Flower ID, a Day at the Ritz & More!

You gals are the greatest! Yesterday, I was at a conference in Atlanta from sun up 'til sun down, and during breaks I managed to run by the business center to check my e-mail. "Coreopsis!" you said in response to yesterday's post, and yes! Googling confirms that's definitely what this is, and the frill along the petals matches exactly. Thank you so much for the help with identification. I am especially pleased to learn this is a re-seeding plant, because that means perhaps I won't kill it.

Yesterday's event in Atlanta was the annual conference of the Magazine Association of the Southeast, and Art Director Deberah Williams and I were attending from Newnan-Coweta Magazine. And it's a small thing, really, but I was pleased to see the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead offered Taylors of Harrogate teabags next to an urn marked "hot water." Alas, it should have been marked "warm water," Deberah and I agreed. So I felt totally justified in adding to my already-stuffed goodie bag and bringing home a few teabags to enjoy where the water is hot!


While Deberah attended the "design track" at the conference, I was in the "editorial track" all day. (I always think her sessions are more fun.) One of my sessions featured a panel of three women magazine editors, from Skirt, Jezebel and Travelgirl. When they handed out copies of Travelgirl, I was pleased to find a feature on taking tea in Germany. Who knew? I also won a subscription to Travelgirl during the business card drawing, so that was cool.

But coolest of all was when we attended the banquet last night and won FOUR AWARDS! (Sorry. Didn't mean to yell at you.) The GAMMA Awards are like the Academy Awards for our industry, and prior to them I am just a giant bundle of nerves. What if we don't win anything this year? What if I shame my company? What if I lose my job and can't afford to buy teacups anymore? You get the idea. But win we did! Can I just commend our folks for a moment? We got a Bronze Award for Best Photography and Gold Awards for Best Profile (my husband wrote that piece!), Best Single Cover and - the granddaddy of 'em all - the Gold Award for General Excellence. If we won only that last award I would be a happy woman, because I think it's an accurate reflection of the work our folks do all year long. I heard someone say yesterday that an editor is only as good as her staff, and as the person privileged to accept awards on behalf of ours, I can only say "Amen!" And now that I can finally relax, it's time to go have some of that tea I picked up at the Ritz!