Butterflies and Bruises

I hope you all had the best Valentine's Day ever yesterday!

With all the expectations and pressure that exist around February 14th, I found myself talking to friends yesterday about their best and their worst V-Day experiences. They were too good to not share (minus all names and identities of course). 

Whenever someone asks me if I want good news or bad news first - I always take the bad first so in keeping with that belief, let's start with the worst Valentine's:

"Sophomore year of college my old boyfriend had just got a new girlfriend, but still sent me a card in the mail. After consuming a whole bag of mini butterfingers and drinking too much and being generally sad - I got home to discover this army boy I had been on one date with had broken into my room and made me a very creepy scavenger hunt that ended in the DVD player with a super cheesy George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones movie and his phone number. The name of the movie was "Intolerable Cruelty". He had left creepy hints everywhere, "Look under where you rest your head while having sweet dreams" was one of them. My roommate tried to get me to call him - but I would rather have spent every Valentine's day until the end of time alone then go on another terrifying scavenger hunt."

"I was in the 11th grade. I was soo excited to receive a teddy bear and chocolates from my crush. However, I found out about 3 hours later that he gave his ex girlfriend the same gift and had stolen all the teddies and Russell Stovers from the grocery store where he worked as a bag boy."

"When an ex sent me a box of cheap drugstore valentine's day chocolates in a box with no card or anything post cheating on me." 

"One year instead of flowers I was told, 'I spent money on flowers for your birthday two weeks ago!'."

This one is a combo of the best and worst Valentine's day ever:

"So the guy I was dating and I got in a fight the night before Valentine's day because I was supposed to sleep over because my bed-mate (yes, bed-mate) had her boyfriend staying over. Then the guy I was seeing changed his mind about having me sleep over - leaving me high and dry on the couch watching the series finale of six feet under (NOT a good thing to watch while in a delicate emotional space.) The next day was V-Day and we worked together but didn't speak at all, and I spent the night getting drunk with my roommate in a bathrobe at the kitchen table making him listen to me sing all the Whitney Houston songs I knew while we watched a happy couple paint a stump. So in the end, it was awesome. Oh, and if you want more details on why I couldn't sleep over - it was because he said 'The bed was too small.'"

 And to leave you on a good note for your weekend - the best Valentine's days ever:

"When we all went to the Squealing Pig and saw The Van Burens and you ordered mars bar toasties for everyone in the bar."

"The year my Mom sent me a chocolate laptop"

"Some of the best Valentine's were definitely elementary school when you had a "mailbox" that was full to the brim with valentines, lollipops and chocolates. I miss those days - everyone had AT LEAST 20 valentines"

"This year - I got some awesome flowers and am going out to a nice dinner." 

"Best Valentine's day was a first date. I was cooked a home-made meal of filet mignon, acorn squash and sauteed spinach paired with a glass of Cabernet. Following dinner we watched trashy TV and shared our first kiss :)"

XO 

A

The Wedding!

Endless congratulations to both Colleen and Pat! So happy for you both and wishing you a lifetime of happiness - it looks to me like you are off to a great start! Love you guys

Every day's the 14th!

I am so lucky to have the love that I have in my life, and to me, Valentine's day is just another day to celebrate that love.

Here are some perfect things and places to go and be for the ideal Valentine's day:

• For the person with the ability to splurge... go the most romantic place on earth, Deetjen's Big Sur Inn. I took the picture above when Anthony and I visited last June, I can't even comprehend how magical it would be this time of year... 
• If you are a local Boston resident, and you are anything like me you will stay home and order in! If you are looking to head out though I would suggest the classic french intimate dining of Petit Robert we have one right down the street and it just always feels special whenever we go!
• If you are looking to get a little something for your parents of friends I would suggest these adorable heart shaped handwarmers! They are so cute and inexpensive!
• I always find that a heartfelt card is just the absolute best thing to get anyone.. here are some of my favorite quirky cards for the one you love from Wit & Whistle! I love the mix tape card with a tailored playlist and burned CD (scary that this could be considered retro now) 
• Better than any present I can think of - Make a donation in someone's name! I always think that's just the kindest and most thoughtful gift!

Go spread the love folks!

A

The world lost a great man yesterday

And that man was my Grandfather. 

I’m thankful that… 

… my Pa Pa was the kind of man who cried at every christmas gift he received but could never vocalize his pride for his family in more than a brief hug or a knowing glance - but something about opening Christmas gifts always made him get teary-eyed and say “Oh guys this is just BEAUUU-TI-FUL! Oh JEESE guys this is SO nice. You guys are TOO much - I love you” Seeing him so happy was always the greatest part of my Mom’s Christmas. 

… since I was a little girl when things were really great, when we were doing something genuinely awesome - he would look at me and say, “I’ve never seen it so bad Allie - what about you? Have you ever seen it so bad?” I’d say, “No way Pa Pa! NEVER seen it so bad this is the WORST!” and then two of us would laugh - the last time we shared this joke was Christmas Day - we were drinking pink champagne and eating oysters. He then went on to tell me all the places he had eaten oysters in his life, and how my Grandma doesn’t eat them so it “ain’t everyday I get one of these - pass the cocktail sauce would ya?”

… I always sang him Happy Birthday in the same silly little kid voice - and he would always pick up on his birthday - find out it was me - ask me to wait - put me on speaker phone and then let me sing for the group huddled up around the kitchen table. I am happy I remembered to do that last Thursday, and I am happy he picked up the phone. 

… for being taught what love is by two people like my Grandparents. For being worried that my Grandmother won’t be able to live without him, but knowing she is stronger than me and will be OK in time. Whenever someone new met my Grandparents, they would show that newbie a picture from the day they got married. In the picture, they are sitting in the back of a car, just married-youngsters, my Grandfather has dark hair and eyes and a strong jaw line, my Grandmother is tiny and petite her hair neatly curled and her eyes a sparkly blue - they have the excitement of an unknown lifetime together in their eyes, and you can see how much they love each other and how proud they are of their marriage as they hand a stranger that photo. My Grandma would say “I was a size 0! That was before I ate cake!” and my Grandpa who had since lost his hair says “I got a crew cut and the crew deserted!” People always laugh politely, but for those who really know them - this never got old - it served as a constant reminder at how strong love is. 

… “Home Alone” was his favorite movie, he would laugh so hard we would be worried he wasn’t OK. Every time the robber steps on the nail with his bare-foot my Grandfather would grip the arm of who ever was next to him and say “OH MY GOD OH MY GOD THE NAIL THE NAIL! JANEY!!! LOOK HE’S STEPPING ON THE NAIL!!!!!” 

My Pa Pa was a great man with a huge laugh and amazing jokes. He will be missed. I wish you all had the privilege of meeting him. Drink a good irish beer and tell a silly joke in his honor. 

4th of July last year