brassellsinnyc

LOT'S TO TELL!!

2008-09-08T17:16:00.001-07:00

Griff started 1st grade & Macy started pre-k...

We took a trip to Cape Cod & Nantucket with Mimi & Poppy...
Macy turned 4 and had a polkadot party!

Cousins Bailey & Brooke, Coll, Frank & mom-mom visited Larchmont!

It's been a busy and exciting month!

Updates!

2008-07-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

We're in the full swing of summer and enjoying every minute! Griffin is at camp daily from 9-3 while Macy and I enjoy some one-on-one time. We're loving living in this small town. There are lot's of fun things to do including the farmers market, movies and music in the park as well as hanging out at the town pool. It's fun to live in a place where everytime I leave my house I run into several people we know!

The kids are growing like weeds! Next month my baby turns 4 and my other baby starts first grade!

Oh... one more thing...Chris and I are looking forward to the American Idol concert tonight!!!

Hopefully won't be too long before my next post. I guess I've been literally enjoying the lazy days of summer!

Fun in the DR

2008-05-30T06:12:00.000-07:00

Took a vacation to Dominican Republic and loved it!!! Direct flight on JetBlue and the resort was only about 5 miles from the airport.... a great get-away for the Brassell Family!

GRIFF'S BIG DAY

2008-03-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

I honestly can't belive my itty bitty boy is 6. I've actually been pretty emotional about it. Not that this age means anything in particular - just that it's hitting me that he's becoming independent and needs his mommy less and less... sniff, sniff.

Anyway - his birthday party was a huge success. Started out with snake invitations complete with googly eyes... and we got 28 RSVP's and only 1 regret. Of course, my wheels were spinning. Where in the world are all these kids (and parents) gonna go? First thing I did was to make it clear that parents are welcome to DROP OFF their kids! That was very well received. Second thing was to get the basement in shape in a hurry. Definitely wasn't warm enough to eat outside, and eating in my living room was out of the question. So after a few weekends of schlepping, painting, stringing lights, buying a rug, and more schlepping the basement was party ready. The kids arrived and listened intently to the "snake and lizard" guy for a whole hour. He was AMAZING and well worth the 'how much? are you kidding me? price tag'. Then the kids headed down to the basement full of balloons, party favors, banners, bagel bites, cheez-its, and cupckes.. oh and gummy worms too! Everyone loved it and Griff was in heaven... surrounded by everyone who loves him. Thanks Mimi for making the trip. Wouldn't have been the same without you here!

mountains, crayons & mountains

2008-03-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

Got a chance to go to 'the moutain house' (rob & carol's mountain house) again a few weeks ago. Snowed about 7 or 8" while we were there... soooooooo amazing. We saw lot's and lot's of deer but no bear, thank goodness. Little side note. Griff calls it 'our mountain house' and even wrote a book about it at school! A boy with a dream.
Then last weekend we decided to take a little family get-away to the Poconos. We stopped off at the Crayola Factory on the way... the kids loved it. Then we spent the night at a hotel (after eating at two chain restaurants that day - yippee)! Seriously, we couldn't get enough of the cheap kids menus and free refills!! Woke up early on Sunday and headed to Camelback Mountain to go 'snow tubing'. Macy wasn't too thrilled with it - but the rest of us loved it. We'll definitley go back next year, and plan to ski too. Griffin is anxious to get some of those fancy tags that all the kids have hanging off their zippers! :)

Learning about Larchmont...

2008-02-04T18:25:00.001-08:00

okay... so we only have 2 gas stations in town and they are both full-serve. Filling up my small SUV was over $70 last week (ouch).

hasn't anyone heard of a drive-through in this town? What I wouldn't do for a starbucks or dunkin' donuts with a drive through! But oh no, that wouldn't be asthetically pleasing! And what would be so wrong about getting some type of 'order at the front' restaurant. A cross between fast food and not fast food. I remember the good ol' days of Tin Star, Souper Salad, Chipotle, Pei Wei, and Cafe Express. Heaven forbid they sell food in this town without a proper waitress.
Not so convenient with the kiddos!

remember when I first moved to NY and had people asking me "where do you summer"? Well... now it's "where do you ski"? It's not "do you ski"? or "are you going skiing this year"? It's "where" do you ski? 3 out of 4 cars in this town have ski racks on their cars. There are lot's of resort options within an hour of us. Who knew?! Must be a fun (and expensive) day trip!

even so. we love our little larchmont. meeting great people everyday. thinking about starting a supper club... all I need is one more thing on my 'plate'! :)

New Music!! Eric Hutchinson!

2008-01-10T08:40:00.001-08:00

Keepin' my peeps in the loop!! (ya right.) I'm just an old lady trying to feel hip! :)
We saw a GREAT band last weekend. He's coming to Dallas and Tulsa soon - definitely check him out!! He's fantastic!!!

www.myspace.com/erichutchinson

Updates!

2008-01-10T07:38:00.000-08:00

We love living in the 'burbs of NY!!

Did you know Chris saw a deer walking home from the train station the other day? It jumped right in front of him in the street!

We've had lot's of snow already! We have a steep driveway so the kids can sled right here at home.

Griffin turns 6 next month - I can't believe it! He's 'mr. social' and wants to invite 25 kids to the party - yikes!! We plan to have the "snake and lizard man" come to our house bringing lot's of those icky things. Erin S.... I'm sure you'll want to make the trip to NY for that one!

Macy is a hoot. She LOVES to sing and dance and wear 20 different outfits a day! She's SUCH a girly girl. She knows every single word to every Hanna Montana song.

We finally cleaned out our basement to make it into a pseudo playroom. There's a couch, tv, mini-tramp, arcade basketball game, art easel and kids table. Oh and also the washer/dryer, boiler, water heater and pipes galore! It's not pretty - but it's a fun little hide-out for the kids! I love having a basement!

Still going to our church in the City. The commute is so easy - especially on Sunday. It takes about 20 minutes. It's great b/c we usually spend the day there every Sunday visiting our old favorites!

Summer Camp! I had no idea it was such a HUGE thing! I guess maybe it's a "northern" thing but there is so much pressure to get into a good camp. I hadn't even considered it. I think we'll be just fine doing the pool everyday and maybe a VBS or two (I wish)! :)

Libbie loves it here! Back in the land of the trees.... it's been a long time (since we lived in Lakewood). She loves to chase the black squirrels and chipmunks.

We were sad not to get to go to Tulsa this year for Christmas but we made the best of it! We put up the 15 food (wt) Santa - which I'm sure the neighbors loved! We had a big Christmas party with friends from the City and new friends from the neighborhood.. and we even had live music! We also made the trip to see Santa at Macy's (it's worth the trip - even from TX or OK) and the fantastic lights on 5th Ave., and the tree at Rock Center! Christmas Season in NY is the best!

at your request - kari barrett

2007-11-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

more pics for your viewing pleasure! only a few rooms left to complete!

Halloween in Larchmont

2007-11-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

Trick-or-treating was such fun this year! A big contrast from last year going door-to-door in our apartment building. The neighborhood was dripping with spooky decorations - we all loved it! My little munchkins were "royalty" .... Macy was a 'queen in a sling'. Did I mention she broke her collar bone. Good times!

Larchmont fun facts!

2007-09-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

There were only 3 violent crimes in Larchmont in 2006...... isn't that amazing!

The average SAT score from the Larchmont public highschool in 2006 was 1800.

The average property tax in 2006 was $13,000 - yikes!!

Guess you have to take the bad with the good.
More house pics coming soon.

the kids having fun!

2007-09-23T16:27:00.001-07:00

Griffin is a natural soccer player, although his daddy wishes he would do football instead (they actually do have flag football for 5 year olds). Macy LOVES her ballet outfit even more than the class itself. I also included a couple 'back-to-school' & 'chase-the-geese' pics.

