She's in love with the boy.

Wednesday evening I returned home from a 3 day business trip to Michigan. (I've heard folks talk about Michigan being beautiful...haven't been lucky enough to see those parts.) The 3 day trip felt more like 5, and boy, was I glad to be back in Nashville. There's no place like home, right?

When you land in Nashville and your feet reach the end of the jet bridge, you'll hear live music streaming throughout the airport terminal. For me it's like being greeted with a big hug.

Wednesday evening the weather was perfect - 70 degrees and sunny. Rush hour traffic was almost non-existent. I was driving down the interstate with my window rolled down listening to country music on the radio. I love my home! Trisha Yearwood's first single "She's in love with the boy" started playing.

"What an ancient song!" I thought to myself as I sang along with the lyrics. And then I remembered...this is the demo tape that Trisha played for my Girl Scout Troop circa 1989!!! How funny is that? I was about 7 years old, and this no-name woman came to sit with us and play a song we'd never heard before. Our troop met in the Berry's Chapel multi-purpose gymnasium, and we sat at cafeteria style lunch tables while Trisha busted out her TAPE PLAYER. We listened to the demo, and that was the end of that. I didn't give two flips about it. Sure, it was super sweet of her to come visit us...but at the time none of us grasped the concept of "Music Row" or "demo tapes" or trying to "make it" in country music. I'm sure some of the girls politely asked her questions about becoming a country music artist.

I smiled as I finished listening to the song on the radio. I'm thankful for my fun memory of meeting Trisha Yearwood at Girl Scouts. That is soooo Nashville.


Occasionally when out-of-towners learn I'm from Nashville they'll say, "I guess you see famous people all over the place!"  The truth is..."famous" people are everywhere, but I don't know them when I see them. Most of us don't recognize them because they're record execs, producers, songwriters, musicians...but they are here. You can feel it in the air. Passion. Excitement. The buzz of a star sighting or a new up and coming artist. It's quite fun.

I've only bumped into a few of the "real" stars in my lifetime - Trisha, Wynona, Naomi, Vince, Kix, Jack White and Ben Folds. Sean's star sighting takes the cake - he almost hit Miley Cyrus with his car while she was crossing the street.

It happened.

It happened. It finally happened. I made curtains! The most domesticated task I've ever completed, and I'm quite proud of myself. I mean, do you even know how much IRONING is involved with this???

Here's a crappy picture for you. Go ahead and drool because they are so amazeballs. All 95 inches of these panels are lined, baby.

Restaurant Week(end)

Each day I proclaim, "I'm going to lose those last 10 pounds!" but by noon I'm like,  "Nah, I'm fine with looking like Rembrandt's Bathsheba for the rest of my life." Ain't nothing wrong with a few soft parts, right?

Now that you know what I look like when I get out of the shower [awkward]...let's get on with the story, shall we? This weekend I faced a particularly difficult challenge: Making curtains. Not fancy curtains, mind you. Just 2 panel curtains (i.e. sewing together rectangles of fabric). Still, this project made me loathsome.

My first instinct was to leave town; take a little mini-vacation somewhere...anywhere. Get as far away from the curtains as possible. The weekend getaway idea wasn't entirely practical, so I gave myself a compromise: Stay home and treat myself to a nice meal in celebration of Nashville Originals' Restaurant Week.

Sean gleefully obliged to being my date when I dangled the Bacon Old Fashioned in front of his nose. After all, we hadn't been back to The Patterson House since our anniversary. Here's how we tickled our palates...


FRIDAY
The Patterson House - You'll feel transformed when you enter this gem of a bar, hidden in the Midtown section of Nashville just off Music Row. Once you're invited past the heavy velvet curtains, brothers Benjamin and Max Goldberg will wow you with their eloquent cocktails, homemade bitters and fancy ice. The menu takes a back seat to the amazing drinks, but everything is made fresh and we haven't been disappointed.

