Living the Brooklyn Life

Trip to the zoo

2011-08-16T13:02:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago my mom and cousin came to visit me in New York. Unfortunately they scheduled their trip during the awful heat wave of 2011! With temperatures well above 100, it was tough to be a tourist and not keel over from heat stroke. I'm pretty sure I didn't stop sweating for a good week straight. It was gross.

Anyhow, when a failed attempt to visit the Bronx Zoo was upon us (sidenote: I HATE weekend subway construction), we ventured to Central Park Zoo instead. It's much smaller, but we still managed to see a few cool things!

Momma and I

These guys are talking to each other!

A couple of bats, just hanging around

Pretty bird

My triathlon

2011-08-08T17:10:00.011-04:00

So, for those of you who don't know this past Sunday I competed in the Nautica NYC Triathlon. It was a 1.5k swim, a 40k bike and 10k run; a true test of endurance, strength, my ability to handle inclement weather conditions. I found that I enjoyed the training for a tri much better than training for the marathon, so I thought the race would be that much more enjoyable! I was wrong. Here is my breakout of how the race went down, and mostly the reasons I hated it:

You have to wake up before the crack of dawn. Transition closes at 5:15 so you have to be set up before that!

Yellow Transition at 4:37am. Those are about 1500 VERY expensive bikes (except for mine).
The race was delayed because of weather and an accident that needed to be cleaned up on our bike route. While I am very thankful they were being "safe" (more on quotes later), sitting around in a wet suit for 40 extra minutes kind of sucks.
It was raining
The rain causes wind
The wind and rain cause terrible water conditions.
I. Could. Not. Breathe. during the swim. I was disappointed in myself for botching this leg of my race, I had gotten so good at swimming during my training! Salt water of the Hudson was coming at me from all angles and I don't even want to think of how much dirty sewage water I swallowed that was still hanging around from that spill. I ended up having to swim backstroke for most of the swim just so I could breathe. I swam for what felt like 30 minutes and had only reached the 250m marker. How on Earth would I make it to 1500m?! Somehow, I did survive. But, I hated EVERY freaking second of the swim.
Then, after feeling like I was going to die, I had to run BAREFOOT(!) for a 1/4 mile back to transition. I honestly do not know how people run marathons like that. In my short distance I somehow managed to step on at least 10 pebbles which was anything but pleasant feeling.
I then got to hop on my bike just as the rain was picking up! Oh Happy Day! The course was a very hilly ride into the Bronx and going downhill the rain feels like little rocks being thrown at your face. On top of that, there were about 800 puddles that covered the entire road so my feet were soaked through approximately 3 minutes after I started. If I was lucky, and the path wasn't too crowded, I got to avoid the muddy spray of the person in front of me from the wet roads. Most of the time I was not so lucky.
I have that "I'm squinting so the rain doesn't block my vision" look.
Just as I hit the turnaround point, the wind decided to pick up and the whole ride back was super tough.
The ride was a constant battle of "which hurt worse?" My crotch bones from the bike seat or my lower back from hunching over.
Every time I would get to the point of "I want to give up" a para-athlete would come whizzing by me and make me feel terrible about even having the thought.
About half way in to the bike ride that "I want to throw up feeling" started to brew from all that nasty sewage filled salt water I unintentionally swallowed/snorted.
Right at the end I see my sister who came to cheer me on. A small glimmer of sunshine. She made me the most amazing sign!
Finally I make it to the run! I know how to do this. Only one leg left. Nothing like a ridiculously steep hill out of transition to convince you that you can make it 6.2 miles.
I see my sister again yelling for me! Then, I see Jason (he's really so cute!)! I am tempted to pull them both over and make them promise to never EVER let me do something this stupid again. (At this point in the race that thought went through my head approximately every other minute.)
I know how hard that back hill of Central Park can be, but I am not prepared for the fact that my legs just cannot do it. I end up walking more than I wanted to (which was not at all) during the run portion.
Without fail, as I take a quick breather and walk for a short bit, another para-athlete or blind triathlete whizzes by me. I quickly start running again.

Just about to cross the finish line!
By some miracle I am able to sprint (HA) across the finish line with a time of 3:17:04.
I cross the line soaking wet and not sure if it's because of the Hudson River water, the rain, sweat, or the 90% humidity.
The only enjoyable part of the race was when they handed me a Finisher towel soaked in ice water that I immediately placed on top of my head.

I do not know if it was the terrible weather that made me hate this race so much, but all I know is I'm a much better runner than triathlete! I made sure to get these pictures, because this was a once in a lifetime activity for me.

Obviously we coordinated our outfits to get this picture.

He's so good to me, and such an amazing support system.

Since crossing the finish line I have learned that a total of TWENTY SIX people were pulled from the water during the first leg of the race and two people died. The city is undergoing an investigation to determine if there should be stricter qualifications for participation and safety requirements relating to weather because of these tragedies. All I know is I don't feel quite as bad about thinking the swim leg was so damn difficult.

I heart Etsy!

2011-07-19T17:28:00.001-04:00

In case you're curious. I made Etsy's homepage today thanks to this beautiful "It's still snowy in the Mountains" treasury! BEYOND EXCITED.

It's a SALE.

2011-07-16T13:50:00.003-04:00

The NewNew is having their annual Christmas in July sale with a TON of great artists dropping their prices 10 - 25% off! Now through July 21st. Make sure you use the coupon code CIJ11 at checkout! A full list of participating shops and discounts here.

It's baaack....

2011-07-15T10:41:00.000-04:00

Hundreds of people braved the freshly wet lawn from the rainstorm for the event!

It's Movie's with a View, Brooklyn's premiere outdoor movie viewing experience! Last Thursday Katie and I headed down to Pier 1 (with wine and paper cups in hand!) for the inaugural screening and we loved every second of it. This year all movies are New York themed, and we watched Manhattan. I had never seen it before, and am glad I was finally able to. Such a cute and quirky movie. It's so fun to see Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton so young!

Manhattan with a view of Manhattan, doesn't get more NY than this!

It's a Jungle (or Forrest) out there!

2011-07-14T11:26:00.002-04:00

J and I recently went to a trip out west to the beautiful land of Colorado! My gorgeous cousin was kind enough to get married and give us a reason for a vacation. J and I really wanted to see a bear, but (un)fortunately we did not encounter one in our explorations. Did you know that in Rocky Mountain National Park there are only 26 bears and about 50 moose in the entire 265,770 acres?! That seems very low to me. We may have missed boat on the bear, but we DID manage to see THREE moose. One even decided it was a good idea to cross in front of our car!

J likes to think these prairie dogs are representative of him and I. I wonder who's choking who.

RAMS. I promise not to come any closer if you stop looking directly at me. On the Twin Sisters Trail.

Moose!

Look at this beast! A whole heard of Elk were grazing along Trail Ridge Road. We even had three come directly through our campsite. Really amazing.

Bowl full of Cherries

2011-06-15T16:30:00.004-04:00

We finally got a sunny day in New York today. It's been nothing but rain and clouds for the last couple days. I decided to go for a walk on my lunch break and picked up some delicious cherries from the fruit cart. Please imagine these do not have a glow of florescent lighting and they'll seem much more appealing! YUM.

Rainy Saturday

2011-06-11T19:10:00.005-04:00

The forecast for the weekend is nothing but rain, but I didn't let that stop me from going on a little adventure! I headed to Williamsburg to check out the Renegade Craft Fair and say hello to a few of my friends in the NewNew. I also bought a truly unique necklace that I cannot wait to wear all summer long. It's perfect for every day! What did you do today?

Rainy streets of Greenpoint.

Don't let a little rain make you frown! Such a cute little bike bell.

Beautiful brick wall on Manhattan Avenue in Williamsburg. Also available in my shop.

DIY Project

2011-06-04T14:23:00.003-04:00

I found this awesome fabric flower tutorial on Pinterest the other day and knew I just had to try it! I'm loving how the flowers make my cheap Ikea lampshade look so much more sophisticated! What do you think?

The project was so simple and I can't wait to decorate something else. I'd love to try making it a little fancier with some beautiful beads or gems.

(please do not judge the yellow lamp base. I am going to paint it to match.)

