A Movie, a Seat, and My Fear of Flying

Since I was a child I have always had a fear of flying.  It continued until I was in my mid 30's.  It happened so quickly, I did not realize it even occurred for about an hour into the flight.  The cure, you ask?  The remedy did not involve valium, hypnosis, or behavior modification.  It was First Class. 

The Mister surprised me on a trip to Hawaii and had us upgraded to first class.  I sat my big rear-end in that beautiful over-sized leather chair, with champagne in hand and realized that my fear was not of flying but of coach class!  Bring on the thunderstorms and the turbulence!!  Nothing would scare me now. Believe it or not, this does eventually tie in with my movie review. 

   

Not me but wish it was.  So does the Mister.

Anyway, the temps in the Dallas area this weekend have been brutal. The Mister took Friday off and for some reason felt it was his turn AGAIN to pick out a movie.  I was not surprised by the one he chose.  But to soften the blow he made reservations at our iPics theatre.

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of viewing a movie at iPics, you are missing out on the ultimate cinema experience.  As you enter the theater, you are escorted to your huge lazy boy that is large enough to hold Honey Boo Boo and Mama June in one seat!  You are waited on by a staff that puts the waitstaff at Disney to shame.  And the food...a delectable selection of appetizers, paninis, salads, and so much more.  Oh... and the best part... a full bar.  Yup, you heard me -  a full bar at your disposal.  

Not us... but wish it was.  At least I felt like them in those comfy chairs.

Not my lunch but pretty close.

I dined on the most delicious chicken lemon satay and the Mister feasted on the beef satay.  He ordered the pretzel sticks that were served warm and with real butter.  It was the most delicious lunch. Worth every darn calorie.

Oh yeah, the movie.  We went to see this.

Anybody shocked?  I didn't think so.  The plot is loosely based on a Butch Cassidy/Sundance Kid theme.  Lots of shooting and chasing.  I will say that I think Marky-Mark and Denzel created great chemistry.

And this, dear friends is where my fear of flying story comes in.  Turbulence in a first class seat is no longer my cryptonite.  

And the same goes for a first class seat in a posh movie theater.  If I had watched this movie in a regular movie cinema, I would probably rate it a C-.  But viewing this film of ear-shattering gun fights and car chases that actually made me dizzy, it wasn't so bad.  In the comforts of my lazy boy, with my satay sauce dribbled on my chin, I give it a B.

Hope your day is first class!

This is not the Mister altho sometimes I wish it was.

The Ace of Spades

Last weekend, the Mister, #2, and I found ourselves at the mall.  When you live in Texas in the summer, there's not a lot to do to escape the blistering temperatures besides staying home in your cool house, going to the mall, or finding a good movie.  #2 voted for the mall.  Shocker!

   

One of my favorite stores in Northpark is Kate Spade.  The first thing I laid my eyes on when I walked through the door were these shoes.  I'm not a "shoe person," but it was love at first sight!

Hellooooo Taxi!!  Do you have room for two chubby feet and one clingy bunion?!?

Love the summer colors of these!  Reminds me of watermelon.

And these are to die for!  Not only do I love the black patent leather, but if they were mine, I would call them my Krispy Kremes!

Wowzaa!!!  It's been 30 years a short while since I have worn heels this high, but I would be willing to take the plunge literally for these beauties.

Love the bows on the back!

Love these hot pink beauties, but they look a little narrow for my chubby feet. 

A purse as well as a nutritional snack.  Only Kate Spade would think of that!

Wish I had this bag when the girls were little.  If I had a dime for every time I said this phrase, I could afford to buy all pretty shoes  and get bunion surgery!

Hope you're having a great day!

Hostess Gifts Under Fifty Bucks

Summer and entertaining go hand-in-hand.  Have you ever been invited to dinner or, even better, the weekend and you want to bring something besides a bottle of vino?  Now don't get me wrong... I'm not knocking vino - it's my favorite food group.

Here are a few ideas for hostess gifts.  The best part... they're all under 50 buckeroos.

William Sonoma

I bought this soap/lotion combo for myself and I love them.  I then bought another set for the guest bath.  One of my guests commented that she loved them.  So I bought them for her the next time I was invited to her home.   

William Sonoma

The packaging is well done and everybody can use some extra mixers and salsa. You will sure to be invited back if you include a bottle of tequila!

 William Sonoma

Set includes 2 types of caramel corn, caramel sauce, and a box of caramels.  YUM!

Pottery Barn

I love to give unique salt and pepper shakers. And everybody can use an extra set.

Pottery Barn

Great accessory with your favorite bottle of wine.

Pottery Barn

Love this graceful decanter.

Crate & Barrell

For the foodie host, a variety of olive oil is always appreciated.  At least in my house it is.

C&B Gatsby Pitcher

Love this pitcher.  Whenever I give a pitcher as a gift, I fill it with fresh flowers.  

C&B Gatsby Ice Cooler

This would be great to fill with bags of snacks or, if you don't have a long drive, some beers on ice.  Just make sure they're all there when you arrive!

Pete the Pizza Cutter
Uncommon Goods

Who doesn't need a cute pizza cutter?  

Pier 1
If you are a weekend guest at a lake house it would be cute to fill one of these with detergent pods. Think of all the beach towels the hostess has to wash!   If not, candy or puppy chow (for people) or dog biscuits for the resident fur baby.

Pier 1

This is darling - recipes written right on the cocktail shaker.

Target
A new barbecue set is always a nice gift.

Target
For a weekend stay, this would be cute filled with beach towels.  They are dirt cheap this time of summer.




And if all else fails:

This next

A nice doormat.  You do, however, take the chance of  your host showing you the door sooner than you thought.


Would love to hear your suggestions for unique hostess gifts!!  I promise to give you all the credit!