Palm Springs... Vaca for a King!

Balcony view

The King loved Palm Springs… he said it reminded him of Hawaii. There’s not much you can disagree with Elvis about, and this is one of them. I have made it pretty clear that Cali is by far my favorite state. I daydream that one day Tres and I can move (or retire) there. We are lucky enough to get to make at least one or more trips to this awesome state a year, whether it is for work or for fun. A beautiful run This was my third trip to Palm Springs, and I never appreciated it more. Napa and San Fran are probably my two favorite places in Cali – I’ve always said that – but after this trip, I think I may be leaning more towards The King’s point of view. There is no place like Palm Springs. Well, maybe Hawaii because in my opinion, Elvis hit the nail on the head when he said Palm Springs reminded him of Hawaii. It’s true…. The scenery is very similar. The only difference is the desert and the little downtown area that makes Palm Springs a place of its own. Awesome hotel

I always know I’m in love with a place when I have a difficult time walking out of the hotel room. This time, Tres almost had to pull me out. There’s are very few places you can look out your window and see Palm Trees AND mountains side by side. There are also very few places where every time you turn on the Weather Channel, the forecast never changes from a row of seven suns Sunday-Saturday. I personally wonder why they bother having meteorologists there.

In-N-Out... DUH! If you're ever in Cali, you go here. No questions asked :)

Resturant: Matchbox... cool atmosphere, ok food

Restaurant: Okura... AWESOME patio, good sushi, perfecto Lychee Martini!

If you have never been to Palm Springs… GO! It’s totally worth your while. San Diego is an hour and a half away… rent a car one day and venture out to there. Or better yet – do what Tres and I did two years ago and drive 45 minutes to Temecula Valley. The scenery is awesome the entire 45 minutes, and when you get there, you can do everything from wine tasting to a hot air balloon ride, which is what we did! Here are some pictures from our adventures in Palm Springs. Pictures from 2009 and 2010

Atlantis With Great Friends

Tres and I had a blast in the Bahamas at Atlantis with our great friends!!!! It was Mike’s 40th birthday celebration, and we blew it out of the water! If you ever get a chance to go to Atlantis, it is a must!!! To me, it was like a huge playground for grownups! The water park rides are great and could be done for two days easily! The place is HUGE! The aquarium is awesome and could take up at least half a day, the beaches are beautiful, and there are pools galore! A weekend was definitely not enough time there, but we made the best of it! I told Tres when we left I could not believe we had just left the Bahamas after only being there two and a half days! Especially Atlantis!!! There really is so much to do there!





And of course, I can’t leave a post with no comment about the food. Here’s the rundown:

• Nobu sushi… ummm………. NO!!!!!!! This place is supposed to be famous, notable, and THE most recognized sushi restaurant in the world. NEVER NEVER EAT THERE!!!!! Maybe it’s better in bigger cities. Who knows…? We don’t and we never will because we will NEVER go back there! Aside from the hip, swanky atmosphere, the service was awful and the sushi was the most mediocre sushi I have ever put in my mouth! Never again, people!



• Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill …. Ok let me just say, this was a shoe-in. We have been to a Bobby Flay restaurant before in Atlantic City, and it was the best pieces of food I have ever had an encounter with. Mesa Grill was no exception. Great service, spectacular food (I think I tried one of almost everything on the menu and every bit of it had unforgettable flavor), amazing atmosphere, with great friends!!!! It was a perfect night because of Bobby Flay. Thanks, Bob! Note: if you ever eat at a Bobby Flay restaurant, you just may compare everything else you ever eat to it! It really does rank on up there as one of the best restaurants I have ever been to :)

• Carmine’s…. This family-style Italian joint is a chain restaurant with only a few locations throughout the country. The place is so much fun and always has good food. I honestly love the family-style idea because I know I get to try a little bit of at least 5 or so dishes. The first time I went to one of these I think we way over ordered when we go about 10 dishes, so it’s safe to say, I’ve had a lot of the menu, and almost every dish is straight up great Italian! The bread basket and Ceaser salad are to-die-for, and if you go, order the Penne a La Vodka.


