Secret Memphis: Private Peabody Hotel Duck March

I have a secret.

Let me start at the beginning. Every morning at 11 at the Peabody Hotel, the cutest little ducks come down the elevator, march through the lobby, and jump into the fountain where they wade around all day. At 5 pm, they march back into the elevator and up to the roof where they spend the night in their palace (no joke, that's what it's called).

So, every morning at 11 and every evening at 5 the lobby is packed with people waiting to watch the ducks march (more like a run) through the hotel.

I discovered a secret. Last week when I was on my adventure, I got to the Peabody right around 5 pm. As usual, the lobby (and the second floor looking down onto the lobby) was fullllll of people. Since I've already seen the ducks march several times and I was on a mission to get rooftop pictures, I took the elevator to the roof. While I was up there I started talking to some Peabody employees. They told me that if I waited a few minutes, the duckmaster and all the little ducks would be coming up!

So I waited. Sure enough, a little after 5 the elevator doors opened and all the ducks ran out. They ran right to my feet and it was the cutest thing ever!!! It was just me, the duckmaster, and the sweetest little honorary duckmaster helping that day.
   

  

Take my advice, skip the crowds and hang out on the roof to get your own private Peabody duck march!



  

Wore // Train Tracks

 Oh, you know, just taking some pictures on some train tracks.

We snapped these pictures before heading over to the Memphis Botanic Garden to see Foreigner. Yes, the same Foreigner that sings Juke Box Hero and Hot Blooded and Cold As Ice and Feels Like the First Time. It was as awesome as it sounds.


Once again, thank you to Angela, our Coordinator of Fun, for always getting us tickets to fun things.

 Linking with The Pleated Poppy // Because Shanna Said So // Get Your Pretty On // Style Elixer

An Urban Hike

As you might remember from this post, I was inspired by the official Ford Fiesta Movement to go on my own adventure. 

After watching a few videos, I decided to go on a hike. Not just any hike though. I decided to go on an urban hike. Instead of hiking through a forest, I hiked through downtown Memphis... in the rain. Rather than climbing to the peak of a mountain, I trekked to a few rooftops... with a storm rolling in. I got some great pictures, made a few friends, and discovered some amazing Memphis spots that anyone can visit. Overall it was a success!! More adventures for me, please!!


  
First stop on my big adventure was to the Madison Hotel. The Madison has a newly renovated rooftop deck and a killer view of the Mississippi River. To get there, I just took the elevator all the way to the top and walked out onto the deck. The rain has just let up a little bit and the clouds were low. I had never seen Memphis quite like this.These pictures don't do it justice.

Lots of Memphians don't realize they can just go up to the Madison rooftop deck anytime they want! It's definitely worth stopping by sometime.


 
  
After the Madison I walked over to the Peabody (fun fact - this is where we're getting married!!). The rooftop of the Peabody is always open to the public... except when it's raining. I learned that one the hard way. Fortunately, I ran into some friendly Peabody workers (and the duck master!) and explained to them that I was on an urban hiking adventure. They let me snap a few photos. I absolutely suggest taking a trip up the Peabody elevators (when the weather's nice) and checking out the view.

Overall this adventure took me out of my comfort zone (I pretty much always do stuff like this with Jeremy) and I have a new appreciation for going exploring in the rain. Take my advice.. don't be a afraid to go on an adventure. Even it it's right in your own backyard.

Have you been on any adventures lately?


This is a sponsored post and I was compensated for my participation. The opinions expressed are my own.

Downtown Museum Day

 
Attention all Memphians!!! Something exciting is going on tomorrow. It's the third annual Downtown Museum Day. Participating museums are offering free (or discounted) admission to Tennessee residents for the day. Take advantage of that deal and go museum hopping!

