Grant Wood

I love Iowa. So, I love Grant Wood. Grant Wood, along with Thomas Hart Benton and John Stewart Curry, showed the world the beauty of the Midwest. So often when people think of natural beauty its all about enormous snow capped mountains or the span of the Pacific Ocean, but the Midwest has its own enchanting beauty. Grant perfectly captures the overlooked beauty of Iowa's rolling hills with rows of corn, sunsets among groves of trees, and the brilliance of the changing seasons. 

From top to bottom: Fall Plowing, Young Corn, Near Sundown, January

Kansas City Knits

Knitting is one of my most favorite things to do when I have some free time. I find it so relaxing to curl up on the couch with a project, a glass or wine, and movie at the end of a long day. I love being able to make gifts for my friends and family for birthdays and holidays. Most of all I love shopping for new yarns, needles, and notions! I can lose my mind in a yarn shop, looking at all the different textures, soft and chunky, fine and fuzzy, and of course, warm and cozy. These are some of my favorite knitting shops around Kansas City. The Studio is located on West 47th street just off The Plaza. They have a great selection of all different yarns, on Tuesday mornings they have Coffee and Stitch, bring in your project, they provide coffee and muffins, and stitch your heart art with some cool people. Florilegium (it rhymes with foreign legion) is located in downtown Parkville, on the south side of the train tracks. I wish my house looked like the inside of the place. They have beautiful displays, really creative decor, and enough yarn, beads, threads, ribbons, and charms to make your head spin. They also provide any class you want for two or more, just purchase the materials and they'll show you how! Urban Arts and Crafts is not just a yarn store, its a yarn, fabric, jewelry, scrapbook, card, and book store. Its an awesome burst of color as soon as you walk in the door. They have a great selection of of yarns and some really great crafting books, they also have a wonderful calender of classes, I am always inspired as soon as I walk in the door. 

Vintage, Used, and Fabulous

Antique malls, flea markets, and second hand shops have the greatest finds. If you have any sort of taste for vintage style, these places will become your best friends. Find a great antique mall and it'll be your go to place if you want to find some inexpensive accessories and knickknacks for your home, if you need a place to spend a rainy or snowy day, or if you just want to go wander around for some inspiration or alone time. Good Juju is an amazing market full of great finds from all eras. Unfortunately, it's only open the first weekend of the month, Friday 9am-9pm, Saturday 9am-5pm, and Sunday 12pm-4pm. It is such a fun place but, since its only open for a short time, there is often a crowd so get there early! Located in the West Bottoms at 1412 W. 12th street, get there this weekend for some great finds! Vintage Market is located in Zona Rosa and is open seven days a week. Its a little more girly but also has great prices and amazing finds. Jewelry, clothing, furniture, pictures, tons of great stuff and girly fun! Parkville Antique Mall is a hidden treasure, located in English Landing Center, right by the park, you can spend a whole day in this place. Really great deals and tons of booths, if you haven't been there check it out. I found some great stuff to furnish my new apartment! River Market Antique Mall is another place you could get lost in. Four floors of stuff to rummage around in, you will be thoroughly worn out after a trip here. Shopping second hand is great. The stuff you find is higher quality than anything made today, you won't end up with the same stuff that all your friends have because its totally unique, and its a form of recycling, instead of buying new stuff made from new materials, you are finding great stuff that already has a story and life behind it. 

KC Juice

I think I could maybe live off smoothies. KC Juice is one place I love to go for really good ones, made with real fruit. They have quite a large menu, but I seem to always go for the Triathlon, a great mix of mango, raspberry, and peach, among others. They also offer chocolaty flavors, coffee flavors, and vegetable juices. Add a shot of wheatgrass to your juice or smoothie. If you buy a 24 oz smoothie, they give a 10% discount to students, Westport merchants, people who work in the health field, and those with memberships to the gym or health clubs. They are located at 4141 Pennsylvania Ave. in the Westport district of Kansas City, go grab a smoothie for a great summer lunch! Also, become a fan on facebook! 

