the Marriott Marquis slap-dab in the middle of Times Square. So much fun it shoulda been illegal.

Foolin' around with Fabio at RWA

I had drinks with my editor and publisher, and after dropping heavy hints that I was dying to see the only Broadway show whose ticket was literally impossible, the impossible happened. Phone calls were made, texts were exchanged, and that Wednesday night I went to see Tony-award winning The Book of Mormon. Hilarious, totally original, wonderful. Also Wednesday, I got to have coffee with NYT bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips, who so kindly provided a blurb for Summer Rental. Thursday night was party night, and my date for the night was the aforementioned Meg the Marketer, who’d proven her partying style at last year’s RWA, where she managed to party like a pro at three functions in one night—and on crutches with a cast. This year we toned it down a little—even though I did buy myself a pretty fabulous pair of vaguely hookerish gold high-heeled sandals. We got to chat with lots of my publishing peeps—and see the amazing sunset view at the St. Martin’s Press party held in their landmark Flatiron Building.

Sunset in the point of the Flatiron building with Meg Walker at the St. Martin's party

After that we tagged along with writer buddy Kayla Perrin to the Waldorf-Astoria where Harlequin was holding their famous annual Black and White Ball. Which we crashed. I will never forget the sensation of dancing in a sea of black and white-clad romance writing wenches—to Lady GaGa’s Bad Romance.

Crashing the Black and White Ball in style

When we finally hobbled out of the Harlequin soiree we decided we were hungry, so we went back to the hotel, changed out of our party finery, then walked up to Fifth Avenue, where Meg introduced me to the concept of The Happy Waitress, which is a post-midnight diner dinner of grilled cheese with bacon & tomato. Delish.

When I finally arrived home, it was time for the most eagerly-awaited event of the year: the arrival of our second grandchild, John Griffin Abel, who was born here in Atlanta on July 8. Now that was truly a highlight. Mr. Mary Kay and I were out in the waiting room when he was born, and got to hold him shortly afterwards.

Love at First Sight!

Griff is the most adorable baby since…well, since his big sister Molly was born almost exactly two years earlier. He is long and skinny, with a quizzical expression in his deep blue eyes, and he sleeps and eats like a champ. Molly is adjusting nicely to sisterhood.

Last week, we managed to tear ourselves away from the new kid on the block with a short trip down to Tybee Island and Savannah. Susan and the girls at Seaside Sisters threw me a big ol’ Sign n’ Sip Party and Junk-a-Thon, where we totally sold out of Summer Rental. On Friday night, we drove down to St. Simon’s Island, where we managed to fit in dinners with two sets of old friends in between signings at The Cloister and G.J. Ford Bookshop.

It’s been a whirlwind summer, for sure. Thanks to you wonderful readers, and all the fabulous booksellers who hosted me for signings, and the amazing folks at Team MKA, Summer Rental has managed to stay on the NYT bestseller list for six weeks now—a first for me. I managed to spend some time with family and old friends while out on the road, fit in a little junking, and to meet new and old fans. Most importantly, we got to welcome a healthy, precious lil’ guy to our family. I am so blessed!

Which brings me right back home again, where I shall stay, at least for a week, before running away somewhere to dig in and get back to work at my real job, which is working on TFB. (The Friggin’ Book.) It is due right this very minute. Did I tell you the title? No? How ‘bout HIDEAWAY LAKE?

Summer Rental Book Tour…Starting Now

All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go, standing here, outside your door…Shades of Peter, Paul and Mary! I’m off for the big Summer Rental book tour any minute now. Just one problem, severe over-package, and I’m not talking about the Anthony Weiner situation. Over the weekend, daughter Katie, my personal shopper, in-house fashion expert and event coordinator, came over and selected my tour wardrobe. But only after rejecting most of my beloved clothing staples. Those faded denim capris? “Mom jeans,” she said with a sneer. The black linen top I love? “Not summery.” The Anthropologie necklace I bought to wear with my new silk top? “Cute but no match.”

