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Charting the style of daily life...with the mouth of a sailor.

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NWS in The Nash part 3

family, food, fun and games, travelNavigate with StyleComment
Our final day in Nashville was jammed packed with music, food and coffee...



Nashville Public Library - It's well known among locals the downtown Nashville library puts on incredible programs in their children's section. The boy and I walked a few blocks from our hotel to see a marionette show but in its place was a live concert featuring local jazz band Coal Train Railroad. This is Nashville so the band was amazing and we are the happy new owners of CTRR's latest album.


Provence Breads & Cafe - After our excitement at the library we needed a little sustenance so we headed to this bakery at the base of the library for a chocolate covered marshmallow for the boy and a savory nut and cheese cookie for me...both were delicious!

Bongo Java - This Belmont/Hillsboro neighborhood coffee house roasts their own beans and is a great lunch spot to boot. The outdoor deck was packed (in January!) with college students sporting Alexander Wang handbags, hipsters and yuppies working on their macs and then me with my 3 year old boy and my Nashville based musician cousin. The hummus plate was kick ass and the customer service was great. That strip of restos, shops and rental homes is super charming and is close to Belmont University as well as Vanderbilt.




Grimey's New & Preloved Music - My husb is always on the hunt for cool record shops so on the recommendation of my cousin we headed to Grimey's and left with an array of new vinyl, including Don Ho's Greatest Hits, found in the oddities section.






The Wild Cow - I'm not a veggie or a vegan but I love visiting vegetarian restaurants and I'm always impressed and amazed with their selection and execution of meatless dishes. We were all pleased with our meal choices but agreed our favorite dish was the shared appetizer of Buffalo Tempeh Strips with homemade ranch sauce...YUM!!!





Ugly Mugs - After dinner we needed to grab some coffee for the drive back to Indiana and this coffee house shares a parking lot with The Wild Cow. Ugly Mugs serves and sells locally roasted beans by Drews Brews and helps to anchor this East Nashville block of independent businesses.

I still have a huge to do list for Nashville so I'm already looking forward to a trip back for more exploration!

xx
JDF

NWS in The Nash part 2

design, family, fun and games, me, travelNavigate with StyleComment
Day 2 in Nashville centered around the boy:


* The Frist - I was more than happy to visit The Frist Center for Visual Arts. I'd read about the extensive, hands on children's area but I also knew the building was a gorgeous example of Art Deco style which is a favorite of mine. The building was originally Nashville's main post office, built in the early 1930's. Walking the steps and into the main lobby was such a treat for me. We arrived to the upstairs children's area and while I was thrilled with the options the boy was a tad underwhelmed. He isn't so much artistic as he is passionate about trains and making loud noises and well, you can imagine the Frist didn't exactly cater to his desires.

* Old Union Station - This stunning building is now a hotel but the boy and I had a great time walking the main terminal (now the lobby) and then outside to gaze upon the commercial rail lines still active behind the building. We'll be staying at this hotel next time we visit Nashville in a room facing the west so we can see and hear the trains 24 hours a day...yippee!



* The Monkey's Treehouse - Gwyneth Paltrow's kids played here while she was shooting Country Strong (good enough for me) so we drove out to the 'burbs so the boy could run free and wild and...play with all the Thomas trains he already owns at home. Oh well, he had a blast and we stayed for hours...


* Phillip's Toy Mart - This 65 year old toy store is loved by all the locals and has Lionel trains set up and running so naturally we made this stop a priority. The boy acquired two new pull back engines and I bought some fizzy Hello Kitty candy that I enjoyed in my childhood. Above the working train set is a loft so kids can climb up and have a birds eye view of the tracks.



* Nashville's Broadway - The flashing lights and abundance of live music of Broadway are hard to ignore and while the strip may be a huge tourist trap walking the street, buying some cheesy souvenirs and eating at Mike's Ice Cream are must do activities. We had fun...we are, after all, tourists!







xx
JDF

NWS in The Nash part 1

accessories, cosmetics, eco, family, food, fun and games, media, shopping, travelNavigate with StyleComment
Howdy! I had a wonderful first day exploring Nashville! I did extensive online research before arriving so I have huge list to knock out. Here's what I've done so far...keep in mind I have a 3 1/2 year old boy nipping at my heels!

* Drove the city - This is always the first thing I do when visiting a new place. I like to get familiar with the various areas and love to get lost...

* Lunch at Swett's - I've read a bunch about the "meat and 3" meals in this area of the country and heard that Swett's was an institution. Meh...the place smelled great but the mashed potatoes were fake and the BBQ ribs were dry and tough.




* Shopped the Green Hills area - In addition to the Mall at Green Hills there is a super cute but small outdoor mall called Hill Center Green Hills (such creative names here) packed with some fab stores like H. AudreyPoshWhole Body (by Whole Foods) and Snap. My favorite by far was The Cosmetic Market. I walked in and my jaw dropped! It's huge, stocked to the gills with awesome brands, sparkling clean and the staff is friendly and helpful. This store is getting its own post later...





* Caffeine Fix - I drove to The Frothy Monkey for some locally roasted beans and the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie I've ever had!






* Grocery shopping at The Turnip Truck - I had to pick up some staples for the boy. This organic grocery store has an amazing selection of micro brews in addition to all the standard hippie food we love.





* Two Old Hippies - This store was not on my list but it's just across the street from The Turnip Truck and was calling to me. Inside this large store are cool clothes, accessories, gifts and tons of acoustic guitars....plus a full on performance stage! It was fun to browse while listening to really awesome live music...



The boy was exhausted at this point so we headed back to the hotel for a quick swim and a mediocre hotel lounge dinner.

FYI - there's a ballroom dancing competition taking place in our hotel this week and they've set up a retail area with the most glittering dresses I've ever seen (and I was a competitive figure skater back in the day so I know from glitter). Basically, expect a post (at the very least a tweet) regarding this matter shortly...

xx
JDF

cozy yet stylish NYE...

INsight, fall/winter, family, holidays, me, partyNavigate with StyleComment
2012 is almost here! The big question is: what are you wearing on New Years Eve? I'll be comfy and cozy yet stylish...check out my NYE segments on INsight:

Style Resolutions - I mention red lips (what's new?) as a great style resolution for the new year but what I should I have said was EMBRACE COLOR! Classic neutrals are safe and timeless but can be a tad boring...go bold and incorporate more color into your makeup bag and your wardrobe.

Stylish NYE at Home - I'm sticking with a winter white, grey and metallic gold palette for my cozy celebration at home.

2011 was filled with many exciting changes in my life and I will cherish the memories from this past year forever. I cannot wait to see what 2012 has in store!!!

Happy New Year!!!

xx
JDF