More Christmas Part I

Hahhaaha...so got distracted in the middle of the last post. Here's some more :)

I was excited because they were doing a little "light show" at Grand Central and had some holiday shops up.





I took this one but it's like a Where's Waldo of trying to find my brother in the photo :)


My poor brother got kind of bad weather while he was here...icy snow, rain, clouds...but these photos of the Chrysler Building turned out pretty well. If you go outside the Grand Central Terminal this is what you'd see :) I love the eagle gargoyles.


I took this one :)


Than we were freezing cold because it was raining so we swung by a little Irish Pub for a BareKnuckles beer. We were still playing around with my brother's camera :)

This is me taking a drink with a red or orange accent:


This is regular with some crazy light affects:


Here's a cool one with red or orange accents:

Here's a cool sepia one...my husband hates getting his picture taken so I get a lot of one's of his back :)


Ok...gotta get going and walk the dogs. I will post more later...told you there were a lot of photos :)

Christmas Days Part I

My husband went snowboarding today with a buddy from work (lucky!) and I got off from work a little early (very lucky and rare!) so I have a little down time to put those photos from my brother's visit to see us. Starting on Sunday...seriously there are a lot of photos.

We picked him up from La Guardia Airport, thankfully I didn't drive and the next day we got on the MetroNorth train near our apartment which goes straight to Grand Central Terminal.

Oh, and being the busy dork that I am, my brother showed me features on my camera that I didn't even know I had. So here's one...we were playing with the "color accent" feature on the train ride :)


Oh and most of these photos are my brother's. He's got a good eye and is super brave about taking photos anywhere anytime. I am learning a lot :) Here's Grand Central Terminal's ceiling which I LOVE!


Here's me taking photos at Grand Central. I think this photo turned out great!

Honeymoon Plans!!

As you may know, my husband and I were living in Las Vegas for about two years. We arranged our wedding plans for June 26, 2007 . But then my husband got a job in New York City and started work in NYC in June. So we had our wedding on a Tuesday and drove out to New York City on a Friday. It's been hectic, crazy, and tough since then. Suffice to say we need a honeymoon. So every paycheck we've been squirrling away some money to save up for it. For my "big" Christmas gift my husband contributed a chunk to our funds :) Yeah!!! So in case you are wondering, we should be having our honeymoon probably in September and it's going to be in Cinque Terre, Italy!!

Cinque Terre means "Five Lands" and from what I've read is similar to the French Riviera. It comprises of five villages with vineyards, beaches, and even a national park...the Cinque Terre National Park. It's apparently pretty secluded so hopefully not a slew of tourists, has great wine, beautiful beaches, sleepy little villages, and is a UNESCO protected area. Preatty cool!

Here's photos of the five villages from their website:

Monterosso al Mare

Vernazza

Corniglia

Mandarola

Riomaggiore

Love Gaiman

Now that I have all this spare time in between semesters, I've been wanting to watch all the movies I've missed and read all the books I can. I've had to narrow it down to three books at a time. I have a running book I'm reading slowly, a book in my purse for the subway ride, a book on my nightstand before I go to bed, and I recently found an easy way to read at work since it's so so so slow right now. Ok....so I realize that's four books but hey!

Anyway, I go to the New York Public Library and read the eBooks on my computer at work. I just finished re-reading Neil Gaiman's Stardust. You might recognize it from the movie that came out a while back. I'm excited to rent or buy it since it just came out on DVD and I haven't seen it yet.

I love Neil Gaiman's stuff. My favorite is Neverwhere - about a guy who somehow (ok it's because of a girl) gets sucked into the underworld of London (seriously...rats, people living in subway cars, etc) and its so fantastical. I love it.

Stardust is more fantastical and if you've watched movie or seen previews you'd know.

The book on my nightstand is Ananasi Boys which my brother gave to me as a gift. I have to say I'm only about two pages in since I keep falling asleep reading it :)

Finally, I am reading Coraline as an eBook at work. It's a creepy little children's story and so far I'm enjoying it immensely. It's for anyone who like Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton, or Edward Gorey.

