It's better to be absolutely ridiculous...

Noms: Raviolis

2010-12-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

The bf's mom is Italian and therefore is charged with teaching me EVERYTHING she knows about Italian cooking each time she comes for a visit. Luckily, I think she enjoys passing on the family secrets and tricks of the trade so we have a good time together. This trip I insisted on learning the art of making handmade raviolis. When I say art, I certainly mean it. Creating each perfect pillow of divine nosh is like creating a masterpiece suitable for any gallery or museum worth mentioning. So basically - you can just call me Picasso!

Raviolis are actually not complicated like I originally thought. However, they take FOREVER and you must be meticulous. Here is the step by step guide if you are interested in becoming an artist like myself:

Make the dough.

This involves 1 cup of flour for each person eating and 1 egg per cup of flour. We had to add an additional egg because our dough was VERY dry that day. This all depends on the weather, the humidity etc so just make sure your dough a tad sticky and you should be golden. Let the dough rest.Wrap in plastic wrap to preserve the moisture for about tens minutes. Trust me - your arms will thank you for the break.

Roll out the dough.

This requires a pasta machine with an electric piece (or guns of steel and entirely too much time for someone as popular as myself). Cut small chunks from the rested dough and begin kneading through the machine. My machine had seven settings so you want to go through each setting a few times. Setting one made it longer and flatter, setting two made it even more flat and long, etc, etc until setting seven when we had a full sheet of pasta!

Create the raviolis.

Use your ravioli pan (they have stamps too) and begin by laying one sheet of dough on the bottom. Then, stuff the dough with your filling (we used butternut squash, but you can use whatever filling you like) and topped the filling with another sheet of dough.

Seal the raviolis.

Use the tiny rolling pin that came with your pan to seal the raviolis. Don't be afraid to use some force. You want to ensure each ravioli is seal tightly! Then, pop them out!

Set out to dry.

Flour the raviolis and place on a pan to dry. We let ours dry over night since we weren't eating them until the next day; however, I am sure you could eat the same day. You will have to shmagoogle that one on your own kids.

Cook.Serve.Accept adoration and applause.Instruct all to address you by your official title, "Chef Betty Croker Picasso."

After bringing the water to a boil, we cooked the raviolis for three minutes and topped with a delish butter sage sauce.

Now that I am a pro, I am excited to attempt more fillings. I need to find the best of the best out there and experiment. I think I will make a million one day and freeze them for last minute dinners. What is your favorite ravioli filling?

Chef Betty Croker Picasso out!

Travel Tips: Oktoberfest

2010-12-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

The bf and I took a quick trip to Munich in September for a little festival you might have heard of - OKTOBERFEST! I know, first thing you are thinking is, "umm aren't you a month early?" No my dear friends, Oktoberfest actually takes place in September. A quick history lesson for those of you less booze inclined: the very first Oktoberfest was actually the best wedding reception ever held in honor of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese. The reception was such a hit that the event was held again the following year and so on. Traditionally, the festival last either 17 or 18 days leading up to the first Sunday in October. This year was the 200th anniversary of the world's largest festival which annually attracts over five million guests. Try to imagine the biggest state fair ever in combination with the largest beer tasting in history. You have Oktoberfest! The set up itself is a large section of the city center with 14 beer tents. The guests typically wear the traditional German lederhosen and dirndl. Here are a few tricks of the trade to make your next journey a success: 1. Look the part. The bf and I arrived in Munich sporting our typical travel ensemble of jeans and sweater. Turns out we are the ones who looked ridiculous! Take some time to find some lederhosen or a dirndl. It is worth the bucks to look like a local.
2. Learn how to order beer in German. Thankfully, the bf did this VERY well and we were served post haste!
3. Make reservations at the beer tents NOW! We had no idea that Oktoberfest is basically the Oscars minus the celebs and plus a few mean German ladies. We were lucky enough to finagle our way into THREE beer tents and even ended up SOMEHOW in the famous Hofbrau House at the end of the night. However, we were VERY lucky. Make reservations now for your favorite brewhouse to ensure you get prime seating a at least one stein of the magical deliciousness. 4. Hydrate. The beers in Germany are serious. The beers in Germany are huge. I don't care if you won every beer guzzling competition at your frat house. You are not prepared for this. Make sure you take a time out between steins to gulp some good ole H2O. You can thank me later.

5. ENJOY. This was hands down one of the most fun times we have had in Europe so far. It is impossible not to enjoy yourself once you are inside one of the famous tents. Grab a beer, eat a pretzel, make new friends and most importantly don't forget to PROST!

Boogie Woogie: Holiday Playlist

2010-12-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

In all walks of life, there are different types of people. There happen to be flip flop people and non flip flop people. There are cargo short wearing frat boys and die hard jean hipsters. And of course, there are holiday music people and grinches - I mean non holiday music people. I, of course, happen to fall into the holiday music people category. The first day after Thanksgiving when I am in Atlanta I immediately preset my radios to 98.5 for all holiday all the time. Sigh - it is so good! I live in the South and for the most part we don't get snow. So, I have to supplement my holiday atmosphere by adding over the top obsessions like holiday music. I literally do not listen to ANYTHING else from Thanksgiving to New Years Eve. It makes my heart happy and annoys the crap out of some of my favorite men i.e. the bf and the daddy dearest. WHAT could be better than that?! A few of my favorites for your consideration.

What is your favorite holiday song?

Words of Wisdom...

2010-12-20T06:01:00.000-08:00

I couldn't agree more. Eight more days and I am on my way! Now all I have to do is get through the work week sans wingwoman, purchase one final Christmas gift, cook the best food ever, spend time with the family, take a million pictures annnnnnnd PACK! I just put my suitcase away YESTERDAY and already need to pull it back out. Life is tough my friends.

Words of Wisdom...

2010-12-14T05:44:00.001-08:00

Brilliant Ideas by Me: Airplane travel

2010-11-29T05:26:00.000-08:00

Every summer when I was younger, I went to the beach with my mom. I loved our trips and many included my favorite Aunt Pam or one of my mom's other fabulous friends. We always had the best times. I miss those days. I am sure you can remember from your beach vacas the tiny shower that you were requested to use before entering the pool after frolicking beach side all day. Well, I never used those. Ever. I was that kid (or early twenty year old, but details details) who was sand-ridden head to toe and would bypass the line for the cold shower and jump into the deep end of the resort pool. I would bob to the surface refreshed and clean and laugh at all those silly folks for where held down by the man waiting in line.

I think airplanes should have a version of that tiny cold shower nowadays. On my recent nine hour flight home from Holiday abroad, I had the nasty pleasure to sit next to a stinky, stinky man. What happened to common courtesy?! I mean, do some people really not know what deoderent is? After about two hours of learning to breathe through my mouth or turning my entire face the the opposite side for a moment of peace while engaging a severe neck cramp, I was over it! I made up my mind to nicely say something to said cohabitant of my general air space. Well, to my shock as I turned to the sleeping beauty I noticed that SOMEHOW he had ninja unbuttoned his entire shirt AND belt. ICK! The smell was penetrating the final clean pieces of air and now it was at high speed since all barriers had been demolished. Oh and he decided to take full custody of the shared armrest AND fall into my property from time to time for the remainder of the flight. 34,000 feet above ground and not one ounce of fresh, clean air. Puke. Gag. I literally sucked up the rest of the nine hour flight and landed safely home. I booked it off that plane faster than Devon Sawa in Final Destination.

You're welcome for the late 90s reference.

So my friends, my point is: Maybe if the airlines would invent a tiny shower to defunk the funky preboarding we all could enjoy our biscoff cookies and tiny sodas in peace. And no, next beach vaca I will not use the tiny cold shower before jumping cannon ball style into the deep end. If FunkMaster Flex can torture me for nine hours, the rest of the fancy shmancy beach resort can deal with my sandy feet.

Frisk me freely boys!

2010-11-22T05:45:00.000-08:00

Recently there has been an uproar regarding the TSA's new scanning tool at the airports. I realize there is a larger underlying reason to be upset about this - mainly as pointed out by the bf that, "all this stuff does is increasingly subject normal travellers to suspicion under the guise of telling them that its keeping them safe which is not particularly making a difference either way or what standard security would do. What they need to be doing is investing more money into intelligence to monitor suspicious people instead of scanning every one's body." I totally agree. We should be investing more efforts where the problem is starting - not where the problem is ending up. However, with that being said, if I need to be frisked, felt up or scanned to get here in two days...SO BE IT.

Perhaps upon my return, I can take a more serious look at this issue. Until then, FRISK ME FREELY!

Words of Wisdom...

2010-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

ReDiscovery: The Public Library

2010-11-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

When is the last time you went to a library? No, not the college library. Speaking of, our college library was one in the same as the community bomb shelter having six floors below ground. I remember kids would crawl out of the stacks and be blinded by light when finally reappearing to the world after five long days of finals. Oh and the exterior was equally unappealing boasting an interesting design that I could only equate with golden suction cups. I digress...

The last time I was a public library must have been years ago...I am talking elementary school. So I realize that this sounds completely of the wall, but I recently have begun a relationship with the Atlanta Fulton County Public Library. Did you know...IT IS FREE! Well, taxes and whatnot, but that is just details. I sauntered into my branch of the Atlanta Fulton County Public Library last Saturday with my unimpressed bf in tow. You see he is in grad school and therefore gets a fancy library at his university. Well, little ole me had to settle for what the county provided. I certainly wasn't impressed by the library itself. Computers that resembled large boxes, fluorescent lighting, a strange lingering mildew smell...I could go on, but I chose to look at the positive. Millions and millions (ok thousands?) of FREE books. I signed up for my brand spanking new library card proudly while Daniel sighed. I think he was jealous and my shinny new card.

