What happened to summer?!

Yikes! I haven't been keeping up with blogs (mine and everyone else's - Google Reader says I have almost 1000 posts to read!) and it's almost September! I have not done nearly as much around the house as I expected to, but much of my free time at home lately has been spent trying to get this baby (and myself) up to speed.

It's a little birthday gift to myself since my last laptop (which was really my first) was bought in the spring of 2004! I'm surprised my p.o.s. Dell has lasted 8 years! I did have to replace the hard drive in 2006 after a virus wiped it out and I could no longer bear with the blue screen of death though. But recently I was starting to have issues with the hard drive again and I was long due for a new computer so I went and bought myself a new toy!

The Dell is twice as thick as the Mac! Seriously this thing is a monster.

I am slowly transferring photos but trying to sort them into a more organized and logical manner than before is difficult since I'm a Mac newbie. I installed Evernote but I don't get what it's for, I'm not sure my Messages is set up properly, but at least I'm picking up using the touch pad a lot quicker than I expected. With the Dell I absolutely have to use the mouse because the track pad is terrible.

I'm still going back and forth between both computers, but hopefully I will fully transition to the Mac soon. I just have to plug in my camera/memory card to see which method is going to be best for uploading photos and then maybe I can get back into the swing of things!

I hope everyone has been enjoying their summer! And enjoy what's left of it! *sigh*

{DIY} Michelle's Bridal Shower

So you saw the decorations and towel cake I made, now here's the final product!

We were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to get everything set up before people showed up and we still started half an hour late. Oops! Running between the parking garage, apartment, and party room while also waiting for the elevator really sucks up a lot of time! Next time if I were to use a condo party room again, I would definitely allocate more time beforehand in the party room to set up.

Aside from that, I think it went pretty well and I hope everyone enjoyed themselves!

As guests walked in, they were greeted by a little pom pom.

Sparkling Citrus Punch, Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes (with my paper flags), and chips & guacamole.

Angus Beef and Chicken Sliders with the food picks I put together. And there's one of the three large green pom poms. I didn't have time to fluff them properly...

Yay, food!

The guests waiting for the party to get started! You can see how badly I fluffed the green pom pom on the left...

We asked the guests to write a message or leave Michelle some advice which we would use to compile a little book for her new life as a Mrs.

The first activity.

Guests filling up their plates!

On paper I felt like we had no food. In actuality, there was A LOT!

We came up with a list of questions and sent them to both the bride and groom to answer on their own. Then Mandie picked the more ambiguous answers and guests had to guess whether "He" said it, if "She" said it, or if they both said it!

"He Said, She Said".

It was hard getting the moms and aunts to pay attention! They're a chatty bunch!

The young crowd paid attention!

For the second game, a list of items were allotted points and if you had that item, you got the corresponding points. The person with the most points won. And you bet Mandie did surprise "audits"! We had to make sure that they actually had what they claimed to have! Some people (Michelle) claimed to have a hair brush but couldn't prove it because it wasn't there!

Tallying up points for the "What's In Your Purse?" game.

The girls checking what they have in their purses.

Some of the resulting advice/message cards. No clue what that says...

For the little "photobooth", the original plan was to use a white table cloth behind so that the blues and greens would pop... buuut, the plastic of the table cloth kept sliding out from the tape so that was a bust.

The paper dot garlands hung up!

Bridesmaids with the bride! We've known each other for half our lives! (Well, Fi and I have known each other longer...)

Michelle and her bouquet of gerber daisies.

Group shot, though we did lose some people before this.

Gift time!

Kathy monkeying around with the paper dot garlands.

I love this picture. Michelle's grandma is watching Kathy play with the garlands, probably wondering who the crazy girl is!

Michelle and the two moms.

Forget the veil and floral bouquet, I think this is the look to use on wedding day!

Now that both the bachelorette and bridal shower are done, it's time to get cracking on some of the stuff needed for the wedding! Only two months to go!

What about you? Anyone else helping out with wedding festivities this year? Or attending many weddings?

{Out & About) Girls in the City - Day 3

Continuing from Days 1 & 2, here are photos from Day 3 of my girls' weekend in New York!

The view from Michelle and Cera's room. They even had a nice view of a sunbather on the neighbouring rooftop. Mandie, Fiona, and I got a nice view of some office.

Pancakes from Clinton St. Baking Company. There was an hour and a half wait for a table so we opted for some takeout.

Fun on Brooklyn Bridge.

Manhattan Bridge.

Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan.

Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge Park.