Here are the museums participating:

Belz Museum of Asian and Judaice Art
Free admission

The Blues Foundation
Free admission

Center for Southern Folklore
Free admission

Cotton Museum -- You guys all know how much I love cotton fields and such. I stopped by the Cotton Museum actually scouting for wedding venue locations! While we're not planning on getting married here, the building is so so awesome!! I mean, it feels like you're stepping back in time. 
Free admission

Elmwood Cemetery
Free self-guided audio tours from 8 am until noon

Fire Museum of Memphis
Buy one admission and get one free

Jimmy Ogle Tours
Free city tours

Memphis Hop
Half off all bus rides

Memphis Railroad & Trolley Museum
Free admission

Mississippi River Museum at Mud Island River Park
Buy one admission and get one free

National Ornamental Metal Museum
Free admission

Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum
Buy one admission and get one free

Stax Museum of American Soul Music
Buy one admission and get one free

Sun Studio -- there isn't much to see (besides the main room where so many legends recorded) but you will leave with a slew of information, Not going to lie, it's pretty awesome to be in the same room where so many classic songs were actually recorded.
Free admission and tours

WC Handy Museum
Buy one admission and get one free

Woodruff-Fontaine House -- this is a gorgeous old Victorian house! When my Mom was in town we stumbled into a tour while looking for wedding venues. Definitely very interesting.
Half off admission



Promise me you'll tell me which museum you visit (or want to visit) and what you thought!! I can't get enough of the history in this town.
 

Must Eat Memphis: Blues City Hot Dogs

 

  
There's a new player in town! Memphis now has a hot dog joint. Blues City Hot Dogs is now open and located on Highland by the University of Memphis! An entire restaurant that focuses only on different kinds of hot dogs! Um, doesn't that sound awesome? Well, it is.

It has only been open a few months and we've already been twice. It's got a great casual memphis-loving atmosphere and it's the perfect place to grab a bite for lunch. Check out the menu, it's fulllll of different toppings and combinations that make a regular hot dog that much better.

They have even kept the meat-free eaters in mind with their veggie dog. This is what I order. It isn't your average veggie hot dog trying to disguise itself as a hot dog. It actually has flavor and texture and it's reallllly good. Plus, you can get anyyy of the specialty dogs with the veggie dog instead!

  
I mean, seriously? That hot dog has Fritos on it. Fritos.

I definitely I recommend swinging by before a Tiger football game! Don't forget to sign the wall, either!
 



Blues City Hot Dogs
669 South Highland Street
Memphis TN 38111




PS. They have free WiFi.. yup.

All opinions are entirely my own. Blues City Hot Dogs has no idea who I am or that I'm writing this review -- I just like to share good places to eat in Memphis. 

Wore // Transition

Transitions. There are so many transitions going on right now!

There's this whole moving thing (still getting used to my new routine).

Then there's the weather. This transition weather is driving my crazy. When I leave for work in the morning it's actually slightly chilly but then when I leave work for the day it's blazing hot. What am I supposed to wear?!

I got this cute dress from Ruche and it's been working well as a transition from summer to fall. Not gong to lie, I am so anxious to wear boots and tights, though!

Linking with The Pleated Poppy // Because Shanna Said So // Get Your Pretty On // Style Elixer 

Ford Fiesta Movement: Adventure is Out There!

 
Ford is celebrating the new 2014 Fiesta with the Ford Fiesta Movement (doesn't that sound fun?). As a fiance to a Ford driver, I'm pretty excited to have the opportunity to share this movement with you. The Ford Fiesta Movement is all about the exciting adventures we find in life and getting out there and really living. For the next four months, Ford is giving us a theme to come up with something awesome (and out of the box) to do!

This month's theme is Adventure.

Now, I need your help. I am going to go on an adventure but I want YOU (yes, you) to help me pick which adventure I should go on. So, if you please, leave a comment with a fun adventure you think I should go on within the next few days. It could be anything (pretty much hah)..

Should I go on a hike? Cook something crazy? Visit a museum?

Go downhill mountain biking?

Nope. Not that. Won't do that!


Leave a comment with your suggestions! I'm ready to get out there and have an adventure (except probably downhill mountain biking)!


This is a sponsored post and I was compensated for my participation. The opinions expressed are my own. I am simply supporting the official Ford Fiesta Movement.

#6SecondsFlat

A lot can happen in just 6 (ish) seconds flat:

-You can roll up to the Wendy's drive thru to get some lunch.

-You can take the first bite of a healthy fast food alternative from Wendy's.

- You can make a wish on a magic lamp (watch my video to understand what I'm talking about!!)

- and you could possibly win $6000!! Did you get that? Let me say it one more time. You could win $6000.. in just 6 second flat!


On Saturday, there were about three thousand football games on that we Jeremy wanted to watch. We took the few second we had during half time to take a drive to our local Wendy's and grab some lunch. We chose the chicken flatbread sandwiches! Honestly, we don't eat much fast food so when we can get healthy food fast we are happy campers!

