Wakefield Scearce

The main entrance to the Gallery on a bright and sunny day

The Courtyard

Silver Vault

This past weekend I had the pleasure of tagging along with my in-laws to Wakefield Scearce Galleries in Shelbyville, KY. I have been hearing about this place for several years but never before saw it with my own eyes. It truly was as wonderful and cozy and festive as they promised it to be. Everything was decorated so beautifully for the holidays. It gave me instant Christmas fever. We shopped the cute boutiques in the courtyard---I was pretty good, but did manage to pick up a few treasures---and toured the antique gallery and silver vault. Wakefield Scearce is supposedly one of the largest collections of antique English furniture, silver and home decor in the United States. You'll believe it too once you see it.

Midday we took a break from our browsing and dined in the gallery cafe. James was even able to meet up with us and it made it all the better! The cafe is well known for their southern cooking and believe me the fried chicken and mashed potatoes didn't disappoint! My lunch felt more like dinner and was complete with a glass of wine and sinful dessert.

I honestly can't imagine a better way to spend a cold and rainy fall day. It was wonderful sharing quality time with my in-laws and even reminded me a bit of similar things I used to do with my parents and sisters. It boost my spirits and made my day.

P.S. I was bummed once I realized I forgot my camera hence the generic pictures I pulled from their website.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTY!

The dinner party: (L-R) Me &James, Jesse & Christy, Marianne, Lori & Josh

The infamous birthday girl and her sugar glass apple dessert

SMACK! SPLATTER! YUMMY!

The three amigos: Christy, Lori and Marianne

1st stop @ Stevie Ray's

James posing with Christy in a really cool art deco chair at Jeff Ruby's

James and Josh at Proof on Main

"Proof" we went to Proof

Limo!

Double fisting??? Beer and Red Bull is quite the combo

Sexy Christy shaking a tail feather

Jesse (aka party planner) and his lovely Bride dancing at Flannigans

Lori, Me, Marianne and Christy in the Red Room at Flannigans

Red Room Sign

Saturday nite we went out to help celebrate our friend Christy's 30th Birthday. Her husband Jesse planned a fantastic evening complete with dinner, limo, champagne and lots of FUN! He really did a great job coordinating the whole thing--it couldn't have been better! From what I hear he's considering a second career in event planning. ; )

We started the evening at Volare on Frankfort Ave. We were very impressed with the food, service and atmosphere. This definitely jumped to the top of our favorite list. After a nice long dinner we made our way to the limo. That's where the party really stepped up a notch. Jesse popped the champagne and we were off to our first stop at Stevie Ray's. Nothing like alittle blues music to get you in the mood for an action packed nite.

After Stevie Ray's we decided to stop in Jeff Ruby's. This swanky bar is always a treat. We enjoyed more live music and cold adult beverages. = ) After awhile the group took a round of shots and decided to head to our 3rd destination. Can you tell how this evening is progressing????

The intention was to go to Morton's Steakhouse. They have a very upscale bar but unfortunately they were already closed for the evening. As luck would have it Proof on Main is next door so that's where we went instead. We spent quite a bit of time at Proof. We were all pretty cozy on their couch. The drinks were good and the restrooms were even better. Seriously, have you seen their restrooms? If not, you need to check them out. Seriously.

The evening concluded at the Red Room at Flannigans. There was plenty of booty music to go around. At this point we were all foot loose and fancy free. I think you catch the drift. Many pictures above illustrate that point.

It was so great to be out and about with friends. Although some are already 30 and/or 3o is knocking at the door it was encouraging to see that we still have it. Thanks again Jesse and Christy for a fantastic party. Most importantly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTY!! WISHING YOU MANY MANY MANY MORE!!

P.S. Guess who was behind the camera most of the nite????

Halloween Preparation

Scary Eyeball Cupcakes


Front of a fabulous witch hat (thank you Evelyn & Jim!)


Backside of the hat---isn't this the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?


The Good Witch a.k.a. my wonderful Mom!


