Random Happenings

This past week I returned to Philly after the Thanksgiving holiday. I had a great time at home catching up with my family and seeing some of my old friends. I have so much to be thankful for this year and continue to be so blessed. As always returning to Philly was bittersweet, on one hand I was excited to see Joe and my friends and on another sad to leave my family... and so continues the dilemma of all of the things I love being torn between two cities. I hope someday I will be able to figure out where I really want to be, but for now, I am just taking the 'wait and see' approach as a few key elements continue to unfold... Anyways, I digress. 

After another unexciting week of work and housework.. I was ready for another weekend. I bought Joe an Ipad for Christmas and was so thrilled when it had come in the mail on Thursday. I wrapped it up in an abnormally large box for an ipad to throw him off and hid it away. I spent all day Friday convincing him that I had bought him a ski helmet for Christmas for our trip to Utah. He did not want a ski helmet, but I have been saying its a good idea for skiing out west. He would have been disappointed with that gift. I lasted until Saturday afternoon, when I caved and gave him his Ipad as an early Christmas present. I know, I know.. its December 4th, but patience has never been my virtue and I love giving gifts probably more then I like getting them. Now I know why Oprah got a "high" off of her favorite things show! Its really fun giving people expensive things. We spent a few hours on Saturday messing around with it, it is so addicting. I am very excited because I also will be getting one from my mom for Christmas. Ipads for everyone! hahah. 

To thank me for being such a wonderful girlfriend, Joe took me to the Christmas village at Love Park in Philadelphia. We shopped around to all of the different Christmas stands and ate and drank our way through the village. After the Christmas Village, we made a brief stop at Macy's to see their annual light show. After that, we stopped and got a drink at R2L at the top of the Liberty Two building in center city. From the restaurant you can see the whole skyline on a clear night, it was beautiful. After that we went to Vintage, a wine bar that I had been previously last year for a wine and food pairing class. Our meal was great, and we were able to be seated right away which was good because by that point we had done a ton of walking!

Today we relaxed for most of the day, then Joe's parents stopped by on their way back from KOP mall. I had brought them back some Abbott's, so I am glad we were able to get together so I could give it to them. We went out for a nice dinner, and they stopped by after to see my Christmas lights and retrieve their ice cream. 

All and all, a great weekend. Looking forward to more Christmas celebrations in the coming weeks. In a week, Joe and I will celebrate our THREE YEAR anniversary. Time is really starting to fly lately. I have made it my goal for December to really try and enjoy today, here and now. Because soon, today will be yesterday... I have spent a lot of this year worried about the future. For now, I am just letting it go and enjoying all the season has to offer. xoxo

"For me, that year Christmas stopped being about tinsel and wrapping paper, and started being about memory. At first I was disappointed. Until I learned that memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you wish to never lose. And I learned from Winnie, that in a world that changes too fast, the best we can do is wish each other Merry Christmas." - The Wonder Years

Something to Laugh At

Hello,

I thought I would leave you for the holiday with something to laugh at.. enjoy.

Thirty Days to be Thankful... Week 3

Man these days are rolling around faster and faster!

Nov 14th: Today I am thankful that I get to go home in 10 days. Cant wait to see the family and some high school friends. Dorothy said it best, there is no place like home.

Nov 15th: Today I am thankful that I have almost survived living alone. Never thought it is something I would attempt or enjoy. But, it hasnt been as bad as I expected and at times I really like calling my own shots, finding things exactly like I left them when I get home, and watching whatever I want on TV with no one there to tell me that I cant. Having Joe potentially move in soon is exciting to me and scary at the same time, because I am going to have to give up complete control of my space.

Nov 16th: Today I am thankful there are weekends to end horrible weeks of work.

Nov 17th: Today I am thankful to be going over Joes house to a nice meal he is cooking for me. Its great to not have to cook for yourself every once and a while.

Nov 18th Today I am thankful to have a weekend where nothing is planned. I am looking forward to relaxing and doing whatever strikes me at the moment.

Nov 19th: Today I am thankful for my friend Allie. She is my only friend at work and always there for me. She is one of my few friends that I can always count on if I want to do something spur of the moment. She is the easiest person to make plans with.

Nov 20th: Today I am thankful for my mom teaching me how to be both domestic and handy. This weekend I made a Christmas wreath, cleaned the house, self-cleaned the oven, did laundry, hung Christmas lights and whipped up homemade vodka sauce. Productivity to the max.

Thirty Days to Be Thankful - Week 2

Nov 7: Today I am thankful for something simple - sleep. Sleeping is the best. This week we got an extra hour of sleep and I feel amazing at work -- for a Monday. Sleep allows you to forget all your worries and troubles and is one of the few "natural excapes" from a sometimes stressful life.

Nov 8: Today I am thankful for beautiful fall weather so I can sit outside at lunch. Today is supposed to be a high of 70 degrees, and nothing makes a day better like a little bit of sunshine to break up a long day in a cubicle. UPDATE: I went and sat outside for a whole hour today.. it was glorious!

Nov 9: Today I am thankful for plans with friends during the work week. Making plans with freinds can certainly brighten the long stretch between Monday and Friday. Last night I went out with Sara to our favorite Manayunk wine bar and tonight I am going with Joe and another couple we are friends with to the Tortilla Press, a mexican restaurant in Haddonfield NJ. Cant wait!

Nov 10: Today I am thankful for a little pick me up during my long work day: Venti Starbucks Gingerbread Latte with skim milk. Its the small things..that make a day better.

The cup says: "when we are together, I know I'll never fall."
 Since when did start in the motivational quote business?

Nov 11: Today is 11-11-11 and today is friday...need I say more?

