Living here in Hawaii, on December 13th, I feel like my body is split right in half. One half of me is yearning for the crisp chill of winter and the Holiday back north. The other half of me basks in the daily sunshine and steamy, Hawaiian weather. Ah... I am a living juxtaposition :) These are what my innards look like ...
Fab.you.lous! <3 I mean really, I live about 200 yards from the western coast of Oahu!
Photography is so beautiful... I love the snow, and the dark hair, and (gasp, will I dare say it?) the pale skin! Ok Kage, I'm officially pushing for Colorado <3
Greener pastures, like CNY !
I love wedding photography in the snow :) It would have been my second choice for a season <3 But I can't deny the beauty of the october leaves!
High fashion on a beach... If only I had the model-esqu legs to pull of boots with a skirt in Hawaii.
Buttercups! I've always found photographs or movie scenes of couples laying in a field of tall grass and spring-like flowers to be one of the most romantic things a couple could do: just be one, together, with nature. Ah, but in reality, I am terrified of bees, grass makes me itchy and girls who wear pretty, white dresses while lounging in a grassy field probably never wear those white dresses again. *Sigh* Damn those hopelessly romantic intangible expectations.
I think my younger brother is capable of perhaps this particular moment of brilliant athleticism. This past summer, he casually decided to hop aboard a plane and ski the Andes Mountains in Chile. He's an old soul. I love his sense of adventure and excitement! My older brother and I admire him dearly :) I, on the other hand, am physically incapable of anything remotely similar. If I ever get this high on a snowboard, it'll be because I missed a sign that says "cliff".
Courtesy of a dear friend who posted this beautiful photo on her own blog. Thanks, The Inbetween Times! <3
And then there is the indisputable fact that I just straight miss winter fashions....Ah, Kate Hudson, you look fabulous and cozy.
Alright, I guess I'll go continue my inner struggle while I clean the house in preparation of two weeks of guests! The sun isn't even out today, anyway, so the guilt affiliated with avoiding sunshine is minimized.
... but I found a stellar chicken recipe tonight, courtesy of The Taste of Home'sSimple and Delicious Cookbook. Here's the recipe just in case your spouse is as chicken crazy as mine. I did it up with some steamed carrots and instant tatoes <3 yum!
Garlic Chick & Gravy
Chicken breast
salt
pepper
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
butter
3/4 cup chicken broth
basil
oregano
1 tbs flour
Rub breasts with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, cook chicken and garlic in butter over med-high heat for 5 min or until browned on either side. Add broth, and white wine if desired, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer for 7-9 min or until no longer pink. Remove chicken. Keep warm. Combine flour and broth in a small bowl. Shake or mix well until no lumps. Stir into pan juices for 1-2 min or until thick. Serve over chicken!
Me ke aloha, oh fellow chicken lovers (or haters) M.
In the name of the Holiday and the spirit of Christmas, I thought I'd compile a few of my favorite things. Happy Holiday! 10. Skaneateles, New York: About 13 years ago, my mom and I began one of my favorite traditions. We would venture to the pretentiously historic village of Skaneateles in Central New York in celebration of our birthdays. It is, of course, always early November, but we are usually lucky to experience the first snowflakes of the year while on our adventure. Mom and I always begin our Christmas shopping this day. We meander around the main street that parallel Skaneateles Lake. We mosey through shops with our cups of coffee and our Holiday spirit, calling to one another, usually in bursts of loud laughter, when we find the perfect gift for someone. We eat lunch at the same place, and we visit the same store. Although we were not able to uphold our November tradition this year, it is certainly only on pause until Nick and I live closer to home again. At least close enough to throw Rosalie in the car and head to Cortland for the weekend :)
9. The entire idea of sleigh riding. Perhaps this is because I'm in the midst of Little Women. Perhaps it's just because I miss the snowy blowy northeast winters. Regardless, the idea of sleigh riding reminds me of trekking to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Christmas. Over the river and through the woods...
8. Trident Booksellers and Cafe, Boston, MA: If Nick and I could miss the concept of this store anymore. Trident is a Newbury Street treasure <3 It is a flawless merge of a coffee shop and a bookstore. A beautiful marriage, if I may attest to its brilliants. Chilly Newbury shoppers can seek refuge from the brisk Boston winds inside Trident where they can peruse the bookstore in its quaint aisles and disheveled bookshelves in search of the perfect novel or magazine. Then, they find an empty seat in the cafe and can order hot tea, wine, breakfast, hummus and pita, a bowl of soup or a crisp salad while they sit and read their find. JAKE AND MINDY!! This is still one of our favorite Boston spots. Thank you for bringing us here!Dear owners of Trident, could you please set up shop out here in Kapolei?
