Main Street

Brix

2012-02-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

Austin surprised me with a Valentine's dinner at Brix.
It was so romantic!

(This is my philosophy: When people say Valentine's is dumb because you should act loving everyday...it kind of misses the purpose. For people -like us- who act loving and do special things for each other all the time...it's a really fun holiday to just be silly and buy things with hearts on it and eat lots of chocolate. It doesn't have to be a negative thing! Just have fun with it!!!)
Did that make sense? It does in my head.

Anyways, Austin picked me up with a huge bouquet of roses (so mushy, so sweet!!!) and we headed up to Napa.
At dinner he surprised me with an iphone. Welcome me to the future!

He looks so cute in his glasses!!

Our dessert plate.
Thanks Hannah!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T10:40:00.000-08:00

Love, Jessica and Derek

Love, Hannah and Kyle

Love, Greer and Austin

Filthy Gorgeous

2012-02-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

So I have mentioned before that I work in a cute little shop called Filthy Gorgeous, right?
It's a shop filled with vintage and new pieces.
(It also has birds!)

Here are some pictures from the shop.

We have a Facebook page that I am going to be updating all the time with info on new arrivals to the shop.
I would love for you all to "Like" it and follow those updates.
It could be fun, yeah?
Here is the link.
Hope to see you there!!

Greer

For My Snickerdoodle Muffin

2012-02-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

Austin sent me this link last night. He loves snickerdoodles (as you have seen in previous posts) and muffins so...why not combine the two?

He doesn't know I made them...so hopefully he doesn't see this post before I give them to him!

I tasted them (I ate two muffins in less than five minutes) and they are sooo good.
They really taste like snickerdoodles!

Greer

February Sun

2012-02-05T11:23:00.001-08:00

With Austin's sister Amanda

I joined Austin's family on a trip up to Napa yesterday.
We went to two wineries (Louis M. Martini and William Hill) and enjoyed the amazing February weather.
They did some wine tasting while I did some water tasting. My water had hints of rainfall with a wet bouquet followed by puddle like depth. It was great....until Austin dropped a pebble in my glass. That rat!!

We followed our winery exploring with an early dinner at Compadres on the Napa River.
I had a carnitas burrito smothered in salsa verde. I almost ate the whole thing. And it was huge.

Chinese Food

2012-02-04T09:19:00.000-08:00

Austin and I went down to Grand China for dinner last night.

Look at all that FOOD!

I didn't have any problem finishing it.

Looks like I'll be finding my marbles this month!!

I Love You

2012-02-03T12:15:00.001-08:00

These little Valentines are for my dearest mother and grandmother.
I bought the hearts from Michael's craft store and then decorated them with some of my fabric.
I stamped a little "I Love You" so they know how much I care about them.
: )

I also made a little something for Austin but I won't be posting that for a little while.
- Greer

Maison

2012-02-02T15:04:00.000-08:00

My latest project.

I really like the backs...

Basics

2012-01-31T13:49:00.001-08:00

These days all I really want to wear are the following items.

Fresh faced, wavy hair parted down the middle, and strawberry pink lipstick.

I realize two out of three of these items can be found in men's section...
That's how I do business!

The Three Sisters

2012-01-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

Remember those other projects I promised to post?
Today is the day!

This past week I have been working on this project.
I got the idea when I was making the banner. I liked the idea of sewing letters onto the canvas so I decided to do something a little more challenging.
For this one I had my dear father make a wooden frame and then I took a piece of burlap and stapled it around like you would with a canvas.
I then printed out my letters and cut each out with this floral fabric and sewed them all on.
Then came the circle and the petals.

That took a while.

Then I pinned on my flowers that I sewed long ago for wearing.

Ta da!
The finished product.

Hello Pintrest

2012-01-16T15:49:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

So...I just started a Pintrest.

https://pinterest.com/mainstreetgreer/

I'm not sure why...but it makes me nervous!
I made an Americana "board" and it seems to be the only thing I'm pinning to.
I think I'm sensing a trend.
It looks a bit like this:
And maybe a little bit like this:

"Follow" me if you'd like!

-Greer

Forty-Niners

2012-01-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

Bet you thought I was going to talk about the miners of 1849 who struck gold in California!!!
Not this time.

No, today was a day filled with football.
The 49er's defeated the Saints in the NFC divisional playoffs.
(Is that right? I'm a baseball kind of girl.)

But yes, today Austin and I watched the game.

With an hour to go til kick off (terminology: check!) we threw around the old pigskin.

Perfect spiral.

We worked up our appetites and made our way to the chips and dip.

Then we finally got to game time.
This is how Austin looked for the majority of the game.

Soon it was time to eat again.
I whipped up some steak sandwiches with bleu cheese, red onion, avocado...yum...

Dakota couldn't figure out why we were watching the tv and not him.
That poor dog gets no attention.
(NOT)

Austin was very pleased that they won. Woohoo!!

Though I usually don't pay attention to football, I must say that I was on the edge of my seat by the end!! It made me excited for baseball.
Can't teach an old dog new tricks, eh?

Home

2012-01-13T16:09:00.000-08:00

Today has been a crafting day.

I woke up this morning with the idea that I would make a pennant banner similar to the ones I usually make.
Except, today I decided I want to put more time into it and hand sew it.
This of course meant I would be spending my whole day doing it.
Wee!!

First I cut out my burlap triangle shapes along with felt backings.

Then I printed out the letters "HOME"
I pinned them to my fabric that I had in my fabric basket (oh yes, I have a basket full of these remnants!) and cut them out.

I then hand sewed them onto the burlap triangles.
The stitches may not be exactly straight...but that's what I like about it!

Louie sat and watched me sew.

The next step was to attach the felt to the burlap.
I used the hemming tape stuff. (What's it called?)
This part was fun...I like when the iron sizzles!!

Below is the finished product.
I'm very happy with it!

I'm going to make a couple more...I'll keep you posted!

-Greer

My Cards

2012-01-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

My cards are in the shop!
I'm thrilled : )

St. Helena

2012-01-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

Why does it seem like 80% of this blog is made up of pictures of Taylors/Gott's??
Maybe because we go so often.

Kerry and I made a trip up to the St. Helena location and dined in the 70 degree (or so it felt) weather.
Not a bad day.

