Do or don't: Doggie Daycare?

I know it sounds ridiculous - daycare for your dog?? - but it has literally become a lifesaver in our household. When we moved in, in July, we were (obviously) not told about our crazy (again literally) 80-something year old, alcoholic neighbour who lives above us. Not to bore you with details but some of the highlights we've heard from other residents in the building include, almost burning his apartment down but not noticing the billowing smoke, yelling at a new neighbour, while he (the new neighbour) moved his furniture into his apartment, completely starkers, and calling the police so many times for various grievances that they no longer respond to his calls. Needless to say we got off on the wrong foot with him due to a misunderstanding about the eletricity bill (which was not even our fault) and now we're are on his "list". His nickname is Grumpers (a too kind a term of endearment for what he has leashed upon us).

We had to leave Mila a few weekends ago to go to Dallas. Originally she was not supposed to be at home but after a few changes in plans, it was determined that she would be picked up around an hour after we left. Whether it was the suitcases or the early start, or the fact that I had started work that week and Mila's routine was topsy-turvy and unpredeicatble, it all led to her apparent howling at 7am on a Saturday morning. Against us are the acoustics of our old building allowing piercing sound and footsteps to travel through the floors like paper and enhance the sound. Upon return on Sunday evening, our night panned out as follows: we got home to find Grumpers waiting for us at the top of the stairs. I snuck into our apartment and Ryan went in to apologise for the barking. Grumpers unleashed a torrent of profanities and threats and slammed the door a few times. Later that night (1am), we were woken up by what sounded like a cane rapping against our bedroom ceiling. This proceeded for approximately every 20 minutes until 6am where he rang our buzzer for as long as he could until we answered and then he continued to scream and swear again. Sigh.

So my dear friends, when one is faced with the crazy and, no gurantee that one's dog may not bark in a 10 hour day, day care becomes a necessity. Yes it's expensive and it takes an extra few minutes in the morning to drop her off, but the payoff and peace of mind is worth it. We can go to work knowing that our dog is safe and it is unlikely we will be receiving a visit from the police. Other side-benefits include Mila's new confidence in the park with bigger dogs (she previously just put the brakes or would try and go in the other direction) and the likelihood of her sleeping for a large portion of the evening when we get home rather than stealing socks or jumping on tables! 

And to top it all off, yesterday, Mila made a new friend.. meet Hubert!

 Mila's in the foreground and Hubert is in the back, both doing the songololo! 

Getting into a new routine

After much angst and complaining, the employment gods have finally smiled down upon me and granted me permission to work. This process has been a long time coming but I'm glad we didn't give up and I can finally start settling down into a more sustainable routine in New York. Whilst hanging out with Mila and "living el sueno" for the past year, give or take, has been swell, it's good to be working again, have a name tag, half a desk etc. I'm working in by far the biggest team, I have ever worked in. The hospital we're affiliated to has 20 000 employees which is pretty mind-blowing. I have been working for almost 2 weeks which is also crazy considering how fast time flies when you're busy. So apologies for the lack of posting. Blogust came at a good time because Blogtember would probably have been a bust.

Besides work, we went to a beautiful wedding in Dallas last weekend:

and we used Mila's first birthday (combined with her friend Fenway's birthday) as an excuse to have some coffee and cake in the park on Saturday morning. Thanks to Maryl for baking such a sweet and delicious cake. 

Farewell Blogust!

Thanks for reading and commenting and emailing and the general love and support! Hope you've all had a great Blogust!

The Week in High Fives

1. Even though we don't have any actual flowers in our garden (this will all change next year - I swear to you!), I managed to make the simplest flower arrangement from my perennial grass that occasionally sprouts lilac "flowers". I added some mint in their too.

2. This ByBoe Sweetheart ring was supposed to be an actual bow but they sent the wrong one. I love it though so I didn't have the "heart" to send it back (wah-waa). I also love this and these.

 

3. This is Penny who is 4 months old and new to the park. Excited to see her grow and play!

4. This drink from The Spotted Pig was so delicious: rose water lemonade - totally made my day! 

5. Having breakfast with Mila at Mila Cafe was pretty awesome!

And perhaps the most exciting news of this week is that my visa came through!! Finally! So now I am officially and definitely going to be employed! Unclear on the exact start date but sometime next week for sure. Thanks for putting up with me while I complained about this topic for the longest time! 

Who really needs furniture anyway?

After our third-hand couch from Chicago wouldn't fit through the door of our new apartment (damn those 1910 builders who could not fathom that all American sofas would be enormous and awkward), we settled for life with a one-seat armchair. This arrangement was working out well until Ryan had some time off this week, and one of us (usually me!) was left sitting on the floor! So with the news that my visa had finally come through, we decided to suck it up and go back to Ikea to buy a couch. We left with a lot more than just a couch, and although the apartment is a continuing work-in-progress, it is starting to look more like a home now. 

If you ever find yourself having to go through the pain of going to Ikea, I have a few tips that may make it more bearable.

