L.A. Jackson - Nashville Rooftop Bar

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

YELLOW TIE NECK DRESS || TASSEL EARRINGS || HANDBAG || RINGS

Spring is near which means everyone will be coming out of hibernation soon and enjoy more sunshine, longer days, and hopefully much warmer temps!  Nashvillians and visitors alike will begin to fill outdoor restaurants tables for apps & drinks after work, weekend dinners, and evenings out on the town.

One of my personal favorite spots to spend time (from Spring through Fall) is L.A Jackson at Thompson Nashville, which is located in the Gulch.  L.A. Jackson is known for it's chic rooftop bar and it's delicious craft cocktails!  They also offer small plates if you want to enjoy an app while enjoying one of their craft cocktails.  Their frose is one of my personal favorites...you've got to try it, soooooo good!

The bar is large and spacious...there are plenty of places to sit inside and there is an open walkway that opens up to the rooftop bar.  Once out on the rooftop, you will be able to find cozy benches and chairs that create an inviting space so you can truly enjoy a great evening out!

If traveling to Nashville, you must stop by L.A. Jackson to enjoy the views and one of their craft cocktails.  I suggest that you eat at Marsh House first and then make your way up to the rooftop.  If you missed my post about Marsh House, also in Thompson Nashville, you can check that out HERE.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!

Avocado Deviled Easter Eggs

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

RUFFLE TOP || DENIM || BOOTIES

TABLECLOTH || NAPKINS || GREEN CENTERPIECE || PLACEMATS || FLORAL PLATES || RABBIT PLATES || NAPKIN RINGS || CABBAGE PLATES || EGGS || CERAMIC BUNNIES || EGG VASES 

The time has changed and Spring is right around the corner.  Although we had about an inch of snow on the ground this morning, we are all anticipating warmer temps and longer days with lots of sunshine!  

With Easter being just a few weeks away (hard to believe, right?!), I wanted to start sharing some fun & YUMMY Easter ideas that I have created for you.  First up...avocado deviled eggs!

If you follow me on Instagram and you watch my Instastories, I asked you to share your favorite mayonnaise free deviled egg recipe recommendations.  As you may recall, I am trying to focus on healthy eating and in doing so, I am adjusting some of my favorite recipes to be a bit more healthy.  Plus, I'm not a big fan of mayonnaise anyway!

One of the recipe recommendations that I received was for avocado deviled eggs.  I must say, you speak the word AVOCADO and I'm already sold...no need to say more!  After reading the recipe ingredients (and wiping the drool off my mouth), I knew that I must make these!

So time for a recipe share that I think you will love too!

AVOCADO DEVILED EGGS

INGREDIENTS

- 6-12 hard boiled eggs depending on how many you are serving

- 2-4 ripe avocados *rule of thumb...you will use one avocado per 4 egg yolks so

- 1-2 tsp of fresh cilantro (you can adjust this according to personal preference)

- 3-6 tsp of fresh lime juice (adjust according to how many eggs you are making)

- 1-2 tablespoons of red onion finely chopped

- Salt & pepper to taste

- Paprika

- Cilantro for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Place eggs in a deep sauce pan and fill with cold water, 1-2 inches above the eggs.  Bring to a boil and then turn off heat and cover.  Let eggs cook for approximately 15 minutes.  Remove the eggs from sauce pan and move to an ice bath to chill.  Once the eggs have cooled completely, you can then peel the eggs.  *tip...peeling can be tough so I recommend that you crack the egg all the way around as much as possible by tapping them lightly on the counter...this always makes peeling the shell much easier.

Cut your eggs in half and scoop out the yolk while keeping the egg white intact.  Transfer the egg yolks to a bowl and then add the remaining ingredients except for the paprika.  Stir and blend the mixture until smooth.  Fill your egg whites with the mixture.  Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with cilantro. *tip...use an cake decorating icing bag and icing tip to squeeze the egg mixture into your egg whites.  This creates a beautiful deviled egg!

Eat and enjoy!

Stay tuned as I will be sharing another deviled egg recipe with you all as well as a fun dessert for kids, a brunch cocktail, and a beautiful Easter tablescape!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

Shaving Isn't Just For Men

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

ROBE || PARADISE PEONY RUG || COCONUT MELT

I'll always remember the first time that I had my face dermaplaned.  It was a little more than 11 years ago, the week of our wedding.  I went to a med spa several days before our wedding to have a facial and they asked me if I wanted to add on dermaplaning.  As the aesthetician describe dermaplaning to me, I was reluctant to agree because after all, she would be shaving my face and didn't our Mom's always tell us...

