Out of Office

I'm trying to decide if I should leave this




or this





As my out of office message for next week. Thoughts?


PS- Lyrics to Billy Currington's song Swimmin' in Sunshine are also in the running, I just couldn't find video of it!

Happy Blogiversary!

Okay, so I'm a day late on this, but I love how it worked out that my 100th post is also on my 1 year Blogiversary!

I had no idea what I was doing when I set up this blog. I had thought about blogging for a while, and just took the plunge! I've had so much fun sharing my random thoughts about food, movies, tv, the south, and did I mention food? I guess that's one way to know this is an authentic southern blog since it always seems to come back to the food.

I just wanted to take a sec to let you know how much I appreciate you reading and commenting and encouraging me in this little project, which has become a beloved hobby.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!

Are we there yet?

Have I mentioned that I'm going to the beach next week? Like, for a whole week? Cause I am, and am super excited about it! When I started thinking about vacations, it made me sad that I can't remember the last time I went on a real one. Sure there's been a weekend trip here or there, but all of my vacation time the past 5 years has been spent on visiting home, holidays, and going to weddings. (I know, poor me!)

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE visiting home, but I don't think Anderson has ever been featured as a favorite vacation destination. But correct me if I'm wrong! And I LOVE all of my friends and family that have gotten hitched over the last few years, but it is time for a real vacation!

Like an entire week of no work, no email, no meetings, no shuffling around from house to house on a holiday. There will be no worrying about having the right outfit to wear and no making someone else feel like they're the center of the universe. There will be no fake small talk, no stress or guilt for not spending enough time with people when I'm home, no alarm clock, no traffic, no crowds, no politics, no schedule, no diet, no gym.

I saw one of those Corona commercials last night where the dude is chillin at the beach while skipping rocks and his blackberry starts buzzing. He picks up the blackberry, and skips it right into the water. THAT is the state of mind I'm planning to be in!

Just me, the sun, the ocean, the sand, and family. Zac Brown Band will be my vacation soundtrack, and Firefly will be my drink of choice.

I'm making the most of my once-in-a-blue-moon vacation and am leaving a day early! Almost all of my mom's side of the blended family tree will be spending a week together at Edisto Beach. This is the first of what we hope will become a tradition.

Judging from the amount of Target bags that I left with a few nights ago, I may be a little too anxious. One good thing about going on vacation in August is that EVERYTHING is on sale. The downside is that everything is picked over. But I lucked out on a few things. Beach towels were only $3.99! I also got some surcies for the kiddos, that I hope they'll like! Click here for a definition if you don't know what a Surcie is (still trying to educate the non-southerners when I get a chance.)

4 days, people!!!!!


(Note- I am sadly missing out on a fun girls weekend in NYC for a friend's bachelorette party. And if she's reading this, I hope she knows that none of the wedding talk earlier is directed at her! This is 6 years of no-vacation bitterness coming out! I hope you ladies have a FABULOUS weekend and I wish the timing worked out better!)

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!