a little post from a morning at Krispy Kreme with Ryan before he headed out of town. I must have forgotten to have posted it a while back- so here we are!
I am off to St. Augustine for a mini vacation. We'll be headed to Orlando for an evening to see my friend Cathy, exploring some new restaurants and coffee shops in Jacksonville, and driving to Mount Dora for the big antique extravaganza! Stay tuned for more on those later.
Hope you have a sweet rest of your week ;)
This weekend, my best friend's older sister, Cherice, married her fiancé (who conveniently looks just like a lumberjack.) They were married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in downtown Tampa, followed by bbq and endless dancing at the Tampa Garden Club. I have zero pictures of the bride and groom, but I do have pictures of grilled cheese and cookies, so hey, that is something! We had some time in between the ceremony and reception, so keeping with my most recent wedding day tradition (and I love traditions) we headed to Steak 'n Shake for fries and grilled cheese. It wouldn't be right to not share a picture of our gourmet snack, which can be viewed below. One of my favorite aspects of the wedding hands down was the crazy dessert bar. A few days prior to the wedding, I went over to the baker's house, she's a good friend of the family and just so happens to be a phenomenal baker in her spare time. We helped her decorate all 300 plus cupcakes and we made the key lime pie shooters. In addition to 4-5 cupcake flavors, there were cookies- chocolate chip!!!, mini donuts, small apple pies, and smaller tiered cakes. We ate ourselves silly with desserts and I contemplated taking a dozen cookies in my clutch home for later. I absolutely loved the hutch display and wish that all of my drawers at home were filled with an endless amount of chocolate chip cookies.
Thanks for the fun time Cherice and James! Hope you're having fun in Canada as I post this from your living room while eating popcorn and watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2...I'm dog sitting for them all week ;)
To say that Ryan and I may have found a new favorite pizza spot in town would be an understatement. We tested Fabrica Pizza out one evening for dinner while I was babysitting for a family nearby. We loved it so much we went back for dinner the next night as well. I tried two different pizzas: the vedura with broccolini, spinach and ricotta as well as the melazane with oven roasted eggplant. Ryan went with his traditional margherita and red chili flake pizza which we both thought was delicious. It's down in the Channelside district and the menu is set up with several specialty pizzas or you can create your own. Afterwards, we hopped the crosstown to Brandon to try Revolution Ice Cream. They make their own ice creams in-house and have several flavors that they rotate through as staples and, in addition, they have several seasonal flavors. I had the puppy chow ice cream, which tasted exactly like the kind you make at home from scratch, and Ryan had the cinnamon roll. I tasted the pumpkin snickerdoodle as well, which was out of this world. I will most likely be back before very, very soon ;)
The new Iris Apfel documentary finally made its way into town and I jumped at the chance to go see it. The documentary was only playing for a few nights at the Tampa Theatre, so my mom and I made an evening of it. If you are unfamiliar with Iris Apfel, she is probably the coolest 90- something year old you may ever come across. She's known for her quirky and eccentric fashion choices; you would probably recognize her by her oversized rounded eyeglasses. The documentary focuses on Iris' love for fashion and her creative work within the industry, but what I loved the most was her outlook on life. She and her husband, Carl, have been married for more than 65 years and they truly believe that you have to make the most of this life while you can. Iris commented on how it's more important to be interesting rather than pretty, which I couldn't agree with more in today's society. She believes and preaches that curiosity and imagination are the keys to success in your personal and professional endeavors. Even if you're not one for fashion, this woman's life is incredibly interesting. One thing is certain, she and her sweet husband will inspire your love for life and your sense of adventure.
After hearing several reviews from friends about how amazing Trattoria Pasquale is, I knew I had to try it out for myself. My mom and I scheduled a dinner date there one evening last week, and all of the wonderful reviews I've been hearing about were absolutely true. It's a smaller restaurant, very unassuming from the outside, located in a shopping plaza off of S. Manhattan Ave. in south Tampa. The interior is eclectic and filled with Italian memorabilia, local sports jerseys, and pictures of famous celebrities eating spaghetti. Luigi, the owner, spent the evening walking around hugging and engaging in conversation with all of the regulars; it seemed as though everyone there was a piece of his extended family. Even as new customers, he made us feel incredibly welcomed and greeted us as if he had known us for years.