Kerry is very proud of her cheeseburger.

After lunch we walked around town and took in the (expensive) stores.
The store below is called Napa Valley Vintage Home.
It has amazing things...but at a high price!

Mmm...chocolate.

Boardwalk Empire

2012-01-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

Have I talked about how much we love Boardwalk Empire?
In my opinion it is the best show on Television.
Even though I sometimes have no idea what is going (and have to have Jessica explain it to me!) I just love it.
I love music from the 1920's.
What other 22 year old do you know that has a 1920's Dimestore CD in her car at all times?
(If you do too: Hi! Nice to meet you!!)

I also LOVE the sets.
Below are some screenshots that show the perfection that is Boardwalk Empire.

Nucky's greenhouse.

Below are two shots from my favorite set.

Jimmy and Angela's beach house.

I love all the windows and mixture of dark wood and painted white wood.
Windows = natural lighting = good.
I did the math on that all by myself. No calculator.

The boardwalk is basically Main Street at Disneyland.
(aka my idea of heaven)

Always love Nucky's costumes.
Especially the red carnation.

Also, I just recently discovered that I'm attracted to men with long hair on top and shaved sides...?

(and pouty lips)

Who knew???

Early morning adventure

2012-01-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

This morning Austin and I drove up to Colusa to pick something up.
By this morning I mean 5:30 a.m.
It was a fun adventure!
When we got there he went inside and Dakota and I waited in the car. Kota has serious separation issues.
He was depressed the whole time Austin was inside the store.

Once that task was taken care of we drove around the surrounding area for a good couple of hours.
This area isn't what one that you would describe as lush and beautiful...but I think there is something neat about it.

There were a few large old houses that I imagine once belonged to the families who started the town.

Austin driving us around.

On our way back through we stopped at Granzella's in Williams.
We grabbed a couple sandwiches and let Kota run around and then headed on home.
Mmm...salami sandwich...

We made it home by noon! What a productive way to start the day, eh?

New look!

2012-01-06T16:23:00.001-08:00

I spent some time today fixing the look of our blog.
I wanted it to look cleaner and more put together.
How did I do?

This picture below was how my day looked...
I drank my iced coffee (I got the recipe here) and got down to business.
It was full of frustrating moments..."where do I put this in my CSS?? What is a CSS??"
followed by moments of triumph! (notice the new fonts? Oh yes, I did that)

Here are some more new things going on over here...

Austin's family gave me a Jcrew gift card for Christmas (they know me so well!) and I wasted no time making purchases.

This shirt is one I have been looking at for a while. I loooove it.
The new clutch was found in the crewcuts section of the store. After I purchased I realized the inside was somewhat plastic-like. I think it may be a lunchbox...oh well this way if I spill anything it won't leak!
I'm loving stars right now. It is just a little splash of Americana that goes a long way.

Our Mom's birthday was last week. (Happy Birthday Mom!!)
I gave her this neat stand with nests and moss on top.
Cute, eh?

They look perfect on the mantle along with the bookends I bought her and other items I put together from other spots in the house.
I'm happy to have the Christmas decor down and have fresh new decor up!
(I took the Christmas decor down just days after the big day...It depresses me).

I hope you enjoy these new things!

- Greer

Only in California...

2012-01-06T16:09:00.001-08:00

Only in California can you find weather like this in early January...

Kerry and I took a walk down by the marina (without jackets!!) and we were wowed by how calm and beautiful the day was.

Ducks in the water.

Look at this guy!

Nothing to complain about here.

Greer and Kerry Day

2012-01-04T17:23:00.000-08:00

Today was a Greer/Kerry kind of day.
I know I have posted pictures of Kerry on this blog before...but have I ever really introduced her?
Everyone, meet Kerry!
Kerry and I have been the best of friends since we were wee tots. Some things you should know about our friendship:
1. We are both very tall. Growing up she was tiny and I was a giant but somewhere in high school she sprouted.
2. We are really good at harmonizing together. We have always loved singing and our mothers always encouraged us to take lessons but we never really did. HOWEVER, we actually sing really well together? We get each other singing and we work it.
3. We like to do accents.
4. We both love Halloween.
5. We both have two older sisters and each sister is the same age. (In other words, Kerry and I are the same age, Hannah and Casey are the same age, and Jessica and Shannon are the same age). Each pair has the BFF status.

Ok, so today Kerry and I had lunch downtown at Randy's.
This is our usual spot...we love the chips and salsa!

Before lunch we walked around first street and rested in front of St. Paul's and drank out lattes.

After our cheese loaded lunch we went to the craft store so I could stock up on materials and decided on a nature walk at the state park.

Kerry made us do what she calls "anime eyes."
She's weird.

We climbed on equipment.

It was a beautiful day!!

Oops! How did this get in here?
: )

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all! I don't get particularly excited for New Years Eve due to the fact that I like to go to bed early and am not one to party. I do, however, get excited for New Years day.

I like starting a fresh new year!

Austin and I went up to Napa for New Years Eve-day.
Gott's BLT? Amazing.

Our serious faces.

In the afternoon I whipped up these Martha Stewart cupcakes to bring to the party we were going to.
So good.

We spent the evening at a friends party. It was nice and low key...just like I like it!

My resolution? Post more! We will see how this goes...

- Greer

Santa was good to us!

2011-12-28T13:08:00.000-08:00

Some of our amazing gifts!

-Jessica with her new suitcase and beanie-

-Me wearing my Stormy Kromer hat-

-Jessica's new Minnetonka moccasins-

-My new Tiffany & Co men's Venetian Link I.D. bracelet from my honey(I like simple men's jewelry!!)-

-With my initials-

-Paintings for each sister done by our Grandmother-
(She's got talent!)

-My new duck boots-

Thank you all!

-Greer

Cards

2011-12-21T19:58:00.001-08:00

I've always loved making my own cards for special occasions.

Just recently the owner of the store I work in asked if I would create cards to sell. Very exciting!

Here are some I have made/painted so far...

- Greer

Blue Jeans

2011-12-06T13:56:00.000-08:00

So I might be late on the bloggin' train but I just found this Levi's website with awesome information on the history of the company.