HIS: Bacon Old Fashioned
HERS: All Do Respect
Shared: Hummus with Grilled Bread and 1 stolen fried goat cheese ball (thanks, Sherri and Keith!)

Cha Chah - Nashville Chef and restauranteur Arnold Myint consistently serves playfully creative and delicious dishes. I'm a big fan of everything AM, and I knew he would put on a good showing for Restaurant Week.Could I have used RW as an opportunity to try a new establishment? Yes. SHOULD I have used RW as an opportunity to try a new establishment? Probably. DID I? NO. Because I heart Arnold. I want to be just like him when I grow up. Arnold truly enjoys the art of designing a menu, and it shows.

Starters

HIS: Tempura Scallops with Kimchee, Soba Cake and Sesame Soy Reduction
HERS: Duck Liver Pate with Pumpernickel Currant Toast, Cippolini Brittle

Main Course
HIS: Pan Seared Sea Bass with Sunchoke Latke, Beet Puree, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Basil Oil
HERS: Masala Lamb Loin with Curried Parsnip, Charred Eggplant, Cherry Chutney

Postres
HIS: Dark Chocolate Mousse, Bourbon Raisins, Almond Tuile
HERS: Creme Fraiche Cheese Cake with Market Berries

SUNDAY BRUNCH
55 South - Three words: Fried Pork chop Sandwich. (okay, 4 words.) It's probably a dangerous thing that 55 South is so close to my home. Especially on Sunday mornings when I have the occasional hangover and feel like eating my weight in cheese grits and fried oysters. Sorry, 55 South...I just realized I might be trashing up your joint...This is a really nice place, trust me. 
 

Bottomless Mimosas*
Starters: Cheese Grits (Fun fact: yes, fat people order starters with their brunch.)

Main Course
HIS: Pecan Pain Perdu "Lost Bread" - French Bread French Toast Topped with Pecans, Praline Syrup, and Powdered Sugar with a side of bacon
HERS: Eggs Florentine - Poached Eggs over Creamed Spinach and an English Muffin topped with Fried Oysters and Hollandaise (and a healthy dose of hot sauce, added by yours truly)

*We had to make an unfortunate trip to Wal-Mart for the curtain project, so alcohol was a must.

Thoghts become Destiny

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny."

If you've stopped by before, you know that this blog is primarily used as a forum to share the latest happenings from our suburbanite lives. For example, updates from our most recent weekend would include things like: dinner with Trev & Meg at their new place (and ruining their carpet with red wine), seeing Wicked Divas with the Nashville Symphony, Sean watching football, me hanging out with my Little Sister, baking fresh bread and attempting a coconut cream pie (it failed).

Sometimes I use this blog to share my feelings...like how I might be stressed or feeling blue about something.

Yesterday I almost employed this blog as a soapbox to share my recent distaste with Fashion Bloggers. I don't expect anyone to actually CARE about my feelings towards fashion bloggers (or anything for that matter). It was just a topic that humored me at the moment. And, thankfully, that moment has passed.I mean, what a DUMB post that would've been, right? Reading my blabber about bad outfits...sheesh. I definitely don't want my destiny to be droning on about bloggers (unless it pays well. and if that's the case then sign me up!)

My grandmother was always a negative thinker. She was an incredibly smart woman, but was always the first to lob an insult or launch into criticism. I mean, to the point you didn't want to spend too much time with her because it would make you angry...
I loved her in my own way, but I certainly don't want to be like her. Negativity can be humorous if used in the proper way, but it's also a very dangerous tool. I believe my grandmother spread a LOT of negativity around her world while she was still on this earth...and to her dying day I don't think she ever understood why bad things "happened" to her. I've definitely learned from her. And I need to remind myself more often to change my THINKING for the better.

So, this concludes my peaceful hippie thoughts for the day. The end.

Making Plans

I bet you thought I was gone for good, didn’t you?  Ah ha BUT I’M NOT!

