Home in NC

Well, y'all, we are home for the holidays! The Husband, Bailey and Southern in the City arrived late yesterday afternoon after a long road down from NYC. I apologize for my lack of posts but I've been busy with work and whatnot. I hope to blog a bit over the break and maybe we'll finally get around to taking a good Christmas card. We attempted a few times last week to no avail. I should post those pictures because they are pretty funny.

Be back soon - Merry Merry, y'all!

The Year 2010 In Film

I love movies and can easily say that I've seen my fair share this year. I came across this video today (via my brother's tweets none-the-less) which shows the year 2010 in film.

Pretty freaking cool:

Gift Idea for the Holidays: Ida Claire!

It's no secret that I love a monogram. I have blogged about it many times which is why my next gift idea for the holidays is Ida Claire. Say it real slow with a southern accent (great name huh?).
My aunt Pamela introduced me to this Southern company (based out of Raleigh NC - my hometown). The Husband and I both bought our wedding party gifts from Ida Claire and if anyone asks me for a great monogram site recommendation, this is my first pick. Just last week my NYC friend inquired about where to go to find monogram gifts and I sent her to Ida Claire; she's now a fan too!

Since Christmas is next week - oh my gawd - you may not be able to purchase some of the engraved items in time for shipping but check out their site for what you can get in time.

Here are some cute gifts for under $25:Check them out on Facebook!

All images from IdaClaire.com.

Gift Idea for the Holidays: Moore & Giles

I'm back with another great gift idea for the holidays - Moore & Giles. A couple years back I was introduced to this Southern company founded in Lynchburg VA (The Husband's hometown). Moore & Giles is a high-end leather company that produces everything from handbags to leather for interiors. My good friend Liz works for the company and I have always admired the bags that she wears and sells. They have some gorgeous things! Check out their gift guide for the holidays.
You can purchase online or search for a retailer near you. Happy Shopping!

All images from Moore&Giles.com

Thanksgiving Take Two!

As most of us are trimming our trees and getting our homes ready for Christmas, those who live and walk on Central Park West got to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade again. Well, sort of.

On Sunday afternoon, The Husband and I bundled up to check out the Columbus Circle Outdoor Holiday Shops (which, by the way are great and I will post later on this). As we passed Central Park West, we both glanced uptown and saw this:

What the? But, Thanksgiving was over a week ago! I know. We walked over to the "parade" and saw hundreds of people cheering on the Turkey float with actors in costumes marching. It was just like the real thing except they were filming the movie, Tower Heist. When the director yelled "Action!" we all cheered like we were really watching the parade, but we had to cheer in pantomime so the camera could hear the actors clearly. It still amazes me how that many people in a city as loud as NY can all hush when directed.

Pretty cool NY moment.

Gift Idea for the Holidays: Hen House Linens

Ready or not, the holidays are here. I've started working on my gift list for friends and family and thought it'd be fun to share some unique ideas on the blog. So, each week I will have a new suggestion to share with each of y'all.

The first gift idea for this holiday season is Hen House Linens. My mom introduced me to this Southern company awhile back and they have some really cute designs for fun household items including table linens, pillows, aprons, guest towels and more. You may have noticed my apron from the Thanksgiving post yesterday? I have two of the cocktail aprons and love them! I've always been one to want to "look the part" and these will help you cook in style! I think they even help me cook better.

You can shop online or search for a retailer near you! Happy holiday shopping.

All images from HenHouseLinens.com

Rollin' With Thanks

It was hard to go back to work Monday morning. Did any of y'all feel the same way? I woke up with a little more angst and worry knowing of all the things I need to do in the next month. It will get done. It always does and I need to remind myself to relax sometimes.

I did just that this past weekend - relaxed, and gave thanks. Staying in NY for the holiday was a smart decision. Though we missed our families greatly - thank goodness for Skype - the two of us (plus Bailey) made our own memories and new traditions. I found it to be one of the most memorable Thanksgivings to-date.

On Wednesday evening, The Husband and I bundled up and walked down to 79th and Columbus for the Macy's Thanksgiving float blow-up. Strollers. Everywhere. Though, we've now figured out how to sneak past the large crowds and NYPD so that we're in and out within 30 minutes. Thanksgiving Day was spent cooking and The Husband and Bailey did their own turkey trot - check out the running shorts!