Alexander McQueen takes on the MET

2011-05-23T16:34:00.003-04:00

This Sunday I headed to the Met with Holly to check out the new Alexander McQueen exhibit I've been wanting to see. I've only heard amazing things about the exhibit, so I knew this was one not to be missed. Let me tell you, IT. WAS. STUNNING. There was a line an hour long just to get in and it was worth every minute. This man was so incredibly talented, and deeply disturbed. We really did lose such a great designer, and artist with his passing. His pieces are so unique and creative! Here are two of my favorites from the collection. Images taken from the MET blog.

I love the alligator head shoulder pads on this one!

This piece is made entirely of duck feathers.

If you live in NY, you absolutely must go see this. If you don't, I'm sorry you're missing out, but definitely read the MET's blog about all the featured collections!

After the exhibit, and a little Manet/Monet browsing, we were exhausted and needed a little pick me up. So, I grabbed a salted caramel milkshake and Holly opted for a Yummy Nut cupcake from the Cake and Shake truck outside. I think it may be possible that whole rapture thing did happen, and that is what heaven tastes like.

Beautiful Sunday

2011-04-17T19:10:00.004-04:00

Blooming Magnolias

Today was one of those days you are just happy to be alive. The weather was gorgeous. It was sunny and 65. I ate a sinfully delicious plate of pancakes from Cheryl's Global Soul. I walked through the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens with Laura. I planted my window garden of herbs. And finally, I stocked up on groceries at Trader Joe's. The best part was I ran all of these errands on my new bike. How did you spend your Sunday?

daffodils and tulips

snakeskin tulip. I can't remember the actual name.

CHECK ME OUT

2011-04-13T16:45:00.003-04:00

Oh would you look at that?! I've made it onto Apartment Therapy! Please please please please take the time to favorite me. You have to log in, but really it only takes a minute to do. I'd love you forever and always if you did!

I made an ice cream cake!

2011-04-12T11:34:00.003-04:00

(look at those layers of LOVE)

And you know what? It turned out great! All of this was in honor of Mr. Sinclair's decent into the life of a senior citizen and his absolute love of ice cream.

The whole process was easy, but incredibly time consuming. I followed this blog post written by an ex-Carvel cake maker but made some adjustments to make it my own. Here is how the process went:

On Monday I bought ingredients. I decided I was going to make a strawberry cheesecake ice cream cake. I was going to use pie crust for the "crunchies" and Ben & Jerry's strawberry cheesecake ice cream, and my own home made ice cream. I also bought stuff to make the whip cream frosting from scratch.
On Tuesday I made the trek over to Prospect Heights to pick up my friends ice cream maker. Any old shlep can use pre-made ice cream. Making it from scratch shows how much I really care, right?
On Wednesday morning I made my first batch of ice cream. Vanilla. The whole process was really cool and only took about 20 minutes. When I get a full size apartment and have storage space, I am buying an ice cream maker. Then you have to put ice cream on the sides of a springform pan (about one inch thick) and let it freeze.
On Wednesday night I put the strawberry cheesecake ice cream in the bottom and the pie crust on the top. FREEZE.
On Thursday I put the rest of the ice cream on top of the pie crunchies and FREEZE.
On Saturday I made the home made whip cream, and frosted my cake. FREEZE. This time to set the frosting.
Later Saturday I decorated the cake and headed over to the birthday boys house.

All in all, it was a hit! It wasn't hard to make, but I still think I'll stick to a Carvel the next time (even if I do know how to make my own crunchies).

I've got a fancy new bookshelf!

2011-03-29T10:51:00.004-04:00

So I mentioned previously about Jason's new adventure of Merrimack & Monitor a few posts ago, and now I'm excited to share my new custom bookshelf (which will be available for sale as a custom install piece)! I envisioned this gem MONTHS ago and asked him to build it for me and we've finally completed it. I could not be more excited about it. We've used black plumbing piping, reclaimed wood, and heavy duty drywall anchors to make this piece. I could literally swing from one of the bars into a back flip and that thing isn't moving. I had such a small space to work with (only 20" wide), and this is the perfect use of space! I love it so much.

With 5 rows of piping and 4 rows of reclaimed wood, I'm really able to maximize the small corner space in my studio.

A closer view of how the shelves interact together. We're going to put something fancy on the ends of the pipes to girly it up! Think dresser knobs from Antropologie.

A closer look at the reclaimed wood.

I love the imperfections of the wood. So beautiful!

I just like this guy, and felt he deserved a close-up. I picked him up in the Dominican Republic.

Today...

2011-03-27T14:03:00.003-04:00

I learned that Oslo has some seriously hot coffee. I mean, scalding. During a quick stop there this morning, I managed to spill coffee ALL. OVER. MYSELF. The coffee instantly seeped through my wool coat sleeve and shirt to burn my arm. I mean really burn, like leave blisters type of burning. The only good thing about this situation is I have a reason to use that aloe plant I've been growing. Lucky me.

Also, this is my new, darker do. Thoughts? Don't judge the paleness of my skin, its even more severe due to the light that's currently pouring into my apartment.

Come say HI!

2011-03-24T12:07:00.000-04:00

As I continue my journey as a photographer, I've been lucky enough to be able to participate in a few upcoming street and craft fairs where I'm going to be selling my items! All items sold can also be bought in my Etsy shop, but with no added shipping costs! What a bargain :) If you are around, come out to support me. Jason will also be selling his Merrimack & Monitor items as well. They truly are beautiful "lighting, furniture and accoutrements made from reclaimed pieces." We're doing a photo shoot soon of his items, so stay tuned for that!

Here are the fairs you can find us at!

April 30th - Go Green! Greenpoint Earth Day Festival at McCarren Park

May 1st - Lexington Craft Fair in Jackson Heights.

May 7th - Festival of Ideas in the Lower East Side

Big Changes!

2011-03-23T11:05:00.002-04:00

So, of late I've been feeling kind of frumpy. I had gotten myself into a rut with my appearance which made its way to my mood. So my beloved readers, I made some moves. I cleaned out my closet (and made a hefty donation to Goodwill!), made a few new (non jeans) clothing purchases, made a few shoe purchases, AND, drumroll please.... dyed my hair.

I'm now brunette. People seriously do not recognize me now. For example, this past weekend I was meeting a few ladies for brunch and they walked in and looked directly at me and didn't even notice I was sitting there until I called their names! I personally do not think I look that different, but apparently I do.

Here's to Spring cleaning and blonde roots!!

(PS. I had jury duty and got put on a case that starts next week (UGH). My coworker suggested that if I still was blonde I likely would not have gotten selected. Playing the dumb blonde is a lot easier when you are actually blonde. sigh)

Hip Hip Hooray!

2011-03-07T15:23:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I made waffles. Not just any waffles. I made rich, decadent sour cream waffles topped with rasberries and real maple syrup. An entire champagne bottle's worth of mimosas may have been consumed as well. All of this was in honor of my beautiful friend Katie. You see, Katie got a new fancy job and I wanted to celebrate. 8 waffles, 1 container of rasberries, a bottle of champagne, a few splashes of orange juice, and a Pretty Woman viewing later we were both very happy and full. Congrats again Katie, I'm so excited for you!

I was too excited to eat the waffles after I poured on the syrup, so here is the picture before.

Dillen was also there to help us celebrate. I was dog sitting for the day.

Georgetown Cupcakes

2011-03-04T07:40:00.007-05:00

Have you guys heard of a little show called DC Cupcakes? Well, I hadn't either until this past weekend. I was down in DC visiting Jessie and she wanted to check out Georgetown Cupcakes in the cute Georgetown neighborhood of DC. Who am I to stand in the way of a girl with a sweet tooth? So, we headed out there and stood in line for the chance to try some of the famed sweet treats. And we waited. And waited. And waited. All the attention from the show sure created quite the line, but I have to say the wait was definitely worth it. These little cupcakes were not only adorable, they were delicious!

The great display of cupcakes. Flavors rotate daily, and seasonally.

The red velvet cupcake.

I think this was the chocolate².

So while we waited in the loooong line, Jessie and I spent a good amount of time trying to narrow down the flavors we wanted to get. The longer we waited, the more cupcakes we decided we were buying. Our thought process went like this:

"Well, we waited all this time, I want to try a couple flavors."

