**Surprise Engagement Party in Atlanta**

Happy November y'all!

Well, it's officially cold in New England.  We had a crazy Nor'easter hit the South Shore this weekend and actually got a little snow on Sunday.  It's November.  Too early.  Unacceptable.

I remember growing up and having Thanksgivings in the South while wearing shorts.  So, here we go with my 3rd official Winter season in New England. Yay.

Today's post is about our SURPRISE trip to Atlanta two weeks ago.  I grew up about 75 miles south of Atlanta and then lived in Buckhead after college so it's very much "home" to me.  One of my best friends who still lives in Atlanta, Adam, who is actually Ricky's cousin and how we met in the first place.  So now that we're married, Adam and I went from best friends to cousins.  Funny how things work, right?

Back in the Summer, Adam's partner, Zach, emailed the family about proposing to Adam and having us all there for a surprise celebration afterwards.   I honestly thought there was no way it would be pulled off, but somehow, it was done successfully!  Ricky and I flew into Atlanta on Friday and the rest of our family would be coming in on Saturday, the day of the party.  On Friday, Ricky and I landed around 8:45AM and immediately grabbed Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuits, which is our standard tradition any time we go back home.  We were staying near the guys place, at the Sheraton on Courtland, so we went there to freshen up and hit a few of my favorite spots in Buckhead.  We went straight to my fave boutique, Luna, where I actually didn't do much damage and then we went over to Onward Reserve for Ricky.   After that we were starving and headed over to Lenox to eat at True Food Kitchen.  True Food is a restaurant based off of whole, organic foods.  They offer fresh juices and craft cocktails that don't use your typical syrupy sweet mixers.  I had eaten here once before and LOVED it, but this time, it was a bit lackluster.  Everything was just okay but I should have taken Ricky to one of my old favorites (Genki was my close second). I got the Red Chili Shrimp and the Root and Remedy juice.  Ricky got the bison burger and sweet potato fries and the Hangover Cure juice. 

After lunch, we went down to Virginia Highlands to catch up with my cousin Rebecca at Fontaine's Oyster Bar (but didn't eat, obvi) and then walked around doing some shopping before we walked over to my Uncle Pete's home on Virginia Ave.  We sat on his porch and I introduced Ricky to  "porch wine."  When I first moved to Atlanta and was still looking for an apartment and roommate, I moved in at Casa Pete for about two months.  Pete has an AMAZING home with an even better wine cellar.  I would come home from work and Pete would have a bottle of red open.  His porch is set back from the street with fans and is so cozy, so we would sit on the porch and drink wine and talk about our day. It was heavenly and is how I became the red wine drinker that I am today (never pour me a glass of white.  I'd rather sweat and drink red in the summer than ever drink white.) 

Well porch wine delayed us a bit for our 6:30 reservation at one of my FAVORITE Atlanta restaurants, Rathbun's. I found out about Rathbun's as did most of Atlanta, when Chef/Owner Kevin Rathbun and his brother (an equally phenomenal chef in Texas) beat Bobby Flay on Iron Chef.  Pete naturally went to a Silent Auction for Atlanta Food Bank and won an evening having Kevin prepare the menu he won Top Chef with, at his home.  Luckily, I got to be in attendance that night and y'all....Words can't express the food.  I distinctly remember the elk meatballs and lobster shooters.  It was such a cool experience and after that I became a Rathbun's groupie.  So,  the restaurant group actually has several spots in Atlanta, but we chose the original Rathbun's.  We called the hostess and mentioned that we were running late, but they happily accommodated once we arrived.  We started with the shrimp hushpuppies in a spicy remoulade and DESTROYED them (as we did the bread basket)

Ricky chose the Elk Chop and I ordered a Filet.  We decided to share the charred corn and mashed potatoes (HELLO CARBS)  and we were in HEAVEN.  Both cuts of meat were prepared to perfection and that corn?!?  It's creamed and then charred and comes with gouda on top.  And I know it's just corn, but y'all it is OUT OF THIS WORLD good.

