Cute Cases

I never thought I would do it, but recently traded in my beloved Blackberry for the new white iPhone.  Keeping with the spirit of my new fun gadget (Blackberrys seem more serious for some reason) I decided to look for a case to fit.  There are so many to choose from (especially here)!  Above are a few of my favorites.  Can you guess which one I got: floral, preppy or crazy cat lady?

Congrats are in Order

To my cousins, Jimmy and Shauna, who graduated last weekend, one from undergrad and the other from law school.  Jimmy thoughtfully gave up his graduation in NY to go to Shauna's in MA since they were on the same day.  What an awesome brother!?  I had a great time in Boston celebrating their success.  The weekend included lots of family time and delicious meals.  A few places we went were L'Osteria (one of my all time favorite restaurants) for some Italian food and Caffe Vittoria for delicious coffee and dessert.  If you are ever in the Boston (North End) area I would highly suggest going to both.

Above is a photo of the graduates and one of the gifts they received (look for their faces and personalized congrats on the M&Ms).  I had heard of this creative idea but had never actually seen them (loved them).

I would also like to congratulate my friend, Victoria, who got engaged at sunset on Pacific Beach over this past weekend.  The photos are absolutely beautiful, job well done Adam! I couldn't be more excited for the both of them.

Wine Wednesday

Wine Screws

Fun and colorful wine stoppers, what a cute idea!  A glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away, is a theory I had long stuck to.  Therefore, the old me would say that wine stoppers aren't necessary.  Nowadays James and I have made the weight, health and money conscious decision to cut back.  Seems like the perfect excuse to invest in a few of these to me.  Find them here.

Mint.com

You must try this... I'm obsessed!  Mint.com is an easy and free financial tool.  It automatically organizes your financial information up to the second, allows you set budgets and goals, suggests ways to save, and eliminates the need for spreadsheets.  Even more exciting news, Mint.com has an iPhone app!

Raining on My Parade

This has been a crazy/rainy week for me.  Last weekend we were in Nashville where sadly it was cold and rainy.  We still managed to have a great time though!  The pictures above were taken in between showers at Iroquois Steeplechase.  James and I arrived home to VA late Monday night welcomed by more rain, which continued throughout the week. 

My time spent at home this week was short but sweet.  Yesterday, James and I hosted a farewell dinner at our place for friends, Halley and Alex, who are moving out of town.  Today, I head to Boston, MA (my first place of residence) with my mom to celebrate Shauna's graduation from Suffolk Law School.  Weekend forecast in Boston... more rain!

A beautiful rain post here.

Wine Wednesday

Educated Guess

Price: $15-20

Origin: California

Type: Cabernet Sauvignon

Best Served With: All types of red meat

Description: “Rich and ripe, yet focused with black cherry and cassis fruit, hints of cocoa and mint, all tied together with a toasty French vanilla oak finish.” -Winery

New Take on Antipasto

The growing trend of antipasto kabobs is genius!  I grew up loving my family's recipe (below) for antipasto salad so I cannot wait to attempt this new take on a classic dish.  The ingredient possibilities are endless, which makes this dish even more intriguing.  A couple antipasto kabob recipes I have found can be seen here and here.

Antipasto Salad*

Disperse evenly in layers (starting at the top of the list):

Romaine Lettuce
Iceberg Lettuce

Plum Tomatoes (cut small)
Green Peppers (diced)

Red Onions (cut into half rings)

White Onions (cut into half rings)

Roasted Pepper (bits)

Mushrooms (sliced)

Tuna Fish Chunks (1-2 cans)

Black Olives

Green Olives

Artichoke Hearts
Parmesan Cheese (shredded)

Arrange around the edge of the dish:

Provolone Cheese (rolls or strips)
Prosciutto (rolls or strips)
Boiled Eggs (quartered)

*This is not a tossed salad.  Serve in wedgelike portions so that all ingredients make it into each serving.  This salad is good with most dressings but I would suggest Italian or Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Nashville Travels

Prints like this can be found here.

The second weekend of May has finally come and we are traveling to Nashville, TN (James' hometown) to attend Iroquois Steeplechase.  I can hardly wait to get there and eat a yummy breakfast from Loveless Cafe, see all the spring dresses matched with over the top hats, listen to lots of country music (hearing this in bars is unfortunately not something I'm used to), visit with James' family and my cousin (who is coming down for the event), and see a lot of/meet more of James' friends. 

Going to Nashville is always a treat for me.  Every time we visit I feel that I become even closer to James.  This is because each trip gives me another small glimpse into his past.  It is funny how heading back to his hometown seems to put emphasis on the personality traits he displays everyday.  The most noticeable of these traits being his sociable nature.  No questions asked, James is the more outgoing one in this relationship.  I love this about him and I love how this quality seems to magnify when we go to Nashville, where we can hardly turn the corner without him knowing someone.

Enough about Nashville (for now).  Do you ever read something and think "that's so me" or "you read my mind"?  Here are two posts that did that to me this week: "that's so me" and "you read my mind".

