Monday, April 30, 2007

saving for a wedding

not MY wedding! at least, not yet, anyway...

lacey stopped by my blog a few days ago and left me a comment... so i thought i'd check out her blog, too. and found the a neat blog dedicated to her wedding money-raising! her and her fiancee have a fundraiser-meter to show their progress, too. lacey and her fiancee plan to get married in vegas for less than $5000 (honeymoon, too)! i am impressed by their planning and wow, $5k is a deal. (although, it is only for 17 people...) here's their blog:

saving for a wedding

they blog about fundraising ideas and other money saving tips, that are really practical and good. it's been about 3 days since their first post (and they already have several posts to their name) and have raised about $60!

i'm almost positive lacey is the only person who's ever even been on my blog so i don't know how much this will help but... i guess you never know!

dessert overload

my bf and i were literally all over the city this weekend. on saturday afternoon, we went on a 13 mile run starting in the upper east side, across central park and w 100 street, down the west side, around battery park and ended somewhere on the e 34th street. we had to take the subway home because walking (or rather moving) wasn't an option. we're training for the san francisco marathon at the end of july. it'll be my third marathon and his first. we did 12 miles in san francisco last weekend. even with the hills in sf, the 12 mile run seemed much easier. maybe because i'm much more familiar with the route and terrain there.

i may have done 2 marathons already but training is always a killer. i can barely walk today! my legs are sore has hell right now. especially after yesterday, when we decided to WALK to magnolia bakery. um, ok, i don't know what we were thinking. hello, i live in the UPPER east side! we only made it to about 31st street, where we had to take a rest at the affinia hotel kitty corner from madison square garden. ghetto as this may sound, we took a wee nap on their comfy sofa in the lobby. thank goodness no one bothered us! afterwards, we went to woorijip (our house, in english), a "fast food" korean restaurant where i got some side dishes. dinner was at kunjip (big house, i think?), which was really really good. we got korean bbq, hot pot fried rice and spicy rice cakes, which i looooove. dinner was topped off by going next door to pinkberry, where we both said, "ok, just a few bites to see what it tastes like." we got the 8oz with 3 toppings (banana, kiwi and strawberry... YUMMY) and ate more than half! i really liked the interesting yogurt flavor!

then we took the subway to magnolia. of course, even at 10pm on a sunday night, there's a line out the door. fortunately, we only waited 10 minutes. i have waited 30+ minutes in the past!

we must have thought running 13 miles allowed us to eat whatever we wanted because even with our full bellies, we went to magnolia bakery and ordered the following: 3 cupcakes, 1 crispy cherry cobbler thingie, 1 slice of ice box cake (my absolute favorite) and 1 small banana pudding. we walked over to the park right across from the marc jacobs store and proceeded to eat a quarter of everything that we bought. the rest are sitting in my refrigerator right now and i can't wait to dig into them after work!

but, back to last night... i literally felt sick on our way home from magnolia. i'm sure he did, too!

after we got back home, we watched the nba playoffs (warriors vs mavericks) totally comatose from our food and dessert overload. but it was a really exciting game! goooooo warrriors! (i know, i'm a total fair-weather fan. but hello, they went from losing practically every game to leading 3-1 in the playoffs against the dallas mavericks?? go golden state warriors! need more info, check out this fab blog on gs warriors.)

did i mention on saturday night, after our dinner at orsay, we went to payard and got 5 desserts! (we actaully only ordered 3 things but one of the servers has a crush on me and brought us 2 extras! it was closing time, too, however...) my roommate was there but still... i feel really fat today.

Friday, April 27, 2007

the promise ring

so this is the promise ring that my boyfriend gave me on valentine's day. i just realized how dry my hands were that day! but the ring itself is gorgeous! i sometimes stare at it, shake my hand a little to see how the light bounces and stretch out my hand for the full effect. (this is actually the first one that he gave me that was 3 sizes too big! i guess he thought i had fat fingers. anyway, we got it resized and now it fits perfectly. at least he knows what size to get for the engagement ring! this photo was taken with the original ring on the middle finger, instead of ring finger...)

Thursday, April 26, 2007

the NOVO

i told my boyfriend last night that i found the most perfect ring EVER. i saw the ads on the new yorker and also on the new issue of martha stewart wedding magazine. i didn't have the guts to tell him that it's from tiffany's. i just told him the name of the ring, NOVO. i hope he's smart enough to google "the perfect ring" and see what it is. it'd be nice to get this ring from him but i'm happy to have find that there is something different out there besides the usual briliant round cut. thanks for brightening my day tiffany!

styledash put it perfectly:
"The Tiffany Novo is a solitaire set in four prongs. The center stone is a slightly squared cushion cut with a unique faceting to give it an updated look. The platinum shank is also laden with small pavé diamonds. As one of the posters on the Purse Forum board mentioned the diamond cut looks to be the same cut as the Square H & A. It's a nice compromise between a round brilliant and the princess cut which has sharper edges and can lack the fire of a round."

also, i found this on the wedding bee:
"What differentiates Tiffany Novo from typical cushion cuts is that it is brilliant versus modified brilliant. Tiffany worked at great length to create a cushion cut diamond that features the standard round brilliant facet arrangement. It’s been cut to maximum brilliance, ie. same number of facets as a round brilliant cut. The shank is bead set with 16 round melee diamonds."

one can only dream! (i also told d that i'd be happy with anything he gave me. i trust his good judgement but really, i'd be happy with anything!)

