Tuesday, March 28, 2017

What to Eat in Vegas

Though more than two years went by without me updating this blog, during that time I received lots of emails from readers, which was super nice - I always love hearing from new friends! And during that time, the majority of the emails were about one thing.


Could I recommend some restaurants in Las Vegas?


Hell yes I could.


Seriously, I have received countless emails in the past few years asking me for restaurant recommendations for Vegas. I figure some of you may also be interested in this list, so I’ve expanded on it!

My number one recommendation is Craftsteak. I tell everyone about Craftsteak. It is my favorite restaurant outside of LA and trust me, I go to a LOT of restaurants. #opentableVIP It’s an upscale steakhouse owned by Tom Collichio (of Top Chef fame, who can GET IT by the way) located inside MGM and the food is just fantastic. Usually, we are only in Vegas for a weekend, which means two dinners - we ALWAYS go here for one of the meals. The menu is super seasonal and changes virtually every day but I can tell you what we get everytime I go with my mom - a couple oysters to start, the charcuterie platter with pretzel rolls (which is a thing of BEAUTY), occasionally the heirloom tomato salad if it’s spring or summer, the hanger steak medium rare, and the mushroom assortment as a side. That’s our standard order and it’s unreal. 

Other things on the menu that are really delicious: the Persian cucumber salad (also seasonal), Caesar salad with anchovies (Rami’s favorite), wagyu tartare, their french fries with paprika and vinegar, monkeybread for dessert (I think I have had this only twice because usually we are so full from dinner), and they make a mean mojito. You really cannot go wrong here. It ain’t cheap but it is DAMN good every single time.


Two different Craftsteak meals, two mandatory charcuterie plates


For Italian, my top recommendation is Carnevino, inside the Palazzo. Carnevino is a Mario Batali restaurant and we all know that man knows Italian. I have a soft spot for Carnevino because my favorite slot machine is right next to it so altogether the two make for a very happy Jord. I like that at Carnevino, the pastas come in truly Italian portions, meaning not huge, so you can get one for a starter if you’d like rather than a main course. I have had many of the pastas over the years and my favorites are the ricotta and egg raviolo with brown butter, the sausage orecchette, and the spicy spaghetti fruitti di mare (with seafood). They are also known for their octopus, which is out of this world, and their meat (carne means meat!) - I recommend the veal scallopine or sweetbreads, or if you’re winning at the blackjack table, the porterhouse steak.


For a great brunch, I recommend Yardbird, between the Palazzo and the Venetian. We all know how much I love the south and this place is just too cute. My mom loves chicken and waffles and they have a great one - I am partial to the shrimp and grits, but whatever you get, do not miss the biscuits or the fried green tomato BLT! They also serve lunch and dinner but I kinda like starting my day off with a biscuit and a sweet tea, Vegas style. 


The family that eats fried chicken together stays together?


If you are brave and want to venture off the strip, you MUST go to Lotus of Siam. It’s known as being one of the best Thai restaurants in AMERICA and it’s randomly in a slightly seedy stripmall about 10 minutes off the strip. Great for groups (they take reservations!), great wine list, a lot of super spicy dishes, and everything is delicious. You can get your pad Thai, but this is the place to be more adventurous! I recommend the garlic fried prawns, nam kao tod (crispy rice salad), Chilean sea bass with drunken noodles, and braised short rib with coconut curry sauce. YUMMMM.

For a nosh while shopping, we always like to go to Spago, inside Caesar’s Forum Shops. Here’s a tip - if you sit inside the restaurant, yes, it’s quite expensive. But if you sit on the little “patio” (you’re still indoors, but it feels like you’re outdoors), you’re given the Spago Cafe menu, with more reasonably priced options. My absolute favorite thing to get is the Smoked Salmon Pizza with creme fraiche and salmon roe - a Wolfgang Puck specialty. They also have a fabulous bread basket. #carbs


A couple other favorites:
Best view on the strip? Mon Ami Gabi, inside Paris. Sit on the patio and you’ll have a great view of the Bellagio fountains. Order the moules frite (mussels with french fries) and thank me later. 
Great burgers? I enjoy Holstein’s, inside the Cosmopolitan, for delicious, inventive burgers, fries, and amazingggggg milkshakes - some of them with booze.

