Here are a few of my favorite pieces:
Printed Large Pick Me Up Pouch
Hotty Pink Resort Tote
Happy Hour Straw Wristlet
Trunk Show Cosmetic Bag and Phone Wristlet
Colony Printed Cosmetic Bag
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Lilly Pulitzer Accesories on Sale
Until midnight tonight, Neiman Marcus has 30% off all home items (no coupon code needed). Quite a few Lilly Pulitzer items are included in the sale, including some that are relatively new. Since Lilly very rarely goes on sale online, this is a great deal! It looks like shipping is free from Neiman Marcus so even better!
Here are a few of my favorite pieces:
Printed Large Pick Me Up Pouch
I love these fun pouches that have some of the Lilly 5x5 drawings on them. They are great for travel, which is good because I have a few trips coming up this summer! All of the designs are cute but the Dripping in Jewels one is definitely my favorite!
Hotty Pink Resort Tote
I love this beautiful tote with the fun flamingo design. It's normally $138 but now it's on sale for $96.60! The colors are so pretty and this is great for summer!
Happy Hour Straw Wristlet
I love using wristlets and clutches when going out so it limits the amount of stuff I end up carrying (and inevitably prevents my husband from asking me to put his phone, camera, iPad, keys, etc.- does anyone else's husband do this or is it just mine?). The straw is perfect for summer and is a nice neutral. At $61.60, it is a no brainer!
Trunk Show Cosmetic Bag and Phone Wristlet
This is one of my favorite prints. I have this makeup bag and the Sloane dress in this print.
Colony Printed Cosmetic Bag
I know I need another cosmetic bag about as much as I need another hole in my head (I got ridiculously lucky and was able to buy one of the Lilly for Target makeup bags a week early!) but I just love the print and colors here. Maybe I will get it as a Mother's Day gift for my mother-in-law since I know she loves Lilly.
Here are a few of my favorite pieces:
Printed Large Pick Me Up Pouch
Hotty Pink Resort Tote
Happy Hour Straw Wristlet
Trunk Show Cosmetic Bag and Phone Wristlet
Colony Printed Cosmetic Bag
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Our Patio!
I realize that this sounds silly to most people, but growing up in Manhattan, my family never had neither the need nor the space for patio furniture. We had a fire escape but you are not allowed to sit out on there or keep things on there. (Of course in the winter when you have company over, a fire escape doubles as a drink fridge. Don't ask me how I know this.) Therefore, in my mind, to some extent, having patio furniture was like the ultimate status symbol. When we moved to Germany, we had a small backyard area that was shared with the family who lived downstairs and in the house behind ours. It wasn't huge but it was big enough to hold a grill, a table and chairs, and a clothesline (very European! to this day, I don't put most of my clothes in the dryer). We bought two soccer mom chairs before a concert, and brought those downstairs along with a metal Ikea table. Our landlord had a hideous plastic white table with matching chairs down there that we sometimes used. I became obsessed with getting patio furniture. It was a Goldilocks endeavor. Everything was too big, too small, to expensive, too modern, too pink. We gave up at some point and just decided to put the money towards seeing Jimmy Buffett play in Paris. A decision we both agreed was the much wiser expenditure in the long run.
When we were apartment searching down here, my one big requirement was that it have a balcony or patio. After spending some time looking for the perfect furniture for it, we both kept coming back to this one. We bought it the other day while it is still on 15% off on Cartwheel and I combined it with a 10% off coupon that I got for forwarding my mail and I got it for an absolute steal! I'm not normally a huge fan of chevron stuff, but I thought this rug looked really cute with it so I went ahead and bought that too.
The whale pillow is from Kirklands. They also have an adorable reversible pillow with whales on it that I will probably go back for either this weekend or next weekend. I also want to get a cute sign to hang on the wall, but I am so thrilled with how it came out. We spent all last night sitting out there and playing Uno. If only it wasn't Passover, we would have loved to have some drinks out there. I told Terry he needs to get me these wine glasses for outside.
When we were apartment searching down here, my one big requirement was that it have a balcony or patio. After spending some time looking for the perfect furniture for it, we both kept coming back to this one. We bought it the other day while it is still on 15% off on Cartwheel and I combined it with a 10% off coupon that I got for forwarding my mail and I got it for an absolute steal! I'm not normally a huge fan of chevron stuff, but I thought this rug looked really cute with it so I went ahead and bought that too.
Monday, March 2, 2015
Thankful
I want to thank every one who commented on my previous post about my Nana and reached out to me. I was in New York for two weeks and most of my time there was spent in the nursing home. It was a very hard trip both emotionally and physically. It was very hard to see my Nana so uncomfortable and in pain. My Nana is still on hospice care for now and I am grateful at least to have had a chance to see her one last time.
(It sounds depressing, I know, but I am sure that the next time I go
back home it will not be for a happy reason.)
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Saying Goodbye
I apologize in advance for how rambling and not making sense this post may be. I am still trying to make sense of it all.
I am an only child and an only grandchild. Since 2002, I have had only one grandparent, my Nana. My mom's mother. She is one of the most incredible women I have ever known and has always been my biggest supporter and friend. I get more of myself from her than I do from my mother. If you look at pictures of my Nana from when she was my age, we are practically identical. My Nana has had many health problems in her life. Diabetes, thyroid disease, heart surgeries, bad knees- you name it, she's got it. My Nana unfortunately also has Alzheimer's and Dementia. Over the last decade, she has been on a steady decline and it has been incredibly heartbreaking to watch. First she would forget random things, then people, etc. She always knew who my mother and I were. Several years ago, she got up in the middle of the night to make herself a cup of tea, turned the stove on, forgot what she was doing and didn't light it, and just went to bed with the gas on. Thank G-d one of her neighbors smelled it and called security who were able to unlock her door and check on her and turn the stove off! At that moment, our lives changed in a big way. We could no longer say "oh grandma's just forgetful." Slowly things began to get worse. She could no longer communicate with people (she could not tell Russian and English apart and would get frustrated and start screaming when people did not understand what she was trying to tell them), then she started mumbling all together. Then she slowly started forgetting me. This was the most heartbreaking thing. When Terry and I got married, we knew we had to get married in Manhattan so that it would be a short cab ride from her apartment. No matter what, I needed my Nana there with me on my big day. After our ceremony, I went over to talk to her where she was sitting with her sister and aide and some family friends. As I'm standing there in my wedding dress, she tells me that it's time for me to grow up and settle down and get married. I wanted to both laugh and cry at the same time.
She has gone through a steady stream of home health aides and eventually required someone to be with her 24/7. After she fell and was hospitalized, she was admitted to a nursing home. Within the last year or so, the decline has only gotten worse. She stopped recognizing my mother. She could not get any visitors because any "new face" made her hysterical and she would scream and it would upset her and mess up her whole routine. She could no longer talk or move or feed herself. The last few times I went to New York to visit my family, I didn't even get to see her. The last time I saw her, my visit upset her so much and made her uncomfortable because she did not understand why this stranger woman was in her room or showing her pictures. I understand it's not her, it's the disease, but yea, it hurts. A whole lot.
My Nana used to be fluent in 3 languages. She is the woman who took me to McDonald's the first day it opened in the U.S.S.R.. The one who would pick me up at the school bus stop in elementary school and who would go to parents' days and school fairs when my parents couldn't make it. The one who took me on a trip to Vermont and to the Ben & Jerry's factory. The woman who I spent all my summers with back in Russia and who would take me to the bazaars in Uzbekistan for watermelon daily. The woman who saved up for years of her life just so she could buy me my wedding dress.