We started with an order of the bruschetta as an appetizer. I could have put that balsamic glaze on everything I ate for the next week, it was so delicious. For dinner, my mom tried the eggplant parmesan and I had the butternut squash ravioli special. Mine came in a light mushroom cream sauce, which paired so well with the sweetness of the butternut squash. My mom's eggplant was just as delicious. We found each other continuously swapping bites from the others plate. To top it all off, we could't leave without a slice of tiramisu. I could eat their tiramisu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We loved every aspect of our experience there and will most certainly be back!
Did you know this past Tuesday, June 23rd, was International Typewriter Day? I visited the independent bookstore, Inkwood Books, on my way into work for a little typewriter enthusiast celebration. Inkwood Books hosted Tampa Type and The Paper Seahorse's typewriter bar where visitors could stop in and use any of the typewriters to type up a letter or vintage postcard. If you are unfamiliar, The Paper Seahorse is a paperie + makerie located off of South Howard Avenue in Tampa. The Paper Seahorse features a shop filled with stationery, letterpress goods, and paper crafts. Did you know they also host workshops and classes? I have yet to attend a class, but there are so many throughout the summer that there truly is something for everyone. The owner of The Paper Seahorse's husband runs Tampa Type. They have such a beautiful collection of typewriters that if I had enough money, I would purchase them all! If you are ever interested in learning more about how to use and care for a typewriter, Tampa Type also offers several classes and hosts various events. Several of their typewriters are listed for sale and you could even rent them for an upcoming event. Tampa Bay Times even did a short article and video overviewing the event if you care to see, here.
A few days ago Ryan came into town for a dentist appointment and stayed for dinner over in Tampa. I took him to Cali Tacos To Go for the Guy Fieri special: two tempura battered grouper tacos, fully loaded, with hot sauce. Ryan clearly gave his two thumbs up seal of approval. Side note- they finally added queso to the menu! Hip hip hooray! If you have yet to go, there are two locations in Tampa and one in St. Pete. The original location is over off of Skipper Road and Bearss and the newest location in Tampa is off of South Dale Mabry.
Afterwards, we headed on over to the ever so classic Twistee Treat for an Oreo and peanut butter twist. It's essentially a milkshake without all of the fine mixing. Special thanks goes out to The Parent Trap for introducing me to the heavenly Oreo and PB combo oh so many years ago. I appreciate ya Lindsay!
good Monday morning to you from another local coffee shop! This morning's edition: DI Coffee Bar. Where the americano with cinnamon and honey was just what the start of the week called for. I'm gearing up for a week filled with a few working days and then mid-week I'll be packing up the car en route for a little road trip. I'm excited for a few days off and to spend the week in one of my favorite places. Stay tuned for more later on!
make this week a wonderful one :)
Earlier this week, Ryan came into town to visit for the day. We spent the afternoon roaming up and down 7th Avenue, checking out some of the best restaurants and shops that Ybor City has to offer. With so many beautiful and historical buildings, plus the easy access via the trolley to downtown, it truly is the perfect area to spend a few hours on the weekend. Ybor hasn't always had the best reputation, but there are so many new and local businesses and restaurants opening in the area. It's equal parts cool and sketchy, with a lot of amazing history thrown into the mix. If it's been a while since you've made it over that way, you really should check it out!
If you've been downtown before, then you know this guy is just one of the unofficial mascots of Ybor City.
We didn't ride the trolley throughout Ybor, but it is certainly on my bucket list next time we adventure into downtown Tampa.
We first stopped into The Blind Tiger Cafe for a cappuccino and an earl grey lavender iced tea. They serve Buddy Brew Coffee and a selection of Tebella Tea, both local companies in town. They recently expanded their availability for seating, making it the perfect place to hangout and catch up with friends, study, or read a book.
Afterwards, we headed to Tampa Bay Brewing Co. for a beer and an order of their pretzels. Their handmade pretzels are my favorite in Tampa. TBBC has eight of their own core brews on tap year-round, with several other seasonal options changing every few months. I tried the Jack the Quaffer Porter which has undertones of coffee and chocolate.
