Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Nashville! It's been a laid back day, after a champagne toast by the fire last night.

We slept in this morning, watched the Rose Bowl Parade like everyone else, and then I got busy in the kitchen making our traditional black-eyed peas with cornbread and a carrot cake. My momma has never let a new year's day pass without cooking this meal so that we would be prosperous all year.

I had to don my new apron that was given to me by one of the interns at work, Kelly. She gave it to me because she knows how much I love kitschy things.

It's such a hoot! It has a big red heart that says, "How to keep your husband." And then it has all these cartoons with quotations in English and French. It says things like:

• Always look innocent! Cela vous va' faites la sainte nitouche!
• Watch your weight! C'est la chair qu! Semble s'enfler
• Kiss him often! Baisez-le, mais souvant!
• Have dinner ready! Avant tout, le diner!
• Get up for breakfast with a smile! Au de'jeuner, un sourire apportez!
• Don't open his mail! Ne touchez pas son courrier!
• Don't nag! Ne le crondez pas!
• Don't go thru his pockets! Ne fouillez pas dans ses poches!
• Don't gossip over the phone! Pas des comme'rabes au te'le'phone!
• Don't get mad or jealous! Pas des folies ou de jalousie!

The sayings withouth the translations are:

• Let him read his paper in peace!
• Encourage his hobbies!
• Praise his in-laws!
• Don't be a know-it-all!
• Don't go over the budget!
• Don't look sloppy over the breakfast table!

Isn't that hysterical? The cute pin-up style girls in the cartoons are adorable. Talk about politically incorrect, and a jab at the old ways of the 50's male chauvinist. It is certainly a conversation piece. *giggle Kelly said she found it at Pangaea, one of my fave shops in Nashville.

Scott's favorite (he says) is "Kiss him often!"
Thanks Kelly!

The Frist Museum

When was the last time you visited your local museum? Well, I am going to start checking out the Frist Museum in Nashville every time they change the exhibits, because I was thrilled to find out how fabulous it is! The building is an exhibit in and of itself. The Frist Museum is the former main post office right in the middle of downtown Nashville, built in 1933 in classic Art Deco. The spacious exhibition galleries and clerestory windows are astounding with cast aluminum doors and grand staircases. I felt like with a blink, I could have transported back in time to a place where men in Stetsons and women in crinolines strolled on the plank floors.

The Tiffany exhibit was incredible with 40 hand crafted lamps that were built in the early 1900's. The organic and sensuous curves of Art Nouveau style was intriguing in every single lamp as a work of art.

Color field painting as an exhibition completely took me by surprise. I'm a lover of contemporary arts, but these gigantic pieces of color took my breath away with their use of color and technique. I discovered how much impact art can have on your emotions and point of view. I encourage everyone to check out the art that is in your own area, and enjoy a bit of solitude and relaxation while you drink in the beauty.

Lovin' Tennessee

We are lovin' Tennessee, and feeling like it's home. With so many people moving into this area for corporate positions and with a strong economy, it is a great place to live and meet new people.

I got a BIG SURPRISE last week at a Michael's Craft Store, when I was walking down the needlework aisle, when lo and behold, MY BOOK was right there on the book rack! CHEESE, how cool is that???? So, when's the book signing gig? (just kidding.... :-)

Peeps at work have quickly turned into friends after work, and Karen Brandon is a hoot to hang out with. We had some Italian food and drink and good times...

When the waiter asked me how I wanted my left over yummies to take home, I joking said, "what, you don't do foil swans?" and guess what, in about 10 minutes he returned with his fab aluminum foil swan! It's still sitting on my dressing table.

Me and Michele finally got a little time away from the office, and our hubbies kept us in stitches all night! We are gonna have to get them in the pics next time.

Franklin, Tennessee has an annual arts and crafts fair, and we spent the afternoon checking out all the amazing artists from this area. I fell in love with these round appliques' on fine linens.

One of the artists did outrageous decoupage and metal art sculptures, and if I weren't saving for a vacation I would have taken this one home with me.

If you click on the photo above, you'll see that she used recycled cans and other metal objects to build a collage of colorful art in dozens of sizes and shapes.

We ended up in the chocolate shop to duck in from the rain, and it was spectacular! I had a chocolatte', Scott had an espresso with a shot of pure chocolate, and THEN we had two sinfully delicious bites of chocolate that seriously made our eyes roll back in our head. ahhhhhh.....