A Date With Mom

It wasn't a birthday. It wasn't an anniversary. It wasn't a holiday.



It was just a regular old day. Just like any other.



Which means it was a perfect day to celebrate a relationship between a mother and a daughter.



And so we did.



At our favorite place. Cinnamon Hill.


We have been going there for as long as I can remember. Which means that these days... as far as my "remembering" is concerned....... This was my first time.



Seriously, though. We have been visiting this enchanted place for 18 years. This place holds many an incredible memory for me. Many Mother's Day brunches, Kristen's bridal luncheon, countless birthdays, sister bondings, and special lunch dates.

This place has changed multiple times over the years. With multiple names. It has been an upscale restaurant, a lunch buffet, a brunch buffet, and a catering business. Some owners have lived on the second floor. Some have lived in the carriage house. Some people have had their weddings here. At one point it was for sale. For an entire year. I drove by it every day and dreamed of owning it. To live in. Not only am I fascinated with this historical home, but it is my favorite style of house.... old, masonite, tons of character, possible ghosts, needs some work here and there (sounds like I'm describing myself)..... and can you imagine the incredible kitchen. The incredible commercial sized kitchen. Heaven on Earth.

Currently Cinnamon Hill is home to an amazing gift shop. They have things that you never realized you needed. Things that would make your life complete. Things that make you laugh. Things that make you cry. There are some things that make you laugh so hard that you cry. But I will let you discover those for yourself. You could literally spend hours looking through each room. It makes your heart happy. It puts your mind at peace.

And luckily they also serve food. In a quaint, magical little section of the house. Now named Vera's Veranda. They specialize in tea and lady food. Both of which I am a HUGE fan. This is also the place where I first discovered Wickles. You know... one of my favorite things.

It makes me laugh to watch people try them for the first time. The look on their faces is priceless. And then they usually cough. And their eyes water. Because the pickles are so awesomely intense. And perfect for me.

We dined on the salad plate... consisting of pimento cheese, chicken salad, and broccoli salad... and drank pomegranate tea. A lot of pomegranate tea. I know this because I had the shakes and twitches for the rest of the day.

And uncontrollable giggles.

Especially when I saw this picture.......

Side note: Before you go picking this apart..... let me just go ahead and explain a couple of things. First of all.... in attempts to "fluff" my hair before the picture..... I ended up doing a weird and creepy comb over move. I did NOT ... I repeat... did NOT fix my hair this way on purpose. Believe me. When I left my house it was straight and styled and not looking like an 80's rocker's left over coif. Second of all. I'm obsessed with scarves. I love them, people compliment me on them, they make me feel hip. However, this particular one is obnoxiously tight around my neck. Which looks painful and uncomfortable. Both of which it was not.

So....Lunch was absolutely incredible. As usual. And we spent three hours talking and enjoying each other's company.

And everything that a mother and daughter should do on a regular old afternoon.

And it was a wonderful day.

I encourage you all to spend more time with your families. It's important.

And delicious.