After passing the rigorous screening process (verifying my address) and receiving my card, I was off. I popped into the first aisle I saw which turned out to be the World War II section. I poured over the titles not sure which to select for my first time. It was a big decision. I finally settled on Sisterhood of Spies, Women of the OSS and Miss You: the World War II letters of Barbara Wooddall Taylor and Charles E. Taylor.

I spent the rest of the day curled up with a hot latte and a warm pup reading the adventures of the women spies of World War II. Now, while I ponder a career move into international espionage I would suggest YOU go explore the library near you. Seriously, go. Gobble up the first books you find and see what adventures you can stumble upon.

Wiki Fact: Daylight Savings Time Sucks

2010-11-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I am not sure why on earth anyone would spend tens of thousands of dollars on college anymore when everything you will ever need to know can be found on wikipedia.com. For example: daylight savings time.

A common fact that you might not be aware of is my ongoing hatred for daylight savings time: fall version. I hate hate hate falling back an hour. I know, I know...most people love that extra hour of sweet slumber; however, I would glady sacrifice those tender 60 minutes for endless sunlight at the end of along work day. There is nothing worse than going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. Sigh...until April...

Words of Wisdom...

2010-11-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Boogie Woogie

2010-11-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like you are not as cool as you used to be? You see "kids" (who are probably only 22 when you are 26) running around wearing really tight pants or spinning on their new iPads and think to yourself - dumb kids! Clearly, I never have that problem; however, I find this song hilarious and amazing all at once.

Enjoy!

Words of Wisdom...

2010-11-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

Jesus Christ

2010-07-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

Drowning in my immense boredom earlier this afternoon, I took to the blogosphere for pure entertainment or at least a slice of mind numbing trickery that would get me to that oh so magical five o’clock. I love going to blogger.com and just clicking on something random to start reading. From there, I simply make my way through the mess of template and find the oh so joyous ‘next blog’ button. Typically, this leads me on an interesting adventure where I could happen to find something worth subscribing to in attempts to add a bit more substance to my Google Reader. Today that did not happen. Instead, I somehow ended up in a never ending circle of biblical proportion – literally. Each blog I visited was centered on the bible. Very strange since usually I click from babies to butchery in one fell swoop.

I started with Bob’s Log. The title was catchy enough to grab my eye and I was hoping for something racy! Bob spends his day analyzing and translating Psalms. Next.
Then, I came across Between Sundays. I don’t know what this person talks about, but the entry had a huge picture of jesus and their twitter account is linked to the blog which read, “Night one of VBS was terrific.” Next.
After that, I discovered Forever His. The subtitle to this blog says, “I have summoned you by name. You are mine.” Isaiah 43:1. Unless Isaiah is Dr. Burke with all that hotness, minus the homophobic slurs, then no merci. Next.
Finally, I clicked once more in hopes of finding something actually worth reading and I found Falling into Grace. NOPE. NO THANKS. DONE.

I think there are two possible things one would think from this very odd occurrence today. One, maybe I need god in my life. Maybe this is his way of telling me, “hey, hey you down there! Pay attention and get on board with my whole jesus thing.” Two, I should start my own cult. I have witnessed the power of religion today and find it fascinating. I can only imagine what I am capable of if I start now. Maybe this time next year there could be four blogs about little ole me :) I mean, hey, I do have nine followers!

Free cookies anyone?

2010-06-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows the easiest way to get more people to show up somewhere is to offer free stuff. An even better way to to get more people to show up somewhere is to offer free food. Yes, I take bribes and I prefer calories. Take note. In high school the Fellowship Christan Athletes (FCA) met each Friday in the school auditorium to make themselves feel superior to everyone and pay penance for doing the dirty and drugs the previous weekend, I mean, praise god. I also would attend FCA meetings...for the free chicken biscuits :) In college, I only attended the National Society of Colliegete Scholors meetings because they offered free pizza (no wonder I decided to become president of NSCS) nom nom nom. Now, I work in an industry where thousands of people plan their Tuesday based on who is serving the best free lunch. So for the most part these organizations offer up the goods with getting little in return. That doesn't seem very fair. Luckily, I have just the ticket of a mutually beneficial relationship to share. Who wants free cookies?! Read on...

You are welcome to a smorgasbord of decedent, sugar filled cookies for just one hour of your time! I know, amazing. And what does the other party get from me you ask? Well, they get to your blood. MUUUUWAAHAHAHAH! No no no, you are not getting throated by Rob Pattison or the hot bad vamp from True Blood. You are getting pricked by a lovely lady or gentleman in a white coat dawning a smile and plastic gloves. We are talking blood donation kids and it is time to spread the word. I am the only person I know who regularly gives blood and I think more people should be like me...haha. Seriously though, donating blood takes less that one hour, it saves three lives each time and you get FREE COOKIES!!! My blood donation center even offers samoas...year round. You tell me where I can find a samoa in July! Ok, so you are scared of needles? You don't like blood? Waaaa waaa waaa... get over it. It seriously is a prick that hurts LESS than biting your own tongue AND for literally half a second. I don't like blood either. So the lovely nurses kindly drape a cloth over my oh so yummy veins so I don't have to see a thing. And all this takes place while I am watching my favorite food network show during my lunch break. After my life saving is complete, I am rewarded with my free cookies. Oh and they offer you juiced too!

I think everyone reading this blog (yes, all 8 of you including you mom) should make a commitment to at least try giving blood this month. I mean, worst comes to worst, you freak out and they will probably still give you a cookie. Maybe not a samoa though fyi. To find a blood donation center near you click here.

Now, run along kiddos and spread the word about how to get free cookies. You never know whose life you could save :)

Boys vs. Girls

2010-05-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

For anyone that knows me very well, you know that I see things in life as very black and white. I know, there are a million shades of grey in our world, as there should be, but for me I like to bottom line things as much as possible. My best girl friends know all too well that I particularly like to black and white things when it comes to guys. He didn’t text you back? He doesn’t like you. He doesn’t want to meet your family? He doesn’t like you. He only calls you after 10pm or 4 beers? He doesn’t like you. AND even MORE importantly, he doesn’t text you back, he doesn’t want to meet your fam, he only calls late at night after drinking…BE DONE! You deserve better. Do not give the time of day to someone who doesn’t treat you absolutely ridiculously amazing. Period. If you do, then you are pathetic and desperate and clearly are not even remotely ready to make someone else happy let alone yourself. There it is.

So, while I sit on my high horse and preach my black and white religion to all my girl friends and even to myself when I was dating, I have seemed to miss an important point. I find it unacceptable for boys to treat me or my girl friends remotely subpar, but I have allowed my girlfriends to treat me subpar. A recent conversation had my friend shoving, thankfully, my black and white mindset right back into my face saying: it's not that black and white with your girlfriends. After a moment of thought, I replied: maybe it should be. It got me thinking…

Why do I let ANYONE treat me in any way I am not happy with? That doesn’t seem to mesh well with my whole black and white scheme I have going. Why do I feel like I should give chance after chance to someone I am close with when I wouldn’t give it to others I barely know? Shouldn’t the people who I am “close with” treat me BETTER than someone I hardly know since they should care about me? They should want to treat me as best they can since, in theory, they are my friend. So, why am I continuing to let a friend treat me poorly when I would never tolerate such behavior from a stranger? I don’t know.

Maybe, I give more chances to friends because we have history. We share memories. We have cried together in hardship and laughed through life when it seemed ever so hard. Maybe I give more chances because I remember those great times and I want them back again so badly it hurts. I hold onto the hope of old times being reincarnated into something new and different and maybe even wonderful.

My point is this: how long do you let a friend treat you poorly before you lose all hope and just move on? Can you really ever do that? Or because you share this history, this lifetime, do you hold onto hope that one day you might be able to grab a bagel one morning like old times?

I guess it comes down to that hope. Hope is a funny thing. I think hope is something I cannot control. It is there and then one day it isn’t. So maybe the answer is this: You hold on tight to that hope as long as you can and then one day that hope is just gone. And then maybe it won’t hurt. Maybe then you won’t be sad. Maybe losing hope doesn’t have to be a loss at all. Maybe losing hope creates a new beginning.

Head in the clouds

2010-05-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was gorgeous. Mother Nature has recently proven to be quite the bitch; however, yesterday she somewhat redeemed herself. She still has a long way to go so don't go getting all team Mother Nature yet. The clouds in Atlanta yesterday were outrageous. They looked like they were out of a cartoon - white puff magical softness everywhere my eyes could see. I know, what's the big to do about clouds crazy? I am telling you, they were outstanding. I have never seen so many dollops of pure white perfection throughout the oh so unnaturally blue Atlanta skyline that normally tends to appear dismal on most hazy days. The perfect storm of cotton on water made the sky to.die.for. Clearly, I headed straight to the park with the fam in tow to absorb every bit deliciousness.

Great philosophers of MY time.

2010-05-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

While watching He's Just Not That Into You the other day, I couldn't help but laugh at the opening scene. A little girl gets called dog poop by a little boy at a playground and then her mother proceeds to tell her the only reason the little boy called her dog poop was because he liked her. And that is where all girls get screwed! If someone treats you like crap, then he probably doesn't like you, but according to the movie, it means he does. It means he REALLY likes you. Ha. So, what's the point you ask? We have all seen this movie if not read the book it was adapted from. Well, I think we actually got some pretty great advice when we were kids and from an unexpected source. It is weird to say, but some of the best advice we could give our friends, family, and omg do I dare say, ourselves (!!??) these days comes from our childhood. To think, we had it all figured out when we were just five. It is easy to forget so here are my favs to remind you of some very simple, logical rules to live by.

