Turkey hotline.....

Forget Butterball and opt for a free range fowl from Heritage Foods. In reality I will be chowing down on a less pricey bird, but you have to admit the concept is great.

Over the river.....

......and through the woods.....well not yet.....it is almost Thanksgiving, and my much anticipated Christmas decorating has begun with my tree on my desk at work...so get to decorating, people. The holiday frenzy is here!

La Dolca Vita....

I was drawn to this cute little letterpress/paper studio in Atlanta, Georgia. Check their blog out here.

Rajun' Cajun.....

A Jazz Fest poster hanging on the wall of a restaurant with a blue dog in the corner left me with one question....who was the artist. I could remember the fact that there was a restaurant and countless painting, but the artist's name escaped me.....after some googling the day after I have the answer-George Rodrigue is a Louisiana native who began painting outdoor family gatherings, but is more widely known for his creation of the Blue Dog series of paintings, featuring a blue-hued dog, attributed to his dog, Tiffany. The Blue Dog was made popular by Absolut Vodka in 1992, when Rodrigue was honored as an Absolut Vodka artist, joining famous artists such as Andy Warhol.George's wife has created a blog to chronicles the musings of an artist's wife, it includes numerous family photos of young George. I suggest you check it out to learn more about this blue dog man.

Black and white....

...and red all over....I was reminded of one of my favorite artists, Mondrian, when I entered the halls of the elementary school Iwhere I volunteer. The students (rather teacher) had created a bulletin board display of Mondrian inspired drawings. I can remember a black and white composition I made in elementary school....ahhhh the good years....
Every true artist has been inspired more by the beauty of lines and color and the relationships between them than by the concrete subject of the picture.
-Piet Mondrian

Wally World.

Every weekend I make the pilgrimage to Wally World {Walmart!}...it is a love/hate relationship, but I learned how to deal with the masses when my Albertson's closed. Now I shop for most everything at Walmart and the specialty "stuff" at Publix. I am likely writing this because I dread going in a few hours, but I will rally because next week it will only be worse with people racing for cans of gelatinous cranberry sauce and fighting over the last turkey birds, yes those mini marshmallows for sweet potato pies will surely start flying!
I thought about venturing over to the Christmas section today as I found several trees that made the cut! A gold tinsel tree, a smallish pink tree and (shockingly) a red one (ok, maybe a little much!), but I am resisting the urge to buy.....must resist the urge...i will have a tree in a good seven days....why does that seem like ages?But if you don't have a tree on the way....then.....shop away!

Red and green.

Some images from Southern Living's new book.

Happy Hallo-Thanks-mas.....

Yes, I am one of those horrid people that merges holidays into one and begins thinking about lights and garland as soon as I see Halloween costumes. Speaking of Halloween....I watched a plethora of 30 Rock this past weekend and caught one of my faves, Mr. Jordan, referring to Halloween as "Prison Parent's Weekend." With all that orange and black that comment is down right FUNNY considering the men at work had referred to my outfit as prison like (black and white tweed skirt with an orange sweater).....ahhh the humor in every day life.I think I'm going to stick with happy Christmahanakwanzakah.....or however The O.C. used to say it!

Let's make a deal...

Got to love 30 Rock, and after viewing a few episodes last night I was reminded of Liz Lemon's dealbreaker references....you know....if a guy has seven cell phones and won't give you the number to one--"that's a dealbreaker ladies." What about the guy that never gives you a schedule...hmmm that's a dealbreaker! I should make a list! But what I would really like to do is vent about my experience I was informed by the man of the hour what a dealbreaker for him was. Admittedly he only went on one date with someone because they were lactose intolerant (citing the numerous items that contain lactose), broke up with someone because they were a hemophiliac, broke up with someone because their brothers were gay...citing all cases as genetic issues that could be passed down to his children. Really, it was just one date! I need to start making my list I guess (yeah right!).....thank you, Liz Lemon.

Bad moon a rising...

The very first last time......wow! I cannot believe I attempted, and I do mean attempted to see New Moon at the midnight premier. A lofty goal it was. I had a meeting immediately following work and had avoided purchasing my ticket, but was convinced coerced into buying one.....and many moons later we arrived at the theater to find a thousand (well a lot) of fans lining the perimeter of the building.We joined V in line at 10:15 pm and waited and waited and waited. Teenagers sat on blankets gossiping, doing homework, studying for tests. There were pajamas and layers of clothes piled on everyone as we waited in the chilly night air. Anticipation was high as sides were taken for Edward or Jacob. A girl even got a little testy when I admitted to not having read the book. We waited two hours, the line began to move at Midnight as we were ushered into the theater in groups of twenty. Finally, we got in. I headed for the bathroom since I had been turned away earlier. The theater attendants were Twilight Nazis making you handover ids and cell phones for restroom use prior to the premiere. Finally relief! Thankfully my friends had found an empty theater. It was intense. Fans raced from room to room to find filled theaters. It was a mad house and every screen was showing New Moon.

