Rattlesnake Roundup

This weekend I rode out to the country, Whigham Georgia to be exact, to attend the Rattlesnake Roundup. It is basically an excuse for vendors to come to the area to sell their crafts while guests witness rattlesnake demonstrations and eat fried deliciousness. Items for sale included citrus, bras, sunglasses, belt buckles, candle holders, baby clothes, etc. Local organizations hosted tents of their own recruiting members for boy scouts, sons of confederate soldiers, and Whigham Baptist Church. It was a great excuse to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather while being face to face with the venomous creatures. If I had more time I would have like to make a few good buys from a local, but it was off to grandma's house for fried chicken. An afternoon on the porch in a rocking chair with a glass of sweet iced tea was the perfect way to end the day.

Power of the Purse

Mocking Bird Cafe

This weekend I wanted to do something OTHER than go out in midtown as we tend to do every weekend. It is just so darn convenient since I can walk to and from the bars and restaurants. So my friends and I went looking for an adventure and we settled on going to the BBC or Bradfordville Blues Club on Saturday night. Unfortunately we called up to the club and they were sold out, as they always do. We should have foreseen that, but in any case we headed to a different bar with a similar feel. The Mocking Bird Cafe on Monroe is where all the Midtown bars are but it draws a different crowd, it's where the kids that hang around Railroad Square would go when they grow up. They have a deck that extends into the parking lot where the smokers hang out, a dining room where the music isn't too loud, and a bar with a small stage and a few tables. We found a couple of seats at the bar, the last couple of seats as a matter of fact, and parked it. They have a handful of decent beers on tap so I ordered the Blue Point and sweet potato fries. They have delicious sweet potato fries. The band was just what we were looking for, an intense blue grass folksy sound. We then headed across the street to Krewe de Gras where they too had a band on stage and a crowd dancing around. It was a successful night of music and more with friends.

(Bartender's awesome Mario Bros tattoos)

It's My Birthday!

 For my birthday I reserved the Tarpon Room at the Front Porch for me and twenty of my closest friends. I had been hearing all the rave about this whole red snapper they serve which was the chef's specialty, so I wanted to try it. We arrived late to the restaurant and quickly valet the car and made my way to the dining room. I was pleased to find out that all of my friend had arrived and were waiting for me at the bar outside. They were able to mingle with one another and get a drink before heading in to dinner. Its tradition that you wear a tiara on your birthday in my group of girl friends so I was greeted with a pink crown to finish off my outfit. I was handed cards and presents as we were seated in the dining room. I brought a wine glass with a cupcake painted on it that my coworker gave me earlier that day as a birthday present. We rearranged the tables, ordered more drinks and turned on some Katie Perry to kick the party off. I was so thankful most everyone was there to celebrate with me. When it came time to order I really wanted to try this whole fish so I asked what weight fish they had left, and of course there were only the largest sizes left. So my friend and boyfriend said they would help me out and the three of us could share it and I'm SOOO glad we did. The calamari was okay, too greasy for me, the blue crab claws were all right but I had my eye on the prize. The waitress brought the snapper out and set it down between the three of us as everyone stared at the dish. A few of my friends whipped out their phones and snapped a couple pictures of it before we took the first bite. The three of us gave each other a look of excitement and started peeling away layers of the filet. The skin was perfectly crisp and salty while the meat was ever so moist and delicious. It was the best meal I have had at the Front Porch and one of the best in Tallahassee, although it came at a price ($50!). It was my birthday present :) We continued the party onto Hotel Duval for some libations at the rooftop bar Level 8. It was pretty crowded and they were hosting a Skinny Girl cocktail party in the ballroom. All in all, it was a very successful night!

Christmas Activities I Partook In

Since I've suggested so many activities before the holidays, I want to recap and state what I actually went to and what I enjoyed.

1. Christmas in Narnia - Quincy, FL
I really enjoyed this performance, there were a few really talented ladies in this group. The companies performs the same play every year so if you didn't catch it this time, you can try again next Christmas. I would have liked to scope out Quincy more too, maybe grab a bite or a coffee before/after the performance.

