tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86907919865813165922024-02-01T23:13:14.930-08:00The New Mrs. Hondaadventures of a not so newlywed navigating the waters of motherhood & lifesittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-48358294474777019662017-07-31T21:56:00.000-07:002017-07-31T21:56:18.487-07:00Our Infertility Story - Part 2 (IVF)Sorry it's taken me so long to finish part 2 of our infertility story. I started the post in the final days of my pregnancy, but didn't get a chance to finish before our baby girl decided to make her entrance into the world. The past 3 months have been a whirlwind and I'm finally starting to find sometime to finish up.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
_________________________________________________________________________________</div>
<br />
Once we were advised that our best option to conceive would be IVF I began researching a clinic that would best fit our needs. I think this was probably one of the hardest decisions for us to make. With so many IVF clinics in the bay area I found it extremely difficult to navigate all the different options. It was such an important decision and with pricing and protocols at each clinic widely varying it wasn't like you could just yelp the best IVF clinic. In the end we decided to go with Dr. Polansky and his team at <a href="http://www.bayivf.com/">Bay IVF</a>. I liked that they offered a variety of IVF options (ie: traditional IVF and soft IVF), PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis), and a 3 cycle treatment plan that would refund us a portion of our investment if we got pregnant before the 3rd cycle. Most of all I liked that they were a small clinic which made me hopeful that we would get more personalized attention.<br />
<br />
Before we were able to start an IVF cycle the doctor performed an initial physical exam and blood work followed by a sonohystogram to determine whether or not I had any uterine abnormalities. The procedure was reminiscent of the HSG I had previously done, but instead of injecting dye and using X-ray imaging they injected saline via a catheter and used a transvaginal ultrasound for the imaging. Similar to the HSG it was pretty uncomfortable with some cramping as the saline was injected into my uterus. After all was said and done they provided us with our probability for a success starting at 27% given a single cycle and 60% given up to 3 cycles. I remember being so optimistic about the statistics at first...after all 60% was better than a 50:50 chance, right?<br />
<br />
By the end of January 2015 we were off to the races and began our first egg retrieval cycle. I was started on birth control which seemed weird given that I was trying to have a baby, but the doctor reassured me that it would to help prime my ovaries for the upcoming egg retrieval. The doctor highly suggested that while we were attempting IVF that I should cut gluten from my diet. Cut gluten??? But that's my favorite food group! To be honest I was very skeptical about how much cutting gluten out of my diet would help...so instead I opted for moderation instead. I was also given Lupron (LH) and Follistim (FSH) injections to rev up the production and maturation of my follicles. I was honestly terrified of having to give myself daily injections and wasn't sure if I could do it. To my surprise the injections were pretty much painless and I was able to get over my fears quickly. I was lucky enough to get away with almost no side effects from the Lupron and Follistim...my biggest complaint were hot flashes that would come when I was stressed at work or wake me in the middle of the night. While on the injections I had to make multiple trips to the clinic each week to monitor my estrogen and progesterone levels as well as check the development of my follicles via ultrasound. When we first started IVF I had no idea that I'd have to be monitored so closely and I was lucky to have so many co-workers who were willing to swap shifts with me so that I could make it all of my necessary appointments. Once the majority of my follicles looked to be the ideal size I was instructed to administer my Novarel (hCG) injection which would stimulate my ovaries to release the mature eggs from my follicles. Unlike my Lupron and Follistim the Novarel injection stung quite a bit and even left a bruise on my tummy. Again I was lucky to get away with almost no side effects from the Novarel except for some extreme breast tenderness. 36 hours after my Novarel injection I returned to the clinic for my egg retrieval. I was super nervous for the procedure as I had read online forums about how painful it could be. Before the procedure started I was given a cocktail of IV medications that relaxed and numbed me throughout the entire procedure. I honestly couldn't tell you anything about what the actual procedure was like. Once the procedure was complete I was left to recover and let the medications wear off before I was sent home. Before we left the clinic we were told that they were able to retrieve 10 eggs. I was happy with the results...at least we were in the double digits. However, after fertilization on day 6 we were told that we only had 5 eggs that had fertilized and matured into blastocysts. Our 5 embryos were frozen and biopsied samples of each were sent to the PGD lab for testing. It was disappointing to say the least to hear that we had lost half of the eggs that had been retrieved. Nonetheless we were still hopeful...we just needed a few good embryos to carry us through several rounds of implantation. Unfortnately we weren't so lucky, of the 5 embryos there was 1 embryo deemed normal. The news was shocking and heartbreaking for us, how could we have gone from 10 retrieved eggs to only 1 normal embryo? Worst of all we got the news while we were vacationing in New York...what a way to ruin a day. I remember going back to our hotel room and crying in the arms of hubs after receiving the devastating news. I had been so hopeful that IVF would be a quick fix for our infertility problems, but reality hit me like a ton of bricks.<br />
<br />
Disappointed in the results of our first round of egg retrieval, we were eager to start our next round in May. The procedure was generally the same...birth control, Lupron, and Follistim...however this time there were concerns about my extremely high levels of estrogen which put me at high risk for developing OHSS (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome). Hubs and I had worked this egg retrieval around a trip back to Hawaii for one of my best friend's weddings. The clinic warned that I would have to be closely monitored after the egg retrieval to make sure my OHSS did not become life threatening and would absolutely not be allowed to travel during this time period. Again, I was devastated...I was left with the choice of canceling this round and losing all the time and money we had already invested or canceling our trip to Hawaii and missing one of my best friend's wedding. In the end we decided to cancel this round of egg retrieval. After having to make such a difficult decision we were extremely lucky that the clinic said that they wouldn't count this as one of our 3 rounds and would provide us with samples of the more expensive medications for the next round to help us recoup some the money we had essentially lost due to having to cancel our egg retrieval.<br />
<br />
Once we returned from our trip to Hawaii we were ready to jump into another egg retrieval. Due to the clinics protocol I had to repeat my sonohystogram since it had been over 6 months since my original procedure before starting our 3rd round of retrieval. At the beginning of August we got the go ahead to start the egg retrieval procedure, again with birth control, Lupron, Follistim, and Novarel. This retrieval resulted in 12 eggs. I was excited that we had been able to retrieve more eggs than our 1st round, but given the end results of our 1st round we were much more reserved in our hopefulness. And rightfully so, because 6 days after fertilization we only had 3 embryos that had matured into blastocysts to be frozen and biopsied for PGD lab testing. The results of our PGD testing showed that of the 3 embryos, only 1 of them was deemed genetically normal. Again we were disappointed, but at least now we were ready to do a our first FET (frozen embryo transfer).<br />
<br />
At the end of September we were excited to finally start our FET. We decided to transfer a single embryo so that we could avoid the possibility of having multiples. The FET protocol called for more Lupron in combination with estradiol patches and high dose progesterone suppositories. Again I had be closely monitored to evaluate my estrogen and progesterone levels as well as check the thickness of my uterine wall. Our embryo was thawed and transferred at the beginning of November. The embryo transfer was much faster and easier than the egg retrieval. Our embryo was implanted into my uterine wall via catheter and the actual procedure only took a few minutes. The doctor assured us that it was as perfect a transfer as he could have asked for and we were sent on our way. Given what the doctor had said about the success of the transfer and the fact that I had a very healthy uterus we were so hopeful that this was going to be it! I continued with the estrogen patches and progesterone suppositories and giddily googled all the possible signs of pregnancy that I was experiencing. We had to wait 10 torturous days before I returned to the clinic for a pregnancy test. Surprisingly I was able to muster all my self-control and I never took a home pregnancy test before returning to the clinic for my pregnancy test. The day of my pregnancy test we excitedly waited on pins and needles for the clinic to call us with our results. When they called to deliver the bad news that our embryo hadn't taken we were devastated. We'd been so hopeful that this would the happy ending to our journey that the news was absolutely crushing. With the holidays fast approaching we decided to take a step back and give our minds and hearts a little break from IVF.<br />
<br />
At the beginning of the year with renewed hope we started another round of egg retrievals. As with the previous rounds I started with birth control, Lupron, and Follistim; then finished off with a trigger shot of Novarel. We were able to get a whopping 14 eggs from this retrieval which made us hopeful. When the embryologist called to let us know that 7 days after fertilization we only had 1 embryo that had matured into a blastocyst I was absolutely beside myself. I had prepared myself to lose over half the fertilized embryos, but to be left with only 1 felt incomprehensible. To add insult to injury the embryologist needed to know ASAP whether or not we wanted to send a sample of our embryo for PGD testing which was a costly investment for just a single embryo. Luckily, in the end the lab that did our PGD testing generously offered to test our embryo free of charge. The results of the PGD testing showed that our single embryo was genetically abnormal and we were back at square one.<br />
<br />
After 4 egg retrievals and 1 failed FET we felt utterly defeated and scheduled a phone consultation with Dr. Polansky to see how we should move forward. During our consult he admitted that we had been one of his top 5 toughest cases in his entire career. Although this news was discouraging, it also felt like a relief to validate our frustrations. We discussed whether or not the use of a donor egg would be more likely to yield a successful pregnancy. And while he agreed that our chance for a successful pregnancy would be greatly increased with a high quality donor egg, due to my young age he typically wouldn't recommend that route. He said that typically after 3 unsuccessful rounds he usually refers his patients to another clinic, as a different approach may be more successful. However, he said he wanted to give our case one more shot and left it up to us as to how we wanted to proceed. We spent the next few days discussing our options. Still feeling disheartened by all of our failures I agreed to try 1 more time, but told my husband this would be the last time. I didn't think my body and heart could take much more of this.<br />
<br />
With a heavy heart we started our 5th egg retrieval cycle in March. Dr. Polansky switched our protocol to a soft IVF protocol in hopes that my body would respond better. This protocol still used Lupron, Follistim, and Novarel; but included Clomid (clomiphine) as well. We were able to retrieve and fertilize 10 eggs; 6 days after fertilization we had a whopping 7 blastocysts to send for PGD testing. It was the largest number of embryos we had ever been able to send for testing, but I knew better than to get my hopes up. The results from the PGD testing showed that 1 out of the 7 embryos was genetically normal. Before our FET I underwent yet another sonohystogram to make sure my endometrial lining was healthy. We followed the same FET protocol as last time, but this time I also underwent a laminaria tent procedure, where a tiny piece of dried seaweed is inserted to dilate the cervix to make the embryo transfer easier. Again, our doctor assured us that the transfer had gone smoothly and all there was left to do was wait.<br />
<br />
I had been so defeated by the whole IVF process that I had little to no hope of receiving positive news. In fact, I remember calling my husband during a particularly difficult day at work crying and telling him that I was absolutely sure I wasn't pregnant this time. After the "10 day wait" I went in for the pregnancy test and we waited to hear the results from the clinic. I was still sure that I wasn't pregnant so I asked them to email the results of the pregnancy test instead of calling us because I didn't want to cry over the phone with them. Once we had mustered up the courage to open the email we were both shocked to see that the pregnancy test was positive. My husband and I cried tears of joy much of that day, but we knew we weren't out of the woods yet. I still continue my estradiol patches and progesterone suppositories to maintain the pregnancy until my body's own hormones caught on to the fact that I was indeed pregnant. We were scheduled for an ultrasound about 2 weeks later where they would check for a heartbeat, at which there was a 90%+ chance that I would go on to a successful pregnancy. We were cautiously joyful and shared the news with only our parents since we knew there was still a chance of miscarriage at this point. We were so nervous going into our ultrasound...I was absolutely terrified that they wouldn't find a heartbeat since I had let my hopes soar once we received the news of our positive pregnancy test. When our doctor showed us our tiny little baby on the ultrasound and we heard her heartbeat we both cried tears of relief and joy. I couldn't believe that at a time where I had almost given up hope we were finally gifted the pregnancy we had dreamed of for so long.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
