Pizza, Wine & Comedy!

Hallelujah! I can eat again! And this weekend I made sure to do lots of it...hey, I had to make up for not eating all of last week.

Friday I was convinced I still couldn't eat...so I made two gourmet meals: hot dogs for Danny and a Lean Cuisine for me. But we are classy. We drank an entire bottle of Carlos wine with dinner. After dinner we decided to go out, we ended up at Chilis and had some yummy margaritas. Then we headed to Ducks for a few more drinks...and met up with Jennifer and Dustin. After a few drinks and lots of laughs....I was starving and the only thing I could think about was pizza. On the way home from the bar we picked up a large pizza from Pizza Hut.

I was so excited for the pizza. I crave pizza all the time...but it was even worse when I knew I couldn't eat it. I devoured it....slowly. Danny wanted to put the leftovers in the fridge but it tasted so good I just couldn't stop eating. Needless to say, there were no leftovers!

I was so excited for Saturday night. Earlier in the week I saw that they were having a comedy night at the Duplin Winery. Wine and comedy...two of my favorite things! But I was even more excited when Jennifer and Dustin said they were going to go too.

First up...winery tour. I did it in September while they were working, so I couldn't really hear the tour guide. This time was so much better! Duplin Winery seems small but they are actually 32 in the nation! They don't sell it in Massachusetts though...and that makes me sad! After the tour we did the tasting..we tried ten wines and two slushies..yum yum yum! This is also when I realized the batteries in my camera died...

Then we moved into the bistro for dinner and the show. We had salad with muscadine poppy seed dressing, pork tenderloin with magnolia sauce, mashed potatoes and green beans. And an awesome magnolia pound cake. A couple glasses of wine later and a quick picture...it was time for the show to get started!

Thanks for smiling hubby!

The comedian was great! I'm so glad we weren't sitting up front, he picked on them the entire show! I had a great time and already can't wait for the next Duplin event!

On the way out I wanted a group picture. Out of all the people there we chose the bossiest woman ever. She wouldn't let us stand where we wanted, made us move in a different order...which gave us the most ridiculous picture ever. None of us look like we even like each other! Hilarious! 

How was your weekend?

Day Two of Vacation: Sea World and Downtown Disney

On Saturday the 12th we got back into the car and finished our roadtrip to Orlando! It took four hours to get from Savannah to Sea World...a short trip, if I lived in Savannah I would want to go to Disney all the time!

I was super excited for Sea World. At first we weren't planning to visit, but on a random concert search a few weeks ago I found out that Huey Lewis and the News was going to be playing for free. And thanks to Hero Salute we got in completely free...and bonus I met up with my bloggy love, Bonnie! You have no idea how excited I was to meet her and the two munchkins! Seriously, she has the most adorable kiddies...the only ones that could ever give me baby fever! (Like, a low grade fever that only makes me skip something important and doesn't require medicine...know what I mean?)

  

We spent the whole day at the park with Bonnie, Noah, Gracie, and their friend Tina. We had lots of fun with Noah navigating, looking at sharks, dolphins, fish..and lots of other stuff. We avoided the water ride like the plague...it was pretty cold out! I was thanking God that I made the last minute decision to pack a hoodie! We did ride the new coaster, Manta though. You lay on your stomach...awesome!

It was Danny's first time at Sea World, so he didn't notice that Believe was noticeably shorter...thanks to the little incident with a killer whale. The Budweiser horses aren't there anymore...and neither is the free beer! Sad, sad day!

After a fun filled day with everyone, me and Danny headed to the concert. It was so fun! Huey Lewis sounds just like he does on CD's...but you could tell it was live. Little to no talking, awesome music, accapella, it was perfect! Perfect but freezing!

When the concert was over we headed to our hotel. We stayed at the All Star Music Resort. We got anniversary pins, I was given a pretty rose, and Mickey was waiting for us on the bed! We got dressed, boarded the bus and headed to Downtown Disney for the night. We ate at Fulton's Crab House...Danny had crab legs and I had sauteed mussels and pasta. We walked around for a while, went in some stores and soaked up the atmosphere. But it was so darn chilly and crowded!

