Witchy Woman

Happy Monday! I hope you had a good weekend. On Friday night I stopped by Old Made Good to pick up my Herb Williams print. It was a screen print of the very deer I'm standing next to in this shoot. Herb was there and even signed it! I'm really excited to see what the ladies from OMG do when they move into their new space behind the fifth HairWorld on Gallatin Rd. to the left. Later that night I went to see Steve's band Scale Model play a show. They are always a fun time!

I was supposed to run a race on Saturday morning but the gross weather decided that shouldn't be the case. But rather than being a bum and going back to bed I cleaned my house like a madwoman. We had lunch with some friends and then spent the rest of the day at the car dealership. Steve got a new car! But the process takes FOREVER. I was able to crochet a few holiday presents while we were hanging around.

Sunday was pretty lazy. We did have to go back to the car dealership to sign papers and take the new baby home, but that didn't take nearly as long as Saturday. We went for a nice run in the park and spent the evening curled up on the couch.

So how amazing are these tights from Drop Dead? I've been lusting after these for a while. I think I even included them in one of my internet round-ups. Steve got me these for Hanukkah and I'm super excited about them. The tights are such good quality- thick and smooth. I wore this outfit to the car dealership on Saturday and a lady that was also waiting said to me, "You know your pants are crazy, right? Like, crazy."  I admit they are not the average car shopping attire but in no way are they CRAZY. I'm NOT CRAZY PANTS LADY.

I'm kind of in love with black lipstick lately. I've seen a few bloggers wearing it and I just love how it works with their style, especially Annika of The Pineneedle Collective (I have a total blogger crush on that girl, BTW). This is my first time wearing black lipstick out during the day, and I really like it. I know it's not an everyday thing but I'll save this baby for the weekends.

I love these earrings. The talented C.B. from The City Bird's Nest made them for me! We did an earring swap (I sent her some mint BombPoms). I love these little kitties. The color is so perfect and they match most of my outfits.

This sweet charm bracelet was another Hanukkah gift from Steve. My dude is so thoughtful that sometimes I can't stand it. I have a fairly unhealthy obsession with Twin Peaks (so much so that I named my cat Special Agent Dale Cooper) and Steve and I just started watching it together. This is my 4th time through and his first! He found this wonderful Twin Peaks charm bracelet on Etsy and it is amazing! I've never owned a charm bracelet and it's something I've always wanted. Now I get to see Laura on my wrist all day!

Oh and the shoes. I got a lot of compliments on them when I wore them for our anniversary photos. This is my second time wearing them out of the house and I'm getting used to them. I'm more steady on my feet and I'm not clumping around like a hippo. I think I'll be wearing them more often!

Tights: Drop Dead

Dress: American Apparel

Skirt (Worn over dress): American Apparel

Cardigan: Gap

Shoes: UrbanOG

Socks: Betsey Johnson

Necklace: My Grandma's

Earrings: The City Bird's Nest

Bracelet: Gift (via Etsy)

Food Friday: Silo

For our anniversary dinner, Steve wanted to take me someplace special. He knows I love food more than anything and the best gift for me would be dinner at a nice restaurant. Steve wracked his brain trying to find the perfect place. And he did. Our dinner at Silo was nothing short of wonderful. A perfect meal for a perfect evening.

 

Just look at how beautiful it is. The decor is lovely. Everything is made of wood and there is a huge basket weave pattern above the full length of the bar. I loved the darkness with the spot lights hanging low over individual tables. It made dinner seem more intimate and romantic.

Since Silo is a Farm to Fork restaurant the menu changes daily. I had looked at the menu the day before and saw pork belly as an option. I was super excited as nothing is more delicate and tasty than a fatty pork belly. But by the night of our dinner the pork belly was off the menu. I was bummed for a second before I saw all of the other delicious menu options. I think it's really hard to be disappointed at a place where everything sounds so damn good.

Since this was a special dinner we had to start with cocktails! Their bar was stocked with some of my favorite options and their drink list was pretty snazzy. I decided to order a French Lick (despite the terrible name) which contained gin,vermouth, elderflower, sparkling wine, and lemon bitters. My drink was light and just slightly sweet. I drank it pretty quickly! Steve had the Old Fashioned and it was one of the best made ones I have had in a while. (I was on an Old Fashion kick a few years back.)

Here you can see me enjoying my drink as well as showing off my glitter eyeshadow. In this light I look like some form of stripper/cheerleader/toddler-in-tiara.

