same destination...

different ways...

different routes...

arriving from different cities

on different planes...

{of course}

 meeting at one place...

one destination

romantic and exciting in a way don't you think?

our destination:  Fort Worth, Texas

traveled from:       Phoenix ~  Bobby 

                                  arrived Thursday, November 4th

                                 before Adam and Julie's rehearsal

                            I traveled from our home 

                                   without the girls

                                   arrived Wednesday, November 3rd

                                  for extra time with friends and the bride

I literally saw Bobby 30 minutes before the rehearsal

as we dashed to get dressed and head over to Bass Hall

he had already checked in the hotel and met me at the hotel with food in hand

for a friend and I because we were starving

I loved being with girlfriends for 2 days and then meeting up with Bobby

the best of both worlds

in one trip

After the wedding celebration on Friday night

we woke up Saturday and had a date day together

just us two

Bobby used his "weekend home flights"

 to go to Fort Worth

 and I had a free flight from all his traveling

we also had a free night's stay on Saturday
{from his traveling rewards}
*so thankful*

 it couldn't have been more perfect to have an all day date

doing whatever from the moment we woke up
to the moment our heads landed on our pillows that evening

it was sort of exciting and romantic in a way flying from different places and meeting somewhere else

actually it's not "sort of"

it definitely was

so when I saw him Saturday morning

it was like I saw him Thursday night when he first arrived

I was all smiles...

and off the wall excited

we drove down to the stock yards in Fort Worth

I'll emphasize *drove*

because he wanted to walk

and I said...no way...

it's my day off running

and we'll do plenty of walking down there

it would have been 2 miles there and then 2 back

ummm...hello

not in heels

plus we were told not to walk there

of which right after that

Bobby was asked if he was packin'?

because "Papa Mike" said of which we could walk there if Bobby was

 packin'
{laughing out loud here}

not such a good part of town we would have had to walk through Papa Mike said

I almost lost it

when Bobby told me that he was asked if he was packin'

because there is no way Bobby would be

we got ready and headed out

Bobby waited for me...

no really he didn't

he's lucky that way

and rarely has to wait for me

it only usually takes me 5-10 minutes to put on makeup

and change

if my clothes are pre-planned

and if I have coffee

why coffee makes a difference I have noooo idea

and I didn't even have to do my hair that day

I had my Texas volume hair from having it done the night before for the wedding

in case you didn't know

my very fine and thin hair

welcomes volume

lots of volume

and hairspray

lots of hairspray

we walked around

snuck in a rodeo

well we wouldn't have had to pay anyway

we think it was a warm up or amateur practice

because everyone was walking right in for a bit

our slightly obsessed selves found seat number 13

sat down and watched awhile

very hard to get good pictures inside the arena

but really enjoyed

of which we were starving for lunch...

and I was craving fried pickles

I never ask for fried anything

because my stomach doesn't usually appreciate fried

 but Bobby tells me when I actually ask for fried food

he's definitely taking me up on that request

we didn't get fried pickles

because of another place we found

but it really didn't matter all that much if I ate them anyway

 we wanted to check out a pretty neat place we came across

the love shack

it was a multi-level restaurant with tree trunks and trees everywhere

tables fitting in and around the trunks

an order at the window type of place

*love*

you take a number

find whatever seat you want

at their very shiny silver tables

and they bring your order to you

Bobby was worried how on earth they would find our table with our number since we sat ourselves

instead of them seating us

he's so funny...

it didn't really matter to me when we got our food because the atmosphere was fantastic

live music

Bobby with me

and our food arriving just fine

have I mentioned how much I *love* live music with a great cuisine

yep that's my handsome hubby

trying to get active on facebook

{that's only funny to those who know he's so random with it}

I ordered chicken well since I don't eat much red meat

and the tenders were actually seasoned so not just fried

 I was a happy girl to eat

every.single.bite

I really couldn't tell you the last time I had ordered fried chicken tenders

literally 10 years maybe

but I couldn't help but eat two of them before I took the picture I was so excited they had flavor

and not just skinny fries

but flat fries

with a Coca-Cola

my fav soda

yep had the healthiest lunch evah!

we enjoyed the music

but I really could have sat there all day long it was so nice out 

we roamed around and took some pictures of signs and other things that caught my eye

picked up something for the girls because we promised them a surprise

headed back to our hotel room

and fell fast asleep

best nap I've ever had

other than at my friend's cloud sleeper

we could have literally stayed in and ordered pizza

it was one of those naps where you didn't want to get up

but during our Friday morning run
we saw a piano bar

and we made a date to go

have any of you been to one?

we are a fan

and went to one about 7 years ago in South Carolina

so we were determined to wake up

we slapped ourselves silly

to do so

{just kidding...checking to make sure you are with me on this super uber long post with me}

no really we made some coffee

since I only had one cup that morning anyway...

