Chez Mobley!

I have to admit, I envy my friends who are buying, building, remodeling, and decorating new homes.  I have an little a board on Pinterest dedicated to furnishing and decorating my future home and the house of my dreams.  That reality isn't too far away, but as you all know....that means moving out of New York City...sigh.  Until the Mobleys are ready to trade in martinis, $10 cab rides, and unlimited delivery options for walk-in closets, then apartment living it is for this little family.

Our New RUG!!!!

But that doesn't save me from the re-decorating itch that comes with almost 3 years in the same little 400 square foot apartment.  Or the itch that comes along after you spend almost a month traveling, and your apartment becomes consumed by partially unpacked suitcases and piles of laundry.  Yes, we are limited by the fact that we don't own our space, and don't have unlimited options for demolition, molding, and painting as we'd like, but we CAN get creative.  We made some quick little updates to our living space last weekend that definitely brightened up the place a bit and satisfied the nesting bug that bit me over the last month.  Here are some of the changes we made to our humble abode to make it more comfortable for us as the winter months are approaching, and we spend some more time enjoying being home.

Hallway before

During our renovation

1.  A BRAND NEW RUG!  It's amazing how much a rug can change the space in the room.  Mike's parents gave us this beautiful Persian rug that we are in love with, but I'm a little scared with Mike's tendency to spill, Winston's tendency to drool, and my tendency to do P90X, that this rug is too valuable to keep in our tiny apartment.  I can't wait until I have a large place to display this beauty one day, but for now, we are getting it cleaned and preserving it for when we move into some place bigger, and with less traffic.  We bought this rug on RugsUsa, and I LOVE it.  I have to tout the site as well, because they had a wonderful selection and shipped it in a little over a week!

I even got some new matching cushions

A happy new yellow wall!

2.   A NEW WALL!  Ok, I didn't do any demolition, and I didn't do a "convert" as they say in New York, but we updated our entry way to be a little bit brighter and a little less cluttered.  One of my friends was raving about how great tempaper is as a solution to apartment living.  I was so excited to try it out, but when we got to Benjamin Moore...I wasn't thrilled with the colors they had available.  So 15 minutes later, I came home with a gallon of yellow paint and went to town on the wall instead of going the Tempaper route.  Entry ways are hard because they are such a high traffic area, and after 2.5 years of all four seasons and a bulldog, the chalky white paint had taken a beating.  Not only is the sunshine-y yellow a happy welcome to our home, but we were able to cover the dark marks that no amount of Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser can fix. Now all we need is a brand new runner and my hallway will be completely transformed!

3.  After almost (on Thursday it will be exact) 16 months of marriage, we had yet to buy towels together!  I know, it's weird.  Mike brought his turquoise green towels from bachelorhood, and I had the same towels that saw me through 3 years of LA living with 2 other ladies.  We registered for some, but when we did not get any, it was probably the last place we wanted to spend an extra buck (especially, when there is fish artwork to buy, we definitely have our priorities).  I'm now happy to report that not only to we have huge, fluffy, white, cozy towels...they are monogrammed...the first thing we have of ours with our combined monogram!

4. Some festive summer bedding - Buying linens for your bed is a huge commitment, almost as huge as who gets to SHARE that bedding with you!  It's something you have to deal with every day, and there is nothing worse than uncomfortable linens.  We love the bedding we registered for when we got married.  It's a perfect blend of Mike and I...and I promised him that I would never make him sleep in floral decorated sheets or duvets. But the summers in New York are just too hot, and we needed something brighter and lighter to keep us cool from May - October.  It was a bit of an impulse purchase, but this summer bedding definitely screams "Mobleys", if I do say so myself.

I'm not sure when our lives will take us out of the city and into the burbs, and I know that we'll one day have our dream home, and I can see my Pinterest and Houzz creations come to life.  But for now these little updates make our Manhattan apartment just perfect.  If it weren't for the fact that we're literally bursting out of each and every closet and storage space between the 3 of us (yes...believe it or not, Winston does have quite a bunch of stuff that takes up room!), I could stay here forever!  Just because we don't "own" our little space, doesn't mean that we can't "MAKE it our OWN" or that we have to settle for anything less than the perfect haven for our little family. 

