A New Blog!

Well it has been a while since I have posted anything, but it is a new year and a time for new beginnings!  I am going to make time to blog more!  My friend Joy K who inspired my 101 in 1001 list has also inspired me to create a 365 day photo challenge... this challenge is to actually take a photo every day for 365 days... kind of a photo scrapbook of one year of my life.  I don't promise that it will be riveting or the photos great, but it should be fun for me and will help me knock off one of the things on my 101 list!  I hope you enjoy... here is the link: http://www.jens365photochallenge.blogspot.com/

I also found many people online that are doing the same thing... here is one site that explains it all... http://content.photojojo.com/tutorials/project-365-take-a-photo-a-day/

101 in 1001

My friend Joy K has a great blog you should check out HERE.  She gave me the great idea of starting a 101 in 1001 list.  What is this you might ask?  This is a list of 101 things I would like to accomplish in 1001 days.  Now obviously there are things that I want to do that are not on this list.  For example, I need to get my baby girls room finished before she is born.  That is a given and isn't going to be on my list.  Also, things like Travel to Japan will not be on my list.  While that may be on my lifetime bucket list, it is not very likely I will travel to Japan within the next 1001 days.  So here is my list.  I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave a comment or offer some encouragement while you are here!  Completed items will be in blue.  These are in no particular order:


Start Date: September 13, 2010
Finish Date: June 11, 2013

Left To Do: 99
Completed: 3

1. Finish Scotty's Baby Book
2. Finish Scotty's First Year Photo Album/ Scrapbook
3. Stay up late/ wake up early in order to watch a meteor shower
4. Have a photography day with Dad
5. Brush up on my French by taking a class (either online or in person)
6. Take a photography class (either online or in person)
7. Read the Bible from start to finish
8. Return to the ocean
9. Lose 30 pounds (after the baby comes!)
10. Post something on my blog weekly
11. Organize my digital media
12. Finish my "Nantucket Rose" cross stitch
13. Visit somewhere that requires my passport
14. Organize my closet (September 18, 2010)
15. Pay off at least one credit card (and cut it up)
16. Host a game night
17. Redecorate our master bedroom
18. Turn some of my favorite photos into wall art, including nice framing
19. Sleep in a tent
20. Watch AFI's top 10 of 10 movies (List HERE)
21. Make a homemade strawberry cake (for Den's BD, November 4, 2010)
22. Go to a drive-in movie
23. Take my kids to the zoo
24. Buy a magic 8 ball
25. Buy a pair of red high heels
26. Make a will
27. Go to the Farmers Market
28. Write to someone who has inspired me
29. Go to a restaurant that serves food from a country I have never tried
30. Watch all of Audrey Hepburn's movies that I am able to get from Netflix (that I haven't already seen) (0/10)
31. Read 26 books starting with each letter of the alphabet (list HERE) (1/26)
32. Cook one new recipe a month from my recipe collection/ cookbooks
33. Make a family tree
34. Go to a vineyard/ winery
35. Stay at a bed and breakfast
36. See a play at TPAC
37. Start and finish my "Italy" scrapbook
38. Go on a hike
39. Watch every film version of Jane Eyre I can get from Netflix (that I haven't already seen) (0/5)
40. Volunteer in my community
41. Read at least one Jane Austen novel (Pride and Prejudice - completed December 30, 2010)
42. Join a book club
43. Go canoeing
44. Photograph a landscape from the same location, capturing all four seasons
45. Buy a cocktail dress and wear it out
46. Randomly pay for someone in line behind me at a drive-thru
47. Take a photograph for each letter of the alphabet
48. Give someone a handmade gift
49. Go to the Grand Ole Opry
50. Have a family portrait taken
51. Have a "date night" once a month, even if it just means popping popcorn and watching a movie once the kids are asleep.
52. Visit a National Park
53. Keep a journal for a year
54. Learn a new word-a-day for a month and use it in that days conversation
55. Memorize a poem
56. Go to a pottery painting place
57. Become CPR certified
58. Write down one blessing a day for a month
59. Drive a convertible
60. Organize all my crafts
61. Print out photos and put them in albums
62. Make sangria and enjoy it
63. Put our family photos on the wall
64. Learn the Thriller dance
65. Plan dinners a week at a time (for one month)
66. Have a candlelight dinner with my husband
67. Go to Cheekwood
68. Make an impulse buy
69. Buy something on Etsy (bought a baby beanie on September 13, 2010)
70. Do a 365 day photo challenge
71. Surprise someone I love with something special for no reason
72.  Put up curtains in at least one room of the house (baby girl's room Nov 21, 2010)
73. Watch all the movies in my Netflix queue
74. Go to the range and shoot my gun
75. Go to a fair
76. Visit a TN State Park I haven't been to
77. Unsubscribe from all my SPAM email
78. Buy a hummingbird feeder
79. Visit a state I haven't been to
80. Redecorate master bath (shower curtain and towels)
81. Listen more, talk less
82. Ride a train
83. Go through a corn maze
84. Renew my handgun carry permit
85. Go to Buster's and eat a Buster Burger
86. Organize my recipe collection
87. Make a hummingbird cake
88. Try the "water bag" fly repellent trick on the deck
89. Start adding money to the "France 2014" fund again regularly
90. Open a savings account for baby girl
91. Make a cheesecake
92. Have a spa day
93. Leave a 100% tip
94. Finish Christmas shopping before December 24 ( finished December 7, 2010)
95.  Organize my Christmas gift drawer (September 22, 2010)
96. Put $5 into my "France 2014" fund for each completed task
97. Back up all my digital media
98. Stay up for the New Year's Eve countdown
99. Host a theme party
100. Take photos in a photo booth
101. Crochet a scarf

