Spring.

It’s been 9 months since we bid farewell to life in hospitality, which means every weekend we still pinch ourselves that we have it together. I’ve never known months to fly as fast as they are, but we have this new mantra: SPONTANEITY. This word hasn’t been in our vocabulary for years, so we are leaning into it with unparalleled ferocity, and it pretty much sums up Spring ’24.

Summer (officially) is on our doorstep, so before I lose another opportunity to publish our adventures for posterity’s sake, here is a collection of outings and happenings from the last two months:

40:

It happened – a new decade dawned and I’m absolutely embracing it. Something about turning 40 added a legitimacy and the fresh start I needed to address some much needed areas in my life. We spent my 40th birthday in S.C. with my sister, my beloved BIL, and of course – the littlest woman in my life, Wren. It was a birthday I’ll never forget, all thanks to the Squires fam. Gosh, they’re the sweetest.

South Carolina:

We spent much of that week just relaxing, but our first full day was spent in our finest race attire for the Carolina Cup (Scott and I have a history of decking out for the Derby) and tailgating with friends was the warmest welcome to the south.

The night before my birthday, my sister and BIL sent us off on my last dinner of my 30s to Black Rooster in Columbia, SC. We rarely go out to eat without the little in tow, and having my camera in hand, across from my forever date made me feel – well, ME. Nothing sums up my life quite like a camera on our table, as I consume in ravenous satisfaction whatever meal comes our way. After we ate, we walked the boardwalk right across the street from Black Rooster, and had I been in more appropriate footwear (and not anxious to get back to my little human) I could have spent hours on the water.

We also took a quick trip to the zoo in Columbia ( because you all know how much we love the zoo…) and Roux had his first time feeding a giraffe and got his goat fix while we were away from the farm.

A Detour to DC

No one should be suprised that our return home took us on a detour to our favorite city and old stomping grounds. Nothing made me happier than taking my baby back to the place Scott and I kicked off this life together and showing him our favorite stops in Old Town Alexandria and Washington DC. Gravelly Point to see planes, National Museum of Natural History, Roux’s (and Scott’s!) first time laying a hand on the Washington monument, Roux/Mom photo tradition next to the reflecting pool, and of course – a walk down King Street to enjoy ice cream at The Creamery, an Old Town staple. Before we left DC, we made sure to revisit our favorite – Zaytinya – even though this time we enjoyed via take-out. It doesn’t matter what we do in DC, our hearts are always happy wandering through our city. Hey Scott – a trip this summer, please??

Also – we’ve decided that we are making our kid YouTube famous and letting him start his own hotel review page (kidding not kidding??). THIS KID LOVES hotels. Everything about them, he’s in. We’re raising a true world traveler.

Life in WNY

So what else did we do this spring?

  • Tried out the new Turkish restaurant in Depew, Sofra, an authentic spot that took me straight back to my life in Instanbul. Roux also fell in love with baba ganoush, a child after my own heart.
  • Spent an incredible evening at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery for their first Farm to Table Dinner with Chef (and dear friend of ours) Leonel Rosario and Chef Lionel Heydel, both true artists. The drinks, the food, the company, the backdrop – everything was served to perfection. Definitely need to put together a post just for the dinner, so many more photos to share…
  • Roux has been eating ALL. OVER. TOWN. We had our first family trip to Rudy’s, since we never seem to get there all at the same time, and Roux has not stopped asking if we can meet Dad again for lunch. I see summer spent in a Rudy’s booth…
  • The Canal Village Farmer’s Market has been a weekend staple, and it’s now back outside on West Center Street and we have a new obsession: Sno Balls at Nola Concessions – it’s truly nothing you’ve ever had, and please don’t skip on the sno-cap, it’s transformative.
  • We also had our first trip to Silsby’s Double Dips this season, and there is nothing in the world that brings my little human joy like ice cream – we’ve converted him to cyclones so now we can all share ;) Of course, this was right after checking out the brand new Factory Espresso (part of the Hart House Hotel family and right next door to our beloved Shirt Factory) and Roux was smitten with the cold brew foam…a coffee junkie in the making. And if you haven’t been, it’s such a great addition to the Newell building, and we’re thrilled for our friends for adding another gem in our town.
  • Last Friday we took a trip to Point Breeze, where I had my FIRST EXPERIENCE (lived here most of my life and have never been) at the Black North Inn, and after dinner we climbed to the top of the Lighthouse. Looking out over the water with my little family at sunset – life doesn’t get much better that that.
  • And of course, there is life on Fox Cross. This place is exhausting and hard to maintain, but when spring comes to Fox Cross, I feel myself come alive again. Planting, growing, cooking, playing – it’s beyond magic. And watching it now through Roux’s eyes adds more than I could ever imagine.

Spring was so good to us. Tomorrow is Roux’s 3rd birthday (WHOA how did we get here so fast??) and then bring on Summer ’24. Happy June, friends, hope it finds you healthy and happy.