Nov 12: Today I am thankful for old friends... even through today we are seperated by geography... we come together every so often and  for that day.. its like nothing ever changed. Whether from high school or college, I have the best friends a girl could ask for.

Nov 13: Today I struggle to find something to be thankful for becuase I am in a really bad mood. So I guess today I am thankful for tomrorow.. tomorrow I get another try at today in hopes I've learned something from yesterday.

Thirty Days to be Thankful - Week 1

Since it is officially November and almost time for Thanksgiving, I thought I would take this month to think about all of the things in my life I am thankful for and post them here at the end of each week. Here it goes

Nov 1: Today I am thankful for my job. It may not always be the job I want, or the job I would love to have. Sometimes its stressful, and other times it bores me. But it also affords me a great life style and the money to see and do all of the things that I want to do it life and for that, I am thankful.

Nov 2: Today as I was sitting at my desk I got a call from a cruise planner who planned a vacation for me and my girlfriends, what seems like ages ago. So today it reminded me how thankful I am for my girlfriends. My UD girls have stuck by me through thick and thin and I am so appreciative to have people like them to share my life with. Because lets face it -boyfriends provide support and understanding in their own way, but no one understands a woman like another woman.

Nov 3: Today I am thankful for the other women in my life: mom and my grandmas. My mom is my best friend and the person who I go to with any problem. I am so lucky to have such an amazing mother. I hope we can stay close and share this life for a very long time like her and her mom. Speaking of grandmas, I am so lucky to have both of them in my life. I hope they are around long enough to meet my future children.

Nov 4: Today I am thankful for my boss. Let's face it, a boss can make all the difference about whether or not you like your job. My boss is relaxed, laid back, and definitely a great boss. As long as I get done what I need to do, he lets me run my own show. I appreciate that he doesnt try to micro-manage my whole day and tell me how I am going to spend every minute of my day.

Nov 5: Today I am thankful for my boyfriend. We may not have it all together all the time but he makes a my life better in so many ways. Today we spent the day cleaning the gutters, it was a dirty, disgusting job, and he was a champ about it. He helps me out a lot around my house and he is always there for me even if he may not express it in the ways that I expect. I am really lucky.

Nov 6: Today I am thankful for my brother, Brendan. He drove down from Wilmington to eat dinner with me. I made us a nice dinner and we got to chat and catch up. Even though I am far away from the rest of my family, I am so fortunate that he is only an hour away and that we are close siblings.

One week down.. 3 to go... I must admit, this is tough for me. I am really good at looking at the glass half empty.. not as good at looking for the positives in every day. A good lesson.

#autumnlife

October has flown by! I don't know where the days have gone honestly. I cant believe next week we will start November, then December and another year will be done. Not too many super exciting things happening lately, but I have been doing a few things to keep busy/amused. Lets start out with a few recipes I have made in the last few weeks which I loved so much I want to share:

Butternut Sqush Risotto: This was a great fall dish! I really really enjoyed it and so did my friend Allie when she made it last week by my recommendation. If you cant find pancetta, use prosciutto and cut the amount of salt used in the recipe because prosciutto is saltier then pancetta. I also did not use a dutch over, just did everything on the stove and it came out fine.

Broiled Salmon with Peppercorn Lime Rub: This was quick, easy, and really healthy. I didn't have cracked peppercorns, so i put some whole peppercorns in a little zip lock baggie and crushed them with a rolling pin. The peppercorn/lime combination really cut down on the fishy taste of the salmon.

Butternut Squash Lasagna: Another great fall dish and a modern twist on a classic recipe. Joe and I really enjoyed this one over and over because it made so much! It would be great for a dinner party, or if you have a busy week ahead and do not want to think about cooking a bunch of different meals.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan: This was a recipe I found when I was googling easy tilapia recipes. Don't be fooled by the weird combinations that make up the sauce, once you put it in the broiler it turns into a delicious cheesy cream sauce that is light and flavorful!

The past few weekends have been fun. The second weekend in October we went to the Phillies Divisional playoff game. It was a fun night, but a disappointing loss for the Phils that ended baseball season.

The following weekend, Joe and I were hanging out in NJ at his place and he decided to take me out to Union Trust Steakhouse for a nice dinner. Union Trust was a restaurant I had tried during restaurant week in September with Brendan and had told Joe it was one of the best steaks I had ever eaten. So, when he received an applause award bonus from his job, he was excited to try Union Trust completely on their dime. We had a great dinner and a nice night out. On Saturday my old roommate, Laura, came into town for a conference, and to visit. We had a nice night out to dinner and met Sara out for a drink at the bar. It was nice to have the old roommates back together once again!

This weekend Joe and I went to his parents house at the shore. It was a beautiful fall weekend and we had a nice time hanging out with them. We arrived late Friday night and just hung out and relaxed. On Saturday, we went out for sushi with his parents and then to Atlantic City to gamble/people watch. I ended up winning $275 bucks which made me super happy! I decided to be super un-fun, and put that money towards some bills.. wooohoo free electric this month! On Sunday, we went to Ocean City, NJ and walked the boardwalk. It was a beautiful fall day and great to be outside. Here are some pictures I took of the ocean.

  

Wishing you a joyous fall season & Happy Halloween! xoxo

Connecting the Dots

Until yesterday, to me the founder of Apple was merely the name behind anything starting with 'i', from ipod, to ipad, to iphone. However, upon his death I started reading about him, and his life story. The truth is, he was a brilliant man who was years ahead of his time, obviously we all know this. But what I wasn't aware of was the unique path he took to become successful and the many inspirational words he said as he navigated personal struggles such as being fired from Apple and having cancer.  At a Stamford commencement speech he said the following:
You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well worn path; and that will make all the difference.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

These two quotes especially hit home for me because I spend a lot of time trying to rationalise with myself that the path I've chosen is the 'right' one. I often doubt myself based on what others have chose... the choices that are painfully obvious thanks to social media. Jobs was right though, I think the key is that you do have to follow your inner voice and don't let it be muddied by what is around you. Follow your path and hope that some day the dots end up connecting you to the place that you wanted to be. Although it is sometimes hard to see how life will end up in the future, amidst the everyday struggle, when you look back you can see the obvious path that led you to where you are today.