_________________________________________________________________________________</div>
<br />
Going through infertility and IVF has been one of the most difficult things I've ever had to endure...the misery of being on medications that made me sick, hundreds of injections, painful procedures, and heartbreaking failures. In hindsight as I look at my baby girl's chubby cheeks and smiling face I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.<br />
<br />
I hope that anyone reading this that's going through infertility will be given hope, and that those who know someone going through infertility will better understand the difficult journey their loved one is going through. sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-53032413984587188872017-04-15T20:06:00.000-07:002017-07-31T21:58:54.984-07:00Our Infertility Story - Part 1 (Pre-IVF)As promised here's the first part of our infertility story. Our journey was over 3 years so I thought it best to split it up into 2 different entries...part 1 will go over our journey before IVF and part 2 will delve into our IVF journey.<br />
<br />
After hubs and I returned from our Singapore/Japan trip in spring of 2013 we agreed that we were ready to expand our family. I stopped taking my birth control and started tracking my basal temperatures to help determine when I was ovulating in order to make the most of our baby making efforts. Three months after I stopped taking the pill I still had not had a period or established a normal cycle. This scenario was not new to me, as a teenager without birth control I would only have 3-4 periods a year each lasting up to 14+ days.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I made an appointment with my OB/GYN at the time to discuss my concerns. After some blood work my doctor put me on a low dose of Synthroid to optimize my thyroid levels for fertility/pregnancy. And even given my history of only having a few periods a year she told me to give my body another few months to start cycling on it's own again. After another 3 months without a period my OB/GYN referred me to a fertility specialist.<br />
<br />
We had to wait another frustrating 3 months (without any periods) until we were able to get an appointment to see the fertility specialist. The doctor took down a detailed family and self medical history. After an in-office ultrasound she confirmed a diagnosis of PCOS. I was prescribed Metformin which the doctor explained had been shown to help increase fertility in women with PCOS. I eagerly started my new medication which promptly proceeded to provide me with a constant feeling of nausea. I was never able to even get close to titrating my dose up to the recommended level because I simply couldn't tolerate the constant upset stomach.<br />
<br />
I knew there had to be another way and started seeking out alternative options. In the spring of 2014 I started seeing a naturopathic doctor who agreed that there was no need for me to be on the Metformin given my normal blood sugar levels. After completing an extensive hormone panel the naturopathic doctor switched my Synthroid to Nature-throid in order to fine tune my thyroid levels and I started using a low dose progesterone suppository in an effort to help stimulate my body into having a cycle. I also adjusted my diet and switched from a morning cup of coffee to a green smoothie. However, after all these changes we still failed to get pregnant.<br />
<br />
Near the end of 2014 my fertility specialist suggested that I undergo an HSG (hysterosalpingogram) to take a look at my fallopian tubes and uterus in order to determine if IUI (intrauterine insemination) or IVF (in-vitro fertilization) would be the next best course of action. I was extremely nervous for the procedure as I had read many online message boards detailing how painful it can be. As they injected the dye via catheter I remember experiencing the most intense cramping and I was so thankful when it was over. The results of my HSG were no less painful and heartbreaking. The doctor said that due to extensive inflammation in my fallopian tubes it would be next to impossible for me to have ever have gotten pregnant naturally and suggested IVF as the next step. The news was so overwhelming and I was so unbelievably frustrated knowing that we had wasted nearly 2 years trying this and that when it would've been a miracle for me to get pregnant without the help of IVF.<br />
<br />
Throughout this first part of our journey I think the biggest lesson I learned was that I needed to be my own advocate. A lot of times it's easy to take what doctors are telling you as the end all and be all. I wish that I had been more assertive, asked more questions, and pushed to be referred to a fertility specialist sooner. I can't help but think that maybe if I had done those things we wouldn't have wasted so much time before discovering my need for IVF.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Read about our IVF journey in <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2017/07/our-infertility-story-part-2-ivf.html">Our Infertility Story - Part 2 (IVF)</a></span></div>
sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-30074456828093948452017-04-10T22:48:00.003-07:002017-04-12T18:58:59.154-07:00End of a HiatusAfter a 2+ year hiatus from blogging...here I am 9 months pregnant, sitting on the couch binge watching Parenthood on Netflix. It would be an understatement to say that it's been a long journey to get here. We battled infertility for 3+ years before I successfully became pregnant. The entire time I went back and forth about whether or not to blog about the topic. In the end I decided against it because at the time I didn't know what the end outcome would be. I couldn't bear the thought of spilling my heart about our infertility challenges to only be left with a broken heart in the end.<br />
<br />
Now that we've gotten so far along in the pregnancy, hubs has encouraged me to share our story. He thinks it's an important part of our lives that we may easily forget and take for granted if we don't document it. So the over the next few blogs I'll delve into the details of our infertility journey. I hope that our story may be able to provide some solace to other couples who may be going through the same or similar difficulties.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-88775883449779750022015-01-13T08:26:00.000-08:002015-01-13T08:31:00.637-08:00Happy Belated New YearHappy New Year, loves! ...yeah yeah...I know we're almost half way through the month of January...better late then never?<br />
<br />
Sorry I've been so MIA lately. Between taking our second trip to New York, starting a new job, and the holidays I haven't had a ton of time to blog. But now that things are starting to settle down a little more around hear I will definitely get back into the blogging groove. This year I'm also resurrecting my project 365, but this time instead of doing it in the form of a blog I'll be keeping up with it on our <a href="http://instagram.com/mrandmrshonda">instagram</a> which hopefully will make it more feasible to actually complete.<br />
<br />
So stick around folks! We have a lot of exciting plans for this year!!!sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-58383586624718776252014-11-18T07:09:00.001-08:002014-11-18T07:09:51.134-08:00Thankful ThirtyWith November typically being a month in which people reflect on things they're thankful for I figured there was no better way to kick of my list of 30s then with a list things I'm grateful for.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. My husband</span><br />
I'm sure I don't thank the saint of a man who has found it in his heart to love and marry me with all my flaws. Always dependable and steadfast I know I can count on him to look out for me. I'm lucky to have such a thoughtful and loving partner to walk by my side through life's ups and downs.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. My mom</span><br />
A strong and funny woman who has helped guide me through some of my life's challenging moments (aka: adolecence). I'm blessed to have you as a mom and friend.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. My dad</span><br />
The man I get my looks and extremely dry humor who has always been a quiet but strong source of love and support throughout my life. I'm grateful to call you my dad.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. My grandparents</span><br />
The people who were always picking me up from school and taking me here or there when I was younger. And of course the ones who spoiled me rotten. I am so thankful that I've had the opportunity to spend so much time with them.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. My in-laws</span><br />
Bad in-law jokes tend to be an easy joke for most, but I really lucked out in the in-law department. They've always embraced me as part of the family and I'm blessed to have married into such wonderful family with my family so far away.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6. My friends</span><br />
I've been fortunate to meet lifelong friends in all stages of my life. Although I love spending time with friends nearby I also love having low maintenance friends that live afar.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">7. My dog</span><br />
The first several months with my dog were challenging to say the least, but as she's gotten older she's been a great addition to our family. It's so nice to come home to her smiley face and wagging tail. She great at playing fetch with herself - a true "only child" and she loves a lazy day of naps just as much as I.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">8. My health</span><br />
Although I may be currently dealing with some minor health issues my general health is excellent. <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">9. My education</span><br />
My family prepared me for success in the best way they know how and made sure that I had a first rate education starting from kindergarten all the way through college. Everything I have today is thanks to the education I was allowed.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">10. My home</span><br />
It's said that a home should be your escape from the world. And I can really say that's true of my home. From my cozy bedroom to my deck-filled backyard that's perfect for entertaining I love my home and it's been an amazing first home.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">11. My job</span><br />
Like many people I can always find something to complain about my job, but all things said I'm thankful for the opportunity to get paid well while helping people at the same time.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">12. The opportunity to travel</span><br />
Between traveling with my parents and my husband I've been able to see different places in and outside of our country. Now that I live in California it makes traveling even more accessible then it used to be when I lived in Hawaii.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">13. The bus driver</span><br />
I am so thankful for the bus driver that gets me safely to work and back home almost every day. Not having to drive myself to work allows me to catch up on my blogging or catch some much needed shut eye.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">14. Friendly strangers</span><br />
Sometimes all it takes is smile from a stranger or a customer who asks how my day is going. Friendly strangers really make the world a nicer place to be in.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">15. Trashy reality TV</span><br />
Kardashians, Hip Hop and Hollywood, Real Housewives, 15 Kids and Counting...I love it all (much to my husband's dismay). I know a lot of people hate reality TV but sometimes there's something to be said about how relaxing and therapeutic it can be to veg out in front of the TV for a marathon of Real Housewives.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">16. My comfy bed</span><br />
I love sleeping and my comfy bed makes one of my favorite hobbies that much better. And nothing makes you appreciate the comfort of your own bed than a restless night in an uncomfortable foreign bed.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">17. Growing up in Hawaii</span><br />
This is something I admittedly did not appreciate nearly as much as I should have when I was growing up. Growing up on a beautiful tropical island with my friends and family only an hour drive away at most is an amazing way to grow up. Beautiful beaches and amazing weather pretty much year round provided a great backdrop for my childhood.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">18. Bay area weather</span><br />
With just the right amount of seasons I could not ask for more when it comes the the weather in the bay area. I am grateful that it gets warm enough to wear shorts I'm the summer without needing air conditioning in my home and cool enough in the fall/winter to see the leaves change colors and have an excuse to wear a nice pair of boots and jacket without having to worry about snow ruining it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">19. Double stamp Tuesdays</span><br />
Our favorite sushi spot has a stamp reward program and offers double stamps on Tuesday. My husband and I take advantage of this at least once a week. On a day that's not as stressful as Monday but not quite to hump day it's nice to be able to have an excuse to treat ourselves to some good sushi.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">20. Acts of kindness</span><br />
