I haven’t had much time lately to write and during my free time, I haven’t wanted to write. So I’m here today on a four W-word alliteration bender to share some photos, mostly from the Memorial Day weekend, which involved me going back to Connecticut to see my good friend Kristen marry the love of her life!
Kristen and her husband Greg met when he fell into her at a bar, spilled her drink, and offered to buy her a new one. How’s that for a rom-com romance?
Totally digging this Trade Em Up Tuesday thing, so thanks very much to Miss Alex for cluing me into that. Much like Thinking Out Loud Thursdays, it’s just a great way to blog on a day when I don’t feel like sticking to one topic.
I would trade…ALL THE SNOW. Snow snow go away, you ruin my plans so many days. Last night’s Group Power class was cancelled due to weather so I had to say goodbye to my Monday lifting party and am hoping I can make it to Thursday or Saturday’s class.
I would not trade…getting out of work early due to snow. OK so that’s a positive! I was able to leave work, hit the gym for a workout, and get home to shower and get cozy by the fire. I had extra time to clear out the mindless-TV hanging around on my DVR (#RichKids, Toned Up) and draft tomorrow’s blog post. At the gym I did my go-to cardio machine the StepMill (30 minutes of speed intervals) followed by two rounds of this arm routine by Rebecca.
I did two rounds instead of three because I started to get hangry!
I would trade…the waiting game. I’m still playing it and I don’t know if I’m going to see a win or a loss. I’ll know by the end of the day tomorrow whether or not I’ve landed a big opportunity. Sorry that I have to continue being cryptic…wish I knew for sure what was going on so that I didn’t have to be!
Lindsay commented on my last post and said some say New Year’s Eve (#NYE as we social-media-lites like to call it) is an indicator of how the upcoming year will be spent. I both hope and don’t hope this is true! I am currently sitting in my kitchen drinking the last of a Starbucks black coffee (Daybreak was closed today 🙁 ) and writing this post to put off going to the gym. I cannot stand all the New Year’s resolution talk going on right now but today I sure do wish I had the motivation of a resolution-er. Given the fact that I work out consistently, it’s just any old gym day for me. Stairs, abs, and maybe arms are on my agenda.
My New Year’s nails, which I surprisingly haven’t messed up yet.
Anyway, New Year’s Eve was fun. I pretty much allowed myself to drink and eat what I wanted. We started with a lovely dinner at Bricco Trattoria in Glastonbury, where I un-surprisingly ran into many people I know from around town. My good friend Kelly came to visit and some other old friends, including Greg, were part of my evening too.
The winners of the Bristol Bliss giveaway are Steph, Heather, and SmileyJoyLove! Congratulations and I will be contacting you for your shipping info so that you can receive your scrub. Remember to check out the Bristol Bliss Etsy shop for natural beauty goodies for yourself…or a custom gift basket for a holiday gift!
This weekend taught me a few lessons and gave me some great ammo for the next time I’m feeling down. I always need these kinds of weekends to prove to myself that the fun in my life is not a “bad habit”…it’s marvelous!
Join Katie‘s marvelous weekly link-up!
Thank you to all who entered my giveaway for a personal wine cellar from Staples! Congrats to the winner…Heather! And remember to not forget Staples for your appliance needs…they don’t just sell paper clips!
Ever since I started going out more frequently on weekends, and staying out later when I do so, I’ve been fighting that little voice in my head telling me I “shouldn’t” be doing it. I figured/told myself that once temperatures started descending the summer nights would disappear and so would my desire to go out. However, this hasn’t been the case. I’ve got the energy to fight the cold, get dolled up, and hit the dance floor after dinner.
Rooftop 120 chocolate martini shots!
The winner of the Talcott Mountain Music Festival ticket giveaway winner is Tiffany! Your tickets are in the mail 🙂 Thank you to all who entered and remember that you can still purchase tickets to the next two shows here!
Happy Marvelous In My Monday! Last night I was COMPLETELY wiped from a weekend of fun…and still felt wiped this morning (hello, Monday). I had one night of not enough sleep (Friday) and one good night’s sleep (Saturday), but that good night was not enough to make up for Friday. Friday was definitely the most energy-exerting, fun, friend-filled, delicious part of my weekend. The rest was great too, but you will find today’s MIMM post heavy on the Friday.
Thanks Katie for the marvelous mindset!
Marvelous is…a chef’s tasting at Pond House Grille! My good friend Jill and I had the privilege of experiencing a tasting of small plates, prepared for us by Executive Chef Jordan Stein, for dinner on Friday night. We also sipped on some magnificently crafted cocktails and experienced a floral course, involving dry ice! I will be doing a full blog post this week about the experience so stay tuned. For now I’ll be a tease (though some of you may have gotten a sneak peek of more photos on Instagram).