Sigh. And she wrested my favorite faded black yoga pants away from me and took them to her house–just in case I got any ideas about fishing them out of the trash! I tell you, the kid is relentless. She put accessories with outfits, and even photographed them with my cell phone just in case I have any accessorization dilemmas.

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Summer 2011

From Mary Kay's Front Porch - Summer 2011 Newsletter
'Mater Tots 

‘MATER TOTS

This easy-peasy recipe was inspired by one from Paula Deen. If you’re taking these to a party, fix them ahead of time on disposable foil baking sheets and pop in the oven when you get to the party. Warning: you will never be able to fix enough of these to satisfy your guests!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan, romano or mozzarella cheese
  • 1 package mini phyllo shells—I find Athena brand in freezer case by frozen fruits or biscuits
  • 3/4 cup peeled and finely diced fresh tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tsp. finely minced onions—preferably Vidalia
  • 1/4 tsp. each, fresh ground black pepper, sea salt, garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise—preferably Duke’s
  • 2 Tbsp. bacon bits

INSTRUCTIONS:

Peel and dice tomatoes, sprinkle with seasoning mixture and let juices and seeds drain in colander. Mix onion and basil with tomatoes and spoon into mini phyllo shells. “Frost” top of tomato-filled cups with mayo piped from a plastic bag with the corner snipped out. Sprinkle with cheese, add bacon bits, bake in 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or ‘til tops are lightly browned. Serve warm.

Stitch

RENT THE BREEZE INN!

The Breeze Inn
Did you know that MKA’s very own fixer upper—The Breeze Inn on Tybee Island—is available for rent?! You and yours can chillax in beautiful beach cottage comfort in the very spot where MKA’s most recent bestsellers have been penned, surrounded by junking treasures uncovered by the author herself. Call Diane at Mermaid Cottages and book yourself in for the full MKA experience! If your crew won’t all fit at the Breeze, Diane has 30+ one-of-a-kind cottages sprinkled around the island, all just a short ride on a beach cruiser away from each other. Get yourself on “Tybee time” and discover the magic of slowing down.

Stitch

MKA Online

Dear Friends:

For the rest of the world June means graduations and weddings and beach trips. For me? It’s the long-awaited (by me, anyway) publication of Summer Rental. Which means that starting with the official launch party in Decatur, Ga. on June 6, I’ll be off and running, touring, signing, Facebooking, Twittering, blogging and shouting about my 18th published novel.

Set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Summer Rental is the story of three lifelong friends from Savannah, who escape to a ramshackle rental house to reconnect, and inevitably, reshape their lives—all over the space of one magical month of August.

WindsweptI had such a wonderful time researching and writing this, my first book set outside Georgia. I first travelled to the Outer Banks only two years ago, looking for just the right location for Ebbtide, the name of the house in the title.
SunriseI rented a tiny cottage called Windswept, two different times, in the fall and spring, and set off by bike and car to explore the area where “the girls” of Summer Rental—Ellis, Dorie and Julia—have their adventures. I’m looking forward to revisiting the area for signings in June.

The idea for Summer Rental was inspired by my own very close group of friends from my hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida. Would you believe we met in junior high and have been running away for chick trips ever since? We started out celebrating those “big-0” birthdays, but then realized we were having way too much fun to limit it to every ten years, so now we get together whenever we can—meeting recently in the Sonoma Valley wine country and the Gulf beaches in St. Pete.

FriendsIf you know anything about me, you know that junking is my passion. It’s rare for a week to pass without me shopping at an estate sale, thrift store or antique shop. What do I do with all that junk? I utilize a practice I call catch and release. Some of it I keep in our restored Craftsman bungalow here in Atlanta, or at The Breeze Inn, our vacation home on Tybee island, Georgia. (Did you know that you can rent The Breeze Inn for your family or chick trip? Check here for the details.) Other junk gets distributed to family members, and the really good stuff goes to my antique booth at Seaside Sisters on Tybee.