On the High Line. The popsicles are Mango Chile and Coconut - definitely needed on a hot day. (I love that popsicles are making a comeback!)

Some of the food we had at Marea. Pickled cucumber (?), Hawaiian Blue Prawn Tartare, Charred Calamari, Grilled Octopus, East & West Coast Oysters, Braised Octopus & Bone Marrow Fusilli, Lobster Ravioli, Crab & Sea Urchin Spaghetti, Seared Sea Scallops, Roasted Guinea Hen, Grapefruit gelee (? I think I'm making this one up), Affogato with Brown Butter Gelato, Bomboloni, Carrot Sponge with Carrot Ginger Sorbet, Hazelnut & Dark Chocolate, Mignardises to end the night.

The girls at Marea.

My home away from home - Times Square.

Hanging out on the steps of TKTS in Times Square on our last night.

It seemed like forever from the time we booked our tickets to actually flying, but once we were in New York, it was over in the blink of an eye! I wish the trip could've been longer, especially since it's our last group trip as single girls!

{Out & About} Girls in the City - Days 1 & 2

A couple of weekends ago the girls and I headed down to New York City (I know, I know... again?!) to play tourist and for some bachelorette festivities for Michelle!

It was hot, my feet were beat, and I'm still catching up on lost sleep, but it was worth it to reunite (4 from Toronto, 1 from Winnipeg) and hang out before everyone runs off and gets married!

The Flatiron Building and the 9/11 Memorial.

Shake Shack at Madison Square Park. Yum! Not sure about that hour long wait though... I don't think I've ever waited that long at the Midtown location. Or at Burger Joint which I might prefer more.

Of course I took them to Georgetown Cupcake. The free, secret flavour of the day was "your choice" because the 'DC Cupcake' episode that night was of the opening of the SoHo location.

I want that mixer. White Chocolate Raspberry, New York Cheesecake, and Red Velvet.

At the MoMA. Some Keith Haring (top left) and an 'interactive' piece (bottom left) where patrons are encouraged to take some candy (apparently it gets replenished).

Resting tired feet at the MoMA.

Admiring Jackson Pollock at the Met.

At the Met. There's a REAL deer in the middle picture just above!

Resting at the Met (see a theme here?) and some Warhol (bottom right).

On the steps of the Met. We just need some yogurt and it's like a scene from 'Gossip Girl'! Minus the expensive wardrobes and trust funds though.

After the Met, a walk around Central Park to visit Alice in Wonderland and the Conservatory.

Overlooking Turtle Pond and the Delacorte Theater (where I'll be next month!).

I took a picture of the map so that we could walk the East side of The Lake to cross Bow Bridge, but somehow we ended up on the West side instead. All the trails/paths look the same!

I wanted to hit up a bunch of food trucks but lack of time and tired feet didn't allow that to happen. One of the ones I'd heard about was Wafels & Dinges. I also knew that one of the ones I really wanted to try had a cart location in Central Park, but I couldn't remember which food truck it was. When we were in Belvedere Castle, I saw a yellow cart across Turtle Pond and thought it could be Wafels & Dinges, so we headed over and IT WAS! Best random sighting ever!

From top to bottom: Whipped cream and speculoos spread/Dulce de leche and bananas/Speculoos and strawberries. The order form on the back of the box. The inside says "you lucky dinges!". The cart where the magic happens. 
The 'wafel-0-meter': Studies have shown* that altruistic attitudes might shift dramatically when wafeling. Check your wafel-o-meter prior to sharing to avoid serious side effects.
*Study conducted by Belgian Ministry of Culinary Affairs, Department of Wafels.
Left to right it goes: Plenty left to share ... Think twice before sharing ... Forget about sharing at this point.
Dinges [ding-uhs] noun, plural: Used in place of the noun or proper noun, when you can't remember the name of: (1) a thing, (2) a person, (3) your wafel toppings, (4) like, uh, you know: stuff

Getting slightly lost in Central Park. The bottom left photo is of turtles, not in grass, but in the algae filled Lake.

At Bethesda Fountain. I had to remind them of that one scene in 'Home Alone 2'!

Bethesda Terrace.

The Mall.

Then it was back to the hotel to nap and getting ready for dinner.

Back in our hotel (minus one) after some bachelorette 'fun' ;)

Photos from day 3 to come later... there's way less since I didn't take many photos from day 4.

I did realize when we were back home, however, that I failed to take them by Rockefeller Center and the New York Public Library/Bryant Park and we should've tried to fit in a trip on the Staten Island Ferry. Oh well, there's always next time!