Be a Tourist in Your Own Town.

On December 30th, Jon and I celebrated four years together. Some days, I can't believe we've been together that long, and other days, it's so obvious (like when we say the same thing three times in a row). We didn't have a traditional celebration of a fancy dinner or anything like that. Instead, Jon planned the whole day, and he took me to do something that I had been wanting to do for a long time - explore Shreveport! 
I know it's strange that I wanted to explore the city that I've lived in for several years, but there are so many things that I've been wanting to do for a long time that I just haven't had the time to do. Jon took advantage of our free day together, and he planned a day of things to do that have been on my list for awhile. 
One thing that I must admit is that I don't mind being a tourist. Of course, I love to go off the beaten path and discover new things and new places in untraditional ways, but at the same time, if I've never been somewhere before, I love to hit the highlights of the city with my camera around my neck. Even though I've been living in Shreveport for awhile, I still had my tourist shoes on and my camera out.  Being a tourist in your own town can be a lot of fun! There are always new restaurants and mom and pop shops that shuffle in and out of cities unnoticed. Instead of going to the same places over and over again, explore and discover places that you've never been before. I love going to hole-in-the-wall restaurants and shopping at stores that can't be found in malls. 
The first thing Jon did was feed me. He knows me. He loves me. He knows I have to eat before we do anything. He took me to eat lunch at Herby K's, which is one of the oldest restaurants in Shreveport. It's been around since 1936, and it's the literal definition of a hole-in-the-wall. It's in the middle of nowhere with nothing of substance around it, but apparently, back in the day, the area used to be pretty hoppin'. 

I believe there are two different areas of the restaurant, but the area Jon and I went to was small with just a few booths and a bar area. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with the service we received. The girl who seated us and took our order wasn't very friendly. Working in the hospitality industry, I guess I expect a little too much. 
We ordered fried pickles for an appetizer, which came with fries. They were really good, albeit a bit salty, and I love salt, so I thought it was strange that I thought it was too salty. 

Jon ordered a burger, and I got a fried oyster sandwich. My sandwich was so good, and Jon pretty much inhaled his burger. Another complaint about the service - I'm an indecisive person, and if I can't decide between two dishes at a restaurant, I'll ask the server for a suggestion. When I ordered my sandwich, she asked if I wanted any sauce. I asked her which one she'd recommend because I didn't see any listed on the menu. All she said was, "It depends on what you like," without giving me any options. It was my first time there, so I didn't know what sauces were available. 

With all that being said, the guy who picked up our plates was super nice, and both Jon and I really enjoyed our meals. 
After lunch, we drove to Great Raft Brewing, because we had passed it on the drive to Herby K's, and I had been wanting to take a brewery tour ever since it opened a few years back. While I'm not a beer drinker, I still wanted to take a tour of the brewery. Beer tours are free and are only done on Saturdays. It was interesting to learn about the process of making beer, and how so many different elements and techniques go into it. It was also neat to hear about why locally brewed beers taste completely different from beers made by larger beer manufacturers.

Another thing I love about Great Raft, is that they have a 5 oz. option. Like I said, I'm not a beer drinker, but it was neat to get a smaller size of beer to taste. They were only $2!

After our mini beer tasting, Jon decided we needed a little wine. We drove to the boonies to go to On Cloud Wine, which is this adorable little winery in Shreveport. I've had their wine before, because I bought some at the Farmers' Market, but I had never been to the winery and had been wanting to go so much!
During regular business hours, On Cloud Wine offers tastings at their wine bar. For just $5, we got to sample  eight different wines of our choosing. I love wine tasting, and this was so fun. Our wine connoisseur was so nice, and they even had some popcorn out for us to snack on during our tasting. We ended up going home with two bottles of wine. 

