Happy Birthday, Christopher!

We had a great time celebrating Christopher yesterday! I took the day off work, and we had a relaxing day filled with a few presents and a lot of fun. Our first stop was Duck Donuts to design some breakfast treats. This place is really neat. I loved that we could watch them put together our creations. And they taste yummy, too!!

Chris had been wanting to see Black Panther since its release so we went to an afternoon show. It was a neat movie even for those of us (me) that aren't too crazy about the Marvel movies. There is a great overarching message to the movie and the scenery and costumes are amazing. Definitely check it out if you have a chance!

We went to a hibachi restaurant we recently found here in Columbus for dinner. It was SO good, but we left completely stuffed. Next time, I need to ask for a to go box at the beginning and put about half of it in there! :) I took some photos of Chris with his cake, but we decided to just take it to our small group meeting tonight since neither of us could bring ourselves to eat any after our massive dinner.

I am so thankful to have such a wonderful husband. It was fun celebrating him all day. He was happy to have a relaxing, low key day topped off with watching a Knicks game on TV last night. Cheers to the rest of his 37th year being just as wonderful. I love you, Christopher!

Andrea :)

Fun Home

One of my birthday presents from my wonderful husband was tickets to see Fun Home.  Since it won Best Musical in 2015, I had been interested in seeing it.  I knew the content might be a bit dark, but I wanted to give it a shot.

It definitely proved to be quite the dramedy, but I really enjoyed the perspective from child to young adult to grown woman that the story followed.  There were a couple of really fun songs along the way as well.  Overall, I enjoyed the performance.  I wish it had gone just a few ticks deeper into the father's story though I know the focus was intended to be on Alison.  While it didn't blow me away in the musical category, I thought it would have made a really intriguing play.

Do you enjoy the dramedy genre?

Andrea :)

Birthday Treats

Given the insane heat wave that made its appearance over the past couple of weeks, my birthday plans shifted a tad.  I had been pretty flexible about plans this year anyway especially since I knew we would be semi-celebrating with the ice cream cake at the game night we hosted just a few days prior to my birthday.  Since the actual day fell on a Sunday this year, I knew we'd spend most of the morning at church, but it took a bit of creative thinking to sort out the rest of the day. I remembered we still had a couple of gift cards from my bridal shower that we hadn't been able to use yet so a plan was set!  We would have brunch at Sarabeth's followed by spending a few hours checking out the Guggenheim Museum.  Two great beat the heat ideas.

I only managed to snag a photo of the basket of muffins we ordered at Sarabeth's.  I really enjoyed trying the different types.  Banana and pumpkin were my favorite!  Overall, the food was great!

The Guggenheim was an interesting place. The layout is in a circular pattern with a number of exhibits lining the walls while others are displayed in rooms off to the side.  Chris and I took turns finding our favorite piece in the smaller rooms and just enjoying a leisurely stroll through the exhibits.  The museum hosts several really neat and unique pieces.  The most interesting to me was a couscous castle in the middle eastern art exhibit area.

After roaming around the museum, we stopped by Two Little Red Hens bakery to pick up a small cake.  I indulged in a mini cupcake there, too.  Calories don't count on your birthday, right?

I spent the evening opening a few gifts from Chris and my parents along with a stack of birthday cards. It was a nice day.  A lot calmer that some of my previous celebrations, but just what I needed this year!

How do you like to celebrate your birthday?

Andrea :)

It's Ice Cream Cake Time!!!

It's July 24th - my favorite day of the year!!

I certainly wasted no time requesting an ice cream birthday cake this year - especially since the temps are hovering right around 100 degrees these days.  I'll be over here trying to stay hydrated while I blow out all 33 of these candles.  No big deal.  Seriously though, Happy Birthday to ME!!

Andrea :)

My Buddy is THREE!!

During my impromptu 4th of July visit to Kentucky, I was able to sneak in a little early birthday celebration with my nephew.  It was great to be able to watch him open his presents in person.  Chris and I have yet to be able to attend the little guy's birthday party so it was particularly fun to be able to watch his excitement in person this year!

It really is unbelievable how quickly the past three years have gone.  Landon is such an sweet little boy.  And he is SO independent now.  I am always so amazed by how much he has grown and changed between visits! I can't wait until the next time I'm able to get one of his loving hugs and hear his joyful laughter.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little buddy!!  

I love you, Landon!!

Andrea :)

It's (Birthday) Showtime!!

Years ago, my lovely friend (Mary) and I decided it would be fun to celebrate our July birthdays by attending a Broadway show.  We started the tradition with Disney themed shows - Lion King and The Little Mermaid.  And a couple years ago, we found our way back to Disney with Aladdin.  While we keep our fingers crossed awaiting the return of Beauty and the Beast to the Great White Way, we decided upon She Loves Me.

