Petite Auberge

Last night, Justin and I dined at Petite Auberge in Toco Hills. It is a French restaurant in a shopping center that we have wanted to dine at for a while.

The interior was surprisingly large. It has a large mirror on one wall that probably helped it feel very open. There were also some paintings on the walls that we both thought were interesting.

We shared a seasonal mixed greens salad. It was tossed with a tangy vinaigrette dressing and served in a buttery, crispy shell. Normally, we wouldn't eat the shell, but this one was quite good.

I had the grilled filet of salmon that was served with rice, vegetables, and hollandaise sauce. It was wonderful! So yummy! Justin had the bouillabaisse a la maison. It was a seasoned broth with lobster tail, mussels, shrimp, and a couple of kinds of fish. It was served with toasted bread and rouille. The server brought the pot of bouillabaisse to the table for Justin to inspect. It was then placed on a flame to be heated and served tableside. Justin really enjoyed it. It was good, but probably not something I would order on my own. The liquid was seasoned with something (maybe a bay leaf) that was a little overpowering to me. Justin loved it!

After our entrees, we shared an order of bread pudding. It was also good. The whiskey sauce was a little strong, but very tasty.

We were both impressed with the food and service and will likely dine here again.

Paint It Black

"I see a red door and I want it painted black. No colors anymore I want them to turn black."

Gotta love the Rolling Stones. That song will now be stuck in your head.

Justin and I have been wanting to paint the outdoor furniture for a while, but it's been too rainy and cold. The weather this weekend was fantastic! Sunday afternoon, we cleaned the furniture and let it dry. After waiting about an hour, we began spray painting. I think this might have been my first time using spray paint. I'm such a sheltered person.

This furniture belonged to my grandparents and sat on their terrace for as long as I can remember. It was time for it to be repainted.

It's amazing what a little spray paint will do.

We still need to add a second coat to the tops of the two chairs and paint the bottoms of all the pieces. We ran out of paint and our index fingers were no longer functioning.

The Honda Gets Snowed On

I started taking these pictures Friday afternoon at one o'clock when the snow started. I think I waited about forty-five minutes between each picture.

This picture was taken Saturday morning. Isn't the sky beautiful? You should also notice the white truck near the end of the driveway. We don't know the story behind it. I heard the door bell ring around eight o'clock Saturday morning, but I figured it was someone selling something, so I didn't get up. I'm guessing it was the truck's owner/driver. The truck was gone by mid-afternoon Saturday.

Dirty Girl

Annabelle likes to dig. We think she's trying to hit oil or dig to China.

Before the bath:

After the bath:

The "before" picture doesn't show how filthy she was. There was mud in the bottom of the tub after I finished bathing her. I had to rinse her twice before I could bathe her. Their water bowl also had a layer of dirt in the bottom of it.

Don't you know she had fun digging!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Justin and I had a very nice Valentine's Day. We didn't do much of anything on Sunday, but we did celebrate Saturday night by eating at Haven Restaurant. This was our first visit to Haven.

The restaurant is only a few miles from our house, so the drive was not bad at all. They have a parking lot with complimentary valet, but we couldn't figure out how to get to it, so we parallel parked in the street. I'm so glad Justin knows how to do this well because I can't do it to save my life. I sometimes end up with one or two tires on the curb (don't ask me how this happens - just accept it). We trekked across the street and the icy sidewalks and eventually found the front door (and the parking lot!).

Since we had reservations, we were seated quickly, although, there didn't seem to be a wait for anyone. I should mention that the decor is pretty trendy, so I didn't have high expectations when I first entered the restaurant. I figured they served tiny portions of mediocre food and charged an arm and a leg. I was pleasantly surprised.

I ordered the scallops (their online menu seems slightly different than what we saw at the restaurant). They were served with very creamy grits, chanterelles (I think these are some kind of mushrooms), and grilled pears. The pears added just enough sweetness to "make" the dish. It was delicious!

Justin ordered one of the specials - seabass with broccoli puree, lobster tortellini, lobster meat, and a little lobster bisque. It was also very delicious. Mmmm...

