PENSIEVE

Turndown Service ~ Friday's 40PC #3

This week's 40-or-less photo challenge will leave you salivating.

"Why?" you ask.  Two reasons.

First, the photograph itself. 

Turndown Service at the Intercontinental Hotel, Buckhead, Ga.  May 2008.

Don't you wanna just slip into your coziest jams, crawl underneath the covers, carefully place the greeting card, chocolate and orchid on the bedside table just out of view (to be enjoyed again in the morning), arrange those pillows "just so"...and wriggle and squirm until your body finds the perfect position?  Then sleep for four days straight? 

Maybe that's just my weariness speaking after a long day and sleepless night.  While Tad and I have enjoyed a past romantic getaway to this very hotel, right now SLEEP sounds about as sexy as you can get! :)

This was the scene a few weeks ago after my sister and I attended the Metro Cooking & Entertaining Show in Atlanta and I hadHadHAD to capture the shot!  I **heart** priceline.com for making these types of places accessible.

Reason #2 to salivate: Do you remember my first post about the MC&ES where I mentioned my affections for 3 Sisters and their POPS popcorn truffles?  Well, I sent the girls a link to that post to let them know I was talking about them behind their back...AND THEY'VE OFFERED TO SHARE SOME OF THEIR TREATS WITH PENSIEVE READERS!  These three precious girls wrote me back with words of beauty and I was touched by their kindness and generosity.

If ever there was an incentive to join Friday's 40-or-less Photo Challenge, NOW would be it!  :)

Click the F40PC badge for details....  Does this photo make you long for your own romantic get-away?  A girls weekend full of shopping and fun?  Does it make you wonder how "the other half live".  Or maybe you could wax poetic about the merits of fine linens...however this picture inspires you, spend a few minutes writing your response, and then check back here ON FRIDAY to link your post and blog hop to see how others interpreted the picture.

Note:  if you comment to this post or have participated in the past, I'll send you a reminder email to link on Friday.

Sometimes, good "treats" are more than just "eats"

[5]  Crinkly-eyed smiles and dimples you can get lost in.

I've seen Bobby and Jamie Deen on television and in print, but never in person before Saturday; let's just say they're "beautiful people" and be done with it. 

Okay, I'm not done with it...I wanna say more.

One brother is chasing 40, the other is winking at it over his shoulder.   One is married with a two-year-old, the other was a 2006 People Magazine's "Hottest Bachelor".  Both s i z z l e.

My sister and I just happened to walk in to the MC&E Show when they walked onto the floor.  In a flurry, my sister snapped a picture of me and Jamie while I quizzed him about Phil-the-webmaster.  Jamie assured me Phil was real, brilliant, they were fortunate to have him in their organization, and he most definitely was not a machete-wielding murder-rapist-er. 

When I bought tickets for the Viking Celebrity Cooking Theater to see the Deen brothers and their mama, I didn't realize it was such a large venue.  I was thinking an up-close-and-personal cooking demo like the ones at Fresh Market; I might as well have been lickin' toads to be so misguided!  Their session was entertaining; it just wasn't what I expected (they talked more than cooked).

Bobby and Jamie have great chemistry, infectious personalities and a high regard for women.  No wonder they charm women from 16 to 96!

[4]  Crazy celebrity-chef fans.

If you've read me for any length of time--heck, if you just take a look at my left sidebar!--you know I notice feet.  The insane thing about this picture is this lady didn't think it was odd at.tall. that I wanted to photograph her feet--she was VERY proud that Paula asked her to "plop her foot right up on the table" so she could get a closer look. 

Then there's Charles-the-Pastry-Chef.  He wanted to create something spectacular... memorable...an original work of culinary art for his Kitchen Princess.  So, he married two of Paula Deen's favorite things--butter and Elvis-- and voila!  An Elvis-Impersonated- by-a-stick-of-butter cake!  At the show it made p.e.r.f.e.c.t. sense.  Now?  Well...you be the judge (click his picture for a close-up of the cake).

Do you think stalking having my picture taken with cutie-pie Celebrity Chefs Jason Roberts and Jon Ashton makes ME a crazed celebrity-chef fan? 

Both of 'em have killer accents and me thinks they're comfortable with the ladies.... 

Stay tuned...my top three highlights are coming soon :).

Metro Cooking and Entertaining Show Highlights 10-8
MC&ES Highlights 7-6

Good Eats, 1,000 Treats (Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show)

Imagine stuffing your suitcase full of your favorite things until it was bulging on all sides, and it took two people sitting on it--huffing and puffing, eating a box of Wheaties and using all their might--to pull the zippered halves together to get it closed. 

That is the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show.

Because there is so much to tell, I'm breakin' it down for ya into a series of posts rather than one long one.  These are not necessarily in hierarchical order, they were all favorite aspects to me. 

Top Ten Highlights
Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show
in Atlanta, GA

[10]  Meeting Denise Medved, President and CEO of The Tiny Kitchen.   I am always drawn to "story" and Denise's is inspirational:  she's living her dream. 

Because Denise was so determined in pursuing her passion--cooking and entertaining and making it accessible for anyone--she invested everything she had into making "it" happen.  The "it" in her case is a successful series of cookbooks and a cooking and entertaining tradeshow that is drawing thousands.

Denise explained she simply created the show she wanted to attend.  With extensive tradeshow and business conference experience, she knew what to do and how to do it.  Judging by the A-list of celebrity chefs attached to her venture, Denise is making culinary waves of tidal proportion.

Currently there are two cities host to The Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show:  Washington, D.C. (November 8th & 9th) and Atlanta.  I have a feeling there'll be more.  I'm sure Denise would love to hear from YOU if you'd like to see a show in your area--why don't you share your 2¢?

[9]  Lunch that began with eight strangers, miraculously ended with eight new friends.

My certifiably insane sister sprang for a VIP Luncheon and Book Signing with a certain cooking diva to be named later.  Our Derby Day-themed lunch began with mint juleps--we entered as ladies and exited with hair on our chests--and ended with buttermilk pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream.

S o m e h o w we lucked out with the BEST TABLE of gals in the room--they were fun and funner!  Allow me to introduce Lora (my sister, to the right of "my" chair), Angela and Debbie, Rose and Kelly (they flew in from Houston!), Candy and Jean, and Elaine and Sandie (HEY Y'ALL! :) ). Can you believe EVERY one of our table mates gave their email addresses to me?  What if I were a serial axe murderer for goodness sakes! 

Debbie, the bunny-ear girl on the right, is clearly the trouble- maker of the bunch; she told Rob-the-event-photographer that'd I'd seduce him for his photographer's vest; I just thought he was being nice to me to encourage a budding photographer:/.

[8]  Three Sisters livin' their dream. They've got a fairytale story in progress; fitting, since POP truffles are almost too pretty to eat!  These girls left comfortable jobs to pursue their passion, and let me tell you this:  their hopes are HIGH--to be a global leader in the specialty foods industry.  They're off to a good start-- they've got wonderful mentors and support, and everything about them speaks "positive".  Bounce around their website, see what they have to say, and they'll win you over with their regard for and generosity to others.  Oh...and their POPs?  You'll be drooling!

More soon, and I promise, you'll be slobberin' like a Saint Bernard before it's all said and done!