Children's Clothing

Perhaps it was just the high of Outlet Mall shopping, but I fell head over heels in love with this store. You know how you see the adorable little French, Swedish and all together foreign kids in striped stockings, brightly colored Mary Jane's, little bobbed hair cuts and you think, "where do they get this stuff"? I have always wondered where the heck they get these adorable clothes. Surely not all Europeans get to shop at Oilily all the time. But I have now discovered Hanna Andersson and I know now where to get it. Being an aunt, I am in charge of fashion for FOUR children. FOUR of the most adorable, smart, precious, intelligent children in the whole wide world. It is becoming more and more difficult to find really great children's clothing. I refuse to buy them these skimpy, trendy, horrific fads that are out now for kids. They are just children and need not dress like adults or in tacky attire. The styles here are adorable. The baby clothes are just what little babies need to be dressed in, little onesies and crawlers in soft pastel colors. The toddler and children's clothing is comfortable, washable and colorful. And Hanna Andersson has SALES! The outlet store in Williamsburg had tons of racks of things for $5.00 and $10.00. They have stores in Phipps and Perimeter, in Atlanta. www.hannaandersson.com

Honey Dispenser

How cute is this? Mama Deane gave me one of these and I love it! I love the cute honeycomb design and it is perfect for messy honey in a jar. Simply pour into this adorable container. It looks so cute on the breakfast table. It's manufactured by Harold Imports. You can fill the little stand with hot water to keep your syrup or honey soft and warm! (Remember to plug the little hole while filling). I found them on www.amazon.com, www.gardenpartyteas.com and www.kitchenemporium.com

Tea Kettles

Hanging around my handful of European friends has made me appreciate the art of "taking tea". I love tea time! Hot tea is so relaxing and soothing and good for you. We should be doing this y'all. I am all for bringing it back and if you come and visit me, I will offer you proper tea. What a delightful excuse to always have cookies in the pantry. I have this Chantal Classic Tea Pot. It has a Hohner harmonica whistle. I love the sound of a kettle. It is also a necessity for making coffee with a French Press and I hear once you start making coffee this way, you'll never go back to the drip. I recommend a French Press too, just not sure which one yet. Perhaps a fully stainless steel one, and for sure not glass, so it will be more travel friendly. Oh! and I got a new omelet maker for Christmas, the review is forthcoming.