I can honestly say I slept like a baby in our huge bed! And I miss it already!

Fun Filled Weekend!

This was such a great weekend! Friday night I had all the girls over for a Fondue Night. I made a cheese fondue and we had homemade sourdough bread, veggies and apples to dip in it. Then for the chocolate we had marshmallows, pound cake, gorilla bread, strawberries and raspberries. Then, of course, I just had to make some other finger foods...so I put together a cheese tray, chips and dip, and pigs in a blanket with chimichuri sauce. And everything was mmm mmm good! Girls night out might have been an excuse to use all my Food Network serve-ware! But can you believe I didn't take any pictures of the food!? I was having too much fun chit-chatting and enjoying some wine with the girls.

But in true-Nicole-fashion....I did get a photo of all the girls!

I spent Saturday in the kitchen making a homemade ragu...and then transforming that into 18 stuffed peppers (halves.) Holy crap, that's a of stuffed peppers...but we only had 5 leftover! The in-laws came over for dinner, we had the stuffed peppers, salad and homemade Amish bread that Jacque brought over. Miley was super lazy and cuddled with everyone on the couch. She is so exhausted when we bring her home from daycare....and she got groomed too!

I need to step up with my picture-taking. Apparently I'm the only person who gets a new camera and stops taking pictures. Just wait until Disney...I'll need to bring an extra memory card for all the pictures I plan to be traking!

Happy New Year!

Hello 2011! I hope you are as amazing as 2010 was!

To kick off another great year, last night me and Danny got all dressed up and headed to the Duplin Winery. We had tons of food, listened to awesome music...and of course, drank some yummy wine! And we still made it back in time to pass out before the ball dropped!

I don't want to make a resolution like "lose 10 pounds" or "stop drinking coffee," because lets be honest, those things make me happy. And with a new year, being happy is what it's all about! So, instead I'm setting some goals for myself.

 11 Goals for 2011

1) Get up and move more! Gym, walking, workout videos..anything! Just move!

2) Floss. No excuses.

3) Make an attempt to learn how to drive. This could be the Year of the License.

4) Take Avon a little more seriously. Not just online sales.

5) Get eight hours of sleep every night.

6) Cook every recipe from one cookbook.

7) Take vitamins and drink more milk.

8) Take a class...any kind of class. And make plans to get my Masters, maybe?

9) Make more room for our Savings Account in the Envelope System.

10) Learn how to be patient.

11) Read one book every week.

Christmas Dinner

Christmas dinner was fabulous! Usually we have a bunch of people over, but my Uncle and his family decided to host dinner at their new house too. So, it was just Mom, Dad, Michelle, Danny, my great-grandmother and me. Small....and a lot of food.

For starters I made kibbeh. It is a Lebanese dish that I tried at Danny's grandmothers on Thanksgiving. It is so simple to make and really yummy! We also had shrimp cocktail and some other finger foods.

Then it was time for dinner..and I was already stuffed. We had a huge breakfast at 9 and had dinner at 2. So so so full! Mom made prime rib, turkey....and haddock. For six people..but enough for an army! There was also Mom's awesome stuff, squash, mashed potatoes, cabbage, green beans....and I'm sure I'm leaving something out.

There was so much food leftover...we didn't even remember that Mom made a triffle for dessert! Needless to say, Sunday was a day of picking on leftovers and eating lots of desserts. This vacation has definitely expanded my waistline. UGH!

As you all read this..me, Danny and Miley are trekking through the winter blizzard. I'm crossing my fingers that this 12 hour trip doesn't become a 20 hour trip..because I'm seriously missing my bed!