Click here to go to the site.

If you're like me and you love American history then this will keep you occupied for quite some time....
Also, if you're like me and you love jeans (especially men's jeans...I just like how they fit ok?!) then this will make you want to buy everything...

Trip to Tahoe

2011-11-13T19:30:00.001-08:00

Hi there!
Remember me?
So I haven't been the best with posting lately but I am making a change...and I have a long post to prove it!

This past weekend my handsome boyfriend Austin took me on a trip to Tahoe. I love everything about this area...one of my favorite parts of the trip was the drive up! I love that as you drive you see more and more pine trees until you suddenly find yourself surrounded by dense forests and walls of rock covered in snow.

The first day of our trip we took a drive down to the lake. It was cold and windy...and refreshing!!

What a background, eh?

I love him : )

The next day we decided to take a trip across the state line into Nevada. We read about a historic little town called Virginia City and just had to take a look.

The drive in was beautiful. Every sight made me think of the Gold Rush and all of the history of the area...but hey this is Greer talking, what do you expect?

It looked like a storm was brewing but fortunately (unfortunately? I like rain) it just kept on moving.

The town was amazing. It is full of history (read about it here) including tales of Mark Twain writing some of his first works there.

Me in front of a museum.

I literally felt like I walked back in time. (Except for some weird gift shops with pirate themed items. What is up with that? Keep it consistent people.)

This little scene is in the Mark Twain Book Store where I bought I book with his work written about the town.

When you looked over the mountainside you could see for miles...and miles...pretty incredible!

On our drive back to our hotel we made a stop at Spooner Lake. As we walked down to the lake, and I slowly looked around in fear of bears, we had to take pictures!

Once down on the lake (without coats) we were in awe of the beautiful setting!!
Some of the lake was frozen and I may have thrown a rock into it just to test it out...

^ Hottie!

We found a post and used the good old self-timer. See that pine cone? I loved it...but then I realized it was covered in sap and I sadly had to let it go. What a sappy story. Ba-dum-ch.

Eventually we had to drive back home and say goodbye to the pine trees :(

On our way home we had to make one more stop in the area known as Apple Hill.

We only stopped for a second to take a few shots and then we were on our way!

I love apple orchards...

It was an amazing trip!
Thank you Austin : )

And thank you all for looking through my many pictures!!!
I will be talking to you soon...

Happy Veterans Day!

2011-11-11T11:46:00.001-08:00

Thank you to all the veterans who have served and are still serving our country!

Take a minute to read this short article, with a nice little video at the end.

Photo here

New Addition to the Family!

2011-10-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

Ode to Pumpkins

2011-10-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

Greer is a pumpkin hunter. She always seems to find all the neat colors, shapes and sizes...here are a few of this year's collection!

Happy Autumn!

2011-09-23T19:22:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of Fall...and we're turning over a new leaf at Main Street Sisters. We've been gone for a bit but we're back with a resolution to keep on bloggin...so bring on the pumpkins, red leaves, and all that we love about this glorious season!

Peddlers' Fair

2011-08-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

Benicia's Peddlers' Fair started in 1963 as a small collectibles sale outside of the First Street St. Pauls Church.

Over the years the fair has grown to an 11 block event with about 300 vendors. Wow!

Kerry and I went down this year and explored the antique booths (and ignored the knick-knack booths)

Puppy in a drawer?

I ended up buying a neat vintage children's book print.

And these Charles Dickens drawing prints by "KYD" aka Joseph Clayton Clarke. We immediately ran over to Target and picked up these frames for next to nothing and now the look is complete! I love them.

What I Love About Late July

2011-07-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

Charley Harper

2011-07-15T13:39:00.001-07:00

A few years back my Mom bought me a really neat book titled,
"Charley Harper, an Illustrated Life."

I'm a big fan of Harper's famous work like this one below but I'm an even bigger fan of his work that takes up the majority of this post.

Most of the following prints are from his Ford Times years (1948-1982) though a few are from The Giant Golden Book of Biology (1961)
Enjoy!

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow!

2011-07-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

We have a vegetable garden growing in our backyard!!

Pops has a green thumb!

I wear generic brand crocs in the garden. What?

America

2011-07-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I just graduated with a degree in American history.

Three years or so ago I decided on that major because of my love of good stories, nostalgia for the past, and my love for this country. It feels so good now to be able to know about our nations past and to be able to share it with friends.

Through my years of studies I have never felt anything but pride when learning about America's past. While many other students would laugh at some stories and express their senses of shame, (sad) I always felt a sense of pride knowing that every building block of our nation's past helped to create what we know (and love) today.

Long story short, what I'm trying to say is over here at Main Street Sisters we LOVE living in America because of all the freedoms, traditions, and pride it gives us.

Happy Independence Day!!!!

A Country Summer

2011-06-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

Every time summer comes around, I start wishing I lived in the South or the countryside. Yes I'm sure it's ridiculously hot and I would probably melt, but there is just something about the thought of a picnic or BBQ accompanied by some sweet tea, pulled pork, gingham table cloths and peach pie that gets me every year. Throw in a little Zac Brown Band and the picture couldn't be more perfect. I've put together a few images to conjure up my day dream...maybe it's time for a road trip?

From here and here.

These adorable and ingenious party photos are from A Little Sussy. So clever!

Of course, Country Living always has something inspirational to contribute:

This last one from the adorable Farm Chicks.

Lots of great ideas from Southern Living:

From here.

Gorgeous summer food photography from Sunday Suppers.

From here.

I absolutely love the dainty details Heather Bullard brings to outdoor festivities...

From here.

This last one from Tartlette actually reminds me that we have our own peach tree at home...and it's almost time for it to start bearing some lovely fruit! Can't wait for July.

First pic here.

What We're Eating

2011-06-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

Graduating Greer

2011-06-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was a big one for me!

On Saturday Hannah and I enjoyed a day (eating) in Napa.

We enjoyed our Model Bakery vanilla lattes as we soaked up the sun.

And sampled the pork buns at the amazingly cute Dim Sum Charlie's.

The next day was...my graduation from University of California, Davis with a BA in American history!

The ceremony took hours and once it was over we were so ready to eat and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful views of the Napa Valley.

The wine train.

