The Sunday Salon: Snow! What a Tease…

Soft, whimsical flakes are swiftly falling outside my window and have been doing so mercilessly the whole weekend. Unfortunately, due to my geographical location they melt instantly upon impact. A lovely sight, nevertheless.

The weekend has been quiet and soothing. Friday we had dinner at Blue Grotto – a little Asian Fusion place down the street. They have this little lounge seating area which was interesting, but makes you glad they only serve tapas!

Saturday was a mixed bag. Woke up early and spent most of the morning reading. Jimmy and I then ran some errands and stopped by local Gastropub, There, for a quick lunch. We also partook in a cocktail – The Vesper – since we are currently on our James Bond kick! We later browsed the miles and miles of antiques over in Chamblee. I found some amazingly expensive editions of Uncle Tom’s Cabin which I drooled over. Finally, the big moment of the day came when I got to Pottery Barn and purchased a rug for our living room makeover! In the three years we’ve lived here, we’ve been rugless! We got a jute rug that’s gorgeous and was fairly inexpensive as far as rugs go. That’s why I made the decision to go with a natural fiber rug. I didn’t want to spend $1K+ on a rug – just not my thing. Excited for its arrival in a couple of weeks! Dinner was at Kaleidoscope, a neighborhood pub. What this paragraph has taught me is that we eat out way too much and are overdue for a grocery shopping trip.

Sunday is reserved for all things bookish! Such as this little blog post and a couple of others I’d like to get posted. Below I’ll post my last youtube video which is a wrap up of my February reads and a TBR list for March. I’m currently still reading Vanity Fair and have started Swoon by Betsy Prioleau for a TLC tour. The #estellagram challenge has also been tons of fun to participate in! I’ll post some of my pics below.

How was your week?

TSS: What I’ve Been Up To…

This week was a good one! Spent most of my time at work preparing for our big office move. We’re leaving Kennesaw behind for the greener pastures of Marietta. I’m super excited about this because that’s 10 minutes less commuting each way. It also means I’ll have my own work space instead of being cramped into an office with two other people.

Jimmy spent all week in Tampa, but is home now until sometime in March! I don’t mind when he travels a week here, a week there – but three weeks in a row is too much, especially when I’m sick.  Thursday was a fun Valentine’s Day! Jimmy surprised me by having flowers and chocolate delivered to my work (see pictorial evidence below) and then I went to see Silver Linings Playbook with a friend. Just as good the second time around!

The rest of this post will just be a quick round-up of some of my recent entertainments!

What I’ve Been Watching:

Downton Abbey via network television – Broke my heart into a tiny million pieces and I still don’t feel put back together again.

Young Adult on Netflix – A strange little movie and one that was painful to watch. Felt such third party embarrassment for Charlize Theron’s character. The ending was also weird. Not sure I’d recommend this to anyone.

The Bourne Legacy via RedBox – Enjoyed far more than I expected to! Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne was always so cold and stoic that I never fully felt connected to those films. Jeremy Renner brings a sort of humanity and emotion to the role that I really enjoyed.

Paranormal Activity 4 via RedBox - Creepy as all get-out. More of the same, but still scares the daylights out of me. I’m not sure what I was thinking watching this home alone at night.

Homeland via purchase – I’ve only watched the first 5 episodes of Season One. I’m not sure I’m as enamored as everyone else. Not sure why. The only character that really intrigues me so far is Claire Danes’s.

Dr. Who via Netflix- What is wrong with me? Why can’t I get into this show? It should be right up my alley but I just find it so tediously silly. I managed to sneak in the second episode of season 2 and it’s still not working for me.

New Girl via network television – Yay Jess and Nick with the most epic TV kiss I’ve seen in ages!

Skyfall via purchase – Bought it, re-watched it, and thought it was better the second time around. A GREAT movie. WATCH IT.

What I’ve Been Eating:

Minato – Great Japanese restaurant in Smyrna near Cumberland Mall. The owners are friendly. Jimmy even brought his parents to this place so they could meet the owners (wife is from Taiwan). If you’re in the area, check it out!

One Midtown Kitchen – A classic Atlanta restaurant with New American Cuisine. Loved everything I ate from appetizer to dessert. Portion size was perfect and price wasn’t half bad. Will definitely return.

East Pearl Seafood – In Duluth (at least I think that’s Duluth). We ate here for our traditional Chinese New Year meal. We had the prix fixe dinner and everyone was utterly melt-in-your-mouth delicious. If you’ve never been to a proper Chinese restaurant, I beseech you to go immediately. Don’t worry if you can’t read the menu. It will all be good.

JCT Kitchen – Book club just had a lunch here and it was phenomenal. I had some fall-off-the-bone chicken that could not have been cooked any better. Also, the space is gorgeous and I want the designer to decorate my house.