 

When we bought the tickets, I knew we'd be in for a real treat because our show was set to be the final performance! Neither of us had ever experienced closing night. What fun! There was certainly much more applause and cheering throughout the performance than normal.  It was a great experience, especially for such a fun and whimsical show.  We loved the show from beginning to end - so many intriguing characters and fantastic voices!  Several familiar faces and lots of great lessons. Truly a wonderful birthday show selection!

Do you have any birthday traditions?

Andrea :)

Mom's Surprise Birthday Party

Surprise parties are THE best!!  The insane amount of planning and organizing (and lying) that goes into it can be daunting, but the end result is SO much fun!! After much debate and discussion, we ultimately decided to attempt a double surprise party weekend for Mom.  Our first surprise involved just our immediate family.  McKinley invited Mom and Dad over for a game night with him and his roommate, JK.  This is a fairly common occurrence so certainly no red flags there.  What Mom didn't know is that Jordan and his crew along with Chris and I would be hiding in the kitchen waiting to jump out and surprise her upon arrival.  Worked like a charm!

Mom was no doubt surprised...especially since she had called me just a few minutes before while I casually pretended to be enjoying a relaxing weekend at our apartment in NY.  I'm good, friends! Put me on the surprise squad ANY day! :)  That Saturday afternoon all the siblings just hung out and entertained the kids.  I worked with Brinley and Landon on being quiet as a mouse when we surprised Grandma and Grandpa.  They did awesome while we waited to spring the surprise!

It was a lot of fun to play games and just hang out that night.  We told Mom we were planning to go to church with her and take her out for a family lunch the next day.  Surprisingly, she didn't ask a ton of questions.  We all thought we were in the clear.  She didn't suspect a thing.

And we were right!!  Church was great.  Mom was extremely happy to have us all there together - a rarity these days!  We got some fun family shots outside the church before the rain began.  At that point, we headed over to Old Hickory for our second surprise.

The hostess group was a little lacking on the subtleties and nearly gave us away, but the New Yorker in me took over and just barged through to the banquet room.  Mom said she thought we might have invited her sister to join us, but she never expected to see a whole room full of family and friends.  Since I was in the group that arrived with her, I didn't get a look at her facial expression.  The pictures say it all though.  Mom was absolutely thrilled to be able to visit with so many wonderful people for the afternoon.  We were all relieved we managed to pull it off - a feat we had doubts about from the beginning!

Have you ever planned a surprise party?  How did it go? 

Andrea :)

My Favorite Princess is FOUR!

Chris and I made a trip to Kentucky this past weekend to surprise my mom for her 60th Birthday.  There is a post to come with all those fun and exciting details, but one of the secondary events that occurred while we were in town happened to be a little impromptu birthday party for my niece!

 
I can't hardly believe that little Brinley is now a big four year old!  She is definitely one of a kind - such a smart, independent, and funny little gal.  I loved having some time to play and interact with her in person this weekend.  Our time together is never long enough, but it sure was fun to hang out with the little lady that made me an aunt!  Fortunately, it won't be long before we see her again!  Can't wait til next time!
 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my favorite PRINCESS of them all!!  

I love you, Brinley!!

Andrea :)

Birthday Fun with My Love

Celebrating birthdays is one of my favorite things in life.  Last Friday night was no exception.  Christopher and I spent the evening at the fabulous Club A Steakhouse in Manhattan.  Such a fantastic time!  And the food is SO delicious!

We started off with some lobster bisque...probably the best I've ever had.  We shared a meat platter with filet mignon and NY Strip for the main course alongside broccoli and mashed potatoes.  The Happy Birthday dessert plate was a perfect assortment of tasty treats to top off the night.

The next night, we celebrated with The Soul Rebels featuring Talib Kweli.  When I asked Chris what he wanted to do for his birthday, this was his choice.  We'd never been to the Brooklyn Bowl so we headed there about a half hour before the show was set to begin.  We figured that would give us time to find a nice spot to settle into before the show started.  Little did we know it would be nearly two and a half hours until we'd see any sign of life on the stage.  Ugh!  Not ideal for the over 30 crowd...which may have just been us.  But still, sort your life out Brooklyn Bowl!!

Once the group got started around 10:15, they weren't bad.  I was partial to the songs that included rappers like Nigel Hall, Talib Kweli, and Rakim.  The show lasted a little over and hour which was a bit disappointing since we had waiting so long for them to come on, but Talib Kweli performed Chris' favorite song so I guess it all worked out in the end. I was just happy that Chris had such a wonderful day and weekend.  Cheers to another great year ahead!

Andrea :)

Hail to Christopher!!

