born in water

the next stop on my summer road trip was Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

well, sort of. Caitlin and I were lucky enough to have a chance to visit my other Kaitlin pal! she was living with her family at their beautiful home on Lake Minnetonka, and they were wonderful and gracious hosts to us weary travellers. 

we didn't actually spend much time in the city, and instead stuck around Kaitlin's stomping ground to relax and enjoy lake-based activities! we went swimming, paddle boarding, dined at a snazzy lakeside bar, and even went to a boat-in movie! like, a drive-in, but with BOATS. amazing. 

Kaitlin showed us around where she grew up and took us for lakeside drives in her convertible. I wore my floppy hat and felt a little like Jackie Kennedy, not gonna lie. it was a gorgeous few days. 

since our only venture into Minneapolis was to visit the mall of America (duh), I don't actually have any tourist-y tips or anecdotes from Minnesota. what I do know is, if you're lucky enough to know someone who lives around Lake Minnetonka, take advantage of that as soon as possible! it's so beautiful and quintessentially summer. 

sweet home Chicago

holla atcha, bloggerinos.

so I've been a lame-o lately and not so hot with the posting, and kind of frustrated with the whole idea in general. I've been taking it easy with the blogging and doing things I know I'm good at... like watching netflix and eating Mexican food. 

then I remembered, my good friends Kyle & Kenny asked me to help them plan their trip to Europe (and by "asked me to help" I mean that I wouldn't shut up about it and they probably just gave in) and that made me excited! I can't travel myself right now, but I love planning future trips for just about anyone. 

that also got me thinking about my last vacation, which I have yet to finish sharing with you all. after our wonderful stop in Louisville, Caitlin and I continued on to the windy city! 

our first item of business was to head to the ol' ball game at Wrigley field. it was my first professional sports outing! (unless you count QMJHL hockey, which I don't really...). it was so fun and classic archetypal Americana. and we saw the Cubs play the Angels, which really struck a chord with my Disney-loving, Angels in the Outfield-watching self. 

Chicago is such a beautiful city. it's the home of the skyscraper, don't ya know. and man, are they good at 'em! 

the next morning we headed to Grant Park for the Taste of Chicago, which, according to wikipedia haha, is the world's largest food festival. yeah, that had Sarah and Caitlin written all over it. it was the hottest day everrrr. we got free ice cream and listened to jazz music and ate Chicago-style hot dogs; which is, in my opinion, the best of all the dogs! we were so lucky to be in the city while the festival was on. 

we only had one full day in Chicago, and we wanted to see as much of it as we could, so after the park we decided on a boat tour of the Chicago river and waterfront. it was the perfect afternoon activity because it was soooo hot and we were tired, and this way we got to relax while still checking out all the sites. the riverfront has all the best skyscrapers, and the view of the city from Lake Michigan is incredible. 

we continued our water world experience of Chicago over dinner... we were walking around Navy Pier (by the way, beautiful, but not that interesting for adults!) and found a great offer on a dinner cruise, and we couldn't resist! there was a buffet. who among us can resist all-you-can-eat food?

let he cast the first bread roll.

I can't remember the name of the boat, but there are a bunch of them on Navy Pier that seem to be pretty much the same. it was fun! the buffet was great, and there was a neon, light-up dance floor. it was deliciously cheesy in the most delightful way! but the best part was the amazing view of the fireworks over the water, which happens every wednesday. 

it was a magical ending to a great day. 

one day in the windy city, chock full of fun! I would definitely recommend a visit, and definitely take more than one day. if you can. just cause, well. Chicago's pretty sweet. 

wanderlust temporarily subsides. 

♥

the sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home

this post has been a long time coming! 

I've been meaning to share this with you ever since my first Louisville post way back when, but never got around to it. oh well, the pictures of sunshine and warm memories are a nice change from the freezing cold bleakness of January. 

as I said before, our stay in Louisville, Kentucky was one of my favourite parts of our cross-country road trip this summer. we enjoyed shopping and drinking local bourbon-laced beers and swimming in the hotel pool to get over the insane humidity, and one day we took a taste tour.

I think I found it in a pamphlet or something; it was called "the taste of Louisville" and seemed affordable and fun and home-grown. the lady who ran things did everything herself, from the actual tour-guiding to the driving to choosing the food. (I think this is the tour we took, the web page looks a little different, but it sounds the same.) in a nutshell, the tour was amazing!

first stop was across the Ohio river into Jeffersonville to visit a famous, 200-year-old candy shop. (200ish? dangit I took notes all trip so I wouldn't forget these things but my books are all packed away!) 

the owners showed us how their candy is made, using the same methods as when the shop first opened, and made some right in front of us. that goop in the second picture is gonna be noms. I tried and bought a bunch of candy from there, and it's all amazing. and I'm not even a candy person (are people even allowed to say that? am I emblazoning a scarlet letter on myself right now?). 

