Teacup of Kindness - Randomness #20-19

For my random acts this month I wanted to do something special as a gift for people.

#20 - While out and about during this month I left random sticky notes in bathrooms of locations. On the sticky notes I wrote positive messages, or simple things like "Smile, you are beautiful". I considered this polite vandalism that hopefully changed someone's outlook of their day. I'd like to think the person who needed the inspiration took the sticky note with them.

#19 - During Mother's Day my boyfriend and I went down to Baltimore, and were walking around. We happen to pass a flower cart in Federal Hill, and I had the idea to purchase flowers and give them out to moms as we passed them. We gave out 11 roses, and saved the last one for my boyfriend's mom. The reactions we got were so diverse -- from "oh my gosh how sweet of you" to "uh, thanks". It wasn't for the response that we did, but more the fun adventure of wandering around the inner harbor and handing a flower to a complete stranger! It was interesting to see how people reacted to a surprise rose as they were walking.

Teacup of Trendy: Foodie Review

Restaurant: Pusser's located in Annapolis, MD

Our restaurant club decided to take an adventure to Annapolis a couple Sunday's ago. We thought summer weather, good food, and good company would make for an awesome end of the weekend.

 

My boyfriend and I were the first to arrive in Annapolis and it just happened to be at the end of a boat show. This is a good lesson to learn ... find out what is going on in a touristy town before going there. Then you can plan ahead for parking, time, crazy people, etc and not be caught off guard. We drove up and down the streets for a bit looking for parking. We eventually gave up and parked in the 'yacht parking lot' for an inflated $20. The cost of parking was a small price to pay for sanity. TIP: The Marriott Annapolis Waterfront has valet parking that is only $14 which is cheaper, or there are metered spots along the road. Try to avoid parking in the parking lot to the right of the hotel.

 

When we first arrived I had to use the rest rooms. They were so disheveled I was shocked by their appearance. The floors were wet and dirty, the sinks had wet paper towels all over them, and there was toilet paper thrown all over the stalls. As we leave from the bathrooms disgusted, we then stand at the hostess stand for about five minutes waiting for someone to greet us. A few servers walked by, someone who looked like a shift leader made eye contact with us  but did not stop to talk, and both hostesses passed us by. HELLO?! I finally stopped the first person who came by the counter and said pardon me are you on a wait? She then grabbed five menus and walked us out into the balcony seating where we stood for a minute watching her search for empty tables, then back into the dining room where she spun in a circle looking at tables, before she finally said 'I guess you guys can sit here'.

 

After being seated it took a full 10 minutes before a server even came over to the two of us to get our drinks. I kept telling myself it was because they could tell our full party had not been seated yet, and they were waiting for everyone to arrive. Granted this is the opposite of what you want to do, but I was hoping this was the case. Our server eventually came to our table, and she was very pleasant and helpful. However, into the course of our dinner I realized she had someone following her around. It might have been good for her to let us know she had a trainee. This would have probably made me tip more as to leave some extra for the trainee (I worked in restaurants for many years, and know that when you are training you don't get tips!). Both her and her trainee were more then attentive with refilling our drinks, clearing our plates, and not being too obtrusive. Her friendly attitude definitely turned the meal from drab to fab.

 

The atmosphere of the restaurant was fun/casual. They had nautical theme decor, and TVs on so we could watch the Oriole's game. It was quite loud, so I wouldn't recommend going here for a romantic or intimate dinner. If you are looking for a quick place to eat or somewhere to bring your out of town friends/family on the water in Annapolis then this is your spot. This probably is even an awesome place to go at night for drinks. Their bar area looked very spacious, and I could see people walking in and out of the bar seating. If you are wandering around downtown and looking for happy hour or late night drinks, this could be a fun hang out spot.

 

The drinks were also a little to be desired. I ordered a strawberry rum crush. The drink tasted like watered down rum. There were muddled strawberries at the bottom of the glass that you could easily suck up with your straw, but the drink was way too strong. Again if you went for happy hour or drinks late at night this would be awesome. But a pre-meal drink, not a good idea. My friends around the table all ordered drinks as well and I could not help but notice that no one got a refill.

