A Pumpkin Patch Tablescape

I always called my best friend's family the "Pumpkin Patch" because as an only child I did not understand the concept of more than just yourself to talk to, play house or fight with. Yes, I may have fought with myself from time to time. So anyways, I actually got to spend Halloween eve in the infamous Pumpkin Patch with loads and loads of perfectly placed pumpkins on every surface and shelf. I mean, check out that table-scape fully equipped with muffins, chai, local wine and pumpkin candles.  These ladies really know how to celebrate the annual harvest. We take out a box of my Baba's favorite candy, junior mints, to celebrate her and have sentimintal momints together. Love these women.

Happy Birthday my Pretty Popsicle!

CLOC Popsicle day circa July summer 2000. We were young and innocent then. It was a time when all we wanted out of theater was to cool off in between a matinee and a night show with a flavored popsicle. Ah the simple life. Fast forward eleven years and you can see how this girl has become quite the star in the opera world. So proud of her always and proud to call her one of my dearest friends. 

Happy Birthday Mo! I love you!

Aint that the truth... in Chinese

I liked my fortune cookie today. 

That's all. Thank you for your time. :)

Oh fondue, I love you too

I really enjoy living in an area where I can support local restaurants most of the time and also satisfy the occasional craving for one of those national chains with a short walk. Do you know who's from Hoboken, New Jersey? Frank Sinatra.  Do you know his favorite place to eat there? Melting Pot.
Weeeellll....maybe not but it's mine.

On the Menu:


Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue
Fontina and Butterkäse cheeses, spinach, artichoke hearts and garlic
California Salad
Mixed-baby-salad greens, Roma tomatoes, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese with Raspberry Black Walnut Vinaigrette.
Steak, chicken and seafood fondues in Mojo-Caribbean-seasoned bouillon with a distinctive fresh-garlic flavor and a citrus flair
 With these toppings:
Curry-A mild, yogurt-based curry that complements fresh vegetables and salmon.
Green Goddess-A blend of cream cheese, sour cream, onions, chives and parsley that is great on vegetables and makes an excellent stuffed mushroom.
Gorgonzola Port-A rich and robust cheese sauce that pairs well with filet mignon and fresh vegetables.
Teriyaki Glaze -A teriyaki glaze with garlic, ginger and onions.  Outstanding on our steak items.
Ginger Plum-Our own unique recipe with red and green bell peppers, ginger and just a hint of plum that is delicious on chicken and shrimp.

But the cookies cream de la cream was dessert:

Cookies 'n Cream Marshmallow Dream
Dark chocolate topped with marshmallow cream, flambéed, swirled together and garnished with crushed Oreo cookies

Mouth watering yet? I stuffed myself so much don't think I ate for two days after that meal. More like two hours but who's counting...calories??? I'll go to the gym tomorrow. Riiiiight.

Nesting Part Trois

Subtitle: The Cupcake Edition

What else do you do when you nest other than change hardware, and organize? Make pumpkin spice walnut cupcakes with cream cheese frosting of course. Want to be in the fall mood while you make these cupcakes? Light a Pumpkin Butter Spice Woodwick candle:

You can also watch your football team lose and have your bestie show you how to whip and frost. Oh and Beth this does not mean we are pregnant. ;)

Nesting part deux

Subtitle: Design on a Dime with hardware.  It makes a difference.

Anyone who watches HGTV as much as I do knows that the easiest way to transform a room is through paint and hardware. We got a new stainless steel fridge that is really making me feel like a grown up (I call it the baby) so we just had to get rid of these handles:

So ugly!

For these more modern angular square versions:

So pretty!

See how it's gone from old fashioned to modern meets vintage? I will be referring to all the "old" parts of my apartment as vintage as it sounds more glamorous. While I was in the kitchen opening and closing shelves with my new hardware I found ingredients to make this dessert.

No I didn't. Haven't gotten to fancy baking yet. ;) Break-off cookies are a sure fire perfect and easy fall evening dessert. 

Uhhhh... YUM!

Nesting part one

This may be a boring post to some, but I think organizing is the key to having a clear space and a clear mind. I found a really great organizational product that is sure to help those with awkward under the sink spaces. Behold:

It expands. It tiers. It has small adjustable shelves that can be used around a awkward pipes. It turns this:

Into this:

Now you are impressed. Now I have your attention. "What else can I do with awkward corner shelves Adriana?" you may ask. Do I have the answer for you! 