We started out with the house charcuterie plate. This was one of the finest appetizers I have ever had at a restaurant. It consisted of a trio of fried pig ears in an Asian-inspired sauce, house-made bratwurst and a pork belly pate. It was accompanied with fresh bread, pickled beans and a home-made mustard. The pork belly pate was the first to go. We spread it on the bread and dolloped a bit of that sweet jam on it. It was creamy and didn't taste like any pork product I've ever had before. The bratwurst was flavorful and tasted great in the very thick mustard. Steve wasn't a fan of the pig ears but that was great for me since I love them and can never find a place that serves them (except for certain Sunday nights at City House). I carefully sipped on my cocktail while I got caveman on those pig ears and ate them with my hands. But I did it like a lady. ;-)

It appears that Steve and I are still on the quest for the best meatloaf. Ever since I ordered meatloaf at Tupelo Honey in Asheville we can't seem to get enough of it. Steve chose the meatloaf at Silo and I think that was a very good choice. It was served with mashed potatoes and the gravy was made with oyster mushrooms. The meatloaf itself was fairly traditional and very flavorful. You can taste the quality of the meat- they were allowing the meat to be the star of this dish just the way it was. The meatloaf slices had just a small caramel browning on the edges that added just the right amount of sweet. Silo has raised the bar on meatloaf in Nashville.

Is this not the most beautiful plate of shrimp & grits you have ever seen? That broth that was ladled around the outside of the grits had an amazing flavor. If they packaged that and sold it I would buy it and drink it as as a soup. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and very tender. Also, I guess I love fennel now? I don't remember liking it so much before this dish! I would order this again in a heartbeat- that is if it's still on the menu next time I go!

We were totally full after our entrees but how can you pass up dessert? We had the (brace yourself) chocolate peanut butter goo goo cluster pie. This was less like a pie and more like a GIANT BAR OF FUDGE. I took 4 bites and tapped out. It was just so rich and delicious  and way too much for me on a full stomach. Steve couldn't even quite finish it. But it tasted so good!

They now have an outside patio with a fire pit. After dinner Steve and I went outside and snuggled up by the fire on their nice outdoor furniture. It was quiet outside, we were alone, and it wasn't that cold. It was a perfect end to a very romantic dinner.

I used to think that City House was the ultimate panty-dropping restaurant to which a guy could take a girl. Now, I'm not so sure. Silo is very stiff competition.

Etsy Roundup: Sweater Weather

This week has started to get cold in Nashville. Instead of just running in and out of my car I find myself having to put on a jacket. Because I'm feeling cold and I have a desire to feel cozy (but do it in style) here is a round up of some of my favorite kitschy sweaters from Etsy!

How awesome is this bright mish-mosh of a sweater? Because it features just about every color you can wear it with everything! Although, I am partial to how they styled it in this photo. If only I could get away with cut-offs in the winter!

Everyone likes a sweater with Scottie dogs on it! This also has one of my favorite color combos- teal and orange. Personally, I'm not a fan of the pants (but that's OK they aren't selling those). This would look great over a collared shirt!

And sticking with our animal theme how about this awesome duck sweater?! Also, what is the deal with really pretty women modeling awesomely ugly sweaters? 'Cause we have yet another cute and stylish model here.

Every girl needs a sweater with horses on it! But this one is $150 and that is insane. I can get a brand-spaking-new fancy sweater for that price.

And this pastel baby is fabulous! I've seen so many ladies out there rocking this color palette. I'm sure there are a bunch of bloggers who would turn this into something special!

Do you have a favorite sweater that helps keep you cozy?

1 Year Anniversary Photos

Happy Wednesday, and thank you guys for your sweet words for Steve & I last week! We had a great time celebrating being together for one year. We love taking silly self portraits and this was the perfect opportunity. We did the same thing for our 6-month anniversary and I hope we continue this tradition going forward. Enjoy our narcissistic wackiness.

Asheville: Lodging via Airbnb

When Steve and I first decided that we would be going to Asheville during our Thanksgiving vacation we went to Airbnb to find a place to stay. We have used Airbnb a few times in the past and our experience was always wonderful. We had great hosts, great houses and great locations. Because of all that good stuff and the affordable prices, we didn't even think about staying in a normal hotel. We found this lovely house with an open floor plan and bright colors. Everything about it was eclectic and beautiful. The house even came with a lovely long-nosed cat named Nicholas, as well as 4 chickens. Our host was kind and helpful and even provided us with a list of her favorite things to do in the city. Check out some lovely photos that Steve took!

 I love the color of the house!

 I can't get enough of Nicholas. He is so sweet. And such a handsome cat.

 Chickens are really hard to catch. We never got one :(

 Nicholas is the best nap buddy!

Rainbow Brite: The Outfit

Happy mid-December everyone! This month has gone by so fast. Which is good, because I can use a nice vacation. This past weekend Steve and I celebrated our one year anniversary with a really good dinner. I can promise you there will be a food review. I might have a new favorite place in town. On Saturday Steve and I took some holiday photos of our friends. I love terrible holiday sweaters and tacky photos. They came out SO GOOD.