Favorite New Discovery

2007-09-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

I LOVE ORLA KIELY!
Discovered her wallets about a year ago in a little store in the Village with my friends Kerri & Melissa. Just recently saw some more of her stuff and decided I MUST have one of those funky oilcloth handbags (hope you're listening sweetie - Oct. 2 is right around the corner).
Check out her website. www.orlakiely.com

Tales of the Renovation

2007-09-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

So the thought of renovating 'this old house' was a great idea at the time! However - we ran into multiple obsticles along the way (many of which should have been caught by the inspector before we closed - but that would have been way too easy).
In the last few weeks (in addition to lot's and lot's of sawdust) we've encountered a leaky roof, flooding basement, cracking pipe, leaking toilet, oil tank drama (more on this later), boiler chimney collapse & replace, and so much other craziness! Our "great deal" has somehow turned into a money pit.
On the upside... we ADORE our neighborhood and neighbors (almost as much as our Plano neighbors)! All of the kids play in the street together every single day - riding bikes, scooters, playing ball, etc. It really is a cozy little neighborhood with so much character....
The kids both LOVE school... they adapt so easily. Griffin started soccer a couple weeks ago (he plays next to the marina - it's picturesque). Macy's in ballet and of course, is eating it up!
I'm meeting nice people everyday and really starting to settle into this new life. Chris says "We're never moving again"... but who knows. Once we get this house in shape - we'll probably be ready for another challenge!
We're only 20 minutes outside of the City - so there's still lot's of great reasons to come visit us!!
More pics to come....

Bath, Kids Rooms, First Day of School

2007-09-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

This Old (new) House!

2007-09-20T17:17:00.001-07:00

"Before" pictures

2007-09-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

Before the great "reveal" ... just wanted to show you the "before" pictures again!

Lot's to catch up on!

2007-09-16T19:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a CRAZY 2 months - but we're finally getting settled into the new place. It seems like an insurmountable task sifting through the Dallas goods as well as our stuff from NYC... but we're slowly digging out from under the mess.

Lot's of pics to post... but we must first see the adorable little miss priss on her 3rd birthday!!! Her favorite things are Hanna Montana, HighSchool Musical 2, and CLOTHES!!!! She's my very girly girl and I love it!!

We're almost there...

2007-08-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

sweet friends!

2007-08-10T03:13:00.000-07:00

Meant to post this pic with the other Florida pictures......

Erinn and Christine are such sweet friends! Here we are enjoying some cocktails at Erin's mom's beautiful home.

Just a memory

2007-08-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

Life in the big city is just a memory now. We moved out of our itty bitty apartment this afternoon. The kids said "Are we moving into a new hotel"? They still - after nearly 2 years - think our apartment was a hotel. Yes - we are in a hotel this week anxiously awaiting the completion of our house.

Here are some pictures of the scary mess that is soon to be our house! The basement isn't a "mess" just a little "scary"!

Summer Fun!

2007-07-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

We spent the past month in sunny (very hot) Florida! The kids had their first "summer camp" experience... Griffin in tennis and Macy in gymnastics. They both loved it!

Mommy did lot's of shopping and played a little tennis too. Daddy was able to come down on the weekends which was great.

Florida was a nice change of pace from the busy city - but we're ready to get back to enjoy our last few days in NYC. We have only 5 days left before we pack up and move out.

Enjoy our summer pictures! More house pics coming soon - the remodel is almost complete!

Crazy!

2007-06-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a whirlwind. We've closed on our house in Westchester, started the remodel, and found a buyer for our Plano house all in the past month!

I'm going to attempt to do 'house updates' on the blog.... we're currently in the demolition stage. Here are some pictures from before we closed as well as what it looks like now.

We're scheduled to move in on August 4th - lot's to do before then. We're actually supposed to be in Florida for the month of July - crazy timing, I know. We shall see if I'm able to 'delegate' the micro-managing of the contractors to someone else!

The thrill is gone.....kinda

2007-05-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

After much consideration - we've decided to head north. Don't get me wrong - we still love the City and all it has to offer, but we're ready for a little more normalcy. We found a great little village in Westchester county about 20 minutes north of the City and fell in love instantly. Actually I fell in love instantly - Chris took a few weeks to warm up to the idea. The town is Larchmont, NY. It's right on the Long Island sound with beautiful old homes, a quaint downtown, train service to Grand Central, a beach, marina and so much more! It's like nothing I've ever seen before (except in the movies). After the idea got into my head - then of course, I could think of nothing else. I got a realtor and we signed a contract on the first house we saw. The real estate is insanely expensive there - possibly even more than NYC (if that's even possible).. but we managed to find a perfect "fixer-upper"! The kids are thrilled to soon have their own bedrooms and especially a back yard. The schools are excellent and Griff is looking forward to starting kindergarten at Mamaroneck Union Free School District (how's that for a name).
We start renovations next month and should be moved in by September 1st. This will be a crazy few months for the Brassell family, but we're anxiously awaiting our new adventure!
I promise to keep you updated!!

Mimi & Poppy

2007-04-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

Mimi and Poppy came to visit a couple weeks ago. Our weekend was packed with adventure (shocker)!
Guggenheim museum - for a somewhat disturbing (partially nude) exhibit, China town - breakin' da law, breakin' da law, Little Italy - good eats!, Today Show - lot's of laughs with Will Farrell, Long Island Children's Museum - definitely worth the 45 minute trip!, and lastly (but not least) a mother/daughter trip to Jersey to visit the largest Marshalls/Homegoods we've ever seen - heaven!!

Oh and of course.... lot's of shoe shopping!

HUGE STAR SIGHTING

2007-03-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

Walked out my front door this morning and what do I see? A movie set right across the street. It still amazes me how much stuff and how many people it takes to film a little bity portion of a movie.
Anyway - I stopped and read the signs - and found out they were filming "The Bourne Ultimatum". I looked up.... and who did I see..... Matt Damon. He was just chilling, drinking a Starbucks.
Very sad I didn't have my camera.
Going back tomorrow to try to catch some more of the action.

Dinner & Dancing!

2007-03-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

We had a fun date-night last weekend.... a Moroccan restaurant and Hookah Lounge complete with Belly Dancing. I've never even heard of a Hookah pipe before... I was VERY interested - although I didn't partake.

Vacation Pictures!

2007-03-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

Aaaahhh.... what a vacation!

2007-03-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

Vacations at the beach are so therapeutic! Spent a week in PR at The El Conquistador! What an amazing place. We'll definitely be back!

Ancient Chinese Secret

2007-03-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

Not sure what exactly the secret is - but it's great. Made another trip to my favorite massage place. I call it the "ying-yang" place because there's a big ying-yang over the door (not sure of the real name). Requested my main dude... and he got right to work on me. I woke up this morning with a crick in my neck along with my usual lower back pain.
The Four Seasons, it is not.
You don't get fancy water with limes & lemons... you get a dixie cup with room temp. water.
You don't get ambiance - just lot's of ying-yangs, one room with four beds (divided by sheets and held together by chip clips).
You don't get Enya.... you get Ancient Chinese Secret music.
You definitely don't get aromatherapy - just straight up baby oil.

Today was the only time I've been there with an actual person in the bed next to me (I guess Friday's a hot day). Although I couldn't see him (because of the sheet divider) I could DEFINITELY hear him. For atleast 30 minutes - he let out a constant stream of oooo's and aaa's and grunts and an occasional OUCH! Then he actually had the nerve to answer his cell phone TWICE to talk to his girlfriend (who I could also hear b/c he was only 2 feet away). Then at the end of his massage - he actually asked the non-english speaking massage therapist to "stretch him out"!!! She must have been GAGGING.
I was dying to see this dude - his breath was very labored like he had just smoked a pack of Pall Malls.. and I picture him to be about 300 pounds. After she left the "fort" for him to get dressed - I could hear him putting on his tighty whities. They were obviously VERY tight and POPPED at the waist. GROSS!!

