Trippin' Tuesday...Biloxi!

A couple of weeks ago, the hubs had a conference in Biloxi. You know what that means....the boys and I HAD to tag along! I have so many memories of Biloxi... both before and during the gamblin'-lots during the gambling! It's a very short trip from my hometown...and a fun little town to visit after work when you are single and live so close! Thinking back, I have NO IDEA how I worked all day, got in a car & rode to the casino, played a little bit, got back in the car and rode home, slept a couple of hours, and worked the whole next day?!?! Youth is bliss!! And before I offend anyone, please know what gambling is to me...it's playing the PENNY slots- and losing at the most, $40! Yep, I'm a high roller!! Ha!!! Anyway, it is VERY different going with kids! The conference was at a hotel and casino. I felt like every time we walked through the lobby(which was NOT on the casino floor) that we were going to be arrested! We did find some fun things to do! The Imperial Palace has an AAA-MAZING rooftop pool! It is very resort-ish! The pool furniture is  upscale and deee-luxe! The pool itself has several splash decks for little ones or for laying out in the water! It also has a huge movie screen sized tv! It was definitely worth staying there just for the pool!  What do you think?  Agree????


The boys and I had time to roam around a bit. We checked out the thrift stores in Biloxi and Gulfport. We went to a Goodwill and an America's Thrift Store. Both were well stocked with clothes---but we were looking for home stuff. Of course, we checked out some yummy restaurants! We went to Aunt Jenny's! We love that place! They have great catfish and fried chicken. My parents used to take us there when Jason & I would visit them when we were dating and first married. Sweet memories! We also went to Shaggy's on the beach in Biloxi! Yummy seafood and great atmosphere! It reminds me of Runaway Island that used to be on Panama City Beach in the mid 90's.

                 


 But...the highlight of all highlights was the newly opened Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant!!!!

 

The decor, as well as the atmosphere, is super fun! John Pierson loved this beach chair!!!  The had balloon artists walking around on stilts making fabulous balloon creations for the guests.  The boys HAD to have swords!  Daddy wasn't too excited about their choices!  HA!!!

Growing up on the beaches of the Gulf Coast, I couldn't help it---- I LOVE me some Jimmy Buffett. 
The best thing about our lunch...Yep! HE WAS THERE, Y'ALL!!!! I've never seen him perform live ( I WILL one day)-but now I can say that I have seen him!!!!   I hate that I didn't get a great shot of him, but I didn't have a great angle---especially since I had to have my babies in eyeshot!   In fact I think I finally just switched the camera over to Auto because I was so nervous---and excited!!!

Our sweet waitress said that he visits frequently and hangs out at the outside sandy bar!  I can't say I blame him!  Check out this view!!!

The food was good-what I remember! I was so excited to see "the man" that I really didn't care WHAT my food tasted like. But in all fairness to the restaurant, it was good! I had a crab, shrimp, and mushroom cheese dip (it's an appetizer on the menu), and the boys had a Cheeseburger in Paradise! Robert said it was the best cheeseburger he had ever had, and he is a bit of a cheeseburger expert!!!

Our last stop in Biloxi was The Shed.   I've heard about it, and it's been featured on Food Network.  Why not???  It was a different kind of place. We went inside one of the buildings to order and another building to, ummm, "wash up" before we ate . All the tables are outside-----and we happened to be there during a heat wave.  We went around 5 on a Wednesday afternoon.  I'm sure this place is rockin' on Friday and Saturday nights.  I would imagine it would still be a fine atmosphere for kids.   I would love to go back in the fall on a Friday night!

We had a great getaway to Biloxi! If you're in Biloxi, check out our picks and let me know what you think-especially Margaritaville! Hopefully you will get lucky and see Mr. Buffett, too!!!! (Check out back to see if his plane is there!)

Trippin' Tuesday: Montgomery, AL

"Enter to grow in wisdom; go forth to apply wisdom in service."  Those words are forever a part of me, and I was introduced to that philosophy a little over 20 years ago at a most wonderful place!

Last week, I shared my fun little visit to Prattville Pickers!  Adjacent to Prattville is Montgomery.  I had to visit my old stomping grounds!  I spent four incredible years in college in Montgomery. 

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This is a magical place!  It was here that I learned so much about myself and my faith as I prepared for my future---and it was also here that I really fell in love with vintage.  The school was built in the 1800s, and the architecture is magnificent!  I will never forget driving down College Street for the first time and seeing this.