From the person who picked up my wallet and gave it to a BART attendant without stealing from me to the bus driver who let me on when I realized I left my wallet at home. Simple acts like these shine bright in my memories as horrible days that were averted thanks to the kindness of others.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">21. Target</span><br />
In December I'll be starting a new job working for Target. I'm grateful for the opportunity to shift paths in my career when I feel like I really needed it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">22. Ice cream</span><br />
Always there to brighten up a bad day...thank god for ice cream. Enough said.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">23. My gas stove</span><br />
For most of my life I had a gas stove and it wasn't until I moved into an apartment with an electric stove top did I realize how much better a gas stove is. That being said I am very appreciative for having a gas stove in my kitchen that gives me superior control over the temperature in which I cook with.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">24. Financial security</span><br />
I'm extremely grateful for the financial security hubs and I have. I know that not everyone is lucky enough to never have to worry about where their next meal is coming from or whether or not they can afford that new winter coat they desperately need.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">25. Lazy weekends</span><br />
Little in life is as satisfying as getting to cuddle in front of the TV in your PJ's all weekend. With the busy holiday season coming up soon it reminds me of how rejuvenating it can be to have no obligations at all. I'll take them whenever I can get them.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">26. Fun co-workers</span><br />
I can honestly say that I've stayed with the company I've been at for 3 years because I truly enjoy working with the people. The pharmacists and technicians I work with make coming to work bearable day in and day out. I will miss them dearly when I leave at the end of this month.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">27. SHN season tickets</span><br />
This is the second year hubs and I have been SHN season ticket holders and we have yet to be disappointed. I love having great musicals to look forward to year round. Not to mention the perks of being able to buy tickets in advanced for shows that aren't included in our season.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">28. Online shopping</span><br />
Online shopping has taken the shopping experience to another level. With free shipping and returns your home becomes your dressing room (sans overly flattering mirrors). And with websites like ebates who gives you with cash back and coupon codes for shopping it's like being paid to shop (that might be a stretch... lol)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">29. Care packages</span><br />
Nothing says I love you from family and friends from afar like a care package. Big to little it doesn't matter...when someone takes the time to curate and mail a package to me it always warms my heart.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">30. Google</span><br />
Thank goodness for google! Always there to answer those nagging questions like "who's that actor in that movie?" or "how yo tell a coworker how to stop singing at work?" on a whim. I can't even remember a time when I had to do without the convenience of google.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-85761260077639193432014-11-06T22:14:00.001-08:002014-11-06T22:14:50.003-08:00Not So Dirty ThirtyOctober marked my thirtieth year on this planet. We celebrated the momentous occasion bu going to CPK to partake in one of my favorite desserts, butter cake, and then we caught a double feature at the drive-in. It may not be what most people think of when they think of how they want to or how they had celebrated their dirty thirty...dirty isn't really my stye anyway. Hubs and I did it low key just the way I like it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqcKg64UvmIBjQzQQEm280yHPM690jp9H47cR8_j9uI8dPXMeQ3v6sg9kTgA0Axpl5ElhWVbto0bFEBG-wtX2YN-7-xD8sa2ip946-3AOFO_supxkJ-sy8CQWtOrbCsqncw7l5-xJMN8/s1600/IMG_20141025_180545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqcKg64UvmIBjQzQQEm280yHPM690jp9H47cR8_j9uI8dPXMeQ3v6sg9kTgA0Axpl5ElhWVbto0bFEBG-wtX2YN-7-xD8sa2ip946-3AOFO_supxkJ-sy8CQWtOrbCsqncw7l5-xJMN8/s1600/IMG_20141025_180545.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">warm buttery goodness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos-d.ak.instagram.com/hphotos-ak-xpa1/928639_781838108541883_1996051828_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://photos-d.ak.instagram.com/hphotos-ak-xpa1/928639_781838108541883_1996051828_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beautiful birthday flowers from hubs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
With such a big birthday under my belt I figured some life reflection was in order. Throughout this year I'll be doing a series of reflections of things I've learned, things I'm grateful for, things I aspire toward, etc. So stay tuned for some hopefully interesting reflections on my life and what lies ahead.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-75871310160354534962014-09-22T17:42:00.000-07:002014-09-24T08:44:45.988-07:00NYC Advice and TipsGetting Around: Use Public Transportation<br />
Before we left for New York we looked into possibly buying a 7 day pass for a hop-on-hop-off style bus. We have them all over San Francisco and it seems like the easiest way to get around in the city without getting lost. However due to the higher cost we decided against it and went with the 7 day unlimited metro card for $30 each.<br />
We found that getting around in New York was very easy with the aid of our friend Google Maps. We did a lot of walking which is made relatively easy due to their grid like numbered streets and avenues. And with the help of Google Maps we always knew which subway or bus we needed to take to get to where we wanted.<br />
<br />
Attractions: Buy Online and Go Early<br />
We considered buying one of the many city passes available for New York. However, after careful consideration of the attractions we actually wanted to go to it was cheaper for us to pay the individual entry fees instead (especially when you take into account that many museums offer discounted/free entry days, student discounts, or are donation based).<br />
We purchased most of our attraction tickets online a day ahead of time which meant we didn't need to stand in line at the attractions to buy tickets. This ended up saving us a lot of time. We also tried to go to the attractions earlier in the day. We went to the Top of Rockefeller Center as soon as they opened and because we bought our tickets online ahead of time we had no lines to wait in to get up. Not to mention that it was so nice and peaceful up there since there were only a few other people at the top while we were there.<br />
<br />
Tapings: Only if You Have an Extended Stay in NYC<br />
The tapings we went to were great and definitely a ton of fun. But if you're only in NYC for a few days don't waste your time. Going to the tapings was a huge time investment between standing in line to pick up tickets and then standing in line to get into the studio. Attending the live tapings we went to took up a good 5-6 hours of our day. If you have a short stay in New York don't waste it all by standing in line. There's so much more New York has to offer.<br />
<br />
Broadway/Off-Broadway: TKTS for Deep Discounts<br />
Tickets for almost every Broadway and off-Broadway show are available at the TKTS booth in Times Square. There are only a handful of extremely popular shows you won't be able to get there (ie: Wicked and Book of Mormon). I think it'd also be safe to assume that if a show has won any Tony awards this year (especially best musical or best play) you'll need to buy your tickets ahead of time.<br />
<br />
While I'm no travel expert hopefully those of you who may be visiting New York for the first time will find these little tidbits helpful.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-47208905312299360622014-09-07T11:18:00.001-07:002014-09-07T11:18:23.449-07:00Motown: The Musical<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.boneaubryanbrown.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Motown-strip-logo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.boneaubryanbrown.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Motown-strip-logo1.jpg" height="236" width="640" /></a></div>
Good morning, ya'll! Last night we went to see the first musical in our SHN 2014-2015, Motown: The Musical. This was our second year with season tickets and we decided to pick up a set of 4 tickets this season so that we could share our musical experience with some of our friends and family. We tried to figure out which of our friends and family would enjoy this show the most and ultimately decided to bring hub's dad and girlfriend with us. It seems like we made the right decision as they reminisced about growing up with the music of Motown.<br />
<br />
The music for the show was great! I mean how could it not with all the super hits that came out of the Motown record label? With songs like Ain't to Proud to Beg, What's Going On, and ABC the music of this show definitely had the audience bopping along. The story follows the conception and life of Motown Records by legendary producer and song writer Berry Gordy.<br />
<br />
For me the plot fell short, so much focus was put on the music of Motown which is great, but I still feel like they could've done more with the story. I understand that clearly the focus of the show would be the amazing music they made, but there are other similar musicals out there like Jersey Boys and Beautiful: The Carol King Musical that focus highly on the music and are still able to make time to tell a story. My final thoughts...go for the music, but don't expect much of a storyline.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-39827166549366338342014-09-03T19:18:00.001-07:002014-09-03T19:18:13.686-07:00Our Favorite NYC Eats [picture heavy post]<div class="" style="clear: both;">
Since we ate a lot of good food in New York I thought it'd be a good idea to compile some of our favorite eats from our trip.</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
On Sunday morning we brunched at <a href="http://goodenoughtoeat.com/">Good Enough to Eat</a> which was highly recommended by one of my high school classmates who lives in New York. Although the food was good it wasn't out of this world. But it was all worth it experience the quintessential brunch staple of the Upper West Side, strawberry butter. It boggles my mind to think of the genius who thought this delicious concoction up. Slathered on their warm biscuits or or all over fresh waffles it was absolutely magical. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="http://s3-media3.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/z41-ZFFlsFnVWKH_e3le4A/l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://s3-media3.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/z41-ZFFlsFnVWKH_e3le4A/l.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">I'm literally drooling on my keyboard right now</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That night we made our way to a <a href="http://milkbarstore.com/">Momofuku Milk Bar</a> to try the legendary crack pie. When we got back to our hotel room with our pies we were a little weary of the fact that butter is the first ingredient listed...what had we gotten ourselves into??? After our first bite of buttery, sweet, chewy goodness I was in love. We went back to get crack pie to finish off our day almost every night we were in New York. There's definitely no denying why they call it crack pie. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdG9LrzO3jqVDA5Pq5fGN5h6uST1wJ-gvogdj17Q92BB05xasNbThrCWPA2lG4P6HME7TPvu1ieUyOzWSjvgMWB6RmRPDE23F78KjdofgdBkWUVXOwRzgDsbodq33Yzpj864y0wpEYgUM/s1600/IMG_2733.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdG9LrzO3jqVDA5Pq5fGN5h6uST1wJ-gvogdj17Q92BB05xasNbThrCWPA2lG4P6HME7TPvu1ieUyOzWSjvgMWB6RmRPDE23F78KjdofgdBkWUVXOwRzgDsbodq33Yzpj864y0wpEYgUM/s1600/IMG_2733.CR2" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.727272033691406px;">Oh butter, you've never done me wrong!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOikoVqKE4NxvFSglYPKVMeOhoPuSGqpPyVmR-SQRoQzSDoh8oD511VH32K95d9I2oZA8irelNmfmP-t_7XsGpHircaYO3t_C4_RnRE7_rASWKGO0fsxOn-43R5cjSrlp6crKuEmgKZ40/s1600/IMG_2734.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOikoVqKE4NxvFSglYPKVMeOhoPuSGqpPyVmR-SQRoQzSDoh8oD511VH32K95d9I2oZA8irelNmfmP-t_7XsGpHircaYO3t_C4_RnRE7_rASWKGO0fsxOn-43R5cjSrlp6crKuEmgKZ40/s1600/IMG_2734.CR2" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unwrapped and in all it's crack pie glory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
While researching places to eat in New York we happened across the <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/mattbellassai/heres-what-happens-when-you-try-to-eat-12-donuts-from-12-don#3lbitof">BuzzFeed Donut Crawl</a>. Although the author doesn't make the latter half of the donut crawl sound enjoyable by any means they did mention a creme brulee donut at <a href="http://doughnutplant.com/">Doughnut Plant</a> which we knew we just had to try. Not only was the creme brulee donut to die for but their cake donuts all have fillings which make them extra moist and extra delicious. So good we had to do a repeat visit on our last day in New York.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVyocD0v8pJ6kU9iC0KsaY7fDjqYFCxiQu_JG_3bsqjQlPpIlEOtGELk036b4BR9r4Rv_ulERsjPGH5-UmoB44XYy_-srhb0iNIyMNyiyTA6vBPcquoXTPdCIlMwFRqIOOEJlYzSJM6I/s1600/IMG_2931.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVyocD0v8pJ6kU9iC0KsaY7fDjqYFCxiQu_JG_3bsqjQlPpIlEOtGELk036b4BR9r4Rv_ulERsjPGH5-UmoB44XYy_-srhb0iNIyMNyiyTA6vBPcquoXTPdCIlMwFRqIOOEJlYzSJM6I/s1600/IMG_2931.CR2" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">top R to L: coffee cake donut and creme brulee donut<br />