Classy Night on the Town

Yesterday we got all dressed up for night on the town. Our first stop was the Boston Holiday Pops! This was my second time seeing them, but this time it was the traveling show. The Boston Pops and their conductor Keith Lockhart are amazing. Santa even made an appearance! And Melinda Doolittle (who I don't remember!) from season 6 of American Idol was the special soloist. We had such a fun time!  I so badly wanted to take video, because they were amazing...but I was afraid someone would take my brand new camera away from me! This is from their YouTube page, watch it to see how good they are!

After the show we headed to the Melting Pot. It was my parents first time there and my Dad isn't the type to step outside the box when it comes to food. But I think they both ended up really liking it! We started with the cheddar cheese fondue, then a salad, and we all got our own entrees. I had the French Quarter with steak, shrimp, chicken and sausage cooked mojo style. Then, of course, we had chocolate...s'mores fondue. It was all so so so yummy. I couldn't wait to get home to put a pair of sweatpants on!

We had such a fun time! I love any chance to get dressed up...and I think the symphony and a fancy dinner is the perfect opportunity to!

Let the Baking Begin...and a Giveaway...

A clear indicator of the fact that I'm well on the way to recovery over the hole in my gumline where a tooth once lived is that I was able to a) leave the house for the first time this week and b) start (and eat) some holiday baking! My neighbor L and I headed out to a local Artists' Show then to a fantastic little shop that neither of us had gone to before. I expected a little yarn and fabric shop but was instead astounded by a big book, gift, yarn and fabric shop with all sorts of nifty little things that I didn't know I needed until I saw them! After I picked up this super soft scarf for my trip home to visit family in the bitter cold of the North in a few weeks, we headed for home...and made it one block! There was a storefront just calling my name...a pottery shop and studio with my favorite word in the window...SALE! They were selling student work and I picked up this gorgeous bowl for $5!! It has the yummiest glaze on chocolate clay that reminds me of a robin's egg...and reminds me that I have about 20 pounds of chocolate stoneware that I haven't touched in well over a year. I think it might be time to haul it back out and get some pendants made with it. As for baking, this evening I managed to get Thick and Chewy Chocolate Cookie Bars, Ginger Chocolate Chip Bars, and S'Mores Cookie Bars made and sampled...and the verdict from hubster was that they should all be consumed within the next week and not frozen to be judiciously doled out to my favorite people as is the Christmas tradition! Now for the giveaway...pretty much a unanimous decision that my wonky pendants would find loving homes if I held a giveaway, so I aim to please! Here are the (minimal) rules:
1. Leave a comment here...feel free to share your favorite holiday item to bake! Please make sure your email address is in your comment or activated in your profile so I can contact you if you win. If there is no contact information your entry will be disqualified.
2. For extra entries you may tweet, blog,and/or Facebook the giveaway with a link to this post. Leave a new comment for each entry with the link to your post/tweet/update.
Easy peasy right? I will draw three winners and will let them choose their pendant in the order of drawing. Contest closes at midnight, Friday December 10th and I will announce the winners on the blog and by email on Saturday the 11th. I hope to find these three wonkified curvy pendants happy homes!

A Week Away...

in beautiful Sonoma. Any Hitchcock fans? The Birds was partially filmed in Bodega...this little church had a quick cameo in it. We went to see the outdoor art gardens at Cornerstone, neat shops and tons of interesting art installations. The food and wine were over the top...saw the fresh olive oil pressing, ate farm to table meals at Zazu, The Girl and the Fig, and Longmeadow Ranch among others. Visited wineries, bakeries, galleries, redwoods, and the very chilly Northern California coast. Stunning colors and scenery...I think I could definitely move there...

Cyber Monday sale is on all day Monday the 29th, 15% discount off website purchases- enter code: turkey sale

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Why is it that Monday through Friday d-r-a-g but the weekend flies by. I swear the twenty-four hour rule doesn't apply to weekends...the universe knows that people are having fun so time is magically shortened. So, to the universe...please stop, I really like weekends!

