The Kiss Bomb
The Nap-time Sleepy Face
The Snuggle Buddies
December 30, 2013
A Year in Review
I'm mildly obsessed with Fotor Photo Collage maker. With an unexpected free night I put together collages of my three favorite things from 2013.
The Kiss Bomb
The Nap-time Sleepy Face
The Snuggle Buddies
The Kiss Bomb
The Nap-time Sleepy Face
The Snuggle Buddies
Let the wedding planning begin!
I have discovered that one surefire way to scramble my brains and leave me on the brink of tears (or overflow) is wedding planning. Dude, guys, it's no fun. Other people have too many opinions and I care too much about what other people think about our choices, it's a problem.
Although we have only been engaged for a little over a month, the pressure is on and people keep asking what's the date. So, alright already, we'll start getting around.
While we were in Chicago for Christmas we looked at Mandy's church as basically the only ceremony option we had in mind. We sorta kinda got approval in passing so we are going ahead with that location, still no date. So Sorry I didn't get a picture of the sanctuary all spruced up for the holiday maybe Mandy can get one for us?? You can visit the website here and peruse the gallery for photos of the space.
It really is a lovely building and beautiful sanctuary. Thanks to Mandy for offering the suggestion and being so willing to share her church home. The added bonus of it being where my parents were married is a nice plus.
As for the reception, we don't have one yet. It's a sore spot. Don't ask.
But I did get this handy binder for Christmas so at least we can say we started planning. I am much more comfortable making small decisions like flowers (pink stock) and favors (custom squished pennies), but those are still important so I am counting it as planning progress.
As for Dan in all of this? He is a rock for which I am eternally grateful. Thanks Buddy. His calm spirit and always level headed and realistic outlook is a wonderful grounding force in all of this. In time it will be fun, at least I can hope.
Oh, and our baker, the wonderfully talented Mandy, gave us a little taste test at Christmas. I think I can say we both enjoyed it. Butter pecan cake with maple frosting. Yum!
Although we have only been engaged for a little over a month, the pressure is on and people keep asking what's the date. So, alright already, we'll start getting around.
While we were in Chicago for Christmas we looked at Mandy's church as basically the only ceremony option we had in mind. We sorta kinda got approval in passing so we are going ahead with that location, still no date. So Sorry I didn't get a picture of the sanctuary all spruced up for the holiday maybe Mandy can get one for us?? You can visit the website here and peruse the gallery for photos of the space.
It really is a lovely building and beautiful sanctuary. Thanks to Mandy for offering the suggestion and being so willing to share her church home. The added bonus of it being where my parents were married is a nice plus.
As for the reception, we don't have one yet. It's a sore spot. Don't ask.
But I did get this handy binder for Christmas so at least we can say we started planning. I am much more comfortable making small decisions like flowers (pink stock) and favors (custom squished pennies), but those are still important so I am counting it as planning progress.
As for Dan in all of this? He is a rock for which I am eternally grateful. Thanks Buddy. His calm spirit and always level headed and realistic outlook is a wonderful grounding force in all of this. In time it will be fun, at least I can hope.
Oh, and our baker, the wonderfully talented Mandy, gave us a little taste test at Christmas. I think I can say we both enjoyed it. Butter pecan cake with maple frosting. Yum!
6 Hours at O'Hare
Well, one thing we learned this Christmas: Spirit Airlines is no good.
Mandy dropped Dan and I off at the airport with about 2 hours before we needed to board our flight back to NYC. When we went to check-in our bags and print our boarding passes we discovered that our flight was delayed 4 hours for no apparent reason. Thrill. Since we were already through security we just swallowed the 6 hour inconvenience.
Fortunately O'Hare International Airport is quite vast and a quick stroll around revealed a few treats. Of course, we got some Garrett's Popcorn.
We also stumbled upon an urban garden in the middle of the terminal. What? I also saw a sign for a Children's Museum and let me tell you, whoever came up with that idea is a rich man. Can you imagine having a small child in an airport for an unexpected amount of time?
We attempted to play Rook, and got frustrated. Ate some leftover turkey sandwiches my mom packed. Marveled at the technology of the rotating toilet seat covers in the bathroom. Paid $5 for a bottle of water. Watched some basketball. And finally boarded our flight at 9 pm.
No leg room, no reclining seats, second row from the back, and a chatty loud flight attendant made for an uncomfortable flight back. We were glad to get a cab quickly and made it back to Bay Ridge by 2 am. Luckily neither of us had to work on Friday.
Despite the unexpected delay I was glad to spend 6 hours in the airport with Dan. Lord knows Mega Devil would have been unchained had he not been there.
See ya Spirit Airlines! We will not be flying with you again.
