Santa's Workshop

The list is crossed off.

The gifts are bought.

Now comes... the wrapping!

Yesterday at lunch time my office looked like Santa's Workshop.  I was frantically trying to make the deadline to ship my East Coast gifts and found myself surrounded by scraps of glitter paper, pieces of yarn, and those annoying spiky balls of excess scotch tape (you know what I mean?)

Wrapping always takes longer than I think.  Truth be told, I adore me some pretty wrapping.  It's truly an art. I'm always trying to find ways to present pretty gifts in the most resourceful of ways.

I was impressed by the simple but lovely display my boss's wife put together for my gift.  She wrapped a cookbook (signed to me by the author!) in a holiday kitchen towel and tied a wooden spoon into the bow.  How practorable.  (That's practical and adorable put together - I have a feeling it won't catch on)

Ignore my perpetual office clutter, por favor

Inspire Thursday #2

It is Thursday yet again - are you ready to be inspired???  

"Far from what I once was, but not yet what I am going to be" - Anonymous (or some cool band that I'm too uncool to know about)

This quote stands out to me because it's easy in our twenties to feel the "tug-and-pull" between being adolescent and being a grown-up:  What I once was and What I'm going to be.  There is a lot of what we "were" in us today, and we all (I hope) have a goal of who we want to be.  We with wanting to get "there" as soon as possible,  instead of just enjoying the journey of figuring out who we're going to be.  I think it's nice to remember that we're constantly evolving, constantly learning, and constantly becoming better versions of ourselves.  

Christmas Challenge

A week has passed since my last Christmas post, and let me tell you - almost each day was jam-packed with twinkle and jingle.  I can't get enough of this season!

Thus begins - MY CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE.

This is a challenge I just created for myself, and I strongly encourage you to join in.  There are two rules:  

• Engage in a Christmas activity each day
• Report back

Would I have engaged in this anyway?  Likely.  Does making it a challenge make it more exciting? Absolutely!

Okay, considering I didn't have this CHALLENGE before today, I think I deserve a pass if each day wasn't Christmasy.  However, I think I can muster up something for each day, knowing me.

Without further ado, my CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE since my last Christmas post:

Inspire Thursday

We all need some inspiration now and again.  In an effort to make this blog a place for celebrating positivity, I'm going to post a good thought to chew on once a week.  How's Thursday, people?  Thursday is always a day I need an extra push.  Almost to the weekend, but not quite there yet!

Also, I like pretty things.  I will post quotes that look pretty.  However, I will try to err on the side of appealing, not something that would show up on Lisa Frank's Instagram.

Today's Inspire Thursday:  "We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us" -Joseph Campbell

I like this because it especially applies to people in my age group.  Until we are 18, we're all on the same timeline. Then, most of us go to college for four years.  It's the mid-20's where everything gets muddled up.  Some get a high-paying job straight out of school, others pay their dues in dream careers with low pay (entertainment anyone?).  Some are married, some are single, some even have kids.  A few years out of school, and groups of friends that used to have everything in common are now all over the map, both literally and figuratively.  It's not bad.  Everyone's just doing their thing. But like they say, the grass is always greener on the other side, and maybe you had your own inner timeline - Promotion by X, Married by Y, House by Z.  Campbell's quote reminds us that we all take different paths, and not only that - but we often take a different path from what we planned for ourselves.  Personally, I didn't plan to be living in California, but here I am, and I am so happy.  To me, this quote means letting go of expectations for my life and letting the "life waiting for me" happen by pursuing what makes me happy and what feels right and not comparing my life to others.  If we let go of expectations, and allow ourselves to accept when life doesn't go as planned, we might be surprised at how awesome plan B can be.

It's Beginning To Look a lot like Christmas!

It's here, it's here!  My favorite time of year!

(Wow, I'm just one newsboy cap short of being a holiday-pushing newsboy)

We are four days into December and right in the middle of the season when everything is fresh, there seems like a dozen weekends until presents are "due", and the carols don't feel as if they are on repeat.  We feel warm and fuzzy and -- I hope -- remember the reason for the season.

I admit, I've been alternating between "Frank Sinatra (Holiday)" and "N'Sync (Holiday)" on Pandora for quite some time now, but what is your favorite Holiday tune?  Right now I'm really into classic carols like "O Come Emanuel" - hauntingly beautiful!  Who's got a candle to light up in here?