bottom R to L: creme brulee donut and tres leches cake donut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZR-bhT9_re3L3JJL9empcNlM2V2Oo0AO82Fei9uo4WS_ITkRI1bvpc8rjXqwIgDrpeiBWuvU9FFuidRomKb06E4kaO6yzmfBucNee6Odz4p3rxvcVreqyOLQqPTZtjFqJTR3GY0-4Oxw/s1600/IMG_2934.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZR-bhT9_re3L3JJL9empcNlM2V2Oo0AO82Fei9uo4WS_ITkRI1bvpc8rjXqwIgDrpeiBWuvU9FFuidRomKb06E4kaO6yzmfBucNee6Odz4p3rxvcVreqyOLQqPTZtjFqJTR3GY0-4Oxw/s1600/IMG_2934.CR2" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee cake donut filled with creamy goodness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Later that day we went to <a href="http://www.eataly.com/nyc">Eataly</a> and had lunch at <a href="http://www.eataly.com/nyc-rosticceria">Rosticceria</a> where we shared to most delicious prime rib sandwich my mouth has ever had the pleasure of meeting. The bread was just the right amount of crusty (crunchy without tearing up the inside of your mouth) and the meat was seasoned to absolute perfection. So glad we stumbled upon this gem.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6l8CsIHsIZa3qnfC67ptjsHYVmfhcj7fFSEgwEGFgt0EpgWccluPyLKRWsx1eQ3rTk-Ufc1OpDMGjxSHE9QnbtJnQAcHHGTlz8WxpOfyz73oPycjhmu0Y5x6j3USfUI00K8l03MeSpo8/s1600/IMG_2808.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6l8CsIHsIZa3qnfC67ptjsHYVmfhcj7fFSEgwEGFgt0EpgWccluPyLKRWsx1eQ3rTk-Ufc1OpDMGjxSHE9QnbtJnQAcHHGTlz8WxpOfyz73oPycjhmu0Y5x6j3USfUI00K8l03MeSpo8/s1600/IMG_2808.CR2" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah-maze-ing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The next day we ate dinner at a New York staple, <a href="http://www.shakeshack.com/">Shake Shack</a>. I remember standing in line for HOUUURSSSS in Madison Square with my parents in 2010 just to get a taste of Shake Shack goodness. Luckily now there are many more chains open and we were able to get our grub on in a reasonable amount of time. While the burgers ain't no In-N-Out their shakes are undeniably good.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPR4_l6__2vnb5BOWtDVB2hOSruY8Zc4YA0mdeOxl4zw-Fw-PbTeviv6iYyjkmKccvuD1yhCwbVTZpGJC_IHb9-uWcEa-Ex0fdIcOjDSk1MpNUSRpFaYKfDYOO5_4L8IYU8JwPbtkxgk/s1600/IMG_2898.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPR4_l6__2vnb5BOWtDVB2hOSruY8Zc4YA0mdeOxl4zw-Fw-PbTeviv6iYyjkmKccvuD1yhCwbVTZpGJC_IHb9-uWcEa-Ex0fdIcOjDSk1MpNUSRpFaYKfDYOO5_4L8IYU8JwPbtkxgk/s1600/IMG_2898.CR2" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nom-nom-nom-nom-nom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I love a good pastrami sandwich so we had to make a trip to the famed, <a href="http://www.carnegiedeli.com/home.php">Carnegie Deli</a>. Their pastrami is so flavorful and tender without being overly fatty. Not to mention their monstrous portions are legendary. Even after sharing a sandwich we were so full we had to take our cheesecake to go.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLA5mUznKWIZATTDnPQf-x1c-n9EA2PRw7PSZa7iS8ZNv_WUJ6xu3SOcuEPQvU0-8iy_nrP8tHp6m4uF0-xfTsI7R5q-zdeRtAVMYxNiMz-6kNUeMlgcTZld9NkCz_e1WnqNzMqUJt8Y/s1600/IMG_2918.CR2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLA5mUznKWIZATTDnPQf-x1c-n9EA2PRw7PSZa7iS8ZNv_WUJ6xu3SOcuEPQvU0-8iy_nrP8tHp6m4uF0-xfTsI7R5q-zdeRtAVMYxNiMz-6kNUeMlgcTZld9NkCz_e1WnqNzMqUJt8Y/s1600/IMG_2918.CR2" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Almost every night we came back to our hotel from the theater we would pass by a street cart with a huge line of people. We finally looked into it and found out that <a href="http://53rdand6th.com/">The Halal Guys</a> is basically a New York City institution. Once we knew that we just HAD to give it a try. After reviewing yelp we decided on chicken and rice. The plate was so big that the two of us were able to fill up on just one plate. Needless to say yelp didn't lead us astray and the food was delicious.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-TqKpRDJF_BQKDeQ_3CoIVuMS9379Olx79Ywo5rruJmjn1CpJY6NRq8O-sDZ3mOgzCgo_hZ7sFoVX9_M5cfPMw4Zx2RqQa1VR8O14xNLPoWCWbaNUBPXJqzc46dNqD6JppCYccf5QiM/s1600/20140508_224901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-TqKpRDJF_BQKDeQ_3CoIVuMS9379Olx79Ywo5rruJmjn1CpJY6NRq8O-sDZ3mOgzCgo_hZ7sFoVX9_M5cfPMw4Zx2RqQa1VR8O14xNLPoWCWbaNUBPXJqzc46dNqD6JppCYccf5QiM/s1600/20140508_224901.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">so simple yet so delicious</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Last up on our list of favorite eats was <a href="http://www.eatgothampizzanyc.com/">Gotham Pizza</a>...you didn't think we'd have a list of NYC eats without pizza did you??? We ate a lot of good pizza but the grandma square pizza at Gotham was the best. The homemade marinara sauce and the drizzling of olive oil on the thin crispy crust was a perfect combo.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0PgEuHdJNOAoPQjpJHFjWXoqom8TYZqPi2S1mapgR_PvttlDqNE9ZOTMYY2qNABJtqc5vHjHXQ7zUOxGhEYqMcxEWojAjOy-W-Ig1BiXcZTtORO8oUCKSohv4CqHkts-MT1FiCovotk/s1600/20140509_200751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0PgEuHdJNOAoPQjpJHFjWXoqom8TYZqPi2S1mapgR_PvttlDqNE9ZOTMYY2qNABJtqc5vHjHXQ7zUOxGhEYqMcxEWojAjOy-W-Ig1BiXcZTtORO8oUCKSohv4CqHkts-MT1FiCovotk/s1600/20140509_200751.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">what New York trip would be complete without pizza?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And that concludes the series on our New York trip. I'm glad I got to wrap up this final post just in time for us to get ready for out trip back in November!sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-71031281097580452102014-08-26T21:10:00.000-07:002014-08-26T21:10:20.158-07:00NYC Sightseeing [picture heavy post]Hubs and I will be sharing our birthday presents and taking another trip to NYC in November. Earlier we heard rumblings that one of my favorite actresses, Emma Stone, might be taking a role along side Alan Cumming in Cabaret on Broadway. Once the rumors were confirmed we knew we had to go back. With our next trip to New York booked I figured I better get on with finishing up my original NYC posts.<br />
<br />
In the week we were in New York we tried to get in as much sightseeing as possible without overly exhausting ourselves. In the end I think we saw pretty much everything on our list of NYC sights.<br />
<br />
We didn't do much sightseeing on our first day in New York. We mostly familiarized ourselves with the subway system and caught a matinee of <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/rodgers-and-hammersteins-cinderella.html">Cinderella</a>.<br />
<br />
We hit the ground running on our second day in New York by going to the top of Rockefeller Center as soon as they opened. It was a nice clear day and we were early enough to beat the crowds allowing us to really enjoy the breathtaking views of the city.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf00ziBesVY-uTEDX83bjeKdxZeOOiv4lbG68Jj6VitHYqwUaBhISes9Yk59wqQYVDfXFkvlZxnYuH_1bplNxgyFa0CkOaEakau71DWEMIYUnNZkinULi7SNEjKciSQkGVBh_rtQZ_zYM/s1600/nyc1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf00ziBesVY-uTEDX83bjeKdxZeOOiv4lbG68Jj6VitHYqwUaBhISes9Yk59wqQYVDfXFkvlZxnYuH_1bplNxgyFa0CkOaEakau71DWEMIYUnNZkinULi7SNEjKciSQkGVBh_rtQZ_zYM/s1600/nyc1.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: city view and central park view from Rockefeller Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then we were off to a boat tour around half of the island of Manhattan with <a href="http://www.circleline42.com/new-york-cruises/home.aspx">Circle Line Cruise</a>. A friend of mine who lives in New York highly recommended doing a boat tour which gave us a pretty nice overview and some history behind some of the sights we planned to see later in the week.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uXz1iWgyOfvKaTTDZrhRa29DMAef1P_taReBXqJskGhTF5iFWwwbbJCuQDIYuovxIXLCU1yFkUQIrI7audyOwPP6S3q4m7j6ADRy7PITHftWyy1HXfPtZ9AFKzhqYjWci7hHdxP7kAk/s1600/nyc2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_uXz1iWgyOfvKaTTDZrhRa29DMAef1P_taReBXqJskGhTF5iFWwwbbJCuQDIYuovxIXLCU1yFkUQIrI7audyOwPP6S3q4m7j6ADRy7PITHftWyy1HXfPtZ9AFKzhqYjWci7hHdxP7kAk/s1600/nyc2.jpg" height="532" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">top L to R: Lady Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and Empire State Building from Circle Line Cruise<br />
bottom L to R: Staten Island Ferry and lower Manhattan skyline</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the boat tour was over we rushed over for our <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/nyc-tapings-daily-show-with-john-stewart.html">Daily Show taping</a>. After that we were off to see <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/nyc-musicals-avenue-q.html">Avenue Q</a> off-Broadway.<br />
Before the end of the night we stopped by the Rockefeller Center one more time to take in the view with the city lights on. Again we were lucky to go late enough that there wasn't much of a crowd and we could enjoy the view without all the hassle of waiting in line or having people photobomb our pictures.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhu01pnlDDeD9jr2mXYXT2YIJm_2DEb5on1gHioORbCveF2sBSQ_Irna0ugKi12576CwA1iGdluBR7BL7G54u9FZcFcWJYBkhqXoGI3JgAFbSYVFIfsBIitw3IvBSKVAZnFk6DheLEQ4/s1600/nyc3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhu01pnlDDeD9jr2mXYXT2YIJm_2DEb5on1gHioORbCveF2sBSQ_Irna0ugKi12576CwA1iGdluBR7BL7G54u9FZcFcWJYBkhqXoGI3JgAFbSYVFIfsBIitw3IvBSKVAZnFk6DheLEQ4/s1600/nyc3.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: night view of Central Park and the city from Rockefeller Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The next day we spent window shopping in SoHo. We also went to check out Eataly, an Italian-style market in the Flatiron District. So many people had mentioned we should check it out when we were getting suggestions for our New York trip. I thought it was so strange that people would recommend visiting a market, but once we entered I totally understood why it was so highly recommended. It really was a sight to see unto itself.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_qiqcDZN3Nw9Kc_PVQhSTvRzz6zOLvxunxjnMiXjW5pinAZwhTEd8Ts3JgxfhUg16coAqnDGVFEDG_M_GAYRdb4VoClM4iDteZ6erA8hLDu10he_bQiNf9UVQSfrM7HfceY5KmQViHc/s1600/nyc4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_qiqcDZN3Nw9Kc_PVQhSTvRzz6zOLvxunxjnMiXjW5pinAZwhTEd8Ts3JgxfhUg16coAqnDGVFEDG_M_GAYRdb4VoClM4iDteZ6erA8hLDu10he_bQiNf9UVQSfrM7HfceY5KmQViHc/s1600/nyc4.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L: flat iron building<br />
R top to bottom: handmade pasta and huge cheese selection in Eataly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That evening we went to our <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/nyc-tapings-tonight-show-with-jimmy.html">Tonight Show taping</a>.<br />
<br />
The following morning we spent in downtown. We started with our trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We spent some time at the Statue of Liberty where we were able to go up to the pedestal and visit the museum. But we just briefly got off the ferry to snap some quick photos of Ellis Island...since none of our relatives would've immigrated through there it wasn't really a point of interest for us.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaERTMmsVw_meuKTdwSKVboZh_04DV2SaA0V9QADcnSlvrV0voSdCLSeLilmKS-abnm0XoGjq4z9Ebjci6SeOkKHl0YuZ6hK4biIMwa7apnv9KvtXLsS3X3hL79UJHoXIGEVmja0iXYMc/s1600/nyc5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaERTMmsVw_meuKTdwSKVboZh_04DV2SaA0V9QADcnSlvrV0voSdCLSeLilmKS-abnm0XoGjq4z9Ebjci6SeOkKHl0YuZ6hK4biIMwa7apnv9KvtXLsS3X3hL79UJHoXIGEVmja0iXYMc/s1600/nyc5.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: Lady Liberty up close and personal, windy stairs up to the crown, replica of the torch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once the ferry brought us back we headed to Wall Street to check out the financial hub of the United States.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXmvNo-W14NrqCP3lD-P1-nWPjHXBVzRDPjxUtntYlD39grRUmXINwzr8pfUzGF4_zMTW8dN7LnA06-kF3Mko5dbcTXRhE7kWdVGN-78f_x-GCGfzFIyr0jczqMiACwYILibXoSNEd3E/s1600/nyc6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXmvNo-W14NrqCP3lD-P1-nWPjHXBVzRDPjxUtntYlD39grRUmXINwzr8pfUzGF4_zMTW8dN7LnA06-kF3Mko5dbcTXRhE7kWdVGN-78f_x-GCGfzFIyr0jczqMiACwYILibXoSNEd3E/s1600/nyc6.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: rubbing the bulls balls for good luck, New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street,<br />
and Trinity Church at the end of Wall Street</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We then made our way to the 9/11 Memorial. Unfortunately for us we weren't able to go to the museum since it was scheduled to open a couple weeks after our trip. Although we were really disappointed that we couldn't go to the museum I'm glad we were able to pay our respects at the memorial. It's such a beautiful and peaceful place with such a tragic history behind it. I definitely got a little teary eyed being there.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLgzkWaxAfouP6o2YctTYbldgbvPY6a2qlqyyi8A6UmPF-Vm96hYZMD28UHLvdbs_SGR3vh5Y1e9cJd9Wmza1c2GBRbptVzFwYOybDgoMDQ_gAQ1Im4jBVBONrrRbLGFWYVs3s91YPso/s1600/nyc7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLgzkWaxAfouP6o2YctTYbldgbvPY6a2qlqyyi8A6UmPF-Vm96hYZMD28UHLvdbs_SGR3vh5Y1e9cJd9Wmza1c2GBRbptVzFwYOybDgoMDQ_gAQ1Im4jBVBONrrRbLGFWYVs3s91YPso/s1600/nyc7.jpg" height="548" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: 9/11 memorial pools and Freedom Tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then we made the long track across the Brooklyn bridge which provided a pretty awesome view of the Hudson River.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzuZtj2VjMQEUoCrRa6nUzgRshHRj5g3tue6Sw-AKExxvim8IfWnR2sO004gLhYe6N1fsjvMkp6p-BYZbZjHE6Rv9jB3FBReNtthBVl3Gy1BSXECZintGn7fdl3WLgjjisUFd0lHmBD4/s1600/nyc8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzuZtj2VjMQEUoCrRa6nUzgRshHRj5g3tue6Sw-AKExxvim8IfWnR2sO004gLhYe6N1fsjvMkp6p-BYZbZjHE6Rv9jB3FBReNtthBVl3Gy1BSXECZintGn7fdl3WLgjjisUFd0lHmBD4/s1600/nyc8.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">walking across the Brooklyn Bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We finished the day off with <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/nyc-musicals-gentlemans-guide-to-love.html">A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder</a>.<br />
<br />
