On the 3rd Day of Christmas...

We went to the museum today!

R planned a fun filled day with a lot of "us" time.  It was the very best Christmas present!  He went out early and brought me a skinny peppermint mocha.

We went to PieBird in downtown Raleigh for lunch.  We each had a slice of savory pie and dessert (which we rarely ever get).  I love pie!

This is the remnant of a slice of honey and sea salt pie.  It's nickname is "crack" pie and rightfully so.  We bought a whole one to carry to R's grandmother's Christmas celebration tomorrow.  It is a basic chess pie with a homemade crust but the addition of a warm honey drizzle and sprinkled flaked sea salt is what makes it addictive.  Piebird serves their dessert pie with a large scoop of freshly made vanilla bean ice cream.  R  decided he would eat his with a fork.

After lunch we went to the Museum of Natural Science, I've been dying to see the Titanic exhibit.  Upon entering we received our "boarding passes".  I was Mrs Brown, a 59 year old first class passenger who attended a funeral in England and was on my way home to America.  R was a 21 year old third class Norwegian passenger who wanted a new job opportunity in Chicago.  At the end of the exhibit you find out if your assigned passenger survived or died when the ship sank.

We were both survivors!
No pictures were allowed inside of the exhibit so R and I took one in an adjacent exhibit.

It was our first time in the new research facility as well.  I loved the globe "theater" and I thought the weather exhibit was really clever.

Oh I wish I were in middle school again...I bet field trips here are a hundred times more fun with the new facility addition.  There are a ton of classrooms where you can do "experiments" and learn from the researchers...my 12 year old self died a little inside.

We went to the Museum of History next so I could tour the "Gone with the Wind" exhibit.  Oh My Goodness - actual dresses from the movie were displayed.  I couldn't take photos there either but I wanted to!  The movie posters, the autographs, the costume sketches!  We had just enough time to tour the other exhibits and take a photo with the beautiful tree by the main staircase.

R and I took a photo with this tree last year at his sister's wedding reception so it was fun to revisit this year.

I wanted to share a photo of my new earrings.  I've worn them a few times this week with different outfits.  I zoomed in on one of the pictures from today so I hope you can see the detail on them.

I wasn't trying to get creepy close to my eye but I failed miserably.  These little tree earrings are so pretty - I'm wondering how I can get away with them year round.  The star at the top is pink and the little beads in the center of the tree are pink and red.  I've gotten so many compliments on them!  I purchased them from a vendor back in November at a Christmas show in Greenville and I wish I could remember the name of her shop because everyone who has seen them wants a pair.

On the agenda tonight - R and I are watching one of his favorite movies:

I didn't like this movie the first few times I watched it but over the last couple of years it has grown on me.