99 Cents Can Change the World

For 99 cents, you can buy something at the dollar store...almost.

You can get something off of the dollar menu at McDonald's...almost.

You can buy a glass of lemonade from your neighborhood lemonade stand...if the kids in your neighborhood aren't trying to raise money to buy the newest video game.

99 cents doesn't buy much anymore, but it does buy a step towards a cure for breast cancer.

So many of us have been affected by breast cancer in one way or another. Whether it's you, your mom, your sister, your friend, your cousin, or maybe even one of the men in your life, chances are you have been touched by this disease. Of personal note, my grandmother is a breast cancer survivor so this cause is among those that I support fervently.

If you've got 99 cents and an interest in helping the cause, please download the song Pink Warrior by Candy Coburn. The song was co-written by a friend of mine and 100% of the artist and producer proceeds from the song go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. It's available at Amazon and itunes.

Get it here on Amazon.
Get it here on itunes.

Welcoming the Heat

After seemingly endless days of rain in Nashville, the weather is finally turning brighter and the past couple of days have been absolutely beautiful. I don't know about you, but weather like this makes me giddy for outdoor gatherings. Whip up some lemonade, throw some goodies on the grill and chill the ice cream for dessert...it's time to break out the shorts and flipflops! If you're going to have an outdoor shindig, you might as well use cute tableware. Amy Butler's eco-friendly table goods are just the ticket!


You can view the pieces here.

Amy's collection also includes some great 100% organic bedding. EcoSalon's article on the adorable pieces is here.


Now go enjoy the weather!!!

What I Love About...

One of Nashville's hidden gems found its way into my life last night. A friend wanted to meet up for drinks and suggested The Greenhouse. Always one for embracing new adventures, I agreed and off we went. It was love at first sight, pure and simple.

The picket fence that sets out the front boundary of the bar is reminiscent of one you might find at the beach where you spent your childhood summers. After you enter the gate, you step into a whole 'nother world. The greenery is lush and the picnic tables and wrought iron patio furniture plentiful. The feeling you get is one of remoteness and freedom, so it's quite easy to forget that you're still in the city. The bar is housed inside an actual greenhouse. The cherry on top came after I ordered a mojito (one of the bar's specialty drinks) and the bartender said, "It'll be just a sec, I have to go pick the mint." Now, that's my kind of place!

The Farmers' Market

If you're looking for a way to green your meals, both literally and figuratively, visit your local farmers' market. Buying food locally saves your food from being trucked across the state or across the country and it also guarantees that you know exactly where your food comes from and how it got there. I had lunch at the Nashville Farmers' Market yesterday and I had such a great time exploring all of the restaurants and merchants' booths filled with colorful produce and plants. I grabbed a shrimp po-boy from Nooley's (formerly of Baton Rouge) and a snowball at Fleur de Lis Flavors. Nothing like a taste of home in my new city!!! If you're looking for something to do this weekend or a great way to bring some local flavor into your meals, hop on over to your neighborhood farmers' market!

Sunday's Finest

Whether it's Sunday morning in church, Tuesday evening at dinner, a Friday night date or Saturday brunch, every one of us has a need for attire that can only be categorized as "Sunday's Finest" and, much to my delight, more and more designers are getting in on the eco game. Take for example, this adorable dress from Kate:


This organic cotton frock would be precious alone or paired with a cardigan for so many different occasions. And guys, don't think the designers have forgotten about you! Luxury tie designer and Harvard student Baruch Shemtov will soon be launching a line of organic neckties in lots of fun colors and patterns!

Views from the Road...

Here are a few pics from our recent road trip from Philly to Nashville. It is a beautiful stretch of country and I loved seeing every inch of it!

Pack a Lunch

Do you remember your favorite lunchbox when you were little? I had a few different lunch containers, but my favorite was admittedly my bright orange New Kids on the Block lunchbox with matching thermos.

Packing a lunch for work or school is a great way to conserve resources. Buy locally at your neighborhood farmer's market and pack it in a cute and functional lunch tote, like one of these from VivaTerra:


They last longer than plasticware and save bunches of plastic and paper bags from the landfill. Make lunch fun again with a fancy lunchbox!

Images of My Youth: Part 1

I've recently developed a renewed affinity for the images of my youth, so I've decided to post some of them here one by one. No links. No detailed explanation. Be your own detective and find out what they are if you don't already know. So here goes...

The Making of the Boat & Tote

This is quite possibly the greatest bag in the world!

