Birthday Afternoon

Yesterday,  there was a birthday party for a four-year-old fashion diva.

She's the daughter of one of my niece's and she's a first class doll. I love her so much!

It was a perfect day for a party. The sun shone down brightly and it wasn't too hot.

The lunch was delicious, too----cheeseburgers, hot dogs, barbecue chicken, corn-on-the-cob, and a huge salad with fat brown-sugar-glazed pecan halves, cranberries, feta cheese, and a lip-smacking poppy seed and balsamic vinegar dressing. Mmm mmm mmm

The birthday girl loved all the outfits she received, including sandals with sparkling decorations. She loves to have fashion parades and change clothes several times a day.

The large above ground pool had just been opened. Let me tell you, it was nippy.  I stuck my toe in and shivered.

There was only one way to tackle that pool and that was to jump in all at once. That's what I did, to the delight of all the little kids.

Talk about FREEZING. Woo hoo. After a few minutes, though, with the sun blazing down, it felt quite comfortable.

Days like yesterday are among life's special moments and it's kind of nostalgic to see them end.

WHAT WAS ONE FUN THING YOU DID THIS PAST WEEKEND?

Italian Plates (and Good Food, Too), at the Olive Garden

Going out to eat is fun and part of any day trip or excursion to a new place, even when one is trying to be diet-conscious.

After biting the bullet and agreeing to drive to Boston to transport a friend to a medical appointment,  ( I hate driving in the city), a visit to an Olive Garden saved the day.

The salad at this chain restaurant is plentiful and usually yummy.  They serve warm bread rolls, too, and have delicious orange chicken as well as portabello stuffed ravioli in a tomato cream sauce and on and on.  Almost all of the dishes tried throughout the decades have been good.

But best of all, the decor of Olive Garden restaurants appeals to anyone interested in interior decorating. 

 The wall displays of colorful, different patterned plates are very pretty to see. (They make me want to add more plates to my own kitchen wall.) Almost every single plate is different, which adds to their appeal.

Raspberry peach iced tea tasted delicious on a hot summer's day and air-conditioning in the restaurant made us want to stay overnight! ha!

How would you like this little lion head to

 be installed on your patio?

                                                                                          The specials of the day were written on this

                                                                                           blackboard in the restaurant lobby.

Of course, no visit to a restaurant is complete without a parting shot of the "necessary" room.

If details of the decor are good in this room,  it bodes well for the rest of the restaurant experience as well! This one checked-out quite well. 

    Parting shot:

                                                                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                

                                                                                                 

Hope you enjoy this mini-tour of an Olive Garden restaurant.

HAVE YOU DINED AT AN OLIVE GARDEN? DID YOU LIKE IT?