Weekend Roundup: Valentine’s Day in NuLu

One of my favorite parts about living in Louisville is all of the neighborhoods to explore. Each one has their own flavor and things they are known for, and one of the trendiest neighborhoods right now is NuLu. Even though I work adjacent to NuLu, it isn’t often that I have an excuse to make the trek downtown to enjoy the different restaurants and shops that take residence here. This made NuLu the perfect stop along our Valentine’s Day itinerary.

Our first stop of the evening was the Before I Die wall. This is a piece of community art sponsored by the local Speed Museum where people are encouraged to write the things they dream about doing in life. I’ve been wanting to write something on this wall since I moved to Louisville but never had a good excuse to stop by. Lucky for us, the Before I Die wall is right next to the restaurant where we were having dinner. Since the wall has been up since 2013, you can see it is really starting to fill up. Hopefully you can tell though that my addition to the wall is saying that I want to marry my Valentine. (Ugh, gag. It is Valentine’s Day after all.)

In the words of Ryan, “Never have I made a fatter face.” Sorry, babe. Sometimes you just got to do it for the Instagram.

Our second stop was at Decca. Right in the heart of NuLu, Decca has a cozy atmosphere that made it a perfect pick for Valentine’s Day. It’s known for its seasonally changing menu full of great entrees and even better cocktails. Ryan chose the rib eye and waysider while I had the lamb and little red dress, and there was plenty of sharing in between. Next time we go back, I want to check out Decca’s Cellar, which serves a full dinner menu and bar snacks and often has live music.

Although Ryan and I love trying new restaurants in Louisville, I still always have the Grinch in my head repeating, “but what will I wear?!” For Decca, I wore a simple black dress with scallop detail (almost identical) and followed this make-up tutorial for a Valentine’s Day eye using my Naked 3 and Too Faced Romantic Eye pallets.

We topped off the night sampling this tart, drinking this wine, and watching this movie.

How did you spend your Valentine’s Day weekend?

Cheers!

Sarah

Planning for Spring in Kentucky

This past weekend, we enjoyed a girls’ weekend in Lexington. We saw Mama Mia at the Lexington Opera House and hit up a couple of my favorite restaurants – The Village Idiot and Windy Corner.

Stephanie, Sarah, and I before Mama Mia

Winter starts wearing on me, and I always get in a funk in February. Getting out of the house and laughing with friends always does the trick. This weekend was just what I needed to help combat the funk. I’ve found that I start planning fun weekend events and vacations for the warmer months around this time of year, so it gives me something to look forward to. Although I like extended vacations, research shows that having more smaller events to look forward to is more beneficial than one larger event, so I’ve compiled several events that are on my radar right here in Kentucky.

*Side note: Read this and replace “Mom” with “Laura,” and you have a legitimate one sided conversation I have with people when talking about Lexington (where I live now), Bowling Green (where my parents live), and Somerset (my husband’s hometown). I seriously believe what I say too!

Anyways, Lexington, which has often been overshadowed by Louisville, is becoming a hip and foodie destination in its own right. More entrepreneurs and business owners are changing the landscape of small towns throughout Kentucky for the better. There is definitely plenty to see, do, and eat these days in Kentucky!

March 31 – Old Crow Medicine Show Concert – A classic crowd-pleaser with a cult following. Scoring tickets may be difficult.

April 9 – Under the Streetlamp – This show features the past performers from Jersey Boys, which is one of my favorites! Guaranteed to hear some doo-wop and Motown favorites, and probably some coordinated foot action as well!

May 22 High Hope Steeplechase – I say I’m going to go to this every year, and something always comes up. I hope to make it this year!

June 1-12 Phantom of the Opera – Another great Broadway favorite! Sarah shared how she won free tickets to KyPAC in this post, so you Louisvillians may want to try it for yourself.

June 10-12 Lake Cumberland 360 – If you’re a fan of the lake during this summertime, this festival includes activities beyond the normal lake day. We’ve participated in the bike ride before.

June 11 Beer Cheese Festival – I’ve never been to this quirky festival before, but I’ve heard it’s a good time. What’s not to love about beer cheese?

July 8-9 Master Musicians Festival – This falls during the same month as Forecastle in Louisville, but I like this music festival so much more! It is laid back, lawn chair friendly, and normally has a good selection of food and drinks.

Do you have any plans for warmer months?

Cheers!

