The Lou | Weekend Recap

This past weekend, we took a quick trip across the lovely state of Missouri to visit St. Louis.  This was my first time in this lovely metropolis, and I had a great time thanks to some wonderful recommendations!

Our first stop was, of course, the Gateway Arch!  We traveled all the way to the top and got a great view of the city - I had no idea this was possible before I started researching.  But beware, this little trip up to the top is not for the claustrophobic!  You travel by steel pod (with only 4 foot doors) using some sort of pulley system that is a mix between an elevator, escalator, and maybe a forklift.

Next, we hit up the Central West End area - this is an uppity little area with great food and shopping.  We had brunch at a little spot called Crepes Etc.  I didn't get any photos of our food because I was starving and forgot.  Oopsies!  But, believe you me, this place is delish!  I had a savory crepe filled with sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, goat cheese and topped with gravy. YUM.

Next, we joined the rest of Garrett's family to watch the National Cross Country Championships that his dad and brother were officiating.  Those were some fast people, y'all!  And one guy was running without shoes on in sub-20 degree weather (the wind chills were below zero)! You can probably tell how cold I am in the photos... I was doing my best to use my hubby as a wind blockade.

 

{btw, you can totally see my 'ombre' hair in this photo} 

Following the race, we did a little shopping on the Delmar Loop. Highly recommend!  Then, we headed to a place called The Scottish Arms for dinner.  This restaurant, as alluded to by the name, serves wonderful Scottish fare (think pork, lamb, haggis) and has a huge selection of Scotch. Oh, and all the waiters wear KILTS.  Pretty amazing.

Phew!  We fit a lot into one day!  But I'm glad we made the trip, and I look forward to going back... maybe sometime when it's warmer.

Hope everyone has a lovely Valentine's day!  I'm looking forward to dinner at home with the husbalicious!

Underwater Dogs!

Look at these awesome photos of dogs from underwater by Seth Casteel!  They are spectacular!  Some of the pups look like ferocious sharks, while others look a little more confused like their owners just threw them in.  See more of Seth's work right here.

Hope this gives you a good smile on a Friday!  This weekend, I'm headed to St. Louis for the first time ever.  Can't wait!

Music Mondays | Big Easy Express

My friend Meagan just sent me the trailer for Big Easy Express, and boy, does it look good!  Not only does it include three great bluegrass-y bands - Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show - it was filmed during their Railroad Revival Tour where they traveled by train to each city from San Fran to New Orleans.

This tour also came through Kansas City this past summer, so it makes me extra excited!  The film will be released at SXSW Film Festival this March in Austin, and I'll be hoping for a wider release very soon after that!

Enjoy!

Big Easy Express Official Trailer from S2BN Films on Vimeo.

House in Progress

So, last September we moved into our lovely new house.  We absolutely love the house, but there was one minor aesthetic problem - the wallpaper in the master bedroom.  It was toile. Red toile.  I actually really like toile patterns (and we are keeping the black version of this in the master bathroom), but the entire master was a little much. And the red color made the walls look somewhat pinkish.  The husband was NOT a fan.

Because the master bedroom was recently remodeled and the wallpaper was the first layer on brand new sheet rock, we were timid to try and remove the wallpaper.  So, after doing some research and talking with friends and family, we decided to paint over the wallpaper (gasp!).  The main issue with this is you have to do an oil-based primer so the paint will grip on top of the wallpaper.  And believe you me - oil primer is a pain in the booty to work with.  BIG PAIN.  Finally, I enlisted some help in my parents.  They came in town for the week to help me address this wallpaper thing.  Here are a few shots before the final transformation took place:

We chose a dark taupe-y grey to compliment our new Dwell Studio comforter.  We also added some Safavieh Lamps because our current lamps clashed with the new wall color (besides, they were from Ikea anyways).Here's the after!

Since the walls were done, I also finally got the chance to set up my vanity!  I found an image on Pinterest of antlers used as necklace hooks.  Not only do I have more necklaces than any one person should ever own, I'm also on an antler/deer kick. Here are a few shots of my deer-inspired accessories!

Now, time to order some more wall hangings, etc. All in all, a huge weight has been lifted!  Goodbye french farmers, hello clean crisp looking walls.