As for me, my hate for the end of high school led me to choose a school far away. Looking at a map, I happened upon UDEL because it was exactly 6 hours from my front door and a comfortable days drive. Choosing to be an Accounting major at UD, a very good business school, got me the internship at Deloitte in Philadelphia, which ultimately landed me a permanent position upon graduation. My move to Philadelphia brought Sara into my life and made Philly my permanent home. Without Steve meeting Sara, I wouldn't have met Joe. Without meeting Joe, I would have never bought a house. When I was looking for a new place to live in Philly during the recession, I was going to rent again, but Joe convinced me to buy so I  can thank him for Chez Terrace. And so, my life is firmly planted in Philly, a place I never really planned to be, but ended up through a connection of dots.  

I dont know what will happen in the future, but I know that so far listening to my gut has never failed me. Now that I've accomplished all that, I sit here waiting to see what the next major dot is that will shape my life.... in 86 days, I will let you know...

Fall Crafts & Such

This weekend was full of fun activities. I decided to go down to Baltimore and visit Michele since I had not seen her new place. I arrived on Friday night, late since the weather was awful, and she took me out to dinner with a few of her friends. I had some awesome quesadillas that were toasted on the outside and filled with Jerk Chicken on the inside.. so yummy. After dinner I was pretty tired from the drive that took double the time, and so we went to bed on the early side.

Fall Wreathe

On Saturday we woke up and went to breakfast and then went shopping around Fells point. I stopped and got some Oysters from a street cart that were very yummy. The guy, who was also very cute, showed me how to properly shuck an Oyster so I could do it at home by myself. I am an Oyster feign. Since I had been shopping the past few weekends, there wasn't really any clothing that I needed so I asked Michele if she would like to do some fall crafts. We ended up going to AC Moore and getting some things to make some decorations for her house and some decorations for mine. I had seen this on the Better Homes & Gardens website and thought it was a really cute idea. I really like how my fall crafts came out! Do you like my rendition of the BHG centerpiece? (ps. when did I get so old that I go look at the BHG website?!)

 

Fall Centerpiece

On Saturday night we went out to dinner at a very nice restaurant with a few of Michele's friends. I had mussels and a caprese salad and it was delicious. Then we headed out to the bar for a bit. On Sunday we went to brunch and I had bacon infused french toast! Again, delicious. After brunch I headed back to Philly to get some things done before the week started all over again. It was nice to see Michele and I wish we all lived closer like the old days.

Its Tuesday, its dreary, I am tired... more tired then normal. Something about when the seasons first change makes me exhausted! I feel like I am in the clouds this week and like every task takes monumental effort. Anyone else get the post summer slumber feeling?

Happy Friday!

This week has felt long and exhausting. I am looking forward to the weekend and am itching to get out of work. Although I don't know whats worse, having to sit in this cubicle or the thought that at any minute this weekend I could be crushed to death by falling space debris.  Just when you thought you could relax and enjoy the weekend you have to worry that a six ton object is going to fall from the sky and crush you! Life is hard..

Kitchen: The heart of the home

The kitchen is one of my favorite places in my house and where I spend a lot of time. I love to cook, and every good cook needs an accessible kitchen. As you know, I have done a lot of different things to my kitchen from painting to decorating. It was pretty bland as you  can see when I moved in. This week I thought it needed one final touch. I added handles on the cabinets..it makes it so much easier when you are cooking to open them! I absolutely love the large handles I chose from Lowes, and they look great on the cabinets. Cabinet handles are a great way to dress up the kitchen without breaking the budget. I think each handles was around $5 - $6.

Last night I made this Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad from Cooking Light. It came out delicious. Orzo is great because it give you the "pasta" feeling but mixing it into other more healthy things is much better for you then eating straight up spaghetti and sauce. Everyone knows I am a sucker for a good bowl of carbs.

This salad however fulfilled my carbo-loving needs and didn't leave me feeling bloated and hungry an hour later. 1 1/4 cups of this salad was 310 calories vs. Barilla Pasta which is 210 calories for 2 oz... not including the sauce.! I felt full for the rest of the night and there was lots of left-overs for the rest of the week. If you havent checked out Cooking Light, you definitely should, its a great website for healthy, easy meals to make right at home.

Fall Favorites

Even though the first day of Fall isnt until September 23rd, it is really starting to feel like fall out there already! I'd thought I'd share some of my favorite things about fall in a quick post!

The return of fall means the return of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte -- one of my favorites!

I love slouchy boots. They are warm, comfortable, and they go great with leggings, jeggings, or skirts!

 Nothing is better then hanging out on a cool fall saturday afternoon in a cute cotton outfit adorned with a scarf.

Another one of my favorite things about fall is that life slows down and the craziness of having the weekends jam packed with things comes to a hault. Fall is my favorite time to enjoy my house, plan dinner parties for my friends and catch up on a good book.

My last favorite thing about fall is cooking great fall meals. One of my favorite meals to make in the fall is squash soup. Its easy, its healthy, and its orange goodness just screams fall.

A Lopsided Friendship

Over hurricane weekend I forced Joe into watching the movie "Something Borrowed". I had read the book, and had been wanting to see the movie they made, but had never gotten around to it. Incase you haven't read the book, here is a plot synopsis.
"Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself."

I often feel that my friendships are lopsided with the short end of the stick pointing towards me. I put in more work, more effort, I care more.  This got me thinking: am I the 'Rachel' in my friendships?

