Bishop Arts District

Mkay. Let me just say that I'm probably going to regret giving my personal opinion on this hidden treasure. I love it. It's my new favorite place. Some people may have a problem because it's in Oak Cliff- which doesn't have the best reputation. But, if there is ever a reason you need a place to go that's unique and simplistic- this is it, friends.

The best way I can describe it is, a revamped area, once considered dilapidated, has been made over to house 50+ restaurants, merchants, and a variety of other oddities.

**Sidenote** There are trees that are covered in these crocheted wraps. It's stunning to walk down the street and take in all of the color especially since the trees are bare for winter. My sister told me that there's this one lady that does them by hand, around the trees.

These places are a "Must Visit" in the Bishop Arts District:

*Dude, Sweet Chocolate- Dude actually works there and will totally give you free samples of whatever is on hand. It smells like a spicy, chocolatey, heaven in there.

*Just Add Jeans- my mom bought me the cutest purse. The store is reasonably priced and had some pretty amazing finds.

*Fete-ish- This was probably my favorite store. It's basically a store full of gifts to give to others or keep for yourself. The store facade changes with the season. This time, because of Mardi Gras, it was this huge jester in purple, green, and gold hanging over the entrance.

*The Cozy Cottage- It's a little old house that is stocked with super cute kids' clothes, toys, etc. My mom bought Ethan and stuffed lizard and Caden a Batman cape made of velvet and satin. Plus, they sell Noodle and Boo lotion and that stuff smells delish.

*The Soda Gallery-It's this store that is stocked with unusual and hard-to-find sodas. When we went in, the selection was minimal. But, we did go during a busy time and it looked as if they were getting ready to restock.

*Dirt- Cutest flower shop ever. It's the kind I wanted to own when I was growing up. (Thing #101 about me- I wanted to own my own flower shop at one time)

*Indigo 1745- Has the most amazing clothes. But more than that, I am in LOVE with some of the perfumes and candles. Oh.My.Word! Heavenly.

*Epiphany (Men)- Best Shirts EVER. I found a ton of shirts to buy Brian. Sports teams (Think: Rangers, Mavs, etc.) that look classy and a little distressed. Kinda pricey but man those shirts were sweet. It was totally up B's alley.

There's a place called, "Make. Shop and Studio" -they do modern craft and sewing classes. Looks adorable and educational...and maybe a little hip.

http://www.themakesite.com/default.asp

Again, I LOVE this place. I feel like I'm the last person to know about it. I can't wait to go back. The drawback is the parking. It sucks big time. But, it really isn't too bad if you go at certain times.

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST!! (I promise...just bear with me, it's worth it!)

Jonathon's Oak Cliff (http://jonathonsoakcliff.com/)

Best Brunch Ever. I cannot even begin to describe the greatness that is Jonathon's. I had, don't laugh, chicken and waffles. What?! It's a real dish. It was so good, I was angry at myself for not finishing it. It's this tiny little house that's been revamped into a tiny restaurant with indoor and (mostly) outdoor seating. Get there early because there is a wait. But, the wait is totally worth it. The staff is friendly and fun so I didn't mind waiting the 25+ minutes. If you're looking for a new place to eat, go. Don't stop and think...just GO. Worth it.

Playing Catch-Up

It's been long overdue, but I am pressed for time. I'm nearing the end of my Master's program (yay!) and the pace has picked up quite a bit. I'm home today, with a sick Ethan, and thought I should update.

Caden:

*Can identify the Statue of Liberty (or as he calls it, "Statue of Livverty")

*Is super compassionate and still obsessed with Batman and Horizon Organic Vanilla Milk. I had to buy the large quantity at Costco the other day.

*I am constantly amazed at what he knows. We received his mid-year progress report from his school and he's counting to 150 in English, 18 in Spanish, he has completely developed a quick wit, is excelling in his Reading and Math Literacy, and knows the Pledge of Allegiance. I'm grateful we have been blessed with the opportunity and funds to allow him to attend a private pre-k program.

