Obsession Thursday...Is This A Thing?!

So I have a new-ish obsession.  Actually I have a few…so maybe I'll just grace you all with them!!  It's been a lil while, and my apologies, BUT…you know what…I won't even give you an excuse.  There are none.  Just the usual suspects - so I'll spare you.  Onto "Obsession Thursday" - yep - just made that one up - if you guys like it - I'll stick with it!!

1.  World of Jenks.  Ok so this isn't really "new" per se, but it was new to me this season. 

The season just ended and I'm already in withdrawal.  It's MTV at its finest.  Sydney and I are beyond enamored.  Basically this guy, Andrew Jenks (who I may or may not want to marry) follows 3 different people around for a year and documents their lives/struggles.  I also may or may not have tweeted @AndrewJenks and I'm desprerately waiting for a reply...nbd.  It's soooo good and I highly recommend you all getting involved! 

2.  Face Stuff.  So my sister actually turned me on to this product line.  It's Aveda, which I normally don’t use, but I'm actually really liking it.  It's thier "Outer Peace" line. 

I wound up getting the whole set, because it just made more sense economically, but it is slightly $$.  I think it's worth it thought - so give it a try if you're looking for something new/makes you feel really clean.

3.  Kiehl's.  Again - nothing really "new", but I have 2 new products that I'm totally hearting.  Ultra Facial Moisturizer with 30 SPF and Amino Acid Shampoo. 

The moisturizer is especially good with the summer coming up!  I can't stress enough how important sunscreen is!!  I'm not trying to go all "mom" on you, but PLEASE slather some on before you go outside.  This makes it soooo easy, all you have to do is moisturize (which you should do every morning anyway)!  And the shampoo smells delightful and leaves my hair shiny, bouncy & all together amazing.

4.  Iced Coffee.  That time of year again!!  Loving a big 'ole iced coffee with milk! 

I more recently (over the past year) forced myself off of adding any extra "sugar" or chemical to my coffee.  If you can stomach it - I highly recommend it!! 

5.  Kale & Spinach.  At first they taste like paper shreddings (especially the kale), BUT I've actually grown to like them.  And there's a salad place around here that has kale & cabbage as the "base" and might I add that it's delightful, especially with everything added in.  I made myself (I've apparently been doing a lot of that lately) try it instead of my usually romaine and I've been able to stick to it!  And actually - I've been liking it!  Who knew?!

 

 

Ok - so that's it for now!  I hope all my OK readers and doing alright - my thoughts and prayers are with you all.  Just reminds you how precious life really is - take time EVERY day to tell people you love them and show them how much they mean to you.  XOXO



Tejas Part 2

Ok soooo waking up in San Antonio!!  Wahoo!  The weather could not have been better the whole time I was there - it was just picture perfect!  Here's a little summary of my stay in the big SA.

Wednesday

I got up, had coffee with Hazel and we chatted a bit.  She had to go to work, so I just hung out for a bit and then headed out.  I went and got a great mani/pedi.  Don’t worry I was helping all the workers with their translations.  They kept running up to me with their new iPad and asking questions on meanings and pronunciation.  Basically I was in there for about 2 hours and most of it was spent in "classroom mode". I loved every second - and my mani is still intact which is quite amazing.  I got this color - which I'm completely obsessed with!

Then I had a great little "hometown" lunch at this place called "EZs".  

Loved all the local watching! They even had sweet potato tater tots - I'm sorry - don't mind if I do!

Now I needed a little relaxation station.  Hazel has a pool at her apartment complex, so I took myself over there and laid out for a few hours.  I'm reading Mindy Kaling's (Kelly Kapour from the Office) latest book - it's hilarious.  

So it has been keeping me quite entertained!

Hazel got home from work a little early, so we were able to head out to a low key happy hour.  It was so nice, we sat outside at a wine bar, had a glass of wine, got all caught up!  It was great.  Then we went to this great Mexican place for dinner - so delish.  We got home watched a little TV, then we both crashed. I think we were both still exhausted from the late night before!

Thursday

Another amazing day!  I went with Hazel to her office and then we went downtown together.  She had a work event/meetings, so it worked out well.  I took myself to the Alamo - where it all went down!  It's not too crazy exciting, BUT it's history, so my dad was thrilled that I went.  

