Lunch, Dessert, and Shopping in Savannah

On my way out of Savannah after my visit with my friend Joy, we decided to enjoy lunch downtown and of course, a little shopping.  You might not find B. Matthews restaurant when you google the top 10 spots for dining in Savannah, but it's a favorite among the locals. 

 

"HERE'S WHAT I WORE"  Trying to remain somewhat comfortable after consuming tons of Southern comfort food while in Savannah, I wore my "fat jeans" with a yellow Ralph Lauren oxford button down and an aqua Ralph Lauren crewneck, and aqua Lilly ballet flats.

Lord have mercy, I had shrimp and grits along with a Caesar salad.  If you are ever in Savannah...go to B. Matthews and order the shrimp and grits!

B. Matthews bistro, located at 325 East Bay Street, in the historic district of Savannah, serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner.  I must confess that I really wanted to try their Black-Eyed Pea Cake Sandwich...next time!


We decided to visit a spot for dessert that IS on the top 10 list of Savannah eateries--Back in the Day Bakery.  While cupcakes are their big draw, Back in the Day also serves a wide variety of sandwiches.

Back in the Day Bakery is a favorite of Paula Deen and after seeing several tweets about the the place from Paula's assistant Brandon Branch, I just knew I had to try it!  Of course, they have a cookbook available!

Back in the Day, located at 2403 Bull Street, serves breakfast and lunch.  It's decorated like an old-fashioned bakery from the 50's with a retail section full of vintage goodies.  The waitresses wear cute vintage aprons and the bakery is decorated in pastel tones.

 

Pretty antique chandeliers illuminate the bakery.

My cupcake was purse bliss...the cupcake was very moist and the icing was...just perfect!

We also stopped in to shop at Seaside Sisters.  I've shopped at this cute shop on Tybee Island before and love it.  I found some cute coastal serveware pieces.

Right around the corner from Back in the Day Bakery at 2819 Bull Street is the fabulous vintage furniture shop--Two Women and a Warehouse.  This shop is full of painted furniture and lively and colorful home furnishings.  I want to go back!!!! 

So now I'm visiting with my Mama.  I feel so blessed that I'm able to spend time with Mama.  Yesterday, we were having lunch at The Cracker Barrel and three sweet ladies stopped at our table to tell Mama how beautiful she looked.  They were so kind and will never know how special they made my Mama feel.  God bless them!  Their kind act reminded me of how much I miss the sweetness of Southern women and how they respect their elders!

I Cannot Commit

Well, Mama has gone back to Georgia.  I am blessed to have been able to care for her in my home for the past 5 weeks.  Bless her heart, she was homesick and wanted to be in her own home.  I cannot blame her for that at all.  Isn't that what we all want?  Don't we want to be inside our little nest, comfortable in our own surroundings, sleeping in our own comfy bed?  Besides, the lady at the beauty shop here in Florida didn't tease Mama's hair high enough.  Mama's exact words: "I'm not going back there...She doesn't know how to do hair!"

Mama isn't an invalid, but bless her heart, her memory is not good and she's a bit frail.  So now, she's back home with my brother J.D. and we have hired a caregiver to "sit with Miss Pauline."  Prayers please...I'm not sure how that's gonna work out 'cuz Mama is the Queen and doesn't take orders from others well.  I'm planning to go back up to Georgia to help with her care soon.

I feel so blessed to be able to spend time with my Mama at this time in her life.  My Mama has lived her entire life for God, her family, and her friends.  Now, both my brother and myself are committed to her well-being and scheduling our lives around her.

For that reason, I am finding it difficult to commit to anything else.  Supper club group...can't commit.  I would love to be able to volunteer with a few organizations, but I can't commit to times and dates. The other day, a lady from the church wedding guild called and asked for my help.  Well, I couldn't commit to that...Let down a bride at the last minute? Lord no!  I would like to find a fun part-time job {is there such a thing?}, but if asked "When are you available?" that would be hard to say!  Scheduling an etiquette program is also out of the question.  I would be terribly embarrassed to cancel a group at the last minute due to a needed trip to Georgia.  You may have noticed that I haven't been hosting any fancy soirees here at "The Roost."  Everything I plan now is last-minute and pretty low-key...

So, it's very hard for me to commit.  Please don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining.  Just kinda wondering...Do y'all have issues in your life that keep you from committing?

Happy Mother's Day!

