People in Places and a Wedding

I prefer people in my places. On that count it was a great week.


Andrea and Eli got married in a pasture last Saturday. They are Atlanta chefs who tweet. Eli s is executive chef at the soon to open @TheLuminaryATL. JoAnn and I saw Eli at Piedmont Hospital on the day he was born. He grew up to earn this great woman's love. Ladies: Most of us dorky guys will never understand how we get these wonderful girls to make a families with us. Though we don't always express it well, we are so grateful.


Sarah Emerson waved while painting on Broad Street for "Elevate." This is the new Mammal Gallery. It's just south the downtown MARTA station. Now you can find it.


I found James McConnell of Beep Beep Gallery and Sam Parker (the artist who couldn't possibly have time to sleep) at my first visit to the newest Fay Gold Gallery. It was Red Bull's cooler painting competition.


Turns out that Sarah Emerson's (center) and Sam Parker's coolers won their way to the national competition at Art Basel Miami.


P.S. Fay Gold's Gallery is cool, it's at the west tip end of 10th, the building with Hense paint job.


At Grant Park Octane, you might want the sun at your back when you join one of these illuminaries: Anna Gonzales   Maigh Houlihan, Jessica Weiss, and Brandon Barr. Brandon is one of the #weloveatl champions. Thanks to Mail Chimp for supplying the LikeMind Atlanta coffee.


While you're at Octane check our some Howdynater (Nathan Tavel) posters in the hall.


The Atlanta Preservation Center is presenting an exhibition of photographs by Lucinda Bunnen (right). Lucinda has pretty much photographed everybody. Photographer John Ramspott (left) was there to photograph the opening for Burnaway.


The Grant Mansion's Drawing Room Gallery is my favorite 600 square feet in Atlanta, It's great even when empty. It's even better with people and art. See art critique Jerry Cullum? See WonderRoot leader Crhis Appleton?


Did the Atlanta Contemporary folks work all night getting ready to re-open? That's art director Stuart Horodner wearing "curator" black.


The smiling sisterz are artistz. Marci Starz and Nicki Starz posed with dad, mom, and brother at The Creative's Project Fundraiser at the Goat Farm.


Councilman Kwanza Hall is everywhere, here with TCP artist Jerushia Graham.


Photographer Neda Abghari (in black) is the executive director of TCP and you should know her.


Carolne Kilgore is photography director for Atlanta Magazine. In the old days she grew up with my children. I used to be taller than Caroline (and taller than 2 of  my 3 children).



Jiha Moon (lady with glasses) keeps a happy studio at the ACAC Art Party. It's hard not to smile with Marianne Lambert (lady in red) in the house.


I repeat: Kwanza Hall is everywhere.


Lisa Tuttle with Paul Benjamin who also keeps a happy studio.


Nathan Sharratt keeps a sofa in his studio: a happy choice.


Melissia Fernander relaxes on her back, Zopi Kristjanson on her tummy, David Courtright prefers to put his feet up in Steven Anderson's garden.


Stuart Horodner, me, Lauren Langley, and Sarah Gaskins at the Pubic Atlas Walkabout in Reynoldstown and Cabbagetown. We walked about picking up little art pieces. Thanks to Fallen Fruit and WonderRoot.


We met one of the artists.


We met the Sisters of the Lattice at Karen's house with Nancy VanDevender (right).

I'm not done but I am a bit tired. One more:


I'll leave you with some downtown wall walking from last night at Elevate Atlanta. "Point de vue sur coin de rue" at the corner of Broad and Poplar featuring Mostafa Ahbourrou, Isabelle Saulle, and Adolfo Vargas from L’Association Manifeste. Hey, they are on Facebook.

I appreciate y'all saying hello.

Architecture attracts - Erin and Craig's wedding at the Old 4th Ward Park

Erin and Craig got married last Saturday in the Historic Fourth Ward Park. Is there a more delightful event than a wedding? A better venue than Atlanta's newest park?


We held our breath but Erin neither wavered nor stumbled on her way down. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.


We arrived early but we weren't the first.

We'd known Erin since our kids were in kindergarten so there were friends galore.


Our crew dressed formally and informally. We started out a bit stiff, as if it was an indoor wedding.


But the atmosphere was so comfortable that we loosened right up and started greeting and hugging friends.


