Date Day

Photo by HNA photography

Today was a great day.

Today I got to have a date day with my husband.

These aren't a common occurrence for us.  I saved up my weekly's, lost 2.8 lbs in the past week and I intend to indulge a little today.

We spent the day in my home town, Kansas City.

Growing up there means I wax nostalgic about most things and enjoying all of those things with my husband is so much fun.

So where do I go when I go back to visit?

That's what you get to see today.

We started our day out at a small coffee shop near the plaza called Crows Coffee.  This is actually something new to me as I decided that we need to do at least one new thing.

The coffee was fantastic!  The baristas were friendly.  The atmosphere?  It felt cozy, like coffee shops should.  I also heard whispers that they're opening another location in the Waldo area where I specifically lived in KC.

After we headed over to my all time favorite confiserie shop, Andres.  There are two locations but if you go you must go to the original one on Main St. near the Country Club Plaza.  There is sooo much more atmosphere there.  I apologize for not getting pictures but I hadn't yet decided I was going to post this.  I'm admittedly chicken about posting photos of myself but today I decided to be brave.  :)

I'll try to get pictures of Andres at Christmas because this place is so amazing that it should be on your bucket list of things to do before you die.  It's that good!

Next we headed over to another one of my favorite stores, Pryde's Old Westport.
It's a kitchen store but it is an experience unto itself.  My husband actually loves this place too.
I'm sure it couldn't have anything to do with the fact that they serve you FREE coffee or hot tea while you shop ;)
The thing here is that it's not a chain store.  It's a mom and pop store that's been owned by the same KC family for years and years.  The building itself is just delicious with it's old creaky wide wooden planked floors and bricks.
Take a look~

I had to get the pic of myself with the Fiesta ware and coffee at Pryde's to taunt my friend Jodie who also loves those things.
My husband quickly honed in on the coffee and espresso machines and I bought myself a cool new kitchen tool, a beater blade with rubber ends that mixes and simultaneously scrapes the bowl for you.

There's tea galore, indoor and outdoor decor and all things kitchen.  There's also a small bakery in the bottom level.  Today wasn't one of their regular baking days which is probably good for me!  Normally their little slice of heaven is wafting up the stairwells moving through the whole store to make it feel even more like home sweet home.  It's just the best shop ever!

Next we went to The Better Cheddar on the Plaza.  You can try like fifty kinds of cheese here!  What's not to love?!!!

      They not only have cheese, but also wine and confections, pasta and sauces.  So yummy!

For lunch we went to the Tuscan Brio Grille.  I have been craving the crab cakes they make.
They didn't have them on the lunch menu but you know what?  I spoke up for myself and asked.  They were served with roasted vegetables instead of mashed potatoes.  I had the Bisteka salad as well.  Both were out of this world!  I gave the small roasted potatoes in my veggie pile to my husband too.  Mark had the creamy pasta pictured on the right.  The plate was nearly licked clean so you know he loved his too!
























We window shopped at most of the places on the Plaza and then headed out to 119th street in Overland Park to finish our shopping extravaganza.
I found out that Restoration Hardware opened a new three story store in Overland Park and I have to tell you that it felt like walking into a museum.  It was cold and dark and felt more uppity than I know myself to be.  In other words I didn't feel like I fit in there at all.  No one bothered to wait on us while we were there.  I'm assuming one look at us and they knew there would be no commission.  Needless to say I wouldn't go back.

But here's the best part of the whole day~  it was the first time in a very long time that my husband and I had an entire day with just the two of us.  Most everything we do and talk about revolves around our son so I wasn't sure we'd really have much to talk about any more.

It makes my heart glad to tell you that not only did we talk but we talked non-stop and only a fraction of it was about our son.
Furthermore, the day flew by and what I realized is that I am not only still in love with my husband but I still really like him.  I know that sounds funny but it is possible to love people we don't like.
So it felt so good to know that deep down he's still my best friend, the person I want to come home to every night.

I know not everyone has a significant other but most of us have someone special in our lives.

There's no time like the present to rekindle special relationships because none of us know how long we'll be here on this Earth and because...

Every moment is precious.