Fitness Update- Juice Cleanse

I haven’t blogged in some time- the wedding planning stage has finally moved from ‘daydreaming and securing a vendor here and there’ to ‘EVERYTHING MUST BE DONE NOOOOOWWWWWW’. The last few months were stressful on their own, and also very, very busy. I struggled to keep my head above water with planning, and really struggled with diet and exercise. Strike that- I ceased struggling with diet and exercise and simply ate- and drank- whatever the hell I wanted.

So here I am, approximately 10 weeks away from my first fitting and nowhere near my fitness goal. I realized I needed to jolt my system in order to kick start healthy eating. Also, I was feeling the effects of months of poor nutrition and limited exercise in more places than my waistline. I’d heard great things about juice cleanses and had an unredeemed groupon-style discount voucher for a local company, so last week, I went for it.

I used Jill Pettijohn’s Juice Cleanse. She is local to NYC and delivers within Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. The juices are also available for pick up in Brooklyn. Daily pickup or delivery is recommended in order to have the freshest juice possible and to mainatin variety, so I chose to pick up each day rather than pay the (pricey) delivery fee.

If you are not familiar- a juice cleanse is nutritional and meant to give the digestive system a break from breaking down solid food in order to rest, and focus on eliminating built up toxins in your body. A bonus effect is weight loss. It is sometimes referred to as a fast or confused with the Master Cleanse. The Master Cleanse is the famous ‘Beyonce Cleanse’- during the cleanse you mix water, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper togather and subsist only on that concotion and water for days on end. Jill’s- and a similar system, the Blue Print Cleanse- is different. You consume 6 different juices daily- 2 ‘green juices’ (made of, varyingly, kale, celery, spinach, cucumber, etc), two ‘lemonades’ (consisting mainly of fruits), one ‘soup’ (carrot & ginger one night, borshte another) and an eveing nut milk (entirely vegan- the nut milk is sweet and considered your treat of the day).

So how did I fare? Well, to start, I woke up with a terrible cold and sore throat the day before I was to start the cleanse. I was worried at first; was it a good idea to juice while sick? I have horrible luck with colds- I cannot remember the last time I caught a cold and it did not turn into a sinus infection, bronchitus, etc. Then I read online that some people actually recommend the cleanse during times of illness. (Of course it is noted everywhere to check with your doctor first, in any circumstance.) So my overall results could be skewed; however, the timing worked in my favor. I am almost 100% better, and I didn’t need antibiotics. I have never recovered as quickly as I did while juicing. Freaking miraculous.

The big question is- did I cheat? Well, yes- a tiny bit. I found the hardest time to resist solids to be when I arrived home from work in the evening. My usual routine is to come home, pour a glass of wine and have a snack while contemplating dinner.  Walking in the door with just two or three remaining juices (I usually drank the second lemonade on the way home), my willpower sunk. Twice I broke down and ate something; luckily I limited it to a handful of pistachios. I also broke down and drank something, but again I tempered it- a hot toddy. Hot tea with lemon and honey and a dash of whiskey. This was during the first couple days, when I was still being pummeled by the cold and sore throat. And I never finished or even drank half of the tea & whiskey- just having it there seemed to make me feel better, and a few sips were enough to soothe my throat.

Light cardio is recommended if you feel up to it, as is sitting in a sauna- working up a sweat helps get the toxins out. Again, I was a little limited from feeling under the weather for the first 3 days, but by Friday I felt well enough to attempt the ass-kicking Strength for the Core class at my gym. I struggled through it, then decided to hop on the treadmill for half an hour. I came home knackered- a result of both not having been to the gym in far too long and overextending myself, and not giving my body enough fuel because I’d skipped some juice. The night before, I’d skipped the dinner soup entirely- it was borscht, of which I am not a fan. And I only drank about a third of the nut milk. Friday, gym day, I’d gone to the class having skipped the dinner juice again, and not finished either of the green juices.  When I got home I created a bootleg sauna by running the hot water in the bathroom and stuffing a towel under the crack in the door, draped a towel over the toilet and read a damp book for 20 minutes. Ah. An hour later I was passed out in bed.

