Best Costume Yet

Everyone in these parts has been complaining about the snowstorm that hit yesterday, and the fact that a lot of them weren't able to go out and party in their costumes. Luckily, I had no such plans, and was more than happy to stay warm inside, plan my vacation to India (in just 18 days!! wooot!!), and watch movies. However, I did see this costume and it made me laugh out loud-- love it!

My friend's boyfriend as The Situation- Italy style

What have you been up to this weekend?

Spending Recap: October 13- 28, 2011

So. This is what the budget is supposed to be:

Other
Eating Out: $50.00/week
Shopping: $60.00/week
Entertainment: $25.00/week
Beauty/Wellness: $30.00/ month
Miscellany: $200.00/month


And this is what actually happened in 2 weeks:

Bills/Fixed Payments

Groceries: $50.00 + $30.00
Budgeted: $300/month
Total (including last recap's $40.00): $120
*I think I need to re-assess the grocery budget; closer to $150 or $200...

Shopping
FYE: $16.00 (present for C's mom)
Bath and Body Works: $30.00
Hallmark Store Candles: $20.00
Halloween Store: $48.00 (?) (present for godson)
2 presents for C
Budgeted: $60/week, so $120
Total: $114.00 (not including C presents)
Miscellany
Bachelorette Party Check: $86.00
*Not sure if the presents noted in Shopping should really go here? That might make more sense...Budgeted: $200/month
Total (including the last recap's $280): $366.00

Eating Out
C dinner: $55.00
V dinner: $25.25
Stevens: $7.50
Food with mom: $11.50
Budgeted: $50.00/week, so $100

Total: $99.25
Entertainment
Drinks with girlfriend: $35.00
Stuff at Pumpkin Farm: $20.00
Beer: $25.00
Budgeted: $25.00/week, so $50.00Total: $80.00



Umm. Yeah.
I don't even want to look at these numbers/budgeting anymore. I suck at this, apparently.

In my defense, I've had one friend, C's mom, and C's birthdays this month. And a wedding. And me and C's anniversary. That's a whole lot of very special occasions!!

However, I did not budget properly for all of this. I knew they were coming up. So,...that was my major mistake. I also did not use the envelope method as I said I would. I looked in my office and at home, and couldn't find envelopes, and thought that was a valid excuse. Noooo, no, no! I must get some envelopes. This is my problem with cash- I don't track it. If I used envelopes, I would be able to write down exactly what I'm spending on, when I'm spending it.

Le Sigh...

Happy Birthday Boo!

Today is C's Birthday!

Here is another dose of Scorpio info for my Scorpio man!

October 27 Scorpios are complicated individuals who like to walk on the wild side. Their quiet personality seems to hide something dangerous and volcanic. They can make others notice them because they're magnetic. While some might use this power to manipulate, they rarely attempt that.
I've actually never seen him be truly wild, but I have heard stories from his younger days!

Friends and Lovers
Few people make more loyal friends than those born on October 27. Their love nature is extreme. They love so deeply they nearly become the person they love. This has its drawbacks, including fits of jealousy. They are often involved in tempestuous love affairs.
He has never, ever been jealous. I've actually gotten mad about this. And not liking this "love affair" part this mentions!

Children and Family
October 27 people feel bound to their upbringing. Though they may have experienced an estrangement from family, they inevitably mend fences. They make good parents, although because of busy professional lives, they will depend heavily on a spouse for child-rearing.
He will be Mr. Mom and he will love it! Haha, just kidding! He is quite close to his parents though, and has a tat in memory of his grandmother on his chest.

Health
It's difficult for October 27 people to banish their all-or-nothing attitude from health matters. Either they faithfully adhere to a fitness program or they ignore exercise. Food and drink can be problematical for them. The downfall of many is their habit of taking huge servings. They need to eat five small meals rather than three huge ones.
Haha he doesn't exercise...and he does eat a lot! But he's not chubby miraculously!

Career and Finances
Because October 27 individuals understand the balance of power that exists in every relationship, they are canny judges of others. They make fine supervisors, mentors, teachers, and coaches. October 27 men and women have a common-sense attitude about finances.
He's a teacher! And he is good with his finances!

Dreams and Goals
October 27 people are very complex; they walk the tightrope between excitement and high risk. There's so much contradiction in their behavior that it's difficult to know how they'll react from one moment to the next. Those born on this date have the energy to accomplish amazing things in their lifetimes.
He's pretty moody, but loveable!

via

Happy birthday boo! Hope all your dreams and wishes come true! And hope you have the bestest year yet!