"Ok, we'll each pick two flavors and we'll split them."

"I think I'll get the peanut butter chocolate one, and then red velvet"

"OK, I want vanilla² and carrot"

"Eww, carrot cake?"

"OK, let's get half a dozen then. It's only $15. We can eat the rest later and bring them home"

"Great idea."

Well, we did get six cupcakes. But, we didn't have any left over when we finally got home that night. We ate half at the bakery, and then the rest for a snack later that night. And our review? DELICIOUS. We each had a different favorite, but we thought all of them were so good.

Our six cupcakes came so cutely packed.

Our selection: toffee crunch, vanilla², carrot, peanut butter fudge, strawberry and red velvet. My favs were the toffee crunch and the vanilla².

Those cupcakes didn't stand a chance.

Throw a Tantrum!

2011-03-02T10:23:00.003-05:00

So, I'm a little late in posting this, but have you heard of Fitz and the Tantrums? They are pretty awesome. A couple weeks ago my coworker was in town from San Fran and a bunch of us went to Williamsburg to see them. Such an energetic group and they put on a fantastic show. Look them up now, and load your ipods my friends. Not only was it a fun night, I now have new music to run to. Double win.

Lesson learned: When it comes to music, Lo knows what he's talking about.

Shot through the heart

2011-03-01T10:05:00.006-05:00

Sunday night I helped Jessie cross seeing Bon Jovi live off her bucket list. The show was actually really good. However, I'm not sure if I enjoyed watching the band or the fans more. This one woman (there with her very embarrassed daughter) was dressed in a black sequined tank and had a short, messing curly bob which she kept under control in a white headband with the poof upfront. I seriously wish I would of caught her dancing on camera. She would get really in to it, and then cross her arms to try and contain herself, and then the music would get to her and her flashy dance moves/fist pumping would be let loose again. It was an endless cycle throughout the show. One I seriously found entertaining.

For Bon Jovi, the show was great, and I was surprised I knew more songs than I didn't know! They even played Pretty Woman! Kind of felt like I was back at XS the whole night, only sober. And without slutty dancers in 80's gear.

The panned out stage view. Yes, our seats were behind the stage, which didn't suck as bad as I expected. He kept turning around and performing to the back.

Check out those dance moves!

Close up shot.

I love NY

2011-02-25T12:07:00.006-05:00

Where else can you jam out to a great band while you're waiting for the subway? These guys were awesome. So good in fact I would of even dropped them a dollar if they were not on the other platform! And, I have a very strict policy that you must earn your dollars and not just ask "Spare any change tonight?" like the tranny at my subway station does. I even considered walking over to give them one. Considered.

PS. Heading to DC this weekend to spend some time with my sister!

Brrr. It's cold out there.....

2011-02-22T14:42:00.008-05:00

No, this is not a post about Bring it On. This is a post about adventures up at Whiteface Mountain, near Lake Placid, NY (Home of the 1980 Winter Olympics)!

A lovely group of 11 (plus Dewey!) made the drive up there to celebrate President's Weekend in style. After 3 days of snowboarding, laughing and brutally cold temperatures, my body is certainly exhausted and I'm counting down the work day until I can crawl back in bed. Great weekend. Great friends. Tons of fun. I can't wait to get on the snow again. Maybe next time I'll get the hang of it a little more and not embarrass my pro of a boyfriend.

Jason and I riding the gondola to the top. Really the only tolerable way to go when the wind is kicking (ps. That cute mask I am wearing was sooo key that day - don't judge me).

Top of Little Whiteface.

Katie and I before we head down the scenic mile and half trail from the top of Lookout Mountain.

Group shot (minus Danny who had to go home early for family day) - Lance, Blake, Drew, Pretty Yan, Dewey, Katie, Jason, Neil, Ken and Me.

Shop Makeover!

2011-02-08T10:52:00.004-05:00

Lately I've been dreaming of warm weather, clear skies, and amazing vacations. To this day, my trip to Greece was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. Truly life changing. And now, you can have a little sliver of my memories by buying one these prints for your very own enjoyment. Prints now come matted and signed by the artist (me!). Fancy.

I've also spent the last couple weeks revamping the shop in hopes to appeal more to buyers. What do you guys think? Is it working?

Buy Greecian Windmills here.

Buy Naxos Sunset here.

Uh Oh.

2011-02-02T14:19:00.003-05:00

The sad thing is I am actually excited to start training again. And, for my triathlon. Let the games begin!

Also, anyone have a good recommendation on a heart rate monitor that doesn't cost a bagillion dollars?

In the studio

2011-01-29T20:09:00.004-05:00

I realized I still hadn't shared any photos from my shoot the other day! The shoot was so much fun, and the unique art space provided such a great background for Tori's shoot. Let me know what you think! Tori is so beautiful that she looks good in pretty much all the shots, but below are a couple of my favorites from the day.

Snow Day

2011-01-27T09:51:00.003-05:00

New York City got another 19 inches of snow last night. Much more than the 6 inches expected. Kids, I'm not kidding when I say we get a snow storm a week here. However, my snow boot purchase has DEFINITELY paid off. I wear those suckers every day.

(all photos were taken on my way to the subway this morning that was surprisingly running. I was really hoping for a work from home day today. No such luck.)

It's my birthday...

2011-01-25T16:26:00.003-05:00

(well, it was on Saturday)...And I can get the big girl beer now.

Jason, Blake and Ken are shocked at my new (old) age. (PS I love the ridiculousness of this picture)

Waiting

2011-01-24T10:26:00.003-05:00

Will this G Train ever come?

It snowed. Again.

2011-01-21T09:21:00.006-05:00

I am so over this whole snow thing. We got another 3 - 5 inches last night while I was fast asleep. I was told the Farmer's Almanac predicted a very cold winter with hardly any snow. I think it's safe to say they were wrong given we've had a snow storm every week since Christmas!

My Florida friends may think "Oh, but it's so pretty!" And, I agree. Snow is pretty, the first 30 minutes - an hour after it has fallen. After that, fluffy white snow turns to slushy mud mixed with yellow ice. You try walking through that to get to the subway that may or may not be running depending if the switches were froze from all the ice. Is it summer yet?

On a side note, I ordered a new snow jacket and goggles this week! Take me to the slopes!

On another side note, tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY. Very excited for a bloody mary filled brunch with some of my closest friends :)

Things that really bother me on Facebook (and in general)

2011-01-20T15:47:00.004-05:00

1. Backwards smiley emoticons. It should be :) NOT (:
2. People who write words with alternating capital and lower case letters. I'm pretty sure you are older than five years old if you are using the internet. (My LiFe Is AwEsOmE!)
3. Purposely spelling words incorrectly. (Right versus ritee. It's the same amount of characters. Please spell it correctly.)
4. People who get engaged and change their facebook status without posting a picture of the ring. I'm curious. Everyone is curious.

This is not an attack on anyone in particular. I just generally am annoyed by these points, and, I'm in a little bit of an annoyed mood so I felt these needed to be shared.

Photo Shoot #1

2011-01-17T14:31:00.004-05:00

I had a photo shoot this past weekend and was lucky enough to shoot in one of the SVA student's very unique studio spaces. Nothing but the best quality lighting equipment for me! Don't judge too harshly, the photos turned out great! We really made it work. Stay tuned for some peaks of those soon.

It's winter out there.

2011-01-13T10:56:00.004-05:00

I have to say, I'm feeling pretty darn good today. Last night I took a spin class that made me really sweat and did a nice leg workout. This morning I followed it up with a nice little run. While 49 out of 50 states are currently covered in snow, I however decided to brave the 20 degree temperature (which I think was about 9 degrees with the windchill). The streets were still covered in snow, and I could barely feel my fingers, but it felt great to get out there this morning. And, you really can't beat that skyline view at dawn. Breathtaking.

On another note, I have two photo shoots in the works! I'm really excited. Let's hope this whole photographer thing works out for me :)

Resolutions

2011-01-04T10:20:00.004-05:00

1. Take a more balanced approach to training for my triathlon and marathon this year including weight training so I don't get hurt!