I would like to wish all my followers a Happy Mother's Day!  While I will not be able to spend today with my Mama, I'm excited that in a couple of weeks I'll be traveling to Georgia to visit her and will be spending the Summer with her...just not sure if I'll stay with her up in Georgia or bring her back with me down to Florida.  Anyway, I feel blessed that I'm able to spend precious time with her.  At almost 90 years of age, Mama has always lived her life for God, her family, and her friends.  Now it's time for me to watch over her.

My Mama...Miss Pauline

Today, I went to church.  Of course, the message is always about Mothers on Mother's Day, which it should be!  On this day, my heart goes out to those of you, who like myself, are not Mothers and I pray for those who want children of their own but are unable.

"HERE'S WHAT I WORE"  The shift is 'Cabana Banana' by Lilly and the cardi is also by Lilly.

Love the pattern with the cabanas and palm trees...

Pink Revas by Tory Burch

The accessories:  Pearl necklace, bracelet, and studs, 'Eternity' wedding band by Cartier, pink grosgrain pony bow, and a white iPhone cover with pink monogram.  

The basket purse is by Queen Bea Studio.

I would like to congratulate Paula at Virginia Sweet Pea blog...she is the winner of my giveaway of a new Lilly Pulitzer iPhone cover sponsored by Lifeguard Press!  Now y'all practice proper blog giveaway etiquette and be polite...congratulate Miss Paula.

Third Sunday of Advent

It's the third Sunday of Advent and the third {rose} candle will be lit. The rose candle represents "Joy and Rejoicing" at the mid point of Advent.
I'm in Georgia right now visiting with my Mama and enjoying time with her during the Christmas season. I've been working on my "Christmas 2011 Bucket List" everyday...

Day #8...Sunday...I made Nutella Hot Chocolate. I don't think there's anything that doesn't taste great with Nutella. I added a heaping tablespoon of the chocolate goodness to 1 1/2 cup of milk. I heated this over the stove and kept whisking away until the mixture was blended. It was fabulous with marshmallows on top!

Monday night, I sipped Merlot from a custom-designed Christmas goblet. This goblet is part of a set which was hand-painted and gifted to me by my late friend Betty Marston. Miss Betty gave me these precious goblets the last time I saw her at my home near Memphis.

Tuesday night, I sipped Merlot...yes again...while packing for my trip to Georgia! This time I brought out my whimsical gingerbread men goblets.

Wednesday night, I spent some time with my best friend in Augusta, Teresa Jane. Peppermint milkshakes were our choice of beverage for the night...we stayed up late talking about the good times, bad times, and downright embarrassing times!

Of course, Teresa Jane and I both have the same LVs!!!!

Thursday night I spent relaxing at Mama's house...addressing my Christmas cards. Tradition. Must do these at Mama's house!

On Friday I decided to wear a "Tacky Christmas Sweater" for the day...It was okay 'cuz Mama likes the Christmas sweaters!

I wore these festive Christmas tree socks and green Revas...

We filled up the thermos with hot chocolate and headed out at dark to see the neighborhood Christmas lights.

On Saturday, I wore another "Tacky Christmas Sweater" with red suede ballet flats and candy cane Christmas socks.

We had lunch at The Swanson House in Perry...Mama and I both love this restaurant.

Mama...aka "Miss Pauline"

After lunch...we stopped at Starbucks for a peppermint fix...Peppermint Mocha and the Peppermint Cake Pops!

The Peppermint Pops have brownie cake fillings!

I'm looking forward to spending more time with my Mama and hope y'all are having a wonderful Christmas season!

Update on Mama and Giveaway Winner.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for my Mama. Although she wouldn't want me "broadcasting" the details of her recent illness, I'm sure she won't mind if I just say that she had a crazy reaction to a new medication that was prescribed to her for dizziness, an inner ear issue which she has dealt with for many years. Bless her heart, she was non-stop delusional for about 72 hours--no sleep at all...just talking out of her mind about true stuff and to people who were not in the room. {She was also talking about spiders and roaches crawling up the wall & cute little kitty cats on her bed beside her--so scary y'all!} Of course, we were terribly afraid that she was going to be diagnosed with dementia or some other serious brain issue. They gave her all the necessary medical tests and she cleared them all. The Doctors and Nurses said it was just a reaction to a medicine that was way too strong for her! We feel so blessed that she is on the road to being back to her usual self now.

Mama lives with my brother J.D. who takes special care of her, but as those of you who care for your elderly parents know, he needs to have some time for himself. We decided it was best to hire a lady to come in and watch over Mama. So, I feel really good about her now. She came home from the hospital this morning and is feeling very good.

