Tonight we went to the best little Italian restaurant in town… it’s called Taverno, and it’s like you’re stepping back into Italy. Even the bathroom is “authentic” European. Last summer when my family and I traveled across Italy & France, our big joke was trying to figure out how to use all of the bathrooms. Some were coin-operated, some had flushers in the form of peddles, for some had a push-button flush, others you pulled a rope from the ceiling. Most were co-ed (not cool for a modest Texas gal), and all were tiny. And this one was a lot like that… only it was free. In Italy, that’s a bargain!

I had a major blonde moment–I left mom’s birthday gift at home on my desk. I also forgot the thing I was supposed to bring for my dad. I was too busy chatting with my friend on the phone and worrying about doing my hair, and just left it. Which of course means that now I look like I didn’t actually buy a gift. But mom… I promise, I did! And it’s going in the mail tomorrow!

I also talked a few weeks ago about my big furniture purchase. I’m big into symbols that represent life changes. And since my life has changed over the past few weeks, I decided to commemorate it with a new piece of furniture. My very own Ethan Allen chair. According to sister Sarah, it’s their #2 selling chair of the year. Apparently I have good taste. Even better, I got it 40% off the retail price because it was a floor sample. I guess that means a lot of strangers’ rear ends have sat in that chair, but then again, a lot of strangers’ rears will sit in it in the future. so it doesn’t really matter, now does it? So anyway, this is my “life is not complicated” chair. Isn’t it cute?