Happy Anniversary!!!

Congratulations go out to my friends Katie and Brian who were married one year ago today!!! I met them while clerking at the Appellate Division in 2007 and we've been friends ever since. Brian's a Navy JAG and he was deployed to Afghanistan last June.  Katie accepted a position as an attorney in Albany after our clerkship and has managed to have a very positive attitude about military life despite the hardships. The good news is that Brian's returning to the US very soon.

The happy couple

Back to the wedding -- one of the best I've had the pleasure of attending. Everything was top notch! How can you beat the atmosphere at the Canfield Casino? Plus, they had a great DJ, who kept the party going all night. I haven't danced that much since!

Beautiful bride and I

We were newly minted newlyweds then :)

I Heart This Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  St. Valentine's Day was first celebrated in 496 A.D. and remained on the Roman calendar of saints until 1969 when Pope Paul VI removed it.  What was he thinking? 

Nevertheless, Valentine's Day still remains quite popular and is the second largest card-selling holiday behind Christmas.  Every year I think back to the milk carton mailboxes in elementary school and the sheer joy I experienced ripping open all of the envelopes and reading the cards from my friends.  Of course, the manner in which I celebrate the holiday has changed over the years.

On Sunday the 13th, I made Jim a batch of white chocolate cherry shortbread cookies that I read about on another blog.  Even though they were preparation and time intense, Jim absolutely loved them and it made all of my hard work worth it.  They were so good, in fact, that they made it into my favorite recipes binder!  I plan to make them again during the holiday season because I love the festive coloring. 

White chocolate cherry shortbread cookies

Initially, I had the most difficult time figuring out what to buy him until I stumbled across a gift basket filled with "man foods."  However, I decided that there was no need to pay some internet company to assemble and ship a basket.  So, over the past few weekends, I began collecting the "fillers" at Putnam Market, Saratoga Salsa & Spice and Target.  I also owe Julie my gratitude for scouring the Broadway strip in Saratoga with me on a cold January afternoon.

When we got home for work, I presented Jim his presents.  The finished product contained beef jerky, pepperoni, peanuts, salsa, summer sausage, wing dip, chili con queso dip, dipping pretzels, Peeps, sour gummy Sweet Tarts, sour gummy lips, Peeps chocolate hearts and a Whitman's sampler.  I also added tickets to the Second Annual Mac and Cheese Bowl, which is sponsored by the Times Union/Regional Food Bank and being held this Saturday. There are 30 restaurants participating this year, so I can't even imagine how full we'll be afterward. It will definitely be fodder for a future blog post.

Jim's Valentine's presents

My presents

As for me, Jim had these lovely roses waiting along with some chocolate, pink candy corn and my favorite perfume in the world, Hypnotic Poison by Dior. It reminds me of the tropics - the most subtle, perfect combination of vanilla and almond. According to Sephora, it's an intoxicating blend of bitter almond, caraway spice, sambac jasmin, cinnamon, tuberose, vanilla, musk, mosses and jucarunda wood. In short, I adore it and have received many compliments on my
scent when wearing it.

How did you celebrate Valentine's Day?  Do you have a favorite fragrance or cologne?

ChowDaFest 2011

     Today, Julie and I headed up to Saratoga to meet some fabulous ladies and indulge in some tasty chowders.  After meeting the girls at Chianti, my favorite restaurant in Saratoga (have I mentioned that a few times already?), we headed toward the masses on Broadway. My first stop was Grey Gelding for a cajun shrimp chowder and Plum Dandy for hot cocoa. It really helped keep me warm as we stood in line. You can't tell from the picture, but there were ridiculous snow squalls all day long. So much for not wearing a hat -- Julie and Katie were well prepared!

Julie, Kristin, Katie, Kara and I

         We saw so many adorable dogs on the sidewalks and couldn't help but stop and smile. The St. Bernards, Siberian Huskys and English Bulldogs, of course, were my favorite. If it weren't such a long drive, I'd be really tempted to bring Buster -- three places serve doggie chowder! Next stop was Irish Times where I had an amazing scallop based chowder with a garlic crostini. This is the second time I've been to Chowderfest and I think this blend was the best I've tried yet!

Yum!

      After visiting Brinidisi's and chatting with the girls some more, we decided to head home, but not before another stop at Plum Dandy. And, this time it was for a delicious fro yo sundae. I had sugar free mint chocolate chip, but was not calorie conscious  whatsoever when it came to my toppings (hot fudge, oreo chunks, brownie bits, dark chocolate chips, and possibly more).   It was a good thing we left when we did because it took me 90 minutes to get home due to the snowstorm and accidents on the Northway.

Happy Birthday Julie!

The Birthday Girl proudly displaying
her "Another Fabulous Year" glass

     Last week, I organized Julie's 24th birthday party.  I was so happy that most of the invitees could make it on less than a week's notice! We immediately decided we had to celebrate in Saratoga, my favorite town /small city in the Capital District. It has everything a girl could ask for -- cobblestone streets, amazing shopping, restaurants, parks and beautiful homes. One day a LONG time from now, I hope to spend the cold months in South Carolina and the other half of the year in Saratoga.

Julie & Beth at dinner

     Back to Saturday night... we started with some lovely drinks and a fabulous dinner at Grey Gelding. Their cheesy artichoke dip is to die for.  And, to think, I had never even given artichokes a whirl until a friend's bachelorette party at Grey Gelding earlier this year. Our waitress was amazing all night! She even brought out a delectable birthday cake and all of the servers sang Happy Birthday.

Gia & Kayla at dinner

     On another note, I was SO happy that I could finally give Julie her gift as I've been bursting with excitement for the past two weeks. What is it you ask? A trip to NYC December 4 to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! Julie and I have been talking about going to the city for a shopping trip for months now and I've always wanted to see the Rockettes, so the timing couldn't be better! I love the city at Christmas time and cannot wait (well...except for the 5AM departure...uggh).

Julie & I

     After dinner and dessert, we headed down Caroline Street to hit some of our favorite bars (Gaffney's and City Tavern).  After dancing for awhile, we decided to take a breather and head to the bathroom.  As I was waiting  in the ridiculously long line, Jim and Keith waltzed in. It was so thoughtful that Jim stopped by and bought her some Jager Bombs (haha)! All in all, it was a great night. Here's to many more birthdays little sis...love you!!!

I love how Keith is giving the eyeball to the weirdo
who jumped in our pic!