Always Be Celebrating

There's a catchphrase in the movie Glengarry Glen Ross, "A-always B-be C-closing. Always be closing!" It's an iconic part of the film, and I couldn't help but think of it over the weekend while we were at my parents' house in Georgia. Not for the purpose of sales goals or quotas, but because of all the festivities and celebrating that we managed to squeeze into 48 hours. We have our own set of ABCs in my family: always be celebrating!

When we pulled into the driveway on Good Friday afternoon, we got quite a welcome. Doesn't the Easter bunny come greet you when you arrive?

I believe in the bunny.

How can you possibly top that? I'm glad you asked. My mom had mentioned that she had a special surprise for me Friday night, and to maybe try to make it in time for dinner. I couldn't imagine what she had up her sleeve, and it turned out to be such a fun, fantastic surprise: an entire Tahitian-themed dinner, in anticipation of our upcoming trip to Tahiti. The scene was completely set with tiki dolls, leis for everyone, grass skirts, and those awesome palm tree headband boppers (that are absolutely coming with me on our trip).

Scenes from Tahiti (by way of Toccoa, Georgia)!

We absolutely feasted on sweet and tangy Tahitian chicken in a sauce made with Sriracha, pineapple juice, and fresh ginger, over jasmine rice. For our side dishes, we devoured an Asian style coleslaw with the most delicious cilantro peanut dressing, and the bread--homemade coconut bread that was one of the most amazing things I think I have ever eaten. Y'all: if I get to Tahiti and they don't serve coconut bread, I'm demanding a refund and hopping on the next plane home. It's that good. The finale was a creamy Tahitian vanilla bean custard topped with caramel sauce. I didn't get a picture of the dessert because I had eating to do; I have my priorities and I can't even apologize for it.

My mom understands the importance of great accessories.

Island vibes.

Needless to say, it was a pretty fabulous way to kick off our weekend. In my last blog about my upcoming birthday, I mentioned that my mom would be the grand marshal of birthday month this year. Clearly, she got the memo and she performed her duties with great gusto.

No Saturday for Susan and me is complete with a little shopping, so we headed to Atlanta to see what we could find to entertain ourselves. It was a beautiful spring day so the guys were thrilled to be on the golf course, which left us unsupervised and free to enjoy a lovely ladies' lunch at one of our most favorite spots, the Swan Coach House in Buckhead.

The restaurant is full of so much charm and character...and mini muffins. 

The signature drink of the Swan Coach House is their bubbly champagne punch--and when in Rome, am I right? (I gave up alcohol for Lent, but my mother and husband assured me that having one champagne punch the day before Easter was almost certainly fine with the Lord). We nibbled on chicken salad, pimento cheese, and shrimp salad in the bustling dining room. There are always fresh roses from the garden on all the tables, and cheese straws accompany every plate. We almost passed up dessert, until I remembered their special menu item: a meringue swan with chocolate mousse inside. We quickly informed our server that we did, in fact, want dessert and that I had a birthday rapidly approaching. We think she must have noticed the Clemson case on my iPhone, because my swan arrived with an adorable orange candle.

Ladies who lunch.

The perfect beginning to birthday month.

After some very productive shopping at Lenox Square mall, we headed back home, perhaps with a few more pairs of shoes than when our day began. We had a relaxing Saturday night with barbecue from my hometown Bar-B-Q Shack and an episode of Dateline, plus my (first) birthday cake. Mom ordered what is essentially manna from heaven: a carrot cake cheesecake from Junior's restaurant and bakery in New York. I absolutely love Junior's, and having it delivered all the way to Georgia is beyond a special treat. This particular cake is so over-the-top; it's a New York cheesecake layered with fresh carrot cake, topped with cream cheese frosting. 

Carrot cake is a vegetable, right? 

Another candle. It never gets old.

One of the most fun parts of Easter with my family is that we still get Easter baskets, and if anything, they have only gotten better as we have gotten older. The Easter bunny took good care of us again this year, gifting us baskets full of clothes, candy, and yes: Peeps!

Thank you, Easter bunny!

Since we hadn't had anything to eat in a few hours (ha!), we put on our Easter best and headed to the nearby town of Hartwell to Cateechee Golf Club's Waterfall Grille. They had a massive buffet, so we feasted on roast beef, ham, shrimp and grits, macaroni and cheese, squash casserole, and more...just a lovely, light lunch, right? As luck would have it, the Easter bunny was there, too, and we never miss a photo opportunity in my family.

Happy Easter!

Once we got home and once we felt able to move again after all that food, we changed clothes and got ready for the Easter egg hunt. That's right: we still hunt eggs, and I am the youngest participant at the tender age of 39.

The winner, with all the bragging rights. 

Those who lost the egg hunt will try to tell you that they let me win since it's my birthday, but they lie. I won that egg hunt fair and square, by a whopping two egg margin. Any time I start to think I might be too old for hunting Easter eggs, I remember my granddaddy, gamely hunting along with us well into his eighties, wearing wing tips and a full suit. Then I lace up my running shoes, put my game face on, and get hopping.

We got back to Charlotte Sunday evening with a car full of leftovers, plenty of goodies from the Easter bunny, and smiling faces. I'm not sure we could have squeezed in any more festivities into those two days, but knowing my mom, she'll keep trying.

Easter may be over, but birthday month is in full swing, and I plan to mind my ABCs and continue our mantra with all I've got:

Always Be Celebrating!