Rolle: My Beloved Basset Hound!

It was on a Saturday, about a week or so before Thanksgiving, I was flying home from a business trip to London. The flight was not going so well, the plane had unexpectedly landed in Boston. Everyone, including myself, watched the security guards dash on board to carry the passenger off the plane...not unlike a piece of luggage! I was later told that the passenger had way too much to drink and had been causing a lot of ruckus. I and my fellow neighbors sat on board making small talk trying to take our mind off the flight. We arrived several hours later to Hartsfield International Airport...finally after getting through security, very tired, only to have to search the parking lot for my car!

Early evening, I arrived at my apartment on Peachtree Road schlepping my suitcase filled with Harrods teas, shortbread, and dirty laundry and anxious to tell Not-Yet-Hubby about my adventure. As soon as I walked in the door, plopped my keys and bags down I headed to my bedroom and started to rattle off to Not-Yet-Hubby about my day. It appeared to me as though, Not-Yet-Hubby was not too interested, he went into the kitchen (I was hoping he'd fetch me a glass of wine) but returned with this! The rest, we'll say, is history!

R.I.P. Rolle: Oct 1 1995 - Nov 23 2009

P.S. to the two-bit thief who smashed in my car window and stole my purse this past Saturday. My cards have been cancelled, driver's license number changed, social security notified, all locks changed, cell phone replaced. But what you did take, Mr. Thief, something that I can never replace, are my last remaining pictures of my basset hound. If you want the GPS that you stupidly left behind I will gladly let you have it in exchange for my phone, with the pics of my basset hound. Let me know... I believe you have my number!

'De- Mauve-ing' The Fireplace!

My old Limestone fireplace

One thing, that I have stuck on Hubby's to do list this weekend (before his precious little Saints play on Sunday) is to de-mauve our fireplace! I can't take it any more. I got really tired of de-mauveing (see Bye Bye Mauve) every nook and cranny and ran out of energy once I got to the fireplace. This morning, I was just thinking about our old limestone fireplace in Nashville and how I miss it!

I had to add this... I've always admired this pretty cozy room by Joe Minton! I wish had more time to add a few more fireplaces but I'm afraid I have to get back to work!

My old limestone fireplace - the wood I believe came from Sandy's Hackberry tree (see Loving Cowtan & Tout), and was just for show! As I always say, you can't have everything...my new mauve fireplace works! Next week - Sprucing Up the Dining Room, Thanksgiving Table Settings and Oyster Mosca! Later!

What's Your Favoriate Thanksgiving Side Dish?

It appears that I won't be hosting the Thanksgiving feast this year! My Mother-in-law called me last Monday looking for Yung Li's telephone number...it seemed she was interested in having Yung Li reupholster her dining room chairs. Just in time for her to host Thanksgiving dinner, mind you. I suppose it is for the best; she does have the proper seating, a sideboard, and most importantly a chandelier (see Hosting The Thankgiving Feast)! I was not quite sure how I was going to pull off the latter! Pushing tables together and adding tablecloths is one thing, but I'm most certainly not an electrician! And neither is the hubby...been down that road before!


So it looks as though the Hubby and I will be attending my in-laws for Thanksgiving. Now all last week after work I was hitting Williams Sonoma. Lucky for me they're right next door to the bookstore that I like to hang out at to decompress before going home to my demanding dawgs. Anyway, I was looking through their Thanksgiving menu guide and came across an interesting dish, Brussels Sprouts Gratin. The Gruyere cheese had me sold immediately, and I knew I had to try it. I asked Hubby what he thought of brussels spouts and he started to twitch, but I told him about all the Gruyere and Parmigian-Regiano cheese that was in it, and that we needed to come up with something new and fabulous for this year's Thanksgiving. BUT we should make and test the dish before the big day... been down that road before too! Making a chocolate pumpkin trouffle in Nashville (which needed lots of chilling) and heading to Atlanta with it - is something I would not recommend! It's a good thing we had lots of white wine with us to offer our host!

Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Caramelized Shallots (Click for the recipe)

You know what? I liked it, note Hubby may have added too much kosher salt but I would never tell him that - you just can't tell that to a New Orleanean, plus he'll never cook for me again. Just always remember you can add it in later...but you can never take it out.

Now what's your favorite Thanksgiving side dish? Are you thinking of new ones like me. After all, the side dishes can be even more exciting than the bird!

What's your idea of the true start of the holiday season?

I've been listening to NPR (National Public Radio) and one question they're asking this week is, "What is your idea of the true start of the holiday seasons"? I'm very interested in hearing some of the comments on this particular question! And here's why...


Last year, while I was still in Nashville and working for a interior designer, her idea start of the Holidays was August 1st. Forget Halloween and Thanksgiving! She plowed straight to Christmas during the dog days of Summer, not unlike many of retailers out there! My opinion, which I'll gladly share with you, is that she, of course, wanted a jump start to sell her hot pink Christmas trees, purple ornaments and resin nativity figurines that she had in her inventory from the last 10 years. And as my good buddy Jeremy pointed out, stuff that you would find at a Walgreens after-Chirstmas sale.


Anyway, I know we all have our own thoughts on this. For me, I like to enjoy Halloween, Hubby and I ate three bags of candy--two bags of Kit Kats and one bag of Reese's (only one little trick-or-treater this year). Hey, it only comes once a year...why not?






And my pumpkins are staying on my porch until Thanksgiving for me to enjoy. Never really been a fan of seeing pumpkins mixed with Christmas trees.