Oh for the love of the Hotel Gods....who took away the continental breakfast?

With TGs husbands recent deployment(God keep him safe)she has decided to come back to the Hoosier state for the duration. Since she's coming here from...where?...oh that's right Hawaii I only feel slightly sorry for her ladies and gents because it's a whopping 43 degrees here right now and my recently Floridian self is about to curl into my mink and hibernate for the winter while her Hawaiian self is coming here on purpose.

Any who we decided to have a few ladies weekends out in true southern bombshell style. I'm talkin 5 Diamond rated hotels and football games girls! The only things that really matter....I'm just kidding...really....about the hotels that is.

So here is my thing about hotels. I'm a picky picky priss when it comes to staying in a bed other then my own(my own is perfect dontcha know). TG is in a realm far far beyond picky. Since she is the ultimate online bidder on those travel sites she can afford to be that way. She saved something crazy like 68% on our hotel stays while we were there. A real southern bombshell knows how to get the Caddy for the price of the Pinto if you know what I mean and TG has made an art of the bargain! Me being the granddaughter of the crazy southern gran has stayed in her share of Super Hell's and Motel 666's during the long treks between Indiana and Alabama so while I love those fancy places I can make the best of the dive(easily snuck into pools for example). Also being a budgeting kind of gal I expect a lot for my hard earned(or gifted) cash. I still want the Louis Vuitton but I'm going to buy it pre-loved and save a fortune plus the added benefit of not looking like nouveau riche otherwise known as the neeavah reeech...until now that is. So back to hotels as far as they go I am just dying to know why the majority of the very fancy and very pricy hotels we stayed at offered no Continental breakfast. Call me cheap if you must but at $300+ per night I think we have payed for some reconstituted eggs and do it yourself Belgian waffles with the occasional mushy banana thrown in. I mean really if the Holiday Inn Express/Hampton/Baymont clan can throw it in why can't the others?

Now the following Inn was the exception. If you ever go to Charleston you MUST stay at the Vendue Inn. Bid on it, sell your first born if you have too then relish every second of your stay because it is A-mazing. If you are into the super modern, sharp angled kinda place you might overlook the provincial appearance of this genteel establishment but if you are a southern gal...this is the next best thing to the plantation. I am talking about first rate service where they say "miss/madam" and don't do the tres tacky calling of the guest by their first name thing. Daily turn down service(Charleston Chew on your pillow anyone), wine and Hors d'oeuvre cocktail hour, and cookies and milk before bed. Not to mention the icing on the cake *complementary* made to order hot breakfast. Prices range from $175-$355, with the master bidder we paid around $190 a night for the $325 suite. They have cute little bellboys in cute little outfits. They park your car and bring it around for you when you need it. When you bring back that 32 inch pizza from Giovanni's at 3am they will wrap it and put it in the fridge for you. The single not so fun thing was the lack of a pool and seeing as you are only 20 min from the ocean I quickly got over this fact. Also there was a rooftop bar...I'm just saying us gals love our cocktails. This is also a historic building and they give you a very nice and perfectly short(unlike this post) tour and history of the building when you check in. I am a bad phone photo operator so this is just a taste please go see their website for real adult photos.

Oh yes those are the magical 70% down 30% feather pillows,and my oh my yes that is a real antique four poster canopy bed. The only reproductions were the dressers.

The bathroom was nothing to sneeze at either. Real oil painting on the wall, modern fixtures(rain head shower) and luxury toiletries. Fantastic robes if you forget yours.

We stopped and ate at the required slider hot spot White Castle..it's not Krystal's or Powers if your from the Fort Wayne area but it's still dang good.

Next it was time to check in at the Omni Severin in Indianapolis. This was a very nice hotel. We stayed at it for the close proximity to the stadium but honestly for $350 a night I would have rather stayed at the Hilton or the Ramada, walked an extra block and enjoyed the extra amenities because unfortunately the Omni offers very few. It's $27+ to park your car there per day(and no there is not other parking..it's parking garages only downtown) No breakfast....or candies....but they do have apples in the lobby...I'm not sure if they are available to be eaten but seeing as how the snickers in the room was $6 I'm sure they "will be billed to your room upon checkout". The in room coffee was Wolfgang Pucks...or Wolfgang Yucks as I will now call it. Give me Starbucks or Folgers or Cafe du Monde anything but this acidic sludge. The old, not quaint, old pool closes at 10pm or earlier if they feel like locking the door.