We are so quick in society to tell the waitress if our order is wrong, or question a bill if we think we've paid the wrong amount, we question our parents if we disagree with them.. but we rarely call out our girlfriends on their faults. Why is this? Is it our overwhelming needs for acceptance at all cost?

Most friendships are uneven at some point.. there is always a giver and a taker. In the best friendships, that roll will flip-flop depending on circumstances at a point in time... its being there for each other when the other is in need. I'd like to think that this is how MOST of my friendships are... But what happens if the roll never flips and we end up in a lopsided friendship much akin to Rachel's? You know the kind of person I am talking about: one who only calls you when SHE has nothing to do, but doesn't know your number if shes made fun plans with other people, heaven forbid you tag along. The person that always makes plans with you and then breaks them last minute when something better arises and then makes some lame excuse. The people who take, take, take and give little regard to your feelings in return. There is also some friendships that have fallen into the trap of time, where the rolls are so ingrained in us, we don't know any different. One person always does the calling, and the communications, and the chasing, and that's just the way it has been for such a long time that we are used to it. What happens if the 'Rachel' in the relationship just stopped trying? Would the friendship die?

The truth is I deserve in return what  I give to others and then some. I am a good friend and will go to the ends of the world for the people I care about. However, I deserve to be heard. I deserve to be texted. I deserve to be invited.  I deserve to be met on time. Its time to redefine my friendships. I am going to build my own container and pour them into it instead of being liquid in theirs and making them feel fulfilled. If people don't reciprocate my invites, or invite me to their events, and make me feel as loved as I make them feel then they can go find  someone else to take from because I am not an ATM.

Hurriquake 2011

This past week started out with a earthquake and ended with a hurricane (that ended up being a huge let down.) Joe and I had planned that we'd spend the weekend together because next weekend I am going home for Labor Day and he will be having boys weekend with his friends. On Friday, after listening to the media hype up the hurricane all day, I decided maybe it was better to be prepared, then to not be prepared. So, at lunchtime, Allie and I headed out to Genardi's to get some food, water, batteries, snacks.. the essential stuff. When we arrived, water and batteries were sold out. We got some food.. and that was about it. You would have thought the end of the world as we know it .. people were bumping into each other with carts and furiously navigating their way through the aisles looking for the makings of their last supper. On my way home, I stopped and bought ice in case we lost power, and got gas in case I had to escape. By the time I got home it was late and I was mentally exhausted from fighting the crowds. Joe came over around 11pm after helping his mom secure her house and we were both pretty tired, so we headed to bed.

On Saturday, we woke up to dreary skies, but nothing significant. I made us a big breakfast of eggs, sausage, and home fries. Since it was a little rainy, we decided to stay in and watch 'Something Barrowed' because with the media frenzy, we didn't know if one second it'd be fine and the next would be awful.... The night dragged on with much of the same. By 6pm I was going crazy! In the middle of movie number two, the Emergency Response System interrupted and said that a tornado had touched down in Philadelphia slightly north of Manayunk. Que Joe's freak out. Shirtless, because he had been surveying the rain from the roof deck, he ran around with a head lamp on his head screaming to get away from the windows. Alarmist much? I walked outside, the trees weren't even moving...

Ok, so the EAS didn't stop for the next 40 minutes we sat in anticipation awaiting the tornado that was going to rip through the city. Nothing...

On Saturday night at 5am.. and realized we had slept through the 'worst' of it. The power was still on.. the basement was damp.. but nothing significant.

On Sunday.. it was still windy but we were dying to get out. We headed down to main St to watch the river flooding into the street and then we headed to the city to get some tapas for dinner.

All and all, all the media frenzy and preparations were for nothing. The hurricane fell about as flat as the earthquake.. nothing significant and definitely not the end of the world. All that bitch Irene did was RUIN MY WEEKEND! Here's to waiting another 5 days for a weekend that isn't plagued by weather.

Nana Knows Best

As I said in my last post, this past weekend, I was home in Rochester. Everytime I am home, most of my time is spent with my parents and grandparents, as I feel I do not get enough time with them these days. This weekend, my grandma wasnt feeling all that well so my time was spent just chit-chatting with her at her house. We talked about a lot of things, but one part of the conversation really stuck out. She asked me about how things were going with Joe. I told her that he was enjoying his new place, although I was really pressing for him to move in with me, as it made the most economical and logistical sense. I also may have mentioned that I really want a sparkling rock in the near future.

My grandma has met Joe maybe twice in her life, both times briefly. But the advice she gave me regarding the situation was like she had known him for years. She said, "so your asking him to do these things and he is pushing back on you?" I replied that that was exactly waht was happening... not so much because he doenst want to do them.. but more becuase I want him to... She said "you need to make him feel like its his idea, whether it is or not. The more you act like you dont care about those things, the more eager he will be to do them." She went on to say that no one likes feeling like they are doing what they are told by someone else. If he feels like you are not focusing on it and dont really care, he will probably come around about it a whole lot faster. So stop mentioning it.

I looked at her in amazement. This happens all the time with us. Him getting a new job was my idea... in the end he did it.. and pretended he came up with it. Him moving to his own place was also something I wanted.. he did it.. just six months after I asked him to.. on his own time frame. But how did she know this? She doenst know him! Maybe thats becuase its a phenomenon as old as she is... part of the male psyche since cave man times...men want to do what they want to do when they want to do it.. END OF STORY. A woman suggesting something a man should do makes them feel controlled.  Even if said man ends up doing exactly what said woman wanted... he will pretend he did it becuase it was his idea and what he wanted.