Ethan:

*Is a super genius. Duh. He was asked to do a report on an American who is famous or considered a hero. He picked Albert Einstein. I told him I thought he was German. He corrected me and said, "Actually, Mom, he became an American citizen in 1940."

I guess I'll go back to my place, then, good sir.

*He is obsessed with creating and utilizing power points and photo story. This is pretty much the bomb to see as a parent. The fact that he can navigate around technology at his age astounds me.

*And I'm likely to get some backlash and judgement on this one, BUT, he LOVES 'The Big Bang Theory' ---He even requested a Bazinga t-shirt. Sometimes, his facial expressions mimic those of one, Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Note: We monitor what episodes he watches. We don't just let him have free reign. But, as a kid who is considered a "science nerd"- I love that he can see these characters as quirky, funny, and yes, even cool.

Home Stuff:

*Well, the floors are officially put in throughout the house, including the master bedroom and walk-in closets. (We aren't done with this one just yet, but here's what it looks like in the process. Yes, I did paint the inside of the closet something other than white. White was too drab.)

*Paint colors have been chosen and we are slowly getting the rooms repainted. (Trust me, they needed it!)The boys bathroom went from an adorable and sweet baby blue/lime green to a sophisticated gray. I replaced the PBK Dino curtains with a West Elm gray striped one. I'm still in the process of ordering a few things to decorate, but I have to say, as sad as I am to see the little kid stuff go, it suits the little gentlemen to a 'T'.

I will post before and after pictures at a later time...when the projects are completed and the messes are cleaned up.

*We had to replace our water heater last night. Boo! But, it was time and we were going to have to do it eventually anyway.

Anyway, I do believe that is it for catching up. I will post more pictures later. I'm spent for today.

I leave you with this picture of two dapper gentlemen.

Catching Up...

Much time has passed since my last update so here's a rundown:

1.) Some friends and I took the kids to the zoo before we had to go back to school. Let me just say, that I love our Zoo Membership!! AND- I cannot wait until Summer Break! The Christmas break just wasn't long enough.

2.) I took (and passed with an A!) a Winter-mini term. I'm more than halfway done with my Master's degree. This excites me more than words can express.

3.) Caden has been playing incessantly with his Batman Geotrax set and Imaginext Batman cave. He and E are all about superheroes (and The Muppets) right now. (Ethan's kicks are Superman while Caden's are Batman- thanks be to ye olde Converse!)

4.) Both boys got their report cards last week; Brian and I could not be prouder of our boys. Caden is excelling in pre-k. He can count to 150 by rote memorization, count to 18 in Spanish, and gets along very well with his peers. Ethan, has all A's, and intrigues his teacher with his hunger for knowledge and science inquiry (her exact words to me).

5.) We celebrated Brian's 36th Birthday this weekend starting with a round of golf at Top Golf on Friday. If you've never been to Top Golf, you are missin out, yo! We had such a great time and will be going back frequently.

I'm grateful for the days, weeks, months, years that life just seems to "go with the flow" instead of being drama-filled. Thank you, God, for this life. Forgive me for not appreciating it enough.

Things That Are My New Year's Resolutions, Maybe Not This Year, But Someday

1. Learn Vietnamese so I can surprise the nail techs when I get a mani/pedi

2. Dance a solo in a recital to something Michael Jackson-y

3. Protest SOMETHING

4. Work on my golf swing and get so good at it people get scared to play against me

5. Sing in public- preferably Bette Davis Eyes

6. Become a regular at Pete's Dueling Pianos

7. Complete 35 random acts of kindness

8. Negotiate the price on our next house by myself- I already negotiated the price/deal on my current ride on my own (Brian was sitting next to me and let me handle all the details) and I felt empowered and I do believe I scared the salesman. I'm gonna use this power for good...and a little evil.