Pretty room though. Nice bedding, decent toiletries(surprisingly refreshed daily) and fantastic view from our room. My favorite thing about this hotel was the staff. All smiley and happy and helpful. No attitudes here and even the maids were friendly and great.

This was another of my favorite features of this hotel, what a beautiful chandelier...I just adore a good chandelier and nice drapes.

So if you keep up with Yankee teams then you know the Colts lost by a smidge to those wily steelers. It was heartbreaking with the season they have been having but I'm betting they are going to whip Tampa hind end next week. They had the National Guard and volunteers unroll this field sized flag during the national anthem when the girl sang "Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave" they made it wave. I was close to tears.

On the way back we did the necessary big chicken thing. Really...it's mandatory, if you drive back from Indy you simply must pull over and take a picture with the big chicken. If you don't do it your car will pull itself over to it like some kind of strange magnetic field.

Umm I'm wondering why my jeans look acid washed because I'm pretty sure I have never owned acid washed anything(excluding my throat after that Wolfgang yucky)

Just another magic Monday

I have so many things to do today that I just don't know where to start. I did some major slacking over the weekend and didn't get a thing done. This morning I have an interview for a part time receptionist position(crossing my fingers..it's at a BMW dealership). So naturally that means manicure, hair setting, and picking out the perfect outfit. I'm thinking my mint green cashmere short sleeve sweater with my black Tahari skirt. Then the usual pearls and diamond studs. Then after the interview it's back to the so very unglamorous tasks of house cleaning and dinner fixing. I believe we are going to have pinto beans and rice with the leftover ham from the other night. It's been kind of a ham-o-rama around here lately. When I make a roast of some sort I try my best to use every bit of it. For breakfast I used a bit of the chopped ham for grits. I added cheese, ham, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and a bit of butter.

With that I had my usual coffee.

Just another sleepless night

So I'm sitting here, still awake at....well I won't mention what hour.... watching Jimmy Carter quotes on youtube. On the sidebar there are all kinds of videos of people booing our president and his wife. Now let me preface this by saying I am not an Obama supporter. I realize that he walked into a mess and it would be unrealistic of us to expect him to snap his fingers and have it all fixed, buuutttt I also think that a lot of his campaigning was focused on him dangling things in front of us that we were never going to have. At least not during his term in office. I was also highly offended by the Obamas stating that they lived in a "small bungalow" in Chicago, when it's really a three story traditional home. Anyone who's ever tried to purchase or rent decent real estate in Chicago knows there is no such thing as a multistory bungalow. Any who, I watched a few of these and am just shocked beyond words. In one case Obama is talking about a lady with breast cancer and her horrible insurance situation and some boy(really an apx 28 year old) has the nerve to start trying to boo and shout over the president! I mean really! If you don't like the president that's all well and fine but how about you show a little basic decency and respect for the seriousness of the conversation. Last time I checked this was not an open floor debate for you personal thoughts.(hello that's what blogging is for..duh) Not to mention why are you somewhere Obama is speaking if you don't care to hear what he has to say? Didn't his mama teach him THE RULE? You know..if you don't have anything nice to say then keep your mouth shut!(usually delivered with a firm tap on the behind)


See I'm thinking back to the time I was at a circus and this kid behind me had this big plastic sword. He kept wackin me in the back of the head with it(he should have been wackin his mama.....I bet she would have put an end to it then). Now I'm wishin I would have been seated behind this loud mouth with said sword. I think he needs a few wacks..you know just to remind him of his manners.


The other video that floored me was when Mrs.Obama was at some sporting event and when she was introduced an entire section of the stadium booed. WHAT IS THAT? Who boos a lady in public? I might not like their politics but I appreciate the fact that Mrs.Obama is always appropriate. In this age of pantie-less displays and out right vulgarity I appreciate some lady like mannerisms. Who are these people acting like heathens in public and why did nobody ever teach them how to act?


