Unfortunate Events Remind Us How Fortunate We Are

If we're friends on Facebook or you follow me on Twitter, you already know that on Tuesday, 150 Blackbaud employees were laid off. One of those employees was yours truly. I can't say that I was totally shocked, as there had been some changes over the past few months. Blackbaud acquired Convio and there was a lot of restructuring. Apparently they got in over their heads and restructuring meant layoffs. I just can't believe 150 people were affected -- around 50 of us being from headquarters.

While yes, this is frightening, because I will have to find a new job, I'm not scared enough to let it get me down. I know these things happen for a reason, one of which is so that I can find something that is better suited to my passions and skill sets. I did enjoy my position at Blackbaud, but I wasn't working to my full potential or in a place to grow. And I know that I can do that. Something so much better is right around the corner, and during this transition I will stay positive that it will come my way very soon. 

My good friend and her fiancé also worked at headquarters -- she made the cut, but he did not. Soon after leaving the office, she asked if I wanted to come drink some champagne with them. That was an obvious yes. I think we all needed some bubbly to chill out. The irony? We drank out of Blackbaud glasses. ;) Gotta stay humorous.

That evening, Danielle came right over with presents. She is an angel. She brought me wine, a pickle-shaped wine stopper, hot sauce, candy, movies, magazines, books, and the biggest wine glass I've ever seen. It's so huge that it can be filled with an entire bottle of wine. 

This afternoon, Eric was kind enough to take me to lunch at Puree. He had the Deep South Sandwich and I had the Jalapeño Cheddar Burger. Good food is a great distraction!

The outpouring of support I have already received from family, friends, and even strangers has been downright amazing. Those of you who have reached out to me are truly special people and I am so grateful that you're in my life, however that may be. Nobody likes difficult situations; it's human nature to reject change. But when you know in your heart that the change will bring you to a better place, you have to sit back and watch it happen with a smile.

What I’m Loving Wednesday 12.19.12

1. Last night I went out with Danielle to deliver samples of the new Red Bull Editions that we tried a couple weeks ago. While out, the bartender made us a little shot with the Bakon Vodka, Zing Zang, and pineapple juice. It was supposed to taste like a pineapple pizza which sounds totally weird, but it was so good. He said the Bakon Vodka is really good in a Bloody Mary.

2. Old Navy’s Compression Capris. I know you guys love your Lululemon gear because it stores fat in unknown places, but I promise these do the same. It looks like I worked out for a month straight when I wear them.

3. This.

4. Boding finally went to Mi Xao with Eric and me. It was weird not going with Danielle! My new favorite menu item is the Chicken Salad: steamed chicken breast, cabbage, carrots, shallots, fresh herbs, and peanuts with a lime dressing. I want to drink the dressing and I’m not joking.

5. Eric said lunch was BYOC: bring your own chopsticks. It was the perfect opportunity for me to give Boding one of his Christmas presents early.

6. I partnered with my new best friend Carly for The Ornament Swap. She decided to go above and beyond with the gift giving. I’ll show you it all soon, but check out the best item in the box: an inflatable dreidel.

I can’t decide which I like more: the dreidel or the boy holding it….hahah I am going to be in so much trouble for sharing this.

6 days until Christmas!

2012 Pajama 5K Recap

The Pajama Run  has is my favorite race in Charleston, and this year was my third year to run. The race fundraises for cancers below the waist: colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, etc. It starts at The Joe Riley stadium, loops around Hampton Park, and then ends with a pajama party.

This year we were sponsored by The Charleston Pickle Company! Amanda, Nikki, Kaye, Ashley, and Nikki’s baby Liam all donned CPC shirts for the run:

So many pickles and pickle juice shots for recovery.

This year’s race was special not only because of our awesome sponsorship, but because I really wanted to beat my PR. Last year I PR’d and got 2nd place in my age group with a time of 24:54. Since I have been running so much more lately, I was absolutely determined to shave off at least a minute.

Amanda and I started off pretty fast – much faster than I anticipated to run my first mile, but the energy of the crowd really helped. We both use the Nike + app that lets us know as we pass each mile. When we hit mile 1, we both looked at each other, smiled, and then suddenly our mouths just dropped. We had run it in 7:36, which is pretty damn fast for us. We sped up a tiny bit for the next 2.1 miles and BOTH finished with a new PR – 22:52 for me and 22:55 for her. We were psyched.

Even better, we won 2nd and 3rd place in our age group. Yay for medals!

DJ Natty Heavy also made his 3rd appearance at the Pajama Run after party. Look at that smile!

After the race, we were glowing with pride…and starving. To refuel, Amanda and I went to Sesame for lunch. Of course we started our meal with a celebratory drink. I had a Mandrin Mule: absolut mandrin, goslings ginger beer and fresh squeezed lime.

