Kansas City Trip: Day Two

Our second day in Kansas City was filled with lots of sightseeing and fun. We had lunch and then headed to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The gardens and architecture are stunning and the museum is home to some fantastic collections. We were quite impressed. Again, I was so pleasantly surprised by Kansas City! The Bloch Building is a gorgeous space and houses the museum's collection of contemporary and abstract art.

Bertoia Chairs!

I thought this painting was so gorgeous and haunting.

Fabian and a horse he met along the way

The Nelson Atkins is home to a wonderful photography collection.

There was a great decorative arts exhibit, mostly filled with French and Italian antiques.

It is a shame that the lighting in this room was so dim as it made it pretty difficult to get a good picture. I thought this was incredible! A cloister from a 16th century monastery was brought over from France and is now part of the museum's European collection.

The Grounds at the Nelson-Atkins Museum

The gardens at the museum are filled with sculptures, including the famous shuttlecocks, which have become a K.C. landmark.

After the museum, we went over to Union Station.

It is another example of the beautiful architecture in this city.

I love this shot.

That evening, we went to a Kansas City Royals game. I am not into sports at all, so I could have just brought a book to read. :) It was a very cool experience, though. Their stadium is incredible and we were joined by several of Gissel's and Brian's friends, all of whom were super nice.

The place was packed! We made sure to get some Sheridan's custard right after the game. We enjoyed eating it while watching an awesome fireworks show that they have after every Friday night game.

My sweet sister-in-law, Gissel and brother-in-law, Brian at the Royals Game

Personal Style, Defined: The City Sage

This week featured blogger for "Personal Style, Defined" is the fabulous Anne of The City Sage. Anne's gorgeous blog features interior design, fashion, and life in one of my favorite cities in the world, San Francisco.

Welcome to my kitchen! Let me give you the grand tour. When we moved into our apartment three months ago, I began work on this room almost immediately. Because we live in a rental my options for sprucing it up were limited, but I simply couldn't stand the dingy, cramped space that we discovered upon our arrival. My overall goal was to create a clean, neutral backdrop that would respect the original architecture and provide a versatile foundation for creative expression at a later date.

Painting is the fastest and most cost effective way to breathe new life in a space; here we painted every surface except the tile and the floor! A grey and white palette felt like a no-brainer. It's clean and soothing in a room that gets a lot of traffic. As well, I love the unusual architectural features of the kitchen--the building was constructed in 1926--and the colors highlight those gorgeous arches and moldings without overpowering them. The cupboards and trim are 'Wedding Veil', the walls are 'Sweet Innocence', and the ceiling is 'Marilyn's Dress', all by Benjamin Moore.

The next item of business was the complete lack of storage space and work surfaces. Open shelving and a butcher's table from Ikea have been absolute lifesavers in that department. Plus I finally have a spot to display my trusty Pillsbury Doughboy cookie jar! Another cheap fix was to switch out the old cupboard handles for shiny new ones.

I look forward to bringing in some patterned textiles with Roman shades (a draper's stripe, perhaps?) and covers for the chair cushions. I also have plans for a photo gallery on the wall overlooking our table and chairs. As well, the light bulbs are currently bare, so I'd like to find some period-inspired fixtures. For now, though, I'm happy to have a kitchen that is workable and welcoming!

Kansas City Trip: Day One

The Giralda Tower at Country Club Plaza is modeled after the original Giralda in Seville, Spain.

We're back! We had a fabulous time visiting Fabian's sister and brother-in-law in Kansas City. They showed us a great time and we were both very pleasantly surprised by Kansas City. I don't know what we were expecting, but it really exceeded our expectations. It is a very beautiful city filled with interesting architecture. I took 300 pictures in three days, so I will be summing up our trip in three separate blog posts.

Spanish Architecture at Country Club Plaza

I loved the zig zag pattern in the tile work on this dome.

Fabian and his sister, Gissel

Fabian and I enjoying the "City of Fountains"

Halls Department Store

Pretty Vignette at Halls

Halls

I really liked this table.

Kansas City is home to Hallmark which was founded by the same people as Halls. They have a huge presence in the city.

One last shot of Halls

I loved this Spanish-inspired mural at the plaza, naturally!

Pretty Architecture

Gissel thinks this might be Russel Stover's house. This neighborhood is right down the street from Country Club Plaza is filled with the most gorgeous homes on the most incredible lots. I could have driven around stalking houses for hours, but my sister-in-law probably would have thought I was weird.

Gissel and her husband, Brian just purchased a new home a couple of months ago. It is really lovely and has a ton of cool features.

Their Living Room

Looking into the kitchen from the living room

Tate's cousins, Shadow and Hershey

Be sure to check back tomorrow for Part II of our trip to Kansas City! It was my favorite day and included lots of great sightseeing and experiences.

This Week's Quote

Fabulous Room Friday 07.03.09

So far we are having a lovely time in Kansas City! It is much more beautiful than I was expecting and we are having so much fun with Fabian's sister and brother-in-law. Thanks to everyone who has given their recommendations for dining and sightseeing in KC. We are about to head over to the Nelson-Atkins Museum, but I thought I would leave you with a fabulous room to enjoy. I hope everyone has a fabulous Fourth of July weekend!

This kitchen by Nathan Egan Interiors has been on my list of favorites for quite some time. I love the classic look and casual, elegant feel of the room as a whole. It would be fantastic at any time of the year, but it does have a very summery feel in my opinion.

A view into the kitchen from the family room. I love the demi-lune tables and demijohn lamps.

I love the abundance of light that pours through the gorgeous windows. I also love the seating used in this room. So pretty!

Lovely Details

All images via Nathan Egan Interiors

We're off to see the wizard...

Country Club Plaza in Kansas City

Well, not exactly, but we are heading to Kansas City in the morning to visit Fabian's sister and her husband for the weekend. I know we will miss Tate so much, but he will be in good hands with his grandparents. This month's feature on Kansas City in Elle Decor couldn't have come at a better time. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but it looks like a great city! I think we are going to a Royals game, having some famous Kansas City barbecue, and visiting the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Union Station, and Country Club Plaza while we are there.

If you live in Kansas City or have visited recently, I would love to hear any suggestions you might have regarding things to see and restaurants.

The Kansas City Skyline

Union Station

Images via Elle Decor

Four Years Ago Today...

Today is our four year wedding anniversary. It seems like just yesterday that I was marrying my best friend. I must say, time has flown since that incredible day. I am so thankful for all of the experiences that Fabian and I have shared and for the fact that our love for each other grows deeper every day. I am excited to embark on new adventures together and to see what the future holds for us, but mostly, I am excited to have such a wonderful partner in life.

Many of our wedding pictures were lost when our hard drive crashed. Luckily, I have them all in print, but that doesn't help a blogger very much, does it? We were married in Monterrey, Mexico's gorgeous cathedral. My family is from there and I wanted to feel closer to my grandparents who passed away when I was very young.

This is one of my favorite pictures from our wedding. It was taken by my little cousin who was only seven at the time!