transcript
Speaker 1:
[00:16] Hey everybody, this is Sophie, and welcome to episode 491 of The Big Boo Cast. On this episode, Melanie and I are going to talk about what we're doing in San Antonio and Birmingham to get ready for our live show later this week. We're going to talk about the Aggies and the Bulldogs and college baseball, of course. And we're going to talk about a fun little adventure I had last week. We would love for you to join us on Patreon. If you haven't done that yet, it's at patreon.com/bigboo. Our most recent episode is our April Southern Living episode, where I got to talk about the Birmingham food scene for a long amount of time. It's a special feature in this issue, which was such a fun one to talk about. We also have an episode coming up with Jackson later this month. Plus, we have Book Club on April 28th, where we're going to talk about Strangers by Bill Burton. It always just delights us when you stop by our Amazon shop to see some of the things that we love and love to use. That's at amazon.com/shop/bigboo. Finally, don't forget, the show notes for every episode are in the podcast app where you listen to the episode. Just scroll down a little bit and you'll see them all. Okay, everybody, thanks so much for being here, and we hope you enjoy episode 491. Hey, everybody, this is Sophie. This is Big Mama.
Speaker 2:
[01:45] Hey, it's Melanie. It's Big Mama.
Speaker 1:
[01:47] Well, it's live show week.
Speaker 2:
[01:49] It is live show week. And what I just told you was, is when I woke up this morning, it's Monday morning, when I woke up, I was like, this time next week, it'll all be over. And that feels like I have a lot to do in the next seven days.
Speaker 1:
[02:03] And I know you really, when you leave San Antonio tomorrow, you're out for almost a week. I mean, I am. And that's all I thought about this morning as I was, listen, I ironed this morning, if that tells you where I am. Wow.
Speaker 2:
[02:17] I ironed on Saturday. That's funny. So there we go. Here we are.
Speaker 1:
[02:21] Yeah. So I, I ironed. And as I was ironing, I thought about just me, I live here and I'm, you know, going to be gone for almost as long as you are.
Speaker 2:
[02:33] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[02:33] Because we're leaving from Birmingham and going to Startville for the weekend. That's our wind down for the live show this time. And so I just thought, man, I don't normally iron, first of all, but I just felt like because irons are hard to come by in hotels these days.
Speaker 2:
[02:56] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[02:56] That's a whole separate discussion. I just need to go ahead and get everything in as good a shape as I can get it. So here we are. Yeah, here we are. So what's on your agenda for today? Because I feel like we've both been tackling lists for a couple of days.
Speaker 2:
[03:12] Yeah. So today I need to finish my notes for the live show cause you know, I like to have notes on paper. So I'm almost done with those. So I've got my notes. I need to tan because I am too white. So I need to tan today. I'm going to get my eyebrows done today because they're a situation. I would like to get a workout in if I have a chance, but it is also cold and rainy here. So what I really want to do is just sit by the fire and do nothing. Yes. But that's not really, and I also thought this morning, I was like, maybe I'll try to pack in a carry-on. And then I was like, who am I?
Speaker 1:
[03:47] What on earth?
Speaker 2:
[03:49] When would this be the time? Like, why now? I'm like, I'm going to be gone for almost a full week in the live show. I was like, this is not the time to try to be that person. You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:
[03:57] Absolutely not, absolutely not.
Speaker 2:
[03:59] So I need to get out the big suitcase. I need to kind of start packing. You'll appreciate the pair you asked me this morning. Hey, what do you want to do about dinner tonight? And I was like, I'm working on my tan strategy. And so that's, and it's raining, so I can't put on my tanner and go outside. You know what I mean? Like sometimes you can just wear the tanner around all day. I can't do that because the rain, I'd be freckled. I'd be spotted.
Speaker 1:
[04:21] Sure, sure. So here's what you can, just one place, if it eases your mind at all, you're going to be standing next to me, who has never tanned. And so you are going to look like you have been basking in the golden rays of the sun compared to what I am going to have to offer in that department. So if that takes any pressure off at all, just know that you will be the sun kissed one of the two of us. I will look like I have only known darkness. And that's just where I am.
Speaker 2:
[04:59] But because of that, your skin is aging so much better. That's why I have to use so many things, because all my years is a sun worshiper.
Speaker 1:
[05:05] And so I really did think not too long ago, I was like, man, if there were ever a time to maybe just like dabble in tanning, this would be a good one. But I also don't want to look. It's kind of like, you know, when people do weird things with their hair on their wedding day. I feel like if I get too far gone with like wanting to try new things, I won't even look like myself. It'll make everybody uncomfortable. So I'm just gonna let it go.
Speaker 2:
[05:37] Just roll with it. Listen, I was given, on my birthday club group text, I was giving tanning tips because everybody, all the birthday club has a big week this week. So my friend Hillary has a wedding. Her son's getting married. Amy Case has coronation and fiesta stuff. Gully's gonna be at the wedding, at Hillary's son's wedding. So is my friend Steph. And so everybody, we were talking about the need for a tan. And so I was telling them, cause Gully was like, I don't know when I do the tan because I really need to be tan Monday through Saturday. And so I was like, listen, you gotta do the real tan and then you just supplement with Jurgens Glow. And you've got to patch yourself dry with a towel. And then you have to moisturize really good. But that's how you make a tan. But I laughed cause we were all, but there's a new tanning thing. I have not tried it yet, but it's a 10 minute thing. You put it on for 10 minutes and then wash it off. And so I'm ordering that when I get home, cause that sounds really optimal to me if it works.
