A wise man once said I had impeccable taste in films; little did he know, that skill extends to bird figurines as well

It seems I talk about Main Street 210, Burkesville's own gem of a consignment store, in every other post, but my newest finds warrant yet another mention. If you haven't stopped in yet, make a point to swing by today (Houchens shopping center). I'm confident you will find, as I do, that Robin and Freda simply have the best taste, in terms of style - eclectic, yet classy - and in regards to whom they select as occasional staff members (even if Leigh Ann does arrive a couple of minutes late and has customers waiting on her).
I love it when families have chalkboards in their homes. I love to see nightly or weekly menus written on them. I love to see sweet or funny messages family members leave for one another. I love it when people jot down quotes or random thoughts that inspire them or at least brighten their day. I may not have a family, but I do now have a chalkboard. *Notice the persuasive advertising. Liza: reads. Liza buys it.
I have no idea where I'm going to put my birds (you know how I feel about trinkets and things that just "sit around"), but they made me too happy to not take them home (that's pretty much my buying philosophy on anything).
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As much as I enjoy consignment knick knack shopping, I really have to be in a particular mood to go clothes shopping. And, even when in that particular mood, I rarely enjoy it. I am convinced that my body is just weird: my arms are freakishly long, my legs and waist apparently disproportionately arranged, and my mind too spastic, incessantly filled with thoughts of other things I should be doing instead of trying on clothes that look dumb anyway. With that in mind, it seems logical that I don't peruse fashion magazines very often or really even notice ads when looking through my wide range of subscribed choices - The New Yorker, Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living, National Geographic, and Food & Wine.

Nonetheless, I saw this the other day and for some unknown reason, really wanted to go buy it.

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And, in keeping with the "good taste" theme (Yes, I am choosing to assume that you find the bird/chalkboard/dress medley in good taste), I have a restaurant recommendation for you. WHEN MOM AND I WENT TO SEE MICHAEL BOLTON in concert a few Sundays ago (yeah, that's right we did; and he was AWESOME), we ate at Varanese on Frankfort Avenue. I picked it based on really great reviews and simply from getting a "good feel from it" when looking at the website.

First of all, Frankfort Avenue is just a really neat part of Louisville, like Bardstown Road in terms of locally-owned, eclectic shops and restaurants, but a little more like a small town neighborhood in feel. Secondly, the ambiance in Varanese is a careful balance of sophistication and hospitality; you will feel like you've gone out for a nice dinner, without feeling the weight of pretentious stares. There is plenty of room in-between tables, the decor is classy, but comfortable, and the white tablecloths, fresh flowers, and tiled water fall along the back wall seem homey, rather than stuffy. Thirdly, we found the staff to be both incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. The chef even came out toward the end of our dinner to tell me what was in the apricot chutney:). Finally, it was very reasonably priced; Mom and I had an appetizer (pork belly with pancetta), a bottle of wine, two entrees (she, the prime rib, me, a Mediterranean-inspired pork chop), dessert (bourbon bread pudding) for roughly $80.

To top it off, Varanese is actually located in a converted gas station. Pretty cool, huh?