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Daytona Beach Weekend

The weekend came early for LB and myself when I was happily able to take half a day off work Friday.  We had originally planned to head to our Daytona Beach destination on Saturday morning, but a last minute decision to add an extra night to this mini-vacation resulted in a drive down on Friday afternoon.  We packed, kissed Elvis goodbye, and headed south.  After only one stop for a Chik-Fil-A diet lemonade, we arrived at the Hampton Inn and began making plans for the evening.

Eventually deciding to stop at Racing’s North Turn, we enjoyed hot wings, salad, and musical entertainment by a group calling themselves “Parallel”

Day 2

Saturday morning began with breakfast at the hotel then picking out a lounge chair by the pool.  The weekly Saturday pool part at Hampton starts at 12:00 with D.J. Drew and his pool party playlist.  The Hampton Inn Daytona Shores Oceanfront is a unique hotel.  The general manager Sandy (shown above in the coral colored dress) has put together a weekly summer pool party including a cookout (all you can eat burgers, hotdogs, chips, and drinks).  At a designated time during the pool party, she has the kitchen and cleaning staff out for introductions and an amusing dance to the song “Hot Hot Hot” by Buster Poindexter.LB and I enjoyed some pool time during our visit.

And he enjoyed trying out the picture taking features on his new phone.

Typically the summer will bring with it afternoon showers.  This Saturday was no exception.  When the wind blew my hat off of my head I decided it was time to pack up and go to the room.But the day was not over.  The summer shower ended and it was time to get ready to go out for the evening.   The Daytona Beach FL Bandshell Live Summer Concert Series hosts tribute bands every Saturday night.  This weekend featured a band called Wholigans.  I probably don’t need to elaborate at this point… just click the link and check out their website.  We enjoyed the show and shared a Mahi-Mahi taco from Sloppy Joe’s, then left the venue to do the unthinkable… walk back to the hotel.

Let me say that again…

WALK back to the hotel

That’s me with my chair in tow, about to complete a 5.5 mile trek back to Hampton Inn.  My take on this:  I have logged MANY miles on the treadmill or through a mall, etc., but walking on the beach is a totally different experience.  My calves are cursing me as I type this post.

The walk back was long, but I’m happy to say we made it.

Along the way we encountered a cookout on the beach (grill and all), a pair of glasses, a cover band, and this sea serpent: someone spent a lot of time on this fella… and I appreciate the effort.  He was pretty cute.

The walk back was moonlit and I am happy to have enjoyed the beautiful night at the ocean shore and conversation with my LB.

He likes to arrange for adventure and fun… and that is typically exactly what we have.

Daytona Beach Weekend Day Three involves shopping and deserves a post all its own.

To Be Continued

Shopping at Target

Thanks to LB, I’ve picked up the habit of reading reviews.

Recently I came across one about Target.  It read, “How can you not love target? It’s totally like the best store to ever exist ever in all of ever.”  (source)

This is sad.  Not the review itself, but the fact that I totally love it.

It never fails that the moment I walk through the doors of a

Target

(store), I see something that I think I can’t live without.  This time it was the little printed blouse pictured below:

However exciting the front of the store may be, I always make my way to the SHOES!

This is my favorite department

Here are some of my favorite Target shoes:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

9 / 10 / 11  / 12

 

“Whoever said money can’t buy happiness, simply didn’t know where to go shopping.” ~Bo Derek

You’re welcome!

July Fourth Fried Chicken

Although it isn’t frequently on the menu at my house,

I Love Fried Chicken!

I know that at least one of my Memas made fried chicken during my lifetime, but I cannot remember witnessing this process first hand.  The Food Network is my go-to place for cooking instruction these days.  Recently I have watched several episodes of chicken frying and have been bitten with the chicken frying bug.  Since allowing myself the experience, I can safely say I have it out of my system.  Here is my attempt at frying chicken:

Because I made the mistake of not purchasing a chicken that was already cut, I began by cutting up this whole chicken. Then seasoned the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and I’ll spare you that horrific photo.  Let me just say that I do not ever want to cut up a whole chicken ever again.