Book List for my 101 in 1001

A - Always Looking Up - Michael J Fox
B - Be Our Guest - Ted Kinni
C - The Case for God - Karen Armstrong
D - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim - David Sedaris
E - Eleanor of Aquitaine - Alison Weir
F - French Lessons: A Memoir - Alice Kaplan
G - The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw
H - The House of the Medici - Christopher Hibbert
I - I'd Know You Anywhere - Laura Lippman
J - The Jungle Book - Rudyard Kipling
K - Katherine - Anya Seton
L - The Last Lecture - Randy Pausch
M - Mere Christianity - CS Lewis
N - Nature - Ralph Waldo Emerson
O - One Nun's Story - Mary Jane Masterson
P - Pride and Predjudice - Jane Austen
Q - Quiet Strength - Tony Dungy
R -The Road to Assisi: The Essential Biography of St. Francis - Paul Sabatier
S - Strength to Love - Martin Luther King, Jr.
T - Traveling with Pomegranates - Sue Monk Kidd
U - Utopia - Thomas Moore
V - Villette - Charlotte Bronte
W - What Then Is This Child Going to Be - Steve Hawley
X - Xombies - Walter Greatshell
Y - The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible -
      AJ Jacobs
Z - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert Pirsiq

Easter 2010 (a little late)

Well, it is just a LITTLE late!  But better late than never!  We had a wonderful family Easter this year... I cooked (please hold your gasping) and mom and GR came over for Easter dinner.  We had a great visit and this was Scotty's first year of being able to look for Easter Eggs!  What fun!

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Ooooo, looks like the Easter Bunny brought something!

I like playing with the green grass!

Our future drummer!

Hold me mama!!

We will have to work on chewing with our mouths closed!

My family!

Looking for eggs!

Why would I want to put the eggs in a bucket?!

Looking cute!

So happy!

The day was beautiful, the trees were in bloom and the sky was perfect

I see an airplane!

When Scotty tired of searching for eggs, Grandmama took over!

Did I mention the strawberry pie?

Self Portrait

Where do I begin to paint my self-portrait?  I could start with the fact that at this posting, I am 33 years old, have blond hair and blue eyes, am 5'8" tall and weigh.... well, enough about that.  I could say that I am married to a wonderful man and have a perfect and healthy little boy, and another child on the way.  But, is that me?  Is that all I am?  No, I have a history and all that I am and all that I have been through, is what makes me who I am today.  I am not professing to be special, or great, or even worth writing about, but this is my blog and I want to share myself with you. 

I was born Jenny Ellen Haynes on August 20, 1976 at Sumner Memorial Hospital in Gallatin, TN.  I grew up in Castalian Springs with two older brothers, Bill and Karl, and two parents who loved me very much.  I was the youngest and the only girl, so maybe I was spoiled a little bit.  I so looked up to my brothers and to this day much of my life has been shaped by their influence: my love of music, movies, books, and random knowledge.  I had a very stable home life growing up.  My brothers were there for me to play with and mom and dad always took care of me. We ate all of our meals together and went to church together three times a week.  I am glad to have had the security and sheltered life of my youth, as I believe that helped shape who I am today as well as helped me to choose wisely when it came to many decisions of my high school years. 