All that being said. It's the best (and cheapest) massage I've ever gotten. It's worth even the occasional distraction from the random person next to you. They do fabulous foot rubs too. This is a "must do" for everyone who comes to visit.

91 posts - wow!

2007-02-19T15:00:00.000-08:00

My sweet baby boy is turning 5 in one week. We had a little celebration with his cousins this weekend in conjunction with Bailey's b-day. However, our super dooper celebration starts later this week! We're taking a trip to the beach. Puerto Rico here we come!!!!
P.S. Note the pic of Griffin posing with the Oscars!

Back to God's Country...

2007-02-18T19:26:00.000-08:00

We made the trip back to the mountains sooner rather than later. It is literally so quiet there - unlike anything we've ever (not) heard. The kids were on cloud nine with all the great sledding... The parents were on cloud nine next to the fireplace with a glass of wine! Thanks Carol and Rob for another great weekend of mountain fun!

A weekend away is good for the soul.....

Dogs!!

2007-02-14T08:09:00.000-08:00

Got the opportunity to go to the Westminster Dog Show Monday night... something I've always wanted to do. The pictures don't do it justice - it was definitely a sight to see!
My favorite was walking around in the "grooming" area...

Now on to the next Project...Hmmm?

2007-01-31T07:43:00.000-08:00

Long Time no Blog

2007-01-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

I'm back. Not much new to tell... hence the long time since blogging. It's officially winter here. No snow yet - but VERY cold temps.

My wise friend Christine said to me this week "The only way one can live in NYC is to take lot's of vacations". Oh how true that is. You don't even realize it but you become accustomed to the hectic, rushed, crazed lifestyle and one day you feel like you're going to PoP! We're all in need of a "winter break". Considering going somewhere warm next month....

I rearranged the kids room (and did some redecorating too - pics coming soon). In order for me to stay happy in this small space - I must constantly have a "project".

My Girls Night Out this month is a trip to the Opera next Wednesday night. I'll definitely report back.

Lastly, and most importantly, Macy is Pottytrained!! She was so easy (thanks to the Kerri Morris/Dr. Phil method). Only took her 3 days to get it down pat. I'm THRILLED to not have to change diapers anymore!! Here's the challenge... finding a potty in the City - not an easy task!

A couple things...

2007-01-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

Another favorite of 2006... can't believe I forgot to mention it - East Natural Therapy. It's a walk-in massage place specializing in foot and back rubs! 30 minutes for $28... THE BEST MASSAGE EVER!

Holiday Tipping. STRESSFULL!
How much is not enough? How much is too much? Do you tip every single person who works in the building? Last year we were only here a month before "the letter" arrived telling us the names of all the people who "serve us throughout the year". This year, unfortunately, we weren't able to prorate. We decided to tip only those whom we could actually attach a face with a name. And even that added up to $500.
Already feeling the snubs, which I expected. But who do they think we are - The Trumps?

Weekly babysitter:
Erin, our one-day-a-week and sometimes one night too, babysitter is such a huge Blessing! Great decision for daddy to agree to this set-up. Mommy is much happier with a few hours off every week!

Yoga! The perfect antidote for living in 'the City'!
Joined a gym this week. $79 a month (plus all the dumb sign-up fees). It's only a block from my house and has babysitting ($4/hour per kid). Went to yoga last night... I had forgotten how much I loved it!

2007 - The year of healthy living!
As I learned in 2006: "a bagel a day brings 10 pounds your way"
I vow to only allow myself one (whole wheat) bagel a week.

Christmas 2006

2006-12-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

Dora, Hotwheels, Dress-up Clothes, Razor, Shake-n-go, Boots, more Boots, Camera, Knicks Tickets & More! Santa was very generous this year!

Christmas in Oklahoma

2006-12-29T13:34:00.000-08:00

We made the trip to Tulsa on the 22nd and have been here a week. We ate and ate and shopped then ate some more. Had a great time visiting (and dancing and singing) with family and friends... but Libbie needs us to come home! Tonight we head back to our little home in the land of no free refills. Looking forward to spending NYE with our friends, Bryant & Christine. No sign of a sitter at this point - our highlight will probably be a game of Taboo after the kids go to sleep.

More 2006 Favorites:
Jo Malone
Black & White cookies
$23 Mani/Pedi

Favorite Discoveries of 2006

2006-12-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

Derek James! (we're groupies)
Rockwood Music Hall
Canyon Road (Mexican restaurant)
Pookie & Sebastian (boutique)
Mexx
Nola Candles
Bruilly (red wine)
Apple corer/slicer
HomeGoods
Three Designing Women stamps
Juice Box holders
Room diffusers
Naples, Florida
Long Island beaches
MacLaren stroller
Woodbury Commons (outlet mall)
Domino magazine
"The Office"
more soon....

Can you believe it's been a year?

2006-11-15T06:19:00.000-08:00

Remember this picture? A year ago today (November 15) we moved into our apartment in NYC. I can't believe we actually crammed so much stuff into this tiny apartment. The shocker is - we've grown to love this small space! There are many things we love and miss about Texas - but we're having so much fun on this adventure we've decided to stay another year. In one year - we've experienced more than we could have ever imagined. We've made wonderful friends, found an amazing church, seen more Broadway shows than most people see in a lifetime. Not to mention all of our trips to the beautiful places surrounding the City. Our kids have adapted so well - they are having a ball. We're all happy and enjoying every minute of it. Here's to another year in 'The Big Apple'!

Derek James

2006-11-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

We're big fans of Derek James. We saw him Saturday night at The Bitter End. Check him out on itunes and derekjamesmusic.com.
Pictures of friends: Christine (you already know) plus new friends Yael and Erin.... and our newest friend Derek James!

Halloween in New York!

2006-11-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

When Griffin got home from trick-or-treating he said.... "Mommy - I thought we were supposed to trick-or-treat outside". It was a new experience for all of us - but we enjoyed it. We had several Halloween events to attend. Octoberfest at PS158, Griff's class party, and of course, trick-or-treating. The kids each had two costumes and mixed it up at each party. Mommy and Daddy even dressed up for Octoberfest. Griffin loved dressing up like daddy - a Penn football player. The crowd favorite however was DONALD TRUMP!

To Gettysburg!

2006-10-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

We made the trip to Gettysburg last weekend to see "cousin Robbie" play football. It was a beautiful drive, a great game, and terrific sight-seeing in the historic town! Griffin was in awe of "cousin Robbie" as he watched him playing. Amazingly - the kids sat and watched the entire game! Robbie's a senior and plays on the defensive line - we were lucky to get to see one if his last home games. The campus is absolutely beautiful - our trip was timed perfectly with the beautiful foliage. "Big Robbie" gave us a tour of the battlefields and some interesting tidbits of history. Everything is preserved just the way it was during the Civil War. Did you know that if you ever see a statue of a soldier on a horse you can tell if he (the soldier) died during the war? If the horse has all four legs on the ground - he survived the war. If the horse has one leg up - he was wounded in the war. If the horse has two legs in the air - the soldier did not survive the war. The tour was filled with fascinating information! Who knew I enjoyed History?? Attaching a picture of the battlefields, the trainstation where Lincoln came in to deliver the Gettysburg Address, and a picture with Robbie after the game.