Lazy Susans! 

Need to reach hard to reach deep corner kitchen shelves?

Go to Bed Bath and Beyond and get these

so your corner shelf can look like this:

 AND be easily accessible. I have a clear mind now. How about you?

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday

Got to love old school Boyz to Men just to get you through the hard times. Remember all those friends I love from all over the world? Well we bond in the microcosm of ship life and then we go home...to those places all over the world.  It's pretty boo hoo sad.  Miss Penny Smart from England ends her contract in a cruise so here we are on the streets of New York saying goodbye for the last time. We got the following smiles out before we publicly wept.

She is going back to London to get an apartment in her words, just like mine (she has very good taste) and start auditioning for the West End. She is talented and beautiful everywhere so we know she will do just great. And then I will visit her in her apartment, just like mine.

Follies and Room Service

Uh. My. GERSH. Remember how I saw Miss Bernadette in "A Little Night Music" last spring and fell in love with her even more than I already am? I am officially deeper in love after seeing her in Follies today.

I know it looks like we get paid just to prance about the stage having a good ol time as actors but let me tell you she deserves every comma in her paycheck because that woman has a complete nervous breakdown whilst having to carry a tune on stage 8 times a week. Brilliance though a belted breakdown. She and Sondheim are the reason I do theater, so when I see her do Sondheim I am totally and utterly inspired.

After the show we ate at a shabby chic Asian inspired Thai restaurant called Room Service.

 They don't have a web page I can find but here is the Yelp page.  So good, so affordable and the ambiance was a cross between a Buddhist temple and a trendy lounge with a giant Phantom of the Opera chandelier just chillin in the middle of the space. Apparently Buddha loves the bling. I love a blingy Buddha who giveth me coconut tempura calamari.

Women who rock at Rockinghorse Cafe

 Oh Ithaca...you really are forever. Haven't seen my girl Erica in, oh at least five years and before that maybe graduation, but the best part about my girls from IC is that we just pick up where we left off. 

So, so good to finally re-unite with this gorgeous, charismatic lady. Years go by, things happen, let me tell you things happen, but after a couple of these:

Pomegranate margaritas. Uh...YUM!

chips, salsa and organic Mexican food at the Rockinghorse Cafe

..it feels just like the good old days in Ford lobby again.  Without the brown bag Subway lunches.  Not that there is anything wrong with brown bag lunches.


So thrilled to have Erica back in NYC again as many friends have come and gone. Speaking of which two friends of mine posted these statuses (statusi?) around the same time tonight. Oh New York you never cease to get under our skin:

Friend one: I don't wanna be in NYC anymore. As soon as I arrive in this city my anxiety levels go through the roof, I don't feel at ease, and I am scattered. It is definitely time for a new home!

Friend two: Well, several weeks of trains, planes, automobiles and living out of a suitcase are past. Happy to be back in the most vibrant, colorful and exciting city in the world. :) 

Inspired by perseverance and Jenny D! (D stands for Diva)

There are some people in this world that deserve perseverance as their middle name. And diva. So I guess Jen Caruana's new name would be Jen Perseverance Diva Caruana. Is it the fact that she is a good diva that makes her persevere? Or is it her perseverance that makes here a good diva? (I say good diva because it's like being a good witch. You have to put a good in front of it to make SURE everyone knows  you are a fabulous singer with none of the drama. Like a Glinda diva. Got it?) 

Anyways she gets the award in this category because she is still here and still singing. That's all it takes to get the award and you would think it would be an easy award to give out but looking around it's actually not.

 Jenny got a grant to sing a recital upstate and we all had the pleasure of hearing this girl sound absolutely fantastic at her dress rehearsal Friday night. She looked gorgeous AND she did a quick change. Now that's a great concert. Rehearsal. She's a good diva, her rehearsal WAS a concert!

The Good Diva. I feel a web series coming on...

I heart I heart I heart. We are missing someone though...

Definitely missing Beth here...we need another photo shoot ;)

Ithaca Forever

Miles kept repeating "my Momo!!" and rocking her back and forth. It was very funny and this is the only clear picture I have of the moment.