A Perfect Filet

Elk Chop

 

Dreamy charred creamed corn with gouda

I should weigh 300lbs after this meal.

My Favorite, the banana peanut butter pie

Peanut butter blondie

After dinner, we drove down to Buckhead, because one of my BFF's (and bridesmaid!) Amber was celebrating her birthday with some friends at The Painted Pin in Miami Circle.  The Painted Pin is basically an adult game room with a lounge vibe.  They had live music too and it seems like it would be a great spot for a large group wanting to do something different than the usual bar scene.  The girls were wrapping up the night around the time we arrived and we didn't drink there, so more or less we stopped in to give her a hug and meet some of her super sweet girlfriends.  After that, Ricky and I were exhausted from a 4:00AM wake up call so we headed back downtown and crashed. 

Happy Birthday Amber!!

 The next day was the BIG surprise!!  R's mom and sister flew in around 11:00 so we headed out to the airport (after a chick-fil-a stop, obviously) and picked them up.  We headed back to the hotel to meet up with the rest of the family and then went to our "assigned" waiting spot, Augustine's, on the same block as Adam and Zach's house.  We ordered a few drinks and a couple of dishes to have a quick bite.  I saw boiled peanuts on the menu and ordered, and they were TERRIBLE.  From now on, I 'll stick to the ones you buy in a brown paper sack out of the back of someone's truck in South GA (With a cold Coca Cola, no less)

The plan was for Adam and Zach to take a walk before their housewarming party at 6:00 (they knew friends were coming over later that evening, but not the family from out of state).  As soon as we saw them walking across the street, we ran like excited little children over to their house and started setting up!  We had TONS of champagne, snacks, and my most amazing friend, Joshua (check him out here) who created my AMAZING wedding cake, dropped off a cake for us to enjoy.  We were all gathered in the guys private courtyard as they came home to start making calls about their engagement and as they opened the door we let out a big SURPRISE!! The look on Adam's face was one I will never forget.  He is the ultimate party planner, in fact we call him the Cruise Director, and the fact that we pulled this over on his was such a triumph for us!  It was a perfect day to celebrate love between two most deserving people.  Congratulations Adam and Zach!!!

My sis-in-law and cousin-in-law (Adam's sister!)

Best Friends turned Cousins!!

We celebrated the happy couple and then settled in to watch some football (GO DAWGS!) and welcome friends for the housewarming party.  It was great night, because I was able to catch up with tons of friends I hadn't seen in ages.  The night was a success and lasted until late in the evening :)

The next morning, we all had time for brunch, so we walked from the guy's place to Republic.  Once we arrived, we were told that they had a mess up with their food order that week and basically didn't have any food. Bizzare.  So, we walked over to Tin Lizzy's next door.  Now, I have always LOVED Tin Lizzy's.  The TL in Buckhead was my number one spot.  Then they opened in midtown and I really like that option too.  But then they expanded a lot and in my opinion the atmosphere and food has suffered.  The food was just okay. I used to LOVE their Three Amigos sampler dip and their tacos, but it just didn't hit the spot that day.  It could be because we all wanted brunch food and had to settle for tacos?  Either way, I loved when TL was a little more quaint and hadn't grown so much.  After lunch, we took a group to the airport, then we headed out around 6:00 that night.  A perfect Atlanta weekend catching up with friends and family was just what the doctor ordered :)

 

So that's it y'all!! I'm working on making the Restaurant page a more comprehensive review of my favorite (and not-so-favorite) spots.  We travel an insane amount, especially lately, so I have the content, but the time is difficult to come by these days!  So hang tight, and I promise I'll make this blog a great resource for food that I intend it to be!!!

 

xoxo,

Linds

Manhattan Fantasy Draft weekend!

Hey y'all!

Ohhh such a good little blogger I am.  I start a blog, knock a few out, and then go MIA.  I could rattle on about how busy I've been and blah blah blah, but it's the same old story and not worth re-telling.  So, I am actually writing this blog from 30,000 feet in the air but my final destination, I cannot disclose! So secretive!  Trust though that the blog that comes out of this weekend's activities is one you will NOT want to miss!!