Even though she is still alive, for the past 1-2 years, my Nana has pretty much been in a vegetative state. Earlier this week, she came down with a bad infection and was rushed to the ER. She has been on strong IV antibiotics and fluids and constant care, but it is not enough. She is being transferred to hospice care tomorrow and I have an early morning flight to New York so I can say goodbye to her. The doctors are giving her a few days to two weeks at most. I can't think about this without starting to well up. The doctors think that she has meningitis which is doubly difficult for me to deal with. One of my college roommates passed away from meningitis, so I feel like I am being forced to relive the worst week of my life.
My mother has started making funeral arrangements, and everything is pretty much set (down to what outfit I will be wearing- thanks mom) other than the date. I hate having to do this. It feels so awful and wrong. The way people have been talking about her, it seems like she is already dead and she is still here. I want more time with my Nana but I know that even if she survives this, I will never get my Nana back. I want her to not be in pain anymore and to get to see my grandpa again.
I am an only child and an only grandchild. Since 2002, I have had only one grandparent, my Nana. My mom's mother. She is one of the most incredible women I have ever known and has always been my biggest supporter and friend. I get more of myself from her than I do from my mother. If you look at pictures of my Nana from when she was my age, we are practically identical. My Nana has had many health problems in her life. Diabetes, thyroid disease, heart surgeries, bad knees- you name it, she's got it. My Nana unfortunately also has Alzheimer's and Dementia. Over the last decade, she has been on a steady decline and it has been incredibly heartbreaking to watch. First she would forget random things, then people, etc. She always knew who my mother and I were. Several years ago, she got up in the middle of the night to make herself a cup of tea, turned the stove on, forgot what she was doing and didn't light it, and just went to bed with the gas on. Thank G-d one of her neighbors smelled it and called security who were able to unlock her door and check on her and turn the stove off! At that moment, our lives changed in a big way. We could no longer say "oh grandma's just forgetful." Slowly things began to get worse. She could no longer communicate with people (she could not tell Russian and English apart and would get frustrated and start screaming when people did not understand what she was trying to tell them), then she started mumbling all together. Then she slowly started forgetting me. This was the most heartbreaking thing. When Terry and I got married, we knew we had to get married in Manhattan so that it would be a short cab ride from her apartment. No matter what, I needed my Nana there with me on my big day. After our ceremony, I went over to talk to her where she was sitting with her sister and aide and some family friends. As I'm standing there in my wedding dress, she tells me that it's time for me to grow up and settle down and get married. I wanted to both laugh and cry at the same time.
She has gone through a steady stream of home health aides and eventually required someone to be with her 24/7. After she fell and was hospitalized, she was admitted to a nursing home. Within the last year or so, the decline has only gotten worse. She stopped recognizing my mother. She could not get any visitors because any "new face" made her hysterical and she would scream and it would upset her and mess up her whole routine. She could no longer talk or move or feed herself. The last few times I went to New York to visit my family, I didn't even get to see her. The last time I saw her, my visit upset her so much and made her uncomfortable because she did not understand why this stranger woman was in her room or showing her pictures. I understand it's not her, it's the disease, but yea, it hurts. A whole lot.
My Nana used to be fluent in 3 languages. She is the woman who took me to McDonald's the first day it opened in the U.S.S.R.. The one who would pick me up at the school bus stop in elementary school and who would go to parents' days and school fairs when my parents couldn't make it. The one who took me on a trip to Vermont and to the Ben & Jerry's factory. The woman who I spent all my summers with back in Russia and who would take me to the bazaars in Uzbekistan for watermelon daily. The woman who saved up for years of her life just so she could buy me my wedding dress.
Even though she is still alive, for the past 1-2 years, my Nana has pretty much been in a vegetative state. Earlier this week, she came down with a bad infection and was rushed to the ER. She has been on strong IV antibiotics and fluids and constant care, but it is not enough. She is being transferred to hospice care tomorrow and I have an early morning flight to New York so I can say goodbye to her. The doctors are giving her a few days to two weeks at most. I can't think about this without starting to well up. The doctors think that she has meningitis which is doubly difficult for me to deal with. One of my college roommates passed away from meningitis, so I feel like I am being forced to relive the worst week of my life.
My mother has started making funeral arrangements, and everything is pretty much set (down to what outfit I will be wearing- thanks mom) other than the date. I hate having to do this. It feels so awful and wrong. The way people have been talking about her, it seems like she is already dead and she is still here. I want more time with my Nana but I know that even if she survives this, I will never get my Nana back. I want her to not be in pain anymore and to get to see my grandpa again.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Happiness is a new pair of bunny slippers
Fuzzy bunny slippers are one of my guilty pleasures in life. I have owned several pairs in my lifetime and gave them to my bridesmaids as part of their gifts. (I even wore a pair myself at my wedding during the reception. Few things in life are more comfortable than bunny slippers.)
For fans of Monty Python, they even have Killer Rabbit slippers!
Thank you to BunnySlippers.com for the adorable new bunny slippers and be sure to check them out for gifts for yourself or someone else.
FTC Disclaimer: I received the bunny slippers for review and received no other financial compensation. All opinions expressed here are my own.
When the company that sold my beloved Muffy and Fluffy (yes, I name things- I'm a chronic namer) went out of business, I was saddened because mine were starting to look a little bit ragged. So when a representative from BunnySlippers.com contacted me asking if I would do a review of a pair of their bunny slippers, I was so excited. New apartment means new slippers.
They arrived and they looked just as cute as my previous pairs.
They are super soft and it kind of feels like I'm walking on one of those memory foam mats. (I love those things so much and if it was socially acceptable and physically possible to do so, I totally would carpet my entire house in them.) They have the cutest little ears that have wires in them which makes them slightly bendy. No real function here other than just to look so.darn.cute.
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| Please tell me you see those adorable little cottontails. |
For size reference, I am a size 6 and the size small fit me great.
Bunnyslippers.com has plenty of other slippers to choose from if bunny slippers aren't your thing. I think that these Flamingo slippers are super fun (Madame- these seem right up your alley!) and so are the lobster slippers.
Thank you to BunnySlippers.com for the adorable new bunny slippers and be sure to check them out for gifts for yourself or someone else.
FTC Disclaimer: I received the bunny slippers for review and received no other financial compensation. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Cheers to New Beginnings
T and I moved last week to a place of our very own. This was insanely exciting and stressful at the same time. It was the first place that we were able to pick out together and we had been looking for an apartment for a while. Everything just seemed to be a little bit off. We were lucky when we found the complex we are living in now because everything just seemed to work out. (Also, one of the residents had a huge inflatable Santa Snoopy on the balcony that seemed to welcome us when we came in. That didn't hurt at all!)
I know it's not much at the moment, but here is our door! The door hanger has little LED lights in it that just don't photograph well at all. It was a combination thank you and goodbye gift from a sweet colleague in Germany that I miss a lot and I am so glad I was finally able to display it!
We got a slight discount on our rent for taking a third floor apartment, which seemed like a really great idea until it was time to move! At least it's a built in workout/fitbit booster. Speaking of which, the complex has a gym which is pretty close to the building we're in, so I have actually started going to the gym during the day. I'm just as shocked as you are by this. Let's see how long this lasts.