Apple Picking

2006-10-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Went apple picking last weekend with some girls from church. We went to Warwick, NY - about an hour north of the city. Amazing time of year to go... the leaves and mountains were absolutely beautiful. Needless to say - we came home with more apples than we could ever eat!

7 Years!

2006-10-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated our 7th anniversary. Chris pampered me with a gift certificate to my favorite boutique, AND dinner at our favorite restaurant (Canyon Road), AND tickets to a Broadway Show. He's a keeper!!

We saw Avenue Q-- a very funny (although a bit racey) puppet show!

I got Chris an indoor grill. A definite necessity... we're lost without our ability to "grill out". Hopefully we can put it to good use (assuming we can find a place to put it)!

It was a great night.

More Mountain Fun

2006-09-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

The Mountain House

2006-09-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

We decided we couldn't live without a car! We've spent almost a year here without one and found ourselves renting cars atleast twice a month for out of town adventures. So.... we bit the bullet and found a (used) car on craigslist. We got a Volvo Cross Country and we love it! It's the perfect car for our family.

Our first official outing in our car was last weekend to the Pocono Mountains. We stayed at Rob & Carol's beautiful mountain house... it was an amazing experience! The Gullette family joined us on our adventure. We're ready to go back for more of that mountain air! Thanks Rob & Carol for being so generous with your house.

US Open

2006-09-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

Kerri & Greg, our friends from Plano, came to see us a couple weeks ago. They had the opportunity to attend the US Open. Luckily, we were able to spend a lot of time together and even had some mini-shopping adventures!

Kerri had her first H&M experience - a definite NYC 'must do'! Looking forward to seeing you guys again soon! You're welcome here anytime!

New York Girls From Texas

2006-09-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

I'm so lucky to have made five special friends here in New York. The funny thing is - we're all from Texas, but none of us knew each other before we moved here. We started a supper club that meets once a month. This month we met at Misty's apartment in Brooklyn. Her apartment is straight out of anthropologie - very cool. Not only is she a great decorator - she sings and plays guitar. It only took a couple glasses of wine to convince her to play for us!

Fun!

2006-09-11T06:21:00.000-07:00

My "New York Moments"

2006-09-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to really appreciate living in New York and all it has to offer. I've even started labeling my exceptional experiences as my "New York Moments". For example - the first time we had a family picnic at the Great Lawn while overlooking the massive skyline... was definitely a "New York Moment".
Happiness, amazement, and contentment all at once... this is a "New York Moment".

I had a "New York Moment" last night that I'd label in the "top 3".
It was a last minute decision - to go out with our friends Bryant and Christine. We decided to do a joint-sitter to save money. We bathed and PJ'd at home- then headed to their apartment. The sitter was responsible for five kids, but was happy to do it for $20 an hour.

Our plan was to go down to the lower east side, aka, Alphabet City, which also happens to be the "it" place to be. We stopped first to get some food at our favorite new restaurant that just so happens to be Mexican. Can you believe it? We found a great Mexican spot in the City! It's called Canyon Road and is delicious (the beef fajitas rival Uncle Julio's).

We've been wanting to see our friend Wes in concert for a while and finally got this last minute opportunity. Wes Hendrickson (check out his website, weshutchinson.com) used to be our Music leader at church but has left us to pursue his career. He's a young, hip and soon to be not-so starving artist now that his music has hit the tv circuit. You've probably heard his songs on Windfall, Laguna Beach, Boston Public and more. He's on the verge of hitting it big so we wanted to see him in concert before he forgets all about us.

We got downtown and we were in a sea of trendy 20/30 somethings wearing only the hippest clothes and sporting only the hippest hairstyles. Good thing I didn't wear my laura ashley dress(ha)!
We walked into this teeny-tiny club called the Rockwood Music Hall. The word "Hall" might lead you to believe this place could hold a lot of people. Not true. I'd say the maximum occupancy is 50 people and we were one of the lucky people who got a table up close and personal.
The concert was great - Wes is great. He's coming out with a new CD soon - I'm sure there will be information on his website if anyone is interested. Keep your ears open - he's sure to be the next John Mayer.

PS158

2006-09-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

Griffin started school today- his first day at a NYC public school. There are 18 kids and two teachers in his pre-K class. Both teachers seem very nice. Griffin was excited and did great. Mommy, on the other hand, was very sad and cried. My boy is getting so big!!!!

Official Show Count

2006-08-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

Since moving to NY last November we've had the opportunity to see 11 shows (a combination of Broadway and Off-Broaday). Here's the official running count - I'd say we're turning into Broadway junkies!

1. Pajama Game
2. I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change
3. Almost Maine
4. Wicked
5. Drowsey Chapperone
6. Mamma Mia
7. Blue Man Group
8. Altar Boyz
9. Almost Heaven
10.Barefoot in the Park
11.25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Living the life...

2006-08-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Paige said she wanted to come live my life in NYC. So that's what we did. We didn't do the "touristy" stuff - we just did what we'd normally do on any weekend. Paige brought her son Hank... aka, "The Tank" or "Billy Rubin", to play with the kids -they had a ball. They played their hearts out and crashed at the end of every day. My sweet husband, watched the kids twice so Paige and I could do some boutique shopping in the area (nothing out of the ordinary for my life). We ate and ate and drank and shopped and even had time for a Broadway show! 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was hilarious - we were singing it all weekend long (shocker). On our last night we got a babysitter and the three of us went to Rosa Mexicano (one of very few good Mexican Restaurants in the City) then to the lower east side to listen to some live music. The trip ended with church this morning, then it was time to say good-bye to our sweet friends. We can't wait till your next visit - bring BT next time!

Macy's Birthday!

2006-08-27T15:55:00.000-07:00

Macy is two! We had her birthday party at the Central Park Zoo. We started here with lunch and cake, then we walked to the zoo. Mimi and cousin Melanie were here for the big event - it was a great day! Some favorites were.... the Dora cake, the fat piggee at the petting zoo, and of course, the Dora trike!

Long Lost Friend...

2006-08-21T15:43:00.000-07:00

A special friend from college came to visit us last weekend! Dana was in our wedding, but we haven't seen much of each other since then. She was working in New Jersey and took the train over for a visit. We're putting the hard pressure on her to move up here for good - she thinks there might be an opening in the New Jersey office in a few months.

Carrie!

2006-08-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

Carrie (we're on a first name basis) is sooooooooo adorable and very very skinny! Here are some pics from the (very short) concert in Bryant Park. (The concert was cut short b/c of terrorist happenings the day before.)

Good Morning America

2006-08-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

Heading to Bryant Park at 6:30 in the morning to see Carrie Underwear (as Griffin would say). As most of you know - we're HUGE American Idol fans... and love Carrie Underwood!
Hopefully we'll be there early enough to get a good spot.

Friends!

2006-08-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends, The Looneys, have moved back to Texas. Here are some pictures from our "going-away" dinner.... Think of us when you're at Chuy's, Sonic, Bueno, Uncle Julio's, Patrizio's, etc., etc. We'll miss you Jessica & Ryan!

Quite a night...

2006-08-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a very traumatic night at the park. We were having a picnic at a park near the east river and after dinner we all decided to walk to the edge of the park and watch the boats go by. Unfortunately, Macy wanted a closer look and stuck her head through the iron railing. And, as you probably could guess, she got her head stuck. At first we didn't think much about it...but after about 10 minutes of twisting and turning her head we started to get a little worried. At this point, there was a gallery of people watching the 'circus act' including a popcorn vendor who tried to help. He rubbed popcorn oil on Macy's head to see if we could slide it out. No success. She was incredibly calm throughout this ordeal - but we were getting more and more concerned. Finally - a man in the crowd called 911 and almost instantaneously 2 firetrucks, and ambulance and police car arrived. We had 8 uniformed servicemen on the scene. They were very kind and helpful and fortunately didn't have to use the "jaws of life" like they had anticipated. Two of them hopped the very tall iron fence and figured out a way to get Macy to turn her shoulder and eventually get her whole body to go through to the other side. Luckily - without any major bruises - they handed sweet Macy over to us.
On the walk home, she was holding her head and saying "Macy head stuck". Bless her little heart. She's bathed/de-oiled and sleeping now... lot's of excitement for tonight. She fell asleep the moment she got in bed.