Laura

Weekend Recap

If you reside in the Bluegrass or really anywhere in the Upper-South/Mid-Atlantic region, then you were probably snowed in for much of the weekend like we were. During January and February, I relish snow days and think they are good for the soul. They force people to slow down and take some time to rest from the normal bustle of life. However, by March, I definitely have spring fever and am ready to be outside without having to bundle up.

Other than heading out for the UK vs. Vanderbilt basketball game on Saturday, we spent much of the weekend playing in the snow, curled up with hot beverages and books, and eating comfort food.

On Friday, I was so tempted to make a big batch of chocolate chip cookies, but I satisfied my baking bug by making this honey wheat bread. However, by Sunday, I couldn’t hold out any longer and just made some cookies. I also made a big batch of The Pioneer Woman’s potato soup that we’re still enjoying. I substituted milk for half of the heavy cream in the recipe, and I think it still tastes decadent.

Here are some scenes I snapped of our weekend:

Where did all the squirrels go?

We did a lot of this after playing in the snow.

The view from our front porch. Jay won the neighborhood superlative for best shoveled sidewalks.

Spent some time planning a girls’ trip to New England this summer. I’m most excited to visit Maine!

We also stopped by the Bluegrass Barkery this weekend to pick up some of these Pawz booties and a few treats. After a light snow last Wednesday and the snowstorm this weekend, the pads on the bottom of her paws were getting red and irritated from the ice and salt. These little booties were great to put on her before walks and playing in the snow. She normally doesn’t like wearing anything, but she tolerated these better than I anticipated. The booties are reusable and disposable, so they come in packs of 12. Annabelle wore the same booties for several days, and they are still in good shape. The pack will definitely last all winter and possibly even into next winter. If you have a dog that you walk frequently, I definitely recommend these booties!

 

I hope you’re well rested and ready to take on the week! Cheers!

Laura

Weekend Roundup and What’s Cooking!

Happy Monday! On Mondays, Sarah or I normally share a weekend recap. However, this past weekend was pretty uneventful, which is A-OK with this lady. On Friday evening, I was planning to head to the gym, but I got a better offer I couldn’t refuse (AKA happy hour with a girlfriend). Then, Jay and I volunteered for Room In The Inn at our church later that night. I spent the rest of the weekend tackling housework, stretching it out at yoga, and snuggling with my pup.

Since that makes for a pretty boring blog post, I thought I’d share a couple of quick and easy recipes I made for EVERY member of the family to enjoy throughout the week.

Sweets are my ultimate weakness, so while I’m trying to cut back on sweet treats after the holidays, going cold turkey just isn’t realistic. These are healthier than a normal cookie, easy to whip up, gluten-free, and still satisfy my sweet tooth.

No-Bake Energy Bites

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (or you could substitute a different chip, M&Ms, or raisins)
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine oats, chocolate chips, flax seed, almond butter, honey, and vanilla extract together in a bowl; form into balls using your hands. Arrange energy bites on a baking sheet and freeze until set, about 1 hour.

Like I mentioned, I made treats for the whole family. I found this recipe for dog treats while perusing Pinterest the other day and had all of the ingredients on hand. Annabelle is the first dog I’ve had that isn’t very motivated by food, but she LOVES homemade treats. Her favorites are the cookies from the Bluegrass Barkery, and it is safe to say that she likes these pretty well too!

Peanut Butter Dog Treats (via Damn Delicious)

• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups whole wheat flour, or more, as needed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted, beat pumpkin puree, peanut butter and eggs on medium-high until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups flour at low speed, beating just until incorporated. Add an additional 1/4 cup flour at a time just until the dough is no longer sticky.
3. Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. Place into oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
5. Let cool completely.

One thing I have to admit is that I bought a new cookie cutter for these dog treats. I only have holiday-themed and round cookie cutters, so I stopped by Williams-Sonoma to see what fun shape I could find. I decided on the fire hydrant. How cute is that?! They are out of stock online, but they had plenty at my local store. My mom is probably rolling her eyes – I know it’s ridiculous…

Cheers to a great week ahead!

Laura

NYE Recap

Does anyone else tend to feel stressed out around New Year’s Eve? Every year, I seem to find myself worried about getting invited to the perfect event and finding a sparkly outfit to boot, as though the new year will be doomed to be a tragedy if I’m not tooting party horns with at least 50 of my closest friends at the stroke of midnight. Kentucky native Jennifer Lawrence even took it one step further to say she always ends up drunk and disappointed on NYE. Thank you, J Law, for saying what goes through my mind every year. I feel you. I really do.

