Pockets Empti-ed.

We went out for Hudson Restaurant Week on Friday and this happened...

Two martinis,
Two stuffed bellies,
Two hours spent philosophizing in French,
Two fuzzy heads,
And what felt like two hundred dollars later,
The two of us drove home.

The rest of the weekend was spent baking cookies, watching cute French romantic comedies, lunching with old friends, playing Wii tennis, and cuddling.  My version of bliss.

This week will be a busy one, filled with book club (though I haven't read the book), a dinner with the boyfriend and out-of-country guests, and wedding dress shopping with a special friend.  I'm looking forward to it all!  However, after such a lavish weekend, the wallet is a little light.

This week's challenge is to keep as many pennies in my pocket as possible.  We'll see how it goes. 

What are your best tricks for staying on a budget?

If God call-ed You, what would he say?

I think if God were to ever write me a letter, it would be short.  I mean, I know the guy has all the time in the universe, but he's busy negotiating the saving of souls and stuff.

So, I imagine my letter to go something like this:

"It's all good. Love, G."

And just as I'm about to tuck the folded letter into my pocket for safe keeping, I'd notice an ink smudge on the corner.  In my cynical mind, I'd think:

'Seriously, God?'

As I wiped it away with my thumb, a new message would appear under my touch...

"Trust me."

Believ-ed in You.

Why is it that sometimes we can have so little faith in ourselves?

We know we've done it a million times before, but we trust that this time will be the one we mess up.  We know ourselves better than anyone else ever will, yet we often trust other's opinions more than our own.

We pray, and repent, and ask for help, but what we fail to realize is that we can do anything, if we just have faith.

I have faith in you.

Do you?

Challeng-ed.

There are two things you can do when presented with a challenge: step up to the plate, or cower in the corner and hope the challenger doesn't smell fear.

But, see, the thing about hiding out is that you'll never know if you could actually do it.  And what if you could. actually. do it??

At least, if you try and fail, you get the credit for trying.  And, even better, if you try and succeed, well then you're pretty awesome!  So sometimes it's worth it to stick your neck out and give it a go--whether that means stepping up when your boss is out on a snow day, or taking that class on a new subject, or trying out that tough hike you always found too intimidating.

I stepped up today.  And even though I may not have been the best, I did it my way and it worked well enough.  And, my friends, it feels pretty darn good.

What challenge have you taken on lately?

Time, Wish-ed Away

Sitting at my desk on a cold January day, wishing that 5’oclock would come 8 hours early makes me sad. I never thought that I’d wish my time away. But when I take a step back, I’m simply wishing for time spent another way. Pretending to stare at e-mails like I care, filing things to fill the time, stressing about a typo in yesterdays report are not the things I want to make up my life.

I want sunsets watched from a breezy dock. I want cozy late nights baking and laughing with my baby sister. I want road trips to no where and everywhere, in search of the best strawberry milkshake. I want a candlelit table of friends, littered with empty wine glasses and bread crumbs.
I want a good relationship with an appreciative boss. I want fulfilling work and a comfortable work environment. I want to be financially stable, without having to negotiate between grocery shopping and a glass of wine with a friend. I want purpose. I want more hours for all the good stuff, and less of the not so great. I want my life, and no one else’s.

Sitting at my desk on a cold January day, watching the snow fall outside makes me realize I’m happy. These things are there for me, somewhere—today or down the line. They’re hiding in my pockets and in between my toes. They’re hiding in my inbox and under my nose. They’re there, showering down in big, white fluffy flakes. I just have to catch them as they fall.

PS - That's me.  I told you I'd introduce myself this year.  And today, it just felt right.  Nice to meet you all.

Vegg-ed Out.

A little late to be jumping on the healthy New Year's Resolution train, and a little early to be giving up chocolate (again) for lent, I'm chalking my new found healthy attitude up to a few wacky cravings.

This Sunday I had the day to myself--for the first time in a while.  At first I paniced.  How am I going to fill the hours?  Then, before I knew it, I realized I was on one of the best dates I've had in a very long time--with myself!

Me and myself took a chilly walk to knock off a few errands and ended up coming home with (of all things) a box of quinoa. 

I am by no means a vegetarian.  Meat still holds a special place in my heart, and stomach.  But, lately due to budgetary restrictions, some encouragement from a few fellow bloggesses, and a few strange cravings, I have started to incorporate more and more veg-only meals into my diet.

Yesterday's lunch consisted of roasted curry butternut squash and smoky paprika cauliflower served over quinoa (a protein-heavy grain).  I topped the dish with some chopped almonds for crunch.  It was one of the best things I've tasted in a very long time.  I'm trying out the whole food photography thing, so please excuse the close up.

