I'm back!!!

To those of you who read my blog (I'm aware of at least three of you -hooray! and thank you :).... I'm back from my holiday hiatus. In the last few days, I have done some drastic things such as woken up at 4:30am to participate in Wrentham Premium Outlets "Midnight Madness" Black friday sale, more or less finished my holiday shopping, completed 80% of my wedding planning and got painfully outbid on a Marc Jacobs handbag on the ebay in the last 47 seconds.  

If I had any tips to pass along in regards to Black Friday shopping, it would be: 

1) If there is a "midnight madness" event, shop between 4am-7am - the sales are optimal, the lines are short, the stores aren't hectic, or on Sunday late afternoon when it is rainy, dreary or icy out.

2) If you are an online shopper, most things go on sale Monday. or at least they did this year. Although it may be annoying to get "spam", it is usually worth it to sign up for a few stores you may want to purchase things from - they will usually send an extra savings coupon/ code to you that is not released to the public.

3) You will win some, you will lose some. But never give up on trying to get the best sale or savings for what you want.   

I am thankful for...

my wonderful family, my incredible Jason, my amazing and inspiring friends, all the opportunities that I have had over the past year, .... I am a very lucky.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Just not meant to be (sigh)

I would like to think of myself as someone who really appreciates what I have, and who is not particularly materialistic. However, these shoes proved to be an exception. These are the three-strap crystal sandals by Rene Caovilla that I have been lusting after ever since I saw them adorn a girl's feet at a wedding in September. Even Jason will admit, "They're fantastic. A work of art. Shoes to make another girl cry". But alas, they are not for me. When I first saw the price tag on www.saks.com$1275, my jaw dropped. I'm no country bumpkin, but I never imagined a shoe could be that expensive. Fascinated, I started stalking the shoe online, trying to see if it would ever drop to a price I just might be able to afford.

Last week, the shoe went on sale (gasp!) but was still an unattainable  $780.  Then this morning, out of sheer random curiosity (and continued stalking of the shoe), I saw on saks, the price had gone down to $380...AND...there was one pair of size 8 left. So, it was a half size too big, but I decided to go for it. But before I could go from page one to page two of checkout, the Cinderella slippers were gone. I almost cried with disappointment. 

But now that I've had all day to come to terms with my loss, I realize, $380 is still a gross and ridiculous amount to spend on a shoe. Especially when I  1) am a resident 2) live in Worcester where these shoes would never seen the light of day 3) not a socialite 4) spent less than that on my wedding dress . Sigh. While I am okay that I didn't get these shoes, I think I am a bit sad that my fantasy has come to an end, as they have clear sold out everywhere. It was a fun and exhilarating chase.

Yay..he did it again! Seared Tuna Steak Recipe

Jason is starting to take over the kitchen. While I do enjoy cooking, I am delighted by Jason's enthusiasm for making me dinner. This recipe is from Jamie Oliver's Happy Days with the Naked Chef

Seared Tuna with Grated Ginger and Chives  

(Serves 4)

8-10 oz bluefin tuna 

soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger

1 bunch of fresh chives, finely sliced

Marinate your tuna in a little soy sauce for 1 hour. Pat dry with paper towels, rub with the sesame oil, and sear for around 2 minutes in a very hot nonstick frying pan, turning regularly.  Allow to sit for 1 minute while you peel and finely grate the ginger.  To serve, place a little blob of fresh ginger and a small pile of chives on one side of each plate, with a pool of soy sauce in the middle.  Using a sharp knife, cut the tuna into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices, giving each person at least 3 or 4 pieces.  

Nightlife in Miami

One can not visit Miami without experiencing the nightlife. I stayed out later on the two nights Jason was in Miami with me (Fri & Sat) then I have for years!  I really liked the Miami nightlife - the lounges and bars we visited were elegant, the people were not pushy (like in some cities), and it helped to have the hook-up (thanks Carina) and skip the line at Mynt Lounge. :)

My friend Carina from good old Providence days! 

fancy lighting effects at Mynt Lounge

Jason and Me on Espanola Way

Amy (birthday girl, and friend from Brown '01)

Jason and I visited the Mynt Lounge, and Delano Hotel Bar. On Saturday night, we went out for my friend Amy's birthday, and found this neat wine-tasting bar on Espanola way called CAVA. It was a really neat concept where you purchase a card and put a certain amount ($20) on it, then you can go to each wine bottle and press the botton for a tasting, half glass, or full glass. While I did not find any particular wines that I really liked, it was fun! 

mmmmmm....Cuban food.

We couldn't leave Miami without eating some tasty Cuban Food. Although we had to walk > 10 long Miami blocks (approx 45 minutes) from our hotel to get to Puerto Sagua (700 Collins Ave), and I required a pit stop at David's Cuban Cafe for a papaya batido (milkshake) and guava pastry, when we finally arrived there, we  was starving and ready to eat! 

The Cuban sandwich, Croquetas, and Ropa Vieja and Arroz Moro were muy delicioso! Does anyone know of any good Cuban near Boston? 

Miami Art Deco

Some art deco shots from our stroll down Collins Ave and Ocean Drive, South Beach....