 

When I was only 8, my brother Bill left home.  I was devastated.  This was the first thing in my life that I remember being traumatic to me.  My whole family was devastated.  We all went to therapy.  We all needed it.  I continued to do well in school and play with my friends. Eventually Bill would come and visit with his new family and I was happy again. 

I changed schools in 5th grade.  I see this as a wise decision on the part of my parents but it was difficult for me at the time.  All my friends were going to a different school.  I started Friendship Christian School in fifth grade and would continue there until graduation.  I have created some lasting friendships and wonderful memories by being there.  I believe my life would have been much different if I had stayed in the public school system.  Once again, a sheltering of my life that I am quite thankful for. 

 My youth was filled with slumber parties, trips with mom, and I began modeling and acting.  This was fun for me as I got to meet a lot of new people and see a lot of things I wouldn't get to see.  I was constantly busy and loved it. I did quite well and got to travel some.  In my youth I had several boyfriends, some more memorable than others.  I was still more interested in hanging with my friends.  I am thankful that I never drank or smoked.  I was always a good girl. 

In 11th grade, I began dating my brother's best friend.  He was five years older than me but we hit it off so well and had such a good time together.  I have many fond memories of our times together and the fun we shared.  At this time I also began riding horses at a stable in Lebanon.  I had always loved horses and here I actually got to lead trail rides and ride as much as I wanted.  I was in heaven. 

In 1994 I began studying Horse Science at MTSU.  I eventually changed to Art Education and then finally got my degree in History with a minor in Art History.  I loved college.  I was still a good girl.  No smoking, drinking, or partying.  The most we did was go to the Waffle House and study at all hours of the night.  I truly believe part of this is because of the great people I associated with.  My dear college roommate was one of my friends from high school. 

In 1996, my boyfriend and I broke up.  I had made a mistake that was irreversible.  There is nothing like seeing pain in the eyes of someone you care about, and knowing that it was you that caused it.  I was devastated.  Also around the same time, my parents had just gone through a divorce after almost 30 years of marriage.  And if that wasn't bad enough, my brother Karl had just eloped with his first wife and no family was invited.  All of these things were coming down on me at one time.  It was too much.  I felt lost and vulnerable. 

It was during this emotional mess that I met my ex-husband.  I still do not speak his name to this day.  I do have several names I use for him, however.  When we met, he was charming, loved music, and drove a Camaro.  He was different from anyone I had ever dated before.  We were married after dating almost five years.  Our marriage lasted less than three.  For those of you that know me, you know much of what happened during those terrible years.  For those of you that don't, feel free to email me any questions.  Talking about it is like therapy.  I felt so terribly alone during those years.  No one, not even my mother, knew what I was going through.  I am lucky to say that I was able to leave.  Let's just say my ex-husband was not a very nice person. 

By the time my divorce was final, I was a mess.  I felt completely lost to myself.  Where was the happy go lucky girl that loved Disney and was full of innocence and wonder?  Was she lost forever?  I am blessed to say she was not.  In 2004, I began dating my husband.  He had been a client at the bank I worked at for a long time.  Of course, being married at the time, I never thought about actually dating him.  When I was going through my divorce, my boss kept telling me I should ask him out.  I thought she was crazy.  I was still coming out of a messy divorce where my self-confidence was at an all time low.  Who would want to go out with me?  But fate has a way of making things happen.  I happened to be in Wal Mart one day and who else was in the music section but Dennis Parish!  We talked for a little while and exchanged numbers.  I called my mom as soon as I got into my car!  I asked him out for our first date.  I had free dinner tickets at the new Chili's opening in Smyrna.  We had a wonderful time.  There was not a lull in our conversation even once.  When I got home that night, I wrote in my journal about the great time I had and that Dennis had made me start to believe in people again. 

In March of 2004, my dad and I visited France.  It was a wonderful time.  I was happy to be able to see France but more happy to have two weeks to spend with my dad.  I had studied French in high school and college and was fascinated by the language and culture.  We started in Paris and made so many great memories.  We were also able to visit Nice and Normandy.  My dad's dad was killed in WWII in Normandy and it was touching to be able to be there with him seeing the things his dad must have seen (although in a very different light, I am sure).  These are lasting memories that will always be close to my heart. 

