Le Weekend

This was the first weekend in a very long time that the boy and I had absolutely no plans. None whatsoever. No family parties, or pressing errands to run, or dinners to attend.

Friday night, we hung out at home, had dinner, and finally decided around 11pm to go out and do something. We headed to the Fells Point neighborhood and went to The Waterfront Hotel (which is actually a restaurant/bar, not a hotel like the name would suggest) for some live music:

The band was playing a great set filled with some of our favorite hits of the 90's (Oasis' Sally Can Wait, anyone?!), so it was a lot of fun.

Saturday morning, Sean and I did end up having an important errand to run--the necklace he gave me for my birthday broke! I was ready to wear it out on Friday night and the chain broke. We went to Smyth, where we were greeted with free refreshments, fresh-baked cookies, and an incredibly helpful saleswoman who assured us the necklace will be good as new in a week--and it was free. Definitely a great place to go for fine jewelry in the Baltimore area.

After our trip to the jeweler, we went to look at some backsplash options for our kitchen. We recently got granite countertops, and a backsplash seems like a cheap and attractive way to add a little somethin' extra to the small space. We agreed on this tile design, and bought one 12 x 12 square of it to "test" out in our kitchen:

What do you think? I like how the neutral tones tie in with the countertops, while the blue tones pick up the wall color.

Then, yesterday afternoon, Sean went to the gym while I did an at-home yoga and stability ball workout. (He has a gym membership and I do not, so I have to get creative with my workouts since it is now averaging 95 degrees in Baltimore so I can't work out outside). I took a shower and randomly decided to get all dolled up in a dress. When Sean got home from the gym around 4:30, he declared that I was looking way too pretty to sit on the couch all night. What a guy.

We went through our Baltimore Magazine Best of Baltimore issue and picked out a new-to-us burger joint, Abbey Burger Bistro, for dinner. The place is known for its expansive beer list and specialty burgers (they have lamb, bison, duck, etc), as well as a make-your-own burger option. I pondered making my own, but decided against it--and boy, was I pleasantly surprised. I ordered the Santa Fe Burger, which is Black Angus beef with jalapenos, salsa, guacamole, spicy creme fraiche, and pepper jack cheese. Check this baby out:

And yes, I like my burger practically still mooing. Honestly, anything darker than medium makes me cringe. It is just so much more flavorful and juicy when it is pink inside! Anyone with me? To compliment my delicious meal (with sweet potato fries--yum!), I also tried a new-to-me brew--Otter Creek Summer Ale, brewed in Vermont. Is anyone familiar with this line of beers? I had never tried it before but I loved their summer ale so much, I ended up having another as an after-dinner treat.

After dinner, we went out for a drink or two and then headed home to catch up on our DVR and get some shut-eye.

Today, we plan on having a pretty typical, boring Sunday--relaxing, cleaning, and laundry. How was your weekend?

Question of the day: What is your favorite summer ale? Now that we are transitioning back into fall, I am trying to get my fill of light, summery beers before it's too late!