hearts-a-burstin

I never knew why this plant was called 'Hearts-A-Burstin'

April 2012

I also heard it referred to as a Strawberry Plant, and that made sense.

August 2012

 But NOW I get it.

This spring was full of surprises at my new house.  Everything that came up was new and exciting. Summer came, as did the drought.  My yard has been neglected, and honestly a little boring.  I'm glad I've made a summer time discovery too.

(Re)Discover Chattanooga - Fork & Pie Bar

Fork & Pie Bar.  Even the name just sounds awesome. Fork...Pie...Bar...do you really need much more??

Continuing my 'Chattanooga Brunch Tour', I went with a friend to Fork & Pie Bar recently for a casual Sunday brunch. I had heard that Fork & Pie Bar was a little on the expensive side, but I have to disagree. My quiche, side, mimosa, and 2 deserts (one for my mom) were under $15, and I consider that very reasonable.

For brunch Fork & Pie Bar offers a daily selection of quiches by the slice...and by slice they mean a full 1/4 of a 9 inch pie.   They also serve my favorite...mimosas, and have a Bloody Mary bar set up.  And by the looks of it they take it very seriously.

Bloody Mary drinkers are very particular about their drinks, and I saw just about everything anyone could want on the bar.

I love how their daily menu is a floor to ceiling chalk board of pie.

even instagram couldn't help this picture...sorry y'all

So back to the pie...it was good!  So good that I forgot I was going to blog about brunch, and dove right in without taking a picture.  What can I say, I got distracted.

What I like about Fork & Pie Bar is that there are at least 3 more things on the menu that I want to try...just on the savory side.  I also love the mini pies.  At first glance they look a little small (but that's the point right) but they really are the perfect size.  They're exactly the right amount of food.  I enjoyed every bite and didn't feel guilty about cleaning my plate.

Fork & Pie Bar:

811 Market St  Chattanooga, TN 37402

(423) 485-3257

Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm; Sun: 10am-2pm 

website | facebook | menu

garden update

I have the prettiest weeds ever.

I have a confession to make.  I've only mowed my grass once this this summer.  Part of my new year at my new house is about learning what naturally grows in my very shady corner of the world.  You don't know what is going to grow if you cut your grass right???  I feel like I'm the Darwin of my yard right now.  It's such a good thing I live in the woods.  If I was in the neighborhood next door I would probably have a letter from the homeowners association by now.

One of the most abundant things growing in my uncut lawn is moss, so I'm slowly thinning out the grass so the moss can shine in its soft, never needs to be mowed, evergreen glory.  This has always been on my wish list for my house, so I'm making it happen.  I'm also letting the everything (except the ivy) grow.  This includes what some people label weeds.

But aren't they so pretty?

I pinky swear promise I'm going to look these up in my wildflower book and let you know what they are.  I just haven't done it yet, and wanted to show these pictures off.

These cool little purple, jack in the pulpit plants showed up in one of the few areas where I have turned the soil and mulched.  They wanted to be here, so I couldnt get rid of them.

These Black Eyed Susan Cousins are great too, and I'm hoping that I can save seeds so I can spread them out for next year.

summer update

I am a firm believer that summer doesn't end just because the schools have started back.  The days are still long, the weather is still warm.  I'm not letting go.  But football is fast approaching, so I thought I'd take a look at my Chattanooga Summer To Do List, and let you know what I've done, and what I have left to do.