Next up was La France. I would love to go down to La France and spend an entire afternoon patiently sifting through all of their clothing. They have racks of clothing from every decade, along with a large variety of antique and vintage jewelry. If you are ever attending a themed party or event, this is the place to go for an amazing outfit. This is also the best place to go if you're just looking for a unique piece of clothing for your personal collection. They have the best vintage coat collection I've seen anywhere in town.
Lastly, we had dinner at The Bricks, just in time to escape the downpour of rain that came out of nowhere. Ryan had the bird and pig sandwich with chicken, bacon, apples, brie, and agave on sweet bread. I had the cure sandwich with a fried egg, avocado, tomato and cheddar on a toasted kaiser bun.
Thankfully, the rain let up a bit just in time for us to head home.
One thing is certain, Ybor sure does make for a beautiful, yet dreary, scene.
A few weeks ago I celebrated my 25th birthday with family, wonderful friends, little adventures, and lots of delicious food. On the morning of my birthday, I packed up the car and headed to meet Ryan in Gainesville to test out Satchel's Pizza. Neither of us had ever been before, but after discovering this eclectic pizza joint via social media, I knew we had to go. We arrived at lunch time and we were seated inside the restaurant's vintage blue VW bus (I think I died and went to Heaven.) We ordered a large cheese and pineapple pizza annnd it was so delicious I think we could have ordered another one!! Post pizza, we made our way downtown to visit one of Gainesville's Hyppo Pop locations. We met up with one of Ryan's friends and enjoyed our pops while walking through the downtown area.
Mid-afternoon, we headed back to St. Augustine and made a pit stop at a little antique store called Finders Keepers in Palatka. They had lots of unique little treasures such as old type writers, sewing machines, and eclectic kitchen accessories. The only thing that I purchased was a tiny binocular brooch that reminded me of Suzy from Moonrise Kingdom. It was a dollar and I would have been silly to not pick it up!
One of the activities on our St. Augustine bucket list has been to go play bingo at the Elks Lodge in town. Since my birthday fell on a Thursday, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to test it out. Little did we know just how intense bingo could actually be! We walked in and were a little overwhelmed at the site we saw: lots of cute elderly people, piles of good luck trinkets and too many bingo cards to even wrap my head around. Each game was color coded and played by a different set of rules. Thankfully, the two ladies next to us were gracious enough to explain all of the bingo terms such as small kite, X, T, four corners, stamps, and so many more. They filled us in on all of the "official and unofficial rules." Unofficial meaning that there were several social rules set in place by avid bingo goers. If you broke those rules, you instantly received dirty looks and silent head shakes of disapproval. Despite bringing my good luck penguin and miniature VW bus, neither of us won, Ryan was pretty close several times though! Although we walked away with empty holes in our pockets, we had the best time and will definitely be back!
Later that weekend, I headed back to Tampa to partake in a few more festivities with my family. Saturday, Michael and I took our hot air balloon ride that I posted about earlier this week. Sunday afternoon, my mom and I went to Oxford Exchange for a cup of tea before a matinee movie. Tampa Theatre is currently running a family fun series which plays a different movie each Sunday for the next month and a half. The opener for the family series was Matilda, one of my personal favorites! Tampa Theatre is one of the most special places in town and if you've never been, add it to your list immediately! The theatre is incredibly beautiful and has even been listed as one of the top fifteen most spectacular movie theaters in the world. If you go, make sure you arrive early to experience the pre-show organ concert. Also, if you attend one of the family fun movies, keep your ticket stub and take it to Duckweed Urban Market, post show, for a free Whatever Pop popsicle! That evening, we met up with my grandparents at Cappy's Pizza in Seminole Heights for dinner. In my opinion, they have the best pizza and greek salad in town. Plus, they have the sweetest workers you'll ever come across!
We headed back to our house after dinner to cap off the weekend with several XL slices of birthday cake. The entire weekend was such a wonderful way to kick off the start of my 25th year. More so than all of the fun activities, I feel incredibly thankful to be surrounded by such magnificent people in my life. It's my family, friends, and the memories that we create together that make the passing of each year that much more special. I am the luckiest.
