Back home again in Alabama

How rude, I just went on vacation and didn't tell anyone (can you imagine if I did that at work....?).  We drove down to Mobile, AL for a few days followed by a few days at the beach on Dauphin Island.    And because its a 2 day trip with a nursing infant, we got some local flavor in Nashville, Birmingham, and Montgomery.  

Available for $500K

It was a last minute vacation and I couldn't get a beach house (well, not on the Gulf side of the island, directly on the beach, for a partial week).  Although the houses are almost disturbingly close to the water, no?  We rented this condo for a few days, which you can buy for an easy $499,000.00.  As condos go, it's actually really nice.  And as all beach rentals go, I sat on the big pleather couch and redecorated the place in my head all week.  But a vote for these condo owners--nice, goddet pleated drapes on the floor to ceiling windows/doors and not venetian blinds.  

$685K 

My ideal beach house is probably a crazy modern house...like this awesome house in Mexico City, 

or this pad from July's AD (assuming I don't live in an awesome, crazy modern residence year round).    

And yet I really want this tent to be involved....details I'll have to work out later.

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In my head, the beach involves picnics...but its mostly cereal and hotdogs in an understocked kitchen.  But I aspire to picnic, and my aspirational picnicking involves these awesome plates.  

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If you've always wanted Mottahedeh china but your registry couldn't support it, maybe their tin picnic plates will scratch the itch.  I believe they are the maker of the "Museum Collection" plates as well (below, on Horchose and NM), since it includes their tobacco leaf pattern.  

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And apparently Mackenzie-Childs is all over the enamelware picnic space, so if you want more than plates in a pattern (serving ware, tumblers, mugs, etc.) you can venture over there.  Some are painful Mackenzie-Childs, and some seem OK.  

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A beach vacation is pretty much about the kids, as I do not particularly enjoy the beach.  Henry and I went down to the beach a couple times, but we also watched several hours of a Harry Potter marathon and ate plenty of junk food, so my vacation box was checked as well.  We are starting "sleep training" tonight (since he still doesn't sleep on his own), so it will be at least a week before I contemplate how to loose the pickle chip/KrispyKreme/barbecue pounds of my southern sojourn.  I'm sure Pinterest is full of good ideas.

"Farm to Table" in Nashville includes Krispy Kreme bread pudding (with raspberry sauce)....you know, from the elusive donut farmers of Appalachia