You can add this weekend to the list of "great weekends." Friday night was supposed to be girls night, but it ended up being a group thing. And it was awesome. Ten of us went to the hibachi and had some good laughs and a lot of fun. Our chef of the night who calls himself Bob was awesome...and I've never seen so much rice in my life. Ten people sure can eat a lot of rice. I swear I had a large order all to myself.

The fun didn't end when we left the restaurant. My new friend Stephanie came over, so I chilled a bottle of wine...or three. Danny and Justin got some beer...and then the Gambizzles came! We stayed up all night drinking wine and chit-chatting. Three bottles of wine, thirty-six beers later, and a failed attempt to make the guys walk Justin home...it was finally time for bed.

Saturday morning the Gambizzle's had to be up early for a photoshoot. I couldn't believe it...but Miley actually let us sleep past 10:00. HOLY CRAP! And thank goodness for that...I wasn't feeling very human-like when I finally did get up. I think I took a long shower at 11 and then refused to get dress until 1. My head was pounding. It was definitely one of those "never-drinking-again" type of days.

Except we planned to go to the winery for dinner. It was probably a good thing it was closed for the night. Instead we went to Front Street Brewery...not for the beer, but for the amazing nachos! The four of us really showed our "old age" when we decided not to go bowling...but watch Toy Story 3 instead. So, that's how we spent our Saturday night. And I must say....I kinda loved it!

I didn't know Bojangles was a North Carolina place. We spent a good portion of our weekend talking about the "best kept secret" and how they should "share the goodness." The four of us had breakfast there this morning..and we were so under dressed. That's right...under dressed at a fast food place!! It's apparently the happening place to be after church.

While the guys played Black Ops (Danny can't wait for Christmas, he just had to rent the game....) me and Marie went on base. I think it's insane that things don't open until 11AM in the south. So, we paid Katie a little visit! It was nice to have a little girl time and just hangout. And I must say...I'm getting so excited for Katie's wedding. I can't believe it's a little over six weeks away!

And now...it's Sunday. I hate that the "daily-grind" starts on Sunday for us now. I also hate that I took one picture this weekend. I have zero proof that the Gambizzle's were even here! So, you know what that means? We are just going to have to do it again!

Edit: Just an FYI - Bojangles was founded in Jacksonville.

The Good News...

Kelley is definitely NOT an axe murderer! I found it more than a little amusing that she hopped in my car and immediately called Todd to let him know that I'm not either! Of course once hubster discovered that Kelley has the exact camera he's been coveting, it wouldn't have mattered if she was an axe murderer, she automatically became the coolest person I could have brought home!

What a fun weekend it was... We went from the airport to drop Kelley's bag at the hotel (and so I could check the closet for her to make sure no one was lurking...it's what I do...) then straight to La Jolla to get her to the ocean!

The toes...well, for Kelley, the clogs went in the sand...We saw the seals and I calculated how close I needed to stand to grab Kelley's backpack if she started to go over the edge! We saw tidepool critters like this anemone (my current inspiration to create a version in clay!) and I got a peek at an octopus tucked down in a rock crevice...which wasn't going to become inspiration unless someone wants an octopus pendant? We heard waves crash and saw what happens to kelp at low tide... And Kelley was ever so obliging at posing for pictures (much more than I was)! My plan for going to the ultra kitschy Lucha Libre Taco Shop was thwarted by too much publicity last week but we still managed to find some yummalicious Mexican food...and dessert for brunch after our Walk for the Cure. Kelley gave the most lovely pink ribbon lampwork worry stone to a survivor at the walk... A pair of chai lattes then ricotta berry lemon cake for me and a mountain of toasted coconut for Kelley... You'll have to stay tuned for pictures of the pretties she left with me.

Safe travels home Kelley... Hope you make it out this way again soon!
So now the question is, who's next? If you made it out this way what would YOU want to go do?

Mom & Dad in North Carolina!

This weekend went by way too fast! My Mom and Dad came down for the long weekend, my Dad's first time down here since he dropped me off in Carrboro when I moved last June. We had such a fun weekend, I've never laughed so hard!

