Foreshadowing

The above picture was taken at Emily Newlin's wedding.  Who knew they would be the next ones?!  Congratulations to Erika Vogel and Charles Smith and Jennifer Lane and George Gilly.  I had a fun weekend celebrating three engagements of great friends because congrats are due to Jennifer Scanlon and John Marshall too.  This year will be lots of fun and here's to living happily ever after.  Love y'all!!

August 31 is the Last Day to Drink Blueberry Mojitos to Support HandsOn New Orleans

Louisiana Blueberry Mojito at Ralph's on the Park 

to support HandsOn New Orleans

Red Dress Run

From the old with walkers

to the young who can just barely walk

Everyone was out for the Red Dress Run on a hot summer day in August in New Orleans. While it is called the Red Dress Run, there is no running involved. It is more of a crawl from Washington Square in the Marigny to Lafite's on Bourbon Street and to anywhere your heart desires...


Here is a small sample of some of the sights seen at the Red Dress Run

 

What Is It About 20 Somethings?

New York Times Magazine article. Read and comment.

HandsOn New Orleans

HandsOn New Orleans (HONO) is an organization that I actively support.  The mission of the organization is to transform communities through volunteer service and leadership development.  The non-profit organizes and coordinates volunteer opportunities for people on the go, provide volunteer housing and corporate volunteer opportunities, among many other things.  If you have an hour, a half day, a day or a couple of days, visit the project calendar for an opportunity that fits your interest.

HandsOn New Orleans signature event is Principal for a Day.  Principal for a Day pairs local business and community leaders with school principals in order to observe the daily challenges and achievements in New Orleans public schools. We seek dynamic and socially engaged professionals for this event in order to build sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships with local schools.

As an acting principal for a day, individuals shadow a local school principal for a half-day on November 12, 2010. Past participants have assisted with the morning announcements, led career awareness sessions with students, and observed staff meetings, band practices and classrooms. Following the event, all participants are invited to a luncheon to reflect on their experiences and discuss opportunities for partnership building throughout the year.

HandsOn New Orleans encourages business and community leaders to stay involved with their partner schools following the event and provides support for individuals seeking to volunteer or plan large scale projects with their school. As a result of the 2009 event, acting principals for a day have secured grants to purchase garden beds for a school, brought in accomplished speakers, mentored students, contributed personal donations, and acted as board members on school event planning committees. These contributions have had an incredible impact on New Orleans public schools.

If you are interested in becoming a Principal for a Day, please contact me.  Also, please join us at Ralph's on the Park this Thursday, August 19, 2010 to learn more about HandsOn New Orleans and Principal for a Day.  Ralph's has developed a HandsOn signature cocktail and 20% of the proceeds from the evening will be donated to HandsOn.  While our event at Ralph's is on Thursday evening, the cocktail is available the entire month of August with 20 percent of the proceeds benefiting HONO.  Props to Ralph's for developing such a great concept! 

Rare Cuts

My mom's birthday present did not arrive on time, so in need of a filler present, I headed over to Rare Cuts on Magazine and Nashville. I have been watching this store revamp itself from a Quilt House to a Steak House. Much to my dismay, the store has yet to open.

But, when I walked to the door, there was a notice, "For more information, please call our store in Harahan." Being the ever so curious person I am, I dialed the number to inquire more about the store's opening. At the other end of the line was a guy who graciously responded to Taylor Morgan's notorious 20 questions. What is the concept of your store? What will it look like when I walk in? Do you cater? How are you different from other stores? Yada Yada Yada, my typical 101.

At the end of the conversation, I asked if the store offers gift certificates. Of course, they do. These days what store doesn't? Problem though, it was 5 o'clock. I was due at my parents for a 5:30 birthday celebration. Rare Cuts boy was in Harahan, and I was Uptown. How was I going to get the gift certificate in my hand? Rare Cuts boy graciously offered to bring it to my parents house to help make this an extra special present for my mom. How's that for customer service?

Upon arrival at my parents house, I invited Rare Cuts boy in to my house to share with my mom the cool concept behind their store. They offer "meat tastings" in your home, restaurant quality meat in their store, and a meat of the month club. My parents are now dying to try out Rare Cuts. If all goes according to plan, the store will open on Tuesday. Back to basics with a local butcher shop that offers complimentary Bloody Mary's on Saturdays. Be sure to check them out.

Coolest Dessert Ever

Compliments of Chef Alma

Ashley doctored up eight flavors from Baskin-Robbins to make Mom's birthday "cake". She copied a recipe/picture from Bon Appetit, and the outcome of her dessert was so much better than the magazine. Flavors include Rainbow Sherbert, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cookies and Cream, Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Pistachio Almond, Jamoca, World Class Chocolate, Caramel Praline Cheesecake.

