Boo for Sunday

Boo for Sunday. It means it's time to head back to work tomorrow. But, it's been a fun weekend because I discovered 2 blogs - the glamourai and what i wore. Both have been around for a long time, but they are new to me which means that I spent the weekend reading catching up on old posts. Both are very fun and I HIGHLY recommend.

So, while I'm not looking forward to the work week, I am looking forward to getting back into the gym scene. I've been pretty lazy for a month or so now, and, boy, and I'm feeling it. Sluggish and puffy - that's me right now and I don't like it one bit.

new york, new york

Guess who's going to New York City for the very first time? Moi! My BFF and I will be going this December so we'll get to see NYC during Christmas. So, so, so super excited! While I don't have the itinerary all planned, here are some things I hope to do and see while I'm there:

A carriage ride through Central Park:



Take a ferry out to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty:



Pay tribute to my peeps at the Irish Hunger Memorial:



Enjoy amazing Gothic architecture at St. Patrick's Cathedral:



Have afternoon tea at the St. Regis:



Indulge in French macarons at Macaron Cafe:



This is all in addition to major shopping, visits to the tourist spots like Rockefeller Center and Times Square, more shopping, etc. Did I mention that I'm crazy excited? If anyone has suggestions for places to shop, eat, anything, please share!

le temps de vous

Bonjour! Another weekend over and done, except for moi! I've taken tomorrow off for a "mental health day," as I like to call them. I haven't taken one of those days in a long, long time. But, I've had the entire weekend to myself and I just wasn't quite ready for it to be over with. How luxurious to just take a day off for the sake of time to yourself, no?

So, what happens when I'm left to my own devices for an entire weekend? I dye my hair red. lol. After over 2 years of blonde, I decided it was time to go au naturel. Unfortunately, my attempt at doing my own dye meant that it turned out a little more red than expected. Oh, well, I'm going with it. It's actually kind of a fun change.

So, here's to fun, unexpected changes, even more fun wine (tonight!), and time to one's self.

project macaroons

Bonjour, mes amis! I hope this holiday weekend was relaxing and enjoyable for everyone, because it certainly was for moi! I spent part of the weekend at my parents' home and the other part at my alma mater at a football game (Gig 'em, Ags!). It's hard to believe that this year is my 10 year anniversary from college. Where does the time go????? So, so, so scary, but that's another topic for another day. Point is, I had a great time reconnecting with old friends, watching good football, and generally feeling nostalgic for the good old days.

But, now, back to reality. Off to the work grind tomorrow, but I have a fun new project under my belt - macaroons! Before Paris, a macaroon was a boring little cookie, usually made of coconut. Nothing of any real consequence to me. After Paris, oh. my. goodness! Why have I never had such yumminess before? Regardless, my new project is to try to bake some myself. I am so not a cook, but I'm going to give these a try. Lately, I've had major macaroon tunnel vision, so I have to give it a shot - succeed or fail.

Anyway, there are 2 recipes I'm looking at. This one or this one. I plan to spend this week gathering up whatever I need and this weekend I will become a Parisian baking queen. :)

Hope everyone has une semaine magnifique!

rainy night

With all the rain and thunder in the sky tonight, I've decided it's a good night to curl up with my space heater and spend a little quality blog time. :)

In spite of all my slightly Debbie Downer posts about work, I'm feeling pretty good about things. Not letting the stress get to me so much, blah, blah. In fact, I've been spending a fair amount of time planning my next super special getaway. Nothing can quite compare to Paris, and while I've always wanted to see the world, my two top places have always been Paris and Ireland. With one under my belt, I'm anxious to hurry up and see number two.

As a humble government attorney, I actually have to save for a trip like this, so I've opened my Ireland savings account, am already pricing flights and hotels, and am starting an itenerary. So, hopefully by May 2012 I will be off on another dream vacay (this time for 2 weeks - 1 was not enough). I am beyond excited! It's been a great distraction from the unpleasant things and has created enough motivation in me to keep pushing through the tough spots.