Music, art, shopping, eating, and drinking will all be happening in East Nashville’s vibrant Riverside Village this Saturday, May 12th.

The Riverside Blossom Festival will feature musicians performing on the Sweetwater Brewery Main Stage, as well as the Acoustic Lawn Stage for picnickers to enjoy.

Local nonprofit Craftville will help keep the kids entertained with games, art projects, and face painting.

Attendees will also be able to sample regional food and drinks, as well as browse the eclectic and locally owned shops and restaurants that line this amazing street.

The mission of this annual event is to bring awareness not only to the Inglewood community, but to Riverside Drive itself.  The street is a memorial to those who have fought and died serving the US.

Guest blog by Maria DiLorenzo and Chrissy Porcelli, our Brooklyn to Belmont NABors.

If you can’t tell by the title….this show is made up of a group of funny females sharing personal stories. Writer/Comedian Melanie Vare who is a stand-up comedian and the creator of the show has also been seen on Comedy Central started this hilarious event in California and has brought it all the way to Nashville. The show has been compared to “The Vagina Monologues” and rightfully so. I had the pleasure of attending the debut show in Nashville at Bongo Java After Hours Theatre, which is an intimate cozy little spot above the popular coffee house. What better blend? An iced latte and a bunch of women creating laughter! When I sat in my seat I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Well actually I had some insight…..my fellow blogger Coco Warbucks was part of this talented line up as well as Melanie Vare (the creator), Paulina Combow, Amanda Elend, and Mandy-Ray Jones.

Each lovely lady braced the stage with class, wisdom, and extremely entertaining stories from going to the gyno to being robbed at the ATM. These stories are written from truth and so relatable. This new cackling creation is becoming a monthly event so make sure to check it out. Ladies if you are interested you can submit your stories to:
http://www.that-time-of-the-month.com/

And let me tell you this show is not just entertaining for women but men need to check it out too. In fact they are looking for men to submit their funny personal experiences.

Cabana On Sunday Nights

After you check out That Time of The Month, head on over to Hillsboro Village and partake in the fabulous drink specials and open air patio at Cabana. Early Sunday evenings especially make you feel like you are on a weekend getaway. Inside you can sit at the dimly lit sexy front bar or relax in a lush cabana style table complete with a chic curtain for privacy. My favorite place to chill is on the patio watching the sun set and sipping on one of their HALF Price bottles of Pinot Grigio. They also have two for one beer and pizza specials and the pizza is fresh and gourmet. The staff is attentive and genuinely sweet. A definite place to call a regular Sunday destination.

To see more of Maria and Chrissy’s antics and adventures, check them out on You Tube.

Guest blog by Emily Frey and Audrey Hinson, our home staging NABors.

It’s springtime and you’ve decided to put your home on the market.

You are de-cluttering, making repairs, and washing windows. You’ve decided to freshen up the interior with paint. You adore bright, bold colors and in honor of Easter decide to paint each room a different vibrant hue. How can red and orange and blue and green possibly go wrong?

Now, before popping the top off those cans, put down the paint rollers and step away from the wall.

Why? As stagers, we’ve found the most successful homes have modern, neutral colors. Too many bold, contrasting colors can take away from the space and instantly turn a potential buyer off.

Still not buying that less is more? Make a smart compromise instead.

Bring in your bold colors with the following accessories:

o Decorative pillows
o Vases
o Artwork

The house will flow much better and the prospective buyers’ eyes will be drawn to the space (and not the fire engine red walls).

Obviously there are exceptions to this rule. Some houses can handle bright wall colors. Victorians, Tudors, and Bungalows, to name a few. Just remember – not every wall has to resemble the rainbow.

Need more color guidance? YOU’VE BEEN STAGED! tip of the month:

1. Bring in colors through accessories. The top three? Black, white, and green.

• BLACK is the color of authority and power. It is also stylish and timeless. (This does not mean black walls – I repeat, no black walls.)
• WHITE reflects light and is considered a summer color. Its popularity shines in its light and neutral tone. Another bonus? It goes with everything (except dirt – it tends to show dirt more easily, so keep the children’s hands away from those beautiful, plush throw pillows or white walls.)
• GREEN is one of the most popular decorating colors (not just because it’s the color of money). It is calming and refreshing. It symbolizes nature, is the easiest color on the eye, and can even improve vision.

Whatever path you choose, think with an objective eye. Experiment with neutral colors and bold accessories and watch your space transform into a salable commodity.

So until next month, happy painting!