If you've ever wondered how the Bean Boat & Tote was made, be sure to check out a cool video of the making of the bags over at All Plaidout. View the post here.

Moving, Mom and Mother's Day

It's been exactly one week since we left Philadelphia and already Nashville feels like home. I have to take a minute to be mushy and gushy and talk about how this would not have been possible without my mom. She flew up to Philly on Wednesday night and drove down with me on Thursday. 13 hours in the car seemed to fly by because we had so much fun! She stayed through the weekend to help set up everything in the new place and she made the transition such an easy one for all involved. So Mom, if you're reading this, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I was super excited to see that the new place has low flow toilets and an energy conscious washer and dryer. On Saturday, I changed all the lightbulbs to CFLs and picked up a few plants for the entryway and the porch. The new place is getting eco-fied one step at a time!

Sunday afternoon, Mom and I headed to Mother's Day brunch at the Loews Vanderbilt. If you ever get the chance to have Sunday brunch in their restaurant, I highly recommend it. The food and the service are both A++!

Finally, in other news, if you have a prayer list or even if you don't, please keep my cousin's precious little angel in your thoughts. Emma Kate will be having heart surgery soon in Boston. Read more here.

Don't Walk in the Attic: A Cautionary Tale

When I was small, every major rule was accompanied by a cautionary story that proved why the rule was not to be broken. I can remember going up to the attic with my dad and being allowed to play in the part of the attic that had been converted into usable space. Though the fluffy pink insulation was tempting, I knew never to walk on it. Why, you ask? Well, because if you walk on the insulation, you might just fall through the ceiling. The story went like this: When we moved from Memphis back to Baton Rouge, before you were born, the movers came to pack us and one of them was packing boxes in the attic and walked on the insulation. Before I knew it, there were two legs dangling through the ceiling right above my head! I don't know who was more startled, me or the man stuck in the ceiling!" My mom still loves telling that story. Much to her satisfaction, I never walked on the insulation for fear that my own two legs would be found hovering above someone in the den.

Fast forward 27 years. When the movers arrived to pack up the Philadelphia apartment to prepare for the trip down to Nashville, I was shocked to open the door and find the legendary Coco, the very same man who had fallen through my parents' ceiling when he was barely in his twenties. Coco and Charles, who was also present at the great ceiling fall-through and had to pull his coworker from the sheetrock or whatever it is that ceilings are made of, were almost as startled to see me as I was to meet them. The guys were terrific and in less than a day, the entire place was carefully packed and ready to be loaded. On Friday, when they arrived in Nashville, they were reunited with my mom who had come to help me drive down and set up the new place.

I'm not sure what gears of the world were turning to make such a thing happen, but I'm sure glad it worked out that way! I cannot say enough good things about Armstrong Relocation. Kevin, Tami, Charles and Coco went above and beyond to make my move as painless and easy as possible and I am so glad I used them. If you need movers, I give my wholehearted recommendation.

And just in case you're wondering, Coco didn't fall through the ceiling this time.

Checking In

Hello from Nashville!!! I will post more on the move soon and tell you about the exciting events of the past few days, but I am finally getting the chance to turn in before 2 am so I am taking full advantage of it. I hope you are all well and look forward to getting back to a regular blogging schedule soon!

A Fond Farewell to the City of Brotherly Love

Most of you know that I am a southern girl born and bred, but for the last 3 years, I have called Philadelphia home.

As of Thursday, I will no longer be a resident of the City of Brotherly Love. It has been a pleasure living here and I have created memories that will last a lifetime. I am sad to be leaving the friends that I've made in my time here and the colleagues with whom I've enjoyed working, but I am so excited to be starting a new chapter of my life. In just a couple of days, I will be resting my head in Music City USA. Those of you who are long-time readers probably recall that Nashville has a special place in my heart and I'm so glad to be able to be there on a more permanent basis. This move has been a long time in the making and now that it's finally here, I'm almost overwhelmed with emotion. Excitement, sadness, glee, nervousness, elation, exhaustion and as many other emotions as you can fit into one person...I'm feeling them all! I will be away from internet access for a few days, but can't wait to report on the move soon! Until then, I wish you all the best!

Happy Derby Day!!!

In honor of Kentucky Derby 135, today's post is a link to Derby blogger Caroline Smith's post, "Green is the New Black" and you can check it out here.

Now grab yourself a mint julep, dahlin', and go enjoy the most exciting two minutes in sports!!!