1-Year Anniversary Trip

For those of you who don't know, Jon and I will be moving out of Enid by September, possibly even as early as July depending on his next job. With moving and relocation costs less than 6 months away, we thought it would be best to scale back our original plan of an extravagant 1-year anniversary trip, for one that will be more practical for us at the moment.

Aside from our upcoming move being a factor, we also wanted to finally capitalize on our surroundings. We always talk about how we should take advantage of the places that are within driving distance of us while we're here. So after doing a fair amount of research, we've decided to spend our 1-year anniversary in (drumroll please.....)
Kansas City, MO!

At first, you might only think of barbecue, but let me tell you, this place has way more to offer than just that! With more boulevards than any other city in the world besides Paris, it has been deemed the "Paris of the Plains." Kansas City is also known as the City of Fountains, boasting over 200 fountains, the second most in the world, just behind Rome.
We'll be staying at the Intercontinental Hotel in the Country Club Plaza, the center of many cultural events, shopping and dining.

Intercontinental Hotel

Established in 1922, the Country Club Plaza was architecturally designed after Seville, Spain. The Plaza reflects classic European influences with more than 30 statues, murals and tile mosaics on display in the area.

Kansas City is also the home to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, housing one of the best collections of impressionist (my favorite!) and Chinese art in the Midwest.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

After visiting one of the many museums, you can grab a bite to eat at Cafe Europa (known for their yummy desserts!) before heading down to the river for a romantic gondola ride.

Cafe Europa

Aside from its beauty and many entertainment opportunities, Kansas City is also perfect because it goes all out to celebrate the holiday our anniversary lands on--Easter. The Easter bunnies in the Plaza is a tradition that was started in the 1930s and is still thriving today. Each year, larger-than-life Easter bunnies are scattered all over the Country Club Plaza for locals and tourists to find--they even have a map pinpointing their locations. Pretty cute.

I've also heard great things about Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates. This chocolate lover will definitely have to check it out.

So much to do. So much to see. So much to celebrate!

In closing, I'll leave you with a quote from a write-up Elle Decor did on the city. "You can’t anticipate Kansas City’s charms by looking at a map. It has all the elements that create a rich urban experience, coupled with a gracious, small-town intimacy that ensures an easy stay—for a weekend or a lifetime."

That's just what we want, and we can't wait to see it for ourselves!

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Canopy Stripes

As I mentioned in a previous post, black and white canopy striped fabric is one of my current obsessions. It's classic, clean and oh so elegant. Not to mention that it can make a bold statement in a room without being too flashy. I normally favor a very neutral color palette with accents of greens and robin's egg blues, and this pattern could be put in any such setting and be beautiful. Here a few of my favorite examples: Is this room spectacular or what? It's modern, classic and sophisticated! There is a large amount of stripes in this room, yet it's not overbearing. And the symmetry and clean lines displayed throughout give the room great balance. I could just plop this room right into my house! This is another example (as shown in a previous entry). If you don't have the money to invest in a rug, buy a few pillows and get the same look in your room for a fraction of the price. Whoever said black and brown don't go together was seriously mistaken. Lo

Table Decorating Contest

Jon and I are leaving to spend a long weekend in San Antonio with his parents and his brother (who will be town from Arizona). But before we go, I wanted to leave you with some pictures from the Officer Spouses Club Table Decorating Contest that was held last night. I called Jon on my way home from base, and he immediately asked "How was the contest?" to which I responded "Victorious." The 32nd FTS, our squadron, took first place! The theme was Silver Screen so we decided to focus on famous quotes from each movie genre. Each place setting featured a different movie. We had a "drive-in" for our center piece where clips of the famous quotes were shown. Welcome to the Jayhawk Drive-In! Wizard of Oz place setting. The glass had a button you could turn on to make the water swirl and look like a tornado inside. Also notice the witch's feet sticking out from under the plate :) A close-up of the yellow brick road I painted. Silence of the Lambs pl

Guest Room Before and After-Healing Aloe

Here is a shot of the room in all of its coral glory. Great for a teenager, not for a soothing guest room. And here is the Healing Aloe after. Healing Aloe is a color by Benjamin Moore. It was hard to get a good shot of the true color, but it is more of a seafoam than gray. Aside from painting the walls and buying a new white quilt for the bed, everything else in the space we already had--most of which are hand-me-downs (bed and dresser) or thrift store finds (lamp and side table). It will all be sufficient for now, and hopefully a space that our guests will love. I'm very happy with the outcome and the progress of one more room in the house coming closer to completion. One down, three to go (at least in the painting department!)

House of Hydrangeas

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