Southland Jubilee Festival- Downtown Greensboro, Georgia. 2012's Southland Jubilee Festival held annually in downtown Greensboro is set for Saturday, April 21st, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It's fun for the whole family! Walk around and enjoy local art & crafts, food, music, and the always enjoyable classic cars show! There will be tons of activities for the kids including bouncy houses, rides, and games. Hungry? Who doesn't enjoy funnel cake!? It's a wonderful opportunity to get out and support local downtown businesses and the community.   (photos courtesy of Southland Jubilee Facebook page) For more information click the link their website above or visit the Southland Jubilee Festival Facebook page. 03/20/2012

(Photo Courtesy of The Today Show) Propety Will Surely Fly Off The Shelf Thanks To The Today Show : ) CONGRATULATIONS to The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation for making The Today Show this morning! Focusing on destinations suitable for children, The Ritz-Carlton is perfectly suited to accomodate you and your little ones. They can swim in the infinity pool, take a train ride around the property on The Linger Longer Express, go kayaking/tubing/skiing on the lake, and every night from 8 to 10 roast s'mores by the lakeside campfire compliments of the hotel.   5 Fun Family Getaways For Spring Break Once you've visited you're sure to want to come back. And Kudos to Natalie for pronouncing Lake Oconee (o-co-knee) correctly! 03/06/2012

Check Out This Awesome Video! I promise, I promise the wedding posts will stop. Very soon. I just couldn't not show you this video because every one of us here on AR can appreciate the importance of great photos and great videos no matter what your line of work is. Dustin Blake of Indy Productions is one of the premiere videographers in the country. This fella gets flown all over the world shooting film(s) for people. We were soooooo blessed to have been able to work with him for our wedding. Like literally, the stars aligned all across the board on this one. Below is what I like to call a tease of our video to come. Having this to hold on to will far out last the frozen (yet delicious) top layer of cake sitting in our freezer. Greensboro Ga - Margie + Drew - Goodwin Manor Wedding from ... 03/06/2012

Ritz-Carlton Lodge Package Deals For Lake Oconee Food & Wine Festival.   This year’s 3rd Annual Lake Oconee Food & Wine Festival is being held at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation. So the hotel has put together package deal(s) to accommodate those who are planning to attend the event or for those hotel guests who might be looking for something fun to do while in town! Click the link(s) below to find out more. 1-Night Lake Oconee Wine & Food Festival Package ---or--- 2-Night Lake Oconee Wine & Food Festival Package With nightly room rates for that particular weekend starting at $319 and individual tickets to the Festival costing $60, the package deals are a great opportunity to get in on this fantastic event and save yourself some cash if you're going to be staying at the hotel... 03/05/2012

Get Up, A Get On Up-Eliminating Inefficiences In Real Estate. I have a feeling that what I deemed my biggest "inefficiency" for last year might initially raise an eyebrow or two when you first read it. While many will probably say they took to some form(s) of techonology in order to eliminate inefficiencies in their business, I, in fact, had to step away from them. I began working in Real Estate in December of 2010. I'd had a Facebook account for years, Myspace had come and gone, Twitter was beginning to take off, texting was my biggest source of communication with friends, and blogging was the "it" way to do business. In planting my real estate roots I dove headfirst into all things Internet and fortunately for me, having grown up around computers, it was easier for me than some. Wait ... 03/03/2012

New Sports Illustrated Cover Causes Controversy. Of course it is! The cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition more often than not might as well be an advertisement for dental floss and tooth picks with the size of the bathing suits the models usually wear. My anger is not about the girls itty bitty, barely there bikini and the fact that she's practically naked. Could I sport that swimsuit had I a body like hers? Probably not but that's just out of modesty. After having traveled around the world and spent a good deal of time in French Polynesia where no bathing suit is more acceptable than one, I still never conquered my fears of just letting go and embracing my body. I've swam amongst many women who were completely naked and it was perfectly normal because it was part of their cu... 02/21/2012

Valentine's Day-Lake Oconee, Georgia. Wishing you and yours lots of love not only today but every day of the year! Still in need of something to do to surprise your special someone this evening, be sure to check out my recent Valentine’s Day blog with lots of great dining out options. The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation also features the incredible Georgia Spa Resort and trust me, it is never too late to get a gal a nice massage or mani/pedi package! This will be my fifth Valentine’s spent with my love, Drew, and he never ceases to make me feel special. Not just today but everyday. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!       02/14/2012