So my last ‘cheat’- I didn’t complete the final day. I’d stupidly left two juices out on the counter all day, and they looked questionable. And I hated one of the remaining juices (the soups and green juices are rough if you are not used to drinking liquified vegetables!). As a result of over-exercising the night before, I woke up feeling like I’d gotten run over by a dump truck. I could barely move. I chugged the daily green, which perked me up a little, but I realized there was no way I was going to make it to Sunday morning on 4 juices and fumes. I juiced until the afternoon, then got a large salad. This is the recommended way to break the cleanse- raw greens. So I don’t feel too badly about it- it was my fault, not the cleannse’s, that I couldn’t get through the last couple of hours, but at least I didn’t break down and inhale a grilled cheese.

Results:

First, I feel really good! I have more energy and a better attitude towards everything. My wedding to-do list seems slightly less daunting.

One of the major things the cleanse did is reset my taste buds and eating habits. I was able to shake my compulsion to snack every time I was sitting idley, working or watching TV or going online. I also got used to eating fresh and natural. On Sunday morning I went back to the gym and bought a bottled juice drink- a blend of fruit with extra ‘boosts’ of vitamins, flax seed etc. Unfortunately, being a pre-bottled drink, it also came with a big boost of sugar, and it tasted terrible. I can assure you I didn’t have a problem with sugar before I started the cleanse. Also, the lack of solid food shrunk my stomach. I’ve been getting full much faster.

My skin isn’t generally a problem area, but I had some persistent recurring tiny bumps that popped up around the edge of my face. During the course of the cleanse, I didn’t so much as wash my face- just rinsed it during the shower and moisturized. Those bumps usually require a round- or two, or three- of exfoliating and heavy moisturizing. But this morning I realized- those bumps are gone. COMPLETELY. And I didn’t do anything to them. Crazy!

Lastly- I lost 7+ pounds. (My scale jumped back and forth between 7 and 8.5 so I’ll ere on the side of caution and say 7.) Today my suit pants feel loose all the way to the waist.

Tips!

The cleanse dictates that you drink tons of water- DO THIS. It helps a lot in making you feel full, and also helps distinguish the juices as meals and snacks as opposed to just something you’re sipping.  Drink a big glass or two between every juice.

Avoid temptation- Michael was working on an episode of his latest TV series in Indiana- he flew out the morning I started the cleanse and arrived home in the wee hours of the final day. This timing worked AMAZINGLY for me. I couldn’t guarantee that I wouldn’t have strayed past a handful of pistachios if I’d come home during the roughest part of the day and found Michael working his way through some take-out.

Distractions are necessary, and so are bathrooms: doing the cleanse at work was vital- the days were so much easier than the nights because I was busy at work. I tried running errands after work, which was a terrible idea- walking the streets of Manhattan while trying to avoid food is a nightmare. There are smells wafting from every other doorstep. Street meat never smelled so good. During the cleanse I craved a salad, but I also craved virtually every food item that I passed by or saw in a commercial. I had the most bizarre craving for Taco Bell, of all things. Ew. And, everyone seemed to assume that the bathroom visits would be disgusting, but they weren’t. You’re drinking a ton of liquid, so, you know. (That’s as much as I want to say about the bathroom, but suffice it to say it is not as gross as everyone assumes.)

Ease into and out of it- I had pizza the night before I started. Stupid. Try to eat a lot of raw veggies and greens the day or two before, and do so on the day or two out.

Do the cardio! And sauna! My gym has a sauna, but my bootleg home spa worked in a pinch. (Thanks in part to living in a new building with a kick-ass water heater.) Jill Pettijohn created this cleanse during a yoga retreat- if I do this again, I would like to try a Bikram class during, but I think regular yoga would be very soothing. Or treadmill or even long walks. Don’t jump into a core class if you haven’t been in months- oy.

