Things are Sweeter in Tennessee...

I was married a little over year and a half ago. We took our honeymoon to Gatlinburg, Tennessee and I am pretty sure I left a chunk of me there when I left. In fact I'm certain of it. There are times, and it happens more often then not, where a little piece of my heart yearns for that place. I've never had such a connection to one place. Since we came back I've longed to see the rolling hills and the crisp mountain air...

This was the view off the deck in the chalet we stayed at. We woke up every morning and had some french vanilla cappachino and watched the sun rise and then had dinner every night on the deck watching the sun set. This was heaven.

Life is so much different down there, everyone is laid back and super nice; the food tastes so good but is so bad for you, and no one judges you for it. Up here you take an extra slice of pizza something's wrong with you, down there you DON'T go for that extra pat of butter, something's wrong with you. We went to the Pancake Pantry (my mouth is watering just thinking about their food) and they literally have a bowl (and not some little bowl, like a mixing bowl!) full of butter just chilling in the server area for them to scoop some on to your plate before they gave it to you.

There were no worries, even when we went four wheeling off the side of a mountain or zip lining, which was breathtakingly beautiful. The people who ran both events for us were so chill and laid back, it was like we were just some best friends hanging out for the day, not some yankee tourists with their southern hosts. Sorry guys my pictures do not do this place justice:

I would go back there in a heartbeat and relive every moment all over again. Heck, if I could move down there I would, no hestiation. It's only a 12 hour drive, Ma! But alas, life has other plans for Dave and I, so I'll just have to remember sweet Tennessee fondly and try to quiet the yearning in my heart for a simpler life there.

"Maybe I was much too selfish
But baby you're still on my mind
Now I'm grown and all alone
And wishing I was with you tonight
'Cause I can guarantee
Things are sweeter in Tennessee"

-"Tennessee" -The Wreckers

Afternoon Tea

My English professor set up an afternoon tea for students in my Romantic Literature class this past Saturday. I've never been to  any type of tea event before so I was really excited to experience it. When we arrived we were greeted by a small tier of plates filled with finger foods from scones to mini sandwiches to fruit tarts, chocolate covered strawberries and creme puffs.

The waiter (I guess that is what you call him) brought out mini tea pots for each of us with hot water in them and we chose our tea from a box set off to the side. I decided to play it safe and stuck with Earl Grey tea but I did throw some creme into it, which was really good. Our gathering took place in a small library of a historic mansion owned by Villanova University, Montrose Mansion. The atmosphere was relaxing and it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.

I was a bit nervous at first, I was unsure of the proper way to brew and drink the tea, or eat the finger foods, and the pressure was on to not look like a total neanderthal, especially in front of my professor. Eventually I just relaxed. We enjoyed a good talk and some great food. The fruit tart was amazing, it consisted of a small dessert shell filled with a vanilla creme, almost like pudding and then topped with a slice of kiwi, strawberry and orange. The little sandwiches weren't my cup of tea (haha, see what I did there?) but they weren't terrible.

 Afternoon tea was definitely an enjoyable experience, and with the right company, a great way to spend the afternoon.

To the left of me is the lady of the house, Mrs. John Barnes Townsend.

Oh and the icing on the cake? Two geese chilling on top of a stone column on our way out, honking at us, but in a friendly way. It was most definitely a sight to see.

End of the Week Roundup

It's Friday again, so time for EOTWR. This week, like the past few, was pretty uneventful, which is normally what happens when you are too busy with school and life to do anything else, but no complaints here.

1. Dave and I had to clear out our upstairs to make room for carpeting. I downloaded an app on my phone that lets me keep track of all the books I own and who I lend them out to, because I do it all the time and can't remember for the life of me who I gave what to and don't always get them back. Anyway, I took this opportunity to go through and enter in all my books and when I was done I had 205 books, which is crazy considering six years ago I was lucky if I had maybe 10 to my name. Its been a lifelong dream of mine to own a library like the one in Beauty and the Beast:

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Now I know that most likely I will never own a house even remotely big enough to fit this library in, but I still would love to have a room devoted to books and a reading nook, my own little library. With that in mind, I think having 205 books is a good base for my little sanctuary, and that's pretty awesome.