It occurred to me yesterday while I was in a bit of a late afternoon funk that my weekend as pretty darn marvelous. So let’s focus on the positives on this Monday, with Katie‘s weekly celebration.
Marvelous is…Huffington Post Women‘s Twitter account tweeting my National Eating Disorders Awareness Week blog post on Friday morning. Um, holy. For them to think I’m worthy of a spot on their feed is a true honor. And all of your reactions in the comments and on Twitter were marvelous as well. Thank you!
I’m glad you all are just as excited about BAMR Bands as I am (in fact mine makes another appearance in this post – can you spot it?) and I’m happy to announce the winners of my giveaway!
Congrats Amanda, Allison, and Celeste! I will be contacting you about your prizes!
Remember to enter my SOYJOY giveaway – two winners will be chosen after tomorrow night’s entry deadline!
There must be something about me and bringing blends to Rooftop 120, huh? Or maybe there’s just something about me going to Rooftop 120. Yeah, I think that’s more like it. Well whatever the “something” is, I decided to show the magic of one of my favorite CT restaurants to my blend Kelly and her hubby, a fellow Manhattan-lover. They’ve been staying nearby while waiting for their new house to be ready, and Kelly and I wanted to take advantage and have plenty of hang-out time during her “homeless month”.
Nick, Kelly, and I!
When Kelly and Nick arrived I was already at Rooftop 120 with my parents (obviously, when am I not hanging out with them?) enjoying a cocktail that my favorite bartender ever, Andres, had crafted for me. The ‘rents had decided to go out for a drink before a church fundraiser.
The family that drinks together – stays together?!
As soon as I arrived, Andres shared with me a cocktail he had been dreaming up that had my name on it – Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, muddled orange, and a splash of ginger beer, served up. Yum! I was on board immediately and even my whiskey-averse mom thought it was nice and smooth.
Once Kelly and Nick arrived, they selected their adult beverages – very wisely, I might add. Nick took my suggestion and ordered one of Andres’s wonderful Maker’s Mark Manhattans (on the rocks), while Kelly opted for one of the fall cocktail specials, the Smashed Pumpkin: Fulton’s Harvest Pumpkin Pie Liqueur, Captain Morgan, and cinnamon.
It tasted even better than it looks!
Kelly and Nick had a Groupon to use (alas, I had used mined already the week prior) so of course we ordered dinner too! Both of the evening’s specials sounded absolutely AMAZING to Kelly and I, so we ordered both and split them so we wouldn’t have to make any heart-wrenching decisions. One of the many reasons why blend dining works well!
Seasoned cod special atop warm chickpea puree and sauteed spinach.
Surf & Turf: jumbo shrimp and filet! Source
Kelly and I were beyond wow-ed by the above two dishes as well as beyond bummed when they were gone! Nick ordered the Kobe burger and fries which I didn’t get a photo of, but trust me, it looked fantastic.
Cheers!
Nick decided on Junior’s cheesecake for dessert, and was kind enough to let me steal several bites. Though I don’t eat it often, cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts EVER. After each freshman year calculus exam, I used to get a huge slice with Oreo crumbs on top from the cafe I worked at in college. Because the studying I did for those things was hell and I certainly deserved it.
Had to go Greek!
But I was craving more savory, not sweet, so Kelly and I split the above appetizer – baked lamb meatballs with onion jam and yogurt sauce. Plus BREAD! Kelly and I love all things Greek and so a Greek-inspired dish seemed perfect for us. But next time we are going to go all out because I have officially invited myself over to her in-laws’ house for an authentic Greek meal…hope you don’t mind, Kelly and Nick!
Skinnygirl Cucumber and St. Germaine.
I ordered (and was unable to finish) the above second cocktail – still craving savory, so I went with a cucumber martini with a salted rim. Kelly tried it and was a fan too of how refreshing it was! Great job again Andres!
It’s good to know a guy who can make a good drink!
Kelly got a second drink too, which she had seen previously on Andres’s Instagram (where he uploads photos of his lovely concoctions) and was intrigued by – a Sparkler! Many flavors are available and whichever one you want comes in a puree and is mixed with Prosecco. Love the presentation!
Sparkler with Prosecco!
Kelly and Nick headed home and I stuck around a bit longer to chat with Andres as well as some friends I ran into from the gym. Always a bit strange to see each other outside of workout clothes for the first time! And of course before we parted ways Kelly and I made another dinner date…for this Friday!
Thankful for my blend!
Which of the drinks and/or food we tried looks best to you?
Have you ever had a blend meetup? How about a blend-and-her-hubby meetup?
Do you have any special connections with any employee at a restaurant where you are a regular?
I’m glad that you all enjoyed the guest post from Amanda, founder of Grow Soul Beautiful. The winner of her giveaway for a set of Vision Quest Photo Assignment cards with exercises on self-love is Sarah!
Thank you to all who entered! I will be contacting Sarah for shipping information. And remember, you don’t need photo cards to practice self love!