Here are a few snippets of my Christmas season so far.

Santa rounding out the Los Gatos Christmas Parade.  According to Webb's dad, it's one of the best parades on the West Coast!  Something has to be said for a parade that attracts a ton of people in the pouring rain.  

A night of Christmas carols at the First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley.  Beautiful singers, hand bell-ers, and whistlers!

Union Square in SF - picture taken from the Starlight Room

We still have 21 more days of this glorious season :)

Cape May

As you know, I simply adore the Jersey Shore.  Ever since I've had a Cali boy in my life, I've been telling him how he just needs to go to the beaches of New Jersey to understand!  Granted November isn't the best month to go, but I finally did get my wish and we spent 24 hours in one of my favorite towns, Cape May.

If you're going to go to a northeastern beach in the winter, Cape May is definitely the place to go.  It's cozy bed & breakfasts remain occupied by mostly couples looking for a getaway. The usually bustling shopping & restaurant district is eerily quiet, but still open.  The combination of the unoccupied streets, crashing waves and cold air made us feel like we were in a Stephen King novel!  But in the best cozy, relaxing, quaint way.

Our bed & breakfast was the adorable Angel of the Sea.  Oprah stayed there!  Obviously, that gives it a gold star in my book.  

We're just like Oprah!

The B&B was stocked with games, books, coffee and tea so it would be tempting to just hang out there for a few days.  They also offer wine, appetizers, a huge breakfast, and bike rentals.  

So many teas!  Not pictured: the cookies and cakes :)

The biggest appeal to the tea & wine times is the chance to chat with the other people staying there.  Webb and I chatted some interesting characters, including a guy who works at a high security prison - he had some pretty crazy stories for us (which only added to the whole Stephen King thing).

For dinner, we shared a delicious lobster bisque and seafood risotto (had to do seafood!) and a few nightcaps at the Ugly Mug, a lunch favorite for my family.  

Pretty crowded on a Monday night in November

The next morning included a big ol' breakfast with our fellow bed & breakfast-ers and a bike ride down the beach and around Cape May's beautiful Victorian homes.

Our view in the morning

Picture with the bell: Required.

Another fun quick trip with my favorite travel buddy :)

How delightful!

E & D 11.17.12

What's more delightful than a wedding?!

On Saturday, November 17th, 2012, one of my best high school friends married her sweetheart, and it was one of the best parties of the year!  I was honored to be part of the festivities at her attendant :)

Thursday night was the rehearsal at the church in which I learned it was not okay to walk down the middle aisle for my reading (oops) and we got the first glimpse of what Erin & Daryl would look like as bride and groom (cue teary eyes).  After, we had a delicious dinner at The Brick House.  Despite it being so close to home, I had never been there, but I loved the setting in the wine cellar and the food was awesome.  It's definitely going on my NJ restaurant list!

my two lovely friends at the rehearsal dinner

It always sets in at rehearsals that the wedding is actually happening, when for months it seems so far away.  Lucky for us, we had an extra day between the rehearsal and the wedding to relax and have a fun day together.  We had a day of lunch & nails and it was totally girly and totally awesome.

The wedding day was a total dream!  The weather was uncharacteristically warm for mid-Nov in NJ and everything just went so smoothly.  Erin looked so beautiful and happy all day.  We all got ready at her house, then limo'd off to the church were they got hitched!  Not gonna lie, I shed a few tears.

The beaming bride and her parents

Then, it was on to the breathtakingly gorgeous Estate at Florentine Gardens.  After snapping a few pics and chowing down at the awesome cocktail hour (seriously, so much food) we moved to the gorgeous reception room.  The blackout shades, DJ lights and projections made it SUCH a party - even a photo booth!  Webb joked that I was "in my element" but who wouldn't be, at a joyous occasion with best friends and family?! I love weddings.

my high school best friends after quite a bit of dancing

After the reception, we were limo'd off to the city where a bunch of us hit up a bar and bid adieu to the newlyweds.  I missed NYC!  It was glittering and started to have that holiday glow.

All in all, an amazing few days and awesome celebration for the new Mr. & Mrs. Leegwater.

Here are a few more pictures from the day ~ Enjoy!

Cutting the cake!

happiness :)

My man has moves!