I know that Mama's happy to be back in her home and be able to watch Fox News, some Lifetime Movies, and just sit on the porch and admire her gardens.

Soooooo, I'm happy to announce the winner of my 2PreppyGirls giveaway. It's Pastor Ali from Southern and Lovely. Lord have mercy, when I drew this entry, I was shocked that a "Pastor" was even following my blog! Pastor Ali is co-Pastor with her husband Drew at the Lebannon United Methodist Church in Mebane, North Carolina. I love that in her blog profile she says "I'll be writing about fashion for young clergywomen." Congratulations to you Pastor Ali! Please contact me at: Miss Janice {at} Miss Janice {dot} com and provide me with your contact information so that I can provide it to Margaret at 2PreppyGirls.

Prayer Request for my Mama!

I'm taking an unscheduled blog break. My sweet Mama is in the hospital in Georgia. We do not have a diagnosis yet but I will certainly let y'all know when we know more. I hope that everyone will understand that I feel it would be inappropriate for me to blog at this time.

I will tell y'all this...Mama is not in her right mind at this time, bless her heart. However, she did tell me yesterday "Janice Kay, get that nurse's name and address 'cuz I want to send her a thank-you note when I get home." Even in this state, Mama has been so sweet to the hospital staff and her family & friends and also talking on and on about fashion!

Thank you to all of you who have tweeted and e-mailed me your thoughts and prayers for Mama!

It's My Mama's Birthday Y'all!

Y'all please join me in wishing my Mama 'Miss Pauline' a Happy Birthday! She's 88 years old today!!! Here's a recent photo of Mama...Martha Pauline Clifton Sessums--born and raised and lived her whole life in Georgia. Mama is the epitome of a Southern Lady. She loves the Lord. She loves her family. And...like all other Southern ladies, she loves to shop and entertain. Now, when Mama was younger, she never spoke of her age. Even her relatives had no idea of her exact age:-) Not the case now! Every year it's "You know I'll soon be 85, 86, 87", et cetera. She lets us all know she is now the Matriarch of her family. Bless her heart, even today, she still thinks of others first...delivering her homemade cakes and pies to friends, neighbors, and relatives; shopping for bridal and baby gifts, and so forth. Mama taught me that...Do a little something everyday to make someone happy! If you are a long-time reader of my blog, you know that something else Mama taught me was to "Never show up empty-handed at someone's door!" It's all these little things that Mama taught me that I'll be remembering today..."Things Mama Says." If you follow me on Twitter, you can read all about them! Thank you for visiting with me today!

Mother's Day Brunch

It's Tablescape Thursday and Susan at Between Naps on the Porch is once again hosting this awesome event. Susan is definitely the "Tablescape Queen," so stop in and check out her beautiful blog and all the tablescapes linked to this event!

Today, I'm featuring a Mother's Day Brunch tablescape. This Mother's Day, I will not be able to travel home to Georgia to visit my mama. However, she will be celebrating this special day with my brother.

Mothers are the most important people in the world. If you are lucky enough to still have your mama, please honor her everyday and make this Mother's Day special for her. In the South, ladies judge a gentleman by the way he treats his mama. I can tell you that my brother loves and respects our mama and treats her like she's the Queen. He's always driving Miss Pauline all over the place (to church on Sundays, to the beauty shop for her standing appointment every Friday morning, shopping, etc.--mama loves to scoot)!

A sweet Southern tradition on Mother's Day in the South...ladies are given a red corsage if their mama is still alive and a white corsage if their mama has passed away.

Today's feature is a Brunch that I had last year for my mama at my home in Mississippi.

Mother's Day Brunch Tablescape...Brunch egg casserole*, fresh mixed fruit, Southern-style biscuits, orange juice, and coffee.

Mother's Day Brunch Place Setting--The china is Accoutrements, designed by Anna Griffin for Lenox. The napkin rings are monogrammed, of course, and a silver tray is used as a charger plate .

Brunch Egg Casserole...

*Recipe for Brunch Egg Casserole
4 cups seasoned croutons
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
8 eggs, slightly beaten
4 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
8 slices bulk sausage, cooked, drained, and crumbled

Combine croutons and cheese and place into a greased 3-quart baking dish. Combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper; mix until well blended and pour over the crouton mixture. Sprinkle crumbled sausage on top. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Serves 8-12.

I hope that y'all have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall; A mother's secret hope outlives them all.
~Oliver Wendell Holmes