Weekend Recap

(via)

Weekends are such wonderful things!

+ Friday happy hour with my friend Chelsae...gin and club soda for me, vodka cranberry for her, mussels, artichoke and sundried tomatoe flatbread, and pommes frites.

+ My first experience taking one of Tony's dogs to the vet...Ringo is not a fan, but he did well.

+ Target wandering and used bookstore browsing.

+ Dinner and drinks for Tony's sister's birthday at my favorite Greek restaurant.

+ Cuddling, playing ball and wrestling with the dogs.

+ Started off Sunday with coffee and homemade blueberry pancakes.

+ Taco salad and a (spicy) bloody mary...I like being able to take Tony out on little dates since he's always cooking for me.

+ We made a beef and veggie soup, and I baked this fabulously easy, and seriously tasty, bread.

+ Tony and I finished off the weekend with a nice, albeit windy, lakeside walk that offered up some more gorgeous views of Long's Peak.

Fill in the blank Friday

(via)

1. My favorite place i've ever traveled to is Sydney, Australia. I did not, in a million years, think I would fall as hard as I did for that city. It stole my heart, took me 6 months to get over not being there anymore, and is a city I know I will visit again.

2. Ireland is somewhere I'd love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by reading and day dreaming. I'm not a huge fan of chit-chatting with the people around me, so I tend to sit in my seat, pull out my book and immediately get lost in whatever I'm currently reading.

4. My three must-haves when I travel are a couple of books/my Nook, my cell phone, and snacks.

5. My favorite travel companion is my Mom, although Tony and I are planning our first real trip together in June, so it should be fun to see how we do. So far we travel well together on quick weekend road trip adventures, but we'll see how we do when there are airports, hotels and getting around a city involved.

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling was getting to see a political protest take over the streets surrounding the hotel I was staying at in Vienna, Austria.

7. The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is kangaroo while in Australia.

(ps- it's quite good if you like red meat)

8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in the New England area, preferably near Providence, RI or Boston, MA. I'd happily live in Germany or Austria, as well.

9. I have been to twenty-three (plus D.C.) states in the U.S. not counting states where I've only been in an airport.

Weekend Recap

+ Pizza date with Tony at Ragazzi's, complete with salad, a glass of chianti, and hand holding while chatting about our day.

+ While Tony went off to play golf Saturday morning, I read my book and lounged with the dogs.

+ Found a new walking route and enjoyed the gorgeous view of Longs Peak.

+ Lunch, a little shopping, and wandering through an open house with my Mama...lots of laughter!

+ Tony and I had a drink with a bunch of his friends to celebrate the birthday of a mutual friend.

+ After a drink and lots of birthday wishes, we made our way to a barn dance! We ate, had a few beers and danced...I'm horribly uncoordinated, but Tony stuck with me and my simplistic dancing.

+ We ushered Sunday in by meeting Tony's dad and cousin for breakfast.

+ I took my cranky-pants self for a long walk, texted with Jamie, and indulged in a much needed nonfat latte.

+ Went shopping with Tony (all for him!).

+ Ate wonderful homemade fish tacos...my man can cook!

Despite being cranky on Sunday, it was a fabulous weekend overall.

Frosty Mango

When I was in Australia, Jamie and I ventured north of Townsville on a waterfall quest. Unfortunately, our quest was thwarted by flooded roads, but we were lucky enough to indulge in a sweet treat at Frosty Mango. I honestly do not believe I've ever had better gelato in my life, and I'm sure it had to do with the use of fresh, locally grown fruit.

(via)

I had a coupon to a local gelato place that expired last night, so on my way to Tony's I stopped to pick some up for us. The mango gelato was calling my name, and the minute the sample hit my tongue I was transported back to the Frosty Mango. It was absolutely divine...creamy, bold, slightly tart, and tasted as though it had come straight from the mango groves.  I was rather blissed out!  Plus, the added bonus of a trip down my Australia memory lane wasn't half bad either.

Happy Lately List

(via)

1. Morning cuddles before tackling the day

2. Nonfat, no foam lattes

3. My favorite author referencing my favorite poet in each of her books

4. Disney movie dates with my Mom

5. Watching Merlin from the start on Netflix

6. Lunch dates with girlfriends

7. Positive feedback at work

8. Gelato

9. Getting back to the swing of things at the gym

10. Dad's homemade BBQ sauce

Haven in Paris

I recently finished reading Ellen Sussman's French Lessons, which was a quick, fun read about the power a single day can have in helping us see our true desires. The book followed 3 Americans as they each spent a day in Paris with their respective french tutors. The Americans and tutors alike each discovered something about themselves, about love, and about their relationships.

But, this post is not meant to be a book review, rather I wanted to focus on Paris. As I've mentioned before, I have a romanticized version of Paris in my mind, and whenever I read or see something about the city I am immediately transported away from my actual memories of Paris and into this version. While reading French Lessons, all I could think about was how lovely it would be to spend a few days getting reacquainted the City of Lights. And, as luck would have it, Joanna from A Cup of Jo must've been in a similar state of mind because she recently posted about the luxury apartment rental site, Haven in Paris.

What a way to play tourist in Paris! Staying in one of the rental apartments would make you feel like a real Parisian...you could walk out of the building each morning and enjoy your morning capuccino and croissant at the neighborhood cafe; spend your days touring the city; and enjoy your evening wine on the balcony. Rather than go home to your hotel every night, you could start and end your days in a real "home" and feel a bit more immersed in the culture. How lovely!

Where would you all stay? I don't think I could resist the classic beauty of this apartment by Notre Dame on the Left Bank...

ps- this apartment is close to the infamous Shakespeare and Co. bookstore!

My Week with Marilyn

I just got back from seeing My Week with Marilyn and I really enjoyed it! I've never been a big Marilyn Monroe fan, and to be honest, I don't know a lot about her aside from her famous curves, her young death, her rumored affair with JFK, and that her real name was Norma Jean (thank you, Elton John). This movie took the famous image of Marilyn Monroe that most of us have in our minds and added in her humanity and her vulnerabilities. She was a troubled woman with an unending desire to be loved and valued, and My Week with Marilyn beautifully portrayed this.

(via)

The movie was told through the eyes of Colin Clark, a young director's assistant for Laurence Olivier who became a favorite of Marilyn's while she filmed The Prince and the Showgirl. He was privileged enough to enter Marilyn's world away from the cameras; a world where she battled her private demons with flirtations and alcohol, and where those closest to her used medications to keep her calm enough to handle.

Michelle Williams' portrayal of Marilyn Monroe was simply phenomenal. She captured the icon's naive innocence and ability to perform for the cameras with perfection! I would highly recommend this movie to anyone who is a Marilyn Monroe or Michelle Williams fan.