Year 1. NYC.

Year 1.

You know why I love being married to Richard? He loves to dream with me... and we dream best over whiskey and wine. When you get married, you suddenly realize all of those "some day conversations" you've had with your soon-to-be spouse (over whiskey and wine, of course) are now plans you can actually run with...

We talked, shared, prayed, laughed and fantasized about moving to New York City for years. Family just politely smiled, friends' reactions were a mix of excitement or the "you are beyond crazy" look but I'll humor you. So once the stars aligned and God moved mountains to get us here... we then had to figure out what was next.

We both secured jobs (check!), found an apartment (check, check!) and learned to navigate the city even through meltdowns (me), an apartment fire (me), and being homesick (me)... Seeing a trend here? Tack on emergency trips to the vet and major dental issues and you suddenly wonder when things will calm down. And they did.

Remember the timeless GirlScout song (no?!?!) "make new friends...but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold''. True classic right there. That, to me, has been our theme of year one in NYC. Our ever-growing list of food and sights continues, but without a deep sense of community I've realized I feel very, very lost. Year one has been an interesting mix of trying to hold on to community in Texas while seeking community in NYC... and realizing that you can, will and should have both. It just takes time and patience (a virtue that seems to hide from me). For us, that deep sense of community has been able to grow and thrive at our church,  Apostles NYC.

When I am in the middle of a new season in life, I often times panic. I convince myself I'm depressed, that my life is not where it should be and I should be doing or feeling something else ... It's exhausting. If I would just stop (you want me to say collaborate and listen... don't you) and be still, I can enjoy this season of life. God doesn't want us to worry our seasons away - if we just trust Him, we will see that we will make it out just fine with a few laughs and fun memories along the way.

I've learned, Richard's learned, we've both learned a LOT from our move.

Here's the summary.
1. Follow your dreams. If you don't, your wonder will one day turn into regret.
2. Make a plan. Stick to a plan. Allow yourself to deviate from the plan.
3. Embrace being alone. Embrace new friends. Embrace old friends.
4. Appreciate new cultures and ways of life, but don't feel like you don't belong. People enjoy differences. If they don't, move on.
5. Create your own adventures and document them along the way.
6. Get lost in food. Dine alone. Dine with many. Dine with your spouse at home. Dine with friends at dinner parties you throw. Just dine.
7. Be great at work - enjoy your strengths and learn from your weaknesses. Then walk away from work and enjoy the day.
8. Travel...as a couple, for work, to see friends and family, for a fun vacation or just to explore. And take it in. Take that picture, walk that extra block, try that new dish.
9. Be still. Embrace change, new sounds, smells and routines. Never forget old ones.
10. Never regret. You are exactly where you are supposed to be. Enjoy the moment because tomorrow it could change.

Would we make the move again? Absolutely.
Was it hard? Absolutely.
Are there things we don't like about the city? Absolutely.
Do we love living in NYC? Absolutely.

To celebrate the wild and wide-ranged mixed of emotions that come from moving away from our Southern roots to the city that never sleeps, we treated ourselves to an awesome steakhouse, Keens, in the city and clinked our glasses to what has been the craziest and most fabulous adventure together, thus far.

What's in store for us next? For once, we don't have a detailed timeline. And that is okay.

xoxo,
J+R

2013 Oscars

Takin' it old school...chalkboard style!

You know you are watching a good movie when you leave the theatre thinking...

That is exactly how we felt with some of this past year's Oscar nominees! For the third year in a row, Richard created a "U-Pick-Em" Oscars sheet to create a little fun around the big event. This year, we went even crazier...I know what you are thinking, "how can you get crazier than a trivia sheet?"...we fit a total of THIRTEEN people in our closet of an apartment to host an Oscar Party. Think clown car. Pretty impressive, right? It really should be a new world record.

Party highlights included our super fancy red carpet and entrance pictures. As you can see above, Sundae is hard at work laying out the red carpet before guests arrived. We truly are slave drivers. We also played Oscar BINGO with category-themed prizes including...

Lincoln: "Lean Can" 98% fat free soup
Django Unchained: "Djello Uncooked"  Box of Jello Powder
Zero Dark Thirty: "Zero Dark Chocolate" White Chocolate Candy
Argo: "Argo Fudge Yourself" Fudge Brownie Mix

Exciting times, friends. Exciting times.

