Monday, June 28, 2010

Craziness!

Happy Monday everyone!

I had the most insane week with work and at home too! We decided to have a party on Saturday night for people to come see the house and to celebrate Ry's birthday. Literally every night we were doing something on the house from power washing, organizing, cleaning, placing pictures, mowing, picking up the BBQ and patio set etc etc!

Our friends bought this one but it was just too big for their townhouse patio. It's perfect and I love that it has 6 chairs! I am so ready to have a bloggie meet-up!!

It was a lot of work but it was worth it! The house looks fantastic and I'm starting to finally feel settled:) We didn't want to have the open house later on in the summer as people are just so busy on the weekends in July and August. Yet, here's the fun part....

We both had to work on Saturday too (yay for a 6 day work week..but not really). My work was having an open house to view one of our current projects and so I was running around helping get things ready there. We didn't have a good turn out (don't get me started!!!) so there was so much food left over. I took a garbage bag full of produce (kale, eggplant, 3 ziplocks of salad, hot peppers, tomatoes,leek, scallions, and cabbage), two full bags of organic buns, and a huge tray of mini cupcakes that my boss' wife made. Score!! Yet, the whole time I was thinking about how much I had to do at home still!!

I got home at 5pm and people started rolling in at 6pm..ahh! Talk about go-go-go, but I really enjoy being busy so it was fun for me! We had a great time with everyone although the crowd who stayed the longest were quite a bit younger than us and so they were a bit of a handful. Nothing too crazy happened just a lot of ping beer pong, guys play wrestling, and yelling too loudly. It's funny how Ry and I were thinking next time we are going to stick to our own age group's shenanigans! Funny how your preferences for good times change! One of the rather humorous events of the evening was the cutting of the metal barrel they was left behind by our old tenant. Cutting it for what, you may ask? A fire pit of course HAHA! Yep, at 10:30pm the guys decided that it was getting cold out and we should have a fire. The "beer" logic kicked in and they decided that the barrel would be perfect and so they got out the electric saw and began cutting. HOLY it was so loud, like everyone covering their ears and moving to the other side of the yard, loud! I felt bad for my SIL's boyfriend who was holding a board over the top of the barrel to keep it sturdy. Hope you can hear today Brad:) I was a little nervous our neighbors were going to start yelling over the fence but thank goodness nobody did!! It was so awesome sitting around the fire in your OWN YARD!! I'm not sure if we are actually "allowed" to have a fire pit but it was a clear night with no wind so we went for it! I was so happy sitting around the fire as it felt like I was away camping somewhere. Will definitely be having a fire again..on a clear night lol!

Not bad for being put together by beer-drinking men! Ha!



The food wasn't too exciting and I was so busy getting everything ready during the week that I didn't have a chance to make anything myself which was a total bummer for me. Basically I did chips and salsa, party mix, veggies and dip, salad, burgers (I didn't want a burger so I didn't buy any veggie ones), mini-cupcakes from my boss' wife, and chocolate dipped strawberries (homemade by moi). I've always dreamed of having a party where I make everything but I have yet to have one of those. I just don't plan well enough in advance. There's a good goal for me to tackle this summer!! Have you ever hosted a party where you made everything yourself? Kudos to you if you have.


I drank a couple of my favorite summer beer which is an Apricot Ale. I love this stuff and on a hot day..oh so refreshing. I was a little cold and so I wasn't feeling the beer too much that night but still the taste is so smooth and delish! I used to be a huge wine lover. Pinot Noir anyone??? Yet, I just don't like how wine makes me feel during the night...and after. Ughh..not fun! So, I started drinking beer and I really like it (never thought I would say that). Although I don't drink nearly as much as I did in my late teens and early twenties. I'm just not a fan of hangovers and wasting whole days feeling gross!

On Sunday I slept in. I needed it big time and it felt so good! Yet, "no rest for the wicked", as my Mom used to say! Ry went to help his mom move and then we went to look at a chair that this friend of my MIL was giving away! We fit it into my car..but just barely! We were driving home smelling the exhaust the whole way because the trunk door was open...lovely! But the chair is awesome. The upholstry is pretty dated but the design of the chair is so cool. I'll take a picture today! We were thinking of using a fabric spray to "paint" it versus re-upholestering it. Seems like a good product but I'm still a little leary. Anyone had an experience with this kind of product?

I mentioned that I was going to be taking a raw food class but it just didn't pan out! I was too busy and so I had to cancel. I'm hoping to take one in the fall when I have more time. I'm really excited to have found her and have a class so close by!

Going back in time a little bit..I just wanted to share a couple pictures of our night out for Ry's birthday. We had Indian food and oh it was delicous!


