NYC Smash Books

 Last evening the NYC trip girls came over to my place.  I had treat boxes with a NYC taxi cab and a Statue of Liberty ornament as their place cards.  We had taco soup for a light supper and brownie bites and almond cookies for dessert.  Mom joined us for a visit.

 Jodi and I printed wallet size and regular size pictures to share.  Everyone brought their Smash books, souvenirs, washi tapes and embellishments.  We embellish because we have scrapped with Miss Becky and she is all about embellishing.  Miss you Becky!

These are a few of my pages in my Smash book. 

 The apple dumplings at Knobels are worth flying across the country for and they are page worthy.

 I did a page about our visit to the Hook.

 My hotel page because I love hotels.

 Times Square at night page.  Yes, we saw the naked cowboy.

We made so many good memories on our trip to PA and NYC that we started talking about our next trip.  We aren't sure where we are going yet, but we are going somewhere together.

Shhhh, please don't mention that information to our husbands.  They aren't ready yet.

It was fun to laugh about our good times and to think about our next stop.

Random Thoughts Cuz I Couldn't Sleep

I've been editing some photos from 2012.  The NYC pictures make me smile.  I found some fun party favors for the girls.  We need to set a date to finish our Smash books.  And to laugh, have a glass of wine and reminisce because we are very good at all of the above.  Nancy!  Book a flight!

Hubby and I research prior to making purchases.  Why do sales associates try to get us to change our minds when we go to make the purchase?  Why do I think, "well, they're in the business so they know best"?  They don't know us.  I am going to resolve to stick to my guns in 2013.

Do you ever have this problem?

Is one side of Maui better than the other side?

I started working on our tax return for 2012.  Even though I am not a math whiz I do enjoy the process.  Weird, I know.

Until I have to pay, then me no likey.

I purchased paint for the kitchen and upstairs landing yesterday.  As much as I dread the prep involved with painting I do love the fresh results.  We have a 2013 punch list, we may as well begin the projects.

My morning started at 4:00 a.m. today.  I just couldn't sleep.  I never have a problem sleeping so this morning I have a lot of sympathy for those that have this problem on a regular basis.

The cold, sunny days have been a Winter time treat in the Pacific NorthWET.  According to the forecast they are coming to an end, the good news is that there are SNOW flakes in the forecast.

That's all.  Probably enough.

Christmas Shopping

 Before I get too carried away with our Christmas shopping I took a few minutes this morning to organize for the season.  I find some large shopping bags in the laundry room, assign each person in our family a bag, and then tag it with their name.  Any gifts we purchase goes into the bag of the recipient.

 I use a large envelope and label it for this year's receipts.  Just in case something has to be returned.

As I shop I divide and eventually conquer!

 I label a large bag as "friends and family" for girls' night gifts, draw name gifts, hostess gifts and other gifts.

Gifts for teachers... oh wait, we are finished with buying gifts for teachers.  Yipee!

Yes, there is a bag for moi.  It helps Hubby with his shopping and wrapping.  And besides I had a groovy bag from C. Wonder in New York City.  It had to be mine.

I make a list of the people we need to buy for and then make two copies.  One has ideas, their lists and sizes and the other gets filled in as I purchase with the actual gift.  That way I can see at a glance who I need to shop for and the ideas that I have for their gift.

How do you organize your Christmas shopping?

Saturday Stuff

 I'm enjoying a cup of tea this morning, remembering the great time I had in NYC.  I love my Starbucks mugs from vacations and great places.  I'm also enjoying a glass of emergen-C.  I have been drinking one to two a day since September.  A month filled with air travel and little sleep, I am on high alert for a cold.

I have the "tiredsorethroatthing" going on right now!

My friends know all about my "tiredsorethroatthing", it freaks me out.  It's time to get rest and drink lots of emergen-C to ward off  some cruddy sickness.  I used one of the vintage stir sticks that I found at the Lynden Craft and Antique Show to mix my emergen-C.  I love these old drink stir sticks, and this was a bag full of great ones.  I used the glass cobalt blue one this morning, it's from the St. Moritz, On The Park, New York City.  A great hotel that was built in the 1930's, the Moritz is now the Ritz Carlton in NYC.  I like to imagine going for a drink in these old hotels and restaurants. 

I'm am also trying to resist eating a pumpkin bar for breakfast... not easy.

I sent a pan of them to work with Hubby this morning.  I should have sent all of them.

I bought a small set of dishes at the show.  They're green, they are from England and they were a crazy deal.  When I find green dishes I know that I'll use them in the Fall, in the Spring and in the Summer and that I can mix them in at Christmastime.  I paid less than 10% of the value I found online.  Aren't they pretty?

Honestly, I don't know why I'm justifying dishes to you?  I love them and I don't care what anyone thinks.

 I received a gift of shiney brites this week.  In the box!  Max and Kassie found them in Walla Walla and she brought them over to me.  I love the shiney brites and the box but what I love even more is that they thought of me and bought me this gift.  I really do have thoughtful, great kiddos.

