come on back and pick out your dish

We headed across St. Thomas to the Old Stone Farmhouse, where you will find Executive Chef, Greg Engelhardt. Each one of us received a personalized menu for the evening.


The fun part of this restaurant starts in the back. Your waiter escorts you past the decorative (by the patrons) walls to the kitchen.

Here you will be greeted with the chefs who explain the evening's dishes.

Fresh fish, beef, lamb and lobster were on order for our particular night of dining.






I enjoyed a delicious meal of surf and turf.

Visit the Old Stone Farmhouse kitchen blog: www.osfh.wordpress.com

with preppiness,

Passport to the Islands

With his first passport in hand, a very sleepy baby boarded the plane for the Virgin Islands! St. Thomas, USVI, here we come.

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton with my brother's family,

where the views from around the resort were breathtaking.

We decided to spend one morning by the pool. As we merrily headed that way, we heard blood-curdling screams mixed with laughter from children who were swimming. As I rounded the corner, I literally jumped when I saw what all of the craziness was about.

Iguanas were on the loose! It is quite common to see them roaming along the beach or on the sidewalks watching the people who are eager to take their photo.

This one had the baby on high alert. He wanted to make sure the multi-colored reptile didn't eat him for lunch!

The giant lizards didn't put a damper on our water fun. The beach felt like bath water

and the pool provided some cool relief from the hot summer sun.

Little Kipster and I stayed very happy...as long as we kept eating poolside!

Speaking of meals, in my next blog entry, I will take you into an old farm house that is older than the United States. Patrons take a tour of the kitchen and talk to the chef as they pick out various items that will end up on their plate, yum.

with preppiness,

Wedding dress unveiled

The world finally gets a glimpse of Dylan Lauren's much anticipated wedding gown, designed by her father, Ralph.

with preppiness,

The Look

It is hot as blue blazes in these parts, with an average of 100 degrees right now. It is enough to make a long-haired gal shed her locks, much like the look of model, Linda Evangelista.

with preppiness,

3-2-1 LIFT OFF!

As we bid farewell to the NASA shuttle program, check out this book, co-authored by my uncle, Dr. Joseph D. Atkinson, Jr.

with preppiness,

Where the Southern Belles Meet

Hop on I-85 South from Atlanta for nearly thirty minutes and you will find yourself in Peachtree City. This is where y'all will find my dear Phi Mu.


It is always a treat when I can get over to ΦΜ Headquarters. It is one of the few times I get to see my Georgia sisters. On this particular day, there were a few dozen sisters, which was a lot of fun.


It gave me a chance to introduce the hubby & baby to everyone.

Not to mention, I also stopped in the Carnation Collection to pick up a few preppy sorority things. I enjoyed taking my boys into our library

and walking them through Phi Mu history. We have almost 160 years of Southern history. We were founded in 1852 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, and much of our history has been preserved.

It was a very quick stop for us, but I loved every minute of it. Now it is time to head back to Dallas where we will repack for our next trip. This time we are getting out our passports!

with preppiness,

Sweet As A Peach

Four blocks down and around the corner from the Georgian Terrace is Mary Mac's Tea Room at 224 Ponce de Leon Avenue. Making its debut in 1945, it is one of the last of the original Atlanta tea rooms.

When you sit down to a Southern cooked meal here it is a tradition. You don't tell a waiter what you would like to eat, you fill out a meal card first, then hand it over. Historically, the hand-written order helped to keep track of their customers. Between sipping on my perfectly sweetened tea

and waiting for my Salmon Croquettes with sweet potato souffle,


I received a complimentary back rub!
It s another tradition in these parts and long-time Mary Mac's customers look forward to having their "bellies filled and backs rubbed."

We met my dear friend Cliff, who recommended the restaurant. I completely "blame" him for jump-starting my on-air TV career. He went well above & beyond all expectations and helped me to land my first anchoring and reporting job in Tallahassee. Thanks, dude!

On our next Atlanta blog stop, we head a bit south to Peachtree City. That's where the Southern Belles get together. Stay tuned!

with preppiness,