Dinner started out with veggie samosas with potato and peas! These were really good. Yet, very deep fried haha!

This was Aloo Mutter I believe which is potato and peas tossed in a curry sauce. This was my favorite dish!! Yum. There was also a Daal Tadka which is a lentil dish with onions, tomatoes, and turmeric. Mmm.

And on a final note..my garden is going strong! I have so much lettuce that needs to be used up. I better start making smoothies 24/7 haha!


Love that purple lettuce! The green variety is some type of butter lettuce.


PS the lovely Nelly is having a fabulous CSN store giveaway. Head on over to her amazing blog and enter! Ends Tuesday July 6th.


PPS The lovely Averie is having a great chocolate giveaway. So head on over to her fantastic blog to enter. The contest ends on Wednesday June 30th


Have a lovely Monday!!












8 comments:

ac said...

Wow, kudos to you for surviving a majorly packed week! Even though the turnout at work's open house wasn't good, at least you brought home grub, right? :-)

Congratulations on your house-warming party! Apricot ale actually sounds good, and I don't even drink! I think I've hosted a party where I made everything myself--but that was only for a handful of people, and was A LOT of planning and work in advance! Fun, but preparation took the WHOLE week, and cooking/presenting took the whollllle day! Something to work up to, eh? :-)

Bummer about the non-raw-food class! But I hear you about being too busy--unfortunately, life is like that for me too!

INDIAN FOOD!!!!!!!!! HOW DID YOU KNOW I POSTED ON INDIAN FOOD MOST RECENTLY?!?! You're in my mind, Melissa. ! Although your indian food is real and mine is...uh...not even close. Hehehe. But at least there was some Indian inspiration...

And FINAALLLLY, I'm so jealous of your lovely lettuces!! What's the purple kind? <3 butter lettuce....

xo Aletheia

Maggie said...

What a busy, busy weekend! Sounded like you had such a great time :D Congrats on your first house-warming party and for being able to enjoy it as the hostess! They did a great job making the fire pit!

I've never tried apricot ale and I'm going to go look for it! It sounds yummy :D

And your lettuce is looking great! I love butter lettuce, I didn't plant any this year..what was i thinking?! lol

Have a great week! Hope it isn't as busy as last week, but if it is I hope it's just as fun :)

Ellen@FirednFabulous said...

I am beyond jealous of your patio area. Beyond. I'll trade ya for my tiny NYC apartment. It has a dishwasher and an air conditioner that works...sometimes ;)

evergreen said...

What an exciting post! So glad you are starting to make your house a home and feeling settled:)

Melissa said...

Hey Aletheia - Ya, the grub was totally worth working on a saturday! Oh my...huge kudos to you for hosting a party and doing all the work. I'm really wanting to do one but maybe not in the summer as I'm super busy!
YAY for indian food!! Great minds think alike LOL!
The purple lettuce is some kind of romaine I think it's called "sea of red"

Melissa said...

Hey Maggie - Thanks Maggie!! It was a lot of fun but I feel like I have a planning hangover this week LOL! You definitely should try the apricot ale..the government liquor stores sell it:)
I wish you lived nearby I have too much lettuce this year!!!

Hey Ellen - We should do a house swap..I've always wanted to go to NYC!!:)

Hey Angela - Thank you lovely!!It's such a weight off my shoulders...and some of the pictures are up (need to buy more frames) and so that always makes me feel "at home"

Anonymous said...

Hey lovely girl! Thank you so much for your sweet comments lately...they had me tearing up a little.

As for you, it appears you've been crazy busy! What a lovely birthday/housewarming party...I'm so happy you and Ry enjoyed yourselves, even though the crowd was maybe a bit younger than you expected. I feel the same way sometimes when I am at parties, even when people are my own age...I feel like they are young and I am a grandma thinking "I should probably go to bed soon." Also, I don't drink at all anymore, so most people think I'm no fun unless I "fake" drink by having some soda water and hoping I can act tipsy enough that people think I'm drinking a vodka soda.

Once upon a time, I hosted my own veg dinner party and made almost everything myself, but my guests started arriving too early so some of them helped with the last minute stuff. People said that everything tasted great (even the omnivores) and I was so proud, even though it was all incredibly simple stuff. I don't think I could have handled anything else..I was pretty pooped as it was.

Love the looks of your Indian food! And your lettuce is looking good..I'm so envious.
<3

Melissa said...

Hey Lauren!! - Oh hun you are so welcome for the comments!! You inspire me ..what can I say:)
OH I should try the fake drinking haha..lately I've been loving the San Pallegrino because of the bubblies!! YAY for having your own party..sounds like a complete success and a fun time! Good on ya girl:)