Our apartment itself is brand new and really nice but right now, it just feels so empty. We haven't received our items from our house in Germany yet, so we don't really have the things that make a house a home yet. Our household goods come tomorrow (G-d willing they will all be in one piece!) and I may hug my couch out of happiness. When we lived in Germany, most of our furniture either belonged to our landlord or was old hand me downs from Terry's bachelor days that was in such bad shape that it wouldn't even survive the move, so we got rid of most of it before we moved. The only things we have coming are our couch, wine table, hall table, and a couple of bookshelves. Currently, we are using a card table and folding chairs until we can get something permanent. (You know you're jealous!) I am excited to get new furniture and decorate the place, but I know that it will take a while.
I will leave you with pictures of my two favorite parts of the apartment right now- our built in desk that matches the kitchen and the kitchen itself. Seriously, look at all that space! Do y'all remember what my tiny kitchen looked like in Germany? I cannot wait to get my stand mixer and put it out on the counter now that I actually have enough space to keep my mixer in the kitchen itself.
We got a slight discount on our rent for taking a third floor apartment, which seemed like a really great idea until it was time to move! At least it's a built in workout/fitbit booster. Speaking of which, the complex has a gym which is pretty close to the building we're in, so I have actually started going to the gym during the day. I'm just as shocked as you are by this. Let's see how long this lasts.
Our apartment itself is brand new and really nice but right now, it just feels so empty. We haven't received our items from our house in Germany yet, so we don't really have the things that make a house a home yet. Our household goods come tomorrow (G-d willing they will all be in one piece!) and I may hug my couch out of happiness. When we lived in Germany, most of our furniture either belonged to our landlord or was old hand me downs from Terry's bachelor days that was in such bad shape that it wouldn't even survive the move, so we got rid of most of it before we moved. The only things we have coming are our couch, wine table, hall table, and a couple of bookshelves. Currently, we are using a card table and folding chairs until we can get something permanent. (You know you're jealous!) I am excited to get new furniture and decorate the place, but I know that it will take a while.
I will leave you with pictures of my two favorite parts of the apartment right now- our built in desk that matches the kitchen and the kitchen itself. Seriously, look at all that space! Do y'all remember what my tiny kitchen looked like in Germany? I cannot wait to get my stand mixer and put it out on the counter now that I actually have enough space to keep my mixer in the kitchen itself.
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| I am just in love with this chair that I got at Target! |
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
New York, New York, it's a wonderful town
The Bronx is up
And the Battery's down
So if you follow me on instagram or twitter, by now you've probably seen that I am heading back home to New York on Friday! I have not been back home since late June-early July and was feeling incredibly homesick. My brother-in-law had a Southwest credit that was expiring so he gifted it to me. To say I am excited is an understatement. I cannot wait. Even if my flights are ridiculously early in the morning and even if it is insanely cold in New York. At least I'll be home and will get to see my family and friends.
I am an only child so my mother has been going slightly crazy herself. She has taken the entire day off on Wednesday and has arranged a full day of mother-daughter bonding for us including hot stone massages and facials, shopping, dinner at an Italian restaurant I've been wanting to go to, and seeing Les Mis on Broadway. If no one hears from me after Wednesday night, just assume that my mother has me locked up somewhere and is not letting me leave. But I'm sure I will be a very well-fed hostage.
Other things I am looking forward to next week:
*Seeing my best friend for her 30th birthday (the timing of the trip could seriously not have been any better!)
*chestnut macarons at Laduree (My absolute favorite flavor and they are only available from late fall to winter. I already called to confirm that both locations in the city have them.)
*Shake Shack burgers (this is really kind of an obvious one here)
*brunch with a sorority sister I have not seen in forever at our usual spot
*enjoying the thrill that is public transportation (seriously I miss the freedom that comes with having an unlimited ride Metrocard in my wallet)
*shopping
*catching up with friends (I have plans for most every night that I am in New York!)
See you soon!
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| Yes I am one of those sappy girls who is still obsessed with her wedding and looking at pictures 3 years later. And yet we still don't actually have a wedding album. I should probably get on that. But we got married in Battery Park City so this picture totally works. |
I am an only child so my mother has been going slightly crazy herself. She has taken the entire day off on Wednesday and has arranged a full day of mother-daughter bonding for us including hot stone massages and facials, shopping, dinner at an Italian restaurant I've been wanting to go to, and seeing Les Mis on Broadway. If no one hears from me after Wednesday night, just assume that my mother has me locked up somewhere and is not letting me leave. But I'm sure I will be a very well-fed hostage.
Other things I am looking forward to next week:
*Seeing my best friend for her 30th birthday (the timing of the trip could seriously not have been any better!)
*brunch with a sorority sister I have not seen in forever at our usual spot
*enjoying the thrill that is public transportation (seriously I miss the freedom that comes with having an unlimited ride Metrocard in my wallet)
*shopping
*catching up with friends (I have plans for most every night that I am in New York!)
See you soon!
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Always Starting Over*
I know, I know. My last post said that I was back to blogging, but as usual, life got in the way. Terry spent a month in New York City interviewing for a position. After multiple interviews, he was given the position. Only to find out that two days later that the person who made him the offer was not able to make the offer that she did, and the position got rescinded. To say we were crushed is an understatement. We both love New York and were really looking forward to making a life for ourselves there. Quite frankly, I never imagined myself living anywhere other than New York, so it was a bitter pill to swallow. While Terry was gone, I was experiencing some horrific back pain that is still going on. I did several weeks of physical therapy and had multiple injections done without much success, and am very reliant on pain medication for me to be functional. This is the other reason I have not blogged in months. I was feeling very down and negative for a long time and did not want all that negativity out there publicly.
Thankfully things have been looking up for us. Terry was offered a job at Fort Bragg here in North Carolina about a month ago and he has been really happy there. We are in the process of looking for an apartment and are hoping to move out within the next month or so. Apartment searching in North Carolina is extremely different from apartment searching in New York City. In New York, you have to decide what your maximum budget is and then either triple that, go down in size, take a roommate, or live about an hour from where you'd like. In North Carolina (at least in the areas we've been looking), it seems like you have to decide what is most important to you- a tennis court or a basketball court. Don't even bother worrying about a pool. All the apartment complexes have them. Along with fitness centers. Some of the places we've been looking at are nicer than hotels we've stayed in. One has complimentary yoga classes two times a week. Another one has a sand volleyball court. And they all have valet trash included. Which is something I had never heard of until I started searching for a place here, but it is basically I never knew I always wanted. (Another way in which North Carolina and New York are different in terms of real estate- in New York if you tell a leasing agent you would really rather not pay more than $2,000/month for a one bedroom, (s)he asks if you don't mind living out by the airport. In North Carolina if you say the same thing, the person thinks you're being sarcastic.
So there in a nutshell is our life. Hopefully I will be able to pick up this blog again. It has been with me through so much and I don't want to kill it off just yet.