We split The Napa Valley chicken sandwich (fig & bacon jam, blue cheese, red wine reduction) and the Southwestern black bean burger (guacamole and chipotle sour cream). Sesame has a really great black bean burger and it’s huge!

The race was a lot of fun, I got to run with my best friends, and I’m so excited about my new PR. Great day all around!

**Huge thanks to Nathan/The Charleston Pickle Company for sponsoring us. We love your pickles and your support!!**

What’s your favorite race that you’ve run?

Are you signed up for any upcoming races? I’m currently signed up to for the Charleston 1/2 Marathon in January, the Color Me Rad Run in March, and will soon sign up for the Cooper River Bridge Run in April.

What I’m Loving Wednesday 11.7.12

1. When my old roommate moved out, she sold her dining room table. Until I replace it, the dining room is empty. It has become the “Activity Room,” aka the place I do handstands.

In this space, we have enough room to exercise, blog, do arts & crafts, have dance parties, or maybe even play spin the bottle.

2. I was browsing through the Juvenile section of the library this week and stumbled upon this gem:

What kind of message are we trying to send our adolescent girls? Not all men are dogs! Just half of them. ;)

3. I used to never (ever!) drink Red Bull. Then I met Danielle, a Red Bull rep and enthusiast. Since then, I've learned the magic of having Red Bull wings from drinking RBVs. They make for incredible dance sessions. Today Danielle informed me that the sugar in red bull is produced from a sugar beet. No wonder why I love the drink!

4. If any of you were wondering if I had commitment issues, you are correct. I can’t even keep a cart for more than one aisle.

5. I secretly want to decorate the apartment like this for the holidays:

I call it “Pastels meet Winter Wonderland.” All of that glitz was at Marshall’s if you’re interested in glamming out your home, too.

6. Speaking of glamorous, I found this pretty nail polish in the clearance bin at Target. L’Oreal’s “Brit Invasion.”

7. Once a fan of hipsters, always a fan of hipsters.

Is that not great? It’s a totally different kind of hipster, but still, the look of pure joy on my face cracks me up. It is the exact same face I make after a shot of tequila, haha!!

I want to thank each and every one of you who commented on yesterday’s post about my half marathon training. You are all so sweet and I will remember that as I cross the finish line. Big hugs!

Super Hero 5k and My Rosh Hashanah Teddy Bear Challah

Saturday morning, a few of us participated in the Super Hero 5k at the West Ashley Greenway to support Yoga Benefits Kids. I had made a pretty cool “Super Xteeny” shirt, but took it off because it felt like 90 degrees outside…which is why Boding is topless.

Though I didn’t break my PR, my time was 25:58 and Mary Legare and I won the same awards we won in the 2011 Pajama 5k. Mary Legare got 2nd place overall for females, and I got 2nd place in my age group. 2 for 2!

(Please note that is my cell phone in my tank top; I do not have deformed boobies.)

That afternoon, I made a Pumpkin Spicy Teddy Bear Challah. First, let me say this: baking bread is not an easy task. It took a long time, flour got everywhere, my manicure was ruined, and my kitchen was a disaster. But it was so worth it. Using the Pumpkin Challah recipe from The Shiksa’s blog, I shaped the dough into two teddy bears and used M&M's for eyes and buttons.

Did you know? You’ve probably seen braided challah, but for Rosh Hashanah, challah is made into rounds or spirals to symbolize the circle of life and the cycle of a new year.

I made the first teddy bear to bring over to a friend’s house Saturday evening. The Jew Crew was there so I had them judge my first one. Is this not the cutest thing EVER? I named him Elijah Orstein. All night long I kept wanting to say “Holla! For my challah!” but I controlled my urges.

The first teddy bear came out really dense because I did not let the dough rise long enough. Luckily, my second teddy bear that I was making for Rosh Hashanah dinner at Sean’s house came out great. It was soft, cinnamony, sweet, and delicious with drizzled honey. I was so proud I did not disappoint my Jewish family!

Thank you to the Lynches for having me over for another holiday dinner. I’m inspired to make babka next. : )

For which holiday do you enjoy baking/cooking?

What traditional foods do you make?

The Friday Five 8.31.12

1. What I’m Reading: Back up to last week when I started reading The Weight of Silence. I read it in 48 hours because it is so good. It’s very emotional and moving, gripping you from the very first chapter. Each chapter switches back and forth through a few different narrators,  and I enjoyed reading the story from each perspective. To give you a brief summary, the book is about two little girls who go missing and their family’s quest to bring them home safely. Reading the chapters through the older brother’s eyes was my favorite. As the oldest of 3 brothers, I got so emotional imagining what it would be like to have one of my siblings missing. For someone who doesn’t cry often, I’ll admit, I teared up several times and cried a couple. I insist you read this!

After being so pleased with Heather Gudenkauf’s writing style, I immediately checked out a second book of hers: These Things Hidden. Oh, and guess what. I read that in 2 days too. It was good – the last few chapters were the best – but the other book was better. 2 books in a week? Nerd alert.