Well to make a long story short we found seats at the top of the room and I snuggled into my corner...I was slowly but surely going to sleep and Claire was not far off. I kept checking the time...when would the movie start? 12:20 rolled around and there was still no premiere...not even one tiny commercial....I made the decision no one else in America made...I left New Moon. I realized that I probably would not leave the theater until 3:45 or 4:00am and was planning to wake up at 5:00 to get to work to ready for my presentation...I made a beeline for the door. Yes, I was the one person that left the theater. I missed seeing the movie but I gained a few precious hours of sleep and do not feel one bit bad about it. Sure I should have turned back before I got there, but I had to know....and now I'm happy I tried, maybe I won't do it again, and maybe I will....but definitely with a change of company.

New Moon....

Paging Dr. Cullen......well I may have bitten off more than I can chew with this Twilight "stuff." It was suggested that I see the original movie, so that I did! I watched it on Monday....admittedly with a slight distaste in my mouth.....thinking of a million little girls swooning over Robbie P....and my friends in Birmingham and Chicago that called it forbidden love story (Gag me!)...the last thing I wanted was a juicy vampire soap opera. Trust me! Thankfully another friend tried explained it as a family of outcasts (the vampires) that did not fit in and a new girl in town (Bella) who is welcomed by most everyone, but does not feel as though she fits. Whether it was her pale skin, her lack of athleticism or her quiet presence she does not mesh with the Fork kids.....until.....she sees this family...she befriends the outcasts even though it is not the popular thing to do. Sure, maybe a little lot of me relates to Bella, the quietness, the clumsiness, the paleness of my high school years....yes I was admittedly not one of the cool kids. I cannot say that I fit in anywhere back then...so for that very fact I decided to watch Twilight and read the book!The movie was filmed mostly in Vancouver, but is set in a small town of Forks, WA. The Cullen family resides in a home in the woods...the one thing I noticed in the movie was the modern home! Its clear views of the forest, clean lines and modern construction...what was not to love!?! and who knew there would be architectural eye candy in Twilight?The Cullen House, actually known as The Hoke House or the “Nike” House, was designed for Nike executive John Hoke and his family and was designed by architect Jeff Kovel via ‘Skylab Architecture’ it’s 4300 squares, built by Metcalf Construction, with Lucy Metcalf as the interior designer and landscaper. you can map it here. And priced at $3.3 million maybe it does pay do be Cullen......I wonder which Twihard will buy this?

Fat tire....

I like to consider myself athletically challenged, but this weekend I was in rare form playing in a kickball tourney and biking down the beach. I can honestly say that organized sports are not my forte and I was miserable at kickball....we ended up only playing two games in the tournament and, get this, the last game was tied and it was broken by a wheelbarrow race that you would have had to seen to believe. It provided us all with a good laugh! The second half of my weekend including some fat tires down the beach....and not the Fat Tires pictured above! I can remember when fat tire meant hauling twelve beers in my carry-on from Jackson Hole, WY to Bama....but not this time. A friend and I planned to bike down some trails, but as luck would have it the bike shop was closed next to the trail (thank goodness!)....but it did not end there. He decided to head to the beach and rent a cruiser for me out there....well the first two shops were closed! Lucky me, I thought....the third shop was open, and I got my cruiser and headed down the beach.....it was a relaxing ride down, and we did not go the full eighteen miles plus that he had planned, so I survived...honestly, I'd do it again! Here's to biking...riding down the highway...and looking for adventure....

Up on Cypress Avenue....

Much like Van Morrison, I'm caught one more time up on Cypress avenue with these new cypress wreaths from Pottery Barn. They are constructed by a family in Florida and are absolutely delightful.

Peace on earth....

Talk about a Woodstock themed Christmas........I have blogged and blogged again about my Christmas being back in Bama, but you know what it may be for the best because as I sat early Saturday morning leisurely browsing Pottery Barn I found the neatest thing. A tree sprinkled with peace ornaments, granted Sundance had a handful of these a few years ago, but an entire tree of peace seems such a fitting choice. Bring on the boho......and the glitter for that matter.....

Gimme three steps...

....outta here! The Skynyrd concert last night was a little bit of a let down. I had psyched myself up about it and am a concert junkie....but I must admit it was not as good as Dylan, Nelson, Hall and Oates, KISS or Panic...and I think my wardrobe picks were a little more glamorous than what I actally witnessed. It was more of a beer crowd verses champagne (Gail analogy).

