NYC Summer Weekends Kick-Off!!

Have I ever told you how much I love NYC in the summer??  Yeah, I'm sure I have.  There is so much going on all the time and a lot of it is free!  I kicked-off this season of weekend fun in an incredible way!  I would have shared sooner but I was hoping to get some pics from Robyn, who I spent the bulk of the weekend with.  I still haven't gotten them, so I'm blogging on without them, friends!

It started on the first official Thursday night of summer back in June when I met Lucy and Liz at The Bowery Hotel for some FREE art + music.  It was the fact that Rhett Miller was going to be DJing the soiree that got us there.  He also did a short acoustic set.  But, what impressed us most was the space.  The Bowery Hotel may just be my new favorite spot!  The event space is half indoors and half outdoor terrace.  It is beautifully decorated.  After walking about 5-steps in the doorway I said to Lucy, "I think I love this place".  She did too.  And then when Liz came in a bit later, she'd already planned her entire wedding around the space by the time she found us - ha!  The art that was on display was pretty fantastic as well.  A couple of ladies who have an art gallery in upstate New York brought some of their goods down to show off to us city folks.  It was an impressive collection and fit in so well with the space.  I hope to attend many more events in this special little spot down in the Bowery.

I only took one picture at the Bowery Hotel...should have taken many more.  I wish it had turned out better, but I thought this fireplace was gorgeous.  In the design magazines and blogs I've been flipping through lately, I've seen a lot of displays of wood like the one on the sides at the top of the fireplace.  Love it...wish I could put the idea to use (could use it anyway, but would be kind of weird since I don't have a fireplace).

Saturday morning (5:30AM to be exact), I headed for Central Park where I spent 8 hours with my friend Robyn.  We were waiting in the line for Shakespeare in the Park tickets.  They are FREE which makes them difficult to get, but it's a rite of passage for all New Yorkers, so it had to be done!  The day went by extremely quick.  We brought games, magazines, and snacks with us, but mostly ended up chatting and people watching the whole time.  The two guys manning the line gave out #'s for places that would deliver food to the line.  We had breakfast sandwiches brought right to us - it was pretty funny!  The wait really wasn't bad at all - if you're going to have to wait for 8 hours in one spot, it might as well be in Central Park!  And, we got the tickets!!  I am so glad we went early in the season - I had friends go this past weekend and the ones who got there at 2AM got tickets, but the ones who arrived at 4:00AM did not.  5:30AM isn't sounding so bad now, is it??

We split up for the afternoon and came back that night for the show, along with our friends Bethany and Megan (Robyn and I could each get 2 tickets).  Robyn brought pizza and I brought wine to enjoy while watching the show.  We saw The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jesse L. Martin (you'd recognize him from Law & Order and other shows).  It was SO good and the perfect evening to be out in the park enjoying some theatre.

That Sunday, I went to teach the kids at church in the morning and from there, Hillery, Robyn and I went out to Governor's Island to attend our first polo match....for FREE, of course!  Governor's Island is just off the south end of Manhattan, not far from Liberty Island (where the Statue of Liberty is).  It was an extremely hot day and very, very crowded so that put a bit of a damper on our fun.  We got to see Prince Harry play, though, and that was worth it!!  I'd love to go to a Polo match another time...but maybe one that isn't so crowded!

The tents were just for the people who bought

$250 tickets.  I tried to win tickets,

but no such luck.  Maybe next year.

Here come the players!

That'd be Prince Harry trying to get the ball

At half-time (or whatever it's called in a Polo Match),

everyone got to go onto the field to stomp the divots

back in the ground - I've always wanted to do that!

We knew there were lots of celebs there (Robyn had

a friend working in the tents and he updated us on who

was there).  We tried to spot some, but no luck.

Pretty views of the city

Harry again!

That evening, I managed to make it back to Manhattan in time for church followed by Rooftop Wine & Cheese.  Lucy and her roommate, Jessica, have been hosting these fun parties on their rooftop after church about once a month.  This was the first time I was able to go and it was so much fun!  I got to talk to lots of people - ones I rarely see and met some new peeps, too.  And life in the hot city is always better when you're on a rooftop!

It couldn't have been a better weekend to kick-off all the summer fun!

She & Him

I got to see She & Him play last week.  I had been hearing about this group that brought Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward together for a while now.  In fact, three of my closest friends from three very different periods of my life like them a lot.  They are all much more knowledgeable about current bands than I am and I often like what they like.  That plus the fact that I think Zooey Deschanel is adorable and I LOVED her last summer in (500) Days of Summer led me to naturally assume I would like She & Him.

When Lucy asked me if I wanted to go see them with her, I had not listened to their music a lot, but went ahead and bought a ticket and then downloaded several songs so I could get more familiar before the show.  I spent about 6 weeks listening to their music and just couldn't get into it.  Their sound kind of reminded me of '50's music.  In Hawaii.  And it kind of reminded me of that scene in Dirty Dancing when the sister is in the talent show.  Do you remember it?