Wedding Memories #2

2006-08-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

Wedding Memories!

2006-08-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

Pre-Wedding Festivities

2006-07-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

We just returned from Brett's wedding at Lake Texoma. There were many festivities before the actual wedding... Hawaiian bridal shower, nails & toes (and in some cases eyebrows), golfing, and of course - the rehearsal dinner. Pictures from the wedding and reception coming soon!

Beach Bums!

2006-07-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

We spent my birthday weekend on Cape May! It was a quaint little Victorian town with a beautiful beach. We loved it.
And since we can't get enough of the ocean - we decided to head to Long Island this weekend to visit my college friend, Nikki. The kids had a ball playing in the sand and surf. Macy spent some time sleeping too!

Random stuff...

2006-07-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

Did you know that in the summer the City smells like Pee?? Since there's not a lot of grass - the dogs just pee on the sidewalk. In the hot sun, the smell is not good!

After living here 8 months - I can honestly say that a cab is my least favorite mode of transportation. Nearly every time I ride in a cab (which is about 3-4 days a week) I get car sick. I think it's a combination of the heat (most of them are too cheap to run the a/c) and the constant swirving and slamming on the breaks. I much prefer walking. Second choice would be subway, then bus, then cab.

I found an awesome place to exercise! A friend told me about this class called Core Fusion which is a combination of yoga, pilates and ballet. It's great but costs $30 a class. If you buy a package of 10 classes - the cost drops to $25 a class. Sounded like a deal to me....

I have a new obsession! Tasti D-Lite! Someone needs to open one in Plano - they'd make a killing! It's like soft serve frozen yogurt, but non-dairy, only a few calories, almost no carbs, and very low-fat. It's like 80% air... but it's sooooooooo good!!! There's one on our block - so we're there a lot.

Last night we were startled to find our next door neighbor screaming in the hall at 10:00pm. These, by the way, are the same neighbors who complained about us making too much "hanger noise" in our closet. Anyway - evidentally there was a mouse (or mice) sighting in his apartment. He was screaming and carrying on about how we pay way too much rent to have mice in this building. Does he not know we live in NYC? Not to mention we're only on the 3rd floor. We haven't seen any mice yet and are feeling pretty confident that Libbie will scare them away!

Sweet Baby Lucy!

2006-07-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sweet baby Lucy (and her sweet parents, of course) came to see us! We loved having them here - even Libbie was excited to see them. It's so nice to catch up with friends from the old 'hood. Thanks for making the trip!

Gotta Love the Texans!

2006-06-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

Christine and Bryant Gullette have become our best friends in New York. We have lot's in common- they moved here from Texas too! We love to get a sitter and double date.

GNO (Girls Nite Out)

2006-06-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

Had a great GNO last week - thought I'd share a picture. We went to a great Cuban Restaurant on the UWS. I've really enjoyed getting to know the girls in my building... and unfortunately, two of them are moving this month. Like us, most of the people we meet are "Short Timers"!

More Fun!

2006-06-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

Lot's to tell...

2006-06-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad blogger lately.... my life has gone from crazy to in-sane!
We've had lot's of visitors, lot's of fun days in the Park, and have started to settle into summer life in the Big Apple!
The City is hoppin'. All the restaurants have outdoor seating which makes for a lively fun neighborhood! Central Park, specifically "The Great Lawn", is our new favorite hangout. We picnic there atleast once a week. The kids can run wild without escaping because it's totally fenced in. Central Park is such a haven for New Yorkers.... it's an amazing place. These pictures capture some of our favorite moments from the last few weeks.

Fun in the Sun!

2006-06-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

After a week in the sun - we are rested, relaxed and ready to dive back into the crazy life in the big City!! Here are some favorite pics from Naples, Florida.

"Bridge & Tunnel People"

2006-05-14T16:41:00.000-07:00

Bridge and Tunnel People: Those who don't live in the City and have to take a bridge or a tunnel to get here (a derogatory term used by Manhattanites).

Bridges and Tunnels are very interesting and worthy of their own blog post. To get in and out of the city you have several options: Lincoln Tunnel, Holland Tunnel, Midtown Tunnel, Queensboro Bridge, George Washington Bridge, Triboro Bridge, Manhattan Bridge or Brooklyn Bridge. Most of these will allow you to get out of the City free of charge - but will charge you up to $6 to get back in. All have very convoluted twists and turns to converge traffic down to just a few lanes. We've been in a complete stand-still for over an hour trying to get out of Manhattan on Friday at 5:00. If given the choice I'd always choose a bridge. The feeling of being completely stopped in traffic in the middle of a two mile tunnel is unbelievably claustrophobic. The bridges aren't a cup of tea though either. Most are double-decker suspension bridges that can totally freak you out if you think about the number (and weight) of cars on there at any given time. It seems like they are perpetually doing work requiring scaffolding in the City and the bridges are no exception.
All that being said - the use of a bridge or tunnel is pretty infrequent in our lives but still sits in the back of my mind with thoughts popping up from time to time. Like for example - Can you imagine if a hurricane was predicted to hit NYC? Think of all 7 or 8 million people trying to leave by way of bridge or tunnel! Let's hope that never happens.

Tribeca Film Festival

2006-05-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Our friends Mellany and Jason Behrman were in town from LA this week promoting their newest film at the Tribeca Film Festival. They produced the movie "Farewell Bender" and we were thrilled to get to see it! The movie was great - I'm so proud of them. Thanks Mell, for letting us join in the festivities.

Easter Fun!

2006-04-19T05:58:00.000-07:00

Mimi and Poppy were here for a long Easter weekend. The weather was gorgeous! We spent lot's of time in the park Easter Egg Hunting and picnicing. My only disappointment was not getting the kids' picture with the Easter Bunny. I guess the Easter Bunny only makes appearances at Shopping Malls!

The Big Show....

2006-04-17T18:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of my "booth" at the New York Junior League Show. It was fun - but a ton of work! Of course, it was raining on the day of the show. Getting my stuff over there (in a cab in the rain) and up three floors was challenging! I made several good sales and a lot of great contacts. It was definitely an "experience" - I'm glad I did it.

Spring, Friends & Pink Lemonade

2006-04-07T08:08:00.000-07:00

Spring is beautiful in NYC! The weather has been literally perfect for the past two weeks then out of the blue it snowed this week!!

We had our first Central Park picnic with Tammy, Spencer & Tyler who were visiting us last weekend. We spent an entire day walking around the park - it's amazing how much there is to do! We found a little remote-control boat pond...Griffin loved it. We also visited Ground Zero, shopped in Soho, and caught an off-broadway show "Altar Boyz". We had a wonderful weekend!

"Pink Lemonade" has been all but dead until last week when I committed to do a New York Junior League show. I've been crazy busy ordering & pricing new stock, and getting decorations for my booth (which included a trip to Michaels in Queens). I'm not sure what to exptect. This event may put "Pink Lemonade" back on the map!

Celeb sighting #8

2006-04-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

Last night I made a Bloomies run with my friend Catherine. We were there right at closing time trying to find a birthday gift for our friend Kelly. We were coming down the escalator and at the bottom was Kerri Russell (Felicity)! She was looking for something or someone and acted like she was going to ask us a question. She's so cute... and soooooooo petite (shocker)!