 "I Can't Believe Russell Crow Actually Sang-ria"...yum!

Red Carpet Entrances and Oscar Attire

Cheers to the 85th Academy Awards!

Donut Burgers and Fancy Coke Floats

Life is way to short to not let others think you are a weirdo. It's OK. You are strange. It happens. So get over yourself and eat a donut burger and drink a coke float from your grandmother's china. It's what we did.

Meet The Donut Burger. No, this is not a Paula Deen creation (although it could be).I am not going to lie, it sounded disgusting and I went along to humor Richard. It's actually....pretty. darn. tasty. I'm not a donut person to begin with, but this donut is really good, sweet and warm. The donut serves as the bun...but it gets better. Inside The Donut Burger you will find a sunny-side up egg, bacon, cheese and cooked to perfection meat. Fries on the side dipped in ketchup are the perfect match...who would have thought? The restaurant is cozy with brick exposed walls, a super friendly staff and you order from a wax menu by circling your own choices - built as you choose.

The Burger Bistro in the Upper East Side is going on our list of favs!

Every Southern girl knows that getting married means you receive china. It's just what we do in the South. My mom passed down my grandmother's china to me when Richard and I got married. Well, in theory, she was actually holding onto it for us until we moved into a house. You know...what you do in Texas. So when we sold pretty much everything we owned to move into a 450 square foot apartment across the United States, one would assume the china was not a priority. That "one" would be Richard...and boy was he wrong. I felt like I had to take something with me to keep our Southern roots. My mom carefully wrapped up a few pieces of china for us to pile in the mini-van for our two day trip. Can you believe it actually survived the trip? Now I'm not traditional in how you actually use the china. We've had plenty of fine dinning take-out pizza nights. One of my favorites has been "fancy" coke floats! I'm sure the Queen of England would faint... cheers!

Living the "crazy life" made me think of Point of Grace. I love Point of Grace. In sixth grade, my best friend and I sang "Circle of Friends" at a theater competition...but I freaked out halfway through the song and walked off the stage. My Broadway debut, killed in 6th grade. That's OK, I am tone deaf after all.

If we lived every day like this song, wouldn't that be great?

Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open

Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
Have what you want, but want what you have
And don't spend you life looking back
Turn up the music Turn it up Loud
Take a few chances Let it all out
Because you won't regret it

Looking back from where you have been
Because it's not who you knew and it's not what you did

It's how you Live
So go to the ballgames and go to the ballet

And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don't run from the truth cause you can't get away

Oh no

Just face it and you'll be ok

Turn up the music Turn it up Loud
Take a few chances Let it all out
Because you won't regret it

Looking back from where you have been
Because it's not who you knew and it's not what you did
It's how you Live
Where ever you are and wherever you've been
Now is a time to begin
So give to the needy and Pray for the grieving
Even when you don't think that you can
Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man

And make peace with God and Make peace with yourself

Oh yeah
Cause in the end there's nobody else

Turn up the music Turn it up Loud

Take a few chances Let it all out
Because you won't regret it

Looking back from where you have been
Because it's not who you knew and it's not what you did

It's how you Live

Because it's not who you knew and it's not what you did

It's how you Live

Blizzard Nemo Blows in Happy Heart Day... NYC Style 2013

I love Valentine's Day! Did you know that February is American Heart Month? A few years ago I sat on the American Heart Association's Board - Mesquite Chapter. I feel like that kinda makes you a lifelong advocate. So, I started the 14th with a jog through my favorite place in the city... Carl Schurz Park!

Carl Schurz - View During My Jog

But let's back up three days...

You will notice the snow on the ground in the above picture... that is the remains of Nemo. No, no... there was not a sad Disney tragedy. I'm talking about the snowstorm. NYC did not get the "bad" of the storm...just a lot of pretty snow! However, all activities in the city were cancelled by Friday night (I did have to take an overnight train from DC to NYC Thursday night to beat the storm...but the joke was on me since our train broke down...and arrived in NYC at 3:30AM...YAWN!). However, we gladly welcomed a free Saturday and took advantage of sledding in Central Park with friends! Not going to lie...we were pretty much the only ones in the park without kids. It. was. awesome.