As always, Tres and I had so much fun kicking it together with some of our very best friends! We love traveling with this group, and this trip will be remembered for a long time! WE LOVE ATLANTIS!!!


P.S. The famous slide you see on TV is nothing to giggle about. They make that slide look like something out of a playground… it’s actually one of the most terrifying things I have ever done in life! Don’t let the commercial fool you! I was shaking uncontrollably when I got off it and almost had to have the 10 year old behind me give me a little push. I would definitely do it again with a lot of courage built up (and cocktails)! The other slides are amazing too. On some of them, you feel like you're on a rollar coaster! And our favorite part of the entire place? The "not so lazy" River! They call it "lazy," and after going on it, I think they need a new name! The waves are Tidal Waves! So awesome!!!

Weekend in Memphis

What a wonderful weekend at home! After traveling every weekend for the past two months, it felt good to be home for a few days and enjoy life in our own city! I feel so blessed to get to travel as much as I do, and I thank my lucky stars each day for it. But no matter if it’s work travel or fun travel, when there’s back-to-back travel going on in one’s life, a break cannot come soon enough! This weekend, that break finally came for me and Tres, and we took complete advantage!

Thursday
I let the weekend begin early by meeting up with some blog friends at Old Venice Pizza Company in East Memphis after work on Thursday night. My blog friend, Christin, from A Classy Southern Wife invited me to the dinner. It was so exciting to finally meet her, as we had been trying to get together since long before our weddings (which were in October and a week apart). Both being from Memphis and planning weddings at the same time, we had been stalking each other’s blogs long enough (haha), so it was fun to finally get together with her.

There were about 8 other bloggers there from all around Memphis. Two of the girls are good friends of mine from work, The Diary of K-Fun and Hope in what Remains. I didn’t know the other bloggers when I got there, but I felt like I did when we left. We had a blast going around the table introducing ourselves and our blogs! Now I have a whole new group of friends and some more fun blogs to follow!

Friday
Fridays are always my favorite days of the week when I’m working a full week at the office and not traveling. It’s because I know I have a full, relaxing weekend in Memphis ahead of me! This Friday was no exception. That night, Tres and I went with friends, Joey and Cristen, to a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club. Held at the Cadre Building Downtown, it was a Mardi GRAS themed party, complete with poker tables, beads, and a fun band. It was completely decked out casino-style, which kept Tres and Joey at the card tables all night. Cristen and I had a blast trying all the different drinks at the many different bars they had set up and dancing the night away in our cocktail attire!

The best part of the night was when my work girlfriends texted me, letting us know they were downtown at Raifords. Two awesome things about this 1) They live in a different part of Memphis, so when they come downtown, I am always so pumped to party it up with them. And 2) they were at RAIFORDS!!! Seriously, if you don’t live in Memphis and ever come, if you do ANYTHING, it must be Raifords. Words can’t describe the randomness of this place. All I can say is if you don’t mind staying out late, you love to have a good time, and you don’t mind extremely loud funk and soul music, this is your place!!!! The first time you walk in Raifords, you will think someone either slipped a drug into your drink or you are dreaming. The place is a cloud of fog with disco balls and different colored lights flashing everywhere. They only serve 40 oz. beers to drink, so if you prefer anything else, this may not be for you. And the best part? THE MUSIC! Every Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Lionel Richie hit is on the playlist, and don’t think you’ll get out of there without hearing “Brick House” and “Boogie Shoes.” Raiford himself is there, spinning the record tracks, and his style and personality are something to see all on their own!
Needless to say, when it’s a Raiford’s night, it’s a long night. Our night ended about 4am on Saturday morning. When I say we were excited to be in Memphis, I was not lying!

Saturday
Lazy, lazy day!!! Duh… we stayed out all night. I wrote a bit for my Travel Blog while the hubby snoozed. We met my parents for dinner at The Bar-B-Que Shop. If you come to Memphis, I highly suggest getting your BBQ here. I thought I’d had it all, but this little place is tucked away, and somehow after all these years, I almost missed it. The pulled pork is almost like butter… extremely tender with a melt-in-your-mouth taste to it. UNBELIEVEABLE! This places proves Memphis BBQ right. Oh, and by the way… if you anyone and I mean ANYONE tells you Texas or Carolina has better BBQ than Memphis, send them my way. I will personally laugh in their face and shove a big Memphis Rib in their face!