We spent Thursday morning wandering around Central Park. Even though it was a gloomy morning it was impossible for me to day dream about how lovely it must be to live close enough to stroll the park every day. We even had a Gossip Girl moment as we sat on the Met steps.<br />
That afternoon we strolled around in Grand Central Station. It's amazing to think how many trains stop there and go through New York everyday.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XUK80NqMXQWwAJn2F7KwLCjSlLa58MpMPZsTYsrul_czNs4tfWqViZ7-ceB33u0GfA7xq6HWNr9m4XBrxt2WO2Py_sUgZYiivtI1UXI_b6jYDpGjgf2aF6F0nIKALCn9HfHjS0XoeQU/s1600/nyc9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XUK80NqMXQWwAJn2F7KwLCjSlLa58MpMPZsTYsrul_czNs4tfWqViZ7-ceB33u0GfA7xq6HWNr9m4XBrxt2WO2Py_sUgZYiivtI1UXI_b6jYDpGjgf2aF6F0nIKALCn9HfHjS0XoeQU/s1600/nyc9.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">top L to R: hanging out in Central Park on a rainy day, Bethesda Fountain, and spotted on the Met steps<br />bottom L to R: outside and inside Grand Central</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We ended the day with <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/06/nyc-musicals-rocky.html">Rocky</a>.<br />
<br />
On our last day in New York we walked along the High Line which is a park built on a historic freight rail line above the Lower West Side of Manhattan. We took one last walk through Central Park and then made our way to FAO Schwartz for some window shopping. Our last stop on our trip in New York was MOMA where we learned that we aren't huge fans of modern art. But since we got in free for Uniqlo's Free Friday Nights so we couldn't really complain.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xeaZm-D6x88CCVbvkmZ3jGV6sGTtUnV2kChxtCivlqbAngVGfJDMrG5mTM2o6EChfZ1HsAuskHHZJBxqpL5QsLe8F95uB5PnxWCayoxgIaP6k4k768SJalPk1GfDb3LUEg8jX4LEmEc/s1600/nyc10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xeaZm-D6x88CCVbvkmZ3jGV6sGTtUnV2kChxtCivlqbAngVGfJDMrG5mTM2o6EChfZ1HsAuskHHZJBxqpL5QsLe8F95uB5PnxWCayoxgIaP6k4k768SJalPk1GfDb3LUEg8jX4LEmEc/s1600/nyc10.jpg" height="274" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: strolling along the High Line, of course we had to check out the Lego displays in FAO Schwartz,<br />and enjoying Van Gogh's Starry Night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We sure had a ton of fun playing all over the city. Next up I'll be sharing some of our favorite eats from the trip.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-26804570602378276552014-06-05T21:10:00.000-07:002014-06-09T21:01:35.743-07:00NYC Musicals: Rocky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thefilmexperience.net/storage/broadway/rockythemusical.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1399306649448" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thefilmexperience.net/storage/broadway/rockythemusical.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1399306649448" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
On the Thusday we were in New York we planned to see Hedwig and the Angry Inch starring Neal Patrick Harris. It was the musical that hubs bought tickets for as soon as we knew we'd be in New York because we love NPH. Needless to say we were super excited to see that show. However, it wasn't until we were on our way to pick up our tickets from will call that we realized we'd made a terrible mistake. Apparently we put Hedwig on the wrong day in our calendar and booked A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder for the same day. We completely missed Hedwig without even knowing it! We hurried over to the box office to see if there was anything we could do to get tickets, but they informed us that tickets were sold out over a month in advanced are escorted Heartbreaking to say the least.<br />
<br />
We sadly walked toward Times Square where I proceeded to get separated from hubs in the hoards of people when he crossed a street before I was able to. Thank goodness for cell phones! After being reunited we made our way over to the TKS booth to see if there was anything we wanted to see. Hubs had been pointing out the Rocky billboards everywhere we went in New York but I was less than excited to see a musical based on a movie I'd never seen. But since hubs was so forlorn about messing up our Hedwig tickets I suggested we see Rocky in hopes of cheering him up. The musical is up for a few Tony awards including best actor in a musical and best scenic design so I figured it couldn't be so bad.<br />
<br />
Since I haven't seen the movie I can't attest to how true the musical is to the movie, but hubs says that they did a pretty good job. To me the story seems pretty depressing up until the big fight at the end, but again apparently that's how it's supposed to be. The actor who played Rocky definitely had the Sylvester Stallone voice down, but strangely had a very distinct country twang whenever he sang. I honestly wasn't very impressed with the lyrics throughout the musical. For some reason they seemed forced. But maybe that's just what happens when you're trying turn a non-musical movie into a musical.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://theinkandcode.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/stage-entertainment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://theinkandcode.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/stage-entertainment.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
Even though I wasn't blown away by the story or lyrics of Rocky I'm glad we saw it for it's production value alone. If this play doesn't win best scenic design I will be shocked. The stage design of this show is absolutely incredible. From the little things like the rain that trickles down the windows in scenes where it's raining to the cameras they use to put up live images so it looks like we're really watching the news coverage of Rocky training for the big fight. But most impressive is the boxing ring that moves seemlessly around the stage throughout the show. In fact for the fight scene between Rocky and Apollo Creed a regulation sized boxing ring slides out into the audience and a jumbo tron drops from the ceiling just like you'd see at a real boxing match. The audience members sitting in the center of the first 10-15 rows are escorted on stage to sit in bleachers to watch the big fight. It really makes you feel like you've been transported into the movie. I can't imagine how they would possibly take such a large production on the road so if you liked the movie I'd reccomend seeing the musical in New York just for the sheer amazingness of the set.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-55093051346840567812014-05-30T07:59:00.000-07:002014-05-30T07:59:54.532-07:00NYC Musicals: A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.broadwayworld.com/images.bwwstatic.com/topicheaders/GG-0217M-BroadwayWorld-Graphic-680x200-v41.jpg.pagespeed.ce.B8o7KVrFYx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.broadwayworld.com/images.bwwstatic.com/topicheaders/GG-0217M-BroadwayWorld-Graphic-680x200-v41.jpg.pagespeed.ce.B8o7KVrFYx.jpg" height="188" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
About 1-2 weeks before we left for New York the list of Tony nominations were released. Upon reviewing the list of nominees, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder clearly stoodout amongst the crowd with a whopping 10 nominations including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score. Hubs insisted that we try to get tickets for this musical while I tried to convince him that if this musical was as good as it seemed that it would probably be in next years line up for us as SHN season ticket holders. As usual hubs won after arguing that the people nominated from the musical for best actor in a musical and best featured actress in a musical wouldn't be performing in the traveling version. We just lucked out and got some of the last tickets available for the week we were in New York.<br />
<br />
The musical is a comedy about a gentleman who finds out that his late mother was from a very prestigious family, but was disowned after marrying her less than prestigious husband for love. He learns that he is actually 9th in line to inherit earldom. With that knowledge in handhe sets forth to eliminate the 9 relatives (all which are played by a single actor) ahead of him in order to earn his rightful spot as an earl.<br />
<br />
I am sooo glad hubs convinced me that it was absolutely imperative that we see this musical while in New York. The musical was spectacular and absolutely hilarious. Jefferson Mays, who plays all 9 of the relatives who are eventually off'd was absolutely brilliant. In fact the entire cast is quite sensational. I'm so happy that we had an opportunity to see this musical and I hope to see it in line up for next years SHN season.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-26801980972008153172014-05-29T06:39:00.000-07:002014-05-29T06:39:53.001-07:00NYC Tapings: The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.jaunted.com/files/6193/tonjimfal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.jaunted.com/files/6193/tonjimfal.jpg" height="355" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
A few months before Jimmy Fallon took over the Tonight Show we became pretty avid Late Night fans after seeing a couple hilarious skits that were popular around the interwebs. Once we started DVR-ing Late Night we were instantly hooked. Some of my favorite skits were <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7-PqQDWgLQ">Ew</a> with Lindsey Lohan, the worlds most epic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4ajQ-foj2Q">lip sync battle</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dzaMaouXA">#hastags</a> with Justin Timberlake, and this amazing rendition of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ4Xmp9XhIw">"Your Body"</a> with Christina Aguilera . I mean how can you not love a guy who has a serious bromance with JT? Needless to say, we were back to excited when Jimmy Fallon got upgraded to the Tonight Show and even more excited at the opportunity to see a live taping of the show.<br />
<br />
Similarly to picking up tickets for the Daily Show our email confirmation said that we needed to pick up our tickets at the NBC Experience Store by 3:40. However, just like the Daily Show they overbook the tapings so we started milling around (aka: stalking the NBC Experience store) around 1:30. We were told to come back at around 2:30. So we basked in the sun and people watched near Rockefeller Center and checked back in around 2:15 when they let us upstairs to wait for them to hand out our official tickets. By that point there were about 10 people ahead of us.<br />
<br />
Before they started handing out tickets they let us know that everyone's tickets would have either a number or a letter written on it. They assured us that the system was arbitrary and not to fret over which you got it because it just meant that you would be lining up to get into the studio at a different time. We were also told that there would be no food or drinks allowed in the studio and that once inside we couldn't use our phones or cameras and wouldn't be allowed to leave to go to the restroom. They started handing out tickets around 3 or 3:30. We were given alphabet tickets and were told to meet back in the lobby of the Rockefeller Center at 4:45.<br />
<br />
We arrived just at 4:45 and were quickly ushered through airport-like security. After clearing security we were lined up alphabetically in one of the hallways in Rockefeller Center. While standing in our line we noticed a very distinct difference between our line (the alphabet line) and the other line (the numbers line). Even though the producers had told us that the selection of alphabet versus line tickets were arbitrary, the alphabet line had a significantly lower average age than the numbers line. They let us into the taping studio one group at a time we were seated in the second row front and center...I thought I was going to die of excitement. Once we were seated we looked around, interested to see how the alphabets and numbers would be arranged in the studio. By the end it was clear that the alphabets were seated up front and center...god forbid we see old people in any audience shots (JK!) The nice thing about the Tonight Show is that they show highlights from previous shows to keep the audience entertained since they don't let you use your phones inside the studio.<br />
<br />
Similar to the Daily Show they have a comic come out and warm up the audience. The guy reminds us that we are the "laugh track" so we should laugh heartily at anything remotely funny that Jimmy or the guests say. Then the Roots came out and played a few songs before they bring Jimmy out to do the show. Once the show got started we realized that being so close to front and center wasn't all that great since the cameras were constantly moving around and blocking a lot of our view...boo. Just like the Daily Show, once the show gets started the entire taping runs pretty quickly.<br />
<br />
The guests that night were Seth Rogan, Matt Bomer (plays Neal Caffery in one of our favorite TV shows, White Colllar), and Coldplay. Like I mentioned in a <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/nyc-preparations.html">previous post</a> we signed up for tickets for a couple of different days so that we could choose the day that had the best guests. Even though our view was always a littlee obstructed it was a great show.<br />
<br />
Once the show was over Jimmy Fallon did a run up and down the aisles to high five the audience members and I even saw him sign an autograph or two. After that he dug out pretty quickly and the warm up comic came back out keep us company as they escorted us out from the back of the studio to the front.<br />
<br />
After getting out from the taping we were starving! All that cheering and laughing really works up an appetite. We grabbed some yummy ramen and headed back to our room to rest up for our next day.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-76659868274770410642014-05-27T17:13:00.002-07:002014-05-27T17:24:27.776-07:00NYC Musicals: Avenue Q<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://streetlighttheatrearts.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/avenue-q_logo_hrz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://streetlighttheatrearts.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/avenue-q_logo_hrz.jpg" height="273" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
