Southern Fried Fab In Franklin


Pictures from Jo-Lynne (Musings of a Housewife)


One of our favorite places to venture out for date night is quaint Franklin, Tennessee. We’ll forego the interstate and drive the scenic Natchez Trace, watching as busy urban sprawl and subdivisions disappear in the rear view mirror and rolling Tennessee hills unfold before us. We typically go out to dinner at one of the many unique restaurants just off the town square and just soak up the scenery.


I like to think of Franklin as country chic. I love the beautiful old Southern homes and the eclectic mix of boutiques, restaurants, and shops. If we ever win the lottery or hubby ever sells his business for a bazillion dollars, I’d love to buy a renovated home in downtown, historic Franklin.

I had the chance to play tour guide and took three awesome fashion bloggers in town for Blissdom recently to downtown Franklin to browse all the cute shops and enjoy a little down time and delicious lunch at 55 South. I’ve been to Chef Jacon McConnell’s Sol (best homemade guac ever) and the equally fabulous Red Pony, but not 55 South, which features a fun Southern fried menu with a bit of a cajun twist.

We also enjoyed browsing all the great fashion and accessories in Philanthrophy, which pledges 10 percent of all sales to their designated charitable causes. Right now they are helping fun the building of water wells for a village in Sudan. This is fashion with compassion ya’ll!

I got my Franklin fix…for the month any way. Hubby and I are way overdue for a date night. Watching the Science channel Valentine’s Day may have been a sign that we need an intervention.

p.s. Speaking of fashion, check out my Fashion Friday post on my review and shopping blog!

Closet Confessional

Despite engaging in full on wardrobe purging over the past year I’m still amazed, frankly, at what I hang on to.

Forgive me Stacy and Clinton, for I have sinned.

For example, there are these colorful pants that could be mistaken for something my 5-year-old would wear but since she’s going through a tomboy phase not even she would wear them. They’re Lilly Pulitzer brand and I bought them at a consignment store. Southern women and Lilly Pulitzer kind of go together like sweet tea and biscuits, however I wore these once three years ago on vacation in Florida, I don’t play golf, and I don’t really want honey bees trying to pollinate my britches.

I call these What Happens In Florida, Should Really Stay There.



And then there’s this very warm purple boiled wool jacket that I haven’t worn in several years which I call That One Time Grimace Mated With A Sheep.


I’m also parting with this Jones New York plaid suit which I call Please Give Me A Job.


Another candidate for the Goodwill donation bag is this purse known as The Peacock Has Landed, On My Shoulder.




What do you have lurking in your closet? How often do you clean out? I usually clean my closet out with every season change.


p.s. I have a fun Fashion Friday post on my review and shopping blog. I hope you’ll check it out! I hung out with several of the Fashion Tribe bloggers during Blissdom and took them shopping and to a fun restaurant in beautiful downtown Franklin, Tennessee, (post to come) and I got inspired to actually think about fashion beyond jeans and a t-shirt, my wardrobe staples!

Cowboys, Confetti, And Cute CAbi Clothes


(L-R) Dallas blogger Valerie from Charmed Valerie, Montreal blogger Erica Diamond from Women on the Fence, Philly bloggers Whitney from Mommies With Style and Jo-Lynne from Musings of a Housewife who provided this awesome group shot of us at an early morning (YAWN) breakfast, and me.


Cannons blasting pink confetti, dancing hot cowboys in tight pink shirts, and a rock concert vibe and I didn’t even have to leave on a jet plane to experience it.

Move over Paris and Milan, Music City has got it goin’ on.

I’m definitely a jeans and t-shirt kind of mom but what even moderately girly girl wouldn’t jump at the chance to attend a fashion show? I was invited to a fabulous spring women’s fashion event and it was just what the retail therapy doctor ordered since we’ve been having this crazy little thing called snow.

I just attended the CAbi Scoop 2011 spring fashion show and I’m in love with the clothes I brought home. Part of the blogger experience was a shopping excursion. I found some incredible deals at the close out sale as CAbi, developed by designer Carol Anderson, clears out last year’s clothing and makes way for the fun spring line.


I had a blast and and I think this was just the fashion intervention I needed before I slipped into a permanent flip flops and yoga pants rut. Thanks to CAbi I found a lot of energy and inspiration from some amazing women and I finally found a pair of jeggings that didn’t kill me.


Disclosure: CAbi (Carol Anderson By Invitation) provided me with a gift card for shopping and paid for my accommodations and meals at Opryland Hotel.

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