Sunday, May 22, 2011

Why I need to learn to cook...

Since reading Julia Child's, My Life in France, I've been inspired!
She makes me want to cook
well
(mother, don't laugh)

Does anyone actually have her cookbook?
I may put it on my birthday list


I have lots of cookbooks,
but really I hardly ever cook, especially since we don't have a dishwasher at the lake!
I love reading them though, and dreaming of one day becoming a gourmet chef!

I can cook pretty good shrimp and grits, I can make a lots of different desserts, and I can scramble an egg, but thats probably the extent of my culinary skill - why have they done away with home ec?!?  

These are a few cookbooks I wouldn't mind having on my shelf, or in storage (which is where all the rest of mine are - sad)

This girl seems fun - I watched her show while we were at the beach, and I really liked her!
Plus, 5 ingredients!  I believe even a novice like me can handle that!


 Love Ina Garten
She just makes me happy
Plus, any cookbook title that is "how easy is that?", I need!


Can Gwyneth really cook?
Who cares?!?
She can sing and she is a goop
enough said...


Paula can seriously cook - I've never been disappointed in her recipes!
She has great "menu" ideas, as well!


In other news, I have a new friend
meet Torg
He comes out every morning when the sprinklers go off
I guess for his morning shower!  Isn't he cute?




In other, other news why hasn't pinterest sent me an invite yet?!?  
Im eager to start pinning!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Cumberland Island

Hey there!
T and I are in Amelia Island this week for work

I told you awhile back that we moved because he decided to come back to a family business
The family business runs educational tours for retirement age individuals, and they do a great job!

So, he has got to learn the business and the tours
and his wife gets to tag along
for moral support, of course

Yesterday we took a day trip to beautiful Cumberland Island, which is off the coast of Georgia


The only way to get there is by ferry




a quick 45 minutes on the boat and you have arrived
It's really a step back in time


and if you remember its where John F. Kennedy, Jr. married Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in 1996
So chic


The Resurrection Ferns were in full bloom after a heavy rain
Yeah, I had no idea what a resurrection fern was till yesterday - They are ferns that dry up and look almost dead when it hasn't rained for awhile, but come back to life after a good soaking!


Here is our group headed through the Avenue of Oaks
so beautiful


One of the most interesting things about the island is its history -
It was bought by the Carnegie family in 1880 as a winter retreat
They built the ultra swank Dungeness mansion
40 rooms
100 if you include the closets, pantry and siderooms
why am I not an heiress?!?



Sadly, this is all that's left of the great estate 

This is the front of the mansion


Can you see the wild horses in this picture?
The horses are relatives of horses the Carnegie's owned.  In Mrs. Carnegie's will she specified that she wanted her horses released to roam the island.  So there are tons of them running wild.


Look at those planters!


This is the backside of the mansion and the lawn where they threw great parties
They had a staff of 300
Can. You. Imagine.
They built pools, tennis courts, a casino, etc.
Crazy



This was the casino

The Carnegie's built beautiful houses around the island for their children
This was one of the last houses owned by the Carnegie's, but it now belongs to the park service because the 40 year trust ended last year
(the Carnegie's are fighting to get it back)



I can see why they want it back

There are tons of live oaks on the island
My favorite tree




This is Robert E. Lee's father's orginal gravesite
His body was moved to Virginia to be buried by his son recently
Glad I didn't have that job..


The salt marsh at low tide

Horse hoof prints in the sand
So unusual to see this




And here are two of the horses close up 
They are very calm - they didn't even budge as we walked by



Our group finally made it to the beach
It's so private and beautiful


Here is our tour guide/naturalist explaining some of the different shells and sea life found along the coast




This was my favorite part of the trip
The maritime forest is so beautiful
It looks like a fairyland! 

Excuse my paleness...


The canopy is unbelievable


I would highly suggest going to Cumberland if you are ever in South Georgia
If you're a big camper


...its a great place to go (my brother has been 5 times)!  You will see so much wildlife - sea turtles, raccoons, tons of birds, wild horses, jelly fish (that don't sting!), etc.  If you're like me, head to the only hotel on the island, The Greyfield Inn.  It's supposedly super swank!

