listening to old alabama

{Enter here to win $50 from Shabby Apple vintage boutique}

I have lived in the Washington, D.C.,  area for nearly 12 years, but at my core I was Born Country. Naturally, when the 1980s country band Alabama announced its reunion tour I would be going. I reached out to friends whom I knew would be as In A Hurry to buy tickets as I. I hopped a plane to Take Me Down to Atlanta for the show at the Fox Theater with my friends Cassie, Whitney, Monty, and Shannon. 

With Monty and her hat

As Cas + I were checking in to the Georgian Terrace , I looked left to see Randy Owen, Alabama's lead singer. I should have asked for a picture. I should have told him how his simple, southern lyrics have played like a Jukebox in My Mind since I was a child. I feel like he might have been amused to hear how in college we'd always turn up Tennessee River at tailgates, how once at a Capitol Hill house party an Old Flame was so impressed at my stellar clogging moves to Mountain Music he invited me home to meet his family, or that my match.com headline read Dixieland Delight, probably my most favorite song of all time.  I didn't, though. I was too cool.

The view from the Cheap Seats  

Later that night, long after he'd opened up his case, we did see band member Jeff Cook at the hotel, and he couldn't have been nicer to all us silly fangirls (and one guy: Whitney's husband, Jason, likes Alabama so much he asked to join our girls' group and well, You Can't Keep a Good Man Down).

Jeff and The Fans

The concert was a great excuse to build a girls' trip down in Dixie, and while I was there I got to see friends and family for whom Georgia is Down Home. I stole a night in the 'burbs with my cousin, Kim.  My high school friend, Melanie, met us for dinner before the show.  

We get together anytime we can. 

After our night in Atlanta, a few of us made plans to Roll On into a High Cotton resort and spa. All of it made for a getaway that was Close Enough to Perfect for Me. 

pack your summer travel bags - a shabby apple give-away

For years, my best friend Cassie and I have called packing for a vacation Paper Dolling (that's what I named my fashion board on Pinterest, too!). Half the fun of anticipating a trip for me is deciding who I want to be when I'm escaping my reality of daily commutes, deadlines, and what's-for-dinnering. Clothes can set the tone for a glamorous getaway. 

Just in time for summer travel,  Shabby Apple is offering one I Do Declare reader a $50 gift card to shop its online vintage boutique. Let's get to packing....

A Long Weekend with Girlfriends:
Right now, I'm on a long weekend with a mix of friends from high school, college, and D.C.  We'll be seeing a concert, touring a winery, relaxing at a day spa, and dining at our resort. I will regret not putting this Lemon Drop skirt in my suitcase. With flats by day, it's perfect for shopping or lunch. At night, it's easily glammed up with jewelry, heels, and a clutch.

Fourth of July at the Beach:
I spend most Independence Days in Virginia Beach. No matter where you are on the 4th of July, you'll be the star in this striped Catalina one-piece.  It's made in the U.S.A, so Lee Greenwood approves!

Destination Wedding:
How nice of you to plan your vacation around your friend's special day. The fact that cake comes with sand and sun can hardly be beat! One of my all-time favorite destination weddings was to Maine to see our friends Megan + Eric say I Do. In this pretty Tie the Knot frock you'll stop just short of upstaging the bride. 

You can buy one of these dresses, the swimsuit, or choose from so many more styles (Shabby Apple offers maternity and children's clothing, too) with the $50 gift card you can win by: 

1. Giving Shabby Apple a thumbs-up on Facebook if you don't already "Like" them
2. Leaving a comment below telling me what Shabby Apple dress is your favorite

I will name a winner on Friday, June 7. Good luck!

pledging beta chi {charlotte bloggers}

Y'all know that my blog BFF is Dee from Dee's Adventures.   Last month I flew down to Charlotte to celebrate her as she awaits her first baby. I went to her baby shower (which had adorable, steal-worthy details - read about it here!) and got to meet some of her oldest friends - it was a great time!