Nautical & Nice

A few weeks ago, it was time for our annual trip out to Cape Cod. From what I've written last year, it's guaranteed to be our favorite weekend of the summer...maybe even the YEAR, and this year it didn't disappoint.  We rallied the same crew from Cape Christmas 2011 to head out there for another fun-filled weekend this year.  This year's Cape Christmas (for those of you confused about what that actually is, please refer to my post from 2011 that speaks to the first ever annual celebration. Cape Cod makes my heart extremely happy.  I could write for days about all the different reasons to smile while visiting one of my favorite sea side destinations, but I'll spare you....SOME of it.


 After 4 hours, racing a terrible thunderstorm, a potential tornado, and 3 hours of blinding lightening, we all made it to the Cape.  It's become a tradition to do what we call the "haunted walk" on our first evening of the trip.  So within minutes of arriving, we loaded up on the rum cocktails and took our brood to the haunted streets of Old Silver Beach Estates.  The only light of the entire walk was from the moon, the mist is coming up from the ocean, and the howling winds added another element of spookiness to the little adventure.  Regardless of the fact that it felt like we could be attacked at any moment, it's refreshing to get some salty ocean air and stretch our legs after a 4 hour car ride.

U-S-A!!!

The first day was supposed to be cloudy and stormy, but we woke up to sunshine and beautiful weather.  We made the most of it by heading out first thing to the beach, where we invented a little game combining paddleball & tennis.  It got fiercely competitive & was actually quite the workout, but essential as the rest of the day was spent in costume and celebration.  As with 2011, we themed each night of the trip with costumes.  This year, being the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics, we decided the first night should be themed U.S.A.  So we all dressed in head to toe red, white and blue and headed to the British Brewing Company waving our American flags to watch the first night of the Olympics.

It's art everyone!

Day two brought some gloomy weather, but all the more reason to enjoy some sea food and a few (or several) dark and stormys, or as we like to say "daahk and stoormees".  This may have led to a few random purchases, including a palm tree painted like mahi mahi that was a piece at the local Cape Cod art installation.  At the time it was a necessity, and it was fun to carry around to the bars in Woods Hole, but now, I'm a little

nervous about how it fits into our Manhattan apartment decor (I'm currently craving a massive re-decorating session...so stay tuned to see how the painted Mahi Mahi makes out).

Day two also brought our favorite made-up holiday with Cape Christmas.  A day of the year where it's festive to dress up in Christmas colors while being tropical and summer-y in the meantime.  It's hard to explain exactly what Cape Christmas is, or why we feel the need to celebrate it, but the amount of joy it brings is indescribable.  We hung lighted Christmas wreathes, we had steel drum Christmas songs playing, we all donned our gay apparel, and we feasted on lobster & corn on the cob.  There was another terrible rain storm that evening, but it didn't stop us from taking our outdoor dinner to the back patio where we were sheltered by the overhang and played games by candlelight while listening to the thunderstorm.

The final day of the celebration was spent in nautical dress (what else?) playing card games at home until our final dinner together before parting ways.  I'm always a little sad when this weekend comes to a close as it truly has become my favorite summer tradition.  I was self-diagnosed with PCD - Post-Cape depression for a day or so after coming back.  In just two years, this silly tradition has become a weekend that I hold near and dear to my heart and one that makes my heart smile for months and months after it's over.

Winston the water dog!

While there isn't any snow, or a big guy coming down the chimney, Cape Christmas actually IS Christmassy in the fact that it is a time of year that reminds us how grateful we are for wonderful friends who share the Mobley's love of being festive and sporting costumes.   I hope that no matter where we all end up, or how our lives change, we continue to take this weekend to celebrate each other and the joy that comes from made up holidays.  You better believe that even though it might be another 11 months away, I'm already thinking of themes for next year.  Happy Cape Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Lucky #21

If I were not a "family blogger", I think I could make an honest living spending my time writing a blog about burgers.  Cheeseburgers, hamburgers, turkey burgers, you name it.  I've been on a bit of a burger tour since living in New York to try all the most talked about burgers in the city.  Part of my touring involves a lot of education on the best places to go to have a nice juicy bite.  So anytime I see an article touting "the Best Burgers in America", my mind starts to real and my mouth starts to water at all of the little gems in the city I have yet to try and what I have to look forward to on my quest to eat all the best burgers in America. 