Better late than never, I wanted to fill everyone in on our NYC trip back in September.  I LOVE NYC and love living in Boston because I'm just a 4 hour car ride, or 3.5 hours via Acela Express Amtrak train.  My husband went to Trinity College in Connecticut and so a lot of his buddies ended up in Manhattan after college.  Now, my husband isn't the biggest fan of the city (he is Boston through and through and would rather spend time up in Maine on the weekends) but I can usually drag him down for a couple trips a year.  The best though is when his buddies organize a birthday or in this case, their annual fantasy football draft, and then R has something to look forward to other than following me around SOHO. 

Every year, R and his core group of friends plan this elaborate(for guys at least) fantasy football draft.  They rent out a room in a bar, pay upfront for all you can drink and eat and get very serious about their picks.  Every year I go with him and do my own thing in the city.  It's a win-win.  So this year, we couldn't leave Boston until after 5:00 on Friday, but we got on the road with the intent of stopping somewhere around New Haven, CT as usual to jump on the train, arrive in Grand Central, then head straight to the hotel.  Traffic wasn't too bad and so we just kept driving and once we got to New Haven, we stopped for an always delicious (and heart burn inducing) Five Guys burger and decided to just keep driving into the city.  We figured the time and money for parking would all even out.  We got crazy lucky because our hotel, The Carlton (a Marriott property) had a parking garage on the same block so we quickly parked, checked in, and headed out to meet the guys.  Everybody was feeling a chill night, so we headed down to our friends Derek and Ryan's place at the Seaport and drank beers on their rooftop.  It was a PERFECT late summer night and we had an amazing view of One World Trade. 

 

 

 

 We ended up staying up and talking until almost 3:00 AM and then headed back to our hotel.   The next morning, even though we "took it easy", R and I were both a little hungover and decided we needed some breakfast before we separated for the day and he started drinking, heavily.  There was a Sarabeth's a couple of blocks away and so we grabbed a spot at the bar.  R got the pancakes and I got the Eggs Benedict and both were right on time. 




          

Gross.

       


And no, that's not a black iced coffee he has, it's a Guinness at 10:30AM.  Sarabeth's was perfect and once we left we decided to walk down towards the bar his draft would be, Galway Hooker, downin the East Village.  As we got closer, I spied a sign for the Barney's warehouse sale, so I gave R a kiss and sent him off so I could do some "exploring".  The warehouse sale was just ok, in my opinion.  Still very overpriced and the fashion was all a bit outdated or out of season and just not my style. 

I had a few minutes to kill before my 2:00 hair appointment at Three Square Studio which is on the same block as Chelsea Market. I decided to stop in for a green juice at One Lucky Duck and explored for a bit.  Have you been to Chelsea Market?  If I was in NYC, I would have to live nearby just so this could be my go-to spot.  It was very crowded that day becuase it is full of restaurants, shopping (Anthropologie, sample sales, etc.), gourmet groceries and wine stores.  Basically my heaven.  I knew after my hair appointment, I had to come back and grab something for an early dinner before meeting back up with the guys. 

Wheatgrass shot is a go-to hangover cure

At 2:00 I went to my appointment at Three Square Studios and immediately fell in love with the vibe.  Three Square Studios is owned by Jordan Blackmore and Andi Potamkin, a fabulous couple who are friends with Taylor Strecker from Wake Up with Taylor on Sirius Stars Radio.  I have listened to Wake Up! almost daily for the past few years and I've heard her mention the couple before and once I found out that Jordan trained under Oribe (whose hair products are liquid gold) AND does Marc Jacobs' hair, I was sold. I called a few weeks before, with fingers crossed that I could actually get a Saturday appt., and was lucky to be paired with Paul.  The studio has such a non-traditional feel to it, think single chairs in front of floor to ceiling mirrors and industrial style lighting.  A leather couch and chairs give the studio a warmth and the walls are adorned with ever changing art, picked by Andi herself, who has recently opened a lifestyle art gallery, Kasher Potamkin, in Chelsea.  Paul was so great and made me feel so comfortable.  I told him I wanted a good deep brown color and a great blow-out and he DELIVERED.  Y'all, I never want to go anywhere else.  I expected it to be pricey, given the atmosphere and quality, but it was right on par with what I'm willing to pay for a great color.  I was so happy with the results and am already looking at my calendar for a time I can go back.  I even purchased Jordan's line of hair products, Renessence and after two months of use, I have received SO many compliments on my hair and how thick it looks (something I've NEVER heard in 30 yrs)