It also makes you realize how much you miss being a kid and having no fear whatsoever. I was positive that I was going to take out a 4 year old while gliding down the hills. Instead, I "braked" with my feet every few seconds and ended up soaking wet from the snow. I can't believe how many New Yorkers own sleds in their closet-sized apartments - but they come out in full force when snow hits. Anyways, I gracefully glided through the weekend snow and ice without any issues. Then Monday hits and I'm alone. Things always seem to happen when I'm left alone (at least that is what Richard will tell you). I busted it INSIDE our apartment building down a flight a stairs, Pickle in tow. Lucky for Pickle, she's my "main squeeze" and boy did I squeeze her tightly. She was just fine, although she decided to play it safe and hide in our bed the rest of the day (quite the drama queen). I, however, landed a swollen shin that swelled twice its size, badly pulled a muscle and bruised my fingers. Whatever though, I'm still walking. So by Thursday, I was ready for physical activity, hence my morning run. I suppose most would have the common sense to not run when ice is still on the ground...right? But everyone else was doing it...yes, I'm one of those...and yes, I paid for it. And now my "good" leg has a pulled muscle. I call it war pains of living in NYC for the first year.

My fancy ice pack!

Back to v-day though...

You know what every girl wants for v-day right? Yep, Indian food. Richard knows me well. I received a special lunch delivery from Seamless (the amazing online food delivery service that almost every restaurant is connected to). Baluchi's restaurant was fantastic! And you know what - they actually made it spicy! We always have to say, "we don't want it white people spicy"...because we've been told a few times that "white people" don't understand spice levels. Ha! These people obviously haven't been to our family dinners in Texas.

On Saturday, we celebrated Valentine's Day on the Upper East Side at Le Moulin a Cafe with wine and their award-winning croissants (really good)! The little French spot has a kitchen feel in front near the deli and a very charming fireplace, decor and seating at the back. We followed with dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant in New York City, Caffe Buon Gusto. NewYork Mag can paint a much prettier picture of the restaurant than I can... "This small, boxy Upper East Side café exudes comfort and conviviality, with parchment shades that soften light from sconces and warm the room despite the tightly packed tables. Eager to please, the kitchen uses high-quality ingredients for its mix-and-match philosophy." 

To sum it up, the fettuccine alfredo and the Veal Buon Gusto were amazing. The desserts are adorable and filled with chocolate-y goodness. In the summer months, there is an ultra-romantic garden in back. However, in the winter months, your only option is indoor seating. The ambiance is great, but the tables are practically on top of each other...so our meal became quite"entertaining" with one couple making out over their food, across the table... nonstop. And on the other side, the "couple"that were on a "date"... This guy was old enough to be this girl's father and his woo-ing techniques were hilarious. At one point, he made her guess how much her necklace cost and then told her he was going to take her to Mexico on a private jet (trust me, if he had a private jet, he would not have been dining at this restaurant). She wasn't any better though (don't ask). At one point, we thought we were busted from making fun of them... but then they opened their next bottle of wine and all was well. Ah, the love stories of New York City...

I stole the cutest idea from one of my favorite blogs! Instead of buying a traditional Valentine's Day card for Richard, I made his a "live" card! The idea is to write a series of messages and then flip through the messages to music. It sounds a little odd to describe, but it is so fun when it comes to life. I love the creativity and how personable it becomes! Below is a snapshot of the beginning of my "card"...but that is all you get! Can't share just how cheesy I am with the world. :)

But what I am really excited to share are my new earrings from the Noonday Collection. I am a tad obsessed with (as my friends and family know) gifts that have a double impact (i.e., Toms, World Vision Gift Catalogue and Kohls CARES). You can read the full story of the impact each purchase makes in developing countries here.

Here is a short blurb about the company..

Our passion at Noonday Collection is to connect you with the lives of artisans struggling for a better future while styling you along the way. Fashion and design are a vehicle for opportunity and change. You, too, can be a voice for the oppressed!

Pretty awesome, right? And they have amazing jewelry!

