Things I Realized Today

Today, I came to the realization of a few things that I thought I would share them with you. 

1. I walk funny and with my feet turned out. (I looked at my shoe prints in the snow)

2. The snow crew teams around town are hard working people. After hearing that the roads weren't too bad this afternoon, we ventured out this evening to see for ourselves. The roads are in excellent shape. Everyone on the snow crew team deserve kudos bars. Thanks for making our trips safer!

3. Working from home isn't as easy as it looks. It takes a lot more effort to stay focused. Even though I've had two productive days working from home because of the weather, I have gained a new perspective and appreciation for what Andrew does everyday.

 

4. This You Tube video is HILARIOUS: click here. I laugh every time. 

5. I received this e-mail today and it's funny as well. Enjoy!

6. We need to invest in a sled next year. 

7. If we run into the same predicament as last year (not having a christmas card photo), I think I've found a photographer for our Christmas card photo this year. His name is Walt Beazley and he takes all of the photos at TU. When I was at school, I loved his work and I was even able to work with him on a couple of projects.  Anyway, I just found out that he does jobs outside of his TU gig. Check out his blog: click here. His photographs are stunning! 

-N

Ice, Ice Go Away!

The long overdue ice has arrived in Tulsa. It started to come down yesterday afternoon and it's still sleeting, as I type. Everything is covered in ice, even the single blades of grass. I just tried to open garage door to check the mail and assess the driveway for tomorrow and the garage door is frozen shut, as well as the mailbox. So, I guess we didn't get mail today. 

Here are a few pictures of the frigid outdoors. 

The frozen mailbox:

It looks like snow, but it's really sleet and ice. 

The frozen blades of grass

Frozen bushes

The storm is nothing like the ice storm of 2007 and we still have power, so that is something to be grateful for. The storm is supposed to finish by tomorrow and warm up tomorrow and Thursday, so let's hope I can at least get to work on Thursday. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow...if we can get the garage door open. 

Stay warm!

-N

P.S. Why do the ice storms always come at the beginning of the week?? Why can't they come towards the end of the week like on a Thursday or a Friday? Lord, please keep that in mind for years to come. Thanks! - Nicky

WOOHOO!!!

This evening, Andrew and I went out to Dave and Buster's for dinner and to play games. It's a lot smaller than the typical Dave and Buster's, but it was still fun and we had a blast. Before we were about to leave, I decided to play the Spin-N-Win. Guess what happened??? I WON!!! I know! Who would have thought? I won 1,000 tickets. I was so excited that I was jumping up and down. I couldn't believe it! After I collected my tickets, Andrew played the same game and he won as well! Yep, 1,000 tickets for him too. Woohoo! 

Here are some pictures from our big win. 

-N

Hump Day Dinner Overview

We are ten weeks away from our one year anniversary of "hump day dinners." Can you believe it? Today, Eric sent our group a list of restaurants that we have eaten at over the past 42 weeks. Take a look at the list, it's pretty amazing to review. I still can't believe that we have been doing this for nearly a year. 

42    1/21      Cardigan's in London Square
41    1/14      Oscar's Gastro Pub
40    1/7/09   Gaetano's Pizza
39    12/31    Pappasito's Cantina for NYE in Dallas
38    12/24    Dinner by Eric for Christmas Eve
37    12/17    D'Novo
36    12/10    Joe Momma's
35    12/3      Copeland's of New Orleans
34    11/26    Leon's  
33    11/19    Louie's Grill and Bar
32    11/12    Lola's At the Bowery
31    11/5      Saigon Palace
30    10/29    Baxter's Interurban Grill
29    10/22    Longhorn Steakhouse
28    10/15    Hideaway Pizza  
27    10/8      Napoli's Italian Ristorante
26    10/1      Tulsa State Fair
25    9/23      Silver Flame
24    9/17      Cafe Ole'
23    9/10      Polo Grill
22    9/3        Oliveto
21    8/27      Coney Beach
20    8/20      The Local Table
19    8/13      Ciao
18    8/6        Up the Creek 
17    7/30      Red Rock Canyon Grill
16    7/23      Senor Tequila
15    7/16      The Bistro at Seville
14    7/9        Charleston's  
13    7/2        River's Edge
12    6/25      Tucci's
11    6/18      Incredible Pizza
10    6/11      Desi Wok
9      6/4        Ale House Riverfront Dining
8      5/28      Texas Roadhouse
7      5/21      Sushi Train
6      5/14      Sonoma Bistro & Wine Bar
5      5/7        Helen of Troy
4      4/30      Tokyo Garden
3      4/23      Kilkenny's Irish Pub
2      4/16      Caz's Chowhouse

1      4/9/08   Dalesandro's

I've bolded my favorite restaurants so far. If you have any recommendations, feel free to let us know. We are always looking for new, non-chain restaurants to try. 