Hope y'all have enjoyed these pictures - they were too beautiful not to share!

Hope everyone is having a great week!!!
xx.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

iObsessed

HELLOOO!
I have exciting news - I have join the land of the living, and bought an iPhone!

and I'm obsessed
I play scrabble or Words With Friends Free!
watch netflix
check my email 
Also, I love the camera!
So, here is our weekend in iPhone pics!

We headed to Savannah for a wedding
It was fun to come back and sort of feel like tourists

Savannah is a great city, and sometimes I forgot that living there
It's really beautiful and there are tons of things to do/see

We arrived into town late Friday night, and after surveying our seriously overgrown yard, unpacking, checking mail, we were pooped.

We headed out for a quick dinner, then went to have a cocktail downtown
We ended up at Lulu's Chocolate Bar
Chocolate...Bar....
yes, please

We sat outside and watched a storm roll in
I ordered a spiked coffee, which was delicious, and a perfect pick me up after a 3 hour drive


and we also had the flourless chocolate torte

delicious


We then headed to River Street, which is somewhere we never went while we lived there
Its pretty touristy, but we were tourist this weekend!!!
We strolled up and down the cobblestone sidewalks, listened and watched the street performers, and wished we were driving one of the yachts parked at the dock

It was lovely
an awesome self-portrait


Saturday night we went to a beautiful and fun wedding downtown
It was so fun to catch up with friends that we haven't seen in a while
The wedding favors were these cute little jars of honey from Savannah Bee Company
and pralines (which I ate for breakfast - I'm so healthy)!



If you need some good honey or honey products, check them out
they are a wonderful company and have the best honey I've ever tasted!

In other news, this is my latest read
My Life in France 
by Julia Child
WHAT A GREAT BOOK!


She has such a fun way of telling stories of her early days in Paris
where she discovered her passion for food and the French
It's especially fun to read since we honeymooned in Paris and visited several of the places she talks about!

I highly suggest picking it up!  It's a fun and easy read!
But be warned, it will make you want to go to culinary school and learn how to speak French!

In other, other news...
We are at the beach this weekend and I can't wait to sport my some of my  new clothes
I did some damage in Atlanta earlier this week at Jcrew
T almost died when I came out with this huge bag
The only thing he said was, "I didn't think they made shopping bags that big...(groan)"
(It wasn't that bad though - mostly sale items)



Hope everyone had a great and relaxing weekend!
Much Love
and
Au Revoir!!!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Buffett Style

So my brother graduated from college Saturday
so weird
I feel like this makes me old

This is us four years ago
sidenote:  my hair is long - wow

Isn't my brother cute?!?

So to celebrate his big day, we through an awesome luau 
He is a BIG Jimmy Buffet fan, so it was only fitting

Setting up for the partay
Parties are work
I think I forget this every time
Selective memory, I suppose 


Even Mattie was decked out in her luau gear



The floating candles didn't really work
Guess we should have thought to turn off the waterfall!
Oh well


This cake was amazing
Two words:
buttercream icing
A local girl in Americus makes these, if you live in South Georgia and need a good cake
go to her!!!

yes, please

Can you guess what the handcuffs and badge mean?
(they were made out of white chocolate - T ate the badge)
Chris is going to be a police officer - he starts the academy next week!
so, so proud of him!

We had lots of food
BBQ and Brunswick Stew were the main features
and 
bottled coke
and beer
and of course, the cake

Everyone gathered around the fire pit once the sun went down 
It's still just a tad chilly here at night


The tiki torches and pool lights made for a beautiful background



One of the party guest passed out early
My brother's GF has a cute, cute new puppy
I want

The party was so fun
and
I'm so happy for and proud of my (little) brother!

In other news
we went down to the lake Sunday to visit the ducks


this is their new home



Can you believe how much they have grown in just two week?!?



Hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day and great Derby weekend!
xx.
 
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