In between all that junking, I’m working on next summer’s novel, which is due to my editor in July! Don’t want to give away too many secrets, but that one’s about a woman who attends her ex-husband’s wedding, only to realize maybe she’s not as over him as she thought.

But it’s not all work and no play. This summer I plan to read more beach books. If you’re like me maybe you got an eReader like a Kindle, Nook, iPad or Sony eReader for Mother’s Day or a birthday. Just for you–and just until June 7—we’ve slashed the price on one of my favorite earlier novels, HISSY FIT, to $1.99. Check it out. I’m also going to hang out with the family at the neighborhood pool and cook out with friends. One of our favorite summertime recipes is for ‘Mater Tots, an easy-peasy appetizer utilizing your ripest tomatoes and garden-fresh basil. It’d be perfect for your own Summer Rental beach getaway!

All my best,
MKA

Dividing Stitch

Bookclub Corner

Do you have a book club? If your club is reading one of my books, I would love to call in and join your discussion. You never know, I may even be able to drop by in person if it works out right. E-mail us with your request and we’ll see what we can do! Be sure to include a snail mail address and info about the size of your club.

ORDER NOW!

Book cover: Summer Rental

Stitch

EVENT SCHEDULE

Mon, June 6th, 6:00 PM
Book Launch Party
FEAST RESTAURANT
314 East Howard Ave., Decatur, GA
Books sold by FoxTale Bookshop. $35 ticket includes book, swag bag, beer, wine, appies, and a donation to the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. Get your tickets here.

Tues., June 7, 7:00 PM
BARNES & NOBLE
2900 Peachtree Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA

Wed., June 8, 7:00 PM
BARNES & NOBLE 1716 Towne Centre Way, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Thurs., June 9, 7:30 PM
QUAIL RIDGE BOOKS & MUSIC 3522 Wade Ave., Raleigh, NC

Fri., June 10, 1:00 PM
Luncheon hosted by Page & Palette at: TAMARA’S DOWNTOWN 104 N. Section St., Fairhope, AL

Fri., June 10, 3:00 PM
PAGE & PALETTE
32 S. Section St., Fairhope, AL

Sat., June 11, 4:00 PM
BLUE WILLOW BOOKSTORE
14532 Memorial Dr.,
Houston, TX

Mon., June 13, 7:00 PM
BARBARA’S BOOKSTORE
1218 S. Halsted, Chicago, IL

Tues., June 14, 2:30 PM
WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS
432 Main St., Chatham, MA

Wed., June 15, 2:00 PM
ISLAND BOOKS
1170 Duck Rd., Duck, NC

Wed., June 15, 7:00 PM
FRONT PORCH CAFÉ
2515 S. Croatan Hwy., Nags Head, NC

Thurs., June 16, 7:30 PM
RIVER ROAD BOOKSTORE
759 River Rd., Fair Haven, NJ

Fri., June 17, 5:00 PM
BROWSEABOUT BOOKS
133 Rehoboth Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE

Mon., June 20, 3:00 PM
SCOTT’S BOOKSTORE
28 S Court Sq., Newnan, GA

Tues., June 21, 5:30 PM
OMEGA BOOKSTORE
100 N. Peachtree Pkwy. # 13
Peachtree City, GA

Wed., June 22, 7:00 PM
EAGLE EYE BOOKS
2076 N. Decatur Rd., Decatur, GA

Thurs., June 23, 6:30 PM
BOOK EXCHANGE
2956 Canton Rd., Marietta, GA

Mon., June 27th, 7:30 PM
Book Club Bash: Talk & Booksigning
Marcus Jewish Community Ctr., 5342 Tilly Mill Rd., Dunwoody, GA

Tues., July 19th, 7:00 PM
BOOKS A MILLION at Discover Mills
5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy., Lawrenceville, GA