I started wondering if I should have bought the ticket.  Plus, the show was at Terminal 5...a venue I loathe because of it's location far, far away from any subway.  I was super bummed I missed their FREE outdoor concert on Governor's Island just a few days before (I was in Maine).  The day of the show, I was not looking forward to going.  But, I had bought the ticket, so I went.  And I surprisingly LOVED it.  Maybe one of the best live shows I've ever seen.  The music was suddenly GREAT and I loved watching them (Zooey is as adorable in person as I thought she'd be).  They are extremely talented.  I had no idea Zooey Deschanel had so much talent!  Her voice is amazing and she has an excellent ear for tune.  She can also play the electric piano (and had to adapt because hers suddenly went out of tune part way through the show) and the ukulele and she even writes most of their music!  She is such an old soul.  Her music definitely has an older vibe to it and the dresses she wears are so cute, but all look like they came from a different time period.  She seems so interesting...I'd like to know her.

Girl's Night Out!

In between my trips to Charlottesville and Texas, I fit in a girls night out with some co-workers.  Shecky's Girl's Night Out is an event where vendors come together to sell their goods...it's kind of like a Holiday Market, but not for the Holidays, obviously.  There were clothes, purses, jewelry, cosmetics, etc....  I didn't see anything I wanted to buy, but that wasn't really why I was there.  I went for the GIFT BAG.  Each person gets an amazing gift bag stuffed full of all kinds of goodies.  So fun!

My favorite part of the night was the beer/food pairing tasting that Iona, Amy and I did.  I don't really like beer, but this was fun!  They paired 5 beers with 5 foods...one with edamame, another with cheese, etc...  I also enjoyed the mini cupcakes some booths were giving for filling out a survey or something.

These sunglasses that came in our gift bags are SO not flattering.  But here we all are...me with Lecretia (AP clerk), Amy (Financial Analyst), Selena (AP clerk), and Iona (my awesome Accounting staff).

At the Lean Cuisine booth...they gave us props for our picture then fed us dinner.

Notice the bling on my right hand and the cutesy headband.  My favorite is the

purse with chihuahua that Lecretia is wearing.

Do you know the Secret!?!?

I liked Kelly’s Korner Linky thing again this week, so I’m participating. This week it is sharing your favorite Bible Verse. Most of you are probably pretty familiar with Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” One of my favorite verses, however, is the one leading up to that….Philippians 4:12:

12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Such a great reminder when you are feeling down and out about something and want to run to the things of this world to bring you satisfaction or happiness. Our Joy is not found in the things of the world. Rather, it is found when you seek Him (through scripture reading, prayer, listening for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, obedience etc…).

In John 16:33, Jesus assured us that “In this world you will have troubles”. So those times of feeling down and out or even experiencing tremendous hardship are going to happen. BUT, try looking to Him before you turn to things in this world to lift your spirits. For He “has overcome the world.” and you are guaranteed to find contentment and peace even in the midst of those troubles. That’s the SECRET!

Few Days In the Big D

I love to explore new things and although I feel very familiar with Dallas and everything to do there, I am constantly hearing of new shops and restaurants I want to try when I go back (or old ones I just didn't know about before). Between the Daily Candy emails and a blog I recently started reading, my list of things to do in Dallas is ever-growing. I only had a few days to actually do "me" stuff in Dallas this trip and I made the most of it! Unfortunately, I took no pictures, so this is an incredibly boring post.  But, here's a re-cap of what I was able to pack in:

-- a night watching The Bachelorette w/ my old watch-party gals...Andi, Michelle, and Jenifer (Brooke was already on her way to Indonesia for her honeymoon.  I can't believe she didn't postpone the trip so she could watch with us....I kid)! LOVEing Cape Cod Chris!

-- Dinner with my friends Julie and Amber at Mi Cocina. Mi Cocina is one of my must-eats when I go to Dallas. The margarita really hit the spot, however, the brisket tacos were not nearly as good this time - lets hope it was a fluke! They were SO greasy :( I hadn't seen Amber my last few trips so it was great to catch-up with her and Jules, too!

-- Dinner with Tamara, Elizabeth, Lisa & her girls, and Tonya (she surprised me...she "summers" in Maine now and I didn't know she was in Dallas for work that week). I always think I don't like surprises...I'm too much of a planner. But, this was a fun surprise! We ate at Flying Saucer on Lake Ray Hubbard. I'd never been to the lake out there and this was a fun experience for me...wish I could hang out with the gang on the lake more often!

-- Sewing nights with my mom. We made some simple curtains for my apartment - if I ever get them ironed and hung, I'll put up some pics!

-- Design District Shopping with mom. We hit up a few of the antique stores on Industrial Blvd along with the Crate & Barrel outlet and Pierre Deux (one of our very faves).
-- Uptown(ish) shopping with mom and Beth. We went in a few stores on Henderson (there's more I want to explore here, but a HUGE thunderstorm rolled through and we wimped out before we were finished). We also went in a couple of stores in old houses in the Uptown area (they were all weird...won't go back) and some stores in Snyder Plaza (lots to love there). We also lunched together at Two Sisters...yummy, girly lunch food.