Saturday night we went to a friends’ Duke game get together. It was a big group of work friends, and my new friend, A Classy Southern Wife (thanks to blogging!), came! It was exciting to finally have our husbands meet! We all hung out, watched the game, and drank wine! Super fun night to end the weekend!

Sunday
Believe it or not, we still had wedding gifts to take back, so we headed BACK to Macy’s. It’s become a running joke with Tres and I that the furniture people see us and wonder “who the couple is who comes in here every other week and never buys any furniture.” HAHA! Seriously, we have been looking for the perfect couch for way too long, and Macy’s has been the top victim. Hopefully, we will find one (along with a ton of other furniture and décor) soon! We just have too much going on right now to think about it!

After shopping it up, we headed to my parents house to plan a schedule for our trip to Germany this summer. In June, we will be visiting Frankfurt, Garmisch, and Munich, Germany, along with stops in Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Venice, Italy. We are extra excited to have my Pop guide us around, as he lived in Germany for seven years! After talking about our trip and deciding on exact dates of travel, we went to dinner at a great Italian restaurant in good, ole Hernando, MS. It was a great end to a fantastic weekend AT HOME!!!

Sadly, we leave again tomorrow for Orlando, so no more weekends at home for awhile. We sure didn’t take this past one for granted though. We lived it up in good ole Memphis, TN!

Dallas Down, a Weekend at Home, and Atlantis!

Thanks, iPhone for this fabulous photo....

I adore the city of Dallas. I think it’s a fabulous place with great areas, good food, and lots of fun! Tres and I were there for work together this weekend and got a little taste of it. I truly don’t think we’ve ever had enough time there though. It’s always work, work, work. I would love to come back to this city to just go eat, go out, and go party! One sweet day when there’s a weekend to spare, maybe we will consider it.

Ok, so this weekend, I worked sponsorship for Varsity. This was much different than what I usually do when out of town on the weekends – sitting at a computer, writing, updating, etc. for Varsity.com. While it was lots of fun, it could have possibly been the most exhausting weekend I’ve had yet! We actually did labor… I mean actual box moving, lifting, running around a huge arena, etc. I worked for Invisalign Teen on Saturday and Sunday playing games with cheerleaders, doing crafts with them, standing on my feet for 9+ hours… whew! I was beat when it was all over, but it was lots of fun! At the Invisalign booth, the cheerleaders could play “Grin it to Win it” (like Minute to Win It – the gameshow), they could get their free pictures taken, or they could make a “Grinspiration” – an artsy little card with their inspiration written on it. My “Grinspiration” is below… even though it looks like a 5 year old did it, I meant well, and it’s the thought that counts, right? I love my husband and he really is my “Grinspiration!”


On our way home Monday we got stuck in the airport for a good 13 hours. I swear we got to DFW airport at 11 am and did not get to Memphis until after midnight. It was a wild several hours, but thank goodness for the Delta Sky Club!!! Wow… do I love that little room with peace and quiet, snacks, and free wine and beer when stuck in an airport! And the best part… Andre from Outcast came in and sat right beside us, pulled out his guitar, and started playing a little tune. HA!!! How cool is that? Tres talked to him for awhile. I just daydreamed of jumping in his face, shaking my rump, and singing “HEYYYYYY YAAAAAA…. Don’t want to meet your daddy…. Just want you in my caddy!” Ha! I’m convinced if I would have just let my guard down I could have been in the next video. Geez… I hate myself for playing it safe all the time! :) (Sorry, no picture of him... I prefer to not be a celebrity creeper. Sorry. hehe! )

Yes, we ate every bite of this "piece" of carrot cake after a fabulous meal we had in Big D! Getting ready for Atlantis? Unfortuntaley, I think not!


Now that the boring story about our trip to Dallas (and work) is over, I would like to share some FABULOUS, wonderful, spectacular, magnificent information:

TRES AND I ARE HOME THIS WEEKEND!!! IN MEMPHIS FOR THE FIRST WEEKEND SINCE 2010!!!!!!

