Me and my sorority sisters, Karyn and Sara, and the rendering of the house on Founder’s Day 2009.
I’m a sorority girl. I happily admit it. Even in my late 40′s, I’m still a sorority girl. I’ve been involved with my home chapter since my college graduation. I was co-advisor for recruitment, with my friend Sara, from 2000-2005. Absent from volunteering very much for the first few years of owning The Fabric Market (beginning 2006), I was tickled to be included in the interior decor aspect of the brand new Alpha Delta Pi house in the brand new Sorority Village at the entrance to my alma mater, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Whew, that’s a mouth full.
I wanted to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to all of the alumni who worked tirelessly to bring this enormous project to the conclusion that my highly inadequate photos below have captured. Thank you to sister Cheryl Kizer-Sharpe, who thought about and administrated EVERYTHING, from fund-raising to completion, from architectural renderings to the house that stands today. Thank you to sister Janet Curry, who volunteered for a two year stint in a position that lasted MANY years beyond her commitment. Thank you to sister Ann Baker Furrow, co-chair of fundraising, namesake of the boulevard that runs through the Village, and a shining example of giving back to your community. Thank you to ALL the women of the House Corporation of Alpha Kappa Chapter for your tireless commitment. Thank you to all my sisters who pledged their financial support, and thank you to those that pledged their time; cooking, cleaning, advising, chaperoning, praying, supporting, mothering, mentoring, planning, recruiting, etc, etc, etc.
I’m so grateful to have gotten to work with and get to know Linda Warner, who signed on years ago as the project’s interior designer. Making a 17,500 square foot building feel like home is daunting. I don’t think she thought the project would be so seemingly never-ending! But, today, it is complete. And it is a thing of beauty. A home is a living, breathing entity, always evolving and changing, and this home will change and evolve too, over the years. But for now, it is complete and it is a HOME. It’s a residence for close to 50 beautiful college women and one spectacular house mother. It serves, accommodates and/or feeds around 170 active chapter members, especially on Monday meeting days. It is warm, inviting and gracious as well as functional and state of the art. And we will celebrate it’s “completeness” in April with a dedication and ribbon cutting which will follow the University’s celebration of Ann Furrow and the street named for her. You bet I will be there to honor the people and acknowledge the event with my sisters.
Thank you for letting me ramble and gush. I’m just so darned proud.
Chalk board in the upstairs TV room.
Front of the house. Construction on other houses still in progress.
The grand foyer.
We provided the fabric for the benches under the windows in the foyer.
Donor plaque in the foyer.
Entrance to main meeting, dining, television room from the foyer.
TV side of main meeting room.
Opposite of TV, baby grand sitting area in main meeting room. Ottoman fabric under piano, drapery fabric and hardware for meeting room provided by TFM! 
I love the photos of girls currently in the chapter hanging on the walls and sitting on the shelves!
Conference room drapery and upholstery for side chairs from TFM.
Trophy shelves in elevator alcove.
In the foyer, outside of the parlor. A peek of pillows in the parlor. Original art by sister Carol Quinn.
The parlor. Pillows from TFM. Original art by sister Carol Quinn
Second floor TV room.
Second floor TV room.
TV and piano area in main meeting room.
View toward dining area of main meeting room.
Drapery in Momma K’s room provided by TFM.
Decorative pillow on Mamma K’s bed provided by TFM.
ADPi girls at lunch.
Today, the house is full of laughter, light and love.
“We live for each other, an ADPi promise, we made when we first pledged the oldest and best.”