Beautiful Hannah!

Look at that sunset!

Beautiful Jessica!

Brix garden

My delish salmon dinner

Graduating Greer!

After dinner I was surprised by this sweet dessert!
Hannah works as a pastry assistant and planned this little treat for me...she wuvs me.

It was a great weekend! Thank you everyone!

Benicia is Famous!

2011-06-07T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of. But it was featured in the June 2011 issue of Sunset Magazine!

The article touts our little town as a funky art spot with a great culinary scene. Frankenburger is mentioned as having the best burgers, and I would have to agree with that one!

Greer enjoying some sweet potato fries at Frankenburger.

Also highlighted were Studio 41, Sailor Jack's, Lucca, the Union Hotel, and more!

For a nice recap and a link to download the actual article, click here.

Photo via

Snickerdoodle-doo

2011-06-01T12:09:00.001-07:00

Austin and I are in our final week of college so I thought I would send him a little treat to get him through it!

I baked him a batch of snickerdoodle cookies because I know he looooves them.

Here they are in my new cake stand...yummmmm...

Off to the post office I go!

- Greer

Banana Bread

2011-05-31T18:04:00.000-07:00

For my birthday my Mom gave me this cute cookbook.
It's called Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters and its full of recipes they discovered that date to as far back as 1900.

Each recipe has a brief description that explains where they found the recipe and a little bit of history about the treat.

I had a couple brown bananas so I decided to try out the recipe for banana bread and yummm glad I did!

They found this hand written recipe from the 1940's and tweaked it a little bit by adding walnuts.

It baked perfectly in my loaf pan that I got for Christmas.

Next post...snickerdoodles for my snickerdoodle! (Cheesey? Yes. Ashamed? No)

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry our posts have been...spotty.
I'm in my last week of college and Jessica has been swamped with work.
We will be back in a bit!

Weekly farmers market visit

2011-05-26T19:46:00.001-07:00

Don't you love how just brushing by lavender leaves the fresh scent on you?

Cute little baked goods stand.

Always love fresh flowers!

Right where I belong!

Berry-galore!

Hi Hi Birdy!

2011-05-22T18:06:00.001-07:00

This is a new baby bird from the shop.
I named him Twitter.
(Not after the website, he's old school)

2011-05-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

Pleasanton is the kind of town that is voted one of the "Best Places to Live" and was featured in Forbes' "Americans' Top Hometown Spots. " It benefits from a nice combination of history, charm, and it's central Bay Area location.

The town was founded in 1894 and today boasts a population of over 66,000. Back in the 1850s, the town was known for its bandits and desperadoes, complete with your Western-style Main Street gun fights. It has housed famous visitors and outlaws, from Mary Pickford and the racehorse Seabiscuit to Joaquin Murrieta, the bandito of Zorro-inspiring fame.

The Wild West seems very much alive in Pleasanton today, with feed and western dress stores still featured on Main St...complete with a life-sized plastic horse!

Main St is also peppered with plenty of delicious looking and popular restaurants. When Greer and I got hungry, it didn't take us long, however, to settle on the Blue Agave Club--adorable patio seating on a warm spring day? Yes, please!

We were delighted with the food and the experience--traditional but light rice and beans, spicy chicken tacos...so good. And you can't go wrong with dining al fresco under string lights (the inside is adorable as well, with festive Mexican decor set in an old Victorian house).

Afterward, while doing some research, I found that the Blue Agave is listed as one of Pleasanton's Most Haunted (it seems, somewhat unsurprisingly given its storied history, that the town boasts many a ghostly tale). The building was once the family home of the Arendts, and according the website current workers hear plenty of noises and often see an apparition of a young girl, though "a psychic reading indicated that Mr. Arendt is still in the house and is the dominant spirit. The other ghosts are people that worked for him in the home. The psychic reported that the other ghosts like to eavesdrop on conversations and sit on the porch, watching the townspeople pass by. They love having the house to themselves after the business closes. Then they have parties and just ignore Mr. Arendt." Sounds like some spooky fun.

The old Rose Hotel, also said to be among the town's haunted.

Anyway, Greer and I then strolled around and enjoyed the sites.

Cute little mini garden.

In addition to all the great restaurants, Pleasanton has plenty of fun shopping and window browsing opportunities, from antique shops to adorable clothing boutiques.

The Pleasanton Hotel, rumored to be haunted by an 1870s prostitute...

Overall, Pleasanton provided a fun afternoon in a very un-touristy historic setting. It is a gem of a Main Street in a town much more known for its large indoor shopping mall and annual County Fair. We're already planning our trip back for a porch-side margarita and ghost sighting.

Historic photos via

Red Red Red

2011-05-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

A birthday present from Michael.
(Thank you!)

A perfect truck spotted downtown.

A pretty door in the art district of Benicia's industrial park.

2011-05-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

As we've mentioned before we are HUGE San Francisco Giants fans.

For the game last night Hannah decided to make a sign to give the team some encouragement!

The game was great and we were having a blast when...in the 7th inning I got a text from Austin saying that they showed us and our sign on TV for a second! We were so excited.

Minutes after that text we saw the camera man in our section and after he saw us with our sign he pulled his camera up and started filming!

We were on TV for about 15 seconds! So cool.

It was so fun to hear from our friends who were watching the game and saw us.

Even though our 15 seconds of fame are over...we are still feeling good!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to our WONDERFUL mother!

-Then-

-And now!-
What a babe!

And a special shout out to our beautiful Grammy!

Farmers Market

2011-05-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

Hannah and I took a stroll down at our farmers' market.
Our town holds the farmers' market every Thursday evening and we try our hardest to make it down every week.

After two free samples (he insisted!!) I just had to buy a bag of the oranges. They are so juicy and delicious...

We ended our Cinco de Mayo with a nice taco dinner and a side of margaritas.

Have a great weekend!!!

- Greer

Lemonade on a hot day

2011-05-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

I was standing in the drink aisle at our local grocery store searching for something to quench my thirst on this hot spring day when I cam across this sweet little lemonade.

Hubert's Lemonade grows it's lemons here in California. It's a company established in 1935 and well, I just couldn't resist the cute glass bottle.

Plus it's tasty!

