The Friday Files

Hello, dear friends.  I hope you had a great week.  My thoughts are with my buddies in my old hometown, McKinney, TX which got slammed with a horrible hail storm.  Lots of people have posted their damage on facebook, and I was happy to hear that no one got seriously hurt.

Here's is a sampling of what has come across my radar this week.

Are you looking for a summer home in the Hamptons?  

Take a tour of this beauty.

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If that last house just didn't do the trick for you and you're seeking more privacy, you can always buy an island.

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Here's an article on the hottest new trend in luxury homes.

I can use one of these when the Mister snores.

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Do you want some easy, inexpensive ways to update your kitchen?

Joanna Gaines has got them.

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Speaking of kitchens, Nora Murphy's Kitchen Issue is out, and it is pure eye candy.   

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More Spring table setting ideas can be found here.

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Need some ideas for Easter appetizers?

I found 25 right here.

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Speaking of Easter, how cute is this Easter dress?

Reese Witherspoon founded Draper James, and they have some very cute, flattering dresses and skirts perfect for the Spring.

Btw... are you watching Big Little Lies?

I'm glued. 

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Need an all-in-one monogrammed Easter basket?

This site has some cute ones.

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Mark & Graham is having a big sale on Easter accessories. 

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Would you like to be happier with your life?

Here are some habits that will improve your mood according to psychologists.  

I'm trying four of them.  

Any more and the Mister wouldn't be able to take it.  

I would be perfect.

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Attention: Bloggers!

Here is a list of 8 common Blogging Mistakes.

And I'm making most of them.

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How would you like to win an all expense paid seven-day luxury cruise for you and three of your friends?  If you can post a photo on Instagram, you are eligible.  
I'll give you the details as long as you include me as one of your friends.

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I love the train.  

This sounds like such a fabulous vacation.

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I thought this article was interesting and forwarded it to my girls.  It details 12 important career lessons that many professionals felt they learned too late. 

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Do you have trouble getting to sleep at night?
No need to hire contractors to start building that second master suite!  

I have been trying this technique for over a month now, and it has worked for me.

Warning:  do not attempt while driving!

Until next time...

This is an example of using Dr. Weil's technique in the wrong place.

A Beauty of a Hodgepodge

Hello, dear friends.  I hope that you are having a great week.  I'm unpacked and laundry is done.  Last night,  I went to a fun book signing and supper at one of my favorite book stores.  I took lots of pics and look forward to sharing them with you at a later date.

If it's Wednesday, it's time for Hodgepodge.

  

1.  'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.'  What's something you've seen recently that you thought was beautiful?

Although I am a Nervous Nellie when it comes to flying, I do appreciate the beauty when I am in the air.

2.  Our culture and beauty... your thoughts?

3.  Age before beauty, beauty queen, beauty mark, beauty sleep... which beauty-full phrase resonates with you today?  Why.

I think I need 10.

4.  I read here a list of the top ten beasts animals that scare us the most - alligators, coyotes, black bears, birds (pigeons in particular), sharks, bats, bed bugs, rats, rattlesnakes, and the black widow spider.

Which beast scares you the most?  What is the likelihood of you having an actual encounter with that particular beast?  Did a movie contribute to your fear of the creature?  Have you ever had a real life encounter with any of the animals listed?

When the girls were young, we lived in Boca Rotan, Florida.  Alligators are a fairly common site.  The girls were terrified of them and would have frequent nightmares.  The Mister and I finally came up with the idea of telling them that alligators cannot walk on carpeting.  It worked.  They never had another nightmare.

That year, the Easter Bunny brought them a play house.

The Mister and I referred to it as their safe house.

5.  Where were you when you last heard a bell ring?  
Was it alarming or musical?

I was shopping a couple of weeks ago, and I kept hearing a bell ring.  It turned out to be a woman's ringtone.  Finally, she answered it and proceeded to carry on in a tone that was loud enough to carry across to the other side of the store.  Her fellow shoppers (including me) rolled their eyes and gave her dirty looks.  She didn't get it.

This is my pet peeve of the week. 

6.  What's your favorite carb?  How's that for random?

I've never met a carb that I didn't like.