"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes." - Winnie the Pooh
Oh Pooh bear, how I adore thee! This is PERFECT for so many reasons, but I will share one. I have SO many friends that are single right now. People from high school, college (yes, there are a few of us from SC that are not yet married!) and other parts of my life that have yet to find their person. Many of these people are kind of lonely and are just waiting for Prince Charming to come sweeping in on his white horse. Well, first of all, I am pretty sure I already snagged him so keep dreaming ladies :) Secondly, take Pooh's advice. Go get your man! Or your woman, or your dream job or whatever! Pooh has been telling us since our wee years that we cannot just sit around waiting for things to come to us. We need to go out there into the big, dark, scary world and grab it for ourselves. Whatever it maybe. Me likey.

“I used to believe in forever, but forever is too good to be true.” - Winnie the Pooh Sad, but true. Forever doesn't happen. Today might be your last day. So tell the ones you love that you love them and savour each moment. Make today the best day you can have. Smile. Be happy.

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand." - Velveteen Rabbit
It takes each of us a different amount of time to really discover who we are and what we are all about. Once you do uncover the Real part of yourself, embrace them. Be yourself. Because those who truly care about you will find those parts of you beautiful. When you are happy in your own skin, in your own mind, in your own beliefs, that is when you are the most beautiful.

"Two rights don't equal a left." BFG
Well, I really think that needs no explanation :)

Mussels are people too.

2010-05-11T11:05:00.000-07:00

At the risk of sounding completely incompetent, am I the only one on this tiny ball of dust we call earth that didn't realize mussels were alive?! I mean, I knew they were alive at some point in time. They were alive with their little mussel family deep in the salty sea blanket of protection and life. They were alive with their little mussel boyfriends. They were alive with their little mussel mania conventions. They were alive. I get it.

I just thought that by the time they magically and humanly appeared in my local grocery store they would be dead and ready for consumption. Not.so.much. I preface the remainder of this murder confession, I mean, blog post by saying I am not a vegetarian by any means. I eat hamburgers, hot dogs and lord knows what else with the best of them. I do not cry when Wilber appears perfectly fried up on my breakfast platter next to my eggs Benedict nor do I shed tears when Mary's little lamb happens to be oh so scrumptious that she ends up nestled safely, warmly in my tiny tummy. However, I have never cooked anything that was technically still alive. Me no likey.

While carefully selecting my mussels on Sunday, the fish monger asked if I would be preparing the tiny children today. Since I already had a planned menu for that night, I told him my intention was to steam em on up Monday. He proceeded to bag, tag and hand over my small pound of noms and then told me to be sure I stored them in a bowl with a tiny bit of water and open lid so they can breathe until it is cooking time. Excuse me? They can breathe?!?!?

Ugh. I swear the entire time I was preparing my garlic, butter and wine sauce on the stove Horratio, Horris and the whole gang (clearly they had been named by that point) were looking at me. I had to place a towel over the bowl to get some privacy. And then apologized as I slipped them one by one into the pit of despair aka the sauce pan. Sigh. I am a murdered.

I ate 2. I assume it was my dear Horratio and Horris - the twins. And then I become so upset I had to stop and force the bf to stop as well. They were taken out to their final resting place soon thereafter. I hope they like the city provided trash bin. Moral of the story - Mussels are meant to be eaten at restaurants. Not at home. Write that down.

Good day.

Housewarming Gifts

2010-05-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Today, a friend asked for housewarming gift suggestions. My first instinct, like any sane person, was to suggest this golden ticket. Apparently, we were looking for something more serious so the search continued. Google affords us lightening fast information so naturally, that is where I began. The Internet is a scary place my friends (or stalkers whatevs). So besides Billy, which clearly is the front runner, here is a delightful sampling of what cyberspace thinks people actually want for their housewarming gifts...

I must admit I love housewarming parties. The main and most crucial reason my heart swells with joy at the site of a housewarming evite or perfectly printed paper invitation sent through the oh so vintage Pony Express is this: housewarming parties are equal opportunity employers. Gentleman, bear with me. Ladies, let’s go. This reminds me of the episode of SATC when Carrie realizes she is constantly celebrating the life choices of all her friends and said choices are inevitably those in which all the single ladies are left out of - sorry Beyonce. Alas, there is always the housewarming party. Whether you are single, married, divorced, its complicated (oh gee thanks facebook!), or anything in between you, YES YOU, can have a housewarming party too. Oh and you can warm anything from your fabulous new purchased abode (where nothing will be furnished for the next 5-10 year because you just spent every last jager bomb penny on your down payment) to your perfect little cookie cutter Post Property that we have all lived in. That is one of the highlights of our early twenties kids! Everyone is constantly moving and yes, it sucks when it is you, but when it's not you, you get to party. And when it is you, you get gifts and lets all be honest, gifts are glorious.

So for those of you looking forward to our next housewarming, book your tickets to NYC for summer 2011. And you can forget the wall mounted fish bowl (however, I know a few friends who will absolutley ask where they can get that fabulous knife set). Bring your shining face and a good bottle of carmenere and we will be besties for life.

Happy housewarming!

Half way through my third decade…

2010-04-22T12:22:00.001-07:00

Technically, I am still in my mid twenties which is just how I like things…in the middle. I don’t particularly care for summer or winter, I like autumn and spring. When it comes to my mattress, I prefer something not too firm and not too soft or my back begins to feel like an old woman. Oh and ice cream? No thank you…too icy and frozen yogurt is too creamy. I choose gelato every time if available. Right in the middle.
So here I am in the middle and loving every moment. I think I am supposed be more of an adult nowadays, but I certainly don’t feel like that. I guess if I actually felt old then I would be freaking out about each birthday. Good thing reality hasn’t had a chance to set in yet. Catch me if you can!
This birthday was exceptionally amazing. I am tempted to hack into thesauruses.com and type a laundry list of words that mean exceptionally amazing, but hopefully you can live without and feel joy through the screen of your tiny little window to the cyber world.
Part uno of my bday to rival all bdays was a small trip over the other side of the pond to an island you might have heard of…JAPAN! BAM! The bf and I boarded a plane at oh way too early o’clock a few days prior to the magical day of my birth to saunter over the Pacific and land safely in cherry blossom heaven. Tokyo was amazing. The city is MASSIVE. Think of New York City. Got it? Now multiply by 20 and you might be close to the size of Tokyo. We spent 5 days there and barely scratched the surface of what this fantastic place has to offer. It is hands down the cleanest place I have ever visited and home to the nicest people ever made. The food was interesting, but tasty nonetheless; however, there wasn’t as much sushi as you would think. I expected to be so over fish by the time we arrived back in the states, but the big to do over there is not the sush…it is the noodle caboodle. We both tried baby squid and just to save you some time, money and embarrassment from tossing your cookies in a fancy smancy eatery take my advice: skip it. Maybe adult squid is more up my alley, but that riddle will have to wait to be solved until the next trip. A photo montage for your viewing pleasure.

Part duex of my bday to rival all bdays was a super fun celebration with my VIPs attending the midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in full on costume. Instead of attempting to describe the pure craziness of the night in my own words, I am going to take advantage of my bestie and allow her to tell you all about it. Click here to read all the dirty dets!

Pullman Yard

2010-04-06T11:40:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, my dear Sil heard that there was some abandoned train yard hidden in downtown Atlanta. We fully intended on finding said yard at that time, but alas, life gets in your way and it is now APRIL. Sil had to work this weekend, so with bf in tow we ventured out on yet another adventure. Life is good.

Daniel used his amazeballs investigative skillz to track down the exact location of the yard and we were off! For those Atlantans reading, you can find the yard on the edge of Kirkwood just passed the Arizona Lofts. At first glance, I was a bit apprehensive of all the NO TRESSPASSING signs. After all, I am kinda a stickler for the rules. Onward we marched until we found a break in the chain link fence and barb wire where we easily squeezed through – thank god we are skinny.

And there it was.

We spent the next hour or so in awe of this amazing place that was completely abandoned. The main office was trashed, but still had big red Christmas bows on the ground surrounded by mounds of paperwork. The entire property is comprised of several buildings including the main, very large warehouse where we discovered an old Amtrak train that was awesome. It was completely graffited on the outside and we were tempted, but too scared to go inside. It looked as if the old train might have a newer occupant as we saw a couch, table and bottle of booze from the doorway. We decided we would save that for the next trip. The crumbling brick buildings were punctured with trees squeezing through the slightest crack and exploding on the other side, the glass windows have long been broken and leave light pouring through the side buildings while the main warehouse is graffited to the max, dark and haunting. The slightest breeze and you would hear things that gave you goosebumps simply from the huge, echoing rooms.

This place really was amazing and I am so glad we got in, got out and didn’t get caught. A photo montage for your viewing pleasure.

5 things that I would get if money was NO OPTION

2010-04-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

I saw this on another blog this morning and am stealing it. No apologies.

