StyleBlueprint » Katy’s Hallmark

I was booed.

Liza — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 23:14:02 +0000

I saw my cousin’s Facebook update, from Jefferson City, MO:
“Went to parent/teacher conferences tonight good reports – “Boooood” while we were out, the best basket ever !!! – I have a pretty good idea who it was ;-)”
I immediately thought, “Why is she OK with someone booing her or her family?” and “Has basketball season already started in MO?” I knew I was missing something, but couldn’t figure it out. Then, THAT SAME NIGHT, my family was “booed” and I suddenly got the reference.

We opened up our front door about 8:00 that night to retrieve our escaped kitten. Waiting for us was this basket:

With this note:

And this ghost:

We had officially been booed.

As you see, the note said that I had 48 hours to gather supplies, make copies of the ghost and the note and go BOO two other families. My kids were over the top with glee. My thoughts? I don’t have time to do this! 48 hours? I completely panicked.

Then, my heart stopped racing and I thought “You know, if it takes me until Sunday, that is OK. No one will know. This is so much fun and I’m so grateful to have been booed. I mean, look at how HAPPY and surprised my kids are. This is great.” I embraced the Boo.

I went to Katy’s Hallmark this past Sunday to grab some special Halloween treats for our baskets. I have to admit, my Boo baskets were pretty awesome because of Katy’s great selection – which is all 50% off right now. My kids had such a great time picking out items and talking about whom to BOO. Of course they wanted to BOO the celebrity on our block, but in the end, I picked two friends who I hoped wouldn’t stress – like I first did – since the week before Halloween is so hard for moms.

So, I guess showing this Boo basket may let the cat out of the bag for the two families that we booed. That's OK. My kids are coming apart at the seams and I'm sure the secret would not have lasted!

To whoever booed me, I’m grateful. I’m so glad my kids were filled with the surprise and wonder of this kind and anonymous act. So, whoever you are, THANK YOU. This was such a fun tradition to be a part of and I will NEVER panic again. Bring on the Boo’s!

To find out more about being booed, check out this site: http://www.beenbooed.com/

Happy Halloween!

Sweet Musings: Valentines Cakes, Cookies & Candies….

Elizabeth — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:01:45 +0000

If ever there was a post written where pictures tell the story, this one is it . I have had so much fun, camera in hand, shooting the simply gorgeous cakes, cookies and candies offered by shop owners in our fair city. When I walked in to ask, “Do you mind if I take a couple of pictures?” everyone enthusiastically showed me their trays and trays of delicacies.

Alas, this is a tough job because I wouldn’t feel right if I wrote about how good something looked, without conveying how good it tasted. We have choices, lots and lots of choices of where to buy and what’s tasting good. While all of you may fit nicely into your cute red dress this Valentines, mine is gonna be a little tight. Take a tour with me of what I found behind the counters.

Provence

The owner of Provence, Terry Carr-Hall, is one of Nashville’s visionaries as he brought real butter, cream and chocolate to our city. You can’t find a better croissant in town, not to mention the tiramisu, scones and chocolate ganache. I remember hearing a story about a women who went into Sweet and Sassy asking for her child’s birthday cake to be made with real butter. The woman behind the counter looked at her blankly and said, “We don’t do that.” Nothing against Sweet and Sassy, as I am one of their dedicated customers, but Nashville has come a long way. We needed Provence in this town and Terry delivered a phenomenal bakery to us. Here is what Provence is offering:

If you do not like chocolate, try Provence's carrot cake

chocolate message cake from Provence

Dulce

Juanita Lane of Dulce, is both a character and an amazing baker. She creates works of art everyday in her small shop in Edgehill with a sense of humor and dedication which is impressive. Juanita basically sold the farm to start her business and to her absolute credit, it has been an amazing success. I took my daughter Leigh in with me and after chocolate macaroons with butter cream, a cupcake and Valentine’s cookie, we waddled out. Juanita has never met anything with buttercream she didn’t love. As you may guess, I am in cahoots with her on that one. YUM. Here what you can find at Dulce:

Beautiful works of art from Dulce

Dulce Delights

Kateelayne

We love Kateelayne cookies and cupcakes. They graciously supported our consignment sale, and since Liza is gluten intolerant – along with so are many others – Kateelayne fills an important void in Nashville. Yes, in case you didn’t know, Kateelayne provides Nashville with an amazing baker who makes allergy-free and now, gluten-free, goods. This means everyone is happy. We like happy. I sampled their cookies while trying on a pair of Prada shoes at the consignment sale and found both delicious. In fact, the cookies were the first thing to disappear at the sale and I even overheard someone comment, “I have finally found what sugar cookies are supposed to taste like. These are amazing.” Plus, these cookies are always appropriate for kid functions where food sensitivities and allergies abound.

