Suburbia

(to the tune of Rihanna's "Disturbia"...)

"Suburbia, everything closes at 6 tonight

Suburbia, my mini-van is ridin' tight

Suburbia, Olive Garden is what I like

Suburbia, Suburbia..."

Dum dum dee da dum dum dee dum dum...

Dan and I are headed to the country this weekend- rented an SUV and driving to Lancaster, PA to visit his folks and family. Saturday, we're driving back and stopping in Philly to stay over with some friends, then back to Manhattan on Sunday!

We have a puppy-sitter for the boys, who will be sitting this trip out, since we're staying over in Philadelphia. I'm sure this trip will involve a visit to the Suburban Meccas of Costco and Target, to stock up on items that are ridiculously expensive to buy in Manhattan!

After living in the city for all this time, and walking/train-ing/cabbing everywhere, the thought of being on the highways is pretty scary! Driving is DANGEROUS!!

:) Early Happy Halloween wishes to all my guy and "ghoul"-friends out there!!

Pin-pin

Nicknames for my youngest little (fur) baby:

Pin-Pin
Pince
Pinny
Prince Michael Jackson II (aka Blanket!)






-- Posted From My iPhone

For the cutest baby photography

Check out this website: www.kelleyryden.com

Cutesies!

Back to Canada!

Even after all the trouble at the airport on Saturday night (did I also mention that after we boarded the plane, we sat on the runway for an hour and a half because the airport CLOSED and no flights were allowed to depart because of weather?) it was still worth it to spend a day with my Mama & Papa and see their home being built. My uncle also was with us, and we had a great time together. Here's some pictures of us together at the new house, and a staged photo of our little "construction crew" hard at work!

Mirror, mirror

Check out our new decor! These mirrors from Areahome are fun and playful! Look in each one and you'll see:



A pirate!



A skull!



Or a MOOSE!!!

Haha we put the trio of fun mirrors above the credenza at the entrance to our apartment! Here's how they look. Fun, eh?!

Airports... Grrrrrrr!

I'm at the Newark airport waiting to board my flight to Canada tonight. But first, I'd like to entertain all of you with a ridiculous tale; my check-in misadventures. Why does airport travel have to be SO frustrating?!

I arrived to continental check in, and since I'm flying to Canada, I went to "international departure check-in." logical, right? Well, not in this fairy tale land called NEW JERSEY! After attempting the self check in machine, which told me it could not read my passport, I stood in an infuriatingly long line until I was told by the check-in clerk that I had to go to DOMESTIC check in. I told her that I'm flying to a DIFFERENT COUNTRY and it should be international, but she impatiently told me to go to the domestic check in line ( which was even longer) and then called, "NEXT!"

You can guess what happens next.

I stood in an even longer line at domestic and when I finally got to the clerk she said, "ma'am you're flying to Canada. THAT'S A DIFFERENT COUNTRY ( I'm not lying, she actually said that like I was 4 yrs old) and you need to check in at the international check in." At this point, the New Yorker in me kicked in and I told her to please don't speak to me like I am an idiot- I KNOW Canada is a different country- look at my PASSPORT, I'm CANADIAN! (geez, these people they find to work at airports...)

So I went BACK to the long international line and finally got to a different clerk to actually managed to check me in. Then she says, "ok your flight leaves from gate 23 at Terminal A." ( please note, I've been in terminal C this entire time!) I say, " what do you mean, Terminal A? Continental departs from terminal C!" she says, "yes, but this flight is departing from terminal A. Go get back on the train. NEXT!"

I get back on the train, ride the ENTIRE circle around the airport back to terminal A, and then check my flight status: wait for it...DELAYED 1 hr!

But on the plus side, I saw a tourism booth and this sign made me laugh!



--
It reminded me of what me and my friend Cory say: "Jersey girls AREN'T trash...trash gets PICKED UP!"

Oops gotta go they are ready to call my gate for boarding!

Bon voyage!!!



Posted From My iPhone

Going Home! :)

In just a few hours, I'll be seeing SNOW in Canada! I booked a last minute flight to fly home (literally) for a day and see my parents just for a quick visit. My Mom & Dad have been building their new home and I'm so excited to see it!

Yes, there IS early snow up in Canada, and this is a picture my dad sent me 2 days ago. It will likely be gone by the time I arrive, but isn't it CRAZY that they had snow this early?! I've got a few last minute things to pick up here in Manhattan to bring home to Mom & Dad- maybe some Magnolia cupcakes would be a nice treat for them!

My flight leaves tonight at 7pm and I'll be back early Monday morning- I'll update more then!

A bientot, tout le monde!!

Simpsons voices- SO funny!

Funny Simpson Voices - Click here for more blooper videos

"The Play's the thing..."

Tonight, Elizabeth, Carmen, and I are going to see Carrie Fisher's play on broadway! Can't wait! Grabbing some Chipotle to go after we leave the office, walking over to my new apt to give them a tour, then off to the theatre! Fun times :)

whoa-ah-OH, Beyonce!