7. Coffee Mania! This unique little dive in Cortland, New York is one piece of my little hometown that tops my favorites list! It's a stationary trailer that allows cars to pull up along either side of the trailer and order hot coffee, scones, tea and iced drinks to go. Sub favorites list? Hot Lavender tea, iced almond joy coffee + skim milk + raw sugar, Cooper + skim milk + slenda.
6. Peppermint Hot Chocolate: This is an extension of Coffee Mania. Coffee Mania has many of my favorite things, to include peppermint hot chocolate, but this Holiday drink is unlike no other. And unlike Coffee Mania, it DOES exist in Hawaii :)
5. Route 13 through Cortland and Dryden, NY. I know it's typically an accident-ridden road during the wintery months, but I have fond memories of white-knuckled driving on that road!
4. A Wintery ride through Central New York <3
3. Panera Bread's broccoli cheddar soup bowl. Baguette or apple? Um. Baguette please! Panera does not exist in Hawaii. Please, if you are reading this and are near a Panera, please please go enjoy a broccoli cheddar soup bowl for me!!
2. The Bluewater Grill in Skaneateles, NY! My mama and I always eat here when we shop in Skaneateles. We always sit in the back room (pictured here) where there is a cozy wood stove warming you up while you eat. We typically snack on baguettes topped with brie cheese and apples, drizzled in raspberry sauce.
1. My wonderful husband and our puppy girl Rosalie <3 My #1 favorite thing <3
There are no words to describe the chaos and disarray of the last 36 hours. After two months without our household goods, we finally received our delivery on Tuesday!!
It was like Christmas morning! Literally!
I woke up early and made banana nut bread for breakfast while Nick and I waited for the delivery truck to arrive. The large truck carried two crates full of all our shower and wedding gifts, my entire bedroom, all my clothing, and the few miscellaneous items from Nick's home. And so the unpacking and organizing commenced! The thrill mirrored that of opening Santa's stockings, but occasionally, we felt as though we were buried under a pile of heavy, wet snow, the kind that doesn't let you move very quickly if at all.
Rosalie lost her aloha for a little bit. She enjoyed the movers at our house, but didn't much know what to think of all the boxes and the obnoxious amounts of wrapping paper and tape. At one point, she found herself entangled with tape and plastic wrap, and thus decided to accept quarantine to her little bed under the Christmas tree-- with direct access to her water bowl.
Alas, I am happy to report there are only two boxes left; both are filled with books that will remain boxed until a bookshelf appears in our living room or office space. Nick and I both enjoyed a hot cup of coffee this morning with our fabulous coffee maker that we've missed so much! I'm making crockpot mac&cheese for Nick to bring to tomorrow's lunch potluck, and my ideas for lunch and dinner are absolutely endless!
Thanks to everyone for all our wedding gifts!! We finally feel like our Hawaii house is our home :) Now... if you all would so kindly book your plane tickets....
COUNTDOWN:
Muffin = 11 days
Mom&Grams = 19 days
Dekey = 36 days :)
Hobbes has her aloha back, so we're going to take a walk before dinner.
I took a writing class my last semester of undergrad. In it,we were assigned a multitude of tasks wherein we had to elicit sensual feelings from the reader. Sensual, of course, in the very literal sense by way of arousing the senses. The course had a write a number of short creative non-fiction stories wherein we had to twinge the readers' sense of smell or prick the nerves to illustrate touch. I don't remember what sense I was attempting to evoke, but I wrote a paper about Little Women (Alcott). There is something magical about this book. I feel a kin to the March sisters. I love their vivacity. I love that they eat bread and milk for breakfast. And there is something absolutely romantic about their squalor. And for some reason, I secretly (now, not-so-secretly) love 1860s lower-middle class fashion.
This past weekend, I fizzled with disgust for the lack of snow. It hasn't even been sunny here these last few days. I wanted a scarf. A hat. My down vest. I wanted knee-high boots and a chunky sweater, both over black leggins. Ok, none of the aforementioned items were remotely recreated under the inspiration of 1860s fashion. Regardless!
I gps-ed the Kapolei Library and spent an afternoon wandering between the tall books and found myself leaving only a couple hours later, Little Women in hand and a night's worth of childhood regressions. And since then, this classic story has ignited every one of my senses and threaded me through the eyelet of a Victorian corset (thanks Dad). All of which is very 'agreeable'.
A year ago, on this very first Friday of December, Nick proposed to me at Columbus Circle <3 I cannot believe one year has already passed... I remember every moment like it happened last week. Here's the video and a copy of the story from our wedding website. The day was quite an adventure! Happy first Friday in December, everyone <3
Me ke Aloha M.