Now- onwards and upwards. I’m continuaing to eat better and making myself go to the gym- my goal is 4 times a week, minimally. The wedding is only 3 ½ months away!

Fitness Update- Summer 2011

Okay people! I’m here today with an ACTUAL update, not a list of excuses. Last week I joined the gym, and I’ve been there every day since. I’m really excited about it. I jumped right in to taking classes too- I took a ‘Strength for your core’ class with this hottie hot hot instructor and made it through with only minimal breaks (using a ten pound dumbbell and 3 pound weights, mind you, but still!). The class is taught in a big room with a wall of windows so we got to watch a huge storm blow in while we worked out.

The hardest parts of that class wasn’t when we were using weights or a balance ball but just moving our bodies, like holding yourself up with one arm and one foot and keeping the other arm over your head for a minute. Um, does that not sound like the easiest thing in the world? It was ridonkulous. I’m so ridiculously out of shape it’s painful.

My body feels different already. I feel loose and find myself occasionally bumping into things. I’m sure once my fitness level improves, I’ll have the opposite experience, but right now I feel like a Tin man rediscovering oiled joints.

On days I don’t take classes, I work on my ‘Couch to 5k” program, then hit the machines, and then follow up with some elliptical cardio- my little ‘routine’. I try to concentrate on one area some days, or get a little bit of everything on others. I’m making it up as I go along, I guess. Eventually I might hook up with a personal trainer to really maximize my time, but for now the goal is to just get over there and be active. I can feel the difference it’s making in my life- I’m more interested in taking a walk then sitting on the couch, and I’m not attracted to crappy snacks either.

I’m trying not to focus on the scale too much in the beginning because I’m too easily discouraged when I don’t see immediate progress, like much of the rest of the world. But I’ll update again when I finally see some real results!

Shout out to Green Fitness Studio, that place totally kicks ass. I highly recommend it to fellow Brooklyners. The place is really laid back with decent music and a total lack of meatheads. You can use their Netflix and Hulu accounts on the treadmills, and the yoga room has a glass ceiling. They have a living roof and windows everywhere. There’s also an attached spa with a discount for members.

Speaking of, I will have to write about my first yoga experience separately as it was… intense.

On Thursday I’m taking my first Pilates class, and tonight I’m taking a class called “Abs Express’ that sounds innocent enough, but will surely leave me breathless and sore. Cheers!

The Coolest Wedding I’ll Never Have

On Friday, Mike and I stopped by our local bodega for beer and on a whim, I bought a lottery ticket for Mega Millions, which was up to $300+ million that night. On the block and a half walk back, I wondered aloud where we should get married if won.

Here’s a couple of ideas…

I probably wouldn’t go nuts and do the ‘June at the Plaza’ route or the New York Public Library ($40,000 just to rent that place, without food or drink!) or anything like that if our wedding budget suddenly increased. What I would consider is something decidedly more modest- two Brooklyn venues that actually aren’t that far off from our budget. In fact, if we were willing to cut back the guest list a little, we could probably pull these places off.

First one: Galapagos in Dumbo. This place used to be in Williamsburg (their old building is now Public Assembly) then they renovated their current location and moved in 2008. They have multimedia artists in residence, rotating exhibits, performances and events (like the Busker's Ball, at which talented street musicians perform a concert, and Nerd Night, which is speed dating for geeks/smart people), and most famously, Saturday evening’s Floating Cabaret- in which  the cabaret is performed floating above the 1600 square foot indoor lake.

They have pretty reasonable drink packages, with a variety of caterers you can bring in. The prices are staggered for days of the week and time of day- you can even have a more ‘casual’ wedding that concludes with the floating cabaret performance.

Next- the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in Fort Greene. We see movies here a lot- it’s close to our apartment, and is only a couple blocks from the park in which Mike proposed. We love this place. They have movies as well as theatre, and shows in the Café space- which is also where you can hold your wedding. Those cool lights on the outside of the building? It’s right inside, next to them!