Mandy dropped Dan and I off at the airport with about 2 hours before we needed to board our flight back to NYC. When we went to check-in our bags and print our boarding passes we discovered that our flight was delayed 4 hours for no apparent reason. Thrill. Since we were already through security we just swallowed the 6 hour inconvenience.
Fortunately O'Hare International Airport is quite vast and a quick stroll around revealed a few treats. Of course, we got some Garrett's Popcorn.
We also stumbled upon an urban garden in the middle of the terminal. What? I also saw a sign for a Children's Museum and let me tell you, whoever came up with that idea is a rich man. Can you imagine having a small child in an airport for an unexpected amount of time?
We attempted to play Rook, and got frustrated. Ate some leftover turkey sandwiches my mom packed. Marveled at the technology of the rotating toilet seat covers in the bathroom. Paid $5 for a bottle of water. Watched some basketball. And finally boarded our flight at 9 pm.
No leg room, no reclining seats, second row from the back, and a chatty loud flight attendant made for an uncomfortable flight back. We were glad to get a cab quickly and made it back to Bay Ridge by 2 am. Luckily neither of us had to work on Friday.
Despite the unexpected delay I was glad to spend 6 hours in the airport with Dan. Lord knows Mega Devil would have been unchained had he not been there.
See ya Spirit Airlines! We will not be flying with you again.
Christmas, 2013 style
The week before we left for Chicago was a nightmare of too many things to do and a blur of stress that smooshed out the joy of the season. Mental note for next year: don't let that happen again.
Dan got sick a couple of days before we left for Chicago. My extremest thinking piled onto of my already stressed out mind decided it would be a miserable holiday. But he rounded a corner just in time and proved me wrong, again. He is a resilient fellow and a true trooper. Look at how sweet is sleepy face is! Awe. (yeah, I'm that person who takes secret sleeping photos...deal with it).
Mandy hosted us at her dollhouse apartment and we fit so snuggly in her home. Thanks for sharing so well Mimoo, we had a blast and a lot of laughs.
This trip was filled with firsts for Dan:
He tried Chicago style hot dogs
Decorated Christmas cookies with real piping bags
Tried the famous stuffed pizza
Braved the freezing temperatures and brutal wind downtown
Saw the Sears (Willis) Tower with the promise to return to the top some day soon (the wait was too long when we went)
And compared the luxuries of the CTA El trains with our familiar MTA subways
We did lots of other fun stuff too like putting together a puzzle in less than 24 hours, tasted our future wedding cake, met some family, saw Christmas lights, went to church a couple of times, saw Saving Mr. Banks, went shopping, watched movies, opened presents, ate yummy food, had a charcoal art lesson with my mom, and generally enjoyed Christmas merriment with a small side of dramatic moments (from me, not him). It was a good holiday in the windy city.
Dan got sick a couple of days before we left for Chicago. My extremest thinking piled onto of my already stressed out mind decided it would be a miserable holiday. But he rounded a corner just in time and proved me wrong, again. He is a resilient fellow and a true trooper. Look at how sweet is sleepy face is! Awe. (yeah, I'm that person who takes secret sleeping photos...deal with it).
Mandy hosted us at her dollhouse apartment and we fit so snuggly in her home. Thanks for sharing so well Mimoo, we had a blast and a lot of laughs.
This trip was filled with firsts for Dan:
He tried Chicago style hot dogs
Decorated Christmas cookies with real piping bags
Tried the famous stuffed pizza
Braved the freezing temperatures and brutal wind downtown
And compared the luxuries of the CTA El trains with our familiar MTA subways
We did lots of other fun stuff too like putting together a puzzle in less than 24 hours, tasted our future wedding cake, met some family, saw Christmas lights, went to church a couple of times, saw Saving Mr. Banks, went shopping, watched movies, opened presents, ate yummy food, had a charcoal art lesson with my mom, and generally enjoyed Christmas merriment with a small side of dramatic moments (from me, not him). It was a good holiday in the windy city.
December 16, 2013
SPARKLE! Night of 10,000 Lights
Dan and I returned to Cold Springs on Friday for the event we had marked on our calendars way back in August called "SPARKLE Night of 10,000 Lights." It was a beautiful and memorable trip that I wish I could have bottled up to sip on forever.
It started out a little rough since we were both coming from work and had to catch a 6:15 pm train in order to get to Boscobel in time to see the lights before 9:00 pm. Every single time we have gone to Boscobel we have ended up running to catch our train, and let me tell you, Grand Central on a Friday night at rush hour is insane. Anyways, we made it with time to spare, sweat and all.
Dan called the local taxi service to pick us up at the MetroNorth station and to take us the less than 10 minute drive to Boscobel. Our cab driver was a character and a half and charged an exorbitant fee of $15. But we made it in time to see the lights and we really had no other transportation options.