He Proposed!
Friday, December 03, 2010
The story...
For the entire four years in the Hudson Valley, we talked about going to New York City -- to visit! to site see! to party! To do anything! ... But we rarely, if ever, had the time, not to mention, the city is quite an expensive excursion!
Nick's firstie (senior) year at West Point, he frequented the city, since he was constantly down there for the Statue of Liberty project, among other things. I ventured to the city as well, though with my mom and grandmother for the broadway show experience. And as of September 2010, we'd never been down there together. Moreover, in September, I was living back in Cortland, and Nick and I were running out of time.
One thing I've always wanted to do is see New York all lit up for Christmas: the lights at bloomingdales, the tree at Rockefeller center and of course, central park.
The weekend before Thanksgiving, Nick and I were out to lunch and he suggested that we go to New York the first weekend of December to see the Christmas setup. I was absolutely on board!! I had wanted to do this for so long!
It was the week leading up to my final papers and final grades, so while I was swamped, Nick offered to organize the hotel for the weekend, and he casually brought up things to do while we were down there.
When we got to the city, Nick and I tried to make reservations at Bobby Flay's restaurant. The earliest reservation was for 9:45pm! So instead, we decided to eat dinner at the Bryant Park Grill. The lights were beautiful and twinkling above us as we ate and watched the locals skate at around the rink and meander through the christmas festival. Nick and I embedded ourselves in the festivities then walked through Time Square and to Rockfeller Center for the tree.
It didn't seem suspicious at the time, but Nick absolutely knew where he was going! I was impressed that he knew which directions we should go and where the Christmas landmarks were. We visited the tree and warmed up in the Lego store. And suddenly, Nick became very quiet and slipped into a 'mission' mindset. He was in directional mode, and I was freezing my butt off :X
My hands were numb and my feet burned in my 4-inch heels (he never told me how far we were walking!) and I didn't realize until 6 blocks away that Nick and I were no longer talking but rather just walking - quickly - toward... ?? I was not quite sure where.
Meanwhile, Nick perpetually checked his phone and was texting our friend Wags (Zack Wagner), and I may or may not have been very annoyed with Wags for texting Nick on our only night alone together. Regardless, I was too cold to care about the text messages.
We arrived at Central Park's south entrance, and Nick suggested that we take a short carriage ride. It was very romantic :) The driver gave us a history of the park while we snuggled beneath a cozy blanket sipping cocoa. Prior to getting into the carriage, Nick spotted the Time Warner building and raved about its architectural magnificence. Puzzled, but compliant, I agreed to 'check out the architecture' after our carriage ride. Nick asked the driver if he could drop us off at 8th Avenue, at Columbus Circle, so we could examine the beauty of the Time Warner Building.
To be honest, at this point, I was freezing so badly that I could have cared less about the building. We crossed the street into Columbus Circle and Nick gazed up in admiration. He attempted to articulate his fascination for the structure, but my brain had a thick, frozen layer over it, and I couldn't share his excitement. Nick started to read the dedication on the statue of Christopher Columbus while casually mentioning that we were standing in the middle of a beautiful fountain. And it was beautiful.
Christmas lights dangled from the Time Warner Building--- large snowflakes and white lights dances from the trees and above. It was Christmas magic :)
Nick checked his phone one last time (unbeknownst to me at the time of course) and then positioned me in front of the statue.
He confessed that he had navigated this entire route three days earlier in an effort to make this night particularly special for me. He told me I was his best friend and that he wanted to make tonight perfect because I make every day perfect for him. He knelt down and asked me to marry him <3
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him between tears. He slipped the ring onto my finger and again, told me that he had another confession: there was a 'camera crew'. Zack Wagner and Tom Kenny-- our two wonderful friends-- popped out from behind a statue and charged at us. They had us pose (hence the tearful picture above!) and then off they went, leaving us to celebrate on our own. <3
Taste of Home got me again. During my morning browsing (half watching The Today Show, half searching for recipe ideas for when The Muffin gets here), I found this cookie recipe and alas, it looks like I know how I will choose to procrastinate today.
I should be putting together the course outline. I should be creating journal entries and Socratic Seminar exercises. But I think, instead, I will make these cookies first :)
Preheat oven to 375. Melt 8 ounces of the chocolate as directed on package. Set aside. Coarsley chop remaining 4 ounces chocolate. Mix flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in small bowl.
Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add melted chocolate; beat until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Stir in chopped chocolate. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons or medium cookie scoop 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment paper- lined baking sheets.
Bake about 10 minutes or until cookies are set slightly cracked on top. Transfer cookies on parchment paper to wire rack; cool completely.
