a day in pictures

Saturday, Ignacio and I ventured out for breakfast.

We tried to go to our favorite breakfast joint, but the wait was too long, so we went next door.  The place was empty, and that should have been our first clue.  Breakfast wasn't very good.

We needed something to wash breakfast down, so we walked down the street the Hilton hotel.  It is so grand and beautiful inside, and one of our favorite places, but unfortunately,  the bar didn't open until 4:00pm, so we walked to our neighborhood tavern, bellied up to the bar, and ordered our first (of many) mimosas.




I just love that the place is called Kasey's TAVERN.  It sounds much better than 'bar'.

And I think I would have made my dad proud by drinking before noon at the tavern.

may girls dinner

For May's dinner, Liz chose the restaurant where her son, Antonio, works as the sous chef.  We headed up North to Mia Figlia.

Susan, Jodee and I all ordered the tilipia special for dinner, and Liz ordered a pasta dish.  We did have appetisers, but I was way hungry and forgot to get a picture of them.  We also had a side order of mushrooms and garlic mash potatoes.  The tilipia was amazing, and all three of us licked our plates clean.  Liz enjoyed her pasta as well.
This is crazy, and I know many people will find this difficult to believe, but we ordered only one dessert to share.  Yes, I said 'share'.  Normally, I find it difficult to share my desserts, or should I say 'impossible' to share my desserts, but something came over me, and I was decided it was time to learn how to share.  (alright fine, I was way too full to eat entire dessert on my own).





And because Liz knows the chef, we were surprised with some Limoncello.  And, I loves me some Limoncello.

mother's day

After reading my post about the Burger Bar, my mother had some interest in dining there, so there we went for Mother’s Day.


My mom ordered the Bananas Foster milkshake and the FA-GETTA-BOD-IT. I am so glad she ordered that burger with the fried egg instead of the regular burger she planned on ordering. She loved it. Ignacio ordered the special burger of the day: the wild boar burger. I, of course, ordered my veggie burger with GOAT CHEESE!


It was a lovely day with yummy burgers and some shoe shopping on State Street for my mother’s upcoming trip to Disney World!
I have the best mom in the world.

smart key/dumb people

Saturday night, Ignacio and I had a first communion party to attend. Ignacio is notorious for rushing around like a madman, and forgetting a lot of things as he is rushing out of the house. Saturday night was no exception. We got in the car, and we were on our way to the cash station, when Ignacio remembered he left his wallet at home. We had to turn around and drive back home so he could run up and grab his wallet.


Important information: Ignacio’s car starts with the push of a button. You just need to have the ‘smart key’ on your person, and then you are able to push the button to start the car.

When he ran up to grab his wallet, he left the car running with me inside. He came back down, we stopped at the cash station, and we drove the 45 minutes to the restaurant for the party. When we arrived at the valet stand at the restaurant, I hopped out of the car, and a few seconds later, Ignacio was saying, “Natalie, where are my keys?!?!?!?!” Oh yes, he left his keys at home—45 MINUTES AWAY.

Ignacio had no intention of driving back home. He instead drove to a gas station, filled up his car, drove back to the valet stand, and instructed the valet attendant, “DO NOT SHUT OFF THE CAR OR LOCK THE DOOR.” (since he didn’t have the ‘smart key’, shutting off the car meant we would never be able to start again without going back home for the key)

Yup, we went to that party and our car was running the entire time.  It was nice and warm for our ride home.

Miss Ella

Miss Ella turned two last month and her mom asked me to take her pictures.  For some reason, I had a vision of Miss Ella with a lollipop, and it was stuck in my head.  I brought the lollipop to the shoot, and without even thinking, I unwrapped that sucker and gave it to Ella (at 9:30 in the AM).  I didn’t even ask her parents permission.  What was I thinking?

"At The Ballet"

This past Friday was the third and final performance in our (my friend Jenn and my) subscription to the Joffrey Ballet. We purchased our subscription with a deal through Groupon, and have gone to dinner and the ballet for three shows starting last December. It is great fun for two former dancers to thoroughly pig out at dinner, and then watch thin as rails ballerinas mock us.


At the dinner before this last one, Jenn and I went to a fast food Indian restaurant on State Street (she was running late due to unpredictable traffic and we adjusted our plan for Indian food at a regular restaurant, to a fast food joint). There was a couple in line just ahead of us, and it was a woman who wears a veil and is covered head-to-toe. It wasn’t just a veil though, it covered her entire face. ENTIRE FACE. We couldn’t even see her eyes. To eat, she would take her gloved hand, and take her food behind the veil. Then, shit got weird. Her husband started taking pictures of her in the restaurant. She was head-to-toe covered in black. No eyes, no fingers, no ears, NOTHING. Do you think she was smiling under there when her husband pointed the camera at her? I bet she said, “Do I have anything in my teeth?” And I’m sure her husband said, “say cheese, honey.”