Then I walked along the Riverwalk - it's just so adorable.  If you've never been to San Antonio - the Riverwalk is an area of the city.  It's this stretch of the river and on either side of it there are a ton of little restaurants and shops.  They all have outdoor seating and it's just so cute.  Here's a little picture:

I grabbed lunch outside, read my book, watched people, may or may not have had a margarita.  It was so nice and relaxing.  Then I went to a park and read until Hazel was done with her meetings. 

Thursday night she had a work happy hour that I attended - I'll have to give you more details on that one tomorrow!  Duty calls and I need to get back to work!!

Just My Life For The Past Week...

Howdy!  So I know I've been absent for a little while - BUT for good reason - I was on a mini-vacay!!  I went out to good 'ol Tejas to enjoy some great friends, good food & fabulous drinks!!  So I'll break it down for you - prob in 2 parts.  OH and I also saw Isabella in Philly - I'll do that first - ok I'm scattered!

Philly - The City of UNbrotherly Love

Let me break this down for you in bullets, so this post isn't like 8 pages long.  Basically I went for the weekend - got in Friday night/left Sunday morning.  Here are  few takeaways:

-We went to this little hole in the wall Mexican place for dinner  with my brother & his fiancé.  It was hilarious - there was insane décor all over the place, they were playing Frank Sinatra, there was only room for about 20 people.  It was hysterical.  The waiter helping us had tinted glasses, hair slicked back, a white cowboy-esque type shirt on, denim faded jeans and a smile that wouldn't quit.  About half way through our dinner a private party rolled through and they were basically kicking us out.  The food was good, though and I had a fantastic grapefruit margarita!!

-Saturday was spent wandering around and shopping.  Just loving the gorg weather on St. Patrick's Day in my Ireland shirt.  UNTIL some homeless woman yelled this to me - in front of all of Philly - "YOU'RE NOT IRISH - YOU'RE A WHORE!"  Oh ummm ok.  So that was fun.  God I just LOVE Philly!!

-We then went out to a bar to join the rest of the city in SPD debauchery.  We got to the 2^nd place and eventually got a few seats at the bar.  It was great - we just hung out, watched people, drank some beer, had a few laughs.  The perfect way to spend the evening!  UNTIL some guy comes rolling up next to me and is immediately angry.  Like before he even got to me, he hated my guts.  This was our exchange (may be slightly altered - but no joke this is basically how it went):

Me:  (sitting quietly drinking my beer - chatting with Isabella & her friend.)
Guy:  I'm a male nurse.
Me:  Cool
Guy:  I work in the operating room and see heart surgery.
Me:  That's great.
Guy:  You don’t even know - I'm better than the surgeon.
Me:  Oh really? (really not trying to engage or wanting to talk to him)
Guy:  I hope have a heart attack die.
Me:  Umm that's a little aggressive and unnecessary.
Guy:  You don’t even know how great I am as a male nurse and in the operating room, basically I'm the best in there - above the surgeons & doctors.
Me:  Ok - well I'm just going to drink my beer and pretend you're not an awful human being.
Guy:  If you had a heart attack you'd be transported to my hospital because it’s the best.
Me:  Welp I don’t live here, so there's that.  Please just stop talking to me.

Eventually Isabella's friend stepped in with some choice words and he vanished.  

-We were home, ordering dinner by 9:30 pm.  Period.  

-Sunday we got up, grabbed breakfast & went to drive me to the train station.  Isabella's car wouldn't start.  Womp womp - battery died.  Had to grab a cab.  Train ride back was uneventful.

Back in the good 'ol NYC

Giuliana & I saw 21 Jump Street when I got back.  Let me just say - I basically peed my pants.  Like I haven't laughed this hard in a movie prob since Bridesmaids.  It was stellar.  I actually have to go and watch it again because I’m sure I missed things on account of my laughter.

Off to Tejas I Go...Can't wait to see Hazel & Hermione (btw - this was her choice for a name)!!

I left Tuesday night.  I was basically running through the airport for absolutely no reason and got to my gate in a full out sweat patrol.  Oh don't worry - I just had to have my dermatologist prescribe me prescription strength deodorant (fingers crossed it works)!  I grabbed some dinner and the off I went.  I sat next to this high school/college boy who was quiet as a mouse - so I was thrilled!  And I flew JetBlue, so I didn't even have to miss out on my evening shows!  Amazing!  I got to Austin and Hazel was there to fetch me.  It was really late so we just headed right back to San Antonio to her new apartment!  LOVE - and she a new puppy which is adorbs!  We pretty much went right to bed - we were both exhausted! 

Ok so I'll pick up here tomorrow!  The adventure continues!!! 

