Your blog here.

Now playing: Skip the Charades by Cold War Kids. With that being said, this is a bout of BWD. Blogging While Drinking. An unprecedented event. Very dangerous, if I do say so myself. Because here's the thing. You're reading this right now and I don't really know who you are. There is absolutely no way for me tell. You may be someone I know. You very well may not. And that's okay. Really, isn't that's the draw of it all? Honest. I hesitated to start this. I paused. I considered. I thought about it again. This time longer. This whole world of blogging. I had my reservations. Mostly I questioned whether this was the most narcissistic act I've ever enacted. But in the end, inspiration won out. I can attribute my blog to two fabulous friends, whom without I would have never begun my delve into the internet world. So a very big hello to wily wiley and 5th belle avenue, both of which I thoroughly, and without fail, enjoy reading. And I had my reservations even in the beginning, as a blog reader. Could they see how many times I checked their website for updates? Is that embarrassing that I read their blog even though I haven't had a real conversation with them in weeks? Oh hell. I was too embarrassed to even follow their blogs publicly. As a blogger, I can tell you this. It's flattery alone when someone even admits that they (even if only occasionally) read what you have to write. And so, without further hesitation, I urge YOU right now, right here, to start your own blog. I would love to read what you have to say. Honest. No holds bar. Anyone can do this. I'm doing this and still stumbling my way through it. And if I can do it, you can. So I urge you to dive right in. You have absolutely nothing to lose. Truth be told, I'm still learning. There's so much I want to share. So many opinions and stories. I think the hardest aspect is knocking the barriers down and revealing the most private and personal aspects of life, which also happen to be the most interesting. Three beers deep, two of which were 5% alcohol (thank you brewery), and I make a promise here and now. Right.this.moment... I promise to occasionally forget my modesty. I will risk judgment and failure. I will tell you what I really think. All in good time, my anonymous (only occasional) blog reader. 


Oh, and in the meantime, please send me your blog link. 


{Insert photograph here}






Loving it. 

Chit chattery.

Ever notice how the mere act of answering a phone call suddenly transforms your voice an octave or two higher? And more importantly, why doesn't this odd occurrence occur to the opposite sex? I, for one, seem to do it without thought. Why??? Oh how I cringe to hear myself played back on a voicemail. It's all child's play. The only comfort I can take in this unconscious act of octaves is that at least I'm not the only one. Take a listen. You'll hear ladies everywhere prattle on their phones using their most sing song-y voices. What type of strange evolution in speech is this?
Ps. Vintage baby photo which can actually be purchased as an invite. Too cute!

The written word.

The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain: I liked this one. A lot. The best part about it was the unpredictable turn of events that seemed to never end. It had that I-can't-put-this-book-down draw of a good mystery. What a rewarding feeling to select a book at random, based on the cover alone, without any recognition of the author or title and for the outcome to actually be enjoyable! I can't tell you how many failures I've had the mishap of choosing in the past and there's nothing quite as frustrating. I'm not the type of reader who can leave a page unturned and so I must finish all books that I start, whether I cringe as I'm reading or it takes me months to finish... bottom line, I finish. No worries with this one though. It's a true winner!

This is going to be a good, good life.

This weekend, keeping with my recent theme of debauchery, I visited a little known area called the Jersey shore (Ha). Hubby's family happens to live in very close proximity to the infamous Seaside Heights and they've been so kind as to host our annual tradition of friends, sun, sand and drinks. Friday was spent in leisure around the tiki hut where beer (and meat) were a'plenty. The perfect way to kick start any shore weekend. Saturday morning we toted ourselves on over to the beach, which was a blessing considering how disgustingly hot it was this weekend.  The ocean was surprisingly cold, in the 60's!, so most of our day was spent standing ankle deep in the salty waves. And then, it was time for the really good stuff. Time to get bamboozled! Of course my camera battery decided to die before I had the opportunity to document any of the crazy characters we witnessed (and believe me, they were there).  I did manage to get one fun shot of our station wagon cabbie we had the pleasure of riding in.
What a looker
On the itinerary for the evening? Saw Mill, Jack & Bill's, and Bambooooo. Oh how quickly I forget about my wilting garden in the presence of some good friends, techno music and Miller Lite. I do know one thing. It's damn good to know that I can still keep up with the boys! 
Bamboo Bar
Here's to hoping you had as enjoyable of a weekend as we did!