2. Eat more balanced meals so I have energy for said training

3. Dedicate more time for my photography

4. Get back to learning French

5. Go to Peru

I found an old list, that I have no idea when I wrote it, with some goals/resolutions on it. Two of the things listed were to open an etsy shop and another to work more on my photography. It's a really good feeling to be able to cross those off that list! Now, on to make both successful :)

PS. I addd more to the shop. Go buy something with that holiday money.

Snowpocalypse of 2010

2010-12-27T20:19:00.007-05:00

In case you were not aware, we've had a tiny bit of snow up here in New York over the last 36 hours. I've been snowed in and couldn't leave my neighborhood all day! (Those F trains BEST be running tomorrow!) So I completely took advantage of all this snow and built my first snowman! He may be little, but a lot of love (and a little photoshop) went in to him!

Side note: I heard on the news today that for every inch of snow New York City gets, it costs $1 million in clean up! Given we got about 20 inches of snow, this little storm really isn't going to do much good for the city budget.

A Christmas Story

2010-12-26T21:55:00.004-05:00

Christmas came and went far to fast for me this year. I had such a blast with Dewey down in Florida. Her and Kona had so much fun playing all day. I can't tell if its the exhaustion, the snow or Dew missing her dad, but she seems a little depressed now that we're back in BK. It breaks my heart! OK, back to Christmas. For Christmas Eve we headed to mass (for my grandmother's enjoyment) and then whipped up a delicious meal that we enjoyed with a few glasses of wine. After we rested our stomachs we engaged in a little photoshoot. So much fun. Here are a couple of the shots. Hope your Christmas was just as amazing.

The Gudahl girls and their pups :)

(for the purpose of this exercise I'm claiming Dewey as my own.)

Mom, Grandma, Jessie and me.

Not a bad Christmas set up. Thanks Santa!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2010-12-21T10:52:00.003-05:00

In Carroll Gardens! This past Saturday I walked through the neighborhood to meet a friend for dinner. Want to know what the best part of walking through the cold in December is? People leave their blinds open because they want to show off their Christmas trees! This means Kelley gets to see how some of these breathtaking brownstones are decorated. WIN.

On a side note, so excited to head to Florida for a few days and thaw out. It's been absolutely frigid in Brooklyn.

The Carroll Gardens Christmas Tree. Isn't she pretty?

The Wise Men.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus. And the reindeer.

What I believe is the most decorated house in Brooklyn.

The misfit toys!

Birthday Cooking

2010-12-15T15:11:00.005-05:00

Birthday girl is working hard drinking wine. Dewey really didn't like the Hello Kitty birthday hat, or the balloons.

Best couple shot of Blake and Lance. Jason's first New York Christmas tree!

It was a birthday party fit for a queen! Friday night a few of us got together for one of our cooking nights and to celebrate the beautiful Blake in all her birthday glory. When we usually get together we have to make these really terrible Whole Foods recipes for part of Blake's job. But, after many weeks of doing all we can to make those recipes edible, we decided to go a different route. Each of us submitted an ingredient and had to make a dish using one of the ingredients they did not submit.

This week's ingredients included avocado, crab boil, italian eggplant, fresh cranberries, goat cheese, and tomatillos. We ended up with such delicious creations! I used the avocado to make this delicious (and VEGAN) cake for the birthday girl. I do have to say that my favorite dish was the goat cheese and shrimp risotto. Way to go Lance. You really knocked that one out of the park. In terms of birthday celebrations, we had party hats, Hello Kitty plates and napkins, champagne, and of course a vegan birthday cake!

Can't wait for the next cooking adventure :)

Group shot before we ate. We all look tired because we were. Our dishes took a really long time to make and we didn't get to eat until about 10:30!

A life catch up.

2010-12-14T10:42:00.005-05:00

I know I've been really bad about this whole blogging thing of late. I've just been really busy ~~getting~~ trying to get my Etsy store running (and selling), and working my normal job. It's not easy people. Not selling anything is extremely time consuming. I constantly think about my strategy, and how I can trick people in to buying something that I find beautiful. (side note: do others even find my idea of beautiful beautiful as well?)

It's been really cold here in New York lately. Last night it the temps dropped and today's high is 26!. The "feels-like" low is ZERO. Yikes. Good thing I have some nice flannel sheets to cuddle up in tonight. I was trying to make myself feel better by checking out the Florida weather hoping for warm temps and sunny skies. Too bad it was 26 degrees there last night as well. Looks like it's going to be a cold winter people!

We even got our first real snow last night. We had maybe a quarter inch, but it stuck! Nothing really beats watching Dewey run around in the snow. Her little hop gets even better when she can't keep her paws on the cold ground for too long. Cold weather sure puts a spark in the pups and I love it! Can't wait to see her and Kona playing together for a few days.

I'm an Etsy Artisan!

2010-11-28T11:12:00.006-05:00

Guys, I did it. I finally took the ~~step~~ leap and opened my very own Etsy shop! I am so excited. You can visit it here. Please feel free to browse, and of course buy something!

Oh, and make sure to favorite it, like this nice gal!

It's pumpkin time!

2010-11-24T10:10:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it. Thanksgiving is just around the corner! I'm pretty excited about this year. My sister came up from her new diggs in DC to spend her first Thanksgiving away from home up in New York with me. It will be nice to spend the day with two of the people I love the most.

Last night I started prepping for the big day and made my pumpkin cheesecake. In the past this has proven to be quite a crowd pleaser. I cheated a little bit this time and made a 9.5 inch cheesecake (instead of the recommended 10) so I could make 2 mini cheesecakes for sister and I to try before hand. Jessie (who has proven to be weary of all things pumpkin in the past) even thought they were great!

Can't wait for Thursday!

Oh, and speaking of pumpkin... how freaking adorable is this card? Extra points because it's made in Brooklyn!

Throne of Blood

2010-11-19T14:36:00.004-05:00

I really like going to shows at BAM. It makes me feel cultured and in the know. I'm just too good for regular Broadway shows. And, last Friday I was lucky enough to go and see Throne of Blood. The show was an interpretation of Japanese movie which was an interpretation of Macbeth. It was an incredibly well done show, and very interesting. The costumes were also amazing! You can only half see how unique they are in the photo above. Also, the guy upfront on the right, that's Jason's brother. He did a great job in the show, and I am really happy I got to hang out with the actors after the show. Hey guys, if you happen to do any Shakespeare in the Park, hook a sister up!

Get low, get low.

2010-11-18T10:22:00.005-05:00

This past Sunday Jason and I grabbed our flashlights and headed underground into the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel. The tunnel is officially the world's oldest subway tunnel and was dug in 1844 to eliminate traffic and pedestrian delays on the LIRR. It was a really cool tour, and I learned a lot about New York's history (did you know that Manhattan used to be a mountainous range? On the old mountain bases we now have the skyscrapers, in the valleys there are the shorter buildings. Think Financial district vs SOHO.) For those of you who have read Mole People, and are fascinated with all underground things NY has to offer, go on this tour. National Geographic is filming a feature on the tunnel starting next month. I can't wait to see it!

Jason climbing down and through the small opening to the tunnel.

Our guide (the big guy on the left) actually rediscovered this tunnel in 1980! Look at how little he used to be! Also, check out all the orbs... kind of spooky.

The tunnel roofs were painted white, but all the train soot turned it a much darker color over the years. These holes were how the smoke escaped.

A bunch of old things I saw in the tunnel.

The problem with having good kitchenware

2010-11-17T10:11:00.004-05:00

Is they are really freaking sharp!

I decided to make a delicious dinner last night (side note: how is it I never manage to snap shots of my creations?) and in the midst of zesting some ginger for the sauce in my Bombay Sloppy Joes I slipped and got my finger. It was one of those really bad cuts, because it took a bit to actually start bleeding. I now have about 10 nice little cuts along my finger. It sure is a good thing I opted to sleep an extra 10 minutes instead of actually giving myself a manicure this week!

Despite the injury, the meal was delicious. Luckily the ginger was the first step and I easily was able to start over without wasting too much! Jon and I enjoyed while sipping on some wine and watching When in Rome. It was surprisingly cute.

I'm FREE!!

2010-11-12T10:07:00.003-05:00

After successfully completing my first marathon (go me!) I chucked my running shoes and needed a new pair. I was determined to find a pair that was obnoxiously bright and fun. I really wanted to replicate this pair of Sauconys I had back in the day. They were this bright purple/blue color, super light and amazing.