Wine 🍷

A photo posted by Tiffany Khyla White (@tiffanykhyla) on Jan 3, 2015 at 2:58pm PST

The last thing on our Shreveport tourist agenda was to visit the Norsworthy Art Gallery. Too bad it was closed! It was regular business hours, but for some reason, the gate in the front of the building was closed and padlocked. We ended up going to the Norton Art Gallery, which is absolutely gorgeous. I had been to the gallery twice before, once with Jon, but it was still beautiful. They don't allow any picture taking in the building or in the gardens, so I didn't get to take any pictures, but just trust me when I say, it's full of gorgeous paintings. There were many that made me want to go back to Europe (except I always want to go back to Europe). One thing that we got to do that I've never been able to do before is go in the library at the gallery. It was filled with old books that I wish I could've gotten my hands on. It was so neat. 
Jon and I had a blast being tourists in our own town, and so can you! Here are some ways that you can be a tourist where you live:
// Try a restaurant you've never been to. // Visit a museum or art gallery in your area. // Stay at a local hotel. Sleeping in a bed that isn't yours always feels like a vacation. // Attend a local event or festival. // Go out on the town and only visit places you've never been to before.  // Take a walk or hike at a park. // Go to your local CVB's or tourist bureau's website, and visit some of the attractions listed there that you haven't been to. 
Get out of your routine of eating at the same restaurants, going to the same attractions, and visiting the same places. There is so much to explore in your little area of the world. Take advantage of it.
What's something fun that you like (or would like) to do in the city you live in?

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A Magical Christmas in Roseland.

There are so many things to do in Shreveport around Christmastime. There are tons of festivals, lots of shopping (hello Christmas specials!), and lots of Christmas-themed shows. This past weekend, Jon and I joined in on some of the Christmas festivities, and we went to Christmas in Roseland at the American Rose Center. It was my first time visiting the Rose Center and both of our first times seeing it at Christmastime. I love seeing Christmas lights, and seeing all of the pretty lights was so fun!

Singing with my crawfish choir

How handsome is he??!!

Sippin on that hot chocolate

There were tons of beautiful paintings to see. 

Duh. My favorite. 

Do you wanna build a snowman? C'mon let's go and play!

I love this guy. 

Just chattin' with my reindeer friends.

What fun Christmas-y things are there to do in your area?
********************************************************************************* Meet Katie!

Hi! I'm Katie from The Hungry Goat! My blog is a smorgasbord of all things entertainment, especially books and music, mixed in with some baking on the off chance that I take a good photo and little tiny snippets into my life. IRL, I'm a writer of all sorts and work at a restaurant to pay the bills and travel. 

What song are you currently obsessed with?

I can't get enough of Hozier's Take Me To Church. That song is so intense and, while I know it's been out for a while, I just can't stop listening to it!

If you could live a day in the life of anyone, who would you choose and why?

Is Hermione Grander a viable option? She's a badass and married to Ron Weasley. I can't see a better life than that. 

Name 5 things that make you happy. 

Family. Cookie Butter. Harry Potter. Goats. Libba Bray. 

For more from Katie, check out the following links:

Blog | Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

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Cowboys & Angels.

When fall comes around, that means all the festivals and fairs begin. The Red River Revel in Shreveport is always one of my favorites. The food is always delicious, the artwork is always beautiful, and the music is always fantastic! The excitement at the Revel is toxic. Even if you're not planning on buying any art (which I never do because it is a tad pricey for my sad, sad budget), it's still fun to browse through all of the paintings, sculptures, and other forms of art that people create. 

How cool is this?! It's made of glass.

One of my favorite parts of all festivals is the food! I ate a gyro with fries, and they were so dang good! I love Greek food. Jon had a Philly cheesesteak, which he pretty much devoured. 

This year, I have to admit that I went to the Revel solely to see Dustin Lynch. Last year, Love and Theft was here, and that was such a fun concert, but Dustin Lynch...swoon! He is so talented live, not to mention he is so adorable! 

I only recognized a few songs that he sang, and a few of them weren't even his, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the show. That's when you know the singer is talented. I'm officially obsessed with Dustin Lynch. 

I'm looking super rough after work. Yikes! But Jon's always looks cute in pictures.

If you've never heard of Dustin Lynch, you should check out a couple of his singles:

He wrote "Cowboys and Angels" for his grandparents to tell their love story. How adorable, right?

What are you your favorite fall festivals to attend? Do you listen to Dustin Lynch?

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Shreveport Eats: Good Eats

Good Eats is one of my favorite places to go when I'm looking for something fresh and light to eat. Luckily, there are three locations, so whether I'm at work or at home, I'm just a short drive away. I love the vibe in Good Eats because it's laid back with banquet-style, casual chairs and tables with glass tops. There are also lots of windows, making it the perfect place to enjoy a lunch and bask in the sunshine while simultaneously enjoying the air conditioner. Plus, the artwork on the walls are so colorful and fun. 