Speaker 1:
[06:34] Okay. All right. I wish you all the best. Well, thank you. I was home, Friday was the first day in a long time where I have just been home all day. And I had told David before Friday, I was like, listen, Friday, I'm gonna stay in my pajamas all day. And I'm switching into live show mode and I don't know what exactly that might entail. But I'll tell you actually what happened was I ended up, I made lists all day long. I sat and I made lists all day long.
Speaker 2:
[07:10] Mrs. Hudson, Mrs. Hudson entered the chat.
Speaker 1:
[07:13] Oh, listen, that one wing said, I would like your attention now. And I mean, I have a list on the note tab in my phone that is like the Bill of Rights. I mean, it is detailed and I kept adding stuff to it and moving stuff to different days. But it did help my head so much to like, get all that stuff down and to know what I needed to do. Like, here's what I need to do Friday. Here's what I need to do Saturday. But David had told me Friday, he was like, I am not making any requests for anything, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. And I was like, that sounds fantastic.
Speaker 2:
[07:49] Yes, great.
Speaker 1:
[07:51] So he, and it helped because he was out of town Saturday party yesterday.
Speaker 2:
[07:57] Yes, it works out.
Speaker 1:
[07:58] It worked out. But anyway, so I made this elaborate to do list. And I've been kind of working my way through the list, which is helping my brain not to feel cluttered and messy and the way it normally feels. But as you know, that is not how I normally conduct the day to day events of my life. I am much, I like to think that I'm much more of a role with that person. The problem is, I roll with it until I panic. And then when I panic, you know, like, where's the list?
Speaker 2:
[08:32] I wish I had a list.
Speaker 1:
[08:34] Yeah, if only I had made a list.
Speaker 2:
[08:39] Y'all know that we are trying to eat more protein around here, but sometimes I don't want to have to think about how to do that, how to shop for it, what I'm going to cook for it. I have found myself spending way too much time trying to figure out what to eat every week. So that's why I love Hungryroot. Since I started using Hungryroot, it has made life so much easier because it takes one less stress off of my brain. So here's the thing, it's the convenience of getting to skip meal planning and still find ways to meet my protein goals. So Hungryroot plans your meals for the week. It fills your cart and delivers everything you need right to your door to eat healthy every day. They take into account your health goals and your dietary preferences and budget to create a custom delivery for you each week. Hungryroot learns your taste and dietary needs over time and then tailors your deliveries accordingly. So once you note an ingredient to avoid, like gluten or dairy, it stays on your block list. This makes meal planning so much easier. You're going to love Hungryroot as much as we do. For a limited time, get 40% off your first order, plus a free item in every box for life. Go to hungryroot.com/bigboo and use code big boo. That's hungryroot.com/bigboo, code big boo to get 40% off your first box and a free item of your choice for life.
Speaker 1:
[09:49] So I'm trying to be the healthiest mental version of me as I go into this little busy stretch. But as you know, Melanie messaged me yesterday. Last night I got a text from her and she said, for some reason I can't get in our Google Drive. And I looked and somehow in all my doing, cause I've been making like a checklist for different things. And somehow I had taken Melanie off of our Google Drive. And cause I was trying to move a document out of there into my Google Drive, like just my personal Google Drive. But I don't know what I did. And then I thought, I was at church last night and I thought, I haven't gotten any emails today, huh? And I just thought, well, maybe, you know, it's Sunday, everybody's just taking a day off email. And then after you said you couldn't get in the Google Drive, I thought, well, Google did not even notify me that she was trying to. I had set up some kind of filter on my email where every new message was going straight to trash. And so when I finally figured out what I had done, it was all because we got a new Google Nest system at the house. David did that when I was gone last weekend.
Speaker 2:
[11:07] Okay.
Speaker 1:
[11:08] I had to reconnect our printer. And as soon as I reconnected the printer, I started getting emails from them about how they wanted me to buy more ink and they wanted me to sign up for this. And I thought, oh, I'll show them. And I tried to set a rule that any email from them would go straight to trash. Only I set a rule that any email would go straight to trash. So then I had to fix that. And I just, as you said last night, I've just been so productive that I have really found ways to be unproductive. And anyway, but alas, I did finally get your emails that you couldn't get in the Google Drive when I recovered the emails that I had sent to the trash.
Speaker 2:
[11:45] Yeah, and here's the thing, I really wasn't that worried about it. Like about one yesterday, I was like, I need to like add to the podcast notes and I was gonna put in my five favorites. And I was like, hi, I can't get in, I'll send a request. And I figured you'd get to it when you got to it. And then like, I guess at 7.30 last night, when I sat down, I was like, so I'm still not in, still can't get in. And that's when I was like, okay, I'm gonna text, hey.
Speaker 1:
[12:09] You know, that's just because nobody was sending me emails on Sunday. So I just, I didn't even know. I didn't know. But anyway, I feel like we're both, we're both really kind of buckled down right now though, trying to make sure that we've, we're taking care of what we need to take care of and.
Speaker 2:
[12:26] Yeah. Checking all the, it's checking all the boxes. It's like the week of live show. There's so much stuff just to make sure. And the packing component for me is like, especially knowing that we're going to start for baseball on the tail end. I'm like, okay, so I need base. It's a lot of different things. You know what I mean? Like it dawned on me, I really thought I had streamlined my packing. Cause I was like, we're going straight to dinner tomorrow night when I get in town. And then Wednesday, I was like, we've got dinner. But then I was like, oh, but I'm gonna need clothes to wear during the day on Wednesday. You know what I mean? But I'm trying to be smart because I always think I'm gonna pack something cute. And then what you and I do is we slept around in our leggings all day on Wednesday. So I'm like, I don't need anything cute Wednesday. I just need something comfortable in case I want to go hit at home and or Lady Bird or whatever, you know?