Oh, P.S., this "cake" came with the coolest sparking candles ever.

The Sayings That Come Out of Her Mouth

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Fat Harry's is the Cheddar Cheese of Bars. It's always good.

-Courtney Stumm

My Dog Affair

Everyone that knows me, knows that I am not particularly keen to dogs. I like them, but I have never had one, so it takes some time for me to warm up to them. Katie Smallpage Gilly and Charlotte Smallpage are the reason I do not love them. Katie and Charlotte were scared of them growing up, frightfully scared that they would scream and cry when one came around. While I have never screamed or cried, I guess I just became scared of them at a young age because they were. Now they have a dog named Tootsie. Go figure.

Keep in mind that I went to a school that treats dogs like people, Sewanee. So Wilson and Leroy and a few other Sewanee dogs are favorites of mine. But, my primary love is the Doogmeister. Doogie is my Aunt Deborah's dog, and he is just the best. He keeps her company all of the time, and he celebrates Christmas with the Morgan and attends a few back yard BBQ's.

(I think I am starting to embarass myself on this blog)

I did just fall in love with this dog at the Lords of the Manor. It is a Fox Terrier, and if I ever have a dog, this will be the one. I think he is just the cutest thing ever, and my sister reminded me he looks like Patches, my stuffed dog she gave me many years ago.

Hatastic!

While my sister slept, my mom and I played around a hat shop in Sloane Square.

Happy Birthday to the Best Mom in the World!!

My mom may not see this tribute to her on her birthday, since reading my blog remains on her to do list. Around the house, there are tablets with lists of things my mom needs to do, and I kid you not "Read MTM's blog" is written prominently in the middle of the tablet and circled a few times. (I tried to get Alma to snap a photo of this wonder, but my mother recently cleaned the entire house and threw away her to do lists even though she hadn't completed all of the tasks).

So, Mom, if you are in cyberspace reading this post to you:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Everyone thinks their mom is the greatest, but I really do. You are a terrific planner who plans wonderful celebrations. You bend over backward to get things accomplished. You give 110% to everything because you want everything to be perfect.

I even love the looks you give me when I need to sit up straight, take smaller bites, do not approve of my outfit, need to join in the conversation. While the looks are annoying at the start, I know you are trying to make me a better person. I appreciate your pushing me to always go the extra mile.

Tonight we will celebrate with champagne, cake and presents at the house, and then we will attend a family party at the de Laureals house. Mom technically already celebrated her birthday on our trip to London at our stay at Lords of the Manor, the most divine small luxury hotels of the world. What is cool about this place is Mom and Dad came here on their 5th wedding anniversary, and Mimi and Grandad followed soon thereafter to experience the wonder of which Mom and Dad raved.

While at Lords of the Manor, we celebrated with tea, crumpets and champagne on the lawn. We then retreated to our rooms to freshen up, and then we had a 5 course meal in their 2 Michelin Star restaurant. Chef Alma remarked that she was on, "Cloud Nine," and that was enough to please my mom forever. My mom does not like things, she likes moments and experiences, and I know this dinner was a favorite for her.

Mom, Happy Birthday. Enjoy your day. You deserve it. I love being a Margaret with you, and thank you for teaching me everything I know. I aspire to be as great as you are. XOXO

The 35 GBP Cab Ride

Mom, Ash and I got a late start on Wednesday morning after our big Tuesday night out. Mom had big plans for tourist attractions, Ash and I intended to get out of them. So, in an attempt to not feel like such failures at touring London, we hailed a cab and made the driver drive us around Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guards. Ash and Mom hopped out of the cab to get close, while I held the cab, but the police officers made us drive on and it was kind of a freaky chase to get mom and Ash back in the cab before we were all potentially separated from one another for the rest of the day. After they got back in the cab, the cab driver chased the horses around the Palace, and we got a legit close up view.

Then, it was back to the Angel area where we went to the Antique markets in Camden Park. We spent a good three hours there, much longer than we should have, but we got some good loot. P.S. In Camden Park, we found the equivalent to the British Pinkberry, but not nearly as cool, not to worry!

We then left the area lugging a huge bag full of antique silver through several tube stops to end up at Cafe Pasta (so unlike the Morgans) in Covent Gardens.

After a wonderful lunch of portabello mushrooms with cheese and pesto, antipasti platter, pizza, pasta and salad, the Morgan's headed to what is now their new favorite store, Orla Kiley. My new favorite store is Liberty of London. Such a cool department store. Normally, I think trinkets in a department store are rubbish, but I swear I wanted every single thing in the store.

Orla Kiely

Liberty of London