My Land

LL: West Bottoms Urban Bazaar

Last night, we brought the kids to the West Bottoms Urban Bazaar. Lillibelle was sponsoring some kids' activities and there was a band, so I thought Elise would enjoy it. Unfortunately, both of the kids were done with the bazaar before the band even started. Elise liked watching the instruments get set up though.

As for the bazaar, there was a mix of photography, kitschy vintage stuff, jewelry and a few other handmade things. I didn't see anything I couldn't live without. It has potential though! I am still considering selling some stuff there in the fall. (next bazaar: Friday November 21^st and Saturday November 22^nd 2008) We'll see if I get any work finished this summer.

It's still going on today if you are in town. I just enjoy going to the Bottoms once in a while. It is a part of town that seems to be lost in time. I lived near there during my one photography class, so the Bottoms provided lots of subject matter.

LL: Christopher Elbow

I haven't done a Local Love post in a while. Here's a new one, finally.

For Valentine's Day, I got Chris a box of Christopher Elbow chocolates. I wanted to get him some last year, but a snowstorm prevented that. Elise was pretty excited about these. Here's what happened when Chris got home last night:

Elise: "I want you to have some chocolates!"
Chris: "What chocolates?"
Elise: "They're secret surprise chocolates!"

So I guess she can't keep a secret yet.

Anyway, when you open this box, the smell is heavenly. And look at these things -- just look! It would be a shame to eat them if they didn't taste so good. Chris let me have one (well, he offered more, but they're for HIM!). I picked the Caramel with Fleur de Sel. Yum. (Speaking of salty-sweet, I've been dying to try these.)

I even once came across a New York Times article lauding Christopher Elbow, and oh how that paper dislikes saying anything positive about the Midwest. (That's another subject -- I even wrote them a stupid letter one time about it.)

We told Elise she could split the Passion Fruit one with Chris -- she was pretty happy about the existence of an orange chocolate. But that's all she gets. These would be wasted on someone who would happily sit and eat Pez all night.

Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates

Kansas City
1819 McGee Street
Kansas City, MO  64108
816-842-1300

(note: they also sell these at Foo's and Halls)

San Francisco (new location!)
401 Hayes Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-355-1105

LL: Blue Koi

Blue Koi
1803 W. 39th St.
Kansas City, MO
or
10581 Mission Rd.
Leawood, KS

Chris and I have always liked Blue Koi, but we don't get out to 39th Street as often as we used to, now that we have kids. So we were very excited when a Blue Koi opened up out in the burbs. Now we want to eat here all the time.

Blue Koi serves Chinese dumplings and noodle dishes. We almost always get the crispy tofu appetizer with the "awesome sauce." If you get the tofu AND some dumplings, save your awesome sauce from the tofu! Do not waste the awesome sauce. For it is awesome.

I used to always get dumplings, some vegetarian and some pork or seafood. You can get them either boiled or pan-fried. Lately I've been getting the Chinese Pot Roast with dry noodles though. Oh my, it is so yummy. I think I heard that they only have this dish at the Mission Rd. location, not on 39th St., but I could be wrong. Chris always gets the duck with dry noodles.

They also have bubble teas, but the tapioca balls bother me. Sometimes I order a bubble tea without the tapioca and I get a very strange look. Yum, coconut bubble tea.

Oh, and we always get hot tea, too, in those fun little strainer mugs.

My mom had Elise over to spend the night on Thursday, so Chris and I went out to eat with Charlotte at Blue Koi. She slept the whole time!

One Bowl + Holiday Sales

One bowl and three tealight holders: that's about all I've accomplished in my small bits of alone time lately. They haven't even been fired yet. One of these days I'll make it over to the clay guild for some firing. I wish I had a kiln at home, but they are expensive, and I worry about starting a fire in my house... I really don't produce enough work to justify the expense. (yet!)

I also turned on my sewing machine the other night! But I didn't do anything interesting -- I just fixed some of Elise's ripped pajamas. But I did sew! Creativity is slowly starting to come back to life around here -- really slowly.

Anyway, for the KC folks, here are a couple upcoming ceramics holiday sales:

Kansas City Clay Guild: Dec. 8-9
Red Star Studios: Dec. 7-9

Sorry, I don't have the hours. I'll update this post if I get more info.

Also, I just picked up a flyer for this show. I have no idea if it is a good one:

Creative Hand Sale (by the Fiber Guild of Greater Kansas City): Nov. 16, 4-9 and Nov. 17 10-5 at the Sylvester Powell Community Center in Mission, KS

LL: Louisburg Cider Mill

Louisburg Cider Mill
14730 Highway 68
Louisburg, KS  66053-8223

I've been going to the Louisburg Cider Mill in the fall since I was little. I took a lot of school field trips there to see the apples being pressed. This is also where my parents first met Chris ten years ago. I think you were there Stacey, right? I know Dave was there. It's so strange that now I'm taking two kids there, but my dad isn't around anymore.

Every year I eat way too many cider doughnuts, but that is what you are supposed to do, so it's OK. To not eat something that good would just be a shame.