There are two Flatbread Chicken Sandwiches that our back at Wendy's for a limited time. The Asiago Ranch (which has bacon on it) andd the Smoky Honey Mustard (this was my favorite).



So now I've got some questions for you:

- Have you tried the Wendy's flatbread sandwiches?

- Have you made your video yet?! All you have to do to enter the sweepstakes is upload your video to Vine or Instagram and use the official #6SecondFlat hashtag anddddd #tenfeetoffbeale6! Yep. That's it!


Need some inspiration? There are a ton of videos posted here!



Thanks to Wendy's for sponsoring this post and for the opportunity to try Wendy's Chicken Flatbread Sandwiches. I was invited to participate in this campaign through Linqia.

Settling In

Even though I still feel like I'm living in a dream (is this real life?), I'm starting to feel settled. I'm slowly but surely getting back into a routine and this place actually feels like home.

Now that the boxes are all unpacked (um, ok, maybe there are a few hidden in closets), I'm ready to get into the fun stuff. Ready to get into the decorating, the painting, the crafting, the new furniture buying. We have some fun projects planned and I can't wait to dive in!

I've said it a million times but I'll say it again. I love living downtown.

Must Eat Memphis: Local Gastropub

  
There is something missing from the 100 Things to Eat in Memphis list. The Lobster mac n' cheese from Local in downtown Memphis. It actually upsets me a little bit that it's not on the 100 Things to Eat in Memphis list! That's how good it is.

This picture doesn't even do this dish justice! It's warm and cheesy and has crunch parmesan bread crumbs on top. Serious yum.

I can't write a post about Local and not talk about the atmosphere. It's the perfect place to meet friends after work, or grab a bite before a basketball game. It's not too big, has an amazing industrial feel and a great outdoor patio. Local is turning into one of my all time favorite places to eat in Memphis. (and that's really saying something!!)

The time I met a friend for the first time when she knocked on my door

  
A little while back, I received an email from a blog friend of mine, Katie. She asked if she could possibly use our roof deck to shoot some engagement photos. I said, ABSOLUTELY!

After I said yes, I realized I've never actually met this girl! Not only that but she was bringing two strangers with her to our home!! Happily, when she knocked on my door it was like we were old friends. I was so happy to meet Katie in real life and am so thankful I can now call her my "real life" friend. Katie is an incredibly talented photographer and has such a sweet soul. If you don't know Katie, you should definitely stop by her blog and say hello!!

As a special treat, she snapped some photos of Jeremy and I. I am so in love with these photos. We weren't photo ready, we felt completely awkward, but they are so us! They completely capture us in our natural environment, just hanging out at home with our pets.
 

  
Thank you so much for these pictures, Katie! They are truly cherished. Anddddd anytime you need the roof, you are more than welcome :)

Here are the engagement picture Katie took on our roof!

 

Some Fall Favorites (& a giveaway)

Fall is in the air! Well, not literally in Memphis (ha, this picture is from last year). It has been nearing the 100s lately but that doesn't stop me from wanting pumpkin flavored everything! I think fall is my favorite season. I love when everything gets all warm and cozy and I love the smells. Is that a weird thing to say? I hope not. I'm looking forward to the weather cooling down a bit, finally getting to wear boots, and lots and lots of pumpkin. Oh, and don't forget pumpkin picking!!

Meet some sponsors of Ten Feet Off Beale below and read about them and what they're looking forward to this fall! Don't forget to scroll to the bottom and enter the giveaway!!

(PS. I'm giving away a custom embroidery hoop!)

Lauren is another Tennessee blogger! (by the way, I love that I can officially call myself now that I've moved!!) She's so down to earth and her blog is an absolute joy to read, and I've been reading it for a whileeee.

Hi ya'll! I'm Lauren and I blog over at Tennessee Honey! It's a lifestyle blog + parenting + everything. Literally, everything! I post the occasional recipe, outfit post, and a ton of rambling. I'm addicted to coffee, books, and superheros. I love to laugh and quote movies. I'm pretty random and mostly say what's on my mind. 

This fall, I'm looking forward to chunky sweaters, boots, pumpkin spice, and bonfires! Fall is my favorite time of year!!

