Grumpy

I have been sick for the past eight days with the flu.  And I have been a real grumpy about it.  The flu in June?!  Today was the first day that I actually started to feel like myself, but this sore throat and cough will not quit.  I am also the worst patient.  I whine and cry and constantly call out to J for more water or more blankets or ice cream.  It was so bad a few days ago that when I heard the Mister Softee truck drive by I begged J to run outside and fetch me a soft serve because "I'm sick!".  I think he is absolutely done with this flu.

Honeymoon: Venice

More about our honeymoon!

pok pok

we ate at pok pok last week with some friends and i cannot stop thinking about how good this meal was.  this was the second time that J and i ate here, but we hadn't been in so long.  i now want to go all the time.  i also want their cookbook.  but i i really just want to eat there.  everynight.  has anyone been?  their chicken wings are to die for.  it's also a great place for a group of friends.  you just get a bunch of plates and share.  yum!

my weekend

view from the BK bridge

my mom and my nephew came into town this weekend.  it was so busy and nice.  they got in thursday evening and after my italian class we walked around the neighborhood and got some dinner.  every time my mom is here i push her to walk and walk.  she walked so much this trip and did such a good job.

for my bday J had given me a ticket to see one of my favorite plays on broadway for friday night and it just so happened that one of my dearest friends, mary, also had a ticket.  we met up with my family at a restaurant in manhattan and then mary and i hustled off the to the show.  this play was simply amazing.  i had fallen in love with it when i read it years ago and the female lead is a role i would die to play.  Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy are nothing short of brilliant.  really.  i cried so much that the gentleman next to me asked if i was okay.  he was so sweet and very concerned.  ha!  i want to see this again so badly and i want J to see it as well.  heartbreakingly wonderful.  i needed to decompress after that emotional journey so mary and i had a glass (or two) of wine after to discuss.  i love sitting in a bar talking about art.  it sounds so pretentious, but discussing the ride you just took after watching theatre that is so fulfilling makes me so happy.

my "plate" of BBQ

saturday J and i took my mom and nephew for a marathon walk.  we walked to BK Heights and across the BK bridge.  my mom had always wanted to walk the bridge, but she has always been so nervous to do it.  well, this time we got her up there and she loved it!  it was a gorgeous day too.  after the bridge we went down to the park and sat in the shade while i ate ice cream. ;-)  from there they were starving so we headed to Hill Country for some good ol' BBQ.

the family left on sunday so J and i decided to walk around a bit and have some lunch and try the newest ice cream addition to our neighborhood.  MilkMade is delicious!  i got the pretzel ice cream and J got the macaroon.  even J, who is normally more reserved in his feelings about food, was in love with this place.  i have a feeling we will be fast friends with all who work there.  as a side note: i have been out to ice cream three times this week.  not good.  not good at all.

pretzel ice cream

picture wall

J and i have this idea of having one whole wall of our apartment filled with pictures we've taken with our Instax Mini.  we used the camera with our guest book for our wedding and i have been wanting to make use of it going forward.  we thought that maybe we can take a pic of every guest we have over from now on.  i've been doing some research and i'm not sure exactly how to go about getting the photos on the wall.  should i mount them on a board or put them directly on the wall with tape?  i'll have to keep looking, but i'm super excited about it.  i just have to remember to actually take the pictures of our friends...

my weekend

this was such a beautiful holiday weekend.  i had originally wanted to go away, but J convinced me that staying in town was a much better idea.  he was right.

friday was so low key.  after the gym i came home and we cooked dinner and relaxed.  saturday had us out and about enjoying the day.  we had a beer at our favorite beer bar in the neighborhood and then had dinner at one of my most favorite restaurants.  this place makes me so happy and every time i have been it has been an amazing experience.  we were so lucky to get last-minute reservations!

sunday was my birthday and i started off by going to the gym.  i figured i should start my new year as strongly as possible, right?  J made a fantastic breakfast and then we went for a walk.  for the past few years it's been a tradition to get Blue Bottle coffee on my birthday.  love their coffee!  we walked to their store in our neighborhood and we both got the iced New Orleans.  and then J dropped his.  they were so nice in the store and immediately gave him another one, but i could not stop laughing.

