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

Hey ya’ll! Hope you had a nice long weekend! We had to go out of town. Not for fun. It was for a funeral for the parents of friends of ours who died a week apart from each other. Very sad. We almost didn’t go, but we’re both glad we did.

To make myself feel better I went shopping! I’m not a huge shopper actually. I like to go, have a coffee and then I’m pretty much done. I get bored. So I usually kind of know what I want when we go.

But Pangaea is different. It’s just full of such unusual stuff you have to look around. I love their purses. They’re so creative in what they sell. We went and I bought a dress. And then of course we went and had coffee. At Fido, Dane!

TTFN,
Jennifer

Hey, we also went to Pancake Pantry after church! Though I went just a few years earlier than you…;-) On the weekend the wait can be long. I’ve actually seen it around the block and down 21st. So go early.

And it’s in an interesting neighborhood called Hillsboro Village, which is worth exploring if you want to walk off your pancakes. It’s only four blocks but it’s full of shops and boutiques and restaurants.

It’s become a popular spot for young working people to live. But because it’s near Vanderbilt and Belmont universities you also have a lot of college kids around the area, which keeps things interesting.

If you get thirsty, I think I’ve already talked about Bosco’s. Stop in for a glass of Flaming Stone beer. Or if you need a caffeine pick-me-up, there’s the Fido coffeeshop, which is really the heart of the Village.

See ya,
Dane

Looking for something fun to do on May 17? I know that when you’re in town for business it can be hard to get yourself to exercise. So here’s an easy solution: the 2008 Tour de Nash!

It’s an annual Nashville walk/bike event that’s held at the East Bank Greenway right on the river at Titans Stadium. It’s not a race so it’s perfect for families or anyone who just wants to get out and see a bit of Nashville.

You can do the free 6 or 12 mile ride that goes along East Nashville and part of Shelby Bottoms greenway to LP Field. There are also longer routes of 27, 50 miles and up to 67 miles that highlight a lot of Nashville’s bike paths.

The walking option is also free and is a 2 or 4 mile tour of the East Bank Greenway and downtown.

Have fun!
Jennifer

I’d heard about Katy K’s but I’d never been in the store before. All that time I wasted! It’s sort of a Nashville institution and now I know why.

Katy K’s Ranch Dressing is just one of those places that’s totally unique. For a small place it’s full of incredible stuff. They have designer cowboy boots, sequined denim tops, crazy burlesque type dresses, some of the coolest belt buckles and cowboy hats. But their best sellers are their western shirts.

I got a belt buckle with Elvis on it for my Mom’s birthday. She won’t wear it, but I think she’ll like it. It’s the young Elvis in his army uniform. Not the greasy Vegasy Elvis.

So, if you know someone who’d look good in a gabardine western shirt with fake black and white fur, Katy K’s is on 12th Ave. south.

TTFN!
Jennifer

My mom collects roosters. They’ve taken over her house. Not real roosters! No, I mean anything that has roosters on it. Like she has rooster paintings, a rooster rug, rooster dishtowels, all kinds of stuff.

People have been getting them for her for years. But everyone knows that I find the best ones. So for her birthday coming up I hit Eight Ave. South, which has a lot of antique shops. Because the secret is she likes them if they’re old!

Eighth Ave. South is not far from downtown and has great places on both sides of the street. It’s probably the city’s best area for antiques. They even have a monthly auction at Douglas Corner that gets packed.

And it’s right near Arnold’s Country Kitchen, one of Dane’s favorite places! As for what I got, my mom reads the blog so I’m not saying!

See ya!
Jennifer

hey everybody! hope ya’ll had a real nice weekend. i know we did down our way.

on saturday we took my papa over to peterson’s train store. he likes to go over there when he’s in town because he used to work on the railroad and the man loves everything having to do with trains!

if you have a train person in your family its actually pretty cool place. they have all kinds of old train toys and models and some amazing train layouts. there are some that are 100 years old and some that are like 10 feet long.

have fun!
shea♥