Giving Thanks in 2012

I hadn't been home for Thanksgiving in three years, so this year's Turkey Day was even more special!  There is something so dee-lovely about stuffing your face with family and being grateful for that warm fuzzy feeling in the air.  Thanksgiving is the best - no frills, just getting together and enjoying great food.

Aside from the week of friend and family time at the movies, diners, bars, homes, etc. etc. - the day itself was so fun!

For Webb and I, this Thanksgiving was our second as a couple, and this time with my family.  I'm so grateful we've been able to spend both together!  In the morning, I worked away in the kitchen with mom & sister while the parade played in the background - perfect.  My step-dad barely got back from his Turkey Trot when he had to head back out to get my brother and his girlfriend from the train station.  When he came back, Webb and Anthony met for the first time - finally!  Their conversations had to do with political riots in Europe or something… typical.

Above: Siblings reunited!  Below: 2 important dudes in my life meet :)

We hung out for a bit then it was off to get my Dad and go to dinner at my Uncle Stevie & Aunt Donna's.  I love their house - it's been in my family since the 20's.  My godfather was quick to give Webb the history of the house, and I thought about all the holidays we've celebrated there.  Looking at their CD collection, you'd know it by the dozens of Christmas albums!  Of course, we were listening to Christmas radio… obviously :)  Light FM anyone?  

After eating so. much. food, my cousin and her two cute kids came by.  Rather, I should say the kids ran into the house like two kids on a dessert sugar high (because they were, um, two kids on a dessert sugar high) and infused our afternoon with little kid energy!  Mikey had changed so much since the last time I saw him one year ago - I couldn't believe he was speaking in sentences!  I wish I was home more to see him grow.  Miraculously, we were able to get everyone to settle down for this wonderful group photo:

My Dad and his brother with (most of ) their families 

My dad and uncle's three sisters were elsewhere for Thanksgiving, but just a couple weeks before they were able to all get together despite now living in four different states.  My aunt and uncle's son Jason and his wife & kids were spending the holidays in Disney World - lucky!  Missed them and everyone else though!

After dinner, Anthony and I took our beaus back to Mom's house for more dessert with my mom's sister Peggy, our uncle Christy, cousin Jonathan, his wife Shelly, and their adorable energetic daughter Mackenzie.  

Kenzie is so excited to dig into those cupcakes (and all the other desserts!)

We ended the night with a lot of wine and board games.  First it was some sort of drawing game, then my specialty - Clue!  Webb has been hearing a lot about my excellent Clue skills, so we played a much-anticipated match with the whole family.  Upsettingly, I did NOT win - at least I lost to Dan, who taught me everything I know about Miss Scarlett and the gang.  I can deal with that.

We're very serious about our gaming  Please excuse the tissues in the foreground as I was battling a nasty cold wah :(

I'm so blessed with so much family!  All in all it was a packed day of food and family.  Plus, the week itself was nonstop friend and family time catching up and kicking back.  I love Thanksgiving, and I'm so grateful!

Tourism: Your Hometown

Look at me, I start a blog, get all excited, and then neglect said blog while preparing for and enjoying a trip home back East.  Shame!

Like any great new employee, I took five days off about two months in (oops) which meant the days leading up to The Big Trip were crazy busy at work.  And since my time in New Jersey is rare, I try not to spend much of it in front of the screen.

Enough with the excuses!  Back to celebrating all the goodie goodness in life.

I went home for the amazing, jaw-dropping, tear-jerking wedding of one of my best friends from high school and one of my favorite holidays - Thanksgiving!  The week was jam-packed with family, friends and food.  AKA, the ingredients for total and complete joy.

Here are some previews!

Erin & Daryl's INCREDIBLE wedding!!!

Our super fun trip to Cape May, NJ!

I'll post about the wedding and my trip to Cape May with Webb soon.  For now, enjoy this hilarious SNL digital sketch.  Webb and I make a point to watch SNL each week, and it's mostly miss rather than hit.  But this is all too timely and great.  It's a travel ad for going to your hometown for the holidays, and my mom and I cracked up as it was so accurate, especially getting around in the minivan!  If you ever spend holidays in your childhood bedroom, you will love this.

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/tourism-ad/1424422/

I'm already missing the paved streets and bare trees of my chilly hometown!

America

Millions of Americans voicing their opinion?

That's just dee-lightful.

Regardless of who you wanted to end up in the Oval Office, what's clear is one man isn't going to make or break a nation.  We all need to work together.  