"Don't shave this or don't shave that because your hair will grow back thicker."  OR "Your hair will grow back darker." Etc. etc.  We've all heard this one time or another.

But after learning more about this skincare procedure, and asking probably way too many questions, I agreed and my face was dermaplaned for the first time and I've never looked back since.

Over the years, I have had my face dermaplaned numerous times and I remember talking with a friend, who works in the skincare industry, and she said that most everyone who works in the industry shaves their own face at home.  Wait, what?!  Yep, you heard me right.  Now, don't get me wrong, having a pro do it for you is highly recommended...especially if you have never had your face dermaplaned before.  But there is nothing wrong with taking charge of your skin health and shaving your own face as well (again, once you are comfortable with this).

It's no secret, so I'm not letting a cat outta the bag but there are a lot of people who do this themselves.  I've personally been shaving my own face for YEARS and always have great results. And yes, I do still have my face professionally dermaplaned from time to time but in between these very spaced out visits...I shave my own face once a week!

Wonder why I shave my face?  Here's why...

- Promotes smoother skin

- Exfoliates skin and removes dead skin cells

- Removes all of that peach fuzz that can trap dirt and oil

- Reduces recent acne scars

- Reduces fine lines and wrinkles

- Cost effective with no down time

- Bonus...your makeup looks flawless!

Wonder what I use to shave with?  Let me tell you...

- Men's Bic double blade disposable razors 

* there are tools available specific for dermaplaning that you can use, however I have found that men's disposable razors work best for my skin and they are cheap!  I can usually get 2-3 shaves out of one razor!

- Coconut oil & hot water

* I use Kopari Beauty's Coconut Melt (think high quality, pure ingredients), however you can use any type of coconut oil, face oil, olive oil, etc.

- Neutrogena salicylic acid pads 

* I use these pads immediately after shaving my face to clean the coconut oil off and to help prevent breakouts.  **My skin typically does not break out since I use these!

When I shave...

As I mentioned, I shave about once a week, sometimes I go two weeks and I almost always shave immediately following a hot shower.  That is when your skin is soft and your pores are open.  I apply a thin layer of coconut oil on my skin, stand at the sink with hot water running, and start my shave.  I shave from my upper cheek bone down including upper and lower lip.  I do not shave my forehead but you can if you have a lot of hair in that area (I leave my forehead for the pros).

And that's it...super simple and easy to do!  Again, if you have never had your face shaved, "dermaplaned", I highly recommend that you have a professional do it first to see if you even like it.  Pretty sure you will not only like it but you will LOVE it and end up being hooked like I am.

Let me know if you have any questions!  I'm always demonstrating how I shave my face on Instastories so be sure to follow me on Instagram as well.

Time to freshen up for Spring my friends...your skin will thank you!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by!

Kendra Scott + American Heart Association Event Recap

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

DRESS || EARRINGS || RINGS || HEELS 

During "heart month" (February), I hosted my annual event with Kendra Scott benefiting the American Heart Association.  This was my 3rd year hosting an event during heart month in honor of Addison and to help raise money for our local American Heart Association chapter.

We had such a wonderful evening!  Everyone who attended was treated to sips & sweets as well as hairstyling by The Dry House and fashion illustrations by Brittany Fuson!  Of course the highlight of the evening was the SHOPPING!  It was so much fun to see what everyone picked out!

Kendra Scott donated 20% of all sales from this event to the American Heart Association!  How amazing is that?!

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the following to Kendra Scott for affording me the opportunity to host a "give back" event each year.  Thank you to the entire Nashville Kendra Scott team...you girls ROCK and I'm so thankful to have your support & friendship.

The American Heart Association of Greater Nashville for being a part of the evening and for allowing me to use my voice to help raise awareness about heart defects and heart disease in women.

To my family and friends who either attended the event or participated from afar...it truly means the world to me and my family!  Thank you so very much for supporting me and this cause!

To The Dry House and Brittany Fuson for being a part of the evening!  And to Madi for always being by my side capturing such special moments...you are the BEST!

And MANY THANKS to all of YOU who continue to visit my site...supporting KBStyled on this journey!  I'm thankful for each and every one of you!

Marsh House at Thompson Hotel - Nashville Dining Experience Review

Photography by Madi Henderson

DRESS || MOTO JACKET || BOOTS C/O EUGENIA KIM || RINGS || EARRINGS 

Since 2012, the year that we moved to Nashville, I've been on a personal mission to experience some of Nashville's top restaurants.  So much positive change has taken place over the last several years and there are more and more amazing restaurants popping up all over town.  As you can imagine my list of restaurants continues to grow and I haven't even scratched the surface yet.