*The title of this post is a song from the Broadway musical If/Then starring Idina Menzel. Terry and I saw it with my mother on July 4th and her performance of the song quite literally gave me goosebumps. If you are going to be in NY (or live there) and are looking to see a show, I highly recommend this one. Here is a shortened version of the song here at the Tony Awards:
Thankfully things have been looking up for us. Terry was offered a job at Fort Bragg here in North Carolina about a month ago and he has been really happy there. We are in the process of looking for an apartment and are hoping to move out within the next month or so. Apartment searching in North Carolina is extremely different from apartment searching in New York City. In New York, you have to decide what your maximum budget is and then either triple that, go down in size, take a roommate, or live about an hour from where you'd like. In North Carolina (at least in the areas we've been looking), it seems like you have to decide what is most important to you- a tennis court or a basketball court. Don't even bother worrying about a pool. All the apartment complexes have them. Along with fitness centers. Some of the places we've been looking at are nicer than hotels we've stayed in. One has complimentary yoga classes two times a week. Another one has a sand volleyball court. And they all have valet trash included. Which is something I had never heard of until I started searching for a place here, but it is basically I never knew I always wanted. (Another way in which North Carolina and New York are different in terms of real estate- in New York if you tell a leasing agent you would really rather not pay more than $2,000/month for a one bedroom, (s)he asks if you don't mind living out by the airport. In North Carolina if you say the same thing, the person thinks you're being sarcastic.
So there in a nutshell is our life. Hopefully I will be able to pick up this blog again. It has been with me through so much and I don't want to kill it off just yet.
*The title of this post is a song from the Broadway musical If/Then starring Idina Menzel. Terry and I saw it with my mother on July 4th and her performance of the song quite literally gave me goosebumps. If you are going to be in NY (or live there) and are looking to see a show, I highly recommend this one. Here is a shortened version of the song here at the Tony Awards:
Friday, June 13, 2014
Cruciani Meets Baublebar
When I was back home in New York in October, I stumbled upon the Cruciani pop-up shop in Columbus Circle. I was enthralled by all of the fun, colorful, macrame bracelets. I bought one of the bracelets in a gorgeous, dusty pink. It looked so good stacked with my other bracelets that I regretted not getting more in other colors. I wanted to return but did not have time before flying out to Germany.
Cruciani is an Italian company and did not have a huge U.S. presence at the time, so when Terry and I were in Rome, I knew that I wanted to make it over to their shop. Sadly, that once again was not an option since the store was far away from all of the other places that we went to on our short four day trip.
Imagine my delight when I got an email from Baublebar, another company I love, saying that they had partnered with Cruciani for an online shop! I already have quite a few pieces from Baublebar so this was a match made in heaven for me.
The Cruciani C Clover Bracelets are just $16 and come in 5 different colors (Blue, Turquoise, Pink, White, and Yellow).
The Cruciani C Mars Bracelets are probably my favorites because they look like little pearls. They are just $18 and also come in 5 colors, the green and pink ones being my favorite.
The two tone Cruciani C Youstar Bracelet is also gorgeous with a fun color accent ($18, two color options).
These would be so fun to stack together for a multicolored look or with other bracelets. They're great to throw in a camp care package or as part of a gift for a friend.
If you are not a member of Baublebar, join through my link and receive $15 off your first purchase (applies to regular-priced items only, no discounted items). And be sure to subscribe to their newsletter since they randomly mark down certain items as Buried Baubles on Mondays and Fridays.
Do you like Cruciani bracelets? Which ones are your favorites?
Imagine my delight when I got an email from Baublebar, another company I love, saying that they had partnered with Cruciani for an online shop! I already have quite a few pieces from Baublebar so this was a match made in heaven for me.
The Cruciani C Clover Bracelets are just $16 and come in 5 different colors (Blue, Turquoise, Pink, White, and Yellow).
The two tone Cruciani C Youstar Bracelet is also gorgeous with a fun color accent ($18, two color options).
If you are not a member of Baublebar, join through my link and receive $15 off your first purchase (applies to regular-priced items only, no discounted items). And be sure to subscribe to their newsletter since they randomly mark down certain items as Buried Baubles on Mondays and Fridays.
Do you like Cruciani bracelets? Which ones are your favorites?
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
No Longer an Expat
Hello there. Yup, you're reading that right. As of May 8th, Terry and I are no longer residents of Germany. We are currently living right here in North Carolina, about 45 minutes from Raleigh.
Our last few weeks in Germany were extremely stressful. From the day we got orders we had roughly 30 days to outprocess, pack up, get our house ready for inspection and about a million and one other things. Since we had no luck with the job search, we moved in with Terry's parents temporarily to regroup and get back on our feet. (And hey- if you're looking to hire a disabled Vet, I just so happen to know a fantastic one with Top Secret clearance and a few IT certifications. Just saying.... ;) )
The past three weeks have been a series of both highs and lows. While we have loved being back in America, it has been hard not having any friends here and going from having a job to not having one. I've been feeling very lonely. I've cried more than I care to admit. At the same time, we have been spending a LOT of time doing all of those American things that we missed out on while living overseas. This mainly means eating, of course. So far we have visited such fine American establishments as Buffalo Wild Wings, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, The Melting Pot, Trader Joe's, the Farmer's Market, Burger Fi, and many, many, more. Strangely enough, I have lost 2.5 pounds since Germany. I'm not complaining. The beer and fried food diet is one that I could get behind.
It was also harder to re-adjust to American life than we had previously thought. After 4 years of living one lifestyle, you realize just how much you get used to doing things a certain way and it can be so hard to change. Like no longer having to separate our garbage into roughly 20 trashcans. And no longer paying for restrooms anywhere. (I will not miss either of those things.) The whole world of having to pay sales tax on literally everything is new to us. As is having to figure out how much to tip for dinner so you don't offend your waiter. (Apparently it's not considered ok to round up to $25 when your meal is $23.50, yet most places in Europe, no one would blink an eye at that.) Also pennies now seem like a foreign currency. (The military banks overseas figured out that it costs more to ship a penny than one is worth, so all of the overseas bases do penny rounding for cash purchases. The last time I even saw one before this month was in December.) Last week I said entschuldigung to a lady in Trader Joe's whose cart was blocking the aisle and got annoyed when she didn't move. We went to a Durham Bulls game and the national anthem seemed so much shorter because they only had to play one. (On overseas military installations, they always play the host nation's anthem before the Star Spangled Banner. This leads to a serious case of irony when you are at a 4th of July celebration on a base in England celebrating our freedom from the British, and you hear G-d Save the Queen.)
I'm also just now starting to realize just how lucky we really were with our four year long European adventure. We went to a beer store today and I was so excited that they had my favorite Belgian beer, until I saw the price tag. $7.39 for a single bottle. I nearly gasped out loud. I bought the same exact bottle in Belgium for 0,99€ (about $1.40). Ouch. No more trips to Belgium for beer or France for fresh baguettes and macarons for us. No more going to random places just because it's a long weekend that coincides with a Ryanair sale. Seeing all of my friends post pictures from weekend trips to places like Greece and Switzerland, I think I finally understand how all of my friends back in the States felt when they saw my pictures from similar trips.
We are excited to see what life in America has in store for us. If you live in the Raleigh area, we would love to hear your recommendations of things to go see/do/eat in the area.
The past three weeks have been a series of both highs and lows. While we have loved being back in America, it has been hard not having any friends here and going from having a job to not having one. I've been feeling very lonely. I've cried more than I care to admit. At the same time, we have been spending a LOT of time doing all of those American things that we missed out on while living overseas. This mainly means eating, of course. So far we have visited such fine American establishments as Buffalo Wild Wings, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, The Melting Pot, Trader Joe's, the Farmer's Market, Burger Fi, and many, many, more. Strangely enough, I have lost 2.5 pounds since Germany. I'm not complaining. The beer and fried food diet is one that I could get behind.