1. Macbook ~ I cannot tell you how many times this little gem has appeared in my shopping cart on Bestbuy.com, the Apple store and mentally in my mind on a daily basis. I am literally one more glass of wine away from hitting the check out button.
2. A trip around the world with stops in: Fiji, Venice, Malta, Bali, Sydney, Venice, Singapore, Bangkok, Laos, Vietnam, Venice, The Seychelles, Joburg, Morocco, Egypt, Barcelona, Paris, Mykonos, Venice, London, Dublin and did I mention Venice? http://www.staralliance.com/en/booking/book-and-fly/#
3. A faboosh LAMB handbag that I cannot find anywhere besides ebay.
4. This to.die.for chair from Paris on Ponce. Seriously, who wants to give me $1400?
5. The entire Le Creuset enameled cast iron cookware line…in every color. When it comes to cooking there are a few rules I live by. I believe in garlic, I believe in cooking while drinking red wine, and I certainly believe that this gorg cookware adds a little magic to each dish and thus tastes like you truly are Betty Crocker. What would you buy today if money were no option?

Reunions are so pre-millennium

2010-04-02T06:07:00.000-07:00

I have been a member of the RHS Class of 2002 Reunion group on fb.com for about a year or so now and I honestly do not know why. Here’s the deal kids: I really don’t see the point of class reunions for our generation anymore. Shocking, I know. I always thought I would be gung hoe to attend the big shin dig every 10 or so years because…gasp…I actually really enjoyed my high school experience. Seriously, I did. I loved high school so much that I actually CRIED when my parents were driving me up to college because I figured life just didn’t get better than good old Roswell High. Try to contain your laughter, please. Well, I certainly learned differently and while I will always have fond memories of high school I am now a tad apprehensive to jump on the whole reunion bandwagon deal.
I always thought the purpose of reunions was to reconnect with old friends, network and be nostalgic. Or see who got fat and bald. Whatevs. Well, nowa days with the advent of fb.com, I already know who got fat, knocked up and failed to graduate from college sooooooooo what’s the point? Ok ok, you say the point is to reconnect with old friends right? Well, again, with fb.com I am in touch with the people I want to be in touch with and have access readily available to those I might find interest in at some later point in time. So I just don’t see the point of the high school reunion anymore.
I guess that makes me a Debbie downer or cynical or just plain lame, but I really do not foresee myself shelling out the standard $75 for two drink tickets, bad buffet food, a cheesey DJ and embarrassing slideshow so me and the bf can talk to people we already talk to and avoid the ones we don’t.
I can safely say for certain: I am just too cool for school.

Writer's Block.

2010-03-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

I have writer’s block. I haven’t felt the urge to blog in some time now. That is what is on my mind. The end.

Motha

2010-02-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, a friend asked me to name a woman I admired and why. Without hesitation, I replied: My mother because she has always worked hard to be successful while maintaining a charitable heart and recently has reinvented herself into a modern business woman in the face of great adversity including a recession. Oh and all while looking fabulous. I am a very lucky girl to have such an amazing mother or as I call her Motha. I often post on fb.com shout outs to her in efforts to promote her biz and figured she is finally VIP enough to make an appearance on my bloggity blog considering she now has her very own. You can check it out here for great giveaways, fun stories and tips about chicken farming. Seriously.

Motha is the owner and sole designer of Retro Revival and hand sews the most darling items ever all with a splash of retro sparkle. Currently, her most in demand items include functional tote bags perfect for the gym, grocery store and beyond; darling aprons you will wear with pride as you bake your favorite apple pie or nuke a yummy Lean Cuisine; and adorable shower caps that you will just die over. Every item is meticulously handcrafted by Motha with the most superior quality and attention to detail. Everyone just loves her stuff.

She started her very own website to promote her business just several months ago and has since focused her marketing efforts mainly through facebook and word of mouth. Her diligent efforts have yielded high rewards and she is now an international seller with buyers in Canada and Italy. She also just secured her first retailer in Alpharetta, Georgia who will be selling many of her items. She is attending a few craft shows this spring to not only sell her amazing gems, but to help spread the Retro Revival word. Her online boutique is mostly where her business is generated and she is constantly updating the inventory with fabulous new treasures created in her sewing studio on the farm. As mentioned before, she recently started her very own Retro Revival blog. Every hit to her website and blog ups her chances of more people discovering her fantastic goodies so please spread the word. I am unbelievably proud of her and all her hard work. She is the most amazing women ever and I am so lucky to be able to call her Motha.

Happy National Margarita Day!

2010-02-22T12:53:00.001-08:00

No time to give this particular blog the true attention it deserves, but I still wanted to show some respect and wish you all a happy, tequila filled national margarita day! Perfect to compliment the stuffed peppers I intend on making tonight. So, ladies and gents, pull out that old bottle of tequila, mixer and ice and let her rip...as my father would say...FIRE IN THE HOLE!!!

Happy drinking :)

Fat People Suck

2010-02-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

The recent media coverage sparked by a certain Fat guy’s Twitter rant has escalated my eyeball rolling to an all time high. For those of you unfamiliar with the situation, a review:

Fat guy buys two plane tickets for flight on Southwest because when you are fat you are required to buy space for your other ass cheek. NBD. Fat guy has always done this with no problemo. Fat guy then decides to take an earlier flight where there is only one seat available. Southwest allows him to board even though he shouldn’t have been allowed. Their fault. Then, they see Fat guy and realize he is way too big, there are not enough seats and embarrass the heck out of him by ejecting him from the flight. Media hysteria ensues.

I cannot imagine how mortifying it must have been. Strapped in, ret to go and then BAM…you are too Fat to fly. Please leave. It was totally Southwest’s fault for letting him board in the first place, but maybe they thought hey he isn’t THAT fat and only later realized he really is THAT fat.

I find it ridiculous that this was such a big deal. Fat guy knew the rules and always abided by them. Yes, in his defensive, they did let him board, but who hasn’t ever made a mistake?! They righted a wrong and all was good in the air. Besides, his big claim is that he was embarrassed. Really? You let yourself walk around like that every day and don’t get mad at yourself for the embarrassment. Why get POed at an airline simply following the rules for your and other passengers safety?

Instead of using all his energy bitching and moaning, waa waa waa, about being embarrassed might I suggest a work out? Dropping a few lbs might help prevent this situation in the future and save a few buckaroos in the process. And, just think, all that effort to squeeze his butt out of the tiny little airplane seat, the walk of shame and all the huffing and puffing that followed might have burned a few extra calories. Maybe he should say thank you to Southwest for kick starting his metabolism just a smidge.

Cool Runnings

2010-02-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

Somehow the 2010 Winter Olympics have snuck up on me. They start tomorrow! I realize that typically the summer games get way more hype and while I too tend to watch more of those games I am excited to tune in and discover what Vancouver has to offer. I am dying to explore that city one day and hope that by perusing the slopes and skating rinks during these Olympic Games I might happen upon some interesting facts that may push me over the edge to purchase yet another airline ticket. * A moment of silence for my poor AMEX card *

In addition to my own agenda in watching the games, I am excited to watch some of the crazy stuff people can do on skis, skates and bob sleds. I heard on the news today that bob sleds get up to 90 mph on the Olympic track. I don’t even go that fast in my car on GA400 let alone in a boxcar, on ice while wearing spandex. You go girls…and boys. I will definitely be checking those races out as well as the big snowboard competitions where they do crazy tricks. The downhill speed stuff never interests me…snooze, but I will watch some nutso athlete twist, turn and what have you off a massive snow ramp any day. Oh and if they wipe out? Even more entertaining. Pass the popcorn.

Even though these are the winter games that start tomorrow, I would like to give a shout out to a Summer Olympian that I have found memories of. In the summer of 1992, Shannon Miller kicked mayjor butt on the gymnastics front. I remember watching her on TV and being blown away. I wanted to be Shannon Miller and signed up for gymnastics ASAP. During the medal ceremony I remember drawing a fabulous masterpiece of Ms. Miller on construction paper with colored pencils and asking my mother to please send this to her as I knew, for sure, that she would absolutely love it. I would venture to guess that Ms. Miller never received my amazing piece of artwork probably because my mother never sent it. Sigh. I wish I had a copy to share. Instead I will give you a taste of the real thing. Clearly nothing compared to my hand drawn amazingness, but I suppose it will do.

Go Shannon! Go USA! Go Winter Olympics 2010!

110

2010-01-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

I have intentionally neglected to blog about Daniel and my’s fabulous New Year’s Eurotrip for some time now. Mainly, because if I blogged about the entire adventure it would take fooooooooorrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeever (note to self: Sand Lot must be in my DVD collection ASAP.) So, instead of making all my online stalkers (I say this with love) insanely jealous I figured I would share only my two favorite stories from our trip. One being awesome and one being awesome only in retrospect. Read on bloggies…

The first story to share is the night of New Year’s Eve 2010. NYE was actually the purposed of our trip so we made sure to do something fun and, most importantly, something that allowed me to wear my favorite sequin dress of all time. Sequins make me happy. We all have our thing…don’t judge me. So, NYE 2010 in Munich, Germany was, in a word, afreakinmazeballs. After spending the majority of the day at Dachau, we were indeed in need…of a pick me up. The Germans delivered. We sauntered down to Marienplatz with a few thousand of our closest friends around 10:30pm. Marienplatz is basically the main square of the old city. The biggest attractions here are the Neues Rathaus (city hall) with the Glockenspiel (moving clocks) and the Column of the Virgin Mary in the middle of it all. We were told that the big to do for NYE in Munich is to be here and watch all the locals shoot off fireworks. So, we expected a small show and a good time. Well, low expectations bring high rewards. As we made our way to our first standing room only spot, we picked up some delicious German beers which cost 3€ plus a 1€ deposit returned to you once you have returned your beer bottle. Amazing system. Off we went and settled next to the subway entrance. Many people were already setting off fireworks and there was a sense of excitement in the air…or maybe that was the sulfur but whatev. More and more people began arriving and more and more beers were taken down. A girl no older than 16 set up next to us and promptly revealed her backpack overstuffed with rockets. This girl and the rest of Munich came packing. We were in for a show. As midnight approached, the fireworks became more intense. At one point, a firework exploded right next to us and I swear I felt like I was in war. A big group of people with a shopping cart (random) ran into the middle of the large square to the large column of the Virgin Mary and began dancing around and climbing her! It looked like the place to be so right before midnight Daniel grabbed my hand and we sprinted (in heels, be impressed) across the cobblestone and brick square, dodging fireworks and rockets to join the rockstars in the middle of it all. SO FUN! The countdown began as we all watched the clock tick tock away. 2010!!! Big smooch, HUGE rockets, tons of cheering, loud laughter and all around awesome awesome AWESOME moment. We tried to capture the energy and insanity on video, but you really just had to be there. Here is a sample of the perfect chaos.