Today is a special day!  A great day!  The day my wonderful husband throws his [Pitt] hat into the Presidential Race.  Well...some of that is true.  Today is his 35th Birthday.  And while I don't foresee us packing our bags for the White House anytime soon...he's technically eligible.  The way things are looking these days - he's also likely the best choice.

 Let's take a look at ten solid reasons why...

 

1 - He's been a fighter since Day One.  Literally.  Not a man that gives up easily.

2 - He's honest and fair.  Unfortunately, not everyone values these characteristics as much as they should.

3 - He's got a sense of humor that's hard to deny.  Quick wit intact. 

4 - He's charismatic.  People are just drawn to him.  He's likable, fun, and easy to be around.

5 - He has a fantastic speech-making voice.  People listen.  Babies are fascinated.  And he even sings from time to time.

6 - He likes to help others.  He wants everyone to have an equal opportunity - a chance.  He tries to make the world a better place - one day at a time.

7 - He is consistent.  You can count on him - always.

8 - He's devoted.  His word is his bond.  He doesn't make promises lightly.  He takes his commitments seriously.

9 - He's never met a stranger.  He finds a way to connect with others - despite the generations between them, the color of their skin, or their life circumstances.  He can talk to anyone about anything.

10 - He's resourceful.  A clever man that always finds a way.

Happy 35th Birthday to the love of my life! 
Can't wait to celebrate all weekend long!

Andrea :)

Birthday Fun in the Finger Lakes: Day 2

After our night at the Belhurst Castle, we headed straight to Three Brothers Wineries and Estates.  We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived to discover they offer a passport option that permits you to partake in tastings at all three of their wineries AND their brewery.  The passport option also comes with a souvenir wine glass!  We had a great time at this venue.

Each winery was unique and provided a fun morning for us.  I really enjoyed trying the four levels of Riesling and the wine slushy.  The brewery was a hit, too!  We loved the cider...and their homemade root beer, too!

Next, we ventured to Fox Run Vineyards.  Before our tasting, we managed a private tour.  It was the last of the day and we just happened to be the only takers!  Our guide was quite knowledgeable about not only the grape growing and harvesting process, but also the bottling machine since he works the assembly line there during peak production time.  It was really neat to see how the whole process works from beginning to end.  And we got a fabulous photo with the vineyard and Seneca Lake in the background, too!

Since the wineries close between 5-6pm, we figured our day was done and began our journey south toward our hotel in Elmira.  Out of nowhere, we see a sign for Magnus Ridge Winery that indicates they are open late so we do what any good Finger Lake visitor would do - turn around at the next opportunity and go check it out!

We were SO glad we did because it turned out to be quite a unique experience!  Each of the wines in the tasting were paired with a specific cheese (that they also sold there) or a dipping sauce.  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this winery since I'm not the most daring with my food choices normally.  We actually wanted to buy a couple blocks of cheese, but unfortunately we didn't have a way to keep it from spoiling before we arrived back in the city.  Guess we'll just have to return more prepared in the future!

We were surprised to find this winery offered a cider tasting as well.  The 1911 cider was familiar to us from the Good Cider event last spring, but we were able to try a new flavor (Sweet Apple) that was spectacular!!  Definitely went home with a bottle of it!

Eventually, we made our way to Elmira where we enjoyed dinner at Curly's and rested up for our journey home the next day.

Chris and I had such a wonderful weekend getaway in the gorgeous and peaceful Finger Lakes region.  I highly suggest spending some time here if you enjoy wine at all.  It is absolutely lovely and we could have spent a full week checking out even more of the area.  We hope to visit again before too long!  Truly a great trip!

Andrea :)

Birthday Fun in the Finger Lakes: A Night at Belhurst Castle

After spending a wonderful day headed north checking out wineries along Seneca Lake, we finally arrived at Belhurst Castle.  My big birthday treat!  After we checked into the Bronze Room and found the wine spigot in the hallway, we decided to go for our free tasting before dinner!

We both selected our favorite and decided to have a glass of it with dinner that night.  The meal at Edgar's inside the castle was delicious!  Every single part of it!  The warm bread they served as an appetizer was amazing...and it just kept getting better.  We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and they were so kind to bring me a slice of cake with a candle in it for dessert!  And even a couple chocolate covered strawberries to go!

Earlier that day, we stopped to get a mini cake for us to share that night so after we had a somewhat lengthy photo shoot of me blowing out candles and posing with my pretty cake, we stuck it back in the fridge and saved it for breakfast!  Yum!

The next morning, we spent some time checking out the grounds and all the fun decor in the lobby area before we hit the road to visit more wineries in the area.

Chris did a great job planning such a fun trip for my birthday!  He really knows how to make a girl feel special!  

Andrea :)