This time around my quest was not really successful. I did however, find a cute grey and teal pair that really make my legs look great. Ok, not really, but they are super cute. Look was not the only reason I chose these shoes though. I've been really interested in this whole barefoot running trend, but the idea of possibly stepping on broken glass was just too much to bare. After some research I decided I would try one of the more minimalist shoes. Not those weird Five Fingers, but a shoe made to imitate and allow your foot to move in a similar way to how it would move when it was not in a shoe at all. I decided to try one of the Nike Free pairs. I'm excited to test them out for a short run, but i'm a little nervous at how my feet will hold up! I'll report back.

Running Machine!

2010-11-03T11:58:00.004-04:00

So last weekend I did something kind of crazy. I ran in the Marine Corps Marathon down in DC. It was an incredible experience. I ran the race with Laura (because we do every stupid athletic challenge together) and we've been training since July. So, it was a very bittersweet moment to realize I no longer had to dedicate my weekends to training, and could now resume a normal life. It's kind of sad to realize it's all over though.

This is me at mile 0.25. That's why I look so happy and optimistic.

This is me at mile 22. That is why I look like I am miserable. I half was.

Jason, Jessie and Laura's crew all came to cheer us on. They were such an amazing support team, cheering, encouraging, and trying to catch the perfect pictures of us. They nearly ran a marathon on their own just finding us along the course. Jason mapped it out and they walked something like 12 miles on their own!

Crossing that finish line was such an amazing feeling. I nearly broke down into tears multiple times. I've done some pretty cool things in my time, but reaching the point where I was able to cross that finish point was such hard work. I dedicated so much of my time to training that it was so amazing to actually finish. It was one of the few times in my life where I actually felt like I accomplished something great. It was a feeling I do not want to forget anytime soon.

Up next, NY Marathon 2011. Unless I get selected for the NY triathlon that I entered the lottery for. YIKES!

Andrew Jackson is... Sexy?

2010-10-20T09:41:00.003-04:00

On Friday Jason and I went on a little date to see Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. For those of you who may react like my mom ("what the heck is that?!") it is a new show on Broadway about the 7th president, Andrew Jackson. The reviews were spot on and it was amazing. Absolutely hilarious and very entertaining. Both Jason and I enjoyed it. I particularly appreciated when they were introducing the current people in Washington. If you are going to be in New York do yourself a favor and see it. It's not one of those goose-bump generating, Wicked style, amazing song and dance numbers. BUT, it is great, and as the flyers go - History got all sexypants.

Let's pick some apples!

2010-10-19T12:55:00.003-04:00

I love Fall. The crunching leaves, scarves, the crisp air, APPLE PICKING! I just cannot get enough. This past weekend I headed to Outhouse Orchards with Jason, Marc, Dewey and Denny to do a little apple picking. Jason may have done most of the work, but we all have so many apples! It was such a great day. I'm still craving another batch of sugar coated apple cider donuts. YUM!

I've spent my free time looking for an apple sauce recipe, apple butter recipe, and anything else that I can include apples in so these suckers don't rot. Anyone out there have a good one? I have a killer apple pie recipe already.

The rest of the pictures are here.

The Dew.

2010-10-07T10:01:00.002-04:00

Dewey staring off into the wilderness of Carroll Gardens.

Dewey hanging out in front of the apartment building.

(all photos taken by Jon)

Sooo tired.

2010-10-05T13:12:00.004-04:00

Boy am I tired. This past weekend was exhausting. I ran 18 miles (only one more long training run before the marathon!) and helped Jason move. Let me tell you - 18 miles is far. My feet still hurt today. I have no idea how my body will be able to add an extra 8.2 miles onto that and come out alive. I'm scared. Very scared.

I did get to run in support of my heritage at the Norwegian Festival 1/2 marathon. I may have been 1 of maybe 5 actual Norwegians running the race, but it was still cool. And, I'm one race closer to hitting the 9/1 requirement for next years NY Marathon! After that one, I retire. When I was done running this week, my knees hurt. Not in a "I hurt myself" kind of way, but in an "I'm so freaking old and my body hates me" sort of way.

See the picture above? I took it on Saturday morning as the sun was rising as I was getting ready for my run. It was my last penthouse apartment skyline view. Sad Face. This is because Jason moved to a much more humble abode so he could save up some money for life's more important things (obviously a diamond collar for Dewey). The new place is really cute and I am very excited for him. Now, what to bake for the housewarming?

Gadgets and gizmos a plenty

2010-10-01T10:00:00.004-04:00

"You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty. NO BIG DEAL."

Hello friends. I finally reached that blessed point in my life where I was no longer bound by the confines of my AT&T contract and I kissed that crappy iPhone goodbye. I am now an Android girl. Who would of thought that day would ever come? My little (well it has a larger screen than crappy iPhone) Samsung Fascinate is exceeding all my expectations. Who would of thought you could actually make a call without sitting by my window and the call getting dropped 9 times during a 3 minute conversation? That function is CRAZY.

When J and I were going back and forth about different phone features and trying to figure out which phone I should get, my mom completely called me a geek. She may have even used the phrase geeking out, I can't remember. Hey, I got really excited about the prospect of actually being able to make phone calls on my cellular device.

PS. We ran out of milk at the office and I'm drinking my coffee black. Gross.

PPS. I am drinking my gross black coffee out of my new eco friendly reusable coffee cup I got yesterday. Isn't she cute? I love her and her pink outfit.

A picture of my new coffee cup, taken on my wonderful new phone.

Home Sweet Home

2010-09-20T16:03:00.004-04:00

Staring off into the water looking for dolphins at Cocoa Beach, FL

Last weekend I had such a wonderful time back home in Florida. It was really great to get away for a few days. I know I am a bit behind in posting this, but hey, I just unpacked my suitcase so I think I'm OK.

Usually when I am home all I do is lounge by the pool, go to Dairy Queen and spend way too much money at Target. This time J came with me so there really was no relaxing, we fit so much into 4 days. We went to the beach, ate lots of ice cream (LOVE me some DQ, J loves him some Marble Slab), conquered the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot, got poured on by a Florida storm (J was nice enough to let me wear his serious rain jacket), swam in the pool, ate some delicious homemade artichoke dip and corn bread, got my hair cut by the talented Marissa, oohed and ahhed over her gorgeous new engagement ring, visited with the family and some friends, and bought tons of Hawaiian bread for J.

I'm tired just typing all that we did! Can't wait to visit home again soon.

Apparently we can get home to Brooklyn from Hollywood Studios. Who knew?

You can call me King (err, Queen) Kelley

2010-09-15T23:37:00.005-04:00

"Sword in the Stone. Who so pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil is right wise ruler born of England"

Wannabe "King" Sinclair attempting to pull the sword from the stone. I call this look "struggle."

I am VICTORIOUS! What you cannot see in this photo is the crowd who witnessed "King" struggle and me being super strong. I really loved all the applause.

More to come of our trip to Florida and me kicking butt. Stay tuned.

Coney Island!

2010-09-08T09:42:00.002-04:00

Over the long Labor Day weekend, I headed out to Coney Island to see what all the hype was about. While we did not encounter any freaks, we did visit the NY Aquarium, ride the Cyclone and ate a funnel cake. My neck still hurts from the wrath of the wooden roller coaster and the memory of the children we encountered at the aquarium is still proving to be quite effective birth control. The Cyclone was so much fun, and I feel I have now become a part of Brooklyn history!

Unfortunately, we didn't get to ride the Wonder Wheel because someone had to go for a training run. The NERVE!

What is wrong with this scene?

2010-08-22T23:29:00.002-04:00

I spotted this classy couple when I was on my way to Governors Island this weekend. The question is, did they plan this get up? Or, could it actually be coincidental that they each owned a red and navy striped shirt, and happened to wear it on the same day? Mind boggling I tell you.

All I know is if I showed up to my man's house and we both happened to be wearing a white tee, I'd make him change.

I am pathetic

2010-08-19T15:21:00.004-04:00

You can almost see my bicep bulging from lifting this monstrosity.