 

                              

Once I left the studio, I went back to Chelsea Market and decided on some Thai food from a little spot that I found, quickly ate a few bites, then started walking back to the hotel in Midtown East.  The sky was looking a little ominous so I jumped in a cab and headed back to the hotel to freshen up and meet the guys.  They were all finished up with the draft and back down at the Seaport area, so I picked up a bottle of red and cabbed it downtown.  We hung on the roof for a while and I was able to catch up with some of the guys I didn't see on Friday night.

delicious Thai Drunken noodle at Chelsea Market

Rooftop down by the Seaport



R doesn't always wear Mexican gear.  Just in NYC with his friends

 

A few hours later, we decided it was time to head out, so we went over Cowgirl Seahorse and had some apps and drinks before heading over to the Lower East Side. 

The guys at Cowgirl Seahorse post Fireball shot

We hit a bar called Leave Rochelle out of it and once I learned the story of the bar, I was instantly into the vibe here.  Basically, two guys learned that they were dating the same girl, Rochelle.  They became friends and decided to open a bar and name after something that connected the two of them.  One of the owners said "Well I can think of 100 right now, but let's leave Rochelle out of it." And a star was born.  We had a great time and honestly it all became a bit of a blur around 1:30 AM so there's not much to say about the rest of the night :)

We eventually made our way back to the hotel and R and I left Sunday, dipping out on the brunch we had planned with our buddy and his girlfriend.  That four hour drive home was sounding brutal following a LONG day/night of drinking!  Till next time!

xoxo, Linds

MY TOP FIVE "ALL NATURAL" PRACTICES/TIPS/REMEDIES

Happy September y'all!!  I am unbelievably happy that it's finally Fall.  One thing I've had to come to grips with since living in New England, is that summer here is a little different than summer in the South.  This  summer has been a little cool for my liking (think temps in the 70 degree range vs. 105 degree summers in Georgia) so I was pretty much over summer by August.  I felt like I kept "forcing" the summer clothes and it just felt phony.  So now September is here and I feel like this is the season that Boston REALLY embraces!  The leaves actually change colors (gasp! I thought that was just in the movies) and the temps drop enough that you want to wear sweaters and leggings and booties and cuddle up by the fire (with a big glass of red, obvi), and oh I am SO excited!!  

Today's post is about my LOVE for all things "natural."  It wasn't until I moved to Baton Rouge and lived a stones throw from a Whole Foods, that I really started to embrace all natural products.  Sure I had dabbled here and there but I had never adopted any of the practices into my every day life.  I think that because I lived alone and had more time to scour the internet and read blogs, books and articles (nerd alert) I was really able to learn and understand what all natural products are and how I could apply to my everyday life.  Now, there is a lot of controversy about the term "all natural" and you may find foods and products in your local grocery that claim to be all natural and they really aren't.  The biggest piece of advice I can give about this is to READ YOUR LABELS!  If there is an ingredient that sounds like a chemical or as if it was made in a factory, DON'T USE IT OR EAT IT!  I'm going to be honest, I don't live a fully "all natural" life.  I eat a donut here and there and use beauty products that have weird ingredients.  My theory is "do the best you can, when you can."    If I find a product that works better for me and isn't all natural, I don't force it.   However, I have found a few all natural products and practices that I can NOT live without.  These are things that I've included in my daily routine.  Please comment or email me if you have any questions...I may not have all the answers, because I am certainly no expert, but I do have a lot of resources I can at least point you towards! 

