New York, New York

Wow, I can't believe our New York trip has come and gone. It seems like we were just boarding the plane for the big city and now we're home. We had such a great time and did so many things in the few days that we were there that I plan on posting this recap in several parts. I want to make sure I don't leave anything out so I can look back and see what we did, where we ate, etc. so I plan on writing a lengthy recap full with pictures. Bear with me!

We took off Thursday morning and arrived at the Newark airport around noon. Ryan is confident when he tells me he knows how to get from the airport to the hotel using public transportation so we catch the Air Train to Penn Station and then grab another subway to find our hotel. Honestly, this wasn't that hard but when you have your luggage, a carry-on and a purse it's a whole different story. Luckily, the rain held out on us as we made it to our hotel but I proclaimed that we would be taking a cab on our way back to the airport. We arrived at a cute boutique hotel in Midtown that we loved. You would barely notice the hotel from the street but the lobby is very modern and chic as well as our room.

The front of our hotel

Our fabulous room

At that point it was nearing late afternoon and we were starving! We headed out to find the Shake Shack to try out their delicious burgers. We decided to walk (it couldn't be that far, right??) and we thought this would be a great chance to scope out the city. Well it was a little farther than we thought but the long walk and the wait in line were worth the wait.

Mmm delicious

After our late lunch we decided to start our walk back and of course at this point the rain started in. We didn't have our umbrella with us so we headed for the subway. We arrived back at our hotel around 5 and took a much needed nap before our dinner reservations. Thanks to a recommendation from Milltini we tried a restaurant called Schiller's Liquor Bar and the food and atmosphere were fantastic! The rain never let up that evening but it didn't keep us from seeing the city. After dinner we grabbed another subway and ended up at Greenwich Village to have a glass of wine at a local jazz bar. Then we decided that the night was still young and hopped on another subway to a piano bar near our hotel. Yes, we rode the subway about 8 million times over the weekend. I'm pretty sure we rode it even more than the locals but hey, we don't have this at home so we had to take advantage of it!

Our self portrait before we left for dinner :)

That's all for now as I need to go unpack and get ready for the week. Stay tuned for more!

Weekend Getaway

Our trip to NYC is finally here! Ryan and I leave tomorrow morning for a weekend getaway to the Big Apple and we couldn't be more excited. Our 2nd wedding anniversary is next Tuesday and we plan on celebrating this weekend by relaxing, eating good food, taking tons of pictures and enjoying each others company :)

Be back early next week!!

When Ryan's away....

.....his wife will play! Today happens to be our Friday off from work and Ryan was playing in a golf tournament. I love having every other Friday off and Ryan and I normally spend our days together relaxing, eating out for lunch and running a few errands. Well, today I had most of the day to myself. Bennett and I started off our morning with a jog at the park and then I came home and started cleaning. And I cleaned. Till my house sparkled. And when I was done it was only 12 o'clock.

So what's a girl to do when she's all alone, her husband is playing golf, her friends are all at work and her mom is not even in the country?? Hmm....easy answer. Go shopping!

I've been good all Spring with avoiding my favorite store and I couldn't take it anymore. I needed summer clothes, especially since we're going to New York in just a few weeks. I keep getting coupons in the mail and I'm constantly receiving e-mails about the latest and greatest at Banana. And let me tell you, Banana did not let me down! I managed to pick up a few casual tees, a new cardigan, a pair of shorts, a skirt, and a bright pink top that will be perfect for summer nights out on the town. Did I mention the discounts! Of course, this is how I justified all of my purchases :)

Oh and I might of picked up a pair of white linen pants at J Crew.

Now I'm just waiting for my friends to get off work so we can hit up El Tiempo for some fajitas and margaritas!

Ryan better come home soon...

Hallettsville Recap

This past Saturday night we celebrated (one more time!) Ali & Mark's recent marriage. I promise this will be the last post on these two for awhile! The wedding was held in Dallas and Mark's parents offered to host another reception in Hallettsville so many of their friends and family that were unable to attend the wedding could come. I have heard crazy stories about these famous parties in Hallettsville and let me tell you, this one did not disappoint :)

The party kicked off with the Grand March (this was a first for me) which is a tradition at most wedding receptions in this part of the county. Throughout the reception we drank beer and whiskey, ate BBQ and Kolaches (the real kind) and polka danced. I think Nelly might of even squeaked in for a few songs; Tyler's request :)

After the party we headed back to Mark's parents house and went out to the field where they had set up a bonfire. We stayed out there until the wee hours of the night listening to music, talking and drinking Shiner.

Some of the wedding party - getting ready for the Grand March!

Ryan & I

Alison & Mark polka dancing


The girls


Yes, we did the chicken dance :)



Bonfire

The boys

The boys thought it would be a good idea to jump over the fire....

Haha Mark's really not on fire I was just playing with the different shutter speeds on my camera :)

Check out Nicole's blog for a few more fun pics!

Hair Dilemma

So for the last two years I've had a love/hate relationship with my hair stylist. One appointment I'll leave with fabulously styled hair with golden locks and the next time I'll leave with a ridiculously looking bob with uneven layers and streaked hair. I think he has tried something different every time even though I keep referring him back to that one really great style he did many moons ago. So I finally decided to break it off (and hope that I never run into him) and find someone new. I made an appointment at a salon near my house with hopes that this would be the one. Well.... she was OK. I felt like she cut it fine but the highlights were terrible and I left with more roots than I walked in with. I decided that I needed to give someone else a chance. That's when I found him. I was given a referral for another salon and I was promised that I would be satisfied. Well I was satisfied with the hair, just not the price...

As soon as I walked into the salon and they handed me a glass of wine I knew this would be it, there was no way this place would let me leave with a bad cut. Now maybe I should of ran when I heard the guy in front of me paying for a $50 haircut but I relaxed and waited patiently for my time. When it was my turn I sat down at the chair and my stylist took one look at my hair and confidently said he knew exactly what to do and that he would put the perfect shades of gold onto my hair. That's when I was hooked. Then I got the bill.

I'm not even going to admit what I paid for color and a cut as I'm pretty embarrassed. I mean how can they charge so much for color when my hair barely even touches my chin!! I am willing to pay for a good haircut but the color alone cost more than what I was used to paying for cut and color. So now I have a dilemma. I have finally found someone who understands the art of short hair and how to craft the perfect shades of blonde but I can't afford him. Well I guess I could cut back on groceries and such to cover my hair bill, right???

Well, even if I don't ever get to go back I will at least have fabulous looking hair for the next 6 weeks or so :)

Headed to the Big Apple

It's hard to believe that our 2nd wedding anniversary is fast approaching and this year we've decided a trip to NYC would be a great way to celebrate. New York has been on our travel list for quite some time and this seemed like a perfect opportunity to go. We've booked our plane tickets and hotel but that's all we've done. The plan is to relax in Central Park, roam the streets and take in all the sights and try out delicious new restaurants. I'm hoping I can get some shopping in as well :)

Let me know if anyone has any recommendations on things to do and restaurants to try. We're up for anything!