LL: Jun's

Jun's
7660 State Line Rd
Prairie Village, KS 66208-3705
Phone: (913) 341-4924

I wasn't able to eat any sushi for a number of months while I was pregnant, so when Chris' mom offered to watch the girls so we could go out, we headed to Jun's. Jun's is our favorite sushi restaurant, and it helps that it is right down the street from our house. We've been going there for years, and it is consistently good.

Yes, we ate that entire giant platter of sushi all by ourselves. And it was good.

I'm only mildly adventurous with the sushi, so we do order a lot of rolls. My favorite is the Crazy Roll, the pink one in the back corner. It's kind of like a spicy tuna roll, but better. We also splurged on some toro -- that stuff is expensive.

I'm so glad I can eat sushi again!

LL: KC Barbecue

Warning to vegetarians: there is a photo here that Chris says is gross, and he's not even a vegetarian. I don't think it's that gross -- just a little greasy.

Anyway, we have some good barbecue in Kansas City. After our little visit to the toy store this afternoon, we walked over to Gates for lunch. I had the lovely pork-on-bun that's in the photo. Chris and I were talking about which KC barbecue establishment is the best. It is really a toss-up. I think Gates is the tastiest, but the screaming and yelling the moment you walk in the door is a little intimidating. (It's worth it though.) We also go to Oklahoma Joe's a lot (the one in the gas station). Arthur Bryant's is very good, too. For some reason, I'm not a big fan of Jack Stack, but a lot of people are. It's hard to go wrong with any of them though.

I usually get some sort of sandwich, usually pork or burnt ends. I like brisket, too ... and ribs. With my super-pregnancy smelling powers, I've been smelling barbecue in my hair all afternoon. Mmm, eau de smoky pork grease.

LL: New Bloch Building at the Nelson

On Friday, Chris and I took Elise and Chris' mom to see the new Bloch Building at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. I was curious to see if we'd be able to see much of the inside with a two-year-old in tow, and found that we were not able to see much. We were able to visit part of the modern art collection, but all that stuff was just begging to be touched, so Chris had to carry Elise just about the whole time. It was still good to get a taste of it though. I was able to see my childhood favorite: the museum guard sculpture. Whenever we used to visit, I'd spend the whole time waiting to see him. I'm sorry I don't have the titles/artists for the other pieces here. I do know that the pot was by Richard DeVore, but that is all!

The building, by Steven Holl Architects, is really beautiful. The light inside was really lovely. And there was a cool texture to the walls. We checked out the reflecting pond and the green roof. We actually spent a lot of time in the parking garage, of all places. The reflecting pool is on top of the garage, and there are glass cutouts in the ceiling that allow light to filter through the water. So there were cool, watery spots all over the garage. Elise really liked standing in the water-light, and she loved the glowing bumper posts, which apparently all needed hugs.

Once it cools off, I'd like to go back to see the buildings lit up at night and to visit the sculpture park. I think we may have to save the rest of the inside for a date night, or for when Elise is a little older!

And, an update on my mom: after 12 days in the hospital, she's finally home! She's busy trying to do too much (stop it, Mom), but at least she gets to sleep in her own bed.

LL: Fountains

Elise loves fountains, and if there is one thing Kansas City has a lot of, it's fountains. So we have a lot of free entertainment around here, which has been helpful since the hardware store took down its fountain displays for the end of summer. We've visited both the Plaza fountains and the Crown Center fountains with Chris' mom, who is visiting this week.

My mom is still in the hospital, and we've been waiting for her to really start recovering. Complications keep popping up, but she seems to be on the mend now. I hope she can go home soon. It's so hard to get real rest in a hospital. My sister Angie is here, keeping her company. Elise should be well-adjusted to seeing people in hospitals now, so maybe she won't freak out when I'm in there for my c-section. She tells Gram that she's "sipping on air" whenever she uses that little tube contraption that helps to measure your lung capacity. Gram's room has a giant flat-screen TV, so Elise is pretty mesmerized by it every time we go.

I finally gave in and started seeing a chiropractor, as I'm now to the point that I can barely walk some days. The chiropractor helps on the days that I go, but then it is back to usual the next day. I'm being patient with it though. I've had three various doctor appointments this week, so we're trying to keep up with those, and naps, and visiting Gram, and trying to enjoy Grandma's visit, too. Oh, and work, too (five more weeks). I'm hoping we have a calm few weeks in September before the baby's appearance. We'll need it! And Gram REALLY needs it! Send us some calm vibes, please.

LL: KC Modern Drummond Stroll

Here are some pics from the modern home tour that my mom and I took on Sunday. I did ask if I could take photos, and there were lots of people with cameras there. But, I know this world is small, so if by chance someone sees their own home on here and wants me to remove the photo, e-mail me, and I'll be perfectly happy to comply. Take it as a compliment though: these are all cool houses!

There were eleven houses on the KC Modern tour, so I obviously didn't photograph them all. It was fun to peek inside my walk-by houses though. All the owners seemed to be so pleased to be showing off the homes they love, too. The houses were in various states: some were in the process of being updated, some were in need of a little extra love. But they all had good bones. I'm so glad Chris and I stumbled upon these little pockets of modern houses around KC. Six years in, and I still love my little 1956 mod house, even when it needs work.