we walked back home and after a few minutes of being back the doorbell started to ring.  J surprised me by having a bunch of our friends come by for cheese and wine and cake!  it was so wonderful and it was such a fun-filled afternoon.  i love these people so much.  plus, i got to have cake for breakfast on monday.  ;-)

we managed to eat half of this huge cake!

my weekend

this was a great weekend filled with lots of hanging with my girlfriends.  friday night i had dinner with women from work at this great restaurant in Tribeca called Pepolino.  this place was fantastic and i cannot believe i've never been there before.  it so Italian and Tuscan and it made me long for our honeymoon.  the whole dinner was delicious, but we ended with their caramel panna cotta and it was nothing short of amazing.  the creamiest panna cotta i have ever had and i will get that every time i visit this restaurant.

weekend additions: new rug and new coffee table book 

saturday night two of my best girlfriends came over for dinner so the afternoon was a busy day preparing.  i decided on an Italian meal (surprise, surprise) so we started with lots of italian cheeses and some soppresatta that i got from Stinky.  if i had to create the world's most perfect shop it would be this place.  for dinner i decided to make a roast pig with roasted potatoes.  it was the second time i used this recipe and it is fantastic.  the other great thing about it is that after the preparation you just let it roast for 5 hours.  you can visit with your guests and not worry about too much time spent in the kitchen.  perfetto! we finished off the meal with this mascarpone dessert.  now, this was the first time i   used this recipe and i cannot wait to make it again.  we devoured it!

sunday, my sister, her boyfriend and their kids came into the city for the day and we walked so, so much.  we got pizza and took them over the BK bridge and got ice cream and just had a wonderful day of visiting and exploring.  it was so nice having them here even if it was only for a few hours.

and then sunday night got sad because my favorite show ended.  saying goodbye to Mad Men was so hard! i know it's only a television show, but this was the best of the best.  i will miss these characters and the writing and the stories dearly.

an old fashioned for a favorite show

Honeymoon: Prague

charles bridge with prague castle in the distance

finally i'm posting about our honeymoon!  before planning our trip we thought of all of the places we wanted to go and we treated this vacation as a sort of trip of a lifetime.  i always choose italy, but i also thought it would be nice to go somewhere together where we both have never been.  enter Prague.

i am so happy we chose to start our journey here.  it was a long travel day for us.  we took off from NYC and had a layover in Amsterdam so we were beat by the time we got there, but after seeing the city from the cab ride we felt energized.  it is really such a beautiful and very, very cool city.

we got to our hotel and unpacked a bit and being that my stomach is pretty much in charge of my life, i decided we had to eat right away.  we went down to the hotel restaurant and got some potato dumplings, salad and beer.  that heavy lunch did us right and sent us back to our room for a nice nap. i love that vacations give you the clearance for any kind of behavior.  naps everyday?  sure, why not? wine at 11am?  go for it!

museum at night

we awoke to the hotel ringing us with a bottle of champagne to congratulate us.  so sweet!  so, after showering and feeling like humans again we decided to take in the city by walking around a bit.  at this point it was a little late, but we walked around Wenceslas Square and past the beautiful museum. we got a bit lost and after roaming decided to head back to the hotel for nightcap and some UNO.

my favorite statue in Old Town

the next day we ate breakfast at the hotel and took in the city and walked and walked and walked.  we were so lucky that the weather was gorgeous.  we saw Old Town and walked the beautiful square and saw the famous clock.  so many people watching that thing!  from there we walked to the Charles Bridge and the river and just enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.  we walked over the bridge and stopped along the way to admire the statues and art.  crossing the bridge was one of my favorite moments.  you see Prague Castle in the distance and the most beautiful architecture you can imagine. it didn't even look real.  it looked like something out of a movie.

dorks in Prague

at that point my stomach begged for lunch.  we found a terrific place from our Time Out Prague book.  Cukrkavalimonada was a find.  i was craving a delicious salad and they had plenty.  gorgeous salads, terrific wine by the glass and tasty desserts.  heaven.  all of that did the trick and got me ready to explore the castle.

