I'm Engaged

It's been over a week but better late than never! I am engaged...woohoo! David and I are planning for a March wedding in 2010. I have never been happier!

Fresh Flowers....

I got home last night and sitting on my counter white beautiful white daisies...with David working nights and our schedules being completely opposite he has left fresh flowers twice for me in the past 2 weeks. It's a wonderful thing to come home to. I have an awesome man!

This and That

Man I stink at blogging but I have to say someone (hmm hmm Betsey) only posts pictures so I guess I am not that bad. So David has been working night shifts for the past almost 2 weeks and it sucks! I have come to the realization that I am on the phone a lot more while he is working so I just opened a $220 phonebill!

..Went ring shopping almost 3 weeks ago so needless to say I am getting very "antsy" and of course I have practically planned the whole wedding already (Can you blame me? I used to be an event planner)...Work is work and I am getting super burned out. I have taken this Friday off to go to the beach to celebrate Christopher's 30th birthday then Saturday David actually took off so we could celebrate his birthday which is on Friday.

Well that's about as exciting as my life is these days. Came across this pic a few days ago...David and I went to Biltmore before the Allison Krauss/Robert Plant concert-so much fun!

These are a few of my favorite things....

Some discoveries of the past week....

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka *DANGEROUSLY YUMMY!

Tea Cup and Saucer. I love hot tea with milk and sugar and I always drink it out of a mug but I had purchased a couple tea cups and saucers years ago, they have always sat in the back of the cabinet until this afternoon I wanted a cup of tea and thought, what the hell!...Something about drinking tea from a cup with a saucer, very sophistcated.

Recap of the week...

Monday: david's first day at his new job woo hoo!!! This is a very exciting position with a great company and he is going to kick some bootie. I had an ultrasound today to try to get to the bottom of my abdominal pains but the ultrasound came out fine. Dr.'s exact words were that I have "textbook ovaries"....Went to dinner with david's Mom and Brooke (David's brother's girlfriend) then we went and saw Nights in Rodanthe and I cried liek a baby!
Tuesday: I had Danielle & Carleen over for a dinner and it was soooo great! Carleen made a fresh ceasar salad and Danielle made chocolate,banana,nut bread and fopr the main dish I did farfalle pasta with spicy pink sauce and turkey meatballs...Danielle is engaged! We had a wonderful dinner, drank champagne, laughed and caught up. The 3 of us ended up on the floor doing yoga at the end....Carleen starts her classes in Hillsborough on Tuesday nights and I am going to try my darndest to attend!
Wednesday: Supposed to work at the Mint but was too slow...I finally got to see David and hear about how his job is going, he's working long hours. we enjoyed chinese and hit the hay early.
Thursday: had to work late but got to have dinner with my old boss Evan who was visiting from MD. We went to The Pit for dinner...I had an incredible spinach salad with fried green tomatoes, carrots, red onion, goat cheese & roasted pepper vinaigrette and for my main course seared trout yummoliscious!
Friday: Woke up sooo soooo thirsty but could not drink or eat because i had to go under for my widom teeth removal...I brushed my teeth 15 times just to feel like I drank something! I am so glad my Mom was there to take care of me.
Saturday:Jello, drugs,mashed potatoes
Sunday:Layed in bed all day...I have come to the realization that I LOVE the tubs of already made mashed potatoes (the Simply Potatoes brand is much better than country crock) mixed with stove top, and a dallop of sour cream! It is nice and easy to eat. I feel a little better but my left side is stilla littel numb, I think they might have hit a nerve, let's hope I don't have a lazy mouth once this is all done!

Recap of the week...

I survived but can barely move!

The weekend went perfect and I could not have done it without David!! Friday I cut fruit and vegetables for what seemed like 10 hours, David skewered and marinated 300 pieces of chicken. Saturday we woke up at 6:00 am, packed the coolers, loaded the car and I was off! Arrived at the wedding location about 8:40 and started setting up tables. The day flew by and with limited ovens I had no space to cook the chicken! David to the rescue....just so happens he had his grill in his truck from tailgating so him and Kevin grilled all 300 pieces of chicken...phew! It was awesome to have such a great team. Kevin and Carleen and their friend Emily were my "staff" and they worked their booties off!

The wedding was beautiful, the weather was perfect and everything went as planned (once the DJ arrived after being lost for 2 hrs). I made enough money to pay for my wisdom teeth as well as a have a good amount of money for San Fran. I was home by 11:00pm.