I also got to meet a ton of  Dee's Charlotte blogger friends.

The Charlotte area seems to have a really great group of bloggers who meet up often and support each other  in the real world as well as the world wide web'ed one. I have joked in comments before that they should call them selves Beta Chi for Bloggers Charlotte. 

The Beta Chi blog class above features Classic Annie, Looks Like Lulu, Reporter Turned Mommy (like me, though, Kathleen is just a pledge - hee), Dee, A. Liz Adventures and Mr and Mrs. 

It was so fun to meet in person some of the bloggers I read often, and to meet new bloggers whom I've started following!

new york never gets old

My parents came to Maryland back in August, and while they were in town we hopped a train in Baltimore to spend a couple days in Manhattan...

Waiting on the train at Penn Station

New York was especially "new" to PR and Danny because this was their first trip, so we hit up lots of token sights!

To maximize our time, we rode around on an open-top bus tour. 

We went with Gray Line and bought a package that included 48-hours on the bus,  a boat ride around the harbor (which, save for a close peak at Lady Liberty, was kind of a waste of tourist time) and tickets to the top of the Empire State Building. The Gray Line buses (which are actually red?!) are everywhere around the city and we never had trouble catching a ride. 

On Day 1 we hopped off the bus at Central Park. As you might imagine, these Beatles fans loved Strawberry Fields....

...and this pop culture fan loved seeing a scene from Gossip Girl being shot.

It was fun to watch the action, but there were no big star sightings. A few days later I did see a photo of Blake (nee Lively) Reynolds on that scooter pictured above in People magazine.  We channeled more Gossip Girl while staying at The Palace Hotel...

A slight hotel obsession with The Palace was born when I was in New York last Christmas, and I've been dying to stay there since. Its Midtown location on Madison Avenue is perfect! Our view of St. Patrick's was amazing - the nicest I've ever had staying in a New York hotel. I actually didn't know the hotel had Gossip Girl ties when I booked it...likely 'cause I don't watch Gossip Girl. But still...I love seeing television and movie shoot locations. Which is why one day we lunched here......

Did you know you can make a reservation at Serendipity 3? I didn't either 'til I decided to just call and ask - I guess it was just fate (wink, wink!)? We walked right in for lunch passing a long line of people, and I was so happy the food actually lived up to Serendipity's hype. Another restaurant that really surprised me was the Rock Center Cafe. We popped in there after our appearance on TODAY. 

HA!!!  We went in search of Hoda and Kathlie Lee, but tragically, they weren't in town; all their shows that week had been pre-taped. (Now, those are some gossip girls I would have loved to see!)  Rock Center Cafe has very reasonable (for New York) prices and the food was special without being too big city. It appeared lots of locals were there too for both breakfast and dinner, and we liked it so much we made a return trip!

We hit up Broadway and saw Rock of Ages!  It was fantastic - if you're into 1980's music and off-color jokes (which I am...). It's not a show for kids or prude grown-ups, for sure. 

We saw the 9/11 memorial, walked through old churches and with ice cream cones often in hand, peaked in different neighborhoods while wishing we had more time.  Though we missed having Dan with us, I think it rates as one of my favorite family vacations!

I don't know why New York is called New York, but I think the city is aptly named. No matter how many times I visit, it never gets old. 

girls trips: then and now

 The last time I took a beach trip with my group of hometown friends we were only 18. Our travel style has changed a lot since then. Here's a peak at how different our trip to St Simons Island was  to mark our 35th year as compared to our week in Myrtle Beach to celebrate high school graduation. 


Getting Carded:

The Ocean Lodge at St Simons Island

Then: We passed around the IDs from those of us who were already 18 so we could get into {cheesey!!} nightclubs at Myrtle Beach. It was a brilliant plan.
Now: When we stopped in for a nightcap at  The Ocean Lodge no one was even carded. It was a tragic reality.