cathedral at Prague Castle

the castle is enormous (and also a rigorous walk up a hill) and there is so much we weren't able to explore.  but it is stunning.  the cathedral took my breath away.

inside the cathedral

that evening we had dinner at an American steak house.  it sounds weird to visit a place like this while in another country, but we had heard such great things about it and it was worth the trip.  they also had Weller 12 which made J very, very happy.

inside the music room.  i'd like to think i'd dress like this woman back in the day.

the next day we headed back to Prague Castle to listen to some beautiful music.  we sat in a gorgeous room and listened to a pianist, flautist, and violinist.  it was a wonderful hour and i highly recommend doing this if in Prague.

we ended our last night at a traditional Czech restaurant called Bredovsky Dvur (don't ask me to pronounce that) and had goulash and nice, cold beer.  the perfect last meal to our time here.

goulash

pilsner

another great thing about the city is that we found it very affordable, at least compared to NYC and other places we have travelled.  i suggest learning a few words (please, thank you, hello) just to show a bit of an effort.  it seemed to go a long way.

lennon wall

we really did love it here and it is a great place to go for a romantic getaway, but i can also see this city as a great place to visit with some friends.  we will definitely be back! 

a few things about the hotel: it is very near sights, but on a quiet street which we appreciated.  the breakfast here is fantastic!  there is a bar, but it does close early on some nights.  

seriously?

so, i had a nice meeting this evening and i was feeling pretty good about myself.  i'm on my way home and i head down to the subway to catch my train.  i pass a guy who immediately looks familiar and i realize that we dated (back in 1998) for about a year or so.  we make eye contact and i realize that he does not remember me!  i repeat: we dated for a year or so and he does not remember me!  i was too embarrassed to say anything.  the train comes and i decide to get into his car thinking that it will click in for him any second and we will have a funny little chat. "omigoodness, gina?  is that you?  i didn't even recognize you!"  nope.  nothing.  nada.  is it just me or would this bother anyone?  i was at once hurt, but also it made me laugh.  it was quite sobering actually.  nothing will make you feel like a million bucks more than you simply disappearing from an ex's memory.

luckily, i went home to my loving husband who had dinner waiting.  he found the story hilarious.

*bunny from anthropologie.  sold out.

my weekend

this was our first full weekend back since our honeymoon and the weather could not have been better.  we wanted to relax and enjoy as much as possible although J was in a play this weekend which meant that he had a little bit of work.

friday night i went to the gym and we decided to cook dinner and hang in.  we also finally watched the bruce jenner interview.  have you seen it?  it was actually really amazing and so, so brave.

saturday we went to see our best friends' daughter play in her softball game.  there is nothing cuter or more hilarious than watching a team of 7 year olds skip past bases and all chase the same ball together.  after the game J had to get to the theatre, but I got to eat sushi and visit with the athlete.  we also watched this movie (while the kids were sleeping, of course).  i have a passion for bad movies.

sunday was mother's day and after calling and wishing our moms a wonderful day, J and i decided to grab a margarita and some tacos and enjoy our Sunday evening out and about.  we ended the weekend by watching the second to last episode of Mad Men which really bummed me out.  i do not want to say goodbye to this show!

now i've done it

i have been feeling crazy lately and i totally ate my feelings tonight.  i bought a pint of ice cream.  for myself.  because J isn't home.  and i ate it.  a lot of it.  by myself.  not all of it, but a lot.  and the guilt!  but, it was a delicious pint from Ample Hills so you can't hate on it too much.  maybe i had too much gelato in italy.

and now i shall get into my comfy pajama pants because these jeans have become way too tight.  yay!

the best gelati in Montalcino

adventures

lately i've been thinking about adventure.  at first glance i might not seem like the most adventurous person.  in fact, sometimes i'm a downright baby.  i will not skydive, bungee jump or participate in paintball (for some reason that seems nuts and it would hurt so bad!) and flying in a plane is all sorts of crazy for me, but there are other ways to have adventure.  life is the adventure.  okay, that might have sounded a bit too sappy and cliche, but i do believe it!