Speaker 1:
[13:15] Or all of the above.
Speaker 2:
[13:16] Or all of the above, that's it. So before dinner and then Perry gets in Wednesday, I had to reserve him a parking spot at the San Antonio airport so he can pull up and park. Because as you know, he is now flying out at 630 Friday morning.
Speaker 1:
[13:34] Really, David had said, because he doesn't work on Fridays, and so he had said, you know, I may take Perry, see if Perry wants to go to breakfast Friday morning. And last night I was like, so you want me taking Perry to breakfast Friday morning? Because he has, he's getting up and out of here.
Speaker 2:
[13:49] Yeah. Unless David wants to go to Denny's about 3. If he wants to go to Denny's about 3 a.m., they could grab a breakfast on Perry's way to the airport. But, and I kind of think it worked out because now it's rain the first part of this week, which means everything. And so anyway, they're poor, Sophie, they're poor in concrete on Friday. And he really feels like he needs to be here for that, which is, I mean, that's fair.
Speaker 1:
[14:11] It's a driveway.
Speaker 2:
[14:12] So he's got to get home and all that. But I was like, but the way his flight, I was like, you may need to come straight to dinner on Wednesday night. And he was like, what about my bag? And I'm like, how big is that bag going to be? You're probably packing in a backpack. You know what I mean? So anyway, so I'm figuring out his travel. Then of course, Caroline, I've got her flying on American Airlines out of college station. So we'll see if she makes it to Birmingham. It kind of feels like we cross our fingers. We'll see. We'll see. So see what happens. But anyway, that's that's kind of getting all those things in a row and just kind of, listen, I'm surrendering. It's all going to be what it's going to be. It's all going to come together.
Speaker 1:
[14:48] It's all going to come together. OK, so what do you all do this past weekend?
Speaker 2:
[14:52] We had a really, I'm trying to think what we did. Friday night, we had our friends Sean and Laurie over for dinner, Sean's pastor of our church, and we try to get together with them every, I don't know, it turns out being about once every six months at the most, but they came for dinner. That was fun. Listen, I just need to say, I don't mean to pivot, but I watched, so the Aggies played LSU this weekend.
Speaker 1:
[15:15] In Baton Rouge.
Speaker 2:
[15:16] In Baton Rouge, which is always, I mean, I know LSU's struggling this year. They are not the LSU baseball that they have been over, you know, whatever, the past 40 years. But they're struggling a little bit. But anytime, to me, you go to Alex Box in Baton Rouge, that's going to be a situation. That's an intimidating environment. So we went, I mean, so anyway, we didn't go, but we watched. But I'm going to tell you that Friday night, our second baseman, this little doll named Chris Hikopian, got hit in the mouth while he was batting, hit in the mouth with like a 93 mile an hour pitch.
Speaker 1:
[15:54] I don't know how, I don't know, I don't know how you respond to that, other than like your body just going into shock.
Speaker 2:
[16:02] That's, I would, this would be me. If that happened to me, what I would say is go ahead and dig my grave here at this home plate and just put me six feet under. I'm done. I'm out.
Speaker 1:
[16:14] Lord, take me now.
Speaker 2:
[16:15] Take me now. The shock of it, I cannot even imagine how it felt. Whatever. But I'm gonna tell you that he showed back up Saturday and he played the rest of the weekend and he hit a home run yesterday.
Speaker 1:
[16:26] So, bless him.
Speaker 2:
[16:28] He is wearing a mouthpiece. And I did notice in a post-game interview, it did sound like he's gonna need to get some dental work done when he gets back to College Station, which I feel like feels right. But just the grit of that, like just where it's like, no, I'm gonna get back up and play. My team needs me and we swept LSU in Baton Rouge, which, so all of a sudden, I'm looking at our record going, I think we're 30 and seven.
Speaker 1:
[16:53] Oh no, y'all are firing on all cylinders. Yeah. I'll tell ya, I'm not happy that the Bulldogs have to go play y'all in College Station at all.
Speaker 2:
[17:04] I know, listen, we're hot right now.
Speaker 1:
[17:07] Yeah, y'all are, for sure.
Speaker 2:
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Speaker 1:
[18:52] But that was an impressive series. State was in South Carolina and swept the Gamecocks. Listen, Tomas Valincus, his brother pronounces it differently and then his parents pronounce his last name differently. It continues to just be incredible. They've moved him to Friday. I'm hoping maybe this weekend Ryan McPherson comes back. He's been our Friday night guy who's been out for about a month because he strains and muscles in his arm. But yesterday was just kind of a typical Sunday game where you feel like to some degree, everybody's just like, can't this be over? And we went to 11 innings, but we won and I would say, I would put state sort of at the top of the middle of the pack right now, like maybe, not like tip top of the league, but top of the middle of the league. I'm going to be curious to see where it goes. And so we have LSU coming to short roll this weekend. Melanie's making her first trip to DD. Noble this weekend. Oh my gosh. I cannot wait.
Speaker 2:
[20:01] I'm so excited.
Speaker 1:
[20:02] I cannot wait. So just a lot to look forward to with all that. And so, and it's Super Bulldog Weekend, which is always a delight and a joy. And I hope the rain holds off. And then also, I don't know that we'll make it. I don't know how our day will play out. But also the Ducks and Derby is this weekend in Starkville, which is the world's largest Winnie Dog race.
Speaker 2:
[20:31] Listen.
Speaker 1:
[20:31] And so, you know, I mean, should the Lord allow it, I would love for us to be there, but it may be more than we can do. You know, we'll just have to see.
