You scream, I scream, Ice cream!

Nicole:  I hope everyone had a great 4th of July holiday!  I had a few days off work, which was amazing, but I still managed to keep myself busy as usual.  Lots of bbq's, fun and hanging with friends and family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So as you may know I have a deep deep love for ice cream, I could eat it all day every day.  I've had homemade ice cream on my birthday numerous times and even planned a day to go to special ice cream shops.  My birthday dream is to participate in an ice cream challenge at Lindy's and Gerties of Bridgeview. And Win!

 

Well, last year my sister got me the ice cream maker attachment for my kitchenaid mixer.  Correction:  She got me a picture of the ice cream attachment for my kitchenaid mixer.  After harassing her for almost a year, she finally ordered it and it arrived this past week!  Just in time for July, which is Ice Cream Month.

 

Since we had the 4th of July weekend coming up I decided to give it a go and try it out.  Now, I knew that I had to let the bowl freeze for about 18 hours, but I wasn't prepared for how long it would actually take to make ice cream.  The book says it would only need to churn for 20 minutes and then would be ready to eat!  I picked out my recipe, hurriedly made my grocery list, and headed to the store.  I came back all excited to make some great vanilla ice cream and have it all ready to eat in the next hour.  I get all my ingredients set out and start reading the recipe I picked out. Wait....I have to let the batter cool for 8 hours!?! Uhhhh. Yikes.  So I decided to go the eggless route and that cut the time down immensely.  I whipped it all up, let it get really cold for about an hour and then finally I could let it churn!  20 minutes later - ice cream!

 

 

 

Since it is National Ice Cream Month, my goal is to try to make at least one new flavor of ice cream each week.  I know, that's a lot of ice cream.  Looks like I may need to have an ice cream party!

Warrior Dashed 2011!

Nicole: Hello!  So this past Sunday was Father's Day and we usually just chill and relax and grill but we decided to do something a little different this year...the Warrior Dash!

If you have never heard of it, it is a 5k race with obstacles like climbing ropes, running through rivers, and swimming through a mud pit.  It was the muddiest, wettest, most awesome thing we have ever done Father's Day!

Our goal was to stay together so although we didn't run/jog the whole thing like originally planned, we all stayed together and had a good time and a great experience together.  Some people (my mom cough cough) didn't do all of the obstacles but we all supported each other through the whole thing.

I brought a long a disposable waterproof camera for the run and Justin was awesome and came along and shot videos and pictures as we were finishing the race.

 I am sooo grateful that Justin came to cheer us on and showed my appreciation for him coming ;o)

Who's with me for next year?!?!?!

Justin:  Nicole jumping over fire...hot.

To Mars and back...

Nicole: Alright, I'm failing a little bit here on keeping up with the posts.  Let's see if I can get back on track for your reading enjoyment!

We went to see Bruno Mars!  In the previous post Justin mentioned going to see some KSmith for his birthday/anniversary gift. And he surprised me with tickets to see Bruno!  It was fantastic and really great performing from all three bands.

The show was at the Aragon Ballroom here in Chicago, which neither of us had been to so we didn't really know what to expect.  I had read some reviews on the place and wasn't expecting much because people kept talking about the awful sound quality, the lack of seating, and how there was only one bathroom aaaaaaaall the way on the first floor.

I had a half day the day of the concert due to the holiday weekend and Justin left work early so we could head uptown and try to get in line early.  So we get there and we see this short little line full of fans and we think "Yes!"  We're towards the front this will be awesome.  While we are in line, I ask around just to make sure we are in the right line and everyone seems to agree even though no one really knows for sure.  Then a girl comes up to her friends and explains how she asked the bouncer guy and the real line is actually on the other side of the building!  So we get out of that line and hightail it to the other side before everyone else from the wrong line gets there.  We walk around the corner and the line is like 57497529 times longer than the first one we were in!  We make the long trek to the back of the line and start waiting and making friends as we have about 2 hours till the show starts.  Even though the line was sooo much longer, we actually lucked out because as the minutes passed the line grew and grew to a crazy extent.

 We finally make it inside and head to the merchandise area because we both know we want to get something and while we are deciding on what the get and heading to the bathroom (which really wasn't that bad) the place fills up fast!  We walk out onto the main floor and its already getting crowded.  Even though, we knew there weren't many seats in the balcony area, we decided to take a chance and check it out.  So we head up there and all the seats are taken, maybe we can just stand behind the chairs?  It was a pretty good view.  So we are walking around trying to get the best view standing up and not be in people's way when, in the corner of the area we are in, we spot three empty seats and a girl hovering over them with her Eagle Eye.  We brave the Eye ask if they are taken and only one of them is, we're in luck!  We managed to get really decent seats close to the balcony front and stage and we get to sit for the concert! They also had large screens just in case you couldn't see from far away, but we really lucked out and didn't need them.

The opening acts were both amazing.  They were Janelle Monae and Mayer Hawthorne  Two very different styles but very good.  We actually bought the Mayer Hawthorne album and they have a fun contemporary jazz vibe.

While the reviews were right about the acoustics, everything was waaaaay to loud and you couldn't make out a lot of the words being sung, the whole experience was a great time.  The crowd was singing along with Bruno and you could tell he really loves performing.  He was having as much fun as the audience was.  It was great to hear his songs live and an overall great experience.

