Penny's Passion: Concerts
Showing posts with label Concerts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Concerts. Show all posts

Monday, December 6, 2021

Weekending - December 3, 2021

Weekends this time of year are precious.  We used every single second of this past one and have some great accomplishments and memories to show for it.  Eric worked hard to get our Christmas lights up on the outside of the house.  I have been wanting lights on the outside of the house since we moved here over a decade ago.  This year it finally became a reality!  


Friday night we attended the celebration of life for our friend's son.  He left this earth way too soon and his parents planned the most thoughtful celebration to remember him.  They handled the evening with so much grace.  One of the touches I thought was so heartfelt was Jackson's mom made a vase out of his Legos.  


Saturday morning we were up early to drive to my hometown in time to see our nephew play basketball.  It was fun watching him!  It was also a tad bit nostalgic.  The game was held in the gym of the high school I graduated from many, many years ago.  



It was also the school where my mom and dad graduated.  As a matter of fact, my dad's class was the very first class that graduated from that building.  After the game, we walked the halls of the school and I showed Eric all our graduating class photos.  


We visited with my parents a bit then hurried home so Eric would have some daylight to work on the house lights.  We wrapped up early because we had a date to see James Taylor!  We met our friends for dinner at Lorenzo's on The Hill beforehand and then made our way over to the arena to see the show.  Jackson Brown opened and James Taylor joined him on stage for a couple songs.  

When James Taylor took the stage, he entertained the crowd for over two hours.  It was 17 songs long and absolutely wonderful!  During the encore, he even played a song with his son.  A night we'll never forget.



Sunday we Eric finished the outside lights.  If you had been driving by our house at dark, you would have seen us standing in the yard like Clark Griswald turning on his lights.  Luckily they all came on just like they were supposed to!

Monday, September 27, 2021

Weekending - September 24, 2021

Eric and I kissed the last weekend in September goodbye on a high note!  This past weekend was the perfect blend of family and fun.  Here's the rewind ~

I took a half day of vacation on Friday and as soon as Eric pulled in the driveway, we loaded the car and headed to Memphis to celebrate our great-nephew's first birthday.  Eric's mom rode with us and I was so grateful she was able to sit in the front seat with Eric and keep him company.  I was desperately trying to finish a book for a book club I am leading today and wasn't anywhere near finished!   

The star of the weekend was the birthday boy!  It was the first time we had been able to see this cutie in person and we couldn't wait to give him a real hug.  


The theme of the party was Elijah's first trip around the sun.  There was a piƱata, gifts and cake!  We were so glad we got to participate in this milestone event!  



After the party, I had a chance to spend time with our niece.  She's already a junior in high school and is growing up to be such a beautiful person.  


Eric's nephew and great-nephew joined us for breakfast and we were able to get some family pictures.  It was nice having the morning to visit and catch up with everyone.  Eric's sister and brother-in-law were great hosts and made our stay so nice.



We had to hit the road home by noon on Sunday because we were going to the Rolling Stones concert back in St. Louis Sunday night.  Again Eric's mom kept him company while he drove and I frantically read my book club book.  The book was The Daughters of Yalta. If you like World War II books, definitely give this one a read.  (I finished it literally minutes before the book club meeting started!)

Eric's mom had brought us a surprise.  We love it and I couldn't wait to get it in the yard!  So we quickly put it up before leaving for the concert.  


Our first major concert since the pandemic was The Rolling Stones!  Eric hadn't seen them in concert before so we were super disappointed when their concert was postponed in 2020.  We were afraid the whole group wouldn't be around for too much longer.  Unfortunately, we were right.  The group performed without their beloved drummer, Charlie Watts, who passed away just a few weeks ago.  



Despite not having Charlie and their ages (Mick Jagger is 78!), they still entertained the crowd for a little over two hours.  


We wore our masks throughout the concert and I still felt a little weird being so close to so many people.  Wishing things were back to the old normal.

Hope your week is off to a great start!  We can hopefully catch up on some sleep tonight.  After being out late last night, we need to get rested up to make it through the week.  See you soon!