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

oh so pretty blog

ooh, i love the new skin on my blog! it's so pretty! i can't stop looking at it. maybe this means i'll blog more. thank you finalsense.com!

makings of a bridezilla

the strangest thing happened today. i woke this morning late. hit the snooze button like 4 times. so by the time i bolted out of bed, i was running late, obviously. when i got to the train station at harlem-125th st, i was able to catch the 6:50am train! which thankfully was about 10 minutes late. the strange thing is, when i try to catch the 6:50am train, i have to get up at 5:30am to get there in time. so, did i get ready in record time to make it somewhat on time? or was there some sort of time shift that i was luckily part of? or was i just so disoriented this morning that i got up way too early (thinking that i was late) and stressed out for nothing? i didn't think i was going to get to work til 9am. but to the contrary, i was an hour earlier than expected. so strange. i still can't figure it out...

anyway, the other good news is that i received my first two wedding magazines in the mail! no, i'm not officially engaged, YET. but i expect it to happen VERY soon. some people might called this a bit obsessive or even getting ahead of myself. but, i'm just PLANNING early. to be prepared! i don't want to rush. i have a feeling it will be a short engagement so i might as do all the legwork NOW. right??? at least, i told myself, no wedding binder til the actual engagement ring is presented! i know, i could potentially be a bridezilla in the making.

now i have to really think about where to have my sister's bridal shower in august.... i know it's still 4 months away but i know it'll creep up on me!

Monday, April 23, 2007

met the parents for the first time

finally, after six month's i met d's parents. with my residence in new york city and his parents traveling back and forth from southern california, it has been difficult to arrange a time to meet. this past weekend, we finally met face to face. i have to confess, i was a bit nervous about meeting his parents! i mean, this is the guy that i'm going to spend the rest of my life with. (at least, i want to and plan to.) their approval and opinion will mean the world. d kept telling me not to worry that they're going to love me. and i kept thinking, "of course, they're going to like me!" but on the other hand, i had this nagging thought, "what if they don't???"

it was a sprinkling rain a bit but i suppose it added to the anticipation. when d and i got to his parents' house, i had to make a dash to their porch. and apparently, they'd been expecting us because as soon as i hopped on their porch, they opened the front door. i felt like a deer caught in the headlight! but his mom was really sweet, she opened the front door and gave me a hug to welcome me. which made me relax, quite a bit. it was as if she had already made up her mind to like me. d did tell me yesterday that his parents did indeed like me. they thought i was cute, nice and sincere. the first two words are just ok but i like that they think i'm sincere! that's quite a compliment.

the drive to the restaurant (japanese) and dinner went smoothly. there was little bit of bantering going on through the dinner and the dinner itself was quite delicious! afterwards, we went back to his parents' for dessert and pouring over baby photos. my boyfriend was really a cute baby! well, that would explain the good looking man that i'm dating. :-) as tired as i was, i had a really wonderful time looking over the old and odd shaped photos (my bf is 40+ years old) and the custard cream puff the size of my face was utterly heavenly. i'm craving it right now as i'm typing this!

meeting his parents felt like a rite of passage and a momentous occassion. the fact that he also gave me a key to his house also felt like confirmation to our relationship. a key to his house is so symbolic! i'm sure the two events had nothing to do with each but those two events made me feel that this relationship is really serious. that we are going to be together forever. ok, so he didn't propose but this past weekend was just as meaningful. (besides, i do have the beautiful eternity band that he gave me as a promise ring on valentine's day this past february.)

*sigh* i'm so happy.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

a bouquet of roses


in a few days, it'll mark 6 months that my bf and i have been dating... long distance! to commemorate the occassion (i think), he surprised me with these gorgeous roses! contributing to 1-800-FLOWERS, yet again. the whole gesture is so damn sweet! and he really is that cheesy and romantic. *sigh* he makes me so happy.

damn, he's good, isn't he?

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

long weekends are the best

alas... with the boyfriend gone it's back to the grind. back to reality. back to eating oatmeal, salads and other diet food. gone are sleeping in, indulging in desserts and late night snacks. *sigh*

we did have a great time this past weekend. he flew in early friday morning and left early tuesday morning. some of the highlights from the weekend are:

friday late night dinner at momofuku: wow, their ssam (korean version of the burrito) and rice cake thingie (forget the official name but it like dduck-bok-ki meets the italian sausage pasta) and their sparking shiraz. oh yes, i'm going back and taking others with me. happy that i finally got to go!

saturday dinner at pylos: "rustic greek cooking" is what they advertise on their website! not only is their decor fabulous but the food, too! every appetizer and entree we ordered was exquisite. we had 4 bottles of cabernet among 5 people. yes, i was hung over the next day.

sunday: easter sunday evening service - yes, i actually want to church! and surprisingly enjoyed it.

monday night: knicks vs pistons at the madison square garden. so-so game (knicks lost) but at least their footlong hotdogs are still yum-yum (we got the "works"- cheese, sauerkrat and chili) and kracker jacks, along with cotton candy were readily available.

another great weekend with the bf... i really miss him.