Saturday night was the Nashville blogger holiday cocktail party over at Lauren T.'s joint. That girl is quite the hostess and she put together a really nice spread of finger foods. We even had a little organized game of dirty Santa- but because bloggers are awesome people everyone went home with a cool gift. I also got to meet some new blogging ladies- so if you are reading comment and link me to your blog! In attendance was Jen, Lauren W., Emma, Jenna, Trisha, Jill, and probably more that I am forgetting (and I'm sorry!). It was great to hang out with these ladies and their special dudes. I'm looking forward to many more fun times with this great group of women.

On to the outfit! You may have seen a sneak peek of this outfit last week in my Porter Flea review. I got a lot of positive comments about this dress so I'm really happy we squeezed in an outfit post before we left Marathon Village. I snagged this bright dress from Modcloth's annual 50% off Thanksgiving sale. I woke up bright and early on turkey day and snagged some new pieces. I love this dress- it's comfortable, flattering, and bright. (Also, right after these pictures were taken I dumped a bunch of BBQ sauce on the dress. But after some quick thinking, a bit of panic, and a lot of soap and it's as good as new).

The boots were something special I picked up when I was in East Tennessee for Thanksgiving. We went to this shoe outlet that has really nice designer shoes for crazy cheap prices. These lovely yellow boots were hiding in the wrong section. Someone had placed them in the 5 1/2 section but I wanted them so bad that I refused to believe they were that small. And just like Cinderella, the shoe fit. I guess European sizing confused some people- but they are a perfect 6.5! These puppies make my feet really happy.

Dress: Modcloth

Tights: Gift

Necklace: Betsey Johnson

Headband: The BombPom

Boots: East Tennessee Shoe Heaven

Food Friday Asheville Edition: Tupelo Honey Cafe

When I put out a call for Asheville food suggestions, everyone and their mother recommended Tupelo Honey Cafe. When the people are right, they are right. Located in downtown Asheville, this establishment was packed the night we were there. This location doesn't take reservations, but what they do offer is "call ahead seating." You call the restaurant about an hour before you want to eat and they put you on the list just like you were there in person. I love this idea! Steve and I called up for dinner at 6:15 and were told it would be an hour. When we arrived at 7 we were able to cut the huge line and go the next available table. I was terribly sick with a cold at this point and I really appreciated the staff for accommodating me and moving me to a warm table in the back away from the constantly opening door.

Tupelo Honey is a popular place. How popular you ask? SO POPULAR THAT SANTA EATS THERE. You can tell by his face that Santa was very unhappy that I recognized him and captured him on film.

Tupelo Honey's menu is made up of a variety of traditional southern offerings. The feel and the food reminded me a lot of Nashville's own (and famous) Loveless Cafe. Tupelo Honey is just a tad bit more upscale and dare I say it, healthier, than the Loveless.

And just like the Loveless Cafe all meals at Tupelo Honey come with a biscuit and jam. This might be the largest single biscuit I have ever seen. I wish I had put a penny next to it so you can see the scale. The biscuit was delicious, light and fluffy. I couldn't even finish it.

Even though it isn't springtime I had to get the fried green tomatoes. They were served over goat cheese grits with a pinch of fresh basil. What I really enjoyed about this dish was how light the tomatoes were. They didn't look like or taste like they had been fried. The crust was crisp, light and not dripping with oil. And inside was a plump fresh tomato. I have no idea what their secret is, but I need to learn how to fry foods like this. The best thing on the plate was that one picked okra. Best. Pickled. Okra. Ever.

Steve ordered the Tender Medallions of Beef. I'm pretty sure the only reason why he picked this dish was that it was served with Gorgonzola butter. That is a pretty good reason if you ask me. It came with cheesy cauliflower and asparagus. Steve was also sick at this point and couldn't really taste much of his dish to provide a commentary. I tried this dish and wasn't blown away. The meat was a little too tough and the sauce was on the boring side. But, I also was sick so I don't know if my palate was thrown off as well.

Being sick I wanted some comfort food. And how more comfortable can you get than meatloaf? And not just regular meatloaf, meatloaf with bacon inside. I loved this dish-it was exactly what the doctor ordered. The meatloaf itself was juicy and had good spice. The tomato sauce on top was super fresh and didn't overpower the meat (I want to taste that bacon). I'm always skeptical when mac n' cheese is a side dish, but I really like Tupelo Honey's take on it. You can taste the really good cheese that they used- no processed crap here.

Overall, we really liked Tupelo Honey. I'm happy that this was everyone's go-to Asheville suggestion!