(photo courtesy of Lake Oconee Food & Wine Festival) It’s almost time for the 3rd Annual Lake Oconee Food & Wine Festival! The date has been bumped up a bit from last year and is being held in March instead of May so don’t wait around and miss out on your chance at tickets. The weekend’s events, being held at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation,  kick off March 23rd with The Vintner Dinner at The Linger Longer Ballroom. Saturday’s Festival events include tastings by Gaby’s, Georgia’s Bistro, and Linger Longer Steakhouse, over 100 different types of wine, and an extensive silent auction. Drew and I went last year and had a great time!      The Festival is organized by Gatewood Schools with all proceeds benefiting the academic and enrichment programs. There is nothing better th... 02/13/2012

Valentine's Day on Lake Oconee-The Ritz-Carlton. Seems like just yesterday I was writing a post about Valentine’s Day but, alas, it was exactly one year ago. Where does the time go? I hope all of you have had a year full of love. I certainly did. Four months ago today Drew and I got married. It was the greatest day of my life. We had the most incredible day celebrating with our families and friends who came to Greensboro from all over the country. Many of them stayed at The Ritz-Carlton on Lake Oconee and, naturally, they thought it was heaven on earth. How could they not, right? So fellas, if you are looking for the perfect place to take the special lady in your life this Valentine’s Day then you'll feel relieved to know that The Ritz has got you covered! Georgia’s Bistro, Gaby’s By th... 01/24/2012

Movies- Lake Oconee. Good Morning Movie Watchers! It’s a little after 9 a.m. on Thursday morning and there’s just over 14 hours left to cash in on this great Groupon deal, $2 for 5 $1 Vouchers Toward Any Movie Rental at any Blockbuster kiosk. Drew and I frequent the Blockbuster kiosk at Publix here on Lake Oconee a lot so we definitely make sure to snatch this one up when it comes around. The offer doesn’t expire until May and at such a great deal you can buy one Groupon for you and one for a friend. Happy Thursday! 01/05/2012

Catchy Ways to Advertise Your Business-Lake Oconee, Georgia. This morning the ad of a restauarnt/coffee shop caught my eye as the local weather was being presented while watching The Today Show. As the cold months seem to be setting in for Georgia, Community Grounds of Atlanta has found a unique way of their own to try and "brew up" business. They call it Temperature Pricing and every morning this week they are selling cups of coffee for the lowest temp of the morning. The picture to the right is courtesy of their Facebook page and everyday they announce the number. It certainly caught my attention. I've never seen a coffee shop do anything of the sort and I found it to be quite unique. Almost like a game and who doesn't love a good game!? Yesterday's status said the temp was 23 but sin... 01/04/2012

Coldwell Banker Lake Oconee Christmas. Coldwell Banker Lake Oconee Realty recently held it’s annual Christmas Party at Goodwin Manor, my parents Bed & Breakfast, in downtown Greensboro. Wonderful food and drink services were provided by At Your Service, located in Eatonton and 306 SOUTH MAIN BAND was on hand playing holiday hits as well as dance tunes from throughout the decades. Tables, chairs, & linens were provided by Goodwin Event Rentals. Dinner, Drinks, & Dancing makes for a good time!   Can you tell we all had fun!? Thanks to Coldwell Banker for such an incredible night of appreciation. A reminder to us that you can work hard, play harder, and be THE #1 real estate company in the area! 12/29/2011

Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Lake Oconee Displays 50 Ft, 6000 lb Christmas Tree- Lake Oconee, GA.  Weighs in at 6,000 lbs and measures over 22.5 feet in diameter…what could I possibly be talking about? No, it’s not my weight and waist line after all these recent holiday celebrations. I’m talking about the absolutely gorgeous Christmas tree on display at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge on Lake Oconee. The tree made the trip all the way from Tennessee and I was able to sneak over and snap some photos as it arrived. Standing over 50 feet tall, setting up this holiday display was definitely a job!   “After the holidays the tree is actually going to be carried out to a very deep part of the lake and sunk to create a natural reservoir for fish here in Lake Oconee,” says Gino Marasco, Director of Sales & Market... 12/14/2011