For the record, I really dislike starting almost every blog entry with some sort of explanation or apology regarding my lengthy absence. But, I feel like I have to acknowledge the fact that I don’t regularly post. Then again, I guess you guys are used to it (or SHOULD be by now), so you and I have an understanding about the way this works: I think about posting all the time. I only post when I can. Sometimes I start a post only to scrap it because it makes me feel like a narcissist always blabbing on about myself…and then sometimes I follow through with posting because I accept my narcissistic tendencies and just go with it. You, on the other hand, are foaming at the mouth, anxiously awaiting my next update. That’s how it goes, amiright?

Moving on…

There is SO MUCH to share with you guys right now. Lots of changes, lots of positive vibes and good feelings, happy things. First, let’s celebrate the end of Christmas and GET ON WITH OUR LIVES already. Sheesh. I don’t know about you, but I’m not buying a single damn thing for another 12 months. Not for me, not for anyone…unless it’s wine. And it's important to note that all wine should be bought for and consumed by yours truly. Speaking of drinking, it’s New Year’s Eve tomorrow night! I’m very much looking forward to having a few close friends and family over for a fun night of games. We’ll don our favorite lounge clothes/pajamas and do whatever we can to stay awake until midnight. Then, assuming I still have my wits about me, I’ll make Midnight Breakfast for our guests.

So what else is going on? LOTS. The new year is always exciting to me. I look forward to new beginnings and making plans. I have a brand new planner that currently has NO PLANS in it, so I’m working on making a few things happen. It’s time for a little Listy-Lu (I couldn’t wait for this. This list was practically the whole reason for my posting in the first place.)

2012 – The year of…

- - A new master bathroom

-  - And, as a result of the new master bath, probably new décor for the master bedroom as well (they need to flow. Duh.)

-  - More yoga classes for Stacey. This is a MUST in order for me to stay calm and keep a healthy, positive outlook on things.

-  - More flying for Sean – and hopefully an instrument rating!

   - Stacey turning THIRTY. Blech. But, in order to cope with old age, I will treat myself to a fun trip. I’m thinking Vegas! Who’s coming with?

 - More travel. You see, we're DINKs. Not only that, but we're DINKs in Small-town, Tennessee. Seriously, the most exciting opportunity we have in Franklin is running into Ben Folds getting FroYo at Sweet CeCe's on a Thursday night (true story).  I'm really not complaining, but the truth is that life here can get pretty boring. So, if I'm going to be bored, I'd rather be bored on the beach or in a new town that I can explore. Then plan is to visit our friends who moved far, far away from us, and hitting up a few places that we've never seen before.

  - Staying matched with my Little Sister. It's complicated. Her life isn't shiny and bright. In fact, it's kind of crappy. Hanging out with her isn't always fun (not her fault), but I think it's important for me to stay with her. I have no reason NOT to stay with her. We haven't really formed a close bond (not by my standards, anyway), and the truth is that we may never have a close bond. But as long as she wants to keep seeing me, then I will be there. This relationship is unlike any other, but I keep reminding myself that different is good. Getting out of my comfort zone will help me grow. Staying committed to something that doesn't benefit me is an act of selflessness, and Lord knows I need to be more selfless. He also knows I need to be better about keeping my mouth shut and quit bossing people around. ah, but it's so fun..

-- And finally, using my Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I vow to do more cooking and baking for fun (not just out of necessity) because I really do love being in the kitchen. 

So...I guess this list should keep us pretty busy throughout the year! I look forward to sharing new happenings with you guys. You know, whenever I get around to it. MWAH!