{and not my usual 3}

we walked to go get some appetizers and a drink

see an emphasis here

we like to eat when we're together

we stopped at 8.0 as they were setting up for their live music

and any restaurant that has sarcasm on their menu has a loyal customer in me

this made me laugh

{top left corner}

we walked a few blocks to the dueling piano bar

and had an absolute blast

we headed home as many were just going out

that made us laugh

because

I can only handle late nights occassionally...

and we had several over the weekend

we really loved Fort Worth and how beautiful it was

older buildings

fun places all in walking distance

perhaps why my feet were killing me Sunday and Monday

but the heels were worth it

they always are

now I'm missing Bobby

and can't wait until he's home again

it was a fantastic long weekend

thanks for staying with me on this

if you did...I should say

xo

a favorite place, part two

I thought I would take you to a favorite place of mine

Bobby and I had a date night last weekend

it had been a little while

something we always say that we want to do more often

and need to do so

but you know life and just schedules

but honestly we need to get better at not using life and schedules as an excuse

my parents volunteered to watch the girls for us

and we said

Absolutely

we went to a place right here in our town ~ about maybe 2 miles from us

I love local places

but before we left the house...

Bobby surprised me with this on the counter

I guess he wanted to bring the romance with having blue hydrangeas

and he joked if that was enough wine for a week for me

a week, seriously?

ummm....obviously he over purchased the two buck chuck from Trader Joe's

as a joke

because he read my blog when I joked about wine

I love that he still makes me laugh

seriously...that'll last more like a month

okay maybe 3 weeks

but my favorite thing other than the hydrangeas is that one of my favorite cheeses is back

at Trader Joe's

I really did a happy dance I love it so much

really love

if you haven't tried it

I would advise to stock up on it as it only is available through Christmas

it's their Cranberry Chevre

{fresh goat cheese}

and paired with their pita crackers...yum!

back to our date night...

Unkorked Wine Gardens

we first went there over the summer for a friend's birthday party

and we loved it so much

I think it is officially my favorite restaurant

He got off early from work so we had an extra loooong date day

the few extra hours together was so nice because we didn't have to rush to do anything

probably one of my favorite dates we've had

so I thought I would take you on a tour

so take a walk with me...

I'll show you around

what I love about this place is that it isn't a chain restaurant

it's local

just what our downtown needed

their service is fantastic every.single.time

{well all the two times we have been there}

but it's one of those places that you just know will have great service time after time

it's family ran

which makes me love it even more

I took that picture specifically for the sign

"Well Behaved Children are Welcome"

so come on inside

the location used to be a home and then office

 I read that years ago it was also the first chiropractic office to come to our town

and eventually this past year it was purchased and turned into a family business

Unkorked Wine Gardens

{I skipped a bit of history there just because I don't remember all of it exactly}

I loved how it isn't your typical looking restaurant

it's more beautiful than that

atmosphere is so important at places

and I think they did a wonderful job at creating their wine garden

after we took a look around inside

we did another wine tasting

because they had changed their wine selection

we selected a cabernet for me

and Bobby chose beer of course

as we headed outside to the patio

we saw their table numbers

 Bobby began to scan the place to see if there was a

number 13

he found it

and we smiled as the table was open

"just for us"

because restaurants just reserve tables for us 

right...

only kidding

it was a beautiful day

and as we tried asked for a picture of us...

they all happened to turn out blurry

so we gave up on asking for a date photo

you can sorta see a resemblance of us, right?

last photo's the best

and I actually wore a different color than grey, brown, blue, white

well I still had a little bit of grey

what we loved about our date is that this is a place you can sit and enjoy

we weren't rushed out of the restaurant so they could turn over the table

which seems to be the norm at chain restaurants because that's what they're taught

we sat for several hours

talking

sitting together

enjoying wine,

ordering dinner,

more talking

laughing

and a little bit of more wine,

because everytime I went to the restroom I came back with a glass full

just be careful of that

{wink}

and then more food

 someone wouldn't take the camera out of my face

so I told him I wouldn't look at him

but he still got me smiling

they have live music on Friday and Saturday nights

love that

especially with patio seating

and when we left

this handsome man took us home

his name is Robby just in case you wanted to know

dressed the same as my Bobby

weird, huh?

we happened to meet him on the way out

and he wanted me to take his picture

apparently he wanted to give me a model face

obviously kidding....

that's Bobby

I requested a sort-of-serious face from him

which when I request that

he does the opposite

he does that look everytime I tell him to be serious

he hasn't learned that I do it on purpose yet

a favorite place...

