SUDZ OVER MIAMI AND GERMAN PANCAKES

Salud, Kids!

Publix is making it back into the Cheeply Chic Chat today. Just a quick mention regarding their buy one...get one free promotion. It's fabulous, just watch carefully at check out...sometimes the register doesn't ring it up properly! Great deals and very cheeply chic worthy. If you don't have Publix in your area, just check for similar sales with your grocer. Buy one, get one just makes us smile 'round our digs.

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Wine and chocolate make a perfect pairing and perfect conversation topic. Yep, looks like we've decided red wine is the perfect compliment for that chocolate pie we mentioned in an earlier blog. Red wine and chocolate, now that's a tasting I can approve!

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Weekend is here and Gaz and I will host a lovely guest for breakfast in the morning before she jets home to a very, very cold state. It's going to be German pancakes, side dishes, coffee, mimosas and great conversation. Ah, don't you just love an international meal, even in the morning? Too bad I'm not a morning person! Well, I CAN be, especially when you slap coffee, followed with a glass of champagne and oj into my half-awake palm.

Our breakfast aside, I hear it's certainly going to be international in parts of Miami over the weekend. Got wind that some sort of foreign-based soap opera will be filming at the Miami condo building of our two B's, shown in the snap above. Who knows, they could get discovered and become famous in another country! Could happen, I mean don't you think B looks all soap-opera star-ish with his back to the camera? Wait, maybe he just doesn't want to be seen in Cheeply Chic. Nah, that can't be it.

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Now, get out there and get some international or local bargains to chat about here at Cheeply Chic!

Bye now!
Pamme

BEYOTCH 'N BOOTS AND MOSUL

Salud, Kids!

Whoa, we've got gorgeous sun today, but it's chilly and made the glass on the outside doors and windows all frosty and shimmery looking, don't you think? Just had to share it, not that you care how frosty I am. Yeah, some people would say in more ways than one, but that's another blog.

Instead of weather or my many personality flaws, I'm going to come straight out and admit that I wasted valuable time the other evening on the WORST show you can imagine. I assure you the only reason I continued to give it the time of night was the location. Like enduring a dreadfully dull evening with boring people, I sat and watched as Giuliana and Bill, a dreadfully dull couple, fussed and fumed all over Hong Kong. What a couple. Couple of what is yet to be determined. I only give this space here because of one particular statement uttered by the annoyingly idiotic, Giuliana, which made me sniff and snort with irritation. Just a small bit, but so very telling. After receiving a compliment on her boots she sort of dismissed it with a wave and utterance of them being from last year. I swear she even tilted her head so her nose was elevated, every so slightly in the air.

As we swirl and twirl and toss our bargain hunting secrets for living large and spending small here at Cheeply Chic, a statement in that vein is more than shallow and vain. It is absurd. People are hurting, all over the world and facing financial challenges like never before, and some twit on television has the audacity to say her freaking boots are from last year. Beyotch, please! Even my beautiful and tolerant Cavi-Girl hid her face during this frivolous crap.

I decided to make a little pile of some of my boots (I promise my shoes aren't THAT much of a mess, well, not so much anyway) and snap them for you. I think they look swell...worn, but with character. So, today I salute all you kids who, like me, have been zipping and snapping on the same boots from not only last year...but, the year before that, and that, and that. I will admit the need for boot wearing isn't crushingly important here in The Palm Beaches, but my boots are still being worn, a little, and they look just fine to me. Sorry, Guiliana, if you don't approve. Boots are made for wearing 'n walking...no matter the year made. May I suggest G (as Bill calls her) get her boot-clad pinkies down-to-earth, like the majority of us?

Now, I don't recommend the Bill and Idiot show, but I do recommend the Hans Schiller Mosul wine you don't see in that lovely empty green bottle. It's German and quite inexpensive at Total Wine, so when you want a cool and refreshing white on a warm evening, pop the cork and give it a sip. I don't think you'll regret the few dollars spent.

