Days in the Life

Sunday March 14th.

2010-03-27T10:07:00.001-07:00

Happy 33rd birthday to myself! And happy last day of this blog!

I can't believe that this entire year has passed by so quickly. It's been a wonderful year in so many ways. T and I bought our first house and took our dream trip to Italy. We spent time with our fabulous families and friends. We are so blessed with this life and I am grateful for every bit of it.

I am thrilled that I decided last year to do this blog. It was hard and time consuming to take a photo a day and then get them posted and written about. Before I started this, I was always looking forward to the next event or the next weekend. I forgot to enjoy the path I was on. I never noticed the new spring buds on the trees or amazing thundercloud formations. This blog has forced me to open my eyes. I am able to see the beauty of every day and I am so much more grateful for this life I have and the people I am surrounded by.

I'm excited to begin my 33rd year and see what comes next. Thanks to Project 365, I'll make sure to keep my eyes open and enjoy the journey. And while this blog is over, I'll continue on here with all of our new challenges and adventures!

Saturday March 13th

2010-03-15T18:18:00.001-07:00

When T asked what I wanted to do to celebrate my birthday, I opted for a quiet night at home with T and my friend S. We saw Alice in Wonderland in the afternoon and then came home and cooked dinner together. T grilled the salmon, I made K-Paul's mashed potatoes and S prepared the asparagus with basil olive oil and pepper. She also played bartender, serving her own concotion, lime gimlets. Delicious!

The three of us shared a bottle of wine with dinner and a lot of laughs. I loved getting to share the night before my 33rd birthday with 2 of my favorite people in our warm and wonderful home.

I also really liked the birthday cake.

Friday March 12th

2010-03-13T07:52:00.001-08:00

We went shopping last night. T is leaving for Vegas on Monday and needed a few new shirts. I managed to talk him into a blazer which he thought looked too much like Don Johnson in Miami Vice. He relented and he's going to look stylin!

Thursday March 11th

2010-03-13T07:49:00.001-08:00

We finally got the call we'd been waiting for! Our friends went into labor with baby #2 today and T and I headed over to hang out with our best girl while they went to get her baby brother. T read her 5 books while I cooked dinner and I couldn't resist this photo. So sweet!

I also want to wish a happy birthday to my BFF! It's a great day!

Wednesday March 10th

2010-03-13T07:46:00.001-08:00

We decided to paint our bathroom. We can't deal with the bright green that we currently have. The brightness just doesn't come through in this photo! These are the final three contenders that we're deciding between. Any thoughts?

Tuesday March 9th

2010-03-13T07:42:00.001-08:00

I came home to T making omelettes for dinner. He has been practicing and started out browning the bell peppers and scallions.

Monday March 8th

2010-03-13T07:38:00.001-08:00

I was warming up the car this morning and saw this little squirrel digging in the ground. By the time I got my camera out of my purse, he was up in the tree. Is spring in the air?

Sunday March 7th

2010-03-13T07:36:00.000-08:00

Yum...chicory. We've been looking forward to this since we got back from New Orleans.

Saturday March 6th

2010-03-13T07:30:00.001-08:00

I didn't take this picture, but I was too busy running to carry a camera. T and I are training for a 7 mile run and this was the first day it was nice enough to get outside. We ran over the Walkway over the Hudson, www.walkway.org

It's a pedestrian bridge that spans 1.2 miles across the Hudson River. The views are amazing and the crisp air was perfect for our first day out.

Friday March 5th

2010-03-13T07:26:00.001-08:00

It's finally staring to stay lighter later. We have our sunsets back! I think this view is the reason that we fell in love with this house.

Thursday March 4th

2010-03-13T07:24:00.001-08:00

Now that we're back to real life, it's back to the T&A to-do list. It's been a tough readjustment back to real life this week and we're both ready for the weekend. And ready to get some sleep.

Wednesday March 3rd

2010-03-13T07:21:00.000-08:00

I hate snow this time of year because it's no longer fluffy and pretty. It's SNIRT.

Snow + Dirt= SNIRT. Is it spring yet?!

