Nashville Day 2

Day two in Nashville was a scorcher.  Not too bad at 90 degrees, but the humidity was at 35% which made it seem hotter.  Nevertheless it was sunny and a beautiful day to visit the Bell Meade Plantation which was home to the Harding and Jackson families (no relation to the presidents) for nearly 100 years.  If you love history like I do you'll enjoy this wonderfully preserved site.  The Harding family had a slave owning plantation where they raised and bred horses.  After the emancipation proclamation all the slaves were freed. Do the names Secretariat and Seabiscuit ring any bells?  Those horses were direct descendants of the horses that the Jackson family owned.  You can get a guided tour of the mansion, and at $16.00 it is well worth the fee.  Unfortunately we couldn't take any pictures inside the home-I was really bummed about it because the house is beautifully kept and most of the furniture, books, portraits and other antiques are original to Bell Meade. I did however take some pictures of the exterior and grounds and here they are:

The entrance to the plantation.

The beautiful exterior of the mansion.  The tour meets on the porch (there were about 20 of us total), and you're led through each room and given information about the family, their history and the artifacts in the house.

Horses are kept on site...seems a bit random at first, but after going through the tour and finding out the family bred horses for a living, and were well known for it, it all makes sense.

Mumsy and I stopped for a snap shot.

 The exterior of the carriage house.  Bell Meade has about 17 historic carriages that you can walk around.

The back of the mansion.

After the 45 minute tour through the house you're brought to the wine tasting portion.  Yes they have wine tasting!  Our host was Nick, he was hilarious.  He told us all the different things we could mix with the wine...which included tequila with the Bell Meade Blackberry.  I was a bit skeptical (I'm kind of a wine snob) but after I tasted it I could understand what he was talking about. It's a sweet red wine that would make a perfect mixer. He also shared with all of us that Bell Meade winery is the only winery in Nashville and one of the few non-profit winery's in the United States.

We sampled the first 4 wines on the list: the Carriage House Chardonnay, Red Muscadine, Racing Silk Red and Blackberry.

Mom and I loved the Racing Silk Red!

We walked a bit through the back of the mansion on the grounds after the tour and wine tasting. We were definitely ready for air conditioning...which brought us to shopping...

We made our way to The Mall at Green Hills.  This mall is huge-lots of well known designer stores (Tory Burch, Kate Spade, and Michael Kors to name a few) that we visited, but my favorite discovery was this little shop called Absolution.  Native to Nashville they have two stores.  There were so many unique findings.  I'm used to great shops in Ann Arbor that carry a lot of little known brands but this place had quite a few lines that I've never heard of before.

LAFCO candles: based in New York city, these candles are simple in their design but have a beautiful scent.

Books and small charming gifts fill the store.

A Nashville based candle company makes candles named after every town surrounding Nashville.

I had to save the best for last. This was my favorite finding at Absolution.  The jewelry is made by a Franklin based designer, Amy Sale.  The line pictured here is called Bella Honor, and the jewelry is re-purposed from soldier's medals.  10% of the proceeds of sales go to veterans.

Always Local

So my mom and sister and I took a bit of a road trip.  O.k., it was a big road trip.  Sadly it wasn't spur of the moment; it's been in the making for a few months now. (I say sadly because there is something very adventurous about a spur of the moment road trip) But alas, my mom and I are the "planner" type.  My sister is a voice major and she is off on one of her music adventures while mom and I enjoy Nashville. My first day impression of this city: let me just say that you don't need to love country music to enjoy a visit. Between the restaurants, the museums, the historic sites, the shopping, the scenery, you'll love it here.  Nashville is a beautifully laid out city.  And the surrounding suburbs are just as exciting as being in the heart of Nashville.


Our first stop in the city was Nashville's farmer's market. I'm glad we stopped by because this place is HUGE.  One thing I really like about cities is their effort to connect the metropolis to the country in the form of healthy organic produce. The produce portion of this farmer's market is open 7 days a week, and we wanted to get some fresh fruits and veggies.

South Carolina Peaches. Yes, we bought some.  We're putting the peaches into a paper bag to make them ripen faster (yes, this method really works!)

All over the place, colors of yellow, pink, red, blue and green surround you.  On weekends Nashville farmer's market has a flea market portion open.  Unfortunately we'll be gone before then, and I'm a little sorry to miss it.

I learned that there are a lot of different jams and pickled foods out there.  I have never heard of green pepper jam, but it's a thing.  My mom said it sounded delicious...I'm not as optimistic.

Locally sourced honey.  I love honey that you get from local farmers.  It's the most delicious and free from additives.

If you get the chance to visit the Nashville farmer's market on the weekend, I recommend making a morning of it and then eat lunch at their fantastic dining center.  They have a lot of different ethnic foods, including an ethnic market and they carry gourmet sandwiches and locally made desserts!  To get an idea of which farmers and vendors will be on site check out the website here: http://nashvillefarmersmarket.org/

So the question I have for all of you: Green pepper jam, yea or nae?

Rock Paper Scissors

     I've been excited to write a spot about this really cool shop in Ann Arbor for some time and that time is finally here!  There's a lot of buzz surrounding the place. Rock Paper Scissors originated in Tecumseh, but they've made a second home in Ann Arbor.  My friends can't stop talking about how adorable this gift shop is...really it's a well designed store with something for everyone...and I like places like that!  You can grab a bite to eat at one of the nearby restaurants with a friend and take a stroll over to Rock Paper Scissors, and with near certainty they'll enjoy the whole outing.