What happened to me?

Remember the collegiate years, full of crappy food and drunken benders? I've regressed. After my vacation drinkfest and a week full of eating whatever foods struck my fancy - because hey, calories don't count with friends (or family!), I was feeling a little.. how shall I phrase it? Curvier. Hubs made the mistake of mentioning that he actually liked my few newly acquired pounds. And I ran with it. Am running with it. Aaaand now I can't seem to stop. I've been inhaling food. It's like I got the great golden pass and just said, okay GO! The only problem? Well, besides the fact that my favorite pair of jeans no longer fit me, I'm starting to feel pretty awful. I've even been drinking coffee every morning. And that's a big personal no no for me. In turn, I haven't been sleeping well and so I've been drinking more coffee. Oh, and did I mention that I've been eating delicious, unhealthy foods? Forget the days of yoga and jogging in the park. Those are mere distant memories now. I can barely keep myself from the couch these days. Whatever is a girl to do?


First up, find some inspiration. And no, not the typical lets-lose-five-pounds type of inspiration. I need some motivating factor that says, yes - let's enjoy life to the fullest. Wake up early. Be healthy. Enjoy each minute of every day! Blah blah blah. No seriously though, I've been trying to brainstorm some ideas that will snap me out of this black hole I've fallen into. Here's my list thus far:


1) Visit a winery. Ok, so this still involves drinking but only of the sophisticated variety.
2) Throw a tea party. Proper ladies sipping tea and nibbling on scones seems quite nice.
3) Ugh, see. I've already forgotten what my number three was supposed to be. It's probably because I'm low on caffeine. Tsk tsk.


I did proactively subscribe to the NY Times newspaper today. I've conjured up an image of Sunday mornings with hubster beside me, perhaps still curled up in the blankets, sipping some (healthy) green tea. The sun will of course be streaming through my windows as I catch up on my latest news and start my beautiful day. 




This scene of mine will have its benefits too. I will decrease my daily caffeine consumption (tea vs. coffee). I will wake up earlier. I will no longer need to pretend to know about the worldly events other people are discussing. No more "mm hmming" while nodding my head vigorously up and down, simultaneously wracking (wait, or racking?) my brain for an intelligent comment to add to the conversation. Ok, who are we kidding? That's probably what other more normal people do. I usually just admit I have no idea. POINT being, I will now be in the loop. Always and forever. I can already picture it now...

Wish me luck!

Adults only.

Pondering: Why, oh my, do they only sell Crayola colored toothbrushes at the drugstore? Last time I checked, not all of us are 5 years old. My color taste buds have expanded beyond bright princess pink. Why aren't clear, white, wooden or even metallic toothbrushes distributed? Think about it. Sleek sinks across the nation would benefit from such a face lift! I know. I know. Before you even say it, I've already thought it. There needs to be some type of differentiation between bristles so that I don't accidentally grab my husbands. But don't you worry. Problem solved. Monogram much? Or I'll even settle for some subtle color, preferably towards the bottom. Hmm.. I wonder who I need to contact about this grand improvement to my bathroom aesthetics. I can already envision the marketing plan now. Oh well. I guess I'll be using my neon purple brush tonight.


Ps. Just so you're aware, as we speak, hubs is laughing at how supposedly lame I'm being right now for writing an entire paragraph on the ugliness of modern day toothbrushes. Hehe.


Pss. I'm not lame. I'm just reflective and creative, right?! 

Lovely Lantana.

I need to stop my flower hoarding habits. No, really. While enjoying my Starbuck's latte & NY Times lunch break the other day (which, by the way, has the instant effect of making one feel so much more intellectual), I couldn't help but notice the brilliantly colored flowers lining their front. I was immediately jealous of these lovelies. Then on Saturday, I stopped to visit a nursery touting a buy one, get one flower sale. How could I not stop? And there I saw them. Those pretty little lovelies! I bought up 6, all in different color combinations. I'm obsessed. These are a MUST for all of my future flower bed. And I'm sure there will be many...
Lantana

Who knew that owning a tiny plot of land would create such an obsession? Surely not I! Just goes to show you never know when a hobby will sprout up (pun intended)!

