365

My wedding is in 365 days!  I cannot believe it!  While we have chosen the date, church and venue - there are loads of things to do and I am looking forward to all the planning that is to come!

As I read through wedding magazines and checklists of things to do, I think the most important part of planning a wedding is to remember that it is about us. When it comes down to it, I can be put in any white dress, hold any types of flowers and put any kind of centerpiece in the middle of the table - but as long as we have fun and enjoy the most special day of our lives together, I would say it amounted to the most perfect wedding day!

So polish your dancing shoes, family and friends - November 9, 2013 will be a day to remember!

An overdue update

It is hard to believe how fast time goes by and how days come and go without much time to write blog posts!

While most days, before I got engaged, I would spend train rides blogging; lately I have been spending train rides looking through wedding magazines, reading about invitations, looking over favorite reception songs, picking out items for our registry and everything else you could possibly think of regarding wedding planning.

At night, I have spent time trying out new recipes and who would have guessed it - looking up things for our wedding!

I have been giving a few soups a try and have had great results!  I make a sweet potato and carrot soup, a white bean and broccoli soup and a fire-roasted tomato soup!  It is always nice to look forward to a warm soup when you come home from work on a brisk fall day.










I have also been trying a few dessert recipes and found a great recipe for homemade caramel icing.  It went so well with the vanilla cupcakes I made and I even put a chocolate caramel candy in the center of cake to give it an extra something special!  I think the attendees of the flower class really enjoyed them!  

Wine and appetizers - how classy!

The weekends are seeming to come and go so quickly as well!  Two weekends ago, I went to see Regina up at Penn State.  She and her roommates made me feel so welcome and it was a great weekend.  They had even planned a mini bachelorette party for me with wine and appetizers!  It was a perfect start to a fun night!

Celebrating my engagement!
"To Kathryn!"

This past weekend, Tom and I celebrated Halloween with friends at a few parties in Hoboken!  It is always fun to see how creative people get with their costumes!

And now, we are in the midst of Hurricane Sandy.  New York City is pretty much shut down and all modes of public transportation are suspended.  Hoboken doesn't do well with rain and flooding, so we are hoping for the best in the next few days.  We are safe, have plenty of food and water and enough board games to keep us beyond entertained!  

Here's to staying safe and to more frequent updates, I promise!

Hoboken bake sale

I was asked to donate some baked goods to the Hoboken bake sale by one of my first Good Afternoonan clients. I was happy to help and hope this will be a great business opportunity for me!

I decided with the start of October, it would be fun to make something with Halloween themed decorations. I also wanted to make sure I had a crowd pleaser so I thought I would do a spin on the chocolate peanut butter cakes I made for Jason's birthday. With many suggestions from those who tried them, I was told that maybe melted peanut butter chips would have been better to ensure that every bite had peanut butter in it! And instead of making cake balls, I made regular cupcakes for the bake sale.

Then I had purchased cupcakes liners and picks with Halloween images like bats, witches, ghosts and pumpkins.

Here is the finished product! I am pleased how they turned out and hope the bake-sale-goers love them!

Bread baking!

Last night Tom's Aunt Janet and Uncle Bruce treated us and Tom's newlywed cousins, Kristen and Joe to a bread baking class  at Le Pain Quotidien in New York City! We learned all kinds of techniques and made countless loaves of bread - it was such a fun night!

Aunt Janet and Uncle Bruce making their pizzas

We started by learning the ten step process of baking bread but skipped a few steps ahead since bread baking can be an all day affair! We made baguettes and small rolls as well as fruit and nut rolls and pizza dough! After we formed the small rolls, we filled them with butter and chocolate - and sampled a few pieces of chocolate along the way!

Joe and Kristen

Once most of the dough was in the oven, we made pizza for dinner! They were so delicious!

After pizza, we packaged up all of the bread to take home! Both Tom and I have freezers full of awesome artisan bread that we will be able to enjoy for quite a long time!

Tom and I with the pizza, the chocolate mini rolls, the baguettes, the fruit and nut rolls and a baked pizza!

The whole bread making group :)

We are thinking we might even sign up for the scone making class to further our baking knowledge! I highly recommend taking the class as it was definitely informative but more importantly, a really fun time with family!

Venue shopping

This weekend went so quickly! On Friday night, Tom and I watched a movie and ordered Chinese food with a few of our friends. We wanted to keep a low key night since we were headed to PA early the next morning to see my family and look at potential venues for our wedding!

On Saturday morning, Tom picked me up at my apartment in an awesome convertible that we rented for the weekend! Even though it was a little bit chilly, we rode half of the way home with the top down! It's funny how the topics of our conversation have changed - on the drive down this weekend we were talking about possible honeymoon locations! I mean we have thought of the idea of that before and talked about it - but now that it something that actually will be happening in about a year, it had become so real!