NYE 2010 = Success.

Story #2 took place on our last night of the trip. We just finished off a few days in Stockholm and a snow covered Berlin and were in our tiny rental car back to Munich to fly home the next morning. Along the way Daniel made the executive decision to make a pit stop in the most.adorable.town.ever. Regensburg’s claim to fame is being the most preserved mid evil town in who knows where. Whatever. It was precious, darling, charming the works. I loved it and it was the perfect stop after a long day of Autobahn driving. We ate a delicious meal and walked around the town for awhile. We then hopped in our tiny car around 11pm to make the final 80kms to the hotel for the night. The remainder of the night/morning went a little something like this. Leave picture perfect town of lights and people, enter Autobahn with fog (holy god going 120mph with no sight is enough to give me grey hairs), exit Autobahn because Doris, our GPS, told us to. Enter dark, country road where Daniel decides to add this lovely remark, “Man, this looks like a place where people get murdered.” …
Gas light goes on. No worries. We only have 50km to go and the tank says we have at least 80 in the tank. The kilometers begin ticking down like the countdown on NYE. Begin Natalie’s meltdown. Pause. In my defense, we were running on literally 2 hours of sleep, it was PITCH black outside with nothing in sight and WE WERE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY! When the tank got down to 35km left, we began asking Doris where the closest gas station was. She took us to one…closed. She took us to another…closed. At this point we had 5k in the tank. Thankfully, we pulled into a tiny German town and saw a semi truck napping on the side of the road. I bail out of the car while Daniel is more or less still driving convinced this truck driver will be our savior. He spoke no English. Fail. While the three of us are trying to understand each other, a woman pulls up out of nowhere (we determined her to be his hooker because no one else lives here and what are they doing meeting up after midnight?). She speaks a little English so the four of us try to work this out. In the meantime, I hear squealing. Truck driver man was a PIG FARMER and had at least 50 PIGS in his truck. OMG, I am in the German version of deliverance and we are going to die!!! I get back in the car to commence crying. I see pig man drive away. I see hooker drive away. We are dead. I know it. Daniel gets back in the car and calms me down a tad. We call our rental car service, Europecar, who proceeds to tell us that running out of gas does not constitute road side assistance and that it is, “your fault.” REALLY?!?!?! I find the German 911 in our travel book, which btw is 110 if you are ever in need, and the German police kindly offer assistance. They show up about 45mins later. Daniel and I are ushered into the back of the German paddy wagon and are taken to get a gas tank. We are saved!!!! We fill up and make it to our oh so adorable hotel with heated bathroom floors just shy of 2am. We sleep for 3 hours and head to the airport safe and sound. So, at the time I was convinced death was upon us or as Daniel put us, we were in a place where people get murdered, but alas we survived. And to be honest, it is one heck of a hilarious story now :)

XYZ

2010-01-18T13:50:00.000-08:00

I remember back to elementary school and maybe even into middle school for this group of sophisticated and mature Georgians the phrase XYZ. That meant, dude, your fly is down. Apparently, XYZ actually is an abbreviation for, “examine your zipper.” I had no idea, but I got the jist back in the day. So, why is crazy talking about XYZ on Monday afternoon when she should be wrapping up work and scooting out the door to play? Um, well, it might have something to do with the fact I just walked around my office for a good hour with my fly down AND NO ONE TOLD ME. I know they saw. I know they giggled to themselves. I know they thought, oh what an idiot. And I definitely know they didn’t say one word to me let alone our favorite childhood FYI XYZ. Grrr. Why do people assume that letting someone politely, quietly know something is askew on their person is a bad thing? For the record, I would much prefer someone pull me aside and have the awkward, “hey I can see your who-ha,” or “so you have something fugly in your front teeth,” or “whoa buddy, looks like you dragged some tp out of the bathroom on your shoe” convo than have god knows how many more people see the embarrassment. It only takes one person to fix a tiny personal oppsie daisy and therefore prevent many more from becoming witness. Lucky for me, I tend to drink a hefty amount of water during the day and ended up in the bathroom before trotting passed my boss’s office. No worries, it is 4:47pm on Monday the eighteenth and I have no tp on my shoes, teeth sans greenery and now, thanks to no one in my office, my fly zipped shut as it should be on any good girl. Happy Monday kids!

I didn't dare Google image "pants zipper down" at work. Use your imagination pervs!

Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake ripped apart Haiti and flatten it’s capital, Port-au-Prince. If you flip on any television channel or peruse the news sites, you cannot miss the full coverage of this tragedy. Headlines read, “Sleeping among the dead,” “Haiti under rubble,” “Destruction sends chills,” “Girl pulled from flattened building,” and so many other heart-wrenching snippets that offer only a miniscule flash of the aftermath. I cannot begin to imagine how terrifying an earthquake actually is let alone the unthinkable horror that follows. The people in Haiti that survived literally are walking over thousands of dead bodies that line the streets. There is nowhere to burry the dead, there is no equipment to dig possible suriviors out of collapsed concrete buildings and there certainly is not enough medical care. The three Doctor’s Without Borders facilities located in Haiti are not capable of functioning. Those and other medical caretakers are forced to set up tents in efforts to treat the injured survivors. People are walking around with open head wounds and fractured bones. There is a video currently on the CNN.com homepage showing the first moments after the quake. You can see outstretched arms from collapsed buildings begging for help.

The updates are coming in by the hour and conditions are calamitous.

Here is an easy way to help. To make a $5 donation to Haiti all you have to do is text the number 501501 and enter the word Yele. The $5 charge will appear on your phone bill at the end of the month. You can find more information about Wyclef Jean’s organization at the website: http://www.yele.org/

Best of 2009

2009-12-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

As the final moments of 2009 slip away into the past, many a publication are taking the time to reflect on what went down this past year. Well, I know that we all pay a certain regard to these lists, but I think I am way more qualified to determine what really was the best of 2009. Why? Because I am awesome. Duh. Here is my personal best of 2009…just a few of my favorite things…

Best Album – Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack Karen O and the Kids delivered a stellar soundtrack to compliment one of my favorite movies this year. The childlike energy of each song wins this album a constant in my car; which says a lot considering Britney was the only one to ever have a permanent CD slot.

Best Song – Nothing Compares to You, as preformed by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

This is my go to jam out song. While on lap two of South Terminal at the airport last week, I was sitting patiently with about 1,200 other newly dubbed chauffeurs for the evening. Growing bored, I decided to entertain myself by completely rocking out to this song. On the third time the song was playing, an Atlanta Police officer tapped my window and told me I was having too much fun for being stuck waiting at the airport. Prince and Sinead have nothing on the Gimme Gimmes.

Best Concert – Britney Spears

The Circus came to town and Mary and I basically wanted to join and runaway. BSpears for life. Don’t hate.

Best Movie – 500 Days of Summer When I went to see this movie, I had never heard of it let alone seen a preview. Low expectations lead me to great results. Cute, offbeat, quirky, unconventianal romantic comedy. Comes out on DVD soon. Eeek!

Best Bar – Graveyard
Fun DJ spinning my favorite dance tunes? Check. 70s porn on the big screen? Check. Plenty of seating? Check. Best mix of people in Atlanta? Check. Ode to Baby Jesus Bunnies? Oh check yes. Always a fantastic time whether it’s team blackout or just a single beer kinda night.

Best Restaurant – Atmosphere
This tiny remolded house is home to the best French food this side of Peachtree. Well equppied with authentic Frenchies staffing both front and back of the house, adorable little dining areas, perfect lighting and hands down the best.damn.escargot.ever. Very romantic.

Best Festival – Luckyfest

I clearly had a blast. Just around the corner!

Best Trip – Puerto Rico and San Francisco It’s my list and I don’t have to pick if I don’t want to. Celebrating Lori and Will’s nuptials was exciting enough, but the beach? In January? Yes, please. Gorgeous, delicious, amazing. Tony put it best when he said, “I left my heart in San Francisco.” I have developed a large, passionate crush on the city by the bay.

Best Holiday – 4th of July in Charleston America’s birthday party brought me to Charleston this year where I partook in festivities on Morris Island all day long. Amazing weather, good friend.

Best Dakota Moment – Let’s just all be honest. When is there not a precious, muffin moment with Dakota? Muffinface 24/7 therefore I cannot pick a best. Best Moment of 2009– Meeting Daniel
No explanation needed. All is love.

Stash Bash 09

2009-12-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

As I was wandering the grocery store aisles last Friday night in search of Velveeta for the must have party snack of rotel queso dip, I had a man stop me and ask, “so what’s the deal with the mustaches?” I forgot to mention I was rocking a fancy stash for our housewarming party that very night. The man continued to say he had recently observed an overwhelming surge in the mustache’s popularity. He begged the question, “who started all this?!” Two words, one man. Tom Selleck. Whether you became a fan of that fluffy, well maintained stash while Mr. Selleck was taking care of a baby with two other men, solving crimes against humanity as a Hawaiian detective or simply making Monica swoon while dilating her eyes, I think we can all agree that he defines the mustache, or more commonly known as moostache, as pure raw sexuality. Rawr!