Resolve to Resolve

I hope everyone had a great Holiday Season! My brother was in town for about a week and it was wonderful having him here. He took about a billion photos and got along great with my husband. It was great seeing the two of them getting along like that :) I promise to post some of those photos soon! In the meantime, do any of you do New Year's Resolutions? I think I make Resolutions all year long but I think I'm actually going to make one's for the New Year. So far I have seven Resolutions. I've decided to make them very specific and completely realistic so that I have a better chance of getting them accomplished. AND I have a little daily planner I can keep in my purse to keep me better organized. I found this great little tips/advice for Resolutions from ChickBlvd:

What is one thing you want to work on in each of the following areas? Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Mental

Be Specific and Realistic! Determine specific and realistic goals for each area. Think through the benefits of accomplishment as well as the harm of giving up. You’ll realize that the pain of pressing out of your comfort zone might be LESS painful than giving up--in the long run!

Develop a Plan! Think through various “smaller” achievements that will contribute to your ultimate success and plot those out. Remember, you don’t have to jump off the deep end right away—sometimes it’s baby steps.

Recognize Possible Road Blocks! Identify what may discourage you in the journey—and what you will do to press through! Plan “B”.

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil,but because of those who look on and do nothing." – Albert Einstein

Select a Support System! Get a mentor who will provide wisdom for the journey; ask your friends to be your support system along the way. Tell them to expect that “urgent” phone call when you’re on the brink of giving up.

"Never consider the possibility of failure; as long as you persist,you will be successful." – Brian Tracy

Be Committed! 'Determination is emotional, a moment of intense focus with clenched jaw and the visualization of a mission accomplished. But commitment is irrevocable, a decision that never looks back.’

"If you're going through hell, keep going." – Sir Winston Churchill

Reward Yourself! Remember to reward yourself, even for the smallest achievements along the way. Don’t ever be too harsh to where you find yourself feeling guilty. The fact that you’re trying deserves to be honored!

People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously.This is how character is built. — Eleanor Roosevelt

Higher and Longer than Expected

I finally finally finished reading Higher: A Historic Race to Sky and the Making of a City. So in the end the book was good but it was a little (ok a lot) slow going. When the book was interesting and juicy is was great. When it went on and on about the amount of tons of steel, how many men worked, etc etc etc it was very boring. But it was pretty cool reading about the Chrysler building and then looking out the window at work and seeing it. My husband and I now debate: I like the Chrysler building and he likes the Empire State building. Which one do you like better? (photos are not mine)

Empire State Building


Chrysler Building

Crazy Lady

Reading Higher has made me want to learn more about a famous photographer who was hired to take photos of the Chrysler building. Margaret Burke-White took awesome photos back then. I have heard of her before and seen a few photographs of hers but would love to learn more about her. For example, look at her on the Chrysler building:

Bad Blogger But Learning

As you might know, my brother is in town so I've been preoccupied with showing him around town, taking lots of pictures, and having a little vacation. I was only able to take Monday off from work so yesterday and today he's been bumming around on his own. He takes little videos which are hilarious...like him chasing pigeons. :) Today he checked out the Today Show and saw Kevin Bacon, Martha Stewart, and Patty Labelle was singing. He was so excited on the phone :) His girlfriend back in Colorado saw him on T.V. and was super excited too.

Another cool thing is that he got a new Canon Digital Elph from me, my sister, and mom which he's been learning how to use and play with. I got my Elph camera last year and didn't realize all the cool features it had so we've both been learning. Yay!! Now more crazy photos! My favorite types are singling out one color while everything else is black and white. Very cool.

Holiday Pics

I have to say I hate clothes shopping. I am really not a browser. Suffice to say, I didn't buy anything new. Although it was ok because unlike Alaska or Las Vegas holiday work parties, the ones here...well, people just don't dress up for. It's really weird. I mean some ladies had maybe a shiny shirt or something, but still. It is right after work and some people live in New Jersey!! So either you'd have to pack your stuff, carry it on your commute, and then somehow get your work clothes home...or go just as is. So I went as is. That and it was dumping rain like you see in the movies...

Holiday Party!

I'm sitting here at work right now with a half an hour to go before I'm released. My plan is to buy some kind of outfit for my husband's Christmas party tomorrow night. I'm super excited. I love company Christmas parties. I'm not so excited that I have to find a new outfit. My normal "little black dress" that I've used for the past couple of years is a little too fancy. His party is after work on a Thursday so it's not super fancy. But it's going to be held at The Prince George Ballroom. Not sure what that is but sounds nice :) At least I'm invited! My company is having our party at the Waldorf-Astoria ballroom. Sounds swanky right? Not really. It is A) after work next Wednesday and B) spouses aren't invited. Arg. But I'll go because it is A) The Waldorf-Astoria and B) they are raffling free trips to places like Belize and C) free dinner.