Salon

Aveda Institute Atlanta: http://www.avedainstitutesbb.com/atlanta-services.php

I am almost hesitant to recommend this place, as there are just certain things for which you do not want liability. A bad hair cut is one of them. But I went here and despite coming out NOTHING like what I wanted it to, I was constantly reviewing them in my mind and wanted to put the experience into words. As far as Salons go, I have done them all...the Ritz, Las Vegas, a spa in Arizona, Vidal Sassoon, Jamieson Shaw, Van Michael, Hair Cuttery, Cost Cutters, Miss Sarah the Lady's Basement, Joan's house in middle of nowhere Hart County...you get the picture. I have paid $100 and I have paid $4 (Harare,Zimbabwe- shampoo, cut and blowdry!). Yet, I never seem to find that perfect place, that always offers the perfect cut, the perfect experience or the perfect price. Van Michael was getting there, as they offer a New Talents salon, with young up and coming stylists at half the price. But then as soon as you would get settled into a stylist and cut that you liked, he or she (most likely he) would be off to "the floor" and you would start again with someone new. Then they started to build a new parking lot and getting in and out became a nightmare. Then they built a Whole Paycheck right next to it and I would spend $100 on goat cheese and pinot when I went it to "just look around"or wait on traffic to die down. So I can't go back there. Plus, they can be all pretentious, I don't like pretentiousness. It's a hair cut for crying out loud, not plastic surgery. SO! I have driven by the Aveda Institute a million and one times. It's in Buckhead in the same general area as the Disco Kroger AKA Fresh Fare Kroger where the Cost Plus World Market is on Piedmont. It is next to Chipotle. So I finally after some searching find their website and a services menu. I expect there to be a long waiting list and a need to make appointments months in advance. But this is not the case. You can call and most likely get an appointment that same week, within a day or two. Haircuts are $15.00 and Color for long hair is $35, short is $25. So the prices are amazing. And they use all Aveda products of course, so you know the product is good. It is the applier of the product that is the sketchy part. Even though I came out with Jet Black hair...yes, black, I still kinda recommend the place. They make attempts to make it pleasing and a good experience. I was greeted by a young student who wanted to show me a candle and give me a neck massage. It was nice. My student never told me her name, was awkward with small talk and seemed a little unsure of herself, but she appeared to follow all the steps that she had been taught in color application and in the basics of hair trimming. I believe most mistakes were mine, in not properly overseeing or explaining the exact color and using the word "darker" and not stressing my desire to not look like Elvira when I got out of there. I think I should have looked at the swatches with her and approved the color swatch rather than trust her to find something that would work for me. Also, note that you are gonna be in there forever and I do mean forever, take water, a snack, and a book with over 200 pages, because it will take 4 hours of your life. This is not fun. But there is considerable savings involved. And that's a good thing. My girl was also a little insecure and just not confident like the guys at Van Michael who tell you how beautiful you are and how they are gonna make you more sexy than ever. She didn't say any of that. She didn't ask about my love life or gossip about the tabloids...so I missed that. She made me nervous a couple of times when she would ask me about the cut and I had no idea what to tell her to do...that's her job? She also had to go get her supervisor once to make sure she was doing something right and scared me to death. So now I am not so sure I do recommend the place. BUT! if you need a cut, know exactly what you want, aren't too picky, or if you know your color recipe...this is a great place to go. They also offer other spa services (like 1 hour massages for $40!) that could also be really great deals. I came out looking a bit like this...and I am not kidding:

Brunch

Kathleen and I went here yesterday. Ria's Bluebird Cafe'. I've been so many times, and it is always good, warm, cozy, fresh and yummy. They must have known that I was coming because they served a tomato and goat cheese omelet as the Omelet of the Day! They serve this really good coffee by Batdorf & Bronson out of Olympia, Washington and they serve it in those small thick white Diner Mugs with real cream. You can order it here: http://www.dancinggoats.com/.

It really is good stuff. They serve soysage, my fav! And biscuits and sweet potato hash browns!! They have a lunch menu also, but their Breakfast is really where it's at. You can check them out at www.riasbluebird.com

They've been featured on Food Network and remain Atlanta's CitySearch Best Brunch.

421 Memorial Dr SE Atlanta, GA 30312-2207 Phone: (404) 521-3737

Photography

http://www.jillhiggins.com/

Amy and Doug used Jill Higgins this year for their Christmas card. It's adorable. I am assuming Jill's a Valdosta girl. Her website was on the back of the card. She's good. She has a blog. She travels. She was recently in France and Holland. She likes Pomme Frites (sans the mayo). I just HAD to post the honey picture, yum. And I can't post without plugging. She's good. I know I said that already. But, she is. I love this picture of the window...it's Paris. Mom & I have been there! Not just Paris, but this store, where the windows are decorated. It's so much fun. Oh! Here's their Christmas card:

Hair Products

Aveda, Fredrick Fekkai, Bumble & Bumble...Bumble Schmumble. These products are 99% cheaper than all of that and work practically just as good. I like the curl enhancing gel that comes in the pump. Malibu Surf Legend, Shelley Merrick taught me how to use it, so I have great hair right out of the ocean (after surf lessons). Go ahead and take the top off the pump, pour a dollop in your hand, after rinsing the salt water from your hair, rub it all in, and there you go! The stuff in the jar is good too. But remember, a little goes a long way.