-N

Hump Day Dinner #42: Cardigan's

Cardigan's

6000 South Lewis Avenue

Tulsa, OK  

This evening we ate dinner at Cardigan's, which is located at the corner of 61st and Lewis in the London Square shopping center. The menu is filled with so many delicious entrees that I had trouble choosing what to eat this evening. The food can be described as "american classics." You have everything from steaks to burgers. This evening, I had the chicken caesar pita and Andrew had the fried shrimp. The food was delicious, the portions seemed to be just right and the pricing was equivalent to what you would spend at Chili's, so very reasonable. Andrew and I had "happy plates" (our plates were empty) at the end of our meal, but the downfall was that we weren't completely full. So, it seems that it would be best if the portions were just a tad bit bigger. Additionally, the restaurant decorated with dark brown wood and is fairly nice. It's interesting because you would feel that it would have a "stuffy" atmosphere, but instead the atmosphere is very casual. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant and I wouldn't mind trying it again. Maybe this time, I can try the friend shrimp or the cajun penne pasta. 

-N

63. Try a New Food Every Month

One down, 34 more to go. Last night, I tried whole wheat pasta, which fulfills my "try a new food" for January. Even though the color can freak some people out, I really enjoyed the pasta. It tasted just like regular spaghetti and it's a lot healthier for Andrew and I. So, we are going to make the switch. From now on, it's whole wheat pasta for us. 

If you haven't had wheat pasta, I would recommend you trying it. I think you will be fairly surprised. Here's to trying new foods. 

-N

Hump Day Dinner #41: Oscar's Gastropub

F.B. Oscar's Gastro Pub

1738 S. Boston Ave. 

Tulsa, OK  74119

Last Wednesday, the group ate at Oscar's Gastropub. It's a restaurant/bar that's located right next door to Dalesandro's. It used to be the old Vintage Wine Bar. The place was really quiet on Wednesday night, but it's supposed to be hopping on the weekend. The atmosphere is best described as a casual contemporary and the food is "american chic." What does this mean? Well, they put a twist on american favorites. I had the chicken caesar salad and a side of onion rings (I know...original, right?) and Andrew had the kobe beef burger. The portions were really small and it was really expensive (A side of onion rings, which consisted of four onion rings, was $6). My salad was mediocre and Andrew's burger was burnt. So, our meals were not good. From the other members of our group, we heard that the tuna was really good, as well as the meatloaf. Also, the goat cheese mash potatoes are supposed to be delicious. Would Andrew and I eat here again? No, but you might want to check it out for yourself, if you don't mind paying a a lot for small portions. 

-N

Apologies

I have to apologize for not blogging lately. Honestly, I've had a blog post that I've been trying to add for several days, but my photos are not uploading. As soon as I figure out the problem, then I will let you know. Additionally, I've just been really busy, especially with my list. 

- I've been organizing my closet, baking cupboard and paper plate cupboard, as well as changing out all of my metal hangers for plastic hangers.  (#1,2,3,4)

- This past weekend, I cleaned the house (#5)

- The new bedding came on Friday, so I've been washing and ironing the bedding to put on the bed. Also, I've been looking for some inspiration decorating pictures and I'm in the process of searching for some artwork for the room. (#7)

- I've been on the hunt for some potential churches for Andrew and I to try. We are hoping to try one this Sunday. (#37)

- I started to read "Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office." (#44)

- I decided to run a 5K in March with some friends, so I have been working at increasing my 5K time at the gym. As of right now, I've shaved off one minute. (#47)

- I've been doing a lot of research for my potential side business. Also, I've been designing some potential products as well. As soon as I have written a business plan, I will be sure to share(#65 and 66)

I hope you can understand that I've been pretty swamped recently. I will be sure to post more regularly. 