Nina, Daniel and I welcomed everyone and their mother over for a good old fashion house party. Let the wild rumpus start! There was booze, flip cup, dance circles, gang initiations, snuggies, make out sessions, roof top activity and many a stash at the bash. The night is rather fuzzy, but the photos speak volumes. A montage for your enjoyment.

Oh, and yes, many were reserved at first to dawn a stash, but once the drinks were flowing that was no longer an issue. I leave you with a few words of wisdom which I whole heartily hope will make your next party and maybe even life in general a tad sweeter…embrace the stash.

Current Crushes

2009-12-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

My friend Lauren’s blog is the one that inspired me to actually create my own. I just knew my life was so thrilling and exciting that I could no longer deprive cyberspace from my day to day activities. Anyways, Lauren did a post once about her current crushes and since my life this week is anything but exhilarating, I took inspiration (aka copied) from her once again and decided to share what I am crushin' on this week.

All things Munich – Stockholm – Berlin – Czech Republic related.
American New Year’s Eves are sooooo 2009. In an effort to kick the new decade off in style, Daniel and I will be venturing to Europe for a week to explore and indulge. Our week will hopefully involve, but not be limited to, lederhosen, huge beers, ice castles, snow, museums, holiday markets, gluvine, sausage, tiny foreign rental cars, cute villages, bed and breakfasts, the Autobahn and some guy named Checkpoint Charlie. Frolicking will most likely ensue. Green Tea.
Since my office likes to keep things about as warm as Antarctica this time of year, I am likely to OD on hot chocolate sometime very soon. Not to mention office hot coco isn’t nearly as fun as home hot coco which may or may not involve Baileys, Khalua or anything in that category. Thus, I sip on this lovely warm liquid each day to keep from turning into a very pretty ice cube.

Apple Bread.
I have yet to figure out how to use our bread maker, but will sometime in the near future. Until that oh so amazing time, I will continue to make this delish apple bread in a box from Trader Joes. Don’t hate. It.is.wonderful. A tad dry in general, but if you had ¼ cup apple sauce it does the trick.

Wine.
Another Trader Joe obsession of mine is Panilonco’s Carmenere from Chile. You will not believe me until you let this perfectly flavored red liquid gold hit your lips, but once you do you will be sold. For life. The $5 price tag is misleading considering I would pay much more for this tasty treat. Add it to your grocery list immediately if not sooner. You can thank me later by dropping a bottle off at the manor on Monroe. You’re welcome.

Snuggie.
My current uniform upon arrival at the manor each day after work now includes my amazeballs snuggie Sunnie and Amy gave me for my birthday last year. Go ahead kids, jump on the bandwagon. They really are all their cracked up to be. Give in already. All the cool kids are doing it. I am very jeal of Nina's leopard print snuggie. She is so trendy!

Uggs/Carolina slippers.
Another feature of my after work attire is snuggley footwear sine the hardwood floors in our poorly insulted house built in 1912 just about could be an ice rink this time of year. Lately, I have been rocking the Carolina slippers in support of my team who so nicely dominated over Clemsux this year. It’s the least I can do to show my support. GO COCKS!

Naughty Christmas Music.
Have you ever really listened to some of the Christmas classics? Take a moment and find yourself in hysterics once you see what pervs our predecessors were. Example number uno,

Winter Wonderland: In the meadow we can build a snowman. Then pretend that he is Parson Brown. He'll say: Are you married? We'll say: No man. But you can do the job when you're in town. Um wtf? Who is this Parson character and what is "the job?"

New York, I love you.

2009-12-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

After spending yet another week in the city that never sleeps, the big apple, empire city, Gotham, the melting pot, the city or whatever you care to call it – I confess, I am deeply, madly and passionately still in love with New York City. We’ve been a part of a dramatic love affair going on several years and I must admit; distance does indeed make the heart grow fonder. It had been almost six full months since we had been united. Thanksgiving seemed like the perfect time to mesh the fabulous relationship with my city and my amazing love, Daniel, all together for a week of food, fun and frolicking. It.was.blissful.

Simply flying over our city at night as we arrived made my heart flutter with excitement as I saw all those bright lights shining for what seemed for a moment, just for us. Upon touchdown, we quickly jumped into one of those famous yellow cabs and head straight for the East Village where we would call home for the week to see my bff from college, Patrick. It was Patrick’s only night in town so after hellos and suitcase abandonment, we were off for a night of bar hoping which included a badass spot called Death Club. Apparently this trendy hot spot is difficult to get into (Patrick had been rejected twice before), but with Daniel and I in tow we were granted entry to this dark and sexy drinkery. Hand chopped ice cubes and freshly homemade juices added to the outrageous bill, but it was totally worth it. After we didn’t die at Death Club we hopped on to two other spots: one, Mary Kate Olsen frequents (alas my homie was not there that night, sigh) and the other featured a cat on the bar. A real, live, whiskey drinking feline. Oh, I love New York.

The next morning brought a nasty case of food poisoning for Daniel so after fixing him up with meds, water, the works I ventured out to spend the day with my city. (I made sure he was all set to go vomming away with the necessary items before I left. I maintain I am a fantastic gf). I headed up to Midtown to take Patrick to lunch at the Black Shack before he flew home for the holiday. We noshed on burgers and milkshakes while we caught up and gossiped about life, love and the pursuit of booty. I then frolicked around the streets solo for a while soaking up the energy of the city before heading back to check on sicky mcsickerson. Daniel was a trooper and peeled his body out of bed and his head out of the toilet to join me for a sunset jaunt over the Brooklyn Bridge. Out of the umpteen times I have been to NYC, I had never walked across the bridge. It is a must do. Great views, beautiful construction and you get to see tons of funny tourists taking a million photos (aka me). Just beware of the jacks bikers who will scream your head off it you even dare breathe over the line that separates the bike path and the picture path. Seriously dude? You are in a full on spandex suit with a helmet that resembles a comet. Yell at whoever let you out of the house looking a damn fool instead of lil ole me. Thanks. We spent the next few hours getting lost in Little Italy and Chinatown (where we casually walked next to Naomi Watts for two blocks, shoulder to shoulder while being photographed by the paps. Look for us in US Weekly!) before grabbing sushi and heading to the Bowery Ballroom to see the Julian Plenty show. What an awesome venue. No wonder it is uber famous. Three levels include a swanky lounge for drinks, the main concert room and a balcony section with a fab bar. The rest of the evening was spent bar hopping in the LES – cash only.

Wednesday was sleep in, lunch with family and the off to the newly opened Tim Burton exhibit at the MOMA. It was really awesome and since Daniel was a film major he ate it up. Very cool to see original sketches, movie costumes and this little guy you might have heard of – John Mayer. Anyone? No? Oh, yea ok, I thought so. We initially were about three people behind him in line until the lady called all actual ticket holders to the front of the line. Being Ms. Planner I, of course, had tickets already in hand. Daniel and I by passed Mr. Mayer and his friend because we were VIP and apparently they were not. It felt pretty cool to be honest. The exhibit itself wasn’t huge so John caught up to us and we walked through together mostly. Granted, we didn’t actually exchange words, but I believe we exchanged air and that is enough for me ladies and gentlemen!

Thanksgiving could not have been more gorgeous. We woke up early to join 9 million other out of towners at the Macy’s Day Parade. They changed the route this year so we spent an hour running block to block trying to find the damn thing, but only catching the butt of Snoopy or the side of Pillsbury Doughboy. We eventually caught up and secured a great spot next to our closest 2,000 friends to see the rest of the parade ending perfectly with Santa. We then did some actual frolicking in Central Park followed by a viewing of the Fantastic Mr. Fox, a delish dinner complete with pumpkin ravioli and night of music and booze.

Friday, we made it over to an amazing bookstore that had an awesome rare books collection. We could have spent hours in there not to mention about a million dollars, but alas, we had to jet off to Philly to spend time with Daniel’s brother. I love Philly too. We had a great night of bar hoping and bonding. Saturday, Daniel and I walked around Philly for several hours taking in all the history and my very first ever in my life Philly cheesesteak. I figure it was the best place to do it. Amazing. Can’t wait for more in my future!

Sigh. We are now back home safely exhausted in ATL. After being to NYC so many times you would think I had done it all, but no. There are still a ton of things on my NYC bucket list that another trip is required ASAP. I know we will be moving there after Daniel is done with school, but I cannot wait that long to be reunited with my love. I predict a trip very soon to satisfy my needs. I will say, of all my trips, this had to be the best. My favorite city with my favorite person; life is sweet.

I love our neighborhood.

2009-11-19T07:45:00.000-08:00

As mentioned last week, I was thrilled about the amazing weather that was gracing Atlanta this weekend. As I sit here in my office sans window during yet another gloomy week, I yearn for that perfect weather.

I ventured into my blank scheduled weekend with excitement of what would fall onto my plate. Friday was a success as we sauntered down the street to Smith’s Olde Bar to celebrate Pat’s birthday. One too many shots later there was a strip show, an unexpected make out sess and a dance party that may or may not have involved How Bizarre. Um more like how amazing.

Saturday involved lots of snuggling and being lazy until Daniel had to go into work. Lame. After running off to dog sit in the ‘burbs, I returned home to continue my amazingly lazy day. I napped on the couch and spent some overdue QT with the pooch before Nina came over. After a quick trip to Rice Box, Trader Joes and Blockbuster, we were prepared for a lovely wine/Chinese/movie night. If you haven’t seen the Ugly Truth, put it in your queue. It is a super cute. As you can tell, my Saturday was ultimately boring, but I savored every moment. It was delicious.