 

The food definitely is not a highlight of this restaurant. My boyfriend and I ordered the Maryland crab dip to start. I was really in the mood for seafood and hoped this would be yummy. It was cream cheese with peppers, with a few chunks of crab. Luckily the baguette it was served with was quite good. We ate up the crab dip as we did not want to waste it, but I will not be ordering this from the menu again. For my main course I was torn between the coconut fried shrimp or the barbecued salmon tower. In the end as the server asked me what to eat I panic ordered and got the salmon tower. By the time it came I had filled up on our dip and bread that I was not hungry. I ate my soggy vegetables, and decided to take the salmon home for lunch the next day. I ate two bites of it though to try, and I must say it was better then I expected. It was not too dry, and the BBQ sauce was quite tasty. It did not blow me away, nor would I probably order it again, but compared to the dip it was great. Downside... I asked for a to go box since we filled up on the appetizer. Rookie mistake, I forgot to put the box immediately by my purse so I would remember it. I left it on the table! No fault of the staff for throwing it away, just a lessen to be learned when taking boxes home.

 

Overall I would say the restaurant is not terrible. I can not say I would return unless we were already in Annapolis, and/or someone else suggests it. As I previously said if you are bringing out of town-ers or going for drinks I'm sure it is a fun restaurant. For a local Marylander going with friends for a nice dinner, I was not impressed.

 

In speaking with some friends who have gone to this restaurant, they did not share favorable reviews as well. I think a change of attitude and an upgrade in the kitchen would probably do this place wonders.

 

Rating: EMPTY tea cup

Teacup of Fun - #9 Helicopter Ride

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of traveling for work. It was an east coast road trip with a coworker that started in Charleston, SC and ended at BWI Airport in Baltimore, MD. I must admit, I was a little nervous at the prospect of spending 5 days on the road with a coworker. Even though we were traveling for work it was a great time! We got to spend the days in the car chatting, ate at amazing restaurants, got to meet with some of our colleagues, and best of all we were surprised by one of our General Managers with a helicopter ride!

On the first day of our trip we drove from Charleston, SC to Myrtle Beach, SC. When we arrived our General Manager of that hotel said he had an adventure in store for us. He drove us over to the airfield, and before I could process what was happening we were up in the air high above the town.

In retrospect, if I had time to think about what was happening I probably would have talked myself out of it. While up in the air it felt like we were in a tiny toy car being pushed around by the wind. That didn't take away from the ride at hand thankfully! The staff was super friendly and helpful, and the tour guide kept us engaged throughout the tour pointing out spots in the town. The helicopter took the three of us above Myrtle Beach and flew over the boardwalk, across the water, over the town, and back again. It was about 15 minutes long, but it felt like much longer.

I am glad that my sense of whimsy kicked in and I was able to go with the flow. If anyone has ever thought about doing it, I would highly recommend it. This was an amazing experience, one I will remember for a long time!

Teacup of Trendy : Movie Review of BUTTER

In scrolling through my Netflix recommendations I came across this little gem Butter. It has a list of a stellar cast, interesting plot, and I had a free Friday night to spare. I was surprised on how entertaining it was, and why this is below the radar of many people's movie watching lists.

 

The film stars Jennifer Garner and Ty Burrell (this was the draw to the film, I do love me some Modern Family). Ty plays Bob a professional butter sculptor in Iowa who is married to Jennifer Garner's character Laura. This led me to do a little research...If you are asking yourself the same question, yes this is an actual event at State Fairs across the country!

 

Bob and Laura are big town celebrities that bring home the State Butter Sculpting Championship every year. Interlaced in Bob and Laura's story you meet Destiny and her dream to finally have a family. While on a trip to the State Fair she meets Bob and sees his butter sculptures. This inspires her to follow in the same hobby, and ultimately find a place to belong. Bob decides to retire due to pressure from the State Fair board, and finds solace in the arms of Brooke (Olivia Wilde). Brooke works at the local strip club and ends up in the backseat of Bob's car with him. Laura is quite upset from Bob's bombshell of retiring, and while she is driving around town she finds Bob and Brooke in his car. While Laura forgives Bob for his transgressions, she decides SHE will enter the butter competition and bring home the crown. Her dreams of being butter queen are quickly dashed on registration day (registration led by Phyllis Smith of The Office) when she sees Destiny coming to register, and Brooke! Destiny is being encouraged by her foster parents Jill and Ethan (Alicia Silverstone and Rob Corddry), and Brooke has a vendetta against the 'butter' family for not receiving payment by Bob.

As the film progresses you soon learn that Destiny has a great talent for butter sculpting, and Laura will stop at nothing to become champion. I will avoid spoiler alerts as this film weaves an intricate web of competition, laughs, and awesome stars (did I mention Hugh Jackman plays Laura's high school sweetheart!).  

 

If you are looking for a fun watch on the sofa in your PJs with a big bowl of popcorn, I would highly recommend giving this one a spin.