-N

This Isn't Good :(

Apparently, I don't have a green thumb. Here is what my hyacinth plant looked like on Thursday morning.

At this point, I had the plant for six days and all I had done was water it. I guess I'm not a plant person.

-N

They're Here!

This weekend, I found the first daffodils in the grocery store. I was so excited!! Just ask Andrew...LOL. So, we added a daffodil and hyacinth plant to our grocery cart. The hyacinth smells beautiful. Here are some pictures of our purchases. 

Also, I received some information this week about American Cancer Society's Daffodil Days. They sell bouquets of daffodils and the money goes towards ACS. It's a great fundraiser. 

You know what all of this means, don't you. It's the beginning of daffodil season! Yeah!

Hoping for a green thumb, 

-N

8. Buy new bedding for spare room - Completed!

From the vote last week, it looks like most people liked the white bedding with the green polka dots from Pottery Barn. After looking through several more websites, we finally made a decision. We decided that we should probably save the gift cards for when we buy a house and go for some inexpensive bedding. Unfortunately, we didn't get the white and green set, but it's very similar in style and at a fraction of the cost. Here is the bedding that we ordered from SmartBargains.com. What do you think? It's expected to arrive on Friday. 

Since, the bedding is neutral, I plan on bringing color into the room with art, accessories and maybe a throw and some decorative pillows. The goal is have a pottery barn looking room, but without the pottery barn price tag. My budget will be less than what all of the bedding would have cost at Pottery Barn. I will be sure to update you on my progress. Now, I have to start getting some inspiration and determine the accent colors for the room. What colors should we do? Thoughts?

-N

79. Find the perfect black dress - Completed!

This evening, I ordered my LBD (Little Black Dress), which allowed me to accomplish my first goal on my 101 List. Woohoo! I found the dress when I was shopping for a bridesmaid dress at Alfred Angelo and I fell in love with it. It was cute, comfortable and classy. The three C's! So, this evening and went and ordered the dress in black. I was worried at first that it was going to too shiny, but it's going to be perfect. I'm so excited for it to arrive. I should receive a phone call on Monday with an estimated arrival date. 

Here is the dress...

I'm going to wear it to the wedding in April, so now it's time to look for some cute shoes. What color do you think I should accessorize with?

-N

101 List in 1001 Days

**This is an updated 101 list. I had a numbering problem, but everything has been sorted out.

Instead of making new years resolutions this year, I have decided to do a 101 list instead. If everything goes according to plan, I should be able to get a lot more accomplished in a year.

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (ex. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ex. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?

Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as oversea trips and outdoor activities.

My 101 List...

For the house...

1	Organize the baking cupboard
2	Organize paper plate cupboard
3	Organize shoes in closet
4	Throw away all metal hangers and change to plastic hangers
5	Clean the house every other week
6	Organize craft closet
7	Make spare bedroom into a room that is suitable for people to stay in
8	Buy new bedding for spare room
9	Create a piece of art for our bedroom
10	Deep clean house twice a year (spring and fall) - Spring 5/09
11	Create idea boards for future rooms
12	Get wedding dress dry cleaned
13	Get wedding dress preserved
14	Dry clean all coats after the winter

For our finances...

15	Sell old bridesmaid dresses
16	Sell ipod
17	Go one month without buying anything extra
18	Save all of my change for 1001 days
19	Buy a house
20	Create a budget
21	Pay off the credit cards
22	Pay off student loans

For my blog...

23	Respond to comments within 48 hours
24	Blog about my experiences

For my husband and our marriage...

25	Go on a date night once a month
26	Rent Andrew an exotic car for a day
27	Write a note to Andrew once a month
28	Surprise Andrew every other month with something special
29	Play video games with Andrew once a month
30	Help Andrew wash his car once a month
31	Take Andrew to a shuttle launch
32	Take a photo with Andrew once a month
33	Go to Cancun and spend the entire vacation relaxing on the beach or by the pool
34	Get a dog
35	Familiarize myself with driving the Porsche, so I'm not so intimidated

For my soul...

36	Go an entire week without swearing
37	Find a church that is right for both Andrew and I
38	Go to church at least once a month
39	Don't get into other people's business when it doesn't concern me
40	Don't be judgmental
41	Don't worry about things that I can't control

For my mind...