MY TOP FIVE ALL NATURAL PRODUCTS AND PRACTICES

1. LEMON H20 with CAYENNE PEPPER

 

Each morning, after I brush my teeth I drink a mug of warm water with a squeeze of lemon and a dash of cayenne pepper.  The idea is that the warm water plus lemon helps your digestive system get started and helps relieve a sluggish or slow system.   I first read about lemon water on "Food Babe" (she's an AMAZING resource for all natural living) and was intrigued.  There is a ton of information on the internet about the detoxifying properties of lemon. Cayenne pepper is also reported to help speed up your metabolism.  Now I know the thought of drinking warm water with lemon and cayenne pepper first thing in the morning sounds kind of disgusting and it definitely took me a while until I could fully adopt the practice. I use to be the girl that needed coffee in my face within five minutes of opening my eyes.  Now, I start with the lemon H20 and I feel it's especially helpful after a heavy meal the night before or even overeating the day before. It takes five minutes to make and drink and then I can have my coffee in my face within 15 minutes of waking up.
A few tips:
1. Use a straw- the lemon can wear on the acid on your teeth.
2.  Don't use boiling water-hot water can kill the enzymes in the lemon that aid in digestion.  I got a copper kettle as a wedding gift and bring the water to just boiling while I fill a mug halfway with cold water, lemon, and cayenne.  Top of with the boiling water and you're ready to go
3.  If the idea of cayenne freaks you out, start with just the lemon and work your way up!  No harm in starting small and the lemon and warm water has enough benefits alone!

2. DRY BRUSHING

 

 

Dry Brushing isn't something I do EVERYDAY, but I definitely do it 2-3 times per week.  Dry brushing is the practice of using a dry bristle brush with a long handle, to literally brush your body.  There are a few benefits of dry brushing but mainly it helps exfoliate dead skin on the surface of the skin (which accumulates while you sleep...gross) and can aid in circulation which helps remove waste and toxins from the lymphatic system.  Dry Brushing also may help soften fat deposits under the skin which can reduce the appearance of CELLULITE (don't act like you don't have it...ALL women do).  About two years ago, I heard an interview with Miranda Kerr, the most perfect beautiful angel of Victoria's Secret (and did I mention she is a mother??) and she swears by dry brushing every day!  That's when I decided I had to give it a shot.  Y'all.  This ish works.   It takes literally 3 minutes for me so even on the busiest morning, I have time for this.  An important key to dry brushing is to start from the feet and move upwards with long brushes towards the heart.  I usually start with my legs, spending extra time on the booty, and then my tummy, arms and finish with my upper body (and sometimes I go back to the booty for a little extra attention).  After dry brushing just jump in the shower, wash your body and you are good to GO!  I absolutely love this morning ritual and get a little peeved when I am in a sleepy rush and jump in the shower and have forgotten to dry brush.  Word to the wise, don't scrub your body; just apply a firm pressure and remember to always brush upwards!  Dr. Mercola has a great article about the benefits that is definitely worth checking out:

3. EGYPTIAN MAGIC

You can tell my tub is well loved :)



This stuff is literally magic.  I honestly haven't paid much attention to the ingredients in this but when I heard about Egyptian Magic and its MAJOR ability to heal and moisturize, I was intrigued. I found it in my local health food store and was a little appalled by the price so I walked away.  Then I came across another article about it (and had a good pay day) so I bit the bullet and purchased.  I don't use it as an actual moisturizer (some celebrities say they SLATHER it on, but that makes my sensitive skin nervous) but I do use it for cuts and scrapes, on my cuticles*, and for small dry spots on my body.    Check out these celebs who swear by Egyptian Magic.  Think of it as an all natural Neosporin.  The tub will last you a LONG time (unless you have scaly dry skin and bathe in the stuff) so it's definitely worth the $20-$25 price tag.

*Did you know you shouldn't actually cut your cuticles?  Deborah Lippmann (manicurist of the stars) explains that the skin is the barrier that protects the inside of your body.  Cutting your cuticles can open  a pathway to introducing harmful bacteria into your system causing infection.  Most high end spas will not cut your cuticles and choose to simply push them back.  Keeping your cuticles soft will keep them from drying out and needing to be cut.  Also, after each hand wash you should apply a hand lotion (you wouldn't shower and then not apply body lotion, right?). I keep a small bottle of this lotion on my bedside table and apply each night and have definitely noticed a difference.