Their menu is made up of sandwiches, salads, po-boys, and a few other things, including their delicious chicken salad. My favorite item on the menu is the chicken salad on a croissant. It's absolutely delicious! Good Eats is one of my favorite places to get chicken salad. My favorite thing about eating there is that I never feel gross afterward. I feel full of healthy stuff, even though I'm not really sure if it's healthy or not, but I digress. 

Good Eats is the perfect restaurant for anyone looking for a light meal, laid-back environment, and, of course, some good eats!
For more information about Good Eats, visit their official website.
These photos were taken at the Bossier City location on Airline Drive. 

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Krewe of Gemini Mardi Gras Museum.

Things people know about Louisiana: 1) New Orleans 2) LSU 3) Saints 4) Mardi Gras
That's usually about it. New Orleans, football and Mardi Gras. Even though most people think about Mardi Gras in New Orleans, the holiday (usually associated with boobs and booze, which is kind of inaccurate. Mostly.) is celebrated in several parts of Louisiana. New Orleans gets the biggest turnouts for their parades, which is both good and bad depending on how you look at it, but Shreveport/Bossier puts on their fair share of parades every year as well. And while I've never been to New Orleans for the holiday, I can say, the parades in Shreveport are usually a blast. Plus, it was nice to get out of school for Mardi Gras break. One of the perks of being a Louisiana resident, I suppose.
One of the biggest and most well-known krewes in north Louisiana is the Krewe of Gemini. The krewe has a museum in Bossier City called the Krewe of Gemini Mardi Gras Museum, and while it's usually only open by appointment, it's definitely worth making the phone call to visit. The museum is full of costumes, beads, and posters from their decades of Mardi Gras parades. It's amazing to see how intricate each of the outfits are and see the progression of costumes and floats throughout the years. 

I'm such a tourist. Even in my own town. 

Of course, I had to take a picture next to the Louisiana Tech float. Go dawgs!

Have you ever been to Mardi Gras?
Details: 2101 East Texas St. Bossier City, LA 71111 318.218.2865 Website

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Date Night at Painting with a Twist.

As I mentioned before, Jon and I have made the decision to try to have date nights every once in awhile. It's great to cuddle up on the couch and have Supernatural marathons on Netflix, but it's also fun to get dressed up, go out and do something out of the norm. 

One of our most recent date nights was at Painting with a Twist. This was my third time going to PWAT, but Jon's first. Normally the classes are filled with women and their girlfriends painting and having a drink, but this particular class was a date night or BFF class where two different paintings were taught and together, they made one picture. I was super excited about PWAT, because Jon and I plan to have our dining room feature original artwork rather than pictures or paintings that you buy in a store. Jon loves to draw, and I love to paint, so we want to showcase our own pieces in the dining room, and these two paintings were a perfect addition. 

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We were the first ones in the class, and Jon graciously bought us a bottle of strawberry moscato. I drank most of it because it was so delicious! I wanted more, but I think my painting would have turned out a little crazy. 

Look how handsome he is in his apron!

We had small class with about ten people, and our instructor and the two helpers on the floor were so much fun! I felt like having a smaller class made the experience much more intimate and memorable. The other two classes I went to were tons of fun, but they also had a lot of people in them so it was difficult to have the one-on-one instruction when needed. All three of the people working that night were so encouraging and quick to jump in when anyone needed a hand with their paintings. We also had a class full of witty people, and we were all struggling a bit with the same parts of our paintings.  I had fun taking pictures of the progression of our paintings. His is on the left; mine is on the right.

I always have a blast every time I go to Painting with a Twist. If you have one in your area, or have something similar, I encourage you to go! It's definitely worth the money. The instructors make it super easy, and they provide everything for you! Plus, when the night's over, you get to go home with a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Here we are with our finished paintings. We proudly have them hanging on the wall. 

It's funny how you can see our personalities in each of our paintings. Jon's is really clean and precise, and mine is all over the place. I think his turned out better than mine, but they look so awesome together. Even if you don't have a Painting with a Twist in your area, you can still create your own fun with a paint or craft night with your friends. All you need is a few supplies and some wine! Have you ever been to Painting with a Twist or something similar? 

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