the night in.: February 2013

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

packing.

8:01 PM

We found a place and signed the lease today! Our new home will soon be a 3 bed, 2.5 bath house! It's not my absolute dream home, but it is pretty darn cute.

I used up all of our boxes (waiting on Nick to bring some more home tonight) and packed up my books and our DVD's. Seriously... feels like a lot of boxes and I have not even packed anything substantial yet.

Our official move in date is this Friday... and then Disneyland is next weekend! High stress, but a lot of excitement too. I'm excited to share how we decorate our house and I can't wait to see how it all comes together!

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Sunday, February 17, 2013

weekend recap.

7:07 PM

Saturday was a huge success that started with a toffee nut latte in the morning. (Thanks, Nick!)
We had lunch at a new restaurant in town called Honey Salt.

I had the Biloxi Fried Chicken and Chopped Salad and Nick went with the classic Burger and Fries. Mmm. We went to see some more houses and we think we have found the one! I'm not super crazy about it, but only because the house was in desperate need of cleaning. I'm not sure what we are going to do with a 1, 500 sq. ft. house though... I can foresee a pretty sweet office for myself though! I am just so impatient and I can't wait until we can get a hold of the landlord and start figuring things out.

Our night was pretty awesome as well since we got to go to a Yelp Elite event. If you don't hang out on Yelp, you really should. Being an elite is pretty sweet! I never knew what it was all about until someone nominated me last December. Big thanks to whoever that was!

We made new friends, ate good food and even scored some free tickets to the UNLV basketball game next week!

And as for today- well, I pretty much just stayed in PJ's and caught up on all of my TV shows (Once Upon a Time, PLL and duh- Dance Moms). I have definitely been in need of a day like this since my weeks have been jam packed!

What did you do this weekend?

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Friday, February 15, 2013

Hallmark Happiness.

10:26 PM

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day yesterday, whether you're livin' the single life or attached at the hip to a special someone. I gave Nick two boxes of dark chocolate fortune cookies in the morning before heading out for the day (it's become a tradition over the years- they're delicious!).

Then I went and worked my little butt off all day and had a special Valentine's lunch with my usual lunch buddies/co-workers at Capriotti's. It was pretty tasty! Dessert was a bit gluttonous...I had two bundtini's from Nothing Bundt Cakes (red velvet and chocolate- how could I choose just one?!).

And I was a little bummed all day thinking that I was not going to get any flowers, but found this in my car at the end of the day...

Yellow roses are my favorite! I mis-read a text message from Nick that would have led me to the flowers way earlier in the day. Haha!

Nick didn't get home from work until almost 8pm, but we went to dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant and completely stuffed ourselves full of food! The long day was wrapped up with watching King of the Nerds on TBS. We are legitimately addicted to that show because our beautiful friend, Danielle, is a contestant.

And that about sums up our Valentine's Day. Our weekend should be much more exciting (house hunting continues and we are attending a Yelp Elite event tomorrow)!

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Monday, February 11, 2013

That Moment...

8:26 PM

... when you are standing in a house that is absolutely perfect in every way and you're all but ready to sign the papers- but then you look over at your significant other and realize he doesn't love it as much as you.

Yeah. That moment sucks.

Sorry cute doll house with light blue walls, white crown molding and cream shag carpet. I wish we could have been friends, but Nick said "No" due to your lack of developed surroundings and 10 minute drive to the freeway. Sigh.

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Sunday, February 10, 2013

House-piration.

7:10 PM

Back in our 18 and 19 year old days, Nick and I lived with roommates. I was the only girl and the way the house was decorated ended up being a mix up of our collective items (envision deer antlers, Aztec pattern sofas and purple baskets... yeah). We did not really care because all that mattered was that we had usable STUFF. Man was it a good feeling to throw that couch in the dumpster when we moved home...

Fast forward a bit to our college years while Nick and I have been living with family, and we don't really have much of anything furniture wise except our bed, a DVD cabinet and a few dressers. So, you can imagine my panic in the thought of moving and decorating more than one room. Heck- this room is not even "decorated" since literally all of our items are stored in it. There's really no room for a running theme... I mean, I have a modge podge picture hanging on the wall but that's about it.

The problem I can see happening in the next month or so is the major clash in style differences that Nick and I have. He likes Asian inspired items, dark rich colors and very modern looking pieces. I too enjoy modern pieces, however, I'm more of a vintage, bright colors and white on white kind of girl. A few weeks ago, I suggested that we take our nightstands, re-finish and paint them white when we move since they are currently an ugly oak with stickers slapped on them. His response: "I hate white furniture."