The bottom line is I think she's right. However hard it may be to shift my focus from engagement and moving in together, I need to do it. I need to give him space and time to make the decision to move forward and approach me. He knows where I stand and what I want, and harping on it will not make him feel like he is doing it because he wants to... but because I am forcing him to. My new plan is to just wait it out. We have talked about a timeline for all of the above before, he is aware of it. Whether he makes it happen or not is up to him and him alone. I truely believe that if something is meant to be, it will be. I am done forcing the issue. I am confident that if for some reason he doenst come around I will be ok. There is a plan for each of us, and by forcing a plan that may not be in the cards, I might miss out on my true calling. Nana has been around along time, and I trust that her advice will ring true. So, lets just wait and see.

Holler If Your Ready For Some Summer Nights~

AH! I have been so busy that my blogging has fallen off the face of the earth! The weekend after the 4th of July, my family went back to Rehoboth to visit my brothers beach house again.. this time Joe came and we had a great time and did much of the same things as we did during our last trip. A week or two after that, Joe and I went down to the shore to visit his family and gamble. We had a great time sitting on the beach and relaxing. We did loose money gambling, so that was a bummer but all and all was a great trip. So, that was July...

The first weekend in August Sara and Steve invited the Lehigh guys over (and me) for a housewarming party weekend at their new place. On Friday night a bunch of us went out to a few bars in their neighborhood in the city. The next day the boys did a sight seeing tour of Philly and Sara and I shopped and drank margaritas at El Vez, Steven Starr's mexican restaurant. On Saturday night we all went out to dinner together and then out to Plough & The Stars --my favorite old city bar! We had a great time checking out their new place and hanging out.

That brings me to last week. Last week I was in Mystic, CT again for work from Monday - Thursday. I usually dont like traveling for work, but I dont mind Mystic. It is so beautiful there, right on the CT sound. While I was there, I was able to fit in some good dinners, shopping, and a few dips in the hotel pool! Not a bad week at all. When I got back, I decided to make an impromptu trip to Rochester to go boating and visit my family. On Friday and Saturday we went boating, and although they were initially calling for rain, the weather held out for us. On Sunday, my mom and I went to the Canandaigua Reisling Festival and sampled many different Finger Lakes Wines and cheeses from around the country. We even got a sample of the Limited Edition Abbotts Reisling Custard! It was made with Reisling wine and was amazing! Yesterday I headed back to Philadelphia -- and resumed a normal routine. So thats that, 4 weeks packed into one blog. I hope to get back to normal now! Below is a picture of my marina in Sodus, NY at sunset, so pretty!

Local News: Volume 3

Recently, I came across this article in the Huffington Post analyzing if for most woman our friends choices make us regret our own. One thing she said I've often felt,

"Defending what we've chosen for our lives -- and what we've chosen to leave behind. Judging our friends' choices. Interpreting the fact that our friend has chosen something different as her judgment (and rejection) of what we've chosen for ourselves. The distance that grows when we feel like (because we've chosen differently or believe we would choose differently if we were in her shoes) we can no longer relate to the women to whom we're closest. Like the kid afraid of being left all alone on the bridge, each of us, at one time or another, has been left feeling like the oddball exception. And that feeling can mess with the decisions we make -- and often, the really important ones"

Guilty. I am so guilty of this. I often look around at what my friends are doing and feel nervous if my path differ from theirs. Am I wrong? Are they wrong? I think this comparing of yourself to others happens a lot for people who strive for perfection. For the longest time, I was struggling to obtain the 'perfect life': the perfect job, the perfect place to live, the perfect boyfirend, tons of friends, money. I wanted it all. I have slowly come to realize that you can have it all, but most likely you wont have it all at once, contrary to what Bethenny Frankel preaches. This realization made me happier with my life. There will be ups and there will be downs.

And, as this article points out, we, as woman today, have an unprecedented number of choices & paths to take and there is no right or wrong choice. I am slowly trying to become confident in the path I've chosen, the decisions I've made, and the life I live. Instead of looking next to me at what all my friends are doing, I am just attempting to live for the here and now and excited for the future on the path I've made for ME where ever it may lead.

Happy 4th of July

This 4th of July Joe and I headed to Rochester on Thursday mid-day to spend the weekend. We left Philly around 2pm and arrived in Rochester around dinner time. My mom had invited my grandma and uncle over and we had a nice dinner. After dinner we headed to Abbott's to make some sundaes for ourselves. Joe was like a kid in a candy store. When he was done making his sundae, I think he had every topping in the bowl.

On Friday we woke up and went out to Sodus for the day. The weather was beautiful. We sat at the sandbar in the bay at the outlet to the lake and drank, ate and relaxed. At dinner time, we took the jetski to shore to eat dinner at Captain Jacks. Joe and I got trash plates of course because we have to if we're in Rochester and they are on the menu. Friday night we went out with Meg and her boyfriend and some other friends from high school to a couple bars downtown. We had a great time chatting and playing skee ball with them.

On Saturday we went out to the boat again and took a trip to Fairhaven Beach State Park, which is a few bays down from Sodus. We docked the boat and set up a picnic lunch in the park with my family. We also jumped off the diving boards that they have there. I did this a lot as a kid and it was really fun to do it again. A picture of the diving area is below. On the way back, Joe and I tubed off the back of the boat. On Saturday night we went to my neighbor Emily's house for some forth of July fireworks. She has a cute 5 month old baby that is just so good. He makes me want kids sooner rather then later, but I am sure the kid I have will not be a little angel. hahha.



On Sunday my parents, Joe and I went to Niagara Falls to take Joe on a Jet Boat ride down the Niagara River. It was a great time and we got soaked. After the boat ride, we got some ice cream and headed over to the falls. At night we went over my family friends house for some fireworks. They live right on Lake Ontario and their house is gorgeous. The picture at the top of this blog was taken there.