While in New York we went to see Avenue Q at an off-Broadway theater. I had heard great things about Avenue Q and it won Tony's in 2004 for best musical, best book, and best original score so I figured why not. I'd say this is like a very grown up version of Sesame Street with muppets and everything. The play is essentially about a typical <a href="http://waitbutwhy.com/2013/09/why-generation-y-yuppies-are-unhappy.html">Gen Y yuppie</a> who's fresh out of college with a BA in English and trying to muddle through the beginnings of true adulthood. It's a story that I think really resonates with my generation and their desire to find a meaningful and fulfilling job that gives their life a purpose. This musical is full of hilarious grown up topics ranging from racisim to using the internet for porn.<br />
<br />
I really didn't know what to expect in terms of the caliber of the performance for an off-Broadway show so being the true pessimist I am I braced myself for the worst. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome the actors were. There are several actors who play multiple characters absolutely seamlessly and the singing was fantastic. I think the most impressive part for me was how well animated the actors made their muppets. It's really easy to let them fade to the background and just focus on the muppets. While this musical might not be for everyone, I'd definitely recommend it for the lighthearted who (spoiler alert) aren't easily offended by things like simulated muppet sex.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-30182985387451985952014-05-19T07:48:00.003-07:002014-05-27T18:45:46.681-07:00NYC Tapings: The Daily Show with John Stewart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.garywinberg.com/DailyShow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.garywinberg.com/DailyShow.jpg" height="248" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
On ourfirst full day in New York we went to The Daily Show with John Stewart. They start handing out tickets to people who've already reserved tickets at 2:30. We showed up at about 1:30 and there was already quite a line ofF ople which made me pretty nervous. As I mentioned in my <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/nyc-preparations.html?m=1">previous post</a>, they overbooked these tapings, so I was a little worried that we might not get tickets. Luckily, the line of people behind us started to grow and made me feel a little more at ease. A little after 2:30 they started handing out tickets and we were probably in the last group of 10-15 people they had tickets for. *whew*<br />
<br />
After successfully obtaining our tickets we were told to return to the studio by 4:30. We took that time to hightail it to the TKTS booth in Times Square to try to snag some show tickets for after the taping. We were in luck, and were able to get tickets to an off-Broadway production of Avenue Q (more on that later).<br />
<br />
We headed back to The Daily Show studio and were lined up in order of our ticket numbers. Before letting us into the studio a hipster looking girl made a few announcements about what we should expect as we headed in. We were to use the restrooms before entering the studio as once we were seated we would not be allowed to get up. Once we had relieved ourselves we were to proceed through security which was comprised of a bag check and metal detector. We were told that food, drinks, cameras, and mace/pepper spray wouldn't be allowed into the studio and would need to be left with security and picked up after the show. Hipster girl went on to say that before the show John would come out and answer a few audience questions. We were specifically told not to ask for autographs/pictures or ask creepy questions (ie: will you marry me?)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4rO_A8XO4cgcP0tHM8t7eDUiN9v3aD8lC2SKmEthAhUEN-KZ7QWbzoMLCrNnr5k2UyfwPOhuU2X-WUsvbbxwnTkMST-oBcnNGIxjhY0Neb9dC3wJmBBSU9pwcjQ26O9gQmcV36foCZ8/s1600/Screenshot_2014-05-19-07-45-05-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4rO_A8XO4cgcP0tHM8t7eDUiN9v3aD8lC2SKmEthAhUEN-KZ7QWbzoMLCrNnr5k2UyfwPOhuU2X-WUsvbbxwnTkMST-oBcnNGIxjhY0Neb9dC3wJmBBSU9pwcjQ26O9gQmcV36foCZ8/s1600/Screenshot_2014-05-19-07-45-05-2.png" height="317" width="320" /></a></div>
Once inside the studio we were allowed to take pictures of the studio with our phones. Of course we took an obligatory selfie with the Daily Show desk in the background. After what seems like hours but is probably more like 45 minutes a comedian came out to warm the audience up. He taught us how to cheer and laugh loudly which is very important for us to do since "there is no laugh track" and we were it. We were then instructed to put our phones away and keep them there for the remainder of the taping.<br />
<br />
As hipster girl promised, John came out be for the show started and answered a few audience questions...none of which were interesting enough for me to remember. He then took his seat behind his desk and they started the show. Everything runs amazingly smoothly and quickly with very minimal pauses for the commercial breaks. Our guest was NY Yankee, Mariano Rivera which made for some fun banter between the two of them since John is a NY Mets fan.<br />
<br />
Once the taping was over we were told to keep our phones away and were quickly ushered out of the studio. We were out of there by about 5:30 or 6. Just enough time for us to grab a quick bite to eat and hurry over to Avenue Q.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Check out my blog on our <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/nyc-preparations.html?m=1">NYC preparations</a> to see how we got in on this taping.</i></span>sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-4778139228237517762014-05-12T07:50:00.000-07:002014-05-19T06:40:41.329-07:00NYC Musicals: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.nycsinglemom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Screen-Shot-2012-11-02-at-7.34.40-PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.nycsinglemom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Screen-Shot-2012-11-02-at-7.34.40-PM.png" height="296" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
On our first day in NYC hubs and I started our day with a traditional upper west side brunch at Good Enough to Eat. After we'd had our fill we made our way back to Times Square so we could check out what was available for a matinee at the TKTS booth. Hubs was so excited to see that tickets were available for Cinderella since it's featuring Carly Rae Jepsen and Fran Drescher for a limited time. I, on the other hand, was a bit apprehensive about sa musical with Carly Rae Jepsen as the primary actress. Don't get me wrong, I get all teeny bopper when Call Me Maybe comes on the radio, I was just a little concerned with how her singing would be sans studio post-production and even more concerned with her acting abilities. Never the less, tickets were 50% off original matinee prices so I figured even if it was terrible at least it'd be cheap.<br />
<br />
I've never actually read the original Cinderella story and only know Disney's Cinderella story from the movie so I'm not sure how close the musical was too the original story, but it was quite different from Disney's version. Because the plot was so different from what I know the story to be it was a lot more interesting to me. As much as I've enjoyed Disney's adaptations of Beauty and the Beast or Mary Poppins as musicals there's always a little bit of excitement missing for me since I already know what's going to happen.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, Fran Drescher wasn't performing at our show. Even though the actress playing the evil stepmother was great I think that it would've been awesome to see Fran Drescher do it. But I must say I was surprised at how good Carly Rae Jepsen's performance as Cinderella was. She did a great job singing and her acting didn't induce cringing like I thought it would. I must say I have a lot more respect for her as s singer now... if only she would sing some songs with substance in them.<br />
<br />
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this musical and would definitely recommend it to people who were looking to see something fun and light to watch.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-58411468806389085332014-05-07T20:32:00.003-07:002014-08-26T21:12:04.799-07:00NYC PreparationsHello from NYC, loves! Hubs and I are waiting in line for a table for dinner right now. If you follow me on fb or instagram you've seen all the fun we've been up to the past couple of days. I've been getting a lot of questions about how to get in on the show tapings we've been to so far so I thought it'd be a good idea to blog about all the hard prep work hubs did to get our trip to NYC full of fun times.<br />
<br />
Attractions:<br />
Yesterday we took a great boat tour around half of Manhattan Island with Circle Line Sightseeing. We booked that a day ahead with no problems. We went on a weekday, so I'm not sure if that would change for the weekends.<br />
We also went to the top of Rockefeller Center yesterday morning and night. We bought our tickets online the day before. This is not necessary, but it ensured that we got to skip the line to buy tickets and get right in line to get up to the top of the Rock.<br />
We haven't been there yet but before heading to NYC we looked into seeing the Statue of Liberty. Depending on how high up you want to get up in Lady Liberty determines how early you need to get tickets. If you want to get up to the torch...sorry bub, you're SOL. No one has been up there in like a hundred years. If you want to get up to her crown you should look into getting tickets 2-3 months in advanced. Unfortunately for us we hadn't even decided to go to New York early enough to even feasible get tickets for that. We got our tickets to the pedestal about a week before leaving for our trip. However, hubs mentioned that when he looked tickets were still available for the following day; so buying tickets the day before should probably be okay for this too.<br />
We also haven't been to the 9/11 Memorial yet either, but we made our reservations about a week before we left for New York. Making reservations ahead of time is most likely not necessary, but it should save us some time from having to stand in line the day of.<br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Check out my <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/08/nyc-sightseeing-picture-heavy-post.html">post</a> on all the spots we visited</span></i><br />
<br />
Tapings:<br />
Yesterday we went to a taping of the Daily Show with John Stewart. Hubs doesn't quite remember how we came across these...we think mostly by sheer luck we looked at the website and sign up for tickets was available. For really good detailed info about how to get in on the Daily Show you should check out this super helpful <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-go-to-a-live-taping-of-the-daily-show-2013-7">website</a> (the article is almost a year old, but still relevant).<br />
Today we went to a taping of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Signing up for this taping was significantly more difficult. Hubs ended up coding a program to text and email the both of us when tickets became available. If this isn't an option for you I'd suggest liking the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FallonTonight">Tonight Show facebook page</a> because they make announcements on when tickets become available on there. In general we found that they released tickets a month at a time at the beginning of the prior month. For example if you want to go anytime in August you should be getting ready to sign up for your tickets in the beginning of July. You have to be on your A game here since we found that sign ups filled up within about the first 5-10 minutes.<br />
A couple of notes on signing up for these tapings before we move on. First off, just because you've signed up for the taping it does not...I repeat, DOES NOT...guarantee you a seat at the taping. These tapings are all overbooked to make sure there's a full audience so pay attention to what time you need to be where to claim your actual tickets to the tapings. Secondly, when you sign up for these tapings you never know who the guests are going to be. Since we didn't know who the guests were going to be or what our schedule was going to be like we signed up for a couple of days for each show. They don't let you sign up for more then one taping per show, but we made reservations under hub's name one day and my name the next day. I'm sure this is probably frowned upon, but it gave us a little loop hole to have some extra flexibility during our trip.<br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Check out my <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/nyc-tapings-daily-show-with-john-stewart.html?m=1">Daily Show</a> and <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/nyc-tapings-tonight-show-with-jimmy.html?m=1">Tonight Show</a> experiences.</span></i><br />
<br />
Broadway/Off-Broadway:<br />
At least a month before leaving we purchased our tickets for Hedwig and the Angry Inch and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. While in New York we've been able to score discount tickets to Cinderella and Avenue Q. If you want to see popular shows (ie: Wicked or the two shows we purchased tickets in advanced for) best buy your tickets at full price ahead of time. Those shows rarely make it to the TKTS discount ticket booth...in fact I overheard them saying that they NEVER get Wicked tickets. Otherwise it has been easy for us to get good seats from TKTS to the shows we've wanted without even having to stand in line before the booth opens.<br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Check out my reviews on <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/rodgers-and-hammersteins-cinderella.html">Cinderella</a>, <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/nyc-musicals-avenue-q.html">Avenue Q</a>, <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/05/nyc-musicals-gentlemans-guide-to-love.html">A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder</a> and <a href="http://thenewmrshonda.blogspot.com/2014/06/nyc-musicals-rocky.html">Rocky</a></span></i><br />