It may surprise you that this part of the park is a retention pond at the headwaters of Clear Creek. When it's not managing runoff, it welcomes brides, grooms, guests and passersby.


Nicest retention pond I've ever seen and not a frown in sight.


Molly in boots, Craig in the suit, and the preacher in the robe awaited the big moment.


By this time everyone was smiling.

Erin would start her march way up at the top of those stairs.


In the meantime we enjoyed friends and festive dress.


It was time and Craig was ready. All the married men had been in his shoes.

"Marriage is a duel to the death that no man of honor should refuse" - G.K. Chesterton.

Here came the bride.


As the bona fide officiating began, families felt uncannily close.

It's irresistible at weddings: For a moment we felt a bond with the other families too.


Molly Rose Reed sang. The obligatory PA problems made it a bit sweeter and more personal. Not everything has to be amplified.


Erin and Craig joined the club, said their vows in public, and we were happy about it.


It was over just before dusk. The light turned magic. The formality was over. The park got cozy. The party began. Conversations crossed generations.


Our crew was feeling mighty good as we headed for the food.


And what's a wedding without dorky photo-booth pictures?

Congratulations Erin and Craig, you have our love and best wishes.

Bobby's Big, Big Door and More at the Beacham Party

I mean the Bobby McAlpine door (McAlpine Tankersley Architecture) at the Beacham & Company, REALTORS^® "Beacham Series” release party Tuesday night.

The Architecture Tourist Lutyens Lovers SIG thought the party was just for us. This is exactly what we like to do on Tuesday night.



Kyle Studivent, builder and blogger at "The well Composed Home," and I walked outside to have a look. It was just one of the smile-generators in the house. Makes moving a grand piano easier I'm sure but I think it's the wit.

Here is the whole composition.


It's a beauty you won't see in a real estate ad. This is the view from the parking court. For Kyle and me it was a piece of heaven.

The parking court was so good, I had to photograph the electric meter, you gotta have one, even in a McAlpine house.


Mmm, mmm, mmm. Those zigs and zags, cornices and gutters, lentils and shutters. Just yummy. Remember, this the service side of the house where the basketball goal is, trashcans too but I didn't see them.

Here is the driveway.


Nice driveway no? The house is right up there.


This is the front porch. But compared to the porch on my little house, this needs a fancy French name. I didn't realize these were shutters until I got up close. The front door is behind me. The great room is though those French doors. You can see the porch from the inside in the video at the bottom.


The foyer is small and cozy. I'm looking down from the 2nd floor. I think the foyer has the highest charm/square-foot ratio I've ever experienced.

Many mansions whack you upside the head with their foyer. Know what I mean?

This foyer says, "We are not giants, we're just folks who want you to feel comfortable in our house."

But the foyer is not just a foyer.


It's in the middle of a long upstairs enfilade from the children's wing, through the great room, to the master. It's a box seat with a balcony for observing the flow of folks through the house.


James told me that a McAlpine signature is a mirror on a window. Here you go: this is looking into the master bath, the mirror hanging above the sink in the center window.


There was so much to look at. I'd turn the chairs so I could look at the detials.


By this time the crowd was shoulder to shoulder inside. Kyle showed me this detail.

Most of us the bloggers got there early. Kyle - Well Composed Home, James - Limestone and Boxwoods, Blayne - This Photographer's Life (Architecture + Interior Design), John - Clickscape John also does a heroic job at the Midtown Archive, Holly, our hero and heroine, was there from Things That Inspire, Niki from Single Bubble Pop. Rodolofo doesn't exactly blog but he tweets @CastroDesignATL and Facebooks and is a best architect friend to bloggers.


Kyle, James, and Blayne had a moment in the keeping room before the multitudes arrived.

I don't want to embarrass anyone but Helen, Capella, Ally, Claire, Angela, Travis: This will go your permanent record unless you bring an written excuse. Cristi is excused, she sent Billy and he did run the party and we heard that the baby is really, really cute.

Finally, a little video of the great room before the crowd arrived.



Thanks so much so much to Blayne, Glennis and all the folks at Beacham & Company, REALTORS^® and to Bobby and to Bruce and Lisa. Thanks to the bloggers who have been so nice to me, who've shown me so much.