Summer's End

It may officially be summer for another month, but mentally I am transitioning into fall.  I am not completely ready to give up lazy summer mornings, afternoons at the pool, and evenings on my porch sipping cocktails but time marches on and fall is right around the corner.

A few things that I am looking forward to this fall

the return of the pumpkin spice latte

chunky sweaters

oversized plaid scarves

warm soup on a chilly night, cant wait to try this recipe

gorgeous fall flowers for my table

a trip to a few wineries in our own backyard

fall nail polish

getting my favorite red wine out of the cellar

and firing up our patio table.


Ready or not, it's coming!!

Pop The Bubbly

I am itching to throw a dinner party.  Sometimes when you are not in the mood for traffic, crowds, or waiting for a table, a dinner party is the perfect solution.  

In my mind this dinner party I am throwing is coming together beautifully and I have my theme all worked out...

Mini champagne bottles at my door when you first walk in...

my table would look something like this

I have my menu all worked out

champagne and brie soup (amazing)

citrus salad with champagne vinaigrette 

Beef tenderloin with champagne mustard sauce

and how about this amazing dessert table

stocked with champagne-sicles

put your favorite fruit popsicle (Edy's Fruit Bars) in a wine glass and fill 1/4 with champagne


chocolate champagne truffles

champagne bubbles

champagne cake with fresh strawberries

in the goody bag for all my ladies

OPI Only Drink Champagne

Back in the Saddle

Not only has our stint in Michigan come to an end, but so has our summer.  With just a little over a week before the kids are back in school and we have to get back into some sort of routine, we still have a few things to cross off our summer bucket list

A day at the beach

Right so if you know anything about geography you know that STL is land locked.  Well I discovered a little gem about 15 minutes from me.  A man made lake perfect for swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking, and playing in the sand.  Pools are great but there is something about a picnic on the beach that just can't be beat

Staycation

Since I spend so much of my summer away, I don't get to see my girlfriends much during these 3 months.  The perfect way for us to catch up, a little getaway in our own back yard.  Our decision on which hotel to stay at is based solely on who has the best pool, our top pick is always here

Chase Park Plaza

but there were some close contenders

The Four Seasons

The Cheshire

Moonlight Ramble

Every year there is an 18 mile bike ride at midnight through the street of downtown.  Every year they close the streets to cars and set up party tents throughout the bike course.  Every year I am usually in Michigan, but not this year.  This Saturday the hubs and I are meeting my sister and her hubby downtown at midnight for our bike race, so excited!!

Make my deck pretty

I don't focus too much on flowers/planters because I am gone so much in June and July that if they were to survive I wouldn't even be around to appreciate them.  Now that I am home, I need to spruce up my deck and make it pretty.  We still have a good 2 months here before dining outside is no longer an option.

I better get busy!!

Girl Friday

We are off to Michigan (Hamptons of the mid west) again.  There is nothing like spending time at the beach to recharge your batteries.  

Just a few of my favorites

La plage in Paris

 Kapalua, HI

Seaside, FL

Holland , MI



and what I already know I will love when I visit here in October

Papagayo, CR



Life's a beach!!

Ladies Who Lunch

We are big foodies over here, I would eat out every meal if money and weight were no object.  Lisa Vanderpump makes owning a restaurant look so glamourous but the reality is that you would probably spend every night and weekend at your place, which would really effect my social life, not sure I am cut out for that.

So what's a girl to do if she wants a restaurant but still wants her nights for herself....

Open a restaurant that closes for the day when lunch is over (brilliant)  Am I really going to open a lunch spot, no.  I will, however be more than willing to sample these types of restaurants that seem to be popping up


The Woman's Exchange

This tea room is a STL classic, it has been around for years and years.  I average at this restaurant about once a month and have been doing that for 10 years, in the 10 years I have maybe seen 1 man dining.  This place is all about the ladies.  The 2 best things about this place...


the salad

and the coveted Cherry Dress that is sold in the little shop at the front of the restaurant

The Nest

if you are going to lunch with your kids, this is the new place to go



Everything they serve is fresh, organic and healthy

and cute

and while you are noshing and checking your emails your kids are happy and well contained

Half and Half

One of my favorite lunch spots sans kids.  last year the guys that own this place decided to do pop up restaurants at night.  Every couple months they had a different theme (mexican, farm to table) and it was brilliant and wildly popular.  The problem, they no longer had their nights free so they went back to just lunch.  I totally understand guys.




Death in the Afternoon

I am actually trying this new lunch only spot today, it opened a couple weeks ago and all I keep hearing is how amazing this place is.  

This restaurant is a spin off of the "members only" restaurant Blood and Sand.  These guys are brilliant, you pay a monthly membership fee otherwise you are not eating here.  Its totally worth the fee for the truffled tator tots alone, trust me.  Anyway their new baby Death in the Afternoon is the place to eat downtown, as of now anyone can dine here but if it is as popular as its big brother, that might change real soon.

Those Parisians are onto something lunch begins at 11am ends about 2pm then a little cat nap!!

Laid Back

Summer is all about forgetting schedules and flying by the seat of our pants, that is exactly what we have been up to.

We have been to the Hamptons of the Midwest aka Lake Michigan...

We tootled over to Chicago to see our girl Heather....

and a few other places

We hosted a baptism party weekend in our home for our niece...

and we took a quick jaunt down to Silver Dollar City..

Now we have 8 days in our city until we take off again for the Hamptons (Lake Michigan)

pack, unpack, laundry, repeat