Last night I was Ms. Popular. Who triple books their Wednesday night? Seriously, who do I think I am?!

I ended my night at Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Williamsburg. This place is pretty awesome. You can order all these fancy beers in 0.5L, 1L or 1.5L sizes! THAT my friends is a lot of beer. I ordered a 1L of the daily special (which came with a free bratwurst!). I kid you not, my right arm seriously hurts today from lifting that giant mug. Sad.

Whipping up some Deliciousness!

2010-08-13T12:33:00.003-04:00

So the time has arrived that I grow up a little bit. It was time to stop messing around with printed recipes I find on the web and get a real cookbook. When I found out one of my favorite restaurants (which also happens to be less than a block from my apartment) released a cookbook I immediately thought of all the amazing things I could now cook and ordered myself a copy. Last night my copy of The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual arrived. The idea behind the cookbook is simple, delicious Italian. I seriously have no idea how I am going to pick my first recipe. Will it be their SICK french toast? Or maybe their homemade gnocchi? I do love me some gnocchi.

Do yourself a favor and buy it.

A lovely little Sunday

2010-08-08T22:29:00.005-04:00

A beautiful sunflower in the tacky Italian Mens Society Garden on my block.

This weekend I have been boring. I drank wine and slept. That is it.

Ok, ok, that might be a tad of an exaggeration, but I did catch up on sleep and life in general. It's been beautiful in the BK this weekend and this afternoon I met up with some really splendid ladies for brunch. It honestly was some of the most delicious food I have had in a really long time. We went to this restaurant I've wanted to go to for a while now. I constantly pass Bocca Lupo during my runs and I always forget about it when picking a place to eat. I will never forget about this place again. IT. WAS. AMAZING. Do yourself a favor and try it if you are in the hood. Actually, make it a point to come to the hood and try it. You won't be disappointed.

Oh, I also ran. 9 miles. Only 17.2 more to go until the marathon. Why do I do this to myself?

Things that would make a day trip to DC a little easier

2010-08-03T09:30:00.004-04:00

1. A good night's sleep. This always makes every situation better, but sadly is rarely attainable.

2. A sleek computer bag. Currently I'm using a computer sleeve stuffed inside an oversized bag. Does it work? Yes. Could I look better while traveling? Yes.

3. A train that doesn't bounce so I don't feel like vomiting everywhere while trying to get some work done.

4. Mini bottles of alcohol with our faces taped across them. When our partners are annoyed with us, they can just take a shot and be reminded of the happiness we bring them! Brilliant.

5. An excellent traveling partner. CHECK.

3D Movie with a View

2010-07-27T08:44:00.000-04:00

You really cannot beat watching Monsters vs Aliens in 3D with views of downtown Manhattan in the background. A few days back Laura and I headed to the new Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park (along with a bunch of other cute kids and families), slipped on a pair of 3D glasses and enjoyed the show. It was easily one of the best 3D displays I've seen. AND, the new pier has a Calexico cart! I love New York in the summer time.

Seriously, I can't wait to go back to my next Movies with a View. Who wants to come with me?

Delaware Water Gap

2010-07-26T00:18:00.006-04:00

Last weekend I made it out of the city and to the Delaware Water Gap for a couple of days of camping, hiking and swimming. We headed about 2 hours out of the city, into the good ole state of Pennsylvania. Our campground was right on the water and we had such a fun time! The best part was, we got to stop at Dairy Queen on the way home! Nothing like a Strawberry Cheesequake blizzard to make tired legs feel better.

Our river front campground view. Amazing.

This was the terrain I had to hike. It's no wonder I ended up bruised, beaten, and scrapped up! Luckily I had some strong men to help me get through it.

Another part of our trail. Not so much over the river, but through the river and through the woods.

Such vibrant flowers along the riverbed.

Dewey's testing out the water. She was such a good hiker!

One of the many waterfalls along our journey. So refreshing to get out of the city for a weekend.

Jumping off a 40 ft cliff is a FAB idea!

2010-07-20T09:39:00.004-04:00

So, this is me. Jumping off a 40 foot cliff into a pool of icy cold water. The fact that no women were brave enough to face the jump did not phase me. I am Kelley, I can do anything.

This is me. Landing into said pool of icy water. I screamed bloody murder the entire way down. I may have even screamed a few expletives upon surfacing after this splash. I was in no way "a lady." Hey, it hurt.

Following this image should be a picture of what my legs look like today. Apparently I thought it was a good idea to sit down on the water. I'm not sure if I thought it looked welcoming, or if my body is still trained to automatically lay back when soaring through the air (thanks cheerleading!). Either way, today my legs are purple. An ugly, deep, eggplant looking purple. I'm talking 15 inch bruises from my hip to the back of my knee. I'm sparing you the disgustingness and not making you look at an actual image of this. You should thank me really.

I am so happy I am leaving for a trip to the Hamptons with work. YEAH for bathing suits that don't cover my ugly legs!

In all honesty, I'd do it again. But, I'd probably try to do it right this time.

Just when my bug bites from Costa Rica are gone...

2010-07-14T15:01:00.006-04:00

I decide it is a good time to go camping. This weekend I am heading to the Delaware watergap with 3 boys (I mean seasoned outdoorsmen) for a fun-filled weekend of camping, hiking, fishing and tubing. I don't know if you know this, but I am an excellent tuber. No one can float down a river like I can. It takes a lot of talent to juggle managing my tan lines, keeping my face covered from dangerous UV rays (no wrinkles for me!) and staying hydrated.

This is me "hiking" to the beach in Costa Rica. I will be wearing much more appropriate clothing and shoes this weekend. I will also be sporting a fancy new backpack and hydration system. Check me out!

Baking Makes Mondays so much better...

2010-07-13T20:29:00.000-04:00

And Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. After a particularly stressful Monday I came home and needed to bake. So, I made some delicious strawberry coffee cake. It was a little too light on the strawberry, and I preferred eating it with milk as opposed to coffee, but it was yummy. Despite setting off my fire alarm (while preheating!) for the second night in a row, the result turned my day around.

PS. Baking in the summertime in New York is hard. Those little window units do not hold up when challenged by the big bad oven.

Monkeys, and sloths, and toucans, OH MY!

2010-07-09T10:48:00.004-04:00

Our private Manzanillo beach

Humming bird. Those suckers are FAST.

Volcan Irazu crater.

Howler Monkey.

To see all my pics, check out my album.

It's a jungle out there

2010-07-09T10:17:00.007-04:00

I just got back from Costa Rica with two of my really good girl friends. We stayed in Manzanillo, a small fishing village on the Caribbean, really close to Panama. Food was amazing. The scenery breath taking, and the bugs ridiculous. I can still hear the howler monkeys in my sleep.

This is me hoisting myself up onto the zip line. It's not easy being short.

Life was perfect.

We made it to the top of Volcan Irazu

Life imitating art.

Spring is here!

2010-04-11T20:50:00.002-04:00

Kat and I had a little photo shoot in Central Park the other weekend. So pretty :)

Such an angel.

2010-02-28T21:54:00.004-05:00

Jessie visited this weekend. I really love it when she is here. We ate. We made snow angels. We hung out with a Norwegian (in addition to ourselves!). We had a snow ball fight. We had brunch by the fire.

I love her.

My first snow angel was a success!

Busy Kelley

2010-02-24T21:11:00.004-05:00

Wow. The last two weeks have been busy, busy, busy for me! Here's a quick update:

1. Started a new job! WOO HOO!

2. Took a party bus to Medieval Times and ate half a chicken with my hands.

3. Robert Pattinson visited my office.

4. Watched this guy perform with his band 2 Skinny J's at BB Kings. Awesome job Lance.

5. Learned to snowboard. Thanks J! One day in and I already like it more than skiing. DEFINITELY going back for a whole weekend!

6. Had an awesome brunch where the food was delicious and they serve your coffee in cups fit for the queen.

And, Jessie comes this weekend!!

Happy Lovers Day

2010-02-14T20:43:00.004-05:00

So I had a great little Valentine's Day. I had a great brunch with an old high school friend who was in town, received a Cinderella valentine card, a pack a Starburst FAVEreds and spent some quality time with one of my best friends. I made us cookies to celebrate. Black and whites, and then lemon whoopie pies. DELICIOUS.