 Milkshakes at Holsteins after Britney!

Good for a group? I think tapas is always fun when you’re with a group - I like Julian Serrano inside Aria, and Jaleo inside the Cosmopolitan. I also have gone to Sushi Samba inside the Palazzo with a big group and we had a great time - I’m not the biggest fan of sushi in Vegas (since sushi in LA is so good), but most of their menu is good.
Pretty food in a pretty place? You’ll want to go to Giada. It has mixed reviews but I have always enjoyed my meals there and the decor is GORGEOUS, with an amazing view overlooking the strip! Small portions, though, so be warned. I like their chicken meatballs, their shrimp with lemon spaghetti, and their charcuterie plate. Plus there is a photo booth! Fun!


 
I hope this list helps you plan your next trip! Let me know if you have any questions or want some more personalized recommendations. Viva Las Vegas ya’ll!

Monday, March 27, 2017

Street Eats!

Last weekend I looked at the calendar and realized Ram and I had a whole weekend without any real plans. That sounds glorious for the most part, but I am the type of person who needs SOMETHING fun scheduled, so I poked around and decided we should take a cooking class...

...So off we headed to the Eatz Cooking School!

(Side bar - I have blogged about Eatz before, but also - last year, my friend Natalie and I took a six-week Culinary Basics cooking class at Eatz and it was THE BEST. It was held on six consecutive Saturdays in the spring and we had so much fun, made such delicious food, and learned so much! We learned knife skills, the five French "mother sauces," compound butters, soups and stocks, chicken entrees, how to cook different kinds of seafood, how to cook beef and lamb, and of course, pastry and breads - sadly, we both missed the pizza and pasta class, but REST ASSURED we will be making it up :) If you live in LA and want to learn how to cook, or even if you know how to cook and want to become better at it (me), this is a seriously awesome thing to do and I highly recommend it!)


I was laughing as we walked in because I remember the first time Rami and I took a cooking class, years ago when we were dating, and he was a total newbie in the kitchen and he was SO nervous. I remember he drank an entire bottle of wine and I was scared he was going to chop his fingers off. But here we are, almost two and a half years married, and he is perfectly comfortable in the kitchen and the best sous chef!



The menu for that day's class was "Street Eatz" - spicy chicken satay with peanut sauce, shrimp & scallion pancakes, pork potstickers with sesame soy dipping sauce, and grilled Mexican street corn. HASHTAG YUM. Every single thing was delicious and ridiculously easy to make. 

I am very into Instagram Stories right now (do you follow me? @queenjord, duh) so I was posting plenty of pictures - here are a few:

Spicy Chicken Satay:




Shrimp & Scallion Pancakes:



Pork Potstickers - YUMMMMM:




 


Here is the recipe for the Grilled & Loaded Street Corn - you will not regret making it! 

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 tbsp smoked paprika
Salt, to taste
4 ears of fresh corn
2 scallions, sliced
2 tbsp cilantro minced
4 slices of bacon, chopped, cooked crisp &
drained
4 oz cotija cheese
4oz Mexican crema

Preparation:
Mix the butter, smoked paprika and salt in a bowl. Take a paper towel and smear the butter all over the corn. Wrap each piece of corn in a piece of foil and place on a hot grill. 
Cook for 10-12 minutes turning every 2-3 minutes. You should hear it sizzle.
When ready, unwrap and sprinkle the corn ears with the herbs, bacon, cotija and crema as desired. Eat hot. 
Serves four


We had a great afternoon and I am already looking forward to our next class. I'm thinking Greece is The Word? Or maybe Your Home Steakhouse? Yum... We shall see! 