<br />
Anyway, I hope this was helpful for all of you guys planning upcoming trips to NYC.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-4721560874825534332014-04-15T08:49:00.000-07:002014-04-16T07:00:35.442-07:00Love LettersA couple weeks ago, one of my favorite bloggers, <a href="http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/?m=1">Cup of Jo</a>, posted some excerpts from an interesting article about the lost art of the <a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/03/23/opinion/sunday/the-lost-art-of-the-unsent-angry-letter.html?_r=0&referrer=">unsent angry letter</a>. At the end of her <a href="http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-lost-art-of-unsent-angry-letter.html?m=1">post</a> she briefly mentioned an equally intriguing idea of writing a love letter to a current, past, or future love. I'd have to say my relationships with my first boyfriend has probably had the most profound effects on shaping my understanding of a romantic relationship. Looking back it feels like I've really come full circle to the amazing type of relationship I didn't recognize in my first boyfriend but never doubted in my husband. So without further ado I thought I'd share my love letter to my first boyfriend and of course my wonderful husband.<br />
<br />
To my first boyfriend,<br />
First and foremost I want to apologize for the way I treated you while we were together. I was too young and stupid to have an inkling of appreciation for all that you did for me. I fell for you at first because I thought you were a bad boy through and through down to your outrageously saggy jeans (thank god that tend is over!) But once we were "official"...well as official as sixth graders can be...you turned into a nice guy. In fact you were a really nice guy. You treated me like a princess and showered me with gifts of flowers and poems of love. You were smart and always offered to help me with my math homework when I struggled. And in return for your kindness I pushed you away. This wasn't what I signed up for. I didn't want a nice guy...where is that bad boy I thought was so cute?<br />
Feeling smothered by your attention I broke it off. We remained friends and you were always still there being that nice guy for me. You switched schools and we lost touch. I dated my share of real bad boys who probably never cared for me half as much as you did. Sometimes I felt like a bad ass rebel dating without a cause. But as I started getting older I realized how stupid I had been to let someone like you go so unappreciated. I began to wonder if I would ever find someone as good as you to spend the rest of my life with. I started to think that maybe I just didn't deserve a guy like you anyway.<br />
And then I met my husband, a smart, kind, and generous guy. And because of you I knew. I knew that this was a good thing. I knew that I should appreciate all the things he did for me like taking 2 semesters of chemistry to help me study even though it wasn't a requirement for his major or surprising me with a giant teddy bear in my dorm room.<br />
So I'd like to thank you. Thank you for setting the bar even when I didn't know you were doing it. At least partially thanks to you I have an amazing life with my wonderful husband who treats me like a princess. I know that you're also married and I hope that you're both very happy and I hope you treat her as wonderfully as you treated me.<br />
<br />
To my husband,<br />
Life has been kind to me for bringing someone like you into my life. You've stuck by my side and have held my hand through some challenging times and always believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. You're the most unselfish person when it comes to loving me, always putting me ahead of yourself. You're always thoughtful, anticipating my needs before I even think about them. You've been endlessly patient with me even when I haven't deserved it. You're amazingly generous and always spoiling me with lavish gifts.<br />
I love you with my every being. And everyday I strive to show you how much I love you and how much I appreciate everything you do for me. You're an amazing man and we've had an amazing 10 years together. I look forward to whatever life has in store for the two of us. I know that with you the joys that life brings will be more joyful and that the challenges we may face will be more manageable.<br />
Forever yours,<br />
Mrs. Hondasittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-45654134287656970562014-04-03T07:26:00.002-07:002014-04-03T07:26:32.040-07:00Venus in Fur: A ReviewI can't believe it's been over 2 months since my last post. I can't even honestly say my mini hiatus has been because we've been crazy busy or anything. I think it's mostly because we've been going through a little bit of a challenging situation on the home front which has left my mind preoccupied with other things besides blogging. Hopefully getting back into blogging will help keep my mind off of things outside of my control.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.act-sf.org/content/dam/act/2013-14%20Season/mainstage_tiles/venus_650x250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.act-sf.org/content/dam/act/2013-14%20Season/mainstage_tiles/venus_650x250.jpg" height="258" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>
A couple weekends ago hubs and I went to see Venus in Fur, which was a nominee for best play at the 2013 Tony Awards. It was our first non-musical play and we were a little aprehensive that we might not enjoy it as much as a musical. Luckily the Tony's have yet to steer us wrong.<br />
<br />
Venus in Fur is a play made up soley of 2 actors. The premise of the play is a playwright/director who is trying to cast the lead female in his play based on the famous book Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. If his last name sounds a little familiar it's because the term sadomasochism was derived from this guys name. If that doesn't give you a hint about what this play is like take a look above at the play's banner and hopefully you'll get it. As if the sensuality of the play weren't riveting enough there are plot twists throughout the play that keep the audience on the edge of their seats.<br />
<br />
This was the first time we had seen anything in the American Conservatory Theater and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this theater. We've only been in the theaters that feature musicals (Golden Gate Theatere, Curran Theatere, and Orpheum Theatere), but the ACT is much smaller then those. It was definitely a much more intimate feel which I enjoyed. And even though the theater itself is much smaller they have a large open lower level with a bar and lots of seating which was a nice change from the cramped standing room only bar areas of the other theaters we've been to.<br />
<br />
Overall I'd definitely recommend this play to first timers or newbies. I think it was a great way of dipping our toes into plays without drowning in something that would surely be over our heads like Macbeth. However, I must warn (as if it isn't obvious enough) this play is not for the prudish at heart. The play is oozing with sensuality and even a bit of gender play. But if you go into it with an open mind I'm sure you'll find it just as enjoyable as we did.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-49835140233249404012014-01-20T20:23:00.001-08:002014-01-20T20:23:49.175-08:00Succulent Succulents at SucculenceCheck out that awesome alliteration. My 2nd grade English teacher would be so proud (not really).<br />
<br />
This past weekend I met up with a coworker to take a terrarium making class at this super cute little shop in Bernal Heights, <a href="http://www.thesucculence.com/">Succulence</a>. Anyone who isn't living under a rock knows that succulents are so in right now and this store was like hipster heaven. They have a nice selection of books on gardening, preserving foods, etc; as well as promenade terrarium and all the things you'd need to make a terrarium of your own.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKXBKlLgeLZaLxQDjmF1jmHv5rN3sJc25MhGHQUuU130EPcp0LpNGG_4f-v1jhXs09VnmVte4DNMWDX_0tU8U4BJ_Okwwj22lKqVW5L7ulL7yX0sKO_Rvm-pGwAoassjJVFxLUzLARrQ/s1600/succulents1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKXBKlLgeLZaLxQDjmF1jmHv5rN3sJc25MhGHQUuU130EPcp0LpNGG_4f-v1jhXs09VnmVte4DNMWDX_0tU8U4BJ_Okwwj22lKqVW5L7ulL7yX0sKO_Rvm-pGwAoassjJVFxLUzLARrQ/s1600/succulents1.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: starting with succulents in their pots, terrarium with my drainage layer and succulents waiting for their<br /> new home</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The class was run by the owner, Ken, who is crazy about succulents. We started off with us choosing 3-5 small succulents... but being the rebel that I am, I started with 6. I just couldn't choose! There were too many pretty ones to choose from. Once we had all chosen our plants we sat down and Ken broke down the different components of a good terrarium and their importance; as well as how to care for our soon to be made terrariums. Then we took a tour of the shop to get some design ideas before getting started on our own terrariums.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPVIZ5g03nkj1iH2zbL411gCOKe9Yc2L1ypwb0ST_4pfscHTYxjTaPMysxiaB8Jt3Tor6FnftkUhMJyTvUuW1vYeHVNrKYWo1gexzk0oHe68my3s9P-zlETMnSGSXEVq-M8_V8x7eI8M/s1600/succulents2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPVIZ5g03nkj1iH2zbL411gCOKe9Yc2L1ypwb0ST_4pfscHTYxjTaPMysxiaB8Jt3Tor6FnftkUhMJyTvUuW1vYeHVNrKYWo1gexzk0oHe68my3s9P-zlETMnSGSXEVq-M8_V8x7eI8M/s1600/succulents2.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R: succulents in place with decorative moss bits, adding the final touch of a blue ninja</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Not to toot my own horn, but I was really impressed with my end product. Usually my DIY adventures end up incomplete or as a disappointment so I was really pleased with my terrarium. Even hubs was surprised at how well my terrarium turned out...so much so that he was gladly willing to give my terrarium a home in his new office. Now that's the true mark of a successful DIY project!<br />
<br />
I can't wait to make my next terrarium and even want to try their vertical gardening class.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-77897648121669843132014-01-12T20:25:00.001-08:002014-01-12T20:25:41.157-08:00New Year in HawaiiFirst post of the new year almost half way through the January...please excuse my absence. As anyone in my field knows things can get pretty crazy around the holiday season and when I'd get home all I wanted to do was feed my face and fall into bed. Thank goodness we had a trip to Hawaii planned right after Christmas...I definitely needed a break from all the craziness at work.<br />
<br />
The cost of flights to Hawaii were seriously out of control when we bought our tickets. So in an attempt to save a little bit of money we made the switch from Hawaiian Airlines to Alaska Airlines. But after 2 flights with poor service by the cabin crew of Alaska we decided that we'll be sticking with Hawaiian. On the flight to Hawaii my entire row was skipped over and wasn't offered any drinks. When I noticed they had skipped me I politely turned around to ask for a drink and was greeted with a completely annoyed stewardess. And while we were experiencing a relatively long duration of light turbulence quite a few people were hitting their call buttons...they were answered by an irritated announcement over the speaker system telling people to stop pressing the call buttons unless it was an emergency. On our flight back to California it seemed like the entire cabin crew staff had a stick up their ass or a major case of "resting bitch face." I even overheard the passengers behind us complain about the cabin crew member who rudely removed the digi-player from the passengers hand as she tried to turn it off before handing it over. Needless to say we definitely missed the warm aloha spirit of Hawaiian and will not be returning to Alaska any time soon. <i>end rant.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPu5inqlcZ0EeSqvLIEfk1ssNPJ5Bmx3yqTamXBMtPoVNgzuu-7y6eMqFrEnGnYFZsPq2Pv39fVBZjmgNjIVFFwhyJj3WmFv97NHN5fqCYqQKaATQD_gB9D8TFRZxfcVb86HUEcIgnGk/s1600/hawaii2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPu5inqlcZ0EeSqvLIEfk1ssNPJ5Bmx3yqTamXBMtPoVNgzuu-7y6eMqFrEnGnYFZsPq2Pv39fVBZjmgNjIVFFwhyJj3WmFv97NHN5fqCYqQKaATQD_gB9D8TFRZxfcVb86HUEcIgnGk/s640/hawaii2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">group photo of the c/o 2003</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Conveniently we were in Hawaii during the same time as my high school 10 year reunion...damn I'm getting old. The reunion was held at <a href="http://www.stagerestauranthawaii.com/">Stage Restaurant</a> with good people and pretty good food. It was a nice chance to get together and catch up with a lot of people that I hadn't really kept in touch with. It's amazing to see how people have and haven't changed in 10 years.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKZLk3yb-OLCmAto33A2bAW_wFANhCX-odgUfPr5OwDhYQRPNWfyQW2IbZbFdIV0LCinNC8lcNXB6JVnXqOjHDl6DSECeSnvwBW_hx5xjl5HIjMg1fCsanimNQcPFJ8gFCOmdzTG-6fA/s1600/hawaii2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKZLk3yb-OLCmAto33A2bAW_wFANhCX-odgUfPr5OwDhYQRPNWfyQW2IbZbFdIV0LCinNC8lcNXB6JVnXqOjHDl6DSECeSnvwBW_hx5xjl5HIjMg1fCsanimNQcPFJ8gFCOmdzTG-6fA/s640/hawaii2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The next day we hiked Pill Boxes with someone I used to ice skate with and her little brother. I am nothing close to an outdoorsy girl so it was the first time I hiked anything besides Diamond Head in Hawaii. It was a pretty easy hike even for a newb like me. Probably the toughest part of the hike is going back down since there's a lot of loose gravel which makes for a slipper trip.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZPlUP59Kc904v5r74-eGi0LRvXmgYxU9XGnFfdvKvhfGDSzjMMS4hBCPHHDKJtPnT6rWtHvIP4Zcxz3L9Fz7VHlWOnXvA2f_35Da3dYXiaje4bPx9xwCmLFFw3DUAGHFROZPXCKUcug/s1600/hawaii3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZPlUP59Kc904v5r74-eGi0LRvXmgYxU9XGnFfdvKvhfGDSzjMMS4hBCPHHDKJtPnT6rWtHvIP4Zcxz3L9Fz7VHlWOnXvA2f_35Da3dYXiaje4bPx9xwCmLFFw3DUAGHFROZPXCKUcug/s400/hawaii3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my favorite ladies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That night we met up with the usual suspects at <a href="http://mwrestaurant.com/">MW Restaurant</a>. Of course the food was delicious, our culinary friends were the ones who chose the place. I'm pretty sure we should always let them choose our dinner spot since they always know someone in the kitchen and we get extra special service. Even though we had just seen them the night before at the reunion it was so nice to get to catch up in a more intimate setting. With one of them newly engaged and the other with a wedding coming up in summer there was definitely a lot to talk about. It makes me so happy to see that my friends have found such good guys to spend the rest of their lives with.<br />
