Milwaukee 2.0- Day 1

Hello Readers!

Life has been, or shall I say, continues to be, busy.  Two weeks ago I took my comprehensive exams for my Master's program, then last weekend I went to Milwaukee for a communication conference. Busy busy!

I love dressing for cool weather, and I was in luck last weekend in Milwaukee!  On Friday and Saturday the weather was in the 40s and 50s, and I reveled in the opportunity to wear my trench coat and layers.  

I also had another opportunity- I was able to meet up with my bff from undergrad!  Jessica (my bff from undergrad), my friend Deanne (who was also going to the conference), and I grabbed lunch at Panera.  The place where Jessica works was on the way to Milwaukee, so I couldn't pass up grabbing lunch with her!  It was such a delight to catch up with her, and I enjoyed introducing my friend from undergrad to my friend from grad school!

Jessica!

Reunited!

After lunch, Deanne and I made our way into Milwaukee, checked into our hotel, checked into the conference and then went to the historic Third Ward of Milwaukee (which is charming) and stopped by the Anthropologie located in this sweet location.  This Anthropologie was HUGE!  I didn't buy anything, but I was amazed at the selection of items at this store!  But, I held off on purchasing anything in anticipation of the upcoming fashion showcase at my St. Louis store.

For dinner, Deanne, one of her friends, and I went to dinner at an amazing Thai restaurant, The King and I.  Almost exactly two years ago, I ate at The King and I when I attended the 2009 Wisconsin State Bar Annual Convention for my old job.  The restaurant wowed me two years ago, and it wowed me again! If you are ever in Milwaukee, and you have a hankering for Thai- The King and I is a great place to dine!

After dinner the three of us went on an excursion to Waukesha for gelato at Paciugo.  The gelateria is situated at a mall, which made it look like a boring ice cream place at first glance. (Paciugo is a chain store, but don't hold that against their delicious gelato!) Being a bit of an ice cream snob, I wasn't sure if I would like this place but I was wrong!  Paciugo was amazing! They had a unique selection of flavors that included varieties like chocolate coconut curry, acai sorbet, chocolate extra virgin olive oil, and chocolate orange saffron.  The flavors I settled on where rose and violet.  I fell in love with the violet gelato. What was it like? Imagine everything delicious about vanilla gelato and infuse it with the light decadence of violet pastille candies.  Here are a few shots of me with my new favorite flavor of gelato- Violet!

Again- YUM!

You betcha!

A Fresh Start

Hello Readers!

2011 is here! I don't know about the rest of you- but I am happy to leave 2010 behind. Yes, many good things happened in 2010 (teaching Public Speaking), but it was also possibly the most intense year of my life as a student and perhaps the most overall stressful year. So. . . with a renewed sense of optimism and focus, I welcome this New Year with open arms!

Yesterday, as many of you will know (you probably even wrote on my facebook wall or sent me a message), was my birthday. The BIG 2-5. I don't think that I've ever really been a fan of milestone birthdays- my 10th birthday, my 16th birthday (when I convinced myself that my parents were going to surprise me with a car, and there was no car), my 21st birthday (I went to Greenville, so I couldn't drink alcohol), and now my 25th birthday.

This birthday was by no means a let down, but it was much more quiet than birthdays of years past. Maybe it was because I'm getting older (25 IS a quarter of a century, after all), but I am going to claim wisdom teeth extraction recovery as the reason, and a mid-week observance of my birthday. . . yes- those are the reasons.

My birthday began with a trip to The Fresh Market with my mom to pick out a cake (we chose a Coconut Cream Layer Cake). Usually, I get a cake from Trefzger's Bakery, but last year we changed things up a bit with a cake from Hansen's Le Bakery, and this year I decided to try something new again. I'm not sure how many of you have ever visited The Fresh Market before, but it is like the Anthropologie of grocery stores. It's a place of tranquility, well-organized shelves, and a calming interior.

After The Fresh Market, we ate lunch at Panera. This is another place I love, and I was glad to include their tuna salad sandwich to my mild-mannered birthday celebration. Thank you mom for the delicious lunch!

For dinner, my dad took me to Basta O'Neill's where he had Pasta Carbonara (one of his favorite dishes) and I had the lacquered Atlantic salmon over whole wheat pasta and green beans- delicious! Sometimes salmon can be a bit of a risk in the Midwest (especially from an ocean)- but this was as delicious as the salmon I remember from my days in the Pacific Northwest. My compliments to the chef!

After dinner, my dad and I went home and then almost everyone in my family (minus Grant) gathered around my lovely coconut cake and sang happy birthday. Thanks guys! After I blew out the candles, my mom presented me with an unexpected gift from Grant! At the ages that my brothers are, it is quite uncommon for them to buy birthday presents- but he did!

Sometime during Christmas break, I mentioned a book that I wanted to read- and Grant remembered and even ordered it from Barnes and Noble! (Inside a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz). Good job Grant! I look forward to reading this!

Hopefully this book will help me understand my dog, Meeka (pictured below)