a few things that made my week

watching snow fall from the warmth of my couch

spending nights at the coffee shop

taking the time to make a delicious meal

our mardi gras parade

spending time with a good friend before she leaves

hearing good things from coworkers

seeing lots of good friends

watching hours of good tv {fringe}

picking up a few new books

{image via weheartit}

Incredible, fantastic, amazing news

I just heard the best news that I have in a while: my brother-in-law was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America! Better than that, he not only got in, but he received a ton of scholarships too.

He's an amazing chef already and has incredible talent. I'm so happy that others have also recognized it and see his potential. I'm just sad that he and my big sister will be leaving so soon. Classes start on March 9th. March 9th. It's already February 19th! How crazy.

So in just a few short weeks Patrick will begin classes at CIA and be one step closer to running his own kitchen. I am so happy and incredibly proud of him.

{image of CIA students via boston.com}

Thursday nights

My Thursday nights have become consumed by random facts, fierce competition, friends and beer. In other words: trivia night.

What started as a fun night out by many has transformed into dedication by few. There's about eight of us that show up at the Boathouse every Thursday night ready to search our brains for random and obscure things we learned years ago. I love it. The best part of the game is when someone has a funny story as to why he knows the answer or, better yet, has no idea how he knows the answer. It's actually surprising what you don't realize you know.

A few questions from tonight's game: {a few we knew and a few we didn't}

1. What fast food chain used the slogan 'Where's the Beef?'

Wendy's

2. What were the professions of Cliff and Clair Huxtable?

Doctor and lawyer

3. What two things were burned in the late 1960s and early 1970s as left-wing protest?

Draft cards and bras

4. In what state was the Beatles' last performance in 1966?

California at Candlestick Park

5. What two fruits are grown the most around the world?

Grapes and Bananas

6. What are the names of Paul and Linda's 3 children?

Mary, James and Stella

7. Who was the one athlete to receive the MVP 9 times in the 1980s?

Wayne Gretzky

8. Who was Johnny Carson's last guest on The Tonight Show and who was Jay Leno's first guest?

Bette Midler

Billy Crystal

9. On average, how many peas are in a pod?

7-9 peas

Woody Allen fan?

I would consider myself a Woody Allen fan, but I've only seen three of his films {Annie Hall, Match Point and Scoop}. So calling myself an Allen fan is like calling yourself a Yankees fan because you've heard of Derek Jeter. To fix this, I am going to watch what are considered by many to be Allen's top films.

I couldn't find an "official" top ten list of his movies, so I compiled one from the many lists I read. It appears that most people agree with the top ten, if not the order those are in. So rather than organize a list of movies that I haven't seen, I will simply watch them all in no particular order. The movies: Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah and Her Sisters, Radio Days, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Husbands and Wives, Crimes and Misdemeanors, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Sleeper and Love and Death.

I have already added these to my NetFlix and should receive at least two sometime this week. And sometime this month, I hope to finish all ten. {Or at least most considering the month is half gone. And it's February, so it's shorter.} I'll let you know if I can truly call myself a Woody Allen fan after I finish these movies.

{p.s. I absolutely hate the Yankees.}

{still shot from Annie Hall}

creative memories

i absolutely love Polaroid instant pictures and am incredibly excited that in a short time we will be able to purchase film again. i recently found a photographer who creates amazing Polaroid collages of couples. they are incredibly cute, romantic, sweet and creative. a perfect way to capture the moment.

snow and play

Weather forecasts indicate snow all week. Flurries, really, but I'm hoping for more. {I may be one of the few hoping for more snow in Wisconsin.} I think if we have to deal with the cold of winter, we might as well have fun with the snow. If we get enough, I'm going sledding! Nothing like playing in the snow to make you feel like a kid again.

points.

a new friend. and bonding over a love of great literature, an obsession with random trivia and a semi-secret Trekkie connection. 4 points.

my favorite baristas for giving me free coffee to go when i needed just a bit more caffeine. life savers. 2 points.

a group of lady friends at a coffee shop for lattes and gossip. i love to see friends keep those traditions alive. it gives me hope for my group of friends twenty years from now. 5 points.

my friend for bringing me orange juice when i was sick. so sweet. 3 points.

my boss for letting me go home early in the middle of a blizzard. my poor car appreciated it. 2 points.

the guy in Northwestern's Information Technology department who made several Star Trek references in one conversation about my email. 10 points.

{image via makingitlovely}

karina renee

i finally got to meet my good friend samantha's daughter last weekend. she is honestly the most adorable, sweetest baby i've ever met. i can't wait until she's big enough to run around and talk.

i can already tell that she's going to have her mom's laid-back, friendly, caring and extremely silly personality. she's going to be a bundle of fun.

i'm already in love with karina and i can't wait until i get to see her again.

little notes.

dear the girl with the southern accent at the coffee shop,

thanks for making people watching and eavesdropping on a thursday evening more interesting. the combination of your crazy family stories and accent made my night. thank you.

dear mags,

i'm so glad i got the chance to close down the coffee shop with you, not once, but twice last week. i miss chatting with you. love you.

dear karina,

you are honestly the most beautiful newborn baby i've ever seen. and such a sweet personality already. trust me when i say you have an amazing and cool mom.

dear rachel,

so glad we could finally get together for brunch. good luck on all of those grad school applications. they are a pain, but definitely worth it.

dear cwtv.com,

why won't your video player work for any show i actually want to watch. you're making it very difficult to catch up on my shows. and costing me money.

{image via flickr}

vacation daydreams

It's been so cold around here lately that I've been daydreaming nonstop about vacation. More specifically, I daydream about jetting off to Venice, Italy for a week of wandering roads and rivers, drinking coffee, photographing history, visiting the sites...

{all photos courtesy of my brother-in-law}