Tuesday March 2nd

2010-03-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

We're back in NY now. And cold again. At least March is here...maybe the winter is almost over!

Monday March 1st

2010-03-03T16:37:00.001-08:00

Beignets and chicory at Cafe du Monde. We went to 5 different restaurants today and it was very difficult to choose the photo for today because we ate so many fabulous things. I ate oysters for the first time, had a cup of veggie gumbo, had a small bite of T's gumbo, and an amazing breaded flounder and mashed potatoes for dinner. Oh and that isn't including the delicious breakfast at Mothers. Or the two pitchers of beer we shared, 2 cups of coffee and glass of wine with my last dinner. No wonder I went into a food coma.

Sunday February 28th

2010-03-03T16:34:00.000-08:00

The famously delicious and dangerous Hurricanes at Pat O'Briens. Don't worry, one of those is mine. We had one apiece and split a third. They certainly are dangerous. =)

Saturday February 27th

2010-03-03T16:31:00.001-08:00

We left behind the doom and gloom of the snow handicapped northeast and flew south to New Orleans! It's about 50 degrees and mostly sunny as we ate po-boys and drank 3 for 1 beers into the night. We took this picture on the second floor balcony of the Bourbon Street Brewing Company.

Friday February 26th

2010-03-03T16:27:00.000-08:00

So we found a hamster outside today. It was also a snow day and we spent the afternoon walking through the neighborhoods and trying to find the house where this little guy escaped from. We had no luck but found a kind girl who said she would keep him until she found him a home. I wanted to keep him but we were leaving in a few hours for the airport. He was very sweet and completely tame.

Thursday February 25th

2010-02-25T18:20:00.001-08:00

Are you tired of the snow yet? I am. This storm is supposed to go through tomorrow and then hopefully move out. We are flying out on Saturday morning to New Orleans and are crossing our fingers that we're able to go. Mother Nature, help us out!

This is taken from the window in my office, Great view huh?

Wednesday February 24th

2010-02-25T18:16:00.000-08:00

We must have had a lot of wind last night. I woke up this morning to find this poor little tree snapped off.

Tuesday February 23rd

2010-02-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

And...more snow.

Monday February 22nd

2010-02-25T18:11:00.001-08:00

Ah, a snowy country lane. No, wait. That's our driveway. You can't see it, but T is down at the bottom shoveling. And swearing no doubt. I shoveled the top of the driveway and the front walk, and this snow is heavy. My whole body is sore. Snow sucks.

Sunday February 21st

2010-02-25T18:08:00.001-08:00

S showing off her Writers Guild Award. Awards Host Susie Essman nicknamed it the flying vajayjay because she said this is the only award to not have a name. We have the Tonys, the Emmys, and the Grammys. Now we can add the Flying Vajayjays to the list.

Saturday February 20th

2010-02-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight was one of the coolest things I have ever done. I was the date of a Writer's Guild Award winner, my super talented friend SLT. She and I spent the day being totally girly, getting our hair and nails done before we walked the red carpet! Kidding, we weren't cool enough to actually walk the red carpet, but we did steal a photo in front of the curtain.

The awards show was amazing. We were in the company of talented and amazing writers and actors, including my very favorite, Tina Fey. Also spotted, Seth Myers, Jeremy Sisto, John Slattery, Edie Falco and Wallace Shawn. We finished off the night with Magnolia cupcakes, the greatest treat in NYC.

Friday February 19th

2010-02-25T17:58:00.001-08:00

T and I splurged for dinner tonight with homemade macaroni and cheese. It is the Alton Brown recipe that we made for New Years Eve, and it got two thumbs up once again from the hubs.

Thursday February 18th

2010-02-18T16:44:00.001-08:00

T had a basketball game tonight and these must have known he wouldn't be home because they jumped into my basket at the grocery store. They have caramel in the middle.
Yum.

Wednesday February 17th

2010-02-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

I normally wouldn't take a picture of our bathtub, but we fixed it last night and we're pretty proud of ourselves. It had been draining slowly and clogging up more and more over the last week and it was getting.. well...gross.

