Shopaholic in Alabama

Shopaholic Confession Time: it's difficult to remember days when I didn't run around like a crazy lady, collecting Lilly Pulitzer dresses, tunics and skirts.  However, in years 2000, 2001, 2002 - I only owned a few pieces. The reason, you ask? Because in the town where I lived, it wasn't available in any of the stores. (Thankfully, this has all changed now - but 10-11 years ago, that wasn't the case.) When we moved north in 2003, I was happy to learn that the best department store in town carried Lilly. Hello - Belk! Hello - Southpark Mall in Charlotte! (Don't judge - this was before Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, etc. came to Charlotte - Belk really was the best department store in town back then!) Because I was away from home, and because there was no beach in Charlotte, I spent many a Saturday afternoon at Southpark Mall. More than I am willing to admit. The Lilly Pulitzer department at Belk quickly became my "home away from home". The sales associa...

TGIF, Shopaholics! Are you ready for the weekend? Any big plans? Other than traveling home, I plan to take it easy this weekend. The DH is supposed to come home so I'm pretty excited about that! :-)  Yesterday I took advantage of my last full day in Charlotte. I was so excited when BFF Lisa told me there was a Trader Joe's right down the road from her house. Shopping list in hand, I took off.  To sum up my Trader Joe's experience, you could say "it's a good thing she is driving instead of flying". I purchased twelve bottles of wine (eight of which were Two Buck Chuck), several bags of snacks (including my favorite Veggie Sticks Potato Snacks, in my opinion they taste like McDonald's french fries) and a few new relishes and salsas to try. Already, I wish I'd purchased more of those darn Veggie Stick Potato Snacks...I hope they make it back home with me. Maybe I should hide them (from myself) in the car as I fear that combined with a Diet Coke...

Wow - is it really already Thursday? Hope you're having a great week and are planning a nice weekend. School started at home this week (and is starting next week in Charlotte) so it seems like everyone is taking advantage of the last days of their freedom summer.  Yesterday was day three of my visit to the Queen City, and I was lucky enough to meet several bloggers that live in the Charlotte area. We had a marvelous lunch at Cafe Monte, which is located in Phillips Place near Southpark Mall. Please see the photo above and "meet" my new blog friends, from Left to Right: Annie from "Classic Annie" (link to Annie's blog HERE ), Lauren from "Adventures of a Southern Newlywed" (link to Lauren's blog HERE ) ,  Amanda from "Pink Cashmere Cardigan" (link to Amanda's blog HERE ) and of course, yours truly on the far right. All the girls were so warm and friendly, and we had plenty to discuss. You can imagine I'm sure, but no...

Happy Hump Day, Shopaholics! Hope your week has been wonderful so far, I am having a great time in Charlotte.  Yesterday I met one of my BFF's for lunch. Lis and I worked together for years (are you seeing the common theme here yet?) and I have missed her soooo much, I can't even begin to tell you guys. Long time followers might remember my blog post about cleaning out my closet and the friend that helped me "get it together" by giving me a healthy dose of tough love (you can read it HERE ). Lis is THAT friend. :-) She now has a new job and is no longer with our former employer. My BFF looks great, is thrilled with her new position, has lost a bunch of weight, and is absolutely glowing.  We had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants in Charlotte, Firebirds at Stonecrest, which is near Ballantyne. I used to frequent Firebirds as often as possible. They have a great lunch and dinner menu, but I always get the same exact thing. A smokehouse Burger ( BBQ sauce, a...

Happy Tuesday!  There isn't much I love more than a good road trip. Of course I wish the DH or a girlfriend was able to travel with me, but that wasn't a possibility this time. Hey at least I could listen to ABBA, Aerosmith, Toby Keith, Lady Gaga - whatever I wanted. Sing at the top of my lungs if I wanted, and play the music as loud as possible.  Monday morning I left bright and early and traveled exactly 602 miles to my friend's home in Charlotte. The drive was very easy - no traffic hassles, no wrecks on 85 through Atlanta, and no major construction anywhere. Gas prices were pretty decent too - I saw it as low as $3.34 gallon for regular in Auburn. (Side note: if you'd told me five years ago that I'd be happy to pay $3.34 a gallon, I'd have called you crazy).  I made a slight detour in Atlanta to visit my friend Lisa, who I haven't seen in at least five years. We used to work together when we both lived in Charlotte, but have managed to keep in t...