O M G

I just witnessed the phenomenon known as Extreme Couponing. Sure I had heard about it but holy hell! I may just need to invest in such endeavours.

Keep Left.

I’ve avoided writing this post, not for lack of enthusiasm, but for my current hatred towards all electronic distractions. Oh, how I long for the days yonder - full of sand underfoot, warm sunlight and the soft feel of salty breeze air. As much as I greatly appreciate any week long getaway, it is AWFULLY disheartening to return to the sterile feeling fluorescent lights with a view only of the monitor in front of me. How quickly my days have ceased to include the great outdoors.  I’m now being kept most hours inside. For this reason alone, I’ve found it most difficult to sit at my computer any longer than necessary… even to share in my memories. 

And so, with a bit of effort, I begin my tale…

Let me start by saying that our family vacation went just splendidly! I must take a momentous moment to thank my parents who graciously invited all three of their daughters, each with a +1,  to enjoy in this trip to St. John (surprise!). Between the 4 cameras which accompanied us during our leisurely days, there are literally too many photographs for me to share. But not to worry, I've highlighted a few of my favorites below.

FIRST of all, let's talk about what a cute spin this is on the traditional welcome basket!
Corona obviously being a must.
View from our villa... on a cloudy day no less!

Welcome to our humble abode for the week! Seriously. Who lives like this!? I have a gazillion awesome photos of the villa but none will do. There are professional (aka better) photographs available. Take a little looksie at the grand Villa Tesori.

Look closely. There's a little yellow crabby friend hiding in the sand!
Francis Bay on the first beach day
St. John had the most amazing views, even from roadside. Oh, did I even mention the roads yet? I sincerely wish I had photographed the intense switchbacks and mountain hills we trekked up all week (on the left side, mind you!). Good thing we rented two Jeep Wranglers. Wheels were spinning all week long to the dismay of my mom and I.

If there's such a thing as heaven on earth, I'm pretty positive it looks a little something like this:


The family
Even the vegetation on the island looked like something straight out of Avatar.

Surprisingly enough, there are the good ole common deer mulling about in the forests. In addition, we also happened upon some randomly grazing goats, cows, chickens and, my all time favorite, donkeys! Oh, you know... just hanging by the side of the road.

Trunk Bay
On our third night's stay at the villa, we decided to spruce things up and indulge in a formal dinner - flank steak, baked potatoes, greek salad, and but of course, red wine. 


I must now pause here to congratulate myself. Yes, you heard me right. I’m giving myself my own praise. I managed, without fail, to avoid any smidgen of the evil morning after monster called hangover... which is no small feet considering that the alcohol was flowing plentifully all week. My saving grace? Wine! I’ve always considered myself a beer drinker. In college when other girls were complaining about there not being any fruity vodka drinks available, I prided myself in stepping right up to that keg and filling my red solo cup. I’ve come to realize, quite recently, that wine doesn’t result in any of the unwelcome ailments that I experience after drinking liquor or beer. It has become, in a matter of one week, my drink of choice. Not to mention, it’s about time I class things up a bit!


St. John isn't nearly as built up as St. Thomas but there are still a few great restaurants available to dine at downtown. How gorgeous!

And (sadly) a photograph taken while departing on the ferry.
Bluest of blue
We filled the week with an adventure to a different beach each day, snorkeling (well snorkeling for everyone but me, if I'm being honest), and stacks of good beach reads (more me). We spent a beautiful evening out on the balcony inventing new tropical drink recipes - The Horny Goat, Death of the Crab & Darcy Jarvis, just to name a few. There was the 4th of July festival complete with bushwhackers, fireworks, pizza and live music. Hubs and I even made it a point to get all dolled up and wander down to the Waterfront Bistro for a romantic evening for two. And yes, I'm sure it was the best filet mignon of his life! Birthday celebrations were in order for my youngest sister. Two numbers: 2 & 1! Note to self: Grappa is a horrible tasting Italian invention. Who could forget the rainy day my sister and I spent watching the closing arguments of a certain trial, which I hadn't bothered to watch at all previously but supremely enjoyed on said mentioned day. Shopping. Picture taking. Lots of camera clicking. Walks on the beach (literally!). Sunscreen. Happy hours. Taxi rides.  All in all, an amazing DRAMA-FREE trip! Who can beat paradise?