It was also harder to re-adjust to American life than we had previously thought. After 4 years of living one lifestyle, you realize just how much you get used to doing things a certain way and it can be so hard to change. Like no longer having to separate our garbage into roughly 20 trashcans. And no longer paying for restrooms anywhere. (I will not miss either of those things.) The whole world of having to pay sales tax on literally everything is new to us. As is having to figure out how much to tip for dinner so you don't offend your waiter. (Apparently it's not considered ok to round up to $25 when your meal is $23.50, yet most places in Europe, no one would blink an eye at that.) Also pennies now seem like a foreign currency. (The military banks overseas figured out that it costs more to ship a penny than one is worth, so all of the overseas bases do penny rounding for cash purchases. The last time I even saw one before this month was in December.) Last week I said entschuldigung to a lady in Trader Joe's whose cart was blocking the aisle and got annoyed when she didn't move. We went to a Durham Bulls game and the national anthem seemed so much shorter because they only had to play one. (On overseas military installations, they always play the host nation's anthem before the Star Spangled Banner. This leads to a serious case of irony when you are at a 4th of July celebration on a base in England celebrating our freedom from the British, and you hear G-d Save the Queen.)
I'm also just now starting to realize just how lucky we really were with our four year long European adventure. We went to a beer store today and I was so excited that they had my favorite Belgian beer, until I saw the price tag. $7.39 for a single bottle. I nearly gasped out loud. I bought the same exact bottle in Belgium for 0,99€ (about $1.40). Ouch. No more trips to Belgium for beer or France for fresh baguettes and macarons for us. No more going to random places just because it's a long weekend that coincides with a Ryanair sale. Seeing all of my friends post pictures from weekend trips to places like Greece and Switzerland, I think I finally understand how all of my friends back in the States felt when they saw my pictures from similar trips.
We are excited to see what life in America has in store for us. If you live in the Raleigh area, we would love to hear your recommendations of things to go see/do/eat in the area.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
On Mommyblogging
One of my guy friends and I were jokingly discussing what I should name my hypothetical mommy blog in case Terry and I ever decide to spawn. (I am NOT, I repeat NOT pregnant. No sirree.) Here is the list of what we came up with:
*Drunk and Diapers
*Kegstands and Kindergarten
*Liquor and Lollipops
*Shots and Strollers
*Whiskey and Wipes
*Guinness and Gerber
*Baileys and Babywearing
*Corona and Cooties
*Tequila and Toddlers
*Moonshine and Moby Wipes
*Patron and Play Dates
*Daiquiris and Day Care
*Pinot and Placentas
*Fosters and Fetuses
*Cuba Libres and C Sections
*Singapore Slings and Special Snowflakes
*Pilsner and Preschool
That last one was Terry's suggestion. Clearly aspiring for a Nobel Prize in parenting is a family affair over here.
So there is my list folks. I am saving it so the next time someone in either one of our families or an annoying friend asks when we are going to start making babies because oh, we would make such! great! parents!, I can direct their attention to exhibit A. Feel free to borrow this list if you have annoying relatives of your own that you need to quiet down (but please don't steal the names for an actual blog title! Just in case I do need them in the future...) and feel free to add in any ideas of your own in the comments. (I thought about Absinthe and Attachment Parenting but felt that it lacked a certain je ne sais quoi.)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
*Drunk and Diapers
*Kegstands and Kindergarten
*Liquor and Lollipops
*Shots and Strollers
*Whiskey and Wipes
*Guinness and Gerber
*Baileys and Babywearing
*Corona and Cooties
*Tequila and Toddlers
*Moonshine and Moby Wipes
*Patron and Play Dates
*Daiquiris and Day Care
*Pinot and Placentas
*Fosters and Fetuses
*Cuba Libres and C Sections
*Singapore Slings and Special Snowflakes
*Pilsner and Preschool
That last one was Terry's suggestion. Clearly aspiring for a Nobel Prize in parenting is a family affair over here.
So there is my list folks. I am saving it so the next time someone in either one of our families or an annoying friend asks when we are going to start making babies because oh, we would make such! great! parents!, I can direct their attention to exhibit A. Feel free to borrow this list if you have annoying relatives of your own that you need to quiet down (but please don't steal the names for an actual blog title! Just in case I do need them in the future...) and feel free to add in any ideas of your own in the comments. (I thought about Absinthe and Attachment Parenting but felt that it lacked a certain je ne sais quoi.)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:On Mommyblogging
Monday, March 3, 2014
Badge Day
Today is the NPC International Badge Day. Sorority women all over the world are wearing their badges in a show of pride and unity. I love this tradition but for the past few years that we have been living in Germany, I did not wear my badge and just wore letters instead for Badge Day. Today I had to dress up because of work, so I wore my badge (above my name tag, obviously).
I love my badge and what it means. I love that Alpha Sigma Alpha has provided me with so many opportunities and happy memories. I love that I met some of my closest friends and one of my bridesmaids because of my membership in Alpha Sigma Alpha. (It turns out that one of my friends in Germany who has since moved back to the States is also an ASA!)
When I was a chapter advisor, I would wear my badge to every Monday night chapter meeting. I knew that when I got married, I wanted to wear my badge on the inside of my dress. Unfortunately, in between all of the commuting that I did, my original badge was lost to the great jewelry box in the sky. While we were in the midst of wedding planning, I had posted on facebook asking if any of my sisters had a pearl badge that I could use as my something borrowed for the wedding. A few weeks later I received a package from a dear sister who is now on our National Council with a note that said "Why borrow when you can have something old? Consider this an early wedding gift." I was blown away by her act of kindness and generosity, and three years later, still am.
To all of the Alpha Sigma Alphas who have touched my heart- your love, friendship, and sisterhood means more to me than I could ever put into words. ALAM.
If you are in a sorority, did you wear your badge today?
Thursday, February 27, 2014
The Hardest Question
Terry and I are going through a period of uncertainty, stress, and some heartache right now. Recently it seems as if we get asked the same question in a number of different ways. Do you guys know where you are moving to? Where are you going after you leave Germany? Are you going to -- state after you leave Germany? When are you moving? Etc. While most of the people asking these questions are well-meaning, getting asked the same thing repeatedly is very upsetting and hard to hear. Especially when our answer is always I/we don't know. Ultimately, where we move depends on where we can find jobs, and when we move depends on the orders that Terry is given.
I have been asked this roughly 15 times over the past two days. Every time I have to answer it, I get a little bit sadder and just want to cry by the end of the day. It is hard.
Please don't take this post personally. It is not directed at any one person. And please if you do ask us, please don't be offended if we reply that we don't want to talk about it.
Once we know something and are ready to share it, we will.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I have been asked this roughly 15 times over the past two days. Every time I have to answer it, I get a little bit sadder and just want to cry by the end of the day. It is hard.
Please don't take this post personally. It is not directed at any one person. And please if you do ask us, please don't be offended if we reply that we don't want to talk about it.
Once we know something and are ready to share it, we will.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Recent Loves
Some fun things I can't get enough of lately:
Trader Joes Green Tea Mints-
I'm pretty much a sucker for green tea flavored anything and I hate strong mints. When I was in North Carolina back in October, I saw these at the little money suck shelves by the cash register and stupidly only put one in my cart. I have been hoarding and rationing them ever since. Every time Terry would ask me for one, I would give him a bit of an evil side eye. Thank goodness my in-laws just sent us 7 packages in the mail! If you live near a Trader Joe's, you want to try these. Trust me.