Pics pics

You can hang out here on Friday and Saturday nights for happy hour before the performances start at 9:00. BAM’s mission is to be the preeminent progressive performing and cinema arts center of the 21^st Century and most people agree they’re on their way- BAM Cinematek is regularly lauded, as are the performances. Alan Rickman and Geoffrey Rush both performed there this year. It’s one of our all time favorite places in Brooklyn. They are exclusive with one caterer. And god bless both both of these venues; they spell out their wedding packages right on their websites. I know other brides planning weddings will relate to what a rarity and blessing this is!

In the end, we’re not comfortable cutting the guest list, nor spending even a few thousand more than the absolute ceiling we set for ourselves, so these places will exist only in my dreams. Well, actually even better- in my every day life! That’s a perk of living in NYC. One person’s dream is another person’s happy hour- and sometimes, they’re the same person.

A New Direction – New York, NY

For the past 5 months, we’ve been looking exclusively at New Jersey venues- at least that’s what I’ve been telling you. When we got engaged, we figured we’d get married in Jersey since that’s where the bulk of our family is. Some of our friends are there too, and a lot of the people who would be travelling from other states have roots in NJ. Our instincts were to make it easier for everyone else, and also, we hoped, to save some money.

But over the last few months, we’ve realized several things- first, NJ aint exactly cheap itself. It’s not like we’re leaving New York City to hold the wedding in rural Arkansas. Also, the frequent trips back really drove home the fact that Brooklyn is our home now. After meeting with some fellow brides in January, I felt a little jealous that they were planning weddings in their own neighborhoods, getting to show distant friends and family their new homes. Some people have destination weddings, asking guests to travel thousands of miles to show them a place they love. We were doing the opposite and going to our guests. Is that a little backwards… ?

Anyway, the strongest emotion was a desire to get married in the place that means something to us- like the place we really consider our home. New York is where we first lived together as a couple. It’s where we got engaged. It’s where we first said ‘I love you’. Michael swears it wasn’t until he mentioned that he lived in Brooklyn that I became interested in him. And Brooklyn is where we plan to stay for the long haul. It makes sense to get married here.

Now, nothing’s official yet- and it has to become official soon, as most places start getting booked up at least a year in advance. Prime dates in May and June go the fastest, so we really need to pick a place and secure a date within the next month or so, tops. Luckily, I’ve been investigating NYC venues for awhile now. I’ve already been able to eliminate quite a few, based mainly on pricing- yeah, I said NJ isn’t cheap, but as everyone and their brother knows, NYC is really expensive. So here are a couple places I would’ve LOVED to have the wedding, if our budget was a little larger.

First: Stage 6 at Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yards. Steiner Studios is one of the largest movie studios outside of California, and the Stage 6 building has amazing views of Manhattan. The venue is enclosed in glass and can be lit and decorated in so many ways. Abigail Kirsch is the exclusive caterer. Abigail Kirsch is a fantastic and pricey caterer who works in tons of the best NYC venues. I learned early on that if I see that name attached exclusively to something, I might as well cross it off the list immediately.

I liked the idea of this because the Navy Yards are so close to us- there’s a great Italian spot called Il Porto we like about a block away. Also, Michael works in the industry, to a degree, so there’s that connection. However, he didn’t warm up to the idea like I did, saying, “Why would I want to get married somewhere I might work one day?” Luckily, the expense made this a non-issue.

Smack Mellon in DUMBO, Brooklyn is a converted boiler building that now houses a fantastic non-profit arts organization that houses and curates exhibitions as well as offers studio space and educational programs. Nestled between the two bridges in DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), it’s another ‘raw’ space to which you pay a site fee and bring in your own caterer, rentals, etc.

My initial instincts were for art galleries or museums. And Smack Mellon does great things for the community. Their fee is certainly fair but, when combined with catering, still out of our range.