They flew into Raleigh late Thursday night, so they stayed the night in the city. My parents are early birds so I was expecting them to show up at my front door around 7 Friday morning. Oh no, they decided to sleep in, go out for breakfast, and get stuck in lots of traffic on their way out here. They got stuck in traffic due to "a house in the middle of the road."  Seriously! Mom even sent me a picture.

When they finally got around the house and made it to my house, we headed over to New Bern. We had some lunch at Captain Ratty's, picked up my ball gown (which needs to be altered like crazy...sucks that I'm a midget even with high heels!) and walked around the marina for a little bit. I knew Dad would like seeing all the boats. It was such a beautiful fall day...I love walking around in the cool but sunny weather. We stopped at a make-shift car museum...I decided I will only start driving if I can have a 1966 Ford Mustang Convertible...in blue. How's that sound?

Bright and early Saturday the guys headed out for a day of golf. So what did me and Mom do? Shop, of course! The goal was to get everything for Katie's bridal shower present, but that didn't go as well as I wanted...so now I have two weeks to come up with something perfect! Then we went to Mike's Farm, I was expecting so much more. The country store isn't like the country stores at home, it was mostly candles. But oh.my.goodness...we got lots of fudge! Pumpkin fudge is amazing!

After the farm me and Mom headed to Ruby Tuesday for lunch, just as we were getting ready to leave Danny sent me a text message. I told him we just got done eating lunch and the plan for the night was "to go to Mike's Farm for dinner." Danny and Dad decided not to get lunch, come home and hangout until 3:00 until they were hungry. Me and Mom dropped them off at a bar, did some more shopping, and by the time we picked them up....I knew we wouldn't be going to Mike's Farm. We ended up coming home, hanging out...and decided pretty late that we wanted the Olive Garden. We ate too much, had some wine, Mom and Dad had bellinis, and took some pretty goofy pictures. Mom took pictures of me and Danny "pretending that we liked each other." So of course, I had to take pictures of Mom and Dad..and I think they were making fun of us!

Sunday morning we dropped Miley off at daycare which she loves. Seriously, whenever I bring her there she drags me to the door and runs right to the girl...and doesn't even look back to say "see ya later Mom!" We had some breakfast then headed down to Wilmington for the day!

Our first stop was the Battleship. Since we had so much rain last week everything was so flooded. The parking lot was completely under water. We weren't sure how we were supposed to get to the Battleship, so we decided to just jump the fence. Just as we got over....we saw the shuttle that was bringing people right to the ship. OOPS!

The USS North Carolina is huge. I think this was my third time on it, but every time I find something different. This time, my electronics were going crazy. My camera and phone stopped working at the exact same time..which leads me to believe that it really is haunted. My batteries completly drained, but in the next part of the ship everything was fully charged. CREEPY! We were on the ship for three hours and didn't even see the upper part of it! I could never work on a ship, I'd get so lost.

After the battleship we went to the Front Street Brewery. I think the oatmeal stout is always the mug of the day, good thing its so good! It was that awkward eating time again, 3pm. Lunch, dinner, snack? Either way, we ate too much! The guys went to another bar and me and Mom headed to David's Bridal to pick up my dress for Katie's wedding and...World Market. I seriously love that place. I made my own 6-pack...check out all the good stuff.

Oktoberfest, Raging Bitch, 400 Pound Monkey, Pumpkin Ale, The Poet, and Weeping Willow Witt

Today was their last day. Danny and Dad headed to the golf course again. It was too early for me and Mom to do anything...so we just hungout. Eventually we made our way to Barnes and Noble and Walmart. We made a Halloween package for Kaleb and sent those out. We headed out for a light lunch and picked Miley up. I'm so happy that she loves daycamp because I love that it wears her out!

Mom and Dad just pulled out of the driveway. It will only be five weeks until I see them again! We went all summer without seeing them, and now I feel like we'll be seeing them a lot. I love the holiday season!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Columbus Day weekend! It's not over yet!