After trying several things to fix it and not having any luck, a friend suggested that we use a plunger. Holy crap, it worked! It's as good as new and it didn't cost us any money. T always appreciates that.

Tuesday February 16th

2010-02-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

T and I polished off the last bag of Dale and Thomas popcorn that Mom, Dad, and Shane sent us! It was delicious. If you've never tried it, click here: http://www.daleandthomas.com/

It was one of Oprah's Favorite Things a few years ago and has become a family favorite!

Monday February 15th

2010-02-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

I shoveled the front walk tonight. I hate shoveling. T did the driveway and I snapped this photo of him while he worked hard. Too bad he isn't visible in it. He's out there, I swear!

Sunday February 14th

2010-02-18T16:17:00.001-08:00

Aw, how sweet. A Valentines Day rose from my husband right? Wrong. We spent the day driving home from Boston, visiting some friends along the way. We arrived back in NY tired and hungry, so we stopped for Italian takeout. The teenager behind the counter gave me this rose. T and I have never celebrated Valentines Day (a Hallmark created holiday) but I can't lie: it was nice to get this rose. :-)

Saturday February 13th

2010-02-18T16:12:00.001-08:00

To celebrate my future sister in law's 30th birthday, we joined the gang for dinner at the Border Cafe outside Boston and then played Monster Golf! As you can tell from the photo, we were bathed in the glow of the black lights and I'm sad to say that T beat me. By one stroke. We get very competitive with our miniature golf.

Friday February 12th

2010-02-18T16:10:00.001-08:00

We started this new book on audio. So far, so good!

Thursday February 11th

2010-02-18T16:08:00.001-08:00

Grrr...

Wednesday February 10th

2010-02-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

No description necessary here. We're home.

Tuesday February 9th

2010-02-10T17:30:00.000-08:00

We had such an amazing trip with wonderful friends, amazing food, and a lot of laughs. But, it was time to head back to the real world and the flight actually left early to try and beat the gigantic blizzard forcasted to hit the east coast. We made it.

I love this airport. It is covered with a giant thatched roof and the "terminals" are all outside. We definitely plan on doing this again next year. Maybe the Patriots will join us next year.

Monday February 8th

2010-02-10T17:26:00.000-08:00

Hanging out at the pool, sporting our new tans and T with his ever present Sox visor. That thing has been to 3 countries, numerous Vegas trips with the boys and it ran the NY Marathon perched on the head of our good friend D.

Sunday February 7th

2010-02-10T17:23:00.001-08:00

The TV's at the beach weren't working so we booked it for the sports bar where we cheered and hollered during this amazing game. T and I Will be in New Orleans in a few weeks, so we were going Saints all the way. Who Dat!

Saturday February 6th

2010-02-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

T and I visited our parrot friends that live at the resort today. This little friend climbed onto my hand and then began working his way up my arm. I began to get a little nervous when he headed for my ear with his beak open. He wanted my earring! He gave me the tiniest little nibble and I lowered him back down to the railing. That was enough visiting. :-)

Friday February 5th

2010-02-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

T enjoying the balmy 85 degree day. We jumped in the ocean later on rented boogie boards and had a blast. The resort is on the Atlantic side of the island so the currents are pretty strong. We had some amazing waves and played like children. My arms were so sore afterwards from flinging myself onto the board and holding on for dear life. It rocked. Dude.

Thursday February 4th

2010-02-10T17:12:00.000-08:00

This is heaven. And the view from our balcony. We were greeted at the resort entrance with glasses of champagne and ushered to lunch overlooking the main pool before heading up to our room. Let the vacation begin!

Wednesday February 3rd

2010-02-10T17:10:00.001-08:00

As if we weren't looking forward to our beach vacation enough...Mother Nature wanted to remind us why we were flying south.

Tuesday February 2nd

2010-02-02T16:58:00.000-08:00

I finally had my pedicure for the trip. It's odd to wear flip flops home from the salon while wrapped up in my scarf, gloves, and coat.

Monday February 1st

2010-02-02T16:56:00.001-08:00

I am going to make sure to sign up for this way in advance so I don't get shut out again. This is a fantastic ride through my favorite city.