Somewhere on our travels across the country, Mike and I stumbled upon an article in Celebrated Living that hyped up the burger at the historic 21 Club in Manhattan. When we moved here in 2010, it was a restaurant that we had on our list of New York staples to visit, but had somehow forgotten about it with everything that's been going on in our lives.  After seeing that article, it reminded us of our next date night excursion.

I pushed that vault open with
my own strength...yeah P90X

If you haven't been to the 21 Club, I strongly suggest you head there.  Not just because of their famous "Salisbury-esque" burger, but it is an authentic historical landmark . We were excited to have a reason to dress up and be fancy at this jacket's required establishment; Mike in his suit and myself in a fun silky dress.  Since our reservations were rather last minute, we headed to the Bar Room, rather than the more fancy and more romantic "Upstairs at 21".  The bar room is adorned with thousands of athletic and historic treasures from over 75 years.  There are football helmets, ice skates, baseball bats, golf clubs, and more from American champions over the years.  Additionally, every U.S. President has eaten in the Bar Room since 1930, with the exception of Obama.

We had a lovely waiter who was extremely attentive and eager to share the timeline of the evolution of the 21 Club from it's construction in the late 1800s. The club was opened as a speakeasy during the Prohibition Era in 1930.  It was never shut down because of the secret wine cellar they have in the basement that was built to essentially be invisible.  This great vault is where all the alcohol was hidden during the Prohibition Era and is only unlocked through the use of a skinny meat skewer inserted through a tiny hole in the 2 1/2 ton door.  So when the 21 Club was raided by the feds in the 30s, they were unable to find anything illegal!

We were lucky enough to get an after-hours tour of the secret room and once you get through the giant cement wall, it's an amazing view.  There are shelves and shelves of the finest liquor, wine and old bottles with yellowing labels from the early 1930s.  We were led down even more steps to a grand room with wine bottles lining the walls and a long mahogany table capable of seating 25 people.  I could only imagine the types of secret society meetings that were conducted down there.Upon our departure, we also got the story behind each of the jockeys beyond the iron gate at 21 West 52nd Street, each one given to them by affluent horse breeders representing some of the countries most prominent farms.  There was even a jockey dedicated in honor of Secretariat. 

I felt such pride and awe after a meal at the 21 Club.  Not only did we have a wonderful and unique date night experience, but just sitting there felt like being in a museum of New York-ness (I know that's not a word...but that's the only way to describe it).  The burger was delicious, although it's recommended not to add cheese....which makes me skeptical at any restaurant.  However, the overdose of American history we soaked up in just two hours at the 21 Club was more valuable and more satisfying than any meat patty.  The Bar Room is closed through August for renovating, but as soon as it re-opens, I'll be taking my visiting family and friends back there for an old fashioned and a delicious burger!

Mountains, Valleys and Clear Blue Skies

It's sometimes hard to keep up with all of my husband's friend's all over the country, and all the stories he loves to tell about them. I've been very fortunate to grow so close with a lot of the people Mike went to high school and college with, since they are also East Coast residents, but Mike's childhood in San Francisco is something that he holds very dear to his heart.  Sadly, it's also become very hard to make it all the way out West with our recent travels and schedules; so these are the people I have spent the least amount of time with since I've been with Mike.

While it may be hard to not see everyone as frequently as we'd like, it really is a true blessing that Mike and I have friends  in various states all over the country.  I appreciated that reality much more this weekend after an epic trip out to California to watch one of Mike's buddies from grammar school tie the knot in the beautiful Sierra Nevada.  Brad & Grace got married in Cromberg, California, a remote town surrounded by Ponderosa Pines, Juniper trees and mountain flowers for as far as the eye can see.  With our visits out West being somewhat limited these days, Mike and I made a trip out of the 3,000 mile trek across the country and got out to California on Thursday with plenty of time to make ourselves at home at the Chalet View Lodge in Maybe, California.  Yes...that's ACTUALLY the name of the tiny town we stayed in for the weekend.


Mike had ants in his pants as soon as we arrived.  The excitement of seeing so many friends that he had grown up with in San Francisco was absolutely overwhelming.  So it wasn't long before we kicked off the wedding weekend at the local brewery to get an advanced tasting of the local beers that would become the nectar of the festivities for the whole weekend.

I was immediately transported out of the concrete jungle and into the throngs of nature while sipping home brewed beer from a mason jar in the mountains! My laptop and blackberry were the furthest thing from my mind as we chilled on homemade wooden picnic tables and the breeze blew through the Juniper trees.  With each person that arrived at the brewery, Mike grew more and more elated and the tales of childhood and teenage debauchery ensued.

