Afternoon Strolling

I've recently become obsessed with Cafe Au Laits. Similar to lattes, cafe au laits are made with a stronger tasting drip coffee and steamed milk--or so I was told when I ordered it at brunch the other day. So we stopped by The Ugly Mug in Orange and strolled through the sweet town while a storm began to brew. All photos courtesy of Ryan.











A Wiseman Once Said . . . I about passed out from too much sugar after coffee and cupcakes today.

Grappino's

Before our journey began, Ryan and I went to dinner at Grappino's with his brother and his girlfriend to say our goodbyes. We had some tasty Italian food, tapas style, outside while listening to a great guitarist all night. Scott Sileo, our entertainment for the evening, channeled Elton John. It was a nice way to part--now we just have to host them sometime soon in our future city of residence.









A Wiseman Once Said . . . Good food, great family, and some Elton John always seals the deal.

Story Telling

Following the graduation party and engagement announcement, my best friends and I went to Ryan's grandparents' home. It was unusually chilly for a Texas evening but helped us create the perfect campfire atmosphere.





A Wiseman Once Said . . . the best kind of moments are those shared with dear friends.

A Party to Remember

This past weekend a few important events occurred. After graduating on Saturday, Ryan asked me to marry him. It was the sweetest and most wonderful surprise I have ever experienced. The next day, on Sunday, our parents held a graduation party for both of us in Houston. Only our immediate families knew of our engagement prior to the party. Here are some photos of the party and reactions to the good news! Cheers.

We're Engaged!

The table setting

My friends' reactions to the news


Our beautiful moms


Cutting a cigar to celebrate


Ice cream sundae bar


Two Thumbs Up from Ryan and my sister


Pretty flowers for a pretty lady, Ryan's mom


Our Baylor friends!


Our new family


He's really just quite wonderful

A Wiseman Once Said . . . Love is so exciting!!!

Uncorked or Uncouth?

Last night, a group of friends and I visisted Uncorked, a semi-new wine bar located in Hewitt, a friendly neighborhood outside of Waco. A few people in the group had previously been to Uncorked and gave great reviews about it. However, as soon as we sat down and began perusing the menu, things quickly turned sour. 

First, the wait staff took the orders of the guys before the girls at the table. When taking our orders, we were requested to say our last name, followed by our choice of alcohol. One member of the group started to say their order of wine before reciting their last name first and the waiter cut her off, and said, "Last name first, then wine order. You're not following the rules." While I've never been a waiter, I do know that treating the customer with disrespect is never encouraged during the training process. Then, when the owner of the establishment (!) came to pour us our wines, he served the guys first, again. He also filled every glass full without presenting it and allowing each person to "taste" the wine. When he came to pour my glass, he filled it to the top. Being extremely observant, I noticed that two dribbles of wine ran down the bottle. So, I asked for a napkin or towel to wipe off the bottle, for when I would have to pick up the bottle and serve myself. The owner seemed frustrated and said, "I don't see any wine dribbles on the bottle." Finally, after having ordered some bread for the table that came with pesto and feta cheese, the owner never informed us that he had run out of feta cheese. When we politely asked when we could expect our bread to be ready, he replied, "Well, I don't have any more feta cheese. I'm all out." Surely, the owner could have informed us this before being asked after not receiving it for thirty minutes! 

A Wiseman Once Said . . . That a wine bar should know the basic rules of serving wine to adults, and not complain about it.