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Sunday Funday

Sunday funday is something that Bo nor I rarely participated in when we lived in the city. Sunday was often a day we protected for errands, relaxing, cooking, and preparing for the week together.

When I realized that I’d be back from Hartford by 1pm on Sunday, my sole request to Theodora was a Sunday Funday. I wanted to enjoy time in the city with friends but I didn’t want there to be any crazy plans as lately my life has been over programmed.

We started our afternoon at Madison Square Eats, one of my favorite spots in the city. Each season they have different vendors from around the different boroughs selling everything from beer and lobster roles to Korean barbecue!

After exploring the stalls we settled on sharing a seasonal beer and lobster role from Red Hook Lobster Pound. Enjoyed under yesterday’s blue sky and sunshine while having some quality one on one girl time, it was pretty perfect and delicious!

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From Madison Square Park we meandered down to Lululemon where I bought my annual marathon reward. This year I went with a pair of Speed Tight Cozy winter running pants and a black Scuba Hoodie.

From there we strolled down to the West Village where we snagged a spot in Blind Tiger, a great craft beer bar which was luckily not taken over by NFL football fans. For the next four hours we talked non-stop.

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I think Katie summarized it perfectly – the atmosphere felt as if I’d never left. The beer wasn’t bad either. Throughout the afternoon I sipped on A Little Sumpin’ Wilde Ale from Lagunitas Brewing Company and New Holland Beer Hive.  Both were so flavorful that I quickly forgot that Blind Tiger was out of their pumpkin beer and didn’t have any traditional “seasonal” beers on tap. Of course no catch up session with girls is complete without pictures. Can we talk about my cheeks? I think that’s called post marathon water retention or just happiness.

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We ended the evening a few blocks down the road at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the city, Agave.IMG_3238

There we each consumed one too many margaritas, all the guacamole, and delicious tacos before saying goodnight. I am so thankful these ladies came out for a Sunday Funday and made me feel like I really have just been gone on an extended business trip.

Things like this help me realize that while there are thousands of miles between us on a daily basis, it hasn’t changed our friendships. Yes we have to work a bit harder and ensure we stay in touch via WhatsApp, phone, GChat, and emails, but in the end it’s worth it!

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A Blow Out Evening

Last night was the perfect way to celebrate Theodora’s 29th year; a year which I am sure will be even more fabulous than this year. It’ll be tough to beat her marathon PR, multiple half marathons within a month time frame, and a new job but I’m sure she’ll find a way!

After yesterday’s intense workouts, I was ready for an evening of fun with the gang.

We started the evening’s festivities at Dramatics NYC for blowouts since none of us are very handy with the curling iron or even a round brush. I even bought a curling iron two months ago in hopes of recreating the loose curls I leave each hair cut with and love. Please believe that the curling iron is still boxed in plastic in my closet. They took longer than expected but overall it was still a great way to kick off the evening with the ladies.

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The party really got started when we arrived at Stanton Social, a great Lower East Side spot that specializes in small plates and delicious cocktails. They did a wonderful job squeezing our group of 8 in last minute upstairs in their lounge area. Even though it wasn’t on the main floor, there was still plenty of people watching, music, and atmosphere.

We followed the birthday girl’s directions and started drinking immediately.

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I have a tendency to stick with my regular drinks, rarely ordering from the fun cocktail menu. But, with all the celebration and fun taking place last night, starting with anything other than a fun cocktail just seemed wrong. I ordered their lime basil gimlet (Belvedere Vodka, muddled basil, lemon syrup, and fresh lime) which was absolutely delicious. So delicious in fact that I downed two way too quickly and three of the other gals quickly switched to the gimlet for their next round.

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After ordering drinks our focus quickly turned to food since we were all starving and we knew we only had an hour and half before we had to head over to Theodora’s larger birthday party.

We settled on 8 different small plates, which we shared as a table. The most impressive part was that they even had a special gluten free menu which meant we could order a few items which Shannon could enjoy as well!

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Within minutes our table was overtaken by multiple small plates! Our choices included:

  • Wok charred Edamame spicy miso glaze
  • Potato & Goat Cheese Pierogies
  • Maryland Jumbo Lump Crabcake ‘Corn Dogs’ 
  • Social Mac & Cheese – chorizo, ovendried tomato
  • Red Snapper Tacos – creamy avocado, spicy mango
  • Thai Spiced Baby Back Ribs
  • Salt & Pepper Shrimp

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Everything was delicious and the whole meal was pretty reasonably priced considering the amount of food and alcohol we enjoyed.

