Happy Birthday Jackelin

This is Jacklene and she is two years old today! Jackelin is my friend Laura's youngest daughter and I was invited to share in the Peruvian Birthday Feast and Celebration! Laura's husband is from Peru and together they cooked up quite a birthday party for Jacklene as well as a houseful of family and friends.

Jackelin completely tore the card apart...the frog was instantly decapitated.

Jackelin is the youngest of Laura's four children...
The others are Brittany, Paige and Kobin

Laura's home is always FULL of excitement and kids and toys and food and non-stop activity!
It is also always filled with family and friends--and lots of love and laughter...
So glad I got to be a part of it.

Happy New Home Javad!

My friend Javad has spent the last six months gutting and remodeling his home...Last night he prepared a FEAST for a few friends to mark the completion of all the work and celebrate the beauty and comforts of his new home.

Ahi tuna in wontons! (I lost count of how many of these I ate)

There used to be a wall here...the wood he tore out was burning in the fireplace!
Javad, Beverly, Matt and Sarah
(That is a platter full of GLORIOUS cheeses!)

A great group of friends prepared for the feast!

Matt and David
...both from Chicago--one Cubs fan, one White Sox fan!

Trisa, Beverly and Sarah

Javad had prepared food for days...and brought out delicious Persian delights one after the other...spinach stuffed pastries, eggplant dishes, lamb-stuffed grape leaves, a vat of steamed rice with chicken...it just kept coming! Dessert was a chocolate cup with Grand Marnier-soaked berries and whip cream...EVERYTHING was delicious and the night was SO much fun! Congratulations and BIG THANKS to Javad for a heart warming housewarming party!

Seven random facts

My friend, Jennifer, is laying in a hospital bed, very pregnant with her triplets...she has finally been given the time she needs to become a full time blogger! She TAGGED me with a "Seven Random Facts" post.
Here goes...seven things about me.

1. I am the queen of thriftiness. I don't like to shop at all and really hate unnecessarily spending money. I do not have any debt. I use coupons, send in rebates and re-use everything in my home.
   
2. I've decided to keep the house...and the tattoo.
   
3. The only trophy I have ever won was for "high average" in bowling when I was in the 8th grade. It sits on a shelf in my loft.
4. I really don't watch TV. Of course I watch baseball and an occasional I Love Lucy episode, but that's about it. Once in a while I'll watch a movie, but I usually just listen to music, read and...blog.
5. I am extremely proud and excited to say that each of my children has a Bachelor's Degree. (As of next month of course...)
6. I have been to 10 countries in the last two years (Wow! That's a good one!)
7. This is my 600th post.
   

Random facts anyone??

Dinner at Studio

Last night I had one of the best dinners of my life. Sarah and Shadi and I were treated to an outstanding six-course meal--including a specifically chosen, "paired" wine with each course-- at Studio Restaurant at Montage.
We were honored to have Studio's Executive Chef, James Boyce give us a tour of the restaurant including its remarkable kitchen.

As we were seated, we were presented with a fabulous glass of champagne--"to wake up the pallet." And then--the pallet was wide awake for the next 2 1/2 hours! Chef Boyce chose a special meal to prepare just for us...broccoli soup, heirloom tomato fruit salad, crusted halibut, pasta with crab legs and truffles...and each course was presented on a unique and beautiful piece of china!

The main course was absolutely phenomenal...I can't even describe it! On the left is a slow cooked spare rib on potatoes and the right is a prime steak that melted in my mouth! Each bite was like heaven! I have never tasted anything like it...ever! Unbelievable!
(You should have heard me enjoying it!)
I think this was glass #5...a good Chianti!
But nothing could prepare us for the dessert...Butterscotch pudding with caramel sauce served with two little apple-filled donuts. Fabulous!! Each of us loved it so much...we had tears in our eyes...we asked them to bring out another one...oh yeah!

The entire experience was just spectacular...the restaurant is so gorgeous, the service incredible--three people served each course so that we could all receive our food at the exact same time and the waiter explained each item we were served. The wine sommelier explained to us-in vivid detail-each of the wines, the reason they were being paired with the course and the flavors we would experience with each...absolutely amazing.
But the best part was sharing the evening with two of my favorite people in the world...it was the icing on the cake of one of the best dining experiences of my life.

Christmas 1968

I am in the pink...second row, second from the right...yeah, the one with with the bangs. That's our Grandma and our Great-grandma. Two of these are my sisters and the rest are my cousins...all eleven of us pictured were born within 5 years of each other! We are the children of my mom, her two sisters and their brother. Yeah, and there were six more born before they were finished.
Good Catholics.

MTV

I was 18 when MTV premiered. It was such an incredibly great gift for a HUGE music lover like me and we finally got to SEE what our favorite bands looked like! (I'll NEVER forget seeing Boy George for the first time!) We watched constantly--initially it was the same videos over and over and over. And still today, when these songs come on my iPod, I can vividly visualize these very early MTV videos.

1. Karma Chameleon -Culture Club
   
2. Sweet Dreams -Eurythmics
   
3. The Look of Love -ABC
4. Her Name is Rio -Duran Duran
5. Come on Eileen -Dexy's Midnight Runners
   
6. Let's go to Bed -The Cure
7. White Wedding -Billy Idol
8. Mad World -Tears for Fears
9. Our House -Maddness
10. Wake me up before you Go Go -Wham

PS Allison could sing all of these songs--and MANY others--by the time she was 2 years old.
I am pretty sure my sisters have on home video--a 2 year old Allison singing "Like a Virgin"...

One question I REALLY hate...

I can't stand it when I am at a restaurant and I order a Diet Coke...and the server says, "Is Diet Pepsi ok?"
I say, "Well, no, it is not ok...in fact it tastes terrible."
It reminds me of when my kids were little and they'd ask the waiter if they had Dr. Pepper...and the waiter would say,
"No, but we have root beer."
What?