The Foundry in Long Island City, Queens, was in fact a steel foundry built in the 19th Century. It was restored about a decade ago and is absolutely beautiful. Fred Armisen and Elizabeth Moss got married there last year. You can have the wedding inside or out on the grounds, or do a combination. Some services are available from the owners but you do need to bring in your own caterer and rentals. The main space has a vaulted ceiling, exposed beams, two levels and lots of little alcoves.

All along, in any state, I’ve looked for a ‘connection’. Really, this place doesn’t have a big one for us, other than being the exact ambience we’re looking for as well as having a strong New York history. But it’s in Queens, and it’s not exactly cheap. Connections aside, it’s the cost that eliminated this for us. So unless an extra $15,000 drops into our laps, we’ll have to move on. But GOD it is gorgeous!

In the next couple of weeks I’ll be reporting back on several venues that are actual contenders (and probably a few more that we were priced out of but just want to share!) before we make our final decision. Again, I’m not saying that we’re definitely getting married in Brooklyn or that we’re even leaning towards it, just that it officially On The Table!

More Wedding Purchases- Thank You Cards

We made a real purchase! No, not just a magazine or book or even one of my DIY guides. I am looking into handmaking some of my paper- invites, save the dates and thank you cards. But I haven’t had a chance to do a craft yet, and in the meantime, our engagement party was held last Saturday. (More on that soon!)

I decided to look at the company my future mother-in-law had used to order the invitations for the party. She sent out this lovely invitation:

Um, ours said Suzanne and Michael.

There wasn’t an exact matching Thank You card, but I did find this cute design with champagne glasses that corresponded nicely with the invites- plus you know how I feel about champagne! But then another one caught my eye. Initially I had wanted a card that featured the New York skyline or Brooklyn Bridge- something that would show a little bit of Michael’s and my home, since we were doing everything in New Jersey. I couldn’t find anything I liked until I spotted this one:

Torn between the champagne and the skyline, I knew I needed to choose quickly- the party was days away and we’d just received an early gift. I asked Mike to weigh in, even though I was sure he would probably think they were both fine.

Wrong! He loved the skyline picture. I have to give him more credit, lately he’s been listening and answering wedding questions. He likes the idea of tying in NYC and really liked this Thank You. Decision made- cards ordered!

Tonight we’re sitting down and starting the process- they’re blank inside so we can write a little note to each person. Michael has offered to help, but I might let him off easy with just signing his name- or writing out the addresses. But mostly I’m just excited to do it together!

Ah, St Valentine, You Sadistic Bastard

Cupid is an asshole.

Tonight was supposed to be our makeup Valentine’s Day date. Yes, the original makeup date was last Tuesday. Then postponed to Friday. Then postponed again until tonight. Okay, no big deal. At least it’s finally happening! Mike wore a new shirt to work and I brought something to change into. He wore real shoes, I put in my contacts and even put on some makeup . We were looking good and ready to go.

 So we met up after work and made our way to the Strand Hotel on 37th, ready to make our way to the top. I was looking forward to a purple cocktail and amazing views of the Empire State Building. The moon was big and bright and we were both excited to have a romantic, classic New York evening- and okay, I was really excited about those cocktails!

We walked to the door, the doorman escorted us in… and told us a private party was taking up the Top of the Strand bar for the next 3 hours. Wah waaaaaaah. Insert Debbie Downer face. Valentine’s Day date - thwarted.

                                        

We sat down at the (street level, very nice but view-less) lobby bar and regrouped. We passed on checking out our second choice (the rooftop bar Jimmy at the James Hotel) and decided to hit up lobster night at Wombat in Brooklyn. No view, no purple cocktails, but it’s close to home and hey, lobster. I’ll take it.

The street level version of my purple drink. Would’ve looked better in the moonlight, but it WAS $3 cheaper!