Thursday, March 23, 2017

NO SHOPPING MARCH: An Update, With Many Complaints

The end of NO SHOPPING MARCH is in sight but let me tell you friends, it has not been easy. 

Every time I do this I am actually legitimately incredulous when I realize how difficult it is to not shop. At least once a week, I run to Target on my lunch break to pick something up for the house and end up adding a pair of shoes or a cute top to my cart without even thinking about it. On weekends, I'm usually at the mall with my mom for a few hours. And as I mentioned before, I am ALWAYS shopping online. It's just too easy to get an email about a sale, click through, and buy something within minutes. I am an online marketer's wet dream.  

Before I go on much further - let me just say that I DID break NSM for one thing and I felt so guilty I confessed to like five of my friends and knew I had to confess here too. I'll reveal what I bought next month - but in my defense let me just say it was something I have been waiting to come back in stock since LAST JULY. So. Please absolve me. 

Anyway, this month I have been pinning up a storm to my "Wanty McWanterson" board on Pinterest so I thought I'd share some stuff, you know, in case YOU want to buy it. I'm generous like that. But don't buy the last one because I'll be pissed. 



ONE: I love the pattern on this dress and the full-length zipper. I think it could be equally cute as a real dress with platform wedges and as a beach coverup with sandals. (Also available here in plus size.)

TWO: So I own these Kate Spade shoes and they are the MOST COMFORTABLE EVER. I can barely wear high heels anymore without falling on my face (v. classy) but these have a low thick heel yet aren't granny! I have them in beige leather but have plans to get another color - either these pink ones or maybe cherry red?

THREE: Oh my GOD I want this so bad. Rainbow pom poms? SIGN ME UP. 

FOUR: No, I'm still not over the tassel earring trend. No, I don't think I will be anytime soon.

FIVE: I hadn't really been in love with bucket bags until I came across this one - so chic with the leopard pattern, and it'll hold so much!

SIX: As mentioned above, I cannot walk in stiletto heels anymore (#veryold) so these platforms look super cute, yet comfortable and sturdy. I can't believe I am using "sturdy" as an adjective that appeals to me these days but there ya have it folks. Also, I have several pairs of Pour La Victoire heels that are pretty comfy, and these are the same brand.

SEVEN: Oh, a tiny dish with a little Frenchie on it? YAS PLZ.

EIGHT: This is one of those sweaters that I would lust after for months, finally order, hang it in my closet, and then... not wear. For like months. But that doesn't mean it isn't cool as shit. 


So... polka dots, leopard print, tassels, hot pink, and pom poms. Sounds about right for a Jordan Marisa Rose wish list. April - hurry it up. 

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

#CheerioRaffs

Last week I talked about travel tips and then did a little recap of the first part of our 2016 Eurotrip, and then promptly had house guests for three nights and forgot to blog about the rest of our trip. Oops. Here I am. ANYWAY!

After leaving Paris, we took the high-speed train to London and voila! Less than 3 hours later we had arrived and my terrible British accent was out in full force, much to Rami's utter delight.



Once again, we turned to our trusty Starwood points, and stayed at the W Hotel. I had absolutely no idea when I booked it, but the W is actually smack in the middle of Leicester Square, Chinatown, and the West End (where all the Broadway shows are), and most everything we wanted to see or do was SO close by. We walked everywhere! I will say that Leicester Square can be compared somewhat to Times Square - it is PACKED with people at all times of the day and night and can be a little overwhelming, but in my opinion, it makes up for that by its convenience, and our room was very big and luxurious.

The thing I wanted to do most in London? HIGH TEA. I am obsessed with the idea of afternoon tea and as someone who doesn't drink coffee but loves tea, this was my #1 request. The first tea we took (HA I AM SO BRITISH) was something I had read about literally 10 years ago - "Pret-a-port-tea" at The Berkeley Hotel, where all the little pastries and cakes are shaped like purses and shoes and accessories and are based on the latest runway fashions from haute couture designers! 




