Restaurant: Tiny Boxwood's

3614 W Alabama
Houston, TX 77027

Every couple of weeks, I meet up with my brunch buddy, mini, for some ... brunch! I had been wanting to try Tiny Boxwood's and was super down when she suggested we meet there one Sunday. The cute little cafe is actually inside a full-service, design-build landscape architecture firm. The place is small and there aren't very many tables so expect to wait in line for a bit. They also have tables outside so it's a great time for a visit since the weather has been amazing. There's this huge faux vintage clock on the wall that I just LOVE. It's mos def something I would want to incorporate into my future home. The items that we sampled were the Italian sausage and fontina cheese pizza with a sunny side-up egg and a buffalo burger with blue cheese crumbles and pesto aioli on a toasted white bun. They were both delicious. The pizza was super thin and had a nice crisp to it. The only thing was that it could have used more egg and not just one. Mini's friend requested for extra of that pesto aioli and what a smart gal she is cos it was soooooo good. The fries that came with our burger were just the way I like them, crispy, and having the pesto aioli to dip them into made them even better. After our brunch, we walked around the property and checked out their retail store that was like a smaller and more expensive version of anthropologie. After we left, I couldn't help but think about how crappy my grass was and how I wished it looked like theirs.

Trippin': Chicago - Rennaisance Blackstone

636 South Michigan Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60605

Big poppa and I got an okay deal for the Rennaisance Blackstone by Marriott through priceline. I had a pretty good experience here and would stay again if the price was right. Their business center for guests didn't charge for printing so that is a BIG plus in my book. The bell boys and valet folks were super friendly and hustled and whistled to get us a cab when we needed it. My only complaint was that the areas right outside and inside of our room had tiling on the floor instead of carpet so noise traveled and bounced around instead of being absorbed. There was a Starbuck's right inside of our hotel and oddly enough I didn't go there one time. Big poppa, who was getting over a cold got tea from there a couple of times though. When I travel, I prefer to go to coffee places that are local to that city. I always try to schedule in some cafe time, even means just sitting around inside of one for fifteen minutes. Which reminds me, I've got to go pick up another coffee scented candle STAT! There was one floor of the hotel that was called the Art Hall. Here, they have paintings set up on walls almost like a mini art gallery. So cool! I promised big poppa that this trip would be less walking and more relaxing but that's never the case. Even though he was sick, he wanted to make sure I got to see everything that I had wanted to see. Aww. Such a sweet boy.