For dessert, I ordered the praline creme brulee (the dessert menu was also different than what's on the website) and Justin ordered the chocolate brownie. Both were quite good, but I think Justin's was a little better than mine.

Overall, we were both very pleased with our food and the service. We will definitely visit Haven again.

Happy Valentine's Day, Justin!

The Honda Travels

At 5:44 p.m. today, the Honda was traveling through the 1100 block of W. Alden Avenue in Valdosta.

This was a special moment because the mileage on the Honda went from 99,999 to...

100,000!
I apologize for these pictures being blurry. I had to turn off the flash to prevent a glare. This made the auto-focus not cooperate. I was also driving while taking these pictures. At least I wasn't talking on the phone while driving and taking pictures. Safety first.

I purchased the Honda on June 30, 2007. It only had 7 miles on it when Justin and I left the dealership. At the time, I was driving from Tifton to Valdosta every week day and some weekend days. Eleven months later, my work commute went from 100 miles daily to about 50. Shortly after this, I began driving to Atlanta each weekend to see Justin. The trip to and from Atlanta adds an additional 463 miles to my car each week. I am now putting just under 700 miles on my car each week. That adds up!

I'm hoping my car will remain as reliable as it has been for the past two and a half years. In the past year, the Honda has been rewarded with a new set of tires and new brake pads. I also give it a bath sometimes. That makes the Honda happy.

It isn't happy when it gets a flat tire, vandalized, or attacked by tire tread. It doesn't like those things.

Favorite Blogs/Websites

I have become addicted to reading blogs about home renovation and interior design and decoration. A favorite website I found several months ago is Young House Love. This blog is written by a young couple who purchased their first house and began some major renovations. They are DIYers so they post a lot of play-by-play photos and descriptions. I like their style, although it's a little more contemporary than I prefer. They have weekly giveaways, but I haven't won anything, yet. They also started a blog for their dog, Hamburger (a.k.a. Burger), called Hamburger's House. He also has an occasional giveaway.

Another blog I recently found is Mrs. Howard Personal Shopper. This is a blog for a designer/decorator named Phoebe Howard. She has shops in Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Charlotte. I love her style, although, I doubt I will ever be able to afford any of her services or furniture. Her finished rooms look unlived in, but they are absolutely perfect to me! Every now and then, I'll see a room on her blog or website that I absolutely do not like, but it's rare.

A coworker recently recommended Velvet & Linen to me. It's a blog by a designer named Brooke Gianetti. Although, I don't always love her finished products, I enjoy reading her blog and seeing her methods for decorating and designing new spaces.

About a year ago, I discovered a blog called The Painted House. This is a blog by a young woman named Angela. She previously blogged about her family and home. Last spring, she decided to stop blogging and my heart nearly broke. I LOVED reading her updates! I loved most of her decorating ideas and her writing style was addictive. She even removed most of the posts on her blog. Fortunately, she decided to begin writing again. I'm thrilled!

There are other blogs I read regularly, but these are a few of my favorites.

Dinner Club

Some friends and I started a dinner club in late 2008. Originally it was three people, but it has grown to five. Occasionally, we have a temporary member or guest, but the regular members have remained the same. We meet once a week (originally Monday, but now Tuesday) and take turns cooking. Our cooking styles are varied, but we are all very open to new foods. Typically I try to cook foods or combinations that I have never tried. We recently started a blog for the group: http://familysecretrecipe.wordpress.com/

-- Justin

Mint Chinese and Thai

Mint Chinese and Thai has quickly become one of my favorite restaurants. I am a creature of habit and will find something I really like and eat it all the time. Justin likes variety. Once he watches a movie, he doesn't usually need to see it again, unless he really enjoyed it. Even then, he doesn't watch the movie very often. I have my guilty pleasure movies that I will watch over, and over, and over.

I have been craving Mint's Szechuan Shrimp a lot lately. I try to eat it at least once a weekend. Last weekend, I ate it twice. It's so yummy!

This post really has no point, except for me to tell how much I like Mint's Szechuan Shrimp.