I would definitely go see Bruno Mars live again if I had the opportunity.  As for the Aragon, unless it was someone really really amazing, I think I'd have to pass, just because of the awful acoustics, or maybe just bring some earplugs ;o)

Thank you Love for the great gift!  I absolutely loved it  :o)

A 2 Year SManniversary Present!

Justin:  So Nic and I thought it would be a good idea to talk about our two year anniversary present that we received from the other as individual posts.  My anniversary present was actually more like an early birthday present that I knew about earlier.  I had already known (sort of) that Nicole was going to buy me tickets to what was back in November of 2010, going to be a Jay and Silent Bob Get Old tour.  Months past and writer/director Kevin Smith went on tour with his new movie, Red State this passed March.  I so badly wanted to go to that I got all upset about it when I couldn't because we were in a big "save money" phase at the start of the year.  OBVIOUSLY not knowing that she had already purchased tickets to the Get Old show months prior.

So when she busted out these tickets earlier then she wanted to so she can make my whiny ass shut up about missing Red State, I felt like total turds.  Well, I'm glad she got the tickets that she did because the show had evolved into the Jay and Silent Smod Tour which now featured Scott Mosier and SModcast.  Two shows, one ticket.  It was fan freakin' tastic and hilarious as one would expect.  Throughout the night I kind of got a feeling Nic was in to Mewes...so watch out as he might make an appearance on The List.

So this was kind of an anniversary more of a late birthday present but it was a great way to spend an evening.  Prior to that we ate at the Elephant & Castle Pub just off of Wabash by Millennium Park.  It was good eats and a recommended by Nic who ate at a location on her Seattle trip.  I had the Salmon Burger...which was a little dry but it still had great flavor.  We also split some nachos like a couple of fatties haha.  I love how into the things she gets that I am into...it makes me loves her more.  Thanks for the great birthdaynnversary gift love!

P.S. to hear what we heard head to SModcast and listen to episode #170:  SMod-3D @ The Harris Theater.

Wanna know what I got for Nic?...

Our thoughts on Oprah's farewell...

Justin:  Hi all, it's been a while since we've posted anything on what we have been saying is our relationship blog.  (have we ever said that?  Nic confirm please.)

May has just been of all things...BUSY.  Well March, April, and May have been busy that its been kind of hard updating you good readers (do we have ANY readers?) on our adventures and misadventures.  Trips were taken,  weddings were/are being had, (not ours), conventions, and book events have taken place.

So be gentle with us as we ease back into our fly and freshness.  Here's a little conversation my love and I had today...enjoy:

1:54 PM Nicole: i just read an article about the oprah taping yesterday

  there were sooo many celebrities

  thats an episode i would def watch

  john legend performs

1:55 PM me: Is marry Oprah

 Nicole: what?

1:56 PM me: I'd

  LOL

 Nicole: haha, i know

  she knows about your poop

1:57 PM me: she prolly poops like a champion

 Nicole: haha

  its got a quote from stedman graham in the article too

  i cant believe i saw him in person

1:58 PM i should have paid more attention

1:59 PM me: yeah u coulda befriended him and we could've been bff couples and get to live in her guest house

2:00 PM Nicole: haha

  so true

  dang

  maybe he will visit again

The List - Nic

And now, the moment you have all been waiting for......

The first person on my List :o)

Good ol' Joe

I've loved him ever since Angels in the Outfield when he was flapping those wings.

He's funny, charming, and has that sexy sort of shy smile.

All the movies he has been in recently have been superb.  I can't help but smile when I see him on screen.

He also launched a project about 5 years ago called hit RECord.  It is awesome and allows people to show off their creativity by collaborating with one another to develop art and media.  Check it out and participate, who know what you could come up with.

Happy Valentime's Day!

Justin: Our first date was on Feb.21 2009 which also happened to be the day we decided to celebrate Valentine's Day since we missed it. AND that was the year of the AMC Best Picture Showcase...more on that extravaganza next week.

So ever since then, we've celebrated Valentine's Day on the 21st of February each year.  Our anniversary is March 14th so we don't get presents for each other, just cards.  So with that, I always try to rock a sweet card.  We decided to go Chuck's Southern Comfort Cafe...ohhh man EAT HERE.  It's so good.  Best mac n' cheese in the world.

Anyways, before the feast we exchanged cards: 

So this image of a heart dressed in a sweater is our way of saying, I Love You.  When we first started dating Nic and I would talk on the phone sometimes and I remember she blurted, I Love Youuuuur Sweater.  It just cracked us up. 

On to the food!

We had the bruschetta as an appetizer. Nic had the BBQ Pork Nachos and I had the Crab Cake dinner.  YUMMMMMMMMM!  Go here...seriously.

 Did you have a good Valentime's Day?

Nicole:  Justin is right in that we started saying I love your sweater to mean I love you when we had begun feeling those feelings, but the actual saying originated from something else.  It was actually a dream that I had when we first started dating.  I remember telling Justin my dream and being very nervous to tell him because it was such an interesting dream that I had to tell him, but I didn't want to freak him out with the "L" word too early in our relationship and no, I don't mean lesbians!)  I was walking to the train to work in the morning when I called Justin to tell him about my dream.  The gist of it was that I had wanted to tell him "I love you" but I got nervous so it came out "I love you...rrr sweater"  It may have been my subconscious talking to me, but at the time I wasn't ready to say that out loud.  Now...well...now I just can't say it enough.  Sweater my Love.

Happy Valentimes Day!