Hugs and Kisses

Aren't these two adorable? :) I was so excited to show them to you that I brought them home and snapped their picture. I haven't even had time to press them up. These are so so so cute! I haven't decided where they will actually spend their Valentine season but they will be previous no matter where they land. If you want a set or two of these for yourself then get on over to your local Cracker Barrel!

The Movie Was Wonderful!

I loved it!

So, our eagerly anticipated date night last Saturday night went off without a hitch. One of the pluses of being newly Empty Nesters is that you can just go and do whenever you want. We decided that not only would we go see the eagerly anticipated movie, but that we would make an event out of the night.

There is a fairly new restaurant that I had been to several times with work friends. The food is very fresh and hip and up to the minute. I decided to take my sweetie there before the movie so he could experience the neat ambiance and try the delicious fusion cooking. We settle in, (no wait!), and already he is impressed with the place. The restaurant itself is very modern and interesting. Sweetie quickly glances over the sushi menu and moves on (ha - no surprise since I married a meat and potatoes man) and settles on beef and peppers. We order an egg drop soup that was to-die-for; one of the creamiest egg drops I have ever had. It was without that thin, slightly greasy texture you get with some egg drop soups. The entire meal was delicious and a great start to a date night. If you are ever in East Tennessee be sure to check out one of the local Stir Fry Cafe's. I have been to all but one of them and they are consistently wonderful.

We drove just a hop, skip and a jump over to the movie theater. This theater is a destination unto itself with 18 huge movie screens and an IMAX. The lobby has a food court in it! The theater seats are plush and comfy; they gently rock back and forth and the arm rests have cup holders in them. Speaking of arm rests, they also raise in case one wants to snuggle up to their date. If you are ever in Knoxville you should take in a movie at the Pinnacle 18; you will not regret it.

Down to the meat (no pun intended - ha!) of the matter! I loved this movie! Meryl Streep was absolutely amazing in this role; she became Julia Child! Stanley Tucci should also be commended for his supporting role as Paul Child, Julia's husband. Julie and Julia was a sweet, funny and enjoyable movie. I enjoyed the story of a young lady finding herself through the experience of making her way through Julia's cookbook. The sweet stories of loving relationships was a bonus; I was not expecting these pearls. Amy Adams was adorable as Julie; she played the part perfectly. This is a bit of a chick flick but I think you would find it enjoyable. It is perfect for a date night or with girlfriends or a mother-adult daughter outing. The one thing that surprised me about Julia Child, as portrayed in the movie, is that she and Paul were quite the rabbits (wink wink). Nora Ephron did a good job transitioning the movie back and forth between Julie and Julia; it was seamless! The movie did not disappoint and I would recommend it to anyone. I rate it 2 spatulas up!

We ended our evening with a trip to Calhoun's for coffee and dessert. Our waitress was darling and we enjoyed discussing the movie.

All of the anticipation leading up to the movie was not wasted. A big thank you of my own to Julie and Julia. Go see this movie or be sure to rent it later on. Oh, and invite me over to go with you!

What a Difference a Day Makes!

Photo removed at teenager request :)

What a difference a day makes! Pictured above is my "baby", my high school senior. This photo was taken yesterday morning at about 9:30 am on my back breezeway before I took him to the airport. This morning at 9:30 am I got a call from this precious child of mine from Milan, Italy where he was standing in the middle of a plaza looking at a huge cathedral; according to him.

I have been the type of Mother that let my children go and do and explore probably more than I should have. Their father is a captain for a major airline and has flown both domestically and internationally. From the age of 1 month I have had my children on airplanes. We have moved several times and experienced different cultures. Thanks in part to living in Texas for 6 years, along with one of the most gifted Spanish teachers ever, he speaks fluent Spanish.

This trip that my son is on is a little bit different than his usual outings. He went on a 9 day trip to Europe with 8 other friends from high school. There are some adults going and this was a guided tour thingy. They will go to Italy, Spain and Monaco; how exciting!

I warned him about the delicious ice cream, pastries and breads in Europe. I tend to gain about 10 pounds just thinking about them! When he called this morning he said that I was right about the ice cream and he had already had three servings! That's my boy! We love our food.

I raised my children to be very independent. They were doing their own laundry by age 8, making their own beds, etc. As morbid as it sounds, I wanted them to be able to function in case something happened to their father or myself. Of course, with independence I have had to let go faster or sooner than I wanted to at times. However, I could not be prouder of my children. They are able to conduct themselves in all sorts of situations and are already contributing members of society holding down jobs, going to school, etc. Apologies for the shameless bragging.

Thanks for letting me share a bit of my life with you today.

TJMaxx Notecards that look Lilly Pulitzer-ish

Oh my gosh, I love TJMaxx! I also love Lilly Pulitzer. What is a girl to do when she is a thrifty shopper? She heads to TJMaxx and finds these ~darling~ notecards. Feel free to click on the picture to enlarge it to see just how darling these notecards are. They also have the most neat envelopes; they are miniature business mailing envelopes. Can you see how the flap is on the end of the back of the envelope and not the standard fold down flap? Love love love these and they are fairly heavy weight also. Bonus!

I will be out and about all day today so I won't be around to your blogs or responding to comments very timely. Please forgive me! I will get to you as soon as I can. Gotta feed the addiction ya know!

Thrift Find: Beautiful Glass Tray / Cake Plate

Isn't this glass tray beautiful? My mom found it out thrifting and it was $2.00!!! I love it! The etching comes through kind of white on the picture but it isn't. It almost seems "wedding-ish" in a way but I will love it for pretty, festive foods and occasions. I think I will be using it most for a cake plate for when I have cakes that I want to have room for a garnish of fruit, etc. around the base. It is well used and has scratches on it. To me, that adds to the piece. I daydream about the lady (ladies?) that have used this to serve off of; and I daydream about all that have enjoyed treats off of this beautiful tray. This tray is heavy also; I love the solid feel of it. What else can I do with this piece you creative people?