TGIF

And, even better... two of my best friends are coming in town this weekend for our last girls' weekend before the arrival of Jenn's little Madelyn Grace! I'm so excited to have a relaxing weekend with the girls. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Red Carpet Glamour

I actually haven't watched the Oscars the last few years, but I was mesmerized by last night's show... and gowns. But, before I get to the good, the bad, and the ugly, let me just say that Hugh Jackman might be my new favorite actor. He was an outstanding host! I had no idea he could sing and dance... a real triple threat.

The Good

Natalie Portman looked stunning in her Rodarte lilac pink gown. I am a sucker for chiffon, and I just love the flowy, ethereal feel coupled with the surprising color choice. Everything about it works well for her.

Marisa Tomei looked amazing in this Atelier Versace gown. Just wow. This masterpiece of a dress strikes the perfect balance between intricate and wearable. The pleating in the gown is ornate, but the dress does not wear her... she is definitely wearing the dress, and wearing it well.

The red carpet winner of the night - Anne Hathaway in this gorgeous Armani Prive gown. There were really a lot of great gowns last night, but this one was my favorite. This is what the Oscars should be - a throwback to the old Hollywood glam in a dress that is distinctly 21st century.

The Bad

Bless her heart. That's really all I can say.

The Ugly

This is what happens when you try to pimp your own clothing label. I ♥ Beyonce, but this gown is just ugly.

Best Accessories of the Night

A 65-carat emerald ring, 115-carat emerald earrings, and Brad Pitt. What else could you ask for? Oh yeah, six adorable children waiting for you when you get home... at your mansion... in LA... or New Orleans... or France. Rough life.

Comfort Food

Not much is as good as homemade mac and cheese on a cold night. Last night, I got home late and needed to throw something together quickly with what I had on hand. My friend Lauren came over, and I was going to make Katie's miso chicken bowls, but I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer to thaw, and I really just didn't have the time to let it marinate and cook before Grey's came on. So, I scoured my pantry (well, cabinet) and decided to try my hand at mac and cheese. And, I actually did a "healthier" version, but it was still decadent.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

8 oz elbow macaroni (I used whole wheat)
4 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp all purpose flour
3 cups milk (I used skim because it was all I had on hand)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used 2%)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup bread crumbs (I didn't have bread crumbs on hand, so I just toasted a few slices of whole wheat bread and pulsed them in the food processor to create crumbs)
extra shredded cheddar (about 1/2 cup or so)

Preheat the oven to 350. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat and add enough flour to make a roux, stirring constantly. Add the milk slowly while stirring. Add the cheese and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally until cheese melts. Drain the pasta and add to a casserole dish. Once the cheese is melted, add the sauce to the pasta and stir so that all of the pasta is evenly coated. Melt the remaining butter in a small saute pan and add the bread crumbs and toss. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the casserole and top with shredded cheese. (Cook's note: I didn't have any tomatoes on hand, but if I did, I would have topped the mac and cheese with sliced tomatoes and then bread crumbs and cheese... yum.) Bake for 30 minutes and serve. I served this with a salad of greens, red onion, craisins, and simple red wine vinaigrette (equal parts red wine vinegar and EVOO, Dijon mustard, and fresh black pepper).

Dear Office Building,

Was it really necessary to have a "Mardi Gras Breakfast" this morning? I walk in the building and am immediately tempted by King Cake, bananas foster crepes, beignets (and I use that term loosely... these were not those delectable delights from Cafe DuMonde), and gorgonzola cheese grits. I really do not appreciate that. Not to mention, Mardi Gras isn't even until next Tuesday. My waistline and thighs do not thank you.
Best regards,
Kristin

Redemption

I told Matt that if he got me a card now, it wouldn't mean as much. So, instead he sent me the sweetest e-mail while he was waiting for his optometrist appointment and brought me sunflowers from Whole Foods. See how easy it is boys? Take notes. ;)

♥ Happy Valentine's Day ♥

Why?

Matt texted me this afternoon, and our conversation went something like this.

Matt: Are u getting me a card for tomorrow?
Me: Why? lol
Matt: Why, my point totally
Me: Well, I was but I won't. I know you don't care only I do. I was asking why you wanted to know.

[This is an exact transcript.]