For more tips or if you are seeking a professional home stager, contact Emily or Audrey at info@youvebeenstagedTN.com, or visit their website.

Each month, we will be featuring a different Nashville area neighborhood from the perspective of an actual resident.

The streets of East Nashville’s Historic Edgefield are deep with history, mixed with stylish renovation bringing life and energy to this vibrant neighborhood. Homeowner Meagan shared with us the reasons why she loves the place she calls home.

Birthplace
I grew up in Louisville, KY, but came to Nashville after six years in Boulder, CO.

Occupation
I tried my hand at teaching high school Spanish at Stratford, but found that I am better suited for a younger crowd, so I work as a nanny.

Favorite Nearby Hot Spots
My husband and I are on the same block as Sky Blue Café, so it’s nice to be able to walk down for breakfast or just grab a cup of coffee. We are also within walking distance to the East Nashville Farmer’s Market and love heading there after work in the summers to grab some Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese and crackers from The Raw-Food Warrior. And if the “spirit” moves us, we can walk a couple more blocks to the Woodland Wine Merchant for a little vino to go along with the food. It’s great to be close to East Park, too. Last summer, the Nashville Symphony put on a free concert there and this year we had the East Nashville Beer Festival. You can also go the rec center at the park if you want an inexpensive workout at a nice facility. And if you want to negate all of the exercise, grab a big ole burger and a brew at the Edgefield Sports Bar & Grill. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but a diverse crowd and tasty, greasy food await inside. Five Points is a longer walk or super quick car ride away if you want more dining and entertainment options.

How the Neighborhood has Changed Since Moving Here
When we moved in two years ago, there were still some vacant lots, but some gorgeous custom homes have been built and families are moving in. I see more people walking with their kids and dogs and enjoying the nice neighborhood. There are also more shopping and restaurant options close by (I like food, in case you can’t tell).

Why You Love Living Here
After two years in Edgefield, we would never want to live in any other part of Nashville. Almost everything we need is within walking/biking distance or a quick car ride away- great restaurants and bars, live music, street fairs/festivals, and the farmer’s market. East Nashville has such unique character and seems to get better every day. We also have great neighbors that are active and aware, working in their yards, walking their dogs, and playing with their kids. The neighbors will help you out if you need it, too. Even though it’s an urban area, Edgefield has a neighborly feel and people are friendly. I think that East Nashville is THE place to live, and while I’m biased about our location, I think that Edgefield is one of the nicest neighborhoods in the area.

Guest blog by Maria DiLorenzo and Chrissy Porcelli, our Brooklyn to Belmont NABors.

Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are two sisters who were born and raised in Brooklyn and are now soaking in the Nashville life. We love living here in our hipster Belmont neighborhood. Time after time we have had to prove to our northern friends and family just how cool and diverse Nashville is when they come to visit.

Robert’s Western World

Whenever I have new guests visiting Nashville there are a few must go to places. One of my top picks is by far Robert’s Western World. Robert’s is located on Broadway in the heart of Downtown Nashville. They call it the “Hillbilly Heaven” but…..I don’t care who you are or where you’re from this is a little piece of heaven for all. When I mean all, I mean children of all ages. If you have visitors with little ones this is the perfect daytime destination. Children are allowed until 10PM. BRAZILBILLY is the weekend nighttime band and will keep you on the intimate dance floor all night long. The set list includes songs by the legendary Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Sr., Elvis, and many more. The booze is cheap and the diner style food is delicious! From burgers to even veggie burgers are oh so satisfying. I love dressing up in my pin up style including my red lipstick as many do! You will laugh and dance the night away and even meet some new friends….local and out of Towner’s! Whether day or night this will be a memorable experience.

The 5 Spot

If your out of town guest is not the average tourist and rather feels at home at a good old fashioned dance party, The 5 Spot is the only place to be. The 5 Spot in Trendy East Nashville brings back the rockin tunes of 50’s rock and roll, doo wop and girl groups that have molded music today. This cozy hole in the wall is intimate, sweaty, and electric. The in house DJs spin classic tunes that include, The Jackson Five, Ronnie Spector and Elvis every Monday evening. Prepare to dance! Even the most shy of wallflowers will find themselves involuntarily swinging their hips by the time the partake in their first two for one drink special. The inhabitants who are mostly regulars welcome newcomers with open arms and a warm and fuzzy feeling. I love the 5 Spot because it reminds me of my wild days in the East Village in New York City. The diverse mix of guys and gals will definitely make your out of town guest second guess the city they live in; making Nashville a new Metropolitan landmark to reckon with.  The 5 Spot is a home away from home for any traveling soul.