On my list of top restaurants to try was Marsh House, which is located inside the Thompson Nashville hotel in the ever so popular Gulch area.  The first time I visited Marsh House was for a breakfast meeting so I only got a very tiny taste of their menu (I've got to say their biscuits and jam are HEAVENLY).

My second visit was for lunch and we got to taste test their weekly lunch specials in addition to a few other dishes and it was quite the culinary experience!

Marsh House is located in a prime location of Nashville as I mentioned, called the Gulch.  This is a very popular area for locals and visitors alike.  You can certainly dine and shop your way through the Gulch...this area has so much to offer.  Thompson Nashville is a chic modern hotel situated in the Gulch and Marsh House is situated in the lobby of the hotel.  Not only do I highly recommend that you consider staying at Thompson Nashville when visiting Nashville but I also highly recommend that you eat at Marsh House and that you enjoy the popular rooftop bar, LA Jackson.  The views from LA Jackson are something to see (more on that coming soon)!

Let's dive into our experience at Marsh House...

You first should know a bit about Executive Chef, Nathan Duensing.  We spent some time chatting with Nathan, as he presented each dish to us, and I've got to say we were so impressed with his background and his culinary knowledge/experience.  Nathan grew up on a farm so he knows first hand what it takes to grow and preserve food.  Learning much from his Grandfather & Father, Nathan took that knowledge and has applied it throughout his successful career as a Chef.  He understands the importance of high quality food and he also works with local Nashville farmers as often as possible to bring fresh locally sourced produce/meats to the tables at Marsh House.  Much of what is offered at Marsh House is influenced by traditional southern cuisine with a hint of Louisiana flare.

The atmosphere of Marsh House is chic and modern with a touch of urban charm.  There are different textures, colors, and elements to the restaurant that easily make you feel like you are dining in style.  It is a comfortable, not stuffy at all, atmosphere.  Marsh House is one of those restaurants that you will go to for a business lunch, date night, girls night out, and everything in between and leave there feeling like you had the best experience from start to finish.  It will be a memorable experience and Marsh House will be a place that you will want to recommend to others and return to as well!

We went for lunch during the workweek and were pleasantly surprised to learn that Thompson Nashville offers complimentary valet from 11am-3pm during the week.  Being able to take advantage of this complimentary service made it so easy to drop in for lunch and it also added to our overall positive experience!

Okay...whose ready to talk about food?!  If the pictures didn't make your mouth water, I'm not sure what will.

We started off with their rolls...I mean rolls are rolls but these rolls are not just rolls.  Could I possibly say ROLLS anymore in a sentence.  With every bite we could taste how fresh they were.  So light and so delicious.  It would be easy to eat an entire skillet of these but we had to pace ourselves because we had a lot more to try!

Here comes Monday's lunch special...

Red Beans & Rice - this dish wasn't just your average red beans & rice...it was the most flavorful red beans & rice I have ever had!  The pork chop was mouth watering and so tender.  The combination of the dishes flavors served with a side tomato cucumber salad was...sigh, what good southern cooking dreams are made of!  A bite of this and a bite of that...YUM!

Wednesday's lunch special took us down to the deep south of Louisiana...

Shrimp Creole - if you like shrimp and grits, you will LOVE this dish as it is very similar.  It's spicy but not too spicy...the perfect combination of creole flavors.  This dish is served with a grilled squash and beet salad which is truly the perfect compliment to offset the mild spiciness of this dish.

Thursday's special...what a southern girls dreams are made of...

Fried Chicken - It's not often that I eat fried chicken but this is hands down some of the best fried chicken I have EVER had.  I don't say that lightly because I've had some of the best.  The method that Chef Nathan uses to flash fry the chicken creates a moist (yes, I don't like that word either) and super flavorful dish.  This was probably my favorite dish of the 4 that we tried and one that I will order time and time again!  Everything about this dish was perfection, truly!

Friday's special...finishing it off light and healthy...

Blackened Catfish - Opt in for a lighter lunch option with this dish...the fish was tender and cooked perfectly and the wild rice salad, roasted tomatoes, and sautéed spinach were the perfect compliments to this stand out fish.  I LOVED this dish as well...it fought hard for the top spot!  I truly felt that I was eating a very healthy lunch while still feeling very satisfied!  You've got to try this one as well.