Rest and Relaxation:

Then: No one rose before noon. 
Now: At the spa by 10am. 


Food for Thought:

Dining at Halyards

Then: We ate a lot of tator tots. 
Now: We ordered spinach when dining at Halyards...

and not just because it was creamed with pimento cheese. 


Photo Opps:

1995

Then: It seemed like a good idea to stand on tables and accessorize with sand buckets. 
Now:  A marina makes for a much better backdrop. 

2012

Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner

The girls and Simon

Then: On the way home we made a detour to Lake Lure, NC, to see where the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed.
Now: On the way home we stopped to meet - and steal turns holding - our friend Melanie's new baby, Simon....

 Melanie missed out on our trip because she was due any day but the timing of her delivery couldn't have been more perfect for us. Seeing this little saint Simon was the highlight of everyone's St Simons trip! 

too young for a senior trip

After high school graduation, I left for Myrtle Beach with my four best friends. We had enough IDs that read 18 to ensure everyone would get to peak inside Mother Fletchers, and a box of wine coolers, hidden in another friend's shed, we picked up on the way out of town. To this day I still don't know how those party favors were procured...

Summer, 1995

Our parents certainly didn't encourage this trip, but it's just what kids in our hometown did, so they let us go. I can't believe our mothers, who enforced curfews and rules about being alone with boys, let us just....leave. We seemed too young to take a a senior trip, a trip without some grown-ups...but off we went from Tennessee to South Carolina. 


Today I'm meeting up with these same girls for another beach trip, our first together in five years. Some of us still had to check with our moms before confirming travel dates; now there are babies that need sitting.


The next few days will include lots of relaxing and reminiscing..and plenty of dinner party questions, I'm sure.  These ladies will humor me as I drag them to see where JFK, Jr. got married, just as I will indulge them when it comes time to shop for the children. There will be no wine coolers. There will be no posing in bikinis. 

There will, however, be some party favors -  tacky-but-cute custom koozies -  and the hope that when we do reach our AARP years we'll still be taking trips together, sipping some kind of youth tonic....that we'll still be the kind of citizens too young to take a 'senior' trip.  

In Knoxville with Gavin Rossdale and Garden & Gun

I flew down to Tennessee this weekend for a super quick visit.  There was a wedding.  There was love.  There was food and laughter and there was sleep lost because there was, as always, a time deficit.  For fun, there was even Gavin Rossdale on Gay Street (no Gwen, but Zuma + a nanny; they were getting gelato from here). I love a celebrity sighting.

The current issue of Garden and Gun has a great little feature on Knoxville. It tells of a city that is special but not over-confident.  You read the story and you would never believe it's about a place that, for years, has voted Olive Garden its favorite Italian restaurant.  I felt like a proud native reading that article, but as I dined on Market Square and strolled around downtown this weekend I felt a little like a curious tourist....one who is already anticipating her next return trip. 

antrim 1844 for a DC-area girlfriend getaway

On Saturday, I  set out  for a night away with girlfriends at Antrim 1844, a bed & breakfast in central Maryland, to celebrate my friend Mary's upcoming birthday. 

Entry into the mansion at Antrim 1844

"You're going to be very close to the Mason-Dixon line," Dan told me, jokingly, "so be very careful!"


An hour later, I checked into a room named after a Union spy.


Antrim is elegant and cozy, and the trees that shield it from a highway enclave guests into a garden that keeps old Civil War secrets....

The gardens at Antrim

...and modern day wedding vows. A couple got married while we were there, and we watched from our rooms.

It is no wonder couples choose to wed at Antrim; it is terribly romantic. Lucky guests get to snuggle into soft robes....

and fall into fluffy feather beds.  I want to come back with Dan in the winter to enjoy the fireplaces....

Besides, what's not to love about an inn that offers Nora Roberts on the bedside table?


