Learn to decorate and party at Pottery Barn

Have you ever wanted to take a class to learn how to decorate and entertain for the holidays?

Yeah, me neither.

But now that I think of it, it would be sort of fun. Pottery Barn is sponsoring in-store classes on Nov 29 and Dec 6 to teach people how to decorate for the holidays and how to throw a good holiday party. Call your local Pottery Barn store to sign up. You will also get 10% off all merchandise featured in the class (let's hope it's something good!).

Here's the address and phone # for the local Memphis 'Barn:

WE'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD:2760 N Germantown Parkway, Memphis, TN 38133 Phone: 901-937-1787

Anthropologie coming to Memphis

I have heard this before, but saw from a few different other people online - Anthropologie is coming to Memphis! Well, Germantown - into the Saddle Creek shopping center. I've become a big fan recently, so this is cool.

Probably without the palm tree, however :)

Etsy find - gorgeous clutches

I found this Etsy store and absolutely love their clutches. Perfect for weddings, nights out, any event where you need a cute clutch. Check them out - Davie and Chiyo's Etsy store.

Lovely holiday clutch

Got my new Anthro catalog today.... love this clutch! Perfect for the holidays.

Anthropologie
Iced Rosettes Clutch
$298

Alaskan king crab at The Blue Fish

Check out this dining review for the seasonal Alaskan king crab meal at The Blue Fish in Memphis (Cooper Young area). More specifically - check out these photos! Article and pictures via the Commercial Appeal.

I'm not a big seafood person (too messy) but I think it would be awesome to get this once. It's $240, but feeds 4 to 6 people. Comes with salad and sides as well. So, if it's split 5 ways, it would be around $50 a person with tax - which isn't bad at all for some really good food. They don't sell this stuff at Kroger :)

RiverArtsFest this weekend

River Arts Fest is this weekend, in downtown Memphis. A 2-day festival to support (duh) the arts in Memphis. Apparently this is one of the largest festivals in Memphis now, definitely one of the fastest growing.

Their website is apparently down right now - hope they get up and running again, sort of helpful :) But it should be riverartsmemphis.org

It's a nonprofit organization to support the arts in Memphis. Here is a little blurb from AmericanTowns.com :

Mission Statement:
The mission of River Arts Fest is to expand and enhance the reputation of Memphis as an arts-oriented community. Traditionally, this event has attracted a sophisticated buying public to interact with talented, nationally recognized artists from across the nation.

History: While the RiverArtsFest organization itself is new, its roots can be traced back many years in the life of the City of Memphis. The RiverArtsFest as it exists today is a collaboration between two very strong arts centric organizations; Experience Art in Memphis (formerly Arts in the Park) and the South Main Association which is home for some of the city's finest art galleries. The synergies created in this collaboration along with a location in the heart of a revitalized downtown will make this event one of the premier art events in the Mid South.

Experience : Art in Memphis (Formerly Arts in the Park) In 1984, Arts in the Park began in Overton Park as a program of Art Today, an organization of the Brooks Museum under the leadership of Richard Wilson Sr. The objective was to bring together the visual and performing arts for a weekend of dance, music, sculpture, song, paintings, fine eating and participation; a fine arts exhibition. The success of the program led to the formation of a 501(c)3 corporation which came to be the Memphis Arts Festival. In 2003, the name was changed to Experience Art in Memphis to reflect an expanded mission to include literary and culinary arts. The invitation is to experience the art, to understand how it came to be, to enjoy all aspects of its creation, and to celebrate its existence. Since 1984, Memphis Arts Festival, through Arts in the Park and related events has involved over 500,000 citizens of the community in all its programs.

To coincide with the festival, local liquor stores are selling a RiverArtsFest wine, with proceeds going towards the fesival. Read more about it here on the Memphis Flyer's food blog.

This weekend is supposed to be sunny and warm (around 65 degrees) so it is a great weekend to come down to the South Main area and take in a little art :)

Downtown Dining Week

Just read about this....

Downtown Dining Week (in Memphis) is coming up in November. At the restaurants listed, they will offer a 3-course meal for $20.09 (corresponding to the current year). I've eaten at most of the participating restaurants, and they are all great. Great price too - doesn't include tax or drinks though, but it's still a great deal. November 8 - 12.

Check out this link to Downtown Dining Week to learn more.

Pink Palace Museum

I went to the Pink Palace for the first time in years this weekend. They are doing free memberships this summer, if you want to check it out. Membership to the Palace also gets you in to the Lichterman Nature Center, as well as a couple other places (I think).

Due to financial stain, the planetarium is now closed on Sundays and Mondays. We'll have to go back to see that. They also have several Imax movies playing now, but we didn't go to any of them. Next time!

For anyone not in Memphis, the Palace is a museum now. It was originally built as a house by the founder of Piggly Wiggly. (The last picture explains it all....) It now houses permenant Memphis related exhibits, as well as traveling exhibits. The house still has a pink hue to it, although the stones have faded some. It's set on a huge treed lot in the middle of Memphis (near my home) and is sort of a forgotten about museum for a lot of Memphians.

Check out all the details on their website here.

New "Poppy" Coach line

First of all, to anyone who works for Coach: I hate the new website. I consider myself to be exceptionally internet saavy, yet I can't manuever around that crap they call a site. Too many flash players all playing at once, you can't turn the Intro off...I just want to look at the bags!! Not see photos of what I could potentially look like carrying the bags if I was 50 lbs skinnier and a foot taller. And carrying a dog in the bag, while wearing large pink sunglasses and jumping in a puddle.

I digress.

Here's their new "Poppy" line. I find it fun, yet more classic than some of the other crap they've come up with recently. (For the most part.) (Okay for maybe part part.)


That rhinestone thing at the end though....yikes.

My ideal bathroom

I know there is no shower in the photo, but this bathroom would be perfection to me:




I'm sure something like this would be reasonably cheap to build, right? :)

Address yard signs

Does anyone have something like this in your yard?

One of the heavy aluminum yard signs. (Note - that's not my address) :) You can get them at Lowe's or Home Depot, or on ebay for 1/2 the price ( I <3>

I'm terrible at picking out colors though. And if it's even worth it. Only $80 or so on ebay, almost $200 if you get one thru a store. Any thoughts on colors? I like the red or maroon and silver. It seems like it would stand out. But then again, do you really want it to stand out? To look at your yard/house and see WOW THAT'S A BRIGHT RED SIGN. :) The black/gold is the standard, like in the above photo. But that combo almost seems like it would fade away and be hard to notice.

Bathroom ideas

Does anyone have any recommendations for websites where I can get bathroom ideas? I like modern baths with mosaic tile, like below. Just looking for a site where I can get some ideas!

Today is National Donut Day

Thanks to the Main Street Journal, I saw that today is National Donut Day! What a better way to end the work week by stuffing a few (errr....30) donuts in my mouth. Because really, lord knows I cannot eat just one donut. One dozen maybe. (If we aren't supposed to eat the whole box, why do they come in dozens?)


What is your favorite type of donut? I could name a baker's dozen of my favorites (har har). I like the regular ol' Krispy Kreme glazed a lot. Although anything with icing, or lemon filling is also great. I don't like sprinkles much though. It's hard enough to eat a donut without getting goo all over my face/hands, I don't need sprinkles falling all over me.