2. Sunday was Easter, and Dave and I went to dinner at one of his family member's houses. We had an amazing meal but what really made my day was spending time with our little cousin, Mia, who is six. When it came time to sit down at dinner Mia realized she wasn't sitting next to me but across from me and it upset her. I was washing my hands in another room at the time but could hear everyone try to reason with her, explaining that I was sitting across from her so she could see me, but she just was not having it.  I was so flattered, it made me feel so good to think that she chose me to be near her and no one else was good enough. Seriously, kids have a way of just making your whole day.

3. Teen Book Club met this week, I didn't get a chance to see all the teens, but it gave me an opportunity to talk one on one with one of the more quiet girls (one, one, one, I think I need a thesaurus) while her brother looked for books. It was nice to finally get a chance to connect with her, which I really haven't been able to do before. I don't know if this will have an effect on our relationship in the future or not, but the fact that it even occurred is something to be thankful for. This month, I am having them read the epic poems "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" and "Christabel", I'm really excited to see what they think of both of these works, they are some of my favorites.

4. Speaking of the library, it's amazing how many parents come in begging for book suggestions for their kids because they cannot get enough of reading. It makes my heart soar, I love hearing this! I had one mom come in Wednesday and literally check out an entire series that I suggested for her son because she knew he'd just blow through all of them. Which is another thing, I love, love, love it when people actually take my suggestions to heart, especially when they rave about them when they come back the next time. I think I might create a post in the near future of book suggestions for teens/kids for when parents need ideas.

5. This is Gabby (and me, of course):

If you can't tell who is who, it's o.k., she's like a little mini-me, she is on the right. I met Gabby our sophomore year in college (so her second and my fiftieth...I kid, somewhat) and at first I wasn't sure what to think of her. She took my seat our second class together and I was ready to put her on my poo list for it but then we got to chatting and I realized how much alike we are. Among other things she's neurotic and anxious, so am I. She is incredibly intelligent and genuiunely a sweet gal. Gabby graduated last year and asked me to watch her walk. It was such an honor for her to ask this of me, I watched her on my laptop at home and blubbered when they called her name, like she was my own sister; I was so proud of her.  Gabby and I have been able to stand the test of time, friendship-wise, making it a point to meet up every once in a while and catch up. She is one of those people that I see being friends with for life, and its always a good time just catching up with her.

By the way, thanks Gabs for getting me my 205th book and rounding out my book collection to a nice, neat number, it quieted the OCD in me for the time being. 

Enjoy the weekend! 

Helpful Link

Did you know you can pull your credit report for free once a year? Well, if you didn't you do now.

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Annual Credit Report is a website that allows you to pull your credit for free once a year. You won't be able to get your credit score for free, that you'll have to pay for; however you can run a full report from each of the credit reporting agencies free of charge. 

So why is this important? Well, your credit is what determines your interest rates on loans, whether or not a financial institution will lend you money or how much they'll lend you, whether you can get a car or a house and whether or not you can get those things at decent interest rates. Plus, some jobs require good credit in order for you to be considered for a position. Your credit is so important for your day to day life, it's important to make sure that it is accurate. 

The nice thing is the website is fairly easy to use and if you do find some discrepancies on your reports, they (the three credit reporting agencies--Transunion, Experian, and Equifax) all have instructions on what you can do to fix it. There is no reason why you shouldn't take a few minutes out of your day to make sure your report is accurate, it's too important not to. Plus, like I said, it's free with no gimmicks (unlike those ones who claim to be free but make you sign up for 30 days with a credit card) or hidden agendas.

Hopefully this was informative, make sure you pass this link along to family and friends so they can check out their own credit reports! 

What's Black and White and Lace All Over?

Ok well not really but I really like the title and thought it was creative, just work with me here, ok?

Anyway, have you ever had a particular outfit, shirt, pants, shoes, whatever, that just made you feel like you were owning it? This little get up here was doing that for me the other day:

I know its not much, but it was so comfy and cute, plus I got a bunch of compliments for it. So this was a great outfit day, and it made me feel good, so I had to share it. It was the end of the day so I had taken off all the accessories I wore with it, which were a watch and earrings, and of course, my wedding rings. I keep things pretty simple.

I love having days like this. If you are rocking a great outfit, or hairstyle, or whatever, it just boosts your self esteem, which automatically puts you in a good mood. Its like having a shot of endorphins just coursing through your body to make you happy all day long. Think about it, if you have a day where you are just feeling gorgeous, what are the chances of that day going bad?

Top: Kohl's

Bottoms: Banana Republic

Shoes: Ebay

P.S. The placement of the pic and the way I'm looking makes it look like I'm gazing lovingly at myself in my "about me" pic....which is hilarious.