Snow Day!

2010-02-11T12:21:00.002-05:00

In case you've been living in a Florida bubble, it snowed in the Northeast yesterday. I caught some of it on camera. I've never wanted a sled more after watching the kids (and some parents) on the hills in Central Park. Who's with me?

Trees in Central Park.

Bridge in Central Park

Brownstones in Carroll Gardens

Benches in Central Park

Hey, at least I am warm!

2010-02-09T21:48:00.004-05:00

(I apologize for the feet photo, but) I may have gotten one of the most random Christmas gifts this year: Pedi-Sox. Who doesn't need socks that you can leave your toes exposed and give your poor tired feet a little pampering?! They were perfect for this wintery night (even if they look like pink striped ankle braces) where we are expected to get anywhere from 10 - 14 inches of snow. Doesn't look like the world will get to see my pretty painted toes anytime soon.

Off to bake some cookies. Don't judge, I need the extra fat I will gain to stay warm during this nor'easter!

1 down, 8 to go.

2010-02-07T17:24:00.002-05:00

This morning I dragged my tired butt out of bed at the crack of dawn in order to run a fun 4 mile race in Central Park. The good news is I am now one race closer to running the NY Marathon (you have to run 9 qualifying races for guaranteed entry), the bad news it was freaking cold out there! I'm talking really, really cold. My finger nails still hurt. Finger. Nails. I think they said it "felt like" 5 degrees or something really absurd. I looked ridiculous running it, too. Running tights, thermal shirt under a fleece under a windbreaker, scarf and topped off with a pink hat. I couldn't keep the boys off of me.

Spent the rest of my day curled up in bed reading the NY Times, drinking Yoo-Hoo. Ah, Sundays.

The time has come peeps!

2010-02-06T20:38:00.003-05:00

I only have 1 more week of "freedom" until I once again enter the working world! The best part is that it comes at the perfect timing giving that I was on the verge of dying from total boredom. It's truly amazing the amount my motivation has increased already just knowing I have a limited to get stuff done. Soon my friends it will be 11 hour days again. And, I CANNOT WAIT. I have determined that I am much happier when I live like the masses. Hopping on the train every morning. Working hard for the money. Rinse and repeat. I could never be one of those trophy wives who don't work. How do they fill the time between manis and hair appointments?

So now that I have a week of stressless freedom I fully plan on tying up some loose ends and actually doing some fun stuff! Top of the list is finally making it to the MOMA and seeing the Tim Burton exhibit. I can't wait to use my student id and save a few pennies!

Honey Buns

2010-01-29T20:14:00.004-05:00

The other night I tasted one of the most delicious things I have ever put in my mouth. I was at Uva in the (dreaded) Upper East Side and decided to order their Sheep's Ricotta and Black Truffle Honey Bruschetta. BEST. DECISION. EVER. Black truffle honey can only be described as a gift from God. This event also allowed me to bring up the fact that my mom bought me a sample set of "Award Winning" honeys from Winter Park for Christmas. While the Palmetto (not the bug!) flavored honey is delicious, it cannot touch the decadence of Black Truffle Honey.

Do yourself a favor and go try this place. My gnocchi di ricotta (in a creamy black truffle and chive sauce) was also amazing.

I am disgusting.

2010-01-24T19:05:00.002-05:00

So Saturday night I spent my evening with my favorite boys eating Thai takeout, watching Rent and then stuffing our face with devil's food cake frosted with cream cheese frosting. We didn't even use plates. Yes, we are gross.

Happy Birthday to ME!

2010-01-24T18:55:00.005-05:00

So it happened. I turned 26 this weekend. It was a sad event when I had to enter 2 - 6 on the elliptical this morning instead of 2 - 5. For the first time in years I decided to actually go out and celebrate it! Thank you to all the wonderful ladies and gentlemen who showed up to celebrate with me. I am truly amazed at the number of lovely friends I have in my life. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Apparently black was the color of the evening.

I love you ladies!

PS. I swear this was not a ladies only event despite these pictures seeming that way.

Confetti and Breadcrumb

2010-01-20T14:31:00.002-05:00

Last week Jon and I ventured on the G train so we could see our first live performance of Confetti and Breadcrumb! It was amazing. You can check out some of their classy music videos here. I WILL someday make it in one of their videos. I made them promise me. Don't think I forgot boys.

Check out a partial video of Bees - not the best quality, but still entertaining.

I'm kind of a big deal

2010-01-19T10:51:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I watched the Knicks beat Detroit from the comfort of my very own box. Yes. I had box seats at the Knicks game. No big deal.

Also, I learned that Mike D from the Beastie Boys was Dustin Diamond's brother. Where has this little bit of knowledge been all my life? (apparently this is not true. Sad times :( )

Call me Ms. Crafty

2010-01-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

So I have taken on another project, and I am almost done with it! I decided to take this chair I got for free off Craigslist and make it into something beautiful. I just loved the lines of it! Not bad, huh?

BEFORE

AFTER

Bonjour

2010-01-14T17:33:00.002-05:00

This is coffee. It came to me all the way from Jamaica (via Jon). It also happens to be one of my dad's favorite types of coffee. I sure did kick off my morning right! Also, on another coffee related note I have been able to eliminate using sugar in my coffee. Only took me 2 years to do it, but I AM VICTORIOUS!

the drums

2010-01-14T12:30:00.004-05:00

So last night I went to see the drums' last stateside performance before they head off on their UK tour (I love when I'm on the list). They were pretty spectacular, and had an impressive following! The video below is not exactly HD quality, but you get a feel for the show. This was my favorite of their songs, and a better version can be downloaded here for free. However, everyone should buy their album.

A little slice of heaven

2010-01-11T23:04:00.003-05:00

Bonsoir. Je m'appelle Kelley. J'habite à Brooklyn.

So, I had my first French class tonight. I love it already. I am determined to not be a stupid American and only know one language.

On another note, I have discovered something that is the most delightful. Yoplait Whips! Vanilla Creme. I have had some of the other Whips! flavors, but this one is absolutely delicious. Such a great snack and made me think I was eating a container of mouse or cannoli filling (without being too sweet). Do yourself a favor and load your shopping cart with some. You'll thank me later.

(Can you believe I cannot find a picture of this on Google? I can find anything online. This better not be a limited edition product.)

a toute à l'heure!

My life as an unemployed

2010-01-10T19:30:00.002-05:00

Being unemployed isn't all it's cracked up to be. Actually, I don't really know anyone who thinks it's is grand, but people have been telling me to use the time "for myself." Whatever that is. While I may have a lot more time on my hands each day, I am progressively less and less motivated. When I used to go to the gym, make an omelet, answer 100 emails all before 10am I now (sometimes) cannot even find the time to brush my teeth until at least 2pm. It's gross, I know.

When I first was laid off I had a "go get 'em" attitude and actually started a bunch of projects I had been wanting to do. Started. This week my plan is to finish the dress I started, finish refinishing my chair, finish restoring an old photo of my grandpa and actually cook healthy meals for myself. I am also starting a French class. Something I have always wanted to do!

Please also note that I am mercilessly applying for jobs. I am not sure how much longer I can handle not having a full time job.

Lauren gets married...on New Years Eve!

2010-01-03T10:58:00.002-05:00

This New Years was amazing. I spent it with people I love, watching two people celebrate their love for each other. I can't think of a better way to start off 2010. Congratulations Lauren and Daren. I'm so happy for you both.

The good looking groom and bride, Daren and Lauren. I wish you the best in your future together. I love you both.

Let's Go Gators! My cheer ladies (sans bride) Shae, Katie, MK and me. Side note: I am the only one of them unmarried - weird feeling.

Me and the beautiful bride.

My hot date, trying to be sexy ;)

Mary, you make a really cute kid. Baby Addison rings in 2010 with a nap.

Thank you Patty for giving up your New Years to be my date.

Holly and Kelley take Sarasota!

2010-01-02T10:30:00.004-05:00

Last week Holly picked me up and we made our way down to Sarasota to meet up with our favorite boys of Museum Walk. It was so good to see everyone. Just like old times, minus the whole being in college thing. I already miss them all. At least Holly is waiting for me in NY :)

We started our night by watching the sunset on the Gulf and a little bubbly.

