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Saturday, August 28, 2010

Anthropologie again?? Yes, really....

So, I've been feeling inspired to change things up in my kitchen...trying new recipes, breaking out of the same old thing everyday. Now, I'm ready to take it a step further. Don't get me wrong, I love my fiesta ware, but I think I'm ready for a change. I've looked at place setting after place setting, and I think I have settled on the Noritake Tempo Collection....it just really seems to be "me." I'm super excited to get started collecting pieces, and while I am at that in between stage, it will still go great with the fiesta I already own!

 
The next thing I have found which I MUST own is from...big shocker...Anthropologie! This has to be the cutest deviled egg server I've seen in a long time...and you know, no good southern girl can have to many egg servers!! This one is $24, and I definitely see it coming home with me.

The last two things I've really been on the search for are kitchen linens and some sort of wire fruit/veggie bowl to put on the counter. I haven't found anything I'm just in love with yet. Do I want a regular bowl, or one of the two tiered kind....I can't decide. I've seen tons everywhere from TJ Maxx to Pottery Barn, but nothing has spoken to me yet....and I've decided that unless something really speaks to me, then there is no reason to bring it into my home. If I don't really fall in love with it, I'm just going to regret the purchase and in the end, spend more money to replace it in 4 months. So, I'm still on the hunt.



Oh yeah, while I'm there, you KNOW I will be bringing home these pot holders/oven mitts from Anthro. Sheesh, I could just move into the store and be happy for the rest of my days! Happy Cooking!!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Can't Wait to Suds It Up!

One of my favorite things about summers in the south has to be the abundance of high quality fruits and vegetables available. Trips to the State Farmers Market are a MUST...especially since I live so close. I haven't bought a tomato during the season that I didn't grow or buy at a market in YEARS...I'm not sure what those red things in the HT are, but they are nothing like the juicy goodness I can find elsewhere.

This week on my misadventure to the FM, my friend PreppyBumpkin and I headed out to see what we could scrounge up to take home with us.  Vegetables were bought, fun was had...still sad my sunflower seed bread is only available on weekends...Friday afternoon is the weekend to me, people!!

We also visited Anders Natural Soap Company for the second week in a row. I swear that place is like crack.....it all just smells so good. Last week I purchased 2 hydrogen (which I shared with two friends) and kept a lemon verbena shea for myself. (lemon verbena shea ingredients: tri-filtered water, saponified oils (olive, coconut and palm), shea butter, lemon verbena essential oil, and rosemary oil extract). I also picked up one of their tote bags...too cute...and part of the proceeds go to the NC Food Bank!

This week, PB and I moved on to lotion, though I think she got some soap as well. I purchased the honey almond lotion...and it smells good enough to taste. I have a serious addiction to anything that smells like an almond...even though I'm not the biggest fan of how they taste...weird, right? Unfortunately, my much coveted lotion went home with PB...you know us, when something says 3 for $25, we pool our resources to get the discount!!

Anders Natural Soap Co., NC State Farmers Market
If you are at the NC State Farmers Market....it would be well worth your while to go buy and visit Patricia at Anders Soap...they are at the very end of the big year-round Market Shoppes building. She'll tell you all about their products...they build everything from the most basic ingredient up...they don't buy bases and add fragrance...and she told us a bunch of process stuff that I will never understand and would probably mess up in the retelling, so I'll just go with...go see the expert...sniff some soap...support our local artisans and take some home!!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

"Well you know that it's going to be alright, I think it's gonna be alright. Everything will always be alright...when we go shopping. So shut up and don't stop. Let's shop, until we drop."

So last weekend was tax free shopping on certain items in North Carolina...thankfully clothes were counted in that group. I am tired just thinking about how much shopping was done. Friday, after a trip to the State Farmer's Market (yum), after a flurry of email that left my Droid smoking, an impromptu trip for 7, yes, you read that correctly, SEVEN, was planned for the Streets at Southpoint.

I may have a maniacal slight obsession with Anthropologie. That was my one condition for the trip. MUST go to Anthro. The two things I really wanted as if my life depended on it were not available in my size in the store.*insert sad, pouty face* So, as soon as I got home, and I mean LITERALLY as soon as I got home...I ordered them online.

