Summer Joy

Summer is… running through the sprinkler, slurping on popsicles, yelling "Marco! Polo! at the pool, catching lightning bugs, playing Ghosts in the Graveyard, listening to the sound of crickets and locusts, camping in the tent in the backyard, falling asleep with pool-soaked hair, waking up in the morning and doing it all over again.

Ah, to be a kid during summer. What says “summer” to you?

It’s Thursday, folks, which means the three-day weekend is almost here, as is my journey to see U2. Did I mention that I'm going to the U2 concert? I did? Well, I'll say it again: I'M GOING TO THE U2 CONCERT!!  Can’t wait to see my Irishmen.
Image from houstonculturemap

Boating on the 4th

If you received the latest issue of Southern Living, you likely saw the article about top lake vacation spots across the South. Lake Ruban in Georgia is one of them, and it looks like a fun place, especially during the 4th of July weekend.

According to the article, Lake Ruban residents have a long tradition of showcasing their vintage wooden Chris Craft boats, especially on Independence Day. The boats fly the red, white and blue, while houses and boat docks are decked out in Americana finery. I would love to see such a site - I bet it makes for a fun celebration of the 4th.

What will you be doing to celebrate Independence Day? Soaking in the sun by the water with family and friends? A parade waving your flag and an evening with fireworks? Whatever it is, I hope you have a wonderful time, sporting your red, white and blue!
Images from Southern Living and Lake Rabun

Kate's Court

Look who arrived at Wimbledon's Centre Court this weekend wearing the traditional white.

Oh, yeah, and that's the prince behind her. :)

Kate, aka the Duchess of Cambridge, can do no wrong in fashion. Seriously, check out the back of this stunning number:

I couldn't tell you who was playing that day. All eyes were on Kate.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. It passed by quickly, but we managed to pack as many activities as possible into those two days. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming holiday weekend. A chance to enjoy some extra time with the kids and celebrate the 4th of July.

And, I'm EXTRA excited about Saturday because I get to see my favorite band in concert: U2. I can't begin to tell you how jazzed I am about this concert. Hubby bought me the tickets for Christmas. Now, here's the big question: What do I wear? Vanderbilt Stadium, 96 degrees. It's going to be a scorcher kids, but as long as Bono and the boys are there, I don't care. :)
Photos from the Mail Online

Southern Boy

I’ll be ready for one of these tonight after this long week. It’s a Southern Boy cocktail that I tried while on vacation in the Outer Banks. I had one at The Blue Point Bar & Grill on the Currituck Sound. Great restaurant with a cool vibe and amazing views. And the cocktail? Oh-so-tasty. Wish I could find the ingredients for this bad boy – I know it has bourbon (why else would I order it?), kind of like a julep, but not nearly as sweet.

The lawn in front of The Blue Point Bar & Grill on the Currituck Sound in the Outer Banks. If you ever visit, pull up a chair, order a Southern Boy cocktail and enjoy the sunset.

The view from The Blue Point Bar & Grill

Tonight is date night – yay! The other day as I was getting dressed for work, I put on some strappy sandals and my daughter asked why I was wearing my “date shoes.” Gotta love it! So, tonight, I’ll definitely be sporting some date shoes and enjoying an evening out with my own Southern boy.

Everyone, I hope you have a fantabulous (yes, I declare that a word) weekend. What’s on your agenda? Hopefully some R&R with a bit of fun thrown in.

Cheers!
Images from saveur.com and The Blue Point, Duck, NC

'Tan Lines' - The Movie

A scene being shot at Louisville Boat Club, for the independent film, "Tan Lines."

There’s an independent film that just finished shooting here in town, and while the majority of the world likely will never see it, there’s a slight chance that it could become the darling of Sundance, perhaps the next “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” or “Sideways.” I had hoped to catch a glimpse of some of the shooting, alas it's already wrapped. Josh Hopkins from “Cougar Town,” has the lead (Trivia Factoid: his sister hired me for a job at a local PBS affiliate), and is joined by actors Cameron Monaghan, Alexie Gilmore, Billy Magnussen and Dash Mihok, among others.

