corduroy and sandals

Harleigh is home this weekend! We spent a filled-to-the-brim day in Athens on Friday. The day started off chilly and by afternoon was humid enough to stir a sweat. A corduroy and sandal kind of day. She has been  considering (and after Friday has pretty much cemented her decision) a transfer to UGA for junior year.

Honestly, when we arrived in Athens, we felt like Dorothy landing in Munchkinland and then Oz. From the little town of Statesboro to this bustling and huge campus, complete with a stadium that seemed too surreal to digest. We got there early (as all Gahan Girls do . . . always, always arrive well before expected). Walked around campus, shopped in the bookstore, then had our appointment with an advisor. He had a student meet with us — most helpful. We ended early and had hoped to meet with the girlfriend of one of my coworker's (she's a student there), but the timing had gotten a bit off, and we were anxious to get to the admissions office and get the rest of our questions answered.

With the school-related items checked off our list, we grabbed a quick lunch patio-side on Broad Street and hit the vintage clothing stores. The two of us can never get enough of others' castaways.

Harleigh scored some jeans and a cute hippy-chick top. We then parked ourselves in a sunny spot, grabbing an iced tea and talking, talking talking, laughing, laughing, laughing (something we've quite perfected). In the early evening I dropped her off downtown to meet up with some friends over tapas, grabbed my own self some dinner (something my blog readers know is one of my favorite things to do — eat dinner out by myself), then I picked her up and we headed back to the hamlet of Norcross. An hour-and-20-minutes home. Quite a difference from the 3+ hours it takes to get to or from Georgia Southern.

We're feeling very good about this. A bit like Dorothy. But a Gahan Girl caught in a cyclone can land on steady ground, a smile on her face, and stand bolstered with a wisdom beyond compare.

Some random pix from the weekend:

With her trustworthy 4G iphone  (and my ancient 3G) — where WOULD we be without these???? —along with her vintage Coach messenger bag (glued to her side constantly), 

we made an adventure out of a trip to Athens.

And boy was it good to have my girl home, sleeping in a rumpled bed of Holly Hobbie sheets, mismatched blankets and a fiercely loyal herd of stuffed animals.

Her room will always welcome her with open arms.

Chateau Gahan never disappoints in the arena of  little niceties that make it a home, whether it be shells nested in the fruit bowl, plants in spice tins or dear boy Gideon doing what he does best . . . looking cute and hangin' out.