♥ Avalon ♥

Oh. My. Goodness. All I can say is that you MUST go to Avalon and have the Lobster Mac & Cheese. It is heaven in a dish! :-)

Avalon is a posh restaurant in the hip Highlands area of Louisville.

Reservations are not required, but they are highly recommended. Tonight (a Tuesday), they had 110 reservations before 8:00pm! Just goes to show how popular this place is!

The first impression of the restaurant was that it is romantic and upscale, yet still cozy and laid-back. Dim lighting, a subdued yet elegant color scheme, real tablecloths and napkins...it all made me a little giddy! A seat by the window to watch people and dogs go by on their evening walks made it even better.

I knew before arriving that I wanted to try the Lobster Mac & Cheese. Aside from hearing from others how wonderful it is, how can you not love pasta smothered in ooey, gooey cheese with delicious chunks of lobster...and truffle oil?! Truffle oil!! Seriously!

One word of warning...it is ridiculously rich! After just a few bites I was already starting to feel full! But that didn't stop us from also trying the White Bean Hummus and the Pow-Pow Shrimp. Both were tasty, but the award winner of the night was definitely the Mac!

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♥ Mojito Tapas Restaurant ♥

Mmm...Mojito! I have been a few times, but it is definitely the most fun to go with a group of friends. Ordering small appetizer-sized portions of deliciousness and passing the platters around so everyone gets a little taste of everything. Guacamole with plantain chips, black bean and red pepper hummus, shrimp ceviche, ravioli, empanadas de picadillo, sweet potato fries, stuffed dates...and a trio de chocolate desert! Add a sangria or margarita, and it's just plain fun!! At least visit their website...the music is enough to put you in the mood!

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♥ River Flooding ♥

Ahhh, Springtime. Birds chirping, flowers blooming...and rain! Living on a major river always poses the threat of having some flooding as the snow melts and the Spring rains begin. I went to Waterfront Park to check out the extent of the damage.

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♥ St. Baldrick's ♥

I had heard of St. Baldrick's for a couple of years, but had never really investigated it further. I knew that my friend, Natashia, had been involved as a volunteer, and I knew that people went to get their heads shaved to promote cancer awareness. What I didn't know is that St. Baldrick's raises the most money for childhood cancer research aside from the federal government. I also didn't realize how big the event really is and how many people come out to show support and solidarity. It was a no-brainer for me to decide to go as a volunteer this year.

(Blurry cell phone pic of my volunteer badge!)

I arrived at 1:00pm and was assigned to my post for the day. I was to walk around and sell St. Baldrick's bracelets!

I was glad I got to move around and be more a part of the event rather than standing at a booth all day. It was held downtown at Fourth Street Live! It was a chilly day, so getting to move around helped me to stay warm, as well. Dawne Gee from WAVE3 news was the MC. She is not my favorite local TV news personality, but I was really touched by her dedication to the cause. It was emotional and inspiring listening to different stories and seeing everyone encouraging each other. I was so impressed by all the women who shaved their heads! They looked so incredibly beautiful. I wish I had the courage to do it, too. Louisville raised over $124,000 for children's cancer research that day! Go Louisville!! Here are some of the photos I took.

You go, girls!

As each person went up to have their head shaved, Dawne asked him/her who they were honoring. This little boy said he was shaving his head in honor of his friend. He was so humble that he did not mention that he is also a cancer survivor. Pretty amazing little dude.

The little guy is named Dawson, and he had a whole team (spanning four generations) there to support him. He was the first kiddo I took notice of as the event began. He was adorable and so full of life!

Lots of people in line to cut their hair!! Over 450 for the day! One guy even challenged everyone there saying if the crowd could gather at least $200 in donations in the time it took to shave his head, he would shave not only his head, but also his beard...AND his eyebrows! Needless to say, there is one pretty hairless dude walking around Louisville tonight!

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