Kitsy Kat

2011-05-04T18:04:00.001-07:00

Purrfect

Blueberry Muffins

2011-05-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

Another baking post?? Why, yes indeed!

I found this recipe for blueberries from our Martha Stewart baking cook book.

Don't they look great?

I love this picture.
Little Lou just had to get in the frame and show off his cute little self!

I hope everyone is having a great week.
:)

- Greer

Coconut Cupcakes

2011-04-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

My birthday has lasted three days this year. Lucky me!

On the third day of birthday my sisters gave to me...coconut cupcakes!

The recipe came from Ina Garten.
My sisters chose coconut because of my love of coconut cupcakes from Kara's Cupcakes.

The most special part about these cupcakes are the decorative accessories that went along with them.

Jessica and Hannah picked up this adorable set from Williams-Sonoma. I love Beatrix Potter's artwork and was so excited to see them!

The results of the cupcakes are amazing. Not only do they look cute (on my new bumble bee cake stand) they taste AMAZING! We made quite a few and I don't think we will have any problems finishing them...

Seriously? How cute is that cake stand?

- Greer

UC Davis

2011-04-28T22:51:00.000-07:00

So, this June I will be graduating from UC Davis...Yay!

Although many people picture the campus to be strictly farmland (is that a bad thing?)they may be surprised to know that it is full of trees and is really quite pretty!

I thought I'd share a little bit of the campus with you.

My walk through the quad on the way to class.

We have a ton of squirrels....and a ton of odd art (seen on the right)

Along the backside of campus there is an amazing arboretum. The shot above is of the redwood forest section.

This area is great for reading. I like to put in my head phones and listen to 1920's dimestore tunes and just pretend I'm in a different time...

Well I guess this completes the tour...I hope you enjoyed it!

- Greer

From a lil munchkin to a 22 year old...

2011-04-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Greery Pie!

Easter Recap

2011-04-27T14:42:00.001-07:00

The family celebrated Easter this year with a sweet little brunch.

Hannah and I prepared decorations for the day far in advance and were so excited to put them out.

I made this sweet little place settings with mini pots and adorable vintage inspired eggs.

Hannah surprised each of us with these classic chocolate bunnies from a great little chocolate shop in downtown Davis.

Our centerpiece.

Hannah and I also made this egg mobile of sorts with paper mache eggs. I painted half the eggs with a natural spotted look and Hannah decorated hers with pastel designs.

Hannah cooked up a delicious brunch with a pancetta and asparagus frittata and other gourmet treats.

She served a berry crumble for dessert. So tastey!

I hope everyone had a great Easter.

Today just happens to be my Birthday and I can't wait to share all the fun decorations my sisters put up for me...I'll post later!

- Greer

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T12:53:00.001-07:00

2011-04-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

I've always liked making my own greeting cards.

I've been working on a couple styles lately and I thought I would share them with you!

Let me know what you think!

Thanks!

-- Greer

New Purse

2011-04-14T17:21:00.001-07:00

About two months ago, I took my own advice and ordered a purse from Duluth Pack. After seeing some of their bags featured in Country Living Magazine, I got a little impulsive and ordered an adorable khaki and leather number. I could just picture myself, in less than a week, sporting my own American-made classic.

The purse...though mine is in khaki.

To my dismay, I received an email the following day notifying me that my bag was back ordered and would perhaps not arrive for 6 to 12 weeks!! I was so disappointed, but then as I read on I actually became quite excited--they were working on hand making a bag, just for me. Because that's what they do at this place--bags are hand made, in Duluth Minnesota. It's really quite neat. So I've been waiting...

And on Monday, I got an email saying it's been shipped. It has yet to arrive, but I had to share my excitement with you all. I encourage you to buy from this place and ones like it...they've got great stuff!

--Jessica

Botanical Print

2011-04-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

I was downtown in one of our town's thrift stores and stumbled upon this print. I love the print but the wooden frame was a little too 1990's for me.

(It actually looks better in the picture than it did in person)

So I sanded it down, painted over it with white paint....

And tada!

Newly redecorated spring mantel!

Book Banner

2011-04-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed a banner hanging from the ceiling in some of our posts.

Like this ^

I thought I'd share how I made it!

The book covers came from old books that were going to be tossed out.

Without the weight of the pages inside the covers rest perfectly over a string and don't need anything to stay in place.

If you have a house of book lovers (we could basically run a library out of here...) then this is a perfect decoration.

Also,
I made a trip to our local craft store with my sweet Grammy today and purchased a simple (fake) sprig of flowers. I don't usually go for the fake flowers, for obvious reasons, but I just loved the simplicity of these.

I grabbed this little pitcher to go along with it and I am so pleased with the way it turned out. Just lovely!!

- Greer

Happiness

2011-04-07T20:49:00.001-07:00

Delicious mocha made by the delightful Michelle at Matching Half Cafe.

2011-03-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

Recently, we had the opportunity to take a little road trip up into the mountains...which led us to snow, and also to Nevada City.

Nevada City is a quintessential Gold Rush town; in fact, it was the most important mining town in the state around 1850. It was incorporated as a city in 1856 as plain "Nevada" but was changed to "Nevada City" less than a decade later to avoid confusion with the state.

Wild West.

The Nevada Theatre--est. 1865, and the oldest original-use theater in California.

Is it just me or does this seem like it would be a corner in Ireland?

Mine. Ha.

Grigsby Greer's building.

Historical.

It was around Valentine's Day if you couldn't tell.

The day wouldn't be complete without some ice cream...

Neat.

The houses and inns there were adorable...as was the town. Let's just say that being there gave us all a craving for some good BBQ...we ended the day at Lucille's in Rocklin. Perfect.

--Jessica

Historic photo here
Theater photo here

Main Street Birthday

2011-03-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

March 12th was Hannah's 24th birthday.

The cutie birthday girl

To celebrate we drove up to the Napa Valley to enjoy the tastey food, warm weather, and beautiful sights.

First stop was Taylor's (or Gotts) Refresher.

Jessica, Casey, Kelly, and Hannah

Cheers!

Next, we stopped at Dean and Delucas to take a look around and enjoy the nice labeling of the products. That's normal, right?

We finished our day out with a relaxing afternoon on the back patio of Brix.