We also had an amazing tea on the last day of 2016 at Sketch London. Sketch kept appearing on everyone's lists of their favorite things to do while in London so I was curious - and when I investigated, I knew we had to go. I don't even know how to describe it - avant guard? Whimsical? Slightly insane? It was so cool and colorful and beautiful inside. While we drank our tea, a full on GOSPEL CHOIR came out of nowhere and performed Christmas carols. The bathroom stalls were futuristic pods and the ceiling had rainbow lights and there was a whole room that looked like a forest and I just loved everything. 




The weather while we were in Europe was really nice - we totally lucked out - it was cold but not rainy, and we had warm jackets so it wasn't bad at all. The day we went to the Tower of London, however, was foggy and freezing and windy, and of course that was the day we waited outside in line for an hour to see the Crown Jewels! (Thank you husband for fetching the hot chocolate so I did not freeze to death.)




I also highly recommend the Churchill War Rooms - I love history museums and we really enjoyed going into the building that housed a secret World War 2 bunker. It was a little claustrophobic but we managed to have fun anyway.




If you know us, you know we love theater - despite my BEST ATTEMPTS, we were unable to get Harry Potter show tickets which was mildly devastating to say the least. Instead, we bought tickets in advance to see School of Rock on New Years Eve - we didn't know what to expect but were pleasantly surprised - and actually, while wandering around, we realized that a singer from NYC who we really like was also in London for a 10-night show, so we saw Christina Bianco perform one night as well! 


Other fun things that I recommend: as tourists, we did our due diligence and saw Big Ben, the London Eye, and Westminster Abbey. We took a very cool London Rock Music Tour, where we were driven all around the city in a comfy bus and got to see apartments and buildings that have a place in rock & roll history - Rami loooooved it. 



We visited Harrah's for some shopping and a little nosh. (When I die, sprinkle my ashes in that Food Hall. It was the most amazing ridiculous thing I have ever seen in my entire life.)




London is also known for their amazing Mediterranean food right now - the best restaurants in the genre are NOPI by Ottolenghi (of Plenty and Jerusalem cookbook fame) and a new place called Palomar. We went to both and enjoyed both but I'd give the edge to Palomar, actually. 


All in all, we were there for 10 days and had a really awesome time. I am already thinking about where we can go next and use more of our Starwood points - Tokyo? Barcelona? Thailand? THE WORLD IS HUGE AND I WANT TO SEE ALL OF IT!!! 

PS. You can see more pictures from our trip on Instagram - #bonjourraffs for Paris pictures and #cheerioraffs for London pictures. I like coming up with a hashtag for each trip. I'm also the go-to for coming up with clever wedding hashtags. Is this my legacy?

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

#BonjourRaffs

In December, Rami and I went to Paris and London and had THE BEST TIME. We were there for 10 days and I loved every minute. I had never been to either place - Rami had, in college - so we acted like total tourists and really had such a wonderful trip.

I'm not going to post every single thing we did - just the highlights - but if you are planning on going to Paris and/or London and would like a copy of my itinerary, please just email me and I'd be glad to share it!


So first - Paris! As I mentioned a few days ago, we flew to Heathrow direct from LAX and then bought a one-way ticket to Paris from London. We arrived late on Christmas Eve and checked into our hotel, the Westin Vendome Paris. It was a beautiful hotel in a fantastic location, walkable to so many places and sites - our room wasn't huge, but everyone was so kind and friendly and the concierge service was great. I highly recommend.


Because we were in Europe over the holidays, everyone told us not to miss visiting a Christmas Market! There was one on the Champs-Elysees a 5-minute walk from our hotel and I absolutely loved it. (There was a terrorist attack in a Christmas market in Berlin the week before our trip and I was a little nervous, but our hotel assured us it was very safe, and indeed we did see plenty of armed policemen and guards and felt very safe once we were there.) We bought gifts for friends and tasted all the delicious food and loved seeing all the decorations.

