June 20, 2010

Duped & Clean

L.
Have a drink of water Lily. Yes, little girl, the water is your friend. Water is cool and refreshing. Feel free to close your eyes and enjoy. Fake out! It's a bath time.

G.
Guther is not so easily fooled. He puts on his game face and waits for the end. This is the look of repugnance. He plots his escape- Freedom!
{Can I get William Wallace yell?}

June 17, 2010

A Dining Room Improvement

When we first moved into our lovely home the contractor beige walls were accented by a contractor chandelier in the dining room. Quickly, we painted and started looking for a replacement lamp. My abhorrence for the chandelier was well known, so two Christmases ago we were given a new, quite modern, IKEA light. I liked it. I didn't love it. But, compared to the original, it was a very suitable alternative. Many people loved the IKEA light. In fact, quite a few people asked for it when we took it down. Which we did. Last week. Now, in it's place is the beautiful pendant lamp I had been hoping for. I just love it! Of course, in my quest to unify and define our style I've moved some things around and starting planning my next move: new dining room chairs and curtains.

June 14, 2010

South on Highway 61

Saturday we made a quick day trip heading South on Highway 61. Our final destination was Merigold but, when I noticed that Tunica was on the way, I decided we had to make a quick stop. Tunica has casinos. Lots of them. And I had never been to a casino. How could we not stop? Peter and I elected to go to the casino with the best slogan: Sam's Town. When we first arrived, we took a lap around the casino floor. Mind you, it was early. Before lunch early. But there were people on the slots and at the tables while waitresses offered free drinks to the gamblers. I didn't really see what all the fuss was about but I certainly wasn't going to leave without playing anything. My original casino budget was $20 but after my initial lap I opted to halve it to $10. I played a few slot machines and won enough to pay for our lunch in Merigold. As of today: Parker $39 vs. Casinos $0. After 30 minutes in the casino, we were ready to get back on the road. The long, country road. 100 miles South of Memphis we saw the exit for Merigold. We planned our trip with the goal of going to McCarty's Pottery. Peter and I first saw McCarty's pottery at a friend's house. We both were and are very fond of it. Despite the fact that we could buy the pottery in East Memphis, at Babcock, we wanted to go to the source. This is the source. McCarty's Barn. Through the bamboo is a shop, as well as a maze of gardens well deserving of visitors' attention. The McCarty's have three signature glazes: nutmeg, cobalt, and jade. Personally, I am very fond of the nutmeg. In addition, they have a trademark that can be found on many of the functional pieces; it is a small black, somewhat squiggly, line that represents the Mississippi River. After pursuing the pottery, making selections, and winding through the gardens we headed on to the Gallery Restaurant. The Gallery Restaurant is also owned by the McCarty's and can be found two blocks from the Barn. It is open only for lunch where an appetizer is brought to the table before you choose between a hot or cold entrée from the daily menu. We split the menu thus sharing a chicken salad plate {cold} and shrimp crêpe plate {hot}. For dessert, we ordered one larger-than-life chocolate cobbler. Everything, as you can see, is served on the McCarty's pottery. But why not? It is their restaurant. My winnings from Sam's Town certainly covered lunch. When we got home, I examined our loot and am presently in the process of trying to place it in the house.