So we took the train home, hopped in the car and drove to Wombat. On the way we kept our spirits up- thrice-postponed Valentine’s Day, Take 2! Michael even agreed to hit up Trophy, a nearby cocktail bar, after dinner. Specialty cocktails here I come! I’m feeling the Valentine’s Day love!

     ….Wombat was closed. No sign, no explanation, just lights off, nobody’s home. We stood in silence and peered through the windows. Thwarted again!

We walked a few blocks on Metropolitan, trying to find a suitable alternative, but it was cold and after your Lobster and Fancy Drinks dreams are dashed, even Bushwick Country Club’s cherry vodka slushy drinks couldn’t cheer me up. We called it quits and cobbled together Plan C- pizza, beer for Mike and the bottle of wine I’d been saving back at home for me.

Still we tried to maintain our good humor. Even when we pulled up at the bodega for beer and I tried to get out of the car while my seatbelt was still buckled. (Doh!)

We got home, got the pizza, Mike cracked a beer and I- realized I’d already drank the sparkling wine I thought was in the fridge. Strike 3. I’m out. I threw in the towel, put on my sweatpants and watched an Office marathon with my sweetheart.

My fancy Valentine's Day dinner :/

I think this is the universe telling me that an engaged woman should not post THREE blog entries about Valentine’s Day on her wedsite, where she already posts lovey-dovey Mikey schmaltz that probably makes her single friends want to light her on fire. Sorry folks. Guess I got what’s coming to me.

So yes, we are going to try again, but I promise not to write about it. In fact last night I finally gave Michael his birthday/Valentine’s Day present and I’m not even going to tell you what it was! Look at me, shutting up. (Now that would be a real gift to Michael.)

Happy Valentine’s (Birth)Day!

Are you sick of hearing me talk about Valentine’s Day yet? Beginning to realize my dismissal of it as ‘just a Hallmark holiday’ was a bald-faced lie? Okay, you’re partially right. Like I said, I like making a big deal about things just for the sake of enjoying them. Remind me of this when I try to claim I’m a humble person who never blows things out of proportion, and swear I don’t want any drama on my wedding day. Actually, don’t, ya jerks- leave a bride alone!

Right, so, I admitted a couple days ago that I had a small poutfest last year about ‘missing out on’ Valentine’s Day because of Michael’s birthday- okay, wow, I can’t even finish typing that, I am really terrible! I am so lucky to have Michael. Even luckier because instead of calling me out on being a selfish, living stereotype of a chocolate and flowers-obsessed woman, Michael listened, somehow continued to love me AND promised to not only give me a real makeup date, but also came through with gifts on V-Day.

I think there’s both kitschy and sentimental appeal in going traditional. (Er, sometimes. I’ll claim never to have typed those words if someone starts pressuring me about a garter toss or playing the Macarena at my wedding.) And I think Mike enjoyed being an atypical boyfriend by bringing home:

A dozen red roses, a heart-shaped box of chocolates, and a sentimental card.

Note he got a card inscribed ‘To My Wife’. The kid loves doing that. I told him we should make the most out of ‘fiancé’ because it’s a temporary status that we’ll never have again, it’s special blah blah blah, but he just loves calling me his spouse. He’s pretty sweet, that boy of mine.

I like to spread my flowers around so there’s something pretty and fragrant in several different places in the house. Here’s my stab at amateur floral arranging- good test run if I go this money saving route for the wedding:

Yes, all my makeshift vases are made out of wine bottles and decanters. It’s called upcycling, people.

Of course, if we do try to save money on flowers for the wedding, we won’t be having roses. The funny thing is, I think Mike always gets me these because they’re his personal favorite. Which reminds me!

I finally got an opinion out of him!

That’s right, Michael had a décor opinion about his own wedding! Shock! Awe! I asked him if he could envision any type of color or shape- or dear god, anything- that would fit into a certain venue and was fully expecting another, “Uh…. I don’t know. I don’t know about this stuff. Whatever you like will be great, baby.” (He’s learned to lay it on a little thick to get me off his back.) But instead he said, drum roll please…. He thought red flowers would look nice. Ta da! That’s right, folks, Michael took a wedding décor question, gave it some thought, and produced an opinion. I know I sound sarcastic but I’m truly happy.