While some of the concert goers were perfectly normal (aka Claire and I) there was definitely had a good mix of mullets, overalls and other crimes of fashion, but that wasn't all. The show was not all that impressive. I think I have heard Free Bird, Gimme Three Steps, and Sweet Home Alabama covered better by other artists. Don't get me wrong-I'm glad I went and at least the tickets were free and I can go to sleep knowing I did not pay to see them.

Saturday Night Special....

Woohoo that smell, gimme three steps cause I'm a simple man and this bird you cannot change in sweet home Alabama since Tuesday's gone Curtis Lowe.....where am I going? The answer: A Skynyrd concert! I was debating what to wear last night. Denim, plaid, and boots rained supreme. Here is a proxy outfit I created on polyvore. Any suggestions?

Gimme Three Steps by mariet726 featuring American Eagle Outfitters

Items in this set:
Current/Elliott shorts, $350
Delias.com top, $30
American Eagle Outfitters dress, $35
Delias.com top, $35
Frye boots, $218

Who wants to be a millionaire?

Well, I think our co-op certainly does.....it is that time of year again.....birthday baking....and I have committed to another year of celebrating for my coworkers (aka being the Martha Stewart of the office). I let everyone offer suggestions and right now the votes are a hummingbird cake, Mississippi mud, cheese straws and Millionaire Pie. The millionaire pie is a must, considering it is this coworkers going away party, but the issue is we do not know what recipe was used last year or the one his godmother used to make. I have been Googling like crazy and have located countless options, and believe I am settling on one of the choices below:

Choice 1:
1 can Eagle Brand Milk
1 lg. can crushed pineapple (drain all juice)
2 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. chopped pecans, fine
2 graham cracker crusts
1 lg. container of Cool Whip

Mix ingredients and pour into graham cracker crusts.

Choice 2:
2 baked 8 inch pie crusts
2 c. powdered sugar
1 stick (1/2 c.) butter, softened
1 lg. egg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 c. heavy (whipping) cream
1 c. drained, crushed pineapple
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Cream together powdered sugar and butter. Add egg, salt and vanilla. Mix until light and fluffy. Spoon mixture evenly into pie crusts; chill.
Whip cream until stiff. Blend in pineapple and nuts. Spread on top of other mixture and chill thoroughly.

What do you all think, Choice 1 or 2? Or does anyone have a tried and true recipe?

I saw three ships....

...come sailing in. On Christmas Day in the morning. Anthropologie has set the bar high with a wintry pastiche of ornaments and holiday decor. The tiny ships reminded me of the aforementioned Christmas song...it may be time to switch the CDs (yes, CDs--still have not converted to an ipod much to every one's chagrin). And without a doubt it is most definitely time to break out my Christmas decorations...but woe is me since they are stuck in storage in Bama since I have a serious lack of storage space. I was debating making a six hour trek to rescue said goods...but I think I may have to wait until Turkey Day to do the deed. It is hard for me to believe that I am waiting that long. Last year they were up the first week of November and the year prior right after Thanksgiving because I bought a new tree....

...and it's not just decorations..I have some winter coats I need to rescue for the frigid Florida temps....some nights it does hit 50 and that's my excuse to pull out the wool.

With that being said, happy decorating, hope you all don't have to wait until Thanksgiving-like MOI~Tis the season.....

Is this real life?

Is this just fantasy? Well, it is just fantasy fudge! I can't tell you how many times I have been asked for the recipe to my fudge....well to let the cat out of the bag it is the fantasy fudge recipe on the back of a jar of marshmallow creme...yep that simple :)

And in case you can't find a jar of Kraft, here's a copy of the recipe. It never disappoints and will come in quite handy during this great holiday season.

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup margarine

2/3 cup evaporated milk1 12-oz.

(340 g) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 7-oz. (198 g) jar Kraft Marshmallow creme

1 cup chopped nuts (pecans)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan; bring to full rolling bail, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate till melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts & vanilla beat till blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Let cool and cut into 1-inch squares.

Urban out{FIT} to kill....

See Jane work....starting her blog at age twelve, Ms. Aldridge is moving on up by launching a second batch of shoes in collaboration with Urban Outfitters. Don't know Jane? Check out Sea of Shoes ASAP.

We built this city...

So long, farewell to an awesome city. I can honestly say this was one of the best vacations I have had in a while, whether it was the company or the city or the combination of both I did not want to return home. It has taken me about a month to stop missing this town, even now as I write and post these photos I dream of going back soon. I plan on travelling to Key West in February....but will it be the same? Who knows, what I do know is there is something about a large city, and realizing that you can embrace the life of the city. No, I do not think I could enter the hustle and bustle every day, but an easy Sunday morning every week along tree lined walks is something I could become accustomed to.

Chicago, new friend, see you soon....