today

i've been holed up feeling rather puney today.

it's raining. it's cold.

it's foggy.

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perfect day for movies and projects while sniffling.

so far i have created a topper for our tree.

i wanted something more than a star or an angel up top

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i used a wreath that had a few sprigs bursting out the side of it.

along with some white birds, feathers and glittery things.

i think it turned out rather nicely.

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next up i made hair decorations!

just a plain, cheap headband and attached some feathers to that.
so chic!

and also a little clip for my hair since i had a few feathers left over.

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mr. owl is proudly sporting the feather get-up.

and the rest of the day was spent lounging.

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oh yeah, i got an early Christmas present.

a new lens.

35mm f1.8

it's amazing!

thanks santa!!



back into the swing of things

after enjoying a 3 day hiatus from work for thanksgiving,

it's now time to get back to the daily grind.  ugggg!

but at least it's only a few weeks until Christmas! 

and i will get nearly two weeks off!

i hope everyone has a lovely thanksgiving!

i spent time with friends and family, ate lots of yummy things,

and smiled and laughed until my cheeks hurt.

the hubs and i put up our tree.  it's the first real one we have had together.

i love getting a whiff of pine every once in a while.

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tom

so after much debate and angst, we are taking the little kitty to have his "marbles" wacked off!

last weekend was supposed to be tom tom's last in our house.  the hubs was going to take him to the humane society.  but he decided to get all teary-eyed on me, so we compromised.  we're getting him neutered and if that doesn't calm him down, he's gone.  i seriously have been stressed to the max because of all the terror this little guy has caused.  let's hope for the best!

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the last day

my time in the city was spectacular!  i didn't want it to end.  i wish i could spend more time wondering the streets of nyc and discovering tasty places to eat, little nooks to people watch in and just soak up the hustle and bustle of it all.

but, of course, all good things must come to an end.  and my last day was nothing short of wonderful.

we hit the pavement and headed to the southstreet seaport and walked down to the staten island ferry.

it's a free half hour ride that takes you to staten island and then back, and you pass by the statue of liberty. 

lots of photo opps!

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we strolled around pier 17 and some of the little shops.  such a quaint, historic area.

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we ended our day sipping coffee and chatting over yummy desserts at cafe lalo!

this charming cafe in the upper west side is from the movie "you've got mail."

it is at the top of my list of favorite movies of all time and i was excited to be able to relax while enjoying my first cannolli and a slice of irish creme cheesecake.  there were seriously too many things to choose from.

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we ended our day by getting dolled up for a girls night out.

i was able to meet one of her girl friends from astoria.

we had a glass of wine at her place and then headed out to a trendy place called

locale.

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my drink, the smooch.

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and this is the lovely steff!

so glad to meet you and make a new friend!

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it was a memorable trip and i hope to go back soon and bring the hubs along too!

in my element

so now that summer has faded into fall and the light casts it's golden glow upon this world, i am myself again.

i just can't seem to be an energetic chipper person when it's 99 degrees outside.

i always look forward to fall and winter.  a season to get nice and cozy.

and whip up some yummy food in the kitchen.

this weekend the only time the hubs and i ate out was friday night and that was to grab a quick meal before we caught a movie.

we were out on saturday, and surrounded by really good food joints, but all i really wanted to do was go home and cook a fabulous dinner! and that is just what i did.

the hubs put on some Christmas music and we cooked for an hour or so and then enjoyed a wonderful meal of stuffed chicken breasts, roasted brussel sprouts, and brown and wild rice.  so hearty and healthy.

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oh and we can't forget the applepie!

you really should make this stuffed chicken.  i basically threw a bunch of ingredients in for the stuffing and voila!

here's my version of it:

 tear off two good sized hunks of soft french bread and grind in a food proccessor.

dump the bread crumbs into a bowl.

rough chop half an onion and 2-3 cloves of garlic. pulse a time or two in the proccessor.

add 5-6 fresh cremini mushrooms and a good handful of chopped almonds. 

pulse again until everything is minced. add to bread crumbs.

drizzle with some evoo, about a 1/4 cup chicken broth or more, to moisten really well.

add one egg so that it all sticks together nicely.

add salt and pepper and a dash of garlic salt.

mix well and stuff between chicken breasts. 

add a little evoo and chicken broth to the bottom of a small roasting pan with the stuffed breasts.

if you have more stuffing left, you can top the chicken or "blob" around the sides of the chicken. 

put in a 375 degree preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes.

i'm telling you, this is so yummy and so easy!

try it.  i know you'll love it!

a day in the country

in continuing the tales of my recent travels, beth and i took a day off from the city

and decided to rest our tootsies with a drive through the beautiful countryside of

bedford, ny and parts of connecticut. 

it was a sparkling gold wonderland.  the foliage was awesome and the weather was perfect.

unfortunately neither of us knew where martha stewart lives,

or, if we had of known, we would have paid her a visit!

