Carolina sandwich

Yes that is my mom. Nope, not my sister.

They say home is where the heart is, and I must admit, going back home to NC for Mother's day weekend to visit my mom completely proved that being in Cary will always feel like home. I do love Nashville and plan to be here for a while, but having family dinners with my two best gals (Lynnie made the trip from Boston too) was so much fun and something I wish wasn't a plane ride away. Of course, we had amazing meals because that is oftentimes the best part of coming together - a family oriented excuse to eat our faces off. From Italian nachos, to a very fancy dinner at Ruth Chris (with the most fluffy amazing butter I have ever had in my life), to home cooked lobster and clams to cheese, cheese and more cheese, including my mama's famous grilled cheese - which is to die for - let's just say we were definitely well fed.

In between all the eating, we also found time to go through mom's closet and completely overhaul everything we thought was dated or just plain ugly What Not to Wear style, and then treated her to a shopping spree. It was so much fun laughing together, watching home videos and drinking wine. There was nothing I would change, other than all the calories I consumed - but we weren't allowed to speak of that all weekend without putting a dollar in a jar - seriously. No commenting on fat, calories, feeling like a bloaty whale etc. Try that sometime - ladies, it is tough. So I figured I would get that out of my system here and now - let's just say I felt like I was waddling onto the plane last Monday morning.

The view at the Marina in Old Hickory

This passed weekend Weston and I may not have left the state of TN but boy did we travel. Saturday morning we went shopping in Madison for our upcoming beach weekend, followed by a lunch at the Marina in Old Hickory to enjoy the beautiful weather, and our favorite hickory smoked wings. Later that night after getting dolled up we went to downtown Franklin for a surprise party for a good friend of mine which had a speak-easy vibe in this secluded Piano loft which is actually the Yamaha company office. The location overlooks the idyllic Franklin town square, which yes - is featured in the Hannah Montana movie :). There were cheese plates for days, and an elaborate menu of top shelf specialty drinks.

Sunday we decided to be adventurous and after a filling brunch at one of our favorite hole-in-the wall eateries Biscuit House in East Nashville we drove all the way passed my house in Bellevue up to Kingston Springs to canoe 5 miles down the Harpeth River. Then back to Old Hickory for dinner at Cinco De Mayo and what is becoming our traditional Sunday evening Friday Night Lights marathon. If you know Middle TN at all, you know the miles we put on our cars this weekend is just shy of the calories I consumed on Mother's day.

Next weekend it is back to North Carolina for the much anticipated Jenny & Weston Carolina Beach Weekend. I am so looking forward to some time off on the beach with his parents and friends, and the best part is my parents are also coming up for a day from Cary. Should be another great weekend traveling back home to our families, games, wine, beach waves and of course, I'm bringing the cheese.

From Carolina to Tennessee, back to Carolina we go. No two other places I'd rather be.

(But of course not without first posting a Bachelorette update. Counting down to tonight's episode for sure! Stay tuned for an update!)