A Girls Gotta Do What a Girls Gotta Do

Texas has pretty good weather. Yes, the summers are super HOT, especially last summer. But spring and fall are hard to top- and today is no exception. I am especially thankful that we had day light savings this past weekend so I get one extra hour to enjoy the sun!

I have made a vow to enjoy the most beautiful days:

no matter what day of the week it is (Monday...? Sure, why not?)

what plans I may already have, or (Ummm, can we reschedule yoga class?)

how hard I may be trying to stay in shape  (Running? Today? I like to run better when its cloudy.) or

how much money I am trying to save (leftovers? leftovers? I will eat PB and J all week if we can go to a patio...)

So, I vow, on every day that the weather is this amazing- I will finish my work day, throw on some spring casual clothes, find my husband, a friend, or even a stranger and head to the nearest patio. To enjoy the weather, drink a cold beer, and thank God for a fabulous life.

An Austin State of Mind

Last Sunday it was gorgeous here in Fort Worth. So, after doing all of our chores and errands, John and I decided to take a bike ride to a new restaurant in town. It opened a few weeks back and has been getting a lot of buzz. Buzz for many reasons....

The place: The Woodshed. The location: right of the Trinity River (yes, we have water in the river on this side of town). The concept: Having an animal of the day that is roasted on property to serve for the meals that day. The visionary: Tim Love (very famous chef in FW- owning Love Shack and Lonesome Dove).

So, we ventured over there to enjoy a beer on the patio and check out the ambiance. As we pulled up, I felt like I was no longer in Fort Worth. There were people everywhere, bikes everywhere, dogs everywhere, and a guy in the corner singing live country music. It felt like Austin- very relaxed, chill, and welcoming for a Sunday afternoon.











So, we sat down----inside of course----all the outside primo spots were taken----and enjoyed a nice can beer.

Because of all the outdoor area and seating- there is no glass at all in the place. Food is served on metal plates or a cutting board. Beer is either in can or in a plastic cup. Its pretty cool.

Can of cold beer

 We had a great time- went back last night for dinner and enjoyed that as well.

Yummy appetizer- homemade tortillas and meat fat juice...sounds weird---totally delicious!

 I would totally recommend this place- however, with the wait for a seat last weekend and last night- I think it's a little too late to be cutting edge on this one. Darn!

Deserving of a cold one

Before the race! It was chilly!

This morning I ran my first ever 5K. I know to all the runners out there this sounds dorky- but I am super proud of myself. I ran the whole thing...NEVER stopped and even sprinted into the Finish Line. I was proud of my time- not the fastest- but a great place to start.

34:51

I was so nervous all last night- I really wanted to complete the race running----and I did!

My awesome running partner!  We did it!

We had a great time, got our exercise in for the day, and had energy to clean, run errands and enjoy the rest of this gorgeous Saturday.

After the race

Well, and enjoy a well deserved cold one with family and friends!

Might just have to give this 5K thing another go!

Wine-O, Wine-O- its off to Oregon we go!

Oregon is probably one of my favorite states. John said after this trip- its on the rotation of places we have to go to every few years. In the next 5 minutes- I am here to convince you why everyone needs a trip to this magical place.

Oregon really never gets talked about. Its amazing. Its a huge state with very little people. The people that live there are totally laid back and cool. The size of Portland, the largest city by far in Oregon is smaller and less populated than Fort Worth by over 250,000 people. The population of the whole state is just a million more than the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex- with 3.8 million people.

I share this information to prove to you how green, lush, and beautiful this place is. There are trees, grass, mountains, ocean; this is a place where you can really be around the beauty of the Earth. It's the 9th largest state- crazy to think how big this state is and how few people live here.

So, how did we stumble upon this gem? I wanted to take John to a place neither of us had ever been for his 30th birthday 2 years ago. I decided on Oregon-they have wine, they have the ocean- why not?

I am telling you, Sonoma and Napa can NOT compare to the beauty and complexity of the Oregon wineries and wine. The Pinot Noirs are amazing and the views are spectacular. Every winery takes the time to talk about the soil, the craft, and the love that goes into each bottle. If you like Pinots at all- this is the place for you! Its not very crowded and still a little off the beaten "wine" path (although I know it won't be for long).

So, that is the wine country- just 30 miles south of Portland. Then the coast- the fabulous coast. I love the Oregon coast- I love watching the Pacific waves- they are so fierce and hold so much passion. We found a great little town, Lincoln City, only an hour and a half from Portland. They have great restaurants and a great hotel with hot tubs on the balconies. Now, that is a way to enjoy the coast!