Two Christmases ago, my parents gifted my brother and I with a certificate good for one hot air balloon ride. It has been on my bucket list for several years now and I was so excited when I saw a miniature hot air balloon, that my mom so sweetly crafted, floating under our Christmas tree. My brother and I attempted to redeem our certificates back in November; however, our trip was cancelled due to inclement weather and fog. We finally booked another date a few weekends ago and I was so thankful when the weather turned out to be absolutely perfect- our trip was a go! We met up with our ballooning group around 6:30am and headed out to our "launch" site for setup and takeoff. We flew with the company Big Red Balloon and I absolutely loved their crew members and pilot. Their crew really encouraged everyone in our group to pitch in a hand while unloading the basket and blowing up the balloon. For me, it enhanced the experience and I should probably now own a hot air balloon of my own...maybe one day! There were eight of us total and I had never seen a basket big enough to hold more than three to four people at a time. There were four tiny compartments on the inside of the balloon, large enough to hold two people each.
Once inflated, we loaded into the basket and prepared for takeoff. Dave, our pilot, fired up the balloon and off we went! At first, it was a little surreal and nerving knowing that you are floating hundreds of feet above the ground with only a basket and a balloon carrying you to your next destination. After a few minutes of air time, I got used to the feeling and felt more comfortable moving around our compartment. We took off shortly after sunrise and the view was one of the most amazing I have ever seen. There were three other balloons that were flying near us as well. Our balloon was double the size of all the others, so we moved just a bit slower than the rest.
It was incredibly exciting to see people standing out on their back porches and in their front yards yelling and waving, "good morning!" to all of the balloons. There were a few kids outside riding their bikes that would look up in awe and shout for their parents to come outside and look as well. In the first house I grew up in, we use to have balloons fly over our house several times a month. I would always run outside and shout to the balloonists. They would happily greet us with a wave and often times would yell, "what's for breakfast?" Those were some of my favorite mornings. Below is a picture of a few tennis players gearing up for a match. Little ants!
Dave was explaining to us how, often times, it can be incredibly difficult for balloonists to find an acceptable landing location. In larger cities, even in the more rural areas, balloonists are not welcome to land in certain residential areas. There are balloon chasing crews that follow each balloon and keep in touch with the pilots via radios. The chase crews have to keep close tabs on following the pilots movements as they prospect various landing locations ahead. It's important for pilots to find a landing location that has access to roadways so the chase crew can easily bring their trailers in to assist with the landing and deflation process. Dave mentioned that balloonists sometimes are forced to land in obscure areas. A few of the balloons ahead of us were already beginning to descend. The navy balloon below ended up landing in a family's backyard. Personally, if I woke up to a hot air balloon landing in my backyard, I would think it was the best day ever ;)
Luckily, we were able to land in a large open field that was an abandoned golf course. We managed to have an incredibly smooth landing (thank you, Dave!) Post landing, we all hopped out to help out with the deflation and pack up so that we could head home. After this flight, I've officially added the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta to my bucket list. It's a week long festival where over 500 balloons takeoff and fly together several times a day! Many of the crew members from Big Red Balloon have been and say it's one of the most amazing sights they have ever experienced. My brother and I had the best time on our trip. I highly recommend booking a flight if it's something you've been thinking about doing! There are several ballooning companies in Tampa, Big Red Balloon being one of the best!
Last week, my mom and I took a little trip over to Lowry Park Zoo to see their newest temporary exhibit, Zoominations. It's a traditional Chinese lantern festival containing giant animal sculptures, millions of LED lights, and hundreds of beautiful hanging lanterns. Zoominations is currently on display now through the end of May and definitely should not be missed! You can purchase tickets individually for the Zoominations nightly exhibit or you can purchase a package deal for tickets to the zoo during the day with entrance to Zoominations at night. We bypassed the zoo during the day and just did tickets for the evening exhibit. The animals are not out to see during the nightly exhibit so I would highly recommend doing the package deal if you have never been to the zoo before. Zoominations was absolutely stunning and was such a fun way to spend a Wednesday evening! Below are a few of my favorite displays...