Vodka

When Scott and I first started dating, we discovered something that immediately drew us together. We liked to celebrate (anything and everything) and we liked to host parties. We both hosted countless gatherings in our youth and despite being broke students, we loved having friends over to share a meal and a beer and board game or a dance party or anything really. From themed Monday Night Football potlucks to post-parties after law school finals to New Years Eve bashes, we loved playing hosts.

 

We have never outgrown that love. In fact, it has only gotten stronger. And I think the first 12 1/2 years of our relationship were simply training grounds for our planned party throwing this year...2013. Scott's most recent obsession (love the guy but he does nothing halfway...all in, on every hobby) is bar tending. And not light weight "I will make you a yummy gin and tonic" bartending. I mean full on MIXOLOGY. And so he schemed up a series of parties called INTOXICOLOGY. 5 parties; 5 highlighted liquors; 5 drinks lists that will blow your mind; complimentary food; themed dress; music; party favors, etc. Okay, so perhaps the last 4 were my doing...but as usual...we held nothing back. And so now I am going to try to tell you the story of Intoxicology Part 1, VODKA, through photos.

 

Theme: Black and White

Soundtrack: hip hop, old school rap, club, dance, glam 80's

Food: upscale canapés including multiple kinds of caviar

Drinks: Spin offs of some of your favorites. Screwdriver, cosmo, dirty martini--all with a twist.

Favors: black and white chocolate bonbons and a cd soundtrack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

Our cohosts, Chris and Savanna. He tended the bar with Scott. She designed all the graphics.
I recommend enlisting every talented friend you have before throwing any party.

Why yes. He did just happen to have the bow tie and suspenders in his closet.

The best part? Having amazing friends who play along. Me, Michele, Nickki,
Stephen (in. his. tux.), Renee, Ashley and Kristen.

You're welcome. ;)

 

Start. Stop. Start. Stop.

That would describe my fitness attempts these last few weeks. And my attempts at anything. Every time I gain a hair of momentum, every time I gather up some stubbornness and insistence to get back on the horse, every opportunity I have to get back to it...I have come up short.

I have had one heck of a month or six weeks or six months. I had a tough pregnancy. I had a baby. I had a tough newborn. Husband got sick. Husband got really sick. Husband got pneumonia. I got sick. I got really sick. I stayed sick. I was sick to my stomach off and on for five weeks. Eliot got sick. Eliot got really sick. Eliot was sick off and on for two weeks. And then the crowning glory of it all. Nicholas got sick. Then Nicholas got really sick. And when your three month old is really sick and can't breathe? Your world stops spinning. I was 5 minutes away from taking him to the ER when his horrible cough settled down, he slept in my arms and Scott talked a tearful, panicking me into waiting until 8:00 a.m. to call the pediatrician. I called, he got loaded up on meds and got better in lightening speed. And since February 1, we have all been the mend. We are all trending towards...WELL. And HOLY CRAP am I ever thankful to have a healthy family and a healthy me. *knocking on wood*

And so my last few weeks workouts sort of look like this:

Monday: Tend to puking 4 year old
Tuesday: run 3.8 miles and do hot yoga, go to work and spend entire day stressing about whether 4 year old is keeping his ramen noodles down even though he's home with husband and doing fine. (Does stress constitute a workout?)
Wednesday: sleep until 8:15, attempt to work, sleep at desk.
Thursday: wake to nurse sick baby at 3am and 5am and 7am, cry to my parents that I don't know why we don't have a cure for colds because we can land a man on the moon but can't kill a VIRUS??? Think about going for a run.
Friday: sleep through alarm set to go to yoga. text girlfriend "I can't do it. I'm sorry"
Saturday: yoga. Think "I really should have come to yoga yesterday."
Sunday: church and cook meals for the week. Attempt to clean house.

During the healthy times, I made a GLORIOUS chocolate and vanilla layered cake with semi-sweet chocolate icing and a mocha ganache. And I wanted to blog that baby. I made a remarkably beautiful chocolate peanut butter cheesecake and thought about taking pictures. I hosted my family's annual tamale day and churned out 441 pork tamales with homemade chili ancho sauce. And I still didn't get out the blog. Oooof. Frustration.

I am dying to blog. I am dying to run. I am dying to yoga. I am dying to actually accomplish projects at work instead of stress about what is not getting done. So help me...in February, I am going to bill 180 hours and I am going to run 50 miles and I am going to not spend obscene amounts of money at Walgreens, on tylenol for little people and immodium and 7up.

My January/early February, in pictures:



My maiden name was Lopez, my family gets together once a year and makes hundreds of tamales,
 and it is an all day process of cooking, catching up, eating and laughing. We had so much fun this year.
And my goodness, homemade fresh tamales just WIN. Every time.

Nicholas. The world's longest eyelashes. The world's softest skin.

Just hanging out in the morning in mom and dad's
 room before a work day.  Loving on each other.

Sick baby boy, thankfully still has a Sumo belly.



Sick baby boy. Cuddled with blankie.

Sick baby boy getting breathing treatment that
literally turned him around in 24 hours.

Sick big boy, cuddling his monkey.








Mine. I messed up two things but
I can assure you it tasted RIDICULOUS.
I will make it again.

Food Network's Cake. Scott
challenged me to make it.








Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake.  Or as my friend Gaye said,
"you know how every time you eat a Reeces Peanut Butter Cup you think
'gee if only this were more rich?' This cake solves that problem."

One of my running bff's ran her first FIFTY MILER (you read that right) the first of February. This girl LOVES her some Gosling (and who doesn't?). And I found out you can DIY a Gosling poster for yourself here http://memegenerator.net/Ryan-Gosling-Hey-Girl So obviously, she got a personalized Gosling. As have multiple facebook friends now that I have discovered this amazing website.

Sadly, just about each of these pictures deserves its own blog post. Carry on. Up next in my life...solid foods for the baby, Valentines for my big boy and a Vodka themed cocktail party hosted by me and my Mister.