Tag: food

Thanksgiving

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Oh my goodness do I have so much to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is such a good time to enter the holiday season with a grateful heart. This was definitely one of my favorites yet in terms of getting to see so many of our loved ones in the span of just a few days. Being in the car was definitely worth it! We spent Thanksgiving with my family in Colleyville, with my dad’s side visiting from Mississippi, then spent the weekend in Georgetown with Dan’s family, including a day trip to Waco to visit his extended family. Our holidays are never relaxing, but they are very full of all the best things 🙂

I hadn’t been home since the beginning of August and it felt SO good. My mom is a superhost and kept us all well-fed at a beautiful table. I also really cherish any time I get to spend with extended family since it doesn’t happen as often as I’d like. I still can’t believe how big my cousin’s little girls are! They probably spent half their time cuddling up with Barley, which he greatly enjoyed. My grandparents also treated us to ICE at the Gaylord where we wrapped ourselves in parkas to endure the 17 degree temperature. The theme this year was Christmas Around the World and I thought it was really well done. It’s amazing the time that goes into the sculptures considering how impermanent they are. The Gaylord has the best Christmas decorations I’ve ever seen in one place. It’s pretty magical.

Then at Dan’s parent’s we finally got to meet our new niece!! Holding babies gives you a feeling that can’t be beat, and this baby was just the sweetest. She looked really cute in Dan’s arms too 😉 And Ellie & Robbie were so much fun- it’s awesome to see their little personalities. I’m looking forward to having Dan’s sisters back in Texas (I know his parents are loving it) and can’t wait to have them all visit soon in Houston! This weekend, Dan asked if I was sure I was ready for kids. I responded with, “Yes, one… not three.” In Waco, we built our own pizzas (Dan was really proud of his cheese stuffed crust) and spent time chatting next to the fire with all his family. It was lovely! Another thing to be grateful for- marrying into a wonderful family.

Now we can officially start celebrating Christmas! We picked up & decorated a tree last night 🙂

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Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

Tuscany

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In order to really experience the Italian countryside, you need a car to get around. We picked up our rental car, a Fiat Panda, at the Florence airport and had a slight panic attack when Dan straight up didn’t fit in the car. After pushing the seat back as far as it would go, his head was touching the ceiling and his knees were up at his elbows, no joke. We went in to see if we could get a larger car but it was going to be significantly more expensive to upgrade. We headed back to the Panda to debate… and then Dan found a magic lever that further moved the chair back! Phew. Off we went.

On our way, we stopped in San Gimignano, which we had a lot of fun learning how to say. This is the most charming town and was packed with visitors! But it’s a hit for a reason. We started the day off with lunch overlooking the Tuscan hillside and spent the afternoon walking the streets and eating gelato. It was the first of many walled, hilltop towns that we would explore over the next several days and maybe my favorite.

I researched hundreds of places to stay, no joke. There are SO MANY options! But, many require a week long minimum and others can be quite pricey. With our $100 budget, I was looking for a place with history, a nice view, and a pool. Oh man did we enjoy having a pool. We ended up at Foresteria il Giardino, about 20 minutes from Arezzo. It is smack dab in the middle of a working orchard in a building from the 1700’s. We stayed in what used to be the tabacceria. There was even a truck that came by each morning with fresh baked goods! When we arrived, we were greeted by the sweetest woman who gave us a handdrawn map of the area and circled the few places to eat with 15 minutes of us. This was the beginning of no air conditioning and very limited wi-fi for the next week. FYI, Italy in late August isn’t much cooler than Texas. 

After we settled in, we went over to Civitella to take in the sunset, took a dirt road down the side of the mountain, and ended up at a butcher’s shop for dinner and the best biscotti ever.

In the morning, we drove out to Siena without a plan, which may have been a bad idea! We kind of just roamed the town and ate some food. The was a church there was stunning! But aside from that, the drive was a bit long to justify the trip. We probably should have stayed by the pool all day 🙂

To celebrate on our actual anniversary, we just bought some food at the local grocery store and cooked up an Italian meal in our kitchen. Almost felt like we were at home 🙂 We dined at the picnic table outside our door and reflected on the last year of marriage, soaking in how lucky we both felt to have each other. The answer- very, extremely, lucky. 

