Kansas Weekend {Dinner with the Prof}

Friday afternoon after we left Kansas City and checked into our hotel in Lawrence we were invited to dinner at the home of Christian's old geography professor and his wife.  The drive to Tom & Barbara's home up in the hills overlooking the Kansas River was beautiful and serene {especially after experiencing gusts of wind up to 50 mph outside} and when we drove up to their gorgeous home and were instantly offered a glass of wine, I knew I would feel right at home there.  We spent the evening snacking and drinking fabulous wine while they walked us around the house, introduced us to their outdoor cats, and showed us their beautiful paintings and photography displayed throughout the space while telling stories of travel, art, politics, and history.  It was a cozy and relaxing evening topped off with a delicious homemade lasagna  and peach pie and before we knew it the clock struck midnight and time to head back to the hotel.  That's the thing about engaging conversation with wonderful people - the time just flies!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{checking out our local wine outlet}

{dinner}

{saturday brekkie}

{who knew it was so hard to pick out dishes}

{cocktails after a long day of running errands}

{curry}

{easter bunny scramble}

{easter yoga}

{easter dinner}

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Let Them Eat Cake!

For a little Friday fun, here's a look at one of the best parts of wedding planning so far - cake tasting.  I picked up our pre-chosen samples last week which were conveniently baked into cupcakes with frosting and fillings on the side so we could mix and match to find the best combos for the wedding.  Spoiler alert - after going back for more over several nights, I can confirm they were all spectacular.  While we have some faves, I'd really be happy with any of them.  I mean, who doesn't love some delicious cake?!?

Happy Friday!

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Kansas Weekend {Joe's Kansas City Bar-B-Que}

Friday morning we had one goal - eat some good ol' Kansas City BBQ!  We started the day with coffee and yogurt near the hotel and some souvenir shopping, then drove out to the WWI Museum & Memorial which had beautiful views of the city and places to soak up some sun {and wind}.  We were on a bit of a time crunch so we quickly headed out to find the bbq, and since Christian is the expert in this area I let him pick his favorite to take me to.  We ended up at Joe's Kansas City BBQ {formerly Oklahoma Joe's}, a world famous spot in a gas station that Anthony Bourdain called one of his 13 places to eat before you die - if it's good enough for Tony, it's good enough for me.  The line was out the door {obviously a great sign} but once you got inside the gas station counter was selling beers to keep you occupied while waiting to order food.  After much debate {and some yummy beer} I decided on the Carolina Pork Sandwich {the pulled pork is their house specialty} with a side of potato salad, and Christian got the Z-Man on Texas toast with a side of burnt ends to share.  The food was absolutely delicious {and incredibly filling} and definitely lived up to the hype I've been hearing about since we first started dating.  Now, if only we could find some delicious bbq in Seattle.....

in line for line beers

xoxo,

stephanie marie

Kansas Weekend {Kansas City}

We spent the past long weekend in Kansas and Missouri visiting old friends of Christian's and having him show me around his old stomping grounds {did you know he lived in Kansas for 10 years before moving to Seattle?}.  We arrived on Thursday afternoon to a windy but warm day, and after dropping off our bags and freshening up at our hotel in the Plaza area of Kansas City {Missouri} we headed out to explore.  We walked around the neighborhood, with C pointing out shops and landmarks, then headed to our dinner reservation at Rye, a restaurant he has been talking about since his last trip there over 5 years ago.  We had a delicious meal at this cute and popular spot, but the real highlight was the banana cream pie he's been dreaming out for 5+ years {and yes, it really was that good}.  After dinner we weren't quite ready to go to bed so we headed down the street to Prime Social, a cool rooftop cocktail bar that served yummy drinks with views of the city that were the perfect way to end our first day in Kansas City.

{brussels sprouts with ham and bacon mustard vinaigrette}

{hanger steak with fries and greens}

{pork chop with kale and potatoes}

{the infamous banana cream pie}

xoxo,

stephanie marie