Mrs Wilkes Boarding House

We had a great trip in Savannah this weekend.  Before we left today, our last stop was Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House. 

In 1943, a young Sema Wilkes took over a boardinghouse in historic downtown Savannah. Her goal was modest: to make a living by offering comfortable lodging and homestyle Southern cooking served family style in the downstairs dining room.  They don't take boarders any more, just serve wonderful Southern food.   Over the course of two-plus decades, the lines at Mrs. Wilkes' have grown longer, and the good press just keeps rolling in, even as other boardinghouses close up shop for the final time.

I had been told that it was better than Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady and Sons.  Since I didn't go to Paula's restaurant, I can't compare, but believe me .... it was FABULOUS!!  We arrived a little before 10:45 and got in line in the drizzling rain.  They started letting people in a little before 11:00.  They serve you family style and you just pass the bowls and fill your plates.

I took a picture but it doesn't do the table justice!  They served:  Fried Chicken (to die for), Beef Stew, Pork; Rice and Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Okra & Tomatoes, Cabbage, Snap Beans, Macaroni and Cheese, Butter Beans, Black Eyed Peas, Rutabaga, Squash, Potatoes au Gratin, Yams, Pickled Beets, Red Beans, Turnip Greens, Carrot Salad, Cucumber Salad, Sausage, Creamed Corn, Corn Bread and homemade rolls!  For dessert, Banana Pudding and Blueberry Cobbler.   Of course, I sampled almost everything!!  My Yankee husband was not quite as impressed as I was though.  He's lived down South now for almost 40 years, you would think he would be liking our Southern cuisine.  But, no, he won't even eat a grit!!

If you're ever in Savannah, this is MUST for dining!!  Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room is located on one of the most elegant streets in Savannah. Jones Street runs through the center of the Historic District lined with moss laden trees and paved with cobblestone. It wasn't until 1987 that Mrs. Wilkes consented to a sign out front. She made this place somewhat of a legend, and her family is keeping it a family affair.  They don't take reservations and are only open Monday - Friday from 11 - 2.

 

Happy Easter

Hope the Easter bunny found your house!

These are a couple of Easter cards that I sent out.

This one is from a retired SU set and one I actually got in a swap a few years ago.

This one I made.  I just love this paper and find myself hoarding it!  The blue check and the flower are from Parisian Breeze DSP and it is cardstock weight.   I matched it with a piece of Baja Breeze, Sahara Sand and Whisper White.

Flowers for You

I won't be blogging for a few days (except for Easter Sunday - I have something set in advance for then). We are going to Savannah Friday a.m. for a long weekend to celebrate Easter as well as our anniversary. We have never been to Savannah. I am looking forward to it. We already have our Easter brunch booked on a ship so I hope the weather is nice.

I will leave you with a few pictures of some of the beautiful flowers Ashley and I saw at the Botantical Gardens in New York.

Easter Baskets

I received the cutest Easter basket today in the mail from my Monday Mailer pard, Betsy.  She made this basket using the Sizzix Scallop Envelope Die.  And .... she filled it with packages of M&M's, a pen she decorated, a magnet and the cutest little bunny that sandwiches a chocolate mint patty.

Well, after seeing this, I got busy.  I have a Board meeting tomorrow so decided to whip up a few of these baskets for my friends.  Won't they be surprised!  I didn't have time to do all the little accessories, but I did get the baskets made.  Now, I just have to leave the house a little early in the a.m. and stop by the store to get some candy to put in the baskets!

This one I used the new white Jumbo Grommets that are in the Occasions Mini catalog (p 19). 

American Idol Results

Bottom 3 - Scott, Lil & Anoop

Kelly Pickler sang The Best Days of Your Life. She is soooo cute. When she was on Idol, she was such a little Carolina hick! She was so funny when she'd wear high heels .... like she was on the back of a plow! Tonight she wore some pretty sparkly high, high heels like a pro!

Well, Scott "sang for his life" tonight. And .... it's a tie - 2 judges think he should stay & 2 think he should go. I think it's the girls wanting him to stay. Will they use the "save"? NO!! I'm surprised, but they let Simon make the decision for the group and that was to let him go.

In a way, I am not surprised it was Scott. His time was up. But what an inspiration he was! I figure the judges want to save their "save" for another contestant.

So, that's a wrap!

American Idol Final 8 Perform

Tonight they are singing songs from the year of their birth, and we get treated to baby pictures. They start with “baby” pictures of the judges. Really funny!

• Danny Gokey - 1980 - Stand By Me (Mickey Gilley version) - He is one talented kid! He sets the bar high for the rest to follow him.
• Kris Allen - 1985 - All She Wants to do is Dance - Not liking this song choice and neither do the judges. Ryan used his normal adjectives .... "indulgent, boring, forgettable." I truthfully don't know what he means when he tells them they are indulgent.
• Lil Rounds - 1984 -What's Love Got To Do With It - Not liking this tonight. Judges thought she was copying Tina Turner too much. I have to agree - she's lost her originality.
• Anoop - 1986 - True Colors - Anoop is singing Cyndi Lauper. I repeat. Cyndi Lauper. Well he did good -nice vocals. Judges liked it, even Simon! They thought he made it "his" song.
• Scott - 1985 - The Search Is Over - Just ok - didn't do much for me. At the beginning of the season, I thought he would be the one to beat - not any more though. I think he's a limited singer; he mostly does ballards. He got away from the piano tonight. Judges thought the song was too much for him. Simon thought the song was horrible and he should go back to the piano.
• Allison - 1992 - I Can't Make You Love Me - Funny story - Her mom said as a baby, she talked too much & she took her to the doctor. The dr. said she was going to be a singer - that was why she talked all the time. Good song choice for her. For a young kid, she is very talented! The judges like it! Simon doesn't think her personality is coming out. Randy said Allison reminds him of Kelly Clarkson. He agrees with Simon that she needs to engage the audience a little more.
• Matt - 1985 - Part Time Lovers - Vocally - great! Kara said he was incredible on all levels. Paula gave him 2 words - Standing Ovation!! Even Simon liked it!!
• Adam - 1982 - Mad World - best of the night!! Paula was up on her feet. He did a great performance.