The next day, we spent the morning in Arezzo and the afternoon in Cortona (where Under the Tuscan Sun was filmed). Arrezo felt much more like a real city after the tiny towns we’d been in- shopping and people and flags! Then Cortona was just beautiful. We somehow ended up walking all the way to the top… in not great shoes with the sun beating down our backs. Dan and I kept seeming to work long hikes into our days, not on purpose!

One of the best evenings of the trip was a tour of Baracchi Winery. So glad this was recommended to us. It ended up being just us and a Cardiologist from Brazil, who knew much more about wine than we did, with a personal tour by the owner. They make a sparkling rose out of sangiovese grapes that was fantastic- we brought some home and I can’t to open it. After the tour, we had our wine tasting on the patio with charcuterie. When it came time to open the rose, the owner proceeded to pull out a sword… then told me I would be doing it! Of course, I somehow managed to break the bottle, which he said he’s never seen happen. Of course. He said it had to do with the bottle being bad, not me. Still embarrassing. I did succeed on the second try ☺

On our last magical day, we did a winery tour at Palazzo Vecchio in the Montepulciano region, followed with a homemade lunch. We just died more and more with every dish they brought out. My goodness, the deliciousness was out of this world. They gave us their recipe for the sage bread but Dan and I have yet to try it. These pictures are going to make you hungry… be warned! The winery had served many purposes in it’s past, including a convent and an orphanage and the grounds were just gorgeous with the typical stunning hillside views. We also had a couple friends join us for lunch in the form of 2 sweet labs. Dan and I were really missing Barley, so we loved their company 🙂

Then that night, we were beyond spoiled again!! The place we stayed prepares dinner one or two nights a week but it depends on whether there are enough people staying. Thank goodness it ended up happening, because the food was fantastic. Each couple had a table set up for them on the patio with candles and the sunset in the background, making it incredibly romantic. This was definitely a full day of eating. We were bursting at the seams in the best possible way.

 

We were so sad to say goodbye to this little slice of paradise. It worked out really well to have a slower pace in the middle of the trip to give us some relaxation. What I would give to be laying by that pool again…

OH and for lunch on our way out, we stopped at the best winery of the trip- Avignonese!  We brought back a bottle of their merlot but seriously debated splurging on the 50&50.

French Fries

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I had french fries for 3 meals this weekend. And Chinese. And pizza. And hamburger(s) and a hot dog. I was feeling pretty miserable. This remodel has got us like, woa. Calories don’t count, we can eat whatever we want, we don’t have a kitchen, whatever! Yuck. Don’t eat that many french fries y’all. Even if they are DELICIOUS.

Bad, delicious, food breakdown. (Maybe just try them once in a weekend instead of all at once?)

Stanton’s City Bites- How have we not tried this place?! It’s right next to our church and now I know I’ll feel it calling to me every Sunday. Waffle fries and bacon and fried egg and Texas toast. Delightful.

Kam’s Fine Chinese Cuisine- A pick by Josh, who I’m going to consider an expert in Chinese restaurants, solely based on the fact that he used to live in Chinatown. Very tasty. And just so nice to actually be in Houston enjoying a meal with friends.

Good Dog- Large variety of creative hot dogs. Locally sourced ingredients. Patios in the front and back (dog friendly, wahoo)! Lots of TX beers on draft. And it’s just darn cute.

Brother’s Pizzeria- I relented and let us get Brother’s instead of Pink’s. Regretted it. While I love all pizza, Pink’s can’t be beat. Although Pizza Hut’s new pizza with the crust that pulls off so you can dip it in marina gave it a run for it’s money. That was real yummy (we also had Pizza Hut last week… don’t judge me).

FYI- I went to Central Market and got only healthy things and we are going to eat super well this week. Almost redeeming? Probably not, but we can try.

FYI #2- I’m writing about food because I still can’t face the rest of our Italy photos, and I REALLY can’t face the remodel at the moment, because it is consuming every other aspect of our lives. Because our house looks likes this:

The Boxes Take Music City

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A couple of weeks ago, we went on a vacation with my family to Nashville! My mom has gotten really into genealogy, so they spent the week doing research in the area and visiting family, and Dan and I met up with them for a long weekend. And let me say, they don’t call it music city for nothing. Even some of the boutiques had bands playing! I liked to think of it as my personal serenade.