D "C...I still Miss Ya"

For some reason today I'm feeling nostalgic for my old stomping grounds - Washington, DC!!  Not sure why this sudden wave of "home sickness" - I mean the obvious ones are missing the great people/friends I left behind - but I do keep in touch with most of them.  Anyways - I thought it might be a fun opportunity to highlight a few of my favorite "spots" down there and next time you visit - you should definitely check them out!!

Ella's Wood Fired Pizza

OMG how I miss Ella's!  This was the "birthday lunch" spot for the 3+ years that I worked at my former place of employment.  Not only do they have the best pizza, but the sangria is amazing.  

I recall one occasion when Ruby and I were just going to "grab dinner" randomly after work and whoops - 2 pitchers later we found ourselves at another bar with Ruby throwing my business cards at random men hoping to find me a date.  Although that part didn't work - the food/drinks was right on par!  Even the "Mixed Greens" salad is delish.  Ruby, Juan & I did try to figure out the recipe for the dressing once, however we all felt strongly it had different ingredients - the only common one being olive oil - so needless to say none of us could recreate this one.  This is definitely a "must go" if you have some time down there.

Matchbox

One word - SLIDERS!  

By far Matchbox has the BEST sliders I've ever had.  They're just perfection. The are on these amazing brioche buns with a little pickle and served with these delectable onion straws.  In fact, Ruby & I ate those (and pizza & about 2 bottles of wine) before the Justin Timberlake concert - if I haven't discussed this before - I will - it's a good one.  The only problem was that we both tend to get indigestion at times and this was one, coupled with the fact that we had to drink beer out of straws - so gross.  We were burping up onion straws all night.  Haha - soooorrrry to the people around us!!  Whoops!

Luna

Now I used to live in Bethesda, right outside the city, and this store was my savior.  I was so obsessed. The girls working there are complete dolls and over time got to "know" me - kinda embarrassing/kinda loved it.  The clothes are a great mix of inexpensive/pricier.  The jewelry is fab - again you can find a ton of stuff for really not that much.  It's def a go to if you're in the area!

Founding Farmers

Hands down one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.  Not only is the food is so fresh and awesome, the décor is fab.  The drinks are the best!  You can just taste the organic/freshness in everything.  And the best part - it's not crazy expensive!  I've had a bunch of different things on the menu and I've never been disappointed.  They also have a sister restaurant in Georgetown on the water called "Fishers & Farmers" - go to either one - you wont be let down!

Georgetown Cupcakes

Speaking of Georgetown, I'd be remiss if I didn't include Georgetwon Cupcakes on this list.  Hands down - the best cupcakes.  Period.  

And I've tried a ton, including the ones in NYC.  I still go back to them every time!  The cake is so tasty and the icing is "just enough"!  I heart them and miss them immensely - but my waistline - not so much!

Georgetown Shopping

Despite what a pain in the butt it was to get in there, I do miss wandering around Georgetown on a beautiful spring/fall day.  It's such a great little area and the shopping is fabulous.  And now they even have a Vineyard Vine!!  Amazeballs!

Afterwords Cafe

Now this is more of a "quirky" place.  It's in the back of a "mom & pop" bookstore.  

Basically the food is fabulous and the price is just right.  It's a perfect spot to have a good meal, but not feel like you're breaking the bank.  I usually go for the salmon & the mashed potatoes - can. not. go wrong.  And the wine/drink list is great!

Lauriol Plaza

Now this was one of my main jams.  Seriously - this Mexican place is to die for.  The best part is - the margaritas are the best in the area!  

My guuurrlls and I would go here for Valentine's Day dinner (whether we were single or not) and just sit up on the rooftop (they put us up there to make room for all the other couples downstairs) and eat and drink.  We'd just have so much fun - I miss that tremendously!  The enchiladas and margs - that was my go to.  And the guac is fantastic!

The National Mall

This is something that I really miss daily.  During my work day - instead of lunch - I used to either go to the gym in our building or head out for a run.  I was so fortunate to work in such a gorgeous area of the city.  I would run down to the Capitol building and then up through the National Mall.  It was amazing to just get lost in the "DC-ness" of it and enjoy the people watching!  Of course I had my "hating tourists" moments, but overall, I really enjoyed those runs!

As much as I heart NYC, I still do miss certain things about DC.  They are both amazing cities.  BUT there is NOTHING quite like NYC and this is my home - it's great to be back!!