Sunday January 31st

2010-02-02T16:54:00.001-08:00

T finished our taxes today. I have the best husband ever.

Saturday January 30th

2010-02-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

My friend S came up from Jersey this weekend and brought T and I a sweet treat. Juniors is a Brooklyn institution. I think they have one at Grand Central Station too. Can you imagine a better takeout window? Any cheesecake you want...to go. Oh and delicious Valentine cookies too! Thanks S!

Friday January 29th

2010-02-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

Easter candy comes out earlier every year. These are my absolute favorite treat.

Thursday January 28th

2010-02-02T16:47:00.001-08:00

Final count: $42! That will pay for half of our airport parking!

Wednesday January 27th

2010-02-02T16:45:00.001-08:00

T polished off the salsa chicken tonight. It was another crockpot winner.

Tuesday January 26th

2010-02-02T16:40:00.001-08:00

This is two days late...oops. It's all okay though, because the Saints are going to the Superbowl! This is the victory confetti on our HD TV. It was a fantastic game and we can't wait to cheer them to victory from our lounge chairs on the dominican beach.

Monday January 25th

2010-02-02T16:37:00.001-08:00

Continuing with the house tour; more wall art! This is a Collins original taken in Venice.

Sunday January 24th

2010-01-25T17:37:00.001-08:00

This is what we did today. It was a wonderful lazy day inside and an icy, rainy day outside.

Saturday January 23rd

2010-01-25T17:34:00.000-08:00

I was bad today and didn't take a picture. But we did see Avatar (T's choice) and as much as I didn't want to see it, I loved it. I thought it was fantastically unique and had such stunning visuals. It was also the first 3D movie I've ever seen and it was amazing! I actually saw T brush something away from his face towards the end. It was a 3D leaf. :-)

Friday January 22nd

2010-01-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

This is the beginning of my recipe book. I'm tired of sorting through a pile of printouts to find the recipe that I want.

Thursday January 21st

2010-01-25T17:28:00.000-08:00

Spin Art for our kitchen! Courtesy of my 5 year old nephew.

Wednesday January 20th

2010-01-25T17:25:00.001-08:00

Hey, we actually hung something on a wall! In previous apartments, I always had pictures and artwork up as soon after moving in as possible. Here, I'm hesitant. I think it's because I painted everything here and want to make sure that when I put a hole in the wall, it's for a good cause.

Tuesday January 19th

2010-01-25T15:58:00.001-08:00

I went back to work today and received an email from T this afternoon. He found a screamin deal to New Orleans so we booked it tonight. I've never been and I'm really excited to explore Nawlins!

Monday January 18th

2010-01-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, I stayed home today. Still feeling terrible. I drank 5 gallons of tea today.

Sunday January 17th

2010-01-25T15:54:00.000-08:00

T came home from work and headed to the kitchen to make pizza for me, his sick wife. Remember the photo from yesterday? Well, I did the same thing today.

Saturday January 16th

2010-01-25T15:52:00.001-08:00

I'm sick. I've had a fever since last night and this is all I did today; curled up on the couch and watched a little 90210.

Friday, January 15th

2010-01-25T15:47:00.001-08:00

Taco night with soy chorizo sausage!

Thursday January 14th

2010-01-25T15:42:00.001-08:00

Since we're going on vacation, it's time to count the change in our football change container. I didn't have enough wrappers, so the final total will have to wait.

Wednesday January 13th

2010-01-13T18:17:00.001-08:00

Our 12 x16 prints finally arrived from Snapfish! We'll be framing these and hanging them in the house. Right now, we're leaning towards the bottom photo for the living room and the Tuscan countryside for our master bedroom.

Tuesday January 12th

2010-01-13T18:13:00.001-08:00

This is a new favorite recipe of ours; Enchiladas with a Creamy Tomatilla Sauce. Absolutely heavenly. T and I had a date night tonight to celebrate his excellent rating at work! We devoured our dinner and watched Up in the Air, which was fantastic.

Monday January 11th

2010-01-13T18:11:00.000-08:00

This is a new recipe; Butternut Squash and Creamed Spinach. It received two thumbs up from the husband!