It's NOT New Joisey

The week or so prior to Thanksgiving, folks around the office were asking me, "Soooo...what are your plans for the holiday?" (as if they actually cared.) My response was, "We're going to visit Sean's family in New Jersey." And I'm not kidding you - every single person expressed sadness and pity saying something like, "Oh you poor thing - it's going to be so cold! Is it snowing there yet? Oh, that's awful...New Jersey?...that's like the armpit of America, right?"
No, friends, it's not snowing there yet. I realize that my fellow Southerners believe every state above Kentucky is the Great White North (and they're kinda right about that). But you may be surprised to learn that their weather is very similar to ours here in Middle TN. New Jersey trades out the tornadoes for quite a bit more snow in the winter, but that's about it. The day after Thanksgiving I was jogging outside in a t-shirt.

Secondly, it's NOT "New Joisey." I know you enjoy dusting off your 1920's mobster accent, but not all residents of NJ are from Hoboken.  Yes, the folks in and around NYC (in North Jersey) carry the "Joisey" accent, but not the rest of the state. South Jersians have more of a Philadelphian/Delaware valley accent. Mind you, it's still a funny accent, but it's just not "Joisey."

And finally, what makes NJ the armpit of America? When did The Garden State get such a bad wrap? I'll be honest...the state of NJ wasn't on my radar until I met Sean's family, but I certainly didn't think it's residents carried the plague. I'm here to tell you, dear readers, that New Jersey is not all that gross. I can only speak for South Jersey (I hear North Jersey is a completely different place...)  South Jersey is spread out and rural for the most part. There are lots and LOTS of pine trees. We drive along winding highways, passing lots of land, trees and beautiful old homes. The shore is full of quaint Victorian-era coastal towns that remind me of Downtown Franklin.

I feel rather sorry for residents of NJ, having to bear their scarlett letter known as Snookie and all things Jersey Shore. Sure, the Snookies are around if you know where to look (and SO fun to watch), but there aren't enough Guidettes ruin the entire state.
Once Sean and I hit the lottery, we're going to buy a vacation home in Stone Harbor. Or maybe even the Utz house in Avalon. It's rather cute, don't you think? All 14,000 square feet of it...

And in case you're wondering what it looks like in NJ during Thanksgiving - it's just like the rest of the country. Turkey carcus, full plates, and dad falling asleep at the dining room table...

Five Years

Five years ago I stood here as a newlywed. Venice, Italy - the most magical place I've ever seen. I still can't believe we were here...

At the crack of November, weeks before Turkey Comas and Black Friday Fever set in amongst the rest of the country, Sean and I toast to a private celebration - our wedding anniversary. This date is a wonderful pause to the hustle and bustle of our suburbanite schedules, fall birthday celebrations and our annual Halloween party. And, it's the perfect excuse to treat ourselves to an expensive meal. He makes a reservation (which I think is adorable), and I try to remember to buy a card. He ALWAYS outshines me when it comes to the card. Sean can be very romantic when he wants to be, and his sweet words melt my heart.

We savor a slow meal together and say things like, "Can you believe it's been ___ years? Seems like just yesterday we were sharing our vows..." and "...do you want to have sex tomorrow night instead? Because I'm still really full from dinner..."

We went for fancy cocktails at The Patterson House this year. I guess "fancy cocktails" is an understatement - more like "Works of Art." This elusive establishment has made quite the name for itself in Music City, and we were excited to see what all the fuss was about. NO WONDER! The ambiance of the bar is executed perfectly - intimate without being claustrophobic, warm and inviting like an old English library balanced with elements of high glam and shimmer. It's a nod to the 1920's speakeasy without being kitschy at all. Our seats at the bar gave us a front row view into the craftsmanship of their stunning cocktails, and our tongues were equally impressed with the taste (Sean is still raving about his Bacon Old Fashioned). But don't just take my word for it:

http://jackwufilms.wordpress.com/nashville-2/nashville-best-bars/

http://www.styleblueprint.com/food-and-entertaining/evening-patterson-house/

Our evening wrapped with dinner at The Standard, and...let's just say we won't be going back. It was a total bust. The hummus and grilled bread from The Patterson House was more impressive than my filet at The Standard! But, a bad steak will never stop us from having a lovely date night. I was still making memories with my most favorite person in the whole world.