Our first stop was Santa's Sparkle Garden where, much to my surprise, Santa and Mrs. Claus required us to sit on their laps!! I knew they would be there but I guess I hadn't thought about anything more than snapping a picture from a distance. It was sooooo cute, they were the most realistic pair and it thrilled me to no end that we actually got to sit on their laps. After we got our picture taken, they gave us candy canes and Santa asked us what we wanted for Christmas. I was pleased to say..."Well, I already got my ring" and they congratulated us as we sauntered off to see more lights.
There were projections of snowflakes on the facade of the house and an awesome ice sculpture of the house on the front lawn.
The next stop was the gallery where there was a hand bell choir playing Christmas songs. It was a nice break from the cold outside and the Christmas tree was beautiful as well.
The rose garden had colored tea lights which were hard to capture with my phone camera but it was lovely. Around the back of the house there was Christmas music playing and awesome lights from one of the trees that looked like melting icicles (the picture makes it look like normal blue lights but trust me they were cool).
We stopped at the food truck for warm caramel apple cider. We warmed up with that in the heated tent before heading back to hear more of the hand bells.
A lady took a picture of Dan and me by the entrance to the house. I really like Dan's little pose ;o)
Dan texted the cab driver a little before 9 that we were ready to be picked-up. He texted back that he would be there in 10 minutes. 30 minutes later we were officially frozen and annoyed and angry that we had to pay $15 again. But Mandy reminded me that it was about the experience and not the expense and she was right. We fussed about the cab fare for a bit and then let it go.
We checked-in to the Hudson House River Inn and scurried back down to the restaurant so we could get something to eat before the kitchen closed at 10 pm. I didn't think we would be seated but the waitress was so nice and we ordered simple dishes to make it easy on the kitchen. Dan got lobster bisque and a baked potato and I got crab cakes and then I stole some of the potato.
The dining area was decorated so beautifully for the holiday and it was so pretty with the lights from the gazebo by the river.
After dinner, we settled into our cozy quaint room and caught a couple episodes of Friends before going to bed. When we awoke early the next morning, it was snowing!! Snow is so romantical especially when you get to snuggle-up inside and watch Saved by the Bell all morning.
We decided to get around since breakfast was only served until 10 am and we were curious to see what it was. Both of us expected hotel-style continental breakfast of you choice of cold cereal and yogurt. I was over-the-moon surprised to see we got to pick from the menu and were served hot coffee and tea in the dining room. It was even more romantic than the night before because the snow was falling outside and Christmas music was playing. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture but we had the most delicious blueberry pancakes (Dan) and Belgium waffles (me) and it was "complementary" with the room!! We used our last bit of cash to tip the waitress.
As we were sitting there I was thinking how "adult" it felt to be engaged and planning overnight trips, going to fancy restaurants, paying our bills, making our own choices, sipping coffee and chatting. Yet at the same time I felt like a kid pretending to be an adult like Mandy and I used to do when we played house in the basement with plastic food and dolls. Part of me just doesn't quite feel qualified to be an adult. The playing was nice because it was pretend and didn't come with all the worries of being an adult. But "playing" for real is pretty cool too and better than I ever imagined, worries an all.
We caught the train back into the city and slipped from the quiet and quaint back into the bustle and boom of Manhattan, right into the middle of the drunken fest known as Santa Con. I was glad to finally get back to Bay Ridge and snuggle-up again with the snow falling outside.
It was just the kind of trip I had imagined and I'm so glad Dan made it happen. Thanks Buddy! You're the bestest! Mmmmaaaawwww
It started out a little rough since we were both coming from work and had to catch a 6:15 pm train in order to get to Boscobel in time to see the lights before 9:00 pm. Every single time we have gone to Boscobel we have ended up running to catch our train, and let me tell you, Grand Central on a Friday night at rush hour is insane. Anyways, we made it with time to spare, sweat and all.
Dan called the local taxi service to pick us up at the MetroNorth station and to take us the less than 10 minute drive to Boscobel. Our cab driver was a character and a half and charged an exorbitant fee of $15. But we made it in time to see the lights and we really had no other transportation options.
Our first stop was Santa's Sparkle Garden where, much to my surprise, Santa and Mrs. Claus required us to sit on their laps!! I knew they would be there but I guess I hadn't thought about anything more than snapping a picture from a distance. It was sooooo cute, they were the most realistic pair and it thrilled me to no end that we actually got to sit on their laps. After we got our picture taken, they gave us candy canes and Santa asked us what we wanted for Christmas. I was pleased to say..."Well, I already got my ring" and they congratulated us as we sauntered off to see more lights.
 |
| Look at those jolly red cheeks!! |
The next stop was the gallery where there was a hand bell choir playing Christmas songs. It was a nice break from the cold outside and the Christmas tree was beautiful as well.