I hope you enjoy this inspirational speech by the President.

My election day was fairly standard compared to 2008 when I was in London.  Boston University's online magazine BU Today put together a great piece on that here (and yours truly gets some airtime).  This year, I woke up early, headed downstairs to wait in line (thankfully my polling place was in my building) and checked off the people  I believed in.  As a first time California voter, I enjoyed researching the various propositions and having a choice on specific issues.  While I didn't get an "I voted" sticker to Instagram, I felt proud. After work, Webb and I went into the city to feel the electricity in the air.  After watching results unfold in an Indian restaurant, we then made it over to Brian and Jane's to watch the speeches.  I always love being reminded about our freedom here and what a great, diverse nation we live in.  That is something worth celebrating.

My Jersey Shore

This is a long post.  After hearing too many jokes and misunderstandings in reference to the destruction of the New Jersey coastline, I needed to put my thoughts and memories somewhere.  Everyone has their own experience with the Jersey Shore.  I hope you enjoy reading about mine.

Lathering up! LBI 2008

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The minute I landed in California, I realized the country's idea of what the Jersey Shore is was not what I grew up with.  For some reason, people seemed to think it included the gym, tanning and laundry.  What I knew was 217 miles of wide beaches, beautiful homes, docked boats, ice cream shops and great seafood.  

The wreckage Superstorm Sandy brought to my beloved beach is unimaginable.  On the news, I see my roller coasters out to sea, and my boardwalks in piles.  The famously wide Wildwood beach has water up to the streets, and in some places LBI is completely covered.  However, I'm quickly realizing not a lot of people around the country realize what's at loss here.  It's not just bronzer under that water.  There are memories generations back of families lounging in the sun, friends sharing a beach rental, and romances on the piers.  

From day trips to weeks long vacations, I spent a good chunk of my childhood jumping in waves when the sun was up and playing mini golf when the sun went down.  I wasn't devoted to just one shore town, either.  I have amazing memories in Wildwood Crest, Lavalette, Cape May, Point Pleasant, Belmar, Spring Lake, Ocean City, and the list goes on.  

My first memories of the shore are in Wildwood Crest.  Starting when I was still a little bean, my mom and dad stayed at the Bal Harbour hotel.  It became a tradition to stay there every year.  As I got older and busier, the stays got shorter, but I went to the Bal Harbour with my dad and brother all way into my college years.  I loved it there.  It's tall beachfront towers stuck out from afar.  With an arcade, two kiddie pools, a medium pool, and a figure eight shaped big pool, my brother and I felt like we were in paradise.  Over the years, we became friends with George in the kitchen, the guy in the gift shop, the Frost's, who became like family.  Heather and I met when we were 2 in the kiddie pool and grew up as Bal Harbour buddies, each summer making our parents plan coordinating vacations.  My family's Wildwood Crest vacations came with a slew of traditions, like walking to the Captain's Table and a movie night with takeout fried fish.  The boardwalk nights were filled with zeppoles, rides, hair braids, rice necklaces, caricatures, and games.  Days were spent parking it at the beach from morning to dinnertime, making trips back up to the pool to wash off the sand, and back to the beach again.  That is, on days my brother didn't want to play Nintendo all day in the room.  I remember setting off fireworks at night, feeding seagulls stale french fries, and flying kites. We'd always go to Victorian Cape May and take pictures in the same spots, year after year.  We loved our traditions.

I also spent a lot of time in Lavalette, where my Mom grew up going with her family.  It was at the Candlelight Inn my step-dad proposed to her with all of us munching on shrimp cocktail, and where we spent many long weekends.  Lavalette has this great ice cream shop where the waiters sing to you - I loved that!  My Grandpa owned a home down the shore until he passed when I was 10.  It was on Long Beach Island (LBI to most), which is a long island strip of quiet and quaint beach towns.  One day, after a long day in the sun, I bit into a juicy peach while sitting in my Grandpa's back seat, and out came my first tooth!  I can think of countless day trips with my family to towns like Spring Lake with it's beautiful homes, and to Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights for the games and the rides at night.