My parents rented a cute, old house for the week right off 12th South (which was an awesome neighborhood- more below) and it ended up being a few houses down from where my cousin lived when she first moved to Nashville! Small world- I love those coincidences.

We flew in Thursday night and feasted on Southern cooking at its’ finest at Monell’s. The whole meal is served family style, potentially sharing with others if your party isn’t large enough to fill the table! Plus, it was in a beautiful historic home- with a neon sign in the front window 😉

FRIDAY

Brunch at Marche! We waited almost an hour for a table, which was a little crazy for a Friday, but I’d say it was worth it. My savory crepes were delightful, the coffee just right, and my almond croissant too yummy (they were out of the chocolate croissants… why are they always out of the chocolate ones?!).

We peeked around East Nashville for a hot second and went into Woodland Wine Merchant, which was definitely the coolest liquor store I’ve ever been in (or “Purveyor of Uncommon Wine, Spirits & Beer” as they call it). The branding is crazy adorable, also.

Next up was a visit to The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s home. It has been incredibly well maintained and the grounds were beautiful. We did quite a bit of walking to see it all. The audio tour was also fantastic, and we all learned a lot listening to that.

  

My mom had read about a neat vintage shop (I guess that’s what you’d call it?!) called Old Made Good that we stopped at next. They take old items and put a twist on them- no photos allowed in the shop, but the floors were covered in pink glitter. My dad absolutely despises glitter (3 girls on drill team will do that to you) so it was funny to see his reaction. Some of the funniest pieces were old paintings with a surprise update added. It reminded me of this clip from The Last Man on Earth (does anyone watch that show other than Dan and I?!). Seriously couldn’t stop laughing for DAYS over this. Oh, and BUNNIES!

We ate dinner at The Pharmacy, which I could easily see myself hanging out at on a regular basis if I were a Nashvillian (?). Cold beer, perfectly shaded biergarten, and some seriously tasty burgers. I had the stroganoff burger and now my mouth is watering. Don’t you hate it when you find something so great and can’t get it anywhere else?? Not that I should be eating stroganoff burgers on the regular…

I just really adore this guy. I actually smile every time I see him smile.

That night, the young ones ventured down the street to check out some local joints. We tried The Flipside, Embers Ski Lodge, and 12 South Taproom & Grill. Dan hit it off with a man at the bar (who apparently is the head of a big music association and has an impressive resume) who recommended we go see some live music at Station Inn. This venue has been around forever and I’m SO glad we went. The band was very talented and I think most of them had been playing their entire lives. I especially loved the banjo player, who absolutely killed it.

SATURDAY

We had brunch at Pinewood Social which is the coolest concept. There is a swimming pool. At the restaurant. And a bowling ally. And just really neat places to hang out. I didn’t want to creep anyone out by taking a picture of the pool (and thus people in their swimwear), but it is just the most genius idea for hot climates. You can reserve lounge chairs and have all your drinks brought out to you, just like a country club. The design of the place was also AWESOME and I couldn’t stop looking at everything. Especially the stork wallpaper.


We shopped for a while before heading over Tennessee Brew Works, which was probably Dan’s favorite part of the trip (surprise, surprise). The layout of the space was great- double-decker patio and a plenty of tables upstairs, with plexiglass overlooking the brewery. Considering my love of basil, it’s no surprise that I really enjoyed their basil farmhouse ale. Dan, can you please make lots of beer with herbs?!

Our twins!!!

My mom planned the entire trip with pretty much no help (thanks mom :)), but my one contribution was picking dinner- Rolf & Daughters. Maaaybe one of my favorite restaurants I’ve been too. Is that too extreme? I loved everything about it. Rose? check. In an old warehouse with twinkly lights? check. Super fresh ingredients? check.

