Pass the Popcorn

With reruns and bad summer tv, what's a tv junkie to do? Answer: Watch some Braves and then catch up on movies! I've been on a definite movie kick lately. Oldies and newbies and everything in-between, my Netflix subscription is coming in handy this summer!

(STS= Sweet Tea Scale)

Oldies:

Girls Just Want to Have Fun- Makes you want to crimp the hair, have a girls night, pop some popcorn, and dance. Definitely worth the $5 Target purchase and a 4 on the STS.

Beaches- I may be one of the last people to actually see this movie. I knew this was going to be sad. I was warned. I read about it. I figured out what was going to happen. And it STILL got to me. Big time waterworks. If you're behind the times like me, and haven't seen it yet, make sure you have the Kleenex ready. A sappy 5 on the STS.

In-Between:

Definitely, Maybe- This one left a lot to be desired. I had no idea that a political campaign would have a cheesy role. It didn't really work for me. A low 3 on the STS.

Fool's Gold- I was bored, okay? Matthew McConaughey was shirtless a lot of the movie, so what's not to love? Seriously though, it's kind of a cute movie, especially if you have a thing for good old fashioned treasure hunts. A high 3 on the STS.

Confessions of a Shopaholic- Cute and typical, but entertaining. A lot of the movie is too materialistic for my taste. A high 3 on the STS.

Frost/Nixon- Very serious and slow in parts, but well worth the watch. A 4 on the STS.

Revolutionary Road- Really makes you think and has great acting. Earns a 4 on the STS.

Newbies:

My Sister's Keeper- Glad I saw it, but won't be buying it when it's on the Target $5 shelf. I'm told that, as usual, the book is better. A 3 on my STS.

The Proposal- Surprisingly funny. Lots of laughing out loud. Great cast. Ryan Reynolds is adorable. A high 4 on the STS.

I also watched HBO's documentary on Ted Kennedy last week. No matter what your political leaning or feeling about Sen. Kennedy, his life story (as most of the other Kennedy's) is truly fascinating and a built-in history lesson. I definitely recommend it.

Have you seen any of these? If so, what did you think? What else are you watching this summer?

I'm still determined to see Away We Go and simply CAN'T wait for Julie and Julia. The book so far is fab! A twenty-something, a blog, Amy Adams, food, and a cooking legend all rolled into one!!!

Sweet Summertime

Our friends were all finally in town for a weekend, so we took advantage of it by having our first BBQ of the summer. We were blessed with AMAZING weather. It was actually unseasonably cool.

Good friends, delicious food, a warm fire pit, shagging in the grass, and an all around good time!

Eastern Market

Eastern Market is one of the most charming treasures in DC. There are many local artists and crafty types, as well as flowers and fresh food. It's become a favorite place for family members to visit when they're here. If I lived closer, I would make it a much more regular part of my routine.

The historical building that housed part of the meat and food vendors was damaged in a fire a few years ago. The reconstruction is finally done and it looks great. I didn't get any photos of the inside part, so you'll just have to go see for yourself!

I bought some delicious, fresh peaches, nectarines and blueberries. I also couldn't resist buying some small lavender plants for my room which smells oh so good!

Some colorful sights from Eastern Market last weekend....

If you've never been, get yourself there while the weather is nice! If you don't live here, make this a stop on your next visit to DC.

My First Garden

I planted my first vegetable garden! Okay, it's small, so more like a mini-vegetable garden. But it's just me, so I don't need much.

My garden idea started with my absolute love of tomatoes. One of my favorite things in the world are my grandfather's fresh tomatoes. There's something about the ones from his garden that taste so much better than any other tomatoes I've ever had. Now that I'm nurturing my own little tomato plants, I'm going to have to sit down with Papa and get the low down on his gardening secrets.

Originally, I thought I could handle a few tomatoes in containers. As things usually go, when I talked to my mom about this, she had a few other suggestions. And then I got a package in the mail from her that included some other vegetable seeds. (This is because I told her that I had no idea where a seed store would be in this yankeefied place.)

We have a space beside our house where tulips and daffodils bloom each spring. But nothing grows here in the summer, so I thought- why not?

I bought 3 tomato plants, 2 sweet red pepper plants, 2 cucumber plants, a variety of herbs. I planted all of this along with the okra seeds my mom sent me. I have no idea how this will turn out and am slightly concerned with how much sun this space really gets. But here's to hoping!

The basil plant grew FAST!