Speaker 2:
[20:40] But how often do you get to go see a Winnie Dog race is what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:
[20:43] I mean, you know. Pretty much never, I feel like.
Speaker 2:
[20:46] Pretty much never. Feels like I need to. I know, I felt like our Sunday game, they interviewed Jay Johnston for LSU, the LSU head coach. And I was like, this is a man defeated. Like he just.
Speaker 1:
[20:56] And he said something like he regrets what he did preseason with their lineup or something that was just cryptic enough for me to be intrigued. Like I was like, well, let's talk more about that. I would like to know how you feel like you didn't read that right and why you feel like you can't correct it now. But I mean, but he's been pretty candid that like, this is not normal for us. Yeah, but here's what I thought yesterday. They will still come to Hoover for the SEC baseball tournament. They will still have more fans than anybody else there. And they will still be a threat to win the whole thing. You know what I mean?
Speaker 2:
[21:40] Yeah, oh, for sure.
Speaker 1:
[21:41] That's just kind of how they do. But it has no doubt been a challenging year for LSU fans.
Speaker 2:
[21:47] Yeah, no, it's been, and I thought for them, they're just not used to it. You know, like baseball is where they shine. And so I was like, wow, this is really, this is something, because I did not, I would have never expected us to go in and take all three games. Now, this coming weekend, we go to Florida, and that is going to be quite the situation, I feel like. That's going to be tricky.
Speaker 1:
[22:06] Kind of like everybody else, though. They've been, you know, like some weekends, I feel like they're just like on fire, and then all of a sudden they'll get beat by somebody, you know, that you don't expect. So I don't know. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. Now, you know, I was in Houston last week, and I got home from Houston on Wednesday. And Thursday, I had plans to pick out tile. We're redoing Alex's bathroom, and I had plans to pick out tile with my friend Grant. Grant's an interior designer. And Grant lives in Starkville. And I was trying to figure out the best way to do all of this. It ended up that I drove to Starkville, I picked up Grant, we drove back to Birmingham to go to lunch and look at tile, and then I took Grant back to Starkville. Listen, it doesn't matter. It's, I know that's a lot of back and forth. Don't worry about it. It's just, it's how it had to work out this time. But we, I picked Grant up, I left here pretty early Thursday morning, and it was that sort of thing where I knew it was a lot of back and forth in the car, and I knew it was probably not my strongest plan logistically, but it was sort of like, I need to do this on this day or it's going to be the middle of May, because we'll finish live show, and then we're in Alex's graduation week.
Speaker 2:
[23:31] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[23:32] So all that to say, I go get Grant, I leave here at like 7.30, Thursday morning. I get to Grant's right at 10. He gets in the car. We've just gotten on the highway headed toward Columbus. And he says, so this is like top five dumbest things we've ever done.
Speaker 2:
[23:50] And I said, that's fair.
Speaker 1:
[23:53] It's fair. Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[23:56] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[23:57] I mean, listen, it was fine. But here's what I will say. When you have a friend that you have known since you were 18 years old, and you have the odd opportunity, the unexpected opportunity to be in the car or in their company non-stop for basically 10 hours.
Speaker 2:
[24:15] Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:
[24:16] It's a good time. I mean, we had the best time.
Speaker 2:
[24:19] Oh, for sure.
Speaker 1:
[24:20] Yeah. I mean, we talked so much that I was hoarse the next day. Grant talked so much that I think he thought he was having an asthma attack coming back. But we went to lunch at Helen because Grant had never been. And we had, Micah was our server. If anybody has Micah as a server this week, he's just a delight. Anyway, we got to meet so many, he got to meet so many of our Helen friends, like our friend Daniel, who has been such a help to us with live show stuff and anyway, and Rob was there. And so we had the best time. And then I was like, Grant hadn't been to Birmingham in a while, and I was like, I'm going to drive you through Homewood so you can see just how things have changed.
Speaker 2:
[25:06] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[25:06] So we were kind of taking the scenic route to the tile store and we get into Homewood and we're going down the road. And all of a sudden he went, y'all have a visual comfort? Now listen, I don't know what visual comfort is.
Speaker 2:
[25:20] No, I don't either.
Speaker 1:
[25:22] I don't know that this is a big deal. I'm not sure. I know what I mean. And I was like, okay. I said, what's that? And he was like, it's a lighting showroom. I said, I have never noticed it. It's right on like it's Catacorner from the valley in Homewood.
Speaker 2:
[25:34] Okay.
Speaker 1:
[25:35] And so I said, well, do you want to stop? And he said, no, we don't have to stop. And I said, no, like, look, there are two parking places right here. I'll stop.
Speaker 2:
[25:43] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[25:43] So I pull over. We get out. One, they have the most beautiful light fixtures you've ever seen in your life. And it's the kind of thing where you go in, you go in there and you look around and you go, oh, yeah. This is what you get when you're not ordering sconces off of Amazon, right?
Speaker 2:
[26:02] Yes. This is when you're not at the target threshold lighting display.
Speaker 1:
[26:06] Yes. This is a different situation.
Speaker 2:
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Speaker 1:
[27:26] I bet we were in there 30 minutes and it was so fun. Because he's been an interior designer our whole adult lives.