Prospective home buyers in the Lake Oconee area often ask questions about what  living in the  Lake Oconee area is like. As I reported in a previous post , one of the aspects of life that many incoming people want to have available is opportunity for volunteer work. There are many local agencies and churches that offer a chance to "give back" to  the community and the people in it. An especially exciting new organization that has moved to the Greensboro area this year is the Boys and Girls Club.  A national organization, the Boys and Girls Club's goal is to improve the lives of underprivileged children by teaching them skills, promoting confidence, and helping them be successful in school.  There are almost 4000 Chartered Boys and Girls Clubs over the country, and this year there is a n... 11/13/2011

This is the third in the Play the Lake Oconee Golf Courses series featuring all of the courses in the order in which they were completed and opened for play.  The author is a mid-handicapper who has played all the courses.  Click to see previous posts in this series:  Reynolds Landing, and the Plantation Course at Reynolds. The  golf course featured in this post is Harbor Club on Lake Oconee.  Harbor Club par 4 Number 3 Hole The third of the eight golf courses built in the  Lake Oconee area is Harbor Club, opened for play in 1991.  Before discussing Harbor Club, I should disclose that I am a resident and have been a member of Harbor Club since 2005, so bear in mind what I say here will be with some bias.  The Harbor Club championship golf course was designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Moor... 11/08/2011

From Lake Oconee: FNMA / FHLMC & FHA loan limits have been reduced effective Oct 1, 2011, from $662,500 to $515,200 in Greene County Georgia. The $417,000 limit for other counties stays in effect. This could further limit buyers of Lake Oconee homes, where the average price this year for an on-water home is just over $650,000. As of today, there are 139 homes (60% of the market) on the lake priced above $650,000.  Buyers for those homes will either need a down payment in excess of 20%, or will have to wade into the world of jumbo loans - and pay higher interest rates. If you're thinking about buying a Lake Oconee home, the great selection means you are likely to find the home that suits your family best at a great price - but be prepared for higher interest costs if you will be financin... 10/11/2011

Extreme Makeover Madison, Georgia Premieres Next Week!   Chris Hilsman of Pilot Builders, Inc. encourages you to come and join them for the national  premiere of the Extreme Makeover Home Edition for Anaiah Rucker next Sunday night! Anaiah and her family will be in attendance as well at Spotlight Theaters on Lake Oconee. The showing is free of charge but seating is limited so please call ahead to reserve your seats (706-999-9990). The event begins at 7 p.m. and the show will air at 8 o’clock sharp. As the previews of next week’s show aired last night following this weeks episode, Teri Hilsman, Chris’ wife, says “she got REALLY nervous about next week!” No doubt she, Chris, Pilot Builders, and everyone else involved with the Extreme Makeover project did a phenomenal job so let’s all show... 10/03/2011

Aubri Lane's Groupon- Milledgeville, Georgia.  I love hunting down great deals on Groupon to share with folks. Times are tough so there is nothing better than getting more for less, right? If you frequent the blog you’ve heard me talk about Aubri Lane’s in Milledgeville on more than one occasion. The short drive from Lake Oconee is worth every minute to have dinner there! They’ve got an incredible deal on Groupon available for 3 more days so check it out! Aubri Lane’s: For $35 you get a meal for two up to a $71 value which includes an appetizer, two entrees, and two drinks (click on link above to see details) For $66 you get a meal for four up to a $142 value which includes two appetizers, four entrees, and four drinks (clink on link above to see details) For $90 you get a meal for six ... 09/15/2011

Best of Lake Oconee 2011! If you live in the area be sure to go online and check out Lake Oconee Living Magazine to cast your vote for 2011′s Best of Lake Oconee Awards! Over 39 different categories make up this years competition including Best Art Gallery, Best Gift Shop, Most Inspiring Charity, and Biggest Lake Oconee Celebrity. Some categories include candidates that have even been featured right on my blog, Lake Oconee Life! Candidates like Miller Brown Family Companies for Best Lake Oconee Landscaper, Aubri Lane’s for Best Dessert (Whoo-Hoo for White Chocolate Banana Fosters Bread Pudding!), St. Mary’s for Best Local Hospital, Linger Longer Steakhouse for Best Restaurant, and Pilot Builders for Best Local Builder. Let’s all be sure to let our local businesses know how much we love ... 09/08/2011

  Hope everyone is having an incredible holiday weekend! I had 20 girls at my house from Friday to this morning for my bachelorette party. Couldn't have been a better weekend but whew....glad to be sitting on my couch right now! 09/05/2011