Actor Josh Hopkins (right) of ABC's "Cougar Town," talks with director Tim Kirkman during a break from shooting the film "Tan Lines."

The film, “Tan Lines,” was written by Louisville native James Markert, and focuses on a local tennis pro who is fired from an exclusive country club in town for bad behavior. He then gets a job at the local public tennis facility, coaching a diverse group of misfits. He whips the players into shape and challenges players from the country club to a match. Producer Gil Holland, also a Louisvillian, calls it the “Bad News Bears” of tennis.

Holland, a Hollywood producer who married a local gal and set up shop here, is really making a name for himself. In addition to bringing film companies to town, he has helped spearhead the development of Louisville’s NuLu district. Situated on Market Street, this up-and-coming neighborhood features art galleries, dining, retail shops and all-around funkiness, with a strong sustainability focus. The man is on a mission and, of course, it helps that his wife is the daughter of a very old Louisville family, the Browns. As in Brown-Forman Corporation. The folks who own Korbel, Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve, Finladia, just for starters. So, Gil has some backing, that’s all I’m sayin’.

Anyhoo, I think it’s fun when a movie is being filmed in your town and you can catch a glimpse of the actors or the film set. When Cameron Crowe filmed “Elizabethtown” here a few years ago, I saw him in a local restaurant and some of my coworkers saw Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom out and about. The movie was a stinker, but it was fun to see my hometown on film.

So, if you hear about “Tan Lines” next year, remember you got the scoop from me first, who actually heard it from my local newspaper and a Website or two. ;)

And, for those of you who may have heard about the tornadoes that touched down in and around Louisville last night, rest assured that no one was injured. Amazingly, it struck at Churchill Downs and Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, the later of which my daughter had visited during a camp field trip earlier in the day. A couple of barns at Churchill were heavily damaged, a roof torn off of one, but thankfully no horses were hurt. Today's racing is cancelled, though, due to the damage at the track, as well as the surrounding area. We were actually at the pool earlier in the evening, enjoying an after-work swim. The winds started to pick up while we were having dinner, although the sun was still out, so we packed up and headed home. Not too long after that, the tornado sirens went off. Very lucky, weren't we?

It's Thursday, folks. We're almost there!
Images and sources from The Courier-Journal, insiderlouisville.com and indiewire.com

Tooth Fairy Transportation

Over the weekend, my 6-year old lost another tooth. It was a very busy weekend and Hubby and I were going this way and that. On Sunday morning, Miss E. came down to the kitchen where I was making coffee and said, "The Tooth Fairy didn't come."

Blast! Bad Parents of the Year Award! In the middle of everything, the tooth pick-up and hand-off were forgotten. So, I quickly spun a yarn about the fact that it was storming (it was bad, we'd had thunderstorms with heavy lightening throughout the night) and that it was likely too difficult for the Tooth Fairy to fly. But, as soon as the storms calmed down, I would bet she'd make her way to our house. She would just be delayed a bit. Miss E. nodded her head and seemed to accept my creative story-telling, but then said, "You know, she really just needs to get a car."

Priceless. Needless to say, Mommy sneaked upstairs later that morning, penned a note in my most curly-cue of handwriting - including a magic-wand illustration - and left a dollar under her pillow. Miss E. was thrilled when she found her prize.

Boy, with the elaborate tales about the Tooth Fairy, Santa's Elf on a Shelf, the Easter Bunny and other magic beings, Hubby and I are setting our kids up for quite a revelation later in their childhood. Guess I ought to start saving for therapy now. ;)
Image from picturebook.com

Happy Summer Solstice!

Today is the Summer Solstice – the longest day of the year. Enjoy the extra sunlight to get as much play in as possible, whether it's at the beach, lake, mountains or your backyard. I’m hoping that the storms predicted for this afternoon/evening fizzle out, because we’d like to take the kids to the pool for a swim and fine-dining at the snack bar.