I am not here to tell you that vegetarianism is cool or hip or healthy or environmentally correct.  But I do believe it is the easiest way to save a buck, a few calories, and some cholesterol points. 

Now, anyone out there have another idea of what to do with the rest of my quinoa?

Lov-ed, Unconditionally.

Why is it that we can be worst to the people we love best? This morning I woke up with a chip on my shoulder for no good reason. It was too warm in the apartment, my hair wasn’t cooperating, I had to wait a few extra minutes for roommate #2 to get out of the bathroom before I could brush my teeth.

And let me tell you, it was the end of the world.

I might as well have been a five year old who was told ‘no more candy.’ The pout came out, and I had to refrain from flailing my arms in a true hissy fit.

Unfortunately, my boyfriend gets the brunt of these moods. Maybe because we know that remarkably, no matter how awful we are, they’ll still love us. Perhaps because they are the only people we allow ourselves to be vulnerable around. But often, the people we love best, are the only ones who get to see our worst side.

So, dear, sweet, sweet boyfriend. My apologies. But please know that it’s just because I love you.

pic:weheartit

Dat-ed.

Never underestimate the importance of ‘the date.’ In a longterm relationship, it is easy to get comfortable: to wear the same pajamas every night to bed, to eat your dinner of pasta and jarred sauce on the couch while watching Modern Family together (Wednesday nights on ABC at 9pm. Watch it.), to spend Saturdays at Bed, Bath & Beyond looking for closet organizers. Pretty soon, all of the little normal things that were so exciting to do together in the beginning--because even doing a joint load of laundry together was fun--now are just plain normal.

The remedy to normalcy, you ask? A date.

This morning, just as I was scarfing down my half of our toasted bagel, he proposed “on va boire un coup ce soir?” For those of you who don’t speak French, no, that was not a marriage proposal (we’re not even ready to live together, remember?). Instead, “let’s go get a drink tonight?” The idea of breaking out of our normal routine of home-cooked meal, movie, sleep was invigorating.

Now, it is 3pm. And all I can dream about is a glass of Pinot at a candlelit bar hightop, snuggling up to my beau, and talking about the couples around us in French.

What did you do on your last date night? I bet it was fabulous.

Google Reader-ed

Last night I had a long overdue catch up happy hour with a very dear friend.  We talked of blogs and life and dogs and vacation.  All the good stuff.  So, while we're on the topic of blogs and new years and resolutions, make it a new year's resolution to add these lovely blogs to your Google Reader immediately.  And if you don't have a Google Reader account, you obviously haven't been wasting enough of your time.

Here are three fabulous blogs I catch up on every morning over coffee:

KERF - Kath Eats Real Food is a fun way to look at eating and living wholesomely.  Follow Kath as she shares recipes, workout tips, and the ins and outs of opening a new branch of Great Harvest (amazing looking fresh breads) with her baker husband.

everyday musings - Love this girl's world.  I wish my everyday musings looked like this.  Well done, Olivia Rae.  Someone please make her s'mores brownies and send me a few Express Mail.

The Daily Garnish - A daily dose of life as a runner, vegetarian chef, wife, and dog owner.  Friends with KERF, she offers up really great veggie and vegan recipes to make even the most carnivourous eaters curious, like this yummy roasted eggplant dip.


There is plenty more where this came from.  What are your favorite blogs?  My GR could use a refresher.

pic: weheartit

Jealousy, admitted.

Let's just get it out there, plain and simple.  There are some people in life that you just want to be.

Literally, in the game of LIFE, if you pulled a 'swap career, salary, husband, children, family, wardrobe, smile, outlook on the world, etc.' card out of the deck, this would be the the person you'd trade everything with.

You know who I'm talking about: the sorority sister who never said a bad word about anyone.  The one who never needed to be the center of attention, made everyone smile, and chose nursing as her profession because her passion was caring for others.  The one who married the beyond handsome army liutenant before following him to the German countryside to start their life together....or, um, something like that...you get what I mean.

We all have at least one person that makes us green with envy.  And yet, we admire them so much that our jealousy is never malicious.  We'd just like to have a few of their traits, a couple of their days.

But you know what the really great thing is?  To someone else out there, we're that person too.

Keep makin' them jealous, just the way you are.

Coupl-ed Up.

There comes a point in every relationship when we must make some decisions. Some make them sooner than others. Some choose different paths, and different sequences of events. But the truth of the matter is, a decision must be made. And failure to make a decision almost inevitably results in a break-up.


Case #1: The Beginning.


Two dear friends recently made a big decision to tie the knot. We are very excited for them! After over two years together, the couple realized that it was now or well, now. Sometimes you just know.


Case #2: The End.


