Monday, August 30, 2010

Dallas Wine Crawl

is past Saturday, Sara and I set out on an adventure across Dallas to visit local establishments that we had not yet visited throughout the city.  Basically we ate and drank our way through town from 1pm-9pm.  I was dead asleep by 9:30 on Saturday.  Go team! 

Below is a brief overview of the Dallas Wine Crawl:

This is Dragonfly at Hotel Zaza.  Sara and I sat at the bar and made friends with the bartender... Andrew, Michael, Simon... something like that. 

This is the view from our spot at the bar.  There was a nice little Saturday brunch crowd and we had a view of the pool which was quickly filling up with out-of-towners and local $30k-millionaires. 

Holy vodka!  Our bartender Scott (or Max or Brandon) twisted our arm and asked us to please stay for at least an appetizer.  Forty-five minutes later... here comes out flat bread pizza.  We added some yummy chicken, jalapenos and red onions to our mozzarella and basil pizza.  It was good, a little on the cool side, but definitely a nice starter.  Then we flew out of there, 2 free drinks later, with our friend Lindsay, and continued on our way.

Next stop, Veritas Wine Room on Henderson.  Now, it's only about 2:30pm and I've already cheated.  Yes, I've been here once before, but Sara and Lindsay had not, so we again, sat at the bar, made friends with Fernando and tried some of their local, small-label brands.

Guess who joined another Wine Club.  Her name starts with an 's' and ends with and 'ara.'

Veritas has a 3 page menu of local and imported cheese and meats so you can make your own platter of snacks!  Also, Horne and Decker has just opened next door and they deliver meals to the wine bar.  Fernando told us to return on Wednesday when the 'pizza man' comes and makes homemade pizzas in the parking lot with his mobile coal-fire grill beginning at 6pm.  Wine and pizza?!  I'm there!

On to the next!  This is Times Ten Cellars... again I cheated.  I've been here a few times before.  It's a darling winery and tasting lounge over in Lakewood that serves and bottles wines from California vineyards as well as a few wines from their personal vineyard in Alpine, Texas.  We got a few chocolate truffles to accompany our tastings.  Try the spinach dip too!  Like I said, we ate our way thru town too.

The $8 (steal!) tastings include four samples of wine from their extensive menu.  I asked George (I'm 99.9% sure our wine aficionado was George) to let me try four different light white wines.  Sara did bold reds and Lindsay did lighter reds.  My four were Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Guwertraminer and Muscat.  The chardonnay was surprisingly light with a slight taste of banana and the Muscat has always been a fav.  We kept track of our tastings and what we liked best of our own and each others.

Very technical reviews.  A scratch-out meant we 'no like,' and a check with any kind of plus signs or underlines were favorites.
Dark reds = Kate no like

What's this?  Our local psychic 'Mary' off Greenville?  Mary, your sign made us do a u-turn.  Read my cards!

No Mary.  She must have hear the ruckus we made coming up to our door.  She does have a lovely patio tho.  We spent about 10 minutes sitting on her porch enjoying the breeze.

Back on track.  This is Nobu in the Crescent Hotel.  We got to sit at the sushi bar because the restaurant was booked for the evening.

This is about as close as I get to sushi.  I ordered off the restaurant menu and had 5 courses for $35.  Holla.

This creation may or may not have still been swimming moments before it's assembly.  There was a blue light at the bottom of the bowl and various sea creatures were reaching out from the middle.  I wouldn't touch this with a ten foot stick, but the people next to us sure enjoyed it.

Speaking of the couple next to us.  Please do not adjust your monitors or mobile device.  These are not alive, but I think they may have been roaming the African jungle about a week ago.  This woman's pants nearly matched her boots.  I think I may have heard them let out a growl during dinner.

And so ends our romp around town.  We survived far-left wing bartenders, Texas wines, sea creature appetizers and growling boots.  Until next time!

Monkey business

This past Saturday, before my Dallas Wine Crawl Staycation, Piper was feeling neglected, so we had a little photo shoot.  No monkies were harmed during the duration of this shoot. 

This is not my bed or my monkey, but I'm gonna pretend that it is.

Hey you, where's your monkey?!

I'm not harassing any monkies.  Do you see any monkies?

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Bubblegum

This song is so cheesy and bubblegum and catchy and I just can't stop listening to it

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream



Love this pic too from We Heart It

Jetsetter

Does this girl know how to travel or what!?


Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Is it fall yet?

I'm ready for you Autumn.  Bring it.

Fortuneteller nonesense

During my trip to Nacogdoches, Sara, Michele and I took a trip to the local psychic on Main Street.  We made a quick visit to Mary after lunch to see how late she would be open that evening.  She immediately asked if one of us had a 'love problem.'  Well Mary, three young women just walked into your motel room-turned-psychic studio and the likeliness of one of us having a problem with a male is pretty damn high.  Mary did however win me over when she asked which of us wasn't sleeping well and after I admit to her that it was me, she said 'and you have headaches too?'  Ok now Mary, you hae my attention. 

