Archival Designs

Archival Designs
Location: Crossroads Arts District

I’m really excited about today’s post because I can’t get enough of Jake and Julie’s artwork – hand thrown pottery. Chad and I love it so much that we got 8 place settings from them and generally can’t go to First Friday’s without picking something up.

I strongly recommend stopping by their shop on First Fridays. All of their items are very affordable and make great gifts. They’ve got everything from mugs and other standard dishes to pie dishes and cake stands. In fact, you can see a cake stand that we used on our Wine Wedding day here.

And if you’re looking for custom tile or artwork as your back splash, they have created some of the most amazing murals  I’ve ever seen – including scenes from Paris, Venice and even the Country Club Plaza! You can see photos of that work by checking out the portfolio section on their website.

The work that they do is just incredible. I can’t thank them enough for creating the place settings that we’ll have for years to come and I can’t wait to get my next piece and continue adding to our collection.

Meet Award Winning Homebrewer – Rob Rys

Rob Rys
Location: Roeland Park, KS
Homebrew Name: Supernatural Brews

I met Rob several years ago when I was working with his wife Kellie at HCA. Now he’s a part of KC Nanobrews with Chad and has won a number of home (beer) brewing competitions. I’m impressed with how many he has won in such a short amount of time and thought it would be fun to feature him here and share more on the competitions and his winnings.

Rob’s First Place IPA

What do you think is the best prize you’ve received so far?

The best would have to be the feedback. I’ve tweaked several beers from the comments I received and the next version usually resulted in a win or a higher score. I’ve also received gift cards from Midwest Supplies and Northern Brewer along with competition medals. Overall, I think competitions need to put more effort into the prizes. Competitions are  getting more expensive and organizers should recognize the time, money, and effort that goes into entering.

Are you surprised you’ve won so many competitions in such a short period of time?

Yes! I never expected it. I guess this means I should listen to my wife and friends….

Any advice for new brewers interested in joining the competition?

Just do it. At the very least you will get some useful feedback. It doesn’t take long to bottle a few beers and ship them off. Make sure you pick the right style for your entry, the judging process is all about staying within the BJCP guidelines. Also, join up with a local homebrew club like KC Nanobrews. Their website has a list of competitions and local homebrewers available to answer questions.

 

For more on Rob and his creations you can follow him on facebook at Supernatural Brews

Racin’ for Rescues 5K

Racin’ for Rescues 5K 
Location: Shawnee Mission Park
Date: Sunday, May 19
Time: 7 a.m.

I always enjoy walking for a cause. It’s great to know I”m a part of making a difference in someone else’s life and I love being around a group of people who come together to do the same thing.

The other thing I love about them is seeing the city from a different perspective. The KC Susan G Komen race starts at Union Station and goes through downtown and the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association walks start at Theis Park and go along Brush Creek then back through the Country Club Plaza. While I am near these places often, it’s a totally different point of view when you’re walking and it really gives you time to take it all in.

Bailey at Shawnee Mission Dog Park

I’m currently looking forward to the Racin’ for Rescues 5K which is a walk you can do with your dog(s) and benefits the Unleashed Pet Rescue and Adoption. It’s being held at Shawnee Mission Park and if you haven’t been there you’re in for a real treat. It’s gorgeous! And after the walk I recommend taking your dog to their great off-leash park with “canine only” swimming in the lake.

Click here to register
Click here to find the event on Facebook

The Classic Cookie

The Classic Cookie
Location: Waldo

As many of you know, I have a sweet tooth. Several years ago when I was working for a photographer in Waldo I was introduced to a restaurant that serves a basket of mini cookies and muffins with lunch and fell in love.

Now, I like to go with Chad for breakfast. It’s very small with a short and simple breakfast and lunch menu. The chairs don’t match and the food reminds me of going to my grandmother’s house.

As you can imagine, they also specialize in baked goods and cookies and muffins are their specialty. My favorite cookie of all time and of theirs is the snickerdoodle, but I recommend getting the cookie and muffin basket and trying a variety. This last weekend I had a chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips. Yep, it was the bomb.com.

They also have tins that you can fill with cookies and make great gifts. Or if you’d like to give a gift that keeps on giving, they have a cookbook that includes delicious recipes from the owner of the restaurant. We got one for Chad’s mom and everything she makes from it is amazing.

A Tribute to JJ’s

JJ’s was a Kansas City classic on the Country Club Plaza that tragically burned down on Tuesday, Feb. 19.

I noticed the dark smoke in the sky on my way home from a meeting at Boulevard Brewery and realized it was coming from the Plaza as I got closer. When I got home, I could still see the smoke from my house, which is about 10 blocks south of the restaurant. I got on my computer and pulled up Twitter and within an instant saw several tweets about the explosion that demolished the restaurant.

My view from East of the Plaza during JJs Fire

The first thing I did was text my co-worker (and nail consultant), Jackie, to make sure she was okay because she lives very close to the restaurant. She said she was outside when it happened and “EVERYTHING shook” but she was okay.

Then I text my friend (and real estate agent), Elizabeth, who had just eaten at JJ’s on her birthday/Valentine’s Day with her husband and newborn baby. I knew she was okay, but wanted to let her know that I was very grateful that her birthday wasn’t today. That made me think about the people that were there celebrating for whatever occasion and what a terrible day it must be for their friends and family.

Sad day. A great loss for Kansas City.

Amigoni Urban Winery

Amigoni Urban Winery
Location: West Bottoms

Happy day! I’m not sure how I haven’t heard of this place until now, but there is a local vineyard that has a winery in the West Bottoms of Kansas City! There are lots of great things about this winery including the fact that they also have tastings of Boulevard beer – something for the men if they aren’t into wine.

The venue is spectacular! Two stories with a separate event space room with wine barrels and a bar. My friend Kellie kept saying it would be perfect for a rehearsal dinner and I totally agree.

The wines are delicious and affordable and they also serve light appetizers like fruit and cheese trays.

I came across this place on Facebook when I saw my friend Mollie and her family went there for her mother’s birthday. I thought it looked great, but was totally blown away when I actually went. So fun, easy to get to and I’ll certainly be back soon.

I’m Guest Blogging at SocMedSean Today

Check out my “Cupcakes and Controversy: A Lesson in Business Social Media Etiquette” blog post on SocMedSean here: http://bit.ly/WUBGvk 

Anna’s Oven

Anna’s Oven
Location: 39th Street – Westport

I’ve been to a lot of great KC restaurants lately, and every time I think to myself, I’m going to blog about this. Unfortunately, I don’t have all of the time in the world, so I’ll take what I can get and share what I can. Today’s restaurant is quaint, never too busy (or at least not when I’ve been there) and has a great menu!

Anna’s Oven is located in a hotbed of great restaurants on 39th Street. I worry about it because it’s so small and never very crowded when I’m there. I wonder if it’s because it neighbors so much great competition.  Either way, it’s definitely worth overlooking some of your other favorites to give it a shot.

They are a noodle based company, so they offer lots of pasta at very reasonable prices. The first time I went I had their chicken noodle soup that reminded me of my childhood friend, Mollie’s grandparents’ soup. Chad ordered the mac & cheese which you can’t go wrong with and they have a variety of options – including lots of good vegetarian items.

I highly recommend ending with their blueberry pineapple cobbler. Delicious!