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we had lunch at the barn at the bedford post inn. 

i was hoping to catch a glimpse of richard gear.  but no such luck!

however, the food made up for it!

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after lunch we continued our lovely drive to the stone barns.

for a while i felt like i was on a farm in ireland. 

check out their website here.

it is a beautiful non-profit working farm used to promote healthy and sustainable food system.

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and that pretty much wraps up day three.  there's still more to come in my next post of my last day!

we wondered about the south street seaport, rode the staten island ferry...and other surprises.

let's just say we stepped into my favorite movie of all time:  You've Got Mail!

brooklyn

so on the second day, we were up and at 'em and on our way to the brooklyn flea.

on sundays, it's held inside the landmark williamsburg savings bank.  such beautiful architecture and wonderful finds!  i highly reccomend it if you are ever in brooklyn.

there were so many vintage items consiting of clothing, furniture, jewelry, knick-knacks, etc.

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after that we lingered around brooklyn and had some pie at four and twenty blackbirds.

can we say devine!!  it was so worth the nearly 2 mile walk it took us to get there.

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honey pumpkin and plumb crumb.

TO DIE FOR!

believe me on this.

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the last trip i made to nyc, my camera battery thought it was a good time to die when we made it to the brooklyn bridge.  so this time i made sure i had my extra battery in my purse so that i wouldn't miss the opportunity to photograph to the bridge and the skyline of nyc across the east river.

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they have a nice park that's so peaceful and beautifully landscaped. 

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after a leisurely stroll, we headed back into the city for a visit to the empire state building. 

surprisingly, we did not have to wait in any long lines and were herded through quickly to the top.

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even though it was somewhat hazy, the views were still pretty amazing.

it was so calming at the top, crowded, but still peaceful.  everyone was in awe of the vastness of the city below.

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after another full day, we headed home and i was able to catch a glimpse of the flatiron building.  such an amazing structure.

so we headed home, showered and got all dolled up for dinner and night caps in greenwich, ct.

a very charming and quaint town not too far out of the city.  i had the most amazing pumpkin soup with roasted seeds and riccotta gnocci.  i still dream about that meal. 

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and that concludes day two.  i'm so thankful for all the sweet memories i have.  and my heart misses the city and wants to go back again real soon!

don't you just love new york in the fall?

i know i sure do!  I had an amazing time in the big apple with my dearest girl friend, beth.  she is a true gem and an awesome tour guide and hostess!

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i flew into lga bright and early saturday morning and we immediately headed into the city for yummy food and sight seeing.  we took a cab to columbus circle where we grabbed lunch at bouchon bakery.  oh the macarons...let's just say we both craved them for days after!

we carried our treats into central park where we sat and giggled and listened to ragtime music.

what a perfect way to start off our adventures!

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we spent the rest of the day in the city taking in some of the sights.  we ventured up 5th avenue into st. patrick's cathedral and then to rockafeller center and on to grand central station.

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and that was day one!  such sweet memories!

full speed ahead

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i think i missed something. 

ahh yes....HALLOWEEN!

it's the pivot point of fall for me...

it's the time of year when i can slow down and say "ahhhh"

yet i seem to have zoomed right by it this year.  i wasn't prepared for it's arrival.

the warm days down here in the south didn't quite put me in the mood for the most festive fall season and the slowly changing colors weren't very welcoming. 

but, it's over.  no more pumpkins, no more scaries, it's all glittery and flashy Christmas decorations.

don't get me wrong, i love the Christmas season, everything about it. 

however, i always look forward to halloween and crisp leaves and carving pumpkins and hearty foods and passing out candy to monsters and fairies, and i did none of that this year and i'm pretty sad.  i have enjoyed catching up on my blog reading and living vicariously through your halloween adventures!

maybe i can get a jump start on decorating for Chritsmas this year.  is this weekend too early?

maybe i'll get through thanksgiving first.

happy fall y'all!