Sunday we were up at 7:00. I had to ice my knee before the "Walk for Hope". With being on my feet for 13 straight hours on Saturday, I think I twisted my knee at some point (if that is possible). David's parents picked us up at 9:00am and we were off. The day again was beautiful and there were at least 3000 people participating in the walk. Our team raised close to a $1000 for the cause. We walked our 6.2 miles through Olmstead park, it was really nice and it felt great to do something that had so much meaning. Plus I always enjoy spending time with David and his parents, his Mom, Peggy is such a joy to be around and Randy (his Dad) is like an older version of David....We were home by 1:30 and I napped for a little while then cleaned the house from top to bottom. We did our grocery shopping for the week, then before I knew it, I was in bed.

So now it's Monday and I wish I were sitting at my home computer rather than work, but oh well...I am just hoping I won't have to walk much today because every bone and muscle in my body hurts!

Longest Week Ever

So this Saturday is the wedding that I have been helping plan and I truly realize why I got out of the event business....not that it has been bad by any means, but just all the details paired with my day job and my part time job are driving me C-R-A-Z-Y! David and I have also signed up for the 2008 Walk For Hope which is Sunday so after working 12 hours on my feet Saturday I get to wake up and walk 6 miles. I do have to say it is for a great cause and what better way to spend a morning. Our team has already raised over $600!!

Another factor that is making this week inch by is that David has a job interview on Thursday for a company in Cary. I am so anxious and excited for him, I know he will do well and win them over! I am relieved he is interviewing with a compny close by, I was truly wrried we would have to move away...and for once I feel truly settled where I am living, I could stay in Raleigh for a long....long time


The weather is so perfect right now, very cool in the morning, breezy but warm in the afternoon and cool at night. I love the fall in NC.

Back to Reality

Oh Vegas how wonderful you were! It was a wonderful 3 days! We got in to Vegas about 10am on Thursday, got to the hotel about 11 and ventured to Margaritaville for a cheeseburger in Paradise, David opted to go for nachos twice the size of his head. We spent most of the afternoon walking around checking things out...I tried my luck at the slots but wasn't sooo lucky....David tried his hand at Blackjack and some roulette and again wasn't so lucky. We had reservations at the Top of the World restaurant that night so we got ready, went to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for a drink and then headed to dinner. I have one word that could sum up the whole restaurant experience....INCREDIBLE!! Top of the World is located in the Stratosphere which is the highest point in Vegas, It takes an hour and 20 minutes but as youa re enjoying dinner, the restaurant gives you a full circle view of Vegas,unbelieveable. We got their early and enjoyed another drink at the bar directly above the restaurant and there was a great jazz band. For dinner we started off with kobe Carpaccio with arugula, fresh parmesan and capers. I had scallops and shrimp served with pollenta and sweet potato jus and David had New Zealand Lamb. We went to bed fairly earlya nd then woke up way too early (thank you jetlag!). The TV in the room had a channel that showed you how to play all the table games so I was quickly intrigued by roulette...Friday we went to several different casinos, enjoyed a nice lunch and just wandered around. Roulette is my favorite game!! Friday night we had dinner at Sushi Roku in Ceasars and then went to see the Cirque Beatles Love show at the Mirage but before entering got a little more roulette in and yes folks we won $170! (we started with $80) We had excellent seats and they were free to boot! Friday was a late night and we stayed up until about 3:30am but boy oh boy did we have fun! Saturday, our last day, we woke up and had been planning all week to go to the Bellagio buffet because david had gone when he was there a couple years ago and said it was out of this world, and he was 100% right! We got there at 11, opted for the unlimited champagne for an extra $5 per person and began our feasting...shrimp cocktail, prime rib, lamb, every breakfast item you could think of, sushi, salads, awesome desserts and the list goes on! Our glasses wouldn't even get half empty and they would refill them with champagne! Needless to say we were there for a little over 3 hours! then we went for the Roulette tables! david was amazed at how quickly I picked up the game and how intense I was about where I laid my chips....by the end of the trip I think he was actually a little worried about me and I am sure the thought of gamblers anonymous crossed his mind. We took the red eye back on Saturday night and slept most of the day yesterday and today was back to reality! It was a whirlwind of a trip but very romantic, every time we travel just the two of us we get closer and closer and it makes it that much more difficult to spend time apart...dumb I know but I can't picture myself with any other person on the face of this earth. A best friend and lover rolled in to one is a winning combination...

What Happens in Vegas.....

Will be posted on the blog when I return!

David and I fly out at 6:00am Thursday morning and man I couldn't be any more ready for a vacation! I have had a very busy week at work, not to mention getting a pedicure,new hairdo and a Brazilian (Oh the pain!!) in preparation for a fabulous getaway!

More to come...

I got an email from an old kitchen designer I used to work with he said he was sittng eating lunch and saw someone walk in with this shirt on and had to think of me....Makes me feel like I will be thought of a lot more with Michael Phelps' victory....

Saturday...

