Wine & Palm Trees

I feel like a few of my blog entries have been focused a bit more on some one-off adventures that pretty much only concern me.  But when we're not jet-setting to see friends and family all over the country, I've very much been devoted to investing time and energy into being a good wife!  This means getting up off my hiney on the weekend and doing something fun with my sweet husband.  Luckily, New York has no shortage of creative things to do for a date night.  I have a list of "different" things I have to convince my husband to do with me, but this one has been on my list for a while now.  I'm not sure how I came across it, but there is a wonderful paint along studio in the neighborhood that I was dying to try.  The school has daily classes, and it's BYOB!  What a fun way to spend a Saturday night in the city.  Sipping wine and channeling your inner Picasso....or in Mike's case, Monet.  He likes to think of himself as a French Impressionist.  

Paint Along NYC posts a monthly calendar online that shows which painting will be the feature of the class, so you can look at the artwork to decide when you want to go.  Mike told me that he would only do a paint-a-long class with me if he could "paint a metal version of whatever they are doing in the class".  And, he refused to do anything with "flowers and sh*t".  Naturally, we waited until there was something tropical, nautical, festive, and/or haunted to paint.  And we found exactly that when the featured painting was a palm tree!  What a way to be festive while enjoying some rose on a balmy Saturday night in the city. 

This little activity taught us both a few things about each other.  For one, I learned that my husband is a perfectionist when it comes to these types of things.  I was on my second glass of rose before we even finished sketching on the plain canvas....and Mike would have none of the booze for fear that it might affect his artistic senses.  I was definitely the one not paying attention to the instructor, and taking the class a little less seriously.

Second, I learned that I'm actually a pretty talented little artiste, if I must say so myself.  I've never been the creative one growing up.  And Mike has tons of books and notepads of his sketches growing up....like REALLY good sketches.  So I was expecting my husband's artistic ability to blow me away with this little activity.  But let's just say....my palm tree was definitely more... luscious.

Our evening took us to the Shack after the paint-along so that we could continue our tropical themed night with some delicious seafood & shellfish. It was really fun to get get creative on a date night and try something different. Sure, we could do dinner at a restaurant, and yes, there are quite a few summer movies out that I still really want to see, but this was more fun!  Sometimes it's easy to fall into a routine of hitting up the same restaurants and bars when you get a rare night in the city during the summer.  There will come a day, where we will move out of Manhattan and have a very different life in the burbs.  It makes my heart happy that we continue to find new and fun ways to entertain each other on our city excursions.  I hope to share many more date night ideas (for New Yorkers and non-city dwellers) with my followers!  Stay tuned for more & have a great week!

My Boost Frond's Wedding

High School graduation!

As you get older, you find it's harder and harder to maintain long-distance friendships.  As your life becomes busier and as you start to do more grown-up things, you notice that keeping old friends across the country is a very difficult task, and it's not the first item on your daily to-do list.  There are very few friendships that can withstand 10 years of long distance, time zone changes, different life stages, and changing careers.

Where our friendship all started

My gorgeous friend Ashley Chain (yes, this is her new name) is the exception.  She and I can go years (although we don't...that's just too long) without seeing each other and bounce right back to how we were as juniors in High School, 12 years ago.  Through the wonders of Skype, weekly gchats, and of course Facebook, she and I have managed to maintain our friendship across the country.  We have the same sense of humor, the same secret language, the same silly face(s), and the same mutual appreciation for all things Harry Potter.

So it was without question that her wedding was one of the most anticipated days of the year for me.  I've had so much fun over her engagement sending her little gifts and coordinating her bachelorette party, and I couldn't believe that her wedding weekend was actually here! Ashley & Sebastien's wedding was in Dallas, Texas and was hands down one of the most convenient & easiest weddings I've ever been to.  And it all started with our 3/4 full flight from LGA to DFW that arrived one hour early.  Since my parents live in Dallas, we came in on Thursday night to get in a little bit of family time and down time before the excitement of the weekend began.

Girls with their "Men of Honor"!

Friday kicked of the wedding festivities with the rehearsal & the beautiful Dallas Museum of Art.  As a downtown Dallas staple, the DMA is one of the most ideal places for a summer wedding.  More conveniently, it's 0.3 miles away from my brother's apartment!  But even better was the fact that they had their rehearsal dinner at a fabulous TexMex restaurant, Mattito's.  Since moving to NY, I crave GOOD Mexican food on a weekly basis, and some good ol' fashioned queso and fajitas is just what I needed from a little trip to Texas.  THANK GOD FOR TEX MEX!  You can't find a good queso in New York to save your life...I think I ate an entire bowl of it, which might have explained the tightness of my bridesmaid dress the next night...whoops.  TOTALLY WORTH IT. 