Newport, RI Wedding Weekend Pt. 2

The day after the wedding, the whole crew went to do a little sightseeing in Newport.

Our first stop? The Breakers- the summer home of the Vanderbilts!

Unfortunately, we couldn't take any pics inside the mansion, but I assure you it was over the top and gaudy as anything- many of the rooms were decked out in solid, brassy gold!

Like the view from our back patio?!

The following were taken on our "Cliff Walk".

Some other crazy big mansion. We didn't do the full 5- mansion tour, but this was one we saw on our hike.

the girls

I would like to point out my attire. You see, I thought Newport, R.I. in early October would be chilly. I insisted on purchasing those cute brown boots you see here the night before we left, as I didn't own any riding boots and was trying to be super cute. I dragged poor C to the mall and into at least 5 stores before he found these boots that I adore.

I did not, however, look at the weather. Nor did I bring any "warm weather" clothing.

Ummm...it was 80 degrees.

No joke. So here I am, in my cute boots, jeans, purple (long sleeve) shirt, and corduroy jacket. D'oh!

These are the Forty Steps. We did not walk up/down them, but here they are.

 "During Newport's Golden Age, the Forty Steps were a gathering place for the servants and workers from the nearby mansions." via

Lobster Roll:

I have never had a lobster roll, and I was on a mission to have one in New England before I left. I was NOT disappointed. If you have never had one, you need to. Just sayin'. It's basically chunks of delicious lobster (notice the full claw!) in I think just some mayo, atop lettuce and a savory, buttery, toasted roll, somewhat like a hot dog roll but not really. It was so good I had 2.

And, I was lucky enough to have it here, at Pick Pockets Deli, which boasts the best lobster rolls in Newport. I didn't have any others, but theirs was delectable.

After our mansion tour and lunch, we headed back to the bride and groom's bed and breakfast for a wine and cheese party.

The boo and I

The girls on the "bad girl" porch. The other guests were in the backyard, but we liked lounging in the sun in the front. Plus, we were too tired to be extra social- we just wanted to chill.

It helped that our guys were there too!

Conclusion coming soon!

3 Years

Dear C,

Source: Uploaded by user via Dani on Pinterest

I love you, even when you're being annoying...

Source: Uploaded by user via Dani on Pinterest

...and even when you make me mad...

Source: 20x200.com via Dani on Pinterest

I love going on long drives and getting lost with you...

Source: None via Dani on Pinterest

I love the way our initials look next to each other...

Source: designcrushblog.com via Dani on Pinterest

I love cuddling and snuggling with you....

Source: None via Dani on Pinterest

and being nakey and silly too...

Source: None via Dani on Pinterest

I love doing nothing together...

Source: None via Dani on Pinterest

Source: amazon.com via Dani on Pinterest

I love your weirdness, your kindness, your wisdom and your smile. I love your hugs, your enthusiasm, your drive and your corny jokes (yeah, I said it!). I love our adventures and travels (and the fact that you sleep on planes... teehee!).

Thanks for 3 great years boo! Here's to a whole lot more!

Dinners and Pumpkins!

What a wonderful weekend! 

Saturday, we ran a few errands, cleaned the apartment, and then went to La Stalla in Newtown, PA for C's birthday dinner. We were a little worried because everyone was at least 15 min late, but once they all got there, we had a great time. The food was amazing, the wine was flowing, and many laughs were had.

bday dinner crew

On Sunday, we wanted to go pumpkin picking. Except, we got a little lost! But we did find Princeton Battlefield State Park in Princeton Township, NJ. We saw the Mercer Oak, which was named after Hugh Mercer, a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. During the Battle of Princeton, Mercer was stabbed by an English soldier's bayonet. According to legend, he was unwilling to abandon his troops, and rested on the tree's trunk while they stood their ground. After the battle, Mercer was taken to the Clarke House where he died from his injuries nine days later. (Thanks Wikipedia)

In front of The Clarke House

The "new" Mercer Oak

The tree was about 300 years old when it was torn by strong winds in March 2000. In May 2000, an 8-foot sapling grown from a Mercer Oak acorn was planted inside the stump of the former tree.

(via Wiki)

After a few pics, we ventured along and found our way to the pumpkin patch at Terhune Orchard. I have to say, it was slim pickings! But we each found a pumpkin to bring home. C also found the caramel apples, and I got a cup of hot cider...yummm!

my lil pumpkin...and huge sunglasses :)

C and I with our lil guy...in matching brown shirts! C was not happy about that!