2. Victorian Christmas - Thomasville, GA
I went, but we were a little late. We ate at my new favorite Thomasville restaurant George and Louie's and then went around the corner downtown to check out the activities. They had the streets closed off and it was flooded with people. The stores were still open which was nice, but I wouldn't have shopped if I wasn't serious about buying something. We browsed a few stores as we made our way to Sweetgrass Dairy for some wine and cheese (beer for the boys). That was the highlight of the night. There were a few people in costume, some performances but I think we missed a majority of the festivities since we were late to the party. I may try to get there earlier next year or may just skip the party and head to my favorite Thomasville spots a different night.

3. Downtown Christmas - Tallahassee, FL
I wish I had signed up for the Jingle Bell Run, but instead we walked along the streets of downtown listening to the performances and headed to Po Boys to watch the SEC championship game. There were a few groups that I was glad I got to see including a couple of the dances from the TCC company and a classic rock band jamming out. It was something to do, but wasn't much to see.

Urban Disturbance

I volunteered for the Urban Disturbance race this year, didn't run it because I'm out of shape. I had a great time seeing people jump, climb, run through the obstacles scattered throughout downtown Tallahassee. The ones that were especially entertaining were those in costume ranging from FBI agents, to super heroes, to a clan of Richard Simmons! This event was a great experience to get involved with and the finish line had live entertainment, awards ceremony and victory beer! If you're the athletic type keep an eye out for this race next year.

http://www.theurbandisturbance.com/

Charlotte Travel Guide

I just wanted to hit a couple of highlights about Charlotte in case any of you care to go there.

Uptown
The downtown is amazingly clean and well maintained. There are the restaurants that are in most major cities like Ruth's Chris and McCormick and Schmick's but the best place to go is Halcyon inside the Mint Museum. The Mint (http://www.mintmuseum.org/) hosts jazz performances and happy hours so take a walk through the museum and have dinner at Halcyon (http://www.halcyonflavors.com/) to experience the farm to table elegant dining experience Charlotte has to offer.

During the day check out the micro breweries around town, grab a bite to eat at Mac's BBQ (best in town), take a drive through Dillworth to see the old school carpenter style houses, and shop vintage in NoDa (http://www.mintmuseum.org/).

As for a night on the town, Cosmo's is a fun club atmosphere with great martini specials but better yet is Ri Ra's and Connolly's. These two bars are located on the corner of 5th and Tryon and this is where most of the partying takes place. This corner is packed with about 5 bars and should have something for everyone.

Stashing through the Snow - Christmas Parties

This Christmas I attended 8 parties, from work parties to family gatherings to friendly get togethers. I have come to realize that I am over keg stands, but into clever Christmas get ups. My favorite being the onesie with the butt flap. Tacky sweater Christmas parties allow people who want to get dolled up to do so, and those who want to come casual to not have to make an effort. I only went to one party, my favorite of all of them, that had fresh hot chocolate with marshmallows hand dipped into white chocolate. It was delicious! Most of the others were just wine and beer, which I'll drink too.

I've decided the hot new addition to any decent party is a photo booth. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just a camera with a remote on a tripod, and  my I suggest a cheaper more versatile version of the tripod, the gorillapod. This thing is awesome because you can wrap it around tree limbs, angle the camera, and set it to different heights on a flat surface. Now back to the point, photo booths. The best photo booths have props including mustaches, hats, but my favorite are witty cut outs of great punchlines. This activity allows a single person to a group of people to be entertained with the click of a button. Then just upload all of your pictures onto facebook and enjoy. The photos get more creative as the night goes on.

I think the key to a good Christmas party is the company you keep, and those who are in the Christmas spirit. So put on your big girl panties and make an effort on your outfit, get invested in the time you're about to invest so you're more likely to have a good time and contribute to the greater good of everyone having a good time.


The Gorillapod if you're interested...

Charlotte, NC for the Holidays

My sister lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and she wasn't able to get out of town for the holidays so we went to her.

It is nice getting to experience a Christmas where a fire is always burning and traditional Christmas activities are everywhere. We drove through historic McAdenville where the line is miles long and the streets are packed full of families out and about spreading holiday cheer. I would have to say that I am glad we did it, but I wouldn't recommend it, the wait outweighs the joy of the lights. But if you have nothing better to do, than go for it! The botanical gardens also puts up lights for the holidays. We found houses in Ballentyne that were covered in lights two neighbors banned together to create a small lighted forest in their front yard (shown below). There was also a house that had their lights set to music. So I would suggest picking up a hot chocolate at a coffee shop, turn up the holiday music and drive through Ballentyne rather than wait in line on the highway for a drive through McAdenville.