2008 was a busy year.  In February, mom and I got to visit Italy.  This had always been a dream of mine since I studied Art History in college.  Florence was the cradle of the Renaissance!  We were able to visit Venice, Florence, and Rome.  Just like with France, I was thrilled to be able to see the wonders of Italy, but was extra happy to be able to share it all with my mom.  In May of 2008, mom and GR Davis were married.  GR is a wonderful man and we are so lucky to have him as part of our family.

Dennis and I had dated since 2004, although we did have our spell where we separated for a while and dated other people.  No one was the same.  To be honest, I hate dating.  You can pretty much tell right away whether it is going to turn out good or bad.  Anyway, we got married in 2008 at mom and GR's cabin in the woods.  It was a magical fairy tale wedding.  We had the best time and were surrounded by friends and family.  Just the way it should be. 

William Scott Parish, or Scotty as we call him, came into the world on November 26, 2008.  What a beautiful and perfect child.  I never knew that kind of love existed before he came along.  What an awesome responsibility to be a parent.  I will be honest, it has been an adjustment.  Dennis and I had been used to going and doing whenever and where ever.  But what a blessing.  One look at his beautiful smile and I forget everything else. 

Now we also have another little blessing on the way.  Will it be a little boy or a little girl?  I don't know.  As long as it is healthy, it doesn't matter.  I feel so blessed to have a beautiful and loving family.  I feel as if I have lived a thousand lifetimes in my little life.  Most of it has been good, some has been bad. It has all placed me at this very moment in time.  I do believe everything happens for a purpose.  I hope you have learned a little bit about me and love me anyway!  I am happy to share with you....

Our Trip to Savannah and Charleston

On April 18, Dennis and I left for our week long trip to visit Savannah and Charleston.  We had such a great time, it was good to get away from everything and just relax.  We were able to sleep in every day (a rare treat).  Scotty P stayed with my mom and thanks to modern technology, she was able to send text photos and videos every day.  So, without further adieu, here is the photo journal of our trip!

At home, with the car packed up and ready to go!

The Inn at Ellis Square.  This was our hotel in Savannah.  We stayed here three nights.  The rooms were not very impressive at all, they were pretty small and the bathroom was tiny.  However, the location was fantastic and they had a pretty good breakfast buffet every morning that was included with your room. 

One of the beautiful, stone stairways leading down to the riverfront.  You can't tell so much but they are very steep and very narrow (especially if you wear a size 10!)

The beautiful streets in front of the river.  I love how they are worn down by time.  I also love the old rail lines running down the street.

The bridge that connects Georgia and South Carolina. This was a beautiful and rather large bridge. It was pretty amazing to see all the barges on the river, I can't believe how big they are!

"The Waving Girl" statue.  The legend states that this girl waved at every ship that passed by.  She started in the late 1800's and continued waving at every ship for 40 years.  There is speculation that she fell in love with a sailor and waited for his return (this part reminds me of the great song by Looking Glass: Brandy, You're A Fine Girl). 

The hanging moss is so beautiful.  And it is EVERYWHERE.  The live oak trees are magnificent.  The whole city is steeped in beauty.  The city of Savannah is laid out in a grid and every block or so there is a park of some sort with the massive live oak trees and lush landscaping.   

This lion fountain sits in front of the Savannah Cotton Exchange.  The building was completed in 1887 and housed the main cash crop of Savannah (and much of the Old South); cotton.  The splendid winged lion fountain was originally built in 1889.  In 2008, a driver went out of control and completely destroyed this fountain as well as damaging part of the Cotton Exchange.  The fountain seen today is a replica of the original.   

Belford's Restaurant in the City Market area of Savannah.  What a beautiful restaurant.  We sat on the patio but the inside is decorated with gorgeous dark wood and brick.  The building itself was completed in 1902.  I had baked brie with blueberry sauce and a side of fresh fruit.  Dennis had a delightful grouper salad.   

Here we are at Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady and Son's.  I had the best lemonade ever (ok, well maybe it was a tie with Bell Buckle Cafe).  We had the dinner buffet and it was a lot of food.  You could go back as many times as you wanted but once was enough for me.  I did, however, find room for two banana puddings.  For those of you who don't know me as well, this is my favorite food in the whole world. Period.

My plate at Paula Deen's.  Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, creamed corn, green beans, lima beans, mashed potatoes, and yams.  Is that it? Oh yes, and cornbread!