Whether I’ll actually use his suggestion, um, we shall see, but in the mean time I’m just thrilled to have him be involved. (More on gender stereotypes in wedding planning and how they irk me- yet remain factual in my case- later.) And actually, he later moved the bottle/vase in the kitchen from the counter to the stovetop because he thought it looked nicer. He's developing an eye for style and an interest in floral placement! I think all the incessant wedding talk must finally be seeping in...

Michael reports that he had a great birthday evening- first, I made his favorite dinner upon request:

Ribeye, mashed potatoes, brussell sprouts with bacon and spinach sauteed with garlic

This man loves brussell sprouts!

Then we just chilled out in the living room.

Our makeup Valentine’s date has been rescheduled to Friday night due to various circumstances. The upside of that is the weather is supposed to be lovely (for February) AND there’s a full moon that night, and we’re going to a rooftop bar. Candy, flowers, a lacy card, full moon view from a romantic bar- I feel like I’m inside the ‘ideal’ bubble in a Kathy cartoon- i.e., not what I ever imagined myself wanting. But much like finding and falling in love with Michael, it’s surreally wonderful. ;)

Engagement Celebration Dinner # 2- Brooklyn Brides & Wine

I went with 4 friends the other night, to celebrate all of our engagements. Okay, that’s a rather misleading sentence. The ‘friends’ were girls I’d met through Offbeat Bride’s Tribe forum, a private online community of brides (and grooms) run by Offbeat Bride. We met through a group defined by geographic locations. Noticing several girls in Brooklyn, someone suggested we all meet up in our home borough to discuss our weddings over wine.

Let’s take a minute to go over how much awesomeness is contained in that last sentence.

A night out in Brooklyn, after being bullied by weather into staying indoors for weeks? YES.

Discussing weddings? Oh, yes please.

Wine? Hell yes!

Meeting other brides? Hallelujah! (Almost as good as wine!)

The weather in New York (as well as many other parts of the country) has been atrocious. I believe we have had 5 snow storms in the past 30 days (and a sixth starts today.) Michael is already a homebody. Throw a few flakes into the equation, and he’s got an excuse to hunker down with a six pack and a PS3 controller until April. On the other hand, my favorite thing to do in a blizzard is bundle up and walk the mile to our favorite restaurant for dinner. So what if the subway lets off directly in front of the entrance? Braving the elements and slogging through fresh powder is half the fun! I usually reward Michael for humoring this weird impulse by lobbing snowballs at his head the whole way home in a (now slightly tipsy) effort to start a snowball fight. He’s so lucky to be marrying me.

January 2010 outside Moto

Anyway, so I was thrilled to be going out without having to coerce Michael with offers to pay for his drinks or fight over whether it’s appropriate to wear the sweatpants his mother bought him from a Jersey mall (that’s he’s been sleeping in for 2 days) out to dinner on Saturday night. And I was especially thrilled to be able to talk freely about weddings. My friends have mostly been indulgent of my constant wedding related chatter, but I am self-conscious of the fact that it seems to always be the #1 thing on my mind. I feel like the self-obsessed ‘my wedding is the event of a lifetime’ Bridezilla I’ve loathed for so long. It’s just that there is so much to think about! So many elements to consider, review, strategize, submit; so many people to contend with; plus budget, and dates, and personal style, and ‘couple style’ (ugh what an awful phrase), and food and drink and fashion and paper and flowers and favors and decorations part 1, 2 and 3 and vendors and venues and photo shoots and jewelry and honeymoons and hotels and lions and tigers and bears. Oh no. It’s hard to explain the exquisite pleasure and pain that goes hand in hand with planning. Very hard to explain. The same people that tell you, “It’s your day! Do what makes you happy!” will 5 minutes later say, “It’s just one day. Don’t go crazy” and both sentiments are true but often mutually exclusive.