I've known Ashley for close to 1/2 my life, so I've grown up with most of her family members.  I also got to know her beautiful SILs in Vegas.  That being said, one of my favorite parts of the weekend was listening to the heart-felt speeches at the rehearsal dinner. It was so sweet watching her brothers tease her and seeing the love in her dad's eyes when he spoke to her.  Yes, some of the comments were more of a roast than a toast, but that's what you have to expect when you get a bunch of people together who know EVERYTHING about you.  It happened at our wedding too!  Sebastien, Ashley's groom, comes from a French family who was full of smiles and laughs the whole weekend.  It was a pleasure getting to know them and speaking to them as well.


Ashley was every bit the blushing bride....complete with little pink matching pajamas!  During the day leading up to the wedding, we listened to a carefully crafted wedding playlist, snacked on Chick-fil-A, sipped mimosas, told stories, and were made over by some of the best makeup/hair stylists in Dallas. Everyone looked to beautiful, especially my sweet Boost (in case you forgot...that's what I call her).



She surprised me that one.  After 12 years, she really surprised me.  2 hours before the wedding, the skies started to darken a bit, and it was threatening to rain during the exact time of the ceremony.  Did Ashley stress?  Did Ashley cry?  Did Ashley yell?  No!!!!  I would have been a wreck.  She just calmly advised the staff to move everything inside and be on their merry way.  There was no nervous breakdown over hair or makeup, and no bossy moments of correcting the stylists.  My Boostie was as calm as ever.  Nothing was going to ruin the best day of her life.  

2 Sets of Boost Parents

The ceremony was very very special.  With her brother as the officiant, it was a personal and emotional ceremony that caused a few tears in the room.  The vows between Ashley and Sebastien were so sweet and the elated expression on Ashley's face when they agreed to spend the rest of their lives together, was a moment I'll remember forever.  This is a couple with a massive amount of love between them, and it was absolutely in the air.  Finally, the reception was perfect and I LOVED the band, you can check out my sweet dance moves here if you want!  Ashley in her wedding dress was such a vision spinning around on the dance floor.  



I'm thrilled for my friend, and I feel so lucky to have been a part of their special day.  Since Ashley has been with Sebastian, she's been 100% sure of their future and their love for each other.  That's the best thing you could ever want for someone you love.  I'm so excited for the two of them and I can't wait to be a part of their future as we grow in our friendship, and now with our husbands (Boost, we both have HUSBANDS!).  Congratulations to the happy couple!

The Mobley's & The Chains!

God Bless America

We love America.  We bleed red, white and blue & everything about being Americans.  But this year our favorite holiday fell on a Wednesday.  I know we are aren't the only ones wallowing in the fact that we didn't get a 3 or 4 day weekend.  In fact, we got a rather "buzzkill-y" email from our agency HR telling us that "no, you do not have a 1/2 day on Tuesday before the 4th of July and no, you will not be getting any surprise extra days off.  So with the exception of Wednesday, work is business as usual.  And if you're hungry, the cafeteria will be closed & they have the extra time off, even though you don't". 

On the more optimistic side, it's quite refreshing to have a mid-week day off work.  It felt like I worked two 2-day work weeks.  How great would it be if every week was like that??  So we weren't going to let a Wednesday holiday ruin one of our favorite days of the year.  Mike and made the most of our day off by hopping on the train to head out to Amagansett with the Novogratz family.  Since our visit to the Hamptons in June 2011, we haven't been back, so it was wonderful to be invited to celebrate the 4th of July with some great friends.

 The morning was gloomy and rainy and for a split second, we contemplated bagging the day as it could have been a waste to go all the way out there for 20 hours only to be confined to the house due to rain & storms. THANK GOD we still went out because it ended up being one of the most gorgeous days of the summer.  It was the first time I had ever ridden the Jitney, and it was quite a pleasant experience.  In less than 2.5 hours, we arrived at our destination on a very sunny July 4th morning just in time to soak up the day. 

Just a few hours by the pool really does the body good.   I think we were all in need of a little Vitamin D and a bit of relaxation.  Even my Scottish heritage husband endured the sun for a few hours (and yes, he did sustain some embarrassing sunburns, but it was worth it) before heading out to a good ol' fashioned Novogratz BBQ for the evening.   The night was full of delicious grilled decadence, endless rose, authentic fireworks, Patriotic desserts & great times with friends.  And what party would be complete without a Mike Mobley acoustic sing-a-long?  So of course, my husband serenaded the party as a barrage of fireworks were deployed behind him.  