I was not too excited to go pumpkin picking this year (gasp!). That's because last year, we picked pumpkins and set them out on our doorstep. One day I came home from work to find the smashed!! I think it was one of the neighborhood hooligans. I was so upset. So of course this year, I was not too thrilled to have it happen again. But then C had the brilliant idea to decorate inside. Hurray!

Our pumpkins and wagon, in front of our fireplace

Also, Meg asks: **What is the best Halloween costume idea that you've come across (or done yourself!)?**

The best idea I've heard of this year was a couple themed one. The guy dressed up as a boxer, and the girl dressed up as a lua/hula girl, and they called themselves Hawaiian Punch! Love it!

How was your weekend?

Newport, RI Wedding Weekend Pt. 1

Two weeks ago, C and I headed to Newport, Rhode Island for our good friends' wedding. I have been to RI before, but never to Newport...and it was absolutely beautiful! The wedding was on a Friday (off from work!) at 5, so we had to leave pretty early. However, getting there was a breeze. We checked in, got ready. had a few beers, and then hopped on the trolley to the venue.

The wedding went off without a hitch. They had a gorgeous outdoor wedding overlooking the water. Afterwards, there was a 2 hour long cocktail hour, which would have been fine, but the sun had gone down and it was pretty cold, even with the two heat lamps they had set up!

The wedding reception was a blast. I think the best part was the photo booth they had. Actually, it wasn't a booth exactly, more like a big white screen with a camera in front of it, and a table full of fun accessories.

OhMyGoodness!

You could just see how tipsy everyone was getting as the night went on- it was hilarious!!

Unfortunately all of those pics are on the photographer's Facebook page (and I 'm not going to download all of them!)...

Ok ok, maybe I'll sneak a few in Part 2!

Driving into town

Trolley ride to the wedding! Please excuse my flat hair- it was still air-drying!

Trolley crew!!

The view!



The beautiful bride and her momma, with the venue in the background.
Her dress was stunning!



The Newlyweds!

Sunset over the water

The Mrs dancing with her girls!



Best wedding cake ever?...ICE CREAM CAKE!!!

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Date Night!

A few weeks ago (so bad at uploading pics, which leads to delayed posts, sorry!), C and I went out for a date night in NYC. I told him it was a surprise and "just for the hell of it" but really I had a groupon that was going to expire the next day. He was pretty nervous, why, I have no idea! I know what he likes, and I wouldn't take him somewhere where the food wasn't good! 

We went to Guantanamera, one of my absolute favorite Cuban restuarants.

I had been there at least once before. I love their food, they have amazing sangria, live music every night, and they even have an old man who hand rolls Cuban cigars right outside on the weekends (free for customers!).

The ambiance and the crowd are just right, and I was anxious to take C, espeically since we don't go on official "date nights" often.

This was his food- skirt steak with peppers and onions and rice. He cleared his plate. Win!

I had the paella- (served piping hot, still in the pan) clams, mussels, lobster tail, shrimp, sauseeg, and chicken over a bed of some of the most flavorful rice ever.

This was C's side dish- squished, fried plantains, with garlic, aka tostones

A very happy me with my glass of sangria (we polished off a pitcher!)

C's Birthday Dinner #1

C's Birthday Dinner #1 by lildesiqua featuring high heel boots

What a beautiful Saturday we're having here in NJ! Kinda wish I was out punkin picking! But alas, C had work this morning, and is now napping for a bit before we run some errands. Hopefully tonight we'll get out with some friends for some Trenton-style Tomato Pie in celebration of my recent PROMOTION!!!

Haha, yes, October is turning out to be a great month so far! On Monday I was given a promotion (with a raise...woot woot!). I'm am now helping with customer service for our new financial system along with my usual duties. So excited! I already had one celebratory dinner-- I was telling my friend right after I found out taht I wanted to go out for seafood with C to celebrate...and she was like "oooh hold on a sec..." After digging through her purse for a minute, she handed me a $50 gift card to Red Lobster!!! She said that she had gotten it as a gift about 5 years ago, and didn't really like the restaurant, so she just gave it to me! (The dinner and wine was delicious by the way- and we only paid $9, which was tip!)

This month is also C and I's 3 year anniversary! We're not doing anything super special or spending money on gifts because we figure we'll buy each other something on our trip in mid-November.

Speaking of trip- we booked our flight last week! We are officially going to India for our friend's wedding for 2 WEEKS! Eeep! So now we just have to figure out our itinerary and book hotels.

C's birthday is also this month (2 days after our anni)! His family dinner is tomorrow, and I hope to wear something like the outfit above. Except I don't own booties. Hmmm. I'm sure I'll figure something out!

I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!