Bocado – Had dinner and drinks here a few weeks ago. Cocktails were lovely and food was delicious. We sat at the bar and had a great time. Order the devil eggs for a tasteful surprise!

The One Sushi+ – A new sushi restaurant near us that serves several traditional Taiwanese dishes in a trendy space. Jimmy and I were skeptical about the dishes so decided to test them out. Not bad. Beef noodle and Taiwanese sausage were very authentic with a slight chef’s twist.

Chef Liu’s – Soup Pork Dumplings. Smack. Yo. Mama. Good.

Serpas – Last night’s dining choice/late V-Day dinner. The food was AMAZING. Service a little slow, but the food more than made up for that. On the pricey side, but if you ditch an entree and dessert – a decent sized and priced meal can be had with appetizers!

Have a wonderful week ladies and gents! Squeeze in as many Oscar films as you can this week because they are all SO GOOD. And read, of course! I’ll be joining in the Vanity Fair Readalong and starting The Late Bloomer’s Revolution by Amy Cohen.

 

What a terribly long post! See y’all next week!

TSS: So Long, January

Yes, January has quickly come and gone! What a fantastic reading month I had. Ten books total either red or listened to. A great way to start off the year and a wonderful way to get ahead on my Goodreads challenge of 52 books this year. I have noticed a slowing in my reading the past week or so – not sure why. I’ve just been busy, I suppose.

Jimmy is traveling for the forseeable future, so I’ve been filling my nights with some personal me-time activities. I’ve done such things as cook, read, clean, watch random tv/movies, and start a youtube vlog. Yes, you read that a correctly – a youtube vlog! I’m now vlogging and blogging about books. You can check out my January wrap-up video below. I’ve also posted a couple of other videos as well on my channel if you find yourself interested! Please forgive my appearance, bad lighting, and a tendency to ramble on ridiculously. Hopefully, I will one day feel comfortable in front of the camera, until then my videos will have an awkward feel to them. It’s been fun, nevertheless!

This weekend was fun. Yesterday, the Litwits had a little luncheon at a fabulous Atlanta restaurant, JCT Kitchen. Great conversation and yummy southern food. Last night I did some more furniture shopping, dinner at Fig Jam Bar (another yummy eatery), and we went to see Warm Bodies! I’ll have more to discuss in regards to this fun zombie romance later in the week when I review both the book and movie. Today is filled with chores, blogging, and hopefully some reading. I’m not really into the Super Bowl so that leaves me plenty of time for relaxing and lounging around the house.

This week I’m attending a book signing for John and Sherry’s book, Young House Love (also their blog). Home decor on a budget is one of my biggest hobbies and I love the YHL blog so very much. Y’all should definitely check it out if you haven’t. Now that I’m working again and can justify spending even the tiniest amount of money on decor, I’m looking forward to the continuation of turning my house into a home. My last find (from Home Goods!) was these awesome purple chevron pillows which I’ve thrown on my bed:

I hope y’all have a great Sunday!

The Sunday Salon: Giveaway + First 2013 Book Club

I’ve been kindly allowed to give away one copy of the book I reviewed on Friday, The Expats by Chris Pavone. Click here to enter the contest. US and Canada residents only please!

Today marks the very first Litwit meetup of 2013 which excites me to no end! I’m so pleasantly surprised and somewhat baffled that we’re still going strong in 2013! Can’t wait for a new year’s worth of meetups, old and new friends. This year we are upping the ante with fresh ideas and activities. Both the April and May meetups will have an additional food theme – and who doesn’t like food, right? I’m also hoping to schedule more group outings – we have a group lunch scheduled for next Saturday and there’s a possible road trip in our future!!

This week (or whole month, really) was fantastic for reading. I devoured Persuasion by Jane Austen and I’m halfway through For Darkness Shows the Stars which is a Persuasion retelling. Jimmy and I also went to see Zero Dark Thirty on Friday night which was a mostly excellent film, although a bit slow at times. I’ve now managed to see 6 of the 9 films nominated for best picture. If I were choosing, Silver Linings Playbook would win but that choice is filled with nothing but my own biases.

Another major accomplishment this week was my first home-cooked meal of 2013. I made a white chicken lasagna and cheddar biscuits. For the first time EVER, the food I cooked actually came out quite lovely and I’ve added this meal to my playlist. It’s a rather short playlist.

I hope everyone had a gorgeous weekend!

TSS: A Week of Visitors

Goodness gracious my house has been filled with guests and family this past week.  Last weekend I had two college friends stay over and we hosted a party for the SEC Championship Game.  Sadly, the Dawgs lost, but the weekend was enjoyable until the end (which I won’t delve into). Then my sis-in-law, Christina, and nephew, Mason, stayed over Monday night since Mason had a doctor’s appointment Tuesday morning.  She was immediately followed by my sister, Shay, and bro-in-law, Russell, and niece, Ashlyn, who had an appointment Wednesday morning.  BUSY.  But everything went smoothly despite the Hubs being in Tampa all week.