Monday, October 15, 2018

Weekending - October 12, 2018

As I was driving home from Kansas City yesterday, I realized why I like writing my weekend posts.  I love to relive them as I type out the details!  So many times in life I feel we rush through things and don't stop to acknowledge the good times.  Well here's me acknowledging that this past weekend was pretty darn fantastic!

Even though I had to work most of the day on Friday, I felt like my weekend started on Thursday night when I met two friends for an impromptu dinner.  It was great to connect with them over sushi and catch up with what was going on in our lives.


Friday I worked as fast as I could and my daughter-in-law, Kayla, and I were able to begin on journey to Kansas City by mid afternoon.  I loved having her with me and it made the car ride so much more enjoyable!  We arrived at my friend Linda's house, scooped her up and headed to dinner at Jack Stack Barbecue.   Linda's brother met us there to round out our table of four.  We started with a nice round of drinks.


If you're ever in the KC area and looking for some great barbecue, check out Jack Stack.  They have a couple locations around town so it's likely that you will be able to find one near you.  Their burnt ends are to die for!  I had a combo plate of burnt ends and shrimp.  And don't underestimate their sides!  I sampled the hickory pit beans, cheesy potato bake, cheesy corn bake and their green beans - all DELICIOUS!  


Saturday morning Kayla, Linda and I cruised over to Chez Elle Creperie and Coffeehouse to meet our friend Mary for breakfast and shopping.
  

Three of us choose the same thing - the Le Franco - which was caramelized green apple with spices, toasted walnuts, fig compote, Brie cheese and creme fraiche.  I really wish they offered a flight of smaller crepes so you could have more than one flavor!


Then there was shopping!  Nothing like a little retail therapy with friends to make a day wonderful.  The painting on this wall right outside Chez Elle was a beautiful site with its brilliant colors.  Very blog worthy.  


I fell in love with the little bread shop right across the street.  We purchased a few goodies from there to snack on later.  The cheese bread was fantastic and will be on my mind for a while.  Their cheese was equally as wonderful.  I wonder if they ship to St. Louis??


From this part of town we ventured over to the West Bottoms area.  Thrift shopping at it's prime!   All of us found treasures we had to take home with us.    My favorite was the Restoration Emporium.  This warehouse building had a little bit of everything inside.  No matter what your taste is, there would be something for you.


We shopped until the last minute possible before leaving Mary and departing to meet up with our friend Jody who was joining us for dinner and the Ed Sheeran concert.  For dinner we met at Summit Grill and it was the perfect place.  Happy Hour drinks and menu was in force and we took full advantage of it.  No joke, we talked about how good the sliders were for the rest of the night and into the next day!



We had bought tickets to see Ed Sheeran at Arrowhead Stadium almost a year ago and never dreamed it would be 45 degrees outside on concert night!  Winter gear in tow, we headed to the venue.  I had only been to Arrowhead one other time for a concert and remembered how terrible the traffic was getting in.  This time was no different.  We got a later start than we had planned and definitely paid the price.  Arrowhead management people -- there HAS to be a better way to get cars in the parking lots!!  After what should have been a 30 minute process turned into 2 hours, we parked and walked to the gate only to have our purses rejected.  The rule was no purse larger than 4.5" x 6.5".  I measured mine when I got home and it was 5" x 7".  Linda's was about the same size.  Jodie and Kayla were smart and left their's in the car.  Seriously people - so frustrating!!  We went to customer service, crammed everything that was in our purses into our coat pockets and left our purses there.  By the time we landed at our seats, the second opener (Snow Patrol) was on their next to last song.  


Not that I'm bitter or anything, but tell me this purse that we saw inside the stadium is 4.5" x 6.5".  I think it came down to what gate you entered.  


Ok - enough of the badness about Arrowhead.  We were there to enjoy Ed and we did!!  I just love him!!  He stands on the stage all by himself and talks to his audience like you were sitting in his living room.  The set list on Saturday include 19 of his favorites and warming the crowd's hearts even with the cold temperatures.


He might have been a little embarrassed after the show when he realized he was in MISSOURI, not Kansas as he repeatedly said.  Oh well Ed, I forgive you!  I imagine most of the people in the audience did too.


Guess what we did Sunday morning before driving home?  We went to see A Star is Born.  Two of us had seen it and two of us had not.  All four of us loved it (again)!  If you haven't seen it, add it to your list.

