What’s a blog without a blog survey?

I saw this making it’s way around and decided to give it a go thanks to the “tag you are all it” from Baking in Yoga Pants & PB & PRs

Four names that people call me, other than my real name:

DKB

Karebear

Reen

Coat Check (long, high school related story)

Four jobs I have had:

Cart retriever/expert grocery bagger at Hannafords

Professional “Very Berry Sundae” maker at the Costco food court

Assistant Front Office Manager (and various other front desk related titles) for Marriott

Market Research Associate for a healthcare IT company (current)

I used to work Christmas at the hotel, it was tough.

Four movies I’ve watched more than once:

Titanic (no shame)

The Little Rascals

Superbad

16 Candles

Four books I’d recommend:

The Westing Game (5th grade book, still a classic)

The Notebook (sappy sapster over here)

The Kitchen Boy

Moneyball

Four places I have lived:

Milton, VT

Westminster, CO

Knoxvegas, TN

Burlington, VT

Four places I have been:

Belgium

Ireland

Germany

England

Four places I’d rather be right now:

At a pub in Ireland

Snowboarding in Breckenridge, CO

On a beach in Fiji

Cuddled up by a cozy fireplace

Four things I don’t eat:

Any kind of nut that is not peanuts

Mayo

Orange flavored things

Sour cream

Four of my favorite foods:

Cheese

Chili

Corned Beef & Cabbage (only on and around St. Patrick’s Day)

Ice cream

Four TV shows that I watch:

Scandal

Modern Family

Parks & Rec

Friday Night Lights (still, constantly)

Four things I am looking forward to this year:

Visiting my rents in Colorado (date tbd)

A.S. in Business & Marketing

Getting a big girl camera to continue growing the big girl blog

Running another half marathon

Best Poster Ever

Four things I’m always saying:

“Are you going to finish that?”

“Can I have the rest?”

“I do not have time for that S*&t” (mostly sarcastically)

“GO VOLS!”

Continuing on with the trend, anyone who wants to participate should do so now 🙂

Weekending!

Heyyyy youuu guyyysss!!!

(Shameless Goonies reference, you know you love it!)

Friday I decided that the only thing worth doing was drinking a glass of wine, catching up on Madam Secretary (i.e. starting from the beginning and watching all 9 episodes) and working on some Christmas crafts!

I still have another few coats of paint to do to make the lines cleaner but I bought a bunch of different sized jewelry boxes and plan on semi-coordinating the colors/patterns to make a little set.  I’m also working on a pretty cool watercolor print but I’ve got a lot of practicing to do before I’ll show that one!

  I woke up far too early on Saturday to help my friend Sarah with her Stella & Dot table at a craft fair about an hour away. In addition to selling some jewelry we also managed to eat copious amounts of chili (I will never say no to homemade chili) and scope out some awesome homemade gifts from local crafters for the upcoming holidays! I can’t wait to show you guys the stockings we bought! 🙂

After the show we took our talents to Lost Nation Brewing where we went from expert jewelry sellers to expert beer & cheese consumers.

The lovely Sarah modeling her flight so well…

Why get one when you can have six for $5?

I loved the Rustic Ale but the Petit Ardennes came in at a close second. The food was unreal though! We ordered the Rustic Chicken Liver Pate & the Vermont Cheese of the Day which I am now blanking on the name of but it was so creamy and delicious. The bread stole the show though, we even asked for more… whoops!

When a dessert was made accidentally by the kitchen our waiter so thoughtfully nominated us to assist with it’s disposal. We weren’t even offended- that thing was incredible. A warm cider donut, melted cheese, apple slices & homemade whipped butter topping. It was the happiest accident that ever did occur.

I returned home just in time to watch the Tennessee game…

WHY CAN’T WE PLAY A SECOND HALF???

That’s all I have to say on that subject.

On Sunday Zach & I had big plans of doing absolutely nothing until a double date at The Farmhouse at 7. When we got to the restaurant the other couple wasn’t there yet so Zach called to see when they would be arriving… I looked at the door and boom there was my dad walking in!

My dad is the king of surprise visits, my entire college career both in CO & TN he surprised me more times than I can count which I am so grateful for! Apparently he worked this one out with Zach a few days ago and I fell hook, line, and sinker for the “double date” trick.

We have the same nose, it’s okay to be jealous 😉

It was a great weekend at home, I’m pretty sure I was in sweatpants more than I was out of them which is what I consider success!

How was your weekend?

Try any new beers lately?

Fun Facts Friday

1. Ski season is here and liftopia is where it’s at.

Snow has been dusting and I am so ready to hit the mountains. If you haven’t already used liftopia it’s an awesome site for getting discounted lift tickets all across the country. I used it a few times last season and this year I’m super excited to check out some mountains I haven’t snowboarded at yet, I’m looking at you Killington!

