March MADness

I am experiencing my own March Madness in the form of lease agreements and eager realtors. I have been spending almost all of my free time searching for apartments over the past few weeks.  I have come to find (or not find as the case may be) that apartment searching is much more difficult than I had anticipated.  Should I move to a more remote area closer to work in an effort to limit my commute and gas expenditures? Or, should I opt to stay in the comforts of my present surroundings where the grocery store, restaurants, and boutiques are only a stone's throw away? I cringe at the thought of moving uptown but shudder at the cost of living downtown. I have less than 2 months to make a decision, so until May, my blogging may be a bit sporadic. I will attempt to provide a very brief run-through of the past few weeks.


I was in Tennessee at the beginning of the month and as always, enjoyed the change in scenery. On Saturday night, Will and I went to dinner and were fortunate to have the best seats in the house!  The restaurant we went to was connected to a small music hall that featured up and coming artists.  We were seated behind a glass wall and got to enjoy our meal while watching one of my favorite acoustic artists, Matt White, perform. Good food + great music + wonderful company = the perfect date!

VERY blurry picture of dinner.

On our actual "anniversary", Will had Thai food delivered to my apartment so imagine my surprise when I found another surprise gift waiting for me after dinner.  If you recall from a previous post, I have been hunting for a decanter and recently have been looking for a set of stemless wine glasses that match.  Well, my quest is finally over thanks to Will!!

My very own swirl set!

On Sunday, we went to the Tennessee vs. Kentucky basketball game.  Like the football games, UT's fans packed the stadium, or as I would refer to it, the Super Dome.  Even though Tennessee lost in the final minutes, I was happy to be in the stands cheering with thousands of spirited spectators.

What a crowd!

Fast forward to this past weekend.  I made the short but sweet trip to North Myrtle Beach for one of Mary Loyal and Lash's engagement parties.  The soiree was held at the beautiful Pine Lakes Country Club.  I loved the simplicity of the exterior and the interior was lavishly decorated with sparkling chandeliers, gold dusted accents and tall vaulted ceilings.  Since both the B&G are South Carolina natives, the hosts themed the party "South Carolina Grown".  The party was catered using only locally cultivated crops which were in season during the month of March.   Fittingly, dessert consisted of cookies and a cake in the shape of SC.  I can't believe Mary Loyal is getting married in just over 2 months! 

Pine Lakes Country Club

Carolina Cake

More pictures to come!

On a more somber note, my thoughts have been with Japan in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.  While browsing New York Times website the other say, I came across these unbelievable satellite photos comparing the landscapes of cities before and after the natural disaster.  My thoughts are with all of those affected by this misfortune.  I can only pray that we all can continue to offer support to Japan during the difficult days, months and years ahead.


Here are some ways to lend your support:

TEXT:

If you would like to donate to the American Red Cross for Japan Earthquake Relief, just text REDCROSS to 90999. Each text will provide $10 towards the Red Cross’s humanitarian efforts.

FACEBOOK: 

The Red Cross has also launched a campaign on Causes to raise at least $25,000 for relief efforts. By logging in to Facebook, you can donate anywhere from $10 to $500 to help Tsunami victims and their families.

The people over at Explore.org are donating $1 for every “Like” of the “Dog Bless You” Facebook page, up to $100,000.

ITUNES:

Apple is also dedicating resources to the crisis in Japan. They have created a simple donation page in iTunes[iTunes link] that makes it simple to donate anywhere from $5 to $200 to the Red Cross with just a few clicks.