Once we got to my house, we picked my Mom up and went to the Radnor Hotel to view the grounds for a reception. I used to be a hostess at the restaurant there and I was pleasantly surprised that a lot of my old co-workers still worked there and gave me, Tom and my Mom such a warm welcome!

We enjoyed learning about the wedding package and after our appointment we sat for lunch to think through the options presented to us.

On Saturday night, my Mom invited some family and friends over for cake and to share in the excitement of our engagement. The love, support and genuine happiness we have experienced in these last few weeks has been wonderful!

On Sunday we went to view another venue and then went to Sean's soccer game. He played really well and it was fun to watch him play! Then we went to TJ Maxx and Home Goods and then to Patrick and Karen's house for dinner. After dinner and talking about the venues we went to see, Tom and I hopped back in the car to head back to Hoboken.

It was another wonderful weekend and I am so glad we got to celebrate with our family this weekend!

Flower class flavor

I was too busy getting engaged over the weekend (forgive me) to know that last Saturday was the first day of Fall.  I heard it on the news earlier this week and took it as inspiration for this week's flower class desserts.

I made a simple butter cookie in the shapes of leaves and apples and decorated them with fall-colored sprinkles to celebrate the first week of Fall.

Then I placed the cookies into little clear bags and tied with a gold and red bow!

I hope the attendees enjoy the cookies and think of Good Afternoonan the next time they need food "made with a little bit of love."

In case you were wondering

This is what cloud 9 looks like...

I am still on cloud 9.  I often look down at my left hand and think - I can't believe this is happening!  And with all of the calls, text messages, emails and well wishes on Facebook, it seems that not a minute has gone by that I do not think about all of the excitement that is to come!  I am overwhelmed at how many people are truly happy for Tom and me - it sincerely warms my heart to know just how many people love us!

Even though I've only been engaged for a few days, I am looking forward to all of the planning and seem to have already gotten a head start!  My friend Alicia from work got me the Martha Stewart Fall Weddings magazine to look through and we have been having fun looking at Pinterest for ideas as well!  Another friend from work Ryoko passed along her wedding guest spreadsheet template that will surely be helpful as we develop our guest list!

Luckily, there are plenty of checklists to follow and websites for wedding planning so I know we will remain on track for a perfect wedding day!  And I am lucky enough to have Karen, my sister-in-law and Jackie, my sister-in-law-to-be, who both planned beautiful weddings in the past few years and will surely be able to pass along their advice as well!

My first priority of planning is to simply enjoy each part of it and I know the rest will fall into place!

I will always...

Remember the 21st night of September.

The day began with me thinking of my Dad and being happy that it was an annual Earth, Wind and Fire celebration.  I was playing his song over and over again at work and so excited for what I thought was going to be a great dinner in the city and going out to celebrate a friend's great news.

What I did not know was that this dinner in the city with Tom was just the beginning of a weekend of wonderful surprises!

Tom and I went to Ayza in Midtown for dinner.  They are known for their wines and chocolate so after dinner we decided to taste three dessert wines and 6 truffles.  They were outstanding!

Then we headed to Hoboken to go to the bar to hear what our friend, Manny's, great news was.  I thought he got promoted and was prepared to wish him the best of luck in his new role when we got to the bar.  Tom called Manny when we got off the PATH to see if everyone was there and he said not yet and to take our time.  So Tom asked me if I wanted to go for a walk by the Hudson River.  I love to do that so I jumped at the chance!

We walked for a little and then stopped to look at the Freedom Towers being built and were talking about how it must have been for those who lived in Hoboken on that day to see what had occurred.  Then we continued with regular talking and then all of the sudden Tom said, "Ok, so I have a confession to make."  Now, usually when he starts off saying something like that, it usually means he bought something - like more things on eBay or Amazon.  So I was getting myself ready for something like "oh, how much did you spend?"

He continued on, "So when I told you last week that I went to Philadelphia for work, I didn't.  I went to go see someone."  I was in like shock, thinking to myself - we just had this wonderful dinner and he is telling me he went to go see someone!?!

Then he said, "Yeah, so I went to see your Mom and Patrick."  And in that moment, I knew exactly what he meant.  I think I screamed "Oh my God" about 5 times and he was on one knee with a ring box in hand, opened to display the most beautiful diamond engagement ring.  He said, "Okay, my knees are still hurting from our dodgeball game, is that a yes? And can I get up now?"

Of course it was a yes!  We walked a little further and went to the gazebo where Manny had left 21 roses and a bottle of champagne from Patrick with two glasses.

The night of celebration was just beginning as we called our families to tell them the wonderful news and then went to meet our friends at the bar who were waiting for us.  I was just on cloud 9 and could not believe all of the love and happiness around us.  We were met with balloons and champagne and a cake along with about 15 friends!  It was just the most exciting night!