Nars Lipstick in Damage-
Pretty much the perfect shade. At least on me.
Vera Bradley Emily Satchel in Bayou Blue-
Such a pretty pattern and it's been nice to get a new bag that isn't a tote. I have a terrible habit of throwing everything but the kitchen sink into my totes and then lugging them around all day long and complaining when my shoulders start to hurt.
Lilly Pulitzer Riley Infinity Loop-
I purchased this a little while ago and have been loving it. I wear a lot of solid color tops and sweaters, so a scarf is such a fun way to add some color to an outfit. I have plenty of Murfees and other scarves but this was my first infinity scarf. I was worried it would look too trendy on me since I am not a person who can pull off trends in general, but it looks really nice!
Rekorderlig Passionfruit Cider-
A friend of mine over here was telling me that this is her favorite cider. I had never heard of it so she brought me back a bottle from London. I drank it during the Opening Ceremony on Friday, and immediately wished that I had a whole case of it. It is a very pale shade, and looks almost like a flavored sparkling water in the glass, but it tastes nothing like that! It is delicious without being overly sticky sweet. This particular flavor is currently not available in the United States, but if you are in an area where it is sold (the U.K., New Zealand, Australia, and parts of Europe), I highly recommend picking up several bottles (you will want more than one, trust me!). I am trying to order a case or two before we move back to the States.
Trader Joes Green Tea Mints-
Nars Lipstick in Damage-
Vera Bradley Emily Satchel in Bayou Blue-
Lilly Pulitzer Riley Infinity Loop-
Rekorderlig Passionfruit Cider-
Friday, February 7, 2014
I'm back
After a several month long hiatus for no reason whatsoever I'm back on the blogging bandwagon. So much has happened since my last post- my best friend of 15 years got married, we took a few trips and planned a big one to Rome for next week, and we got the results of Terry's medical evaluation board.
Terry had to go through one to determine if he could still serve. Because he has a clotting condition, he has to be on Coumadin for the rest of his life. This means he's non-deployable. On Thursday, after a long wait, we got his results back. As far as the Air Force is concerned, he is considered to be disabled and will be retiring after 10 years of service in April. This is not how he saw his career ending, but ultimately, it may be for the best. (The Air Force recently announced its own Hunger Games- it plans to cut 25,000 troops within the next few years.) We are not ready for our time in Germany to come to an end and are terrified of what's to come. We have roughly two months to pack up our house, find a place to live, and find jobs. If we were living in the States now, it would not be so scary because we would already have a house or apartment and could keep paying rent on it. Now we are just picking blindly, it seems. People keep asking us where we're going to live once we get back to the States and that is such a frustrating and hard question for us. The answer is always "we just don't know."
We have been pretty stressed, upset, and overwhelmed the past few days. Terry is in a class this week learning how to adjust to civilian life. There are so many things he has never had to worry about such as needing a resume or having professional clothes. No real need for business casual or dressier attire when you have to wear the same thing every day. Everything just seems so daunting.
Has anyone been through this? Do you have any tips?
Also, if anyone here knows of any job openings (particularly anything that requires a security clearance since his was just renewed a few months ago) please let me know.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Terry had to go through one to determine if he could still serve. Because he has a clotting condition, he has to be on Coumadin for the rest of his life. This means he's non-deployable. On Thursday, after a long wait, we got his results back. As far as the Air Force is concerned, he is considered to be disabled and will be retiring after 10 years of service in April. This is not how he saw his career ending, but ultimately, it may be for the best. (The Air Force recently announced its own Hunger Games- it plans to cut 25,000 troops within the next few years.) We are not ready for our time in Germany to come to an end and are terrified of what's to come. We have roughly two months to pack up our house, find a place to live, and find jobs. If we were living in the States now, it would not be so scary because we would already have a house or apartment and could keep paying rent on it. Now we are just picking blindly, it seems. People keep asking us where we're going to live once we get back to the States and that is such a frustrating and hard question for us. The answer is always "we just don't know."
We have been pretty stressed, upset, and overwhelmed the past few days. Terry is in a class this week learning how to adjust to civilian life. There are so many things he has never had to worry about such as needing a resume or having professional clothes. No real need for business casual or dressier attire when you have to wear the same thing every day. Everything just seems so daunting.
Has anyone been through this? Do you have any tips?
Also, if anyone here knows of any job openings (particularly anything that requires a security clearance since his was just renewed a few months ago) please let me know.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Monday, September 30, 2013
Guest post from Monograms and Margaritas
Hi y’all! I’m Paige and you can usually find me over at Monograms and Margaritas.
I feel so honored to be guest blogging for Preppy Girl Meets World
today! I’ve known Masha for a little over four years now and our
friendship truly is a testament to how amazing blogging can be; I mean
without our blogs, I doubt we ever would have become this close. And by
close, I mean I message her weekly during my mini-breakdowns and she
complains freely about the cost of name brand nail polish in Germany.
The struggle is real.
I am starting a new line of posts on my blog to highlight my own love of nail polish and also to provide an excuse as to why I have so many to my fiancé. I’m pleased to bring you the very first post in my new series!
Inaugural Color: Dior Vernis Nail Lacquer in Purple Revolution 906
Shade: Very Dark Violet
The Story Behind It: I was looking for a dark shade for fall that wasn’t black or gray, when someone at Sephora recommended Purple Revolution. Since it wasn’t available in stores, I broke a speed record pulling out my iPhone to look it up. Then I about swallowed my own tongue when I saw the price. I proceeded to go home, pout, stare lovingly at my laptop screen and drink a glass or four of wine before going to sleep. I woke up to find a shiny new, and a bit confusing, order confirmation email from Sephora. The heart wants what the heart wants.
The lacquer applied smoothly and looks fantastic. While it appears dark to the point of almost being black, it does have a purple tint under direct light. I love Purple Revolution for early fall! It’s quite the contrast to the bright summer shades I’ve been wearing and a perfect transition into autumn.
I am starting a new line of posts on my blog to highlight my own love of nail polish and also to provide an excuse as to why I have so many to my fiancé. I’m pleased to bring you the very first post in my new series!
Inaugural Color: Dior Vernis Nail Lacquer in Purple Revolution 906
The Story Behind It: I was looking for a dark shade for fall that wasn’t black or gray, when someone at Sephora recommended Purple Revolution. Since it wasn’t available in stores, I broke a speed record pulling out my iPhone to look it up. Then I about swallowed my own tongue when I saw the price. I proceeded to go home, pout, stare lovingly at my laptop screen and drink a glass or four of wine before going to sleep. I woke up to find a shiny new, and a bit confusing, order confirmation email from Sephora. The heart wants what the heart wants.
The lacquer applied smoothly and looks fantastic. While it appears dark to the point of almost being black, it does have a purple tint under direct light. I love Purple Revolution for early fall! It’s quite the contrast to the bright summer shades I’ve been wearing and a perfect transition into autumn.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Non-buyer's remorse
When Terry and I first moved in together, I decided I absolutely needed to have a chicken for my tiny shoebox kitchen. I knew it was inevitable that I would eventually become that girl with the chicken kitchen, so I figured I might as well speed up the inevitable. I bought a cute little chicken at the grocery store near our house and named him Fritz because that was the first German name I could think of. (Well it was the second, but the first one didn't seem to be very appropriate.)
