Thank you, Houston!

Hello everyone ... oh, how I've missed you! I was out of town for most of last week attending a marketing conference in Houston. Not much exciting happened while I was away since I was in seminars and sessions most of the time, but here are the few highlights from my trip:

 

RA Sushi

It is my ritual when I'm traveling alone to find a sushi bar and enjoy a glass of wine and some rolls. It really is the only place I feel comfortable dining by myself. While in Houston, I made a return visit to RA Sushi. The sushi is fresh and delicious and the environment is lively and entertaining. I was there Thursday night and the place was filled with 20-somethings enjoying happy hour. There was a large group of girls sitting behind me drinking sake bombs together. It reminded me of when I was much younger and my girlfriends and I could party on Thursday nights and actually make it to work the next day. Now, nearly in my 30s, that seems impossible. Not that I mind being in bed at 9:30 each night. Early bedtime is the way life was meant to be lived.

As I sat in my safe zone at the sushi bar, three guys parked next to me and began to include me in their conversation ... like it or not. I stuck with my original routine, pinot grigio and two rolls, until one of the guys chimed in to say, "I've never seen a girl eat that much sushi" then asked for my phone number. Was that his pick up line? How charming. I told him I was happily married and that I really didn't eat that much sushi. I may have also suggested that "where I come from, all the girls eat this amount of sushi." My comment didn't make any sense, but it made me feel better. Sorry for dragging you all into it and making you sound corn-fed! 

Whole Foods vs. House of Blues

As part of the conference, there was a networking event one night at the House of Blues. Cody Canada (former lead guy for Cross Canadian) was scheduled to perform with his new band, and Ty told me "we would have problems" if I didn't attend the concert. But the concert wouldn't start until after 9:30. And if you just read the previous bullet point, you know 9:30 is my bedtime. So, to Ty's disappointment, I skipped the concert and went to Whole Foods instead. I repeat: I passed up a free concert to go grocery shopping. When did I become so lame? The sun is definitely setting on my 20s.

Nadeau: Furniture with a Soul

Now, I've saved the best for last. I remembered when LJ went to Houston a while back that she visited a furniture store called Nadeau and she mentioned they had some really unique pieces at great prices. I rerouted my trip to make sure I could swing by the store to see what they had available, and I fell in love when I saw this:

It's solid wood. Hand carved. And only $350! I couldn't pass it up, so it's now in my dining room, placed underneath the eight white plates we had guests sign at our wedding.

This is also the first time I've revealed the gross underbelly of our otherwise charming home - the dark green wallpaper. It canvases the walls, ceilings and light fixtures from our dining room through our kitchen and to the back office/catch-all room.

But I'm finally ready to reveal this flaw to you because the wallpaper will soon be coming down in exchange for neutral walls and an orange ceiling. Yes, I'm really going to paint my ceiling orange. This buffet was the first piece I've purchased for our dining room, and I'm eager to get started on the rest of the room. 

And since I was in Houston, and since I was shopping at Nadeau, I went ahead and brought home this cute table for our entryway. You can't really see in this picture, but the top is textured with a bronze, metal material. I think it cozies up the space.

Thank you H-town for the great finds!