Essentially Jackie

Two weekends ago Theresa’s bridal party got together to knock out some of the DIY crafts she had on her To-Do list. We actually had a really good system going between the six of us, her mom, future mom-in-law, and aunt; a lot was accomplished.

Instead of just having lunch and playing arts and crafts then hitting the road, we planned a Girl’s Night for some more bridal party bonding. That evening we had dinner and headed to Cosmic Bingo at the Casino. If some of you are cocking your head to the side wondering what exactly Cosmic Bingo is, you’re not alone. Until Theresa introduced it to me I too had no idea. It is essentially Rock’N’Bowl but with Bingo. There are crazy disco lights, themed costumes, and blaring music. It was a blast! Not to mention we had a great group of girls to play with. After the shenanigans at Bingo and walking away with zero winnings amongst our group, we headed to one of the many bars in the Casino. We danced the night away and had yet another fantastic night together.

Now this picture isn’t of the best quality but it was one of the best from the evening of cell phone shots. We have a few more events in the horizon pre-wedding. I’m very much looking forward to spending them with this group of girls.

I’m a little behind with my Photo of the Week posts, so you’ll have to bear with me as I play catch up. There has been a lot going on to keep me busy. From two of my good friends upcoming nuptials and all of the events and planning in between to a new business venture that has kept my “Free Nights” preoccupied.

I was recently asked by a local breakfast and lunch spot to bake their desserts and other various baked goods. I happily accepted and have been doing so for a few weeks now. This has been a great way to expand my product to new clientele. We stopped in one day for breakfast and I was able to see a batch of my monster cookie bars on display. It actually was a pretty cool feeling. I have hopes that this will open the door for even more opportunities.

For Valentine’s Day I thought it would be best to steer clear of the crowds. It is rare these days for Nick and I both to have a full night off together so we both thought it would be nice to enjoy dinner and a movie at home. I took control of the meal, while Nick was in charge of dessert.

I wanted to make something a little more special. You know, not the typical weeknight meal of burgers or tacos. I came upon a brilliant idea of recreating the delicious meal we enjoyed in Tampa, FL at Bella Cafe. The pear sachets in saffron cream sauce were really to die for. So I embarked on an adventure of recreating this delectable dish. Though I had a few setbacks, I am confident that my dish was pretty close to the original. Practice makes perfect though, so stay tuned!

This past weekend we celebrated Dianna’s upcoming wedding with a Bridal Shower. This was the first of many exciting events to come in the next few months. Along with the bridesmaids, Dianna’s mom planned a lovely afternoon brunch for Dianna and her closest ladies. Even a few of Di’s best college friends made the trip up from downstate to help celebrate!

Dianna has a larger bridal party, so it was nice to have the afternoon to spend together before the Big Day. We were just missing two bridesmaids who live out of town, however this is one of my favorite moments from the day.

For Cara’s birthday, she decided she wanted to head north to her old stomping grounds and spend a few days skiing. Back in high school and college she used to be a ski instructor with her Dad, in fact her Dad still is! Liz and I took a day off work and met Cara and her husband Chris up at the mountain. It was a great day! We had beautiful conditions and being that it was in the middle of a non-holiday week, we basically had the mountain to ourselves.

After lunch we were hit with some fresh snow. It made for awesome skiing! At the top of the mountain, Cara and I stopped for a quick photo in front of one of the more difficult trails. We refrained from taking a run down, well mostly because of the CAUTION sign. Not to mention the fact that this was my first time on a mountain in about three years. I was not quite ready for such difficult terrain. This picture really just shows how hard the snow was coming down at this point. Still a fun, memorable shot!