As you can see, I am passionate about this place- so it was only right to share the beauty-so, we met my parents there so they could experience it.


And experience it we did! It was a wonderful weekend and a place I hope to travel to again and again.

So, if you aren't afraid of a little overcast, enjoy nature, wine, and the coast- this is the next vacation spot for you!

Changing things up for the weekend

This weekend we are going on a very special trip. We are meeting my parents and going back to Oregon.

I took John to Oregon 2 years ago (wow, time flies) for his 30th Birthday. We had such a great time we wanted to go back and introduce the beauty of Oregon to my folks.

When we went- we fell in love with Pinots in the Willamette wine country.  The good thing- they are an amazing and special wine with tons of flavor, but smooth enough to go with everything- from fish to steak, hot summer day to cold winters night. The bad thing- the good ones are pricey- but worth every penny.

We also fell in love with the people- everyone is so laid back.  We loved exploring all that Oregon has to offer- the wine country, the coast, and the cities.

So, I will take a break from my beer drinking ways to enjoy fabulous wine and company!

Everybody Have Fun Tonight

The past weekend we checked out the new 80's bar that opened in Fort Worth a few months ago, called Studio Eighty. If you love the 80's, heck if you even remotely liked the 80's- you will have a BLAST at this bar.

It's located off University, in between 7th Street and White Settlement Road. We are old- so we got there super early. I would only recommend this time if you are also old and like us- loving dancing by yourselves on the dance floor. We got there around 7:30- really because through all the research, it said they serve food. Reality- they do NOT serve REAL food. They serve bar food. And to keep things easy for them and expensive for us- everything on the menu is 10 dollars. I think that is a lot for bar food. So, don't go hungry.

Terri and I with our 80's waitress

But, the atmosphere was great. All the cocktail waitresses wear their 80's gear- neon colors, leg warmers, and of course- the torn, off -the- shoulder sweat shirts.

And the music- how I loved the music! All the 80's classics were played and all of them we danced to! We got our workout for sure that night. How could you sit on the sidelines with hits like, " I think we're Alone now", " Walk like an Egyptian" , and "Love is a Battlefield".  And the hits go on and on.

We LOVE the dance floor to ourselves!

The bartender said when we walked in as the first customers, things really pick up at 11:30 PM. We left around 11:00 and the place was hopping- a little too hopping for old peeps- but then again, I really like the dance floor all to myself!

The beer was cold, the service was great, and most of all, I got to relive the hits of the 80's all less than 5 miles from home.

John wore his swatch watch

Bean and Chris

Overall, Studio Eighty was one for the books- a place I would definitely go back to. However, next time, I will be dressing the part...neon and leg warmers- here I come!

We really tried to look the part- but need the outfit next time!

A night with Willie and the Boys

I haven't been to a concert in years! So, when I saw that Willie Nelson was coming to town, and coming to Billy Bob's- I couldn't resist the opportunity to get back into live music. I love Willie Nelson for many reasons. The main reason- he's just cool. Everyone loves him. You can be 12 or 90 and you just like the guy. He's true to himself, a great musician, and well, just one of a kind.

So, last night, I dusted off my boots (that I got 3 years ago and have only worn once to the Rodeo) and headed to the Stockyards with John, Terri, and Chris. We started at THE Stockyards tourist restaurant- H3 Ranch. It was a close walk to Billy Bob's after dinner and we wanted to give it a whirl. The place was filled with history and character, the food was delish, and the beer was cold. A great start to the evening.

Terri is "side-saddling" the famous saddle bar stools

Sisters at H3 Ranch

No, I am NOT ever drinking this beer!

 Then, we headed to Billy Bobs' for the concert. I love this place. It's been a few years since I had been there- and the people watching is greatness. You just see it all- especially with a Willie concert. You never know who will be there. (Even US!)

Yep, we are here- part of the people watching I'm sure (esp on the dance floor)

He played all our favorites from "A Good Hearted Woman", " Mamas Don't Let you Babies Grow up to be Cowboys" to " Healing Hands of Time". It was a really great show. He played straight from 10:30 to midnight- only taking a few breaks to let his son, Lucas Nelson, sing. (Which got us thinking...how many kids does Willie have....?)

Yep, the hand stamps! Didn't know we needed a stamp to remind ourselves we were at a party!

 And the beer, wow. Billy Bob's does the cold beer right. They have big beer tubs- so as long as you have cash- there is no line and the bar and the beer has been sitting in ice for hours. I wish more places would pick up on this idea!

Cheers to a great night!

What a great night! And what did I walk away with this evening filled with music, dancing, and more?

I should wear my boots more often!

Love my boots! They are the ones on the left!