Where's the toothpaste?

Hey y'all, as life would have it I am insanely behind on posts. I'm reporting live from Ugly Mugs Cafe - "reporting live" like I have breaking news which I assuredly do not. At any rate, Ugly Mugs is just as it sounds, old weird or funky mugs to sip creamy latte's from, just a ten minute walk down the road from my new APARTMENT - the general inspiration for this post and the reason for the title, to be explained soon.

I am a big fan of UM (Ugly Mugs) for a few reasons. One being everyone in here is diligently working on something, and those productive vibes make their way over to me, and these days I need as much productivity juju as I can get. High ceilings, industrial feel with glass garage door windows make for a light filled space, and the smell and warm feel could easily put you to sleep (working against that juju..) The last time I was in here, a couple with their newborn grabbed some lunch, and a fellow sitting nearby asked them about their stroller and they went into this entire conversation about the best running strollers, and what he and his wife use vs. the other gentleman and his wife. Yes I was eavesdropping, but I was just kind of happy about this stroller camaraderie that I couldn't stop listening. They parted ways and the fellow sitting at the table just smiled at the exchange, which in turn made me smile. It was just a silly conversation about baby strollers but everyone involved was committed to the discussion, providing opinions and listening to others. The fact that kind of thing feels rare is not only weird but a total shame. Strike up a conversation with a stranger at a coffee shop and see what happens - I dare ya.  

Ugly Mugs is an easy thumbs up for me, the jkrometer scale gives it a 9.7 - atmosphere, quality of coffee (forgot to mention that, it's good!) and overall layout and people watching (or listening) is prime. Not to mention the first time I ever sat down in this cafe, they played a King's of Leon song. I was there long enough, I heard three more and considering they are my favorite band of all time, that gave UM some major style points.

There is a gal at the table next to me that ordered a sandwich and a slice of cake, and she's eating the cake first. Enjoy these cake quotes and jokes, I know I did.

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Random Amazon appreciation: I am a prime memeber, and an avid one at that. My favorite chapstick is Softlips, in the stick form, in vanilla. Nearly impossible to find it in stores anymore, and if you do it's in a weird cube shape or some wild flavor. Anyhow, I bought a pack of 12 sticks the other day for $15 bucks and felt it was one of the better purchases I've made recently. I know you're saying, $15 for chapstick? You're a lunatic! And I'm here to tell you, it's not just one chapstick. It's the convenience of having it in every purse, in your car, by your bed, maybe one or two to spare in a jean pocket (that might see itself through the washer, but anyway) Highly recommend this chapstick for the smell, the feel (not sticky or too heavy, and has SPF!) Get to shoppin, friends.

OKAY - I know you're wondering what the toothpaste title is all about. A few weeks ago, I moved into a new apartment in East Nashville (click the email button or my email address below if you'd like me to send you the new address!) My first living situation with my cousin Gina was always temporary, so the apartment hunt began months ago and for anyone looking in the Nashville area prepare to be stunned at the cost of rent. I was lucky enough to come across Kim who was looking to sublet her room in a two bedroom with Breanna, because she was moving back to her home state of NY. Breanna is LOVELY, and I am so excited for all of my upcoming visitors to meet her. The place is coming together quite well as we mesh our things into one space - decorations, dishes, keurig cups, etc. We really bonded the other day when we built a shower rack that said assembly "easy and in 10 minutes." FALSE - took two smart women, at least 45 minutes, with a few spewing profanities and way too many poles and rubber pieces. We prevailed, and we now look at it with pride. 

I still didn't explain the toothpaste thing..

Mom and Dad, my superheroes and biggest supporters helped me move all of my things (stuff? crap? yeah, crap) from one apartment to the other in January, and they we're insanely helpful. Mom organized and cleaned the kitchen to perfection, Dad was the muscle and handyman hanging and building and making me laugh. I was more or less useless the entire weekend because I thought I had food poisoning (I'll spare you the details, but the porcelain throne and I we're bffs for majority of the day) but Ma thinks I had the flu. Regardless, I was miserable and my favorite couple did everything. After a long day of moving and sparingly drinking water on Saturday, I was ready for bed. With most of my stuff still more or less packed up and in bags and boxes (I was adamant I needed to organize it all myself or else I wouldn't know where anything was..) and I needed to brush my teeth. I looked at the million bags and containers of toiletries and was like oh my lord, where's the toothpaste? HA - the joys of moving.