I cooked y'all and it was good! I still can't believe it, but as my Godmother says, "If you can read, you can cook." Even The Husband (my cook) was in shock. Being in the kitchen, cooking the recipes that my mom and her mom and her mom have cooked year after year, made me feel a bit closer to them and home. My favorite being the yeast rolls. I attempted to make these last year (3 times in fact) but to no avail. Although I didn't get it on my first try, the yeast did rise the second time and the rolls turned out delicious. Quite a feat.I think I can finally say that I'm becoming a cook! I'm sure The Husband is thankful for that. Also, a special thanks to pops for the ham. We will be eating ham for weeks to come.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (The Balloons)

If any of y'all are going to stay in NYC for Thanksgiving, then I highly recommend checking out the Macy's Parade Balloon blow-up the night before Thanksgiving. While thousands and thousands of tourists go to the actual parade, the night before is a little less crowded and mostly attended by locals. Not to say there aren't a lot of people there (I will warn you, if you don't like crowds, you shouldn't go).

The Husband and Southern in the City went last year and had a blast. If you want to avoid the lines, go to 81 street, between Columbus and Central Park West. We had the most luck there and were able to get right beside the balloons for a quick photo. 78th - 79th streets are much more crowded and difficult to maneuver through.

We'll be going again this year and I can't wait! It's become a new tradition for us.

Setting The Table

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is a week from today? I certainly can't. Where did the fall go? This year, The Husband and I have decided to stay in NY for Turkey Day. Since we just traveled down south last weekend, we are looking forward to having our own Thanksgiving and getting to actually relax during our time off instead of spending it driving on I95. We will of course miss our families but are excited to start new traditions as our own little family.

Last year I blogged about the different foods that I cooked, well attempted to cook, I should say. I will do the same this year and hope that I can finally make Sooze's famous rolls. That may deserve a whole blog post to itself. More to come on that later.

I've been thinking about how I will set the table this year. That whole sentence just sounds so boring after reading it back. Well, never-the-less, I have been thinking about it and am excited to finally use one of our wedding presents - my monogram linen napkins. Very impractical but fun for special occasions. Here are some table settings that have inspired me this year:

Virginia Is For Runners

While "Virginia is for lovers," this past weekend it was for runners. The Husband and Southern in the City (plus Bailey) drove down to Richmond, VA (The Husband's home state) for the Suntrust Richmond Marathon. After running in the NY Half Marathon a month ago, The Husband continued his running routine to train for the 26.2 miles and finished in 3:55. Pretty darn good. For years now, we've cheered on many a marathoner during the NY Race (held just last weekend). It's by far one of my favorite NY days - with hundreds of people cheering, even more achieving their goals - no one could be unhappy.

I was equally, if not more excited, to watch The Husband run in Richmond in what's called "America's Friendliest Marathon." Both sets of parents drove up to the Mond to watch. Cousin Hooks and Worm were our wonderful hosts and drove the cheering section all over the city. A huge thanks to them for getting all seven of us to mile 6, 18 and 26.2! I was in awe of all the runners on Saturday, especially The Husband. (I'm so proud of you and your accomplishment and wish that I had the strength to do what you did. Wait, does zumba count?). Okay, my sappiness will end there, I promise.

By the way, Bailey and Scrappy (Cousins' dog) could not get enough of each other. Bailey is acting like a love-sick teenager and hasn't eaten her food or moved since we left.

Taylor Dane and other things...

It's been a little long since my last post and it's likely because I'm still recovering from my brother's visit last weekend. My brother is three years younger (and much taller but that's not relevant right now). The fact that he's younger means that he can recover much quicker from a weekend of, let's say, dancing to an awesome 80's coverband, Sunday Funday and staying up very very late. Yup, he's top notch.

I always love when Graham comes up for a visit. He's one of the nicest and funniest guys I know. I didn't stop laughing once this entire weekend. On Saturday, Graham and friends invited us to the LSU bar to watch the football game. Right when I think that NY is one the biggest cities in the world, I run into people I haven't seen in quite some time and it quickly becomes a small town. Not one of us went to LSU but when we got there, we each ran into at least three old friends who somehow all knew each other. See, it's a small world after all.

A few hours later, we rallied and headed back out to the Canal Room downtown to see the 80's cover band Rubix Kube. Have ya'll heard of them?

Sadly, I don't have any pictures from the night, but it was one of the most fun times I've had in NY. They played every 80's song you can possibly imagine and we didn't stop dancing and singing all night. I think this band constitutes a trip for my Elon girls to fly to NY, possibly in December. If any of you ladies are reading this, you must come up!

The special guest of the evening was Taylor Dane, you know, "Tell it to My Heart?" Well, if you can't remember, here something to help:

(note, Ms. Dane has aged quite a bit from this video, which you probably figured anyway).

Graham, come back up soon!