1. If you live in a city like New York and don't own a car, or more specifically a truck, beg, borrow or steal one. The first time we went to Ikea we took two trains and a ferry on a boiling hot day. We did not buy a single thing except lunch, among other things because we couldn't face carrying it all home on said trains and ferry and walking with it back to our apartment. 

2. If you have this luxury, go on a weekday morning. We went on a Monday and considering that they offer a free, cooked breakfast, it would be safe to say Mondays are slow-days for them. A pleasure. 

3. Take snacks. Unless you are happy to spend time in the cafeteria waiting in line for food, usually a cooked full-on meal, a better use of your time is to eat something before and take some water and a power bar in your bag for when you need a pick-me-up. 

4. Do not plan anything after the Ikea trip or for the next day if you can. Ikea is generally overwhelming and once you get home, you still have to assemble everything so your job is far from finished. We assembled a couch, foot stool, coffee table, side table and a double bed over the two days and it was physically and emotionally exhausting. 

5. Plan ahead. Go to their website, pick out what you want over a few days, make sure they have it at your local branch, print out your order and go armed. This will save you countless hours of wandering and more likely keep you focused. Your research will not go to waste. All the furniture has Swedish names so it can get very confusing between the brown Kivik and the white Ektorp etc and this lamp and that rug.

6. Have fun! Although Ikea furniture gets a bad rap, it is by the far the best value for money if you are starting out and need to furnish a lot quickly. Plus, I think if you look after your furniture, it should last until you feel ready to invest in a pricier version. There are also gradations within Ikea so you can buy the cheapest couch made out of sticks and plastic wrap or one that has actual springs with cushions and fabric. 

7. A nice view (below) on the way home while you worry about whether your bounty will get soaked (and rot) or fall off the back of your rented pick-up truck/bakkie, is never a bad thing. Find that silver lining!

And the fun and games begin. First up is building the couch. I even ironed the covers. 

 Real springs!

Despite all our efforts to keep Mila off the couch in the previous apartment (I've shouted at her, physically placed her on the floor, used treats, put chairs on the couch etc), she is so much more persistent and stubborn than I could ever have imagined. She was even climbing on the couch while we were building it. Come on, this is one determined dog. 

In an effort to compromise, we bought a footstool which triples up as storage, a foot rest and Mila's own couch. Ridiculous. The problem is keeping her off the rest. 

It didn't work.. Mila also rearranged the cushions to her liking. Sigh. The only saving grace is that I have scotch-guarded the couch and draped a very comfy blanket on it, to which she seems amenable. Thank heavens she is only 9lbs and has short hair! 

I never appreciated the basics like a couch until now. Even though this furniture is by no means fancy, it was fun (and stressful) to research the process and "build" everything together. (Even though this is definitely not true) I feel like this is the comfiest couch ever! I think the woeffle agrees.   

 

Sweet dreams. 

US Open 2012!

As some of you may know, Ryan is pretty tennis obsessed. The words "vamos" and "the bull" are common in our house. Right now he is wearing an ode to Nadal T-shirt even though there will be no "bull or "vamos" this year as sadly Rafa is injured. Knowing about this obsession, a friend of ours got us tickets to her company's box at the US Open, last Monday night. After an insane day of assembly (more on that to follow), it was cool to feel fancy, attend the opening ceremony, and be crazily close to the court. The lobster rolls and enormous carrot cake weren't half-bad too. We also did some celeb spotting (my favourite part) which included Alec Baldwin, Stanley Tucci, Anna Wintour (ooo!) and (how-awesome) Zach Braff! We watched Kim Clijsters from Belgian beat a newbie American, Victoria Duval and then were treated to Roger Federer up-close and personal, such were our seats for the evening. The photos just don't do it justice but here goes in any case.

Alec, Stanley, Anna and Zach are behind me, I swear.

Awkward self-portraiture.

Kim, getting ready to pounce!

 

 There's ol' Fed playing Donald Young. 

Last year when we went to the open, we sat in the pleb seats. I prefer the box myself. It's the only way to roll.

Cream Puffs and Mochi

Caitlin and I stumbled upon Beard Papa's Japanese-style Bakery last winter and we were intrigued by its peculiarity and specialty: cream puffs and mochi ice-cream. 

 

 Look at cute Beard Papa! He looks like a Santa-Smurf.

For those unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine, mochi is a type of ice-cream encased in rice-cake dough which has the consistency of a paste. They are usually three-bites apiece which makes them perfect for a quick taste and an excuse to have more than one!

 

I managed to snap a few pics of their world-famous cream puffs in various flavours (try the original and the cocoa puff).

 

 Mmmmm. 

Flying Harry Potters

These blurry folks are playing "Quidditch" in the park..They have broomsticks and giant hoops and they "fly". Is this really happening?

Mild Chaos: A Sneak Peek

I have not forgotten about Blogust!! So sorry for the delays in posts but I will be making up for it before Blogust is over (on Friday! Yikes!). In the meantime, a picture says 1000 words so here is a sneak peek of why Blogust took a temporary hiatus. 

Watch this space!

The Week in High Fives!