Sunday January 10th

2010-01-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

This is the view outside of S's apartment building. I never get tired of the NYC skyline.

Saturday January 9th

2010-01-13T18:03:00.001-08:00

S and I checked out the Tim Burton exhibit at MOMA, shopped, and then headed to a new tapas bar we discovered. The drinks above are my new favorite beverage: A basil lime gimlet. Bliss.

The food was delicious and the atmosphere was relaxing and Asian inspired with long couches, short tables, dim lighting, and lots of leisurely time to spend with your dinner companions. Did I mention the food? Sweet potato ravioli with a vanilla pecan glaze, red snapper tacos, and french onion soup balls. Heavenly.

Friday January 8th

2010-01-13T18:00:00.001-08:00

What was waiting for me on Friday morning!

Thursday January 7th

2010-01-13T17:58:00.001-08:00

Sweet Potato French fries!

Wednesday January 6th

2010-01-13T17:55:00.000-08:00

T working on the rough draft of our taxes. Thank you Obama for the first time homebuyers tax credit!

Tuesday January 5th

2010-01-05T18:24:00.001-08:00

On the menu tonight, artichoke stuffed manicotti. It's a weight watcher recipe that somebody recommended and it was delicious. The best part is that it makes two casseroles, so I have one safely stashed in the freezer for a non cooking night.

The worst part of this particular cooking adventure is when I pulled the dish out of the oven, it slipped out of my oven mitt and somehow flipped over upside down on the open oven door. T saved the manicotti, but my presentation was ruined. :-) Hence, the upside down picture.

Monday January 4th

2010-01-05T18:20:00.001-08:00

Let the New Year's Resolutions begin! I went to the gym today, along with the rest of the world, and ran the first two miles toward my new goal. When I came home, I whipped up a tasty stir fry with tofu, broccoli, bell peppers, and shallots, tossed with a tiny bit of honey mustard sauce. I put this over some couscous. Delicious!

Sunday January 3rd

2010-01-05T18:18:00.001-08:00

The to-do list is getting really short! I finshed painting the office window frame. There is officially no more dark, ugly wood in our house.

Saturday January 2nd

2010-01-05T18:14:00.001-08:00

I know this just looks like our bathroom door but it's really our new and improved modern marvel. We tightened the hinges and sanded one side of the frame so you no longer need the Patriots offensive line to close the door. Yea for easy home repairs!

Friday January 1st

2010-01-05T18:12:00.001-08:00

We were very busy at home today. T is very proud of the whiteboard we hung in the kitchen. He got to use his new drill!

Thursday December 31st

2010-01-05T18:09:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! T and I stayed home by ourselves and had a wonderful night watching movies and eating one of our new favorite recipes: Baked Macaroni and Cheese. We drank a bottle of wine, relaxed, and went to be well before the ball dropped down the river in Times Square. Cheers to a new and promising year!

Wednesday December 30th

2010-01-05T18:07:00.001-08:00

Okay, one more shot of the decorations! T and I hung the garland last week right before Christmas.

Tuesday December 29th

2010-01-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

I'm ready to put away Christmas for the year. One last look at our decorations.

Monday December 28th

2010-01-05T18:02:00.001-08:00

Cooking again. We had enough leftovers for another broccoli casserole.

Sunday December 27th

2010-01-05T18:01:00.001-08:00

I didn't take a picture today...I was exhausted!

Saturday December 26th

2009-12-28T17:43:00.000-08:00

T and his brother posing in front of Charlie Brown. T worked today but was home in time for leftovers!

Friday December 25th

2009-12-28T17:39:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas feast. I love this picture because the mashed potato recipe is from my parents, the casserole dishes were a gift from my mother's late godmother, and the wine goblets are from my mother in law. We opened the last bottle of wine that we bought on our honeymoon in Carmel. We had a very nice, quiet Christmas day and the meal came together perfectly, a trick I learned from my mother and my aunt.