So here's the progression of my beloved tomato plants. I didn't understand the concept of snapping off the "suckers" until my plant turned into an unruly bush. I think I got them under control though.

I'm patiently waiting for the day I can walk outside, pick a ripe tomato off the vine, and indulge in one of God's great creations- the tomato sandwich.

Trash to Treasure

Allow me to formally introduce my lovely sister, Ashley. She recently expressed that she was bored on her summer break from teaching. (I personally don't know how this is possible, seeing as how she's finishing her master's this summer.) I have little sympathy for her since I would LOVE to have a summer break! So, I'm putting her to work on my blog! Welcome her to Grits and Gossip to what I hope will be regular addition.

Guest Blog by Ashley Anderson:

Recently, my mom came across an old outdoor chimney/fireplace, being the thrifty deal spotter she is, she saw it’s potential and brought it home (for free)! Because she already had one, she offered it to me.

I immediately loved its shape, and was thankful she rescued it from the landfill. It is cast iron and very well made, because it had been kept outside for many years it had rusty spots and some weathering. I brought it home and first hosed it down to get all the dirt and cob webs off, then I washed it with Clorox to make sure I was down to the raw surface.

I went to the hardware store and picked up a bottle of heat resistant black spray paint for $5. I applied three coats of paint to it to give it extra shine. I still had half the bottle left over for future projects!

The key with this project was to get the heat resistant spray paint. Regular paint will crack, melt, and peel under extreme heat. So there you have it an outdoor fireplace for under $5! This same principal can be used for grills that get rusty and dull looking, don’t throw it out, simply freshen it up!

Another helpful hint: Be careful as to where you position your outdoor fireplace, sometimes they have vents in the bottom and sides and can catch decks or ground coverings (such as pine needles) on fire. We are going to put ours in our back yard on a patio constructed of cement or stone tiles, with adirondack chairs as seating. I will keep you posted on this ongoing project!

Summer Days

Seriously....how is 2009 going by so fast? I have to get busy on my summer to-do list! I can probably go ahead and cross off anything to do with getting a tan b/c that doesn't seem to be in the cards for me. Oh well....it causes skin cancer anyway.

I hope everyone had a Happy 4th! This was my first 4th of July away from DC since I moved here 5 years ago. I went home to SC and had a busy 5 day "vacation." Going home is an interesting thing. When I graduated from college and moved to DC, I wanted little to do with going home during that first year. But eventually being away made me miss things and appreciate the pleasures of home. I guess it's that absence makes the heart grow fonder thing.

The weather was perfect for days at the pool/lake, and nights sitting outside with family and catching lightening bugs with the niece and nephew. I water skied for the first time in about 10 years. Turns out it was like riding a bicycle...I got up on my first try and didn't fall!

I didn't totally fall off my diet wagon, which is a major accomplishment when visiting the South. That is except for the 3 different kinds of homemade ice cream that I enjoyed! Sooooo good! I also came back with my favorite souvenir- my grandfather's home grown tomatoes! I hope to have some of my own from the garden I planted soon. We'll see how they compare.

I'm back in town for a busy few weeks at work, and am already counting down the days until the beach in August!

Some pics from my trip-

Visiting my grandparents while they camped at Oconee State Park....

Paddle Boating with my dad at the State Park....

Chillin with my niece and her awesome green cast....

Fun at the lake with the kiddos....

It's Summer!!!!

Time to blog! Even if my mind is in a million places and doesn't have one focused thing to blog about. You've been officially warned of the complete randomness of this post!

Happy Summer, People! It's the most wonderful time of the year for me! Always has been my favorite...and not just because of the break from school.

Growing up, we spent almost every single weekend in the summer at the lake where my grandparents lived. I miss those days, and hope to recapture it when I'm home for the 4th next week.
I love the boat rides, skiing, getting all wrinkly from the water because it's way too hot to not be in the water.
I love the way when other boats pass you, they wave in such a friendly southern way. Everyone is happy on the lake.
I love my grandfather's homemade icecream (and am not going to worry about how many weight watcher points it is!)
I love that when you're out on the lake for the day, it doesn't matter what time it is, and the day seems longer and sweeter than a day not on the lake.
I love how good I sleep at night after the sun and water wears you out.

And the 4th of July, well the lake is simply THE place to be- no questions asked. That's where everyone is. We would put the anchor out at the Marina and watch the boat parade and then the fireworks...the highlight of the year on Lake Hartwell! My sister and three cousins and I would belt patriotic tunes out at the top of lungs. Over and over and over again. We had a lot of fun.