And just like that the weekend was in the books.  Kayla and I drove home reliving the fun moments from the weekend and planning Thanksgiving.  We stopped on our way through to say hello to my parents.  What an overall great weekend!  Hope you had a great one too!

Friday, October 6, 2017

Five on Friday - October 6, 2017

It's Friday!!  YAY!!  My friend, Debbie, and I are headed to Nashville to see Ed Sheeran's concert tonight.  We tried to get tickets to the Bluebird, but did not. Soooooo, Saturday afternoon we'll be hanging out on the sidewalk trying to snag the few tickets that are available on the first come, first serve basis.  Wish us luck!

Before we load up and head out, here's my five for this week ~

1.  Ed Sheeran
Ed, we're coming to Nashville to see you!!  Debbie and I were so extremely bummed with Ed's concert got cancelled in St. Louis a few weeks ago.  Thank goodness we had already purchased tickets to see him in Nashville!  If you haven't heard his new CD, Divide, you have to give it a listen!  You can purchase it HERE.  We will be singing it all the way to Nashville!



2.  Starbucks Pumpkin Whipped Cream
It's coffee lovers meets pumpkin spice this weekend at Starbucks!  Now through Sunday, October 8, at all participating stores in the U.S and Canada, Starbucks will be serving up pumpkin spice-flavored whipped cream.  Imagine that whipped into your lattes!  Enjoy them while you can!


3.  Victoria & Abdul
Here's a movie I'm excited to see!  I've caught the previews a couple of times and it just looks wonderful.  Rotten Tomatoes has this to say, "The extraordinary true story of an unexpected friendship in the later years of Queen Victoria's (Academy Award winner Judi Dench) remarkable rule. When Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), a young clerk, travels from India to participate in the Queen's Golden Jubilee, he is surprised to find favor with the Queen herself. As the Queen questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge an unlikely and devoted alliance with a loyalty to one another that her household and inner circle all attempt to destroy. As the friendship deepens, the Queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes and joyfully reclaims her humanity."



4.  Origin
Are you a Dan Brown fan?  His new book released on October 3.  Here's how Goodreads sums it up, "Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon’s first students at Harvard two decades earlier, is about to reveal an astonishing breakthrough . . . one that will answer two of the fundamental questions of human existence.

As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation, which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling and facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.

Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace itself . . . and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch. On a trail marked by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch’s shocking discovery . . . and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us."

Sounds like another winner.  Click HERE to purchase.


5.  I need to pack....

"Me normally: "That's ok I'll wear the same shirt for 5 days" Me packing for vacation: "I'll probably change 7 times a day so I'll need 42 shirts" "

Hope you have a great weekend!  I'll be back on next week to share mine with you.  Until then, make it a good one!
Linking up with:
Simply Sweet Home
High Five for Friday
5 on Friday
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks
LOFT

Sunday, August 14, 2016

Weekending - August 12, 2016

I love weekends.  Especially this one.  From the moment I left work on Friday through today we have had the best time!

Friday night Eric and I went to the wedding reception for the daughter of the best man at our wedding.  Eric and David have been friends for years and it was wonderful to catch up with their family and friends.  I wish I would have taken pictures but I didn't take a single one all night.  The bride, Abby and her groom had gotten married on the beach in Florida a few weeks ago and held their reception at the Missouri History Museum on Friday.  She was absolutely beautiful!  Congratulations Abby and Matt!

Side story about Friday night.  I was sitting talking with some of Eric's friends and I heard someone say my name.  I turn around and there is a friend of mine from high school that I hadn't seen in years.  It was wonderful chatting with her!  Turns out her husband worked with the groom.  Small world, isn't it.

I had been out of town all week for work so Saturday morning I had a bazillion things to catch up on.  Did I get them all done?  Heck no.  Oh well, there was fun to be had and I didn't want to miss out.  So I got done what I could and will try to do the rest this week.  

My daughter-in-law, Kayla, was hosting a bridal shower for her sister Alyssa Saturday afternoon and I was excited to attend.  Kayla and the other bridesmaids did an amazing job decorating.  


Kayla got a few signs from Vistaprint and they were perfect for the occasion.  She added some personal touches and the final projects looked great.