Family!

Exciting news! Thanks to a frequent flyer ticket, cheap one-way ticket, and an awesome husband...my brother is flying in from Colorado on Saturday to visit for a whole eleven days! I'm so excited to show him around, see the sites, take cheesy tourist photos, and have him here for the holiday season. So be prepared for lots of posts on NYC and tons of photos. My work even has a holiday party in the office that family is invited to (even Santa will be there). So I'll get to show my husband and brother around the office. Getting married and moving to NYC has been a tad more difficult than I was expecting and lately I've been really missing my family. So I'm super excited...AND my husband and brother can get to know each other better...I mean they both like beer and video games :)

One night in late November

I posted a while back that I walked from my work over on Park Avenue to around where my husband works near Madison Square Garden. The Christmas lights had just been put up and I decided to be a little tourist. Well...I tried. I'm still getting over my camera shy-ness. So I walked by the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, then Saint Patrick's (never shows up at night), and passed this pretty sight a street or two over.




Saks Window Display



Rockefeller Center Ice Rink



The Rockefeller Center Tree (All boxed up)


Bryant Park Ice Rink


Putting up Bryant Park Christmas Shops


Bryant Park Fountain


Bryant Park Carousel (looks like a birthday cake)

Happy Friday!

I don't know about you but I am super excited that today is Friday. We are going Christmas shopping this weekend and I'm really looking forward to it. So far one of my favorite things about NYC when it is chilly is the market stands with hot apple cider. MMMMmmm. They bring back memories of the brief year I lived in Tennessee. I'll be sure to take my camera and take photos. Happy friday everyone!!

BYOB

Rainbow Tree

The first snowfall around a week ago took a lot of trees by surprise. This one in front of our building was so cool looking I snapped a few photos.

Mines, Gold, and Me

My brother sent me a weird article from the Rocky Mountain News which I'm posting a link to here. For all those who want to know, my dad was an electrical engineer who worked at a few gold mines. I was born in Leadville, Colorado. We were called "cloud babies" because the town is located at over 10,000 feet in elevation. My dad worked at a mine called Climax which was closed in the eighties which is why we moved. So it was a surprise to hear it is re-opening!! Crazy! Now I wish I had bought that coffee shop in Leadville :)

The above photo of Harrison Avenue in Leadville is from Dave Nance's website who takes beautiful photos.

Bagless Resolution

My husband came up with a great New Year's resolution. We are going to go plastic bag free for the year. Right now we have canvass bags from Albertson's grocery store and a few that my mom gave us last year. We even a couple monster bags from IKEA which we use to pick up 20 pound dog food bags from the pet store. But we sometimes forget and then have to use plastic. For instance, I was going to swing by the grocery store after work today to get dinner stuff and forgot to pack the bags. So Robb found some really cool alternatives bags so we can start going bag free. Check out Baggu Bags. We are going to get some because these fold up so nice and compact...which doesn't really happen with our other bags. And they come in fun colors....Robb just made fun of me liking the "peacock" color. I can now use our old canvas bags for recycling bins in our kitchen :)

Wait Wait!

I have to post this because I was listening to it on my iPod on my way to work this morning. NPR has a great radio program called Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me. I love love this show. It is hilarious, informative, witty, has cool guests, and is sometimes better than a book for not falling asleep on the train during morning commute. Today's show had Stephen Colbert as a guest. The show is like a games show where it's about the news, current events, etc. But it's super funny. Check it out either online, download to your mp3 player, or catch it on the radio.

Just a Few More Days

So I've been not so good with my blog lately. December 14 is my last day of class and until that date (just in one class) I have a paper and a minimum five-page website due. Aaaahhhhh!!! So after I'm done I'll be posting more. I have tons of photos to upload from my walk around town capturing Christmas lights, to fall colors of our park, to Thanksgiving photos, and Robb and I at Rockefeller Center for the tree lighting. I may even post my home page for my website...I's so proud I'm not even using helpers like Microsoft Publisher. So don't give up on me!

Book Club

My sister and her good friend came up with the idea of starting a book club. I've made a second blog for it and the link is listed with the other links to the right. All three of us used to or still do live in Nevada so it is the NV Book Club Kind of sounds like Envy Book Club :) Anyway...it is my job to pick a few books so we can choose which one will be our first book to read. If you want to join just let me know! I'll give all members access to post online and we'll see if it works!