Speaker 2:
[27:37] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[27:37] But I'm not with him when he picks stuff out. Yeah. It was so fun to listen to him and to watch him in the presence of such gorgeous lighting. Yes. We went there and then we went to the tile store. Again, it was such a treat to watch him. There was a whole section of marble and he said, we're not looking there. He said, I don't feel like that fits your house. I was like, well, okay. I feel the same way. He said, we need stone. I said, okay. I just trailed behind him because I don't know anything about tile. I don't even know what I want. It's too many options for me. He pulls maybe 10 different tiles over the course of 30 minutes and really scrutinizes. Then we go over to this table and he starts setting up these little vignettes for me. You could do this tile and this tile and reset. It was magical. It was so interesting to me. It was like watching somebody on Top Chef cooking a competition. It was so interesting to see how he put things together. Anyway, we welded it down. Then he said, okay, we'll take this and this and this home to David and see what he thinks. Which here's what David's going to think. What did Grant say he likes? Okay, so anyway, we did that and then I took him back to Startville. And it really, I don't know, that's such an easy drive. But it was such a fun day. It was like, I don't know, and it was productive. And we got all the way caught up on all the things. And anyway, it was a good time. So that was my Thursday. And then that's why I sat in a chair on Friday in my pajamas and made lists, you know?
Speaker 2:
[29:31] Because you had been driving, yeah, you had been. It's an interesting thing, I think, to see people who are, because, you know, I have somebody helping right now with our living room and dining room, which Perry keeps reminding me. Remember how this was just going to be, we were going to get a mirror, you know?
Speaker 1:
[29:45] You don't need somebody to arrange your plates. I was telling my sister about that the other day.
Speaker 2:
[29:50] Yeah, she's just going to, I was just going to get somebody to help with the plates and then get a mirror and enter Lisa. And now what we have, so on Wednesday, we had a carpenter come by to give us a bid. And then on Thursday, we had a painter who's the same painter who did our living room a year and a half ago. And I told Perry, I said, don't you know that he's like, this lady is nuts. I just painted this living room a year ago. But guess what?
Speaker 1:
[30:13] I do think everybody, in case you're wondering, what Melanie is having done looks just like her to me.
Speaker 2:
[30:21] It does.
Speaker 1:
[30:22] It all looks just like you.
Speaker 2:
[30:24] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[30:24] And so sometimes you have to make a turn.
Speaker 2:
[30:27] Yes.
Speaker 1:
[30:28] And then you're just you're clarifying that turn a bit.
Speaker 2:
[30:30] That's it. That's it. So and I'm real excited about it. I think it'll be great. And Perry is even excited about it because I think he knows. But it's made me laugh when he's like, so what are we going to put on the wall, which is the wall that we've been trying to figure out? I said, oh, we still haven't figured that out. But it's probably a mirror. We're probably going to put a mirror. But the big thing is, I'm going to tell you where I'm so hung up is, we've got to figure out a piece of art that goes over our mantle. And that feels so important to me because it feels like whatever you choose to hang in that spot feels like it makes a statement about you in some way. Like if you have something, because I like real quirky art, but it just feels like it means something. And so I don't know what that is. So if you could see the amount of time that I have spent on Pinterest, on Etsy, looking at different art print plates, places like online, like trying to figure out like what is that thing that feels like us, where people aren't just like, so how come you got a picture of a flamingo with a cigarette over your, you know, like what? So I don't know. It feels very, and I've always loved, like for years I had that big wooden piece that had that Ann Lamont quote that I loved and I know that's not really the style anymore, but also it meant something to us. You know what I mean? So it's a, I don't know, it's a weird balance. So I've really been, so I'm kind of interested to look around at at home because I feel like sometimes they have some kind of cool art. I don't know, I'm just trying to figure out, it's like figuring out what is your artistic style is I think very tricky for me.
Speaker 1:
[32:09] Yeah, I went, when Suzanne and I went to Meridian week before last to take daddy to lunch for his birthday, we stopped, one of my childhood friends has an interior design place like a storefront in Meridian, but she's got tons and tons and tons of regional artwork in there, or artwork from regional artists, I should say. Anyway, I like so many different things is my problem. And I like so much color. And so anyway, there's an artist from my hometown and I have one of her pieces. I like something to remember every book by. And I bought one of her pieces. It was one of my finds I like to see, like kind of, I guess it's like a memorial stone.
Speaker 2:
[32:56] Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[32:57] And so she had a low, even bigger piece in Halley's shop. And I mean, I pondered it for some time. And then I thought, this is the kind of thing. This is not an impulse buy. This is a decision, right? Like, and I need David in this decision. But it was all I could do not to just buy it, like right then and there. So you do, you want something that feels like it expresses a little bit of who you are. But by the same token, who you are changes. And it may change down the road. So you need something that you can also move to a different part of your house if you want to, you know, and make way for something else. It's just, it's a process.
Speaker 2:
[33:39] It is a process. I'm traveling this week, but you know what I'll be taking with me? My element. Because here is why I love it. It helps me stay hydrated. So when I'm on the plane, when I'm in a hotel, when I'm not drinking as much water as I normally do, element is the best way to make sure that I keep feeling good. Because here's the thing, electrolyte deficiency or imbalance can cause headaches and cramps and fatigue and brain fog and weakness. None of us want those things. But element is a zero sugar electrolyte drink mix and a sparkling electrolyte water born from the growing body of research that reveals optimal health outcomes occur at sodium levels two to three times government recommendations. And it tastes delicious. It is formulated for anybody on a mission to restore health through hydration and is perfectly suited whether you're an athlete or a mom on the sidelines or if you're just following a keto low carb whole food paleo diet or you just want to stay hydrated or if you're like me, you just like a delicious no sugar mocktail to drink every night. That is what I've started doing with their 12 ounce sparkling cans. This is built for the in between moments. It comes in four flavors, pineapple salt, lemonade salt, black cherry salt, and the orange salt. It's built for the workday, for the weekend, you can put them in a cooler and go. For every sip in between, I love to have one every single night over my good ice. It's salty and it's bright and it's crisp. In a 12 ounce serving, it has over 500 milligrams of sodium, 100 milligrams of potassium, and 30 milligrams of magnesium. You can get your free element sample pack today with any purchase at drinklmnt.com/boo. Again, that's drinklmnt.com/boo. You can try it totally risk-free. If you don't like it, they'll refund your order. No questions asked. Now, I will say that Nell Koopman, who is from Alabama, who I mentioned on the podcast a couple of weeks ago, I had seen her work in Birmingham, or no, in Round Top. But she sent me two, just it was so sweet. She sent me two of her little quail prints, but they're smaller, but those will go in my hallway for sure, because I really like those. But then I saw on Lindsay Letters, listen, I've looked at all the art. She has these prints. She has one that's of Tolkien, Smoke in a Pipe, and one that's of CS. Lewis. So I think they're real quirky, and I would like those in my hallway too. So listen, I'm going to have quail and writers in my hallway. It's like trying to figure out the mashup.