As I got older, I was less worried about the epic log flume drop and more concerned with packing all my friends into a beach house.  I started making new traditions and memories with friends, and okay - maybe I pumped the occasional fist in Belmar.  But that's what the shore is to me.  It's a place where I can go and be flooded with memories of my childhood, my family and my friends. I'm grateful for parents who gave me so many beachside memories. When I think of the Jersey Shore, I think of my dad telling me the story of Treasure Island on the sky coaster.  I think of saving up my arcade winnings to buy an awesome Queen Amidala collector's figure.  I think of early morning bike rides on the boardwalk.  I think of Monday mornings looking at fresh sea creatures with Mr. Ocean.  I think of Kohr's orange & vanilla frozen custard.  I think of picking out a beach read from the Atlantic Book shop.  I think of yearly retreats with my high school.  I don't think of fist pumping.  The Jersey Shore is a place that I know is strong enough to withstand this storm.  Soon, the water will subside, the businesses will recover, and maybe the rest of the country can come see for themselves what us New Jerseyans have known all along.

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Here are some pictures of Jersey Shore good times from senior year in high school and onward.  All my pre-Facebook pictures are at home, but maybe I'll add some one day!

Best Friends! 2009

En route to ATLANTIC CITY! 2010

Fourth of July in Belmar, 2010

Kelly's birthday in Belmar, 2010

My cousin Jenna, 4th of July  Point Pleasant 2010

Me and my sister Jessica, on a fast ride in Point Pleasant, 2010

Prom Weekend! Point Pleasant, 2006

On an annual Onstage beach trip - the water was flagged for too high currents!  We are clearly disappointed with this unfortunate weather.  Loved those trips with my theater group.

On the Centrifuge in Seaside Heights!  The ride is currently under water :(

Lazy beach day, 2007

My dad and I in Wildwood, 2007

Haha, Vinnie - near Red Bank, NJ 2007

 Just some friends dancing, haha - 2007?

I really do love Kohr's Orange & Vanilla custard - Seaside Heights 2008

The famous Bar A shot wheel in Belmar! 2010

Best Friends - 2006, prom weekend I think?

Paddle boatin' with Alyssa at her house in LBI, 2008

Putting Pinterest to Use!

One of my many "P" activities this weekend was a Pinterest recipe night with Webb.  We both like to find awesome dishes on the site, but hardly ever actually make them.  So, the challenge to ourselves on Saturday?  Make a salad, main, and dessert straight off Pinterest, no modifications.  Challenge accepted.

If I do say so myself - the food was AWESOME!  Of course, I had a great time cooking, but who wouldn't with this cute sous chef?

Main Dish: Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells

Oh my yum.  The traditional Italian comfort food is given an Autumn twist and eating it is like wrapping yourself in a quilt and cozying up to watch It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.  Two of my weaknesses are baked pasta and anything Fall-related, so this dish called my name!  The shells are stuffed with creamy ricotta, spinach, and the buttery squash, and topped with this amazing sage brown butter sauce, which we almost skipped but I'm so glad we didn't!

First, we chopped the squash. Make sure to use a heavy knife as these suckers are tough when raw!  

Getting all artsy with my squash.  Chop chop!

While those were baking in the oven, we made the delish mixture and cooked the shells.  When the chopped squash came out of the oven, we let it cool for about 10 minutes before we mixed them into the mixture and stuffed the cooked shells.

Ta-da!  

Here's the full recipe!

Salad: Tomato, Mozzerella, Avocado Salad

If Webb has anything to do with the menu, avocado will be involved, and this fresh and simple salad was a great way to use it!  I just adore all of these ingredients.  My first instinct was to throw everything in a bowl haphazardly, but the recipe's suggested method really made for a great texture and consistency-- bright and not too soggy.  We didn't refrigerate the pre-avocado mix for a whole hour, but the 20 minutes we did really made a difference.

I image a big serving of this and a glass of white would be an awesome summer meal.  Bookmarking for 7 months from now…

Dinner is served...buon appetito!

Dessert: Nutella Cookies

Now, I'm the first to tell you I'm not the world's best baker.  But, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy consuming fresh baked goodness.  These cookies are probably the easiest thing I've ever baked that wasn't a "just add water" box.  We found them to have more of a straight chocolate flavor than Nutella, but still ridiculously easy and yummy nonetheless.

1 cup Nutella.  1 cup flour.  1 egg.  6-8 minutes at 350 degrees.  That's it.  I swear.  You're welcome.

I hope you finally get around to making some of your pins, too!  At home dinner dates are the best :)