Considering we were in Nashville, we couldn’t miss out on visiting Broadway. However, visiting Broadway with an under 21-year-old is a little tricky. We did manage one spot where we somehow devoured curly fries… after our large dinner. Healthy. Tara, Dan, and I stuck around to hear some more music and check out Robert’s Western World before we headed home. Broadway was fairly similar to 6th street in Austin, with a country twist, and if you’re into bachelorette parties, it’s your spot! Glad we saw it, but not even close to my favorite part of Nashville.

 SUNDAY

We couldn’t leave with some Tennessee barbeque. I’m really picky about my beef (hello, Texas), so I generally order pork outside my home state. Edley’s is pretty famous in Nashville and definitely hit the spot.

We spent the afternoon touring another plantation- Belle Meade. If you get married here, you are lucky. It was gorgeous. The family history was also really interesting, as they were the premiere thoroughbred stud farm. Several famous race horses can trace their lineage back to horses owned by this family (think Seabiscuit and American Pharaoh). We also got to see one of my cousins and his adorable family! Unfortunately, no pics 😦

 Thanks mom & dad for a great trip!! I can officially add Nashville to my very short list of places I’d live outside TX.

Memorial Day Weekend in the Hill Country

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After a bridal shower in Houston, we were off for Memorial Day weekend! Barley was clearly stoked.


We got in fairly late Saturday night and met up with Dan’s parents at Cultures Bar. Pretty typical bar/grill with a good beer selection and ice cold mugs. Bonus points for icy mugs. Dan needed a cold one after how intensely he had to concentrate, driving through all the rain! Dan’s mom had made dinner reservations at The Nest, which was just divine. It’s in an adorable old home, a few blocks off Main Street with the perfect amount of lighting and the most affable servers. We had a French grandma who was a hoot! Not to mention the quality of the food, which all of us agreed was top notch. Dan and I both had seafood (scallops and shrimp) while his Dad had the filet and his mom tried the quail. We finished the night with a chocolate martini, because when you’re with Ann, chocolate is a requirement 🙂

We stopped by House Wine on the way back to the hotel and they let Barley come in and hang out. He loved it, of course.

  

Sunday morning, the sun came out and we were all surprised at what a beautiful day it was! Luckily, El Milagro has a charming patio with a fountain where we ate breakfast and enjoyed the weather. Note: only 1 breakfast taco is necessary. Barley mostly enjoyed chasing the birds and debating drinking the fountain water.

Later on, we met up with some of my best friends from home for lunch at Fredericksburg Herb Farm in their Farm Haus Bistro. The cutest, with a big garden in front! I was also shocked at how affordable it was too! The weekend was definitely full of good food at new places. You can stay in the most precious cottages on the farm too. Maybe next time 🙂

      

Afterwards, we just had to hit up some wineries… because when in Fredericksburg this is a must. First up was Hilmy Cellars. I had been wanting to go back because of the good wine, but mostly for the cute wine dogs 🙂 No sighting of them that day, but JB made friends with the rooster out on their gorgeous patio and we had a guinea sighting! A view of vineyards makes for excellent scenery.


    

Then we were on to Grape Creek to meet back up with Dan’s rents. They have been wine club members there for a while and I have to agree that it’s the most beautiful winery in Fredericksburg. Best to just buy a bottle (or 2) and sit and enjoy. The live music wasn’t too shabby either!

Barley’s face!! Derp.

        

We headed on to Johnson City that evening and had dinner at Pecan Street Brewing. Not that there are many other options in the small town, birthplace of LBJ with a population of 1,700. We were seated in the front and scarfed down our brick oven pizza. Then, I saw a sign in the back pointing to games & dancing! Through the door it was a totally different restaurant. Garage doors pulled up to let in the warm air, a big band playing country classics, and locals two-stepping across the dance floor. They also had a huge loft with pool tables, shuffleboard, and folding chairs galore. Even though the boys got fairly competitive at the shuffleboard table, it was a blast. Dan even swept me around the room while they played the last song of the night and it was the best. Just have to get a few beers in him to get him dancing 😉


The next morning we visited some re-sale/vintage shops where Joanna Gaines gets some of the things she uses on Fixer Upper! They were pretty awesome and I could definitely see the potential  of a lot of the pieces. My favorite was a wooden trough, but it was $300, which was a little expensive for a centerpiece. Dan’s mom was able to find some awesome doors to use as a countertop on their kitchen island, and gorgeous sliding barn doors! Successful trip for them!