Glace

Last night I walked down the street to chocolatier Christopher Elbow 's new ice cream shop. Quite possibly the most interestingly delicious treat I've had...well, possibly ever. With unique flavors that are great on their own or mixed with different combinations, I know I will be a regular there this summer. Last night I sampled a Basil-Lime which was like a party in my mouth but, I decided on a combination of French Lavender and Goat Cheese with Wildflower Honey. That's right, goat cheese in ice cream. I think I died and went to heaven. As someone who would put goat cheese on everything, even I wouldn't have thought to make it into ice cream. They have some other great flavors. Chris sampled Peanut Butter and Jelly but decided on Salty Pretzel with Vietnamese Cinnamon. There is also Cilantro Pineapple, Caramelized Banana, and Sweet Corn among others. Located at 4960 Main Street, just south of the Plaza (hey, that's right next door to Spin!) Come and see me, get some delicious pizza, and head next door to try these amazing ice cream flavors!

picture via: Ink www.inkkc.com

Free Will

If you have any interest in literature, theather, or just sitting in a park on a warm summer evening, you should check out the Mid America Shakespeare Festival right here in Kansas City. Every year actors come out and perform one of Shakespeare's plays for a few weeks over the summer. This year they are putting on Richard III from June 15 (that's tonight!)-July 3 in Southmoreland Park (that's right across Cleaver Blvd. from the Nelson-Atkins art museum.) Purchase reserved seats for $20 or bring a blanket and sit on the fringes for free. There are snacks and drinks for sale at the park or bring a picnic and make a night of free fun! visit www.kcshakes.org for more information.

My Favorite

I thought I wouldn't post again until I got back from Europe but I just had to.  Chris took me Justus Drugstore in Smithville, Missouri and I just have to talk about it again. This is only the second time we've been,  but I can say it is my favorite place to eat. This food is life-changing good. Everything is unique, a wonderful mix of flavors and you can taste the passion of the chef in every bite. Tonight I got the Camp Lindo Roast Chicken which has a black pepper lemon herbed creme fraiche, duck egg pasta, morels, asparagus, and spring garlic. It is amazing.  Chris got the Kobe Braised Beef that came with these wonderful vanilla glazed carrots. The head chef, Jonathan Justus came out and spoke with us for a bit, telling us about their new addition, the outside kitchen that has recently opened and will be in full swing this summer. He told us it would be more casual, burgers and beer, not necessarily a three hour dinning experience like the main restaurant. I love this restaurant not just because the food is wonderful, but because they really care about where their food is coming from. Chef Justus told us tonight that he gets all his beef from one farm that is primarily grass fed then finished off with barley. This farm only processes five cows a week. The back of their menu lists where they get all their ingredients, raised at local farms. If you get dessert, check out their Strawberry Trio, delicious! Make reservations for their main restaurant, and check out their outside kitchen for more causal dinning. Also say Hello to the bartender (the bar is the old soda fountain from when this building was an actual drugstore) he looks like a mad scientist behind that bar, mixing drinks with fresh fruit and herbs! 

I can never have too many

Half Priced Books may be my favorite non-clothing store EVER. It is dangerous for me to go in, I can never get away with spending less than $40, but I always walk out with four or five new books. My boyfriend suggested we go there today so he could get a new book to read and here I am, not planning on getting anything, yet walking out with three new picks. I bought Tricia Guild's book Pattern a book that should prove to keep me engrossed for a while with its delightfully bright pages of rooms I long to have in my fantasy home. I also left with Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick, as if I need another project book but I just loved some of the designs, so I couldn't leave without it. Half Price Books is great, not only because it saves me money but because its just another way to recycle, while I am never one to give away books or sell them because I plan to have a library in my house to rival the Beast's (you know from Beauty and the Beast), I'm glad other people do. Walk in with a stack of books and leave with some extra cash or some new things to read, who doesn't like buy, sell, trade? Stores like this really help the community, right now they have a program called The Half-Pint Library, getting books to kids in need. If you want to find a store near you, visit their Store Locator.

