A White Christmas in the Vineyard

(Can you see the tree house and the chair underneath? This is the biggest Christmas Tree I have ever had :)

The weekend before Christmas I was visiting in the Vineyard and we had an absolutly beautiful snow fall. It was coined "Blizzard 2009" but I imagine it could be worse. However, I did not plan for it and I didn't bring any snow gear with me so I stayed inside by the fire all day. Not a bad gig. But I did find out that a 14" snowfall + a warm fire + 6 hungry people =

Look what I found in all places, Martha's Vineyard.

Fat Kid: Part 2

APM and I had a long glorious and glutenous Thanksgiving weekend. It all started with a beautiful flower that crossed the great Atlantic Ocean to get to me (or is it just Nantucket Sound?) From Chilmark, MA I present a hydrangea :)

We started the weekend with bread pudding from Pie in the Sky. No Photo available, however, it was delicious. But here is a photo of the bakery.

We then traveled to Whole Foods to get ingredients for Wild-Mushroom Bread Pudding. And guess who we saw?! Steve Tyler! Freaking Steve Tyler! I WISH I took a picture. I always feel stupid taking pictures of celebrities in their normal life, but now I wish I had a photo of me and Steve hanging out in Whole Foods. Oh well, he's only a memory now...

Next was dinner at Salsa's in Southie. No picture available. But please go just for their sangria.

Thanksgiving morning started with fresh toasted ciabatta bread, raspberry preserve, local honey, fresh blackberries, parmesan cheese and espresso. (sometimes I pretend we're french)

Then we had a Thanksgiving feast. And I didn't take a single picture! All that food and no proof of it. I need to step up my blogger game.

Friday was a long lazy day. A lot of laying around doing nothing. Very relaxing.

Saturday we got up early and drove down to Martha's Vineyard. It is absolutely beautiful this time of year. Few cars and only your favorite people.

I spent a few hours Saturday afternoon with Eniko. She is hands down one of my favorite people. We could chat for hours if life allowed us. She has taught me so much and I'm sure many other life lessons will come of our friendship (as well as more Spiked Cider and Pumpkin Pie we had on Saturday.)

Sunday morning was spent at my favorite brunch restaurant. Park Corner Bistro. I'm a little partial to this place because I worked here for a while, but Jesse really is an amazing chef and I love everything he cooks up. And as the owner/chef he really makes you feel welcome in his restaurant.

APM had the Eggs Benedict.

And I had Papas Platos with a side of Bloody Mary. In case you don't know, Papas Platos is a pile of fried potatoes, fresh guacamole, sour cream, caramelized onions, grilled bacon, fresh pico de gallo, and two eggs, any way you like them. a.k.a. heaven. And his Bloody Marys are The Best I have ever had. I'm not a big fan of this morning cocktail, but Jesse's recipe is health in a glass. A couple hours and a couple Nutty Irishmen later, we left Park Corner Bistro and stopped by Offshore Ale House where our friend was working. By some miracle APM was hungry again. And Offshore offers some of the best pizza on the island. Our favorite is the Potato Pizza. Basically potato skins on pizza dough.
I put this pic in because if you look really close you can see the St. Germain glass I got from Jesse. Watch out St. Germain, your stock just went up.
Offshore is a brewing company so I guess we'll show one of their bottled beers.

After this weekend, I will be eating this meal every. single. day. Butter optional.

Happy Birthday Sis!

Today is my little sister's 23rd birthday!

I can't believe it! She really is turning into quite a strong woman and I can not wait to see her again soon so we can relic about being in our "mid 20's."

Happy Birthday Angie!

Hope it's a great year.

HBD lil' sis.

Pic by Southern Charm Decor, and sweetums.com.au

Soon it will be Christmas Day....

Ok I know its only Halloween, but the next two months will FLY by. So for all the early shoppers out there, I've put together a list of great gift ideas. And don't be surprised if you get one of the following from me.

How cute are these Coffee Warmers ? Maybe it makes more sense in colder climates, but they're like little sweaters for your coffee!

You cant go wrong with this little Four Leaf Clover. And for only $1 you can pass the luck around.

For the reader on your shopping list, these Classic Books are so fabulous. The covers are designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith. A very talented lady.

Glass carafe. When you're invited to a fancy holiday party and you need to bring a gift, this is a great option. A wonderful gift to the host that always has guest.

These message beans are by far one of my favorites. Sometimes I get worried that I'm trapped in the instant gratification bubble, but this gift makes you just sit back and wait. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

And lastly, quite possibly the most gratifying gift. Sponsoring a child. Not to sound like an infomercial but it's really a good idea. My friend Julie sponsors a little guy and that got me hooked. Then I passed it along to Denise and she now sponsors a little munchkin. With this, I introduce my little guy, Luis.

And why not throw in a Goat and 2 Chickens? Such a great gift for anyone, but an even better gift for a family in need.