Etsy Shop Spotlight: Budugalee

I have a rule over here at Chicken Noodle Gravy. Yep, only one rule, so I try to stick by it no matter what. My one rule is that I only blog about things that I'm passionate about. That's why I don't do reviews much. I know that reviews can be bad or good, but I'm not particularly fond of writing bad reviews, so I just avoid writing about anything I don't like. It's my blog; I can do that kind of thing.

The point is that I only plug something if I feel really good about it. I don't like BS, so I try to not spread it around too much. All that being said, I'd like to plug a couple of things in my next two posts: the Etsy shops of two of my very best bloggy friends.

I'll begin with Bernie of One Mixed Bag. Now, you've heard me gush about Bernie before in The Dish, but this time I'd like to focus on her Etsy shop: Budugalee. By the way, try saying the name of the shop aloud...funny stuff and SO Bernie :)

As you can see from the banner above, Budugalee is already all decked out for Halloween, which is another reason to love this shop, because who isn't ready for Halloween and some cooler weather? But I digress. Bernie's Etsy shop specializes in handmade, uniquely-designed cards. Card-making has been a hobby of Bernie's and only recently did she start expanding that hobby into the world of Etsy.

Now, I can speak from personal experience because I have purchased cards from Budugalee, and I just want to tell you how excellent these cards truly are. Her card stock is substantial, and the card feels like a quality product. Almost like the ones you'd buy in a commercial card shop...only better. Really. Bernie's cards are better than anything you can buy in a traditional store, because they are unique and one-of-a-kind. They are made with love and care, and this fact is obvious as soon as you see one of her cards in person.

Most of the cards from Budugalee contain wonderful vintage images that Bernie dresses up with cute scrap accessories, glitter, and much more. I've purchased several cards from Bernie already, and I've truly been impressed with her workmanship and creativity.

Just look!

Easily my favorite greeting card EVER. 

Knowing I love owls, Bernie made this card especially for me! I'm thinking of having it framed I love it THAT much!

Each card is stamped with an official Budugalee stamp from Bernie and her husband's rubber stamp shop:  Rubber Stamp Shop. They even make custom stamps! Check them out!

I hope these will give you an idea of the style of card Bernie makes but don't think she's limited by anything. Her imagination is vast and wonderful, and pretty much anything you can think of, Bernie can probably do. This fact was proven when I ordered a custom card from Budugalee for my husband's birthday. I made some interesting requests to say the least, but Bernie was able to take my vision and turn it into a fabulous (not to mention hilarious) card. I can't wait to see my husband's face when he gets the card!

Oh, and by the way, when you purchase cards from Budugalee, you'll be in for some fast shipping and carefully packaged items. I sold on Ebay for years, so I know just how important little things like this can be when you make online purchases!

I really can't gush enough about Budugalee Cards, so I'll stop before I get carried away. If you're ever in the market for greeting cards or blank cards of any kind, hit Bernie up. She's got a talent for it, yo!

Linking up with:


 

A Family Affair at La Trattoria on the Square

Some restaurants just feel comfortable. From the moment you walk in, you're enveloped in a sense of home and family. La Trattoria on the Square in Carrollton, Georgia is one of those restaurants. Even its name suggests this restaurant's homey ambiance. According to the back of the menu, "la trattoria" refers to a type of eating establishment in Italy that is usually family-run and casual, and this La Trattoria fits its name to a tee. This unassuming and cozy restaurant makes great use of the space, which is pretty small but beautiful. Exposed brick walls, hardwood floors and ceilings, you can practically feel the history of the building as you eat.

The entire restaurant consists of no more than 25 tables. A tiny corner restaurant in a tiny corner building on historic Adamson Square: a stark contrast to the "Italian" restaurants many of us are used to with generic menus and stale atmosphere. Nope, there was nothing stale about La Trattoria, and this applied to the food as well.

The Donkey and My Acute Fear of Log Flume Rides

A personal fear rarely makes sense to anyone but the person who possesses that fear. For instance, I don't understand ailurophobia, which is a fear of cats, because I personally love cats. I'm the crazy cat lady, after all. So I wasn't surprised when tonight while having dinner at The Lazy Donkey with my husband and Aunt Claire, I was made fun of by both of them about my fear of log flume rides. 

