Chalk Travels: Nashville, TN and CMA Fest

Happy Friday, friends! You may remember Thomas surprised me during our anniversary trip with a gift certificate (1st anniversary is paper) to CMA Music Festival with our dear friends! I was full of excitement after opening the envelope and remember thinking that it was going to feel like forever until we would be in Nashville walking down Broadway listening to the live music being sung at every Honky Tonk, restaurant and outdoor stage. Now, here I am, ten months later recapping what was one of the most memorable and special trips to date.  

88,500 country music fans from all over flooded Nashville and we had one goal in mind: to "enjoy Country's Night to Rock!" We certainly did exactly that. For 5 days, we ate good food, drank our cocktail of choice and listened to hundreds of very talented country artists. Every artist that you can imagine was there to perform live at multiple venues, host meet and greets, attend autograph sessions and take {endless} selfies with their fans. We caught Blake Shelton leaving The Stage after a surprise performance, I have to admit it was pure luck and one of many highlights of our trip.

Bright and early every morning, we would get our morning jolt of caffeine then jump on the shuttle from our hotel to head downtown for the day. With seven different stages setup for daytime music, you were certain to see artists from legends to the latest up-and-comers. The Chevrolet Riverfront Stage is the epicenter of daytime music with the must-see lineups that aren't performing at night in Nissan Stadium. Between the incredible view and lineups at the Riverfront, this is where you could find us most days!

Then each night, the fans packed into Nissan Stadium to sing and dance for hours to all our favorite artists. To kick-off CMA Fest, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts and Jason Aldean brought down the house. The following two nights included Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt, Eric Church, Hank Williams, Jr., Carrie Underwood, Chris Young, Cole Swindell, Florida Georgia Line, Steven Tyler and Blake Shelton {along with a few special guests but I'll keep that a surprise until it airs on TV}.

The final night was electric and full of energy thanks to Little Big Town, Thomas Rhett, Brett Eldredge, Keith Urban and Luke Bryan!

 

As if CMA Fest could get any better, the money generated through CMA Music Festival ticket sales for the nightly concerts and Fan Fair X will benefit music education, reaching 1 million children across the United States. Since 2006, CMA and the CMA Foundation have donated more than $13.6 million to support sustainable music education initiatives across the country.

Now for a few recommendations on places to eat and things to do if you plan on visiting Nashville...

Places to Eat:

- Jack's BBQ

- Biscuit Love

- The Farm House

- Moto

- Etch 

- Virago

- The Stillery

- Merchants Restaurant

- The Southern

- Puckett's Grocery 

- Tavern 

- Barista Parlor

- Pinewood Social

Things to Do:

- Dance the morning, afternoon or evening away at the Honky Tonks

- Enjoy a glass of champagne while getting pampered at the Blowout Company

- Shopping in the Gulch 

- If you're a fan of Reese Witherspoon, you must pop into Draper James

- Try on a pair of cowboy boots in the Lucchese Store

 - Walk the streets of Music Row

 - End of the night with cocktails at The Patterson House

- Sit on the rooftop at ACME Feed & Seed or The Stage 

- Tour the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

- Take a #SinemaSelfie at the Sinema Restaurant & Bar

- Enjoy whiskey? Visit Whiskey Kitchen

{Many of these great recommendations came from my brother-in-law, a Nashville Native.}  

If you love country music as much as we do, you can relive our trip with us when Brett Eldredge and Thomas Rhett host "CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock" on August 3rd at 8pm EST. The three hour special will feature all the country-music stars as they hit the stage during the four-day celebration that we were lucky enough to be a part of. Now, it's time to begin planning our next trip! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Happy Friday, Friends: I am BACK!!

I AM BACK and couldn't be more excited!! It has {almost} been 4 weeks since my last blog post and I have missed this special space so much over the past 28 days. Life has been busy and I had to put a few things on-hold in order to manage everything else that was taking place around me. But I promise {promise, promise} that I won't take that long of a break again. I look forward to catching up with each of you and can't wait to see what has been going on in your world!

I am going to kick-off my return with a recap of The Chalk Family Summer Bucket List. This summer was full of adventure and memories with those that mean the most to us. After looking back at everything we did from June - August, I can only imagine what our little family will be up to between October - November!

ONE: Spa Day at The Umstead Hotel & Spa 

Status: Not Complete -  I am mad at myself for not carving out a few hours to enjoy a day at the Umstead Spa. I'll have to make this happens in the Spring so I can enjoy the view from their pool. 