<br />
The main reason for our trip to Hawaii was to ring in the New Year with my family...especially since it was my parent's year to host the big New Year celebration at their house. It was really nice getting to see a lot of my family and celebrate with them since we don't get to see them too often. After growing up on an island with my family so close, living on the mainland and being so far away is a little bit tough for me especially during the holidays. I'm so glad we got to spend New Years in Hawaii with my family this year.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RAxes6p-mkNhz4DsHWutJO_yMQ2x87elpNUpVIDC72KScyt2Wrw36y8stL_YaNunpS6zv-bvSdz_QgeCY7zFubLaW76Q2wIYQhUCJYH4CytjXvlnAS8FeloNG4Yb4VdGx1d35roe428/s1600/hawaii4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-RAxes6p-mkNhz4DsHWutJO_yMQ2x87elpNUpVIDC72KScyt2Wrw36y8stL_YaNunpS6zv-bvSdz_QgeCY7zFubLaW76Q2wIYQhUCJYH4CytjXvlnAS8FeloNG4Yb4VdGx1d35roe428/s640/hawaii4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Before we left Hawaii and returned to our lives in California we made a trip to North Shore to check out the winter swells and to eat our favorite garlic shrimp at Giovanni's. Lastly we met up with a couple of friends from pharmacy school for dinner at <a href="http://shokudojapanese.com/">Shokudo</a>. It was great to catch up with them over some delicious honey toast.<br />
<br />
Although our trip was short it was great to get away and see some of my family and friends that we don't get to see very often. Already looking forward to our next trip back for my friend's wedding.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-9631052634365114372013-12-18T20:46:00.000-08:002013-12-18T20:46:33.955-08:00Peter and the Starcatcher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.achildgrows.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/1690339.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.achildgrows.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/1690339.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
On Black Friday hubs and I had our season tickets to see Peter and the Starcatcher after I finished work. Unfortunately due to some food poisoning which was probably from the sliders a food truck near work were giving away for free we weren't able to go. But thanks to the very kind people at SHN we were able to reschedule our show for matinee on Saturday. In hindsight we probably should've chosen the evening show on Saturday as the matinee was plagued with children who like to kick the seats in front of them.<br />
<br />
The show is based on the book, which is a prequel to the Peter Pan story. Everything about this play is minimalist from the set and props are minimal as they invite you to use your imagination and the small cast that of people playing multiple characters. With that being said they do an amazing job using what few props and costumes they have to create an amazing story.<br />
<br />
Although this is primarily a very kid-oriented play there were a lot of very adult jokes that had us lol-ing. Disney has put their name on a lot of different musicals, but this is probably the most grown-up friendly one we've seen so far. Highly recommend!sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-59272769023451004902013-12-02T20:39:00.000-08:002013-12-02T20:39:04.257-08:00Stella & Dot Trunk ShowLast weekend a friend and I hosted a <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/">Stella & Dot</a> trunk show at my house. I had been trolling their website and adding item and after item to my wish list. While trolling the website I saw that you can host a trunk show and I thought it'd be a great excuse to get some friends and family together and maybe help people get some things checked off their Christmas list. It was so much fun to just hang out and try on all kinds of different jewelry while sipping on some champagne (of course).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNrK_mxSMK90fc47CDhx5URoDg4MHOSyC3ZGFrPuF2exoQZWouJUsB3p3KejShEU3ZBX-2Dat1rUfcgmecPriyQ4Dv662EPhTzt-LYbA8Sw_-PpPXnEdBplpD5Su7HNR8mWXO8tcLYHU/s1600/stelladot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmNrK_mxSMK90fc47CDhx5URoDg4MHOSyC3ZGFrPuF2exoQZWouJUsB3p3KejShEU3ZBX-2Dat1rUfcgmecPriyQ4Dv662EPhTzt-LYbA8Sw_-PpPXnEdBplpD5Su7HNR8mWXO8tcLYHU/s640/stelladot.jpg" width="548" /></a></div>
<br />
The products our stylist brought to the trunk show were absolutely beautiful. There were a lot of jewelry pieces that I remember being unimpressed with in the catalog that really won me over in person. Their handbags impressed me and were surprisingly high in quality. And their scarves...oh their scarves...so big and soft! I must say after seeing all those items in person I have a lot more things added to my wish list.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wbAPan_NqcofDPkLYIr0E-gKF2L8VVTXTYdGWsi3GWOmVdmaaUfm5Z4nDT-g6dhD8sIN6ffFqn2VllEpb5qfuDbTbEBdzU2efGbIn_90bF_XZ2N8T8_c3AYIZkWb5-1Zp9Nl9CZn9jQ/s1600/stelladot2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wbAPan_NqcofDPkLYIr0E-gKF2L8VVTXTYdGWsi3GWOmVdmaaUfm5Z4nDT-g6dhD8sIN6ffFqn2VllEpb5qfuDbTbEBdzU2efGbIn_90bF_XZ2N8T8_c3AYIZkWb5-1Zp9Nl9CZn9jQ/s640/stelladot2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CW: <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/shop/en_us/p/jewelry/necklaces/necklaces-all/sutton-necklace">Sutton Necklace</a> ($128) - super cute statement necklace that can be worn multiple ways, <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/shop/en_us/p/jewelry/necklaces/necklaces-all/sanibel-pendant?color=silver">Sanibel <br />Reversible Pendant</a> ($69) - necklace that can be worn long or short with a reversible pendant, <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/shop/en_us/p/jewelry/rings/rings-all/stackable-deco-rings-set-of-3">Stackable <br />Deco Rings</a> ($49) - cute set of 3 simple rings, <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/shop/en_us/p/accessories/designer-scarves/luxembourg-scarf-cerulean-tiger">Luxemborg Scarf in Ceruleun Tiger</a> ($59) - super soft and luxe <br />scarf perfect for the fall/winter, <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/shop/en_us/p/jewelry/bracelets/bracelets-all/serenity-stone-cuff?color=gold">Serenity Stone Cuff</a> ($49) - perfect for tiny wrists, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8690791986581316592#editor/target=post;postID=5927276902345100490;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=0;src=link">Getaway Bag</a> ($138) - this<br />big bag unzips to unfold an even bigger bag perfect for a weekend getaway.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This is the last week to shop our trunk show. It's perfect for checking gifts of your Christmas list or a little something for yourself. Be sure visit our <a href="http://www.stelladot.com/ts/eycu5">trunk show online</a> and select our trunk show by searching by my name (Lauren Honda).sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-6333948520851491922013-11-30T11:52:00.000-08:002013-11-30T11:52:07.018-08:00Porgy and Bess<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://seasonofsavings.com//files/4613/4003/4430/PAB-summer295x155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="http://seasonofsavings.com//files/4613/4003/4430/PAB-summer295x155.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The next show hubs and I saw this theater season was The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, which won an award at the last Tony's for Best Revival of a Musical. As season ticket holders we were invited to a special behind the scenes event where the director, Diane Paulus, discussed some of the background and history of the play and we got to watch some of the tech rehearsal.<br />
<br />
Porgy and Bess started off as a novel by DuBose Heyward, which was then translated into a play and then later an opera, before being made into a musical. As a whole I thought the show was very good. Since the musical was adapted from the opera there was a lot of operatic singing, especially by the female cast. which at times made it very difficult for me to fully understand what was going on. Granted that is no fault of the musical...my ears just aren't used to that style and I found it hard to follow at times. Even with the operatic singing I still understood the main storyline, I may have just missed some of the underlying nuances.<br />
<br />
Most notably the actors were amazing! In fact they were so convincing that the actors who played the villains literally got booed during the final curtain call. I don't know what was better...the fact that the audience booed them or that the actors loved it. LOLsittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8690791986581316592.post-46413071411373714782013-11-24T21:47:00.000-08:002013-11-24T21:47:56.489-08:00Tale of a BridesmaidWhen hubs and I got married in Hawaii another great thing happened - our friends who were there for our wedding got engaged. A year and a half later we finally got to see them get married! Not only did we get to see them get married but I had the honor of being one of her bridesmaids.<br />
<br />
Hubs and I had already been dating for about a year when I met the bride in one of my college classes and we hit it off instantly. I remember she used to come to my room to have me do her makeup before she went out on the weekends....man does that bring back crazy memories. We watched her date different guys that just weren't right for her and we watched her date her now husband. There is something absolutely amazing about seeing a couple you've watched blossom and grow together get married. It may be one of the most touching things I've ever experienced.<br />
<br />
The wedding day was a crazy long and tiring day...even more tiring than my own wedding day. We started our day at the bride's home in San Jose at 3am...no jokes...three.in.the.morning. UGH...I must really love that girl. After we were all dolled up and dressed there was a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony hosted by the bride's family. Then we made the long drive to Stockton for the traditional Chinese tea ceremony hosted by the groom's family before the wedding.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qOfnrsQFhXZIOO7AtAVnAfMeBFBqSbjnZJXg0HNBUL0u7_m0o4_0ClD1sqIIbLsRLtgcZ7YV7EGsGmcmfNVrGLzj8ySwrkFXk3mO-nBZ0mS2kNC2ciC3Qd6N0lMFN_Z-aHcRtnyX9Co/s1600/wedding1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5qOfnrsQFhXZIOO7AtAVnAfMeBFBqSbjnZJXg0HNBUL0u7_m0o4_0ClD1sqIIbLsRLtgcZ7YV7EGsGmcmfNVrGLzj8ySwrkFXk3mO-nBZ0mS2kNC2ciC3Qd6N0lMFN_Z-aHcRtnyX9Co/s640/wedding1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CCW: getting beautified with the beautiful bride, traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony with the bride's <br />family, traditional Chinese tea ceremony with the groom's family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The wedding ceremony was held in our alma mater's church which is absolutely beautiful. Hubs and I contemplated getting married there as well, but the impracticality of asking my large family to fly out to California for a wedding trumped our emotional and nostalgic desire to get married there. The ceremony was nice and short and the couple wrote their own heartfelt vows...some tears were definitely shed. After the ceremony I hung back to take pictures with the bridal party while Hubs and the friends that were staying with us went to help set up the reception site.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1exOnFvFddxp7zQbv4_2XmsVYnP7XNfzCVC04nHAWvNT7TdrW01HTIZyO_Stl5xTfNK3ldYLHY0qqlMhTjA565b2rrA6HV4lLdLa8ypQK_1iQEOcZixkxbqVK19dbYs7f-QXjeeWZW0/s1600/wedding2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1exOnFvFddxp7zQbv4_2XmsVYnP7XNfzCVC04nHAWvNT7TdrW01HTIZyO_Stl5xTfNK3ldYLHY0qqlMhTjA565b2rrA6HV4lLdLa8ypQK_1iQEOcZixkxbqVK19dbYs7f-QXjeeWZW0/s400/wedding2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the new Mr. & Mrs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The reception was a traditional family-style Chinese wedding banquet. Hubs and I were seated at a table with our friends and a couple of our classmates from pharmacy school. We all had a great time catching up, but after my early wake up call I was pretty much done once the reception program was over.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYP6wFicbpDxe_PlrtvpenyS1hDXbSaRCFKNoZ_hPFt_90IxowxEVqTxK-107Xjjx0vTbFrO6vYUnSEG1wlhyYc7SZOoAyy88A5gFILnDULtHYZG8D_bsi1Wk6Syo5BsB1DRpB8aS-XQ/s1600/wedding3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYP6wFicbpDxe_PlrtvpenyS1hDXbSaRCFKNoZ_hPFt_90IxowxEVqTxK-107Xjjx0vTbFrO6vYUnSEG1wlhyYc7SZOoAyy88A5gFILnDULtHYZG8D_bsi1Wk6Syo5BsB1DRpB8aS-XQ/s640/wedding3.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CW: the newlyweds first dance, obligatory selfies, fellow pharmers at the wedding </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Watching our friends get married truly touching. I'm glad that I've been lucky enough to see them grow into the wonderful couple they are and witness them make their vows to one another. It really reminded me of how much I love hubs and the vows we made to one another. I am truly blessed to have found my better half.sittinprettyinpinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01593417609919190841noreply@blogger.com0