Savannah's beautiful Forsyth Park Fountain.  The fountain was originally installed in the 1850's and has since been restored many times.  It is one of the most recognized symbols of Savannah and is inspired by the fountains of Europe.  This park sets on 30 acres in the heart of Savannah's historic district. 

Fountain detail

Forsyth Park was amazing.  The live oaks were huge and covered in the hanging moss.  It was a busy place, full of runners, walkers, sunbathers, children playing on the jungle gym, etc.  What a great place to just sit and watch the world go by.

A memorial stands in the center of the park to honor Confederate Soldiers

One of the stately old homes surrounding Forsyth Park. 

Beautiful live oaks with hanging moss surround the whole perimeter of the 30 acre park

The trees are so large and mature, they must be over 200 years old!

On Tuesday we made it to Tybee Island.  How do I know it was Tuesday?  When we got there the sign read, "closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Tuesdays."  Just our luck!  I was looking forward to seeing the ocean from the top of the lighthouse.  We had lunch at the Dolphin Reef Restaurant that overlooked the ocean. 

After an afternoon on Tybee Island, we decided to take a trolley tour of Savannah on our last evening in the graceful city.  It is entirely ok to laugh at the pictures below, as they were taken from our trolley tour.  Many are poorly framed and halfway blurry.  However, I love the architecture of the city and think many of these photos capture the spirit and the feel of the city. 

The smallest house in Savannah

This is now a restaurant but there is actually a tunnel leading from this courtyard to the river that was used for the Underground Railroad

A large and beautiful cathedral

We ended our last night in Savannah with a trip to Lulu's Chocolate Bar.  The atmosphere was very different, it was located very close to the art college and I think we were the only "older" people in there.  The desserts were amazing, however.  I had a blueberry almond cheesecake with a dessert coffee.  Dennis had a lovely chocolate cake with mascarpone icing and fruit in the middle as well as a chocolate-tini.  It was very expensive, but quite an experience. 

Our last stop in Savannah was the 160 acre Bonaventure Cemetery.  The cemetery was set on an old plantation and the treeline here is the original treeline for the driveway of the old plantation home. 

At the end of the path is the beautiful river

If you turn around and look the other direction on the path, you see the entrance to the lost plantation

The cemetery had many patriotic graves but this was a small portion specifically dedicated to those who lost their life for our country.

It may sound morbid, but I absolutely LOVE taking cemetery photos.  Some of the statues in a cemetery are so beautiful and show such emotion and such peace.  This quiet angel stands over a white marble tomb.

A Confederate Soldiers tomb... many of the tombs at this cemetery are dated from the 1700's-1800's. 

The plot of little Gracie Watson

"Little Gracie Watson was born in 1883, the only child of her parents.  Her father was manager of the Pulaski House, one of Savannah's leading hotels, where the beautiful and charming little girl was a favorite with the guests.  Two days before Easter, in April, 1889, Gracie died of pneumonia at the age of six.  In 1890, when the rising sculptor John Walz, moved to Savannah, he carved from a photograph this life sized, delicately detailed marble statue, which for almost a century has captured the interest of all passersby."
Notice someone left a red rose on the stone. I was moved to tears by the statue of little Gracie and her story.

We are leaving Savannah!!  Here we are on the beautiful bridge that connects Georgia and South Carolina.  We are planning on spending the afternoon at Hilton Head.

At this point, I believe I should pause for a moment to let you all know about our fancy schmancy GPS.  Now, don't get me wrong... I think a GPS is a fine thing, but sometimes it is not exactly... how do you say.... accurate?!  All we wanted was a place to eat in Hilton Head.  We found a place on the search feature of the GPS and then we got directions.  Well, when we got to the empty parking lot and the GPS lady kept saying we had arrived at our destination, I knew something was amiss.  This happened a lot on our vacation. But, it all turned out ok.  Maybe we should have relied on the map more! 

We finally ended up eating at Steamers Seafood in Hilton Head.  By this time Dennis and I were STARVING!  :)  It was pretty good and the location was very nice.  We ate outside on the patio, next to a pond filled with turtles and fish.

After Steamers Seafood, we decided to visit the Salty Dog in Hilton Head for Ice Cream.  The complex was in a "plantation community" where you had to pay to enter the "plantation".  This area was filled with multi-million dollar homes that were beautifully landscaped and humongous.  At the end of this "plantation" was the Salty Dog complex.  There were a couple of restaurants, a few shops, and an ice cream vendor.  This dock was at the back door of all these establishments.  The weather was perfect. 