I can’t thank you all enough for the supportive comments you left on Friday’s post about my GI stuff. After leaving about three messages and going by the GI doctor’s office in PERSON (and having to leave work due to more nausea…I hate all the work I’m missing), the doc called me on Friday night at about 6PM to tell me he was putting in an order for me to get an abdominal ultrasound. I went the very next morning (thank goodness for Saturday hours) hoping to make an appointment or walk-in right then…and I was able to do the latter! I got the ultrasound done and will get results back once the world comes out of Hurricane-Sandy-shut-down-mode.
(By the way, no work today due to Hurricane Sandy, and no class tomorrow night either…woo hoo!)
All day Friday and also Saturday morning I felt SO down. I literally have never felt that negative in my life, and it really scared me. I kept thinking about things I usually enjoy doing, and they didn’t seem pleasant to me. Nothing seemed appealing. But Saturday I awoke nausea-free. I went to the gym and did Group Power, because all I was in the mood to do was angrily lift heavy stuff. And it definitely helped. I walked out of the gym and had texts from four supportive friends and family members checking on me. I took a deep breath and told myself to shower, go home, and take advantage of a day of feeling well. So I did just that, and as I was putting on some makeup and packing up my homework for a Daybreak trip, I definitely felt like my mood was on the up-and-up. I kept remembering Tina’s post about her attitude when she first developed colitis and felt inspired to give myself “a kick in the ass”. Moping will not do anything. And stressing only makes me feel more sick – so what’s the point?!
Now, let’s get to the meat of today’s innuendo-titled post.
I was also lucky enough on Saturday afternoon to have my bad mood blown away thanks to Stacey Cohen, the owner of Blo West Hartford in Blueback Square. You may recall that I hosted a giveaway for a free blow dry last month. Well, I also received a free blow dry myself! I was saving it for something special, and had an Old-Hollywood themed Halloween party to attend Saturday night. I thought that a the Holly-Would style out of Blo’s Hair Menu would be the perfect choice!
The hair menu’s depiction of the style. Source
I was psyched to finally get to meet Stacey, who introduced me to my stylist, Allison. She was such a sweetheart and I enjoyed chatting with her! She and all the other employees of Blo are licensed hair stylists and can do everything (cuts, colors, etc), but Blo only does blow drys and up-dos.
My “before” shot – and that’s Allison on the right!
The decor of Blo is so stylish and glam. I love the white and pink color scheme…and check out the refreshments!
Yes, those are mini cupcakes!
Allison was sure to take into consideration my preferences, like where I wanted my part and how “big” I wanted the hairdo to turn out. However, I left most of the decisions up to her. Just ask my sister, who is always getting frustrated with my hair laziness…I do not have the patience to do anything like part my hair when I comb it. I’ve got places to be! And I’m certainly no expert, so I let the expert present (Allison) call most of the shots. I certainly don’t regret that decision. Just LOOK at the finished product!
Um, can I PLEASE get a blow dry every day of my life?! Now I know why my blend Maria is obsessed! The style did not take any time at all for Allison to complete and it turned out just as I had hoped! I walked out of Blo with bounce in my hair AND my step.
Bathroom selfie, when home alone gotta do what ya gotta do.
Unfortunately my party plans did not work out, but I rallied and went out to dinner with my friends Geno and Casey (who also happen to be the parents of a couple of my other friends) to one of my favorite places ever – Rooftop 120! I’d recently purchased their Groupon and also had to go somewhere fabulous to show off my glamorous look!
Wearing a pearl necklace my grandfather got me for high school graduation.
Myspace style.
I had an amazing drink (Knob Creek Manhattan) and meal (Moroccan-Glazed Chicken) and my stomach was well-behaved. I was so thankful for the great friends I was able to spend the evening with!
A trio made in heaven – meal, drink, me!
Moroccan-glazed chicken with green olive puree, Russian banana potatoes, and cherry bomb carrots.
Me, Casey, and Geno!
Andres, my favorite bartender ever, was working (thankfully) and dressed as a mad mixologist for Halloween! Perfect costume for a talented mixologist like himself.
Props and all!
Andres’s lab!
Even the next morning (Sunday) I tried to get as much out of my blow dry as possible. I carefully put my hair in a ponytail before going to the gym, and when I went to Daybreak after to do homework (and procrastinate), I just put on a Forever 21 beanie and rocked my loose waves that still remained!
My blow dry may be gone now, but my memory of my positive experience sure isn’t! I totally recommend heading over to Blo West Hartford to get blown, whether you’re experienced or a first-timer 😉 Call 860-231-0443 to make your appointment, and you can email them at blowesthartford@blomedry.com. Like Blo on FB and follow them on Twitter too!
I received my blow dry free courtesy of Blo West Hartford. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you ever gotten a blow dry?
What was the best part of your weekend?
I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!