One of the activities at the shower was a wine tasting.  Loved the way they had this set up!  They had six bottles of wine in bags with numbers.  Each guest had a list of the hidden wines and you have to match the wine with the number (by tasting them of course).  I can't wait to do this at one of my future parties!  The little cups can be found HERE.  In the meantime, I need to practice identifying wines which means I need to drink more.  :)


I slipped out of the bridal shower early because we were meeting friends for dinner before the Paul McCartney concert.  Nine of my friends met at Rosalita's on Washington Avenue in St. Louis for a little preparty.  



Decided to do a little replay of the Beatles Abbey Road album cover on the way to the concert.  We just might be the next great singing group!


Sir Paul's still got it.  The show was a huge sing along with fireworks.  We loved, loved, loved the whole evening.


After the concert, we stayed in a hotel in St. Louis and our friends Debbie and Larry did also.  Sunday morning they joined us at church then we popped in Fezziwig's for a bit of shopping.  Afterwards we grabbed some lunch at Peel in O'fallon, Illinois.  We decided to share a couple of their brick oven pizzas.  Debbie chose their potato bacon version.  Oh my word -- it was so good!


I chose my standard -- the wild mushroom.  Both were delicious!


 The rest of the raining Sunday afternoon I spent catching up on Bachelor in Paradise.  Oh my - I missed watching Monday and Tuesday and there was so much to catch up on!  Just a few things.  Chad ~ trust me, your mother would NOT think your behavior is funny.  Evan ~ it's never a good idea to interrupt a girl mid kiss to ask her out.  Josh ~ you're cute but maybe you should really try to be a nicer person.  Amanda ~ some day your little girls are going to grow up.  Do you really want them to see you kissing some guy you just met for 24 straight hours?!?

Now we're staring at Monday and I'm headed back to work.  Hope your weekend was a good one.  Here we go into a new week ~ let's make it a great one!

Check out what others were up to this weekend.
Bella and the City
The Quinntessential Mommy
How To Get Organized At Home
Over the Moon


This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Monday, July 18, 2016

Weekending - July 15, 2016

Is it Monday already?!?  Did you have a great weekend?  This was the first weekend I had been in town in a while and honestly, it felt great to spend some time at home.  Thursday was our wedding anniversary so I got to enjoy the flowers Eric sent me.  They are stunning!  Take a look for yourself ~


Friday night we decided to skip using our season tickets to the Muny.  Young Frankenstein was the production and as much as we would have liked to see it, we decided that staying home was a better option.  If the grass got any taller, we would need a GPS to find the street and the laundry was spilling over.  So we got things done.  Afterwards, I decided to start reading Before the Fall and I'm loving it!  Every spare moment this weekend I had my Kindle in my hand reading as fast as I could to see what was coming next.  If you're looking for a real page-turner, click HERE to check out Before the Fall.


We had tickets to an outdoor amphitheater on Saturday night to see Cheap Trick, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Heart.  Beforehand we grabbed a cocktail and a bite to eat at one of our favorite local eateries, Peel.  Their wood fired gourmet pizzas are to die for, but Saturday night we opted for salad, appetizer and dessert.




The salad is one of my all time favorites.  Wonderful combination of spinach, apples, gorgonzola cheese, toasted pecans and dried cranberries all tossed in a maple cider vinaigrette.  So yummy!

Saturday night's weather could not have been more perfect for an outside concert.  Even though these groups have been performing for years, they still sounded great.  To enjoy the evening with friends made it that much more perfect!


After church on Sunday, I headed to the Cardinals game.  The cool temps from the night before were GONE and the heat and humidity had returned to St. Louis.  No matter what the temperature is, it's always great to watch baseball in St. Louis.  Look at the view ~


It was fun to spend the afternoon with friends and eat baseball food.  Too bad the Cardinals didn't win, but you can't win them all.


Sunday evening I actually cooked dinner.  I'll be sharing my super easy recipe for roasted sweet potatoes on Tuesday.  We will want to get this recipe!  It's delicious!


And that's my weekend all wrapped up!  What fun things did you do?  Hope to see you back here tomorrow!

Check out what others were up to this weekend.
Bella and the City
The Quinntessential Mommy
How To Get Organized At Home
Over the Moon


This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!