No, this post has nothing to do with Beyonce, but I feel like doing my OWN little "Single Ladies" dance because I just checked out my hit counter and TODAY I'm likely to hit the 10,000 mark on visitors to this blog (and that's just since June '09) !! Yahoo!!!

Aw, I feel SO LOVED!

Thanks again to all my loyal readers!! Keep 'em comin!

First Christmas Tree Sighting!

Spotted my first Christmas Tree of the 2009 season today at Lord&Taylor on 39th and 5th ave! Hurray!


-- Posted From My iPhone

To bring out the OCD in you

My husband and I are a perfect match- except when it comes to organization. He will admit without shame that he is a bit excessive on the "neat and tidy" front. He might even be a bit OCD! Everything has a place, and if it's not in that place, it un-nerves him.

In our new kitchen, we can't find drawer dividers for our cutlery drawer that will fit the size of the drawer, so for now, we have to just group the spoons on the left, forks in the middle, and knives on the right. I don't know how many times I've caught him in that drawer ARRANGING each knife, fork, and spoon so that they lay perfectly straight on top of each other (and I tried to explain that when you close and open the drawer, they're just gonna get messed up again...but ah, oh well!)

I bought him a label maker one year for our anniversary, and it was his absolute favorite gift ever! He went around making labels for EVERYTHING, on every shelf: "Toothpaste," "floss," "Small hairbrushes," "Combs," "round hairbrushes"... it was actually pretty cute.

Anyway, if any of YOU readers enjoy organization, you'll LOVE this website: www.lifeorganizers.com ! It has TONS of information, cleaning tips, checklists, organization charts and storage ideas!

Go check it out HERE!

Trying to live on $500K in Manhattan

We all know that Manhattan is expen$ive- a teeny one-bedroom apartment will average anywhere from $1,900-$3,500/month plus utilities (oh and yes, my dear, that's RENT... not a mortgage!) We do save a lot of money on cars and gas and insurance & repairs by walking or riding the subway. Still, it's definitely not the cheapest place to call home!

That's why (as a Manhattan resident myself) I found THIS ARTICLE in the NY Times really entertaining: "How to live on $500K in New York City." Sure, for most people, a half-mill salary sounds VERY excessive, but this article shows how quickly that money can disappear! (Well, for THIS type of high-rolling socialite lifestyle...)

If you have a dog...

You MUST check out this website! So cute!

Modern Disney

Check out THIS MODERN TAKE on Disney- basically wardrobe suggestions tailored to your favourite Disney character!

(My style is totally Snow White or the Evil Jasmine)

Which are you?!

I'm into dreads

I saw these dogs on the street near 5th avenue- can you say ADORABLE? I love their dreadlocks! Talk about high maintenance though!


Look at this adorable face! He smiled for me!!


-- Posted From My iPhone

Back in PA

Aw, I found this picture of me and my Romeo that was taken just before we moved to NYC! Ah, memories!

Have you ever SEEN a trillion dollars?

Check out this website to see how much a TRILLION DOLLARS really is. Wow, pretty crazy! So, the next time you hear politicians throwing around the term like it's no big deal...it IS a big deal! That's a LOT of money!

For you crafty folks

I found a fun website called www.whipup.net that gives you simple and fun crafts that you can "whip up" in a flash. Check it! :)

oh, and if anyone wants to knit me this Yoda hat, I will totally give you my address and you can mail it to me for Christmas. lol how AWESOME is this?!)

There's already a T-Shirt!

Oh, so THAT's what that is...

Watson Adventures

Whoo, what a week! Last week, Dan was away for a Diesel conference from Sunday to Saturday in Las Vegas. While he was away, my sister came down from Montreal and I took some time off and we spent Wednesday-Sunday together. It was so nice to hang out with my sister and shop around the city! She has her own interior design business, so we went shopping for some accessories at Crate & Barrel, CB2, Ikea, and some other shops down in the design district. My brother joined us on Friday- he flew out here from L.A. for the weekend. It was so great to hang out with 2 of my siblings (I wish my other 2 brothers could have been here too!)

On Saturday night, we did a Watson's Adventure Scavenger Hunt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Watson's does adult and family scavenger hunts in several cities all of the U.S., so visit their website to see if there's a hunt in a town near you! If you're ever in NYC, I highly recommend it- it's a great way to explore the city, and it's really really fun! Kind of like participating in "The Amazing Race!"

The hunt we did was called "Murder at the Met," a murder mystery that we had to solve by figuring out a bunch of clues from dozens of paintings, exhibits, sculptures, and artifacts in the museum. There was a 2 hr time limit, and we were really booking it to make it through! The museum is MASSIVE! We solved the "whodunit" and the "why," but we had to give up on 2 clues because we were out of time, and you lose points for every minute you're late. Even with the 2 missing clues, we ended up in second place (only 1 point away from FIRST place!) among about a dozen other teams. What pushed us ahead were the bonus points we got from most creative team name- "SHOW ME THE MONET!" HA HA pretty good, eh?