Our view during the work "commute"
on Thursday

It was a short 20 hours in the Hamptons, but it was absolutely worth it to make the most of our Nation's 236th birthday.   In the summer, it is sometimes hard to coordinate weekends together with friends because everyone is inundated with other plans and travel arrangements.  So even if it was only for less than a full day, it was good times to be reunited with our friends outside of the confines of the city.  AND, Mike Novo was nice enough not only to open up his home to us, but he did get us to work rather speedily on Thursday by letting us hitch a ride on his chopper.  Our 2 hour and 45 minute Jitney ride turned into a 45 minute flight.  We're hoping to get back out to the Hamptons again this summer before the next few months get away from us, and next time, it will be for a full weekend!  We hope everyone else enjoyed their 4th of July & God Bless America.

Summertime & the Living is Easy

We've now experienced the first 2 heat waves of the 2012 summer.  Now that we've officially transitioned into the real months of summer, it's about that time for my seasonal appreciation entry.  I've already written ones for Fall, Winter, and Spring, so this will be the completion of all the seasons.  When I first moved to New York in 2010, it wasn't Winter that gave me the blues.  I actually had the hardest time adjusting to summer.  It wasn't because I don't love the season, it's because it was so different from summer in California, some ways good, and some ways...not so good.  Over the past 2 years, I've gained a greater appreciation for the summer months and long for the festivities that come along with the season.  It's these few little delights that make you really look forward to the dog days...

1. Summer Fridays - I think I've talked about this quite a bit in my blog.  There really is nothing like a guilt-free day off work to start your beach weekend off early.  It's a universal understanding in the industry, that Fridays are the least productive days of the work week.  The agency staff is skeletal, our clients instruct us not to schedule any meetings, and the traffic out of the city is heavy.  Every coastal destination in the Northeast becomes a haven for New Yorkers craving a getaway.  Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and the Hamptons have been our retreats of choice for the past two years, but the great thing about the East Coast is that there are so many more places to explore. Maybe one of these summers we'll get out to Newport, RI, or Nantucket, or somewhere else nautical and beach-y!

2. Fireflies - I'm not sure where fireflies are native, but we definitely didn't have them in Orange County.  My brother and I used to catch fireflies out in the woods at my grandmother's home in Connecticut.  I think I've only seen them in heavily wooded areas.  When we were walking home from the East Village the other night, there were lightening bugs going nuts in the park.  Yes, fireflies in the city!!!  There is something so innocent and festive about catching little lightening bugs in glass mason jars and watching their hinies light up.  When you are an adult, it seems like every minute of your life is devoted to something "very important"or is carefully planned out weeks or MONTHS in advance.   But when you're a kid...you have time to just catch fireflies.

 
3. The Fruits of Summer - Nothing says summer like strawberry picking!  We went last year in Connecticut and came home with what seems like tens of pounds of strawberries.  Last weekend, Fresh Direct (where I order my groceries) reminded me that watermelon is in season...and watermelon means summer.  Drippy, sticky, juicy watermelon that you eat and get all over your face....but it's ok because you're just going to hop in the pool right after.  That is summer, and that my friends, is festive. 


4. Raw bars & Lobster - One of our favorite things to do on a date night is head out to the Shack in our neighborhood and go to town on the raw bar and any type of summery sea food.  Oysters, crab legs, crab claws, steamers, lobster, you name it!  And the messier it is, the more delicious. I can't get enough of the shellfish goodness


5.The Smells - There are a few scents that are universally reminiscent of summer.  The smell of chlorine on your skin from a dip in the pool, fresh cut or wet grass from having the sprinklers on, the smell of wet pavement after a summer thunderstorm, fresh squeezed lemons, and SUNSCREEN! Oh that little hint of coconutty goodness in sunscreen... Just a quick sniff of any of these things brings me back to the innocence of summer.  It brings be back to the 2.5 months of the year as a kid when your biggest care in the world is making sure you don't get sunburned, or making sure you pack a big enough lunch for the beach.  I've been stocking up on Yankee Candle's seasonal scents, because let's face it, you can't exactly get that sprinkler-on-the-grass smell from the city. 

6. Ice Cream Trucks - Calories don't exist in the summer.  Yeah...you spend most of the summer in barely there clothes or bikinis, but ice cream trucks are just irresistible.  It doesn't really matter if I get an ice cream cone, or a novelty Ninja Turtle on a stick with bubble gum for the eyes, it's festive.  And sometimes seeing an ice cream truck in the heat is like a little mirage in the desert...only it's real...and much more delicious.  And in the city, you don't have to worry about chasing them down the street because you can find them on every corner when it's a hot, steamy day.