my biggest adventure dream and bucket list item is to meet an elephant face-to-face.  like, not just at the zoo.  i want to go to an elephant sanctuary and help feed or wash them.  we were originally planning on thailand for our honeymoon and i was super excited because you can totally do that at some of their sanctuaries.  anyway, that didn't work out and J says that if i actually met an elephant face-to-face i would be terrified and i would run away.  jokes on him though because you probably shouldn't run from an elephant.

all i'm saying is that i try looking for adventure in different ways and in everyday life. i'm an actor (which can be sad adventure!), i travel and take italian lessons,  i live in NYC which is its own adventure!  i'm curious to know what adventure means to other people...

at the batting cages which was completely an adventure

home again

i will have all details of vacation with pictures up on here soon, i promise myself that.  we got back this weekend and real life starts back up again and this has caused a major case of the blues.  believe it or not i was homesick towards the end of our trip.  i think i mostly missed Boo, but i also just missed the comforts of home.  my pillow and blanket, the sounds outside my window in the morning, NYC.  it's funny how attached we get to places and things without even realizing.

it is nice to be back in NY though.  spring sprung while we were away and it is gorgeous out.  i feel like giving this city a giant hug!

a few traditions

swingle from 2013

Easter weekend is one of my favorites of the year.  although J and i have been together for a while we don't have too many traditions around holidays.  maybe it's because our families are spread out and we're always traveling, but a few years ago i decided that we would not travel for Easter and that we would start making our own traditions at home.  i am so glad i did because it's become something i really look forward to.

the day before easter we take a nice walk over into Red Hook.  we love this neighborhood.  it feels very New York and old school to us and the people are amazing.  there are so many great places to grab a bite or a drink and just walking and taking in the neighborhood is so great.  our tradition starts with the walk and we slowly head over to Red Hook Winery.  we also do the wine tasting (tasting of six, please!).  we then decide on a wine to buy and enjoy with Easter dinner.

swingle from 2014

after the tasting we walk over to Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pie for  a swingle (chocolate covered pie on a stick).  simply.  amazing.  we sit on the water (this year it was so windy that we just ate it and walked) and stare at the Statue of Liberty and just chill.  it is so rare that we just sit and hang out like that.  

on Easter Sunday our tradition is to make pasta carbonara, one of my absolute favorites, and drink our Red hook wine.  some years we color eggs and eat bagels in the morning and some years we just do dinner.  it is so much fun and it makes me excited for the traditions that we haven't yet created.

swingle from 2015

getting ready for vacation

Photo Credit from Blizzard-Secret

so, J and i leave for our honeymoon in less than three weeks.  to say that i am excited is a major understatement.  i am not ashamed to admit that i have started packing.  i may have even started a few weeks ago.  there's a logical reason for this though!  our itinerary has us on a few planes, trains and automobiles and because of that we have decided to not overpack.  i am so scared of the airline losing my luggage (we will be on 5 planes total) so we also decided that we will only do carry-ons.  and this is my dilemma...  how do you pack for two weeks in a duffel bag?  and then i found these.  it has completely rocked my world.  you can fit so much in this thing!  and then i just stick it in my duffel.  i also got this one for my unmentionables.  again, amazing.  now, i have to figure out how to pack my shoes.  any ideas for that?

good weather approaching

you guys, it was actually nice out last week!  for a few days i was able to leave the big, bulky North Face behind and wear my lighter coat.  and... i actually walked home one day!  and it was a bit warm even with the lighter coat!  this is amazing.  i grew up in New England and am pretty used to cold and snow (what my poor family and friends went through this winter is bananas), but for some reason this winter was really starting to drag me down.  i just needed sun.  and a day where i didn't feel like walking outside meant freezing my bum off.  when it's so nice out i get to experience this, walking over the BK bridge.  and even though it's super crowded with bikes and tourists, it's still a helluva walk.

my weekend

the weather has been so cold and i have not wanted to go anywhere.  i grew up in New England, but for some reason i am really feeling this winter right now.  i've been so positive up until this point!  we didn't do much of anything, but it was our friend's birthday on saturday and as a treat for him and his wife we babysat their two (wonderful, smart, beautiful) kids.  i've also had a tradition of making him his favorite peanut butter pie every year.  this year i refrained from having a piece, but it actually did look good.  i may have licked the spoon.

oh, another thing we did this weekend was start season 3 of House of Cards!  this season is blowing my mind!  i am obsessed with Robin Wright.  she is amazing.

lastly, J thought he would take Boo out to enjoy the snow on sunday.  she was so cute out there, but definitely got tired of it after a quick bit.  that little kitty sure does make me laugh.  look at those paw prints!