I brought home some fish candy for a couple sugar-loving friends, and while they appreciated it I don't think they were quite as impressed as I was, having witnessed the birth of those little fishies...

the tour stayed on the Indiana side to stop in a park with a smashing view of the Louisville cityscape. we were served traditional Kentucky hot browns, fried green tomatoes, sweet rolls, and bourbon slush. I would have taken a picture but it was so delicious I kind of inhaled it all... it was so good Cait and I went back to the restaurant the food was from and got it all again the next day! 

after our photo ops the fun little tour bus took us to museum row, then drove around Old Louisville. we learned all about Thomas Edison and the mansions and quirky neighbourhood stories. then we went to Churchill downs and visited the horses! I was a huge horse freak as a kid (and still kinda am) so I was beyond excited. real Kentucky Derby horses at the real Kentucky Derby! you have no idea how badly I wanted to buy one of those giant derby hats...

our Churchill Downs "taste" was, appropriately, derby pie and mint juleps. soooo goooood. ♥

we also made a visit to the University of Louisville and a premier Bourbon Chocolate company, Art Eatables. they're a little family shop that pairs bourbon with chocolate flavours that complement each other. I bought "Big Ass Bourbon" chocolates for my family to try, and they were awesome! 

if you're ever in Louisville, this is the lady you're looking for!

she was so wonderful and interesting and knowledgeable, and you could really tell she enjoyed her job. the bus was cozy and decorated with cushions and twinkle lights and paper flowers. we just had so much fun! 

I'm admittedly a fan of a good tour, but this is by far the best one I've been on. 

I'm especially missing Louisville today... there's so much to see and do, yet it still feels quaint and homey. I would love to go back someday. 

long live the South, right??

in the moment of the meantime...

it's friday! here are a few of my favourite things...

1. this dress is so quirky and cute! and its anatomical correctness means it has Brandon's stamp of approval. Modcloth.

2. I have a travel addiction and this website is enabling me. you put in a starting point and an end point, anywhere in the world, and this website maps out a road trip route and lists attractions and restaurants and places to stay along the way. it's my new favourite time-waster! Road Trippers. 

3. dies for a bit of plaid lately, I do! Ruche.

4. I can't wait to buy these beauties in the States so I can avoid the brutal international shipping! I love the cognac colour and gold accents. Seychelles.

5. lately I've been craving Mexican food aaaaaalllll the time. enchiladas, tacos, burritos. here are a couple recipes I'm wanting to try; shrimp enchiladas with jalapeño cream sauce, chill-fried butternut squash tacos, and my favourite cream cheese enchiladas (they're a big hit with my family too!). Pinterest.

6. these dresses from Stop Staring are perfection, but way out of my price range. maybe they'll go on sale? Modcloth.

7. I've been chilly every day since moving out of St. John's, so I'm currently loving long, cozy cardigans in geometric and nordic prints. Ruche.

this week has flown by too fast! it seems like I just finished my friday favourites for last week. 

I'm starting to get restless just sitting around my family's house all day. all our stuff is in boxes, we don't know anyone in town, and there really isn't much to do. I'm really itching to get the ok from New York and get moving! 

in the meantime, it's local beer and Dexter to pass the time. 

not too shabby, I suppose!

playing: Venice queen- red hot chilli peppers

due South

well, it's been a very busy weekend!
between work and play and a few side projects....

this saturday fellow blogger friend Caitlin and I had a vintage and used clothing sale. it was a whole lot of work to pull off, but it went very well! we had a nice turnout, people seemed to really enjoy it, and it was fun! I had every intention of bringing my camera along and sharing photos with you today, but of course in all the hustle and bustle and foggy 6am brain, I forgot.
so instead, here's the next lot of photos from our roadtrip!

next stop, Louisville, Kentucky!

it was kind of an unexpected stopover, but what a fantastic city! it was definitely our favourite part of the trip. and how exactly did we end up so far out of the way of our cross-Canada route? well I'll tell you.

for my birthday, Brandon ingeniously got me tickets to see the Eagles here in Newfoundland. they've been one of my favourite bands since I was a kid! I was excited to go, but then Caitlin and I had a last minute schedule change for the road trip. I didn't want to miss the trip, but I didn't want to miss the Eagles either... so we looked up where else on the way (relatively!) they were playing and thought hey, wouldn't it be hilarious and awesome to see them in Kentucky?

long story short I sold my tickets in Newfoundland and we bought Eagles tickets for the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville!

it was an incredible city. 

if you've never been to Louisville, you have to go. you might think (like we did) "what the heck is there to do in Louisville?" but the answer is: SO MUCH. 

we saw the Eagles on the first night we arrived, and they were AMAZING. I was soooo happy. on day two, we went searching for Colonel Sanders' grave and visited the Louisville Slugger museum and factory. and day three was even more fun-packed!

there are great museums, city tours, historical sites, and amazing restaurants. we had so much fun there I can't even explain how vibrant and friendly and interesting it is. so just go. 

I'll have more Louisville pictures in the next couple days.

till then, have a good one! y'all come back now, ya hear?

(sorry, couldn't resist with the southern vibe...)

love love!

photos:

1. officially entering "the South."

2. Sarah & Caitlin go to White Castle!

3. the hilariously named local stadium where I finally saw the Eagles.

4. a statue in Cave Hill Cemetery

5. a Kentucky standard.

6. the Colonel himself!

7. a quaint and pleasant gravestone.

8. the world's largest baseball bat at the Louisville Slugger museum.

9. what a Babe!

10. those lady ball players sure looked snazzy.

11. striking a pose with Mickey Mantle's real bat.