I am so lucky to not only have a romantic husband, but a very creative one! Happy Valentine's Day!

Here is some doxie love for you.

xoxo

I am in DC for THREE days and Richard turns into Abraham Lincoln!

I wish I could say I was kidding, but nope. Richard turned into Abraham Lincoln. Remember last year's beard contest? Well, it returned again this year. Funny how that happens, huh? The contest wrapped up in February (obviously someone was thinking...just in time for Valentine's Day). Last year I happily graciously agreed to let Richard grow a beard for 3 months. I forgot he was part werewolf. This year, I half-agreed to let him grow his beard out for one month. Being Richard, he puts a twist on things. I guess it could be worse...the "twist" could have involved a mustache like this...

Instead, he was much more timely given that Lincoln is currently in theaters. Richard became Abraham Lincoln. Beard. Hat. Attire. He even made his own hat with construction paper and tape (must be all that time spent in Destination Imagination)! During this time, I was in DC for work. My second day away, I woke up to my "sneak peek" picture.

Richard wasn't the only one having fun with his job (although we define "fun" a tad differently as facial hair is not involved in my definition)! I was away on a team retreat. During our team retreat, we were broken into teams, given 2 hours and $200 dollars to put together a "new homeowners basket" for the nonprofit, Mi Casa, Inc.

I love their vision and mission.

vision

...a world where families and individuals have access to affordable and sustainable housing...

mission

...to provide affordable housing in the D.C. area to foster healthy and thriving communities...

                                    
If you haven't driven in DC/VA traffic...don't. Since we only had 2 hours to make the best basket, we drove straight to Bed, Bath and Beyond (McLean, VA)...where all your dreams come true. I'm not going to lie, being in a CAR and driving to a store like BBB made me miss Texas a little bit. And then it happened. I SAW HAND SOAP ON CLEARANCE FOR $1. I'm a sucker for loading up on discounted hand soap (new reality TV show?)... When you live in 450 square feet, you really can't do this. I did however grab a bottle for our basket. Our basket ended up being pretty awesome. In addition to the cool finds we snatched up, we wanted the basket to have a personal feel. Becoming a homeowner is EXCITING...or so I've heard! Ha! We took a group photo (with leftover gigantic Cap1 shirts) with a welcome home sign thanks to my amazing new iphone app, TimerCam. Also, big shout out to BBB for donating not once, but twice to our basket.
  

I know I document just about everything in my life, but this is a new one. I'm all about green initiatives, but this one made me laugh out loud. I love how our hotel installed a double-headed (which looks like a venus fly trap) shower head and placed a large sign directly below it asking you to be a good citizen and conserve water by only turning on one. I mean... really?

The best part of my trip...my boss and I wore matching shirts. Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Cheers!!!

Governor's Island - Jazz Age Lawn Party

Since temperatures are freezing (10 degrees) in New York City right now, I am thinking of warmer thoughts... which brought me back to our first summer in New York City...

We dressed to impress and attended the Governor's Island Jazz Age Lawn Party over the summer...channeling the Prohibition era with the Charleston, Model T Fords, fringy skirts and vintage threads. What could be more fun?

Think The Great Gatsby  (What's that? Ohhh you didn't read the book and copied off of your neighbor in high school? Here are the spark notes...you are welcome.)

To get to Governor's Island, you must take a ferry. There are not very many things that will make a New Yorker turn their head, but hundreds of people dressed in 20's attire IS one of them. When you arrive on the island, you immediately realize something very odd - not a single person actually lives there. Sounds like a great set-up for a murder mystery, right? Luckily, we left well before sunset.

We failed miserably at dancing, but did a fantastic job drinking. The party had all sorts of fun drinks - well two actually, but they were fun (St. Germain liqueur and white sangria).

The band was fanstastic! 20's style tunes by Michael Arenella and His Dreamland Orchestra

The shops were overpriced cool and featured things that I'm just not brave enough to wear.

I loved that 98% of the crowd was dressed up and that "20's style" took on a different look to everyone (meaning: we live in the twenty first century and it can be difficult to find something from that era that you are able to afford and willing to buy). Everyone looked fabulous.

Other fun things to do on Govenors Island

Isn't Richard manly in 20's attire?