One of Hannah's pastry coworkers sent out some birthday goodies for us to snack on. Soooo good.

Your Main Street Sisters

Blowing out the candles on her "Sinfully Chocolate Cake" I baked up for her.

Happy Birthday Month!

- Greer

Hearst Castle

2011-03-02T08:30:00.001-08:00

This last weekend I went down to San Luis Obispo to visit my boyfriend AG.

We are both graduating college this spring ...our last year apart!
(I go to UCD, he goes to Cal Poly)

The beautiful hills of SLO.

We decided to take the hour drive up the coast to visit Hearst Castle. We had both been there before but it had been a while.

As we drove up Highway 1 the weather looked like this. ^
It was a beautiful day!

We knew there was a chance of rain and that the mountain tops looked a bit overcast but sure didn't expect to see what we saw!!

We boarded the bus that takes you to the top and after some twists and turns we finally made it!

Then suddenly....what are these white things falling from the sky?! We don't see those things in these parts!

It was snowing!!

In front of the Neptune Pool

So I know this isn't very exciting for those of you living in say...the East coast. BUT it is very exciting for us in little ol' California.

Okay, here begins the mini tour of Hearst Castle:

Beautiful ceiling in one of the guest houses.

I love this bathroom.

Guestroom

Many of the decorations date back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

The indoor Roman Pool is my favorite room in the Castle. I can't even describe how amazing it is!

-End of Mini tour-

Once we left the hills of San Simeon we were met again by the sun!
The photo above is of Morrow Bay.

If you haven't visited Hearst Castle I would very much recommend you do. The architecture is just lovely and it is so fun to see how the Hollywood stars of the 1920's and 1930's vacationed.

- Greer

Beautiful Day

2011-02-23T18:07:00.000-08:00

Jessica and I took a walk on First Street today. You know those days when you just feel content? It was like that.

Out front of Benicia Floral.

We went into our favorite antique store and took a few secret pictures...shhh!

Love that cracker tin on the bottom shelf...

That red shelf...

The Rellik Tavern opened in Benicia almost two years ago and it is a great addition to the town. They have recently made local music their focus and have a really fun calendar of events coming up!

The upstairs children department in Benicia Bay Company. We have a lot of great memories up there!

Look at that view!

It was a beautiful day!

Cloud Chasing

2011-02-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

Driving home from work a couple days ago, I spied the most amazing clouds overhead. So what did I do? I grabbed the camera and drove around for almost an hour, snapping shots of the magic in the sky...

--Jessica

Shades of Green

2011-02-19T16:48:00.000-08:00

Green always looks so beautiful in the rain, so I wanted to capture it in a few pictures.

Isn't Louie a cutie? Hannah just gave him a major hair cut and he looks like a totally different breed! He thinks he is a baby and he loves to sit on your hip and then rest his head on your shoulder. He is kind of an angel...

- Greer

2011-02-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

We're feeling like this even earlier this year...2 weeks earlier than last year!

It's official-- Happy Winter-Spring!

2011-02-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Little Tree That Could

2011-02-05T20:46:00.000-08:00

I know you've all been on the edge of your seats waiting for an update of our little mandarin tree! Ha. Well, here it is. Our little guy is about 8 months old and doin swell. Even sprouted a little mandarin!

And on a side note, the little tree has had some great company out in the garden...

Why hello there Kitsky!

A few of my [new] favorite things!

2011-02-02T11:22:00.001-08:00

Just a couple things I have picked up in the last month or so...

I'm just a kid at heart!

Oops! How did he get in there? : )

I'm a sucker for anything tin.

My new spring/summer bag.

Perfect red nail polish.

I think I'm all set for spring!

- Greer

Howell Mountain Wine Tasting

2011-01-27T18:43:00.001-08:00

Hannah here! (Your other Main Street Sister)
One of the perks of  working in a Napa restaurant is that wine tasting at the local wineries  is free! Even more exciting is that our sommelier at Brix took us on a  tour of three Howell Mountain wineries in Angwin, above the Napa valley.  We went to O'Shaughnessy, Cade, and Outpost Wineries, and each was a  beautiful and delicious treat!   

The view along the road on our drive up. In the valley it was a cold winter day, but on the mountain it was warm and summertime!

The caves at O'Shaughnessy.

We ate a delicious lunch of duck cassoulet and mixed greens salad at Outpost Winery.

The most amazing fountain on the cliff of Cade winery.

The caves of Cade!

My favorite picture of the day, taken by my coworker Amanda!

Snapshots

2011-01-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple snapshots from Filthy Gorgeous in Walnut Creek...

Beautiful!

- Greer

I Completely Forgot...

2011-01-25T10:36:00.001-08:00

...to post these pictures of Christmas in Union Square! I know we're way out of the holiday season (and Greer hates any hints of Christmas after the fact, it tends to depress her), but I just thought the lights and tree were so pretty I just have to share.

Taken from the Cheesecake Factory...actually I could really go for some cheesecake right now!

My Boys

2011-01-14T11:42:00.001-08:00

As a lover of anything related to the history of Walt Disney and his company I was so excited to see the documentary The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story last year (or two years ago?) in the city.

Last night my family watched the film and it was great to see it again. The film is made so beautifully with fun photographs and video clips of Robert and Richard Sherman throughout the years.

-An image of the Sherman brothers with Walt for an GE company promotional song-

Please go out and rent this movie! You will love it. I promise.

And don't forget to tell us what you think of it in the comment section!

- Greer

If you like this movie (which I know you will) you will love these as well:

-Walt and El Grupo
Website here

-Waking Sleeping Beauty
Website here

Flower Girl

2011-01-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite ways to relax is to sew flowers (while watching an episode of Gilmore Girls).

I bought this fabric and two others to sew a quilt that I have yet to start. When I do I promise to post my results!

Here it is in action!

- Greer

State Park Walk

2011-01-10T19:11:00.001-08:00

Today we took a walk at our Benicia State Park.

Here are some sights!

Hi!

Howdy!

Helloooo innnn therrrrreeee

And a Happy New Year!

2011-01-04T16:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, so we're a little late on the New Year's greetings...but what can you do. I'm not really one for specific New Year's resolutions, but I can tell you one thing--I'm in the mood for snow. I hope it snows on Mt. Diablo again. That was pretty wild for us.