42	Read a new book every month (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Sleeping Arrangements, The Gatecrasher, Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office, Angels and Demons)
43	Read the Harry Potter series (#1: Dec. '08)
44	Read five non fiction books (Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office)
45	Learn a new language or develop a language that I already know
46	Watch three documentaries

For my health...

47	Run a 5K in less than 30 minutes (St. Patrick's Day Run - 32:50)
48	Run a 10K
49	Run a half marathon (Oklahoma Aquarium Half Marathon - 2:50)
50	Take vitamins everyday
51	Go a week without soda
52	Eliminate desserts from diet for one month
53	Create a running playlist
54	Find the perfect pair of running shoes
55	Try a spinning class at the gym
56	Try a new class of my choice at the gym
57	Wear flat shoes on the weekend

For me...

58	Learn how to use the SLR
59	Then take the 26 things challenge
60	Continue to refine my fashion sense
61	Dye my hair and/or get highlights
62	Look into what it takes to become a U.S. Citizen and continue being a U.K. citizen
63	Try a new food every month
64	Learn to change a car tire
65	Start a side business
66	Learn how to use photoshop
67	Write thank you notes for each gift I receive
68	Get a massage
69	Find a nail salon in Tulsa
70	Get a manicure every other month
71	Find a wine that I like
72	Go skiing
73	Update address at sorority headquarters
74	Learn how to use power tools, particularly my router
75	Learn how to use my iMac
76	Take a free class at the Apple Store
77	Find a signature scent of perfume
78	Take make up lessons
79	Find the perfect black dress

For others...

80	Pay for the person behind me in the drive thru
81	Do a random act of kindness once a month
82	Make three gifts (Jenn and Nick's and Gemma and Alan's Sign, Coasters for Jenn and Nick and Gemma and Alan, Favors for Jenn's Bridal Shower)
83	Buy three gifts from Etsy
84	Adopt an Angel every Christmas
85	Send five postcards to my family and friends on my next vacation
86	Stay in touch with my friends and family.

For the traveler inside of me...

87	Go to Italy
88	See the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C.
89	Go to Pops
90	See Wintuck in New York City
91	See Believe in Las Vegas

For the cook inside of me...

92	Try five new recipes (Fruit Salsa, Baked Cinnamon Chips, Chocolate Fondue, Potato Chips)
93	Find the perfect vanilla cake recipe
94	Find the perfect buttercream recipe
95	Create a family cookbook
96	Learn how to decorate cakes

For the environment...

97	Recycle water bottles
98	Plant daffodils
99	Plant a tree when we buy a house

TBD...

100	To be determined by December 2009
101	To be determined by December 2010

I plan on updating the list as times goes on. My start date is January 1, 2009. My end date is November 28, 2011. Here is a key to understand my progress:

Blue = completed

Italics = in progress

Normal = haven't started

Red = didn't complete

Wish me luck!

-N

Hump Day Dinner #40: Gaetano's Pizzeria and Creamery

Gaetano's Pizzeria and Creamery

121st and Elm

Jenks, OK  74037

This evening, we ate at Gaetano's Pizzeria and Creamery, which opened its doors three weeks ago to the city of Jenks. This small, casual restaurant has a contemporary/laid back atmosphere and the pizzas are amazing. We ordered garlic cheese bread, two small pizzas, two drinks and had ice cream and it came out to about $35. So, it's moderately inexpensive. With a garlicky tasting crust, the small pizza is the perfect size for one person. Then, to top it all off, the Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream is delicious. It's made in Wisconsin and it's similar to Ben and Jerry's, since it already has the toppings mixed into the dessert. With more than 16 flavors to choose from, the "Zanzibar Chocolate" is highly recommended, as it tastes like a brownie. The only downfall to the restaurant tonight were the food servers. They seemed that they were still battling the learning curve because they looked a little lost when delivering the food. I can only imagine that this will get better over time though. 

Overall, I would highly recommend this new, bustling restaurant. If you are ever in Jenks, just stop by the new shopping center at 121st and Elm and you will find Gaetano's. 

Bon Appetite, 

-N

Hello, My Name Is Nicky...

...and I'm a shoeaholic. Here's the deal. I have been trying to find a dress for a wedding that we are attending in April and it hasn't been the easiest. Right now, I only have two candidates. 

Candidate 1 from Alfred Angelo. I would get this dress in black. 

