Long Weekend in Instagram

I've been feeling crappy lately, so excuse me for taking so long to post.  And I apologize that all I have for you are some Instagram photos, but that's that.  Anyway, it was a nice long weekend for us since we had Veteran's day off from work, so here we go...

It started off with some basset-snuggling.  Cheese has been glued to my lap lately.  It might be because he loves me, or it could be the heated blanket I've had draped over my lap lately.  Hmm, I wonder?

I woke up early on Saturday, so while Antoine was still snoozing away Cheese snuggled with me while I read.

After Antoine woke up we made breakfast together and then got ready for a day of running errands.

Sunday morning I helped Antoine whip up some sausage gravy, and he was nice enough to make me a egg and cheese sandwich (with a little sausage gravy on top).

Sunday was a lazy day.  I hung out with the animals (Gui got in some snuggling time of his own) and that evening whipped up a batch of Montreal-style bagels. 

Monday morning I made a quick stop by Spring Grove to use up some film and enjoy the lovely golden Ginkgo trees.

Then I headed over to a friend/coworker's house, where she taught a little bookbinding workshop for some of the ladies I work with.  We also ate some delicious food and chatted, it was wonderful.

This is commonly known as a Secret Belgium Binding.  I made two during  the workshop, this butterfly one and a dog one.

After the workshop, Antoine and I headed over to the new(ish) movie theater near our house to finally see Gravity.  They were only showing it in 3D (which I'm generally not crazy about because I'm always worried it is going to give me a headache), but it was great!  So suspenseful and beautiful, we both really enjoyed it!  And that was our weekend!  How was your weekend?!

Weekend in Instagram

Yet another weekend in Instagram post...I know, I know.  I need to get off my ass and do some actual blogging.  I promise I'll have a real post with real photos later this week!  And then either this week or next I'll start on my guest bedroom posts, I promise!  In the meantime, Instagram photos (mainly of Cheese) for your enjoyment...

 I started Saturday morning off right with some cold brewed iced coffee.  And I swear I'm not so pretentious that I normally drink my coffee out of a Ball jar, I just didn't have enough for a full glass of coffee.  Not that I think all people who drink their coffee out of Ball jars are pretentious...but some are.

 Saturday was a lazy day.  Well, to be honest, the whole weekend was pretty lazy!  We stayed in our pajamas most of the weekend.  Saturday we watched Mud and Now You See Me.  Mud was actually really good!  Easily Matthew McConaughey's best performance to date...and that's saying a lot because I'm not generally one of his biggest fans.  Usually I find him to be kind of creepy, but not so much in this film.  Now You Can See Me was good, kind of hokie at times, but good.  I also watched Side Effects on Friday and thought it was decent, if kind of flawed.  But luckily, Channing Tatum isn't in it too long, so that was good (I can only handle his douchiness for so long, then I'm done).

 

Sunday was yet another lazy day...I snuggled on the couch with this guy most of the day and watch How I Met Your Mother reruns.  It was kind of awesome.

Poor guy!  It's so "ruff" being the Cheese-man.

Sunday night I had to feed my sis and brother-in-laws cats and I spotted this gigantic cluster of mushrooms in their backyard.  Crazy!

This is Cheese on Monday.  It was obvious that Labor Day was just too much for him and he needed to get out of the house for a while to let off some steam, so we took him to the dog park.  You know it's hot out at the dog park when all the humans AND all the dogs are staying under the shade of the trees!  Cheese managed to last an hour and so did we!  He had a great time and drank about a million gallons of water!

While Cheese was getting a bath I couldn't resist snapping a photo of this guy rolling around on the guest bed, which Guillermo now thinks is his bed!

Antoine and I rounded off our Labor Day by running some errands and then feasting on some silver queen corn on the cob for dinner (tasty!).  It was a nice, relaxing weekend...which frankly, in this heat, was pretty much all we could bear.  I really hope it starts to cool off soon!  I'm so ready for cool, Fall weather...it's my favorite!

How about you?  How was your long weekend?  Did you do anything fun?  Or did you avoid the heat at all costs like we did?!

Weekend in Instagram

What a great weekend!  The weather was gorgeous, if a little sizzling; so much better than last weekend.  My weekend began with a little detour to Lunken Airport (my first time there).  My sis and I had plans to go blueberry picking, but she had a work thing come up at Lunken so I sat in the car while she did her thing.  Unfortunately it wasn't open yet, so I couldn't see the inside...maybe some other time.

My sister and I headed to Rouster's to pick some blueberries.  Yes, it was my second time going this summer, but I couldn't help myself!  And boy oh boy, was it the perfect day for it.  Since picking got canceled last weekend because of the rain, there were tons of enormous, sweet berries on the bushes.  We picked until they closed and I walked away with another 9lbs of blueberries! 

