Thursday, May 31, 2012

Bigger Bite of the big apple

I don't want my NY posts to drag on forever, so this is going to be a long one! I apologize in advance that the pictures are all over the place in size, shape, and placement but I just want to get this out! Saturday morning we woke up and went and grabbed bagels (because you have to while in New York - duh). We found these cute little tables right in the middle of Times Square and hung out there for a bit just soaking it in. 













 











From there, we headed down Fifth Avenue. What do the Fletchers do on vacation? We shop. All day. But NY makes it worth it, with it's 10 story flagship Saks, avenues of quality shops, and the countless Memorial Day sales we were fortunate enough to find.















 We walked the whole length from Times Square to Central Park and I was incredibly worn out by the end, so we took a pedicab back to Times Square. We grabbed a cheesecake from Junior's Bakery and then went back to the hotel and got ready for our big night.

After pounding some advil and Dr. Pepper (don't judge - it had been a long day!), we were ready for the night. We grabbed dinner at this absolutely amazing Italian place (more on this later) and walked over to the August Wilson theatre for my first ever Broadway show, Jersey Boys.












I LOVED it. Far, far, FAR more than I thought I would, and I had thought I would like it quite a bit. Mister Fletcher and I went around the rest of the weekend singing different Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons songs and they're still stuck in my head. Even just writing about it, I had to turn off Regina Spektor and switch to my freshly minted Four Seasons Pandora station!

We ended up strolling through Times Square at night since we were right there, then headed over to the Empire State Building. Yeah, the line was like two hours long, but it was worth it! Really cool to see NY like that. 


Sunday morning we were exhausted, so we had a nice lie in and went straight to lunch at Carnegie Deli. We lazed around in Central Park for a bit, watching a highly competitive softball game and finding ourselves entertained by the children playing nearby.

We walked up through the park and hit up the Met and - wow. We were not prepared for that much Seurat, Degas, Matisse, Rodin, Pissaro, Rousseau, van Gogh, Monet and Manet, - I mean, just about everyone was there in spades! We didn't have a ton of time, but we saw so many incredible works that it was easily worth running through as many galleries as possible. Next time, I would make a day of it so I could really sit and stare. For that matter, a day of Central Park as well. Sunday was - overall - fantastic! We hit up the Nike Town store on the way home and called it an early night as we are usually old and boring and all that activity was killing us!

Collage of van Gogh - Layne's favorite.

Monday was our last day. We woke up and did a little more shopping down in SoHo, and I'm so glad we did because it was my favorite neighborhood. And I got some really cute things. And Layne did, too. SoHo was so good to us. 

Super cool - RBI storefront in SoHo!

We hit up Mesa Grill for lunch because we simply owed it to Bobby Flay as diehard fans of basically everything he has ever participated in. Our last stop on our way out was the MoMA where we were once again flabbergasted at everything they had to offer - a huge sampling of Picasso, a Pollock, some Dalis that Layne was particularly taken with, more Monet, Manet, and Seurat - but most importantly, Starry Starry Night. If you are not an appreciator of art, there's no sense trying to explain the difference between a print and the real thing, and if you are an appreciator then you know there are no words.  It was phenomenal.


Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Bite of the big apple

New York was incredible! Mister Fletcher and I went up for Memorial Day weekend and it was my first time. We had so much fun but I don't want to overwhelm you so I'm going to try to break it up into a couple quick posts.

Layne planned the whole thing and I just went along for the ride! We got there on Friday and this was the absolutely fantastic view from our room.


Am I a lucky girl or what? I loved being able to look out at this landmark while cozying up to Layne in bed.

Our hotel was in Battery Park, or the financial district. So the first thing we did after settling in was take a stroll through Wall Street. This was where I learned the first thing nobody had ever told me about NY: Wall Street is extremely gated - not only are there barriers so cars can't drive down the streets, but the buildings are in lock down, too.



By then, we were STARVING. So we flagged down a cab, popped across the Brooklyn Bridge, and waited in line about an hour for the most amazing pizza I've ever had (but my love affair with food is for another blog)! Grimaldi's was literally right under the bridge, so after we walked down to the water. There was this beautiful little garden area with these tall trees right by the pier, and across the water was Manhattan reaching up to the skies. That moment was definitely a highlight of my trip. One thing I realized about myself while in New York: I could never live in New York. I need grass and trees and greenery far, far too much!

After that, we drove back across the bridge (no time to walk it - next time!). Our friend Cori had recommended taking the Staten Island ferry if we didn't want to do the full Lady Liberty experience and it was great! Half an hour and the ferry goes right by the island means it gets an A+ from me.


That night we did dinner at a steakhouse and wandered down the streets of New York, somehow winding our way over to Grand Central. It was too dark for any of those pictures to turn out, but it was an incredibly gorgeous building.

We'll do a post a day for this trip - Mister Fletcher assured that it was jam packed with fun and I want to share it all with you!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Happy Memorial Day!

New York posts coming soon, but I wanted to say Happy (belated) Memorial Day!

Rockefeller Center - Memorial Weekend

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

I spend money when my husband leaves town

With Layne out of town half the week, every week (!), I find I have a lot of time on my hands... I took to online shopping like a fish to water and realized that my wallet could not uphold the addiction. So sad. But I thought I'd take a few pictures of my recent purchases so we can all revel in my splendors.