TWO: Weekend Getaway to The Greenbrier Resort

Status: Complete - This weekend was one that we will never forget. Having the entire Chalk Family together was so much fun {not to mention that the Resort is fabulous}. Read all about our visit here.

THREE: Attend the Food Truck Rodeo in downtown Raleigh 

Status: Complete -  We kicked-off the summer with the Food Truck Rodeo and it was a blast. You can see all that we were able to enjoy here.

FOUR: Enjoy cocktail hour on our deck more often than last summer

Status: Complete - Even some of the evenings that were humid and sticky, we sat on our porch to sip and catch up on the day, it was perfect. 

FIVE: Visit the Summer Farmer's Market in downtown Apex

Status: Not Complete - I may not have made it to the Summer Farmer's Market in Apex but I did make it to Raleigh's Farmer's Market multiple times. I could walk around there for hours, it is the perfect Sunday afternoon activity. 

SIX: Spend the afternoon fishing with TC

Status: Not Complete - Well darn, maybe we can squeeze this in before the winter temperatures make their way to NC. TC loves an afternoon by the pond, sitting on the truck bed, listening to music and seeing what he can catch. 

SEVEN: Plant a garden & enjoy fresh vegetables all summer

Status: Complete - Oh my goodness, yes! We enjoyed endless cucumbers, tomatoes, squash and zucchini from our garden this summer. I am pretty sure that you could probably still find a few veggies still trying to grow out there. 

EIGHT: Attend a few outdoor summer concerts

Status: Not Complete - The summer flew by and we could never make it to one of the {many} outdoor concerts BUT we did buy tickets this summer for the American Roots Music and Arts Festival in Raleigh. So that half way counts, right?

NINE: Spend the evening shagging to our wedding band, Band of Oz, at a local venue

Status: Not Complete - Darn it, I really wanted to see our wedding band again. 

Perhaps we will add this to our Fall Bucket List.

TEN: Go on a picnic in the park with TC and the pups

Status: Not Complete - I wish we made this happen but I am confident that Tenley and Bo spent plenty of time outside, eating sticks, swimming in the pond, etc. All the things that they would have enjoyed at the park!

ELEVEN: Soak up the sun by spending the afternoons on Lake Jordan

Status: Complete - Our lake adventures were always a blast, I am already dreaming about being back on the lake even if it is in the Spring and we are bundled up. 

TWELVE: Celebrate our 1 year anniversary on September 20th!!

How are we already celebrating our 1 year Anniversary?! 

Status: Complete - I have no idea how it has already been a year since that very special day but I am thankful for each hour, day and week that I have been able to spend as TC's wife. Our anniversary weekend was spent in the North Carolina mountains, I'll be recapping it this weekend!

{I loved slipping back into my Rehearsal Dinner dress and Wedding Day shoes for our Anniversary Dinner, it took me back to that amazing weekend.}

THIRTEEN: Enjoy cookouts with our friends & family

Status: Complete - I may have gained a few pounds thanks to the multiple cookouts that we had with our family and friends but it was well worth it. The cookouts will continue into the Fall and I am not complaining one bit.

{One of my favorite corn salads to make for our cookouts.}

FOURTEEN: Go on a road trip {or a day trip} with TC

Status: Not Complete - This will be another activity that we will attempt to tackle in the Fall. Windows down, the dog's ears flapping in the wind, and good music playing...let's go!

FIFTEEN: Find a few good books to enjoy while sitting by the pool

Status: Complete - I read "The First Phone Call From Heaven" by Mitch Albom, I have read every book by Mitch and I haven't found one that doesn't bring me to tears. This was no exception.

SIXTEEN: Visit 2-3 local breweries in the area 

{Brueprint Brewing Co., Crank Arm Brewing Co., Aviator Brewing Co.} 

Status: Not complete - You will definitely see this re-appear on our Fall Bucket List.

SEVENTEEN: Train for the Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 

Status: Complete - Oh, hey Danielle! I can't wait to cross the finish line with you.

EIGHTEEN: Visit Washington, DC for a weekend

Status: Complete - We were on the move this summer and I loved every second of it. DC, we will be back because our visit was way to short. 

NINETEEN: Host a 4th of July party, read more about my plans for our celebration here.

Status: Complete - As I have said many times, I love having an excuse to plan and host a party. This was a great day filled with friends and a lot of red, white and blue. After re-reading my post, I wish we could celebrate all over again!