James cutting the top off my baby pumpkin


He's working very diligently


Cleaning out our pumpkins


James' pumpkin is on the left and mine is on the right
He carved wolves howling at the moon and I carved the traditional skull and crossbones



Last nite my Mom came over for dinner and alittle pumpkin carving. We had so much fun! She came bearing gifts of course. Lots of halloween candy and pumpkin carving tools and stensils. One thing about my Mom is that she's always prepared. The three of us had a great time picking an choosing which design to carve, cleaning the "guts" out of the pumpkins, prepping and baking the pumpkin seeds (delicious), carving and finally admiring our finished work. The nite was a huge success and we have two impressive jack-o-laterns to prove it! No matter how old you may be pumpkin carving is just as much fun as it was back then.... = )

Count Dracula

Last nite James and I went to Actors Theatre to see Dracula. The show was excellent and a perfect segway into Halloween week. The tickets were unexpected and greatly appreciated! I would strongly recommend this show to anyone who likes alittle thrill n' chill with only minor gore. You better act fast though! November 1st is the last day.

We don't often go to the theatre however each time we're there we're both reminded of how much we enjoy the Arts. We're good for at least one show a year as we've created a tradition of going around Christmas to see "A Christmas Carol." It's always an evening we both look forward to. This year we're putting a twist on tradition as we plan to see "A Tuna Christmas" in lieu of "A Christmas Carol." We agree that a year off from this show might be best as we practically know the play line for line. Little Tiny Tim will have to wait until next year...

As an FYI--"Wicked" is coming to the Center for the Arts in January and from what I hear this is a must see. Tickets go on sale October 31st (geez, you'd think I work for the Center or something...). Seriously though, my Mother-In-Law saw it in New York and said it was fantastic. It was so good she even felt sorry for the wicked witch of the west!

Have a great Halloween! Hope everyone gets more treats than tricks in their bag!!!!!!

Pumpkins Galore!

Fall in upon and Halloween is around the corner. In celebration of both the Strange clan (Evelyn & Jim, Josh & Mallory and James and I) made the enjoyable trip to Huber's Orchard and Winery on Sunday. I think most everyone in a 40 mile radius had the same idea too. The place was swarming with people! Not to worry though, there were plenty of gourds to go around. We each combed the pumkin patch for that perfect one. Once we found it we retreated to the winery to partake in more adult like activities. We sampled Huber's Wines and cheeses. We shopped in the Farmers Market and even brought home a few goodies (I'm pretty excited about the apple butter!). This all made for a perfect Family Day.

Please ignore the short sleeve shirts. It truly is October and although temperatures reached a high of 85 Halloween is coming whether we like it or not.

Milk Maid and Farmer James

Pumpkin Patch

We found our favorites!

Look at those BIG muscles!

Mallory, Josh, Evelyn, Me and James

Hayride (minus the hay)

CHICAGO

Well, it seems lately I am about a week behind in all of my posts. Oooops. I'm busy---I guess. In all seriousness, things have been extraordinarly busy (as you've read about it previous posts). I think they are settling down and returning to "normal." Whatever that means. Hopefully I can get on a better schedule and be more prompt in my postings (as I know each of you are sitting on the edge of your seats.... yeah..... ;).

Last weekend James and I went to Chicago for a work related trip. His work, not mine. I just went for the weekend and for F-U-N. James on the other hand stayed through Wednesday (lucky duck). Luckily, over the weekend he had very little work obligations. We shopped by day and partied by nite. We caught a live jazz show, strolled the streets of Michigan Ave. (hopping in and out of stores we only wish we could afford), visited with my wonderful friend Lauren (thank you again Lauren, we had so much fun!), ate great food (and lots of it!), visited the Navy Pier, etc. etc. Chicago is such an exciting city. There's anything and everything you could possibly want all in one place.

While we were there I contemplated life. I halfway convinced James to move but that's all a fantasy. In the grand scheme of things it probably wouldn't make much sense. We can all dream, can't we? Our life is pretty well established in the "Possibility City." We have a great life. Great friends. Great home. Great jobs and plenty of great opportunities. Occassionally, I feel like it lacks excitement but in all fairness you make it what it is.

We may never live in Chicago but we can always hop on a 5:00 EST direct flight and be there just as the clock strikes 5:00. Gotta love that! I do and I hope to take advantage of that luxury more frequently!!!!

Sisters Reunite!

As mentioned in the previous entry Jenn and Alex and Jane and Parker came to visit us this weekend. We had such a fantastic time! I hated to see the visit end. When it did I think the word sad sums up how I felt. It's very unfortunate that the "Shubrooks" Family lives in all different places. Why can't it be the way it used to be? Why can't I just hop in the car and run over to Mom and Dad's or Jenn or Jane's? Here's a few reasons why: Realty. Growing up. Life and circumstantial changes. Curve balls. Challenges. Work. All of the above. I believe that absence truly does make the heart grow fonder and it's times like these that I have learned to cherish.

