Archive for April, 2011
My little brother, Adam, got married yesterday. It was an awesome day! I’ll definitely be writing a full review of the whole event soon, but for now you can check out my photos on Flickr.
I was sad to leave Kansas this morning. Travis and I are headed to New Jersey for a half marathon tomorrow, but currently we are stuck in the Charlotte airport waiting on a delayed flight. The bright side is that it’s given me time to upload about 200 photos from my trip!
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Adam, my brother-in-law, was married yesterday! Rachel and I were attendants in the wedding and it was such a happy day. We got to see lots of family we only see every few years and got to meet Nina’s family too.
The first time I met Adam he was in eighth grade and I was picking Rachel up for our first date – the homecoming dance our junior year.
I drive up and get out of the car. I walk up to the house and Adam is outside with a few friends. He tells me that Rachel just left for the dance with some other guy. I wasn’t quite sure what to do, but I went to the door to check for myself.
Paul answered the door, asked me to come in and told me Rachel would be right down. At that moment chaos ensued upstairs, but that’s a different story for another time.
Adam and I have spent the last 14 years competing over everything we possibly can and, while I pretty much always come out the victor, I am so happy to see Adam find someone that he will be happy with forever.
Congrats Adam and Nina!
As nearly everyone knows, the wedding of the century is tomorrow — the wedding of my brother, Adam, to my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Nina, in Kansas City.
I’ve been helping with some of the paper goods, like invitations and programs. Last night the programs were finished up with the help of my family and Travis’ family. We cut the pages, punched holes, and threaded and tied ribbon.
For posterity I recorded this transcript of the night’s action:
After pizza and soda provided by the groom and his best man, we gather around the table to get to work…
Adam: “Let’s knock these out!”
Rachel: “Make sure you tie the knot so that the tails fall downward.”
Mom: “Rachel, you are crazy. These holes are too small. There are too many pages.”
Isabella: “How can I help?
Aaron: “Ugh. My back hurts. My fingers hurt.”
Rachel: “You guys, I can finish all these tonight. Don’t worry.”
Amber: Quietly working hard punching holes.
Chelsea: “This is so fun!!!”
Scott: Playing a computer game…
June: “Guess which page I cut? Anyone want cake?”
Libby: “This chair is too hard. I need a cushion for my bottom.”
Brad: “Have you seen my new phone? It’s better than the iPhone.”
Travis: On an airplane…
Adam: “This hole puncher is killing my hand!”
Rachel: “I think you all have underestimated the difficulty of graphic design work.”
Chelsea: “Adam, be careful. If you get hurt you won’t be able to do anything on the honeymoon.”
Adam: “Woah, Chelsea!”
Chelsea: “I mean, like skydiving!”
Libby: “This is taking forever.”
Rachel: “It is going much faster than I expected.”
June: “You guys are almost done. Only three more stacks. Let me bring more over.”
Chelsea: “I tied the 182nd bow!!”
Isabella: “Oooo! How did all this ribbon get on the floor?!”
Rachel: “Done! And it is only 7 pm!”
Chelsea: “It’s only 7?”
Amber: “It is 21:00.”
Scott: “It is 9 pm.”
Seth: Arriving after all of the programs are done… “I’m here to help!”
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My sister-in-law, Amber, graduated from Police Academy yesterday. She is now a park ranger. Very cool. And very impressive.
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What you see above is not pretty, but it was delicious! That is a fried Cadbury Creme Egg and a fried Twinkie from a local Park Slope establishment, the Chipshop. It is a British restaurant (partly owned by one of my TNT running friends – hi Suzy!!) that serves traditional dishes, including fish and chips, but they’ll basically fry anything. Travis and I went there last week and sort of had a fried feast with three of our friends. We also tried Scotch eggs, Shepherds Pie, fried pizza, a fried Mars bar, fried peanut butter cups, and more… oof. It was all incredibly delicious, but probably not what I needed to be eating before trying to fit into a bridesmaid dress in the near future!
p.s. Don’t worry. The dress still fits and I am trying to make up with lots of healthy eating this week!
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What have you been up to?
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I had the opportunity to attend another Martha Stewart Show taping on Tuesday. It was the entrepreneur episode and I thought it would be a good opportunity to network and spread the word about Ace Department. So, I got up early, put on a new purple dress (Martha likes everyone in the audience to wear bright colors), and got on the train into Chelsea. (Gosh! What an unflattering photo of me, but I had to share it because Martha is right there in the background! Sweet!)
I’ve been to Martha tapings twice before and they really are always a good time. The staff is totally professional and friendly and the tapings run like a machine. The set was all decked out in Easter colors this time – very springy. It is definitely worth the trip into Manhattan to attend a taping (even if you have to wait outside in the rain for an hour once you get there), but it is still hard to lose half a day away from the office… always lots to do!!
The episode introduced a handful of successful small business owners (Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, One Kings Lane, Famaesthetics, and Idea Paint) and covered a few small business resources. The fun part is that each of the small businesses gave us gifts to take home! I got some cheese, spices, hand salve, a gift card (that I already spent), and some cool paint that turns your wall into a dry erase board. I feel almost guilty taking home so many goodies after each show!
All in all, another fun experience. Martha took some questions from the audience after the show and she basically gushed about her new granddaughter, Jude. It was sweet. I don’t know how she does it all. She is 70 years old, looks fantastic, hosts a live show, runs a company, and manages to visit her granddaughter every day. I know she has a ton of help, but it still sounds exhausting! She must truly be a “short sleeper” like she claims.
(How do I get all these tickets? If you like Martha, live in the NYC area, and have a flexible schedule, I recommend following TheMarthaShow on Twitter. They often announce upcoming shows with available tickets.)
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My latest obsession: strawberries with chocolate caramel sauce. A very tasty dessert that is (at least half) healthy!
What else have I been up to? I’m still running. My training schedule hasn’t been as disciplined as I would like, but I keep on trying. Last Sunday, I ran a 15k race with Travis and a few friends. (Official photos below.) It was pretty much awful. I didn’t prepare well the day before and just felt terrible for the entire nine miles. I got upset. I yelled that I was never running again and I treated my friends poorly. Not my best day. But, I didn’t actually quit. I keep on trying. My runs this week were better. The twelve miles I ran this morning were even enjoyable. Strange.
So, what’s up with you?
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I went with my friend, Jess, to a We Heart Handmade Art event last night . The event was hosted by Etsy and Remodelista, and was held at the West Elm store near Columbus Circle.
I had been reluctant about making the long trip uptown for the event, especially since the weather was rainy and bleak yesterday, but it paid off! I had a surprisingly excellent time. It was a party atmosphere with free drinks and really amazing sweet treats (like these adorable mini cones filled with mocha mousse!) from FIKA espresso bar. I had quite a few…
The event was packed, but the West Elm store was very large. The handmade vendors were dispersed and integrated throughout the store. It was sometimes hard to tell if you were looking at a West Elm product or one of the handmade art displays. There were jewelers, printers, illustrators, food vendors, and more. We met some talented artists.
My favorite handmade goodies: candy from Kettle Cronfections (I bought some!), Deep End Mugs from Clam Lab, thank you cards from Pawling Print Studio, and the “Everything’s Alright Forever” print from Enormous Champion.
Jess and I went to do some shopping — I’m always up for checking out handmade wares, plus I am in the market for a new rug — but also to do some networking. We are working on a super-secret (i.e. still in beta) project together called Ace Department. Check it out if you are a female entrepreneur looking for a supportive online community. We think it’s going to be grand.
I forced Jess to do the Smilebooth with me:
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