7.  BBQs - Anything can be barbequed in the summer.  Whether it's the usual burgers, hot dogs, and corn on the cob or something more creative, like grilled grapefruit or nectarines, everything tastes a little more festive with a few charred grill lines on there.  It's a real shame that BBQs are illegal in the city because of the danger they pose for potential fires.  Sometimes the reason for an impromptu trip out to Connecticut or Princeton is specifically to enjoy the fruits of a well-grilled meal.  

8. Baseball - I love spending the evening in the warm summer breeze enjoying a cold brewskie and a hot dog while watching one of your favorite teams.  Summer is baseball season...and baseball is American...good ol' fashioned American pastime. 


It's going to get pretty steamy here in Manhattan the next few months, but it's worth it to enjoy all the fun that comes along during June, July & of course August.  It's going to be a great season, and I look forward to keeping you all posted on the 2012 Summer of the Mobleys.  May you have plenty of all of the above in your summer!

What Happens in Vegas....

The adorable bride-to-be

 Wedding season is always a fun time of year...but it's even more fun when it's your closest friends tying the knot.  I wrote a few weeks ago about my friend Randi who had an epic wedding in New Orleans, but NOW, it's time to celebrate another one of my dearest friends, Ashley...I call her Boost...she is my BOOST.  I had the EXTREME pleasure of coordinating my sweet friend's bachelorette party in none other than Sin City.  Ashley had never been to Las Vegas before, and from growing up on the West Coast, I had become quite a Vegas expert (which I'm starting to think isn't such a good thing!).  When she asked me to plan the weekend, I was thrilled to be able to contribute to her wedding festivities.  It can be hard to celebrate with your friends when you are so far away and unable to participate in showers & engagement parties.  So being the HMFIC (head mother f*cker in charge...don't even ask...I was bestowed this nickname by some friends we made on the trip) for the weekend was such an honor, so that I could help organize the most special weekend ever for the beautiful bride-to-be.

We made her wear costumes every day

With a  motley crew of 9 ladies, we chose the beautiful Venetian hotel to stay for the weekend.  For anyone heading there for a bachelorette party, I would highly recommend staying here because the hotel is entirely comprised of suites...which makes for more convenient sleeping arrangements.  We couldn't have asked for better weather for the whole weekend.  The sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and there was negative humidity...a welcome relief for all the ladies from Texas, and the milky New Yorker who was leaving behind a May full of rain.  It was obvious that the most urgent order of business was to immediately get into the pool, and immediately get some cocktails.

After a few hours in the sun, and a couple sunburns later, we treated Ashley to a spicy little shower.


I'm somewhat surprised that everyone was relatively tame, knowing this crew...AND knowing Ashley! The wonderful Man of Honor, Ashley's younger brother Boomer, had two bottles of champagne delivered to our rooms for everyone to enjoy in their hand-painted, Vegas-themed champagne glasses.

We continued the festivities off the strip at Pink Taco where we consumed the only real meal with all 9 girls of the weekend!  The margaritas were delicious, we all had a full meal in our bellies and we all celebrated together as one big group.  Cab lines were horrendous trying to get home that evening, but once we were all back to the Venetian, it was time to take on the casinos!  I'm not sure how or what I did right, but I somehow came away with $30 that evening on slot machines, which was a nice surprise the next morning when I had a little more cash for breakfast. 

The weird thing about Vegas, is you can stay completely inside the casinos and have NO idea what the weather is like outside.  We decided to take a gamble on it being a nice day, and take the bride out on the Vegas strip the next morning to see the sights of Sin City.  The Bellagio conservatory is always a must see for me as the floral installments change quite frequently.  The tourist in me headed there first thing in the morning (after coffee...of course), to share the sights and have a delicious brunch.  After several visits to Vegas, the Conservatory and Cafe Bellagio never gets old.  I'm always happy to share it with people who are experiencing Vegas for the first time.  And it was a good thing we went to the Bellagio because it was here that I met good ol' Phil from my P90X DVDs.  Yes, I was star struck by a man who tortures me on a weekly basis. 

But after a tame brunch of bellinis and omelets, it was time to resume partying.  We made stops at Margaritaville and attempted to visit Rockhouse (which I'm sorry to say has since closed!) before making our way back to our trusty pool for more buckets of Miller Lite.  We made several friends on the trip which included:

My P90X buddy Phil!

