Yesterday, Shari’s cousins Abby & Lauren, Jill and I along with 30+ other guests showered my best friend Shari with love and good wishes for her upcoming wedding in February. We all gathered at Basilico in Millburn, New Jersey to wish Shari a lifetime of love and happiness as her wedding day approaches. Friends and family from near and far, traveled to be with her and celebrate this special day. We all had a ton of fun planning the surprise and as you’d expect trying to keep it a secret was no easy task – especially with someone like Shari who keeps tabs on all of us and what we are up to on any given day. Everything worked out perfectly and Basilico was a wonderful choice. They gave us an entire back section of the restaurant where we had four big tables and room for gifts and mingling. Everyone pitched in to make the day memorable for Shari and we all were so excited to be there with her. Shari’s table of presents was enormous and she unwrapped gift after gift before indulging in some chocolate cake and ice cream that was melting before her eyes and driving her crazy! At the end of the afternoon, Shari left with a carload of sheets, towels, cookware, cookbooks, mixers, frames and all the things she and Steve will need for their new home. Two more months and they will be Mr. & Mrs. I can’t wait to celebrate with both of them!!!!

Click here for pictures of Shari’s shower……

The Golden Globe award nominations were announced this morning.  I love movies and television and look forward to the award shows every year.  The Golden Globes are my favorite because they combine both the big and the small screen.  This year though, I feel so out of the loop.  Darren and I spent most of the year preoccupied with our move, the wedding, honeymoon and our extremely hectic work schedule that we haven’t been to the movies since seeing Music & Lyrics last February and we are so far behind in our DVR recordings of The Office and Grey’s Anatomy - its pathetic!  We really need to catch up! 

Based on the nominations there are some great movies out there that we have been missing:  American Gangster, Atonement, The Great Debaters, There Will Be Blood just to name a few.  I was excited to see Entourage and Grey’s Anatomy were nominated.  Notably absent is The Office, which to me has been a bit of a disappointment this year and obviously the nominations reflected similar thoughts.   I was surprised though not to see Ugly Betty on the list for best show.  

This weekend though, we have vowed for a great date night of dinner and a movie.  We want to see Denzel Washingtons’ American Gangster which was just nominated for Best Picture and Denzel was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama.  We are looking forward to a nice relaxing evening especially since work will dominate the rest of our weekend.  Let’s just hope the forecast for snow doesn’t put a damper on our plans.    

Lately I have been on a huge kick about going on an African safari.  A friend of mine went to Tanzania on his honeymoon and hearing all about it inspired me to look into this kind of a vacation.  My research taught me that there are so many great trips out there.  Quick experiences range from 3-4 days and more extended trips can be up to one month long.  There are all different ways you can travel too.  Ultra high-end luxury safaris are about $15,000 per person, more modest but still acceptable accomodations are in the range of $7-10,000 per person and if you are really adventurous and want to have a true ‘rustic’ experience you can camp for far less money.  Regardless of which way you choose to travel, you have to remember that you are in a third-world country and the infrastructure is not what you are normally accustomed to.  Many sites warn of limited electricity and minimal hot water.   Still, I thought it all sounded very exciting and adventurous.  Too bad Darren didn’t think the same way – as once he heard about all the shots and pills we would need to take as a precautionary measure, he tuned out my marketing pitch.  

If you are considering a safari though, check out today’s travel section on CNN.  They have a great post on safaris with highlights of trips to Eastern and Southern Africa, as well as unique safari experiences in Australia, the Carribbean (for snorkling safaris) and Britsh Columbia for eagle safaris.  I am going to keep trying to convince Darren that this is a trip of a lifetime and we should do it.  Until then…..I’d love to hear from anyone that has been on a safari and their experiences.

I worked downtown for a few years, right on the very tip of Manhattan and while the area was lively with the hustle and bustle of people scurrying up and down Broadway, Wall Street and Water Street, came nightfall the area was virtually a ghost town.  Slowly but surely though, this quiet part of town is seeing some serious revitalization.  A number of office buildings have been converted into luxury lofts or apartments and several new high-rises have gone up.  Grocery stores are popping up and retail stores which once closed on the weekends are staying open on Saturday and some on Sunday for their new customers.  The newest addition though to downtown is Tiffany – yes, Tiffany!  What a better place than on Wall Street to open up their first new store in over 60 years.  The location couldn’t be more perfect.  Wealthy bankers and traders pass by the busy street every day and will undoubtedly stop in to pick up precious gems and diamonds for their wives, girlfriends, mothers etc…. from this 11,000 square foot store.  Little blue boxes will be walking out the door non-stop and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.  I am sure that many people will wait to the last minute to pick up gifts and Tiffany will cash in by being right there as people head home after a busy day in the market.  Smart move Tiffany!

No…..we aren’t having a baby but we did add a new car to our family. After a few months of back and forth debate and shopping around, Darren and I decided it was time to add another car. Over the last several months we visited a variety of dealerships and test drove a number of SUVs but on Tuesday, Darren surprised me by taking the official plunge and striking a deal for the new Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4×4 Hemi as an amazing Hanukkah present. In the past few months we test drove the Lexus, Acura MDX, BMW 3 series and 5 series but it was our experience with Jeep on the honeymoon as well as the incredible customer service we received from the dealership in White Plains that swayed Darren to Jeep to get our business. Tuesday night we picked out the color and took care of the paperwork and first thing Saturday morning I was behind the wheel of our new SUV. We are going to be spending a lot of time on the road driving upstate and to Vermont and we wanted the security of a vehicle that could get us there safely.