She'd like to give a lucky winner a $10 Starbucks gift card (pumpkin spice latte, anyone?)

Meet Kate and Adam.. aka, the Florkens. They're new faces around the blogosphere, but they have very quickly made a name for themselves!! Seriously, I see big things in the future for then. OH and can how can I talk about them and not mention that THEY GOT MARRIED THIS WEEKEND!! Congratulations, you two!!!


This is from Kate: I'm a lawyer. Adam is a scientist. We are also complete dorks (as if the professions hadn't already given that away). While studying for the bar exam this summer, I decided to start a blog. Adam thought it was a pretty good idea and decided to join in on the fun. You should to.

This fall, I'm looking forward to the death of the mosquitos that currently attack us in full force any time we try to use our beautiful deck. Die you little jerks... DIE! Oh yeah, it's our first fall as a married couple too. So that's nice.


When asked what they wanted to giveaway they said, "In honor of all the money we've spent at Hobby Lobby preparing for our September 7th wedding, we'd love to give away a $30 gift card to Hobby Lobby! Get crafty and make a fun fall wreath or go ahead and stock up on Christmas decor. Trust us. They already have it all on the shelves."

Next up we have Amber, a mamma blogger with three incredibly cute littles. Her blog is called My Three Bittles. If you have never stopped by her blog, today should be the day! You will fall in love with her family.

I'm Amber. 27 living in Georgia- three kids. two dogs. a cat. Tattoo collector.  Military spouse. Thrift-aholic.  Fan of big sunglasses & coffee.

This fall, I'm most looking forward to the leaves changing colors.  It's GORGEOUS!

She'd like to give away a sponsor ad space andddd $10 to Starbucks.

And last but not least, we have Kerry from KerryingOn. She is just the sweetest adn although we've never met in real life, I absolutely consider her one of my good friends! Isn't it so crazy but awesome how blog world introduces you to kindred souls you might never have gotten the opportunity to meet?

KerryingOn is a peek into the world of a professional actress living (mostly) in NYC. When not in a recording booth, studio, theatre, or audition room, I'm often found Life Coaching my clients across the country on going after their big dreams, or writing for my blogs, the other blogs I contribute to, or publications like Danielle LaPorte's new magazine. I'm always Kerry-ing On about Dogs in need, and do my best to volunteer my time and energy with as many rescues and shelters as possible. My own two furry babies, Henry & Layla, are my heart. Come say hi!

To quote the best movie of all time, "Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies." This fall, I'm all about wandering around my favorite neighborhoods, and exploring some new ones, all with a delicious soy chai in my hands, of course. (Bonus points if you know the movie!)

She's giving away one free life coaching session (60 minutes via phone, skype or in-person if in NYC). Um, that sounds exciting!!




Do I have the best sponsors or what?! You should definitely take some time to visit their blogs and you should absolutely enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

24 while 24 - Recap

Monday was a big day. It was Labor day, meaning we had the day off, I turned 25, anddd I realized I totally failed at my 24 while 24 challenge!! Wow, I don't know if I made my goals too difficult, or if the year went by really fast. Probably a little bit of both. Besides not completing a ton of stuff on my list, some exciting things happened! There was an engagement, we bought our first home, and so so so many more fun and exciting things!!

You can see the entire 24 While 24 list here, and below you can read a recap and my thoughts now that I am officially 25.

1 - Move: I did it!! I moved and am writing this from my new home. Not just my home, but the first home that Jeremy and I will live in when were married. Exciting times!!

2- Run an entire 5K: I actually participated in two this year!! On the other hand, I think it's been several months since I've gone on a nice long run. Probably should get back into the gym. Probably.

3- Eat at 10 new places: We ate at way more than ten and blogged about 13 of them. Eating off of the 100 Things to Eat in Memphis List has been super helpful! I highly suggest everyone finds a list like this for their town, or makes their own!

4- Read 24 books: I only read 11!!! That actually really surprises me. I tend to read alot. I think the number isn't as high because I've spent more time reading my Bible when I'd usually pick up a novel. Nothing wrong with that in my book! (see what I did there? hah)

5- Throw a Party: Didn't throw a party. BUT we are planning a wedding (our big day is May 31, 2014) anddd I'm also helping to throw a baby shower for my future sister-in-law!