Oh, this white was found by Gaz during one of our Wine Roulette games. Sabrina, let me know how it goes with you and T, okay? I think we should make Wine Roulette an official game all across the country...heck let's make it international. Think of the great time we could have!

Bye now!
Pamme

WINE ROULETTE WITH RAIN OVER THE PALM BEACHES

Salud, Kids!

Raining, thundering and just kind of warm and smoky-looking over the southern Atlantic and the coastal area this morning. Cooler weather coming, so time to ponder all things epicurean. Why does dreary weather make me want to cook creatively? Too much Food Network? Well, so be it. Is chocolate pie considered gourmet and would you serve it with red or white wine? Ponder that and get back to me.

You know the best part, for me, about a blog? The participation of others-revolving around hot topics, cool topics or just pointless topics. It's like being together, 'round a lovely dinner table or on a beautiful veranda simply chatting with fabulous and fascinating people you adore. When you guys comment, it's like you're here in The Palm Beaches hangin' out with me. I adore that image.

As a voracious reader of a multitude of blogs, I clearly realize how difficult it is to publicly post an opinion. Easier, by far, to be an invisible reader and simply enjoy the ride, vicariously. Understood.

However, as the creator of this new, and what I hope will become a fun and exciting blog-ride, I want to give a proper Palm Beach curtsy to those commenting in the first few days. Seriously, without you guys dropping in, I'm just chatting to myself and my Cavi-girl in a vapid void. Plus, your comments are valid and insightful. Fun too. Not to mention I'm using them, only slightly edited, in this blog! So, thanks for helping me write this thing.

Grab a beverage and let us cheeply chat a bit more about wine. You in? Excellent!

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Funny thing about wine. It appears to me to be one of those topics...you know what I'm talking about here, don't you? True and absolute wine-snobs loathe the idea of mixing it up with mere sippers of the grape. Oh, there's a difference and it is ridiculous. Maybe not so much in the time of the rich and fake-rich of a few years ago...but, now...come ON!!

Kids, 'round our place we indulge in a finer wine here and there, of course. But, we decided, I believe on a trip to Total Wine one Saturday, to play the game a bit differently for fun AND the faux-designer wallet.

Gaz and I invented a sort of wine-roulette/adult treasure hunt game. Roam the store, independently, and come together later with our fantastic, ten dollar or less wine finds.

Admittedly, some of it is swill and is dumped, which is a waste except for recycling the bottle...but, mostly we have found decent wines, at ridiculously reduced prices. I won't kid you, we toss in a few standard favorites as back-up. Still, most of our go-to varietals can be had for twenty or under. Mostly. Oh, be sure to use your wine store discounts and coupons. We try to make it a habit, and when I say we, it's the "royal". Gaz is much better than I at the whole coupon thing. I'm crap at it, I'll just tell ya.

Amazingly, after we have our tastings...and, only AFTER...we will seek reviews on the internet and are usually in agreement. Speaking of things internet, be sure to become fans and/or friends of your favorites or future favorites on Facebook, if you aren't already. Reason? Many wine makers offer specials on their sites. We only consider this if they offer free shipping. Free shipping is BIG at our place.

READ ON and see what your fellow wine swillers have to say about some of their favorite cheeply chic grape drink...cheers to them...

SABRINA SUGGESTS-A Cabernet from Argentina called Catena is on the list of good, under $20 wines. We picked it up this weekend while at Sigel's (Dallas area)when it was highly recommended by one of the employee's...and it definitely didn't. Add DaVinci Chianti to the list of cheap and fabulous. Heck, they sell it at my local grocery store, in a town of, well you know, not very many! It's fantastic to snatch up a bottle and take into those incredible little family Italian restaurants (the kind where the focus in on food and they let you bring the wine).

GRETCHEN SUGGESTS-Red Tree, Pinot Noir, $7.00, Whole Foods. Definitely would buy it again.

