bubblegum

like all kids, i loved candy. i mean, loved candy. any movies that featured a kid let loose in a candy store was my dream come true! in fact, i always secretly hoped i would win a spree in a candy store. as an adult, not much has changed. i still hope that happens to me one day. the only thing that is different, is that i can go crazy in a store and my mom can't tell me no. well...i guess she still can technically tell me no but, i still walk away with the candy. of all the tasty treats, my very favorite was, and still is, bubblegum. i even have a top ten list of gums i like most, as crazy as that sounds. when i saw this dress, i instantly gravitated towards it because it reminded me of my favorite candy. and i of course couldn't help but blow a few bubbles ;)

sunday funday

last weekend, i had the great pleasure of going to a whiskey tasting with our group of friends. as an avid whiskey lover, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about one of my favorite spiked beverage. while the majority of our group had wine or cocktails, andrew, larry and myself sampled four whiskeys that were newly being sold in our town. with some tasty snacks to add to the tasting, it was a great afternoon spent learning more about the make and history of whiskey.

[the group favorites were the american whiskey aged in old oak barrels, and, the bourbon, sweet, with an added kick]

after our tasting finished, as an added bonus, we were treated to manhattans made with the rye whiskey we just tasted. it was such a great way to dive into one of my favorite liquors, and, i can't wait to pick up one of these in the future!

[love my two amigas]

summertime

summer is officially here, are you excited? i know i am. the long, sun-filled days followed by the warm, balmy nights. there is so much to see and do, it almost feels like there isn't enough time to squeeze in all the great things i love about this season! to help keep me on track, i made a mini to-do list of all the things i want to make sure i cross off before the weather cools back down!

• check out a double-feature at the drive-in with friends
• stay poolside as often as possible
• take the pups out to the lake at least once a month to swim
• go hike in the wichitas with my boys
• bake at least one peach or blueberry themed dessert
• visit a national statepark in my home state, oklahoma
• whip up a batch of homemade lemonade
• take nighttime bike rides around our neighborhood
• indulge in new ice cream flavors from roxy's ice cream any chance i get

i'm curious, what's your summer to-do list?

st. lou for the weekend (p. 2)

after a slow start to the day, T and i walked over to the arch to finally check off T's bucket list to-do of going to the top!

[T loved seeing the views on either side]

[so happy and ready to get back down since the crowds were getting bigger]

[of course, i had to get another frozen treat]

after wandering a bit more around some of the older parts of st. louis, we headed over to get breakfast at the original pancake house. while originally established in portland, their pancakes had made quite the name for themselves in the city. and even though there was a bit of a wait, the apple pancake rocked our socks off (even though T said it was like a dessert)! 

next up, was the zoo...we had been told by several people that it was a must-see and while most aren't too crazy for zoos, T and i love them. T loves checking out the tigers and i am a big fan all sea life, especially polar bears. sadly, the polar bears won't be there until 2015 but, did i mention that T and i got to play with sting rays and sharks? well, we did, and couldn't have been more excited to get to have such a fun 'first' together. 

[hippos, another closet favorite of mine]

[lounging in the shade while planning what we want to see next]

our last spot to visit at the zoo, the butterfly garden, i managed to make a new friend who wanted to come back to oklahoma with us (see below)! of course, we had to say farewell but, i'm glad to know between the stingrays and the butterflies, i've become more animal-friendly.

lastly, before we headed home, we cooled off with homemade custard at the well-known treat shoppe, ted drewes. a perfect end to such a great couple of days away...thanks again st. louis!

[yum]

[gorgeous drive home]

st. lou for the weekend

last weekend, T and i went up to st. louis for a couple of days to relax and spend time just the two of us. between work and planning the wedding, we haven't had a lot of time to just enjoy each other's company. so, we thought a mini getaway would be just the thing to help us detach (temporarily) from life's stresses. it was just what we needed and we already can't wait to plan our next 'venture!

once we got into st. louis, we stopped by to get some bbq at pappy's smokehouse. if the constantly revolving line told us anything when we walked in, is that it was worth the wait! between the locally made root beer from fitz's, the delicious smoked chicken, and the baked beans...we were in bbq heaven. 

next up, was of course, to see the arch. T and i hadn't seen in since our respective school trips in middle school (for me) or high school (for him). T had never been up to the top, so we picked up a couple of tickets for the following morning and, then set out to explore more on foot. 

[of course i had to stop and get a popsicle]

we played tourist walking around citygarden while channeling our inner child and playing in the fountains. ...and for the record, we weren't the only ones, there were a group of kids playing in it first. :)

later that evening, we made our way to the stadium to see the cardinals play the nationals. like most baseball games, it was pretty uneventful but, at least the cardinals took home a win!

[can't enjoy the game without drinks and stadium food]

[i will always love dip 'n dots no matter how old i am]

after the game, we walked down broadway where the street was lined with fun bars and clubs. prior to our trip, i heard we had to check out the local blues at the beale. being the avid blues fans T and i are, we couldn't have been more at home. we loved the intimate atmosphere of the patio where the audience added just as much to the show as the bands. 

after such a dynamite first day in st. louis, we couldn't wait to see what the next day held in store for us!