In the back of the Tahoe. JUST like the old days :)

Most of the Museum Walk crew. Funny how all the ladies now live in NY.

Bry Bry is one lucky guy.

Let's get this party started

2010-01-01T18:00:00.004-05:00

I have to say that I am quite happy that 2009 is over. It has been a really rough year for me and I have had no trouble moving on from it. However, mixed between the horrors the year brought I did have a few good experiences: having my sister come live with me for a few months, my old roomie moving in next door to me, and meeting some really great new friends and becoming increasingly close to others. I sure hope 2010 brings me happy memories and amazing experiences. I decided to make a few resolutions to help start the year out right.

K's 2010 Resolutions

1. FIND A JOB, hopefully in an amazing new city.

2. Get more sleep every night. My unemployment has really allowed me to get 8 hours of sleep a night and help my under eye circles disappear. I like this.

3. Use my new freezable tupperware and cook more meals so that I can just defrost something yummy and healthy when I am feeling lazy.

4. No red meat. It hurts my stomach and I rarely eat it anyway.

5. Eat more brussels sprouts. Those suckers are yummy.

6. Improve my Scrabble skills. I'm sick of embarrassing myself.

Christmas in Florida

2009-12-29T23:10:00.005-05:00

This year for Christmas we spent the day at my cousins' house. Christmas is so much better spent around kids. They just get so excited about all the new fun toys they get to play with. I miss the days when a box of crayons and a color book got me excited. Ok, who am I kidding. I still get excited about them and did actually get a brief moment to practice staying in the lines until my cousin got bored and wanted to try out her Easy Bake Oven. The rest of my day was spent playing Sponge Bob Operation, kicking butt in Wii hula hooping and stuffing my face. We even got video footage of my mom Wii hula hooping (black mail?). I love my family.

How cute is this ornament? My cousin made it in school :)

Odin was trying to be sneaky and create a stash in case he needed to hibernate.

Jessie and Odin played a few games of I spy.

Mom and Vanessa were getting really into the Wii.

Cait and grandma playing the planet game.

Christmas and Aging.

2009-12-29T22:56:00.004-05:00

As I get older I find myself asking for less and less exciting things for Christmas. Last year I asked for bed risers so I can hide all my crap under my bed. This year I asked for freezable tupperware. I live a really exciting life.

Sisterly Love. Here I am modeling my new boots. They go really well with my pj bottoms and "I heart Univision" t-shirt. Jessie sporting her new Kevin Smith jersey.

Some of my new gifts: boots, gloves, camera bag, umbrella and Christmas coffee mug!

I live for good food.

2009-12-27T19:41:00.003-05:00

The other night one of my most loyal readers made their way into my mom's kitchen all the way from Scottsdale, Arizona to test out his culinary school training and create a masterpiece for my mom, sister and I. I have to say that I. LOVE. CULINARY. STUDENTS. We ate homemade cream corn (I didn't know anything could be so delicious!), some awesome Indian inspired chicken dish on apricot and clove infused jasmine rice and some naan-like flat bread. Clearly the corn didn't go with the dish, but it is my sister's favorite. So good. Johnny, you can come cook for me and my neighbor every night in New York. You rock.

That sure is an Ugly Sweater!

2009-12-23T18:27:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday I headed to my friend's place for an ugly Christmas sweater/Christmas movie marathon party. It was perfect. Snow was falling the whole time and it was quite magical. Such a great way to get be in the spirit!

Those are some snazzy sweaters. Ebay wars at its best.

Look at all that holiday spirit! You can sort of see the snow in the window :)

They are a packaged deal :)

Look how hard it's snowing!

Let it Snow!

2009-12-20T15:44:00.004-05:00

The first snow storm of the season came through yesterday and it was beautiful! Glad I got to see this before I head to the 80 degree Florida weather for the holidays. Nothing says Christmas like hanging out poolside, sweating and wearing flip flops.

Icicles in the park.

I seriously have a soft spot for little kids all bundled up in their puffy jackets. How adorable is this kid?

So peaceful. Fresh blanket of snow.

In front of my apartment

Berries!

Let's Go Knicks!

2009-12-19T13:09:00.002-05:00

Last night I made it to my second Knicks game. I had slightly better seats this time around (last time I was in the 300 level and this time I was court level!), and had a great time! We managed to come back after the half and win, and boy does MSG get wild when the Knicks actually do well. Such a good night.

Wine Wednesday: Christmas Edition

2009-12-18T10:56:00.004-05:00

On Wednesday I met up with a few ladies for our Christmas edition of our beloved Wine Wednesday. In truth, we really didn't do anything different than we normally do (chat, stuff our faces, catch up, among other girly activities) except play the Hanson Brothers' and Mariah Carey's Christmas albums. My faith was restored in why I hated the Hanson bros when I was a child - they are pretty terrible.

The night though was a huge success - great food, great wine, great people! I hope all of you ladies have a wonderful holiday.

Such a cute little Christmas tree!

So much food to choose from.

Erin and I

Maple, brown sugar and pecan covered brie. AMAZING. Kudos to Laura for making such a delicious creation!

No party is complete without pigs in a blanket.

Look at what I made!

2009-12-14T21:39:00.005-05:00

It's amazing what you can create with hours of free time. It even has pockets! I'm imagining wearing it with black tights and killer heels while mingling at a Christmas party. Let's hope I can still fit in it now considering all I ate today were these delicious cookies.

Please note that I do not waste all my time sewing pretty things and actually have been applying for jobs. I also do not wear makeup now that I do not see people during the day, hence my face being cropped out.

What I ate for breakfast today

2009-12-14T10:12:00.002-05:00

Oh the things you can do when you don't have a job. I made these late last night and treated myself to one this morning for breakfast. Devoured it even before I made coffee. Red velvet sandwich cookie with cream cheese frosting. Absolutely delicious.

When the world gives you lemons.

2009-12-10T17:10:00.003-05:00

I recently had a conversation with a good friend who so kindly pointed out that I always see the bad side of the situation and seem to suffer from a case of chronic pessimism. I used to think my reason was if I always excepted the worse, I couldn't be disappointed. Not exactly an ideal way to see the world, but it seemed to do the trick in the case of survival. It wasn't until today on my way back from a tragic trip to Florida I realized I saw the world this way because bad things keep happening to me.

In the words of another friend, last week was the absolute pits. I got laid off in a restructuring and cost cutting effort, and my grandfather passed away. And, to top it off, my coat got stolen during the first snow of the season. Stellar. I am not sure I can take anymore heartache. The worst part is, I have an unfortunate gut feeling this is not the end of things for me. Let's hope this is just my pessimistic ways, and not the same sort of bad gut feeling I had when I walked into work last Wednesday.

Maybe this is the universe's way of telling me I need to switch up the way I'm living my life, that what I'm doing currently really isn't working. Whatever it is, I wish the universe would send a clearer message so I could figure it out a little easier.

Dear readers,

2009-12-02T12:48:00.003-05:00

I want to apologize for my posts over the last few weeks. You see, my life is solely consumed by work (despite my effort to fill in the minimal gaps with fun NY activities) and it is sucking every creative bone out of my body. The horrific (semi?)permanent dark circles under my eyes and inability to sleep due to continuous stress unfortunately confirm that is the case. Rest assured, my witty banter and oozing sarcasm will soon return to my posts. Just as soon as I figure out a way NOT to work 11+ hour days every day of the week.

Who wants to be my intern? This lovely lady can attest that I am no devil boss.

Let's go Leafs!

2009-12-01T10:23:00.002-05:00

I made it to my second hockey game in style last week. Club seats. Sippy cup beers. Hot dog and Cracker Jacks. So fun. Only thing that would of made it better were more fights.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T23:28:00.005-05:00

While I didn't get to make it home for Thanksgiving, I am thankful I got to spend it with amazing friends, who can cook amazing food. Or, pretend by making a stop at the Boston Market. Oh, and I'm thankful for Taboo.

Confetti modeling the MK scarf/posing like Ezio

I love these ladies.

Family Portrait. Luckily Gary and Brett got dressed up for it.

The boys are impressed with the spread we pulled off.

This turkey was so delicious. I'm hungry just looking at it.