4. COCONUT OIL

Dr. Bronner's Coconut Oil



By now, you've all heard people obsess over coconut oil.  And if you haven't, you need to pull yourself out from under that ancient 1990's rock you've been hiding under and catch up by reading "101 ways to use coconut oil".  There is not a day that goes by that I don't use coconut oil in some way, but I'm just going to touch on a few ways and one day I'll do another post entirely dedicated to coconut oil.  Word to the wise, buy two jars/tubs of the stuff. I keep a jar in my kitchen for cooking and a tub in my bathroom so I'm not digging my hands into the jar that I'm going to use on my food.

• Cooking: use it for sautéing instead of EVOO(which doesn't stand up to high heat)
• Moisturizer: At least once a week I take a few minutes to slather this stuff on my body. It is the very best moisturizer on the planet.  Now please heed my advice and only use this when you are not in a hurry.  Coconut oil is really oily (duh) and needs time to dry.  If you have long hair, you do NOT want your hair to touch the oil on your body or else you will have a greasy, nappy mane.  I have had to rock a side braid and a hat a few times because I got all cocky and thought it would be fine.  Side note, I woke up with amazing hair the next day because it rocks as a hair mask.  My routine:  Shower and clip my hair all the way up, moisturize, and then either walk around naked for a bit or rock some loose clothing until I'm dry. 
• Eye makeup remover:  In college I spent too much money on eye makeup remover pads that lasted a few weeks.  My best friend Lauren introduced me to using baby oil as an eye makeup remover (apparently lots of people do this?) so I started using it and was hooked.  A bottle of baby oil as remover can last FOREVER and is pretty cheap so this became my go to.  Then I started using coconut oil and realized it works even better, is all natural, AND moisturizes your eyelashes as an added bonus.  One quick swipe and that smudge proof eyeliner is GONE.
• Oil pulling.  I am going to have to do a separate post on my experience with oil pulling but I'll just say this.  It's gross at first but there's something oddly satisfying about oil pulling every morning.  Check out this article and hang tight until I can get a blog about this Ayurvedic technique.

5. ESSENTIAL OILS

 

I love love love love essential oils!  The two that I'm most in love with at the moment are Tea Tree Oil and Eucalyptus oil.  I use Tea Tree as an antiseptic and spot treatment and I can testify that this stuff WORKS.  Dab a little on a zit, ingrown hair, or any scrape and the next morning the blemish is a thing of the past.  I was nervous because as I've mentioned, I have super sensitive skin and didn't want to have a bad reaction so I definitely recommend dabbing a little on the inside of your wrist and waiting overnight before actually using on a spot just to make sure you don't break out even more
.
I have always suffered from allergies and sinus problems and hate having to constantly rely on medications to clear up a stuffy nose.  Recently I had a two day allergy attack that kept me up at night because I couldn't breath (I literally woke myself up because I was snoring and my husband was dying laughing at me).  After using my neti-pot, I would take the eucalyptus oil and sprinkle a few drops on the bottom of the shower and let the hot water get really steamy then jump in.  It is the most soothing and effective treatment for clearing a stuffy nose.  My head felt clear and there was definitely less pressure in my sinuses.  I even started carrying it in my bag and taking a sniff throughout the day for quick relief (cue drug addict jokes). 

Another oil I really like is lavender oil.  Lavender is known for its calming properties and you can put a few drops in a spray bottle with filtered water, then spray on your pillow for a really yummy smell that helps create a soothing sleep environment!

Just a quick run down of my morning routine and how I incorporate some of these practices:
1.  Wake up and immediately oil pull (before brushing teeth). While I do this, I make the bed, lay out my clothes, check my bank account and facebook (priorities people), and grab a load of laundry to start.
2. Brush teeth then go downstairs and get my lemon H20 started.  While the kettle is heating up, start laundry in the basement.  Come up and enjoy my lemon H20 then head up for the shower.
3.  Dry Brush, shower, coconut oil.
4. COFFEE!