By the way, for those of you who watched this season, was anyone as disappointed/frustrated as I with the finale to AMC’s “The Killing?” Seriously, I stuck with this program, gave it 13 Sunday nights of my life, and the killer of Rosie Larsen was not revealed, as much as we were led to believe it would be, at the end of the season. Why do I allow myself to be sucked into these things??

Have a terrific Tuesday, my friends!
Image from cornwallinformation.co.uk

Shoe Therapy

How cute are these sandals from Chinese Laundry? I saw them in the latest issue of Real Simple magazine and I’m trying to justify a reason for buying them, even though my flip flop/sandal basket is overflowing. A need? No. A want? Hell to the yes.

Seriously, shopping for shoes is good therapy, don’t you think? Unless you're in debt up to your eyeballs, then you need a different kind of therapy altogether.

What’s on your agenda this weekend, my friends? Hope it includes rest and relaxation – we all deserve that, don’t we? If you’re a swim team or baseball parent, I feel for ya. I’m sure you’ll be hanging by the pool or ball field for most of Saturday or Sunday. Our kids aren’t there yet; not sure if they’ll be competitive swimmers or not. Lessons begin next week, so we’ll see how much they’re able to absorb this summer.

Our sweet niece – who is also our goddaughter - is being baptized this weekend, so we’ll be celebrating that milestone with our family. And, Hubby returned from California this morning safe and sound, so I’m no longer single-parenting it, and I get to hug on him when I see him this evening. Yeah!

Happy Weekend, all!

Happy Bloomsday!

Happy Bloomsday, my friends! Today, the life of Irish writer James Joyce is celebrated and the events of his iconic novel (considered the most important novel of the 20th century), Ulysses, which take place on June 16, are relived in Dublin and celebrated around the world.

The portrait above of Joyce hangs in the Dublin Writers Museum. We visited the museum while on our honeymoon in Ireland and I fell in love with this painting. Oh, to be in Dublin today, throwing back a Guinness and taking in the festivities!

Cheers to Mr. Joyce. Thank you for your incredible contribution to the world of literature.

P.S. - Happy birthday to my brother! Hope you have a great day. :)
Portrait from the Dublin Writers Musuem

Summertime in the Neighborhood

Summer is here and we celebrated last evening with our neighborhood's annual block party. Fried chicken, cole slaw, fruit salad and many other goodies were served as kids frolicked and adults chatted. The kids' entertainment for the evening was The Bubble Truck.

There's my son in the plaid shorts, in the thick of things. The Bubble Truck emits bubbles from the entire vehicle and then Mr. Bubble Truck also brings out large buckets so the kids can dip giant bubble makers into the soapy solution. This kept the kids entertained FOREVER! So much better than inflatable jumpies, I think. And, Mr. Bubble Truck also makes balloon animals, which added even more to the festivities. (Until Little Man's popped and he had a complete meltdown over it. Sigh.)

It was fun meeting many of our neighbors and celebrating the start of summer.

Does your neighborhood or town have a get-together in the summer months?

Cinda B

I’m loving my latest accessory purchase – a purse from Cinda B.

I found my new bag in a great little shop on the Outer Banks called Urban Cottage. I saw the Cinda B line during a shopping excursion in the village of Duck and made my way back before the end of the trip to add to my accessory obsession collection. Check out Cinda B’s website for a full look at her product line. The photo above doesn't do the actual purse justice - it's very cute and lightweight, a big "must" for this short gal and her aching back.

Here's Ms. Cinda with some of her designs (yeah, of course, she's so stinking cute.) True, the quilted designs of her bags are similar to Vera Bradley, but there are differences that I like, which is why I purchased the hobo bag.

I also like this beach bag - very cute. (And, Cinda B is made in the USA, so another plus.)

I’m slowly making my way back to “real world mode.” Dropped Miss E. off at day camp and Little Man at daycare this morning. He was a bit bummed that he didn’t return yesterday to see his friends. “You told me when we moved back home I could see them!” he said. His four-year old mind is still trying to grasp the concept of a place you stay temporarily while on vacation versus your actual home. Believe me, kiddo, Mommy wishes she was still at the vacation home.

