Family Dinners, Table Toppers and a Fall Wedding

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I brought my work laptop on this trip, thinking it would be light and easier to carry. Which it was, but it also has some settings on it that blocked the hotel’s internet the whole time. So, I will play catch up for the last few days.

Dad and I flew out to New York very early (6.30am flight out of San Francisco!!) and got in around early evening. We met up with my friend Richard and drove from Albany to our hotel in Carlisle. We met the rest of the family and bridal party for Italian food.

Dinner the night before the wedding

Dinner the night before the wedding

Everything about their wedding was very cute. She had gotten a lot of ideas from Pinterest. The ceremony was outside at this beautiful venue, and we munched on apple donuts and hot cider before. This was the reception venue a few feet away.

The fireplace decorations

The fireplace decorations

The bridesmaids and family had made the table toppers.

The bridesmaids and family had made the table toppers.

Our party favors were maple syrup that Michael and Jeannette had tapped from the trees on their farm.

The wedding cake

The wedding cake

The wedding booklet.

The wedding booklet.

Michael is a big fan of candy, and so they had a “grooms cake” for him which was this candy take-out bar with to go cartons. It was pretty cute and tasty! They had a good variety of candy.

The "grooms cake"!

The “grooms cake”!

I thought her dress was absolutely perfect for her. Simple and elegant and totally beautiful!

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We have one more day here in Troy and then I have a 6.30 flight out tomorrow. If I have time later today I will do a post on our trip to Niagara Falls yesterday!

Hope you had a lovely week! Happy Saturday!

Love,

-S

Shopping, My 25th Birthday, Dinosaur Muffins and Cooking on Sundays

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This week was insanely busy, which is why I have not had a spare minute to post about everything.  I hope that with time I will get better at balancing work and blogging. If you have any tips, let me know!

The Roomie and I had a five day weekend from school, which was perfect timing as my birthday was smack dab in the middle of it!  On Thursday we slept in, to the gloriously late hour of 9am. We did a few things around the house and then went off to the mall. The Roomie and I found many cute things. We scored at pretty much every store.

Our shopping haul.

Our shopping haul.

On Friday I hit the gym, and it provided a much needed round of happy endorphins. Since I started working full time, getting to the gym every day has fallen to the way side. Starting in a week I hope to build it back into my routine. From the gym I went to my parents house to get Lightroom 5 set up on my mom’s and my laptop. For dinner we grabbed tasty greek food at Opa’s in downtown Los Altos. We had tickets to see Les Mis at the Saratoga Theatre, where two friends of mine were in lead role. I look forward the most to shows with actors I know personally.

After another glorious sleep-in, I set off for the grocery store. I picked up some snack but most everything was for my birthday party later that day. Around 4, people started trickling in, and we munched on tasty Mexican tacos and guacamole. We drank margaritas and horchata and enjoyed the warm evening air. We took a group photo, and I had everyone sign the frame that I would eventually put it in. People drifted in and out, and it was a glorious melding of friends, food and fun.

I made pumpkin spiced dinosaur muffins!

I made pumpkin spiced dinosaur muffins!

Our group photo.

Our group photo.

This morning after the Roomie and I tied up the house I wrote my thank you notes for my birthday gifts. We went over to the Castle and I tucked into cooking with my dad. We made ham and shrimp croquetten, mac’n’cheese and quiche lorraine. After a long round of dishes ( i swear we used every cooking utensil possible!) we tasted the mac’n’cheese. It was delicious and I look forward to munching on it after a long day at work next week.

Tomorrow I will be babysitting the whole day and Tuesday we start back  at work. I have one day of teaching, and then I fly out at the crack of dawn (have I mentioned I hate mornings?!) for my cousins wedding in upstate New York. More details on that later.

How was your weekend? What did you do? How do you balance getting you time and getting your errands done?

I hope you had a lovely weekend.

Love,

-S

The Help, Dress Pants, and My Bow Ring

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On Sunday the Roomie and I watched the Help. I read the book a while ago and loved it, but hadn’t seen the movie. I am a fan of Emma Stone, so she was the real reason I had wanted to see it. The acting was fantastic and the storyline was touching. It was a great way to spend a sleepy Sunday afternoon snuggling with the pups.

The Help

The Help

As a substitute I was able to get away with a casual wardrobe. But now that I am teaching full time at one school I have noticed how formal the rest of the staff is. They rock the formal attire.  I look nice, more dressy than anything else, but definitely not business casual all the time.

So friends, tell me the skinny. Where is the best place to buy dress pants? Typically I avoid them because I don’t feel like I know how to buy a pair that fits well. If you have a favorite pair, where are they from? What do you like about them? I know that I want them with belt loops, because I almost never wear the two pairs I have because they lack beltloops.  Suggestions on how they should fit, colors you love wearing, how to know if they fit will all be greatly appreciated!!