Right. So, I am lucky not to have a ton of people telling me I need to do things a certain (traditional) way, but it was still great to sit with a group of girls, ask “How are you dealing with dressing your bridesmaids?” and have two of the four shrug and say, “I’m not having any”, then hear a third girl say, “I’ve just got one, and it’s a dude.”  It was awesome to reveal my wedding cake ‘surprise’ and hear squeals of “oh cute!’ and “great idea” rather than the silence and blank stares I got when I let it slip at work. Hurray for Offbeat Brides!

We met at Olivino's wine bar, recommended by one of the girls, and it was lovely. On Fulton Street in Clinton Hill, two doors down from the wine shop, it’s tiny and cozy with eclectic music, a super friendly bartender and a great wine list. For once I didn't try the champagne but had a nice Malbec instead. I will definitely go back. And I will definitely try to plan another night out. I can’t say enough times how fun it was to meet girls whose weddings were all a little ‘different’ though each in their own way. One is getting married in a gallery in Brooklyn, another in a restaurant in Vermont. Two girls are self catering. One’s wedding guest list is approaching 300, while another is well under 100. One girl had just come from trying on Vera Wang dresses; another will be gathering all her foodie friends for a group cooking experiment on the day of the wedding.
 

Bar Olivino

 

To reiterate, wine + offbeat Brooklyn brides + wedding talk + more wine = a lovely time had by all.

Thanksgiving, Part 2

So, our first Thanksgiving as an engaged couple was a success!

             

 My sister and her dog stayed over for two days, and we calculated that we went through 76 beers and two bottles of wine. That was probably part of the success.

I’ve mentioned my wannabe culinary aspirations, but for this Thanksgiving, my first cooking, I wanted to keep it traditional- our traditions, the way my mom made it. (Except for the turkey. That was the only change.)

So I made mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, asparagus, rolls and my mom’s famous macaroni and cheese. She taught me the recipe a few years ago and I’ve been trying to perfect it ever since. She cooked like I cook- eyeballing it, not measuring, so replicating is all trial and error.

I’m proud to say that I think I finally got it right! My sister said it was fantastic and I have to say, it tasted pretty good. :) Thank you, Mom.

                                                                                    

On Thanksgiving morning, Mike and I woke up early, watched some of the parade and then walked to the Food Bazaar to get some extra snacks (as well as the can of cranberry sauce my sister insisted on, if only for decoration).  

It was weird being out in New York for a holiday- so many stores were still open, but the energy was so different. It was a perfect fall day, and we enjoyed our walk. We also ducked into a party shop and loaded up on turkey day paraphernalia. I think waking up to the parade and taking a walk through the neighborhood might be part of our new tradition together.

I ‘made’ the appetizer table just like my mom did, with a few small additions- brie and goat cheese in addition to the cheddar, and shrimp for Mike.

Somehow I got everything made, correctly, in the right amount of time. I know it’s not really a big deal, since all the dishes are basic, but the 6 dishes going on the table all have to be made at the same time (by the same person), so I was definitely worried. I'd bought a chef's hat while we were visiting Mumford's, and was wearing my mom's old Christmas apron, so I really had a lot to live up to.

But we pulled it off!

                  'We' pulled it off- here are my helpers, contributing.

Today, we plan to just lamp out on the couch, each with our heads buried in electronic  devices- Mike’s on his phone now, I’m about to spend a few hours looking at OffBeat Bride Wedding Porn. I also found a bunch of locations to investigate thanks to their Bride Tribe. I will leave you with an abundance of our holiday pictures.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

                      Yum

The turkey was worth every minute in line- sooooo good!

 Paper table cloth and cardboard turkeys care of Party Glitter on Broadway

The man of the house, carving the turkey- Thanksgiving is a time for gender roles (jk)

                              Stephy always gets the drumstick!

                    The perfect plate

                     Sleeping it off