Thursday, April 5, 2007

james beard nominations!!!

The James Beard Nominations are out! I don't know why I'm more excited about this foodie-lovers' award than the Oscars. Maybe because I feel like I have a personal involvement with these restaurants, cookbooks and cooking shows? I guess it can be compared to checking to see which nominated films I've seen... checking to see which nominated restaurants I've been to and where I need to go next!


Of course, my favorite section begins at page 7 (YES, there 10 pages of nominations in different categories) where the best restaurants and chefs categories begin! I'm ecstatic to see that Thomas Keller for The French Laundry have been nominated for Outstanding Restauranteur Award! Looove anything associated with Thomas Keller. And as usual, many of the restaurant and chef categories are dominated by New York or San Francisco. Spotted with places and people from Chicago in between. Which is my other favorite city. It also makes me realize that I have not been to many of the "great" restaurants in NYC while I've been here. I need to change that pronto!


Some of the restaurants that I really want to hit up in NYC:


Momofuku Ssäm Bar

A Voce

Craft


I've only been to Jardiniére in San Francisco and totally regret that I was not able to go to La Folie... although, i used to live 2 blocks away from there on Polk Street!


Man, I get SO excited about food!

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

champagne brunch cruise

when my boyfriend was in town this past weekend, we went on a champagne brunch cruise around manhattan on a almost-new luxury yacht appropriately named the "manhattan".

even the weather was overcast and a bit on the chilly side, it was still a beautiful ride. we pushed off from pier 60 in the huge complex of chelsea piers around 11am with about 20 other people. the yacht is pretty new (a year old or so, i think) and it is beautiful. the brunch was way better than described on the website. it sounded like it was going to be a continental breakfast mostly but turned out there was a waffle maker (the waffles were quite tasty), honeyed ham and quiche among the bagels, cold cuts, pastries and etc. and aboard the manhattan is a small but efficient bar! hello, i love drinking on a boat. good thing i don't get seasick! we headed southerly from the chelsea pier down to battery park, got a close view of the statue of the liberty, up the east river, went under the brooklyn bridge, went around the top portion of manhattan (i was able get a glimpse of my apartment building on 95th st) and down the hudson river. it was quite romantic! oh especially since there was a proposal made aboard the yacht! i actually didn't know what happened but next thing i knew, people were clapping and i heard people say, "they just got engaged" and "he proposed on the deck"! i had to nudge my boyfriend and make sure he heard what happened. *wink*

i found this great deal on goldstarevents.com, which i refer to on a regular basis. (it's one of my "daily browsings"!) originally, this brunch cruise is usually $75 but at the time of purchase it was only $40! I think this could have been a one time deal, but i did see a different cruise which is even cheaper (without the food, unfortunately) for $25! still a great deal, considering this sunset cruise sells for $50.

it's a brand new day!

it's either pms was really kicking in or i was really homesick yesterday. it's more than the usual: *sigh* i wish i was in san francisco... kinda missing. i was down-in-the-dumps kind of homesickness. maybe it's the weather. or the familiarity of the bay area. or my family? or the fact that my boyfriend gets to see friends that i don't get to see???

well, this morning, i boarded the metro-north with a raisin bagel with cream cheese, regular coffee and my amny morning paper. and as i was looking out on the hudson, all seemed good again. i was happy to be in new york. not proper new york city at the moment (since i'm at my office in westchester) but still happy for the experience!

* * * * * * * *

dammit... i can't believe i'm going to miss this...
The 5th Annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party

and only because i'm heading home to san francisco that weekend!!!! of course, that is a good thing BUT, because i'll be on the plane, i'm going to miss THIS event, too!
An Evening with Khaled Hosseini

Monday, April 2, 2007

you had me at halal....

i have been to some really nice restaurants in new york city... but time and time again, i keep going back to this place:
www.53rdand6th.com

yes, it really is a food cart... halal food, to be exact. and yes, the website is fan based! i love new york city.

seriously, it's worth the 20 minute wait in the freezing cold. there's always a line at this place. hmmm... seems to be a pattern here with me waiting for food. which is usually not the case. but, for $5 the chicken and lamb combo plate is worth every bite. the savory chicken and seasoned lamb over rice, salad and wedges of pita are absolutely heavenly. oh and don't forget the "white sauce"... no one seems to know what it is but it is damn good. i like to mix some of the hot sauce into the white sauce and pour it over my platter. YUM YUM YUM. their gyro is yummy, tooooo!

i went there last night with my BF and wow... i was impressed, yet again! (we actually like to take our food to the rockefeller plaza basement and usually watch the skaters. but last night, maybe due to the rain, no one was out.)