Candidate 2 from White House Black Market:

If I went with candidate 1, then I was thinking about adding some accessories and shoes in a different color. Originally, I was thinking of accessorizing with royal blue or pink, but my mind completely changed when I saw these beauties. 

Aren't they cute?!? They are sassy and classy rolled up together in one shoe. I would pick these shoes up in a heart beat, but it's a shame about the price tag :(. Anyway, I just wanted to share with you my find. 

What do you think about the dresses? Do you have any recommendations on where I could find an adorable dress for a wedding?

-N

Guest Bedroom Bedding - Help Us Decide

9. Buy new bedding for spare room

I'm starting to tackle several items on my 101 list and I need your help. One of the first things that I'm going to work on is to find bedding for the guest bedroom. Over the weekend, I found a couple of nice bedding options. What do you think?

Pottery Barn:

I would decorate the room with light blue and light green accessories and silver frames. 

The border on this one is made up of green polka dots. 

Smart Bargains.com:

Which one is your favorite? Once of the dilemmas we are experiencing is if to use our left over Pottery Barn gift certificates from the wedding. Do we purchase an inexpensive bedding for the guest room and leave the gift cards for when we get a house or do we pay no money and use our gift cards instead? 

Thoughts?

-N

 

Congrats TU!

Last night, TU played an awesome game against Ball State University in the GMAC Bowl. We won 45-13. Congratulations, GMAC Champs!

-N

101 Things in 1001 Days

Instead of making new years resolutions this year, I have decided to do a 101 list instead. If everything goes according to plan, I should be able to get a lot more accomplished in a year. 

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part). 

Why 1001 Days? 
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

My 101 in 1001:

For the house...

1. Organize baking cupboard

2. Organize paper plate cupboard

3. Organize shoes in closet

4. Throw away all metal hangers and change to plastic hangers

5. Buy a house

6. Clean the house every other week.

7. Organize craft closet

8. Make spare bedroom into a room that is suitable for people to stay in.

9. Buy new bedding for spare room

10. Create a piece of art for our bedroom

11. Deep clean house twice a year (spring and fall)

12. Create idea boards for future rooms

13. Get wedding dress dry cleaned

14. Get wedding dress preserved

15. Dry clean all coats after the winter

For our finances...

13. Sell old bridesmaid dresses

14. Sell ipod

15. Go one month without buying anything extra

16. Save all of my change for 1001 days

17. Find 5 events that are free in Tulsa and attend them.

18. Buy a house

19. Create a budget

20. Pay off the credit cards

21. Pay off student loans.

For my blog...

22. Respond to comments within 48 hours

23. Blog about my experiences

For my husband and our marriage...

24. Go on a date night once a month

25. Rent Andrew an exotic car for a day

26. Take Andrew to the Detroit car show

27. Write a note to Andrew once a month

28. Surprise Andrew every other month with something special

29. Play video games with Andrew once a month

30. Help Andrew wash his car once a month

31. Take Andrew to a shuttle launch

32. Take a photo with Andrew once a month

33. Go to Cancun and spend the entire vacation relaxing on the beach or by the pool

34. Get a dog

35. Familiarize myself with driving the Porsche, so I'm not so intimidated.

For my soul...

36. Go an entire week without swearing

37. Find a church that is right for both Andrew and I

38. Go to church at least once a month

39. Don't get into other people's business when it doesn't concern me

40. Don't be judgmental

41. Don't worry about things that I can't control

For my mind...

42. Read a new book every month

43. Read the Harry Potter series

44. Read five non fiction books

45. Learn a new language or develop a language that I already know (No, not English)

46. Watch three documentaries

For my health...

47. Run a 5K in less than 30 minutes

48. Run a 10K

49. Run a half marathon

50. Take vitamins everyday

51. Go a week without soda.

52. Eliminate desserts from diet for one month

53. Create a running playlist

54. Find the perfect pair of running shoes

55. Try a spinning class at the gym

56. Try a new class of my choice at the gym

57. Wear flat shoes on the weekend.

For me...