Did you say Free?

It's supposed to rain this weekend in Kansas City. But I hear only on Saturday. Here are some things to do, inside and outside for free.  Go to the Rivermarket Antique Mall (really, if this trip remains free is up to you) it is so fun to just walk around that place, and it can last all day. There are some great finds there, from home decor, to tools, clothes, paintings, whatever.  Or, why not visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art? Their permanent collection is free to view and if you haven't been there in a while, you can check out the newer wing of modern art or take a look at their American art collection, which was just revamped last year. For some great things to do outside, drive on down to Parkville and walk around English Landing Park, swing on swings, slide down slides, hang out in the gazebo or just walk the trail by the river. Refreshing and romantic. The Parkville Nature Sanctuary is also beautiful, I always see a deer or two while I am there and they have great little benches to take a rest on. One has my favorite poem on a plaque by Richard Braughtigan on it. Love this place. You can also drive out to the State Park in Weston, Mo. Beautiful trails and a great place to reconnect with nature after being cooped up in the house all winter. Whatever you do this weekend, have fun!

Urban Arts and Crafts

The first time I walked in this place, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. The beads, the paper, the fabrics, the yarn, the craft books. Oh my! I could spend and entire day in here and more money than I can compute. Urban Arts and Crafts is located in Briarcliff Village just off 9 highway in Riverside, Missouri. As soon as you walk in the bright colors invite you in and you slip into a daze only crafters understand. You are like a kid in a candy store. I tend to drift to the back corners to fondle soft yarns in bright colors and stare in awe at their wall of beautiful needles. On the opposite wall is a plethora of Amy Butler, Denyse Schmidt, and Anna Maria Horner fabrics along with fat quarters, notions, patterns and wonderfully inspired project books. They offer classes through the year where you can make your own projects, altered art jewelry, knit hand warmers, screen printed anything, and more.  Check out their class schedule. They are located at 4157 North Mulberry Drive. 

Go to the Library.

Anyone who knows me knows I love books. I especially love libraries. In fact, that's what I plan to do with my life, if I ever get out of school. Currently I am getting my bachelors in English, Creative Writing. Then, I plan on getting my Masters in Library Science from The University of Missouri. I went with my godson to the Plaza branch of the Kansas City Library today and he thought this sculpture by Donald Lipski was pretty cool. He even jumped through it. I could spend hours and hours and days and weeks in the library looking at books on subjects I never thought I was interested in. If you haven't been to your local library lately, get over there! Who doesn't like borrowing instead of buying? Books, CDs, Movies, free internet, really fun library events like talks from authors and artists. If it's been a while since you've gone, I am sure you'll be pleasantly surprised! 

Hello St. Louis!

I visited my best friend in St. Louis this weekend. Its always interesting to me how different St. Louis is from Kansas City, but it really is. One thing they have in common though is some great restaurants. Pi is an amazing pizza place local to St. Louis, in fact I heard Barack Obama himself flew out a group of cooks to make him pizza at the White House. During the summer they have a patio and although sometimes the wait for a table is pretty long, it's worth it! Another place we love to go is Rooster for breakfast. My favorite thing on their menu is their choices of crepes. On this visit I got breakfast crepe #2, egg, goat cheese, and arugula. It was delicious. They also have a full menu of Bloody Marys, which I also took full advantage of. Their house Bloody Mary is a meal in itself. Next time you're in St. Louis, check these places out!

ahhh, Loose Park in the spring

I am so lucky to live just blocks from Loose Park in Kansas City. Although spring has just graced us with its presence in the last week, I can imagine the rose garden in full bloom this summer and all the local kids feeding the ducks at the pond. I took a nice, refreshing walk around the park today and it really lifted my sprits. What a beautiful place!