On Monday, we relaxed a little and headed back to Philadelphia.

I had a great 4th of July with my family friends and Joe. Everything could not have been more perfect. Where ever you were this 4th of July, I hope you enjoyed the holiday as much as I did!

Happy 2nd Birthday Chez Terrace!

I have been waiting all week to write this post. Two years ago today I went to the real estate agents office and signed the papers on my very first home. Before I signed the papers they reminded me that under the tax credit, I need to keep the home as my primary residence for 3 years. I thought, wow, 3 years.. that's a long time. I remember walking out of the building with the key in my hand and thinking, "what am I doing? Did I just do the right thing? I just signed a debt for more money then I've seen in my life time so far and that has a due date longer then I've been on this earth.. OMG!"

Two years has gone by in the blink of an eye. Reflecting back on the past two years this house has been quite an experience. From being a landlord.. to projects around the home.. everything has been my responsibility. That has been both exciting and scary. Its hard sometimes when something goes wrong and you have to figure out how to fix it or have it fixed all on your own. But, doing it alone, I've learned a lot and figured out that I need to give myself more credit as most of my projects and decorating expeditions have turned out pretty well!

Its funny, two years ago if someone would have asked me to make a prediction about how things would be two years down the road, I wouldn't have said anything close to this. Back then, I never thought about friends leaving, people getting engaged, or the fact that I ever could be here alone. Back then, I had a tight group of friends, who had a great time every weekend.. and I really didn't foresee that ending. But time changes things, and unfortunately the care free days of spending every weekend partying with my friends are getting fewer as the days go by. People are just going in different directions. Its sad, but necessary I guess.

Before Sara moved out, I called my mom everyday and asked her "Mom, do you think I did the right thing buying my house?" I guess I thought that if I didn't buy it, then I wouldn't be faced with being alone here. She told me over and over she thought I made the right choice, but I still didn't believe her really. Sometimes though, something happens that puts everything into perspective. This week I spent time at Joe's apartment. It is a really nice apartment and very expensive, but its just not a home. Taking a shower, is like standing in a monsoon. The AC doesn't work well. The dishwasher is midget sized. All of the things that I have started to take for granted in my home had become so apparent.

This revelation made me very content with my choice to buy the house, and where I am in my life right now. I wouldn't say that I love living here alone, but I haven't hated it as much as I thought that I would and Joe has been very supportive. Decorating and managing my own house has brought me so much joy over the last two years and I wouldn't change it. Above all, should I ever find myself in a position later in life to have to take care of a house alone, I will be armed with confidence because of this experience.

On a side note, I have been trying to fill the holes around the house where Sara's stuff used to be. I went to the Manayunk Arts Festival that was on Main Street this weekend. Here are some pictures of my new found art: (The first two I put going up the stairs, the second 2 are in the den at the top of the stairs)
View of down town Philly
Love Park
Manayunk Bike Race
So True ! And that is me on the bike! hahah!

Jet Setting the East Coast

Since the roommate moved out I have had no shortage of things to do to occupy my time. Last Tuesday - Thursday I was in Mystic, Connecticut for work with my boss. Mystic is a beautiful area, right on the water very lush with trees. I really enjoyed it. I rushed back late on Thursday because my parents were headed to Philadelphia for Fathers Day.

Thursday night Joe, me, and my family, went to Buddakan for dinner and out for ice cream afterwords. I just had to show my mom the prices and atmosphere at Franklin Fountain. After that, we were pretty tired and headed on home.

On Friday, my family left to go to Dewey Beach and meet up with my brother. I had to work for the day, but I planned to meet them in Dewey later in the evening. So, around 3pm I jumped in my car and made the 3 hrs commute from Philly to Dewey Beach. We went out for a seafood buffet that Brendan had chosen then went to the Bottle and Cork to watch a Bruce Springsteen cover band called Bruce in the USA. It was a nice time.

On Saturday we headed to the beach for most of the day. The weather was perfect. Then at 5pm we went to "Jam Session" at the bottle and cork featuring one of my favorite college bands - Mr. Green Genes! At around 8pm we were drunk and hungry so we stopped and had some appetizers and headed back to Bren's beach house to meet his friends and hang out. His friends were really nice and we had a great time with them.

On Sunday morning we did a little shopping and headed back to Philadelphia so that my parents could catch their plane. The end of a fabulous weekend.

Yesterday, I slept at Joe's apartment in New Jersey for the first time. I went over after work and made us some chili and corn bread for dinner (you have to make do with what you have when you have limited kitchen utensils to work with). I also helped him put together a book shelf from Target which was a complete pain. The apartment is coming together nicely and I think he will really enjoy it when its done. I also think it will teach him a valuable lesson about how much of pain in the butt taking care of yourself can be. That is a lesson every man needs to learn in order to appreciate the stuff their parents, and subsequently their wives do for them.

One week, 4 states.. I am headed home tonight to RELAX!

Nicole, Party of 1

Well, its official I am roommate-less. Sara moved out and in with her fiance this weekend. On a side note Joe also moved into his apartment in Mantua, NJ, where he has signed a six month lease.. but more on that later. To me, this all was a lot to take for one weekend.