Thurs., July 21st, 3:00 PM
SEASIDE SISTERS,
1207 US Hwy. 80, Tybee Island, GA

Fri., July 22nd, 3:30 PM
E. SHAVER BOOKSELLERS,
326 Bull St., Savannah, GA

Saturday July 23rd, 1:00 PM
GJ FORD BOOKSHOP,
600 Sea Island Rd #6, St. Simons, GA

Getting Set for Summer Rental

Things are ramping up around the MKA ranch these days. My latest book, SUMMER RENTAL, comes out June 7. Yay! It’s been a two-year stretch between novels (THE FIXER-UPPER came out in 2009) and that’s a loooong time in the life of a person who writes commercial fiction. We are busily planning a fun launch party to be held at our favorite local restaurant, Feast, in Decatur, GA. on June 6, as a benefit for the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. You can buy tickets here.

Also, we’ve got what I think is an especially sweet deal for all you moms (and others) who got ereaders (like a Nook, Kindle, Sony or iPad) for Mother’s Day. How’s this? For the four weeks leading up to publication of SUMMER RENTAL, you’ll be able to download one of my favorite earlier novels, HISSY FIT, for only $1.99! (It’s usually priced at $9.99)That’s less than a Big Gulp from the Toot n’ Tote, right? Let’s see, what else? Oh yes, plans are moving along for the Summer Rental book tour, which kicks off here in Atlanta on June 7, taking me to places like Mt. Pleasant, S.C., Raleigh, Fairhope, AL, Houston,Chicago, Cape Cod, the Outer Banks of North Carolina–where the book is set, the Jersey Shore (do you think Snooki reads?) Rehoboth Beach, DE, New Orleans, and finally, New York and the Romance Writers of America national conference. When I come home from the road, I’ll do a round of signings in Atlanta and Savannah. In between, I have to finish writing the next friggin’ book and turn it in so that it can be published next summer.Doesn’t sound like I’ll have much time to spend at our own Summer Rental on Tybee Island, does it?

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Easter Tybee Style







By the time I got everybody in the family to agree we should spend Easter on Tybee this year it was too late to book The Breeze Inn! Undaunted, I just emailed my peeps at Mermaid Cottages and booked a house I knew would be just right for our gang-Southern Cross Cottage. As an official house voyeur, I’d toured Southern Cross last year when Diane at Mermaid began managing it. I think my family would agree it was a great decision.

Southern Cross is a classic 1930s-era Tybee raised cottage, and was completely restored a few years ago by the owners, who kept the distinctive knotty pine walls and floors, but updated everything–including baths and a kitchen. As great as the interiors were, our favorite feature of the house were the porches–the perfect people-watching perch to look out over a towering live oak–or to take an after-dinner nap.

Last year, we worked like crazy getting our house ready for the Tybee Tour of Homes. This year, Diane tells me, Southern Cross will be one of the featured homes on the tour, which takes place Saturday, June 4. The website still features our house from last year’s tour–but I promise you–we are NOT on the house tour this year. My new book,SUMMER RENTAL publishes June 7, plus next summer’s book is due to my editor in July. Yikes!

This year we had a crowd for Easter, including Katie and Mark, 21-month-old Molly, Andy, aka Boomerang Boy and his friend Laura, and our niece Sarah and her friend John. Since the house has four bedrooms, I knew it would easily accomodate all of us. We loved the fact that it has wrap-around porches on the second floor, and an outdoor spa, firepit and grill area, not to mention the fact that the younger kids could hang out on the first floor–playing cards and watching movies until late while some of us turned in earlier. We checked in Friday and started the weekend with Mr. Mary Kay’s famous crabcakes for dinner. After dinner, the family continued their favorite beach tradition of strolling over to Seaside Sweets on nearby Tybrisa, for our friend Jimmy’s yummy gelato. On Saturday, Mr. MKA and BB went fishing, while everybody else but me hit the beach. What was I busy doing? Oh, just a little fluffing over at The Breeze Inn, which only had a 24-hour vacancy over the long holiday weekend. I found a fabulous set of 1920s reed furniture at an Atlanta estate sale a couple months ago, and it was truly a fixer upper. The set had been left out in the weather, and at least four different coats of paint were flaking off it like a bad case of dandruff.