My Kate Spade ring arrived Monday, and I love it! Thanks for convincing me to get it, it makes me feel so elegant! (If you missed that post, I talked about this ring here)

Love,

-S

Summer Weddings, Premieres and a 3-Day Week

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The wedding yesterday was beautiful! It was at a local farm with in a beautiful meadow called Hidden Villa. Stefanie and I had gone to high school together, and kept in touch in college because we both were studying art. She is the rare gal that marries her high school sweetheart.  I had seen their romance from the very beginning and their wedding was a lovely start to their new life together. The cake was fantastic, a kind that I had not had before, called champagne cake. She had asked a few of us to make desserts, so there were 8 additional yummy things to sample, including my lemon bars!

She painted all these bottles that made up the aisle.

She painted all these bottles that made up the aisle.

I loved her lace dress!

I loved her lace dress!

She started tearing up when she read her vows.

She started tearing up when she read her vows. This is post-kiss!

I liked the doors that were at the end of the aisle.

I liked the doors that were at the end of the aisle.

We danced in the barn after dinner.

We danced in the barn after dinner. She made all these artistic details that pulled it all together so well.

The champagne cake.

The champagne cake.

The weather could not have been more perfect, considering the weekend before it had poured all day! It was warm and sunny until late in the evening. All in all, it was an amazing day.

Today I took care of things about the house, lazed with the pups watched ridiculous amounts of T.V (the good wife premiere!!!) and prepping for school. This week we have only three days of school, which fits in perfectly with my birthday on Saturday.

Hope you had a fun and relaxing Sunday!

Love,

-S

Work, Thirsty Thursdays and Loafers

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Things at the new school are going well. I have a lot of catch-up but I think that once I get the hang of things it well be a good fit. All of the staff have been welcoming and helpful, which makes me feel more comfortable. The kids are settling into things, but we still have a long ways to go (my classroom is a mess!).

Today, there was a few of us that grabbed a bite to eat after work. We met up at San Pedro Square, the cute downtown section of San Jose. Roomie and I shared a pizza, salad, guacamole and crunchy tortilla chips. Unusual combination, but it was what my stomach wanted, and I was not going to argue with it. The food was yummy, and it was nice to see the other teachers relax and unwind together. Sometimes seeing people only at work makes it feel a bit impersonal, and this was great chance for me to get a better understanding of how interesting and cool some of my coworkers really are.

Last year, I was a bit idealistic and wore heels very often as a substitute teacher. It didn’t take very long to see that at some the campus’s (ahem, Los Gatos!) were too hilly/multilevel/had metal grates for my heels to be comfortable for the whole day. Soon I switched to flats, and found some loafers later in the year that became one of my go-to pairs along with my Sperry‘s.

Anne Klein

My Anne Klein go to loafers

Finishing a workday with happy feet make me approach the next day in a more upbeat manner.  This year, I have continued in the same comfy shoes vein. Flats and loafers are the way to go when you are standing or walking all day long. Fortunately enough, loafers have hit the fashion world and have been given a makeover. Some of the ones coming out for fall are pretty cute. Which ones do you like?

Sole Society Cambria Tassle Loafer

Sole Society Cambria Tassle Loafer

Tory Birch

Tory Birch

 

Steve Madden Zunni Leopard

Steve Madden Zunni Leopard

Tropez Cotton Anchor Flats

Tropez Cotton Anchor Flats

 

Sperry TopSider Westwood

Sperry TopSider Westwood

 

I think all of these would look great with a decent pair of skimmer jeans, and a crisp white collared shirt.

 

Each of them has a very different feel! Would you wear (or buy!) any of these? What would you wear with them? Any suggestions on how to pair them up with things already in your closet?

Love,

-S

 

Crisp Mornings, Pea Coats, and Desserts to Die For

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It is now  cold in the mornings when Roomie and I get up. I have been putting on a cardigan and a warmer jacket just to get through that first hour or so until we are all set in our classrooms. The days are still warm so its all about wearing layers. For example, yesterday, it was about 50 when we left for work and about 84 during the middle of the day.  I pulled out my pea coats and while I usually pick my go-to black option, I have my eye on a picking up a new one. The only problem is, which one? They are all pretty cute!

J.Crew Majesty Peacoat- Charcoal

ShopBop-Toggle Coat

ShopBop-Toggle Coat

 

Michael Kors

Michael Kors

I saw this on a blog that I follow and I keep coming back to it. It sounds very impressive to make, but I imagine it tastes fantastic!

Ultimate S'more Anniversary Cake

Ultimate S’more Anniversary Cake

How is the weather for you? Are you enjoying fall so far?

Love,

-S

Horchata,Lemon Bars, Rings, and Inspiration

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Yesterday in the midst of the baking frenzy I started a batch of horchata going. The recipe is by David Lebovitz one of my fave’s and I love making a batch over the weekend to keep me happy during the busy weekdays.  The recipe is the kind you start one day and finish it the next. I am looking forward to a big glass of this later on. Yum!