This year, I decided to take a little bit of a step back. There was no huge road trip or scouring my favorite online stores for a glittered frock. Instead, Ryan and I headed down the road to Lexington to join Laura and Jay for their annual NYE party. Don’t get me wrong–it’s not as if Laura and Jay don’t know how to throw a party. Between Laura’s spread of hors d’oeuvres and Jay manning the bourbon bar all night, it tends to be quite the affair. What I mean by “taking a step back” is that instead of chasing the perfect night, I rolled up to a party where I knew a total of 3 people aside from my sister and brother-in-law. When the clock struck midnight with my fiance to my right and a group of strangers to my left, I realized how perfect and appropriate that was to represent this time in my life. Over the past year and a half, I’ve moved to two different cities, started and finished a graduate program, traveled to foreign countries, found a new job, and started a relationship that recently turned engagement. To say the least, life for me lately has constantly been on the brink of discomfort and defined by new things and new people. So, of course this is how I should spend my NYE. And I believe that 2016 will be all the better because of it.

Cheers!

Sarah

Weekend Roundup

 

The holidays are upon us, and this past weekend, Laura and I celebrated with a Holiday Tea at Shaker Village. We met our mother and one of our mother’s best friends, whom we also consider to be family, in Lexington to start our short drive alongside the Kentucky River and Palisades to Shakertown, Kentucky. While Shaker Village has dining options all year round, Holiday Tea is only available during the month of December, and reservations are a must.

The menu for tea changes daily, but you can generally expect a scone, assorted finger sandwiches, and a sampling plate from the bakery. Our favorites included the cranberry scone, country ham and biscuits, and assorted holiday sweet breads. We enjoyed this alongside Christmas in a Cup tea, blended and packaged at Elmwood Inn in Danville, Kentucky.

    

Following tea, we made a visit to the craft shop and took a short walk around the grounds. If it had not been such a chilly day, I’m sure we would have walked much longer. The village is beautiful and full of the classic American design typical of Shaker architecture adorned with just the right amount of simple holiday decorations.

If you’ve never been to Shakertown, we highly suggest putting it on your Bluegrass bucket list for 2016. After talking with our mother and her friend, it seems that the village is making somewhat of a comeback. There’s everything from kayaking the Kentucky River to craft classes to the (un)Pleasant Hill Trail Runs. Check out their events calendar for some fun weekend getaway ideas. Top of our list is the Well Crafted–Brews + Bands event coming this June!

Cheers!

Sarah

 

Weekend Roundup

Ok, you caught me. I didn’t do anything overly exciting this weekend. As half owner of this blog, I’m calling an audible and deeming today #FlashbackMonday to last weekend. That’s when all the really good stuff happened, anyway.

Last weekend was many things–it was happy, full of anxiety, life changing, and even a little sweaty (more on that later). Saturday afternoon brought stressful Christmas shopping and battling who I have to assume must be featured somewhere as Louisville’s Worst Drivers. (Where do these people come from? Why do they only appear in December?) However, the one thing keeping my spirits up was that Ryan had promised a date that night to one of our favorite local restaurants, The Silver Dollar, and ice skating downtown.

Adding a little extra excitement into the mix was that Saturday was actually Repeal Day, marking the end of Prohibition 82 years ago. Although we weren’t planning on celebrating Repeal Day, whenever you show up at The Silver Dollar to find all of the staff dressed in Prohibition-era style clothing and a free photobooth sponsored by Old Forester, you find a way to make the celebration work. You may remember from Laura’s last Weekend Roundup that this date would eventually turn into the night I got engaged, so having pictures from the Old Forester photobooth turned out to be such a fun reminder of the night. Moral of the story: always do the photobooth.

Look at Ryan’s face. He’s got a ring in his pocket and knows what is about to go down. My face? Blissful ignorance.

After dinner, feeling stuffed and satisfied, we headed downtown to 4th Street for Louisville’s Holiday in the City. Ice skating is one of my favorite winter time activities. I like to go every year and feel especially proud of myself when I manage to stay up on my skates the whole time. This was one of those nights, and with a giant Christmas tree in the background and the scent of roasted nuts in the air, I basically felt like a human peppermint mocha latte on ice skates–it was actually that Christmas-y.

These are the faces of two people about to fall.