Needless to say, not  much blogging got done, but a good amount of reading was had!!  This week should be filled with posts! I managed to watch some movies this week – The Vow, It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, and Pocahontas.  An odd mixture, for sure, but fun.  I’m currently reading In the Woods by Tana French which I’ve never read before!

In amazing, awesome news, I’ve recently scored my first job interview for Monday at 1:30.  Fingers crossed this opportunity comes through because the interviews are not rolling steadily in by any means.  I have a 1.5 year gap in my resume which generally lands it in the trash despite my graduating with honors and CPA certification.  Anyway, this opportunity is for an accountant in a real estate investment company which is what I know.  My old job was also real estate accounting, just from an auditing perspective.  I’ve got to rock this interview!

Hopefully, we’ll be getting our Christmas tree today.  We are so late on getting it up this year, but our outside decorations have been up for awhile. Once everything is decorated, I’ll post some pictures!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous December Sunday!

 

TSS: Couponing

That’s right, I’m going to attempt couponing.  Not on an extreme level because I don’t have the patience to be that intense, but just in a normal people trying to save some money kind of way.  I’ve found a couple of super helpful sites online and can’t wait to get my newspapers tomorrow!  Such. A. Dork.

This weekend has been tons of fun so far, but very light on the reading.  We had our monthly poker party Friday night with a smaller group this time.  Mostly, just our better friends and it was a blast.  Saturday morning Jimmy woke up and participated in a 30 mile charity bike ride.  He’s so cute in his official cycling jersey!  Then we went to watch the UGA game at Taco Mac with friends – Go Dawgs!!!  Always a good Saturday when the Dawgs get the W.  Afterward we had date night out at One Midtown Kitchen which was delicious.

Not sure what I’ll do on Sunday besides begin my coupon adventures.  I have some television to catch up on – Nashville, New Girl, and The Vampire Diaries.  I’m also reading Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver and loving every single word, but haven’t found the time to really settle down and read.

How was your weekend?

TSS: A Not So Great Week

From time to time, shit weeks happen and this was one of them.  Just seemed like everything was either bad or blah.  Boredom was extreme, but no one wants to hear about this (including myself).  So…let’s move on.

UGA won their third game of the year tonight!  Football is the only time that I miss having cable.  Of course, I could have just gone to the game, but I’ve been feeling sick off and on all week so didn’t want to risk feeling crappy in the stadium.  Been there, done that – never doing it again.  I do hope to make it to Athens one of these weekends, though.

In keeping with my theme of blogging about the restaurants I eat at, let me give y’all a little update.  Ate at several mediocre chains since simplicity was the name of the game.  Last Friday, Jimmy and I used mobile waiters to have food delivered since we were having another poker party.  Not much to choose from so we just had Outback.  Then, with Jimmy out of town during the beginning of the week, I had another mobile waiters order from Maggiano’s.  The good thing about Maggiano’s is that they give you enough food for at least three meals.  Today I had Panera because I love Panera.

The only fun new restaurant I’ve tried recently was Stone Soup Kitchen.  I had a lunch date with the bestie, Victoria, and her little man, Finn.  It’s one of those sort of hole-in-the-wall places in a trendy up-and-coming neighborhood that the locals rave about.  SSK concentrates on breakfast and lunch items with a full scale bakery as well.  I adore breakfast food so love trying out new morning joints.  I had the grit bowl which combines just about everything I love about food and eating.  Basically, I’m super satisfied with throwing my favorite cheap foods into a bowl, mixing them all together, and eating like a poor college student again.  It’s why I love soup so much.  So the grit bowl was superb – grits, scrambled eggs, and incredibly fresh tasting tomatoes all mixed together – pretty much heaven.  The grits did require a little extra salt, but the creaminess could not be beat.  Plus, the dish cost less than $6. (Picture courtesy of SSK’s Facebook page)

But what about the reading, you scream!  Not much happening in that department.  I’m in a mini-funk.  I did finish Little Bee and I’m halfway through my reread of Their Eyes Were Watching God for book club.  But I haven’t read a word in over two days now.  WTF, right?  I’m determined to finish TEWWG in the next couple of days and to get the reading going strong again.  I’m sad that I’m too busy to read IT because so many of y’all seem to be loving it and the red nose pics are just too cute.