So that's it!  I know that was a lot of information and there's so much more I could say about my top five.  If you have ANY questions, please comment or email me and I'll do my best to provide some insight!! I am no doctor, so please, use these products at your own risk but in my experience this products are tried and true and will get you started on a path to all natural living!!

Have you tried any of these products or practices? If so, what did you think? 

xoxo, Linds

30th Birthday Part 2 & 3

Hey y'all! 

Sorry for the delay in posting this, but it's been such a busy couple of weeks lately.  By the time the work day is done, Ricky and I workout at 4:30 or 6:00, come home and have dinner, I am BEAT and basically throw myself into bed by 9:00.  I plan to get more frequent with posts, and am also working on my Restaurant Recommendations and Reviews page, so expect that up in the coming weeks.  That's really the heartbeat of this blog. Most people that know me, know how much I LOVE recommending restaurants to people and get such a thrill knowing someone loved a place as much as I do.   I plan to have an extensive list, not limited to the New England area, so when you are traveling, you can use it as a resource for guaranteed good eating!

So here's the rest of the birthday weekend recap.  On Friday, Ricky had planned a fancy date night at Grill 23 in Boston.    Ricky had been before and raves about their Kobe cap steak and so we decided that a 30th birthday was the perfect "excuse" to enjoy dinner.  We got there a little early since you never know how traffic will be from the South Shore into the city (only about 15 miles, but traffic can be atrocious!).  As we walked in, I got so excited and could immediately feel that Grill 23 is not like your typical stuffy old-school steakhouse.  The waiters were white coats and ties, the welcome was kind and warm, and the décor was a nice mix of old fashioned and modern, up to date.  We checked with the concierge about 45 minutes before our reservation at 8:00 and told him we would like to have a drink at the bar and were not in a hurry at all.  The bar selection was expansive and the cocktail menu showcased well crafted cocktails.  I knew I would likely drink red wine with dinner (my go-to) so I decided to have a glass of champagne.  Sadly, I don't know what champagne I had, but I know it was "good,"  it was crisp, bubbly and COLD.  Perfection!

Ricky ordered a Hendricks and Tonic and we sipped our cocktails and caught up after a long week.  Once we finished our drinks, we told the concierge that we were ready.  We were immediately seated at a SMALL two-seater table, which wasn't ideal, but I can respect the need to reserve larger tables for bigger parties.  Ricky decided to splurge on a nice bottle of red to share, and ultimately chose a Cabernet which is his go-to when having a nice steak.  Now, I consider myself a semi-vegan.  Meaning, I don't really eat dairy or meat and prefer my diet to consist of plants.  Lately, I've been VERY slack about that and allowed myself to eat what my body craves.  So that night, I knew I couldn't go to one of the best steakhouses in Boston and NOT order a steak. I went with the twin filets, Ricky with the Kobe cap steak. We shared mashed potatoes and asparagus as sides.  Y'all.  There are no words for how good this steak was.  I POLISHED my steak off before Ricky finished his and was shoveling the mashed potatoes in my face (real lady-like Linds.)  The filets melted in my mouth like butter and were served with grilled/sautéed onions that were the perfect flavor combination.  I even stole a bite from Ricky's plate and agreed that it was the best steak I had ever had.  I'm pretty sure Ricky felt like he was in Heaven, since I NEVER cook like that at home. 

 

Twin Filets at Grill 23= UNREAL

 

 

 Our waitress, who I can't remember her name but was amazing, asked if we wanted dessert and of course we couldn't leave without some chocolate goodness.  We went with a molten lava cake and I also got an Espresso martini.  HEAVEN.  Pure HEAVEN. 