Jenn and I could not stop staring. It was the oddest thing.

But, back to this past week... Jenn arrived to my place in plenty of time, and we headed to the ‘real’ Indian restaurant and shared veggie samosas, garlic naan, and a bottle of white wine. We also each had an entry that made Jenn ‘glow’ (aka sweat her ass off because of the spices). Time flew, and when we arrived at the theater, we heard, “two minutes to curtain”. The show was really good, and we have committed to next season’s subscription. We are such cultured bitches.

dreaming of Rob Lowe (among other things)

Two weeks ago, my friend Jodee and I went to the Oprah show. I know, right?! We had no idea what the topic would be until we got to the show, and were handed a piece of paper saying, “If you could ask Rob Lowe one thing, what would it be?” Jodee and I were thrilled. I recently started watching ‘Brothers and Sisters’ and can I just tell you, that man gets better with age. Yum-ME! Anyway, back to the question I wanted to ask Rob Lowe….I thought long and hard, and wrote on my piece of paper, “Would you consider moving to Paris with a taller woman?” Perfect question, right? I certainly thought so, and there was no doubt in my mind that Oprah would pick me to stand up and ask my question to Rob.


While we were in the holding room with 300 of our other ‘closest’ friends, I stood across the room in line for the bathroom and saw that Jodee was making a beeline for me. “Natalie! Look who is here!”  I looked, and there was a celebrity in the holding room with us. It was none other than Stephanie Izard, the genius behind Girl and The Goat. “Hi Stephanie, we love you!”

The show began and it was very exciting. I was so ready for my close-up when Oprah would tell me to stand up and ask Rob my question. I was a little bummed when Rob’s wife was brought out to sit in the front row of the audience, but whatever, my question was still the best in the bunch of 300. I was sure of that.

The show went on, and Rob was charming and sexy and all of that stuff. Then Oprah said, “Where’s Sally?” And then Sally stood up and asked some stupid, un-clever question and I had to listen to her blather on. And then Oprah asked a few other people to stand up and blather on. Seriously Oprah? My question was genius!

Whatever.

So Rob was there because he just wrote a book.

On vacation last week, I read Melissa Gilbert’s book that was seriously at least 30% all about Rob, and then I read Rob’s book and he barely mentions her. Very interesting. But anyway, I have been having really vivid dreams for the last two weeks. I would go to bed reading Rob’s book, and my dream was all about Rob. I wish I would have written down the details, but I am sure the two of us were in Paris enjoying wine and pain au chocolate.

And when I say I’ve been having vivid dreams, listen to this one: I woke up early to watch the Royal Wedding, and I must have fallen asleep after the ceremony was over while waiting for the party to begin. I dreamt that I was in charge of the little place cards for the tables. They were all on a table and they were in sheets that needed to be ripped apart. I mean, the sheets were all perforated and ready to be torn down, but the Royals must have used really cheap paper, so when I started to fold on the perforated edge and tried to take them apart, the paper started to rip. I was so upset because people were starting to arrive and they needed their place cards!

I seriously wonder how my subconscious dreams this shit up.

And a big THANK YOU to my friends Susan and Noel for allowing me to finally see an Oprah show!

april girls dinner: Burger Bar

For April we decided to hit Burger Bar for dinner. Burger Bar is known for its burgers (duh!), beers, and milkshakes. Can I tell you that their veggie burger comes with goat cheese [I am singing the words ‘goat cheese’]. Of course, you can build your own burger, but the standard veggie burger comes with goat cheese [still singing the words ‘goat cheese’].

So, my dilemma for this dinner was “do I get a milkshake or not, in light of the fact I will be on vacation and wearing a bathing suit in two days”.  I decided to do the right thing and get the f*cking milkshake.  I mean, when I am on my deathbed, one of my regrets certainly isn't going to be that I drank the milkshake (that was insanely delicious) right before having to wear a swimsuit.
Burger Bar also has sweet potato french fries AND sweet potato tater tots. SUH-WEET!  They have a bunch of different options for their burgers.  You have your choice of meat, cheese, sauces, and on and on. They even have a burger called the "FA-GETTA-BOD-IT" that has a fried egg on top.

The five of us enjoyed our burgers and beer, and we definitely give the Burger Bar an enthusiatic thumbs up.

I could definitely see myself here at least once a month for the veggie burger with (sing it with me) goat cheese.