Details People

The Wine Bottle

You get invited to a friends home for one reason or another. It never fails... should I bring something? Why, it depends. If you are just dropping by to say hello after a busy week at work- I vote no. However, if you have been invited over for a home cooked meal or to celebrate a special occasion of any sort- most obviously yes.

A bottle of wine. This is a fool proof sign of appreciation and love. I am constantly keeping my eyes open for a good sale on a great bottle of wine. Recently, Skinny Girl went on sale for 1/2 off normal price! Total steal at $7 a bottle instead of the usual $14. Needless to say I yanked a couple of those bottles right off the shelf!

Option 1. Thrust said wine bottle into your friend/host's hand upon arrival at their front door. PLEASE DON'T. Please have a little more tact than that. Pretty please. Think about the reason you are showing up at his or her front door to begin with. Bachelorette party? Bridal shower? Holiday get-together? 

Oh ok, it's a holiday party. Great! Find a cute little ornament to slip around the neck of the wine bottle. Top it off with a bit of ribbon and voila- it looks like you care. Which is a good thing considering you are friends and should care in the first place! 

So it's a hostess gift. No need to go nuts here. Recently I was out and about when I stumbled into this supper cute jute bag at Trader Joes for a $1.60. What a great bargan!! And again, it looks like you actually care.

Have a bachelorette party on your hands? Well then! Let the fun begin! And we all know that the giving of panties and the giving of alcohol is standard at these events. Why not combine the two and throw in some red lipstick or OPI?. And yes, there is a classy way to do this ladies.

The Gift Basket

A bottle of wine is not your only foolproof sign of love and appreciation! Gift baskets are also a great go to.

Option 1. Go to convenience store and purchase pre-made basket of goodies. Show up and hand off basket. Can we get any more impersonal? NOPE. That just about does it. Again, take a moment to think, "Why am I doing this in the first place?". Then, let it evolve from there.

Staying with a friend you haven't seen in a few months? Chances are you want to show up with a little somethin' somethin' meaningful. Try to keep your eyes peeled for creative packaging. Take a walk around Target or your local craft store. The options are truly endless! 

My husband and I are recently headed up to Atlanta to stay with some dear friends for New Years. They loved the gift basket we brought so I though I would share! 

Amazing what you can find for a dollar! This linen and flower clip were just one buck each.

Crackers for $2.50 a box at Trader Joes. The Jalepeno raspberry jam was from Sweet Grass Dairy - a splurge at $10 - but worth every penny.

Found this cute jar and spoon set for $3 at Hobby Lobby and filled it with a homemade wine spice.

The finished product! All set and ready to give! 

I hope you find these suggestions helpful as you prepare for your next round of get-togethers! Whenever they may be! Just remember, a little bit of thought goes a long way in making an extra great impression. 

Finding Myself Lakeside

Setting the stage - Tallahassee, Florida 

In 2001 I was thirteen years old and starting ninth grade. Rough year period. It got even rougher when my dad announced that we would be moving from our South Florida home to Tallahassee. Where? Do people even live up there? Just look at this picture! It's all trees! No, it wasn't a dream- it was real life slapping me in my teenage face. 

We moved. I hated life. I grew up, grew used to it, and moved to Orlando the moment I graduated high school. Never to return... or so I thought. After graduating college in 2010 and immediately facing unemployment, I found myself right back in Tallahassee and moved back in with my parents. The end of the world round two. Then a funny thing happened. I landed a job, got engaged, made friends, and started to learn more about this town I found myself living in for the second time in life. After we got married, my husband (also from South Florida) and I decided to stay and make Tallahassee our first home. To be honest, we were both a little overwhelmed. This city, or town I should say, had not ever been our first choice. Regardless of our personal feelings it was the place we both felt God had picked for us and the beginning of our marriage. 

And Then

Slowly but surely, we grew to like Tallahassee. We started trying new restaurants, visiting local parks, and taking day trips to nearby cities like Havana and Quincy. In all of our adventuring there was one place we always found ourselves coming back to, Lake Ella - right in the center of Tallahassee herself.

If you are from Tallahassee you may already have a personal opinion about this neck-of-the-woods. If that opinion was formed more than a year or two ago you need to seriously consider a revisit on a late Saturday morning or early afternoon. I promise your mind will be BLOWN. 

If you are not from Tallahassee keep this post in mind if you ever decide to come visit. You will regret passing her up, I promise!


The Lake

In all of her glory Ella sits right in the center of Tallahassee off of Monroe Street, a main road here in town.

She is surrounded on one side by small business cottages that sell goods and services ranging from clothing and stained glass to food and coffee. When I am in need of a little RNR- especially now since my husband is always  busy studying- I like to start off Saturday morning by going to my all time favorite coffee shop, Black Dog Cafe.

After finish my pairing of a ham and cheese pastry with a cafe mocha I normally head over to Quarter Moon to get my home goods-jewelry-clothing fix.

And because I can never get enough antiquing/vintaging I normally find myself popping over to Chandler Market to check out a nice selection of clip-on earnings, old shutters, and quaint cocktail glasses.

Peanut brittle? Home made ice cream? Fudge? MMMM, yes please! And when I get in this mood I find myself inside Barb's. No better place in town to get some good Southern comfort.

After my coffee and shopping, a lap or two around the lake is normally in store. Let's be clear, by lap I mean a walking-lap not a running-lap. A few years ago the pathway around Ella was paved and new park benches and tables were installed making this lapping very user friendly! More recently a few adorable wooden porch swings have been erected and taking a walk around the lake became that much more romantic! Ah, the romance!

Writing this blurb about my favorite spot in town has given me a new idea for this blog of mine. Reviews. Review of place and spaces! I am truly excited to share my love and passion for the good in life.