The Middle Sister Comes to Town

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Tara came to visit this weekend! I love spoiling her when she’s in town since that isn’t super often, and because she’s still in grad school. It’s fun to be the big sister! Plus, sisters are great because you don’t feel the need to constantly entertain or try to impress. We hung on the couch and went grocery shopping and just enjoyed time together. Very nice. I’m sure Dan felt right at home since he grew up with 2 sisters too 😀

Don’t worry- we still did lots of fun things! Friday, we checked out Dolce Vita, which I’ve been meaning to try forever. Can’t go wrong with Tara and Italian. Our pizza was piled high with arugula and fantastic and the old house it was in was charming. We even sat right next to the open kitchen and could watch them whip everything up. Then we bar hopped along Westheimer- pinball at Poison Girl and Margaritas at the new El Tiempo. (Sidenote: Add pinball to the list of things I can beat Dan at. I’ve found #2!!! Shuffleboard is the other, in case you were curious.)

Saturday morning we went down to Market Square Park to attend “Puppies for Breakfast”- the title of this event is confusing, as we didn’t actually eat the dogs… They just had a lot of vendors set up as well as rescue groups. The breakfast part consisted of food trucks! And they had a puppy bowl in right in the middle. Barley pranced around and got his typical insane amount of attention. One guy even strapped a go-pro onto him. Hoping to see that video because he completely face planted while wearing it- he’s not the most coordinated pup. I’m a mean dog mom, finding amusement in his falls. I’m expecting that to be the case with real human children too. Hopefully they’ll all forgive me.

That night, Dan’s company hosted a family night at the Dynamo’s game. We gorged ourselves on corn dogs, sliders, and ice cream sandwiches at the tailgate, then headed over for the game. They won! 3-1! It was an exciting game.

Looking like 2 dads.

  

Sunday morning the skies opened up and it poured. We somehow made it church, but that’s about it. Dan and I didn’t even watch the Rockets game. But they made it to the semi-finals! Guess I can be a bandwagon fan.

Come back soon, Tara! Our guest room is always open 🙂

The Hilburn Couples Shower

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Couples showers are so much fun. They are basically just a big party and I love that. So this past weekend some of Katie’s bridesmaids threw this amazing shower and it happened to be in my home! Dan and I love having people over and should definitely do it more often. Big plus: Dan suddenly turns in to a cleaning machine and is insanely helpful and MOPS. In our household, I typically do all the housework (minus hand-washing dishes) which is fine, but it’s always great when he helps. He takes cleaning direction incredibly well and is the best. (To be fair- he’s the greatest handyman and handles the bulk of all outdoor work, which when you have a big yard, with big trees, is a big deal). Long story, short we did a massive cleaning/ organizing spree and it was great.

Then we got to party! And I didn’t have to cook or bring decorations! So stress level was non-existent. Gerrit made an awesome spread with deviled eggs, pulled pork sliders, lox and cream cheese, candied bacon, and chicken and waffles (with Chick-fil-a nuggets, yum). Such a feast and am so grateful he spent all day in the kitchen. The girls brought beautiful flowers and cute signs and lots of pictures of Katie + Josh and everything came together so well. And they were sweet enough to leave the flowers so I’ve had glorious blooms in the house all week long 🙂 Plus Dan had recently kegged his witbier (my personal favorite) so that was on tap as well. So classy have a kegerator in our dining room 😉

It was a “stock the Bar” shower, so we gave them ingredients for one of my favorite cocktails.

They excelled at the Newlyweds game!! Totally ready for marriage.

Such a great feeling to have a full house, with top notch people, and one of the best reasons to be celebrating! These guys getting hitched:

A Very Full-Bellied Weekend in NYC Part II

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SATURDAY

We managed to get up a litttle bit earlier. Definitely needed my coffee so I had “coffee that doesn’t suck” as we made our way south to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a fairly long walk from Kim’s all the way to Brooklyn, but the weather was so amazing, it felt like I was in heaven. And walking across the bridge is pretty awesome, even when crowded with fellow tourists. It’s such an iconic structure and when you look behind you as you cross, all of Manhattan is splayed out before you.