 Then on Saturday, I had already planned to meet my Aunt Nancy and cousin, Colleen at Penn Station for lunch about a week ago.  I was so excited to tell them our wonderful news. We got to the restaurant and to our surprise, our Moms were there!  I thought I was going to have a heart attack!

We celebrated this amazing event with another champagne toast and delicious lunch! "How can I be so lucky?!" was all I kept thinking!


Then we headed to Long Island to wish Tom's cousin, Robbie, good luck as he is getting deployed next month and to share our good news with his side of the family.  This upcoming weekend, we will go to my house to see my family and potentially even look at some venues!

I cannot believe this happened - on my most favorite day of the year - and I am so happy that I will be spending the rest of my life with my best friend!

Thank you to everyone for all of your well wishes, smiles, love and support.  We are so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends!

Love,
The Soon-to-Be Mrs. Tom Gervasio (AH!!!)

Do you remember...

The 21st night of September?

This song by Earth, Wind and Fire was my Dad's favorite song and used to blast it every weekend, especially on Sundays before Church.  I am constantly reminded of him when I go to weddings and when we are out at a bar and here this song.  It brings back so many wonderful memories of him.

I miss everyday but many things allow me to know that he is still with us - and this song is at the top of the list.

Not in the Face

Last night we played our first dodgeball game for the Hoboken Rec league. Well, it actually was a scrimmage because the organizers of the league had some scheduling issues so last night's series of games did not count against our record.

We have about 15 people on our team which comprises of both Loyola friends and Jets friends. But together, we are known as team Not in the Face.

The rules are pretty simple - try to hit people on the other team and try not to let the ball hit the ground - or you - for your team. You can use a ball to block a ball and if you catch a ball thrown at you, the person who threw it is out and a person who got out on your team is able to come back in. There can be a max of 6 players on each side playing at once and for this league, there must be at least 2 girls at the start of the round.

Let's just say we are glad last night was only a scrimmage - we played a team who has played over the last four seasons so they were quite good and seemed to be very strategic. We took some notes and are ready for our next game in a week or so.

Walking to the bar after our defeat...

It will be a fun way to spend some fall nights and hopefully we will do well and even win - which will help our charity of choice, iMentor.

So maybe my mantra over the next fews should be "dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge."

PATH praises and problems

Riding the PATH pretty much everyday for the last two years certainly has its ups and downs. It's a relatively short ride making getting into the city pretty easy and the time on the train allows for ample book-reading (or blogging!).

But there are a few things I would change if I could:

1. The amount of seats - I wish there were about 4 times the amount of seats than what the trains currently have. I am not a particularly pushy person so getting a seat is not always in my cards on my morning commute. Luckily, Tom is better at getting to the front of the doors and usually holds a seat for me if I get lost in the shuffle. On the rare occasion that I commute alone, I usually accept the fact that finding a seat will be less than likely.
2. From the lack of seats, there is a cut throat mentality of the passengers and that is something I wish would change. I mean pushing past people and nearly fighting for a seat can really change your mood for your day. It is surprising to me how many pregnant ladies are standing before someone will offer their seat to them. Recently on the PATH, they put up a poster that no joke I think was taken from a kindergarten classroom about the etiquette of riding the train. Lessons like "offer your seat to those who need it - with pictures of an elderly person, pregnant lady and person who is on crutches" as well as "speak in conversational tones" so that everyone and their brother doesn't hear about your raging weekend. There are about 4-5 other lessons to be learned and I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the poster. Really - adults need to be reminded of how to show common courtesy?

All-in-all, I enjoy my time on the train because it is a solid 30-40 minutes of the day where you do not have the ability to connect to the internet (though it seems like more and more platforms are becoming cell-phone friendly), check email and social sites.  I have enjoyed many books in my 2 years of living in Hoboken and know I owe a lot of that to the good ole' PATH train.

Do you have any book recommendations for my rides?

A bag of thanks

After Debby, I mean Fort Lauderdale, Regina and I have a ton of laughs and memories despite the terrible weather. A few months following our trip, my Mom, Victoria and Sean came to Hoboken for the weekend and brought a present for me from Regina with them.

Regina bought me a "thanks for the trip" present that came with the most hilarious card that featured a recap of our trip via stickers that we used to use when we had school projects or while we did scrapbooks. From a palm tree with countless water droplets to represent that tropical storm to a hippo laying on its side, holding its stomach with a talk bubble that said "too much margaritas!" the card was certainly enough of a thanks.

I opened the present and inside was an awesome fall bag that I have already used three times! The colors are perfect for this season and I even love the inside pattern!

Thanks Regina - I love it!

I am really looking forward to the next sister trip we go on and am sure that more fun and memories will happen, rain (God willing not) or shine!