Have a terrific Tuesday, friends!
Images from Cinda B

No More Road Trips (For Now, At Least)

Clickety clack, clickety clack, I'm back.

Sigh.

So very hard to return to the real world after being on vacation. The Outer Banks were wonderful, as usual. Relaxing, lazy, sun-filled days. How I want to return. Although, I really missed flying this time. We did a road trip this year to save money, since the kids now require full-price plane tickets. We opted to drive and split the trip up into two days, spending the night in Lexington, Va. While I like stopping in Lexington - home to VMI and Washington & Lee - I am sooo not a fan of road trips. The kids had a few meltdowns along the way and it about sent me over the edge. I don't take stress very well, can't you tell? I know, I should go with the flow. But, that's just hard for me sometimes. Oh, well. I had plenty of days at the beach to make up for it.

So, on my last day of vacay, I'm at home getting ready for the week ahead. Going to try to squeeze as much out of the precious few hours I have left. Perhaps hit the library and the pool with the kids, then prep for tomorrow's activities: work, camp, daycare.

In the meantime, I need to catch up on all of your wonderful blogs, my friends. Happy Monday - hope you are well!

Vacation and Birthdays

Soaking in our last day at the beach. Also happens to be my birthday - if I have to turn another year older, I'd certainly rather celebrate it here. And, believe it or not, Hubby's birthday is today, too. Yep, we have the same b-day, although, I'm younger. Hee, hee. :)

Have a wonderful weekend, friends. I'll be back at it next week. Just trying to enjoy every precious minute of vacation, as I'm sure everyone can appreciate.

Cheers!

Gone Fishin'

  

Kids, I'm taking a break to unplug and unwind. I'll miss you lots, but will be back to chat soon!
Image from Google



Bourbon Under the Stars

In case you’re already planning ahead for late summer activities (yeah, I know, it’s hard to plan beyond tomorrow, isn’t it?) and if you happen to be close to Bluegrass country at that time, you may want to attend Bourbon Under the Stars.

Tickets to the event, as well as overnight accommodations at one of my favorite boutique hotels, the Gratz Park Inn, are now available on the Rue La La retail site for a limited time, at a discount.

The event includes (details courtesy of Rue La La):

• Two tickets to Bourbon Under the Stars on Saturday, September 10, 2011. The event, held at the L.V. Harkness rooftop garden in downtown Lexington, includes Bourbon cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and music. Alcohol will not be served to participants under the age of 21.

• Two nights in a room at the Gratz Park Inn. Offer is valid for two guests only, September 9 through September 11, 2011.

• A one-year subscription to The Bourbon Review. The magazine is dedicated to all things bourbon – from the perfect cocktail, to bourbon-influenced recipes, to finding the best of the best in Bourbon Country. Your subscription will be sent to the shipping address on your Rue La La account.

• A book signing by Jon Carloftis, award-winning author and Kentucky native, at the event.

• Two welcome gift baskets. Your gifts will be awaiting you at the event, and include local items such as mini bourbon samples, local food, and other special treats.

• Taxes are included.

This is a perfect function for lovers of gardening (Jon Carloftis is the king of landscaping and garden design), bourbon and luxury goods. L.V. Harkness has a gorgeous array of place settings, stemware, equine art and gifts, among many other bright, shiny things.

I’m dying to see their rooftop garden, designed by Jon Carloftis, where the event is taking place.

Seriously, ladies, who wouldn't want to sip bourbon and listen to this man talk about landscaping? I'm not sure if he plays for our team, but gosh darn it, he's pretty.

And, if you are a Bourbon connoisseur, be sure to check out The Bourbon Review, founded by four Kentucky boys. We subscribe and it’s a great publication.

And, friends, thank you for the wonderful ideas for books, music and other items to take on vacation. I can always count on you guys to recommend the best of the best!
Images from girlmeetsfood.com, vanblogspot, L.V. Harkness, Gratz Park Inn, hautemommastuff.com and Rue La La.