I'm Still Eating

I'm checking in again. One week later, instead of a month. Progress! :)

This week has been relatively uneventful, but tomorrow D and I drive to Harrisonburg, Virginia. Woohoo! I've been there only once before for a stop at Starbucks and a super quick JMU campus drive-by . . but D will be giving me a proper tour this weekend, which includes a basketball game on Saturday and hopefully some delicious bagels {I've heard they're the best ever}. We'll be staying with his very good {married} friends who I met just a few weeks ago. I'm excited.

I know I haven't written about food for awhile, but don't worry, I'm still enjoying some good meals. In fact, my boyfriend takes me out to eat so much, it's a miracle I haven't gained any weight.

Last weekend alone, we ate at Rustico {our 2nd 3 hour meal there in a week - mmm yummy beer, roasted mushroom pizza, and great convos}, Los Tios {steak with fried eggs on top and caramelized onions, don't mind if I do}, Ozzie's Italian restaurant {wine, lasagna, rigatoni, and dessert with his cousins}, Cafe Bonaparte {crepes!} and Fire Works {for more pizza}.

It was all delicious. But again, pb&j with D would make me equally happy. Just sayin'. :)

p.s. Did I mention he came to Nebraska with me after Christmas? It was fun!



p.p.s. I'll try to write a non-D-centric post next time. Try. :)

Stylish Blogger Award

I’ve only been back on the blogging scene for a week and I’ve been welcomed with a blog award from Pink Sun Drops! This makes me especially happy because she is one of the first bloggers I ever stumbled upon, and hers was one that encouraged me to keep posting.

I loved reading about her life in California (now Austin) with her husband and two adorable sons. I was inspired by her desire to invest in her family, and intrigued by how she embraced her role as a young mom. Like me, she enjoys good food and new experiences, and three years ago, we were able to meet up for some fun in Austin – ice-skating on the roof of Whole Foods, a little hike up Mount Bonnell, delicious BBQ in the middle-of-nowhere, and some live country music on SoCo.

The rules upon receiving this award are the following:

Rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 10 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about this award.

Here are my 7 random things:

1. I'm in the middle of a two-month spending freeze right now. And by that I mean that only food and absolute necessities are allowed to be purchased – and that includes “fancy” food. The first month has been a bit of a breeze, and I’ve only been tempted to pick up a magazine or buy a groupon here or there. I’ve said no to things like Restaurant Week - *tear* - and a ski trip that keep a nice chunk of money in the bank where it belongs. D has been my “encourager” on #1, and I will admit that he makes it much more motivating. I have fun doing nothing but talking to him (which is free), and if he doesn’t think I need new clothes, I must not . . for at least another month or two. :)

2. I'm so excited to file my taxes. I know it sounds strange. As a single person, claiming zero is like an automatic savings plan.

3. I'm in the middle of a really good book right now called “Manhunt”. I love historical nonfiction, and the detailed story of the search for Abraham Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth, has me on the edge of my seat. It’s amazing how much information the author was able to dig up to give such a fascinating play-by-play of events. Thanks for the book, D!

4. I want to practice cooking more often . . with D, at least. It’s way more fun to do it with him. Last Sunday, we made baked ravioli, green beans with caramelized onions (except that I messed up the onions), and rolls. Let’s just say I learned a few things. I have a lot to learn. Right now, I’m a little intimidated in the kitchen, and I know only practice will build my confidence.

5. If I had one day all to myself right now, I’d work out, have a long time of prayer, Bible reading and worship with the Lord, and go through all my design magazines that are piling up unread. I’d like to create a folder with magazine clippings of spaces I love. I need to file images away on my laptop, too.

6. Pertaining to style, I feel like I have none these days. The first thing I think when getting dressed every day is not “what cute outfit can I put together?”, but “what warm outfit can I put together?”. Not that you can’t be warm and fashionable, but after I shower, I’m in too much of a hurry to GET WARM CLOTHES ON BODY to give much thought to style.

7. I think my favorite thing to wear right now is the white Rebel Yell hoodie D gave me for Christmas. It is so cozy! I saw Jessica Simpson (back when I loved her) wearing one of their t-shirts years ago and checked out the brand, but couldn’t bring myself to splurge. Glad D did it for me . . although I know it helps when you get a discount. :)

Here is my list of 10 stylish bloggers I'm loving these days:

1. The Fashionista Foodie. I personally know this stylish blogger, and it was so fun to discover that we shared many similar interests, like food, fashion, and blogging. She's been posting some delicious recipes that I'm dying to try!
2. The Style Activist. A personal friend of Fashionista Foodie, I've just begun reading her blog. I love the outfits she puts together! Check out her blog roll for lots of other great fashion blogs.
3. Kendi Everyday. I find so much inspiration here for everyday outfits. I'm pretty sure I would wear every outfit she does. Check out her 30 for 30 Remix "challenge".
4. Cupcakes and Cashmere. My favorite "lifestyle" blogger, Emily doesn't play it safe when it comes to food and fashion. She's always mixing up fabulous ensembles and trying challenging new recipes.
5. Whoorl. I love Sarah's witty, sometimes sarcastic, commentary on everything from mommyhood to hair. She actually has a blog about hair and hair products, as well. I also love that she sold me 3 of her like-new J.Crew suits for the price of one jacket. :)
6. Girls Like Cars Too. Another real life friend with an eye for beautiful things. She may like cars, but she also loves design, photography, and though she never posts pictures of herself, the girl knows how to dress!
7. In the Tweeds. Ok, so here is another stylish blogger I know personally. With a passion for interior design, she's having lots of fun (post-remodel) decorating her new home in Mississippi.
8. Mama Loves Papa. You can have four small children and be a stylish mommy. Morgan proves it. I don't know how she manages to look so cute while also dressing/feeding/raising her little ones, but she does!
9. Jewels. From Alabama to NYC, from school to full-time job, Julie is having fun exploring the city and sharing her adventures and love of design on her blog.
10. Bryn Alexandra. Bryn is one of my very favorite design bloggers with taste very similar to mine. It's been exciting to watch her venture down a new career path in interior design. I'm amazed at all she's accomplished in such a short time.

----So there you have it. Ten stylish bloggers I love. Have fun checking out their blogs if you haven't already! Thanks again, Pink! xo

New York City

I am back-tracking over a month by posting pics of New York City, but I can't let the trip go unmentioned. It was too much fun!

D and I decided to go explore the city the weekend after Thanksgiving, our long list of things-to-see in hand. Fortunately our interests overlap and complement each other well.

Eating, shopping, sightseeing, we did it all.

One of my favorite things to see, that I'd only walked past before, was the Trinity graveyard in the Financial District. I love history, and seeing tombstones from the late 1700s, many worn down to almost nothing, was fascinating.



This marker for a 9 year old who passed away in 1761 especially had me captivated.



We spent most of our time walking through Soho, and if you can believe it, I was not the one with a long list of stores to visit. I was, however, probably the one who spent the most money once inside the stores.

I stopped in Kim Kardashian's shop, Dash . .



. . and spotted the nearest Anthropologie after wandering the cobblestone streets. {I picked up a cute blue blouse and salmon-colored corduroys at the Chelsea Anthro the next day.}



This boy loves him some shoes, and he was wishing he could create his own Nikes at the Sportswear shop.



As is to be expected when visiting NYC, we sought out some really good pizza, and we found it . . and waited a long time for it at Lombardi's. I didn't know until we got there that it was America's very first pizzeria. It was delicious!





My favorite meal of the trip was at A.O.C., a French restaurant in Greenwich, that we stumbled upon after my blocks-long quest for Magnolia Bakery {I think D heard "I'm pretty sure it's this next block" x5} - not because they're my favorite cupcakes, but because . . it's so cute!

We ate by candlelight, somehow not stuffing ourselves with too much bread, and I enjoyed the Risotto de la Mer with shrimp, scallops, salmon, thinly sliced carrots and a balsamic glaze. I will attempt to make this at home {with the help of my roommate, most likely}.



In addition to Ground Zero, Christmas windows on 5th Ave, and all that shopping, we also had fun at Chelsea Market. Don't ask how many bakeries we visited, though.



We also walked through the Hell's Kitchen flea market, admiring the vintage clothes and trinkets, but not buying a thing.



We sat on a bench in Central Park sipping our City Bakery hot chocolate . .



. . and then headed to Rockefeller Plaza for some memorable and expensive ice skating. The tree wasn't lit yet, but the atmosphere was still pretty magical . . in my opinion. I'm not sure D had stopped thinking about the cost yet. :)





We walked through Times Square, Dylan's Candybar, and the Union Square Holiday Market during our trip, and we ended it all with the best breakfast ever at Locanda Verde in Tribeca.



Hellooo hazelnut french toast, I miss you.



Oh, how I love New York. It's taken me awhile, but I do.

Happy New Year!

In the past 5 1/2+ years, this may be the longest I've stayed away from the blog, and I promise there's a very good reason for it. I found something a little more fun than hanging out on my laptop.

His name is Danny. Never mind getting a great, new, challenging job this year (although I'm tremendously grateful for it); he is definitely my favorite part of 2010.

While I am typically a constantly-camera-toting girl, I have been more busy living in the moment these days and enjoying getting to know someone without documenting everything. No worries, I've still gotten some pics, though. :)

For example, the night we met:



The reason we met is partially due to these sweet tickets he had to the Nationals game . . to which I was invited by my good friend KC who was seeing his roommate. Confused?
Basically, I went to this game as her wingman, person #4, and it was a very good decision.

The four of us coupled off, as could be expected, and talked for awhile after the game with this beautiful view of the Capitol:



It suppose it might have been romantic if I was thinking of him as anything more than a nice guy I had just met . . . but I didn't start thinking that until the next day. . and I've talked to him every day since. He's way more than just nice. :)



I can't wait to make more memories {and maybe document them} in 2011!