Game day BBQ!

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Sunday Pete, Nate and Mari came over for game day and a BBQ. We kept it simple with just burgers and I made potato salad and pasta salad and for dessert, banana bread and blueberry crumble (all that morning since I was lazy from Coney Island on Saturday!) Yves claims he is ready to expand his repertoire so next time we’ll have to do something other than (or in addition to) burgers. Pete also brought over Two Bite Brownies from Whole Foods and made deviled eggs (YUM!) and Nate and Mari brought watermelon! Ok so besides the food, we had a variety of games to choose from that Pete and N/M brought over. After Sienna went down for her nap, we decided to try Grass since they did not have an opportunity to play that one yet. The instructions were a bit long but once we started playing, we were getting the hang of it and it was quite fun! After a practice run, we got to play one game before Sienna woke up. We moved inside so we can keep an easier eye on her shenanigans while still playing games. Inside we played Pit. Oh, my gosh, WHAT FUN!! I look forward to playing that game again!

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I love how Sienna is looking up at Pete!
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Sienna checking out the neighbors!
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Making sure Yves isn’t burning down the garage!
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Lots of games to choose from!
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Nate playing with Sienna.
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Sienna sharing her toys with Pete.
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Pit! Such a fun game!
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Sienna wants to play games too!

Where were the mermaids?

Saturday we went to Coney Island for the Mermaid Parade although we didn’t actually stay for the parade since that was during prime Sienna naptime. We got there around 11:30 and walked along the boardwalk a bit and had Nathan’s for lunch. We did see a few parade people but I was not motivated enough to take their photo. I’ve been going to the mermaid parade since the late 90’s and it’s not really much different each year. I always long to get that great classic shot tho, which is probably why I want to go every year. I’ve gotten some decent ones in the past but nothing that was ‘it.’ We left just when it was getting most busy. We still had a nice day even without mermaids!

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Sienna hasn’t been on the train in awhile!
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Taking her daddy on a walk on the boardwalk!
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Nathan’s wasn’t enough for her, she wanted to eat her shoe!
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Pushing her stroller
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She liked drinking from Mommy and Daddy’s bottle!
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Her first time on the Coney Island sand! It was a little hot!
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Leaving Coney Island!

It’s a BOY!

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Tammy gave birth to a boy on June 19, 2008 at 6:20 pm!! I went to visit the happy momma on Friday and everyone is doing well! I am so happy for Tammy and Mark!

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Sugar & Spice

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01. Feel No Pain • Sade
02. That’s How I Knew This Story Would Break My Heart • Aimee Mann
03. Melt Your Heart • Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins
04. Killing Him • Amy LaVere
05. Baby Baby Baby • Aretha Franklin
06. So Alone • Juliana Hatfield
07. Ain’t It The Truth • The Gossip
08. I Feel It All • Feist
09. Shove It (Feat. Spankrock) • Santogold
10. Dickhead • Kate Nash
11. Slide in (DFA mix) • Goldfrapp
12. Paper Planes • M.I.A.
13. Send Him Back (Pilooski Edit) • The Pointer Sisters
14. Doing Alright With The Boys • Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Tuesday night was the June mixer and I’m glad I didn’t bail because I had a good time! It was just a small group of ladies, me, Joy, Carrie and Alison. We were originally going to have it at Mama’s bar because I heard about the Sour Patch Kids vodka! But at the last minute we changed to Bowery Electric because Alison’s brother was DJing. It was really such a nice evening and I did not even feel intimated by all the young, uber skinny models in the bar (Alison’s brother’s fiance was a runway model and she was bartending). Maybe I was just tipsy by then and didn’t care! HA! And I learned so many interesting things that evening! Like how all the females in Alison’s family look like Alison, Alison’s brother is socially awkward (he’s an actor), Carrie went on a date with Moby and lots of other things!

Road Trip!

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Saturday morning we left for a trip to the Poconos. Yves was assisting Jim on a wedding shoot for his dentist’s family. I thought it would be a nice little getaway for me and Sienna so we tagged along. I forgot how much you need to pack for the little one! It was too bad I was doing it only for an overnight trip! We had to find a new place to stay to bring Skippy along and we found these cute little cottages called Rimrock Cottages. It was interesting. We got one of the A frame chalets. It was cute, the downstairs had a double bed, sofa, fireplace, bathroom and little kitchenette. There was a loft with 2 single beds. I was a little perturbed about a couple of things. The main one being all the cobwebs! I know it’s the country and it’s rustic but they couldn’t bring in a little duster and do a few swipes? And then we seemed to be in the only cottage with a broken front door screen held in place on the bottom with duct tape, which Skippy promptly broke through. LOL I didn’t make a big issue of it since I didn’t think it was going to be cool enough to leave the door open. I was wrong! It was cool in the evening and the morning! And the AC was not cooling the place at all! I had to go upstairs in the loft, get on my belly and reach out to change the coolness of the AC. It was much better after that. Anyway, I guess I sound like a true city girl with all this complaining but in retrospect, it was nice and was nice to getaway for a day. We got there within 2 hours and was in the pool shortly after that! We had lunch back at the room and went for a little walk around the grounds after that. After a little nap, Yves had to go meet Jim and me and Sienna went to the outlets. I’m not an outlet person at all, I can’t understand the draw. The prices are not much cheaper and the selection isn’t any different. The only thing I bought was ice cream and candy! LOL. We killed a little more time at Kohl’s and had dinner at Red Robin, I haven’t been to one in ages! I have to say I was pretty impressed with all the different selections and healthy sides on the kids menu. I got a regular cheeseburger and Sienna got pizza and apple slices (she ate all the apples up!)