Today was another day full of baking. An old high school friend has her wedding coming up next weekend. She asked a few of us to make desserts as they decided not to go with a wedding cake for everyone, and instead are doing small bites. So I tackled the third trial run of macaroons (the most successful to date!) and the first trial run of the lemon bars for the wedding. While they turned out tasty they will need some tinkering, so they might be made again this week before the final batch is due on Saturday.

Our tasty macaroons.

Our tasty vanilla macaroons.

This is how they will be served at the wedding on Saturday.

This is how they will be served at the wedding on Saturday. Cute yes?

This silly pup kept us company the whole day, and had a grand time catching all the crumbs. We tired him out eventually!

The Crash monster finally tired enough to sit in his bed.

The Crash monster finally tired enough to sit in his bed.

After dinner, I was sitting on my bed finishing signing all the paperwork for my new job. It was such a large pile, that eventually Nala got covered up. (She loves being covered; the sheets, warm laundry, my paperwork!)

The roomie got a kick out of the paperwork on Nala.

The roomie got a kick out of seeing all the paperwork on Nala.

I keep coming back to this classy little ring (i really like it in rose gold). Normally I wear a ring on each hand. On one, I wear my graduation ring, recent Christmas Gift from my Dad. On the other I have an owl (I’ve always loved owls and other fowl jewelry) from Therapy. Therapy is this chain near us with a few locations in Palo Alto and another in Los Altos. But this ring would be such a nice touch for whenever I wanted to dress up a bit. What do you think?

Kate Spade- Skinny Mini Bow Ring

Kate Spade- Skinny Mini Bow Ring

I saw this on Pinterest the other day, and I like everything about it, the pearls, the gold, the calligraphy, everything!

I love this.

I love this.

What is your favorite quote? Anything that makes you feel like you can tackle anything? Where do you draw your inspiration from?

(For me, it usually involves Kate Spade, I love everything about it!)

Love,

-S

Mum’s Birthday Dinner, Baking, and A New Car

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Last night we celebrated Mum’s birthday. We had a delicious dinner. We started off with some avocado crostini’s.

Avocado Crustini's

Avocado Crostini’s

We had Stolen Chicken for the main course. I love the potatoes and veggies that come along with it.

Our tasty stolen chicken.

Our tasty stolen chicken.

My Dad has been bringing in ripe tomatoes everyday from his garden. He tried a new kind this summer and they look amazing. The smell of them feels like summer is still here.

Fresh tomatoes from the garden

Fresh tomatoes from the garden

 

Today was a great day. I woke up and read in bed for a while with one snuggly pup (the other was at puppy class). I went grocery shopping.  The grey skies and cool weather put in the mood to bake. I started with making some chai, and then tumbled into baking some banana bread.

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Robert came over and showed off his swanky new car! Its a 2013 Honda Civic. It’s beautiful! It was pouring for a while so we settled on making some carrot-cake in celebration of his new wheels.

His celebratory carrot-cake!

His celebratory carrot-cake!

After a while it stopped raining and I was able to snap a picture of the his new wheels! He refuses to let me take a normal picture of him, so pardon his silly faces on all of the photos.

The new vehicle.

The new vehicle + his carrot cake doggy bag!

I'm not sure what he is doing here...

I’m not sure what he is doing here…

After the flour had settled we watched something on Netflix and the other pup and I snuggled on the couch. I stepped away to gather my things and she curled up in the warmth of my spot. Isn’t she cute?

My other snuggly puppy

My other snuggly puppy

How was your Saturday? Did you get a chance to kick back and relax? Have any fun things planned for tomorrow?

Love,

-S

Subbing, Singlebarrell,and a New Job

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The last few days have been crazy busy, so thus the radio silence.

It all started Monday with a job interview. The interview went well, and Tuesday night they offered me a teaching contract. They had a vacancy and I had to jump to get everything settled. I had already agreed to sub for Los Gatos for a few days, so I had to sub and then run around after a full day of school trying to get all the details worked out. I took a TB test, fingerprinted, printed and signed my contract (it was like 30 pages!) and scouted out things at the school.

Last night the family, Roomie and I went over to Singlebarrell, this epic Prohibition era style bar in San Jose. We got there early and enjoyed a nice cocktail (or two!) before grabbing Thai food for dinner. We saw this yarnbombed tree, and it made me laugh.

A yarnbombed tree in San Jose.

A yarnbombed tree in San Jose.

I got my keys to my classroom today!  I start Monday. I will teach intro to art for two periods and then I am the Site Testing Coordinator for the rest of the day. I will be giving tests like MAPS, CAHSEE and CELDT. Sounds like fun eh? But the best part is that it’s at Roomie’s school so we can hang out together at work, just like last year!

Now I am off to my mother’s birthday dinner. Tomorrow, my best friend Robert will pick up his swanky new car.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Do you have any weekend plans? Was your week exhausting like mine was?

-Love,

S