Our next stop was Jadis Wine Bar, where Gia, Theodora’s gorgeous and speedy party planner organized her birthday party. The plan was to start the evening with her closest girl friends and then end the night toasting her 29th year with a larger group of friends including the men in our lives.

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The setup at Jadis was perfect, complete with a reserved section and plenty of wine and passed hors d’oeurves.

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Complete with wonderful friends and disposable cameras, it was the perfect party!

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By midnight I was more than done, thanks to the liquor drinks at dinner and lots of wine. Luckily, I had the forethought to chug a coconut water as soon as we got home which I think explains my absent hangover today.

Instead of laying on the couch today fighting a headache and hangover, we were able to spend the day enjoying homemade French toast, cleaning, and catching up on thank you note writing and DVR viewing.

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Question: What has been your favorite birthday to date and why?

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Saturday Shenanigans

 

When Friday rolled around this week, all I craved was a weekend that never ended filled with friends, lots of sleep, and some wine.

So far, this weekend has delivered quite well!

Yesterday morning, after nine hours of sleep, Bo and I enjoyed a leisurely morning cleaning and organizing the house. Having a fabulous Christmas party for 40 friends is wonderful but even a week later parts of our home were still in disarray including the pantry and linen closet, in which we found empty bottles of liquor and wine in both. I guess our friends thought that was our recycling spot!

Around 10:30 we headed out for our first long run together. The weather was sunny and cool, around 37 degrees. Our route would be perfect if it wasn’t tourist season in New York City. We were constantly dodging tourists until we hit Central Park but in a way that kept things interesting.

image Running outside reminded me that I need to get better about layering and not underestimating the cold. I only wore Lululemon crops and a long sleeve technical t-shirt yesterday which meant that I was freezing for the first five miles. I think this helped me run faster but I won’t make that mistake again. I’d rather tie something around my waist or unzip if needed than be cold.

When we walked through the door I immediately wanted something to drink even though I barely broke a sweat due to the weather. I chugged three large glasses of water before hurrying to get ready for Theodora’s cookie swap.

While getting ready I refueled with a G Series Fit Recovery drink. This was my second time trying this recovery smoothie and I really love it. The mix of protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals helps my body recover even when I’m in a hurry or on the go. The mango pineapple flavor is the only one I’ve tried. It’s a little sweet for my taste buds and I wish I could find the strawberry banana.

004 I made it to Theodora’s 2nd Annual Cookie Swap only a few minutes late, ready to catch up with friends and enjoy some sweet treats. When I walked through the door I was amazed with the presentation!

008 There were already twenty different types of delicious cookies displayed, many of which were in adorable little boxes. I guess I missed the cute container memo and instead transported mine in Chinese takeout containers and Tupperware.

014 There were even some healthier options displayed for those people who wanted to enjoy some vegetables. I made it my goal to fill up on vegetables and protein before diving into the cookies.

009 Our hostess was dressed in her best holiday attire, emulating her favorite Christmas movie, Elf!

010 011 She kept our glasses full all afternoon while Bailey kept us company.

015 007 017 It was fun to see my runner friends (Gia, Sue, me, and Theodora) dressed in something other than running apparel for a change. We weren’t even sweaty yesterday!

I also had the chance to test run my Christmas Eve outfit yesterday since we’re going to a family friends Christmas Eve cocktail party this year after church. I didn’t want to buy anything new this late in the game and deal with holiday crowds. Luckily I was able to pair to JCrew classic pieces (long sleeve t-shirt and silk brocade skirt circa 2008) with my Kate Spade necklace and new Cole Haan boots for a winning combination. It is comfortable, includes shimmers, and can work in Savannah’s mild weather.

I left Theodora’s around 5:30 to meet Bo for a spontaneous date night in Hell’s Kitchen. Our evening included wine and cheese at Casellula followed by the most amazing Broadway show, Private Lives with Kim Cattrall!

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Half way through dinner we realized we’d be done with dinner by 8pm which left us searching for movies or other options. Since we were only a few blocks away from the Theatre District I suggested walking by a few theatres to see if they had any last minute tickets available. Our first stop, Music Box Theatre, was a success! Second row mezzanine tickets for the win!

020 If you’re in New York City and have the chance to see Private Lives before it closes in January I promise you’ll love it! Kim Cattrall is amazing and the show keeps you laughing the entire time!

Now it’s time for a wonderful Sunday filled with relaxing, watching Felicity, healthy french toast, a three mile run with Theodora, and then a New Orleans themed Christmas party up in Washington Heights!

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