Little 'A This...Little 'A That

Hello friends!  How's everyone doing these days?!  It's so gross and rainy in NYC - sick!  BUT it is a great day to be a duck!!  I ordered delivery for lunch and the poor guy took out the receipt for me to sign - soaking wet!  Like I could ring it out - he just stared at me with hope in his eyes that some how I could make this better.

So who's watching RHOBH??  Shiz is getting real  up in the 90210!  I mean seriously - Brandi - needs to step off.  

I really am not a fan.  Don’t get me wrong - I think Kyle can be a lil bitchy sometimes and Kim is slightly off her rocker - but Brandi is just - ugh (only thing that came to mind).  

And speaking of Kim - I'm confused.  I just don’t get what is going on.  And Taylor needs to eat a burger.  

And I love Lisa's new wedding coordinator - I mean he's Frank (from Father of the Bride) to a T!! Totally heart - he's so out there!  

And Adrienne just remains among my faves - she's so no BS and I love her for that.  She also has a bit of I dare say "Jersey" in her - her outfits crack me up!  And the gold hair strands - LOVE HER! 

And speaking of RH - ummm NJ reunion - OMG!!!  I really can't stand Teresa - you can tell she's just lying about everything.  

I really  heart the rest of them - and it's now like 3 against 1.  And Caroline is so even  keeled about everything - doesn't raise her voice at all.  So calm.  

I can't wait to see it Sunday night - I'm sad to hear something going on between her and her sister Dina (who I really enjoyed).  And Teresa getting in the way?!  Worst!!!

And another thing - this Gluten Free diet isn't so bad!  I've found some great products - would love some more if you have them!!  Here are a few that I've enjoyed:

And one last thing - the almond oil - still going strong.  I think it really helps!  I do recommend it!!

Ok lovelies - I'm out like shout.  Peace in the Middle East.  Rain in Spain.  Goodbye don't cry (I just made that one up - they're just flying out now!).

Mishmash

Hello Hello Party People!!  How's everyone doing?!  A few things that we'll go over today!!  First...I hope you all had fabulous weekends - I know I did!

My sister came into town on Saturday and we walked around Union Square - they have this adorable famer's market on Saturdays - all local stuff.  So it was fun to just walk around and see what they had to offer!  Later on we had dinner at The Smith - umm can we talk about how delish?!  I'm still thinking/dreaming about it!  It was so good.  Afterwards we met up with Giuliana and Carrie for drinks at Cibar - I love this place.  It's a great "in between" bar when you're not quite ready for a rowdy place.  Of course following this there was only one place to go - obviously The Canal Room to see the Rubix Cubes.  Once again (if you recall the last time) - they did NOT disappoint - it was off the charts.  I seriously can't handle them and every song you just wanna throw your hand up and fist pump like the true New Jerseyian that I am!  I love every second of this place - it's just that fun. 

Sunday my parents came in and we went to brunch at Bar Americain.  It's one of Bobby Flay's restaurants and again - did. Not. Disappoint.  I basically licked my plate clean.  Yes - I'm THAT girl.  We then went on to see Anything Goes - seriously if you haven't seen it - get your butts there!  

This play was phenom!   As a prior tap dancer - I know "what it takes" and these people are so beyond mega talented.  I basically crying with joy/excitement during one number.  And right now the grandmother from Gilmore Girls is in it and a few other famous people.  

The main character - Sutton Foster - OMG girlfriend is unbelievable!  

It's a must see - just fun show!

And last night was another fun night!  We went to the Mets game - things got cray cray.  Giuliana has these amahhhhzing season tix and she wanted to take me and Carrie - unfortunately, she got sick yesterday and wasn't up for going, so we decided to invite Hazel.  We get there after I basically sweat like 8 pounds off on the subway ride over and we were searching for our seats.  Finally find them - Oh, I'm sorry…what?!  We're basically behind home plate (7^th row) and slightly to the left.  We're then informed that we can get free hot dogs, chips, pretzels & popcorn in the "lounge".  You would have thought that the 3 of us had never eaten before in our lives.  We dove in there - each had about 3 rounds worth and hten were ready to watch the game.  A few beers here and there and things were getting entertaining!  Carrie was really adamant about wanting to "engage" the opposing team.  I will give her credit - she did get a lil wink & nod from Edgar Renteria - it was hilar.  

We also became friends with the staff - Samantha, Phil & Al.  One of Giuliana's family friends came down to say hi and insisted on getting us more food - it was completely opposite of what we needed.  All in all it was great night and we had so much fun - it just would have been even better if Giuliana hadn't gotten sick!