Not Mary

So we returned that evening for our individual readings with Mary.  Now, I've had a couple readings in the past, but never have I hear some of the things this woman told me that night.  Basically, it came down to the fact that I need my aura cleansed and my chakras realigned.  WTH!? 

Chakras are the seven energy forces that run in a linear line in your body and each have a defined color.  Mary told me my colors are all dark and not in the correct order and she really wanted to fix mine.  For a price of course.  She also wanted to sell me crystals and I said 'no, but thank you.'

My chakras are not pretty like a rainbow

Now my aura is the light field around my body and each person has some kind of energy field that extends outside of their being.  This I'm more familiar with.  I've been asked on more than one occasion if I can see this in others.  I can not, but I guess it's not completely unheard of to do so.  Mary told me that mine is dark as well and needs a good washing.  Great.

After a few more missteps- 'have you lost a child?' 'have you been in a car wreck recently?' ('no Mary') I was about ready to get out of the small cramped room filled with crystals and religious imagery and a lot of dust.  When she told me that I would not be rich, I decided I had nothing left to discuss with the fortuneteller and I high-tailed it out of there.

Moral of the story is that my colors are really screwed up and my aura is dim. Here is your $55!


I should have decided earlier in the day not to take advice from a woman who spells 'charms' as 'chaems' on her business card, but I'm still on the hunt for another psychic who can tell me something good!

Anyone have one?

Summer trip

Went to Nacogdoches a couple weekends ago.

Michele, Me and Sara.  How cute are we!?

Family Tree

This is my great great grandmother, Mary Sullivan.  She was a dean of a college.  Doesn't she look like a total ball-buster?

Miss Mary

Friday, August 13, 2010

Road Trip!

Hold the phone.

Sara and I are going on a road trip to Nacogdoches this weekend to see Michele.

Who's jealous!?

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Fun with Barbie

What's for dinner!?

Eat Pray Love and Tacky Cards

I saw an early private screening of Eat Pray Love last night.  Gentlemen- be warned, this is definitely a chick-flick.  It was pretty damn good though.

Piper preferred the novel

And now for some more ecards!

Bahahah!

Just waiting for the Free Slater t-shirts

Ladies, you know what I'm talking about

I'd like to dedicate this card to myself

Easy A

This movie looks hysterical

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Cat nap

Someone was NOT happy that I woke her up during her snooze in the window sill this afternoon

She gets her attitude from her mama

Friday, August 6, 2010

Good Friday

Good things of the week:

1)  Down with Prop 8!  Equal rights for all Americans!


2)  Check out this new video from Eminem ft. Rihanna.  Intense performance from Megan Fox and Dominic Monaghan as a couple in a bad bad romance.  Stand up to domestic abuse!

Link to Love the Way You Lie below:


3)  Sara and I attended the Times Ten Cellars anniversary party last night for some local wine at just $5 a glass.  The even better news is that I've discovered a new favorite wine.  the Muscat Blanc rocks.  It's light, sweet and tropical and perfect for summer.  Try some!

Drink up!




Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Kitty photo shoot!

Guess who has a photo shoot tonight!?  Piper!!  And Pixie too!  Someone from Paws in the City, a pet adoption organization in Dallas, is coming to take photos of the kitties for their holiday event this December. 

Strike a pose girl!

Piper is such a ham and I hope she's cheesing it up for the camera tonight in reindeer antlers or a Santa hat.  Will post pictures after the shoot!

Monday night delight

The other night I had dinner at Houston's with Jen.  Houston's is probably my favorite restaurant in Dallas.  I get the same thing almost every time I go and it never lets me down.  Check out my yummy meal below:

The Club Salad.  All kinds of yummy things in this salad, and the Mustard-Honey (not to be confused with Honey-Mustard) dressing, makes this my favorite salad ever.

We also started with the seasonal off-menu guacamole and chips.  Definitely try this, it's pretty killer.

I'm not a rib girl, but I hear these are the best in town.  Extra fries please!

Check out this cheesy bread (by request only) that comes with my salad.  It's like heaven in your mouth.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Hot time in the city

So I was minding my own business yesterday after work, driving down the Tollway to meet Jen at Houston's in Addison when I about totaled the Kate Escape.  I looked down and saw that my car's outside thermometer said this:

Don't make fun of my sappy music!

Really-  112?  This is just not ok.  Still, I would take this over freezing cold and icy weather.

Monday, August 2, 2010

A few wedding shots

Here are a couple pics from Lindsay and Hal's wedding this past Saturday.  The whole weekend was so much fun!  More pics on Heylee's blog, A Few Affections, Marvels and Ramblings.  Check them out!

I'm on the far left

Jill, Denney, Me and Heylee