Jeep’s reputation as a mid-size SUV does have some mixed reviews by consumers but from all the people we know and what we are planning to use the vehicle for, we felt this was the SUV of choice for us. My first impression after 48 hours of driving it, is that I love it! Jeep’s Grand Cherokee Limited is designed to be used both on-road and off-road so its meant to be a bit rugged. It does have many of the features that other SUVs offer such as leather interior, a top-notch navigation system, a 6 CD changer, DVD player, laptop charger, USB hook-up, dual climate control, and my favorite feature – the automatic starter that lets you start up the vehicle without leaving the warmth of your home or office. The ride is smooth and surprisingly quiet. In a few weeks we will give it a real run and see what it can do on the open road as we head up to Vermont. I will report back and let you know what we think in a few weeks.

Knitting, a pastime we all once thought was for our grandmother’s or great grandmother’s is back and one of the hottest growing trends for all ages.  Growing up my mom taught be to knit and I made everything under the sun – scarfs, vests, sweaters even clothes for my dolls – that’s how young I picked up this skill.  Fast forward a couple of decades, and knitting is back and hotter than ever.  My nine year-old niece is fast at work on her own creations and its great to see this fun activity return to the ‘trendy’ scene.  Knitting stores, classes and  clubs are popping up all around Manhattan.  Knit New York just opened on 14th and 2nd avenue and they offer classes for $75 . Or you can try The Point Knitting Cafe on Bedford Street, or Knitting 321 on the Upper East Side.  Pack up your needles and yarn and stop by their cafe – you can join others and perhaps start your own knitting circle.   Next time I’m at my folks, I’m definitely going to look for my old stuff and get back into the swing of things.  Knitting is a great way to add creative items to your wardrobe or make a fabulous, one of a kind gift.  What’s better this holiday than a handmade scarf or even a blanket if you are adventurous?!  Happy knitting!

If you love cupcakes as much as I do, check out this blog.  It has everything you ever wanted to know about the cupcake and more!  My mouth is watering and I’m craving a Mississippi cupcake!  Click on the link to How to Eat a Cupcake too!

Today, Apple opens yet another store in New York City.  This time in the hot and trendy, Meat Packing District.  More and more high-end boutiques and restaurants are opening their doors in this incredibly lucrative area as the ‘meat packing’ industry fades into the background.  Hard to believe Apple needs yet another location south of 14th Street but business is booming and Steve Jobs is looking to capitalize on this fast growing location.   This is Apple’s first three-story store with two floors dedicated to products and a third dedicated to services, including a 46-foot Genius Bar and specially designed areas for workshops and personal training.

Darren is a huge lover of Apple – so much so he has trouble admitting when they let him down.  As much as he is in denial, Darren’s beloved iPhone is a major lemon and the new Leopard Operating system has some flaws – like repeated crashes!  All computers and operating systems have their issues so hopefully Apple can work out the kinks quickly.  The iPhone though is very disappointing.  Darren’s iPhone has been back and forth for repairs a few times and yet again, it’s not working.  The audio functionality is broken so he can’t hear any of his calls.  This trendy little phone that he just had to have, has been a big let down.  The troubles have certainly outweighed the benefits in my opinion.  Without audio, the phone and MP3 functions are useless and the email capabilities lag far behind Blackberry’s.  So much so that Darren went out and bought the Blackberry Curve so he could use the email functionality with the speed and capabilities that the iPhone lacks.  Hopefully Apple can redeem themselves when we head to the store this weekend to yet again fix the iPhone. 

We are about three weeks away from our first ski weekend in Vermont. To prepare for our trip, I needed to outfit myself with all the proper things to keep me warm on the slopes. Darren began outifitting me this summer at the big blow out sale at Pedigree Ski Shop in White Plains but recently we both needed to finish getting the essentials so we off we went to the Princeton Ski Shop in Elmsford and back to Pedigree. Both stores carry the basics but Pedigree seemed to have more selection – a full range of ski clothes from Spyder to The NorthFace to Columbia and many other manufacturers. We stocked up on everything from a new ski jacket to ski pants, gloves, a hat, goggles, and plenty of layers to keep me warm.

I won’t lie, since I’m just starting out after years of not skiing it all seems a bit daunting but at the same time I am unbelievably excited. Over the last few weeks I’ve gotten a lot of suggestions of things I need to take with me as well as good tips for when I am out on slopes. I think these tips are very helpful therefore, I think they are worth sharing for those hitting the slopes for the first time (or in a very long time, like me!).

- Buy or pack as much waterproof clothing as you can – waterproof is essential! Skiing can be cold and wet, and the last thing you need is to be soaked. Waterproof gloves (or even mittens) are great along with wearing your water resistance jacket or parka over waterproof tops. Keeping warm and dry on the slopes will definitely help you to enjoy your skiing experience.

- Cotton is a bad idea. Wool based or synthetic materials are the way to go, as they tend to keep moisture away from your body, plus they help you stay warm and dry throughout the day.

- Pack some energy bars. It can be a long time between snacks, and skiing is quite hard work (I feel the sore muscles already!) so stuff some energy bars into your pockets, and you’ll be able to give yourself an energy fix when you need help to keep going.

- Bring your ID and a little bit of cash. Okay, nobody wants to think about the possibility of something going wrong, but it’s much better to be prepared. Have some identification on you, and a little bit of cash just in case.

- Fluid! When it’s freezing cold, you might think that you don’t need to worry about being hydrated. However, most people don’t realize the air on the slopes is generally quite dry, and you will be working hard and sweating although you may not feel it. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids throughout the day and stay hydrated!!!

I plan on following all these great tips to make my experience a positive one. 22 more days and counting til Bromley! Seventeen trails are open and two lifts….