Forgive the finger smear on the upper left hand corner. It tasted gooood!

Katy’s Hallmark

I had to include Katy’s Hallmark because their chocolates are divine. Nashville has an oversupply of Godiva, with even Steinmart selling Godiva these days. But, Katy’s is the only place I know in my immediate neighborhood that sells handmade chocolates. When I am feeling wicked (a phrase used often by Ann Shayne of MasonDixon Knitting), I treat myself to one of Katy’s caramels with milk chocolate. Last night I popped in and the place was bustling with Valentines shoppers. I love the chocolates called Fudge Love, one of their best sellers. They have tons of cute items for kids and lots of fun candies besides chocolates. Oh – if you really want to see Ann Shayne and her partner, Kay Gardiner in a wicked way, check out their new video, Grey Garments. I think the cat ate the chocolates.

Have a piece of Fudge Love from Katy's Hallmark

If you would like to check out some offerings from The Cocoa Tree paired with wine from The Wine Chap, click here!

I would love to hear from you on where you buy your sweets for your sweeties. We will soon be writing about the two new candy shops in Nashville: Diana’s Sweet Shoppe and Buzzy’s on Belmont Avenue in the next couple of weeks.

Happy Valentine’s Day

xxoo

Liza and Elizabeth

Hostess Gifts that Travel Well

Liza — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:15:22 +0000

I just got back from a 10 day tip in the Western North Carolina mountains. For the first time ever, I added an extra bag, last minute, to our already overloaded car. I’ll call this my Merci Beaucoup bag. In it, I grabbed a few things from my gift closet for all those little get togethers that seem to pop up. We counted up that we saw 45 relatives this past trip, all traveling in from TX, FL, MD, VA, TN, AL and CO. Add to that the Nashville transported West that Cashiers becomes this time of year, and you have the possibility of running into at least 100 people! And it’s not that a hostess gift is necessary, but I do think everyone loves a little acknowledgment, whether here in Nashville, or on vacation as an appreciation of their efforts in putting the fun evening together. This last minute Merci Beaucoup bag addition was empty by the time we pulled away yesterday. I will forever be packing one in the future.

My favorite hostess gifts to travel with overlap with some of my favorite in town gifts as well. Here are a few to stock your gift closet with. If you don’t have a gift closet, consider purchasing a decorative chest, or small dresser to create this space in your house.

Cups

One of my favorites gifts for couples with kids, or for the young at heart, are these acrylic cups by Natural Life. For $12.50, I find them at Fabu and Katy’s Hallmark. Don’t they just make you smile? And they are versatile. Captions range from Be Happy, Joy to the World, Peace and many others. Each are wrapped four to a bundle and are ready to give just the same way they come packaged….just staple on your calling card and you are good to go! They can be used for morning juice, toothbrush holders, or little vases stuck next to a bathroom sink.

Candles

Who doesn’t just love a great smelling candle? They can be pretty pricey as well. And no, Target’s are not as good as everything else. For a great gift try the PaddyWax Eco Candle. Made in small batches in Georgia, these soy based candles won’t break the bank at $16.99 each. You can find these locally at All Seasons Gardening and Brewing on 8th Avenue. They just received a shipment in featuring 12 scents. Better yet, three scents are currently on sale for just $8.50. Time to stock up! All Seasons is located across from the Habit for Humanity Store on 8th between Wedgewood and Division.

Kitchen Towels

While it’s hard to buy yourself a $22 kitchen towel, this same fact means that one is always fondly received…and possibly used that night! My favorites are made in France by Le Jacquard Francais. Officially considered a tea towel, they are a large 31 x 24. You can find them locally at A La Maison on 8th Avenue (two doors down from Douglas Corner).

I hope you enjoy my favorite hostess gifts that are easy to pack. Make yourself a Merci Beaucoup bag and you, too, can feel prepared for whatever hits your social calendar while away.