For Christmas ’09, I gave my sweet momma a trip to Savannah and the marvelous art retreat “Petticoats and Parasols.”  Words can not describe how incredible this event was.  I flew into Asheville on Wednesday afternoon and we headed out early Thursday morning.

It is customary in the Gibson household to always take a pre-adventure picture.

We Gibson women sure are goofy.  You should see the pic we took right before this one — I didn’t realize I still had it on zoom.  Woof!  We’re a bit scary up close and personal.  😀

Before we left, I had to take few snapshots of her gorgeous bleeding hearts.  I love them and they always remind me of home.

My mother has always had the most beautiful gardens.  They remind me of something you would find in the English country side.  My garden is brown and full of cactus.

When we got to Savannah, we immediately ran into some fellow Southern Belles.  After checking into the hotel and grabbing a bite to eat, Mom and I helped the amazing Rosalyn-Sue with the gift bag swap.  Along with Heidi and Charlene, we stuffed all the above bags.  It was just like Christmas!  It was also fun getting a sneak peek before everyone else.

After we stuffed bags, Mom went to get ready for the evening and I played with Rosalyn-Sue’s super cute tyke — Coe Polk — so she could finish setting up her sugar bar.  Coe was such a great kid and we had a  lot of fun gliding up and down the hallways in a hotel cart.  The festivities began around 6:30, and everything was over the top!

We each received an adorable feather fan.

The attention to detail was amazing.  Jenn — our gracious hostess — truly outdid herself.

Our drink of choice?  Peach Martinis!  Yum-eeee!  They were delicious.

The highlight of the evening was listening to the awesomeness that is Jo Packham.  I immediately made a beeline to her and asked if we mother/daughter groupies could have our photo taken with her.  She was so dynamic and inspiring.  I can’t believe how tiny she is!

Jo made beautiful bookmarks for each of us.

One of the best things about the weekend was meeting new friends — this is Sylvia…

And catching up with old ones.  Christine Rose Elle is such a classy lady!

After the dinner and drinks, we all headed to Rosalyn-Sue’s Sugar Bar.  OMG!  Guaranteed to throw anyone into a diabetic shock.

Rosalyn-Sue made all of the yummy treats.  The pink stuff is coconut ice.  It was pure sugar and pure heaven!

And nothing beats Coke in a bottle!

Stay tuned — more excitement to come.