A big big big fat thanks to Katie & Jack for being so supportive and helpful in my many moves here in Nashville, I couldn't do a dang thing without them. 

All for now my friends, but stay tuned because I have quite a few more posts in the crock pot/slow cooker/they're there but need some time and some work.. HAPPY WEEKEND!

cheers y'all, Jules

The Year of You

(Please enjoy these e-cards that have little or nothing to do with the content but made me legitimately laugh out loud.)

As we could've expected, I had another idea for a post that didn't fall in the "Nashville" category. I often laugh (sometimes groan, I'm only human after all) about the amount of times I have to reheat my cup of coffee in the morning. I don't know what it is, but I can't drink it all at once at a temperature suitable to my coffee temp. needs. WHY why why I ask myself, am I unable to finish a simple cup of coffee in one sitting?

My mind is all over the place. I have a running to do list, that is truly never completed but always being added to, and I rarely stop for a moment to just relax or drink my cup of coffee at once. For those of you that know me, I thrive on a busy schedule. In college, if someone looked at my planner they might very well have a heart attack at the sheer craziness of it - millions of colors and writing all over the page with lists and to do's etc etc. I loved when it was like that though, because busier = better in my opinion. But with all that chaos, some of the important things (cough cough - YOU) fall to the wayside and don't take priority on the to-do list.

This year, I challenge you (and me!) to take care of yourself. I know we hear this a lot - eat more greens, workout all the time, take your vitamins, change the world. My challenge to you though is to do the little things, make the little changes. You don't have to work out every day for two hours, but try for a solid 30 minutes. Even if you can't get to a gym, or it's too cold outside, do a few squats in the shower (with caution people, I've gone down before and it's not reccomended) or dance like a lunatic to I Love It  to get your blood flowing.

Eating a salad every day is HARD, I don't care what people say. Lettuce is still lettuce no matter what you do to it (and drenching it in Ranch is kind of a contradiction, and maybe even frowned upon.. I still do it.) But incorporating veggies into your everyday meals is do-able. Sweet potatoes used to be dreadful to me, but now I cook them with some garlic salt, seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Flavorful, filling, and full of goods for your body. One pan chicken and veggies roasted in the oven is a sure fire way to jump start your week of meal prep, and I like to season both the chicken breasts and veggies with different (salt free!) seasonings so I don't feel like I'm eating the same thing every single day.

I want to be better about taking care of my body - with how I exercise it, what I nourish it with, and the appearance of it. Skin care can be intimidating, and stupidly expensive. You don't have to spend 50 bucks on lotion, especially if you're like me and you forget to put it on altogether. My favorite lotion is Olay Quench with Shimmer  which you can easily find at Target, and not only does it protect your skin in these cold winter months, but it adds a little sparkle so you're feeling extra feminine. A two for one! Something as simple as lotion every night is a great way to cheers the year of you.

Stress - six letters that make everyone tense their shoulders as soon as they read it. This pesky little thing can completely throw off the care and keeping of you - why? Everyone experiences stress in different ways, at various points in time. My little and grand little stress differently, and more often than I do, and I always noticed how aggressively the stress would overtake their health when we were in school. I tried my very best as a mom (sorority talk!) to help them through it, but stress has a gnarly way of brushing off help and focusing on the negativity. The important thing though is to find a way to release it, ease it, and rid of it altogether (at least until the next wave hits.) In college, I liked to go to the gym. Run around with some crazy tunes, talk to familiar faces, and just release from the tension and the stress closing in. Sometimes I like to go shopping - my bank account might frown upon this idea, but retail therapy is a real thing.

In the year of you, I challenge you to find a release, an outlet, a remedy for your stress in a healthy way. Belting out If It Makes You Happy in your car at the top of your lungs might also do the trick.. speaking from experience on that one.

• Don't forget to laugh - I am a firm believer laughing cures most temporary ailments.
• Celebrate the small victories - remembering everything on your grocery list? FIST PUMP.
• Treat yourself - you're HUMAN, and IMHO (in my humble opinion) you deserve it.

TLDR (too long, didn't read): This year, make taking care of yourself a priority. With that in mind, don't be so hard on yourself. Progress takes time..

cheers y'all, Jules

Biscuit Love

Afternoon y'all! Reporting live from the Panera in Green Hills - I'm holed up in the corner with my parka as a blanket because the Nashville weather is heinous today. My car was covered in a sheet of ice this morning, and it's spitting rain. GROSS am I right? I am jamming to Drew Cole (highly rec. has a soothing voice) with a roll of toilet paper acting as a tissue box in my big mom purse because I'm fighting a gnarly cold.. just another glamorous day in the life my friends. 

