VIP experience

Hey Y'all, Have you missed me around the shop lately? Well...I have had a once in a lifetime experience these past few days that I just have to share. I was invited by my sweet friend Jeanie to go with her to Paula Deen's house for three days of filming a Christmas TV Special. You see, Jeanie was selected from thousands of women to be on the Paula Deen Christmas Cookie Special, she was to bake one of her favorite Christmas cookie recipes with Paula (Peppermint Sugar Cookies - um, yeah..they were DELICIOUS!!) The special was being filmed two days at Paula's house and the third was at The Lady and Sons Restaurant in Savannah. I tagged along which meant I hung out with the crew on the second floor of Paula's house for about 17 hours and got to meet some of the sweetest people while I was there. There were two other ladies that were selected to be on the special, Christy and Susan. Christy is the publisher for an awesome Southern Family magazine called Belles and Beaus, and Susan, ironically enough, works for an adoption services center in Alabama. Paula herself was very spunky and sweet as sugar, and her production crew (head up by the infamous Gordon Elliot) were so fun. I also got to meet Jamie and Bobby Deen (cute as can be!) BUT - being that I am not much of a chef myself (although I am going to attempt this recipe for the gals at our MITI) the BEST part of the trip for me was the surprise that David Bromstad of HGTV's Design Star/Color Splash was flying in on Day 2 for the special to show Paula how to decorate the cookies they baked for gift giving. I was over the moon excited, I tried to explain to the other girls who he was...it wasn't until they saw him in person that they understood what I was going on about... :) He was sweeter and cuter (if possible) in person than he is on his show and was so down to earth. We got to chat about what it was really like behind the scenes on Design Star and what you really need to do to win, so basically I'm all set to enter now! (haha, with the way I break out in hives I could never be a TV star!!) Here are some of the pics we took along the way, it was such a great experience!!!

Paula's home kitchen...


A gorgeous built-in in Paula's kitchen...

Bobby and some of the crew...

Jeanie's famous peppermint cookies...

Susan with Paula's husband Michael....


Jeanie and Gordon...

My favorite shot, me and David... my Mom says
we look like we could be brother and sister, I was
thinking it would make a great Christmas card photo!!!


a gratuitous shot of David from behind....


Christy and Jeanie....

The special should start airing on the Food Network right after Thanksgiving so stay tuned...you might just see someone you know on TV!! ~Jamie