You know what else was wild? Going to the snow in Australia--

Or the snow in Nashville--

Or the less crazy, but still equally exciting, snow in Tahoe--

Ok...I think it's time to go skiing! Who wants to join?

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone is having the happiest of holidays! We bring you a glimpse of our Christmas day-- it was raining, which made the day even more perfect.

And cheers to a Happy New Year!

Benicia in December....

2010-12-23T12:01:00.001-08:00

Crafting the Crafts

2010-12-08T22:42:00.001-08:00

You can pretty much always count on Greer to be creative, but during the holidays she really hits her stride. This year's endeavor: creating ornaments out of last years vintagey calendars...

Tada!

The Christmas Transition

2010-12-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

Happy December everyone! It feels like just yesterday I was saying I couldn't believe it was November...and now I feel the same way about this 12th month of the year!

While Greer is busy making Christmas  ornaments (post on that coming soon), I thought I would give a little  recap on good old Thanksgiving. We had such a pleasant day, despite the  celebration taking place on Wednesday the 24th due to Hannah's having to  work the holiday. It made no difference to us; we thanked a lot and  ate even more.

Hannah preparing her glorious pumpkin pie.

Even better...her pecan tart!

Turkey done right...with bacon on top!

Hannah working her magic.

The buffet line...getting hungry writing this...

I could eat this whole thing of sweet potatoes....

Sistahs.

Well, there you go, we had a great Thanksgiving and we are looking forward to an awesome Christmas!

On another note, we were recently honored by Notes from Holly St with the Stylish Blogger Award. I must say that I wish I could give the award back to her, as I love her adorable blog and am a big fan. Definitely check it out...however, the rules are to list seven things about yourself and then to pass the award to seven new blogs, so that is what we will do!

1. Greer and I are technically half sisters...Hannah is my full sister. But a lot of people say Greer and I look more alike. Go figure.

2. Greer may be the biggest fan of Walt Disney that ever lived. I'm not talking about the Disney company, but Walter himself. She knows everything there is to know on the history of Disneyland, if you have any questions just let her know.

3. My favorite thing to do with my free time is read and read and read. I believe that everyone should read East of Eden and The Fountainhead at some point in their lives.

4. Hannah's fairly recent appointment in a pastry kitchen keeps us all happy and full of rhubarb raspberry galettes and carrot cake cupcakes. We love it.

5. Posting on our blog makes us very happy, but we don't nearly do it enough. Must work on that.

6. We love (older) mini series--Anne of Green Gables and the BBC's Pride and Prejudice are the cream of the crop.

7. We are enjoying the Holiday season and never want it to end! (But when it does, we so look forward to spring...and summer...and fall again!)

And just a sampling of the fun and adorable blogs we enjoy:

Everybody's Gonna Love Today: Michelle and her hilarious stories and beautiful art.
Every Last Cookie: One of the great ideas ever: bake every Martha Stewart cookie in her book and post mouthwatering photos.
Love & Twenty Toes: Great photos, yummy baking, and cute kids!
Michael Thurin: He may not be posting so much any more but he beautifully captures the experience of living abroad in Florence for a year.
The Willows Blog: The blog site of an adorable Phoenix home shop.
Fifi Flowers: If you love art, Paris, and the finer things in life, you will love this cute blog.
Nie Nie Dialogues: This is a very widely read blog, but in case you've never read it, you should. It is pretty much the best.

Snapshots of Autumn

2010-11-24T15:13:00.000-08:00

Red leaves, yellow leaves, and homemade apple cinnamon muffins...next step: Thanksgiving!

The Great American Gift

2010-11-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

Gotta love Country Living Magazine...always finding some neat things to share with us. The theme I'm enjoying this month is American-made gifts. CLM laid out some great companies, and I've narrowed down four of my favorites to share with you!

These Maple Honey Caramels from Sweet Revolution look mouthwatering, to say the least. According to their website, this San Franciscan company is the only one in the nation to make certified organic salted caramels--using only maple, dairy, honey, sea salt, and vanilla bean.
Yum.

These neat products from Duluth Pack made me want to pick up and go camping right away. The authentic Minnesotan company supplies anything you might need from kayaks to canoe paddles. But if the prospect of braving the chilly Fall weather seems a bit daunting, you can always bring the American wilderness to you with one of their book bags or purses.

Looking for some homegrown, rustic, hearty goodness? Search no further than Nitty Gritty Grain Co., a small family farm in Vermont (apparently the current grower is a 7th generation farmer!). How good do cornbread pancakes sound?

The last company, West Third Brand, may just get the award for neatest website. But their products look amazing too. I normally find giving candles as gifts to be a bit cliche, but these pieces from the Palm Springs company are artisan and beautifully crafted. The fragrances will practically waft through your computer screen.

World Series Champions!

2010-11-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

Giants in the 1954 World Series.
*

Our San Francisco Giants winning the World Series!

We bleed orange and black!

Knock Knock...

2010-11-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

It's November at your door!

It has arrived whether you are ready or not...

We're excited (although it still feels like August to me...)!!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

For a little last minute Halloween treat, I bring you one of Benicia's traditions: the Scarecrows. For the spooky holiday, various Benicia First St businesses decorate their scarecrows which are then voted on. Not sure who won yet this year, but here are some of the highlights!

I think I'm rooting for Tippy in "The Birds!"

Let the Games Begin

2010-10-26T22:24:00.001-07:00

The carving games, that is. We decided today was the day to carve our pumpkins. The themes of the year ended up being split into two camps: cute furry critters, and...a special sports team from San Francisco....

Left: Austin's rendition of his pup Dakota. Right: Greer's Martha Stewart-esque meeses.

My pumpkin friend Po shouting "Go Giants!" I'm kind of known for my oh so brilliant pumpkin artistry...

(That's sarcasm in case you're wondering).

Right: Hannah's Fear the Beard

The whole gaggle together!

Watch Out For Bones on Your Way to the Door...

2010-10-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Boo!

2010-10-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Beautiful October day in Napa.