Speaker 1:
[35:55] That's the beauty of a gallery wall. That's it.
Speaker 2:
[35:58] You can do a lot of different stuff.
Speaker 1:
[35:59] You can do a lot of different stuff. I think if it speaks to you, it belongs in your house. If it resonates with you, it should be in your house. So it does feel a little bit like a hodgepodge over here. But still, I like to be surrounded by stuff that I love.
Speaker 2:
[36:17] Yeah, I agree. It's just tricky figuring out when you look, you're like, do I like that enough that I want to see that every... Because when you walk in our back door, which is what we use, I'm like, that's what you see. So it's like, what do I like enough that that's what I see every time I walk in? You know, so, I don't know, we'll see.
Speaker 1:
[36:33] Okay, well, best wishes to you. Thank you. We can certainly look while you're here.
Speaker 2:
[36:37] Yeah, that's what I figured I could kind of see because you have a good eye. So it's just, you know, it's what do I want? And here's the problem, Gulley and I talked about this. I love something that feels Texas because I think that's so us, you know, that has a Texas vibe to it. But the Longhorn is such a prevalent character in Texas art and in no context am I going to have a Longhorn in any incarnation over my fireplace. But it's a shame because there are some pieces where I'm like, well, I really like that, but I'm going to need to lose that Longhorn. Can we substitute something else in for that? So I don't know, I'll figure it out.
Speaker 1:
[37:16] Okay, all right, well, we wish you all the best.
Speaker 2:
[37:18] Well, thank you so much. So, but other than that, I'm trying to think this weekend, we had a very Saturday, Perry went to the ranch, he took Mabel. It was kind of rainy and cold here all weekend, which was kind of nice. I mean, for this late in the year to be rainy and cold, we had a fire in the fireplace again last night, we went to church, it was cold and rainy. I wore a sweater to church, I had to get a sweater down.
Speaker 1:
[37:41] I wore a sweatshirt when I went, I went to five o'clock yesterday and it warmed up a little bit during the day, but I wore a sweatshirt and I was like, well, look at here in April, we're in a sweatshirt.
Speaker 2:
[37:50] I know, it's crazy. So, and the rain is so good because we've needed it so much. And so, so yesterday we just kind of, I laid around and watched baseball all day. And then when it ended, I finally decided to go take Mabel for a walk in the rain because I read this thing or I saw this reel on Instagram that said, the best walks for your dog to calm your dog down, to help their nervous system, to help them recalibrate. It's not about how much energy they expend in terms of like, if you run with them or how far you go, it's about how many smells they get to smell.
Speaker 1:
[38:20] Really?
Speaker 2:
[38:21] Yes, because for them, that is very much their sensory thing. So Mabel and I have really extended our walks now. We go a long way. But the first part to me is more for exercise. But then we just go, we have this whole long street by our house, that's all along a creek bed, and so that's usually dry, except for when it rains a lot. But I just let her meander and smell all her smells. And we've said, she is the most relaxed dog. She's almost unrecognizable.
Speaker 1:
[38:54] Oh, well, I love that she found something that works for her. I know, yeah.
Speaker 2:
[38:58] Now, listen, when it started thundering on Saturday night, she literally crawled all the way behind my back on the couch and made a little nook. But it's funny how the long walks, so just know your dog likes to smell all the smells.
Speaker 1:
[39:12] Okay, I love that. I love knowing that.
Speaker 2:
[39:14] Is there anything else that we need to know or tell anybody about the live show?
Speaker 1:
[39:17] There is stuff we need to tell people about the live show. Thank you for the reminder. So on Friday, the live show is Thursday night at 7. If you have really fancy tickets and you have like meet and greet, early admission tickets, doors will open around 5.45, 6 o'clock, somewhere in there and you'll come upstairs and we'll have like time to take a picture and all that kind of stuff. And then if you have the regular tickets, there's a lobby in the Harbert Center and you can hang out down there and then you'll get to come up when the meet and greet is done and the show starts at 7. Is that all correct? Yes, that is correct. Okay. I just, I still, I never get the time.
Speaker 2:
[40:01] I know, I know.
Speaker 1:
[40:02] Such a struggle. But we have on Friday, we have a little after party at Gus Mayer at the Summit here in Birmingham from 10 until 1. And it's just, they're going to have snacks, they're going to have drinks. Of course, y'all know we love their shoe department, but they also have, they have a beautiful jewelry area. They have all kinds of fragrances and cosmetics and clothes and accessories and home stuff. Like it's just a gorgeous store. And so Melanie and I will be there and y'all will be there and it'll just be a fun time. So, and there's going to be a table in the shoe department that has some of our favorites on it. And that's kind of fun. And so anyway, and then Melanie and I are hard out at one, because I don't know if we mentioned it, but we're going to start to watch Mississippi State play LSU.