The Lynden Antique and Craft Show is open today until 5:00 p.m.  You may want to run down to do a bit of shopping and enjoy the mini donuts.  

Have a great weekend :)

New York City

 We saw a lot in NYC considering we arrived on Friday afternoon and left on Monday afternoon.  We went up the Empire State Building, to the Statue of Liberty, to Ellis Island, on the double decker city bus tour, to Eataly, to the 911 Memorial, we shopped and we ate. 

 On Sunday we walked to Central Park and in Central Park.  It was beautiful with Fall color.  We came back up Fifth Avenue and stopped at St. Patrick Cathedral during their worship service, then ate a diner breakfast before getting ready to go to our Broadway matinee.

 I love urns and saw so many great ones.  I loved this one with the black but wished they had watered the mums as they could have been beautiful.

 New York City's finest were having their muster right on the street.  It made me miss Hubby.

Mary Poppins on Broadway was my favorite part of the trip.  It was so amazing. 

After the show we had a drink at Guy Fieri's place and then met up with Kathi's brother-in-law, Jordan.  He is a New Yorker and doesn't Kathi look like one with her 7 inch heels?  The last time she visited NYC she wore Jesus sandals, but this time she looked the part.

We had a great time with Jordan at the Spice Market.  Lots of laughs and catching up with him.

 We also enjoyed an amazing dinner.

 On Monday morning we went to the taping of the Today Show, it was fun to see in real time and we got on TV.  You may have seen me during the clip of the blogger that makes fun of mom bloggers.  The irony was not lost on me. Haha.

I took some pictures but mainly I let the Snapsister that is my sister take care of the photography so I will share more pictures after she gives me a disc.

New York City was amazing and the time with my Sista Cuzs was really the best part.

The New Yorker

 After arriving at JFK we promptly left NYC for PA.  Then after our time in Pennsylvania we came back to the city.  Ed drove us to our hotel, The New Yorker.  Kathi and I found it online, it had suites and we really wanted to stay in one room.  And it was in Midtown Manhattan, a great location.

From Muhammad Ali to Nikola Tesla, late President John F. Kennedy to Jennifer Hudson, many of the most influential individuals in history - slept here. The property's chief engineer is the unofficial archivist, and his collection of old brochures and photos dating back to 1929 tells a fantastic story of a major piece of New York City history. ~New Yorker 

It had been refurbished fairly recently and was a pretty room.

 I would have taken a better picture of the bathroom but I couldn't fit myself and my camera in at the same time.  A typical tiny New York City bathroom.

 We were on the 26th floor and ended up with an upgrade so we had a dining table for six, a sitting area, a walk in closet, room for a roll a way bed, and a large balcony with a great view of the city and the Hudson River.  Our balcony was the size of two of the ones pictured below.

Since our balcony was so large and had so little furniture we moved the living room furniture outside.  We're classy like that.  The rednecks visit the city...

 The lobby was beautiful, Art Deco style and the hotel had two restaurants, the Tick Tock Diner and Coopers Tavern.  Both were very good, though the diner had the rudest waiter I've ever encountered.

I'm glad we stayed at the New Yorker, it just felt very typical New York and the location was great.  We went to the Empire State Building the first evening and it was within walking distance.  We easily walked to Central Park, Broadway and Times Square.

Ed and Nancy

 Our cousin, Nancy and her husband Ed are the best.  They opened their home and hearts to us.  They met us at JFK and took us to their home in Pennsylvania.  The first morning we were there Nancy hosted a Sip-n-See for us so we could meet all of her friends. I should have taken pictures.

 Nancy's granddaughter, Ava, kept us entertained.  She practiced her spelling words for us.  I was so impressed, Ava is in the second grade, her words included, because, America,  and English.

 A sweet, little smarty pants!

 We enjoyed some great family dinners.  Lissa is in the kitchen helping Nancy prepare dinner.  Nancy's kids, Ronnie and Natasha, and Ed's Mom, Jeanette, Nancy and Lissa's brother Aaron and his girlfriend came for dinner.  Nancy made delicious dinners.

Ed and Nancy have a wonderful family and we had some great times with them.

  

Their family suffered a horrible tragedy. Two of Nancy's children died in car accidents within five months of each other.   Nancy took us to the cemetery to visit Nate and Jannette's graves.  Nancy designed Nate and Jannette's bronze markers.  They are beautiful tributes to her children.  Today, October 9th, is the anniversary of Nate's death.  For me, being able to visit the graves with Nancy was an important part of the trip.  To share her grief, give her hugs, and cry with her, it meant so much to me.  To stand with her and think about her and her family's grief,  to lose two beautiful children so tragically, it took my breath away.

For Nancy and Lissa, life is defined as before the accidents and after the accidents.  

I'm grateful to have shared Nancy's grief.

There, but for the grace of God, go I.  Nancy is living that everyday.