   

Once we got across, we grabbed a pizza from Juliana’s and headed down to the park under the bridge to have a picnic. Green grass + blue skies + views + pizza = oh yes. We walked along the coast (is it called that?) to get to the subway and they had soccer fields and basketball courts out on top of the piers. I can only imagine getting to play on that as a kid. The subway stops are a little farther apart in Brooklyn so we got to see some really cute neighborhoods as we walked, which I loved. Every time I’m in NYC, I pick another place I’d like to live and I think Dan and I decided on Brooklyn this trip. I wish we could have spent so much more time exploring.

   

  
Next stop was Brooklyn Brewery, because we can’t go anywhere without a brewery visit these days. The line was long and our throats were parched, but once we were inside with a cold one, all was right again. The tour here was also one of the best we’ve been on, with a lot of insight into the founders and why they started brewing, as well as their link to Brooklyn. I can only hear about how beer is made so many times. It was also interesting that the branding is by the same guy who did “I heart NY”.  Oh, and apparently NYC wins water quality awards? Drink from the tap people. I also found an IPA I liked!!! Hallelujah, my beer palate is finally developing. It was the Gold IPA and is only served at the brewery, so that’s a bummer. After the brewery, we grabbed a bite at Spritzenhaus, which was rocking. Great hot dogs and a huge beer selection.

 

      

Then it was time to head back into Manhattan for a show!! We had bought discounted tickets at TKTS that morning for Matilda and I couldn’t wait. It was SO GOOD. The kids in the show were so talented. The girl who played Matilda was only 8! We saw her on the street afterwards, walking with her parents 🙂 Too cute. It followed the movie fairly well, but obviously  not everything translates between a movie and the stage. It was also a musical, and that part was fantastic. We loved Miss Trunchbull the most- they actually cast a man and dressed him up like a woman and he was hilarious. So perfect because Miss Trunchbull is supposed to manly to begin with. We stopped by a low key bar, Tom & Jerry’s, while we waited for Kim, and then had another late dinner at Blue Ribbon’s Fried Chicken :/ It’s prettty embarrassing how much we ate over the weekend.

6th row!


    

SUNDAY

More good food- we brunched at Sarabeth’s Tribeca, which is just about the prettiest place ever. From the giant fresh flowers to the white everything, I loved it all. And the food was good too 🙂 To work it off, we rented bikes and did the loop around Central Park, which is about 7 miles. I love seeing all the nature in the middle of such a big city. The blooms were beautiful!


Ellie would have loved this 🙂

              

So sad to leave. Already dreaming of going back. I heart NY.

A Very Full-Bellied Weekend in NYC Part I

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WHAT an amazing weekend. Just the best. So lucky that the weather was pretty much as good as it could possibly be in NYC the whole time we were there. Every time I visit I love it more and all that sunshine didn’t hurt one bit.

THURSDAY

We got in fairly late and went straight to Kim’s apartment in the Lower East Side. I figured we would catch up and go to bed. Kim had other ideas. We stayed out until FOUR. AM. That’s a thing in NYC apparently. I could not hang if that were something that happened on a regular basis. But we had a lot of fun, got to meet some of her chef friends, and went to some great bars. My fav was Pianos because you essentially got 3 bars in one and it was in an old Piano store. Fun times.

     

SATURDAY

We slept until 11. Because 4 AM. Then headed to Kim’s restaurant, DBGB, for our first indulgent meal of many. And Bloody Mary’s. Because 4 AM. Kim sent us 5 desserts, which we managed to get through a little too well. They were incredible. I loveddd the popcorn brittle and the peanut butter ice cream. And the touches on the sundaes were so thoughtful and added a lot to each bite. And baked alaskas are just amazing- so much time/effort to make and so worth it.

 

   

 

Afterwards, with stomachs so full we could barely move, we went up to The Frick Collection. Dan has been to this museum before and I’ve been dying to visit since he told me about it. I had high expectations and they were exceeded. It’s small, so it doesn’t take very long to get through, which I think is a big plus in a city with so much to see and do. It was a personal residence, built in the early 1900’s and filled with art. While building it, he had already planned to turn it into a museum upon his death. Can you imagine having works by Titian, Holbein, and Van Eyck just hanging in your home? Or having a half block facing Central Park?! It was unbelievable. They’ve done small additions since converting it to a museum, so everything isn’t original, but they did a great job. I especially loved the garden court and want one in my next home. K, Dan?

