Yesterday. We loaded up the car with all the necessary belongings :: the ipod USB connector, water bottle to beat the heat, cell phones, and off we went to ATL. Yet again. I was there Saturday, the Saturday and Sunday before, and about 20 other times in the past few months. Kind of feels like second nature to hop on I-85, for a quick jaunt over to the BIG city of HOT-lanta.

We luckily managed to dodge all traffic as we scooted all over the city. Why? Wasting time until we took two special girls to rendezvous with a camp friend at the airport.

Our first stop…a late lunch. Can you see the smile on that girls face on the far right?

For those familiar Houston junkie friends of ours, you’ll recognize this outdoor patio and instantly identify the restaurant.

Houston’s is a all-time favorite. Nothing quaint and special about the location, but the food is fabulous. We passed on the spinach-artichoke dip it is not a summer figure friendly dish, but definitely indulged in other scrumptious delights.

You can see it in our smiles…

And afterwards. Shopping at Phipps and Lenox. Then to top it off a quick trip to Bodies :: the exhibition @ Atlantic Station.

The poster does this exhibit NO justice. It is full of fun-filled facts. Like :: We do not yawn due to a lack of oxygen. In fact, scientist do not know why we yawn. AND If all of our muscles worked together in our body we could lift approximately 10 tons. The exhibits are all REAL. Like REAL human bodies donated to the “sciences”. The most fascinating to me was really seeing the intricate details God used as he knit us together one by one. It really puts a look of awe on your face. The high ticket price is worth every single penny.

We gave our visit two thumbs up!

And finally the real reason we drove almost two hours…to pick up  another camper at the airport. These two gals are Colorado camp friends. One from Alabama and one from Texas. The reason the be at the airport…meeting another camp friend from Indiana.

They made a last minute sign (hence the lack of creativity) and decided to try to throughly embarrass their welcomed guest. Unfortunately these two girls beauty required them to keep the sign rolled up the majority of there wait. They unfortunately were receiving request from randos claiming, “I am Mark, I’ll be whoever you want me to be”. Even and old man walked over, while the sign was not visible, saying, ” Who are your hear for? I am looking for somebody here to pick up somebody.” Really? These girls are 17 years old. Come on. People these days. You see it all at the Atlanta airport. All walks of life. All sizes. All heights. and ALL STYLES.

and finally the real Mark arrived. 9:30 PM. It was a long day, but we were entertained by their laughter on the way home.

Now for a side note :: I am taking advantage of every single moment I get to spend with my sweet sister and Mom these days (and Dad, brother, sister-in-law, friends, and extended family). As excited as I am about going to NYC, I will miss seeing there sweet faces whenever I like. Even Birmingham was only a short two hour drive away. My family and friends are a wonderful blessing in my life, and they mean the world the me. With that being said, Mom and I would like to issue a weather advisory in the upcoming weeks. There will be Flash Flood Warnings streaming from the Deep South to the BIG Apple. Why? Tears. Lots of tears. There will be tears of laughter, memories, anxiety, excitement, and fear all wrapped in one car. The BIG stuff will be delivered, but us two are going to spend quality time together road-tripping it up the East Coast. With some wonderful and exciting stops along the way. But just FYI…beware of flooding. Seriously. Oh, this is so so bittersweet.

Hi readers. I’d like to ask for your help. I am searching for a 30″ diameter (or smaller) round table with a good price point. Any suggestions? Throw those comments out there, pretty please. Thanks!

*my new favorite a tripod table from west elm

I was inspired. Last night as I lie in my bed trying to fall asleep, it just wouldn’t happen. You know when your body is stopped, but your brain is going ninety to nothing. I started wondering lots about NY. Since trying to sleep was a worthless cause at the moment, I decided to scour design books, read into the insightful writings of inspiring designers, and attempt to design/layout/purchase the decor for my new apartment. I started with the Room to Inspire in the City :: Stylish Interiors for Urban Living by Annie Kelly.

It was  a gift to me a few months back (a really awesome gift!), and I’d yet to have a chance to take it all in. The first thing I read, “Abrasive as it is, why are we so attracted to big city living?” I got to thinking…that is so true. Why would I limit my space so that I feel packed into under 600 square feet, just me and all my belongings. Why would I want to live in the hustle and bustle, stress and chaotic order of a BIG city. The next sentence read, “irresistible (EXACTLY!!, I thought it is indeed irresistible…) siren call of culture, trade, and society, including America’s most successful designers, who make all sorts of compromise and often sacrifice space to live this way” Kelly hit the nail on the head, it is like a giant “melting pot” everything and especially of all great things design!! It is inspiring to simply walk down the street, and knowing that my only “tamed part of the city” be the retreat I seek behind my closed apartment door, I am still okay with it. With that in mind, you learn to create your own little oasis in the teeny-tiny bubble of air space around you. I concluded that this could have an effect on my blog as well. A good effect, I hope. It might give a rebirth to my blog, with the variety around me I hope that the over stimulation of my brain can be channeled into somewhat organized thoughts right HERE! Low and behold, the very next page I read in Kelly’s book read this… (got me thinking again), “What makes a good decorating blog?” I like to dwell on the somewhat rhetorical questions in books before I actually read what the authors says, so I thought some more. I thought a lot about the blogs that make my do little back flips in the chair while in front of the computer when they have new posts. I thought deeply about what I liked loved about them, and I made a list of positives! Then I read on, “daily postings covering a wide variety of finds and inspirations, written about with enthusiasm and passsion (that’s KEY!) that both entertain and educate (Yes, we want to learn something!). And the best of all, they aren’t afraid to have a point of view”. That gives readers a way to related, learn, and feel enthusiasm themselves! So for me, this book was like a mid-year resolution read!! THINK creative and be INSPIRING!!! Why? b/c the best reads for me are creative and inspiring, they make my blood rush, and my heart beat real fassssst!