The only special that we did not try was Tuesday's lunch special but I am certain that it would be just as divine as the other four.  We also ate a side of their brussel sprouts and let me just tell you...I could have eaten bowl after bowl of just brussel sprouts.  They were so dang good!!!

What I love most about the lunch specials at Marsh House, besides the fact that they are all freaking fantastic, is that they all only cost $15!  You get a delicious hand crafted meal that will leave you feeling satisfied at such a great price!  There aren't many places that you can go for lunch, spend $15 dollars, and receive a high quality meal.

So for all of you who work in or near the Gulch area, you need to make it a point to lunch at Marsh House!

For those coming to Nashville to visit...stay at Thompson Nashville and dine in at Marsh House for breakfast, lunch, or dinner...I assure you that you will have a wonderful experience and be delighted with their culinary prowess!

As always, thank you for stopping by!  Special thanks to the Marsh House team and Chef Nathan for such a wonderful, memorably delicious, culinary experience.  We will be back soon!

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Pastaria Nashville - Dining Experience Review

Photography by Madi Flournoy Henderson

TOP || SCARF || DENIM || BOOTIES || BANGLES || EYEWEAR

Is your mouth watering yet?!  Mine is and I am honestly sitting here, as I write today's post, reminiscing about my meal at Pastaria Nashville a couple of weeks ago.  To say it was good is an understatement...it was SOOOO GOOD!  

I'm excited to write today's dining experience review because I honestly would tell anyone who lives here or is planning to visit to try Pastaria!  I'm already planning my second visit and this time, I am taking Peter along to enjoy the experience.  We both LOVE Italian food...pretty certain it's at the top for both of us.

Pastaria is located in an up and coming area.  It was great to see so much being built around Pastaria...it just goes to show how quickly our city is growing and how many amazing restaurants and experiences we have to offer!

When we arrived to Pastaria, I could tell that it would be adorable on the inside just by looks of the outside and it was!  The restaurant takes on an chic yet old world feel and definitely showcases many nods to what would be an authentic Italian eatery in Italy.  It is a very charming space.  You can dress casually for lunch or get dressed up a bit more for dinner!

We started with the crispy risotto balls, which were so yummy!  Think cheesy risotto rolled into a ball, lightly deep fried, and served hot with marinara sauce.  A fancy and even more delightful twist to something like a mozzarella stick.

Next up...their Caponata Bruschetta!  WOW...just WOW!  This was one of my absolute favorite dishes that I tried at Pastaria.  Grilled bread, lemon and basil ricotta, eggplant caponata, and mustard greens...need I say more?!  These flavors were perfect together and we just raved and rave about how much we loved it.  I could have eaten that just for my lunch!

Because we dined in for lunch, we then tried items from their lunch menu which included their lunch size Shaved Kale Salad and their Mixed Greens salad.  Both salads were really good and we especially loved the kale salad.  I'd recommend ordering both if you go with another person and sharing so you can experience both salads!  

Finally...PASTA!  After all, isn't that what we came for?!  All of the other dishes leading up to the pasta dishes were great compliments to the entire experience but I was definitely looking forward to trying their pasta and they did not disappoint!  Their pasta is made fresh on site so you know you are getting a very authentic Italian experience.

Funny enough I had been stalking their Instagram feed before dining in and I had my eye on a certain pasta dish.  I showed the picture to our Waiter and he immediately knew which pasta I was talking about...Papardelle with smoked pork, mascarpone, and apples!  I'm guessing this is one of their most popular dishes because it was a homerun The sweet with the savory was such a perfect combination so it was easy for me to clean my plate.  No shame. 

The other pasta dish that we tried was Canestri Cacio e Pepe with pecorino, grana padano, and black pepper.  This was also very good and reminded us much like an elevated macaroni and cheese!  Although we did not try their pizza's I'm certain that they would be just as good as their pasta.

I'm excited to return to Pastaria and try some of their other dishes and maybe even try a pizza!  Everything on their menu sounds amazing and after our personal experience with the dishes that we tried, I am certain every dish would be a winner in my book!  They are also able to switch out regular pasta noodles for gluten free noodles!

Pastaria is a great spot for lunch but also perfect for a night out!  I love that they have a bar area overlooking the wood fire oven/kitchen and they have plenty of space to serve both small and large parties!  Not to mention Pastaria is very family friendly too, which is so important to me and I would totally take my family there!

Have you tried Pastaria yet?!  What did you think?!  If you haven't and are looking for a new place...give it a try and let me know how your experience was!  I think you will be as pleased as we were.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a great day!