Of course, we visited the Louvre - I particularly enjoyed taking the traditional tourist photo outside the building (#sobasic)...



But our travel agent Sybil (if you need a good one SHE'S THE BEST) recommended the Fondation Louis Vuitton and it. was. incredible. It has nothing to do with fashion so don't get too excited - rather, it's a STUNNING building about a half hour outside of the city filled with the most incredible modern art. The museum itself, designed by Frank Gehry, has the most incredible architecture - I couldn't stop gaping at it - but inside, the art... I was swooning. I loveeee modern art and this museum had the most incredible collection from the Shchukin family - Matisse, Picasso, Monet, Degas, Van Gogh... That particular collection is no longer there anymore, but the whole museum is a must-see!!!



Whenever we travel to a new place, Rami and I like to take a food tour. I find it is a really fun way to see a new city and get to taste the local specialties while getting to know a guide who shares a common love of food! On this trip, we took the Paris by Mouth Taste of Le Marais Food Tour and absolutely loved every minute. We walked all around the Marais - a trendy (and Jewish!) neighborhood - and tried the city's recent award-winning baguette, fresh cheeses and pate and charcuterie, gourmet chocolate and pate de fruit, cream puffs, wine, and more. 





I have to tell you - I was SO excited to see the Eiffel Tower. We bought a little package on Viatour that included cut-the-line admission to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, plus two tickets on a Paris River Cruise of the Seine, and I highly recommend doing so - we bypassed lines of hundreds of people! When we first walked over to meet our tour guide for the Eiffel Tower, I said to Rami, "I'm so excited, I can't wait to see it," and he started laughing and said "Look up!" So I did, and this is what I saw:



View from the top! 



Of course - it goes without saying that we had some spectacular meals in Paris. I made it a point to make some reservations for us at places with Michelin stars. After years and years of dreaming about it, we got a lunch reservation at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon and I was SO EXCITED. Our lunch was like 15 courses, took three and a half hours and I am still dreaming about those mashed potatoes. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I am so glad we did it.



We also ate at some other great restaurants - I particularly liked Camille (a true French brasserie), L'Aus Du Falafal (every single person recommended we go here so we did, it was very very good but I personally feel LA has equally excellent falafel - Rami disagrees and thought this was better), another Michelin restaurant, Ze Kitchen Gallerie (French/Asian fusion, very very good), and lunch at L'Ami Jean, which is a restaurant that was featured on my VERY FAVORITE NEW SHOW, "I'll Have What Phil's Having," which I lovingly refer to as "What Did Phil Eat Today?," hosted by the one and only adorable Phil Rosenthal. L'Ami Jean was VERY French and very AUTHENTIC and when we left my winter coat smelled like foie gras for the rest of the afternoon. 


Other places we visited that we loved: I did some shopping at the Galerie Lafayette department store and bought this sick Furla bag. While I was there, Rami went to the Cinamateque Francais Museum and nerded out about French movie stuff. We walked around the Notre Dame late one night when it was kind of deserted and it was gorgeous. We had the BEST breakfast at Angelica Restaurant one morning, featuring super-thick hot chocolate and truffled scrambled eggs and $17 dollar orange juice (oops, don't do that). 




We were in Paris for a total of five nights and had the most incredible time and could have stayed another week. I CAN'T WAIT TO COME BACK. But on the sixth day, we woke up and took the Eurostar high-speed train to London, and the second part of our adventure began! Bye bye #bonjourraffs, hello #cheerioraffs!

PS. The whole time we were there, I WAITED AND WAITED to see a REAL French bulldog. On our last day, this little guy pranced by us across the street and I almost fainted on the cobblestones. WORTH THE WAIT!