58. Learn how to use the SLR

59. Then take the 26 things challenge

60. Continue to refine my fashion sense

61. Dye my hair and/or get highlights

62. Look into what it takes to become a U.S. Citizen and continue staying a U.K. Citizen.

63. Try a new food every month

64. Learn to change a car tire

65. Start a side business

66. Learn how to use photoshop

67. Write thank you notes for each gift I receive.

68. Get a massage

69. Find a nail salon in Tulsa.

70. Get a manicure every other month

71. Find a wine that I like.

72. Go skiing

73. Update address at sorority headquarters

74. Learn how to use power tools, particularly my router

75. Learn how to use my iMac

76. Take a free class at the Apple Store

77. Find signature scent of perfume

78. Take make up lessons

79. Find the perfect black dress

For others...

80. Pay for person behind me in the drive thru

81. Do a random act of kindness once a month

82. Make three gifts

83. Buy three gifts from Etsy

84. Adopt an angel every Christmas

85. Send five postcards to my family and friends on my next vacation

86. Stay in touch with my friends and family.

For the traveler inside of me...

87. Go to Italy.

88. See the Cherry Blossoms in Washington D.C.

89. Go to Pops

90. See Wintuck in New York City

91. See Believe in Last Vegas

For the cook inside of me...

92. Try five new recipes

93. Find the perfect vanilla cake recipe

94. Find the perfect buttercream recipe

95. Create a family cookbook

96. Learn how to decorate cakes

For the environment...

97. Recycle water bottles

98. Plant daffodils

99. Plant a tree when we buy a house

    
    

100. To be determined by December 2009

101. To be determined by December 2010

I plan on updating the list as time goes on. My start date is January 1, 2009. Here is a key to understand my progress:

Blue = completed
Italics = in progress
Normal = haven't started
Red = didn't complete

Wish me luck!

-N

Happy New Year!

We're back from our trip to Dallas and it was honestly a bit of a roller coaster. We had a great time ringing in the new year with our friends, but we had a nightmare of an experience with the hotel. Here's what happened. 

When we came back from our New Years Eve festivities, we noticed that the toilet wouldn't flush. We got changed to a new room that had a broken thermostat (it was 80 degrees in the room) and then we finally got switched to another room that had a filthy bathroom. What a great start to the new year, right? After switching rooms for more than an hour, we ended up staying in our first room with the broken toilet because we were so mad, frustrated and tied. The Holiday Inn comp-ed our first night stay and we checked out the next morning. Because of all of the New Years Eve festivities and the Bowl Games in Dallas, the hotels were 100% occupied, but we were grateful to find a room at the Marriott Suites, which was about 10 minutes away from our original hotel. The customer service was superb and everything worked properly. I would definitely stay here again. The only downfall to our stay at the Marriott was they ran out of hot water on Friday morning. Apparently, I tried to take a shower at the same time as everyone else in the hotel, so hot water was limited. It started to warm up slightly, so I took a quick shower and got on with my morning. About thirty minutes after the incident, I received a telephone call from the manager apologizing for the inconvenience and she ended up compt-ing half of our room. Once we arrived back home, I had an e-mail apologizing again. So, as you can see the experience between the two hotels were night and day. Even though we felt that we were compensated for our troubles at both hotels, we would have preferred to have paid full price and had a flawless stay. 

Other than the hotel fiasco, we had a great time. It was really nice to celebrate New Year's Eve with our friends. We shopped at the outlets and got a few great deals, ate at Pappasitos for our hump day dinner (which was delicious!), celebrated the beginning of the new year at Victory Park, discovered Ikea and stopped by Sprinkles, a cupcake bakery, on the way out of town. All in all, everything was fantastic and we all came back talking to one another, which was definitely a plus. Andrew and I can't wait for our next trip. 

Here are some photos for you to enjoy. 

New Years Eve and Hump Day Dinner at Pappasitos. This was our entire group. From left: Jenn, Nick, Eric, Matt, Andrew and Me. 

Victory Park, Downtown Dallas. This was right in front of the American Airlines Arena. They made it into a mini-Times Square, had bands playing and a fireworks display at midnight. 

There were thousands of people there. 

Here is a picture of Andrew and me on NYE. 

A picture of me, Jenn and Eric. 

Nick and Jenn

Jenn and I.

Here are pictures of our room at the Marriott Suites. 

Sprinkles!

The cupcakes were delicious. My favorites were the vanilla and the black and white cupcakes. Yum. 

I hope everyone's year is off to a good start. May 2009 be the best year yet!

-N