Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Sneak Peek

Tonight I have a special surprise post. There's no Thanksgiving without the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and while I'm not brave enough to face the gigantic crowds for the big event, I did manage to sneak a pre-Thanksgiving peek of the action. So of course I'm sharing it with you, just in case you can't wait until tomorrow morning.

Every year on the night before turkey day the famous balloons are inflated near Central Park in preparation for the big event. The best part is this is open to the public. Now, I was given the impression that this wasn't an incredibly well-know thing, but I quickly realized I was wrong when myself and a few thousand others poured out of the subway on to 81st St. and were given specific directions on how and where to view the balloons.

This was my first glimpse. I know on television they talk about how massive these things are, but it just doesn't put it into perspective until you see a giant Hello Kitty towering 5 stories over you.


 The Buzz Lightyear balloon was drawing quite the crowd for some reason.

A little rain and freezing temps won't keep these New Yorkers away!

I got to watch the inflation process. It takes a lot of effort to get these puppies ready. Each balloon is held down by a giant net and a couple hundred sand bags, you can't have a giant Spongebob balloon floating around NYC all night.

Slowly but surely the balloon goes up. It was taking much longer than you'd expect. My fingers were frozen but at this point I was committed to seeing the final product.


These workers were surprisingly enthusiastic about their job in the rain and 30 degree weather. They kept dancing and trying to rev up the crowd. Each new step of the process was greeted by whoops from their adoring fans.

Ta-da! No idea who this elf guy is, I was hoping this balloon would be one that I recognized.




I apologize for the grodiness, but I found it humorous how many Starbucks cups were left at the trash can. I guess everyone had the same idea.

Not nearly as impressive after seeing the real deal.


 Fun fact: each balloon requires 50-100 handlers. This Hello Kitty is so big I'm thinking she might need a few extra.


You can't have Thanksgiving without a pumpkin!


There's been lots of talk about the possibility of grounding the balloons due to the bad weather on the east coast. The final call won't be made until early Thanksgiving morning. At 4:30 a.m. each balloon will get an extra burst of helium and the flying process will begin. I'm sure glad I'm not the one making that call. Keep your fingers crossed!

Happy Thanksgiving!

XO,
Lo

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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Friendsgiving

Sunday evening commenced our first annual Friendsgiving. If I do say so myself it was quite the success. 

What is a party without wine and cheese?
The hostess drinking a well deserved glass of vino.
Let's start with some appetizers. Salad and French onion soup.


Patienly waiting...
This little stud muffin was stealing the show.
Baby Seth.
Brooke, the maker of the crabby patties. Get em' while their hot.


The table is set.
Ted, "Do I get Friendsgiving dinner too?"
Allison's phenomenal mac n cheese. JalapeƱos, the secret ingredient that brought it all together.

My first time eating mashed sweet potatoes. I may be a convert.

The over eager boys turned the table into buffet style. 
They clearly are not taking my mockery all that seriously. We have some table etiquette skills to work on for next year.
 Hey Tyler! It's a real pleasure sitting across from me.
Rosie cheeks.
Mal just flashing her new bling at me. Congrats again pretty lady!
My contribution was pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese icing.

Brooke made a surprise pie. To know surprise it was delicious.
Clean plate club.

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! 

XO,
Bee



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Thursday, November 21, 2013

Splendid Ice Cream

On a whim my brother took me to Jenis Splendid Ice Creams upon my arrival to Nashville. Who really needs an excuse for ice cream? Not this gal.

The creamery is nestled on a hip little corner in East Nashville. You can't miss it as their is often a line of people patiently and eagerly awaiting a few moments of bliss. It is just that good. So good that we made two trips in one weekend. The first time I oh so conveniently forgot my camera or so I said. Guess we will have to circle round for part deux.

The ice cream itself is out of this world delicious. But the experience is just as wonderful with kitchy little names and an impressively knowledgable, cheerful staff.

Toppings are called gravel. If you ask me, I'd like a little bit ice cream with my gravel. I was licking the bowl begging for more. Pour on some sauce aka hot fudge. All the other goodies including sprinkles, whipped cream, nuts, etc are your accouterments. I took the sundae approach, both times, more bang for my buck!

Living within close range would be very dangerous. Thankfully there is a 3 hour cushion. I'll stop yammering on. Enjoy!






Next time I'll get one of these to go.




According to this little lady, the ice cream isn't terrible for you. I didn't dig too deep, but I'll take her word for it.
The gravel. Chocolate Blackout has changed my life.
Kat, Jared's girlfriend, is clearly healthier than us without all the accouterments.
Jared and I might be related as we ordered the exact same thing only mine is better because it has sprinkles. We went for the Askinosie Dark Milk Chocolate (phenomenal) and The Buckeye State (chocolate peanut buttery goodness packed in a scoop). Our sauce was hot fudge. Gravel of choice, both nights, Chocolate Blackout. Topped with homemade whipped cream (I watched them make it) and sprinkles for myself.

Gone in a flash!
Yes, I am a child too. I shared my chalk with the little one. I wrote "Jared loves the Buckeyes" because he made such a big deal about ordering an ice cream called The Buckeye State. He is not in fact an Ohio State football fan no matter how much he loves chocolate and peanut butter. He requested a name change.

His mother and sisters apparently taught him to show his affections in strange ways. Sorry Kat.


Lucky for all of you, you don't actually have to go to Nashville to get Jeni's. You can order it online too! You can buy the ice cream, sauces, gravel, and sandwiches here. Could be a great Christmas gift if I do so say so myself!

I will be seeing you again Jeni's.

XO,
Bee
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