Tonight's bottom 3 - in my opinion - Kris, Lil & Scott .... Going home? possible, Kris

Sonny & I think the final 2 will be Adam & Danny. Sonny predicts Adam will win.

36 years and going strong

Today is our 36th anniversary!  No big plans for celebrating today.  We will save that for this weekend when we go to Savannah.  Here we are 36 years ago in front of Myers Park Methodist Church in Charlotte where we got married on a very rainy April 7, 1973.

Easter Cards

Just wanted to share a few Easter cards made today.  These are all traveling to Tucson.  Only have a couple more to make!

This one uses a Hostess Set, Itty Bitty Buds.  I stamped it in Perfect Plum, More Mustard, Old Olive and Rose Red.

This one uses the egg from A Good Egg.  The little bunny is a Great Impressions stamp.  I used the Swiss Dot Cuttlebug folder for the Gable Green card.

This is the Sock Monkey .... gone Easter!  The Easter eggs on the bottom is a wheel from the Occasions Mini Catalog.  Isn't he cute?

GO CAROLINA!!  CHAMPIONS! Michigan was never ahead the whole game!

Good Morning America

While we were in New York, we went to a taping of GMA.  If you ever get the chance ..... don't bother!!  Our letter advised us to be in line by 6:15-6:30, so Ashley and I got up at 5 A.M (!!!) and left the hotel at 5:30.  It was still dark outside!!  We walked to Times Square and got in line.  Not bad - there were only about 15 people ahead of us.  We waited and waited and finally, about 6:45, they let us in.  After going through a metal detector, we were told where to stand (no seating available).  The show is on air from 7 - 9.  But, what they don't tell you is most of the show is done in another studio!  We stood around till after 8:00 when finally the weatherman, Sam Champion came down and did the "meet and greet" thing with us.  Several of the ladies in the crowd went "ga-ga" over him.  He was pretty fake looking and acting!  He did a weather segment and actually said "Happy 60th Mom" on air (Ashley had a sign!). 

The big guest on the show was Christina Applegate (tv show, Samantha Who).  They told us they always ask the guests to come in and see the crowd and you just never know if they will or not.  Well, she stuck her head in the door and waved and was there for about 2 seconds!  We were about 20-25 feet away so there was not a chance to really see her.  I'd hate to take up too much of her time!  Please!

Around 8:30, Diane Sawyer came down and talked to all of us.  She is beautiful and seemed really friendly (compared to the others!)  She's really thin too.  Then Robin Roberts came down and she was really down to earth.  She saw Ashley's sign and asked who was 60.  When I raised my hand, she told me I sure looked good for 60 and I shouldn't lie about my age.  Made my day, for sure!

We got to see one segment being filmed - about 8:40, they did a kitchen scene about how to make your food last longer.  After they were through filming, Robin, Diane and Bob Woodruff posed with each of us for pictures.  I thought that was pretty nice.

Academy of Country Music Awards .... and Easter cards

I just finished watching the Academy of Country Music Award show while making Easter cards.  It was very entertaining.  It was broadcast from Las Vegas.  Darn .... I was there last year this time!!

Here's a few of my thoughts on the show (if you care!)

• I loved seeing Heidi Newfield sing "Johnny and June" - love that song!  I didn't realize she was as old as she is ... figured she'd be another Taylor Swift. 
• Thought it was odd that Jamie Foxx was on a country awards show??  Guess it's just to make another point about Obama in office.  I like Jamie, don't get me wrong.  It's just odd.
• Cute Julianne Hough made Top New Artist.  She ripped her designer dress while going on stage!  Jack Ingram leaned over and tried to fix it!  I saw on some internet site some people discussing that she was still a virgin!  Where do people learn this stuff and why is it there business???
• Top Vocal Duo - Sugarland!  Yay!
• How much more mileage will Billy Ray be getting off Miley?  Think he'll still be introducing her as "my little girl" when she's 30?
• Top Female Vocalist - Carrie Underwood.  Yay!  Just love her.
• Trace Adkins sang "Til the Last Shot's Fired" with the West Point Glee Club.  WOW!   The performance is in support of the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), which is the charity selected by the ACM's charitable fund.  If you didn't get a tear in your eye watching the soldier who was missing both legs introduce Trace and Trace Adkins singing the song plus the West Point Glee Club performing, you aren't an American!
• Matthew McConaughey was a presenter.  That is one hot dude!  I could watch him all day.  He just seems so down to earth ... but sexy!   

                                       

 

 

 

 

 

Ok ... here are a couple of the cards I was working on tonight.  They both use the stamp set, A Good Egg.  This is my only Easter set so I use it a lot.  I used the designer paper from the Saleabration catalog and paper pieced the eggs.  I cut a slit to thread the ribbon through.

   

On this one, I cut the card 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" and cut the scalloped strip 3" x 4 1/4" and let it hang over the card.  I cut a slit for the ribbon.  I received a card that used this layout in a swap a while back and I've always like it.  This is the first time I've used it.