The Hilton Head lighthouse was pretty but surrounded by shops.  We couldn't get too close from where we were.  But I did love the American flags flying. 

Don't you think the South Carolina flag is pretty?

There were sailboats EVERYWHERE!  I loved it!

On our way to Charleston, I saw this sign repeatedly.  I thought it was pretty funny and always read it like it was a plea... Let 'em work!!!....... Let 'em liiiiiiiiiiiiive! 

In Charleston, we stayed in West Ashely, just outside of the city.  Our hotel for the next 3 nights was the Comfort Suites.  It was built 7 months ago and was fabulous!  Everything was so nice and new, as well as being a large room. 

On our first FULL day in Charleston, Dennis and I decided to visit Patriots Point.  But first, let's get the car washed!!  Well, as we were Dennis was drying the car off after its bath, some lady came out of the car wash bay and slammed right into the back of us.  She had plenty of room to turn and miss us, but apparently she was distracted.  Of course, she blamed us.  What!?!  I had a very stiff neck, back and shoulders until we got back home and I could see my miracle worker chiropractor.  Luckily, Den was not in her path.  He was outside the car drying it off and saw her coming!  We are lucky, indeed.     

We finally made it to Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum!  Here is the USS Yorktown that houses the museum.  It was pretty interesting to tour the boat and see how life on the boat would have been in it's prime (1940's and 1950's).  Of course, I think Dennis was MUCH less impressed with that since he spent six months on the USS WASP. 

This scene was just to the left of the entrance walkway to the Yorktown.  So pretty!

To the right of the entrance walkway, you can see a bridge, just like the one in Savannah! 

During our self tour, we saw a hawk (or some other kind of bird of prey) catch and eat a fish.  I know, a little gruesome, but interesting nonetheless. 

On the flight deck.

The view off the flight deck.

Our beautiful flag was flying on the flight deck.  I am in awe every time I see it.

A close up picture of the flags flying in front of the ship. 

As we left, I took a picture looking back towards the ship.  All the crowds were gone by this time, so I was able to get a good shot of the walkway lined by our flag. 

If you look at the top center, you can see a C17 fly over the ship.  We spent the whole day here and once we were finished, we decided to eat dinner and go back to our room.  We ate dinner at Hyman's world famous seafood restaurant and it was really good.  The table where we sat had also sat Jodie Foster and Billy Joel.  The food was very good.  We then decided to drive around Charleston after dark and look at the magnificent mansions.  All in all, a good day (except for the whole accident thing).

Friday consisted of being all touristy.  We ate lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and it was actually very good.  I loved the whole premise since Forrest Gump is one of my all time favorite movies.  There was memorabilia everywhere. 

When at your table, if everything is fine and you don't need anything, you display this sign. 

If at any point you need anything at all (a refill, more shrimp, etc), you change the sign to this.  Your waiter also comes and plays Forrest Gump trivia with you at your table.  I got all the questions right except I didn't know Lieutenant Dan's last name!  I usually have such a brain for useless trivia like that!  What a fun time!

We decided to drive around since downtown is not laid out as well as Savannah.  Here is the famous Rainbow Row.  The streets were all very crowded and traffic was horrible.  The architecture of the city was breathtaking with many large mansions that were sumptuously landscaped and decorated. 

We ended our afternoon (and our vacation) with a visit to Urban Nirvana where we had a wonderful couples massage.  What a nice place!  The people there were so friendly, we asked them about places to eat and they were full of ideas.  We ended up eating at A.W.Shucks (mostly because every other place had a 1-2 hour wait time), but it ended up being very good. 

The most perfect end to the night came in the form of cake (doesn't it always?).  We ate at another dessert bar, this one called Kaminsky's.  It was a nice, laid back atmosphere.  It was very crowded but we were able to get a seat right away.  I ordered a white chocolate hot chocolate and Dennis got a milkshake (it may just be me, but the caramel in his milkshake looks like a giraffe!).  We then shared a piece of white chocolate/ white chocolate chip cake with butter cream frosting.  I was in love.  I also ordered another hot chocolate, caramel this time.  We relaxed and ate and had a grand time reminiscing about our vacation.  When the check came, our bill was only $6!  The waiter had not charged us for our cake or my second hot chocolate.  He simply told us it was on him and welcome to Charleston!  How grand!