Not just for lovebirds, Antrim proved a great (and inexpensive - we took advantage of the 1776 package good now through mid-July) girlfriend getaway. I can't recommend it more if you live in or around Baltimore and Washington. An easy drive beyond the Beltway and you're taking afternoon tea in a country smokehouse! That's what we did, as its offered daily to overnight guests. 

Don't fill up on the sweets and savories, however. Though the treats are delish, you'll want to save plenty of room for dinner at the award-winning Smokehouse Restaurant (more on that tomorrow!) where the food and service is fantastic! Dinner for the pre fixe menu is not included in the room price, but the experience is worth the splurge!

After six courses and three hours of  leisurely dining, we slid back into some comfy clothes and headed out for a round of marathon girl talk in the garden....

Before we knew it the clock ticked 2:00am - we'd outlasted even the wedding goers! Up by 9 then next day, there was breakfast (included daily for overnight guests from 8:30am-10:00am) to be had...

The rest of the day we lounged by the pool (which we had ALL to ourselves!)...

til it was time to drive back to real life. 


Do you have a favorite place for a quick girls' weekend?

The Secret Lives of the Wives Club

I read a book back in the winter called The Secret Lives of Wives. 

In this book the author (and wife of 23 years) Iris Krasnow interviewed hundreds of women who've been married between 15-70 years. After uncovering all sorts of things that would make even the Desperate Housewives blush, she determined that, in short:

"The happiest wives have a sense of purpose and passion in work and causes outside of the home. Wives who counted on a spouse for fulfillment and sustenance were often angry and lonely...

Finally, the wives with the highest marital satisfaction have a tight circle of wild women friends with whom to drink, travel and vent about their husbands."

The latter is certainly the mantra that my friends and I embraced this weekend for a relaxing time at the beach...

The Wives Club (what we call ourselves because we're all connected through our husbands, who are BFF, not because we're smug married) went coastal for a few days to Venice, Florida, without the husbands, without the kids. 


You've seen a peak at the napkins I made, but Katie made us custom koozies. Super cute. 

For our short stay we mostly just went to the beach, swam in the pool....

...and went out for dinners. One night we did get SUPER wild when we Redboxed the new Footloose. I sent this picture of Katie to Dan back home and told him things were about to get crazy... 

Short of reading from the Fifty Shades series, the wildest thing we really did was eat french fries and ice cream every day. During the rest of our time we just gabbed and napped. We laughed a lot, and smiled through tears a little. It was a fantastic way to spend a few days.


With an expert author on marriage weighing in that weekends like the one we had lend to a marriage lived happily ever after, I can't see why our husbands won't support more weekends just like this one! 

Out-Planned, Outwitted: My 35th Birthday Surprise

In my family, we celebrate Birthday Weeks. Since marrying Dan, he's done a nice job of keeping up with the tradition. It usually means little happies, like a fun magazine or a Starbucks card, every day leading up to the big day. I turn 35 a week from today and that means birthday week began this morning.

I'll be honest...I was starting to feel a little blue (or rather, gray, like the hair of the same color I found in my crown this week - what timing!) about it. Not because I begrudge aging; I made a promise long ago not to ever lie about my age, because the alternative to not having birthdays is well....

BUT. I've been a tad bummed that, despite a little nudge here and there, Dan seemed to have really dropped the ball with making ANY plans for my birthday. That seems a tad whiney, I realize, but 0's and 5's are a big deal, no? 

After no formal plans were made to mark my looming 35th, I did want any event planning control freak does: I made a dinner reservation myself. I invited friends on my own. I requested the kind of cake I wanted. Then, I bitched a little about having to do it.

Early this morning, still inside the echos of my complaints, in swoops Dan with a big reveal, by way of my best friend Cassie's blog:

With the help from my friends, Dan and Cassie had been planning a secret trip to Atlanta (and a totally indulgent spa day!) for months. I leave on Friday and I cannot wait!

Some people get wiser, more patient, and less self-centered with age.  Seems like all I have to show for 35 years is some gray hair....and a lot of people who make me feel so, so loved.