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!

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!