Midnight in the Garden

If you haven't read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, get yourself to the library or nearest bookstore and pick up a copy quick! It's one of my favorite books of all time and most definitely a great Southern book. I got totally sucked into the book while I was reading it. It really draws you in with all the great characters and interesting plot. And you know it's not a good story about the South without some crazies, right?

The movie version is another favorite of mine. I can't resist it anytime it's on tv. John Cusack is such a great actor that I'll watch him in just about anything! Clint Eastwood did a great job directing it. I like how everyone in the movie seems authentically southern, even if they aren't. Some of the accents are a little thick, but none of them seem put on, which usually bothers me about movies based in the south that don't feature southern actors.

Sassy Lady Chablis! I still haven't seen her show in Savannah, but I hear it is quite exciting!
One of my favorite quotes is by John Cusack's character, after he realizes that things are a little bit different down south:

'I've only been here three days and it's just a shooting, but give it time, okay. This place is fantastic. It's like Gone With the Wind on Mescalin. I know you're my agent. Listen to me, they walk imaginary pets here, Garland. On a f-ing leash. Alright? And they're all heavily armed and drunk. New York is boring!'

Mercer House is featured in the movie and one of the spots I'll have to put on my places to see and photograph on my next trip to Savannah.

Bliss!

I discovered this fantastic face wash while staying at the W Buckhead in Atlanta last month. I usually judge a hotel by it's bath products and the quality of the sheets and the W did not disappoint! The rooms were fabulously furnished and very modern. The bar with outdoor lounge/balcony was really fun. Now, I'm totally hooked on this Foaming Face Wash from Bliss. It leaves your skin feeling super fresh and has the best scent. I'm squeezing out every last drop of the tiny bottles I got from the hotel and I'll be sure to put this on my favorites list at Sephora.com If you haven't tried it yet, run out to your nearest Sephora and try it immediately! Your face will thank you!

Sad News...

I was so sad to hear this week that Gourmet magazine is going under! November will be their last issue. I really wish they'd at least have published the December issue so we could have one more set of fabulous holiday recipes! Wouldn't that be grand?The good news is their website will be up till the end of the year, so get to Gourmet.com and download a few fabulous recipes and classic cocktails before they're gone!
I'll have to decide what to subscribe to now. Got any suggestions? Food & Wine? Bon Apetit?I hear that Cook's Illustrated is really good, but I love a magazine with delicious food photos...

The Blind Side

Has any one else seen the trailer for this movie? I read about it filming in Atlanta this summer and totally forgot about it again. A friend of mine reminded me about it this past week and I absolutely can't wait to see it. The Blind Side is based on a true story, which is even more cool. I love a good sports movie, especially a good football movie. (Remember the Titans and Rudy get me every time!)
(Don't tell anyone, but the preview looks so good that I got a little misty! Lord knows what will happen when I see the entire thing...)

It's Fall Y'all!

Backroads in Statesboro

According to the calendar it is officially fall, but here in Georgia it's barely feeling like fall weather. Thankfully, the temperatures are finally starting to cool off! Pretty soon it will be great camping weather, which I am really looking forward to.

I've only had a chance to get to one football game so far (Georgia Southern vs. Albany), and I'm hoping there will be more tailgating soon! When I was in Statesboro a few weeks ago I got to catch up with some old friends. It's always fun down there and I still miss it a bit!

Me and Tubby during GSU tailgate

We also really enjoyed the Avett Brothers concert last week during Westobou. I'd never seen them live before but it was such a great show! My only complaint was that they didn't play 'Offering' (my favorite song) for me, but what can you do? Everything they played was a lot of fun, and the rain held off long enough for us to enjoy the breeze outside. Check out the video below!

Another Busy Week...

This past week has been busy, yet again! September is one of our craziest months at work, besides April (because of The Masters, of course!) and I'm very ready for a little break. Hopefully after the weekend I'll be able to catch up a little bit and post about the fun that we've had in the past week, too! I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! I'll be working and resting in between!

Coupons are my friend!

I don't know how many of y'all use coupons, but they are my new best friends! My mom always clipped coupons when I was growing up and I remember following her around the grocery store with her little coupon file checking prices and whatnot. I didn't really start using them myself until I was in college and shopping for groceries on my own. I use them more and more lately, especially since I cook most of the time during the week. And also, since I'm married to an accountant and we both love saving money.
If you take just a little bit of time and planning you can save a ton of money! Here's a few tips:

• Traditional Coupons: Each Sunday I buy the paper. Sunday is the best day for coupons and it really doesn't take that much time to clip them out, 15-20 minutes tops. Plus you get the sale papers for all the grocery stores and Walmart, Target, Walgreens, etc. so you can see who has the best deals each week.
• Online Coupons: I check online each week also for coupons. You simply check which ones you'd like and print them out for the store. My favorites are Coupons.com, CoolSavings.com, and CouponMom.com
• Store Savings Card: I don't leave home without my Kroger or BiLo card. You'll almost always save money even if you don't have your regular coupons. And if you do, you can save double with card savings stacked on top of your paper coupons.
• Online Coupons on your Store Savings Card: Sites like Shortcuts and Cellfire will send coupons directly to your store savings card once you register. You choose your coupons, they're sent to your card. You can even print out your shopping/coupon list to take to the store with you.

My best advice is to take a little time to plan. There are certain products I buy no matter what's on sale, but those are few and far between. I usually plan my meals and menus by coupons and what's on sale each week at the grocery. Where I live, Kroger has chicken breasts on sale every other week, so I buy enough for two weeks and plan ahead. That way I never have to pay full price. Kroger also doubles coupons up to $1.00! So if you have a coupon for .35 that's 70 cents off, and for .50 it's a DOLLAR off!
With a little work and planning you can save a ton of money and you might even find some fabulous new products that you love. Either way, it's a win-win!