Monday, March 13, 2017

Trip Talk

"I may not be able to buy happiness, but I can buy plane tickets and that's pretty close."

Lots of people ask me how we travel so often and my answer is, I try to be really smart about finding good deals and bargains. The way I look at it is: I don't like to pay full price for shoes and clothes so why should I travel without finding some kind of discount? :) I also know what I personally prioritize - I'd rather fly economy class and be somewhat uncomfortable for 10 hours and put more money towards a nicer hotel room, but everyone's different - my sister, for example, really doesn't like to fly over 4-5 hours unless she's upgraded her seat. YMMV. 

I will use our recent trip to London and Paris this past December as a good example. When we got engaged and started house-hunting in the same year, I knew we had a lot of big purchases coming up in our future. I signed us up for a Starwood Amex and, as life went on and purchases were made, the credit card points came rolling in. I saved every single one to be used eventually for a big trip. 

Most of you know that Rami is a teacher - so we can only really travel long distances over his spring and winter breaks, and summer vacation. He got two weeks off in December so back in May or June of 2016, I started looking around on Google Flights for a reasonably priced flight to one of the places I knew we wanted to visit. Lo and behold, I stumbled upon a nonstop direct flight from LAX to London over the exact dates we wanted to travel - for $470 per person. I booked it on the spot - and then called Starwood and cashed in about 100,000 points and voila! Free hotel rooms for the entire trip! (Note - I arranged it so we stayed in Paris for 5 nights instead of 4, so that we could take advance of SPG's 5th Night Free Promotion!)

For every trip I make a VERY detailed itinerary in Google Drive that I can reference, change, add to, etc, and I break each day down by morning, afternoon, and evening plans. I am not one of those people who lands somewhere new and then just wanders around - I need a plan! 

Whenever I made a reservation or buy a ticket or book a tour, I put it into that day's plan, and include the date I made the reservation and by what means (email, phone, etc), a reservation or booking number if there is one, as well as the address and any other pertinent info I might need. Let's be honest, 99% of the time the restaurants are the first thing booked and the rest of the trip just gets filled in around mealtime :) 

For example, here's one of the days we spent in London:


Saturday, December 31: 10am - Churchill War Room Museum Noon - Harrods Department store and Food Hall for shopping and lunch 3:30pm - Christmas Tea at Sketch London, made on bookatable.com on 11/27 and reserved with credit card (Booking Ref: 2342-WW/SK7571) 6:30pm - School of Rock Musical, confirmed via email 11/16, pick up tickets at box office 9:30pm dinner reservation at Tramshed, made via Open Table on 12/14


When it comes to actually figuring out where to go and what to do, I have a few regular sources (besides Facebook + Twitter, because OBVIOUSLY). First of all - I have an excellent travel agent - shout out to Sybil who is the BEST! :) I also pour over TripAdvisor reviews and sort them by the month we're planning on visiting as well as the type of trip we're on (ie, personal, romantic, sightseeing), and sometimes by travel companion as well (ie, family trip, couples getaway, etc) so I can more closely compare our ideal experience with the reviews.

I also do a search on my blog reader (mine is Bloglovin) and see if I can find blogs written by people who live or work in the city we're planning on visiting - for example, I did this for Paris and came across some great blogs written by French girls and got some very cool ideas for restaurants! And other thing I do - this is really some light stalking if you ask me - I look up a popular landmark in the area - ie, the Eiffel Tower - and click on the geotag, then scroll through pictures people have posted. If the person looks fun or interesting, I click through to their profile and see if they've visited any other cool places in the area. This is a good idea if you like going to places off the beaten path!

I hope this is helpful for all of you who also love to travel. If you have any good tips please send them my way!

Friday, March 10, 2017

Ten Fun Facts

I am slowly getting back into the hang of blogging and have lots of fun ideas. I guess that's what happens when you are a writer and you DON'T WRITE for two years. It was all inside me this whole time and it's all gonna come out now :)

Anyway - since it's been a while I figured I would share ten fun facts about me lately! That's a good place to start.