It took a couple weeks of diligent wire-brush scraping, plus a power wash to rid the settee and two armchairs of all that flakey old paint. Then Mr. MKA went to work, re-wrapping and nailing some of the rattan strapping. Andy then gave it a couple coats of glossy white paint. And in the meantime, I had some spiffy new lime green, pink and white striped covers made for the cushions.

On Saturday, we installed the new furniture on the Breeze Inn porch, then trucked the old wicker, still serviceable, over to Seaside Sisters–where the whole set sold in less than two hours! Last night we had ribs on the grill here at

Southern Cross, and then the gang–including Molly, hit the spa. We were all up early today for a true Easter miracle–we got all eight of us dressed and sitting in church at St. Michael’s here on Tybee with minutes to spare. Of course, Molly only made it seven minutes before her daddy took her on home for the beauty sleep she insists upon. But she looked adorable in her easter finery for those seven minutes. Because the kids needed to head back to Atlanta early, we had Easter lunch instead of dinner–balsamic cherry glazed lamb chops, herbed new potatoes, poached asparagus, fruit salad, dinner rolls and Tacky Jacky’s delish pineapple casserole. Of course, no Southern Sunday dinner is complete without devilled eggs, and we discovered that Molly adores them.

Now that the kids have taken off, Mr. Mary Kay and I are enjoying a lazy afternoon, and yes, a nap. I’m thinking a dip in the spa will be just the thing for our last evening at Southern Cross.

Spring 2010

From Mary Kay's Front Porch - Spring 2010 Newsletter

Mary Kay and her own book club
 

REAL DEAL ‘MENTER CHEESE

It’s a dip, it’s a sandwich spread, it’s great in a grilled cheese, or dolloped on top of a hamburger, and it’s the social glue that binds us down here in the South. Now don’t be afraid to take this to your next book club meeting—the real stuff is nothin’ like that neon orange junk you buy in a tub at WallyWorld. And don’t use the pre-shredded cheese for this recipe, cuz it just ain’t the same as when you shred it yourself. This makes a big crock of stuff, and sealed tightly in a container in the fridge, it’ll last a week or more.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1- 8-oz. pkg. extra sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 1- 8-oz. pkg. Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
  • 2-4 oz. jars sliced pimentos, undrained
  • ½ or more cup mayonnaise—Duke’s preferably
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. (or more) hot sauce
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

Let the cheese come to room temp before grating if possible. Combine grated cheese in large bowl, add pimentos with juice, and mix thoroughly with a fork. Add mayonnaise and seasonings and mix again. You can add more mayo if your mix doesn’t seem smooth enough. Make into sandwiches or use as a dip with raw carrots and celery sticks, or spread on buttery Club crackers.

Stitch

RENT THE BREEZE INN!

 

The Breeze Inn

Did you know that MKA’s very own fixer upper—The Breeze Inn on Tybee Islandmdash;is available for rent?! You and yours can chillax in beautiful beach cottage comfort in the very spot where MKA’s most recent bestsellers have been penned, surrounded by junking treasures uncovered by the author herself. Call Diane at Mermaid Cottages and book yourself in for the full MKA experience! If your crew won’t all fit at the Breeze, Diane has 30+ one-of-a-kind cottages sprinkled around the island, all just a short ride on a beach cruiser away from each other. Get yourself on “Tybee time” and discover the magic of slowing down.

Dear Friends:

If you’re reading this, the chances are very good you’re a member of a book club. I’ve been meeting with book clubs all over the map recently—including the famous Pulpwood Queens Book Club weekend in Jefferson, Texas in February, where I was one of a dozen authors sharing in the hijinks of a weekend-long party celebrating girlfriends and reading. At the Pulpwood Queens shindig, the authors acted as waiters and cooks serving dinner one night, and at two subsequent nights of parties, we dressed up as our favorite Barbie and characters from the Wizard of Oz.