Thursday December 24th

2009-12-28T17:34:00.001-08:00

My mother in law and I on Christmas Eve trying to show off the ornament wine charms I bought. My husband and his brother wanted to open presents that night so we did, although growing up, we always opened presents on Christmas Day.
We followed presents with the H family tradition of takeout chinese food and plenty of wine. As evidenced above.

Wednesday December 23rd

2009-12-28T17:31:00.001-08:00

We have a Charlie Brown tree! I didn't want to get a gigantic tree two days before Christmas so I was going to leave without one. Until I saw this little friend. I actually told T that it needed me. It was a perfect tree for us this year.

Tuesday December 22nd

2009-12-28T17:29:00.001-08:00

I made my first advance dish for Christmas day; The H family mashed potato casserole. Delicious..if I do say so myself.

Monday December 21st

2009-12-28T17:26:00.001-08:00

My Christmas Command Center. I even wrapped a gift. Even though we have no tree to put it under yet. We still have 4 days to go!

Sunday December 20th

2009-12-28T17:22:00.001-08:00

I was hung over today. I'm not afraid to admit it. :-)

I had a huge To-Do list that was pretty much completely ignored in favor of hiding under a blanket on the couch. I did do my part for Martha however, with my little red ball arrangement.

Saturday December 19th

2009-12-28T17:18:00.000-08:00

NYC got over a foot of snow tonight! We had a great day, starting off at a matinee of Finian's Rainbow, which was amazing. It is one of my top Broadway favorites. We went out to a fabulous little wine bar that we stumbled on downtown and finished off the night at Jekyl and Hyde in the Village. Super fun times!

Friday December 18th

2009-12-28T17:15:00.001-08:00

My friends S and I out on the town. It's our annual NYC holiday weekend!

Thursday December 17th

2009-12-20T12:39:00.001-08:00

I drew on our board at work. The phones have been really quiet!

Wednesday December 16th

2009-12-20T12:35:00.001-08:00

After unpacking from our trip tonight, I couldn't sleep. I decided to unpack my shoes and purses that had been trapped in their moving boxes ever since we bought this house. I organized my fabulous closet and actually have the shoe closet of my dreams!

Tuesday December 15th

2009-12-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

Coming in for a bumpy landing in NY. It's a beautiful view from up here.

Monday December 14th

2009-12-16T19:51:00.000-08:00

Twins!

Sunday December 13th

2009-12-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

It's Christmas Morning! We had a lot of fun opening presents and eating a Blueberry Stuffed French Toast recipe that we baked for the occasion. T is showing off our new Christmas ornament. The highlight of the morning was watching my Mom open the Tiffany necklace that we all splurged on for her. She was overwhelmed and it was a wonderful moment.

Saturday December 12th

2009-12-16T19:43:00.001-08:00

My newly 5 year old nephew! He had a little help from my Mom on this one; there were lots of candles.

Friday December 11th

2009-12-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

I love this picture. Friday was tree trimming day in the H house and I'm so excited that we were there to help out. T, S, and my Dad are hard at work making sure the tree is straight.

Thursday December 10th

2009-12-16T19:37:00.001-08:00

We're home! And I get to see my two favorite boys building a fabulous castle. As if they weren't cute enough, S was wearing his Patriots sweatshirt, just like his Uncle T.

Wednesday December 9th

2009-12-16T19:35:00.001-08:00

We're heading to CA tomorrow! Tonight I baked a couple of dozen biscotti for my Mom and Dad. It's one of their favorite treats.

Tuesday December 8th

2009-12-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

I picked up and addresses our Christmas cards tonight. This is one of our Italy favorites.

Monday December 7th

2009-12-16T19:28:00.001-08:00

I waited until the plow came through before I left for work this morning. It was a slippery ride but the back yard looked beautiful. I found tiny cat prints in the snow when I came home.

Sunday December 6th

2009-12-16T19:25:00.001-08:00

We woke up to 5 inches this morning! I love the snow when I don't have to leave the house. T and I had a lazy Sunday, drinking coffee and working in the house.

Saturday December 5th

2009-12-16T19:23:00.001-08:00

I picked up my friend S today and we went to Ikea. I found a comforter for the guest room, curtains for the dining room, and a roasting pan for my Christmas ham.