Living with Sara the past four years has been an amazing ride. There were ups and downs like any roommate but mostly I look back on the time with fond memories. We did some pretty great things together. When Sara and I moved to Manayunk we were mere acquaintances, but in the last four years have developed into good friends. Manayunk has been like an extension of college for me -- except with more money and no homework! We went to bars, movies, took trips, threw parties, shopped, the list goes on. My only regret is that we didn't get to spend as much time together in recent months as we are both busy with our boyfriends (which I owe her & Steve for because without them I wouldn't have met Joe). I must say that her leaving feels like the end of an era, as I am pretty positive that she will officially be my last roommate. A lot has changed in the last four years, and especially in the last eighteen months I feel like time is moving faster then ever. Then and now:
May, 2007
January, 2011

You may remember this post from 2008 where I listed out things that every woman should know how to do. Looking over the list, I feel that I have accomplished the majority of the things except one: EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.... how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

I must say that I stuggle with being alone.. and I don't like it at all. My mom tells me that ever since I was a baby, I was not good at being alone. I don't know what it is. Its not really sleeping alone that scares me. I think what scares me most is the silence that comes with being alone. Its not having someone to talk to that bothers me. Most of all not having someone to talk to over dinner. Cooking and eating dinner was always a time to reconnect with the people I care about. It was originally a time to reconnect with my family. In college.. it was a time to bond with my L5 roommates since we made it a point to cook together and eat like a family. Sara and I also enjoyed cooking for each other and sharing our love for making a great meal. That is what I will miss most. The joy of cooking is watching other people enjoy what you've created. You know, until I started writing this, I didn't really think about that as something I'd miss most.

I feel the same way I felt when I was leaving for Delaware. The future is so uncertain all of a sudden. A lot of my friends are moving out of Manayunk to the suburbs or the city with their boyfriends/fiances. That being said, Joe and I have a loose plan that he will live in his place for six months, and then move in with me... but who knows really what the next six months will bring.

The truth is, I am not sure I am going to like living alone at all. Although, like the article says, every woman should know how to live alone, even if she doesn't like it. So, in the next six months, I am going to give my best attempt learning to living alone.. as this could be my only opportunity. I want to learn to fill the silence that comes with living alone by doing things that bring me happiness. I plan to exercise, read, try new hobbies. Who knows, maybe it will not be so bad after all being Nicole, Party of 1

Wild Weekend

This weekend was a wild ride. On Friday, I went to UD to hang out with Toni & Michele for Alumni weekend. The school had offered to let alumni stay in the dorms for a small fee, and had planned a weekend full of events. The events kicked off Friday night with mug night on the Green which featured unlimited food and beverage under a really large tent with a band. It was good to catch up with Toni & Michele and see some of my old friends.

While I enjoyed being there, it was sort of strange too. It reminded me that time changes things. Going back for a visit was fun, but you can never recreate the experience or the way things were when that was your everyday reality. Once a place and time is gone, it is gone for good.
So much has changed since I lived there, its almost like it never happened. Toni and Michele stayed for the remainder of the weekend, but I had to head back because I had plans the rest of the weekend.
On Saturday, Joe and I went out to dinner at a restaurant called Fork in Center City. The food was good, I wouldn't say it was stellar though. It was nice to sit outside and people watch though, the weather was the perfect temperature. After dinner, Joe and I decided to go get a drink at Cuba Libre. The first night that I met Joe back in 2008, we had gotten on the subject of Mojitos. He told me he would take me out for the best mojito ever... at Cuba Libre. Three years went by, and we never went, so this weekend he finally made good on his promise to take me out for a mojito. After that, I wanted to get ice cream at this place called Franklin Fountain, and old-fashioned ice cream parlor at 1st and Market St. We are standing in line for ice cream, and all of a sudden we hear a CRASH! An large suburban making a left from 2nd street onto Market rammed into two parked cars... tossing them onto the sidewalk where people were eating. If the cars hadn't been parked there the SUV would have went directly into the crowd waiting for ice cream. A young girl jumps out of the car laughing and drunk out of her mind! Someone called the cops and when the cops came, the girl proceed to run from them. They got out their guns and started chasing her down 2nd Street. They finally caught her. It was quite an entertaining scene. I cant imagine being so drunk you hit parked cars, get out, laugh about it, and attempt to run from the law... crazy.
Sunday was Bike Race. Allie, Alex, Joe, Sara and I stocked a backpack full of beer and headed to the "Wall" in Manayunk to watch the race. The wall is the steepest part of the race and where the majority of people congregate. While we were there, we ended up being interviewed by Comcast! You cant watch the interview below.

All and all, a crazy, but fun weekend! Its weekends like these that remind me of all that is good in my life.

Random Weekend Fun

This weekend I initially didn't have much planned. But, the weekend turned out to be randomly nice and I did a few different things with some different people. On Friday, I went out with Allie and a few of her girl friends to see the movie Brides Maids. One to ten I'd give it an ELEVEN! It was hysterical. I haven't laughed that much in a movie in forever! I would highly recommend it. We were supposed to go see the 7:40pm show but it was sold out by the time everyone got there, so we ended up going to Uno's for drinks and seeing the 9:40pm show. Even showing up 10 mins early, we were in the third row of the theatre.
On Saturday, I woke up and was pleased to see the sun shining. I was determined to do something outside since sun isn't something we've seen much of lately. During my morning ritual of scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed while my eyes adjust to a new day, I noticed someones post about "Spring Fest - Rittenhouse" going on in the city. The festival boasted food from local restaurants, wine tasting, demonstrations by Steven Starr, and beer sampling. I called Brendan, and he said he would come with me. We hopped the train in Manayunk and headed for the city. The festival was from Broad St. to 19th St. on Walnut Street. That is a pretty ritzy section of the city that has great restaurants. Brendan and I fought our way through the crowd from one food station to the next. By the end, we were stuffed! Everything was great. We also had a few drinks and had a nice spring day buzz going. I grabbed a red velvet cupcake for the road and we headed home!

Later that day, Joe came over and we made dinner together. He made his mother's tomato salad recipe and I grilled corn on the cob and these Chipotle Monterey Jack Cheese Chicken Sausages that I have been getting from the grocery store. They are fantastic, you should try them. They only have 170 calories per link compared to normal sausage that has 270 calories and they are so much easier then regular sausage. They only take 6-8 mins on the grill. Our dinner came out great and I like cooking with Joe. I think cooking is a good bonding activity and sharing recipes our mom's make is a good way to share our childhood with each other. The best part-- he did all the dishes.