2. 15 minute Greek pasta salad does wonders for week night dinners.

I pinned this awhile ago from Tasty Kitchen and found a long day at work mixed with having no desire to go to the grocery store was the perfect excuse to test it out. I used my favorite Maple Grove Farms of Vermont dressing and it crushed. It was literally so simple but it really hit the spot. It made sooooo much pasta salad (you have been warned) but I didn’t even mind having it for lunch for the next couple of days.

3. My November Ipsy Glam Bag was sort of a disappointment.

The Products:

it Cosmetics: Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer

This stuff is powerful, I put too much on my hand before putting it under my eyes and I was convinced it would never come off. I suppose that’s a good trait in a concealer though right?

SeaRX: Birch Sap Moisturizing Lotion

I could go either way on this lotion, I put it on after washing my face and while it burned a bit (negative) I also noticed my face didn’t dry out over night (positive).

J Cat Beauty: Wonder Lip Paint

No. No. No. I suppose I could use this for a Halloween face painting costume but otherwise it’s a bit too much for my liking.

Marc Anthony: Oil of Morocco Argan Oil Volume Shine Hairspray

I wanted to love this stuff because it smelled amazing and was the perfect travel size but it left my hair feeling dry and didn’t keep the fly aways down.

Starlooks Cosmetics: Eye Pencil

I think I would like this in another color, olive isn’t really my thing but it was subtle enough that I would keep it in the make up bag.

I really liked September’s glam bag, last month was okay but this month just didn’t fit. At $10 a month it’s not exactly breaking the bank but I do hope the next couple months are better!

4. Tuesday night bowling is a necessary stress relief.

I like bowling and I’m not afraid to admit it. $10 for 3 games and shoes? Yes, please!

5. The Growler Garage is a must visit.

The Growler Garage has been on my to do list for quite some time now and with guests coming into town last weekend we finally pulled it off. It was a really cool building with lots of fun touches I mean table bases made from tires, that’s just plain awesome. Of course most importantly there was a great craft beer list to choose for tastings, I was a really big fan of the Veridian IPA from Banded Horn Brewery Company.  As the name implies you can have growlers filled right there and the other half of the store is a retail store with all sorts of beer from around the world. I said before, you must go check it out if you are ever in the Burlington area.

New York Dog House

Happy Monday Folks!

To read this post you must understand that I don’t exactly consider myself a “foodie.” You see to be a foodie you apparently have to like orange flavored things and nuts, both of which I find repulsive. I do however enjoy a good meal and even better service and at the Dog House in Astoria, that’s exactly what I got.

Pete recommended it by saying “awesome beers on tap, french fries with buffalo dipping sauce and sick hot dogs.” We were definitely on board.  I don’t know if you remember that little old I love hot dogs more than I should thing from when I started this blog but it’s a real problem. (Or is it?)

We started the meal off with an Ithaca Beer Co. “Flower Power” IPA which I enjoyed way more than I thought I was going to. It was a wicked blend of fruit while staying true to the bitterness that I love so much from an IPA. Seriously how did they get it to balance like that??? Probably why they are in the big leagues and I’m a basement brewer… Sigh …

Per recommendation we shared a basket of fries with buffalo and sesame chili paste dipping sauces. Buffalo sauce is obviously a gift from the gods (I keep a bottle of Frank’s at the office) and this one in particular was delicious. If they bottled it, I’d have it at my desk. Imagine the possibilities!

For the main attraction I picked out the “Slaw Dog” with house made slaw and apple slices on a “Kicking Kielbasa sausage.” I basically could have eaten seven more if they would have let me, it was so good!

Light on the mayonnaise, heavy on the apple slices, just as a slaw should be. These iPhone photos just do not do it justice.

As I mentioned before, the service was outstanding. When I say outstanding I mean water glasses always full, witty banter with our table, and of course quick with the food. People seemed genuinely happy to work there, it was like the restaurant was this shiny new toy that they wanted to show off. It was awesome. Then this magical thing happened when I mentioned (in a ramble) that I had a tiny little blog our waiter brought out their signature “Far East Dog- sesame chili paste, pickled daikon, scallion, peanuts on a Num Pang sausage”

IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.

I didn’t get a photo because the boys started eating it the minute it was put on the table but I don’t even blame them, it was that good. None of us had even thought about ordering it originally but after he brought that out I can’t imagine getting anything else. The fact that I only had a third of it made me genuinely sad inside. Sweet but tangy, a hint of spice and that pork sausage… can you send that pork sausage to Vermont please?

Speaking of sending to Vermont if they could just open up a location up here in Burlington that would be great… the killer ambiance would fit right in around these parts. If I lived in Astoria I would be a regular, you can bet your ‘Far East’ dog on that.