7.  Let's wrap up another month of Hodgepodge and life with an acrostic.  Recap your month using the word MARCH.

Magnificent time

Atlanta

Roadtrip

North Carolina

In search of #2's new Home

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

   

The best part of coming home is seeing these two.

And the Mister, too.

What's your pet peeve of the week?

Until next time...

Helloooooo Hot-lanta!

Hello, dear friends.  I hope that you enjoyed your weekend.  Mine was a whirlwind.  I flew to North Carolina and drove with my #2 to Atlanta to search for her new home.  

The Mister and I used to say that there was no tired like Disney tired.  I just found something that comes close.  Apartment hunting tired.

I fell in love twice this weekend.  The first love I found had wings and is otherwise known as Jet Blue.  What a great airline!  A fabulous staff, free WIFI, adult-sized snacks, water bottles and TVs at every seat!  It was the first time ever that I wished that my flight was a wee bit longer.

The Mister drove me to the airport in time for me to make my 6 AM flight on Friday morning.  All went smoothly, my flight was on time, and my #2 greeted me at the airport and whisked me off for the 6-hour drive to Atlanta.

We arrived about 2:30 and we managed to see three properties in Buckhead, where we were staying.  Out of the three, there wasn't a dud in the bunch. 

I think that I shared with you that my #2 is a health food nut, otherwise known as a raw vegan.  She also loves food.  Almost as much as her Dad does.  Her friends in NC who are natives of Atlanta told her she had to go to True Food Kitchen to have dinner.  They told her that she would love it.  They were right.

   We lucked out because it was located across the street from our hotel.  She was excited to try the food.  All I required was a decent wine list.  We liked it so much that we went there both nights.

The weather was lovely so we sat outside on the patio.   That is when I fell in love for the second time.  The object of my affection is the city of Atlanta.  My #2 looked at three areas to live:  Buckhead, Midtown, and Virginia-Highlands.  All held it's own unique charm and personality.  

We ordered a crudite as an appetizer. 

It was so pretty, I couldn't help but take this pic.

I felt healthier after my first bite.  

The next day we started early.  My girl researched restaurants for breakfast, and we arrived a few minutes early at the chosen one.  To my #2's delight,  she spied a farmer's market across the street.  Some young ladies love shoe or cosmetic stores, my girl fantasizes about farmer's markets.

It was hard to pull her away.

We walked across the street to our breakfast destination in Virginia-Highlands.  

We chatted it up with darling Candace, who is the owner of Kale Me Crazy.  You can tell she has a passion for healthy eating and is well-versed in nutrition. The restaurant is bright and spotlessly clean. 

By the way, for all my NC friends out there, Candace is a proud Tar Heel.

My girl ordered the best smoothy she has ever tasted.  And I feasted on this bowl of healthy nutrition which was really good.
I have a feeling my girl will be spending a lot of time there.

We began the day's search for my #2's new home-away-from-home and ended up hitting eight more apartment complexes.

We toured many gyms.  My girl's first two priorities on her list were a good sized kitchen with storage and a well-equipped gym.

My top three concerns were:  safety, safety, and safety.

We saw a plethora of pools on our tours.

And some breathtaking views.

Great looking model apartments.

And lots of brand new sparkling kitchens.

We met many shapes, sizes, and personalities when it came to sales people.  There were some outgoing ones, one that kept looking at her imaginary watch on her wrist, an Oprah Superfan, and one young lady who should have been in the hospital for pneumonia.  Our favorite, though, was a lady teetering on her 6-inch heels (above), who was kind enough to share her life story with us.  Evidently, her boyfriend left her and moved to Vegas, and she was temporarily living in her car because she had a fight with her narcissistic mother.

My #2 and I kept looking around waiting for Ashton Kutcher to pop out and tell us that we were being punked.
Never happened.

At the day's end, my girl signed a lease on a brand new apartment loaded with a bright white kitchen, a phenomenal gym, and security that would rival the Trumps.

Mission accomplished  

We hopped into the car early Sunday morning, and Miss Daisy and I arrived at the airport just in time to head back home.

What else could a girl ask for?

I got to spend time with one of my two favorite daughters, and I fell in love twice in one weekend.

Until next time...

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