When I got home from blueberry picking Antoine's nephew, Kayeson, was over.  Kayeson adores Guillermo and Cheese so he begged to come over to our house so he could play with them.  Cheesy love Kayeson (well, any human really), but Gui isn't too fond of how loud he is and hid behind the washer and dryer most of the time. 

 Kayeson had fun throwing the ball and making Cheese fetch it...though Cheese was exhausted after a couple hours of this!

After we took Kayeson home (with a brief stop at Hold the Nuts for some soft serve), we ran to the mall where I purchased a couple pairs of new jeans in a size smaller than I had been wearing!!  Yay!!  Despite cake-making and pie-making, Antoine and I have been doing really good lately with our calorie counting and last week we started getting up very early and going to the gym before work, two to three times a week.  It's been really great for us!  Anyway, I was in a ridiculously good mood after finding out I went down a pant size, so Antoine and I decided to celebrate with Fusian!

 I got my usual tuna roll (which is only 383 calories!) and tried their seasonal special strawberries...so good!  Also, a little heads up to you central/east siders, Fusian will be opening a second Cincinnati store in Hyde Park Plaza!  They are expected to open their doors in October and I can't wait!

Sunday was a bit of a lazy day...or should I say, I homebody kind of day. 

 This guy took his ball with him everywhere.

 I washed, dried and froze about 3/4 of the blueberries I had picked with my sister.

 This might have been the biggest one I picked!  It was so ridiculously sweet and delicious!

I spent a good part of the day in the kitchen washing berries, making tasty strawberry balsamic vinaigrette, and lemon curd (for something later this week).  Then Antoine grilled up some ribs and corn for dinner...seriously so good!  I couldn't even pick up the ribs because the meat just fell right off the bone.

Then Antoine and I watched Star Wars (the real ones...not the newer ones) and I whipped up some baked blueberry oatmeal for Antoine to take to work for breakfast this week.  He said it turned out great, but I didn't try any because I was too stuffed from dinner!

So, how was your weekend? 

Weekend in Instagram

Judging from the photos it might look like all I did this weekend was hangout with Cheese and drink.  That's only partly true.  Saturday morning I helped my sister out with another yard sale she was having.  

Before I left for my sister's Antoine was sweet enough to make me a breakfast sandwich.

After the yard sale Cheese scared the crap out of me when he started hacking and acting like he was choking...turns out it was only kennel cough. 

Poor sick Cheesy!

Saturday evening, Antoine and I went to Fusian for some sushi and then headed to Party Source for some drink fixings. 

 I picked up a couple of hard ciders, including this blackberry pear cider.  Not only was it tasty, but it was also only 130 calories per bottle...making it easy for me to stay under my calories on Saturday!

We stopped by Yagoot for some frozen yogurt.  I got the caramelized pineapple yogurt, which is now one of my favorites, along with the strawberry and the Italian cocoa.

On Sunday we had brunch with my sister and brother-in-law, but more on that later.  Then, we decided to be bad and not go to the gym.  Instead we lounged around the house, drinking mojitos and watching some movies.  We finally watched The Amazing Spider-Man (so much better than the 2002 Maguire/Dunst version!) and The Place Beyond the Pines (I was expecting another version of Drive, which I liked, but it wasn't...but it was still good).

Some mojito goodness in my new mojito glass! That's right, I now have a glass designated for mojitos!  It was all Antoine's idea, because he knows I'm obsessed!

Cheese wasn't interested in watching the movies, he just wanted to look out the window and dream of being outside. 

How was your weekend?!

Great Gatsby

Anyone else out there super stoked for the new Great Gatsby movie?  Once I saw the first preview, I was hooked and knew I had to see it!  And then, magically, on Friday I got an email for free preview tickets for this Thursday (aka tomorrow night)!!  Antoine and I immediately went and picked up the tickets in advance, as well as a set for my sister.

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Before I went to go see the film I knew I wanted to re-read the book.  Like most, I hadn't read it since high school.  And I couldn't really remember what happens.  Luckily, I finished it last night.  And now I'm even more excited!

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Did you know that this jacket cover illustration by Francis Cugat, known as Celestial Eyes, is one of the most renowned jacket covers of all time?  You can read more about the story of this illuminating cover, here.

I know some people are a little wary of this modern remake, as they have strong feelings about the novel and/or the 1974 Robert Redford/Mia Farrow version.  I, personally, enjoyed the novel and the '74 film version, but I don't have any strong bond with either so I'm just looking forward to the film.  I can definitely see DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby and Maguire as Nick Carraway.  And while I find the character of Daisy Buchanan utterly annoying (am I alone here?!) and I happen to adore Carey Mulligan (I know I'm not alone here, Antoine has a big crush on her), I think she'll be able to pull it off.  But really, the two things I'm most looking forward to:  the "look" of the film and the soundtrack!  The film looks gorgeous; the sets and the costumes look perfect!  And the modern soundtrack, at least what I've heard of it, sounds fantastic!

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What do you think?  Are you planning on seeing it?