Happy Holidays. We'll post again in the New Year.

Scenes from... Westfield, Indiana

We had never visited Westfield before a couple of weekends ago and we found it to be absolutely adorable. It was a frigid day but we managed to take some photos.

The Westfield Antique Mall (800 E. Main Street) has 2 big floors of treasures:

Stitches & Scones- what a great combination:

Downtown architecture:

We've heard good things about Marlow's but didn't have time to stop and try it this time.

Some gorgeous old homes that look like they have been there for awhile:

Easley Winery's Mulled Red Wine

This weekend, we discovered Easley Winery's mulled wine and it became an instant classic that we will have to get every year. We used to have a jar of mulling spice mix that we stirred into a mug of warm red wine that we loved but we hadn't really gotten around to buying a replacement since we ran out of that. While buying gifts at Easley, we picked up a bottle of Warm Mulled Wine for ourselves. All we did was warm it on top of the stove; the honey, apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg are already in there and smelled so good. It has now become an indispensable part of our holiday season. It just doesn't get any better than a mug of mulled wine, the glow of the Christmas tree, and an old holiday movie on TV (for us this weekend, it was charming Cary Grant in The Bishop's Wife).

Bargain books, CDs and DVDs from Daedalus

Book, music, and movie lovers (along with those who buy gifts for book, music, and movie lovers) should know about Daedalus Books and Music. We've received catalogs from them for awhile and, with their amazing prices on some items, we just couldn't resist placing an order with them any longer. Our recent purchase included the classic The Women DVD for $6.98, a two-fer DVD of Holiday Inn and Going My Way for $6.98, a Billy Taylor Trio CD for $5.98, and a gorgeous big softcover book of The Posters of Mauzan for only $9.98 (which is a huge savings compared to Amazon). They might not have everything that you are looking for but, with these low prices, you feel free to be more adventurous in buying things that you're not as familiar with (we'd never heard of Mauzan and don't know much about Billy Taylor either) so you can enjoy the thrill of discovering something new. While they don't offer the free shipping like so many online retailers are this season, a flat fee of $5.95 for standard shipping isn't too bad, especially the more that you buy.

Scenes from... Arcadia, Indiana

We braved the cold on Saturday to roam a couple of small towns and take pictures. It was absolutely worth it to see the cute buildings in Arcadia's downtown. Some of the buildings need some love but it is a very quaint Main Street. Arcadia has an arts initiative and their Arcadia Arts logo is displayed outside of artisans shops such as the Hedgehog Music Showcase, Scrappin for Schools, and Tabby Tree Weaver.

We love small town Christmas decorations.

On Washington Street, just off of Main Street, we stumbled upon the adorable Arcadia Cushman Company. We admit that we had never heard of Cushman Scooters but we peeked in the windows and they are very cute. The building is quite eye-catching with the scooter sticking out from the facade.

The railroad crossing on Main Street:

Wayne Newton at Hoosier Park

The Wayne Newton concert was just as much retro fun as we thought it would be. We had never been to Hoosier Park before and were happy to see that The Terrace Showroom was very intimate. We were surprised that so many musicians joined him on stage; some from his Las Vegas show and some Hoosier musicians who were tapped to play with him since it is a logistically challenging to take all of his musicians with him throughout the country. Everyone did a great job, particularly the back-up singers; Francis, Genevieve, and Darlene. Francis Lee was one of the back-up singers and Wayne told us that she is a very accomplished gospel singer. She sang "Amazing Grace" and her voice is amazing. We hope that we can find some of her solo work to download. Wayne's voice wasn't the strongest (he is 67), but we could not have asked for more energy or enthusiasm from him. He is the ultimate showman.

Here's Francis Lee bringing down the house with "Amazing Grace":
As the evening progressed the tie was loosened and Wayne dazzled us with his talents on the piano, guitar, banjo, and fiddle.

Nice article in USA Today about the IMA's Sacred Spain exhibit.

Strawtown Koteewi Park- Noblesville, Indiana

For us, it wasn't a hard choice this weekend between facing shopping crowds or taking a walk outside. We decided to take a break from our Ft. Harrison State Park routine and head north to the Kotweewi Park in Noblesville. While it isn't as woodsy as Ft. Harrison, the north and south loops had their own beauty and provided ample walking. We walked both loops and we walked for about an hour and 45 minutes. It was very quiet and not crowded at all which was quite nice.

There's not a lot of color outdoors right now so we were grateful for these greens and reds:

We like the contrast of the white on the trees:

The path was a little muddy but not too bad. It's a multi-use trail so bikers, walkers, and joggers are welcome.

Part of the path leads you under Strawtown Avenue:

El Bodegon- Fishers, Indiana

Empanadas:
Arepa with cheese:

Bocata with Spanish Serrano ham:

Spanish potato omelette tapa:

Oh happy day! We were just lamenting when we got back from New York that arepas aren't as prevalent here as they are there and we found El Bodegon. They have a nice variety of Colombian style and Venezuelan style arepas. We tried the Colombian style arepa with cheese and we loved it. It is certainly bigger than we're used to getting at the New York street fairs and only $2.49. We also tried their beef and chicken empanadas and they made us so happy. These were really flaky empanadas and the meat was seasoned deliciously, especially in the beef one. We also enjoyed the Bocata de Jamon Serrano (sandwich with Spanish serrano ham). It was perfect in its simplicity; crusty bread rubbed with tomatoes and sprinkled with olive oil and tasty serrano ham. Plus, it was the perfect size to enjoy but not feel overful after eating. And just because we wanted to try as much as possible, we ordered the Spanish Potato Omelette Tapa. After all, who could resist that for only $1?