Central Park Zoo

2006-04-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

I didn't know what to expect before going to the Central Park Zoo...
We went last week on a beautiful spring day. I was very impressed with how clean it was(a major contrast to the Dallas zoo). It's pretty small - but they had plenty to entertain us. A petting zoo, sea lion show, penguins, a rainforest, polar bears,and more! The polar bears were definitely the highlight of our day.

Pictures

2006-03-27T07:43:00.000-08:00

A couple tid-bits...

2006-03-27T07:15:00.000-08:00

Did I mention that in a city of 7 million people there's no demand for a country radio station? Not a single one!

Did you know anytime you enter the city (either on a bridge or through a tunnel) you have to pay a $6 toll? There's no charge to leave - just a charge to get back in.

Evidentally, if you live in NYC, you either vacation in the Hamptons or in Florida. Since we don't have a trust fund - we'll be vacationing in Florida this summer.

Griffin had his first "Greek School" play on Friday. He dressed in traditional Greek cosume and sang a song in Greek. It was in celebration of Greek Independence Day.

Macy is getting so big and is into everything! She is so different than Griffin was at this age! She is a total drama queen (shocker) and loves her baby dolls and playing "dress up".

Gettin' out of town

2006-03-27T06:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday we got a wild hair. We decided to rent a car and head to the mountains! Bear Mountain, that is. Home of the best outlet mall I've ever been to (and I've been to a few). Our friends the Gullette's came too (in their own car - they're a family of five). We caravaned up to Woodbury Commons on the winding (and a little bit scary) streets. We arrived to find the most exquisite shops on cobblestoned streets with a beautiful mountain backdrop. What a day we had! We let the kids run like wild beasts - and we shopped till we dropped (actually until they kicked us out at 6:00). The stores were not your typical "outlet" stores. Some of my favorites were - Oilily, Theory, Juicy, and Kate Spade. We didn't have time to see it all... but we were very impressed with what we did see (and buy).
After leaving the outlets we headed to the neighborhood Chili's! Isn't it crazy that after being in NY with all these great restaurants, I was actually thrilled about the prospect of eating at Chili's! A big part of the appeal is the free refills and great kids menu!
We had to wait a while for a table for 9, but the kids were great. We spent 2 hours at Chili's and decided to wrap up the trip with a visit to Target (afterall - we had rented the car for 24 hours - why not make the most of it). We closed down Target at 10:00 and headed back to The City.
We've found that sometimes we have to "get away" and breathe the fresh air so the hustle & bustle doesn't get to us!

St. Patty's in NY

2006-03-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

We weren't able to make it to the parade on 5th Ave., so we decided we'd get a babysitter and enjoy an "adult" celebration of St. Patrick's Day. Who knew we lived on the hottest street in town?? 2nd Ave. is known for it's Irish Pubs and HUGE St. Patrick's Day crowds. We teamed up wtih Kelly & Mark (7A) and started with dinner at Doc Watson's - just two blocks from our house. It was extremely crowded - but we knew that was going to be the norm, so we decided to stay. We pushed our way past the drunken fools and finally reached the restaurant portion of the bar. I was feeling somewhat anxious at this point. Just a hunch - but I was thinking "This place was way over capacity and what would we do if there was a fire". Boy am I old!
We sat down - ate and drank some Irish Beer (actually I had Miller Light, I'm not that adventurous) and decided to move to our next stop. Our goal was to see some Live Irish Music - but at this point it wasn't looking too promising. We hopped around to 3 or 4 more Irish Pubs in the area that were absolutely packed to the gills and finally resolved that the "live music" thing wasn't going to happen. At about 11:00pm we decided to eat again! So we went to yet another pub for some more greasy fried food and beer. I however, was finished with beer. I'm not a huge beer person anyway, but was trying to hang in there for a while. Three Miller Lights was as far as I got.
At this point I was hoping our friends might be as tired as I was... but no such luck - we were off to another pub. I can literally count on one hand the times I've been "bar hopping" and even less than that - the times I actually enjoyed bar hopping. I would have been great with a plate of Italian Food and glass of red wine... but in the spirit of the holiday - I was a good sport!
We finished up the night in apt. 7-A making chocolate chip cookies at 1:30am.
Overall - it was a fun night and I know Chris enjoyed the tasty Irish Beers on tap.
The next morning came way too early with Griffin pulling our covers off and literally opening our eyelids and saying "get up mommy" "get up daddy"!

Four Months - Can you believe it?

2006-03-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's taken me so long to post a new entry. I'm admitting now to all, I'm totally over-committed (but enjoying every minute of it).

I thought the transition from suburbia to big city was going to be harder than it actually has been. Thus - from the moment we moved in - I've made a major effort to reach out to people and get "involved". No... this wasn't a stretch for me... I love to be "social". But I did anticipate it taking us longer than this to acclimate to a totally new life.

Since moving here four months ago - our lives have been filled with many blessings. We found (and joined) an amazing church... Manhattan Christian Church (www.nychristian.com). Through this church, we (all four of us) are developing wonderful friendships and deepening our Christian faith. Our church does so many amazing things for our community - we knew from the beginning we wanted to be a part of it.

I've also made great friends in our building and Chris has re-connected with friends from his batchelor days. All of the sudden, before we knew it, we had this very full social life. Chris has friends to play basketball with.... the kids have playdates coming out the wahzoo... and I'm in two supper clubs, one book club and a church community group. Not to mention we're nearing Guinness Book Record stats for seeing the most Broadway shows in one year.

Okay - so don't get the wrong idea. No matter how great this sounds - NYC will never compare to our life at home, in Dallas. I don't want this email to make you sad (talking to you here, mom). I really just thought I owed many of you an explanation as to why I've been such a bad correspondant since moving here. There's so much to see and do and before I know it the days get away from me. This is such a fast-paced life and as I've menitoned before - we are very rarely at home in our apartment. So please please forgive me if I'm not so good at returning emails and/or phonecalls. Always know that no matter what - nothing or no one could ever take the place of our family and precious friends.

Buzz and Friends

2006-02-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

There were 30 people in attendance at Griffin's Super Hero Party. Super Heroes included 2 Buzzes, 2 Power Rangers, 2 Wonder Women, 2 Spidermen, 2 Catwomen, 1 Kim Possible, 1 Flash and 1 Super Mimi.
It was one of the coldest days so far.... but, as they say... the parade must go on!
We paraded from our lobby to a pizza place (Delizia) 2 blocks away. When we got to Delizia - we played Super Hero games like "Kryptonite Toss" and colored on Super Hero coloring pages. After games - we ate pizza followed by lot's of Buzz cake. Griffin was showered with TONS of presents (most of which are either very large - or small with lot's of additional small pieces). How did they know - that's just what he (we) wanted!
After the party, Griffin and Mimi immortalized Buzz on Griffin's headless Gap manequin. The question is - Where will Buzz stay? Currently he's in our living room. I think he might make a move to the closet soon. Surely we can wedge him in there somehow.

The Torpedo

2006-02-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

Okay - so our sled is called the Torpedo... I should have known. We walked to CP which wasn't that easy. Although most of the sidewalks had been somewhat packed down - the crosswalks had not. There were huge drifts of snow (sometimes to my waist) with only a tiny walking path cut out. Needless to say - we had to get creative to get the kids (on sleds) to the park. We finally made it to some hills that initially didn't seem all that steep. We climbed to the top of the hill and got into the Torpedo (Griffin in front, Macy in middle, Mommy in back). I guess it never donned on me that the more weight you put in the sled - the faster you will go! Who was I kidding... we were afterall, in The Torpedo. So I pushed off and away we went... not only down the first hill at the speed of lightning, but down the second hill (which I hadn't planned on) . We ended up crashing into some deep snow and rolled off into a dogpile with Macy on the bottom. It wasn't a pretty site. Macy was done. Griffin however, was loving it! I found a spot to sit with Macy while Griffin enjoyed lot's of (fast) sledding!