I have said it before and I will continue to say it. As a parent your job is to make your child into a productive, well adjusted, successful adult. It is possible to have a good relationship with your child without being "best friends forever". My mama frequently tells me that I'm going to be a "mean mommy" because of my lack of tolerance for certain things. Like bad manners, there is simply no excuse because good manners are taught and learned not some genetic mutation. School is going to be another sticking point for me. If I am willing to sit down with you and help you and work with you then you sure as all get out better be willing to put in an equal amount of effort. I know that my future children won't always be perfect but they will only know what you teach them and what they glean from the outside world. The parents are the only defense and stable building blocks they have and if you are going to have the kids then it's your responsibility to do right by them.



Ok stepping off my soap box and going to bed now....nighty night!

Time to start building

Today I am a bit of a blogging fiend. I have been away for some time and have just recently re-devoted myself to this. There is a new look that's still under construction but it's making headway.

With my recent unintentional relocation I have decided that it is time to "get things in line"....I can be heard saying this at least 10 times an hour(please pray for my mama, sis, and beau). My extreme personality lends itself to either full devotion to one thing until it's finished or to completely ignore the offending issue. I am one of those people that just can't "let things go". This is good and bad. I get stuff done, but others usually don't enjoy it while it's happening. I have three main issues that I am tackling right now. First after finding out about my sisters dismal grades from last year(hello....who fails phys ed?) I have been like a dog with a bone about her school work. My mother has had a nasty couple of years and she has just not been in a place where she is able to deal with this. I was no prize in high school and I just don't think she can face another surly teen. It's easier for her to just ignore it(wonder who I get that mindset from). I however am ready to wage war on this school work thing. You can imagine how happy my sis is to find me hovering over her demanding to see school work done before anything fun starts happening. While I may be driving her slowly insane I can see the pride she feels when the teacher brings her project up as a good example or she gets a great grade on something. We won't talk about the look on her face when I decided to go to open house and sign up for the PTO. I'm sure you can imagine.


The other thing that's been prayin' on my mind is the fact that while we have lived in this house for the last 9 years we never really "moved in". We have yet to finish painting a single room or to even try to decorate something. At first it was because we were always two months from moving again, then it was just pure lazy. I have slowly started to remedy this.

Behold the first finished bit of the house. The living room fire place. The back wall is library green and the other items are things I've found here and there. The vase was my Grandmothers, the roses were one of the first gifts from my beau. The only thing that's not right is the carpet. That's the last thing on my list because unfortunately that hideous rose color is through the entire house and all the flooring needs to be replaced. We won't talk about the commercial grade tile in the kitchen(how embarrassing to have your kitchen tile match the tile in your school..ick ick)I'm also not in love with that chair.

Up next we have the almost finished powder room. This terracotta color is one of the few ones that my mother and I both adore. It's a great earthy color that's not too dark. The frame on the back wall has been in my fathers family since the 1800's and it's filled with this lovely bubbly leaded glass. The pics on the opposite wall are some my neighbors from Florida gave me. I don't love them but they match the wall color so perfectly. The only thing I hate about this room is the vanity mirror. The same person who picked the carpet decided to put tacky etched mirrors in every bathroom. I'm hoping to find something chunky in natural wood with antique mirror in it. You know the kind with the worn silver on the edges.

I am so proud of re-purposing this curtain. I found it balled up in one of my unorganized auction boxes and did a bit of sewing to make it fit.

I am trying to get every room organized and set up, then I will go back and paint. My bedroom is done in pinks, greens, and blues with a lot of vintage botanical prints. I am slightly addicted to florals and stripes. The guest room is going to be pale blue and brown with a grey/lavender accent. The upstairs bath in hopefully a light Tiffany blue and white with black deco accents. I am hoping for a pale butter yellow for the kitchen and the same for the front office(previously the dinning room), and a slightly more beige version for the hallways. The only one I don't know about yet is the laundry room. To go happy and bright or to just meld with the hallway. Hopefully this will all look eclectic and decorated and not just like a hot mess.