The first thing my eyes see when entering: Linnea's Lights candles.  They're soy, so they give a clean burn.  I love this sea salt scent; so summery and light!

For the little secretary in your life.

Library of Flowers perfume.  My favorite is "Field of Flowers".  My friend Taylor loved it and immediately bought some. 

There is all kinds of clever happening in this store, from the merchandise to the displays. Observe: clever locker setup, filled with great gifts!

Great UofM gifts for the graduate, or die hard fan.

Love nautical themes, anyone else?

Father's Day is coming up, and there's stuff for dad.

I love cute cook wear, and they have lots of it.

Rock Paper Scissors also carries invitations...and they're gorgeous. So if you're getting married or having a baby...anything really, this is the place to go and set up an appointment.   I love their stationary selection, too.

For the Bar Mitzvah

This card goes out to my friend Megan.  Can you think of someone you played M.A.S.H. with all the time?

Love the details on this pillow.  Perfect for the Michigan lake house.

"Where Commerce and Education Meet"...perfect description of our city!

**Check out their fabulous website at: http://www.rockpaperscissorsshop.com/ You can shop online, and get the lowdown on hours.  Really to stop in and look around in this place is a treat!

Lush's BIG

      I love Lush products.  Some of them are better than others (it's a matter of smell for me, some Lush products are too "earthy" smelling for me).  Since I have fine hair, I was in the market for a conditioner that was going to be lightweight and give shine and volume.  What the lovely ladies at Lush recommended to me was a new conditioner in their hair care line called Big. It has a light fragrance that isn't too overpowering for the sensitive nose.  They gave me a sample (another reason I love Lush) and I was eager to give it a try.

I have never used a solid conditioner before, but was assured that a little would go a long way.  When I got it out of the package, I was like "alright how do I use this?" Basically they told me to rub it on my hair.  I was a little skeptical because I didn't feel like anything was going on my hair.  There was no lather.  I just made sure to get my ends, as that's the most important part.

The result: lots of shine and body. I didn't put any mouse or root lifter in my hair, it just did it on it's own. I like that!

Rarely am I completely satisfied with a hair product (usually they underwhelm me).  But I was impressed.  I was pretty happy with the scent of the product, too. It has a very very light jasmine scent and the main ingredients are coconut oil and seaweed...can't go wrong there.

Honestly, I would have to say this product really lived up to it's name.  Along with the volume and shine, I also noticed that my hair stayed a lot less tangled throughout the day...always a plus for the fine haired. 

You can buy 3.5 ounces of the conditioner for $9.95.  Taking into account that this product will last quite some time, I would say it's definitely worth the price.  

Order it online: Lush

I'm happy...I found a conditioner that actually delivers!!

Isalita

        This past Sunday my brother and I were keen to check out a brand new Mexican restaurant in Ann Arbor that we kept hearing good things about.  We were both a little apprehensive because we heard their Sunday hours are limited and it was still early in the afternoon. We were determined to see if they were open. Conveniently for us, as we approached the building we heard lots of chatter, and it just happened to be Cinco De Mayo so they were open for a special lunch (we found out from the hostess that usually on Sunday's they don't open til 4). Isalita is a name that holds a certain charm, and the charm of the name reflects the atmosphere of the restaurant. For Cinco De Mayo Isalita had group seating to promote a neighborhood atmosphere.  I thought that was a really fun touch.   And all I can say is WOW.  Seriously the best Mexican food I have ever had, and I don't throw those types of comments around at whim.


The restaurant was packed (not only was it Cinco De Mayo but it was also UofM's graduation weekend), lots of maze and blue floating around.  Despite the crowd, the service was friendly and up-beat from the moment we walked in.

We started off with Isalita's traditional guacamole appetizer. YUM!  Sorry, we forgot to get a picture. You can also choose a truffle guacamole, which I am dying to try next time!  My brother and I love guacamole, so we're a bit critical, but we were both impressed with the freshness.  Lots of lime flavor packed into this recipe.


For the entree, Luke ordered under the Ceviche portion of the menu and got the Spicy Tuna.  There's green onion, tomato, and toasted coconut in the mix here.  He loved it.  At first glance the dish seems a bit pricey for the portion, but it is fresh tuna, which is pricey in the first place.

I ordered the Carne Nachos.  I'm not the biggest fan of nachos, but the ingredients were what convinced me:  skirt steak topped with jalapeno's, refried beans, crema and tomato.  There was also a slight amount of "heat" to this dish.  Yum!

Luke had to help me eat this because even after just a few bites, I already felt full.  It's THAT packed with flavor.  A little chat from our server and I found out that the steak is first prepared on a hot skillet with all spice, garlic and a dash of cinnamon.  Don't let the sound of cinnamon in nachos throw you off.  It's subtle, delicious, and very much worth the try!

I generally judge restaurants not only on the quality and freshness of the food, (along with the service), but also on the overall atmosphere.  The decor is vibrant and fun.  On a trip downstairs to find the restroom, there was a whole other section to the restaurant for larger parties.  Murals and pictures of famous Mexican's cover the walls.  The bathrooms are nicely kept and decorated (I have a thing with pretty bathrooms, anyone else?).  Overall Isalita was a great dining experience and I can't wait to try that truffle guacamole.  Anything that mixes avocado and chocolate sounds right up my alley!

If you want to check out the hours and get an idea of the menu options check out their website: Isalita