And that my friends, is a post about hot dog heaven. Hope you enjoyed 🙂

Recapping: A New York City Adventure

Recapping last weekend minutes before the new weekend starts? Sure! Why not?

Saturday

Zach and I spent a quick overnight in Fairfield Friday and woke up to enjoy a lovely breakfast with the family before his mom and I headed to our much needed nail appointment. The ladies at Posh Nail & Spa were so cute and thoughtful! I was so impressed with the manicure but really it was such a great excuse to spend some girl time with Mama Deaks!

Red again, who saw that coming?

My dad is from Brooklyn so as a family we had made a few trips into NYC as kids but I was really looking forward to hanging out in the city as an adult. Thankfully for our trip we had two great tour guides in Zach’s best friend Pete and his sweetheart of a girlfriend Kate who went above and beyond to make our trip so amazing.  Here are some of the highlights:

Pete and Kate took us for a walk along the newer section of the High Line and I thought it was a really cool way to wind through the different sites of New York.

Our next stop was for dinner at Mari Vanna, a very eccentric Russian restaurant in the Flatiron district. They aren’t joking when they say it’s like walking into a Russian apartment, it was absolutely incredible. We were seated in the corner by potentially the creepiest photo ever of a little boy and a bunny rabbit… let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be the one that has to close the restaurant at night.

We started off with a Vodka flight with flavors ranging from Horseradish to Pomegranate. While I’m not the biggest liquor drinker I did find the Cucumber flavor quite refreshing.  We literally ate food until we couldn’t see straight (or maybe that was the vodka) and it was so delicious. From the authentic appetizers to my entree of stuffed cabbage I cannot recommend this restaurant enough!

I literally could have spent hours in Eataly but this little beer caught my eye the most. While the thought of an oyster stout is horrendous how cute is this freaking bottle? I used to collect all things pig as a kid- I’m talking straight up obsession with all things pig related. Surely others had weird obsessions right?

Sunday

The main purpose of the trip was to go to a Jets game at the Meadowlands so Sunday morning we hopped on the train and headed out to New Jersey for what we thought would be a straight up Steelers blowout.

We were like really excited obviously.

After a series of unfortunate events including purchasing tickets to Disney on Ice instead of the game we finally made it into the stadium just in time to see the second Jets touchdown.

Beer and sports, that is the way to my heart.

J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS!

The Jets straight up shut down the Steelers and it was so sick to be there! We had such a blast 🙂

Also please note the Steelers fan in the right corner… in the final quarter he got straight up taken out by another Steelers fan falling down a couple rows behind us. It was the most slow motion fall but I’m so glad everyone is okay!

When we got back to the city we headed over to Astoria for a highly recommended dinner the Dog House which will get it’s very own post next week, just know it was incredible.

Monday

Breakfast food is the best food in my opinion so I took my job of finding a great brunch spot in the city VERY seriously. After reading tons of reviews and taking into account our location we decided to try the Bluebell Cafe and I’m happy to report we were not disappointed. The decor was so cute and the food was exactly what we were hoping for. I seriously could have eaten an entire plate of that bacon and the homemade biscuit? To die for.

Thank you so much to Pete & Kate for such amazing hospitality, you guys are the coolest 🙂

It should come as no surprise that traveling is my favorite thing to do and this was a hell of a way to celebrate our Anniversary, thanks for the amazing trip Zach!

Have you ever been to an NFL game?

Anyone have exciting plans this weekend?

Playing Catch Up

Oh hey there friends, long time no chat!

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve posted anything but I thought I’d give you guys the rundown of my life lately via photos… enjoy 🙂

I dusted off my party throwing tricks and hosted a Stella & Dot trunk show for a few of my lady friends, I think the sign says it all… Champagne really does go with everything!

Those pancake cupcakes with maple buttercream frosting were absolutely delicious!

Zach and I took home 3rd place at the company Halloween party with our homemade Top Gun plane though I think we can all agree it’s the genuine Goose stache that got us the prize.

Really I thought Frankie killed it as Darla from Finding Nemo… I mean she even put her retainer in… that’s dedication.

On a long awaited weekend trip to South Carolina for Halloween weekend I was able to celebrate the engagement of one of my very best friend’s from college.

Casey (with a tear in her eye): I want you to be my maid of honor.

Me (completely honestly): HOLY SHIT! I thought I was going to get a reading or something!

True Love.

I just love them and damn do they make a mean tailgate menu!

We also got to see our beloved Volunteers beat up on* the Gamecocks… sorry kids, you’ll get us next year… NOT. GO VOLS!

*there was no beating up on… it was a damn miracle we came back to win in OT*

I became the person I’ve always wanted to be, the person that carries a glass water bottle around with them! Now excuse me while I also consume my gas station iced tea out of a large plastic cup…

The boy and I also went just got back yesterday from an amazing long weekend in New York City so expect a little recap on that soon as well 🙂

Adios!