a weekend of togetherness

this past weekend was wonderful.  it was one of those, wake-up-to-birds-chirping-and-not-your-alarm, kind of weekends.  basically, the kind of weekend i wish existed every weekend.  

let me just say, the light that floods our bedroom in the back of our long condo could not be more inviting if it tried.  our cozy little bed pushed up right next to the wall of open windows makes us feel like we are sleeping in a tree house each night.  the rustle of the trees are but a few inches away, and tiny buds the color of caterpillars are forming rather gracefully. 

along with the relaxing mornings that greeted us, we got quite familiar with the park, or "our backyard" as we like to call it.  upon moving to our new home, the location was one thing that really appealed to us.  if we were going to sacrifice having our very own backyard, we wanted to make sure there would be a park within walking distance.  loose park, one of kansas city's finest, just happens to be a stones throw away.  we are so smitten with its allure: the happy park-goers, gushing fountains, gorgeous tulips, a lush rose garden that blooms in early august, and the "dacks" that stella likes to feed and converse with.  recently we found out, that like us, they are quite fond of brittish muffins from trader joes.  what good taste those plaza duckies have!

let's talk about pizza for a minute, shall we?  andrew and i are always on the hunt for a good margherita pizza pie.  every now and then i make my own, but it does not compare to the magic of a wood-burning stove, which sadly, but obviously, we do not have in our itty bitty galley kitchen.  with rumbling tummies we stumbled upon a pizza place right on the plaza called coal vines.  our love for spin down the street, pizza bella in the crossroads, and blue grotto in brookside have kept us coming back and have made other pizza places seem somewhat inferior.  we gave this new (to us) place a go and were left very, very satisfied.  

the paper thin crust that was not too doughy but crunchy in all the right places.  it was topped with crushed italian tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, roasted garlic, and lots of black pepper.  upon our first smell as it made its way to our table, we were both immediately transported us back to our travels in eastern italy, specifically venice, when we ate a simple tomato pizza next to the grand canal watching the gondolas casually stroll by.  it stirred up memories of exotic experiences abroad and made us instant lovers of this corner cafe.  stella ate an entire piece, and even made up an ode to our new favorite pie that went something like, 

"pizzzaaa..pizzaaa....pieeeee...one..two....theee!"  

as if this late lunch on saturday could not get any better, there were leftovers for sunday.  and we all know how wonderful eating leftover pizza curled up on the couch watching a new episode of the walking dead is, am i right?  

by the way, we just got into this zombie show (i detest gore and, well, zombieish stuff) and happen to be hooked.  admittedly, i am not thrilled with my new-found love for zombie apocalypse shows, but will embrace it because put frankly, this show is bad ass. 

in addition to our pizza euphoria, our tummies also indulged in birch beer for the first time.  being pregnant and all, i was drawn to this beautiful bubbly non-alcoholic, non-caffiene drink at the market the other day.  it tastes somewhere in between a really good root beer with a little ginger and vanilla added for good measure.  we highly recommend it if you love either of those flavors.  i know i will be sipping on some this afternoon, preferably on our patio as the sun fades into the trees. 

i must not gloss over one of the highlights of our weekend.  thanks to some great (and very kind) friends, andrew and i got to see the black keys live, and in a suite nonetheless!  this concert was one i had always wanted to see, as in at the top of my live band list.  it truly went beyond anything we could have imagined and left us rocking in our seats the whole drive home.  if you ever get a chance to see patrick and dan rock out on stage, do so.  please.  no matter the price.  it was so, so brilliantly awesome.  i am sure our little bun in my cozy oven was head-banging in there.  i could just sense it.  :)  

oh, and we had noodles at lulus before hand, which makes the perfect prelude to any concert in our opinion.  go there on sunday for all day happy hour prices.  it's pretty darn good.  we always get the satay, dumplings, green curry noodles, and fire cracker shrimp.  if you are lucky enough to sit outside, you won't regret it.

in all, this was a weekend i wish i could bottle up forever.  we slept well, ate well, played hard, explored often, and rocked out.  a perfect combination of fun, i'd say.  i suppose that's what 80 degree weather allows one to do.  later this week is supposed to bring bouts of spring rain, which will give us an excuse to watch more game of thrones and fold that pile of laundry in the corner that has been staring us down for about a week.  and maybe with the rain, will come more snuggles on the couch and possibly some cheddar ale soup.  we love a good cheddar ale soup, and i think i just might have all the ingredients in our fridge to whip some up.  

i shall leave you for now with a smile and wish that you make the best of these beautiful spring days ahead.  we are blessed to be able to enjoy them together, because being together is what makes them beautiful.