One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨
A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her of me and dropped it off in our mailbox, which really touched me. 💛 Life is too freaking short not to make conscious decisions to do more of what makes you happy, and to cut out the things that don’t. Rainbow Rowell said it best, “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving you whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”
The face and the daily hiccups… 😍 The face and the daily hiccups… 😍
I mean, I might have a slight obsession but also m I mean, I might have a slight obsession but also my lips are never chapped, so there’s that. 😂 And this is only one of my refill stashes. When I was in middle school, I had literally THE WORST chapped lips ever. Like a complete red ring around my top and bottom lips. I don’t think that’s where my lip balm obsession started, but it certainly didn’t help. Jersey winters are no joke (or our hot summers), so don’t mind me while I just add to my collection. What’s your fave?
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Food and Life

Celebrating in Pink Monkey Style

February 17, 2009 · Narrative

Miss Monkey PantsSo I’ve been trying to come back here and write again for the past few days, but the best laid plans and all that … we had Madeline‘s birthday party on Saturday and ever since then, I’ve been down for the count with the flu.  I think it must have been hovering – luckily it waited until Saturday night, but I haven’t left the house since.  Today is the first day I finally feel human a bit.  I’m just glad whatever it was that hit me didn’t come until after the party was over.

I took a crazy amount of pictures … um, 127 or thereabouts.  It was her first birthday after all!  I’ll spare you sitting through them all and will just give you a few highlights.  Recipes will follow in coming days.

I kept debating back and forth about what I should do about a menu.  Really, what else is new?  My difficulty lies in the fact that there are so many recipes I want to try, entertaining and celebrations are just great opportunities to try a bunch of new ones out at the same time.  In an effort to not kill myself, which was only mildly successful (see flu reference above), I decided to order a sandwich platter and then concentrate on desserts. 

Chocolate Covered PretzelsI knew from the beginning I wanted to have a table filled with treats.  I bought a few glass jars and some small paper white sacks.  The kids spent the morning decorating the sacks with stickers for me, and we set them out with the candy-filled jars.  This way, guests could fill a bag with treats as they left.  Along with the assorted pink-hued candies, I made white chocolate covered pretzels, peppermint bark and cinnamon-sugar cookies decorated with pink frosting M’s on the top.

For the main dessert, I’m sure it’s no surprise that I went with cupcakes.  I was closerthanthis to ordering some from one of the cupcake bakeries in the city, but decided to try out a new recipe for both the cupcakes and the frosting.  I think I may have finally found the clone to the cupcakes from Billy’s Bakery that we I love so much.   ‘Bout time!  I had planned on just using the cupcakes when we sang happy birthday, but the recipe made 24 and had enough batter leftover for a small cake, so I put it in a heart-shaped dish I had and her monkey cake was born.

Tomorrow, recipes!  Until then, a few pictures.

Still More Treats

More Treats

Monkey Cake

Goodies to Go

Peppermint Bark

Cookies

Monkey Madness

Cupcakes

Strike a Pose

I think this might be one of my favorite pictures. Madeline and I were playing in her room after the party, and she was all smiles and giggles:
Pure Joy

Fast asleep, tutu and all, after her big first birthday party:
All Done

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. Claire says

    February 18, 2009 at 12:06 am

    OH MY GOODNESS!!! Precious! I love the last picture with that little tutu…and the one of her grinning above, so sweet…and nice healthy teeth (;-)!) ! What a good idea about the goodie bags…that’s perfect! Glad you’re feeling better…I hope that you are all well soon.

    Claires last blog post..Steak and Apples

    Reply
  2. Kris says

    February 18, 2009 at 1:12 pm

    Love the pictures! The one of her laughing is just precious!

    Yummy goodies too!

    Reply
  3. pamela says

    February 18, 2009 at 10:37 pm

    Wow! I can’t believe she’s a year already! She’s so beautiful!

    pamelas last blog post..Mushroom Bourguignon

    Reply
  4. Ka'Ress says

    March 27, 2009 at 1:40 pm

    where did you get her tu tu from i love it!

    Reply
  5. luz pagan says

    February 1, 2010 at 2:10 pm

    OMG!!! thank you sooo much for the tutu idea i’m having a 1st birthday on 3/7 and had no idea what to put on my daughter until i saw you pictures thanks again
    Where did you get the tutu?

    lu

    Reply

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One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛

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One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨
A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her of me and dropped it off in our mailbox, which really touched me. 💛 Life is too freaking short not to make conscious decisions to do more of what makes you happy, and to cut out the things that don’t. Rainbow Rowell said it best, “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving you whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”
The face and the daily hiccups… 😍 The face and the daily hiccups… 😍
I mean, I might have a slight obsession but also m I mean, I might have a slight obsession but also my lips are never chapped, so there’s that. 😂 And this is only one of my refill stashes. When I was in middle school, I had literally THE WORST chapped lips ever. Like a complete red ring around my top and bottom lips. I don’t think that’s where my lip balm obsession started, but it certainly didn’t help. Jersey winters are no joke (or our hot summers), so don’t mind me while I just add to my collection. What’s your fave?

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