1. Rami and I Tivo Jeopardy every night. We are smarter than 50% of the contestants but dumber than the other 50%. I am very good with word games, literature, pop culture, animal and food categories. I am literally the worst at geography, it's laughable. Long time readers - remember when I thought West Virginia was a made-up place? Rami is all around SO smart and I think he should be on the show. 

2. As soon as I get home from a trip, I start planning the next one. I HAVE to have something on the calendar to look forward to. Currently I am working on plans for Memorial Day in the South somewhere and fun restaurants for a weekend trip to Philly in May and Scottsdale in June. 

3. On November 9th, 2016, I woke up, cried in bed for three hours straight, and then set up recurring donations to the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the Anti-Defamation League. It made me feel a tiny bit better and if you're half as angry or frustrated or scared as I am, I urge you to give what you can. It might help. 

4. On a similar note - my mom and I were in NYC for Bailey's 30th birthday over Inauguration Weekend, so we did the Women's March there. My aunt and my cousins joined us and I felt amazing and so powerful. We tried to march to Trump Tower but there were so many thousands of people in front of us that we only got a few blocks away. My cousin and my aunt wore pink pussy hats and I made us all signs. Mine was top left - "I am done PUTIN up with this shit."


5. The fact that there is STILL no SoulCycle in the valley makes me want to scream. I drive to Calabasas a few times a week to spin and it is still a shlep. They are renovating a building down the block from us and I PRAY someone decides to put Soul there. I would flip. 

6. Along with the rest of the world, our family is obsessed with Hamilton. I will give my husband credit, he is a HUGE Lin-Manuel Miranda fan and started listening to the show the day the recording came out. It took a while for me to get into it but after I did, I knew we had to go see it immediately. If you are curious, my favorite song is Hurricane but I also like to sing the rap battles and scream "OUTGUNNED, OUTMANNED" very loudly. 

We were lucky enough to fly to NY last April and see it with the entire original Broadway cast. I was so nervous that we were going to get stuck in the subway on the way there that I insisted on cabbing and we got there two hours early. I made friends with everyone on line - shocker. I was also nervous because I bought the tickets on Stubhub and I was terrified they would be fake. I had already decided that if for some reason our tickets weren't real I would march my ass to the box office and hand them my credit card and say "One ticket. Whatever it takes." PS. The tickets were real, the seats were amazing, and it was all worth it. Rami cried like a baby and said it was one of the best days of his life. PPS. It's just as good as you've heard. No, it's better. 



7. I am really good at interior design but terrible at making decisions for my own house. It takes me forever to decide. I can literally decorate and plan YOUR whole house and find you really good deals and tell YOU exactly what to buy and it'll look amazing and be done in like 5 minutes, but for my own house? FORGET IT. Our bedroom is like a random mishmash and it drives me nuts. 

8. I am doing NO SHOPPING MARCH this year instead of May and I forgot how much it sucked. The whole reason why I do this is to "reset" my compulsive need to online shop all day long since I sit in front of a computer and it's just so EASY. But it hasn't even been two weeks and I'm already so over it. Wish me luck, I'll make it but it's gonna be hard. 

9. Truffle Britney Spears sleeps in a crate in our room at night. Everyone is surprised by this because they said for sure I would cave after the first couple of months and let her sleep in the bed. She doesn't like when we pick her up and put her in the crate - she growls at us - but after she's in, she falls asleep within two minutes and sleeps for nine hours straight. She is allowed in the bed for cuddles but I am so glad we crate-trained her!


10. Speaking of sleeping! After five years of my husband keeping me up all night snoring like a goddamn train, he got a CPAP machine and it is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life. If I had to choose between the CPAP and my iPhone I would go back to a Nokia Razor in a heartbeat. 

Ten things! That was fun. Tell me something random about you :)