She's All That - Debbie Peavy

Name: Debbie Peavy

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia

Debbie in Dinan, France in front of the old city walls

A brief history of your fabulous self: I grew up with dreams of becoming a veterinarian, but when my own vet let me observe a few times, I decided I would just have lots of pets! I became a teacher instead and taught high school French for 34 years. I tried living in France for a year in the Lorraine region, but discovered that I can’t be that far away from my family. I am now retired and live with my four cats who act as my staff on my blog. I am a divorced mother of one daughter, 29 years old, who is married to a wonderful man. I have a 9-year-old grandson and another little grandson on the way! I love gardening, reading, blogging and “Goodwill hunting” for thrifting finds.

What’s on your To Do List: My grandson and I have a trip to France planned for his 11th birthday. The highlight will be a visit to Monet’s garden in Giverny. He has been a big fan of Monet’s work since kindergarten thanks to a wonderful art teacher! I can’t wait to show him Monet’s water lilies in person!

We never would have guessed: My home is decorated in French country style…probably not a surprise…but you might be surprised to know that much of it came from bargain shopping and thrift store finds. I have found beautiful chairs, hand painted pottery, old ironstone pieces, wonderful table linens and antique flatware. It is unbelievable what people give away!!

What would you tell your 20 year old self: I would tell myself to relax and stop being such a little people pleaser. Turning 50 gave me permission at last to stop worrying so much about what other people think of me and to enjoy my life!

Favorite childhood memory: My mother took my sister and me on a wonderful picnic…in our backyard! I still remember the apple print on what would now be considered a vintage tablecloth with grass peeking up through a little hole. My mother taught us how to identify the birds nearby from their songs. It felt like we were worlds away!

Last book read or movie seen: I recently saw the movie Julie & Julia! Of course, the scenes in France were wonderful, but I loved seeing Julia Child reinvent herself later in life! I think that is something that we women have the ability to do…turn our lives in a new direction and continue to live life to its fullest!

Debbie & pal Ozzie

What’s your favorite time of day: My favorite time of day is dusk. I love to walk around in my garden, enjoying the fragrance of my favorite flowers. I especially enjoy the heirloom flowers that I saved from my mother and grandmother’s gardens. I feel connected to them through these special plants. I have shared them with my sister and daughter and I hope that the tradition will continue.


Debbie doesn't call her blog Confessions of a Plate Addict for nothing! Here's a playful excerpt from her very first post...

Hi all! My name is Debbie and I am a plate addict. I used to be a relatively normal person...I used my plates for eating just like everyone else. It never occurred to me to hang them on the wall. I had no particular fascination for faience or transferware or Quimperware...I don't know if I knew what they were. Then I made a life-changing decision...I moved to France. It seemed the natural thing to do for an aging French teacher...LOL! That is where I discovered PLATES!

You can also follow Debbie on Twitter!