Sunday was the icing atop an already amazingly relaxing weekend. I, of course, awoke early and checked off my to do list of regularly scheduled Sunday chores including: laundry, vacuuming in heals, cleaning the kitchen and dusting the living room. So satisfying. I don’t care what you say, chores might blow, but coming home to a clean house feels great. Once Daniel woke up, we headed out to Best Buy to purchase the new Super Mario Bros game for Wii. Side note – it is less than a week later and he has already beaten the entire game. Usually I am not one for video games, but Mario games are the best. They are the games I played as a child so I love them. Video game nerd? Sure, sign me up as long as it includes that fat little man in red. Moving on…after a short preview to the game Daniel, Dakota, Nina and I headed down to the park for a day of soaking in the final moments of weather perfection. The sound of the fallen leaves crunching below our feet was blissful.

As we head off to NYC next week for the holiday, I am excited to explore the city Daniel and I will live in come grad school completion in two years. I hope in the meantime to live it up in Atlanta as much as possible before we leave for good. Helping Kelly check off her Ultimate Atlanta Bucket List will ensure I am experiencing all of Atlanta’s greatness. I absolutely adore our little neighborhood and will miss it when we leave. Until then, I will frolic in the park as often as the fickle weather permits and take advantage of all the goodies between the manor and 10th street. I can’t wait to finally check out the Three Legged Cowboy and Woodys. Oh, I love Midtown.

I lie.

2009-11-13T06:13:00.001-08:00

I thought last weekend was going to be the last amazingly perfect fall weather ever. Well, I lie. This weekend is predicted to be gorgeous!!! I am thrilled.

This is the first weekend in a very long time that hasn’t been packed full of to dos and parties. It has been a fun filled few weeks, but I am eagerly looking forward to a weekend of spontenatity that could include anything from crazy dance parties to relaxing in the park with a good book. The possibilites are endless and that makes me happy. There are only 8 short hours that separate me from my empty planned weekend. Here are a few of my favorite websites that will entertain me until that magical hour of 5:00 o’clock:

Picnik.com

Textsfromlastnight.com

Itwasoverwhen.com

Jessicashops.com

Rightpuppykennel.com

Dlisted.com

Cooking.com

Theonion.com

Craigslist.org

Instyle.com

Happy weekend!

Snuggling is my favorite.

2009-11-11T07:43:00.000-08:00

I knew it. Last weekend was going to be the last beautiful weekend for the rest of our lives ever. Well, until spring. The gorgeous sunny, cloud free skies have turned on me this week bringing in rain, rain oh and MORE rain. Seriously Georgia, I do not want to hear one more word about a drought until at least 2012. I cannot believe just 6 months ago Sonny Perdue was advising us to all take 5 minute showers and if it is yellow let it mellow. Now, Atlanta might as well be Seattle’s first cousin. My new uniform once I arrive home from work includes sweatpants, long sleeved shirts, big thick socks or Uggs and a snuggie. My bf is one lucky man to live with such a hottie.

Flashback to last weekend when the weather was actually gorgeous! Friday night was bestie date night with Kelly. Kelly recently started her own blog chronicling her adventures in marking off one Atlanta Bucket List item at a time. I clearly inspire people. CNN hero of the year…right here kids. You can follow her here. Anyways, we ventured out on a lovely evening to begin checking off that list. Side note – there are few things that give me more satisfaction than checking things off lists. It just feels good. So I was the obvious wingwoman for the Atlanta Bucket List challenge. We began the night at the Righteous Room where we noshed on burgers and indulged in several Yuenglings (thank god we have that beer in Georgia now.) I am a big fan of anything involving exposed brick and this place was made extra righteous because of said architectural accent. We then sauntered over to the Highland Inn which Kelly had been to previously, but I was a virgin. My date for the night paid my way in to a basement full of low lights, antique stacked tvs and a fantastic soul band that put the groove into the evening. We have developed a naughty habitat of walking into random places like we own that ish and, of course, walked right up front to show off our fierce dance moves. The night then leads us to a “party” and finally to Smith’s olde bar where we showed off our dart skillz in the smoke filled room.

Saturday morning came too early and I snuggled as long as possible before being Betty Homemaker and making breakfast for my love and Nina. It is so marvelous having her right next door. Happy family at the Manor on Monroe. After being lazy for another hour or 3, Nina and I took a jaunt down to the Chomp and Stomp in Cabbagetown. This was supposed to be a Chili event, but somehow we ended up munching on corn dogs and funnel cake. Sounds like the SC state fair minus the gun shots. It was such a gorgeous day so I loved that we spent it outside soaking up the remainder of habitable weather. After the sunset it became a tad chilly so naturally we skipped over to Moe’s and Joe’s for more beer and dinner. Saturday night was officially the celebration of Nina’s 22nd birthday. We gathered at her apartment to have a drink or two and discover the many definitions of trumpet. Then, it was off to East Atlanta to begin the night of debauchery. The night included one too many shots at Graveyard, dance circles at Eastside lounge and thievery at Tin Roof. Oh and, does anyone remember that dance you did in middle school where you and your friend would grab opposite arms and then squat down, then pop back up and switch arms…etc? Well, Nina and I did and that was pretty much the highlight of the night. You’re welcome Eastside Lounge patrons.

Sunday was lovely with snuggles, errands, laundry, cleaning…the works. Oh and it may or may not have involved avocado masks and multiple SATC episodes. The weekend ran away entirely too fast and this week is dragging on slowly. The horrendous weather is not helping. Even eating grilled cheese and tomato soup everyday isn’t making time go any faster. Sigh. This weekend is supposed to be rather low key so I guess I will just have to wait until then to get in my doctor prescribed snuggle time. Doctors orders.

Pumpkin Paradise

2009-11-06T06:39:00.000-08:00

My obsession with all things pumpkin has really intensified this year. I wake up on Saturday mornings craving a breakfast of pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin bagels and continue through the day dreaming of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Delish. I am not sure when pumpkin season officially ends, but I am hoping those talented baristas at Starbucks keep churning out that orange tinted goodness well into the chilly months ahead.

Last Thursday, we began the celebration of Nina’s 22nd birthday. Yay! A bunch of her friends headed down to Tin Lizzy’s Grant Park location and had a quick nosh on margaritas, fried pickles and skillets. Heaven. Tin Lizzy’s is hands down my fav and thus the best Mexican restaurant in Atlanta. Check # 143 off the Ultimate Atlanta Bucket list.

After a low key Friday night (I am such a rockstar), Saturday was finally Halloween. I spent the morning being absolutely lazy and finally snapped into action early afternoon. I went to find my friend so she could find her car from the previous night’s cougar filled activities. We then headed to Wendy’s where I promptly permanently borrowed about a bizillon ketchup paper pot thingys. Once back to the manor, we concocted the perfect Halloween treat for our preparty later that night – black cherry and orange jello shots. Thank you Wendy’s for making this all possible. I promise to buy several frostys in the near future to repay my debut to your fast food establishment.

Cougey and I then made a quick jaunt to Junkman’s Daughter and Psycho Sisters in efforts to finalize our costumes. Mainly, we both needed proper underwear since out outfits were slightly scandalous. Mission accomplished. Once deck out in our fabulous costumes, a few friends came over to indulge in our fancy treats and play on the new Tpain app for the iphone. Then, it was off to Spiralween with 3,000 other Atlantans. I had a blast. The band Yatch Rock played Michael Jackson’s Thriller album for the first set and it.was.awesome. So perfect and so fun. The night was filled with lots of dancing, random picture taking with fun costumed strangers, a fire drill, evacuation, Miley Cyrus, Max, too many shots and finally, of course, a graceful tumble by yours truly. I think the highlights of the evening may be better described through a photo montage. Enjoy.

Sunday, Nina officially moved into the apartment next to Daniel and I. Our family is complete :) It is so great having her right next door. Barely a week in and we have already had our first official Grey’s date night and cooking baking party. Love it.

This week has seemed very long, but it is finally Friday. Last night, I joined the rest of my company for the Bowl A Thon where we raised money for Make A Wish Foundation. 800 realtors bowling? Hilarious. Especially my agents who all had to go cups of margaritas in hand from dinner. Very entertaining night and most importantly, we raised lots of money for the kids.

I am looking forward to this weekend and the amazeballs weather that is predicted. One more Halloween party, birthday extravanga and a lovely Sunday of photographing autumn leaves in the park lay ahead of me. All I have to do is make it through today which, at 9:37am, is already proving difficult. Maybe I should take a break and go grab a pumpkin spice latte to help me through :)

TMNT the movie? Awesome. Reality? Not Awesome.

2009-10-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

As my dear bestie, Kelly, has reminded me many a time this week, it is time to update my blog. Only a few weeks in and I am already slacking. Apologies to the fans. I do hope this entry lives up to the wild anticipation.

As a child, I was a huge fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And by huge, I mean, I had the most totally tubular collection of TMNT figurines this side of the elementary school yard and out of all the boys in the neighborhood. Bet. I had Turtle Power coming out the ying yang my friends. If it had anything relating to greenish, shells or ninjas I was all about it. For those of you who may dismember, the turtles were rescued and raised by Splinter. A rat. Now, back in the day, Splinter was the man. He might have been old, but he was wise and he could kick some major Shredder butt. Well, in the cartoon and the movie a giant, mutant ninja rat seems pretty radical; however, this does not hold fast in reality. A giant mutant ninja rat? Not bodacious. This is my very own Splinter found in my pantry last weekend.