 

Rating : FULL teacup

Teacup of Kindness - Randomness #25-21

Below are my random acts of kindness for April. I really enjoyed this month as it was a mix between doing something personable for people I know and acts of kindness that were fun!

#25 - I left a 100% tip for a server at the Early Bird Diner in Charleston, SC. I was passing through for breakfast, and thought the server was awesome. I worked as a server for 15+ years and know that the job has its up and downs, more so then most sometimes. Our server was friendly, kept my coffee filled, and wasn't overly annoying with checking up on us. This was first thing in the morning so hopefully it made the rest of her day happy. Next time I go I'll be trying the Oreo pancakes!

#24 - My boyfriend headed over to the local library to pick up the latest installment of 'Game of Thrones'. While he was waiting in line to pick up the DVD, I wandered around the library leaving surprises in some of my favorite books. I left four $5 Starbucks gift cards in books throughout the library. I figured whoever checked out the book could also enjoy a nice beverage!

#23 - An old friend's little brother was having some down luck. Even though I could not donate material items I was able to lend a helping hand for groceries!

#22 - For work I had to travel for a week throughout the south, which meant being a way from my boyfriend. I sent him an 'I love you' card in the mail while I was away. I wanted to make sure he knew i appreciated everything he does and was thinking about him.

#21- Rather then bringing items to Goodwill to be sold I dropped off items at the local donation bins. That way the items go directly to the organizations that are in need.

Teacup of Fun - #10 Claymaking Class

For the month of April I decided to channel my inner artist. I have not taken a pottery class since middle school, so it was definitely a learning process.

My friend and I bought a groupon for a studio in Ellicott City, MD for a BYOB clay making class. We both tackled the potters wheel, and made different bowls for our projects. The instructor was very friendly, super helpful, and she made it a fun learning environment. My friend had taken ceramics in high school so I think she picked it up much quicker then I did. The instructor first did a demonstration on the wheel with clay, and then we took our places. Halfway through the class I realized that I was trying to do everything with my left hand, and that was probably why I destroyed the two pieces of clay (I am right handed). You need to be graceful with your hands and gently mold the clay. I was decapitating the tops of the bowls as it spun because I was pressing too hard on the sides. Luckily the first bowl I made the instructor talked me through and it turned out great! I can't wait to go back to the studio to glaze our items, and take them home for use.

This has definitely inspired me to take another art class later on down the road. I crochet and scrapbook, but this is a different level of creativity that challenges you.

Teacup of Trendy - Movie Review of THE HOST

I have not yet read The Host. Mainly because the back log of books I have been wanting to read is growing by the week. I was hoping when I saw the film it would not matter that I did not read the book. Overall, I think I followed it quite well, but it does leave you feeling as if you are missing some key plot points.

The movie does not start out the way I thought it would. From the trailers it seems like a basic girl meets boy, boy helps girl survive the end of world, and then something terrible happens plot line. The something terrible happens to Melanie, the leading lady, at the start of the film and the story is told through flashbacks. I actually felt this made the movie more entertaining as you were left in your seat trying to figure out why the aliens are here and why are they inhabiting our bodies. I really enjoy Saoirse Ronan as a leading actress, and she did a good job playing multiple personalities on screen.

After Melanie/Wanda escape from the main city and the bad guys, they make their way to find her beau and brother. All while doing so having an external internal debate on screen. You would think this would be distracting, hearing the main character debate with the voice in her head. At times it was hard to focus on the action at hand, but it did help move the film along.

I especially liked how the characters interacted with each other. It felt like a community on the run (not quite like Rick and the zombie crew from Walking Dead), but it didn't feel fake. Melanie's uncle Jeb played good cop while her aunt Maggie played bad cop when Melanie/Wanda are introduced to the group. This adds to the dynamic of the film as the community struggles to survive, as well as come to terms with learning more about the aliens that have come to Earth.

In true Stephanie Myers fashion there is a love triangle. I kept waiting for some big macho blow out to happen over Melanie/Wanda. I will not give a way any spoiler alerts,  but let's just say it works itself in the end.

The movie as a whole was not terrible. I can not say I loved it, but I definitely did not hate it either. We went before 2PM at AMC which meant a $6.00 movie. That was about what I would pay for it, or a $1.00 from the Redbox. I think the crowd you are with helps too. I went with friends who had read the book so it made it more fun to watch.

I did not walk out of the theater dissatisfied, so I was happy to have sat through it. I wouldn't recommend this is as a bro film, or older adult crowd. This is aimed at the younger audience or 'young adult' fans of the YA genre.

Rating: half a teacup