Mar Kay with the book club at Dataw IslandNot every book club function I attend is that elaborate—or that far-flung. In February, I met with the Outlaw book club in Decatur, only a few miles from my home, where the members played a cutthroat dice game to determine the winners of the door prize autographed books I’d provided. That same month I spoke to a slightly more sedate book club luncheon in Dataw Island, S.C. Just this week I met with two clubs here in Georgia, on Wednesday with a book club in LaGrange, and on Thursday, I met with women from The Ridgerunner book clubs in the Big Canoe community north of Atlanta.

Of course, with a June deadline looming for my next book, I’m not always able to travel to meet with clubs in person, but when that happens, I usually try to arrange a phone chat. The way this works is that the book club hostess calls me up on the night of the pre-arranged club meeting, hooks me up to a speaker-phone, and we proceed as usual—except I don’t get to sample their wine or appetizers!

I’d love to do more book club appearances, so if you’d like me to join your club—either in person or on a phone chat, send a request to the book club sign-up form on my website and we’ll see if we can get you scheduled.

I happen to be a member of not one, but two book clubs, one here in Atlanta, that’s been going strong for 12 years, and another, in Ohio, The Goddesses, that’s been in existence for nine years. Both clubs celebrate the strong bonds of friendship and our shared love of books by arranging outings and field trips. The Goddesses are particularly imaginative with themed outings. When we read SEABISCUIT, for instance, the hostess borrowed a van and ferried everybody to a nearby racetrack—even doling out $2 to each member to place their bets. When a book club selection is made into a movie, our Atlanta club tries to attend as a group, as we did recently for JULIE AND JULIA. But our favorite gatherings have been the getaway weekends to members’ beach homes and mountain cabins.

It’s no coincidence that my next book, tentatively titled SUMMER RENTAL is about three lifelong friends who plan a month-long summer getaway to a beach house on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

When we were undertaking the restoration of my family’s beach house on Tybee Island, Georgia, we made plans for it to also be the perfect spot for a book club getaway, since it is in a rental program with the awesome Mermaid Cottage Vacation Rentals. The Breeze Inn has bookshelves brimming with beach reads, board games and a selection of chick flick DVDs to watch on the big screen TV. The kitchen is outfitted with everything you’d need to whip up breakfast for a bunch, or just appetizers, before heading out to one of Tybee’s great casual restaurants. The screen porch is the perfect place to gather for aprés beach cocktails, and all the beds are made with high thread-count all-cotton linens—and good reading lamps by every bedside. We’ve already hosted a few book club gatherings, and hope many more will be able to experience The Breeze Inn in the months to come. Look for a feature about the Breeze, written by yours truly, with scads of mouth-watering photos in the June issue of BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, which goes on sale in Mid-May.

This month’s contest is all about you women in book clubs. See the details in the right-hand column, and make sure all your friends enter too.

In the meantime, happy spring and happy reading.

All my best,

MKA

Dividing Stitch

Bookclub Corner

Do you have a book club? If your club is reading one of my books, I would love to call in and join your discussion. You never know, I may even be able to drop by in person if it works out right. E-mail us with your request and we’ll see what we can do! Be sure to include a snail mail address and info about the size of your club.

IN STORES NOW!

 

Book cover: The Fixer Upper

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

Stitch

CONTEST!

I want to hear all about your book club. Tell me…What is the most fun you’ve had? Did you take a trip together? Have a great dinner party? A fascinating discussion that took you to some unexpected places? Or did one of your gatherings just become “one of those nights” that you’ll never forget for one reason or another? Share your tales with me. As usual I’ll publish some of my favorites on my blog. The winner gets a fab summer-themed basket full of goodies to share with their book club—autographed copies of The Fixer Upper, beach towels, cocktail mixes, and a stack of Fixer Upper cups to mix ’em in. The winner’s next book club gathering could be the most fun yet!

Stitch

BEFORE & AFTER

 

The Breeze Inn Video

The Breeze Inn has come a long way! Check out this video for more about the transformation.