I’m going to skip over the gory details of how Ryan wanted to drive around to look at Christmas lights, how we couldn’t find any Christmas lights, and how the sounds of Bing Crosby singing softly in the car while we drove around for what felt like 10 years in the dark pushed me to my edge, and just let you know that somehow we ended up in St. James Court. St. James is a court of beautiful Victorian homes, and easily one of my favorite places in Louisville. I’m lucky to live very close to St. James and enjoy frequent walks through the area with my pup, Lou. After a little bit of encouragement, Ryan managed to get me out of the car to go for a walk. We came upon the center of the court where Laura and Ryan’s brother had set up a blanket, candles, and champagne. Anytime I had pictured this moment in my head, I was very calm. I’m typically not one to be emotional in public or make a huge scene. *Cue reality* Ryan is on one knee, and I am crying (not pretty crying, mind you) and profusely sweating. Somehow through all of that, Ryan decided he still wanted to be with me anyway, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Cheers!

Sarah

Weekend Recap

This weekend didn’t really get started until Saturday night. I spent Friday evening and Saturday morning running errands, cleaning the house, working in the yard, and dog-sitting while Jay was at a conference. However, the second part of the weekend definitely made up for the mundane first half.

Since Jay has been working long hours recently preparing for upcoming trials, it was really nice to spend Sunday together. After church, we went to a waffle brunch at Manchester Music Hall and listened to live music by Tyler Childers. Manchester Music Hall is a recently renovated event space, and we’ve been wanting to check it out for a few months now. Since the brunch was fairly low-key, we were able to take in the venue’s new changes, and I thoroughly enjoyed my mini waffle croques from Whoo Wants Waffles and the mimosa bar.

After being stuffing ourselves with waffles, we went to Judy’s Garden Shop, which is around the corner from our house, to pick out our Christmas tree. We’ve gone there for the past several years because the owners are really friendly, and we can carry our tree home with us instead of having to load it up in the back of the Jeep. We brought Annabelle with us this year, and I thought it would be really festive if she wore her holiday hat that matches her cousin Lou’s. I find dogs wearing hats to be hilarious, so I take every chance I can to put one on Annabelle. Annabelle was definitely the most popular customer and had her picture taken more than a few times.

The holiday fun continued at my sorority’s alumni cookie exchange. I normally end up eating a dozen cookies at these events, so I’m pretty proud of myself for only eating one cookie and leaving the rest for the collegiate members.

After the cookie exchange, we spent the evening at home making dinner and decorating the Christmas tree. I received my first Blue Apron delivery this weekend, which I plan to share more about later. I will say that as someone who cooks dinner most evenings, it was really nice not to have to meal plan this week.

FINALLY… I saved the best for last! Sarah got engaged on Saturday night! I know she plans to share more details of the story, but from my perspective, the evening started with lighting candles in St. James Court and hiding behind a tree for a while before ending with a YES!

Since I was snapping photos from a really awkward position in the dark, the pictures of the proposal didn’t turn out great, but here’s a little dark and blurry peak into the proposal. To be honest, I’m just glad I didn’t burn down Old Louisville or get arrested for stalking.

Let the wedding planning begin!

Cheers!

Laura

Weekend Roundup: Wicked

One type of outing that I consider to be a special treat is going to see a Broadway show. I’m lucky that Louisville is home to the Kentucky Performing Arts Center and hosts a yearly Broadway series. This past weekend, Ryan and I went to see Wicked! This was actually my second time seeing the show. My first time attending was during my one instance of playing hooky in high school for my best friend’s birthday. However, this was Ryan’s first time. Knowing what to expect myself, half the fun was watching his reactions to all the jokes and big moments. Because of that, I think this time was my favorite!

If you aren’t familiar with the concept of Wicked, it is the backstory to the Wizard of Oz focusing on the witches. I loved the Wizard of Oz as a child and even went through a phase where I watched the movie almost everyday. As you can imagine, I was Glenda the Good Witch for Halloween that year. Wicked is such a fun, “adult” way to relive one of my childhood favorites.

I originally bought tickets for the show a couple of months ago, but due to some scheduling mishaps, we ended up not being able to use them. After being seriously bummed out and trying to woo the ticket office into letting me exchange them for a different time, we ultimately decided on trying our luck with the ticket lottery. KyPAC has this really cool program where you can enter your name into a lottery 2.5 hours before showtime for the chance to win up to 2 front row seats. And guess what–Ryan and I won!

If you’re a music nerd like me, then you know that front row seats technically aren’t the best for a musical. The acoustics in most performance halls tend to be better towards the middle/back of the orchestra level. However, this did not stop the experience from being completely awesome. There’s something really special about being close enough to be able to watch the pit and even see the details on the performers’ faces.