Here's what I got....

The Birdie Bouquet Bolero, 1/2 price at $49.95


Fragrant Fields Scoopneck, 40% off at $24.99

Today will be like Christmas in August at my house! Like the stalker I am, I have been tracking these beauties for the past few days, and they are slated for delivery TODAY.  Super-fast shipping...have I mentioned how much I love Anthropologie??

After a crazy 11:00pm trip with B & K-Dawg to the harbinger of evil known as Wal-Mart (I still have nightmares), we decide to head home for part 2 of the adventure on Saturday....the Outlets in Smithfield.

Bright and early at 9:00 the next am, R arrives bearing coffee and doughnuts, and off we go for another shopping extravaganza...I ended up purchasing a garden flag proclaiming "Happy Fall, Y'all", 2 shirts for less than $35 at Banana Republic, and a cute work-appropriate dress at, of all places, Dress Barn.

After an after-birthday dinner trip to Kohl's with  the grandmother, and the use of my $10 Kohl's Cash on ANOTHER Oxo container, I made it home, crawled into bed and dreamt of sale tags and owning an Anthro hand-sewn bedspread.

Sunday came to pass and it was all I could do to pull myself off the couch to make meals...I needed a day of rest....all that shopping can wear you out, y'all!

Next up, the misadventures of Sarah & B at Anders Natural Soap....



Shopping by Barenaked Ladies

Friday, August 06, 2010

"Happy Birthday to you, you live in a zoo...you smell like a monkey, and you look like one too!"

Once a year we celebrate
With stupid hats and plastic plates
The fact that you were able to make
Another trip around the sun
And the whole clan gathers round
And gifts and laughter do abound
And we let out a joyful sound
And sing that stupid song....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Another year older, people!! I can honestly say it doesn't bother me. Some of my friends get all stressed out and don't want to talk about it, but not me. I figure if I survived another year on this planet alive, healthy and happy, then kudos to me, and let's celebrate!!

So, every family birthday, the birthday girl/boy gets to choose somewhere special we don't normally go to eat dinner. My brother for AGES would choose Outback...every year, without fail...in fact, come this November, I'm sure we'll be there...again. Me? I'm a little more adventurous and try to choose a different place every year.

This year, I chose Bonefish Grill. If you haven't been...GO! Go quickly, I tell you. That place will change your life. The Wahoo special they had was out of this world. It was a grilled wahoo with a spicy lemon caper sauce topped with fresh crab...beautiful. Their caesar salad was the best restaurant salad I've had in awhile...it tasted just like if I'd made it at home.

While we were waiting to get inside to eat, I decided to provide entertainment for the patrons outside by opening my birthday presents first...it's all about priorities, y'all. So, there on the sidewalk I did just that.

Now, before I show you what I got, I have a little story to tell. While some girlfriends and I were on vacation, I fell in love with a designer named Holly Yashi. Her jewelry is fantabulous. Yes, her stuff can be a little pricey, but it is sooo worth it. So I skimped. I saved until finally I could order one of my very own...the laurel bracelet would be MINE!

It came to me all nice and shiny and I was in love with it. I never took it off, which is really the downfall of this little love story. I was taking my trash out to the dumpster and when I threw the bag over the side, the catch caught and the bracelet of my dreams floated into the grimy abyss of the dumpster. Oh hell no. No. No. No. I go back to the car and get my mag lite, and let me tell you, if I had caught even a sparkle, I would have found a way in that dumpster. As it was, it was 11:00 at night, and there was no sign of it.

So, fast forward to my birthday...now let's remember, my Laurel's dumpster demise occurred in January. So all this time, my mom remembered...and it probably didn't hurt that I whined like a two year old about it for weeks. There, on the sidewalk outside of Bonefish Grill, my mom made her little girl so happy I did a little chair dance for all the world to see...inside the box was a brand new, shiny LAUREL from Holly Yashi. My life is complete. Best birthday...and my mom and dad ROCK!



This is Laurel....she owns me. She goes with EVERYTHING. Perfect accessory. Love.