Speaker 2:
[40:59] Yeah, we are. Yeah.
Speaker 1:
[41:01] And then the other thing is if you are here for the live show, At Home and Homewood on Thursday and Friday, there are some exclusions, but if you tell them you're here with the live show, you get 20% off. So just-
Speaker 2:
[41:15] What a delight.
Speaker 1:
[41:16] FYI, and I verified that this past week. So-
Speaker 2:
[41:19] Okay. And At Home has the best little, they have the best to me costume jewelry department. Like they have, oh my gosh, their necklaces, their earrings, all their stuff, like all really affordable, but really cute stuff that you just don't see. It's kind of different from a lot of stuff you see.
Speaker 1:
[41:34] Yeah. But it's always very on trend. It is. It's always what the kids are enjoying. So it's one of my favorite stores in Birmingham, and it was so kind of them to do that. So just keep that in mind. Yeah.
Speaker 2:
[41:50] It'll be so fun.
Speaker 1:
[41:50] Is there anything else we need to mention about the live show?
Speaker 2:
[41:54] I don't think so. I think that's it. We can't wait to see you all. We're super excited.
Speaker 1:
[41:58] I know. We are excited. It'll be so fun.
Speaker 2:
[41:59] Yeah. It'll be a good time.
Speaker 1:
[42:01] Okay. All that being said, now is it time for Five Favorites?
Speaker 2:
[42:21] It is time for Five Favorites. My first one is a new product. I bought this during the Sephora sale. That is, I think, now over, but it is the Chris McMillan Glassy Smooth Blow Dry Spray. This, I found out about this, I think Sarah James at Whirl mentioned it, and so I was like, I'm gonna order this to try. It is magical. Like it, my hair has really gotten to where it's a lot frizzier, I feel like, since menopause, like it's just, it doesn't smooth out as much as it used to. And so I'd been using an Orbe product that sometimes doesn't, but I love this one because it really does, like you just spray it in your wet hair and it's got a heat protectant in it and it really smooths it out, but it doesn't weigh it down and it doesn't make it greasy. It's just the perfect blow dry spray to me.
Speaker 1:
[43:13] I did not know Chris McMillan had products.
Speaker 2:
[43:16] Well, I didn't know until she mentioned it, and now I've ordered, so I got this and then just yesterday, I like this so much that now I've gotten his hairspray.
Speaker 1:
[43:24] That's what I'm about to order, is the hairspray.
Speaker 2:
[43:26] And also his styling balm. So, and then I ordered his mousse for Caroline because it says it's good for curly hair.
Speaker 1:
[43:33] Now, here's my question. What's the scent situation with these products?
Speaker 2:
[43:37] It's not, it's very mild to me. It is not bad at all. Like I, it's just, it just feels very clean to me. Not perfumey. But big, big fan of that. And I will tell you, part of the thing too, is it also has all five star reviews on Sephora, which nothing has five star reviews on Sephora.
Speaker 1:
[43:57] That's so true.
Speaker 2:
[43:57] So, so anyway, big fan of that. I cannot wait to try his other products.
Speaker 1:
[44:02] Okay. And it's all out of stock at my Sephora. I'm so sad.
Speaker 2:
[44:05] Oh, well, you're going to have to order it. Maybe try, I think maybe it's on Amazon too. I don't know that for sure though. Or his website. He has, I know he has his own website too.
Speaker 1:
[44:15] Okay.
Speaker 2:
[44:15] The next thing is, I love my Aerie wide leg sweatpants. They are my very favorites. I wear them all the time. But in the summer, they're not that heavy, but they're just too heavy for summer because they're fleece. So they have now done a version of them that are terry on the inside. So they're still super soft, but they're more of a summer weight. And so these offline by Aerie, listen, keep it 100. Terry Trousers.
Speaker 1:
[44:46] Don't we always, Melanie?
Speaker 2:
[44:47] Listen, I do keep it 100. On the land, the sea, the sky. But these are really good. So I got them in the gray, and now I want to get them. They also have them in like a navy. I like the sage green. They have like an off-white color, but man, they are so good. So they're just drapey, and they're just like a terry fleece. So they're just, they're really good.
Speaker 1:
[45:12] Okay, I'm gonna order these in the green. I have a, I got a thing yesterday, or no, Saturday from them that like for summer, it's like 35% off or something right now at the shop on Aerie. And so I'm, I'm, I listen, they're out of stock. Okay, well, listen, I just, I can't, I can't find a place to lay in today. All right, I'm gonna get them in the gray. I'm gonna get them in the gray.
Speaker 2:
[45:36] The gray is a good neutral. It's a good neutral, and they'll probably restock them. The next thing is, I was looking for, I'm really trying to work on my facial hydration for my dry skin.
Speaker 1:
[45:46] Okay, all right.
Speaker 2:
[45:48] Yeah, just to kind of, so I was looking for some different masks, and I, this, I Googled it, and this Blue Lagoon brand came up. It was an InStyle favorite. But it is the Blue Lagoon algae mask. Now, here's what I'm gonna say about it. It does smell a little bit like algae. So you just need to know that.
Speaker 1:
[46:13] Thank you for letting us know.
Speaker 2:
[46:15] Yeah, the algae mask does smell a little bit like algae, but it feels so good on your face. It really does, to me, like it just, I don't know, it really makes your face feel very hydrated and kind of plumps everything up. It's supposed to stimulate collagen production, and it says it creates an ageless lift and a smooth luminous complexion. I really like it, and you can get just the one ounce size to try, and if you want to just give it a whirl, because a little bit goes a long way, so really the one ounce would last you for a while. But it is a really good moisturizing mask if you're looking for such a thing.