The rose garden had colored tea lights which were hard to capture with my phone camera but it was lovely. Around the back of the house there was Christmas music playing and awesome lights from one of the trees that looked like melting icicles (the picture makes it look like normal blue lights but trust me they were cool).
We stopped at the food truck for warm caramel apple cider. We warmed up with that in the heated tent before heading back to hear more of the hand bells.
A lady took a picture of Dan and me by the entrance to the house. I really like Dan's little pose ;o)
Dan texted the cab driver a little before 9 that we were ready to be picked-up. He texted back that he would be there in 10 minutes. 30 minutes later we were officially frozen and annoyed and angry that we had to pay $15 again. But Mandy reminded me that it was about the experience and not the expense and she was right. We fussed about the cab fare for a bit and then let it go.
We checked-in to the Hudson House River Inn and scurried back down to the restaurant so we could get something to eat before the kitchen closed at 10 pm. I didn't think we would be seated but the waitress was so nice and we ordered simple dishes to make it easy on the kitchen. Dan got lobster bisque and a baked potato and I got crab cakes and then I stole some of the potato.
The dining area was decorated so beautifully for the holiday and it was so pretty with the lights from the gazebo by the river.
After dinner, we settled into our cozy quaint room and caught a couple episodes of Friends before going to bed. When we awoke early the next morning, it was snowing!! Snow is so romantical especially when you get to snuggle-up inside and watch Saved by the Bell all morning.
We decided to get around since breakfast was only served until 10 am and we were curious to see what it was. Both of us expected hotel-style continental breakfast of you choice of cold cereal and yogurt. I was over-the-moon surprised to see we got to pick from the menu and were served hot coffee and tea in the dining room. It was even more romantic than the night before because the snow was falling outside and Christmas music was playing. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture but we had the most delicious blueberry pancakes (Dan) and Belgium waffles (me) and it was "complementary" with the room!! We used our last bit of cash to tip the waitress.
As we were sitting there I was thinking how "adult" it felt to be engaged and planning overnight trips, going to fancy restaurants, paying our bills, making our own choices, sipping coffee and chatting. Yet at the same time I felt like a kid pretending to be an adult like Mandy and I used to do when we played house in the basement with plastic food and dolls. Part of me just doesn't quite feel qualified to be an adult. The playing was nice because it was pretend and didn't come with all the worries of being an adult. But "playing" for real is pretty cool too and better than I ever imagined, worries an all.
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| Rocky Pants visiting the Christmas village |
It was just the kind of trip I had imagined and I'm so glad Dan made it happen. Thanks Buddy! You're the bestest! Mmmmaaaawwww
December 11, 2013
Sous Chef Dan
On nights when Dan and I hangout, I do most of the cooking, which I like. Although I don't have a very big variety of dishes I like having someone to cook for and it is so much easier to cook for four instead of one (I say 4 because we both have the appetite of 2 people). Once I get a bigger kitchen and more cooking accessories the repertoire of dishes will most definitely expand.
Anyways, on occasion Dan will help me cook by being a reliable sous chef and chop vegetables, shred chicken, or grate cheese (he's real good at grating cheese). At first he was quite timid about chopping but now he is a pro. The key is not everything has to be uniform, it all ends up in the same place!
After Dan got comfortable with the sous chef role he told me he would cook for me!
And then he forgot, twice.
But behold! One night I came back to my place and there he was cooking away at the stove. I was shocked. When he said he would cook I expected blue box or pb&j but instead he was slaving over a pan of cheeseburger macaroni! And it was delicious (I had never made or eaten hamburger helper, now it's a common dish at my place).
Funny though, I looked at my computer moments after I took the picture above and he had Googled "how to cook ground beef." :o)
I see a bright future for sous chef Dan and perhaps some day he'll advance to scratch cooking. But for now I'm more than happy with his grating skills and Hamburger Helper.
Anyways, on occasion Dan will help me cook by being a reliable sous chef and chop vegetables, shred chicken, or grate cheese (he's real good at grating cheese). At first he was quite timid about chopping but now he is a pro. The key is not everything has to be uniform, it all ends up in the same place!
And then he forgot, twice.
But behold! One night I came back to my place and there he was cooking away at the stove. I was shocked. When he said he would cook I expected blue box or pb&j but instead he was slaving over a pan of cheeseburger macaroni! And it was delicious (I had never made or eaten hamburger helper, now it's a common dish at my place).
I see a bright future for sous chef Dan and perhaps some day he'll advance to scratch cooking. But for now I'm more than happy with his grating skills and Hamburger Helper.
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| Conquering the Pot Pie (i made it) |