So here we are - guys full disclose I'm having heart palpitations about the fall TV schedule.  I'm already behind on Gossip Girl (missed last night) and I wanted to see that new Hart of Dixie - with Rachel Bilson.  Tonight 90210 & Glee are competing and New Girl oh and let's not forget Teen Mom Check-Up with Dr. Drew!  I missed Giuliana & Bill and RHOBH the other night. I have so much to catch up on and so little time to do it without getting completely behind!!  Seriously - anxiety attack happening right now. 

And I should mention that I'm in a complete womp womp mood - someone is having a birthday tomorrow and that girl is me!  I just don’t really like my birthday and kinda want it to be over.  I mean it's possibly fun for a hot second 

and then it's not at all and then I'm all...  

But I have a lil lunch date with my bestie and her little boy - so that will for sure make my day a lil bit better!  For now - I have a lot of TV to watch so I'll be signing off!  XOXO

A Weekend of Food & Fun!

So my apologies for the delay. Yesterday my company thought it was a good idea to hold a 4 hour diversity training class. So there's that. I obvi went - it was actually very interesting and the time really did go by quickly! BUT sadly - I didn't really have much time in my day to do anything else! So here is how my weekend with Isabella went down…pretty much amazingly.

Friday we kinda have a ritual when either one of us is in town visiting the other. It's pretty strict. Dinner, wine, PJ's, TV/talk/movie. So we did just that. We met Chase for dinner/drinks at Vero (a great little wine bar if anyone is looking). It was fun to catch up and have some wine and relax. Then Isabella and I grabbed another drink at a different bar (Chase had prior dinner plans - we didn't ditch her). It was so nice out and we were able to sit outside - so it was great to prolong our catch up session! Then we headed back to my apt for comf clothes, wine & TV!! Our favorite pastime! We got really into this new show on VH1 called "Single Ladies" - nbd Dionne from Clueless stars in it. But anyways - it was really good and we got totally sucked in! Then it was getting late/ we're getting old, so we called it a night.

Saturday we met Chase for brunch at EJ's Luncheonette - again - great place! Food was amazing!! We proceeded to run around - in/out of boutiques/nail salons (looking for the best deal). Finally found one - all got mani/pedis. Somehow they convinced me that neon purple was the best option for my toes - so twist my arm - and here we are! But I will say - it's really growing on me and now I'm kinda obsessed. It's a new color from Essie and it's pretty awesome:

At one point we stumbled into this boutique and the woman was a complete lunatic. She was so pushy and just trying to "make a sale". We were the only ones in there and it was clear that we were most likely the only ones in there the WHOLE DAY! She was trying to convince Isabella that a shirt she was trying on was a dress.

It was so short and she kept telling her what a great dress it was - it was insane. Then she told me this shirt looked so good on me - meanwhile I've never seen anything so heinous - it was all wrong! We headed to a few more places, then called it a day.

We went to Otto for dinner - it pretty much changed my life. It is a Mario Batali restaurant and it was in one word - UNREAL. My mean was so incredibly good. The wine was great and the atmosphere was so fun. We started with some cheese/prosciutto and then it comes with all these "dipping accompaniments" that you use for your cheese. So good. Then for dinner I had fresh linguini with clams in a white wine sauce and Isabella had fresh pasta filled with goat cheese and a lemon basil sauce. Both of us were in Heaven! Although the desserts looked to die for, we opted for an "after dinner drink" because we were just too full! ONLY down side - I was like a complete garlic bomb - so delightful for heading out for the night in search of a husband.

So I ran into CVS for the "triple threat" - disposable tooth brush, travel sized mouth wash and gum. We brushed our teeth quickly in CVS - the girls at the register thought we were hilar and then we headed out to meet up with Chase.

We met up with her and a few of her college friends at Revival - again a fun bar. Very low key and they have a great outdoor space. I quickly became besties with one her best friends - she now lives in Nashville - so I was telling her all about my trip there! Her friends were great and we had a blast!

Sunday always comes too quickly! We had brunch with Chase at Southern Hospitality - two words - FRIED PICKLES - made the day so much more bearable. I hate when my friends have to leave and it's "back to the grind". Sundays are always filled with angst and anticipation. But I did manage to catch up on all my Real Housewives and everything else I missed the week before!

I hope you all had a great weekend and your week is off to a good start. I mean it's already Tuesday - which means tomorrow is Wednesday - which means we're almost through the week!!