What's Not to Love About Franklin?

    No, my planters don't look like this. I wish they did. I found the color combination delightful. I am a sucker for pinks and purples coupled with a touch of red. Alas, my own petunias get leggy, my geraniums get bored with blooming no matter how much Peter's Special I have given them, and I don't know what the purple stuff is so I obviously don't have much luck with it either. Seriously, these beautiful planters are making their home outside of one of my favorite little haunts in Franklin, TN: The Shop Around the Corner. It's a place where a wide variety of different vendors ply their wares. If you have not been there, you need to. I found The Daughter some darling and very reasonably priced dresses there as a birthday gift.

     And while you are in the downtown Franklin area, check out another of my favorite shops on Main Street, LuLu. It's a dangerous place for me. I have to limit my visits because I cannot walk out without one of their darling bags in hand. It also helps that the store shares a name with my beloved grandmother whom we also called Lou Lou. She would have loved the place. I just know it. In fact, I always buy something in her honor when I'm there.
   
Can you recognize this place? A visit to Franklin would not be complete without a stop at Merridee's Breadbasket. What's not to love? I simply can't resist picking up an almond roll to take home for the family to have at breakfast, but I also recommend just about anything in their bakery case. And kudos to whomever designed their retro look web page. Check it out here: http://www.merridees.com/.  While I was poking around, I learned that their fat-free cinnamon roll (which tastes like the real thing) is only 90 calories. I think I hear it calling my name.