Market

I am not sure why I am on this food kick lately, but I am going to have to plug of all things...a grocery store. Who doesn't love the Fresh Market or Whole Foods ie Whole Paycheck? We all do. I have to admit that Publix is becoming predictable and boring and I am switching to Kroger. I refuse to put a tag of any sort, for any store, no matter what the discount, on my key chain, but if you do this I will still love you and would never judge. It is just a quirk of mine. I don't know why. Some people I love the most in life, i.e. my sister, do this and my love is unchanging. So, since I don't make $100 million dollars a year and Whole Paycheck is for special occasions only and who the heck pays a dollar for a lemon anyway? Even if I had a billion dollars I still would never pay a dollar for a lemon! Crazy. So! I stumbled upon the "Fresh Fare" Kroger in Buckhead. You know it, on Piedmont, used to be the Disco Kroger back in the day? Well there. I went in just to get a few things while I was in that part of town. I was greeted by friendly people who welcomed me to the store! There were actually enough carts for all the shoppers and I didn't have to push the one with the race car attached because it was the only one left. Yes, I have done that. Sans kids! It was either that or the electric powered wheelchair one and I was not about to do that! So anyway, they get points for having carts, which apparently is a real problem for grocery stores these days, or at least the ones I frequent. They have a HUGE wine section, which is just fun for me. I might not buy anything, but I love to look and read labels, they make my mouth water. I admit that it is far from the best grocery store ever, and you would be greatly disappointed if you compare it to much of anything else, especially other stores with the word "fresh" in their name. This is no Harry's Fresh Market. This is a grocery store...with more than just jug wine (blech). They have that good organic section. They have a sushi bar, an olive bar, a salad bar and the like. It is convenient. They have cheese and stuffed olive samples! I am so easy to please. The people are friendly, at least 4 people spoke to me and were kind and said, "have a nice day". I am a sucker for the manger's specials. I found a big ole container of already cut, in water, celery for .99 cents that I snacked on while I shopped. I like that. And they clearance their stuff that is about to expire, Publix doesn't do that. I like that. Also, you don't have to have the silly little card, you can enter my sister's home phone number instead and get the discount! I recommend the Fresh Fare Kroger on Piedmont, so there.

P.S. I have no idea who this kid is, found the pic online and it made me laugh. Do kids get free balloons and sugar cookies???

Breakfast

Telecommuting has introduced me to a whole new world. My favorite new discovery...breakfast. Breakfast is typically, oatmeal at my desk or a breakfast bar. This luxury will end for me at the stroke of midnight Dec 31st :(

I could do a whole Favorite Things column on breakfast foods alone. For the oatmeal I have recently switched to the Kroger brand! I was a die hard Quaker girl, but the Kroger Active Lifestyle, both Almond & Cranberry and the Maple & Brown Sugar, at HALF the price, have won me over.

But the one morning a week I have been able to work from home, I can hardly wait to get up and cook breakfast. I love love love spinach and GOAT CHEESE and mini portabello mushroom omelets. I love 9 grain toast with Polaner's (or Kroger Brand) All Fruit blackberry jam. And I love Morning Star "Soysage". As a pescatarian, this stuff is amazing! I don't see how even meat eaters could ever go back to the real stuff after eating this. Yummy good. Also, if you are looking for a lucrative business, MorningStar has the market on vegetarian "meat". I even notice when dining out that most restaurants that offer "soysage" serve this MorningStar stuff and they could use some competition. So there is an opportunity here for a soysage making business and you heard it here first. Oh! And they go great with Starbuck's French Roast....

Beverage

Ok, this is about to get really corny. This one is a "where have you been all my life?" find. He's a Doctor. He makes me smile. He doesn't make me feel guilty. He doesn't keep me up all night. He is refreshing. He is Caffeine Free Diet Dr. Pepper. I know this stuff has been around forever, but in my efforts to be completely soda free, and in banning all carbonated beverages, I overlooked this opportunity for sheer bliss. I finally just broke down and bought a whole case the other day. I can hardly wait to hear the fizz. It's that good. And since we are already on the subject of things that are questionably good for you, I must admit that I love these too..White Cheddar Cheez-Its. Rebecca Grizzle introduced us. Thanks Bec, you've brought new pleasure into my life. And a reduced fat pleasure at that!