I haven't been home for the 4th of July since college. So the countdown is on.



But before June is officially over, (and can anyone else believe that June/the first half of 2009 is almost officially over???) I have to give a some birthday shout outs to some special people!

Happy Birthday to my bff back home! (We MUST take some pictures when I'm home next week, this one is 3 years old!!)




Happy Birthday to two of my roomies!



Happy Birthday to my Grandmother!




Next up....The Hangover's Sweet Tea Rating. Lots of hype about this one. It's a laugh out loud type of crazy summer movie. I can definitely see why guys adore this one. Could it be the guy's response to He's Just Not that Into You? There's definitely a reason it's rated R. And I definitely have a new crush on Bradley Cooper. I'll give it a generous 4 on the scale. Have you seen it? What did you think?

I also recently watched Revolutionary Road, Gran Torino, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Gran Torino was my favorite followed by Revolutionary Road. I don't even know what to say about Benjamin Button except that it was 2 hours and 45 minutes of Forrest Gump meets The Notebook with a splash of Titanic thrown in for the heck of it. For me, it was kind of a mess.


I know, I know, you've probably had your fill of Jon and Kate drama. But you come here for my 2 cents so here it is! I've been a fan from the beginning when I stumbled upon a marathon of the first season about 3 years ago. I watched the potty training, Alexis' alligator obsession, Maddy's meltdowns, the reorganizing of their home, the twins first music lessons, and the sextuplet's birthday parties.

The appeal of the show for me (besides the adorable kiddies) was watching an ordinary family deal with an extraordinary situation. Over the last few seasons, the show, (and seemingly Jon and Kate themselves) lost touch of that original appeal. They went from working normal jobs, having friends and family a part of their life and show, and clipping coupons to moving into a mini-mansion, taking free vacations to Hawaii/California/Colorado, and accepting all kinds of free gifts.

Being a product of divorce and a blended family (we like to joke that we're functional in our dysfunction), I have to say that I'm glad there weren't cameras all over my house or any sort of audience when we were going through such a personal, heartbreaking, and life changing event. I feel for the Gosselin's and hope that they all come out of this okay!

I've already started watching the new show Raising Sextuplets on WE. These parents work full time, run marathons, the dad is in grad school, and they still find time to smile! I'm SUCH a sucker for shows about big families. (The Duggar's, Jon and Kate, Big Love, Brothers and Sisters)

So there you have it! Complete and total randomness from my summer memories on the lake to movies to Jon and Kate. Plenty of comment material for you to choose from!

Home Sweet Home

Funny how fast 2 weeks can fly by! I'm adjusting to some new things at work and have been out of town in some shape or form the last 3 weekends in a row. Excuses, Excuses. Anyway, I hope to get back into a regular blogging routine.

Last weekend, I went to SC for a quick trip to visit family. It was a packed weekend! As usual, I'm starting with the food. I'm sensing quite a food theme these days.

My mom took me out to a cute little restaurant, Grits and Groceries, that has the BEST food. It's about 12 miles outside of my hometown, but well worth the peaceful country drive. If you're living in the Anderson area and haven't tried it yet, make plans to do so pronto.

Fried Green Tomatoes!

After we stuffed ourselves, it was off to a fabric sale closeby. The place is called All About Fabric and has taken up shop in an old mill. There were rows and rows of every type of fabric imaginable. My mom often finds things here for her many projects, but it was my first time. I was looking for something to complete the bedroom update project. Maybe I was too overwhelmed, but I couldn't make a decision. I found patterns I loved, but not in the colors I wanted.

Then it was off to my cousin's baby shower. I have a relatively small extended family with just one aunt and three cousins, which round out the 5 stairstep grandaughters on my dad's side. I'm proud to be the oldest of the stairsteps. Anywho- this baby is kind of a big deal since it's the first in the family in about 20 years! Needless to say my grandmother can't wait to add the "great" to her name. My cousin was glowing and we had the very rare occasion of all being together. (This is also exhibit #1920394 that shows I look more like my step-sibling-the only other blond in this pic)

The day wasn't over yet! We went to Greenville to Cafe and Then Some for their new show, Obama Mia. More good food, funny show, and great company!

The weekend was rounded out by seeing my bff on her birthday and her adorable kidos. We didn't get pictures, but you'll have to take my word that they're super cuties.

Oh- I also got to meet Ethel Roberts and she is just as sweet in person as she looks in the pageant pictures! She actually recited her ABC's backwards to me- at the age of 97!

Whew....makes me tired just writing the weekend recap!