TEDDY-Love Cakebread Wines, but have been enjoying BLACK BOX Wines...equivalent to 4 bottles...Sam's Club or Publix...under $20.00!!!

These are excellent suggestions, so get out there and see what you can find. Keep on dancin' and prancin' and sharin' this good info.

Lastly, from B down in Miami, who is one of those silent reader types...won't comment, but shares fab information such as this link. Oh, when I read it, for me, the very best part was simply the sharing part. Could not agree more. If the link doesn't work for you, it's salon.com.

Bye now!
Pamme
http://www.salon.com

FIREWORKS OVER THE HALO

Salud, Kids!

Whew, it's HARD to ramp up a new blog and I have four followers and three comments on the Monday post. So, I'm toasting cheeply divine wine to Sabrina, Natalie, Gretchen and Kitty. You kids...well, thanks for the support. Fun, fun, fun!!!

Now, let's just keep this thing rolling, what do you say? I am imagining your heads nodding agreement.

My cavi-girl got a reprieve from bargain store brand chow. The votes are in and unanimous. Halo it is. To be fair to B, he is feeding three cats on a strict (putting it mildly) budget while putting himself through law school, so cutting him some slack. In time, I'll let him buy Reggie's Halo AND Bumble Bee for the kitties.

Natalie, owner of the sweetest NYC canine, Tasha, suggested I visit the Halo site for bargains and coupons. I will and thanks Nat. Great idea. Do you guys use coupons, in general? I'm horrible about coupons. Must get better, must get better, must get better.

Both Sabrina (Texas sweetheart and mommy to three beautiful Labs), and Gretchen (who struts her stuff with Jon and their Golden, Murphy) agree I should stay the course, keep Ellen and Petco in the chips by buying la-de-da chow for my fluffy-paws.

Another Palm Beacher and cavi-mommycavi agreed with the concensus of dog food opinions. She also chatted about the recent festivities 'round here. Talk about cheap. Well, the festivities were free, but the reason hardly. See, the city did a $30 million (plus) waterfront renovation and it was unveiled on Saturday afternoon and evening with grand fanfare. We, including the mutt, strolled and perused and it is seriously gorgeous along Flagler. Reggie really got her sniff on and even ran into Stella, a bulldog from the building. The celebration concluded with the most beautiful fireworks display, which we viewed from our 17th floor terrace. Oh, toasting with a nice Cake Bread wine (we splurged, okay?).

Speaking of Cake Bread wine...cheap wine chat...coming. Know any good ones like the Barefoot in the snap above? You know you do, so toss 'em in the old blog hat and share the juice on the grape juice.

Bye now!
Pamme

PRICE, PUBLIX AND PETCO

Salud, Kids!

My cold and calculating heart was utterly warmed by the overwhelming response to the first Cheeply Chic Chat blog last week. Man, you kids just bowled me over. As you can see from the snap, my trusty mutt, Reggie was also blown away. What a drama-hound.

I had a comment on the blog, an email comment...AND, I have TWO official followers. Can you imagine all that attention for my humble blog? Uh-huh. I wonder if Perez, Michael K or Just Jared started with this much fanfare? Nah. Probably not even close. They probably didn't get even ONE comment. With all this adoration, you can imagine how truly inspired I am...to give my laptop to Goodwill for a tax credit. However, I'm gonna do the blog anyway. Who knows, I could get two comments before summer hits.

More wine talk later, so go ahead and send me your cheaply divine suggestions. Oh, I had to spell cheap, cheep for the sake of the url. Know you were thinking I couldn't spell. How rong you or.

Bloggers, as I take notes and seek ideas for chatting on the cheap and trying to find ways to live large, but spend small, I was sort of stopped short yesterday. Uh-huh. Isn't it always your off-spring (the one you suffered through twelve hours of labor before welcoming into the universe) that just zings the living hell out of ya?