Blizzard Bliss

2006-02-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

We couldn't do much of anything on Sunday... the amount of snow was CRAZY!! Here are some pictures from that day - Macy waking up and seeing the snow, 2nd Ave., and me pulling Macy in the sled. We tried to go to the Park that day, but only made it about 3 blocks. Macy was miserable (and we were too) so we turned around and spent the day in our cozy apartment. Monday was another day.... the snow had stopped and the sledding was on!

Let it snow...

2006-02-11T18:26:00.000-08:00

and snow, and snow! We're expecting a foot of snow tonight. We can't wait to use our new sleds in Central Park. I think there are some pretty big hills near 72nd st.

So I was shopping at Bloomies and got lured in by this huge product display. I'm always up for learning about new "miracle" products. So - I listened to their shpeel (I'm sure they knew they had a live one) and what do you think happened? I bought it! It's a new skincare line from Rodan & Fields - the same doctors that created ProActiv. The deal closer was the UV picture they took of my face..... oh my goodness. All those years of lifeguarding (without sunscreen nonetheless... and actually - I think I even put Crisco on my face at some point) didn't do me any favors. The picture was SCARY. $135 sounded like a deal to me!

We're planning Griffin's 4th Birthday Party. It's next weekend and we're expecting 16 kids and at least 20 adults. Griffin is such a social boy... he has made so many new friends. He likes to name them one by one to make sure I remembered to send each one an invitation. We knew Griffin would want to wear his Buzz Lightyear outfit to the party ( his daily uniform) so we thought we'd build on that. We decided to invite the kids to come to the party dressed as their favorite superhero. The kids will come to our apartment (actually to the lobby of our apartment building) and we'll have a "Superhero Parade" to a pizza place a few blocks away. Now - I'm sure a few things are popping into your head. Like... what if it's freezing cold? Trust me - it's just the parents who will be freezing. When Griffin is in his "uniform" his blood is PUMPIN'. The parade will be complete with noise makers, balloons, a banner, and of course, 16 kids. Haven't really warned the doormen about this little shindig yet - guess I better do that. I'll probably wait until the very last minute. After the parade we'll eat pizza and cake (Buzz cake, of course) and play superhero games! I've decided to play along and be "Wonder Woman" for the occasion. Chris will be "Flash". Mimi is coming from Tulsa to help us celebrate. She's planning to surprise Griffin with her superhero costume. I'm guessing "Super Mimi"!

I'll be back with updates on 1) the snow; 2) my new and improved skin; 3) and the super dooper superhero birthday party!

Visitors from Austin

2006-02-08T06:15:00.000-08:00

We had a great weekend with our friends Angela and Rob who made the trip from Austin. We did the usual.... lot's of shopping and too much eating. It was great! They did The Circle Line Tour and some other sightseeing on their own, and ended up eating lunch next to Gwen Stefani.
We got lucky with some great (cheap) tickets to see Amanda Peet starring in 'Barefoot in the Park'. Here we are in the back of the theater - we all loved the show.
I'm turning into quite the Broadway junkie. Chris and I are going to see 'Wicked' tonight.

Don't get me wrong...

2006-02-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

I love New York - but there are a few things a person shouldn't have to live without. Like, for example:
FREE REFILLS
SONIC
HOBBY LOBBY
TEX-MEX
A GARBAGE DISPOSAL
OVERHEAD LIGHTING
A YARD (especially for Libbie)
and of course,
MY FRIENDS & FAMILY. I wish you could be here to experience this adventure with us. We're loving every single minute of it (except when we're paying $2.50 for a diet coke refill).

I Heart NY!

2006-01-31T07:45:00.000-08:00

I love that on a rainy day I can put on my rainboots and walk across the street to get anything I need (dinner, diapers, haircut, sunglasses, fruit, jewelry, clothes.... you name it).

I love that I have a trash chute right outside my door.

I love walking to Bloomies for 'tax free shopping week' (took advantage of that one yesterday).

I love using the subway to get to the other end of town in just a few minutes.

I love that I just signed up Griffin for swimming lessons at the community center and it's FREE!!!

I love calling One Stop Laundry and telling them "3-A has a pick-up"!

I love seeing shows. Our goal is to see atleast one a month. This month is "Wicked".

I love going down to our playroom when the kids are bouncing off the walls!

I LOVE the food here. I thought I was spoiled in Dallas... but I'm not kidding - the food here is SICK! (just in case you weren't aware - 'sick' is the new 'great').

I love that Griffin is inviting 13 kids to his birthday party - he's made friends really quickly.

I love the black and white cookie!!

I love being a mom in the City.... there's so much to see, do and experience!!

Girls Gone Wild...

2006-01-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

Well, not exactly! We were pretty tame. We had lot's of fun though - here are some highlights:
We saw Pajama Game, starring Harry Connick, Jr. We were especially impressed with his singing, dancing and piano skills... not to mention his pectorals! If this was a 'girls only' website - I might go on and on - but since I love and respect my husband, I'll leave it at that! After the show we hung out with the groupies on the sidewalk to catch a glimpse of him leaving the theater. Not only did we get a glimpse of him (and his wife and kids)- we had a conversation with him! He was very gracious.
We also saw an off broadway show called Almost Maine. It was very clever and entertaining! We all enjoyed it as well. No need for stalking after that show.
We shopped quite a bit. We shopped the local boutiques, Soho and the Green Market in Union Square. In Soho, we loved seeing what all the street vendors had to offer. There are some amazing artists that set up down there. Great handmade jewelry, hats, scarves, paintings and more. Yes - we also did Canal Street. They twisted my arm! On the subway ride over there - I gave them a pep talk and instructed them that "we need to be strong and not go with the first person that approaches us". Then what did we do? We followed the first person that approached us. What can I say? Immediate Gratification is my middle name. The only problem was that the first person who approaced us didn't even have a store. They had a van, parallel parked on a side street, with tinted windows. Kerri & Melissa didn't hesitate for a minute before getting in the van with her (yes - luckily it was a her and not a him). There was only room for three so I "stood guard" outside. After about 5 minutes - they opened the door with no purchases made. We were off to find our next peddler. We didn't take even 10 steps and they were surrounding us like vultures. We followed them into fake storefronts including chinese take-out, shoe repair, jewelry stores and more. I lost track but my guess is we went in no less than 10-12 illegal stores! We left with 6 purses (2 for me, 1 for Kerri and 3 for Melissa).
We also did lot's and lot's of eating! Bagels, Muffins, Cookies, Pasta, Pizza and lot's of bread and olive oil were enjoyed by all. Oh yes - and also red wine.
Our second celebrity sighting was Ed Norton. We were strolling along in the Village (Grenwich Village) when Ed jogged right past us. He's cuter and taller in person.
Hopefully Kerri & Melissa got a nice glimpse of my life in the big city! They got to know my neighbors (maybe too well), my doormen,the neighborhood bagel shop and grocery store. Thanks, girls, for spending your weekend with me. Thanks to Vic and Greg for letting you come.
Looking forward to your next visit.

Movie stars coming soon!!

2006-01-23T17:05:00.000-08:00

As I was walking Griffin to school today - I noticed some signs all along our street. They were big pink signs that looked pretty official. They said "all cars must be off the street by 7:00pm tonight due to filming of the movie The Good Shephard". So... I came home and googled "the Good Shephard" and read that Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Robert Di Niro are all in the movie! I'm planning to camp out in our courtyard tomorrow to catch a glimpse! This is so exciting!!!