Weekend Highlights: New York Style

On Friday afternoon, we packed up our bags, kissed the pups goodbye and headed north to spend the weekend in New York City with my sister and her husband. You may have seen a sneak peak of the beautiful views that we were able to enjoy all weekend if you follow me on Instagram {stephaniechalk08}. My heart is full and I am still smiling after this weekend.  

By the time that we arrived at their door, I couldn't wait to squeeze my sister and give her the biggest hug! My sister has always been my rock and moments like this weekend make me realize how much I miss having her in the same state and only a couple of hours away. 

Throughout the summer, I have received numerous photos of their "favorite summer spot" so I was excited to kick-off the weekend from The Roof Garden Cafe and Martini Bar at The Met. The panoramic view of the city as the sun is setting is absolutely gorgeous. To find a spot along the wall to take a picture is nearly impossible but I had no fear that my sister was going to make it happen. And I am so glad she did because these are a few of my {new} favorite photos! 

It only seemed appropriate that we took a short tour through The Metropolitan Museum of Art to see some of our favorite artists - the Vincent Van Gogh exhibit was definitely my favorite so I had to snap a couple pictures.

Following a few glasses of rose, breathtaking sunsets and a history lesson we opted for a casual dinner at Pizza Beach. We spent the rest of the evening enjoying the beautiful weather, catching up on life and indulged in way too many delicious pizzas. If you love pizza as much as we do than this is your kind of place. I enjoy a pizza with a twist so my recommendation would the Lamb Merguez and Oaxaca Cheese with Shishito Peppers and fresh Cilantro & the Mushroom and Stracciatella with Roasted Leeks and Mascarpone. 

After such a fun Friday night, Saturday morning came {very} quickly but my sister whipped up one of the best breakfast spreads that I have had recently! My sister and her husband hit the jackpot when they found their apartment which has now become their beautiful first home as Mr. and Mrs. "Tro". One of their favorite amenities is the gorgeous rooftop that has the most spectacular views of the city skyline which is where we enjoyed breakfast. If only I had taken a picture so you could see what I'm talking about...blogger fail.  

Then we were off to Yankee Stadium to cheer on the Cleveland Indians as they played a four game series against the Yankees. TC's childhood friend plays for the Indians so it was a really special opportunity to be able to watch #8 play while we were in town. 

The former Yankees catcher, Jorge Posada, had his uniform retired during a special ceremony prior to the game. Many of his fellow teammates were in attendance for the ceremony to help celebrate and congratulate Jorge on his retirement - Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte are just a few that I recognized that were there.  

This weekend was full of epic sunsets and we took full advantage of them for our photos! A couples photo op was much needed as we waited in line to have cocktails at the Grand Banks NYC. If you plan on visiting NYC, you will have to head to Pier 25 in Tribeca to enjoy a cocktail on the deck of the F/V Zwicker - the last original salt-bank fishing vessel in existence. 

Happy Hour was followed by dinner at Nobu New York, the original restaurant of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa that specializes in Japanese cuisine. Everything that we ate melted in your mouth. I have to admit that I am still dreaming about the Bento Box dessert - Warm Chocolate Fondant Cake, Shiso Syrup, White Chocolate Sauce and Green Tea Ice Cream. Doesn't it sound amazing?!

The weekend was over and Monday was quickly approaching but the memories that we made this weekend will be cherished forever. Thank you to my sister and her husband for the amazing hospitality and another wonderful weekend on the Upper East Side! :) Until next time...

Summer Bucket List: Greenbrier Vacation

On my Summer Bucket List, I mentioned that we were taking a family trip in the middle of July to The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. The Greenbrier Resort is also known as America's Resort because it was the gathering place for the nation's most influential and powerful families in the early 1800s. During the Civil War and World War II, the hotel was used as a hospital and military headquarters but what's even cooler than that is underneath the hotel is a bunker that was built for the U.S. government in case of a war. When you visit, you will have to take a tour of the bunker. 

The resort is famous for the lavish and bold decor by Dorothy Draper. She used a lot of vibrant colors and oversized patterns to make a {signature} statement. We spent hours walking around taking pictures of all the rooms that were decorated in style along with the gorgeous flowers that lined each and every walkway which made the outside of the resort just as picturesque as the inside.  

The weekend was filled with exceptional food, afternoons by the pool overlooking the beautiful golf course, rounds of golf on The Old White TPC which is home to hosting the Greenbrier Classic and {of course} a little pampering at the spa. After a weekend like this one, returning to reality was rough.

If you follow me on Instagram {stephaniechalk08} than you've seen these additional snaps taken from my phone. I have to admit that I wish we were getting ready to pack our bags to head north for another weekend in White Sulphur Springs! :)