party on the bridge!

saturday was the big "margaret hunt hill bridge" opening celebration and it was the perfect opportunity to see the fabulous bridge in all it's glory while taking in some of dallas' local treasures.  i was volunteering with bcworkshop, a nonprofit architectural firm, interviewing attendees about their neighborhoods and communities within the city.  it was such an amazing thing to talk to all of these people and get their different perspectives of dallas, the bridge and how it will affect the city. one of my favorite quotes was from a boy about 8 years old who, when asked what could be done to improve his community, said "stop all the sagging!" ha! indeed. 

i also got to watch my friend and true talent, lauren adelle crowder perform. she was amazing and i was proud to watch her on that stage!

during my break, i enjoyed a scrumptious bbq grilled cheese sandwich from ruthie's rolling cafe food truck.

the bridge at night was incredible. when taking pictures all we could say was "wow it almost looks fake!" because of the contrast of the clear night sky on the bright white cables. truly an amazing structure.

stephen and i went back on sunday during the day to walk across the bridge again.  we really wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, since it will never be open to pedestrians once it is a fully open and functioning roadway.

it was really wonderful to be a part of history in dallas.  bravo, mr. calatrava, you did an amazing job creating a beautiful structure that will forever change the dallas skyline.

(all photos by me, on the ol' iphone)

the commissary

wednesday night mom came in town for a little mom/daughter time, and after a little shopping and a fun pedicure, we decided dinner was in order.

we picked stephen up and headed to the commissary - a new(er) restaurant in dallas' lovely one arts plaza. the food and service were both fabulous.  i tried the special which was tempura fried scallops served on sliced avocados and a delicious sauce. mom got the crabcake burger - it was so good and was mostly just crab meat which was a nice surprise (you know when you get that crab cake and it's all filler? not this one!), she also tried the sweet potato tots which were adorable and yummy. stephen had the tandoori burger - lamb with a tzatziki sauce served in a pita, alongside their skinny fries - delectable.

we enjoyed wine and great conversation, but were just too full for dessert...i guess that means we'll just have to go back, right?! i hope to also go back when it's a bit cooler, as they have a really beautiful outside eating area on the plaza.

if you're in dallas or stopping by, i recommend trying this fun, delicious place, and maybe even enjoy a show or concert or head to the museums afterward, since you're in the largest arts district in the nation!

shock me like an electric eel

last weekend when the fam was in town, we ventured over to city arts and while it was really neat, it was just too hot, so we escaped into the children's aquarium to get a little a/c. what a fun place!! it's a very small but entertaining and interactive aquarium.  we even got to feed the sting rays!!

stephen with the electric eel

the whole fam gathered around the tank,  feeding the sting rays - and stephen being too scared to do it! ha!

 

attempting another time :) 

 

uncle stephen and miss paige and some creepy octopus arms!

and here is a nice little family picture with all the siblings plus paige

of course, at our favorite little taco place

good times with the family :)

meddlesome moth

last weekend (memorial day wknd), stephen's fam came in town to celebrate the twins' 21st birthday.  one of the brothers, nick, came in on friday to have a little extra fun time and i took him out on the town.  his favorite restaurant here is the meddlesome moth (and who can blame him? that place is phenomenal!!). here are some of my fave shots from our delicious dinner.

yay for ordering tasty beers at dinner! 21!

 eating their delicious "moth balls" small balls of ricotta with amazing texture, baked in a brown butter sauce and garnished with fried sage leaves.........heaven.

 the pork belly - it's shredded, covered in a blackstrap glace and served over yummy corn pancakes.

the corn. oh the corn. mexicali creamed corn...enough said.

top it all off with the "moth sundae" using creamy mint ice cream from local creamery wild about harry's, bananas with a crispy sugar glace and topped with ghirardelli chocolate chips and peanuts...it was a sweet surrender and we were stuffed to the gills afterward.

all in all a lovely birthday dinner :) if you ever get the chance to visit the moth, do so and you will not regret it!