Ahhhhh, I am so excited I could celebrate (and I WILL celebrate)! We are both exhausted, we have tons of personal business to take care of that we have missed out on the last 8+ weekends, and not to mention, it’s time to start re-decorating!!! Whoop, whoop! Well, at least START redecorating. We go out of town again next weekend, and the next, and the next… so we better fully enjoy this Saturday and Sunday at home (and get a heck of a lot done) because it’s the only one we have for awhile.


Not this weekend but the next will be a fun one though. We will be in THE BAHAMAS!!!! ATLANTIS BABY!!!! We are so excited! The trip has snuck up on us though, so I need to find time to swimsuit shop and dress hunt! Ahhh, so much to do!

*** I am aware this post was nothing but a ramble of what has been going on in my life for the past week, but I did promise to be a better blogger, and all I have time for right now is “Diary Style” writing! Haha!

Sunny in Seattle

Tres and I just got back from Seattle, and I can honestly say, this city ranks in the top 3 for me! The people, the personality, the food, the WINE… something about this city glows in this so-called dreary city. Actually, when someone tells you Seattle is rainy and gloomy, the weather facts may not can be denied, but the personality of this city is nothing related to those two adjectives. And to make mine and Tres’ trip even better: we didn’t see a trace of rain or a cloud in the sky one time while we were there. I don’t know if we were just lucky, or if cold, dark Seattle is just a myth.
Top of the Needle

On the other side of the city... amazing views!
At Chinooks... great views as well (a restaurant with a view can't be beat!)

As you know, when Tres and I visit any city, food and wine are at the top of our list of things to do. I always do a massive amount of research on the most notable restaurants. Not to mention, we get to know locals while we are there because we have learned, no one knows a city’s food the way a local does. It’s fun comparing tourist restaurants with what the locals suggest. The Travel Channel and Food Network (especially Man vs. Food… my dream job haha) are also great sources, but on this trip, we found a LOCAL in Seattle KNOWS the city of Seattle. They are all very proud of their city and have no problem sharing their knowledge and love with tourists.

If you ever wondered what the Original looks like!

One of our favorite restaurants (recommended by a local of course)... Chinooks

It was ironic, our only full day in the city was on National Drink Wine Day, and whatdaya know? Seattle is a total wine city! Knowing Washington was quite the wine state, we never imagined the big city of Seattle would have so much to do with their wine industry, but we were pleasantly surprised to learn that “wine” just may be this city’s middle name. As a matter of fact, it’s the best wine city I have been to since Napa Valley. Imagine Napa city-style! Can’t get any better than that! At nearly every corner of each popular street, there is a wine tasting bar with flights and small plates galore! We couldn’t get enough!
Wine Tasting

Wine....

Wine....
And LOTS more wine...

Our favorite part of the trip was Pike Place Market. WOW! TV shows and movies do this place no justice. The people who live in Seattle are the luckiest people in the country. Tres and I decided we would never even look at another grocery store again if we lived there. Why would you? You have the gigantic market with the freshest fruit, vegetables, fish, and meats in the country! The thousands of fish and millions of veggies sit right in front of your wandering eyes in never ending rows… it’s a cook’s heaven! And I must, too, bring up the fresh flowers that you can purchase for $10-$15 dollars a (huge… seriously abnormally large) bouquet. And these aren’t just your typical Kroger arrangements – I saw some of the most unique and beautiful flowers I have ever seen in my life! And for $10… I would have a new fresh bouquet of flowers in my house every few days. So… WHY?! Don’t we live in this city? Ahh… I can only dream!



Why go to Seattle and not do the one thing Seattle is known for?! Check out this video of me catching a fish in the market! The guy had to throw it to me three times (no surprise… he was fairly warned) before I could catch it! Too funny, and such an experience… it was the best part of the day! (Ummm... can't get the video to upload. It's only like 1 minute! Can anyone help with this?)