Monday morning commute

This morning, I decided to take a small detour and walk through Bryant Park (rather than just around it).  I am thinking of starting a series on Mondays of photos from New York and Hoboken - after all, this area is not my hometown and even after two years of living here, many of these "attractions" are still exciting for me!  

What do you see on your way to work in the morning?

Flower class flavor

Tonight there is another flower class in Hoboken.  I decided I wanted to try a new cookie recipe and after scanning through my recipe books, I found a chocolate hazelnut cookie that sounded really good!  And the technique to make the cookies was something I had never done before, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give it a shot.

I started by rolling the cookie dough into long rectangles, layering them on top of one another and then rolling the dough into logs.  Then I took a sharp knife and cut each cookie from the log.

Here is the finished product after about 13 minutes in a 375 degree oven:

I think I will name these cookies Chocolatey Hazelnut Pinwheels!

I hope the attendees at the class enjoy them tonight!  

Do you have any baking techniques that you have mastered?

What is...

...the most perfect mini bite of chocolate, peanut butter and cake?

These little guys:

I made these for my friend Jason for his birthday!  He loves anything chocolate and peanut butter so I was trying to get creative and came up with this:

• Vanilla cake
• Reese's peanut butter chips
• Chocolate chips
• Melted chocolate icing 

I recently bought a cake pop pan but to be perfectly honest, cake pops are a little challenging to ice!  So I made a game-time decision and put the cake pops in mini cup-cake liners and iced them with the melted chocolate and topped them with one more peanut butter chip!

What would be your pick for your birthday dessert?

Always remember

On this 11th anniversary of September 11, 2001 - may we all pause to remember the victims, those who bravely risked their lives to save another's and those who mourn the loss of their loved ones.

Taken at the Jets vs. Cowboys game, September 11, 2011

May God bless America.

A year ago today...

Tom and I were on our way to One Happy Island.  It is certainly nice to look back on such a wonderful week in Aruba and I wish we could go back every year!

Where is your dream vacation spot?

Fashions for fall

I've been reading a lot of articles about taking pieces from your summer wardrobe and transitioning them for fall outfits. It makes perfect sense to keep some of your favorite pieces from summer and switch them up in the cooler months. I know I really love some of my summer clothes but around the middle of August, I start to get a little bored of them and wish I could add a scarf or blazer to change the look a little bit but the heat would never allow it!

This past weekend when I went shopping with Tom's Mom, I found two pairs of capri pants at Ann Taylor Loft (for $14.98 each!) that will certainly add to my wardrobe! One of the pairs is orange that I think will add a great pop of color and can be worn with flats on a warmer fall day and with boots when it gets to be a little chillier!

Do you have any summer pieces you are looking forward to enhancing your fall outfits with?

Labor Day Weekend 2012

This Labor Day Weekend was pretty relaxing though it is hard to believe that it is already September!

Tom and I went to Long Island to spend the weekend with his parents and to see his sister's sweet new baby girl. On Friday night when we arrived, we headed straight outside to sit by the pool and hang out on his dock. Tom and his Dad were fishing off the dock while his Mom and I watched, talked and drank delicious margaritas! It was a great start to the long holiday weekend!

Then on Saturday we went to see the new baby - she is so cute and little! It will be so fun to watch her grow up!

On Sunday, we went to church and then Tom went golfing with his Dad while I went shopping with his Mom.
Then we sat by the pool for most of the afternoon and left for an early dinner at the local sushi restaurant then headed back to Hoboken on the train.

Waking up at 10am on a Monday was probably one of the best parts of the weekend for me. Tom, Jason and I went to a pancake restaurant called Stacks where you can order pretty much any kind of pancake you want. I ordered pancakes with berries and Jason ordered pancakes with chocolate, peanut butter and bananas and Tom got pancakes and eggs. We were stuffed but ready for our ride to our friend, Schoenbart's house for a BBQ. Unfortunately it was cloudy day so we were not able to use the pool but we all had a great time!

It was certainly an enjoyable weekend and while I am sad to see summer go I am looking forward to the fall as well!

Flower class flavor

I am excited to report that I have signed on to cater the Hoboken flower classes just about every other Thursday night this fall!  I will be bringing desserts for the class attendees to enjoy while they learn how to arrange flowers.

Last night was my first time back since the Spring classes and I brought shortbread cookies and salted caramel pretzel bark.

I followed this recipe for the salted caramel pretzel bark though I used much smaller pretzels than what was pictured and used this recipe for the shortbread cookies.

As you can see above, I used my new "fashionista" cookie cutters for the cookies:

and I would love to help any brides-to-be and their bridal parties plan their special events around their big day!  Do you know any brides looking for scrumptious favors?  Send them my way and I will sure to bake them treats "made with a little bit of love."

Have any delectable dessert recipes for me to try this fall for the flower classes?  Send me some ideas in the comments!