When we were in Warsaw back in April, I found an artist who was selling some paintings in a square. They were on wood instead of canvas and were so folky and charming and adorable. I knew I had to take one home. (When you start traveling a lot, you stop buying the typical souvenirs and instead buy more practical stuff that you can use like vodka and wooden chickens.)
After much deliberation, much much much deliberation, this chicken came home with me.
There was also a similar picture with the chicken sitting in a martini glass holding a toothpick with olives in is beak. Oh how I wanted to get that one too. But the shoebox is tiny and Terry convinced me that a couple only needs to many chickens sitting inside of kitchenware in their lives.
Oh how wrong he was.
I have regretted not getting the other chicken for a while now. Unfortunately, I do not have any information on the artist who made it and her signature is just her initials. After hours spent fruitlessly searching online for an online shop or any ordering information, I have come to only one conclusion:
I have to go back to Warsaw and stalk this woman.
When we were in Warsaw back in April, I found an artist who was selling some paintings in a square. They were on wood instead of canvas and were so folky and charming and adorable. I knew I had to take one home. (When you start traveling a lot, you stop buying the typical souvenirs and instead buy more practical stuff that you can use like vodka and wooden chickens.)
After much deliberation, much much much deliberation, this chicken came home with me.
 |
| how cute is he??? |
There was also a similar picture with the chicken sitting in a martini glass holding a toothpick with olives in is beak. Oh how I wanted to get that one too. But the shoebox is tiny and Terry convinced me that a couple only needs to many chickens sitting inside of kitchenware in their lives.
Oh how wrong he was.
I have regretted not getting the other chicken for a while now. Unfortunately, I do not have any information on the artist who made it and her signature is just her initials. After hours spent fruitlessly searching online for an online shop or any ordering information, I have come to only one conclusion:
I have to go back to Warsaw and stalk this woman.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
The expat life
A little over a month ago, two of our friends tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony that Terry and I could not attend (plane tickets back home were around $1,300 for one person in August). They honeymooned in Italy and when they realized that they would have a layover in Frankfurt, they decided to add a day there onto their itinerary so that we could come down there to see them. We ended up going on Wednesday, which was Terry's birthday.
Prior to their arrival, Kim emailed us asking for recommendations of what to do/see/eat in Frankfurt. I think she was expecting a list of cool, unique sights along with some of the usual touristy sights that are requisite in any big city. That wasn't what she got.
Frankfurt is about an hour to an hour and a half away from us (depending on how fast you go down the Autobahn and how bad traffic is once you actually get within the city limits). The closest Apple store to us is there. Most of our trips to Frankfurt coincide with me breaking an iPhone. We also use our trips there as an excuse to get away from our community and just have a relaxing overnight trip and get some Starbucks. Also, Chipotle opened in Frankfurt on September 9th and we have been so excited to try it so we told them that was an absolute must. (Before you judge us too harshly, remember that Terry hasn't lived in the United States for a little over 5 years and for me it's been just over 3 years.)
We met them at their hotel and took a cab to Chipotle (10€ for 4 people- basically cost the same as it would have to take the Ubahn- Frankfurt's subway system). When we got there, we could hardly contain our excitement and of course started taking pictures of the outside of the damn building:
Justin and Kim couldn't stop laughing and shaking their heads. We got inside and after a quick glance at the menu, they got sticker shock. Honestly, after living here for over 3 years, we don't even notice it any more. It was 9€ for a burrito or a bowl (don't even talk to me about how much they cost in the States) so they decided to split one. No way were we going to share! Drinks were obscenely expensive. I'm talking 4€ for a bottled water or Coke expensive. What are they putting in there? Gold-plated foie gras flakes? We decided to pass. We both got steak burritos and an order of chips and salsa. 20€. Ouch. I'd be lying if I said they weren't worth every single euro cent.
Chipotle is in a brand new mall that just opened on August 31st, so Kim and I walked around for a bit while the boys sat behind and talked about beer. No luck shopping but we did have to stop by for a drink at Starbucks. It seemed just mean of them to have this adorable pumpkin but not to actually have pumpkin spice lattes. He was cute so I semi forgave them.
I forget exactly how much my drink cost, but roughly 10,000€ for a grande sounds about right. I also got a slice of salted caramel cheesecake so figure another 389€ for that. (I'm exaggerating here but not nearly by as much as you think.)
Post-Starbucks, we took another 10€ cab ride back to their hotel. (I'll take "World's Priciest Burrito for $200, Alex.) After some beers (guys) and wine (girls) in their room, we decided it was time for dinner. (I'm skipping ahead a bit but just pretend I mentioned the part where we took them shopping to show them the good gummy bears and chocolate and beer to bring back home, k?) They asked for a recommendation for dinner. We told them we don't eat German food. In Germany. Hardly ever. (We went to a highly recommended German restaurant in Frankfurt once. The menu had pictures of what animal was in the dish. We ordered something that had a cow next to it. Apparently a picture of a cow is German for "three strips of bacon." We gave up. It's hard being pretty much the only living Jews in Germany. Or some days it seems like it.) So we recommended an Italian place and a Thai place. Shockingly enough, after 2 weeks in Italy they weren't looking forward to Italian food in Germany, so to Thai we went. It was fantastic. Insert another pre-dinner stop at a store for beer/chocolate/marzipan here.
After dinner, it was time for dessert, and wanting to provide our American visitors with the true German experience, only one place would do.
The last time we were in Frankfurt, ya know the last time I had a broken iPhone, we saw that a Dunkin Donuts was finally opening there. 3 days later. Go figure. We had been looking forward to getting some donuts for so long. I'm not sure how much donuts cost in the States, but I'm assuming it sure as heck isn't 1,80€/donut. Terry wanted to only get 1 donut each. I told him he was crazy and got 6. It's a good thing I did. I don't have pictures of the actual donuts themselves because they did not live long enough to be photographed but just imagine 3 Boston Cream, 1 glazed, and 2 vanilla frosted with sprinkles inside that box. (I know it's really hard to use your imagination here because without instagram, how would y'all even know what a donut looks like in the first place?) I should also mention that much like everything else in Germany, Dunkin Donuts is cash-only and after a pit stop for beer, we were fresh out so we had to race to find an ATM about 3 blocks away 10 minutes before they closed. I had to beg the lady behind the counter to put 2 Boston Cream aside for me. Good thing I did, because by the time we came back for them, they were sold out of the others!
By the time we were done with Donut-gate it was after 10pm and we still had a long drive ahead of us followed by Terry needing to be at work at 7am the next time so after many hugs (girls) and half man-hug, half handshake combos (guys), we parted ways.
I skipped over a few moments in this post, but Justin and Kim, I just want to say that we had so much fun with you on Wednesday and I am so so glad we got to see you! So glad we were able to provide you with the true, local, German experience.
All of these expat adventures resulted in this:
My Visa is now crying dusty tears. Excuse me while I go sell my kidney.
Prior to their arrival, Kim emailed us asking for recommendations of what to do/see/eat in Frankfurt. I think she was expecting a list of cool, unique sights along with some of the usual touristy sights that are requisite in any big city. That wasn't what she got.
Frankfurt is about an hour to an hour and a half away from us (depending on how fast you go down the Autobahn and how bad traffic is once you actually get within the city limits). The closest Apple store to us is there. Most of our trips to Frankfurt coincide with me breaking an iPhone. We also use our trips there as an excuse to get away from our community and just have a relaxing overnight trip and get some Starbucks. Also, Chipotle opened in Frankfurt on September 9th and we have been so excited to try it so we told them that was an absolute must. (Before you judge us too harshly, remember that Terry hasn't lived in the United States for a little over 5 years and for me it's been just over 3 years.)