We managed to get back to the room without getting too wet. It was raining off and on since being at the outlets and really poured while we were in Red Robin and poured again when we got back.
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We were on the road by 9 am.

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In the pool by 11:30!

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Took a walk around 1:30
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I love this picture that Yves took!
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I’m telling Sienna not to put a yucky stick in her mouth.
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The outlets
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Red Robin
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We had breakfast at Friendly’s the next morning. Haven’t been to a Friendly’s in ages either!
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Sienna took a 3 hour nap when we got home Sunday!!

Jamie @ Bowery

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Sunday evening I met up with Pete, Nate and Mari to go see Jamie Lidell at Bowery Ballroom. I was very close to bailing because as I mentioned, we were in a heat wave and there were supposed to be severe thunderstorms that evening. It wasn’t bad in the backyard earlier that day and had I realized how sticky and hot it was going to be in the house, I would have stayed in the blow up pool! In any case, I did go meet up with them and we had a drink at the Magician since Jamie wasn’t coming on until 10pm. We made our way over about 9:45pm and that’s when the storm was just starting. We just about made it to the venue without getting too wet but not before I let out a blood curdling scream from the crack of thunder that made Pete crack up.

Jamie came on around 10 after 10 and played for an hour before I called it quits. It was a good show and energetic, as he always is but I felt his turntable stuff went on a little too long. Even tho this girl behind me spilled beer on my leg, I had a good time and glad I made it out!

The Ghetto Pool debuts!

There has been an energy sucking heat wave in the mid-90s from Saturday through Tuesday. It wasn’t so bad in the backyard on Sunday when we blew up the little kiddie pool I got for Sienna. I do believe I spent more time sitting in it than Sienna did! Hey, if she doesn’t care, who am I to complain? It’s there for her to use! 🙂 We didn’t BBQ this time and just made sandwiches to munch on.

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Bavarians and Ice Cream!

Saturday we met the Michaleks for lunch in Queens. We met at Zam Stammtisch and I warn you, do not continue reading if you are hungry! 😉 I had an Open Faced Rueben Sandwich, Tammy and Yves both had one bratwurt/one knockwurst and Mark got the Weinerschnitzel (although he meant to order the Jaegerschnitzel). My dish came with a side of home fried potatoes so I shared that with Sienna, although she ate a pickle!

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We didn’t think she would like the pickle but she ate it! Of course after I put the camera away, she gave the sour face. After lunch we went to the Eddie’s Sweet shop down the road from Trader Joe’s that me and Sienna went to last time. That was what I was really looking forward to!! Me and Tammy both got banana with hot fudge and whipped cream (homemade!) but Tammy also got marshmallow on hers. Mark got a root beer float (made from syrup not root beer soda! Impressive!) and Yves shared butter pecan with Sienna. YUM!!

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Tammy’s with the oozing marshmallow!

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Mine not so oozing

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Sienna loves ice cream!

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The happy couple!

Picnic in the Park 2

Last Sunday (Saturday was a rainy/muggy/Wii day) we went down by the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges to have a picnic. I made roast beef sandwiches and got a spinach pie for Sienna. What a beautiful day! Afterwards, we went to get ice cream from the Brooklyn Ice Cream factory and looked over at the “telescope.” There were too many people huddled around it to even bother walking over to it.
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As some of you know, we like to take self portraits and part of the fun of it is doing various takes and trying to get it right. This girl offered to take a picture for us since she saw us struggling and instead of explaining, I obliged. They always stand so far away.

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I really wanted the Brooklyn Bridge in the background since so I took a shot of Yves and Sienna.
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blurry but still cute!
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Yves showing Sienna Manhattan
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Once she gains confidence, she likes to roam free!
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Yummy ice cream!
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Sienna and the BB from Lisa on Vimeo.

Film, Fish & Chips and Flowers

Last Friday me and Sienna went over to Park Slope. I had 4 rolls of color 120 film I wanted to develop and have been meaning to check out Accurate Photo (13th and 5th Avenue) on a suggestion from some flickr folks. I’m so glad I finally did! What a nice lady! I was getting develop only and she told me to come back in 15 minutes!!! I was ecstatic! I came back an hour later after lunch and was even more thrilled that I was charged just $3 a roll!! Woweee!! I’ll have to test out their B&W developing and scanning.

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For lunch we went over to the Chip Shop. Something I’ve been craving since I discovered they opened one in Bay Ridge. The Park Slope one is the original and where me and Joy first tried deep fried twinkie and deep fried reese’s peanut butter cup (not a twinkie fan so I wasn’t thrilled with it but the peanut butter cup, YUM!) Of course I got the fish and chips! They are very kid friendly and not only did they have a hi-chair but also a diaper changing station in the bathroom!
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Where’s the Morrissey/Smiths stuff?
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After lunch and picking up the film, we discovered a community garden right by the car. We took a little stroll through it as Sienna enjoys walking. It was such a beautiful day out!
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And she was getting a kick out of this flower. (E-mail or comment to get password)

The Flower Tickle from Lisa on Vimeo.

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