OPENING SCENE...B (if you don't know him, you will) offered to zip on down Okeechobee to Petco and grab dog delights for family mutt (also known as the Cavi-Diva-Princess-Smartest-Dog-Ever-Reggie). Excellent. Save me a trip and he had other stuff to accomplish around The Palm Beaches.

SCENE TWO...B returns sometime later with bags of dry and canned, Halo, dog chow. I offer up many thanks, love pats on the arm and shoulder, loving smiles...you can picture the scene.

SCENE THREE...Later afternoon and B sidles (I love that word) and gives me the old side-eye and smoothly says how his cats, hanging down in Miami, eat Publix food and it works out just dandy, while Reggie feasts on Halo. HUGE price difference. Huger than huge, evidently. He sidles away, but not before shooting a dimpled grin in my general direction. Oh, his Dad, the ever-frugal one, is near the scene and trying not to say what I KNOW he is thinking.

CLOSING SCENE...Well, there really wasn't one, because...damn...I never have a quick come back. Wait, I did mumble something about being more economical and from there it sort of trailed off.

Epilogue...To come after I make a trip to Publix for store brand dog food. Will my Cavi-Girl think it's divine? Will she collapse in a heap and beg for her Halo? As you can see, she can be overly dramatic when she wants.

Feel free to send me your experience with store brand pet what-have-you. I'm very open to suggestions.

Bye now!
Pamme

It's Me, Again!

Salud, Kids!

Yeah, it is me again. Here, before you, with a new blog. So, if you are continuing to stay with me and reading this, thank you.

If you are new to my little creative world, let me tell you that I am one of those types-a round peg that refuses to slide on into that square slot. Oh, I have tried and made the most of all the corporate what-have-you. I still have friends in the corporate world of media, including one very close to me.

However, for the past few years I have focused on creative projects, including writing over 300 satirical blogs, cavalierkingcharlesdiva. Satire. During the diva blog period I discovered that many individuals don't really get satire. Maybe they get it just fine and simply don't like it. Who knows for certain. It is hard to put emotion in text, which complicates satire. Plus, it seems folks don't have the time or inclination to read much anywmore, Still, I loved doing it, but it was time to move on.

I am also an abstract artist and am proud to say I have paintings with collectors around the country. Very, very proud of that, but here in Florida I have found it more difficult to focus on painting. When living in Ohio, it was a snap. I mean my basement was perfection as an art studio and when it's cold outside, among other things, painting is a true blessing.

While living here in The Palm Beaches, I completed my first novel and we will see where it goes, if anywhere but my nightstand. Keep your fingers crossed for me, please?

I am fortunate to have the most amazing man in my life, who is exceedingly supportive of all my shenanigans. Bless him. Grateful, thankful, full of love, respect and admiration for him am I. I think it must be quite difficult, odd and strange to have someone in the family who doesn't fit the mold of regular working person...nine-to-five kind of situation. I mean what do you say about someone like me? Oh, she paints and writes, but that an five bucks will just about get you coffee at Starbucks.

Now you know a little more about the real me. More to come, but now let me tell you about my latest shenanigans. It seems to me that even though we are in a difficult economic time, there are still people, places and things that aren't reacting in a realistic fashion. Stories in the newspaper, Internet, magazines and television, I feel, are not attentive to the needs of real people. Living as I do in The Palm Beaches, it is especially interesting.

I want to bring fun factoids to this blog and chat about living life large, because we all enjoy doing that, right? Yeah, let's live large, but spend small and share our dirty little secrets with some cheap, yet chic, chat. You with me? How can we help each other enjoy fine things, fun things on the loose change in the car ashtray? Maybe that is an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

Let's kick it off with wine. Go to Target and buy yourselves a bottle of red or white, Barefoot. Kids, it's cheap, chic and divine.

Much more to come, that's a threat...

Bye now!
Pamme