Mariebelles Chocolate Fantasy

A few months ago I made a new friend. Rodolfo is a chocolatier and has given me a new appreciation of chocolate. Let's just say, I no longer consider Nestles and Hershey high end confections. Sunday brunch at the crepe shop at Mariebelles (an amazing chocolate shop in Soho) has become a weekly tradition. Thank you Rofo for educating me about the finer things in life.

Dinner Parties on the Terrace. Yes Please!

We recently had a dinner party at a friends house who has an AMAZING rooftop terrace. Getting together with friends for any reason is usually a good time- getting together with friends and preparing an amazing meal and enjoying it with stunning city views is extraordinary.

I am pretty lucky.

Book Club - Struggling... but NOT Dead.

In February of 2006, Paul, Carlos, Wade, and I took a trip to Clearwater Bay Florida. During this trip Carlos and I both started reading the book "The Kite Runner." We enjoyed it so much that we encouraged several of our friends to read it as well. Thus, the seeds of our book club began to sprout.

For the past 28 months, we have enjoyed a long running book club. Some members have come and gone, but overall, it's the same original group that started back in 2006. During this time, we have had some real hits (Time Travelers Wife, Blindness, East of Eden), and some misses (Julie and Julia). I look forward to every book club gathering- there is usually an awesome meal involved, plenty of liquid encouragement, and often heated discussions/arguments.

In March of this year, the book "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" was selected. It is now May. No one (except for Jacob) has read the book. No date has been set for book club.

The final straw came a few days ago when we got an email from Carlos that began...

"The Book Club is dead..."

These were the fatal words written by Carlos following a lack of participation from our last book.

Book club may be waning. Book club may be struggling. But Book Club is NOT dead!

I am willing to allow for a summer hiatus- but I am NOT willing to say good-bye forever.

Paul Canaan- A Tribute

I have been enormously blessed with several best friends. My 'oldest' (in duration, not age) best friend Paul and I met at Ricks College on the first day of Freshman year in 1994. Since that time, we have visited 7 countries, dozens of states, and countless theaters and bars. We have seen each other through break ups, illness, and family drama. From whale watching to driving topless in a convertible, many of my best memories involve Paul.
There are many sides to Paul- and over the years I have been lucky enough to see NEARLY all of them. Animated story-teller, wise sage, loyal confidant, playful lush, accomplished goal-setter, professional entertainer, dedicated boyfriend, drag impersonator, and most recently… MTV reality show star.
Happy Birthday Pauly. I love you.

Idaho Night

In late February I met a man. Not just any man… an Idaho man.
Seth and I met through a mutual friend and became pretty chummy pretty quick. In addition to face masks, speed scrabble, and free stuff, we also have a mutual love for our home state, Idaho. To celebrate, we planned an “Idaho night” and invited some friends (both fellow Idahoans and out-of-staters) to come enjoy a traditional Idaho meal.
It was Sunday dinner just like mom used to make- a roast, carrots, funeral potatoes, green salad, rolls, and Crystal light. Perfect.
Of course, following dinner (and before the dessert of cupcakes), we played family night games. One team was better than the other, but who really keeps score. I just want to say, from now on, I ALWAYS want to be on Seth’s team… he NEVER looses!
In preparation for our Gem State Extravaganza, we had hung home made signs, and in true Seth and Karyn form, orchestrated a lengthy photo shoot. Cowboy hats, blue eyeshadow, bad hair, belt buckles... all were represented.
Highlights of the night include Melissa’s Mormon potatoes, Rodolfo’s first attempt at Taboo, and meeting new friend (and fellow Idahoan) Jonathan.

Big Birthday Blowout

I know a lot of people that are perfectly fine to let their birthday come and go with very little fanfare. Maybe a quiet dinner with a few close friends, or maybe they just treat themselves to a little shopping trip. I find this ridiculous.
Birthdays are meant to be celebrated- especially mine!
Past birthdays have ranged from spending my 21st Bday in the hospital having a kidney removed, to renting a double-decker red tour bus and cramming 80 of my closest friends on board for a three hour Manhattan tour (clearly, some years have been better than others).
I recently welcomed in 32 and had a ball doing it. Midnight drag show with friends the night before and a picnic in the park with my besties the night of. This year, the most well-planned celebration was the day after when Seth and Rodolfo planned a day of fun for me. Anatomy themed piñatas, chocolate fondue lunch, photo shoot at Cloisters Park, a movie (poor choice- Nim’s Island), Mexican dinner, and Dave and Busters- I was very well taken care of and loved the time, effort, and attention given to my big day.
I have heard that the older you get, the less you will want to celebrate your birthday. I am now 32, and I have to say… this is SOOO not true! I hope I never get too old where I don’t look for an excuse to have a party- especially a party that centers around ME.