Thursday, September 27, 2012

Plonk Wine Bar - Oak Forest Area

This past week I went to dinner with some former co-workers of mine to Plonk Wine Bar in the Oak Forest Area off of 43rd Street.  It's a cute place with a relaxed atmosphere (you order your wine & food at the counter) & a great place to catch up with old friends!

I love love love bread.  They have some of the BEST bread for appetizers.  The girls & I tried two different kinds and ate every piece. One had a sun-dried tomato spread baked in on top. SO GOOD.

They also have excellent pizzas.  We ordered two pizzas (Margarita & Pepperoni), but they are very gourmet!  Plonk is known for their Guanciale Burger and I have tried it before and it's just crazy good! A must try.

I also decided I wanted to make their wine glasses into stemless, so I helped them with that process!





Ignore my face...we were laughing at my clean break of the glass! Don't worry...no wine was spilled!

XO-
Sarah

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

I can't live without my...

Erin Condren Daily Planner!



A realtor always has to be organized and stay on top of their schedule as it's ALWAYS changing, like constantly. I never know how my week is going to go. I used to be addicted to my calendar on my phone, but realized that's it's hard to refer to my calendar and put notes, etc when I am ON the phone. I am definitely planning to purchase another planner at the end of this year (I got this one last year for Christmas) and I love that you can personalize them!


Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Back in Heels! Well, heel...

Well, I'm back... Sorta. I'm sporting this fall's latest fashion trend: wedges and walking boots!  Halfway back to my normal self!  Ready to get my left foot back in heels!

XO-
Sarah

Monday, September 17, 2012

Bedrooms to Dream About

My bedroom is one of my favorite places in my home! I love to sleep and my bed is a haven from busy life. I have had the same bedroom set (more like a hodge-podge of finds & re-purposed items) and bedding since I've lived in Houston and recently have been feeling like I am ready for a change. 

I am no interior decorator, so I am constantly surfing websites for ideas. One of my favorite places to look online (and at catalogs) is Ballard Designs. They have great bedroom inspirations and bedrooms that I would die for.  Here are a few of my favs...


I LOVE green and this just makes me smile.
 Blue/Grey is also one of my favorite colors right now and I love the whitewashed headboard against this wall color!
 Hell-o Blue! I cannot take my eye off this bed!

 And here is my final favorite - I am really loving the canopy, perfect if you have high ceilings! 



Saturday, September 8, 2012

Hot Restuarant's Right Now in Houston

CultureMap does a monthly article about where to eat right now in Houston.  I love trying new restaurants and trying something different, so I have been checking their lists out each month.  I definitely think I am going to be trying Sparrow Bar, Lucille's & maybe 1252 Tapas.  I live really close to Dolce Vita and went there many times before the fire - very delicious pizzas!

Here’s where you should eat right now in Houston.

Sparrow Bar + Cookshop
T’afia has been rebranded and is now masquerading as Sparrow Bar + Cookshop. The interior has received a quick facelift, including new tables and light fixtures, plus curious chemistry tie-ins like Erlenmeyer flasks as water vessels and test tubes of salt and pepper.
Monica Pope devotees will recognize a similar menu style (small, shareable plates, proteins a la carte) and even many of the same dishes.
1252 Tapas Bar
Thanks to the success of its first two locations, 1252 Tapas Bar has opened a third, this one in Uptown Park. The menu of Spanish-style tapas is well executed, though pretty standard.
An authentic tapas place will always be judged on its paella, and this version is worthy. We like to stop by the lovely space for a $3 sangria at Happy Hour.
Golden Grill
Comfort food abounds at the Golden Grill, a new food truck offering gourmet grilled cheeses. I loved my deliciously messy “Kimcheese,” whole wheat bread filled with Cheddar cheese, truck-made kimchi, grilled onions and a fried egg.
And yes, you most certainly can get your grilled cheese with tomato soup: Chipotle tomato soup with goat cheese crumbles, to be exact.
Cuchara
Brightening up Taft and Fairview across from Boheme is Cuchara, a new restaurant offering “Mexico City food.” That plays out in a beautiful menu of moles, nopales, barbacoa and shrimp . . . Think Hugo’s, not Ninfa’s.
Stop by the lovely light-filled restaurant, currently in its soft opening, for dinner or Sunday brunch.
NOLA’s Creole 2 Geaux
I’m picky when it comes to po'boys, but recently enjoyed the ones at the Creole 2 Geaux food truck. Mardi Gras for your mouth? Maybe.
Mine featured blackened shrimp, fresh lettuce and tomato, and just the right amount of spicy sauce, all on lightly grilled French bread. Each po'boy comes with a pretty big side — a nice perk, even if the sides are middling.
Lucille’s
The museum district is finally getting some fresh meat with Lucille’s. The new spot is a “Southern cuisine restaurant with European influences,” marrying the chef’s own upbringing with his training at Austin’s Le Cordon Bleu school.
I’m hoping Lucille’s is the answer to Houston’s woeful lack of good biscuits.
Jade Stone Café
And there’s even more good news for the Museum District with the new Jade Stone Café, right inside the Asia Society Texas Center. Jade Stone offers a basic café menu — sandwiches, soups, salads — all kicked up with subtle Asian touches (think wasabi spreads, ginger dressings and the like).
And the space? It’s as serenely beautiful as you might imagine.
Table 19
19th Street’s homey little Pie in the Sky is now Table 19. The menu of breakfast items and café fare has received only slight updates. We like the salads (though you’d be wise to ask for the dressing on the side).
And good news: You can still find the former resident’s fabulous pies at Table 19, in addition to other outlets including Buc-ee’s and several Urban Harvest farmers markets.
Dolce Vita
News of the fire last May at Dolce Vita hit us like a prize fighter: It was painful and jarring, and it left us agog with heads spinning. Fortunately the prognosis was good, and the effervescent eatery is back in top form once again.
You’re now welcome to make your way back for the addicting pizzas, pastas and salads. Beat the crowds by heading over at lunch.
Juice Girl
It’s nice to see a lighter food truck on the scene these days. Juice Girl offers creative juice mixes and smoothies, all of which taste especially nice in the Houston heat. All juices are made fresh with organic produce (local when possible). More good news: Juice girl often sets up near another food truck, so you can support two local businesses in one stop.

