First Post

Well.  Here goes nothing!  My first post and needless to say I am a tad nervous.  Will I sound silly?  Stupid?  Will anyone read this?

I'm the gal everyone turns to when seeking out a restaurant for that special night out.  Or maybe a shop offering just the right gift not found anywhere else.  That's right.  I love to eat and shop and not necessarily in that order.  Truth be told, they almost always go together.  Hence the battle of the expanding waistline and diminishing wallet.

Growing up in a small town just over the bridge from Albany NY,   my parents read cookbooks the way some read trashy novels.  Julia Child was a goddess and her wonderful cookbook well worn and stained.  The rule for the family was, never order anything in a restaurant that mom or dad could make at home.  That meant if I really loved a certain dish, they would run home and prepare it that week.  Yup.  No more ordering that!  As frustrating as that was, it really meant that I had to expand and explore all that the culinary world had to offer.  What a gift!

As for shopping.   Mom loved to visit the shops of the advertisers in our hometown paper and my sister and I were always in tow.  She was always looking for that shop that offered the different and the unusual.  No mall shopping for our mom. She insisted on shopping at our local, family owned establishments.  Nothing trendy, always classic.  I did, however, have my hip hugger phase which brought her to tears.

She also placed a strong emphasis on quality and craftsmanship.  Why pay x  for something manufactured for the masses when you could pay a little more and purchase an item that was lovingly handcrafted, of classic design, that would last a lifetime.

Thus was born my desire for culinary and shopping adventures, always with family and favorite friends.  I love to find that out-of-the-way, hidden from plain view shop or restaurant.  And, I always love to share my latest finds.

So come along with me on this great adventure!  I hope to make new friends who will also share their special places that make life lovely.

The best always, Laurie Ann