• a scary and frightfully intimidating female Sergeant in the US Army who insisted on tasting all our beers before we drank them to make sure they did not contain roofies
• a group of 15 or so married firefighters from San Diego who were taking their buddy out for his bachelor party & who supplied us not only with entertainment, but ensured that Ashley was congratulated by every individual at the Venetian pool
• an Australian "promoter" that we were told to refer to as a "tourist" so that he didn't get in trouble for recruiting smokin hot ladies 



Making sure Ash stays hydrated

• A group of blond youngsters who were equally as enthusiastic about Celine Dion and who wanted to take a picture with us just because we "were fun"

But the final evening was really special for Ashley.  Her lifelong dream was to see Celine Dion in concert, and in the weeks leading up to the bachelorette party, she had been extremely vocal about her hope that we would be seeing the Celine show at Ceasar's...and that's exactly what we did.  All the girls dressed in lovely sequins for a themed night to see the show and Celine did not disappoint.

Celine's emotional finale!

Within the first 15 minutes she sang every one of the most amazing songs ever, and of course ended with the most emotional song ever known to man (i.e. My Heart Will Go On).  If it wasn't for an extremely rude individual in front of us who did not enjoy our singing (don't worry, made him apologize), it would have been the perfect show.  Most importantly, was watching Ashley's beautiful face light up at each song or wardrobe change.  I'm so glad we could all contribute to something that made her so happy on her special bachelorette weekend.  

We all united once again for the final night of celebration which brought us to the Bank at the Bellagio to complete the trip with some cocktails and dancing.  It meant so much to me to coordinate such a special weekend for the bride-to-be.  She was an absolute vision in silver (silver is the Vegas version of white!) and is going to make the most beautiful bride on July 7th. As her first trip to Sin City, I'm glad that I could experience with Ashley all the magic and sparkle that makes Vegas well...VEGAS!  The Smith/Chain wedding is in a little less than 2 weeks and I can't wait to share that special day in Dallas with one of my oldest friends.  So until then...VIVA LAS VEGAS!

An on-time Departure

For those of you that have known me for years, you know that I've proudly identified myself as an "airline brat".  Since 1983, before my birth, my dad has devoted his life to working for American Airlines.  Over the past 28 years, he has endured multiple yearly nor'easters, countless upgrade requests, an insurmountable number of calls from friends to see if he could do anything about his delay, an overwhelming amount of "busiest days of the year", and of course the occasional "AA lost my bag" email or voicemail, as if he can solve all the problems of the airline.  He has gone from finance, to cargo, to opening terminals, to running airports and all airport services. And his job has brought him and my family from Chicago, to Orange County, to LA, to Dallas, to New York, and then back to Dallas again. My dad has worked through devastating events such as  the LA riots, 9/11, and tornadoes ripping through his terminals.


So now, after over 28 years, it has come time for my dad to retire from American Airlines.  Last week, Mike and I were lucky enough to be able to fly in for his big send off in Dallas.  We flew in just minutes before a major storm in time to make it to the celebration of his career with AA.  The party was at the C.R Smith Museum in Dallas, a great venue with tons of vintage artifacts collected from American Airlines over the years.  My grandmother also flew in from Connecticut to make it to the party as well, which was a treat for us.

It was great to see all the people who had worked with my dad over the years and hear them say such wonderful words about my pops.  We heard he was a man of integrity, that he was respected, that he had the most appropriate and timely sense of humor, that he made major and lasting contributions to the airline, and that his impact was timeless.  But the greatest part was the speeches.  As a kid, you're whole life, you want to try to make your parents proud, but as I

sat in that room with hundreds of people who love and support my dad....it was my turn to be proud.  I was a very proud daughter.  Of course my brother and I said a few words about my dad and had brief speeches for the room as well.  My dad has taught me a lot about loyalty and work ethic through his career at AA, and I owe my successes in my career to him.

His retirement from AA doesn't bring a retirement in his life, but for now he's enjoying life in a way that I've never seen before.  For the first time in 28 years, I've seen my dad RELAXED!  My parents just got back from a beautiful trip to Punta Cana, and I've never seen them both so happy and stress free.  

No conference calls while on vacation, no interruptions from naps by minor crises, no checking email or computers (except to skype with us!).  Just peace.  If anything, my mother would say he's getting a little TOO relaxed.  This is the most he's been home in years!!!  I'm excited to see where his next adventure will take him, and I'm proud of everything he has accomplished in his career at AA.  But most importantly, I'm glad that with his retirement, he still has the flight benefits to come see us whenever he wants!