9. Vacation in another country for more than a week. (Planning this now for my post-graduation party)

10. Sew and sew a lot

11. Take a cake decorating class from a real-live professional. Not the Michael's/Wilton people either.

12. Take art classes with my boys

I have more. This seems like a bucket list, but it's not. It's not because I want to do these things soon before my boys get any older and too busy for me. And, I want to do these things while I'm still young enough to be coherent while completing them. Holla.

Those Pesky Stars!

This is his "I'm super excited to be here" face...Just kidding. It's his, "Can't wait til my nachos and cotton candy get here!!" face.

Ok, funny story behind Ethan's impression here. During the game, they always play a recorded PSA by the players to the crowd to watch for pucks and sticks that might fly into the crowd. Well, one of the Stars has quite a few missing teeth. He said, "Watch out or you'll end up looking like me." Ethan yells out, "But what if I already DO look like you?! See!!!!!" -And then he smiled proudly to show off his gappy mouth.


Caden, "Look mama! I can take a picture of me playing like I can pinch this lady's head!"

Yes, he took this picture himself.


A family member gifted us with primo tix to the Stars game (Stars vs. Fliers) the other day. Platinum parking, seating, and lots of cool things. I think we were completely spoiled by how awesome Platinum seating truly is. Ethan and Brian were glued to their seats while I took the opportunity to teach Cade how to trash talk the other team. (Clear off the mantle because I'm putting my Mother of the Year trophy right front and center!)
Did you know in Platinum you can text your food/drink orders and they'll bring it to you? Heck yeahs! Sadly, the Stars lost. Lost real bad, yo.
It was super fun, nonetheless.

Shrek the Halls-Ice! at the Gaylord

It was interesting. We went today, and although it was pretty pricey, we enjoyed it a lot. The Gaylord was completely packed and I overheard the concierge tell another guest that this weekend is always their busiest. Whoops. We met our friends, the Bradens, and got to experience it with them which made it even more fun.
So, I didn't know what to expect other than what a few of my friends/co-workers have shared with me about their experience. Here's the deal: you have to bring gloves, your scarf, a warm hat, and wear close-toed shoes. They provide you with a parka (my germaphobic self had to just go with it, but inside---I was reeling as I wondered what person had the parka on before me. Whatever...just go with it, right?!)
It started with an introduction about where the Ice! exhibit ideas and artists come from and how much ice is used etc. etc. Basically, they try to answer the questions they think you have. You do have to wait in line after line to get in and it was kinda slow moving throughout which was fine by me because it gave us time to snap pictures. I had a pretty positive experience with everyone else we met. In fact, this super sweet woman offered to take our pictures so we could all be in them together. As someone who is always positioned behind the camera, I was grateful to her. (and yes, I returned the favor when she needed her family's pictures taken)
Towards the end of the exhibit, there are slides made of ice. The boys took turns going up and down. The most beautiful part was the huge nativity made of ice. Caden oohed and ahhed over it. He is obsessed with nativity scenes and baby Jesus. It was all stunning really. The Chinese artists who flew in from 7,000+ miles to carve all of these sculptures out have been given a true gift from God. It was amazing. Not gonna lie, it wasn't just cold. It was freakin' freezing! (12-17 degrees, actually)
I think we've found our new yearly tradition. Pretty, pretty cool stuff going on in that place. The hotel was beautiful, BUT, we've stayed in nicer places. I think it was a little hard not to compare to those places. The boys loved every minute of it and I'm glad we kept it a surprise.
What you should know:
*wear warm clothing (scarves, hat, gloves)
*close-toed shoes are a must
*you CAN bring a DSLR in- I didn't (just brought the point and shoot because I wasn't sure how my camera would handle the harsh temps)
*parking is validated so don't freak out at the $17 price tag when you park
*go any other weekend EXCEPT the weekend before Christmas and definitely don't go the day of Breakfast with Santa
*the earlier you go, the better
*don't freak out at the lines- they really do move pretty quickly







































Hot chocolate to warm up!


We found these cookies in the coffee shop in the hotel. It's Gingy!!





















Sitting on Shrek's toilet. Yes, it's a real thing. Gross.