This picture does not do this beautiful building justice.  This is Flowers Hall, home to classrooms, administration offices, and the beloved Chapel.  Huntingdon students have many memories of sitting through Western Civ and Old & New Testament Religion classes here as well as Convocations, Mr. & Miss Huntingdon pageants, and maybe even a Mafia Wedding!  The structure was built in the early 1900's in the Collegiate Gothic style and was designed by a former architecture professor at Harvard.  The steeple, gables, arches, and gargoyles are indicative of this style.  Ligon Chapel, at the rear of the building, was modeled after a chapel on the campus of Cambridge.  The college's ties to England don't end there.  The college had previously been named the Tuskegee Female College and the Alabama Conference Female College; the school re-named in 1935 after Selina, the Countess of Huntingdon.  Selina had been influential in the spread of the Wesleyan movement in England.

Ligon Hall was my first home on the Huntingdon Campus.  (My room was the first room on the far left on the second floor. :) )  This is traditionally the home of most of the freshman women on campus.  I loved living here--and some of my dearest friends shared this dorm with me our freshman year!  Oh, it has an EXCELLENT view of the soccer field and was very close to the baseball field and tennis courts, too!  I remember spending lots of time drooling rooting on the various Huntingdon Hawks' athletic teams!!!

 

This was the other female residence hall when I was on campus.  It was a joint residence hall, Pratt-Hanson.  Pratt-Hanson now houses classrooms and some offices, but the Red Lady still maintains her residence in the top far right room.  The Red Lady is one of several reported Huntingdon ghosts.  She is probably the most infamous.  Her story is reported in Huntingdon 's beloved alum, Kathryn Tucker Windham's 13 Alabama Ghosts.    (Several ghosts have been sited in Houghton Memorial Library!)  

The stone work is amazing!

Although the building is no longer a dorm, the sorority chapter rooms have maintained residence on the top floor!  AOII is where my heart is!

This is Wilson Center, where most of my classes were.   I spent many, many, many hours here---and shed a few tears as well, especially in my Econ classes!   As I write on my laptop and check my Ipad for emails, I crack up thinking about the computers we had then.   The server that was housed there was in a room bigger than my bedroom!   We did have an intra email system where we could send emails to each other---but it was very moody and unreliable at best.  It was a BIG DEAL at the time!! 

 

My visit was a great trip down memory lane, and it gave me a chance to plant seeds for a future Hawk.  Robert was with me and said something that was music to my ears!  "Momma, maybe I will go to college here!"  I hope so, sweet boy!  Nothing would make this Momma any prouder than to return to this campus in about 9 years to move in my first born!

I have to give a shout out to some of my favorite places that I may have visited once or twice....  ;)  I can hear a little "Muddy Waters" now....

These 2 were strategically placed to be within walking distance of campus!

 

I hope you enjoyed this walk through the Old Cloverdale area of Montgomery and my beloved Huntingdon College!  If you are interested in the college and need more information, click here and you will be forwarded to Huntingdon's website.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the first installment of WTW (What's Trendy Wednesday) and next Tuesday when we go "Trippin' " in another fun southern city!

Trippin' Tuesday {Destination: Prattville Pickers}

Hey, y'all!  I took a break from my summer planning for the upcoming school year.  It consumed Sunday and Monday---and all I really got done was organizing all the new resources I had found into a working document.  Still so much to do....but my thoughts were here...

So Robert and I took today off and went to Prattville Pickers! I had been wanting to go there for months, and finally jumped in the car and cruised!  The store totally lived up to my expectations!!!  They had a great variety:  furniture, clothing (some gently used--baby/toddler), rustic antiques, classic antiques, jewelry, knives, and of course, Auburn and Alabama fan items!  


We were greeted by this gentleman:

After looking around for a minute, I spotted this display of Fenton....

and this display of Carnival.

Spotted these little guys, too!  Aren't they cute?!?!

Love these billiard balls!  If only our upstairs had a pool table instead of a train table....oh, well!  I don't want to rush that!!!

I spotted these totally presh tshirts from Sweet Tea!  Yep, I WAS about to burn up!  It was hot today!  If you are from the South, you know that there is more than ONE meaning to "Bless your heart!"  My Nana used to say "I Swanee" all the time :)

 

This is the one I bought:

Look at these gorgeous tables & frame made from reclaimed wood!  IN LOVE!

I found lots of fun stuff, too.  The first reminded me of 2 precious girls who were in my last 2 classes; the second is for all my Bama friends; the last just flat out cracked me up!!!!

If only I had a little girl....this would have totally come home with me (It's doll size!)!

Fell in love with these fern stands!  Looks like a welding project...Oh, HONEEEEE!!!

After loading my pictures, I realized that I didn't take pictures of anything I actually bought (besides the tshirt).  I will show you befores and afters in a part 2!!

If you ever need an excuse to go to Prattville Pickers, just shoot me an email!  It's a must on your "To Do" list if you love pickin', and you live in central Alabama!!!