See the article from it's source, CultureMap.

XO-
Sarah

Friday, September 7, 2012

Game Day Dresses

I love dresses, they are my go to outfit!  Easy to put together an outfit in the morning when it's only one piece.  I pretty much always wear dresses and as a girl who's not really a t-shirt gal, I love cute game day dresses!

In honor of this weekend's big game for my school - Texas State (vs. Texas Tech), here are a few of my favorite sites for game day dresses:

Natalie Kim...OMG these are some of the cutest dresses I have ever seen. I love that they are custom!  You can pick your dress & colors. LOVE. THAT. I am definitely ordering one of these, but probably won't be wearing it until next year because I think they will take a little while to get.
 
 
 
Dress U Boutique ... I am really liking the Chevron print dresses! None of these are really in my school colors, but there are lots of options and cute dresses just in general.
 

Blue Door Boutique ... This is actually my favorite store to order clothes from online. I love their stuff. I probably own 10 dresses or so from here! They sell out fast and have a few game day dresses left.

 
Revelry Dresses ... I actually ordered 2 dresses from here! Below are the dresses that I ordered. I like that they have dresses by color. I really like that one of the dresses that I ordered is a 3-way dress. I should be able to get plenty of wear out of it!





Thursday, September 6, 2012

Kitchens


Kitchens. I love them. Kitchens are a huge selling point in a house. Kitchens are the heart of a house and they set the feel for the home. Right now I am loving white cabinets and white/off-white marble.  Here are some of my favorite finds...

I love the exposed storage and lighting in this kitchen. I also am a big fan of the farmhouse sink!
 
I love the huge island and cabinets with the peep through design. The pendant lighting is also different than what I usually see in kitchens. Another farmhouse sink! Only negative on this kitchen is the flooring choice for me.

 
I just thought this was a cool idea for seating that's different from what you normally see.  I love the contrast of the cabinets and the table/bench seating!
 
XO-
Sarah

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

High heeled hopes, crushed...part 2

Ok, so my doctor is not that big of a liar. Today my walking has improved slightly and I've even gotten to the point that I've put all my weight on my left foot...so I'm getting there. At turtle speed.

I did show 3 houses today, so that helped along my walking progress. I only almost fell like twice, so no biggie... I can now get around the house on one crutch for the most part. Stairs are the biggest evil right now.

This is also helping my pain...(yes that is a dog get well card from my mom telling me I will be back to fab in no time...don't be jealous!)

Sole Society

So I'm not necessarily a shoe crazed girl, but I do usually only wear heels. The first time I wore flats to work was when I became a realtor. But I still stick to my heels. I miss my heels. This broken foot has really cramped my style. Literally. 

I am in a shoe club called the Sole Society. Since I've been sitting around and unable to walk I have this sudden urge to stock up on shoes. Makes sense, right?  Here are some of my favs below:
Yellow Polka Dots, yes please.

I love these wedge boots! Perfect for showing houses this fall!

These should be awesome this winter for going out to dinner with some tights!


XO-
Sarah

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

High Heeled Hopes, crushed.

Thought for some reason I would've able to walk today after my post surgery doc appointment. My doctor lied. He told me I would be able to. He promised!! I blame him for giving this little busy body false hope that all would be okay today and miraculously I could walk again. LIES i tell you! I'm still limping along on my crutches trying really hard to put an ounce of body weight on my left foot. Not Happening. UGH. No closer to heels. To be continued...

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Monday, September 3, 2012

Finally, Football Season!

It's back! Saturday tailgates, Waking up to College Gameday and shopping for the perfect game outfit (of course). Even with a broken foot, I managed to make my alma mater's, Texas State, first game of the season. I had bought tickets a month ago, so i really wanted to try to make it. It just happened to be in Houston at University of Houston, which is fairly close to where I live. I sat the whole time with my foot propped up (the nice people in front of me let me use their spot).  We were 35-point underdogs and won! It was really exciting and I'm looking forward to next weekend's game vs. Texas Tech!

Me & My Brother (my wonderful helper) at the game.
The crew: My brother's friend, Ryan, his wife Rachael, me & my parents.
 
XO-
Sarah

Saturday, September 1, 2012

On the Mend

This realtor gal is finally on the mend. I found out this week my broken foot was not healing properly and it made sense because I was in a ton of pain.  So after paying the equivalent of several Tory Burch wedges, I had surgery and I'm pleased to announce I'm on the mend! 

T-minus 6 weeks and I'm back in heels! Countdown starts NOW!