Stitch

MKA Online

Junk Overdose





I’ve been a very bad blogger, I know. But there are reasons. I was writing. I was junking. I was baby-sitting Molly. I took a trip. But I’m back now, and I’ve missed you and hope you missed me. To make it up to you, I’ll tell you about my very junky weekend.

Extended weekend, really. We went out to Scott’s Antique Market Thursday, roamed around and had a jolly old time. I picked up a wicker-wrapped bottle for my booth at Seaside Sisters on Tybee–or maybe for me. Also a trio of vintage German seashell prints. And some sea fans–again for me. I am changing out my living room for a spring/summer beachy feel.

On Friday, after writing a little, off I went again, this time with junk posse member Jinxie, for a couple of estate sales. The first one was in Buckhead, and run by one of our favorite dealers, Vicki. I scored a great shabby chic aqua painted potting table–which will go to Seaside Sisters. Also a funky little upholstered loveseat, for $20, which will probably stay here until I figure out where she is headed. And I scored a pink Pyrex casserole dish, sans lid, but it’ll be perfect for the booth. At the next sale, run by another favorite dealer, Myrtice, I found a sweet pinwheel quilt in decent condition, and a funky vintage turquoise bowling shirt–it has “Gloria” embroidered over the breast pocket. I’d keep it for myself, except Gloria was apparently a six four, the little bee-yatch.

And then, I met two more friends and we journeyed back down to Scott’s. Again. I know, it was a junk overdose. We had a splendid time catching up, and I snagged some more excellent treasures for the booth, including a vintage flamingo-painted mirror with mirrored frame–those always sell in a snap, and a pair of funky porcelain parrots, which would make adorable lamps. And a pair of beachy pastel lime green and pink needlepoint pillows. Am a sucker for needlepoint.

That should be enough junk for any normal being–but I never claimed to be normal. Back out again I went this morning, with Katie, for a neighborhood-wide sale a couple miles away. Small wicker table, cute wooden Paris bistro set–the chairs are rickety, but I think Mr. MKA can fix. And then–I spotted a Sanford & Son look-alike truck cruising slowly down the street–its bed piled high with junk scavenged from the streetwide clean-up campaign. I flagged down the elderly driver and asked if he’d like to sell the two AWESOME red, chippy vintage wrought iron armchairs perched perilously on the top of his towering stack. “Sure,” he said. “I was just taking them to the scrapyard.” For $10 they were mine–and now they belong to posse member Susie, who was looking for the very thing.

Ah, spring. Doncha just love it?

P.S. As I was starting to leave home to head off to North Carolina for my writer’s retreat, Katie pulled up and mentioned that she’d spied a yard sale just down the block. I went, I saw, I found a great antique wicker desk and a pair of cute boudoir lamps. And then, on the way to Southern Pines, I stopped in at Old Tyme Market antiques outside Charlotte. And I snagged a great beachy aqua quilt and a vintage tin litho sandpail. See? It was just that kind of weekend.

Facelift/Makeover Party






We had a lil’ shindig at Seaside Sisters on Tybee Island today. Three years ago, Seaside Susan opened the shop in just one storefront of the Sundance Shopping Center on Highway 80. Over the next few years, the business grew, and so did her ambition to make it the best little shop on the island. Today was the big reveal. She pulled out all the stops–hired a makeup artist to give makeovers–I got one! Magazine stylist Liz Demos–whose work has been published in many national magazines–like Southern Living and Better Homes and Gardens, gave a demonstration of how to make gorgeous table settings with what you have on hand, and yours truly had a “junk from my trunk” show. I also read a couple selections from SUMMER RENTAL. As we say here in the South, a good time was had by all. A fan from Canada even dropped by with her beautiful black and chocolate labs–they are search and rescue dogs who do border patrol and anti-terrorist work on our border. You just never know who’s gonna turn up on Tybee. If you missed the party today–don’t worry! This is Tybee, the party just keeps goin’ and goin’…