Brrrrrrr........

So I saw this photo in the New York City forecast for Sunday. What??? I've never even seen this image related to the weather forecast. What??? Brrrrr.....

No Wrong Answer

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland   "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The West
Boston
North Central
The Inland North
The Northeast
Philadelphia
The South
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Thank you Real Librarian!

Ode to a Little Monster

Since I am bored at work and it's Friday...I thought I'd post a random blog about my puppy. His name's Charlie and he's the first dog I've ever owned. I got him at Adopt-A-Rescue-Pet which sells rescued animals at Petco's and PetSmarts. Very cool. All I know is he was maybe four or five months old, 25 pounds, and was rescued from "trash". He loves my husband's dog Anna and follows her around, much to her annoyance. I've had him for two years now so he's about two and a half years old and 115 pounds of pure monster. But I love him :)

Holiday Shopping Spree

Good Day!

I don't know about you but I'm gearing up this weekend to get some Christmas shopping done. The great thing about work is that they are wonderful about sending everyone good coupon codes for places. They are for friends and family so I thought I'd share them all...enjoy!

Online Discounts:

Alloy Coupon Code: ALYGIFT (20% off entire order til Dec. 3, 2007)
American Eagle Outfitters Coupon Code: 64152219 (15% off from Nov. 27 - Dec. 11, 2007)
Armani Exchange Coupon Code: STYLE20 ($20 off $100 from ? - ? )
Banana Republic Coupon Code: BRHOLIDAY (20% off from Nov 27 – Dec 24, 2007)
Bare Escentuals Coupon Code: BEFAMILY (20% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Barnes & Noble Coupon Code: T4N3B6W (25% off Single Item on Nov 27 – Dec 10, 2007)
Bath and Bodyworks Coupon Code: VELVET10 ($10 off $30 from Nov. 27 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Bed Bath Store Coupon Code: holiday07 ($15 off $75 from Nov. 28 - Dec. 10, 2007)
BeBe Sport Coupon Code: FAMILY25 (25% off from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
CCO - Closeout Catalog Outlet Coupon Code: CC10040 (extra 30% off your most expensive item - ends midnight Thursday, 11/29/07)
CCO - Closeout Catalog Outlet Coupon Code: CC10042 (extra 30% off your most expensive item - ends midnight Tuesday, 12/04/07)
Children's Place Coupon Code: FFTAHPVAC7 (30% off from Dec. 2 & Dec. 3, 2007)
Cloud Veil Coupon Code: 7LJ400 (45% off from ? - ? )
Crazy8 Coupon Code: C8ONLINE (20% off from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Designer Linens Outlet Coupon Code: FRIENDS77 (50% off from Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2007)
Disney Store Coupon Code: HOLIDAY25 (25% off from Nov 27 – Dec 2, 2007)
***Eastbay Coupon Code: EMEB72GC (20% off Giftcards from Nov 17 – Dec 20, 2007)
GameStop Coupon Code: AFF25 (25% off Used Games from ? – ? )
Golf Smith Coupon Code: FFD07 (UP TO 30% off from Nov. 28 - Dec. 4, 2007) Exclusions, here's the original post
Guess Factory Stores Coupon Code: FNF30F (30% off from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Hasbro Toy Shop Coupon Code: FRIENDS20 (20% off from Dec 2 - Dec. 9, 2007)
Illuminations Coupon Code: 999201329 (20% off from Nov. 27 - Nov. 30, 2007)
J. Jill Coupon Code: FFNV25 (25% off on Nov 27 – Dec 2, 2007)
JC Penny Coupon Code: CHAMPION (20% off from Dec. 9, 2007)
Joann.com Coupon Code: NOVA740 (40% off 1 Regularly-Priced Item from Nov. 28 - Nov. 30, 2007)
Levis Store Coupon Code: LOJVWYJ9 (20% off $75 from Nov 30 – Dec 2, 2007)
Limited Too Just click link for savings (25% off from Nov 27 – Dec 9, 2007)
Linen & Things Coupon Code: 223823997733 (20% off from Nov 30 – Dec 31, 2007)
Liz Claiborne Coupon Code: FRIEND40 (40% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 3, 2007)
Macy's Coupon Code: MACYSFRIEND or MACYSFF or CFF117 (20% off from Nov 28 – Dec 03, 2007)
MetroStyle Coupon Code: MSTYLE50 (50% off Single Item from Nov. 28 - Dec. 31, 2007)
New York & Company Coupon Code: 9897 ($30 off $75 from Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2007)
Nike Coupon Code: 2PCTH7A (20% off $125 from Nov 27 – Dec 24, 2007)
***Overstock Coupon Code: 73989 (10% off $45 from ? - ? )
***Ralph Lauren Coupon Code: HOL2007 (30% off 11/10 - 12/10)
Red Envelope Coupon Code: AMX25WISH ($50 off $200 from ? – ? )
restaurant.com Coupon Code: THANKS (60% off from Nov. 28 - Nov. 30, 2007)
Sephora Coupon Code: FF2007 (20% off from Nov. 28 - Dec 31, 2007)
***Sharper Image Just cick link for savings ($10 off $100 from Nov 27 – Jan 31, 2008)
Snap Fish Coupon Code: FRIENDS07 (25% off on Nov 27 – Dec 25, 2007)
Speedo Coupon Code: FRIENDS4 (25% off on Nov 27 – Nov 30, 2007)
Sports Authority Coupon Code: TSASAVE25 (25% off on 11/29-12/2)
Timberland Coupon Code: 3421273 (40% off from Nov 30 – Dec 2, 2007)
Toys 'r' us Coupon Code: TRUFRIENDFAMILY (15% off $150 from Nov 27 – Dec 1, 2007)
Ulta Coupon Code: 84447 (20% off Single Item from Nov 27 – Dec 1, 2007)
Victoria's Secret Coupon Code: FA78113 or FA78449 ($15 off $100, $30 off $150, $75 off $250, & $150 off $500 from Nov. 28 - Dec. 20, 2007)
Victoria's Secret Coupon Code: WARM25 (25% off Single Sweater from Nov. 28 - Dec. 1, 2007)
Warner Bros Coupon Code: HGFFWB (20% off from Nov 27 – Nov 30, 2007 )
WinkFlash Coupon Code: G3F8E7W4 (40% off from Nov 28 – Dec 15, 2007 )
Yankee Candle Just cick link for savings ($10 off $25 from Nov 27 - Dec. 22, 2007)
Zales Coupon Code: SAVE50FRIEND ($50 off $200 [works on 199.99] from Nov 28 & Nov 29, 2007 )

