Have you ever heard of Brian Patrick Flynn?  Well I hadn’t, until one Sunday about a year ago.  For some reason, on that particular morning, I felt the need to read the AJC (Atlanta Journal & Constitution). So we drove to a gas station that carries that newspaper.  (Due to Ellijay’s proximity to the Tennessee state line, most retail stores carry the Chattanooga paper. Unless you are willing to battle the hordes at Walmart, the few places nearby that do carry the AJC, have a limited number of copies. If you don’t get there by 9:30 in the morning, you are out of luck!)

I digress.  Oh, and be assured that for my purposes, the AJC is not bought for its news content.  No, I want the paper for four reasons:

1. The HOME section
2. Sports info (during football season!  :>)
3. The TV guide
4. All of the glorious sales flyers contained within

Well, on that particular Sunday, I dove straight into the HOME section, and there was an article featuring the most adorable boys’ bedroom, complete with fuzzy pictures of the space.  What really caught my attention about the room, however, was the wooden moose head hanging on the wall, and it was sporting a man’s tie.  Brilliant!

I was so taken with that room that a search of the internet for an actual photo of that room revealed….nothing.  There are plenty of Brian’s kids’ bedrooms out there, but the room in question was difficult to find…until today, when I came across these photos:

I was so intrigued by the room’s design, that I had to know more about the designer.  So a little research revealed that Brian is the mastermind behind Flynnside Out Productions, with offices in Atlanta & LA. He is a television producer-turned-self-taught-designer, whose work, punctuated by exuberant color, and immaculate attention to detail, along with more than a touch of whimsy, has been featured on HGTV and the Houzz site, to name just a few.  His blog is a hoot. This is a man with a big personality, huge talent, and the confidence to claim “You name it; we can produce it. And it will look amazing.”

The biggest revelation of all, upon reading his blog, is that he is my NEIGHBOR!  In 2013, he purchased a log cabin in Ellijay, that he remodeled, to erase “an extravaganza of cabin cliches”.  The photo below is a before picture:

The after picture is the same bedroom!

(See, we really are kindred spirits!”) He loves the antique shops, the mountain views, and the sense of calm that Ellijay offers, not to mention its close proximity to Atlanta.  Oh, yeah, and he digs the apples (because Ellijay is the “Apple Capital of Georgia”, of course).

So now, I will be on the lookout for Brian.  If we ever do meet, can you imagine how elated he will be when he learns that I am his neighbor? The mind boggles just thinking about it!  ;>}

Now, back to the moose wall hanging.  The past Christmas was on Friday, and we weren’t going to see our grandsons, and deliver their gifts, until Sunday.  So,on Saturday, I drew patterns for a moose head and antlers.  Greg cut 2 each with a jigsaw, and assembled them.  I stained them, and then came the hard part for Greg…remembering how to tie a necktie knot (he can’t remember the last time he had to wear one!). After a few tries, each moose had his bling.

Now, Reese & Riley can progress confidently toward manhood, knowing they each have one of “Pop’s” Lands End ties to see them through, in a pinch.

(With apologies, that pic isn’t great, either.  My daughter, Jen, took it with her cell phone at a weird angle, but hopefully, you get the idea.)

And yes, it would seem that I am warming up to the whole moose thing!