Check back tomorrow for details about my girls weekend with Melissa and Kerri! We had TWO star sightings and lot's of fun!!

I went to Disneyland...

2006-01-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

Well - not exactly....
I went to TARGET!!!! It felt like I was at Disneyland.
My friend Kelly told me about a Target in Brooklyn that is right on the subway line. We took the 6 to 42nd street... walked across the platform to the 4 and took that train to Brooklyn. We got off the train and Target was literally right in front of us. It was wonderful! We bought lot's of heavy stuff that in hindsight - probably wasn't a great idea... but we were caught up in the moment!
Lucky for Griffin and Macy - there's a Chuck-E-Cheese right above Target. It was a great day for all of us... (except for the part about carrying lot's of very heavy bags, holding coats, navigating the stroller and holding griffin's hand on the way home)!!

Finally... more pics of the apt.

2006-01-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

Here's our kitchen, bedroom, and view from our apartment.

This and That

2006-01-13T07:02:00.000-08:00

Griffin had his first sleepover (Caden, 7-A). They were so cute. They baked cookies, played lite-brite, played v-smile and stayed up really late (I'm a push over). Pictures coming soon!

We bought sleds so we'll be ready for the next snow! We got a "torpedo" for Griffin and a small one with a seatbelt for Macy. It was comical trying to get them home without hitting everyone along the way.

I went to a girls night out with some of my new friends. We got a mani-pedi at a really modern nice place. It was only $23. Of couse - since it was so cheap - I added a $10 chair massage at the end! They invited me to join their supper club too. I'm excited! I heard them discussing a new Sushi restaurant they wanted to try. I haven't yet divulged I'm the pickiest eater on earth!

We found a new restarant/bar called Brother Jimmy's. The food was great (and kids eat free).
So many of the restarants here are tiny and the tables are very close together. It's always a treat when we find somewhere "kid friendly".

Chris and I are going on a date tonight! We're gonna try out a swanky Mexican Restaurant called Rosa Mexicano. Looks very cool..... but possibly very expensive. I heard margaritas are $10 a pop!

Our daily activities....

2006-01-07T12:05:00.000-08:00

Chris is out of town so I knew it would be a long weekend. My goal is to plan as many activities as possible to keep us busy! We woke up this morning and bundled up so we could take Libbie on a walk. During our walk we stopped and got Griffin a chocolate donut (with sprinkles on top) and walked up 2 more blocks to find mommy and Macy a muffin. Macy's hands were completely red and frozen by the time we got home (we can't find her gloves at the moment).

After Macy's nap, we bundled up again for our adventure.... K-MART!!! There's a K-Mart downtown and it just happens to be right on our subway line. You literally walk off the subway and you're there. So I made a list (including new gloves for Macy) and we headed to the subway. It's really hard to manouver the stroller down the stairs, through the turnstile and onto the subway - but I managed (with no one offering to help, I might add). We did our K-Mart shopping without anyone needing a bathroom break which was a miracle... no one, not even K-Mart, has a public restroom. So we leave the store - they check my receipt (to make sure all of my stuff is bought and paid for) and we head back to the subway. There are always people singing on the subway which still freaks Griffin out. It's nice for me because it always keeps the kids entertained. We get off at 58th street so we can run into a store to try to find some paint (yes - I'm starting another project). We go into a store called Gracious Home, which is one of my favorite spots. The only negative is it's not very stroller friendly and there are TONS of grouchy old ladies in mink coats stopping in the middle of the aisle to give me parenting advice. :)
Anyway - we leave Gracious Home (with paints in bag) and head to the drugstore to pick up some toiletries and milk. Oh - by the way - At this point Macy has already lost her gloves that we bought at K-Mart.
We leave the drugstore and head back to our apartment so we can eat leftovers from last night. The three of us ate at a little neighborhood Italian joint last night called Delizia. Italian food has taken the place of Mexican for us. We eat it atleast 3 times a week!
Tonight we're going to dinner (yes, probably Italian) with our next door neighbors Nancy, David and their son Drew.
Chris gets home tomorrow... yippee!

No privacy...

2006-01-05T18:54:00.000-08:00

Okay - I can officially never again talk about anything juicy on the phone! My next door neighbor (my new pal) came over for our nightly chat (this is a whole story in itself - don't have the energy right now for details). Anyway - her husband's out of town so she brought her monitor because her son is in bed. Long story short - she plugged in the monitor and all the sudden we hear a phone number being dialed. Then we hear someone answer. Then we hear the whole conversation (which was very interesting, I might add). Nancy and I both had our ears up to the monitor - with it turned on full blast (just like a couple of teenagers) when Chris walks in the door from work (wondering what the HECK we are doing)! Then I get a buzz from the doorman. My first thought was... "How did he know we were listening to our neighbors conversation".....boy am I paranoid. He said "Mrs. Brassell, sorry to bother you so late - but I was wondering if you have seen Mrs. Steinfeld today." (Mrs. Steinfeld is my next door neighbor, Nancy, who is now motioning for me to say that she's not there). So I tell Bruce yes, I have seen her today, earlier today, and ask why he is calling. He said he got a call from her husband wondering where she is! Wow! Her husband is really persistant in tracking her down. She was only here 10 minutes tops! Anyway - she scurryed off - with monitor in hand (darn - I knew I shouldn't have garage saled my monitors).
So... back to my original thought. No phone conversation is private in this building. There are ears everywhere! I now know every last detail of the latex based ointment the woman on the phone was using on her brown rashy discoloration!??? Lucky for me - I don't know exactly who she is or which apartment she lives in.
Apartment life is so fun!

We laughed, we danced....

2006-01-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

...we covered ourselves in toilet paper! I guess you had to be there.
Blue Man Group was awesome-definintely an EXPERIENCE! Sorry this is such a bad picture... we only had our camera phone with us.

I'm back!

2006-01-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

The holidays were crazy - but fun! We're glad to be back home (it still sounds weird calling this home). I'm anxious to see lot's of you in this new year. We've already had several visitors (Rob, Carol, Kelly, Chelsea, Heather, Frank, Coll & the girls) and we're looking forward to a visit from Melissa and Kerri later this month.

We're officially all settled in and getting to know the neighborhood pretty well. We're trying new restaurants everyday... nope - still not cooking all that often.

Chris has agreed to let me indefinitely "send out" the laundry... yippee! That in itself makes moving to NYC completely worth it!

Griffin started a new school today. We were tired of the 3-6pm schedule - it just wasn't working (shocker)! After an interview with the Headmaster - he was offered a spot at The Cathedral School. We are thrilled because he will go 3 days a week from 8:45 - 2:45 and it's CHEAPER and CLOSER!
The school is Greek and most everyone who goes to school there is Greek. Griffin will actually be learning to speak Greek - 30 minutes a day (it's on the cirriculum). His teachers are Voula and Sophia... they are very sweet and loving. I think this will be a much better experience for all of us.

I'm going to sign up Macy for a "mommy and me" class at a place called 74th Street magic. They offer all types of neat classes including "cooking"! I'll keep you posted.

Chris and I are going to see BLUE MAN GROUP tonight. It was a Christmas present. Griffin is excited because his favorite babysitter Janet is coming. She lives in the Bronx so we have to pay for her cab ride home. After tacking that on to $15 per hour...it's an expensive evening! Oh well... We're having fun... who needs a savings account!

Christmas fun!

2005-12-24T17:35:00.000-08:00

We're celebrating Christmas 4 times this year.

Yesterday-Tulsa, Today-Pryor, Tomorrow-Santa. Next stop.... Philly!

Merry Christmas to you!! More from NYC next week!