Barn Door Crush

Lately I have been seeing barn doors being used inside the home.  I am loving this idea!  Not quite sure why I am so drawn to this, but if I had to guess it would have to be the fact that a large part of my life has been spent in barns (horseback riding is a very time consuming sport) or maybe it is just the overall functionality of it.  Barn doors can be useful when trying to open, divide or even hide spaces within the home.  I am especially liking the thought of having a barn door divide a dining room and kitchen.  How perfect would it be if you could have a nice dinner in the dining room and hide away the messy kitchen?  Below are a few of my favorite uses of barn doors.  What do you think?  Cute... yay or neigh?

                            Family Room/Kitchen Divide                                Hidden Pantry 

Bedroom/Bathroom Divide                      Dining Room/Kitchen Divide

Wine Wednesday

Pink Truck

Price: $5-10

Origin: California

Type: Sweet Rose

Best Served (during the summer) With: Red fish, veal, and game meats

Description: “A classic wine with a very sophisticated twist. This exceptional blend exhibits berry and citrus aromas and strawberry, raspberry and pomegranate flavors that tantalize the palate. Juicy orange notes make for a delicious, bright finish - a refreshingly complex wine crafted in a balanced off-dry style.” -Winery

Things We Take for Granted

Like how glorious laundry machines are!  

Our month (and a half but who is counting) long battle with our tiny 15 year old stacked washer/dryer unit that has sat so inelegantly in the corner of our kitchen is now coming to an end.  This means no more flooding of half the kitchen (then trying to wash the towels we used to clean up the mess), no more lengthy phone calls with the repairman/landlord/contractor, no more newly adapted way to use the washer.  The way: stand next to it (barefoot of course, no one wants wet socks), leave top open, watch until the flooding begins, leap to it (never in enough time), close top and begin spin cycle.  Soon to be no more construction zone in our kitchen, family room and backyard.  Get ready for big smiles from me... Hello remodeled kitchen, new washer/dryer and clean clothes!

Gold Cup Recap

Beautiful surroundings,

good friends

and perfect weather

lead us to have a great time at Gold Cup this year!

Let The Race Begin

Yay, the weekend is almost here!  This weekend James and I will be spending some time out in the country, very close to what I would call my hometown (I moved a fair amount growing up).  Saturday morning we will be meeting friends in D.C. for breakfast, then taking a charter bus to The Plains, VA to attend Gold Cup (i.e. a great excuse to mix three amazing things: friends, horses and champagne).  For Mother's Day, we will be heading back out to the country to see my mom.  While there we will be going to see this and out to dinner at a quaint restaurant nearby.

In honor of Mother's Day, I thought I'd share a few sweet posts about motherhood here and here.  Wishing everyone a great weekend and all mothers an early happy Mother's Day! 

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

Any reason to enjoy cold drinks and yummy Mexican food, I'm in!  This is why we are planning on having a small Cinco de Mayo party at our place tonight.  The menu will include Coronas, margaritas, guacamole with chips, shrimp quesadillas, beef tacos and maybe even churros (if I somehow find the time/get brave enough to attempt).  Have any must try recipes on your menu for tonight?  These are a couple of mine:

Guacamole

Avocado (cut into small chunks) 

Grape Tomatoes (cut in fours) 
Lime Juice (splash/squeeze)

Onion (optional, diced)   

Jalapenos (diced) 

Margaritas*

Frozen Apple Juice Concentrate (1 tsp)
Duffy's or Rose's Lime Juice (1 jigger)
Everclear (optional, .5 to 1 jigger)
White Tequila (2 jiggers)
Gold Tequila (2 jiggers)

Triple Sec (1 jigger)

*Warning these are tasty but strong, I would suggest a 3 drink maximum.

Something Borrowed

We all know that the movie is never as good as the book, yet my excitement about Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin being turned into a movie cannot be contained!  Along with following a fun/girly storyline, this movie stars actors/actresses from great shows/movies; like Ginnifer Goodwin (from Big Love), Kate Hudson (from Almost Famous and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) and John Krasinski (from The Office).  The movie is due to hit theatres Friday (May 6th, 2011) and you can bet that I will be going to see it. 

Wine Wednesday

Steady Sticks

Too cool!  Steady Sticks are made to stick in the ground and hold both wine and champagne glasses and bottles.  This wine accessory would be perfect to take to the beach, a picnic or an outdoor concert.  With nice weather finally here, I think that buying these might just be a must!  Different versions of can be found here, here and here.

A Fairy Tale Wedding

I hadn't planned on commenting on the royal wedding because, let's face it, everyone else did and the consensus was obvious.  The wedding was spectacular, they are clearly very in love and THE DRESS was gorgeous!  However, when I came across this I couldn’t help but post.  See any resemblances?

Vote for Captain's Dad

James' family has entered their dog, Deuce (Captain's dad), in the Orvis Cover Dog Competition.  Deuce is a highly skilled and handsome hunting dog as shown in the picture above where he is bringing in a Mallard.  Don't you want to see that cute face on the cover of an Orvis catalog?  We do, so if you could put in a quick vote for Deuce it would be greatly appreciated.  Also, donations to Canine Cancer Campaign can be made for extra votes.  Click here to vote for Deuce and support a good cause (voting ends September 30, 2011).