I finally got pillows for my new couch - yeah! My first ever Etsy purchase - I've no idea why I resisted for so long.


 






I also got a gorgeous new rug,





 a cute vintage tray - another Etsy steal - and  a couple of accessories for my bookcase like...




 this little bird and

these three deer.

 I finally replaced the fruit bowl I broke in the move.

 
I also made this little arrangement for the TV stand and FINALLY bought a table for in between the couches.

And here's my new kitchen table and chairs as well!


Wow - stacking it all up like that, I can see why my clothing budget is suddenly depleted! But it's all worth it for my house to finally be coming along and for it to be as beautiful as I've hoped and waited for! It's so nice to have a place that truly feels like a home. I think I'll let it sink in for a few months before my next big project. That is, unless I find the perfect new duvet for the bedroom...

Monday, May 21, 2012

Wedding Weekend in Utah


Ha! Almost two weeks since my last blog – bet you thought you lost me, huh? I know- I have some catching up to do. I just got off with my trip to Utah, but it’s time to get back into the swing of things! I owe you many, many #photoaday (not all of which I quite remembered to take…) and a play-by-play of my sprint in the Beehive State.

The trip got off to a not-so-wonderful start. When Mister Fletcher and I arrived, we threw on our wedding ensembles only to discover that they were not quite the right fit by several sizes. My mom stayed up til 3 a.m. altering them – bless her heart! – since the wedding was the next morning. Then we woke up, I had forgotten my recommend in D.C. and very nearly missed my brother-in-law’s wedding! I was literally standing in the hallway outside their sealing room after having run through the temple and when they told me I couldn’t go in, I immediately burst into tears, much to the surprise of the three poor temple workers and myself. But Layne heard me sobbing out in the hall and let me in. I was horribly embarrassed, but at least I was there.

The rest of the day was much better. Pictures outside in the sunshine, Amanda and Ben were happy and beautiful, lots of friends and family all around, and we even fit in a nap between the luncheon and the reception. Jen and I snuck off and snapped a photo at the Family History Center. I also got some in with my family - by far my favorite is with Ole' Money Bags. She's not even looking at the camera! Also with my mom, sister Jen and brother Matt.



The next day was Cinco de Mayo which I didn’t take any pictures of because I have the very bad habit of hesitating to bust out my camera (I know - silly! I'm trying to break it). For lunch we had a BBQ with Layne's family and celebrated little Jane's first birthday. For dinner later, my mom threw a small fiesta. My adorable friend Jessica White (like the color) came over to catch up, as did my best friend Jess, who I will henceforth and forever reference as Strails. Great guac, virgin margaritas, cupcakes, and salsa.

Layne picked out the most adorable outfit for Jayne!

The rest of the trip was a whirlwind of family and friends. Catching up with Layne's best friend Thorn and his girlfriend Joanna, special Mothers Day lunches with our respective moms, sending off the newlyweds for their bright and shiny new lives in San Francisco, getting to know Sydney's boyfriend a little bit, and the traditional dinner with Layne's mission friends who I claim as my own. We wrapped the whole thing up with another wedding. My oldest friend Amanda got married and I was so glad that I got to be there for it! She was beautiful. We flew out on a midnight flight after her wedding and were both exhausted for days afterward.

After all that rushing around, we need a vacation!

Friday, May 4, 2012

How crazy is it that we can fly?

Today I spent the day above the clouds. Even with the technologies of today, it takes a long time to get home. Or, more accurately, to what used to be home.
Sitting on top of the world has got me thinking. Life is absolutely crazy. Even as I write this, I can look out the window and far below see the fluffy white mounds that look so soft even though science tells me it's a mass of crystallized water and ice that somehow manages to float though its weight could easily crush me. How are such magnificent things possible, and why am I lucky enough to experience and see them? We think about how 100 years ago we couldn't fly like this, but there are people in our world today who will never be this fortunate either. 
People used to never journey far from home - traveling great distances was just too physically taxing, dangerous, and expensive, etc. The expensive part may not have changed much, but in a few hours I can travel a distance that used to take months. I am so grateful that my views and experiences in this world, which I sometimes feel are so limited, are in fact so grand that the many people who have walked this earth before me could never have dreamt of them. Maybe I've never seen the ancient ruins of Greece, or heard the chimes of Big Ben. I've never been in the country that gave me my best friend, and the closest I've come to Asia is a sushi craving. But I've dug my feet into the sands on the coast of the Pacific. I've stood at the foot of some of the greatest mountains on this Earth. I've seen the sunrise on the prairies of Nebraska and set on the Washington Monument. Maybe it takes me a long time to get back home to my family. But it's a journey that I'll happily enjoy.
 PhotoADay - Something I wore today (and every day since June 5, 2010).

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

#PhotoADayMay


I've finally done it - I've made the commitment to do A Photo A Day Challenge for May. I'll be using Fat Mum Slim's list (see below). It's a big month ahead with more traveling for Mr. Fletcher, two weddings and a quick trip home, and my best friend heading out on her mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. With everything ahead of me, I already feel like number 1 on the list (peace) is a huge challenge! This could be good for me...






UPDATE: Later that day... I found my peace.

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