Speaker 1:
[46:52] We love an ageless, what did you say, an ageless lift?
Speaker 2:
[46:57] An ageless lift. I'm looking for an age always. Isn't that what we all need?
Speaker 1:
[47:03] Absolutely.
Speaker 2:
[47:04] This next thing, this is a Perry Shankle find, because he got a thing where he was ordering candles for us. I don't really know why.
Speaker 1:
[47:11] I remember that, yes.
Speaker 2:
[47:12] Yes, but this is one that he ordered and we have proceeded to order it over and over again because it's so good. It is this Eucalyptus Evergreen Forest Candle. Now, here's the thing. I don't know that I think it smells like Eucalyptus or Evergreen necessarily. But it does smell very clean and not sweet, and it's just a good all-purpose, like it's just a great smell, like if you've cooked and your house smells or whatever, like it's just a really good, clean, kind of not sweet, not, doesn't smell like food, just a great neutral smell to me.
Speaker 1:
[47:53] I wonder if they consider that for a slogan.
Speaker 2:
[47:58] Doesn't smell like food.
Speaker 1:
[48:01] Listen, it tells me so much that I want to know, right?
Speaker 2:
[48:05] Yeah. But it's a great candle and it lasts a long time. They're like $25. It's a big jar. I don't know. I just really like the way this smells. This is one that we've ordered over and over again. It's just a really nice, kind of natural, naturey smell, is what I'm going to say. It's very non-offensive. And then this last thing, listen, this is one of the more random things. It's the famous bra brand HSII. HSIA.
Speaker 1:
[48:32] I've seen this over and over on TikTok.
Speaker 2:
[48:34] The Haseya, oh, I haven't seen it. I just, I Googled, so this is the Haseya Strapless Bra. Full coverage. They also in the description call it fiery.
Speaker 1:
[48:45] I don't know why. We love a fiery bra.
Speaker 2:
[48:48] I mean, maybe because it's underwire support for those who are larger in that area. But here's why I love this strapless bra. And I'm like, you just need to know, I'm basically in a fight with every strapless bra that's ever existed.
Speaker 1:
[49:02] Like I don't mean to speak for you, but in my experience, you have hated every strapless bra you have ever owned.
Speaker 2:
[49:10] I have. I've hated every single one because I think they don't stay up. I think that they're not great. I feel like they're not comfortable. I got this one in yesterday because I'm pretty sure the dress I'm wearing for the live show is going to require one. But here's why I love it. Here's part of my problem with other strapless bras. You know how the top of them sometimes sticks out. It's not a smooth line because you can see where it's like there's a shelf or something at the top of them. But this one has that silicone, it's the, what do you call it? It's not tape, but kind of on the top and the bottom. So like it really adheres to your body, but it also lifts. And so it really makes it stay in place. Like it really stays in place. So it's like it's a non-slip, they say. It's with silicone strips is what it is. So you've got that all across the top and all across the bottom. So it really stays in place. It's really one of the best ones I've ever tried. Now here's what you need to know, it is not padded. So depending on your garment situation, you're still gonna need to put something under that, under it to give yourself a little bit of coverage or some padding. But in terms of support and staying up, it's really good. It's only $34, which is substantially less than other strapless bras I have tried and hated in my life.
Speaker 1:
[50:31] Yes, these HSIA bras were all over my TikTok last summer. I mean, just constantly. I'm sure now will be again because I'm talking about it and my phone is nearby. But they've been very popular on TikTok from what I could tell.
Speaker 2:
[50:51] Well, I was impressed with the fiery bra. I was skeptical, but I was like, I'm going to try it.
Speaker 1:
[50:57] Actually should be.
Speaker 2:
[50:58] Yeah. Well, I think my thing is too, is I don't wear one enough. I don't want to buy the $80 one because I'm like, I'm going to hate it anyway, so I'd rather just give me a better price. This one is really good and it's fiery according to the description. So what more could you want?
Speaker 1:
[51:12] Well, I think that's fantastic and you really hit it out of the park today in terms of just variety.
Speaker 2:
[51:18] So well done. Just try it. Just everything where you wear your sweatpants and your strapless bra, you know? So anyway, that's it for today.
Speaker 1:
[51:27] Well, thanks so much for your favorites and just listen, that we've done an episode already. It's not even noon and we've recorded an episode. I'll have this edited today. It's just, man, we are really destined to get in the bed next week. The pace we're keeping right now. We are.
Speaker 2:
[51:48] It's a lesson in efficiency and you're not going to be able to get in the bed because you have a child graduating from college. So I appreciate your optimism that that's going to happen for you, but you're going to need to slough the week of May 4th will be when you can get in bed.
Speaker 1:
[52:04] That's true. You know, we're having a graduation party here next Saturday night.
Speaker 2:
[52:08] Oh, my gosh.
Speaker 1:
[52:09] Somebody messaged me about it and I was like, I am really going to think about that after we get past the live show. I'm really going to think about what needs to be done. So but I did kind of talk through it with David the other day. So I feel like I have a bit of a plan sort of kind of, but I'm just I'm not getting into it yet.
Speaker 2:
[52:32] No, because we're going to want to know what you're cooking, what you're doing, we're going to want to know all the things.
Speaker 1:
[52:36] Okay. All right.
Speaker 2:
[52:38] Well, y'all, we will see you on the other side. I'm sure we'll have all kinds of stories to tell after next week.
Speaker 1:
[52:44] Yes, indeed. All right. Well, we'll talk to you later, everybody.
Speaker 2:
[52:48] Bye, everybody.