One of the great things about heading out a few days early for the wedding weekend, was that we had Friday to ourselves to explore what Plumas County, California had to offer.  We had a relaxing morning of breakfast overlooking the golf course, grazing deer sightings, and a bit of canoeing in the local pond all before the festive Hawaiian themed rehearsal dinner.


The day of the wedding was one of the most perfect days of 2012.  All of the wedding attendees were invited on a 4 mile hike to some of the most beautiful lakes in the Gold Lake region.  There were about 30 people from all ages (we even had a few brave pups with us) caravaning to our hiking destination on a beautiful summer-y August day.

To say that this was the most breathtaking hike I'd ever been on would be an understatement.  The views were amazing at every stop, and we passed through three different lakes on our journey to the water basin.  After 1.5 miles in 90 degree heat with the sun beaming on our backs, a spontaneous jump in the freezing lake was beyond refreshing (and an immediate hangover killer might I add).  We didn't all do the complete 4 miles, as it was a bit aggressive after a long night of karaoke & beer bongs, but it was the perfect outing to start Brad & Grace's wedding day and spend some quality time with some of Mike's favorite people from his childhood. 

The Goya's had a gorgeous ceremony.  Not only was the setting incredible, nestled along the railroad tracks and encircled by nature at it's finest, but the traditions and readings were so unique just to them that it had to make your heart smile.  It was a gorgeous and intimate blend of the rich cultural backgrounds that each of them have.  Surrounded by hundreds of paper cranes blowing in the wind, they exchanged leis, had Hawaiian music, and each of the readings was carefully selected and had special significance to the new husband and wife.  It was a stunning sight.

I had been looking forward to this trip for a while.  Not only to get a retreat from the crazy city life that we live, but to meet and spend time with the people who mean so much to Mike.  Yes, we may have stood out a little bit when we were the only ones hiking without camel packs, backpacks, and a stash of nuts & granola.  And I probably brought two too many pairs of heels that were not realistic for the environment where we spent the weekend. And we rented a ridiculous Camero for our drive to the mountains only to be surrounded by a barrage of environmentally friendly Priuses.  And my mani/pedi didn't really stand up to the climbing and swimming of our mountain lake hike.  But it was an incredible trip and 3 days in the Sierra Nevada proved to remind these two city kids in the beauty of nature and the value in lifelong friendships.

It takes a lot of loyalty to maintain friendships from grammar school and across the country for upwards of 25 years.  After a weekend surrounded by people who have known my husband his whole life, I was overwhelmed by how truly genuine everyone is and how much they all love each other and embrace anyone who joins their circle of friends by way of marriage.  It was absolutely refreshing.  Congratulations Brad & Grace and here is to many more trips out west to spend more time with friends old & new!

Winston is 3!!!!

Have you ever read the Dr. Seuss Book

 "Are you my Mother?", this is what

Winston is saying here!

It's true...our little London gentleman is 3 years old...that makes him the legal drinking age in dog years.  Dare I say it, but this may be his best year yet!  Everyone close to the Mobley's know that Winston has had his fare share of visits to the vet & the doggie ER, but this has been his healthiest year yet (knock on wood!).

This is the entry where I talk about how sweet my little boy is. I don't have to worry about strangers petting him, or children grabbing his face, or really hyper puppies jumping on his head.  He let's me squeeze his cheeks, pick him up in uncomfortable positions, pull on his paws, dress him up in silly costumes/outfits, poke him while he's sleeping, pinch his hiney and play with his jowels, without even the tiniest squeak of protest. While his energy spurts may be short lived, he loves everyone and will greet you with the wiggliest of butts you ever saw.

I fell in love with this baby 3 years ago and not a day goes by where I don't thank God for giving

us such a sweet loving little boy.  I'm looking forward to another year of snuggles on the couch, deafening snores, slobbery kisses, puddles of drool, a 60lb tank sitting on my lap, and the doggie fits he throws. Thank you to Winston for making our lives and our days that much brighter (now if only we can figure out how to make our kids JUST like this!).  I hope that your daddy and I make you as happy as you make us!  Happy birthday big guy, and maybe mommy & daddy will let you have a Guinness and a bully stick on your special day!