OF COURSE I AM/WAS GETTING HIM A CARD. I am the card queen. He knows this. This is just so Matt. In our 4+ years together, he's never sent me flowers. Not once. And, I don't care. Flowers are nice, but they die. He did buy me flowers from Publix once or twice. That's more my kind of thing... cheap things that die. But, seriously, a $3-$4 card! That's all I ask. No flowers, no jewelry, no chocolate (but I won't turn it away). Oh, men. lol

P.S. I don't even care if he doesn't get me a card, as long as he tells me how much he loves me and what a wonderful wife I am and how he can't imagine anyone in the world being more perfect for him. You know, the normal stuff. ;)

P.P.S. Clearly I contradicted everything I said below about not caring about Valentine's Day. HA!

♥ LOVE ♥

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day... a holiday created by greeting card, flower and candy companies to generate business after Christmas. ;)

I'm not very into Valentine's Day. I don't need a holiday to tell my husband how much I love him, but I do think it's a fun holiday. We've spent it in different ways over the years... last year I made a dinner that was so freaking expensive, we should've just gone out (it was really good though). We went to South City Kitchen two years ago, and I don't think we really celebrated the year before that, because Matt was still in Jacksonville. We had just started dating seriously for V-day 2005, and I really have no clue what we did.

But, this year takes the cake. This year's Valentine's Day will be spent with a few hundred others at the Variety Playhouse enjoying this man.


That would be Robert Earl Keen. You may know him as the Texas singer/songwriter behind the classic songs "Copenhagen" and "The Everclear Song"... swoon. He has some great music, and he's been a staple on college campuses for over 20 years. I know I'm not in college anymore, but tomorrow night I just might act like it.

For our Valentine's Day meal, we're going to try to go to The Vortex for a delicious burger and some tots. Yum.

So, how are you and your lover spending your Valentine's Day?

New York, New York [a review]

We arrived on Thursday morning to a very cold but sunny New York. Matt loved the view flying into LaGuardia. Since I've been before, albeit 10 years ago, he sat in the window seat and was as in awe as I was when I first saw the city from the plane. You see it all the time on TV and in movies, but it really just doesn't compare to seeing it in person. All those buildings in only 300 or so square miles. It's just crazy. Anyway, so we dropped our bags at our hotel, which was right across from Madison Square Garden. As we're checking in, we were asked if we were with the dog show. A bunch of the dogs (and their owners, trainers, handlers, groomers, judges, etc.) for the Westminster Dog Show were staying at our hotel! It so reminded me of the movie "Best in Show", and I immediately wondered if they were overbooked and were going to make someone sleep in the janitor's closet.

We quickly figured out the subway and took the 2 down to Canal Street. I picked up 6 pashminas (and I use that term loosely) for $20! I was happy. I love "pashmina" scarves! Matt also got a scarf. I didn't pick up any purses or anything. We ate lunch in Little Italy and split a panini and cannoli. It was Matt's very first cannoli, and it was delicious (and expensive - $6 for one little cannoli... welcome to NY!). We then walked down Broadway to the financial district and made our way over to the World Trade Center site.

It's nice to see they are doing work there now, and they are doing a lot of it! What a huge construction site. Matt was wishing we could get the VIP tour. This picture was taken from inside the World Financial Center. We walked outside toward the Hudson to get a little glimpse of Lady Liberty and to play in the snow.



We then headed toward Wall Street to check out the New York Stock Exchange and saw some other cool buildings and whatnot along the way.

George Washington took the Oath of Office here.

NYSE

We walked around a little more and then made our way back to the hotel to check in and grab a drink before the art opening and dinner. We went to an Irish pub near our hotel, and since I hadn't eaten much that day, I actually got fairly tipsy off two Stellas. It was kind of embarassing. We went back to the hotel and got ready and headed to the gallery in Chelsea where Matt's best friend, Max, works. We hung out there for a while, marveled over the $25,000 pieces of aluminum with holes in them called diaphans (they were pretty cool though). Then we ate at Pastis, which was great. We had the Malbec oysters (YUM), beef tartar (YUM... yes I like raw food), and I had the grilled mahi and Matt had... well, I don't remember, but it was some fish and he loved it. It was an excellent dinner.

Yum!

Friday morning we walked from our hotel through Times Square and over to Rockefeller Center and headed up to the Top of the Rock. It was a great view, but it was definitely cold at the very top where there's nothing to shield you from the wind.

In the middle of Times Square.

The Times Square NYE ball.

Central Park

We went to a little Venezuelan restaurant in the East Village for lunch and had the most amazing arepas. It was worth the subway ride and walking, for sure. If you live in or are visiting NY, check out Caracas Arepas Bar. I recommend A6 - Reina Pepiada.