My Recipe

Taking tips from several different Food Network cooks, I began by combining 2 cups of buttermilk with 1/2 cup of Tabasco, a beaten egg, and my chicken pieces.  Apparently the buttermilk mixture is what will tenderize the chicken.  Good to know.  All of this goes into a zip top bag then into the fridge for 2 hours up to overnight.

In my Le Creuset French oven, I added about  2 inches of canola oil (because it has a high smoke point) and heated until it reached 350°F.  I’m learning a lot from the Food Network!Next I mixed together flour, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a large zip top bag to easily coat each chicken piece in the seasoned flour.  It reminded me of Shake and Bake.  Sort of.  Then I placed 3 or 4 pieces of the chicken in the oil (you can’t do more than 3 or 4 at a time without causing the oil temperature to drop) put the lid on, and fried for 5 minutes.Next I removed the lid, turned the chicken, and fried for another 5 minutes.  Then removed the chicken from the oil and placed on a wire rack.Once every piece was fried, I put it into the oven at 375° for 15-20 minutes.  It turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. LB thought so too!

 

 


Enjoying a Little Light Music

Sunday was a lazy day… to start.  A typical Sunday of Breakfast for a King, then treadmill, followed by an hour by the pool… Then LB said, “Do you want to go somewhere?”

Well of course I want to go somewhere.  Who doesn’t want to go somewhere?

LB had a plan.  The Little Light Music Concert Series at the St. Simon’s Island Lighthouse.Every summer from May to September this concert series provides the residents and vacationers of the Golden Isles with a place to picnic from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM while enjoying musical entertainment. (source)

Tickets are $12 for adults and children under 12 are admitted free of charge.  Again… if you plan to attend, bring a picnic as there are no vendors.  People have come to this event prepared… some even bringing furniture resembling small coffee tables to set with picnic treats.  Everyone will be noshing and you WILL be jealous.

Sunday July 2nd featured Still Cruzin’… a band with members who have played with muscians such as James Brown, Percy Sledge, and the Temptations.  They present Motown and R&B hits including “My Girl” and “Crazy Love”.  The Attendees enjoy dancing on the lawn to these hits and others.  It is an entertaining event if you enjoy relaxing outdoors, people watching and even more fun if you like to exhibit your moves on the “dance floor”.

 

 

Reminiscing

Tonight we attended a family gathering in honor of my brother-in-law Stuart.

On June 29th of June he hit the big 5-0 milestone.

Happy Birthday Stuart!

We gathered at my Mama’s house and enjoyed pizza, spaghetti, and, of course, salad.We sang the Happy Birthday song, enjoyed cake and ice cream, and the company of family.  This will be a moment worth reminiscing.

Speaking of reminiscing

…recently my Mama has decorated a bedroom in her house.  She loves chalk paint and has taken a collection of bedroom furniture that was handed down to her from my great-grandmother and transformed it.  During the birthday festivities she looked at me and exclaimed “you haven’t seen my new bedroom!”   Until tonight I had only seen pictures, but now I’ve experienced the new room first hand.

As she showed me around the newly decorated room there were

stories to be told…

When they visited their grandmother, Mama and her siblings used the finials on this bed post to serve as pretend telephones.  Reminiscing about life as a little girl, she described having to reach up to take the finial from the post.

  The portrait on the wall is of my great-grandmother when she was sixteen years old.The bed is decorated with throw pillows, one of which is a portion of the feather pillow that belonged to my great-grandmother.  My extremely talented brother-in-law took the pillow and divided it into smaller pillows for my Mama and each of her siblings to treasure.  Mama has kept hers in the case that is in front on the right.

She spent time telling me about

The Mementos

on the dresser

A little glass shoe that was a gift given to my great-grandmother by my maternal grandfather on the day he joined the military.  It was well taken care of and eventually passed down to Mama.  A box of Coty Airspun loose powder and a bottle of Evening in Paris cologne have a place on my great-grandmother’s dresser as they did when my Mama was a little girl.