As I'm sure you could tell, I would much rather be under my covers, but I had some errands to run as I'm nearing crunch time for my move (one week!!) and thought I'd try to tap into my blogger mindset.

I've chosen Biscuit Love as my first "review" because I believe is one of the more controversial as far as brunch hot spots go. If you Google the best or top brunch/breakfast spots in Nashville, Biscuit Love is pretty much always at the top of the list. Native to Nashville, it currently has two Biscuit bakin' locations - Hillsboro Village and the more popular choice in the Gulch. Rumor has it they're opening another location in Franklin, which I imagine will do very well as Franklin is a solid 25-40 minute drive from the city (depending on traffic, which is almost all the dang time.)

Every time I've had a guest come into town, I've tried to take them to the Gulch location. I even tried an early Thursday (or was it Friday..) morning with confidence thinking it wasn't a weekend so I was finally going to be able to try the revered Biscuit Love biscuit. NOPE - line around the corner, as if it was 11 a.m. on a Sunday morning, though those lines tend to be so outrageous I wouldn't even consider it. Many failed attempts, I wrote them off in frustration as the anti-brunch spot in Nashville. Until my first visit..

I went with a pal on a Saturday around 12:30, hoping to have beaten the crazed morning rush. Only this time, we went to the Hillsboro Village location (near Vandy and Belmont, a lot of restaurants, bars and boutiques) and I expected a hefty wait considering it was a Saturday. To my surprise, we we're seated right away. Thumbs up!

After we ordered, we didn't have to wait long and our sandwiches arrived. We both ordered the East Nasty (pictured above) with southern fried chicken and sausage gravy - salivating yet? They were tasty, probably the best fried chicken I've had yet in Nashville, but I wasn't crazy about the biscuit itself, it had more of a sour/bitter taste than any biscuit I've ever had. That could be a standard biscuit, but I wasn't a big fan. The big menu item craze are the bonuts, pictured below, which we didn't try but I've heard good things. 

All in all, the sandwich was good but I'd be fine to never eat it again. I also think we got lucky with the no wait business, and I am the kind of person that when I wake up in the morning I am RAVENOUS and need to eat pronto, so waiting for hours and hours doesn't bode well for me (or those around me.. hehe.)

I've had more delicious biscuits in the Music City, which you will hear about soon in my next post. Biscuit love on the jkrometer scale: 5.8

cheers, Jules

*I do not own the photography in this blog post*

Happy New Year!

HEY Y'ALL, I'm back!

It's been a minute (2 years to be exact) since I built my website, and began blogging when I started my European adventure as #eurojules. As I laid in bed last night (window cracked, fan on, under loads of blankets with one leg out - the only way to sleep) I decided to pick it back up - not without hesitation of course. The many articles I've read about blogging say, pick something you're an expert on and write about it.

Well friends, I am most assuredly an expert of none but instead a lover of most. I think the theme for the blog (at least for now) will be all things Nashville - what to do, what to eat, where to grab a cocktail or a cheap beer. Even if you aren't native to Nashville, hopefully you'll find a piece of something in every blog to tuck away for a later time. Who knows - I might decide I want to write about something else (maybe the Netflix series I've destroyed in a weeks time?) but to begin, I need to start somewhere and my favorite way to experience a city and the local culture is through food. I clutched that mindset in Europe, and truthfully my jeans still hate me for it.

I don't want to call it a review, but more of an honest ("no-filter" as people often describe me) insight to my experiences. If you have any suggestions of places for me to go, or things for me to write about, I am ALL EARS Y'ALL - after all, this is to reach an audience and I most certainly aim to please. I've realized with age (and interviews) that people ask what you like to do in your free time, or what hobbies you might have. Netflix, though wildly true, is terribly unoriginal. Listening to music, concerts, hanging out with your pals.. all true for me but still pretty lame. Shopping is probably my favorite thing to do, but not generally accepted as a hobby. Blogging sounds pretty cool though, right? I have the site I might as well do something with it! I have quite a few weddings already through the end of June this year (two personal, eight for Vision In White) so you might hear a thing or two about the wedding industry as well. 

Be sure to check out the rest of the site, and click on my social links in the icons below. Looking forward to sharing #nashjules with you, and all of the exciting things to come in 2018.

Cheers,

Jules