We were so cold that we walked around a little more and then headed back to the hotel. That night we went to an awesome (and VERY expensive) Greek restaurant called Milos Estatoria with Max and Jen. Since the oysters were so good the night before, we got a dozen more and then Matt and I split the tomato salad and grilled octopus. So delicious. Then we went to see "In the Heights." OH. MY. HEAVENS. If you are going to NY, RUN to see that show. If not, pray it comes to your city when it goes on tour. It was SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO good. SO good, just in case I didn't make myself clear. I really wanted them to start over from the beginning when it was done.

Saturday we went to the Met and then met one of my best friends, Melissa, and her fiance Evan for a late lunch and Bloodies at the Boathouse in Central Park. I wanted to steal the Van Gogh irises off the wall of the Met, but I didn't think I would have made it two feet before they shot me in the head.

We walked back up 5th Avenue and stopped in St. Patrick's. I didn't take any pictures of the inside even though others were, because it was the Vigil Mass. I actually participated in about 10 minutes of Mass before I decided Matt was probably wondering where the heck I disappeared to inside the Church. I lit a candle and prayed then headed back to the hotel.

The Plaza Hotel - wish we stayed here! :)

That night we went to Buddakan with Max, Jen, and my best friend Jenn's sister Lindsey. Once again, a great meal and better company. We went to a fun little bar afterward. This led to doing nothing on Sunday before we had to catch our flight. :) But, we had a good time.

Linds and me

On the roof of Max's building at... oh... 4 am

As you can see, it was a long few days! Ha.

We slept in and made brunch at Max and Jen's apartment Sunday and then just vegged out until we headed to LaGuardia. We were so tired. Matt actually fell asleep in the cab, and then we got to the airport to find we had a 2 hour delay. All we wanted to do was get in our bed. Well, 2 hours turned into many more and it was very late (or early?) when we got home. But, at least it was AirTran's fault and not the weather, so we got a free flight out of it. :)

All in all, it was an awesome trip. We were ready to get home, but I'm not waiting 10 years before I go back again!

Back to Reality

We had a GREAT time in NY, but boy am I exhausted. We had a mighty fine delay at LaGuardia and got home very late last night, but at least we got a free one way ticket plus $25 off and $10 food voucher out of it. That made it a lot better, especially since we're also flying to San Francisco this summer! Cha ching! More to come later when I get home and upload my pics!

TGIF

Okay okay, I know it's only Wednesday, but I am as giddy as a kid on Christmas eve. It's been almost exactly 10 years since I last had the pleasure of visiting Gotham, and I am totally stoked (even if this is tomorrow's high... brrr). Matt has never been to NY, so it's going to be an action packed trip. Our itinerary (which he planned... except the random additions of shopping courtesy of moi) looks something like this:

Thursday:
Arrive at hotel, drop off luggage
Little Italy - lunch
Canal St, World Trade Center site, Financial District sights
Eat vendor hot dog
Art opening (WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WEAR TO A NY ART OPENING WHEN IT IS FREEZING? I am going to look like such a tourist in my "so last year" Atlanta fashions.)
Dinner at Bagatelle

Friday:
Empire State Building
Herald Square/Macy's
Spanish Harlem - Lunch
Rockefeller - Ice Skating
Time Square
Slice of NY pizza
See "In the Heights"
Late Dinner/Snack

Saturday:
MOMA
Central Park/Bloody Marys at the Boathouse
Shopping
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Dinner and out with friends

Sunday:
Brunch
Shopping
Head Home

Obviously, there's a smattering of other stops in there and maybe we won't do all of it. I want to eat an afternoon snack of chips and guacamole at Dos Caminos, hit up the cute shopping areas in Greenwich and such, see all the random things like Radio City, Carnegie, etc.

If any of you have any recommendations of things to see, places to eat, and most importantly, places to shop (that won't give Matt a coronary), let me know! Get excited for lots of pictures next week.

Today is Thursday

Maybe it's not Thursday in your world, but it is in mine. Go ahead, be jealous. On the real Thursday of this week, Matt and I are going here. I. Can't. Wait. (But, I will.)

Really!?

Husband is in Tifton. I leave the condo this morning. Two police officers. Crime Scene Unit van. Nice. Where are the bullets for the shotgun again, babe?

...

So, it was probably just a car break-in, and I'm really not worried about it, it's just so ironic.