To sum up Seattle… the personality and ambiance has to be mentioned. I have concluded in my travels that every city has a “personality,” but this one? The charisma leaks through in everything you do. It’s not your typical big city feel. When walking down the street, you almost think you can hear Pearl Jam or Soundgarden playing in the distance. The stories you hear are true… the people are very grunge, laid back, carefree. Think of the people you typically see in coffee shops – cool, calm, intellect, artsy – these are the people you see in Seattle (no pun on the coffee shop thing, but very ironic!). No one is pretentious or hoity-toity here… they just simply “live,” and it’s clear that they thoroughly enjoy life. But why wouldn’t they? They live in Seattle!


***** By the way, for my Social Media class, I am required to write a Beat Blog. With my current travels and future travels underway... and of course, my obsession with food, I decided on my Beat Blog topic to be "Food Travel." I just created a blog on Wordpress that I haven't put much in yet but it should be full of food and wine suggestions from cities galore in the next few months! The goal of the blog is to compare touristy restaurants with restaurants suggested by locals. Shoot me an email (aletard@varsityspirit.com) or tweet me (@tatumletard) if you would like the link!

A Glorious Day, A Joyous Bride, A Busy Wife!

I want to start by apologizing for being a terrible blogger. And for the record, I know never posting is like the worst move ever as a blogger…. I OFFICIALLY know this because I am in a Social Media class for Grad School, and my professor says so :) haha. So here’s the thing… I am going to try my darndest to never get this behind on blog posts again. As you will see below… I kind of have an excuse. Mine and Tres’ lives have been literally nonstop for the last two months. I know this statement is said a lot, but when I say I am having a difficultly finding time to pee lately, I am seriously not over-exaggerating. It’s the honest truth! Ok, I don’t need to say anymore. Nothing else, but I’m sorry and below, you will see my excuse… only words cannot even describe the reality of it :)


Well, that’s a wrap. I never thought the day would come when there would be no more “wedding” to write about, but whew, I have to say that I sure am glad it’s over! I think the only element of this whole wedding planning process I will even miss is writing about it each and every week – giving other brides and future brides details, advice, and ideas on how to have a lovely, classic, beautiful wedding. But guess what I get to write about now?! How to have a lovely, classic, beautiful, and NEVERENDING marriage! I think this will be even more fun than writing about the wedding!

Tres and I (in almost four months of being married) have already experienced so much together with so much more to come. To be quite honest, our calendars took a huge hit as soon as we got back from the honeymoon, but most of it has been fun, exciting, and what I like to say, “going into marriage with a BANG!” haha!
Here’s what we’ve done as a married couple so far:

• Been to Chicago – Just a few weeks after the honeymoon, we went to Chicago for a short little weekend trip. It was a weekend full of food and fun (our two favorite things :) If you ever go I suggest: Avec, Hot Dougs, Gino's East, Volare, Monk's Pub, Park Grill, Al's #1 Beef, Zed 451, and Bin 36... all awesome food, drink joints! (P.S. We have no pictures from this trip... we took a ton of them and Tres' phone dropped out of his pocket in a cab. So sad, but I'm sure we will be back:)

• Worked out the Holidays – Who knew getting married meant changing the same holiday schedule you’ve been on since you were pooping in diapers? Well, I certainly learned that when we had to decide who’s family we would spend Thanksgiving with and who’s we would spend Christmas with. Since we spent Thanksgiving with Tres’ family the year before, we did Christmas with them and Thanksgiving with mine. Leaving mom and pop on Christmas was a challenge for me, but that’s what you do when you get married, ladies :)

• Been to Atlantic City – Wowza… if you have never been to this city, strap on your party pants, possibly hit up an ATM, and get ready to HAVE A BLAST! We had so much fun in this city with a group of our friends… I mean, this place is as awesome as Boardwalk Empire makes it look on HBO – just a tad bit more modern, unfortunately! Haha! My friend Lori and I decided we must go back… it’s our new favorite “fun city!” If you ever go eat at: Bobby Flay (HOLY CRAP!)

Me on the Boardwalk!

First Miss America Dress to win - EVER! They had about 10 of the originals in our hotel from the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and now!

• Had a White Christmas in Knoxville – This was a wonderful week together with Tres’ family, his friends, and even his sickness where he spent a full day in bed. Awe, the memory we will always have of that. Tres NEVER gets sick, so I had to throw that in this post as a memory… I took great care of him and we survived! It also snowed for like 3 days... It was the first White Christmas I think I've ever had!

