Hey guys!
Goodbye Hair
Let’s just got to the chase of the most important part of the weekend…. I cut off all of my hair!
I have historically been very attached to my long hair, and I usually really go back and forth about how to get it cut when I have a hair appointment. But lately I have been feeling like I wanted a change and hardly put any thought into cutting it all off. I decided to go with a long bob… a little shorter in the back and just past my shoulders in the front. I also got lighter color and heavier highlights. My hair was down to almost the middle of my back so this is taking a little getting used to, but so far I think I’m very happy with it!
Dinner Date at Essex
On Friday evening, B and I went out to eat at a new restaurant in downtown Charlotte called Essex Bar & Bistro. This is actually the second time we’ve been there but the first time was the night they opened. It’s always hard to judge a restaurant on opening night!
We ordered some of our favorites from the first time we went and then added in a few new dishes as well. They bring food out as it is prepared so we started getting our first dishes almost right away. Here’s some of what we tried:
fried olives // calamari // lamb sliders // brussels sprout salad // tuna tacos
Thoughts: their food has been fantastic both times we went. I absolutely love the brussels sprout salad because the taste is pretty unique. The lamb burgers were spicier than we remembered, which B loved. We are both olive lovers so the fried olives are a must for us. The calamari was our favorite dish the first time… we still liked it this time but it seemed like the sauce wasn’t mixed well on the calamari this time. But other than that, the food here is amazing and it’s a great date spot.
My only complaint would be that it was SO loud this time. Loud in the way that I literally stopped trying to talk to B because I felt like I was yelling. Next time we will definitely wait to be seated outside. It didn’t seem that loud the first time we went so maybe it was especially packed on the weekend.
Mountain Biking
Remember when I bought a new bike? And then got in a bike wreck and could never ride it?!
Well, those days are behind me and I took my new bike out to the Whitewater Center on Sunday with my friend, Vicky. She rides at the WWC so I was glad to have an expert showing me the ropes.
We met fairly early in the morning and went on one of the easier trails. The first loop was a little scary for me because I have never really ridden over rocks and roots before. There were several times where I had to get off of my bike and walk over the technical stuff. Vicky asked me if I wanted to do a second loop and I almost said no because I had a good fill of mountain biking for the day. But we decided to go for it and I’m glad I did. I did much better with the technical stuff and only had to walk over 1 part. I had a lot of fun the second time! Each loop was 3 miles, and we were out there for about 1.5 hours.
There is just something about mountain biking that really gets to me. Being able to get sweaty and dirty and be a little bit of a daredevil makes me feel like a kid again. I’m hoping to do much more mountain biking this fall!
How was your weekend?
Cyclists: mountain biking vs. road biking- which do you prefer? This is a hard one for me but I would have to pick mountain biking… no cars 
I ate at Essex when I was in Charlotte! I had fish tacos and sweet potato fries, so good. I sat outside, but it was like 3 pm, so it was pretty empty in general. Very good food. :) I love mountain biking! Road biking is faster and you feel like a speed demon, but mountain biking is more exhilarating/exciting.
Oh that is such a coincidence! I am actually really looking forward to going there and sitting outside because the location is fun and the food is so good. I agree with you that mountain biking is more exciting! My friend said we should try a harder trail next time… not sure I’m up for that yet :)
I love your new hair! I have been thinking about going short as well. I seem to go short every winter.
Every time I see some new part of your apartment I am more and more convinced that we live in the same building. Your grey door is the same as my grey door from the color down to the carved out pattern!
When you move out, take a bunch of pictures of your apartment and we can compare!!! I really love the looks of my apartment but the insulation is not great. Aesthetics > functionality, lol.