-- Lunch with my good friend and old co-worker, Kelli and her cute, cute boys. Such fun to see them!

-- Dad's Day celebration! We celebrated Father's Day a week early and took my dad out for BBQ (his fave). We had a new (to us) place in mind, but it only had outdoor seating and it was a HOT day...we'll take him there next time when it's cooler.   I love my dad and he loved the Hot Chilly's Beth and I gave him to use on his next ski trip...I just hope I get to join in for the next one!

-- Sunday with the 'rents. I skipped church and slept in (first morning in 9 days without small children waking me early)! After church, my mom made us a delicious salad lunch and then she and I headed out for a little more shopping...I had a coupon to Ann Taylor Loft that was expiring that day and wanted to see if I could find something. I was able to use my coupon for a couple of new shirts, but my best find was a pair of nice black pants for work...on sale for only $6!!! I haven't found a deal like that in ages.

I love Dallas, had a great time, look very forward to my next trip there, but was still happy to return to NYC. That is a great feeling.

West Texas Fam

While I was in Texas, the girls and babies headed out to West Texas for a quick trip to see my aunt, uncle, cousins and their babies. It had been almost 2 years since I'd seen my cousins and their kids and it was important to me to fit them in this trip! Let me tell you, I will not be doing 3 days of babysitting and 3 days of West Texas all in one trip again -- too exhausting for a vacation!! It was fun, though.

Mom, Beth and I drove up there on Thursday afternoon, arriving just a little before dinner time. We stayed until Saturday morning after breakfast. The 6 hour car rides to and from were not bad although Beau and Ryder ATE both my headphones and my mom's headphones they were using to listen to the movies they were watching. Ryder chewed up the cord to mine until it no longer worked and Beau bit the ear part to pieces on my mom's. This was my first car ride with kids where I got to experience the whole "Are we there yet" phenomenon. Although it was shortened to "We there"?  Luckily, it's only Ryder who's picked up on that so far, but it started 45 minutes into the ride. The highlight of the ride for me was when Beth warned Beau that she would have to buy some pepper spray to spray in his mouth if he kept saying potty words. I have never in my life seen a boy so terrified...tears, screaming, and holding his hands tightly over his mouth.  It was as if she had actually sprayed his mouth already.  That is one dramatic kid...hilarious.

It was a quick stay in Canyon, but just enough time to hang out at my aunt and uncle's new house. It seems like they live on a ranch now - don't know if that's what you'd call it, but that's what it feels like with all the land and animals nearby (not their animals, just neighboring animals). They do have guinea's though and I only knew what those were because I'd just seen some when I was on the Charlottesville farm. They're kind of like a chicken. Anyway, I digress. Here's what the trip consisted of:

-- good meals planned by my aunt. Great salads on the first night followed by delicious brownies (she even made a batch of PB brownies for all of us choc/PB fans in the family). Hamburgers the second night. Awesome bread and tea bought from specialty stores right there in their town.
-- watching the kids play with each other

Ryder, Canon and Megan on the bench

JB peeking through the window!

Beau was hanging out under the bench

-- sitting by the pool while the kids swam. I was only out there an hour or less and somehow got a crazy sunburn. I had weird white splotches all over and we couldn't figure it out. Later realized I had put a sunscreen lathered Jaxon on my lap and apparently some of it rubbed off in odd places here and there...lovely.
-- Granny cart rides around the property

-- Visiting the neighbors new baby horse...3 weeks old!

-- West Texas sunset

-- Late night Wii, adults only. My mom even got into it (surprise, surprise...we all know she's super competitive and will never forget the huge chalkboard in our Columbia basement that documented each of our personal high scores for Frogger back in the day)
-- Shopping the town square...only my mom, aunt and I went on this excursion. We're the ones who are not used to getting up at 7:30 to the sound of loud kids (9 of 'em to be exact)...we needed a breather (not really...just wanted to shop!) No good finds this trip.
-- Shopping at Dillard's at the Amarillo mall. They were having a sale, but we didn't find too much.

That pretty much sums up the trip to WT. Look forward to the next time we get to hang out with the fam!

Game Day Beads Necklaces & Bracelets

Mizzou Beads

Remember last fall when I made Game Day Beads for the Baylor/Tech game?

Sorry mom's eyes are closed :( , but

she's proudly wearing her Baylor Beads!

Shortly after the Thanksgiving weekend game, I put pictures of the necklaces on Etsy (and never told a soul)! Some stranger found my Etsy shop and bought THREE necklaces - woo-hoo! Then my store expired or something and I haven't done anything with it since. Since Kelly is doing a Linky on homemade goods this week, I thought I'd re-open my store and link-up!  WE'RE BACK IN BUSINESS!!

Pittsburgh Beads

Steelers Beads

OSU Beads

Game Day Beads are made from Kukui Nuts which are supposed to bring good luck - perfect for the next big game!  I can get the Nuts in almost any color so you can support the team of your choice.  I can paint the team logo on the beads or leave it off.  And, I am just now introducing Game Day Beads bracelets in addition to the necklaces!  And you can get your necklaces or bracelets with your team logo or without it!