We met them at their hotel and took a cab to Chipotle (10€ for 4 people- basically cost the same as it would have to take the Ubahn- Frankfurt's subway system). When we got there, we could hardly contain our excitement and of course started taking pictures of the outside of the damn building:
 |
| Wthout meaning to, we both posted this same picture on facebook with the caption Finally!!!!! at almost the same instant. What can I say? We were excited! |
Justin and Kim couldn't stop laughing and shaking their heads. We got inside and after a quick glance at the menu, they got sticker shock. Honestly, after living here for over 3 years, we don't even notice it any more. It was 9€ for a burrito or a bowl (don't even talk to me about how much they cost in the States) so they decided to split one. No way were we going to share! Drinks were obscenely expensive. I'm talking 4€ for a bottled water or Coke expensive. What are they putting in there? Gold-plated foie gras flakes? We decided to pass. We both got steak burritos and an order of chips and salsa. 20€. Ouch. I'd be lying if I said they weren't worth every single euro cent.
 |
| just look at those happy faces! |
Chipotle is in a brand new mall that just opened on August 31st, so Kim and I walked around for a bit while the boys sat behind and talked about beer. No luck shopping but we did have to stop by for a drink at Starbucks. It seemed just mean of them to have this adorable pumpkin but not to actually have pumpkin spice lattes. He was cute so I semi forgave them.
Post-Starbucks, we took another 10€ cab ride back to their hotel. (I'll take "World's Priciest Burrito for $200, Alex.) After some beers (guys) and wine (girls) in their room, we decided it was time for dinner. (I'm skipping ahead a bit but just pretend I mentioned the part where we took them shopping to show them the good gummy bears and chocolate and beer to bring back home, k?) They asked for a recommendation for dinner. We told them we don't eat German food. In Germany. Hardly ever. (We went to a highly recommended German restaurant in Frankfurt once. The menu had pictures of what animal was in the dish. We ordered something that had a cow next to it. Apparently a picture of a cow is German for "three strips of bacon." We gave up. It's hard being pretty much the only living Jews in Germany. Or some days it seems like it.) So we recommended an Italian place and a Thai place. Shockingly enough, after 2 weeks in Italy they weren't looking forward to Italian food in Germany, so to Thai we went. It was fantastic. Insert another pre-dinner stop at a store for beer/chocolate/marzipan here.
After dinner, it was time for dessert, and wanting to provide our American visitors with the true German experience, only one place would do.
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| Please excuse the hot mess look here- it had been raining all.day.long in true German fashion. |
By the time we were done with Donut-gate it was after 10pm and we still had a long drive ahead of us followed by Terry needing to be at work at 7am the next time so after many hugs (girls) and half man-hug, half handshake combos (guys), we parted ways.
I skipped over a few moments in this post, but Justin and Kim, I just want to say that we had so much fun with you on Wednesday and I am so so glad we got to see you! So glad we were able to provide you with the true, local, German experience.
All of these expat adventures resulted in this:
My Visa is now crying dusty tears. Excuse me while I go sell my kidney.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Happy Birthday
Terry- I love you as much as I love a good Shackburger and am so excited to spend tomorrow eating our way through Frankfurt with you and for many more days filled with yummy food and many laughs and good memories. Thank you for being my rock and armchair therapist/bartender when I'm down.
*Not that I'm biased or anything.
Friday, September 13, 2013
5 on Friday
Hello Hello!
I'm linking up today for the first time with A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life Blog for their weekly 5 on Friday linkup.
1) I received one of these pralines from Aunt Sallys in my latest Love With Food box. Holy amazingness. I have never tasted anything like these and am now ordering a box to my mother's address in New York for when I get there. (If you don't currently have a Love With Food subscription, you can use code FBGIFT to get your first box for $2.)
2) Exactly one month from today, this girl is going to be tying the knot.
We have been best friends for 15 years and I am so thrilled and excited for her. I am so honored and happy to get to stand beside her as she says "I do."
3) For the wedding, we get to pick out our own dresses. They have to be black, above the knee, not shiny, and sleeveless or with cap sleeves. This should be relatively easy but I am not a huge fan of the Little Black Dress and do not own one. Everything I've seen so far here in Germany is either skintight, super short, insanely expensive, sequined to death, or all of the above. I've been looking online for one. So far, this dress from J. Crew is my #1 choice and has been approved by the bride. I want to go see it in person at the store in New York before buying it to make sure it looks good and that I get the right size.
4) In less than 2 weeks, 13 days to be exact, we will be in Paris. We are going for the Jimmy Buffett concert and will spend 3 nights there doing some sightseeing and of course, eating our way through the city. Last night, I made my must do/see/eat list for Paris and I realized that I have way too much that I want to see there and am not sure how we will be able to fit it all in. Typical.
5) I've mentioned this before, but nail polish in Germany is bananas expensive, 7,95€ for Essie and 16,95€ for OPI. When I go back to the States, I'm taking the time to stock up on some polishes. So far, on my list are Essie's Vested Interest, Van D'Go, Neo Whimsical, Berry Hard, Smoking Hot, Absolutely Shore, and Splash of Grenadine. Are there any other colors that I should get while I'm there? Also, my bottle of base coat is almost out, and while I love the stuff, I am not ready to pay 12,50€ for another bottle. Do any of you have any base coat recommendations that you love?
I'm linking up today for the first time with A. Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life Blog for their weekly 5 on Friday linkup.
1) I received one of these pralines from Aunt Sallys in my latest Love With Food box. Holy amazingness. I have never tasted anything like these and am now ordering a box to my mother's address in New York for when I get there. (If you don't currently have a Love With Food subscription, you can use code FBGIFT to get your first box for $2.)
2) Exactly one month from today, this girl is going to be tying the knot.
We have been best friends for 15 years and I am so thrilled and excited for her. I am so honored and happy to get to stand beside her as she says "I do."
3) For the wedding, we get to pick out our own dresses. They have to be black, above the knee, not shiny, and sleeveless or with cap sleeves. This should be relatively easy but I am not a huge fan of the Little Black Dress and do not own one. Everything I've seen so far here in Germany is either skintight, super short, insanely expensive, sequined to death, or all of the above. I've been looking online for one. So far, this dress from J. Crew is my #1 choice and has been approved by the bride. I want to go see it in person at the store in New York before buying it to make sure it looks good and that I get the right size.
 |
| Matilda dress in liquid jersey |
4) In less than 2 weeks, 13 days to be exact, we will be in Paris. We are going for the Jimmy Buffett concert and will spend 3 nights there doing some sightseeing and of course, eating our way through the city. Last night, I made my must do/see/eat list for Paris and I realized that I have way too much that I want to see there and am not sure how we will be able to fit it all in. Typical.
5) I've mentioned this before, but nail polish in Germany is bananas expensive, 7,95€ for Essie and 16,95€ for OPI. When I go back to the States, I'm taking the time to stock up on some polishes. So far, on my list are Essie's Vested Interest, Van D'Go, Neo Whimsical, Berry Hard, Smoking Hot, Absolutely Shore, and Splash of Grenadine. Are there any other colors that I should get while I'm there? Also, my bottle of base coat is almost out, and while I love the stuff, I am not ready to pay 12,50€ for another bottle. Do any of you have any base coat recommendations that you love?
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