To see more of Maria and Chrissy’s antics and adventures, check them out on You Tube.

Guest blog by Emily Daniel, our Home Warranty and Team in Training NABor.

My first half marathon of 2012 was the Mercedes Half Marathon in Birmingham, AL. It had been almost 2 months since my last half marathon and even longer since the last half that I “raced” and didn’t just run. I was so excited about this run. Lots of our friends and fellow runners were going to either do the half or the marathon relay. There had been some discussion between myself, Gail and Jeanie about racing or just running this race. We’d heard lots about the hills on the course and thought maybe it would be better just to run it and not try to PR. However, I knew that between my kettlebell classes and my twice a week small group runs, that I was in really good shape. The morning of the race Gail was asking us our goal for the race. I kind of stuttered about mine, still a little unsure. I knew I wanted to race it, but I wasn’t sure I could PR.

I had decided that I would be leaving my watch in the hotel room. One thing I know about myself is that I will hold myself back. If I’m constantly looking at my watch (which I would do), I tell myself I’m going too fast for my pace. I wanted to race this race based on feel and how my body was feeling. Not sure it was a great idea, because I crashed the last 4 miles of the race. But I am glad I didn’t wear my watch.

It was absolutely freezing when the race started. The wind chill was 15 degrees. Luckily, our hotel wasn’t far away. We left 10 minutes before the start of the race and got in the corral just a few minutes before it started. In the first mile I knew I was a little over dressed and took off my jacket. My plan was to run from waterstop to waterstop and I did great the first 6 miles. After that I added in about one short walk per mile. This was a pretty easy race to run that way because there was a waterstop almost every mile.

The water in the cups was a little frozen. But the scary part to me was the water on the ground was also frozen. This made the waterstops at little hazardous. From a waterstop and nutrition aspect this was the best supported race I’ve participated in. There was water & powerade almost every mile and at least 3 Gu stations.

Although I wasn’t wearing my watch, I couldn’t help but look at the giant clocks they have at every mile. I knew I was going fast (for me). I’m not sure how much that played into the wall I slammed into around mile 9. It could have also been that I was actually going too fast at the beginning, but it’s important to me to start strong. When I looked up my pace, I was at a 10:14 average pace from the start through the 10k mark, from 10k to 15k my pace was 10:19, and then dropped to 11:23 for the final part of the race. My overall average pace was 10:35, which is 20 seconds faster per mile than my previous best. I finished in 2:18:39. My PR before that was 2:22:51. Overall, I’m extremely happy with my time. I’m disappointed with my crash at the end, but I know I can improve there.

Last year I did a half marathon this same weekend and set a PR of 2:30. That course was entirely flat. The Mercedes course was anything but flat. I’m very proud of the improvements I’ve made in just a year. Sometimes it feels like progress crawls, but to look year over year is very encouraging. The other thing I noticed in this race was the hills. Yes, there were hills, some big ones. However, I didn’t feel the hills like I usually do. I was much stronger on them. I guess those stairs and hill repeats my coach, Tracey, makes me do really do payoff.

Finally, I want to say how proud and amazed I am by Mark. He set a PR. His time this race was 2:26:31 and his average pace was 11:11. His previous best was 2:37 and it was set in December!! He really rocked this race. Now he’s signed up for speed sessions and very determined to be faster than me. I guess some healthy competition is a good thing.

Follow Emily‘s adventures here.

By Brian Copeland

I‘m typically not one to create waves on my blog with stern opinions, but something has been really getting in my craw lately.  When will consumers and homeowners in notable East Nashville historic districts start treating its Inglewood, Cleveland Park and McFerrin Park edge neighbors as a neighborhood to help out?

One of the homes you now see as part of McFerrin Park on Hancock. Homes like this one are on almost every street, and the neighborhoods are lined with homes in all repairs of this architectural style.

Remember, you neighborhoods I love so much, you too weren’t all gussied up and perfectly pretty at one time.  You didn’t have a high-end triathlete store, a trendy butcher shop or an art gallery.  People once drove down your streets and thought, “Wow, I hate chain link fencing.”  Now that you’ve hit the jackpot and become a nationally noted neighborhood, it’s time that you start applauding and advocating for your little brother and sister neighborhoods.