Saturday we had a great day...David and I took Reese (david's pooch) to Eno State Park about 35 minutes away. we went for a nice long 2 1/2 hr hike along the creek...we had a picnic on a rock and Reese had a nice swim...It's so nice to be surrounded by things that we can do that don't take money (which seems to be a commodity these days).

Test Kitchen Part I

With NC State Football right around the corner David and I have been throwing some ideas around for tailgating food. Before taking these ideas out to the lots they have to be tested...Thus creating the first of many *Test Kitchens*

Menu:

Grilled Pizza

Jalapeno Stuffed with bacon, cheese & shallots

We did 2 pizzas...one on the flat-top grill & one on the charcoal. David found a place right around the corner that sells pizza dough for $2.00! and it was yummy! We topped the pizzas with tomato sauce,shredded mozzarella, fresh sliced mozzarella, pepperoni, mushrooms, banana peppers & roma tomatoes. Both pizzas turned out great...I think I prefer the charcoal grill pizza over the flat top, there was a little more of a "grilled taste". This is a great idea for tailgating because we can bring so many different toppings. A++

A couple months ago I saw this great jalapeno stand at Williams Sonoma so David went and got one yesterday for our "test kitchen". The jalapenos were cleaned out and stuffed with bacon, cheese & shallots, we cooked them on the charcoal grill for about 15-20 minutes....they probably could have cooked for a little while longer because the tops were not as soft as the bottoms. This is a recipe we will have to try again. I also think we should use a "cheesier" cheese. The mozzarella had a very mild flavor & I think Cheddar or maybe even gruyere would add more flavor, maybe replacing the tops to the jalapenos will also help keep the cheese & other ingredients inside....To Be Continued....

P.S As you can see I thought about pictures a little too late....but I am getting better!

This is the best bloody mary mix on the face of the planet

An Unexpected Date Night.....

So I was supposed to work at the Mint last night but they were not busy enough so they did not need me....I had worn a black dress to work and some sassy wedge heels and felt I couldn't just go home so.....David met me at the Mint for a glass of champagne, we feasted on a yummy scallop appetizer and from there we walked down the street to Sono. Sono is a wonderful new sushi/asian fusion restaurant. I had read an article about the place a couple weeks ago and was dying to try one of their bloody mary martinis made with zing zang,wasabi,splash of soy sauce and julienned cucumbers...YES it is as good as it sounds. We started off with shrimp and vegetable tempura. I got the Screaming "O" roll (hee hee) which is spicy tuna & tempura shrimp with seared tuna on top served with a creamy "O" sauce (I have no idea what the sauce is, but it lived up to it's name!). David got the Crunchy Diablo roll which had a spicy crab salad,avocado,cream cheese & jalapeno dusted in panko & deep fried topped with spicy mayo & eel sauce. We sat at the shiny black bar with our drinks, very cosmopolitan, still dressed in our savvy work clothes. For a minute we felt like we weren't even in Raleigh.... the downtown area is getting so built up with great restaurants, I can't wait to see it in a couple years!

I truly feel like I have found my "settling" place in Raleigh of course I think wherever David is I will be settled. It was a super, unexpected date...the best kind!

You say tomato...I say yummy!

I love juicy red, fresh garden tomatoes and yesterday I was lucky enough to get a whole bag from a co-worker!! So last night for "dessert" I made my very first tomato pie http://projects.eveningedge.com/recipes/tomato-pie2/...It is a savory pie that has fresh basil, cheese and plenty of those red slices of heaven! I doctored it up a little bit and added some bacon crumbles (not baco-bits...I actually fried bacon, then crumbled it) The one challenge with the pie was trying to get all the water out of the tomatoes which I will be more aware of next time. David also suggested adding some crushed red pepper and I agree that would add some "flare". After indulging in 2 pieces of the pie it then dawned on me that I should have taken a picture of it to post when it was hot out of the oven but oh well I am still new to this whole thing...next time

In Addition....

I feel that starting this blog is a great way for people near and far to know what's going on in my world....with the whole "being a grown up" thing, life tends to keep you busier than you'd like and it's becoming more and more difficult to keep in touch. Okay that's all I think I might be done now....this is a wonderful way to make the time pass at work!

Popping that blog cherry....

I should have started this blog over a year ago because that's when things in my life became very interesting....But instead of reliving the past I will forge forward with current events & happenins'. Betsey, I ultimately dedicate this blog site to you, you are officially the godmother of my blog so be nice to it, spoil it and most of all read the damn thing.

Blog Vows:

I promise to keep you updated as best as possible
I promise to be truthful
I promise to not hold back on even the most ridiculous & vulgar thoughts
I promise to try to post pictures even though I probably won't know what I am doing (case in point, profile pic & writing over David's head...