1. Cycling with my dog, admiring the views and watching her ears flap in the wind while we ride.

 

2. This post from The Beauty Department totally made me smile and made me think that we don't have to pay an arm-and-a-leg for beauty, we just have to be a little creative.

3. Been researching this quite seriously - the thought makes my heart sing!

4. Having my husband home in time for dinner every night this week! Awesome, amazing and appreciated. 

Even though this looks like a bit of train-wreck, this berry cobbler was the most unexpected, on-the-fly, delicious surprise of the week. You can find the recipe here. It's made straight in the skillet and is so easy to make. It has been making my day every day since Wednesday.

5. Reading all your comments and emails about Blogust and suggestions for posts made my week, thank you for taking the time. 

 

Lunch-in-a-jar!

In anticipation of starting my own job and the fact that Ryan already has one, I decided to try something new for "work lunches". I saw on A Cup of Jo (of course) about this nifty idea from The Daily Muse to take salad-in-a-jar to work. Genius. The best part is you can make your jars for the week all at once and the salad will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. No more stressing the night before or morning of about what to take for lunch. The combinations are also only limited to your imagination and pantry/fridge. The only real guidelines to keeping the salad fresh and crisp is to separate the dressing from the leaves and herbs. Place the liquid portion at the bottom with the bulkier leafy part of the salad, as your final step.

So far we've done a basil pesto pasta salad, chickpea and avocado salad, what's ever leftover salad, and we even cut up a black-bean burger patty to add bulk to the salad. I use wide-mouthed Quart Mason Jars which I found at a local craft store, but can also be ordered online or bought from the supermarket. Even though the quart-size (one litre) looks huge, it fills up very quickly especially if you leave some space at the top for shaking. My first few jars, I was so excited, I went a bit overboard and filled them right to the top, but there's still plenty of space for food if you don't. Other pros to the mason jars? They are made of glass so don't have all the nasty stuff that plastic has, they can go in the dishwasher (I wouldn't recommend putting the lids in the dishwasher though), they don't leak, and have multiple purposes besides lunch (jamming, flower vasing, storage, cookie jar etc).

And my very own salad-in-a-jar..

 

This particular week (from top to bottom), we had baby spinach leaves, pepperdews, crumbled feta, sundried tomatoes, baby cucumbers, celery and a lemon vinaigrette (I think, later, we added some of the black bean burger in there too, to bulk it up). If you want to put avocado in the salad, definitely do so but try and squeeze it between something acidic like olives in brine, lemon or lime wedges or sundried tomatoes to stop it turning brown.

Once I actually start working, I'll make some jars for my lunch but for now Ryan takes these to work 2-3 times a week and sometimes has them for dinner at home. They provide a good base to complement a meal and are super easy to just take out of the fridge and enjoy!

Dogs on a bike.

When we first got Mila and moved to New York (kind of all at once), a friend of ours (Thanks Amy!) sent us a link from bicyclehabit about riding a bike with your dog and the appropriate equipment. I have been a little nervous to try and take Mila on the bike without an appropriate doggie backpack but yesterday I decided to try a few things out. I rode with her in a normal backpack and whilst she's a little long for long rides, she coped really well and seemed to have a pretty good time with her head out, ears flapping, sniffing the breeze! 

Option 1:

 Regular backpack, allowing for woeffie scenic viewing 

 Option 2:

I managed to secure my basket properly so that it doesn't rest on the front wheel. I'm a little apprehensive to try cycling with her because I'm worried the bike may be a little front heavy but perhaps once cycling, we will all balance out. Either way she looks pretty cute! 

Another option would be the dog on the back on the bike... nerve-wracking!

Whilst, I am sure Mila would love this ride, it ain't happening!

Would you ever ride a bike with your dog?

Current Blog Lovin'

For some design inspiration, farmer's market produce and cute babies (the newest one is less than a month old!), check out Christine Chitnis (Thanks to Lucia for telling me about this one!) 

For some interior design, fun giveaways and DIY inspiration, I recommend paying a visit to Jenny Komenda's blog, A Little Green Notebook. She does the most incredible home improvement projects, basically on her own. I had been thinking of covering my dining room table chairs for the longest time and when I saw her post on DIY upholstery, I knew I no longer had any excuses not to try it!

For when I am feeling wistful and indulgent, or just in the mood for some fashion inspiration, I go to Atlantic-Pacific. Bee's clothes and style often leave me more depressed than hopeful, as her clothes are always designer, and her taste is impeccable, but mostly I leave aspiring to be a leggy blonde, permanently drinking an iced coffee, wearing to die-for outfits. Oh and she also lives between New York City and San Francisco - it's a tough life but someone's gotta live it.

Every now and again when Mila is behaving or if I'm feeling brave, I check out doxiegarden, the website of the Mila's breeder in New Jersey. Go and check it out but be warned, you may just die from cuteness. 

And then finally, a blog that is linked on my own, and which I have recently discovered and click on daily, is reading my tea leaves. I love Erin's style and the way she designs her blog and sources amazing objects to talk about. She also lives with her husband is a teeny-tiny apartment in Brooklyn so it's great to see how they problem-solve their small space.