Splinter

R.I.P

Oh. My. God. Dead? Yes. Disgusting? YES. Patrick and Daniel were kind enough to end my panic attack by disposing of the wise master ninja promptly and with great respect I would assume. Thankfully, super landlord swept in and poisoned the whole house and patched the hole the little fatty came through. I thought about escaping right then from the infested house altogether, but alas, I still love my 1912 traditional. “Character” and all. Oh and…the addition of the new tenant doesn’t hurt either. Especially when he brings home presents which turn out to be Mario kart for the Wii! Best. Boyfriend. Ever. Despite the chatter about TMNT and video games I swear I am a 100% an adult…most of the time ;)

Doesn't hurt that the new roomie also happens to be the most amazing guy ever and the love of my life :)

I'll eat you up I love you so.

2009-10-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

Where the Wild Things Are. Awesome. I.Love.This.Film. I had heard mixed reviews, but had high hopes for the adaptation of the book. After seeing this wonderful film last night I certainly hope that I never become someone who doesn’t appreciate a clear reminder of the simple joys of childhood. The film really hit home and reminded me of what it was like to be a kid. When you could scream and run and just be wild; using your pure creativity to escape reality for hours upon hours. It prompted me to reminisce on some of my favorite memories from my childhood especially the hours I spent entertaining myself in a way only a child’s imagination can. Here is a list of things I miss:

1. Running so fast you feel like your heart is going to pop out of your little chest.
2. Collecting billions of acorns and painting them before giving them back to the forest because I thought the squirrels would like prettier things to eat in the winter.
3. Pretending to be a wolf and leader of my own wolf pack.
4. Building tree houses and tee pees.
5. Having a pet rock that I took everywhere.
6. Pretending magnolia leaves where actual money.
7. Dressing up in my dad’s army clothes.
8. Climbing trees to the very tippy top.
9. Collecting salamanders.
10. Stealing neighborhood stray cats and hiding them in my bedroom even though my dad was allergic.
11. Talking to myself for hours when there was no one to play with and having just the best time.

12. Singing my own made up songs in the bathtub for what seemed like hours.
13. The excitement of Christmas morning.
14. Picking out my outfit for the first day of school.
15. The feeling the first time I went passed the mailbox and discovered a whole new side of the neighborhood.
16. Playing in the creek.
17. Climbing through rock tunnels.
18. Playing in sewers.
19. Eating all the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms box and leaving the rest.
20. Most of all, I miss feeling invincible. There was a time when I wasn’t scared of anything. No stress, no worry, no bills etc. My biggest worry was did I leave my bike outside or is the neighborhood association going to tear down my tree house? I credit my mom 100% for that feeling and feel extremely lucky to have had such a carefree and fun childhood. I would love to go back and play in the creek today with my wolf pack and begin harvesting the acorns for the squirrels, alas; I am off to a meeting.

All Is Love.

2009-10-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight is THE night I have been waiting for since I was a wee child. I get to finally see the on screen version of Where the Wild Things Are. I.am.so.excited. The only way I could be more excited was if they finally made the great film version of The Pokey Little Puppy. Anyone? No? Your loss. I have been listening to the amazeballs sound track for a few weeks now which I have posted a link below for your hearing pleasure. I suggest everyone run out and see it despite what any critics say...I mean, if this book wasn’t a part of your childhood then you missed out and should take advantage now.

http://stereogum.com/archives/stream-the-where-the-wild-things-are-soundtrack_092471.html

Last week some of the girls got together for our annual carving and cocktails night at Sunnies. A few bottles of vino later made for some seriously good looking pumpkins. I think the best of the night was Lil Mar Mar’s which had not only a unibrow, but a mustache as well. Anything with a mustache is hilarious in my book.
On Friday, I was able to spend the night with my BFF from high school. We cozied up on the chilly night with some vino (sensing a trend…), Chinese and a DVD. We watched the Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Honestly, the best part of the whole 2 hours was seeing my future ex bf in the buff. HOT. Ryan, call me.

Saturday rolled around (along with winter) and after some laundry and chores I headed over to the Five Points Halloween Festival and Parade with Deanna and Kelly where we saw the WORST band in history, several zombies, a red neck band singing on a dragon and 3 of Kelly ex bfs. All of this was accompanied by the 40s we bought across the street at the gas station so we didn’t have to wait in the beer tent lines. Classy? No. Efficient? Yes. Don’t say I didn’t learn anything useful in college. After the festival of freaks and learning that black boys are indeed delicious, Kelly, Kay and I headed over to Park Tavern to watch some football, nosh and drink entirely too much. Hot totty? Yes please. Times two. After watching the demise of USC, we headed home for an intermission which involved more vino and a lovely gab fest. Daniel came home to two drunkie mcdrunksters and promptly scooped us up and took us out to the bars in East Atlanta. The night is rather fuzzy, but the highlights include an impromptu dance session to Lady Gaga with an old man at a lesbian bar, Daniel being sooo confusing and Kelly and I doing a weird hip thrusting dance all night. Oh alcohol.

Sunday was officially Daniel and I’s 6 month anniversary (we are precious). After suffering through my massive hangover we grabbed some food at Mellow Mushroom and then he returned to work. Kelly headed back over and we made chocolate covered strawberries and apples which were delic! The trick is to use milk when melting the chocolate. Afterwards, we took a nice stroll through the park and frolicked with the drum circle for a bit. It was freezing, but nice to get out of the house after recovering all day. I am enjoying the cooler weather, but I need a longer transition between seasons. Isn’t that what Mother Nature invented fall for? Hold up to your end of the bargain lady. Give me my fall.

Revelry

2009-10-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

rev⋅el⋅ry –noun, plural -ries.
reveling; boisterous festivity: Their revelry could be heard across the river.

My weekend did indeed begin with a boisterous festivity. My girls and I headed out to the Kings of Leon show right after work on Friday and got to experience an afreakinmazeballs show. Kel and I were lucky enough to hop right up front and thought we were set to go until gigantor the happy giant took root directly in front of us. Luckily, everyone at the show was uber nice and kept letting us stand in front of them. “Oh, you can’t see? Please, get in front of me.” “Oh, you want me to take a picture for you? I am taller and can get a better shot.” Seriously, when is the last time you went to a show where you get moved up to the front inch by inch and it isn’t because you are squeezing between people whilst receiving the stink eye? Plus, several on hand photographers and the offer of a sip or 9 of beer. A smattering of the night…

Saturday I indulged in an afternoon of football and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies all while get some essential snuggle time in with the muffin. Then, it was off to babysit and make my grocery money for the week. Getting paid to hang with two ridiculously well mannered children and watch Troop Beverly Hills? Yes, please. Then out to the bar with my love where we stayed until last call so he could hear his juke box selections which were mighty fine. I would claim to be a rock star, but alas, I have been beaten out for that title this weekend. My dear friend, who shall be dubbed Cougey McCougarston, had the most rock star weekend by far. Highlights include: running into the youngin who bootied called her 7 days ago at the bar WITH his gf, being abandoned at said bar with only $5 to get home, saved by cute boys and invited to a dance party, dance party featured hanson, vanilla ice, miley cyrus, sunglasses, rock band guitars & a fog machine, yes.... they have a fog machine in their apartment, waking up to find a newbie who was MIA the night before, realize said MIAer and her have mutual friends and chat it up, home Sunday afternoon to find a fb.com friend request, poke and RELATIONSHIP request from said MIAer. The. End. Rock star. I suggested she accept the relationship…it is clearly meant to be.

Sunday was lovely and despite the 19 hour wait to be seated and 23 hour wait to actually be served, brunch at the Highland Bakery was, in our servers words, preeeeeeeeety delicious. Then, it was onto packing with the boy. 15 boxes of books later I might be rethinking him being well read as one of the reasons I love him.
xoxo

Let It Be

2009-10-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hello blogosphere! Instead of introducing myself and explaining my reasons for starting this blog, let’s just all accept the fact I have arrived and you are dying to know every thrilling morsel of my little life. Besides, the two people actually reading this know me and Dakota just likes to look at the pictures.
This week as been rather eventful and left me longing for day of nothing but relaxing and frolicking at the park. Last night was the highlight of the week thus far. After Daniel and I picked up our new TV stand (which I found after scouring Craigslist through 19 million posts), I surprised him with tickets to see RAIN at the Fox. Before the show, we grabbed a bite at Enoteca Carbonari were we noshed on yummy cheeses and partook of some delicious Italian vino. We then sauntered over to the Fox, promptly purchased our scotches and headed for our seats. I knew Daniel would love the show since he is such a Beatles enthusiast, but I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. Really, if you have the chance to see RAIN you must. The show starts with their early years on the Ed Sullivan Show and takes you along to their Abbey Road years. The reviews say RAIN captures it all flawlessly, but I wouldn’t know the difference. I can tell you that the music was awesome, the guys sounded fantastic and it was overall a surprisingly fun and entertaining show. I had some pretty good company too. Although we had to be one of only 10 couples under the age of 50, it was fun to sing along with the rest of the audience. I have a feeling I will be one of those oldies at the *Nsync tribute tour in say 30 or so years. Don’t judge me.
This week had been emotionally exhausting, but has reminded me once again of the wonderful friends I have. I read that Paul McCartney was inspired to write, “Let it be,” after having a dream of his mother who told him "It will be all right, just let it be.” So as I finish up this week and head into the weekend, I am going to do just that…let it be.
xoxo

Our faboosh new TV stand...yay!

View from outside the Fox!