Goats Yelling Like Humans

It's exactly what you think it is. And it's hilarious.

Bday Weekend in Nashville

Sean and I wrapped up my 30th birthday week with a three-day trip to Nashville. I had never been and Sean was underage last time he went, which let's be honest, means he's never "really" been either. 

We flew in Friday afternoon, picked up our rental car and checked in to the Nashville Downtown Hostel. I've stayed in hostels before and this one measured up. Great common area, simple rooms (we got a private one), clean bathrooms, nice staff, interesting characters, cheap rate, etc. It was also within walking distance of Broadway and Printer's Alley where we ended up both nights, ie. no drinking and driving. The only thing I could have used more of, was toilet paper.

 

 

Friday afternoon we wandered around Broadway, enjoyed a great country act and delicious burger at Robert's Western World and was able to make it to Hatch Show Print before they closed. Friday night we ventured to Edge Hill for dinner at Taco Mamacita (on par with Taco Lu), followed by some Jeni's Ice Cream covered in espresso at Hot & Cold. Then we headed back to Broadway where we lucked into Layla's Bluegrass Inn and were very entertained by Hillbilly Casino, a rockabilly band playing everything from Elvis to Johnny Cash. We ended the night with a final drink at Robert's and a quest for pizza.

 

Saturday we got up and headed to the Opry Mills mall because I forgot to pack appropriate shoes for our two-mile hike inside Mammoth Cave. A new pair of Tommy Hilfiger oxfords and a 6" turkey sub later, we were on the road to Kentucky. Mammoth Cave was just that - mammoth. Our two-hour tour had us walking through massive domes and over 105 ft. drops, as well as squeezing sideways through a section called "fat man's misery". At the front of our group was a 77 yr old man. He and his wife had come to Mammoth Cave on their honeymoon, it was the last vacation they took together before she passed, so he was determined to make it through one last time. A little nerve wracking for those of us behind him, but very sweet. 

 

 

 

Saturday night we headed uptown for local bbq at Judge's Vinegarroon where Sean had a bloody mary with a splash of brisket. We lucked out and got the funniest taxi cab driver. He was all jokes and played us one of his original songs called Silly Me. You can listen to it here. Obviously we had him pick us up again on our way to see Matt Willis play at Fiddle & Steel Guitar Bar. Matt was great, on stage and off, and so was the bar. A tucked away mix of locals and tourists, slow dancing to country music and taking shots at the bar. This is where I met Ronald, my twin slash spirit animal slash bearded guide. We also joked all night about the idea of nude karaoke. 

 

Sunday we packed up, had breakfast at 417 Union (Sean got prime rib hash!) and walked around Nashville before heading back to the airport. All in all is was a great little weekend and we'd definitely like to go back. 

House of Cards

Do yourself a favor. Sit down and binge watch all 13 episodes of House of Cards, Netflix's first original series. The acting, the characters, the story line - oh my.

Best Actress

Favorites

this will always be funny

Freaks and Geeks

Instead of making excuses and listing all the reasons why I haven't kept my promise to blog at least once a week, I'm just going to jump right back in with this awesome watercolor by julia vickerman. I've always heard great things about Freaks and Geeks, and may have seen an episode or two here and there, but I just found the entire series on Netflix and prepare to savor all 18 episodes of this gone-too-soon work of genius over the next few weeks. It's My So Called Life meets Dazed and Confused ala Judd Apatow. Amazing.

Moving on up!

We're moving again! While I hate the physical act of moving, I love going through all my stuff to merge, purge, donate and discover things that have been tucked away. I also love finding new places for all of our bits and pieces in the new space. And shopping for new items we realize we need.

But the best part, this new house is a 3/2! That means we'll have a guest room again, Sean will have his own office space and the icing on the cake - TWO bathrooms! Plus a two car garage, granite counter tops, a fenced in yard for the dogs, monthly lawn maintenance and much more.

Oh, and did I mention it's directly across the street from our current house? Should make for a pretty hilarious moving day. The neighbors will be in for quite a show. Wish us luck!

Be our neighbors?
Our current 2/1 in Murray Hill will be up for rent starting Sept. 1! Rent is $795 - includes CH/A, hard wood floors, washer and dryer, partially fenced-in yard, pets ok, great landlord and awesome neighbors :) Here are some more photos to give you a general idea of the space. Let me know if you're interested!

The Perfect Cheeseburger

Like Joanna Goddard, I too was not a huge fan of burgers in the beginning. I mean, I would have one here or there growing up, but then I became a vegetarian during college and even after I came back to the "dark side" still usually preferred a grilled chicken sandwich - until Sean gave me a bite of his cheeseburger from Ted Peter's Famous Smoked Fish Restaurant in South Pasadena, FL. I was still a vegetarian at the time, but I think I ended up eating about half of it because it was sooooo good.

I've searched for the elusive "awesome burger" since then and only recently realized that to me a good burger is all about the ratio of burger to bread to toppings. The trifecta has to be balanced; Too much of any one thing throws the whole dynamic off kilter. I've found only a few places in Jacksonville where I would go back specifically for the burger - Cruiser's Grill, Five Guys and Johnny Angel's. Sean keeps saying I have to try Colonel Mustard's. Any other local recommendations?

Below are two burgers from Martha Stewart Living, which one looks good to you? Where are your favorite places to grab a burger in Florida?