Napa, in California terms, is a pretty old town. It was incorporated in 1872 but had been settled since the 1830s. It is also perhaps the most often overlooked, though most populous, of the Napa Valley towns. It is often bypassed for Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga by wine tourists and fine diners.

But Napa has a its own unique brand of charm. As you walk down First St., you may notice many empty, closed storefronts. There may not be bustling crowds strolling the sidewalks. But there is a nostalgic aura of times gone by. Those empty storefronts? They've got great art deco details in the design. Those bustling crowds? They're not strolling because they're happily sitting inside one of the town's tasty restaurants.

At the heart of downtown along the Napa River, at the intersection of Main and First, sits the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company. Greer and I started our day here with a pumpkin spice latte (of course!). The cute little corner window table would have been a great spot to enjoy, but unfortunately the cafe was packed. So we strolled....

Napa Valley Opera House. Built in 1880 as a theater, it suffered after the 1906 earthquake and was not restored until the late 1990s. It is now used again as an opera house for crowds of up to 500 people.

Continuing down First St....

The Goodman Library, home of the Napa County Historical Society. Built in 1901, it was the county's first library, and is the oldest library in California still being used for its original purpose.

We continued down 2nd, 3rd....the little downtown area is pretty walkable, and very peaceful.

Napa Firefighters Museum. We didn't go in, but there were funny mannequins in the window running the dispatch board.

We found some neat historical photos in a window. Pretty cool to see some of the comparisons...

The nostalgic, art deco Uptown Theatre was built in 1937 and went through many restorations and reinventions as a movie theater before it was transformed into its current capacity as a live music venue in 2000.

Then you know we've got to do  some driving-around sightseeing. Despite the historic downtown's small  town feel, Napa is a large city of around 75,000!

The home of Wine Spectator Magazine.

Some of the adorable B&Bs of Napa:

And some of the adorable houses in Napa:

And finally, what makes the city of Napa such a great destination--it's fantastic eateries. Some of these I've actually had the satisfaction of patronizing, others I've only heard are delicious. Either way, you can find a great meal (and without a 3 month wait list...).

The Bounty Hunter--tasting room and BBQ joint (the chef was grilling right here as I took this shot and let me just say my mouth was watering!).

Some fine dining--Cole's Chop House on Main St.

Ubuntu, an interesting restaurant-yoga studio combo said to be one of the best vegetarian restaurants around.

For some yummy Italian food and live jazz listening, head to Uva Trattoria.

Part specialty shop, part lunch cafe, the Napa General Store offers dishes such as clay pot chicken and noodle salad bowls.

Filippi's Pizza Grotto just happens to be my grandma's favorite Napa dining spot; it may be a chain, but it has very cute traditional Italian atmosphere.

And finally, Greer and I ended our lovely October Napa day with a little...

....YUM.

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Courthouse historic photo via
Uptown Theatre historic photo via
Goodman Library historic photo via

October Baseball

2010-10-12T09:32:00.001-07:00

We've been a little preoccupied lately...San Francisco advances to the NLCS! Go Giants!!

Photo via

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

Austin and I went to my favorite pumpkin patch in Napa yesterday.

We picked out our pumpkins for carving and I picked up a couple others in ghoulish hues to set around them.

We played on the old tractors...

And watched the little pigs run around...

And finally bought all of our favorite pumpkins!

As we were loading them in the car Austin noticed a woman had purchased a foot long bale of hay. He alerted me and I soon ran back to the stand where the man told me I could get a big one for only $3 more! Of course I went for it...
Oops?

- Greer

Filthy Gorgeous

2010-10-03T12:26:00.001-07:00

Two years ago I began working in a store in Walnut Creek called Filthy Gorgeous. The store is a mix of antiques from all over the world and a selection of well made reproduction items. It is a small family owned shop run by siblings Tirzah and Jonathan. These days I have been filling in only a few days a month so each time I go in it's a fun surprise to see what they've done!

During the Halloween holiday season they really bring the spooky spirit to life with their vintage inspired decorations. I wanted to share some pictures of the shop that I think capture the beautiful things they have!

- Greer

The Wonder Book of Things To Do

2010-09-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Ah, to be a child of the 1930s. Greer and I recently came across this book and had to get it. It is a new edition of a book from 1936, an old fashioned guide to fun for both indoors and out. This should be mandatory reading for all the little pipsqueaks these days...

I think I should be brushing up on some of these...except for maybe that last one, which does not look suitable for me or for children....

The Great Pumpkin Waltz

2010-09-26T16:37:00.001-07:00

Our mantle.

Take a listen:

The Great Pumpkin Waltz
(Not the best quality but it's the best I could find)

This song makes me love Autumn more than I ever thought possible!

- Greer

Happy Tuesday

2010-09-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Thank you all for the kind comments as of late! I hope you all are enjoying your Tuesday and the final day of summer. We are quite excited for autumn (...if you couldn't tell...)! The posts have been a little light recently with Greer and myself working a lot lately; but hang in there as we plan to bring more Main Street cities travel posts, Greer's Halloween decor madness, plenty of fall baking, and perhaps a post from our culinarily gifted sister, Hannah.

In the meantime, I wanted to share this video that we made of our dog, Tooly. For some reason I was just in the mood for it. It may be random, but feel free to enjoy.

Another Nostalgic Food Post

2010-09-16T21:04:00.001-07:00

Every now and then I find myself craving treasures from past culinary adventures. Today I was thinking about my lovely trip to Nashville this last February, and I couldn't believe I hadn't blogged about the Elliston Place Soda Shop (they don't even have their own website--that's how old school they are).

Tucked into a quiet street adjacent to the Vanderbilt campus, this soda shop has been in business since 1938--in fact, it is the longest continually operating restaurant in Nashville. It's a burger and shake joint while also a traditional Southern meat-and-three diner. Basically, amazingness.

As I sometimes do, I made Derek pretend to pose while I stealthily snapped a shot of the bar decor, which I doubt has changed much throughout its 70+ years of operation.

And behold, the gorgeous chocolate soda. A little seltzer water, a good splash of chocolate syrup, a generous heaping of ice cream, plenty of whipped cream...and the quintessential cherry on top. There's nothing like devouring it in a place like Elliston's, but if you ever care to give it a go at home, this one's looking pretty good to me.

--Jessica