Now, I did check to see whether or not there was a scientific term for a log flume ride phobia before writing this, and because there wasn't, I made up my own. As a victim of logflumaphobia, I have long-suffered with a nearly paralyzing fear of rides like Splash Mountain at Disney World or Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls at Universal Studio's Islands of Adventure. In fact, in the past I have totally avoided such rides due to an overwhelming wave of nausea and a case of the shakes every time I am even near one.*

Strangely enough, I haven't always been afflicted with logflumaphobia. At one point, the log ride at Six Flags was one of my favorites. I would beg to ride it! 

Look at the sheer joy! What happened to those careless days of childhood?

Food: the REAL Attraction - Part One

We'll start this one off with a little song. I just made it up (I know...you may marvel at my brilliance later), but imagine it to the tune of "Anticipation" by Carly Simon. And notice how I changed the lyrics up to suit my message. Again, a stroke of sheer brilliance.

"Procrastination. 
Procrasti-na-a-tion is 
makin' me late.!"

Okay, so I only changed one word, but seriously, this little diddy (minus the Puff or P) popped into my head as soon as I started working on this post, which was originally saved in my post queue WAY back in October 2010. Practically ages ago. I've been putting this one off, because I knew it would take forever to write...just because I have SO many opinions on this particular subject. What subject you may ask? Well, reader, I will end your anticipation (anticipa-a-tion) now. This post is all about Disney Food. Not Disney World, because let's face it, that can get boring. Disney FOOD: the real attraction.

Way back in October 2010, my husband Jeremy and I took a third anniversary trip to Orlando, to re-experience some of the "magic" (nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more, say no more) of our honeymoon trip from three years before. Because romance and lovey dovey crap was the focus of the honeymoon trip, this trip we got to focus on what we really love: food. Practically the entire trip was centered around where we would eat and what we eat and when we would eat. Just the way I like my vacations...food-centric.

sunnyside up!

I've come to the conclusion recently that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. This can be the only logical explanation of why every time I am presented with an awesome breakfast: I completely pig out!

My reasoning behind my conclusion is the fact that I so rarely eat a decent breakfast. Remember? I'm the girl who eats popcorn for breakfast, so when I get the chance to eat a warm, hearty, REAL breakfast I throw all my shame out the window.

I had the chance to eat such a breakfast this past Friday morning at the lovely, little Carrollton, Georgia establishment known as Sunnyside Cafe. This wasn't my first time eating at Sunnyside. I've had this pleasure on four separate occasions now, and each time I eat there, I seem to fall in love with it a little bit more.

It's just my kind of restaurant: small and unassuming with both traditional and unique meal options. My favorite option thus far has been the order of sausage gravy and biscuits. This is to die for...probably literally considering how much this clogs my arteries. Two "cathead" biscuits are served cut wide open with sausage and black pepper gravy poured generously over the top. But the euphoria doesn't end there. No, Sunnyside takes this dish to a new level by crumbling larges pieces of their wonderful pork sausage over the top. Gosh, this stuff is good!



One of their less traditional (at least in my neck of the woods) menu options is known as The Scottish Egg, which is essentially a deep-fried hard-boiled egg, but before they deep-fry the egg, they wrap it in pork sausage and cover it in batter. I couldn't try this dish, because I personally hate hard-boiled eggs, but my dad was brave enough to try it and loved it! And there's something to be said for a restaurant that serves dishes that are outside of the box.

Sunnyside has lots of other options for those diners who want to avoid a coronary or a "unique" experience; they also serve a homemade granola (which is locally made and sold by the bag in the restaurant), any and every kind of omelet under the sun, and good ole pancakes.

Aside from the fabulous food, Sunnyside also serves up great atmosphere. Located just off the historic square of Carrollton, this cafe is small (only 5 or so booths and about a dozen tables) but doesn't really seem so with large open windows. The best part of Sunnyside's atmosphere, however, is the corner set aside for live music. The restaurant's website describes its music best: "Enjoy your morning breakfast while listening to acoustic guitar, or, be serenaded over dinner by a lively banjo." What could be better?

In short, Carrollton's Sunnyside Cafe offers great food and great entertainment, and it always seems to satisfy my monumental appetite for a good Southern breakfast.