And it has an interesting scent.

She has placed a temporary mirror on the beautifully refinished dresser until she completes painting the original dresser mirror.  Her plan is to place it above the singer sewing machine table, that is reminiscent of her grandmother’s.

The tour of the newly decorated bedroom was delightful…

…and the tour guide, even more so

Friday Favorites

What an easy Post… Friday Favorites is a collection of things I’ve enjoyed this week that I want to share with you!  From love notes to delectable dishes, I hope you have experienced some of the same…

Favorite # ONE

Morning love notes written on my breakfast napkin

Life with You is Sweet!
The ONLY ONE for Me is You!
Baby It’s You!
You make Me Smile!
I’m So Glad You came into My Life!

I don’t know if it was breakfast or lunch, but at some point when we came to live together, LB set a table for me and wrote a love note on my napkin.  It made such an impression on me that he hasn’t stopped.  I get a breakfast note every morning and I have been saving them for 5+ years.  Precious.

Favorite # TWO

This Rock-A-Billy Jive Dance by Marty & Miss Dee.   Music by the Cues.

LB and I took a 6 week dance lesson early this year in preparation for the Rock-A-Billy Prom that took place in February (more about this next year).  This couple has inspired me to learn dance more than any I’ve found on YouTube.  If you can find better… I challenge you to submit.

If this doesn’t make you want to get up and dance, I don’t know what will!

Favorite # THREE

Grits

Sunday morning found me out of town and checking out of a hotel room to head for home.  Because the continental breakfast in the hotel was not worth… whatever… LB and I went to the Gypsy Cab Co. for brunch.  If you have never enjoyed an Eggs Benedict Brunch, get out and go enjoy one.  Typically you will have a choice of hash browns or grits for a side.  I do not want to discount the Eggs Benedict in any way whatsoever, but when I dipped into the little bowl filled with grits (plain grits, no cheese) I was taken home.  SO GOOD!  Does anyone else appreciate grits?  You can’t get this from a Quaker packet.  I Declare that my Favorite # Three this week was my Grits Experience.  Yeah.

Favorite # FOUR

I’m going to sound like a PIG after the whole GRITS thing, but… another favorite is the box of Dunkin’ Donuts Munchkins that was presented to my group this week.  I am a perpetual dieter, so bear with me as I ask… WHEN was the last time I had a munchkin????? OR a donut for that matter?

Since life is short, I let myself enjoy several of these little delights this week.  Believe it or not, blueberry, not chocolate, was my favorite.  Thank you for the Munchins.  This girl really enjoyed them!

Image result for dunkin donuts munchkins

Favorite # FIVE

You will be hard pressed to find me not having this little Lovely as one of my Favorites.  Once again, my sweet Mama has captured a moment as she typically does.  This precious little GlamBaby is expressing herself in song.  We have no idea what is the name of this song, but [as my Mama explained] Lydia knows.  Although it is likely the opening song to Peppa Pig or Curious George, I like to think it is her own sweet rendition of “How Great Thou Art”

I haven’t figured out how to properly present this yet… but you must see this little musician in the making…

IMG_8899

 

Click below for the full version

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Happy Friday!

4th of July Fashion

The annual celebration day of America’s Independence

is only a few days away.  Although it doesn’t top the list of holiday fashion days, it’s still an opportunity to dress cute.

There are many red, white, and blue items in my closet.

I’ve chosen some shown below to begin with

 

Each of these outfits can easily be patriotized by adding one of the missing colors (most of my outfits need a splash of red).  To jazz up what I already have on hand,  I need to start shopping.

With a little luck I’ll come out looking patriot-chic.

 

Revolve // Target // World Market

Target // Revolve // Target

Payless // Shein // Target

Revolve // JadeTribe // Target

 

Although you may not have time to shop for the items shown, maybe they will inspire you to find something similar, or perhaps something you have in your own closet.

This iconic All-American day for styling red, white, and blue presents an opportunity to express your patriotism, and look pretty doing it!

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