Light That Tree

My work is just a few blocks from the Rockefeller Center where that famous huge Christmas tree is put up. I walked by it last week and saw the tree but it was still all boxed up. So...tonight is the night they are going to light up the tree. It's the 75th Anniversary of this tradition so there is going to be performances and all that stuff. So my husband and I might be tourists tonight and check it out. Grab a slice of pizza (New York City has awesome pizza) and watch the madness. I found out because my work emailed everyone about road blockage around here...this morning because of Nascar??? and then this evening because of the tree lighting. Weird. I left my camera AND my phone at home today :( but I'll walk by the tree sometime and take photos another day :)

Revolutionary Times

Book Blog

I strayed from my currently reading book to read a book a co-worker gave to me. She too has a hook-up in the publishing world so we are going to start exchanging books to read. I also got her to sign up on Good Reads. I am sort of addicted to that site. Anyway...the book is called Mistress of the Revolution and I absolutely loved it. It's a great historical fiction about a lady's life during the French Revolution. I wish I had read the book when I was learning about the French Revolution in college...it clears up a lot of confusion. Here's the synopsis from the back of the book:

"Set in opulent, decadent, turbulent revolutionary France, Mistress of the Revolution is the story of Gabrielle de Montserrat. An impoverished noblewoman blessed with fiery red hair and a mischievous demeanor, Gabrielle is only fifteen when she meets her true love, a commoner named Pierre-André Coffinhal. But her brother forbids their union, choosing for her instead an aging, wealthy baron.

Widowed and a mother while still a teen, Gabrielle arrives at the court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in time to be swept up in the emerging cataclysm. As a new order rises, Gabrielle finds her own lovely neck on the chopping block—and who should be selected to sit on the Revolutionary Tribunal but her first love, Pierre-André. . . .

Replete with historical detail, complex and realistic characters (several of whom actually existed), and a heroine who demands—and rewards—attention, Mistress of the Revolution is an unforgettable debut."