6- Visit 5 new cities: I only visited 3 new places this year. I did, however, visit some places that I had been to before. I'll probably continue to keep setting goals that involve traveling. I love visiting new places!

7- Learn basic photography: This one is a big fat FAIL. I didn't even attempt this one. I still use the automatic settings. #badblogger

8- Grow my hair out: I think I did pretty good with this one. I mean, look how short my hair looks in my 24 while 24 picture above!! Side note: I have the terrible awful no good very bad habit of splitting my dead ends. Now that I have an official wedding date and know that I want long healthy hair when I get married, I've been really trying to break this habit. I've actually been doing pretty good! It's been almost 4 weeks without splitting a single end! This is a huge deal people.

9- Pay for someone else at a drive-thru: Another big fat FAIL. This one is disappointing to me. Honestly, I don't think I found myself at enough drive-thrus this year to remember this one. But, I don't want to make excuses. I will be doing more random acts of kindness this year for sure!!

10- Leave anonymous letters in public for strangers to find: Yep. Completely forgot about this one soooo I didn't do it. I probably should have checked my list more often.

11- Go to an NHL game: This didn't happen but that wasn't entirely my fault!! There was a hockey lockout. We WILL be going to a game this year though!

12-  Volunteer: I helped out when situations arose. I would like to get better at actively seeking opportunities to give my time to help others.

13- Visit an orchard or farm: It's no secret that I love orchards, farms, and fields. Jeremy is pretty much the best and literally pulls the car over so we can take pictures in pretty fields. So this one is a WIN!

14- Have a significant amount of money in savings: Yeah, buying a home has put a bit of a damper on that. I was doing really well until we had to pay a downpayment. Totally worth it.

15- See a movie at a drive in: Didn't do this one. That's sad. Maybe this year?

16- Go Camping: Is it just me or did this spring and summer completely FLY by?!

17- Bake Christmas cookies: Somehow I made it through Christmas season without baking a single cookie. #lame

18- Carve a pumpkin: Finally! Something else that we actually did!! We actually carved a pumpkin!!

19- Dye Easter eggs: Nope. Completely forgot.

20- Get a massage: Can I do this one again?

21- Memphis area blogger meetup: I repeat.. can I do this one again?? I actually went to a few blogger meetups this year and can't wait for the next. Let's meetup again soon, ladies!!

22- Get dressed up and go to something fancy: Hmmmm, I'm going to give this one a "sort of" win. When I wrote this list, I expected to go to something like a wedding or other fancy event like that. We went to a few events but nothing too fancy. Also, since I've started doing Wednesday Wore posts, I've started dressing nicer. So I consider this a win.

23- Update blog design: The extremely talented Kendra did this one for me and I stillll love it like crazy!

24- Watch five of the oscar best picture winners: This was way harder than I thought it would be. We had a rough time tracking down old movies to watch! Basically if they're not on Netflix or in Red Box we don't watch them.

*25- Document memories: I didn't print one single picture. FAIL.




Well, it was a good year. Not so good for my list, but 24 was good to me. I'm verrrrry excited for 25. Lots of fun things planned. It's going to be a good year :)



Check back next week to see my list of 25 things I want to accomplish while I'm 25!

Wore // Twirl

  
When it's birthday weekend and you put on a pretty navy blue lace dress, you just have to twirl. I mean, how could I resist?

Linking with The Pleated Poppy // Because Shanna Said So // Get Your Pretty On // Style Elixer // Trend Spin

Eating in Memphis (27) - Bardog Tavern

It wouldn't have been birthday weekend without crossing something off our Eating in Memphis list. We decided to walk to Bardog Tavern to try the Island Club. Well, really Jeremy tried this one but he couldn't stop raving about how delicious it was. This sandwich is a grilled chicken cutlet, ham, fried egg, bacon, provolone, white American cheese, avocado, onion, lettuce, tomato, and spicy mayo alllll piled onto three slices of bread. Wow.

I ordered a chicken sandwich and I really enjoyed that as well. In addition to the food being so good, Bardog Tavern has a great atmosphere. It's the perfect place to walk to, have a bite to eat, watch some football, then walk home. We will definitely be going there more often in the future.

Can I also mention that I am absolutely LOVING the fact that we can walk everywhere? There are tons and tons of amazing restaurants everywhere around here. I am a happy girl.