• Been to Asheville to see The Biltmore – This was an amazing experience and lots of fun! Me, Tres, his mom, and his sis did a quick little trip to this magnificent CASTLE of a house and had the grandest time. It was a great way to wrap up the holiday season, as the place is picture-perfect at Christmas!


• Had my 27th Birthday and celebrated New Year’s – My birthday is on New Year’s Day so New Year’s Eve is always a treat for me. We decided to spend NYE in Knoxville with a large group of Tres’ best friends. They had reserved a large room at a restaurant/night club, so we ate dinner and danced all the way from 26 to 27!

• Stayed at The Hermitage in Nashville – For my birthday, Tres surprised with a night’s stay at The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, and OH MY!!!! He could not have given me a better gift! This hotel is beyond top-notch. We love great hotels, and this one exceeded all expectations and knocked every hotel I have ever stayed in down on the list! We also had dinner at a fabulous place: Sambuca… cool atmosphere, great food, and perfect for a young couple. Brunch the next day was great at Capitol Grill (not the one you are thining of :)


• Started re-decorating the house – Ok guys, I have to say… this is very tentative considering we are traveling almost every weekend until May, but I am happy to say: WE ARE IN THE PROCESS and plan to get as much done before the summer as we can! We have begun furniture shopping, looking at décor, spending hours at a time at Home Depot – oh yes, we have definitely begun a fun journey and should have a brand-new, beautifully furnished and bejeweled crib by at least 2012 (my goals are clearly not set very high with getting this show on the road, but my schedule is screaming at me as we speak!)

• Made it apart on the two most opposite sides of the country (twice) – Several weeks ago, Tres went to San Jose, CA, and I headed to Orlando, FL – both for work. Ok, ok, this is really nothing out of the ordinary because Tres leaves me for work trips all the time, but this was our first one over a weekend (since we have been married), and our first one both traveling at the same time, and our first one apart for a long period of time. By the time Monday rolled around, I missed him dearly. I seriously could not stand it anymore. Our regular plane texts were getting intertwined the last day of travel (we always text each other before we take off and when we land) because we were both in and out of airports, but we made it home (at the exact same time, I should point out) and riding home together was a wonderful feeling. It was great to be home with my hubby! This happened again 2 weeks ago when Tres was in Palm Springs and I was in Orlando again. Did I mention Orlando is my second home? :)

• Started up a new, different lifestyle – I am now officially a STUDENT! I have been attending graduate classes in between my crazy travel schedule and trying to keep up with all my school work, all while working all week and keeping up my workouts! Seriously, I sleep 5-6 hours a night these days, I don't have time hardly to even stop and pee (haha), but honestly... I am fine with it! I love to stay busy, and am 100% ready to tackle a Master’s of Journalism!

• Been to Providence, RI – And we did not just visit this city, but we visted it during the record-breaking cold temperature. It was colder there than it had ever been in history when we went, but we still had a blast and ate some amazing food. If you ever go, eat at Hemingways… YUMO! And can I just say… I have the best husband ever. My curling iron broke, and I was having a bad day on Saturday. When I got back to the room, there was a Trade Secret bag sitting on the counter with an awesome new curling iron in it! Small acts of kindness like this from him make me realize that I am such a lucky girl!

This newspaper came from our hotel... it was really the headline one day!

Me at Hemingways

• Been to Columbus, OH – We had a lot of fun here, but stayed busy with work stuff. This was seriously the week when I thought I was going to stroke because I had so much school work, was running on no sleep, and Tres and I weren’t going to get to see each other after this trip for over a week. This trip= fun but stressful! I made it through! :) Only because we went to a Man vs. Food resturant though... haha! Schmidts... It's a must try!

I know I am like WAYYYYYYY behind on these and this post is totally unnecessarily long, but I had to catch you all (and myself) up on what all has been going on since we jumped into this awesome marriage! Tomorrow makes 4 months, and we have already done so much as a married couple! I can’t wait to see what the next several months bring!

This weekend, we are headed to Seattle!!! Neither of us have ever been, so I am beyond stoked! The food list is already planned out, and I can't wait to share the experience when we get back!