I Love NY (99.9% of the time)

(photo from my instagram)

we had such a great day on saturday.  we were able to sleep in, make breakfast and just chill out for the morning.  J decided to head to St. Ann's Warehouse to get tickets to this amazing show.  he called about an hour later with the good news and i was on my way to meet him.  it had just started snowing heavily, but i was thrilled on my walk to the train knowing that i was about to see some amazing theatre.  i get to the station and wait about 25 minutes without a train in sight.  at this point i was panicked because curtain was in 15 minutes.  i go out to the street and decide to try a cab.  did i mention it was snowing?  i finally see one and he decides he doesn't want to take me to dumbo because he is on his way into manhattan.  i remind him that dumbo is on his way to manhattan.  he stays firm.  we then argue and curse words may have flown out of my mouth.  i am not proud.  i call J in a panic and he decides the only thing for him to do is get into a cab in dumbo, pick me up in cobble hill and then drive back.

okay, i'll pause here to tell you that in times of frustration i may overreact and let my frustration come out as anger.  J has been on the receiving end of that.  again, i am not proud.

J and i argue as he is actually in the middle of doing a very nice thing and coming to my rescue.  we finally, after missing each other and my walking through a snowstorm with a large chip on my shoulder, meet up and i jump into the cab.  we head to the theatre and we are late.  the show has started and we now have to wait to go in.

and then we do.  and we are transfixed.  completely.  and the anger, frustration and grumpiness that consumed me for the past 40 minutes disappear.  and the show ends and we are in awe of the beauty we were witness to and we find a wine bar and drink wine while the snow continues to fall over this great city.

and just like that NY goes from feeling so heavy to feeling as light as a feather.

p.s. i was not the genius behind the writing on that car.  some other grumpy New Yorker handled that.

trying something new

(Adrian Lungu Photography)

i normally never do resolutions for the new year.  history has proven that when i make a big resolution announcement, i inevitably fail.  instead, i try to look at the start of the new year as just that, the start of a new year.  this year, however, i decided to look at 2015 as being filled with as many things "new" as possible.  maybe it was because we were just married at the end of last year or maybe it's because of my feeling stagnant.  whatever the reason, i'm trying to fill my days with new things.  whether it's new recipes to cook for friends, taking ski lessons, or trying to write more.  and then there's my current favorite, Italian classes (ciao! buona sera!  mangia la pasta!).  it's been a fun start so far.

Broad City

are you guys watching broad city?  you totally should be!  it's currently in its second season and it is amazing.  we watched a few episodes last season and then binged on the whole season a couple of weeks ago.  we are now so hooked.  these women are hilarious, spontaneous, and so much fun.  my favorite thing about the show is how in love with each other they are.  it is so rare to see a show completely about the friendship between two women.  i am all in!

feeling stagnant

so, my promise of more blogging sure did not turn out.  let's just say that last year was the year of the crazy train.  first and foremost, J and i got married at what was the best wedding ever (IMHO).  i have so much to say about that day, but i'll get to that some other time.

right now i'm going through a bit of the "i'm 30(something) and what the hell do i do with my life?" craziness.  this is much cuter when you're in your 20s.  last year i had the best distraction in the world, but now i'm back facing life head-on.  well, head-slightly-tilted-to-one-side.  i'm working on the head-on part.

i want to do what i love: acting, being creative, reading, writing, dancing, laughing.  i want to somehow make that my job.  it's the how that has me down.  i figured the first step was writing about it here.  maybe a stranger will read this and offer some great advice.  or maybe just putting it out into the world will make me feel better and become its own guidance.  who knows?  i do feel that it's an issue that many people my age go through, but it's less talked about because we should all know this crap by this point, right?  um... no.  but let's talk about it.  let's figure it out.

(source: denofopulence)