The third and final thing on my to do list is to get this Ebay business started. I have slowly but surely been colletion inventory but we haven't gotten much of it listed yet. We have been slacking and hopefully will fix that in the near future.


Wish me luck!

The best easy chilli recipe ever!

If you are anything like me you probably have those two or three really phenomenal chilli recipes in your recipe box. However if they are anything like mine they are sure to require plenty of time in a pot or a slow cooker. Sometimes we like it slow cooked and sometimes we just want it fast. For those times when you just need to throw it together this is the best recipe I have tasted. To make it even more perfect for those of us on a budget(what a dirty word)it's incredibly cost effective. You get a large pot of it for under $10 dollars as long as you have some basic seasonings in your pantry.(As a good southern girl I'm sure your mama taught you the basics to have on hand)

The first thing I start with is 1lb of ground beef. It's always best to find yourself a good reliable butcher so you can be sure you are getting the best, and we all want the best right? They are usually able to offer better quality meat for the price since that's what they specialize in. If you become a regular friendly type of customer(sugar cookies at Christmas time anyone?)sometimes you can even get that extra "friends" discount. You can use whatever fat ratio you like but I stick around 80/20. I just hate dry meat! Everything else in this dish is low cal and low fat so we can afford a higher fat meat. Start browning this beef at medium heat.

Now for the spices and beans. Start with peeled and crushed tomatoes, add dark red kidney beans, and pre-seasoned chilli beans. You can choose hot or mild. I made this batch with mild since we don't have a lot of heat lovers in the house. After the beans and tomatoes we can start with spices. Turmeric, season salt, ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, Tabasco sauce, a small onion and one garlic clove(more if you are a garlic lover and not plannin on givin any sugars today) and one packet of McCormick s chilli mix once again the heat factor is your choice.

Chop your onion into smallish bits.

At this point your ground beef should be about 90% cooked, which is what we are going for. Go ahead and drain it then toss it back in your pot.

Now you need to add your onions and crush your clove/s of garlic. Toss this in the heat for a second.

Now it starts looking like chilli. Add your crushed tomatoes, and both things of beans. I just eyeball my spices, around a 1/2 ts of turmeric 1/4 tsp season salt, black ground pepper to taste, and a sprinkle of Tabasco and red pepper flakes. Don't forget your McCormick spice packet either.

Cook this over high medium heat for about ten minuets, stirring occasionally.

These are the last two steps. I add(it sounds weird just trust me)ketchup and mustard, around a table spoon of each. Then I start adding chilli powder until I get the desired taste. Just keep adding and tasting until you get that flavor you want.

Let that come to a quick simmer and you are done! Just add the desired toppings. I personally like a mound of cheddar cheese and a scoop of sour cream.

It's not unusual for me to make a double batch of this and freeze half of it. It makes a great party dip. Just spread one softened box of cream cheese in a pan, add chilli on top, cover with cheddar or Mexican cheese and bake until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips. Or throw some thawed chilli in a blender until it's a bit chopped up and serve over all beef hotdogs(from the butcher, we have all heard those hotdog horror stories)to make your own coney dogs. I may sort of, kind of , sometimes substitute ground turkey for the beef. With the recent ground turkey recall I haven't done that lately but I have done it frequently in the past and nobody has ever called me on it. Once its cooked with the spices you just plain can't tell the difference.

I do believe its time for a change

oh Sunday how bittersweet you are.

Just sitting here on this lovely Sunday night, eating the delish sliders that the beau fried up. (Gahd I love everything fried). Made even better by my glass of Shiraz and Sex and the City movie playing. I have loved those ladies since the beginning. Rarely do so many of my favorite acting stars both men and women get together.

I must say that I very much needed to be pampered tonight after my chaotic work day. I knew it was going to be a whopper of a day when the first thing I noticed upon entering the building was the lack of lights.....or should I say electricity. ON FATHERS DAY!! One of our very busy days. Needless to say the wine and fatty fried food(that I didn't have to cook) were neccesary in order for me to recover my hospitality.

I'm thinking a super bubbly bath then deep restful slumber. Then maybe a trip to the beloved lancome outlet in the morning.........just maybe. Nothing like a little economy stimulation to start the day off right. Well that and some supper yummy coffee.