2. What I’m Eating: Well, we talked about my new Sriracha obsession on Monday. I’ve been putting it on everything. I even put it on a pickle at work. It was actually really good.

Clearly on the road to Spicytown, USA, I also picked up a bag of Chipotle Cheddar Pretzel Crisps.  I have no idea how my intestines survived this week.

3. What I’m Listening to:  We are a little over two months away from the release of Breaking Dawn Part 2. Yes, I’m having a countdown until Amanda and I can do this again:

That said, I’ve been listening to some of the Twilight stations on Spotify and discovered “Turning Page” by Sleeping at Last. You’re welcome for the song and the queer video.

4. Recipes I’m Bookmarking:  Blackened Salmon with Crunchy Coconut Couscous.

5. GIFs I’m Loving:

WHEN SOMEONE LAUGHS AT HOW MUCH FOOD I CAN EAT 

LOVE…TO SOME GIRLS

TO ME 

One more thing before I bid you adieu for the weekend. A sweetheart reader of mine, Raheen, is running in the Tower of Terror 10 Miler Run with the Autism Speaks team. She needs to raise $750 by September 15th. This money can help with research and hopefully one day a cure. If you’re able to donate, please check out the link to her donation page here. Every bit helps!

I hope you all have a wonderful, blessed weekend! 

Next Door–A Neighborhood Bistro

Have you been to Next Door in Mt. Pleasant yet? I hope you say yes, and if not, you should say you’re going very soon! Last week I connected with the social media reps behind Next Door who graciously invited me in for a dinner review. I had been to Next Door twice for pizza and wine – their fig and and goat cheese pizza is amazing – but never for an actual dinner. On Friday, Amanda and I started our weekend with a phenomenal meal.

In the space that Samos once was, Ben Berryhill and his partner from Red Drum opened up Next Door late last Summer. The restaurant is very open and inviting, but with low lighting that gives it somewhat romantic vibe. Our waitress epitomized what I look for in a perfect server. She was friendly, attentive, very patient, and offered her opinion of the menu items with emotion. When asking her thoughts on specific items, she spoke of them as if recalling fond memories, and not just repeating what we had read on the menu. 

While glancing over the menu, Amanda and I each ordered a glass of wine – Malbec for her and a Cabernet/Merlot blend for me. I’ve had several different wines here and they are all fabulous. Each glass is only $6, which I love; you don’t consider the price when choosing and your decision is more focused on a varietal you’ll enjoy. 

Chef Ben Berryhill suggested we start with a summery appetizer: Chilled Cucumber Melon Soup with Dill Cream and Radish. This cool soup was refreshing and silky smooth from the dill cream. Amanda and I thought the baby spoons were the cutest thing!

I immediately knew I wanted to try the Arancini with Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce, and Braised Beef. I first discovered arancini in Rome and fell in love with the fried balls of rice, cheese, and meat. Next Door’s version is just as delicious – they were warm, crispy, and cheese poured out with each bite. The tomato sauce on the side was sweet and rich – a nice addition to the salty arancini.

The chef also suggested we try a new menu item that was very similar to the only entrée I tried at Samos: Shrimp Saganaki, Heirloom Tomatoes, Feta, Lemon. We loved this!

Next, we moved onto pasta. The Raviolo with House Ricotta, Prosciutto, Farm egg, and Sage is the largest piece of pasta I’ve ever seen. It took up the entire plate! The very delicate raviolo was filled with the perfect amount of ricotta and prosciutto and sat in a rich, buttery sauce.

Finally, it was time to try some main courses. First was the Wild Sockeye Salmon with Corn, Bacon, Charred Okra, Mushrooms, and Heirloom Tomatoes. The salmon was extremely moist and the corn and okra it sat upon gave the entrée a nice crunch.

Amanda had the Scamp Grouper with Jasmine Rice Pilaf, Peas, Asparagus, and a Fine Herb Vin. Her grouper, cooked perfectly, was buttery and sweet.

Don’t ask me how we made room for dessert and coffee, but we did. See, we’re still smiling.

Smiling about this! Dessert was an Almond Tart with Blueberry Compote and candied Almonds.

We were just as excited when our server brought out French press coffee. Silly excited.

Cheers! It was so good, we both drank our entire press full of coffee . No wonder why we were so bouncy the rest of the evening. French press coffee from Next Door + Trio could make for a very interesting evening.

Next time you’re in Mt. Pleasant, be sure to check out Next Door! It’s a fabulous place with incredible food. Don’t forget to check out their dinner menu beforehand!

Connect with them on:

• facebook
• twitter
• open table
• instagram – @nextdoormp

**Thank you to Jennifer, Chef Ben, Chef Nathan, Lauren, and the rest of the team! It was a pleasure meeting you all and we can’t wait to see you soon!**