I thought I would take you to a favorite place of mine...

a couple of weeks ago when Bobby got back in town

we were talking about dinner

actually Bobby talking about what sounded good

{food is always on his mind}

I'm just indecisive about dinner

for some silly reason
and usually I'm scrambling to cook something for dinner
or mid-day I send him an e-mail simply saying

dinner?
any ideas on what you want me to do?

typically I don't get a response so I have no idea why I even ask :)

don't get me wrong I enjoy cooking
chopping veggies
making a family meal

I'm not fantastic at it but probably just good enough
I have a really hard time planning meals ahead
I just cannot get into doing that

I'll mark recipes in cookbooks
all the time
but it seems weekends are really
the "try new recipe" times

or when I'll remember
I was going to make that yesterday but just forgot

I'm not your go-to mom for meal planning
or freezing meals ahead to pull them out of the freezer like all you good moms out there

So it was a short travel week that week for Bobby and on Thursday when he came home
he was talking about dinner and what to do
I have no idea why he still asks me what I feel like
because my answer is always the same

"I don't know
just pick and I'll make it..."

I'm really trying to actually cook him some of his favorites lately
because he will be gone shortly here for awhile

but I quickly chimed in that evening

"yesterday..."
{well this was a few weeks ago yesterday}

"I was craving Shakespeare's Pizza Bobby
I don't even know why I was thinking of it?"

I rarely say I'm craving pizza
don't get me wrong
I love it, love it

but I rather make my own at home just so I can add a gazillion vegetables
and extra spice to it

weird my husband says...yes I know...

but if you live anywhere near me
you know the closest Shakespeare's Pizza is an hour and a half away
where I have family from both sides

and shame on me in 15 years of being together
I have never actually physically taken him there
being a family favorite and all

he finally had it for the first time ever this summer
when my sister was in town and my parents got about 5 or so pizzas to-go
for everyone to eat after we drove back home

which he said it's not the same as it eating it there
he's right
part of the reason I love it so much is the atmosphere of the place

the wood and brick inside
the worn outside
the signs that make you smile on the inside

actually now they have two locations in the same town
but the newer location is just not the same as the one in the District

 as we were headed out of town for my friend's bridal shower and to see  family
he surprised me and said

"Let's stop on our way and eat there!"

Me:                  Really?
Me                    Are you sure?
Bobby:              Absolutely!

= big smile on my face

If you know us...
Bobby doesn't do sit-down meal stops when we travel

we barely can say "restroom!"

just kidding
we always have to stop for the girls {and me} for restroom breaks

Anyway thinking about it ~ it made me realize a bit that every trip we take even if 3 1/2 hours away
we never have room for being spontaneous...
 stopping when we see things we would like to look at
or a new place to eat

 when we travel we always seem to rushed
and in the end I was getting stressed because his family was wondering why we arrived later

side note: if you know Bobby he leaves out the details to people
so if he says 20 minutes
you know it's going to be more like 40-50 minutes

that's no joke

so it was only suiting that they didn't know we were stopping for an extra long lunch
{as I'm chuckling right now thinking about it}

it's just one of his quirks that does make me laugh
{after the fact}

we all know I have plenty that drive him nuts too
but I won't dare get started on those


but it was fun while we stopped
the girls looooooved it

and Bobby enjoyed it too

when I order my own little personal size pizza
I rarely order the same thing

I like to mix it up
keep it fun
it's a little inside joke Bobby and I have
because I tease him

he orders same ole'
same ole'
almost every place he goes
a little on the predictable side with food
unless seafood or steak is involved

me...
not so much at all

we have never shared a pizza because we never agree on toppings
he's a meat lovers
I'm not.at.all

So I'm standing there about to order
looking at their menu of toppings

{yes this was the only picture of the restaurant I took that day}

and piped out 

pepper jack cheese

jalopenos

tomatoes

and yes...pineapples for a bit of sweetness

as he stares at me like I've gone crazy

and orders pepporoni

I typically order wheat crust from there because it is sooo good but I simply forgot that day

 I devoured my little pizza except two mini slices

 Bobby was happy because he walked out with some new plastic cups

that sounded strange how I just typed that....

he didn't steal them

they do provide them with your beverage purchase

but just another reason why he said it was really good

 he adores plastic cups like they are going out of style
they are his favorite for

tea, water,

his favorite mixed drinks

he hoards them and collects them

like no one's business

I'd almost say to the point that if it were between the plastic glass and me

it would be the plastic glass

{kidding of course}

we used to go through this with ramekins in college oh boy

I finally had to put my foot down with the ramekins and say

it's either me or the 20 + ramekins you have taken
which those did not come with the meal

needless to say I never really got a response

they just slowly went away
until we were gifted with new ones when we got married

 but I was so grateful for our spontaneous stop for lunch

the little surprise he made happen for us

we need to do that sort of fun more often

now I just want to give him a big hug when he arrives home today

as I'm reminded of that lunch as I'm typing this

oh and stay tuned...

I met a new online shoppe owner at the festival that same weekend

and we got to talking

because I know you all love to support personal business owners

you're going to love her items

I'm head over heels and I know you will be too

just think...

vintage

hair accessories

pins

necklaces

I'll perhaps give you a sneak peak

and share all the details as she is getting everything up and running

xo