Two other friends just recently had to make the decision of re-location. Living and working in separate cities for over a year, the couples’ ultimatum was finally given: move near me, or move on. Unfortunately, they both decided to move on. Living in limbo was just not doable any longer.


But then there is case #3: The In Between.


A dilemma I am currently facing with the man in my life. Leases are coming due, plans are being set, but furniture is still being moved into two separate apartments. We are not yet ready to make the big decision to live under the same roof, even though we are more in love than ever. I have to admit that I liked the idea very much, but after some thought I realized that sometimes it pays to wait. And until then, I’m quiet comfortable in between.
What relationship decisions have you made lately? Was it a beginning, an end, or an inbetween?
 
pic: weheartit

Life, Slic-ed.

Since the last time we spoke, I have changed jobs.  I am now in a line of work that speaks to my strengths and my interests, which is very exciting!  But as they say, "there's always something."

It's my boss.  Now, by no means is she a mean horrible person.  She is actually quiet pleasant when she wants to be.  The dynamics of our relationship are difficult to explain, but it has left me on the verge of tears more days than I'd like to admit.  Essentially, I am expected to be her subordinate, her teammate, and her psychologist all in one.  I will admit, however, that I can be a sensitive soul.  So what might send me reeling, might bounce off a thicker-skinned individual as a small set back.

That said, I just happened to stumble upon a very appropriate book in my parents library last weekend.  "Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's all small stuff."  It doesn't take more than a few minutes of flipping through this tiny coffee table book to grasp the basic concept.

I have often said that life is all about the little things.  So, the next time something goes wrong, or you get upset, or your boss steps over the line, take a deep breath and imagine your life as a pie graph.  How large of a slice would this situation represent?  Probably a minimal percentage.  Then, think of all of the other wonderful slices.  Like I said before, it's all about perspective.  Today, I sit sipping mint tea, listening to my Adele Pandora mix, and I think, this is a good slice.

pic: weheartit

Foo-ed.

I have always wondered if I was born in the wrong era.  Perhaps a time when chivalry was the law, or when ladies were courted and wooed would have been more appropriate for me.  I am by no means a feminist, so the standard womanly roles of cooking, cleaning, and child-rearing would have suited me just fine.  In an ideal world, my job would be to make delicious food for the people I love.

That said, perhaps this was the exact right time for me to have become a part of the world.  The entire universe has suddenly become obsessed with food.  It seems that more than half of the blogs out there are food-centric.  We now have entire television channels devoted to the art of cooking, and currently some of the biggest stars in pop culture are celebrity chefs.

Has food become the new fashion?  Eating the latest food trend--cupcakes, chocolate bacon, emulsified mushroom foam--is exactly that.  Trendy.

Last night the boyfriend and I finally tried Mario Batali's newest culinary venture, Eataly.  Trendy as always, he's created quite a revolutionary idea, incorporating a marketplace with several restaurants sectioned off by food type.  We noshed on the finest Italian cheeses and meats, while sipping on fruit-forward, light red wines.  This place is so trendy in fact, they can actually get folks (Americans, no less) to stand while they eat!

The boyfriend has learned that there is nothing sexier to me than good food and a smooth glass of wine.  Screw fashion, perhaps food has become the new sex?  Or maybe it always has been and we have finally entered an age of honesty.

Feed me, and I am yours forever.

2011, Resolv-ed.

Cliche alert:  new year, new me.

This blog has brought me so much joy in the past, and I really do miss it in my daily life.  So, I've decided that I owe it to myself and to you readers (if you're really out there!) to return to the blogg-ed world. 

Eleven has always been a favorite number of mine.  Let's all agree that this year will have wonderful things in store for each of us.

First, in order to stick to my promise of being a fully dedicated blogger again, we have to get a few resolutions on paper so that you can hold me to them.

A few things I'd like to do here on the -ed chronicles that will require your help:

1.  More pictures...of my own.  No more of this clip art nonesense.  If we have any great photographers out there who'd like to offer their expertise to a blogger still using a tiny point-and-shoot, I am all ears (and eyes, of course).

2.  More frequent posts.  There are only so many times that you will sit pressing the refresh button before you move on to get your blog fix elsewhere.  If there's anything you'd like to see more of, or less of, or you'd just like to voice an opinion, please use the comment box!  I love to hear from you.  Honestly, you don't realize how excited I get when I see your comments in my inbox!

3.  Build my reader-base.  As much as this blog is for me, it is also to feel part of a community.  There is nothing better than knowing you belong.  So spread the word that the -ed chronicles is back and better than ever.

4.  Properly introduce myself.  I have yet to post a picture of myself, but I think if we're going to get to know each other better, I'm going to have to show face.

Thank you in advance for your love, support, and readership.

And now, on to the good stuff...