Girls’ Weekend '12

Back in June, Lisa, Casey, and I went on our annual Girls’ Weekend.  This year we decided to head to Greenwood, MS for a weekend of cooking, relaxing, pampering, and great food.   This year was our 5th year!  We skipped one year due to mine and Casey’s wedding that year.

This was my first time to  Greenwood; it was a pretty drive back seeing the farm lands.  We had the weekend book with a stay at The Alluvian, a Viking cooking class Saturday morning, the Spa Sunday morning, and great dinners for Friday and Saturday night. 

Friday night, we had a low key night planned since we were all driving in after work.  We had dinner reservations at Giardina’s.  We were able to reserve one of the private tables.  Sadly I didn’t get a good picture, but here is one.
The courtyard at the Alluvian. We enjoyed the evening after dinner for a bit before the mosquitos starting eating us.

Saturday morning, we took advantage of the breakfast buffet at the hotel. 

We had a bit before our class started at 10, so we walked around downtown for a bit.  Then the fun began!!  We decided to take the Cupcakes & Cake Balls class.  It was a blast!  We didn’t go over board with sugar intake, but we did sample everything we baked.  Here is a hodge-podge of photos.

The “menu” for class.

The class kitchen before we got a hold of it.

The

fun is starting!


The aftermath of our class.


Before/After

All of our goodies we baked

More of our goodies

Beautiful golden caramel. 

Caramel Apple cupcakes cooling.

Casey making Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Coconut Rum Cake Balls

Practicing my icing skills.

Lisa adding the final touches to her Red Velvet Cake balls.

Would have been a great picture if it wasn’t blurry!  Still the best time!!

Saturday night, we had reservations at Lusco’s.  Like Giardina’s, you can reserve a private dining table.

 
Sunday morning we had spa appointments.  The Alluvian spa is one of my new favorites.  The masseuse was the best I have ever had.  She provided the right amount of pressure; never once did I have to ask her to lighten up.  I tested out the claimed best shower; pretty nice having 9 shower heads on you at once. 

Overall the weekend was fabulous!  I love you guys so much!  I’m already looking forward to next year’s trip!

Girls’ Weekend 2011

This past weekend was the 4th Annual Girls’ Weekend with Casey, Lisa, and myself.  Five years ago, the three of us started getting together once a year for a weekend.  Casey had just moved to Birmingham, so Lisa and I picked up and went there.  The year Casey and I got married we skipped the weekend and got together for each of our weddings!  Three out of the four trips, have been in Birmingham; the last year we went to Savannah since Casey and Michael were living there.  I love each one of these ladies so much!  I am so thankful for such loyal and wonderful friends in my life!! 

On Friday, Lisa and I headed to Birmingham.  Casey and Michael have recently moved back to Birmingham and have the most adorable little cottage like house.  I feel in love with just about every house in their neighborhood.  I love having Casey closer now; it’s just a hop and skip away now.

Friday night, we had reservations at Hot and Hot Fish Club.  YUMO!  I’ll go ahead and admit that I was worried about what I could eat, but my entrée was lovely. I had the red snapper on a bed of seasonal vegetables in a lemon oil sauce.  The lemon oil was amazing. 

Saturday we decided to do the spa at Ross Bridge and stay the night there.  Before heading out to Hoover for the rest of the trip, we had brunch at The Continental Bakery.  This is a standard for us when we are in Birmingham.  LOVE this place.  Ross Bridge is gorgeous.  We arrived early to enjoy time by the pool before our spa appointments.  This was my first time at a resort spa and let me tell you; this spa is a completely different experience than the experience you get at your every day spa.  I could have stay there all day just lounging in the hot tub, drinking cucumber water, and being pampered. 

We had dinner at the Clubhouse restaurant; where we enjoyed the view and rain shower briefly.  After dinner, we took a walk around the surrounding neighborhood.  The little neighborhood around the resort is very quaint. The houses look small from the front, but then you see how far they go back.  Gorgeous houses with most of a cottage look.  We ended the night with wine on the balcony of the resort and sitting by a fire pit. 

We did manage to get one picture!  We almost forgot to get one, but we did get one as we were leaving!

Quick baby update

The next 2 weeks are going to be the longest EVER!!  On August 1st, we will hopefully find out what we are having.  I tried to get one today, but he said he would prefer to wait due to most still look like girls at this point.  He will do the anatomy scan/look at that time as well.

Everything is still looking good.  I still haven’t gain any weight, but he’s not concerned about it due to he said I have a “parasite” and if anyone was not getting nutrients, it would be me.  He did listen to the heart rate and it was 145; a big drop from the last 2 visits of 172/171.   He just laugh when I asked what it was and said that never works.  But hey, I can still guess right. :)

In a few short hours, Lisa and I will be on our way to Birmingham for a Girls’ weekend with Casey!!!  I cannot wait to see her (it’s been what since last Memorial day I think)!!!  We are having a low key night tonight, then a day at the Ross Ridge spa on Saturday.  I am in need of a good massage and pedi. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Girls’ Weekend 2010

This weekend was the 3rd annual Girls’ weekend in Savannah with husbands in tow.  We had a wonderful weekend!  Friday afternoon once we arrived Casey drove us around the Isle of Hope and the entrance to Wormsloe Plantation.  If I could afford to live in Isle of Hope I would be there in a heartbeat.  This neighborhood is filled with old homes and streets lined with 100-year-old oak trees with Spanish moss.  I could spend all day just walking around here.  Wormsloe is unbelievably beautiful.  This is what I would love my driveway to look like.

Brian & I standing in front of the driveway at Wormsloe.

After falling in love with Savannah from the beginning, we headed downtown to explore Riverside.  Brian was in charge of the camera most of the weekend.  Here are some of his shots.

 

 

 

 

 

Friday night we went to Forsyth park to watch Galactic and G. Love sponsor by SCAD.  The park was packed full!  Here is a glimpse of how many people were there.  We were about in the middle and there was hardly any space open in front of us or behind us.

Saturday morning we headed to Back in the Day Bakery while we waited on Chip and Lisa to arrive.  Such a charming little bakery!  Saturday we wondered around town some more.  Casey cooked us a wonderful meal of Roy Finamore’s stuff game birds with arugula and asparagus and lots of prosecco and red wine.  Casey out did herself with the meal.  For dessert, we had fresh strawberries and peach over pound cake topped with homemade whipped topping. 

Sunday was a first for us (well Casey, Michael, Brian and I).  Chip and Lisa have started kayaking and thought we would enjoy it too.  I will admit I had the most trouble starting out, I was afraid I would lose my balance and tip over.  We started out against the current and strong winds; you could not let us paddling else you would lose the ground you covered plus more.  Once we got into one of the marsh streams it was very easy and we got to enjoy it more.  I did not take many pictures (Brian took a few) due to once again I was afraid of losing my balance. Coming back was a breeze since we were with the tide and the wind.  Here are the few pictures I have from kayaking, but head over to Casey’s blog for more.

After working muscles harder than you should on a vacation, we headed over to Tubby’s for some beers and seafood.  We ended the weekend with a haunted hearse tour of Savannah.  It was very interesting to hear stories about how many people are buried under the city and that several of the older building are built with bricks made from old gravestone markers. 

Our hearse for the night!

Here are all the pictures from the trip.   I always love getting to spend time with Casey and Lisa!!!  Cannot wait to start thinking about next year’s Girls’ weekend!