    

 We later met up with Alex & her gang to celebrate her birthday at the rooftop bar of the Gansevoort in the Meatpacking District. Swanky stuff. And you can’t beat the feeling of being up high in a big city. I always just want to inhale deeply to soak it in. Then we went over to Cookshop for dinner, where Dan and I split the special, a 30 day dry aged ribeye, and the best onion rings I’ve ever had. Chris brought an adorable cake and Al looked adorable blowing out the candles.

     

    

Post dinner, we waited in line to get into what appeared to be a coffee shop. Turns out, you go into the shop, then down into a basement for fancy cocktails at Bathtub Gin. You could actually make reservations. For a bar. Very cool place. We also meet up with Jordan, who has been living in NYC since we graduated college. So great to see her! It’s always a lot of fun to be with friends in a place that’s unexpected (even if it is her home).

THEN (my goodness we were still going somehow), after Kim got off work, we had a second dinner at Blue Ribbon and I ate one of the most delicious dishes of my life. It’s one of Kim’s favorite places so she ordered a few plates for us to split- Oysters, escargot, and oxtail. Just DIVINE! The reduction the escargot was in was perfect and the oxtail, oh my goodness. Scraping scrumptious goodness out of a bone. Sounds weird, I know, but I want more. And I will make a search of Houston for it.

     

And that was just one day. Going hard in the city.

More pretty weather pics to come. And I got fancy this time with my new iPhone camera and even edited all the pics using VSCOcam 😀

Viva La Tay

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Isn’t it great to spend time with old friends? Not only did we get to see Chels and Bobby in Austin for dinner on Friday, Taylor turns 25 TODAY(happy birthday!!!)  and we celebrated by joining her in San Antonio for a Fiesta. Let me tell you, when she throws a party, she throws a really, really great one. She even gave us adorable party favors. Hand painted bags with painted pottery shot glasses, tequila, and paper flower crowns (I’m getting to wear these a lot lately and I like it). The boys even had little maraca pins. So cute. And the weekend was packed!

I got to try Urban Taco! Peeps in Dallas have been raving about it. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the jalapeno margarita, I think I still like Torchy’s Tacos better. Maybe I’m biased from college in Austin. Then… it was archery time. Apparently Tay has always wanted to do this. I was a little apprehensive, but excited to try it. And it was totally awesome. We all channeled our inner Katniss. And Dan was really flipping good. Because he rocks at everything. Which I guess is a plus because if we were ever in a zombie apocalypse, he’d would be able to protect me. Until I ran out of contacts and my glasses broke. Then there’d be no saving me. Can you tell I started watching The Walking Dead?!

Next up, Alamo Brewery. The place itself was impressive. The design and outdoor space was top notch. However, they only had 3 beers on taps and one tap wasn’t working. It was also pretty pricey for beer served at a brewery ($6 a pint). Still worth it for the great atmosphere! Tay also busted open her pinata here! Or more like stabbed it to death. I thought we were all going to turn, but I think she was enjoying it too much 😉

After we refreshed at our hotel on the riverwalk, we hailed a RÍo Taxi to The Pearl. Our river captain had 2 master’s degrees and made fun of us the whole trip. And The Pearl, omg, very cool. It used to be a brewery and has now been converted into everything- restaurants, culinary school, apartments, shops. With a farmer’s market every weekend, I could definitely live there. We ate at Granary Brew & Cue, which was amazing. They brew their own beer and the BBQ was top notch. I decided to go with the Brisket Ramen and I slurped it up to the last drop. Divine.

Birthday girl on the rio taxi!

Champagne in cans!

Before we headed out Sunday morning, we had brunch at The Boiler House, which is actually in the old boiler room for the Pearl brewery.  It’s the same owners as Max’s Wine Dive, and the mac and cheese here lived up to expectation.

Weekend número dos of roadtrips is complete! On to Dallas tonight 😀