• Riverbend - I went and I loved it.  Warren Haynes was a highlight, not to mention the fireworks and the food. I got to hear about half the bands on my list, and stumbled on some bands I really enjoyed.  I blogged quite a bit about Riverbend this year so Here are Two of my posts.  Riverbend Website
• Farmer's Markets - I love the farmers markets!  I love how quiet and personal the experience is at the Brainerd Market.  I love the energy the crowd brings to the Downtown Market.  I've found lots of great tomatoes, fruits and veggies, but my favorite find this year is a rock with 2 wicks & a citronella reservoir for my front porch! (Mosquitos are not invited to porch night.)  Brainerd Market on Facebook Chattanooga Market on Facebook.
• TN Aquarium's new exhibit - I haven't been yet BUT have 3 young cousins coming in this weekend  This is not strictly a summer activity, so if I don't make it before the equinox, all will not be lost.Website
• River Rocks - This festival is one of the last of the summer, and I plan to up my participation from last year and attend two of the events.
• Chattanooga Lookouts game - Yes!  Lookouts games are a lot of fun. There are family and adult friendly activities all throughout the game.  They list the promotions online, and my advice is to go on one of the fireworks nights.  They put on a great show.  Here is my post about my first trip to see the Lookouts.
• Outdoor dining - This summer I've hung out outside at Blue Plate, Local 191, Hair Of The Dog, Blue Water, and Urban Stack...and I haven't hit 1/2 of the outdoor dining options.  This is one of the perks I love most about living in Chattanooga.
• Southern Brewers Festival - IS THIS WEEKEND! I'm so excited.  Woodchuck will be there, (important when you're allergic to hops) and so will P Groove & Drive By Truckers.  This formerly little festival brings together good people, good drinks, and good music all for local charity.  It's a great event.
• Ooltewah Nursery - I looked that this one and sighed.  My yard is a mess.  I've embraced my wildflowers (weeds to the untrained eye) but I desperately need to take a trip to a local, and nationally renowned nursery.
• Nightfall - I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't made it to nightfall.  Somehow my Friday nights never take me in that direction.  I need to work on that.

All in all even if I haven't blogged about it, I've done most of the things on this list and had a great summer in Chattanooga!

tn sales tax holiday

This weekend is the annual sales tax holiday in Tennessee. Last year I wrote about how ridiculous some of the exemptions and inclusions were, and turns out this year the same rules apply.  Get your wedding dresses, but not your bridesmaid's dresses. Rather than re-hash everything, here is a link to the 2012 full list of of exemptions and inclusions, and my post from last year....I double checked, and all of the ridiculousness still applies.

origionaly posted 8/5/11:

When I lived in SC, I always would give the State of South Carolina a hard time for having laws that made no sense. You can't by liquor after 7pm, but you can buy a keg at the grocery store until 2am. You can't get your Bailey's, but here, go binge drink on beer. That makes NO sense.

Well I've got a new one that makes no sense, this time courtesy of the State of Tennessee. This weekend is the back-to-school tax free weekend. It's designed to give families a break when they're making all of the purchases geared towards getting the kids ready for school again. That makes sense. The state requires the kids to have certain school supplies, and it gives them a sales tax break to purchase them. Gottcha. They even discount clothes (items under $100) as well as school supplies. This makes sense too, gotta have clothes to wear to school.

We all take advantage of the tax free holiday. Computers fall in the tax free bracket, and since they don't discriminate if you're in school or not, anyone can take advantage of this 'discount.' Thanks, State of Tennessee.

Here's what doesn't make sense. Some of the NAMED exclusions and inclusions on the tax free list. I'll start with the silly ones, and end with the most outrageous. (full list here)

• Belts are tax free, but belt buckles sold individually are not. This separates a 'fashion' purchase from a necessary one. A little nit picky, but I won't get too upset.
• Computers are tax free, but unbundled software is not. Sorry, you can't get that learn to type program for your kids without paying taxes.
• Remote data storage (CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW, portable disk drives) is not tax exempt. Sorry kids that paper you wrote last night, can't save & print it out at school, better buy a printer to keep at home. (but that printer is not tax exempt) This REALLY irks me. Do they even understand what the kids need to be successful in school? Or is technology just not a priority?
• BRIDAL GOWNS ARE TAX EXEMPT but bridesmaid dresses & accessories are not. Seriously?!?!

OK Tennessee, if this is where your 'Back-to-School' priorities lay, then we really need to have a sit down talk.