We pretty much want to try everything on the tapas menu and all of the arepas too. When we can order all that we did and still come in under $13, we should be able to justify doing that. El Bodegon is on 96th Street (the Walmart side, not the Meijer side) in the back of the building with Panera and the Beauty Brands store. We know that it is fairly new but we were the only ones in there on Saturday afternoon and we dearly want this place to stay open. It is extremely casual so don't let the term "tapas bar" make you think that you have to get gussied up for it. It is quite spacious, the service was very friendly, and the prices are budget friendly. We got our order to go which is a great option anytime but especially great for entertaining during the upcoming holiday parties and football Sundays. We also think it would be an ideal place to meet a huge group of friends so that everyone can maximize the amount of dishes that they can try.

8510 E. 96th Street; Suite D

Fishers, IN 46037

Happy Thanksgiving

We absolutely love Thanksgiving and wish everyone a great holiday. Along with celebrating with family, food, and the Macy's Parade, we are looking forward to our annual viewing of Planes, Trains & Automobiles. "People train runs out of Stubbville."

Sacred Spain at the Indianapolis Museum of Art

[No photography of the exhibit is allowed]

For some reason, Mrs. WYA! is drawn to icons in art so she was really excited about the Sacred Spain exhibit at the IMA (on display now through January 3rd, 2010). It did not disappoint. First of all, we are amazed that the IMA can offer this for free. We are lucky enough to have this great art museum that doesn't charge admission and to not have a fee for a special exhibit is really generous. We are grateful to whoever made this possible because it is obvious that a lot of planning and manpower went into the exhibit. The walls are different gorgeous hues in each room to showcase the pieces in them. Some of the paintings are really large and all of them are so vivid and bright that you can hardly believe that they are from the 1600s. There are also well preserved books and sculptures. A figure of Christ in the middle of one room is so striking; it has been used in the Good Friday procession in the Spanish town of Navalcarnero since 1652! In the special gift shop at the end of the exhibit there is a film running showing it in the procession.


Even if this art doesn't represent your belief system, anyone who appreciates beauty and history will enjoy it. Show the IMA some love by buying a little something in the gift shop (we bought a Virgin of Guadalupe magnet) and/or putting some money in the museum's collection boxes.

We like to fully savor Thanksgiving before we think about Christmas activities but, if you're ready to get in the yuletide mood, Shelbyville is having a holiday parade tonight. The Strand Theatre is getting into the spirit by showing Holiday Inn on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The holiday open houses are in full swing too. Gallery 116 in Fishers has theirs this Saturday with a demonstration of glass blowing. Gallery One 36 is having a holiday sale on Saturday from noon to 5PM in Westfield. It's also Midnight Shopper time on Mass Ave. so there will be ample time to shop at that great store for gifts, At Home in the City/Silver in the City.

Happy 100th Birthday Johnny Mercer

Woody's Library Restaurant- Carmel, Indiana

Veggie Omelet:
Chicken Crepes:

"Sunday brunch Indianapolis" is a common Google search that we see and, while Woody's is in nearby Carmel, it is a great choice for brunch that should satisfy those seekers.

Mrs. WYA! took a pal there and loved that it was in an old Carnegie library that was built in 1913. They kept that theme inside with bookshelves full of books surrounding the tables. The food was really good and, if subsequent visits are as satisfying, this one could end up on our W(Y)A-ll of Fame. Mrs. WYA!'s friend enjoyed her Veggie Omelet and the cute and tasty mini potato cakes that came with it. Mrs. WYA! thought that the chicken crepe was divine. It was filled with chicken, spinach, bacon, cheese, and tomatoes with an herb cream sauce and wonderful crunchy onions on top that made for a perfect textural contrast. We look forward to visiting Woody's again to try some of their other menu items (if we can restrain from ordering the crepes again).

(As if there aren't enough options on the brunch menu, you may also order from the lunch menu.)

Indianapolis Winter Farmers' Market

Tasty treats from Lena's:

We went to the first day of this season's Indianapolis Winter Farmers' Market along with what seemed like the rest of Central Indiana's residents on Saturday. Since Cityoga is in the spot it was held in last year, it has new digs at The Chatham Center at 901 N. East Street (if you know where the big Red Cross building is, it is just behind that). They seem to have more space there and it is a good thing because it was quite busy. The main reason we went on their grand opening day was because we were getting dangerously low on our last Willowfield Lavender candle and we read on their website that they would be there. Sure enough, they were set-up right outside in front of the building and had a new scented candle but we had to go with the original that we love. We perused the market and picked up a couple of goodies from Lena's Mediterranean Kitchen. We've never heard of Torsita's before but we figured how can you go wrong with spinach and feta wrapped in a phyllo dough spiral and it was delicious. We also had some deliciously spiced sirloin in dough (we think was a bureka) which was also quite good. Judging from the crowd and the enthusiasm, it looks like the market will have a successful season.

Artique Winter Fair in Lawrence, Indiana

Picturesque Louis Jenn Park:

We checked out the inaugural Artique Winter Fair at Louis Jenn Park in Lawrence today and were impressed with the beautiful pieces that were for sale there. There was a wide variety of arts and crafts including bird feeders (there was a gorgeous glass Buddha one that was $80 but we should have bought anyway), photography, paintings, purses, jewelry, and wooden bowls by Earlybirde Art. This looks like the start of a nice tradition by The Partnership for Lawrence and we hope that it continues.