New Income Source?

About ten years ago, my aunt decided that she would make some money by purchasing several peppermint patty vending machines and placing them in restaurants and businesses around Nashville. Well... it didn't really work out. They say that one man's trash is another man's treasure - and I guess that's true in this case. I'm pretty darn excited about my new peppermint patty machine, and Sandy was just glad to get one more out of her basement.

I'm thinking my friends probably aren't too excited about the idea of paying a quarter for a peppermint patty at my house. But heck, they spend a lot of time here... and use toilet paper, water, paper towels... so it's time they start contributing. I'll admit, the patties are being sold at quite a mark-up, but they are very tasty and really hit the spot.

We'll see how it goes!

Update

Mom went to the flea market today to look... and she found the bird bottle! Yay mom!

Failure

It's not often that you have an idea of what to get your 80-something-year-old grandmother who wants and needs nothing. So when Mamaw mentioned that she saw something she liked at the flea market, I headed straight there after leaving her house.

The item: a Jim Beam bottle that is a white bird with grey wings. "Jim Beam bottle?" you ask. Yep, that's right. For the past several years, she has been an avid collector of bottles. And no, she's not a drinker. At all.

But back to my trip to the flea market... I had about 15 minutes before I had to be home to leave for church. I was determined. I've not been nicknamed "eagle eyes" for nothing. (Side note: before I even got out of the parking lot, I saw a great mullet!) 

So I walked in... and the place is bigger than I remember. Aisles and aisles of... junk before me. I dashed up and down the aisles, frantically looking for the bird bottle. 

Did I mention that I hate birds? There aren't too many of Mamaw's bottles that I'm particularly fond of, but I especially dislike the ones who have eyes and look at me... birds, ducks, cats, poodles, you name it...

I really thought I would be able to find the thing. But amidst booth after booth of completely random things, I did not succeed. If anyone has ideas on what to get Mamaw, let me know...

Relaxed and Refreshed

Sadly, spa weekend has already come and gone. It was definitely a fun time though! We all arrived at the hotel on Friday evening. We went to Chocolate World, where we learned a lot from singing cows. Then we headed to dinner, via the ghetto. Lori's navigation system did get us there... but there had to have been a better way!

Saturday morning we got up and headed to the spa about 8:30. Here's my take on the treatments I got:

Spa Rain Shower - This rocked! There were 14 showerheads, plus a woman spraying a high-powered hose at me - like the kind you use to wash the siding on your house. (Swimsuit = good, for this one!)

Milk and Honey Soak - I've gotta admit, I had higher expectations for this one. Basically I sat in a jacuzzi-type tub for 15 minutes. It was nice, but I couldn't even smell the milk and honey. However, on the side of the tub (and everywhere, for that matter), there were Hershey Kisses.

Chocolate Fondue Wrap - This was interesting. I'd never had anything like it. Basically they brushed me to exfoliate, then painted me with this chocolate mud stuff. I was then wrapped, like a mummy, in tissue paper then covered with two thermal blankets. I was then left to... marinate (?) for 20 minutes. I was getting a little toasty toward the end. But then the lady came in to unwrap me and rinse me off. Fun times! Note: I'm sure all of you are wondering, as I was... I asked the lady if anyone ever tries to lick their arm, and her response was, "You'd be surprised what I see out of the corner of my eye." But she doesn't say anything to them to avoid embarrassment. She figures it's bad enough for people once they realize it tastes like mud, and not chocolate.

Cocoa Massage - This was just a regular massage, but the used cocoa-scented oil. Yum!

Between our treatments, we could choose between the aromatherapy room, the quiet room, and the silent room. For awhile, it was just Jenny, Lori and I in the silent room, so needless to say, it was not silent. Later in the day, I was in there and a lady was snoring. Also not silent. We also had some lovely pastries, tea, amazing hot chocolate, and more Hershey Kisses than we could count!

After the treatments, we got in the hot tub for a bit. That's when Jenny compared something expensive to "buying a baby on the black market." Maybe all that relaxation was getting to her head. Or maybe that's just classic Jenny. Either way, we decided it was time to shower and leave the spa around 5pm.

We had dinner at Red Robin, then we basically crashed about 9:30. Are we getting old? Maybe. I will be interested to see what time we go to bed at Spa Weekend 2017.

Sunday morning, I woke up and saw Liz sitting on the floor in the semi-dark room eating a waffle. This is what happens to people who won't fly! :) Liz had to hit the road for her long drive. Jenny, Lori and I made a stop at Perkins for a yummy breakfast (but not-so-good coffee). After the drive back to Baltimore, spa weekend was officially over... for this year, anyway.

(For a different take on the weekend, visit Liz's blog!)

Third Annual Spa Weekend

Right now there are four twenty-something ladies, in four different states, anxiously awaiting the weekend. Yep... on Friday, the third annual spa weekend will commence! This year, we're off to Hershey, PA, to check out the Chocolate Spa at the Hotel Hershey.

The first and second annual spa weekends consisted of just Lori and me... but this year Jenny and Liz are coming- for some added fun, mischief, and... amusing stories. I think this will be the first time we've all been together since Lori's wedding in 2004. That's way too long!

Spa weekend is proof that good can come from tragedy. A few weeks after my sister died, almost three years ago, Lori called. She said something like, "I know you, and I know that you need to get out of town, so I'll meet you anywhere in the country." Well, you all know that planning vacations is one of my favorite pastimes... so I got to work and we ended up at the Hyatt Huntington Beach Resort and Spa in California. (I guess I made Lori go about as far as she could while still staying in the country... from Maryland to Cali.) It was there that the idea struck us... why not do this every year?

In 2006, we headed to the Indian Lakes Resort outside of Chicago. This trip not only included spa treatments, but also a chocolate cooking class. Our truffles didn't turn out so well, but it was fun!

So we decided to continue the chocolate theme for 2007... and I'm so excited that the Butler girls will be together again this weekend. You can expect a full report on the chocolate fondue wrap, milk and honey bath, cocoa massage, and more next week!

The Magic Room

Some people take in the sick, homeless, or disenfranchised. But me? I open my home to a different type: the engaged woman. A spiritual gift? Maybe.

I've married off two roomies this year, and another is coming up next year.

I am becoming an expert at dealing with the ups and downs of wedding planning. Arguments with the parents... check. Hair crises... check. Wedding song selection... check. I think I might even start a libray of wedding planning resources in my study.

Some say that it's my magic guestroom. I'm starting to wonder... though not enough to move out of my bedroom and into this room.

Returning the favor...

Well, I've been stalking some of you via your blogs for months, if not years, so I figured I'd return the favor. Besides, if Adaryll can do it, so can I! :)