Friday nite we went to Buffalo Wild Wings to cheer on the Cards. Can you believe James actually skipped the home football game? That's what I call a good man. He bleeds red---literally and figuratively---and I realize it was a true sacrifice for him. The outcome of the game was unfortunate but we all still managed to have a great time. I think the way we felt the next day proves that correct. HA!

Saturday was a long and lazy day. That was perfectly fine by me because as I mentioned above I didn't want the weekend to end. We didn't get up until noon. That's a first in a VERY long time. I prepared a big brunch. We just hung around each doing whatever struck our respective fancy. TV. Internet. Naps. Pedicures. Bloodymary's. Shopping. Yes, between the 6 of us we did all of that. It felt like we were in a little bubble, a very happy little bubble.

On Sunday we ventured down to Bardstown Rd. and eventually Captain's Quarters. Talk about a gorgeous day! We spent some time outside enjoying the fall like weather. The afternoon was cut short as Jane and Parker had to hit the road. There was a disappointment in the air however we made the most of this day. Alex left the following morning and Jenn stayed until Wednesday. It was such a treat to have everyone in town and I hope we will do it again soon!


James and Me at Buffalo Wild Wings

Jenn and Jane--Friday nite

The newlyweds!

Jane and Parker

The whole gang says, "GO CARDS!"

At Bearno's on Bardstown Rd.

Sisters

This weekend I have the pleasure of spending time with both of my sisters in the same place and at the same time. Modern day miracle if you ask me. Sadly enough, this is a very rare occurrence so when the opportunity arises it truly is something special. Jennifer and her husband flew in from Florida yesterday afternoon. Jane and her boyfriend drove in late last nite. The six of us are having a wonderful time together and making memories for a lifetime.

In trying to articulate the special bond that sisters share I thought I would include a few sisterly quotes. These pull at my heart strings and help to explain the rock solid and and ever complicated relationship called sisters. Love you girls!!!

"She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child." ~Barbara Alpert

"You keep your past by having sisters. As you get older, they're the only ones who don't get bored if you talk about your memories." ~Deborah Moggach

"Sisters are blossoms in the garden of life." ~Author Unknown

"A sister shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams." ~Author Unknown

"A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life." ~Isadora James

Family Weekend at WKU

Jane on her campus of Western Kentucky University


Jane, Grammy, Uncle Steve, Mom and Dad at the campus cafeteria


Dad and Me at the campus cafeteria


Grammy taking a break from climbing "the hill"


Jane and I at the football tailgate

This past weekend was Parents Weekend at WKU (Family Weekend in our case). My Dad came in town especially for this annual event. My Mom and Dad, Grammy, Uncle Steve and me all hit the road Bowling Green bound early Saturday morning. Although only a short road trip from Louisville the drive there was alot of fun! There's just something about going out of town and leaving all of your work and worries behind. We arrived in Bowling Green just as Jane was rolling out of bed (she's on that college schedule, ya know?). We headed to the cafeteria for brunch and then off to a self guided tour of the campus. We climbed the "hill" and now I understand why everyone wants to avoid taking classes at the top! It really is a steep one and can you imagine climbing it in extreme temperatures? No thank you. After the tour we headed to the tailgating party just outside the new and improved stadium. We found ourselves eating again and enjoying the festive atmosphere.

At this point in the day we were all ready for a change in scenery however nobody quite knew what to suggest we do. Well, I threw a couple suggestions out there but didn't have any takers. At the top of my list was a sports bar and the FSU game. That didn't happen. Instead, the guys headed to the hotel and the girls headed to Zappos. That could have been dangerous but believe it or not we made it out of there in under $20.00. Could that be right?

Everyone stayed the nite in Bowling Green except for me. I had to get home because James and I were heading out to the Ryder Cup the next day. That was awesome by the way. I wish I had some pictures to share but as you probably know there were no cameras allowed. We had tickets in the Samuel Ryder Club just overlooking the 9th hole fairway. I didn't know what to expect as I'm not a huge golf fan. Honestly, I was less than enthusiastic about spending a very precious day off on the golf course but James helped convince me that this wasn't just any day on the golf course. I am so happy that I went. It was a once in a lifetime experience and something that I will never forget. Perfect locale, perfect weather, perfect tent, perfect company, perfect victory = AMAZING DAY. What an awesome thing for the Americans and for the city of Louisville. The not so amazing part was the nextday.... I think you catch my drift and many of you were probably in my same boat.