While the attire at most Broadway shows is mixed, I think that dressing up is a fun way to make the night a little more exciting. Since Wicked is a quirky show, I dressed accordingly in a black and grey leopard print dress (similar below), wine colored tights, and black booties. 

Loft Leopard Dress (on sale)

Do you have any favorite Broadway shows?

Cheers!

Sarah

Weekend Roundup: 24 Hours in Nashville

This past weekend, Jay and I headed to Nashville for a quick 24 hour trip. While we planned the trip around the afternoon Vanderbilt vs Kentucky football game, we managed to pack a ton of other activities into our schedule. We’ve both spent considerable amounts of time in the city and certainly have our favorites that we like to hit when we’re in town. Because Nashville is booming right now, it’s always a tough to decide whether to check out a new hot spot or stick with our favorite hangouts. Since we were in the city for such a short amount of time, we decided it would be easier to revisit some of our well-loved establishments.

Eats:

Mas Tacos: Mas Tacos is in the revitalized East Nashville neighborhood, and there are LOTS of great dining options nearby. Mas Tacos is in an unassuming building across from Pharmacy Burger (another favorite), and it was the perfect place for us to stop for a quick lunch on our way into the city. The hours are somewhat limited, so I recommend making sure they’re open before you get there. The chicken tortilla soup is a MUST!

Rotier’s: Rotier’s  is restaurant we like to visit near Vanderbilt’s campus. It is a hole in the wall, and you’re only going to see locals and a few college kids here. We were really hungry after the game, so we stopped by for their French bread burgers, which is what they’re known for, sweet potato fries, and a chocolate milk shake. If you’re looking for comfort food and a reprieve from Nashville’s trendy scene, this is the place to stop.

Puffy Muffin: Popular with Brentwood and Franklin’s older ladies-who-lunch on the weekdays and families on the weekends, the Puffy Muffin has a terrific lunch and brunch menu as well as outstanding baked goods. We popped in for a couple of cookies to enjoy as an afternoon snack. The worst thing about this place is trying to pick just one baked good.

Drinks:

Tavern: Tavern is a gastropub that has a lunch, dinner, late night, and brunch menu. I think their food is decent, but with so many other great restaurants in the city, it isn’t my first choice for a meal. When we come to Nashville, we typically spend at least part of our trip in the West End near Vanderbilt’s campus, so we frequently stop at Tavern for a drink before a Vandy football or basketball game or to grab late night snack after a fun night out. The vibe here is casual, so I didn’t feel like too much of a schlump wearing my game day attire when we stopped for a pre-game beer.

The Patterson House: The Patterson House is in Midtown, and it is the place to stop if you are looking for a quality craft cocktail. Their offering are extensive, and truth be told, I’m not sophisticated enough to recognize many of them. The crowd at The Patterson House is definitely not who you’re going to see dancing the night away at a honkytonk on Broadway. It is set up like a speakeasy with a very intimate setting. My favorite seat is at the bar because it is fascinating to watch the bartenders assemble the intricate drinks. Be prepared to wait for a little while if you come after dinner, but it is definitely worth the wait. This was our last and favorite stop on Saturday night, and the boys both ordered bourbon drinks. You can take the boys out of Kentucky…

Shopping:

My mom, sister, and I frequently make trips to Nashville specifically to shop. Opry Mills is an indoor outlet mall next to the Opry Land Hotel, and we like to go to the Green Hills area if we are looking for slightly more upscale stores that we don’t have in Kentucky, like Nordstrom or Restoration Hardware. We didn’t do much shopping on this trip, but I convinced Jay to stop by Draper James, the new flagship store for Reese Witherspoon’s new apparel line. The first detail I noticed upon entering was the smell of magnolia blossoms. Jay was escorted to the “porch” area and read basketball blogs on his iPhone while I swooned at the clothing and accessories. The store is crisp and fresh, so the clothing really stands out. Here are a couple of my favorites.

Outdoors:

We finished out trip with Sunday morning at Radnor Lake. After griping about my feet during a strenuous 10 mile hike in Pisgah National Forest on our one year anniversary trip last month, Jay made me purchase a pair of real hiking shoes. Not pictured because they are NOT CUTE. I tried them out on our morning hike at Radnor Lake State Park, which is a really amazing oasis just south of the city. We saw lots of deer and wild turkeys, and there were still some trees with leaves turning before the winter. Take Granny White Pike to get there from the city. You’ll have major house envy, and you may get a glimpse of a country music star walking to their mailbox.

Where are your favorite places to visit when you’re in the Music City?

Cheers!

Laura