Please pray

Specific prayer request from my friend Sarah and her husband, Ben. Please join me in praying for them.

Egg chairs are here!

Welcome these 2 new additions to our household! Arent they just fabulous?



-- Posted From My iPhone

He does look very skeptical...

Scumptious Pumpkinious!

Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Breakfast rolls? YES, PLEASE!

Click over to the (easy) recipe HERE

Jacobsen Egg Chairs

I'm crossing my fingers that our Jacobsen Egg Chairs arrive today! We ordered them over 6 weeks ago, and it's taken a LONG time to ship. The Jacobsen Egg Chair was first designed by Danish designer Arne Jacobsen in 1958, and it's one of the most recognized designs in the world. It was first debuted in the Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. (I have a close attachment to Copenhagen, as my brother, sister-in-law, and niece live there!)

So anyway, the chairs have been shipped via freight because they weigh about 100lbs each. We ordered 2 of them; both in black wool. I saw on the tracking that they have arrived in NJ, and are scheduled to go onto the truck for delivery to our apt in Manhattan. Did I mention that they swivel AND rock! I think they look like Dr. Evil's chair on Austin Powers! lol I can't wait to cocoon myself in one of these comfy things and have a nice cup of tea while looking out at the NYC skyline!

Stay Glassy

Another view of my table top :)


-- Posted From My iPhone

Dining table

Today, my sister and I got these glass candlesticks from CB2- don't they look great with our table? The chairs are Kartel Ghost Chairs, designed by Phillipe Stark. They are clear acrylic and they look almost invisible! We grouped high-end design with low-end design: the table is chrome with a white glass top from Ikea. How do you like the look?





-- Posted From My iPhone

Who would wear these shoes? I WOULD!

Check out Alexander McQueen's new shoes! I'm surprised there aren't pictures of the models falling down!

Astroboy!!

Do Americans even know about this cartoon? Me and my brother, Brad, used to watch Astroboy EVERY DAY! I am definitely going to watch the movie! Toys R Us in Times Square has Astroboy plastered all over the whole storefront!

Do you know Astroboy? (I have the theme song stuck in my head now!)

"Flying high in the sky...he may be small, but only in size! Astroboy! Astroboy! He is brave and gentle and mild!"

Great company name!

I spotted this van on 44th street and 6th ave, making a delivery to a restaurant, and snapped a pic with my iPhone.

Great name, eh?

Wanna Play Hipster Bingo?

Moving Day went Great!

We moved on Friday!

Well, we packed, and the moving company did all the moving part! They were amazing; arrived at 9:30 AM and they were completely DONE unloading everything in our new place by 12 noon! So speedy! Then, the real process began: UNpacking. Dan is meticulously organized (and a slight bit OCD) so every item was carefully unpacked, inspected to decide if we still think that we need to keep it, and then put away in an organized fashion. I've got to admit, I'm gonna take some pictures of our closets just to brag with how clean and neat they are! Let's see if I can keep them that way...

We were a bit worried about the dogs, and how they would handle this. Prince (above) is a big, floppy, easygoing little goon, and he barely even noticed what was going on, but ROMEO was struggling with this whole thing. When we started packing up boxes, Romeo was desperately trying to be held ALL the time. He has such terrible separation anxiety ( I think because we bought him at a pet store, which

now we know better. Poor things! I'd have anxiety too, if I was left alone every night and no one took me home!)

As you can see in this photo, Romeo was NOT leaving my lap the whole time the movers were there. And if you KNOW Romeo, you'll know that this is unusual, because whenever people come over, he is barking and running up to them and wants nothing to do with ME!

When the movers were on their way to the new apartment, Dan told the dogs that they had to "stay", which was a BIG mistake. Romeo was in my lap, and he started shaking, and he tensed his whole body up! It was like he had a seizure! I was so worried that something was happening to him, but Dan picked him up and petted him and soothed him with kisses. Then he said that we just had to "go to work" and we'd be back soon to "go car with Romeo." Romeo stopped shaking, and gave Dan a bunch of kisses! Poor dog! They are SO intuitive!

We put Romie and Prince in the bathroom while we were gone, because their crate had already been packed. When we returned a few hours later to get the dogs, Prince was trapped up in the pedastal sink! He'd jumped up onto the toilet, climbed up onto the back of the toilet, and then into the sink (maybe for a drink?) Then, he was so high up, he was scared to jump down, and got stuck there! Who knows how long he was probably sleeping in the sink! (See, this is exactly why we crate the dogs when we're not home- perfect example of what trouble they get themselves into if left unattended!) ha ha

More moving stories to come, when I upload some more pictures!