I have certain wines I like that Dora and I will get. But are they what other people would call “good” wines? I really don’t have any idea. I usually like reds better so mostly we tend to get those. Within a certain price.

But a friend of ours who’s totally into wine is always telling me what I should try. And he’s said that he usually gets his information from the wine person at his two favorite wine shops in town (I had him write them down for me in case you’re looking). They are:

1.    The Wine Shoppe at Green Hills
2.    Woodland Wine Merchant

So I guess I should make a trip in there before the holidays are done. If you go and find anything good, let me know.

Dane

OK, so this recommendation comes from Dora. She and her sister were out for the after Christmas sales and they said I had to mention this place Marti & Liz over in Cool Springs. You’d have thought they found a box of kittens or something. (How can women find so many ways to use the word cute?)

I don’t know anything about the place, but from the boxes they brought home they seem to have found plenty of stuff they liked over there. They said the prices were too good they couldn’t help it. Couldn’t afford not to buy them. I like that logic.

Anyway, there you have it. If you’re looking to help the shoeless in your family, try Marti & Liz.

Dane

OK, Santa didn’t bring me that Harley at Boswell’s I’ve had my eye on (man, they have some incredible bikes over there…), but I got the next best thing: a hand-made banjo from Cotten’s!

That one has been on my list for years. I mean, come on, handmade. It’s like playing a work of art. The guys at Cotten’s know what they’re doing. But I have to say I never thought I’d actually get one. Don’t tell me I don’t have the greatest wife in the world.

I’ve been playing the thing so much since Christmas it’s actually a little hard to type this right now. My fingers are numb. But I ain’t complaining. Hope Santa was as good to all ya’ll.

Dane

I grew up in Alabama but have been living in Nashville for a while, and I’m so glad that now we have a fall farmer’s market! East Nashville Farmer’s Market is new this year and I hope they come back next year.

I love the summer market with all the fresh fruits and everything, but it’s so nice to see all the different colors in the fall vegetables. I would think a painter would love it down there. All the pumpkins, squash, and whatever.

And there’s delicious fallish food to have like soups and bisques, which I love. There’s plenty to see too including demonstrations and activities for the kids. It’s every Wed. from 4 to 7 p.m., but I’m not exactly sure when the season ends so check out their website.

See ya!
Sabrina

I guess some people don’t like Halloween. But I think they’re crazy. I mean, who doesn’t like to get dressed up as someone else once a year? And candy! I’d say it’s probably my second favorite holiday. After Christmas. Third if you count my birthday.

I would even love to go trick or treating if people didn’t freak out when a non-kid knocked on their door. When I was little it was the one time of year I could have more than just one piece of candy.

So what we do now is every year we make a stop at Dixieland Delights. It’s a Nashville candy place that has my favorite. (No, not Goo Goo Clusters, though I love those too!) It’s their turtles. You just have to go to find out what they are. Plus the people are really nice there. No trick, just treat.

Boo!
Sabrina

I’m not a shopper. No matter what people say.  But if I did like to shop? I would have to say that one of the best places for that kind of thing is the Mall at Green Hills.  Actually, the Green Hills neighborhood itself has great shops and boutiques.

But the mall has just about anything you could ever need, and a bunch of other stuff that you don’t but is still nice anyway.  We have Dillard’s and Macy’s, Tiffany’s, Louis Vuitton, Sephora, Kiehl’s, Pottery Barn, Sigrid Olson and a bunch more.

So if you’re looking for, well, just about anything while you’re in Nashville, you’ll find it over at Green Hills. Or you can just jump on the Internet in your room. Ha!

Happy shopping!

See ya,
Sabrina

OK, what do Faith Hill, Ashley Judd and I have in common? Other than beauty and southern charm.  We’ve all had our hair done at Trim! My new favorite place!

Me and my friend went on a gift certificate she got and it was perfect. I guess I knew about Trim. Maybe. A lot of stars go there. And once you go it’s easy to see why.

Part of is definitely it’s supercool 1940s barber side with all the original barber chairs from back then, the dark paneling and the porcelain sinks. And then on the other side is this bright vintage-y beauty shop (like something from Grease!).

The service was great too. They even have free coffee — and free shoe shines! Oh, and guys, you can get a hot shave there!

TTFN!

Jennifer

Think of it like picking a curtain in Let’s Make a Deal. You could get the Pontiac, or you could get the donkey. But the thing about the Tennessee State Fairgrounds Flea Market is there’s probably someone there looking for a donkey.

And there are hundreds of curtains. Dealers and vendors from 30 states are there selling everything you can think of. Antiques, collectibles, jewelry, arts and crafts, tools, housewares, handmade clothing. Hundreds of thousands of things of every shape.

It’s one of the top ten flea markets in the country. I don’t know how they judge, but I do know people travel hundreds of miles to go, often by the bus load.

It’s held on the fourth weekend of each month (except December when it’s on the third weekend). It’s free to get in and parking is only $3! Can’t afford not to go…

Dane

After talking about BookMan/BookWoman Used Books the other day some people reminded me of other good bookstores in town. Can there really be too many?

Elder’s is definitely up there. It’s over at Elliston Place near Vanderbilt and is really sort of a landmark in Nashville. It’s been around since 1930 and deals a lot with books about Tennessee history and the south.

But it’s also got plenty of other stuff. Mr. Elder loved history so there’s a lot of history books, which I love, as well as literature, cool leather-bound volumes, illustrated children’s classics, antique maps. It’s the kind of place to poke around in and see what you find.

And check out the rare books while you’re there. They at least used to have a first edition Faulkner, a limited edition Warren, and a signed Hemingway. Don’t see those every day.

See ya,
Dane

Have you ever read this book Blindness? Incredible. I read it a couple of years ago. All I’ll tell you is that it opens with this guy going blind all of sudden. And then another person, and then another.

A guy I used to work with recommended it, even though it’s written in a sort of unusual way, it totally grabs you. I’ve recommended it to a bunch of people.

Well, yesterday I’m in BookMan/BookWoman (the best used bookstore in town) and my eye stops on this book called Seeing. Turns out it’s by the same author (Jose Saramago). So I pick it up. Turns out it’s a sequel to Blindness. I didn’t even know there was a sequel.

Just started it last night. Very interesting already. So if you liked Blindness, just wanted to let you know there’s a sequel.

Later,
Dane