On Sunday we had a Phillie's game. Not much to report about it. The weather was cold and dreary and the Phillie's lost in a pretty boring and disappointing 1-0 game.

All and all.. sometimes the best weekends are the ones you have nothing planned and you can just see where the day takes you!

Local News: Volume 2

This week I was hard pressed to find any news that really interested me much. Then, today I finally found something on USA Today. According to US 2010 Census, thirty percent of Americans have never been married, the largest percentage in 60 years. Obviously, the article gives the standard reasons why this occurs: "cohabitation is continuing to increase in popularity." and "marriage is becoming optional and people are choosing to do it later in life." As if these weren't the obvious answers. But this got me thinking, if 30% of America is unmarried, why do I feel like 100% of my friends are getting there and FAST?!

I'll tell you a story of why I feel that way. Last week, I decided that since all my good friends seem to have other plans for the future like moving in with their boyfriends/getting engaged, I better find some new girls to hang out with or I am going to be bored and alone in Manayunk. I contacted a girl I hung out with in college in hopes that maybe she would not be glued to her boyfriend... and would be interested in hanging out. She gladly accepted and I was really looking forward to our meeting for drinks and catching up. I talked to her last week and we agreed to meet today. And then a crazy turn of events. In the time between when we had talked last week, and our meeting scheduled for today... she got ENGAGED. Talk about awesome timing. Last night she left a message that "due to her recent engagement, she'd have to reschedule".

I feel as if everywhere I turn I am surrounded by engagement these days. I must say, even though I am trying to be happy for my friends, I am sort of annoyed by it too. There is only so much of everyone elses happiness you can stomach before you start to feel left out.

I know someday I will be engaged too, and get married, and we will move to the suburbs and meet other couples to be "our friend". But, sometimes I wonder if the days of having girl friends are just plain dwindling as my woman friends meet guys and make them their world. Everyone seems to be planning out their future these days instead of enjoying the moment. It sort of makes me angry... because I believe that having girl friends is important.. yet I know I'm guilty of it too sometimes... forsaking friends for my boyfriend. I don't think it happens with guys as much, I think they have an easier time maintaining friendships and a relationship too... it seems they just do a better job at making "man time" a priority.

So, anyone else agree? Even though anti-marriage rates nationally seem to be at their highest ever.. it seems to me, 100% of my friends still want it.. and sooner rather then later.

Wet Wedding Weekend

This weekend was Joes friend Toher's wedding. It was outside in his fiancé's backyard in Douglassville, PA. Unfortunately when planning a back yard wedding you take a gamble in regard to the weather.. especially in May. This weekend was alittle soggy here in PA.Since the wedding started at noon, I had my hairdresser, Borica, do my hair. I was just plain too lazy to fuss with it at 8am. I really like the way it came out.. what do you think?

I had spent a lot of time coming up with an outfit for this wedding. Not really because I didnt have plenty of clothes I can wear already in my closet, but becuase I really just wanted something new and fun. Plus, with the wedding being during hte day and outside, a lot of the dresses I already had were too fancy. I ended up going to Lilly Pulitzer for my first time and fell in love. I ended up with my dress, shoes, and necklace. I didnt really indend on spending all this money, but once I walked into Lilly I couldnt help myself.

The weekend was interesting.. I cant get into too much details.. but lets just say it was a weekend of firsts: my first backyard wedding, my first time at an econo lodge, and my first time at a female strip club...which I was dragged to by Joe and his friends aprés wedding... lets just say it was not pretty.

Local News: Volume 1

I've decided to start a segment in my blog called "Local News". In this segment I will blog about things going on in the news or community that some how caught my eye or has some sort of personal significance to me.

This week I was reading Forbes Magazine and their article about the 10 best places to buy a house caught my eye. Guess which city was named number 1? ROCHESTER! Currently in Rochester you can get a 3000 sq foot house for around $300,000 -- roughly the price of my 1900 square foot row home on fifty feet of land in Manayunk. Rediculous!!!!!! I know what your thinking, you pay for location and to an extent thats true. But Rochester, NY has so much to offer that I used to take for granted. Amazing schools - both highschool and college. NYS highshool curriculum is top notch and the SUNY system ranks umong the top 100 public colleges in the country. Access to the Great Lakes provides summer time fun of boating, fishing, lake houses and the like. Access to Finger Lakes provides a wine country. Delicous restaurants line the streets of the city and fun festivals such as the Lilac Festival and the Corn Hill Arts Festival take place every summer.

I miss Rochester a lot and I often think of how my life would be different today if I had stayed. For one, everything there is generally cheaper, not just the real estate. I think my money would have been stretched further if I had lived there. Also, my family is there. I miss them a lot and sometimes harbor tons of guilt for missing precious time with them. I have a boat and a jetski that I rarely get to use, and that makes me very sad in the heat of the summer-- trapped in a city. My mom owns an ice cream store there which I could have taken over for her and had a business of my own. This is just the short list...

There have been a lot of life changing decisions in my life, but leaving Rochester was by far the most defining. Part of me feels blessed to have had the Philly experience and know that I've done so many things here that I would never have had the chance to do. Part of me thinks about packing up, moving back, and living the life I am missing out on by not being in close proximity to my family... and there is a constant push/pull between these two things. I know that a certain boy I've met here would never move there with me.. and that is always in the forefront of my mind as our relationship continues to get more serious. And, as things change and people move on here in Manayunk, I cant help but think about my options and choices and whether it will ever be in the cards for me to head back to Rochester, my real home, and the home of incredibly well-priced houses.