How will we come to a compromise? Will I take a room to decorate and he can take another? Will we even be able to decorate using coordinating colors, etc? Who knows... but it's certainly going to be one of the great debates of 2013 for us, especially when we are working on a budget (dang the swap meet for carrying so many Asian themed paintings at such a low price- ha ha)!

Images Courtesy of Pinterest

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Friday, February 8, 2013

oh weekend joy.

7:08 PM

What. a. week.

I'm still working on my To Travel series, so stay tuned for the next installment...

I am overwhelmed with happiness that it is Friday night and the weekend is just about to begin!

Just wanted to share a new discovery... hair primer! I bought it on a whim after seeing advertisement after advertisement for it on YouTube (see- it really works!). I typically wash my hair every single day because I cannot stand the greasy look that seems to happen on day 2. Sometimes I can push through, but not often.

Sorry for the bad lighting selfie below, but this was day 3 of not washing my hair with the primer in...

I personally think it held up well, no grease and although the primer does tout holding style for a few days- I did curl it again that morning. 3 days is my limit though, as I did wash my hair that evening! Anyway, you can find the primer at Sephora. It is the Living Proof Prime Style Extender. Yay for new discoveries!

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Saturday, February 2, 2013

To Travel- Disneyland: Splurge Eats

1:05 PM

If you have some extra cash to spend while on your trip to the Land, I highly recommend trying out some of the more expensive restaurants. Just remember that roller coasters with a stomach full of delicious food is not always the best combination... so plan accordingly!

SPLURGE EATS:

Disneyland-

Club 33: The honor to dine here is overwhelming and amazing, considering that not just anyone can make a reservation and pop in for a meal. Only those who are members, or have a connection to the "club" are able to experience the restaurants fine dining. AND it is the only place in Disneyland that serves alcoholic beverages. We have had the privilege to eat here for dinner two times in the past few years and hope we will be able to return again someday. Our "in" to the club came via a friend of a friend who is a member. Previously, entry to the restaurant came with a 1 day park hopper per person, but the cost of your dinner must be equal to or more than the cost of the ticket. Things have changed since then, so I am not quite sure how it works. The menu does change seasonally, with a few staple items that remain constant. I would suggest checking out the unofficial website for more information (menu, dress code and the history Club 33). If you're looking for a way in, sometimes generous members pop up on Disneyland forums and are willing to help those who wish to celebrate a special occasion at Club 33. If you do get lucky, it is always important to remember that you are representing that member and do not want to jeopardize their membership, so be on your best behavior!

The ladies room is so elegant and gorgeous... surprisingly one of my favorite things about the restaurant!

One of our yummy desserts with the signature Club 33 chocolate coin.

On the balcony of Club 33, overlooking New Orleans Square

Blue Bayou: This restaurant is typically very busy during dinner time, so definitely make reservations in advance by calling Disney Dining. The ambiance is amazing, especially if you score a seat next to the water which looks right into the Pirates of the Caribbean ride! The food here is generally good and it is cooked in the same kitchen as the food served at Club 33 (OooOoh!). Last time we were there, I had an amazing apple fritter dessert, but I think it was a limited time offering for Mardi Gras. :(

California Adventure-

Ariel's Grotto: We've only been here for dinner, but this place would probably be good for the kiddos during lunchtime since the Disney princesses make the rounds at each table during that meal. I've never seen them during dinner, but to us it doesn't really matter. Dinner is set at a fixed price, but you receive a huge tower of appetizers to share, your choice of an entree and a tray of delectable desserts (I adore the macaroons here)! I thought I took more photos, but apparently only the dessert part of the meal stuck out to me...

Carthay Circle Restaurant: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves originally premiered at the Carthay Circle theater in 1937, so it only makes sense that the decor of the restaurant is inspired by the movie. Make sure you look up while in the main dining room... one of the most beautiful murals is painted on the ceiling. The service is excellent and the food is almost as good as Club 33, if not better. The menu does change seasonally, but some items do stay the same... oh, and whatever you do- do not order the rose soda. Reservations are pretty much required for this restaurant as well.

Downtown Disney-

Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen: Another great place for fried chicken and food that is so good, you'll want to take a nap immediately after! We've eaten both in the main dining room and the upstairs dining room. I like the upstairs room because of the lighting and the cute little couch we got to sit on at our table! As an appetizer, Nick and I always split the bowl of jambalaya, which is the perfect portion amount. They also take notice of any Disney buttons you might be wearing... on our trip last summer, Nick and I were celebrating our 8 year anniversary and we received two complimentary glasses of champagne which was pretty awesome!

And that concludes my segment on Disneyland food! Check below for links to my "To Travel- Disneyland" series. Next time I'll cover a day at Disneyland (game plan).

The Land

Disneyland Budget

Disneyland Hotels

Disneyland Budget Eats

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