TSS: Missing SoCal

Happy Sunday fellow book lovers!  I should be writing this lovely post from the Hilton hotel in Glendale, California and seeing this view while doing so:

Alas, I’m still in Atlanta holding down the fort.  For some logistical and personal reasons combined, the Hubs and the rest of his family went without me to celebrate his sister’s engagement.  And I’m very sad I couldn’t go, but these things happen.  Anyway, he’ll be back tomorrow for an overnight stay before jet-setting off again to Virginia for work.

With the house all to myself, I’ve been marathoning Greek like it’s my job.  Really surprised at how much I like this cute, quirky, stereotype busting show.  I hated the traditional Greek system in my rather large state university (UGA) and couldn’t stand most people involved in the Greek system so this show was something I missed the first time through.  Not having to actually deal with Greek students on a daily basis has given me enough space to disconnect myself from my negative judgments.  Oh, and if you were in the social Greek system (not honors fraternities), I don’t mean to offend you – I just had several horrible experiences during my college years as a bus driver driving those kids around and living in the dorms surrounded by pledges.  Of course, I knew several Greek kids who were super sweet.  They were just often outnumbered.

How did I get so off topic?

If yesterday was for tv watching, today is really for reading.  I’ve got two more chapters of North and South before tomorrow’s read-a-long post can be written.  Cloud Atlas started off so beautifully, but then I got bogged down halfway through with the Sloosha’s Crossing section and the broken English!  The story is still great, but I have to re-read so many sentences to gain the meaning of the broken language and altered words.  And it feels more frustrating than amazing.  Hopefully, I can finish the last 20 pages of this particular section today!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous Sunday!

TSS: Man, It’s Early!

I don’t remember the last time I wrote a post this early in the morning.  Normally, I even schedule them for later than 6:35 am.  But I’m awake and The Sunday Salon is calling my name.

This week has been kind of a big week in the Lee household.  Jimmy quit his job on Friday which is exactly the same Friday that I quit my job last year.  Coincidentally, we both worked at the same firm – perhaps the most evil CPA firm to ever exist.  It’s a very long story with a simple morale – Power in Corporate America is given to complete imbeciles.  No worries!  He’s already signed on with another firm and starts there a week from Monday.  He’s even going to be making a bit more money with the promise of a very substantial performance bonus.  Old firm didn’t know what a performance bonus was – unless you were an evil partner.

Enough of that!  The weather outside is unbearably hot, even for Georgia.  My reading chair is surrounded by a door and a window which literally allows me to feel the heat from outside oozing in.  Disgusting really.  I’m keeping my butt in doors today while Jimmy has a friend over to install a new exhaust system on said friend’s car – in the sweltering garage.  Yuck.

July 4th came and went rather pleasantly.  The park behind our house does a pretty decent fireworks show that we get to watch from our backyard.  We took our dinner up to the balcony and enjoyed from the comfort of our lounge chairs.  Our poor dogs weren’t very happy with the bangs.  Emmy hid in our bed under the covers and Cesar continuously barked at the invisible culprit.

As far as my reading week went, I finished A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin and The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury.  Both were fantastic reads.  I’m now about halfway through The Sherlockian by Graham Moore for July book club.  Honestly, still don’t know how I feel.  It’s lightly entertaining with a bit of hokey-ness thrown in, but not terrible really.  A good book for summer, methinks.  Also just started Gone With the Wind – one chapter in – and can’t wait to keep reading.  I read GWtW in college and look forward to reacquainting myself with it’s story.

How’s your Sunday going?  Did you have a great week?  What are you reading?  Hope everyone beats the heat and has a fabulous day!

 

Sunday Salon: Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

The Lee household has had a bumpy week.  With my illness and a few bad days at work for Jimmy, this weekend couldn’t have come at a better time.  Not that we’ve done much besides veg out and watch a ton of movies, but the lack of stress has been totally worthwhile.

Thursday night we rented One for the Money from Redbox and enjoyed the mindless fun of it all.  I’ve read most of the Stephanie Plum books so it was nice to see them come to life.  I did think they underused Lula and Grandma Mazur.  Friday we headed over to the local cinema to check our MIB 3 – my husband is a huge fan of this franchise.  I was prepared for total drek and came away thinking the movie was much better than I had expected.  Josh Brolin was amazing as a young Tommy Lee Jones.  Not entirely sure if it’s worth your hard earned money, but we had gift certificates so that didn’t affect us.

Saturday and Sunday I spent some much needed time reading.  I’m currently really enjoying An Uncommon Education by Elizabeth Percer.  My progress in A Clash of Kings has come to a dead halt at around 200 pages.  Not sure why I’m not enjoying it as much as A Game of Thrones, but apparently I’m not alone in this thinking.

Not sure what we’ll do tomorrow and it doesn’t really matter!  Maybe we’ll grill out, watch a movie, play a board game – something nice and cheap.  I hope everyone else is having a fantastically relaxing holiday!