Water Hauler

I really love my Tervis water “tank.”

I drink a lot of water. All night long. All day at work. In the car. To and fro.

I’ve always loved Tervis products, and the water bottle is no exception!

Amazing Weekend

• I scheduled dinner for us at Porter’s Steakhouse in Chattanooga on Friday night. He had 12 oz. Pepperloin and Mashers. I don’t eat steak, and I probably would have traded plates with him. I had salmon, rice, and asparagus for my entree and crab cakes with fresh corn remoulade for appetizer. VERY good meal!
• We had a terrible night at the Hampton Inn. The air was blowing but didn’t cool, and it was 90 outside. Boo!
• After a quick breakfast, we struck out for Atlanta. We had lunch at Lenox Square Grill and shopped a little at Lenox Square Mall. Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters were my main stops. Cornbread at the Grill was to die for! I’ll be trying to replicate that soon. My Chef Salad left much to be desired.

Image from http://dfwhappenings.com

• Cirque du Soleil – Dralion was wonderful. Loved the silks, juggler, acrobats, trampolines, flippers, and and and. It was a beautiful and amazing show! The comedians were quite good, too.
• After the show, we checked into our relaxing B&B, Stonehurst Place. It’s very green and very comfy. It was a great surprise to be staying somewhere so nice and cozy!
• The house has been impeccably renovated. It’s a 19th century Southern mansion, and the decor is neutral and modern and traditional and lovely. There were orchids everywhere, and a beautiful art collection graced the walls. It was an attraction in itself.

For you, Mom Ary

• We had a newly updated bathroom with beautiful tile work and a neat shower. The bathroom might have been my favorite part. There were cozy bath robes, and the all-natural shampoos and soaps smelled wonderful. The bed was out of this world – 1200 thread count sheets and a custom mattress. We were very pampered.

This is a photo from our room's twin. I wanted to show how beautiful the neutral but glam bedding was.

• Dinner at Pasta da Pulcinella…I had scallops and risotto with tomatoes, capers, and fresh mozzarella with caprese for appetizer. Mr. J had chicken gnocchi with garlic cream sauce. We both loved our meals, and I would highly recommend this restaurant!
• We enjoyed wine and chocolate cake from the restaurant on the front porch of the B&B. How divine!
• Breakfast was delicious…to drink – water with lemon, juice of choice, coffee…to start – blueberry scone and grapes sprinkled with sugar…the main attraction – lightly sweetened souffle with fresh berries and whipped cream. I wish I could make this at home. Rebecca (our innkeeper), can I have the recipe please?
• After checkout, we went to the World of Coke. It was very fun and happy. It was a great experience. We received complimentary bottles of Coke at the museum.

Image from http://www.disneymike.com

• We had lunch at The Varsity. We’ve seen it on Food Network. They’re celebrating their 80th anniversary this year. I had a chili dog with mustard and onion rings, and Mr. J had a chili burger and fries. He didn’t like it as much as me. I LOVED it!
• On the way home, we hit the Smoke House in Monteagle. We had fried pies with homemade vanilla ice cream on top. Mr. J had chocolate, and I had peach. I don’t think I need to tell you how delicious that was. We both had a bottle of Dr. Pepper. They had a fun little General Store to look around in, too!
• It was a wonderful weekend! We made tons of great memories!

Blogroll Update

I originally shared some of my favorite blogs when I first set up Notes from Betty Becca, but I’ve found some new ones to follow. I’ve really been enjoying them, and I wanted to do an update to my list so you can enjoy them, too.

[Shelter]

Hands down, top of the list of my new favorites is Bower Power.

I feel like Katie is a friend. Her little boy is adorable, and I’m glued to her house update projects. She has a gorgeous “forever house” that she’s working on. This blog makes me want to drive down to Atlanta to do some shopping at Goodwill and Ikea (you never know what a little TLC can do!), or grab a couple of brushes and a roller and help paint poor little Will’s nursery walls. Could he be any cuter?

Bonus: She’s friends with Sherry of Young House Love…which I’ve kept an eye on for a while. You know about them don’t you? They post a little too often for me to keep up with in my reader, but I do check in with them every now and again. Also some good stuff.

Shelter – Nashville Favorite

Ok, so I know this blogger IRL (in real life – we shared a locker in high school). I’m really digging Sarah’s blog. She has the process blogs DOWN. The Redheaded Stepchild posts “everyone can do it” tutorials on home improvement (building, installing, sewing, painting, etc.). Kind of what I’m going for around here…just in the kitchen.

[Entertaining]

Oh Happy Day! has some great ideas! I especially loved this idea from Jordan in her debut on Simply Stated/Real Simple. She features really inspiring party ideas. Also…a minor little detail…she and her family are spending a year in PARIS! How amazing is that? The little glimpses of every day life abroad make me feel like I’m there.

Another great site for entertaining ideas is A Subtle Revelry. Just lovely!

This one isn’t about entertaining, but it is entertaining. I’ve mentioned it before, but I can’t help but love My Drunk Kitchen. I’m dying for one of her shirts or aprons.

Entertaining – Nashville Favorite

Pizzazzarie posts some of the cutest stuff, and I’m so proud that the magic happens right in my little town!

[Food]

Bakerella…oh how I love thee. I’ve featured her before. Her stuff is amazing. She’s amazing. How cute are her little kidney cake pops to celebrate the success of her recent transplant!?!? [I'm a nerd.]

Food – Nashville Favorites

Who new Nashville had such a burgeoning food blogging community!? I just love finding a local jewel.

Ezra Pound Cake…wow, where do I start? I love the Meatless Monday meals, the menus inspired by favorite TV series and movies, and Southern goodness with a modern twist. Oh, AND she’s pretty darn funny!

I’ve been so pleased to find my neighbor-blogger, Grisma from Zaika Zabardast. She takes beautiful pictures and has great styling. I’m so intrigued by her delicious dishes. Check it out!

Our local food styling guru has a wonderful blog called Food on Fifth. I love the way she composes photos, the inspired food she creates, and the words she uses to bring recipes to life.

[And]

Special props to my new friend, Marie. So nice to meet you!

Go! Go! GO! Check ‘em out, and give ‘em some love!