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Have you noticed that within 2 blocks of Cleveland Park, a burger shop (Pharmacy Burger) now has a two hour wait?  Have you walked along Riverside Village on a weekend to see the people line up along McGavock to enjoy coffee, sushi and BBQ?  Have you noticed the buzz of the gorgeous historic Roxy Theater and the potential of a glorious renaissance?  Have you driven south of Cleveland down a street like Hancock and marveled at how much it looks like $275K-$400K blocks of Lockeland Springs?

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You have the power to take these neighborhoods to the next level, thus driving up your value even more.  You have the power to tell your friends who can’t afford just yet to live in your neighborhood or simply don’t want that house note amount to jump Gallatin or go north and build a great, equally hip life.  Yeah, we know you’re great; so, always remember, ”The duty of helping one’s self in the highest sense involves the helping of one’s neighbors.” –Samuel Smiles

Guest blog by Maria DiLorenzo and Chrissy Porcelli, our Brooklyn to Belmont NABors.

Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are two sisters who were born and raised in Brooklyn and are now soaking in the Nashville life. We love living here in our hipster Belmont neighborhood. Time after time we have had to prove to our northern friends and family just how cool and diverse Nashville is when they come to visit.

This is not a town of country music and cowboys; there is so much more. Nashville is a metropolitan melting pot ready to bubble over; our mission is to prove it to the world. This past weekend before we had the pleasure of partying at The Mercy Lounge; we stopped into our local bar/restaurant Chago’s.

Chago’s is a Mexican joint with Spanish influenced dishes. Their signature salsa is sweet and spicy and always fresh. They offer half price Sangria and margaritas every night at happy hour and 2 dollar PBR’s are on the menu anytime. The fish Taco is buttery and tangy and is my personal favorite and is what I ordered before seeing the buttery and tangy, Jordan Knight. We each had a 3 dollar margarita with salted rim and it was divine. The bartenders and owner, Chad always make us feel like we are home with their warm, so great to see you hospitality. We hated to leave Chago’s but the real adventure was about to begin.

It was February 10th at the Mercy Lounge…. The line was long…the weather was cold and rainy but once inside it was HOT, HOT, HOT. Jordan Knight opened with his dance/pop solo single “Let’s Go Higher.” He looked and sounded better than he did in New Kids on The Blocks hay day! Some of the other songs in his set included “Stingy”, “Tender Love” and “Give it to You”. The highlight of the evening was when he came out with an encore performance of “The Right Stuff”. This girl packed venue was screaming….Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh. This definitely brought us all back to our pre-pubescent stage. Events like this make us love Nashville that much more. It is not only geared towards country fans. There is an eclectic mix of shows and concerts that include, pop, rock, and even hip-hop. After all this is music city not just for one but for all.

To see more of Maria and Chrissy’s antics and adventures, check them out on You Tube.

The Food Network’s spicy show Heat Seekers is featuring three Nashville restaurants tonight!  East Nashville’s Mad Donna’s (a favorite of both Brian and myself), Broadway Brewhouse in midtown (love them too!), and Scoreboard near Opryland Hotel are showing off their spiciest dishes in tonight’s episode.  TN Titan’s player Jordan Babineaux joined the show’s chefs for a face-off with Satan’s Tongue Hot Chicken, Diablo Pasta, and Habanero Mac n’ Cheese.  Now that’s HOT!

Anyone else besides me yawning at the thought of a Patriots-Giants rematch?  Well have no fear, you can still have a super fun time for the Super Bowl this weekend in Nashville.

Limelight is hosting “A Super Bowl to Remember” benefitting Make-A-Wish Foundation from 3-11pm Sunday.  Half of the huge venue will be dedicated to the game with the music turned down and the tv’s turned up.  The other half will be for those less interested and will be a social zone with music and dancing.  Bueller, an 80′s tribute band, will be providing the music as well as RedHat Events, both of whom are donating their time and talents for this event.  Food will be provided by Ellendale’s, Mirko, Blue Coast Burrito, Demos’, Gigi’s Cupcakes, and more.  100% of ticket sales go to Make-A-Wish, and children 16 and under are free with a paying adult.  Tickets are $15-$20 depending on when you purchase.

The National Underground downtown is also hosting a party with live rock music by Daniel Ramirez, drink specials, and burgers.

SoBro Lounge is having a party with DeeJay GhostDogg and Terry Hudson, with 50 cent smoked wings, halftime happy hour specials, and a dance floor after the game.

Other spots to watch the game include The Melrose Pub, Batter’d & Fried, Sam’s Sports Bar, and The Crow’s Nest.