 

Molten lava cake + Espresso martini...HEAVENLY



Ricky and I went home full and happy.  Saturday was my actual birthday, and Ricky surprised me with a day in Nantucket!  I had never been to Nantucket and so he purchased two ferry tickets for us to get to the island and then back the same night.  We woke up and were out the door by 7:30 for the 40 minute drive to Hyannis, MA where we waited to board the ferry, which was PACKED despite the forecast calling for a gross day.  The ferry was about an hour long and freezing!  We got to the island with no particular plan, except brunch at 11:30 and dinner at 6:00. Since it had not started raining, we hit a bunch of stores including my new FAVORITE, Milly and Grace.  Y'all.  This store was perfect!! They carry a lot of my favorite brands and it was such a good mix between girly, classy, but up to date trendy clothes.  I splurged on a black maxi that I am OBSESSED with and can't wait to wear to Miami in October!  The sisters that own the store are precious and so sweet and I learned that they lived in Georgia while growing up!  We hit up the C. Wonder pop up shop and then headed over to brunch at The Boarding House.  We opted to sit outside despite the crazy dark clouds and impending rain but it felt nice to be out in the fresh air.  We both order coffee and brunch booze; a Bellini for me, a screwdriver for R.    I loved the menu at Boarding House because it was a mix of New England (lobster) with a southern edge.  We started with the jalepeno cheddar corn hushpuppies that were drizzled in HONEY and then I ordered the lobster benedict and Ricky the Chicken and Waffles.  We lingered for a while since it was monsooning outside and once the rain let up, we made a break for it. 

 

 

We decided that since it was pouring so badly, we didn't want to walk around and found a random bar to post up for a while.  We got so so lucky with the bar we chose, Proprietors because it reminded us a lot of New Orleans. 

 

After a couple hours the rain let up and we just walked around for a while (and bought sweatshirts for the ferry home).  We eventually made our way to dinner at Cru, which was right across the dock from where we had to board the ferry at 8:00.  Cru was really great and had a nautical theme that was a lot of fun.  The lobster roll was HANDS DOWN, the best I've ever had. 

 

 

 

We also splurged with a little birthday desert of 3 miniature whoopee pies :) 

 

 

 

I absolutely cannot wait to go back to Nantucket.   it was a perfect way to spend my birthday and I was able to be back in bed by 11:30 (I realize I am showing my age).  What a perfect day and weekend!! 

 

 

 Next up:  Weekend in Saint Simons Island, GA; My top 5 Natural health must haves; Draft weekend in NYC.  Stay tuned!!

 

 

xoxo, Linds

 

 

30th Birthday weekend- Part 1

Hey y'all!! ( Side note-every time I type that, I say it in my best Tami Taylor southern drawl)   My 30th birthday was August 2nd, and since it was one of those "big" birthdays, it turned into a 3 day celebration.  We started on Thursday night when Ricky's parents wanted to take me out on the South Shore.  We were going to try Mother Anna's in Pembroke (the same restaurant that's on Hanover Street in the North End) but they still hadn't officially opened.  We ended up at Tosca, in Hingham, which is where we took my in-law's on their 30th wedding anniversary last year and is DELICIOUS!  Tosca is an Italian inspired restaurant and has a rustic feel with exposed beams and high ceilings and feels almost "romantic."  A definite special occasion spot. 

One thing that I thought was really cool about Tosca, is that they give you a wine list on an Ipad which allows you to view and choose from their extensive selection.  My mother-in-law, Mary, chose a Pinot Noir that was nice and the guys both ordered cocktails (Hendricks and Tonic, per usual).  No pictures of our food from this night because I was trying to stay away from phone, but I had the Wood Grilled Scottish Salmon and Ricky had the Wild Boar Bolognese.  Both were absolutely perfect but his Bolognese had the perfect touch of sweetness that a Bolognese should have. They did bring out a chocolate dessert with candles after dinner and we called it a night after that.

When I moved to the South Shore, I constantly begged Ricky to take me into Boston for date nights, but I quickly learned that you don't always have to go into the city (sometimes it's just to exhausting) as there are some amazing spots in our neighborhood.

Birthday dessert that was devoured by my husband and father-in-law

Ricky and me after dinner

My father and mother-in -law


Stay tuned for Part 2 of 3 on the 30th birthday weekend :)

xoxo, Linds