 

christopher meloni

from a crazy cook on wet hot american summer to his latest role as a vicious vampire on true blood, christopher meloni, has been a favorite of mine ever since my bff stef introduced me to law & order SVU. between daytime television at the gym, hulu and netflix, i think i've seen about every episode he's in. but i have absolutely no idea where this gif is from. anyone? either way, nice six pack detective stabler.

what time is it?

it's chubuary! if i had started my diet/work out the first or twentieth time i said i would, i might be more excited about this sweltering fishbowl that is florida during the summer. what are your tips/tricks for getting bathing suit ready?   

free breakfast ftw!

this is one of my favorite gifs from the blog this advertising life and i totally just did it at work.

so there i was, waiting for the elevator to go to the cafe, when the scent of free breakfast came wafting my way. i turned the corner to see a full spread of eggs, cheese grits, biscuits, sausage and coffee just sitting in the board room, half eaten. there was already a lady in there making a plate who quickly confirmed it was open season on breakfast bites. upon hearing this i literally, ran through my office passing out plates and telling everyone "there's a breakfast free for all in the board room!" we all indulged and it felt like christmas.

"when I’m waiting on the word to descend upon the leftover client meeting food"

that's knot right

the top knot/bun/swirl is my go to hairstyle every day when i get home from work, but according to this tutorial i've been doing it all wrong! i usually just gather my hair into a high pony, spin it around, double wrap it with a hair tie and hope it doesn't fall out. this seems much more secure. will definitely be trying this tonight.

 

via cup of jo

"i'm trying to save money"

as a newlyweds with a lot of plans for the future - you know, the whole buy a house, have kids scenario - sean and i have been really good about saving money lately. we've been putting money aside, staying home a lot more, cooking meals together, sucking netflix for all it's worth, reading books for the first time in months - and it feels great! 

yet, all that money we're saving means for the future means we can't do all the things we want to do now. and that's okay with me, but sometimes it can be awkward telling a friend or family member that you can't afford to do/buy something. just that phrase "i can't afford it" can be embarrassing and "can't" is such a negative word. but this morning i realized - it's all in how you say it. below is an excerpt from today's wise bread e-newsletter on How to Be Frugal (Without Becoming a Hermit).

Be Honest

Turning down invitations to dinners or vacations with “I can’t afford it” may be honest, but it also frames your lack of funds as a sort of affliction to which you’re forced to submit. Instead, try saying, “I’m trying to save money.” Then follow it up with an invitation to something you can afford later in the week. This way, it sounds like you’re making the decision rather than letting your bank balance lead you along. I also find this phrase strikes a different note when you use it. Rather than feeling sorry for you, people tend to nod emphatically, tell you that’s a good idea, and say they should really be getting into that saving business, too. Plus, by matching your rejection of their invitation with an invitation of your own, you can avoid looking like a jerk.

I love this idea. "I'm trying to save money." In our case it's actually true, because honestly we could "afford" to do a lot more than what we're doing, but I don't really want to. Buying a house and saving for a family is way more important to me than hitting up the bars or going on a shopping spree. if that makes me "boring" to some friends, then so be it. they'll be in our shoes one day too.

how do you save money? what helps you get through those tough "I want to buy everything!" days?

ever have one of those days?

i had plans to meet my friend lisa for lunch today at 1, except when i was ready to leave there was no one around to cover the department. when two of my coworkers finally showed up, i rushed out of the office so fast i forgot to email my friend to say i was leaving and also left my debit card on my desk. another trip up and down our excruciatingly slow elevator, and i was out the front doors before i could realize it was raining and i didn't have an umbrella. i started thinking to myself "i'm not meant to go to lunch today. something bad is going to happen."

 i made it safely across the street and through the hospital halls to the double doors of the cafeteria. then as i rounded the corner my left shoe slipped out from under me, rolling my ankle and causing me to start a really looooong, embarrassing, trying-not-to-fall-on-my-ass shuffle/dance while pulling one of the magnetic cafeteria doors off the wall. wow. i'm sure i must have been a sight to see.

despite the pitfalls, lunch with Lisa was fun and my ankle feels fine. that said, i must now assume that all of these warning signs were pointing toward food poisoning from the taco salad i just inhaled. wish me luck and i'll keep you posted.

but seriously, does this ever happen to you? everything that could go wrong, does go wrong and you start to think . . . is this a sign that i shouldn't be doing what i'm about to be doing?

i'm "hangry"

haha. i am totally guilty of this.

sweet home style

i love the blog sweet home style because it's just that - simple photos of sweet homes with great style. no profiles, no how to's, just picture after picture of living space inspiration. per a call for submissions i just sent in this recent snapshot of our little home for two. i hope it makes it! i'd love to see what people comment.

here i am

If anyone is still reading this blog, sorry for leaving you with such a huge cliffhanger back in November! We did indeed get married. Saturday, April 7, 2012 was a beautiful day and one I will never forget thanks to my amazing best-friend-turned-husband, bridesmaids, family and friends.

I will dedicate individual posts to our wedding, honeymoon, and what it feels like to be a wife soon, but I just wanted to say (after seven months) that I'm back and intend to post at least once per week until death to us part. it's a new goal of mine along with working out once a day and reading one book per month. let's see if i can keep it up!

also, just out of curiosity, if you're reading this post - can you make a comment? i'm going to keep blogging either way, i just want to see who's still with me . . . [crickets] . . . anyone?

save the dates are out!

on april 7, 2012 sean and i will become man & wife!! to let everyone know we teamed up with my bff and super talented designer karen kurycki to create unique save the date postcards. sean and i spent an hour on the floor of our favorite antique shop flipping through boxes of old florida postcards to find the best 100. then he worked with karen to create a stamp with all the info needed. she added the illustrations of us - which is my favorite part! she also came over and embossed the back of EVERY postcard. the following week i embossed a "hi." stamp on the front, sean stuck on the stamps and out the door they went. next up, invitations!

i only have eyes for you

how genius is this halloween costume! super easy play on the hilarious internet meme chicks with steve buscemi eyes. why didn't i think of this?! see more meme costumes here.