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February 28, 2017

My New Obsession | Stardew Valley...

I have a confession to make... I am obsessed with a video game and I have been for the past few weeks.

For those of you that may or may not know, I am pretty much a casual video game player. I don't normally sit in front of the TV or computer to play video games, that's actually Justin's thing (Don't get me wrong, I love playing when I do play but typically I only play when people come over to my apartment and it's a lot of Mario Kart, Smash Bros, You Don't Know Jack, etc.) but as you can probably guess, that has changed...

About two months ago Justin started playing this game called Stardew Valley on his PlayStation 4 (He typically plays games on the PC that he built, so I am normally not sitting watching him play games) and because he was sitting in front of the TV and didn't have a headset on I ended up hanging out on the couch talking to him about life stuff while he was playing this game. Then that turned into me paying attention to what he was doing in the game and pointing things out to him that he missed in the game.

After a few weeks of this, Justin was basically like "You know you can play if you want..." To which I responded "No... It's cool..." And we continued as we were.

Then there was a snowstorm and I fell down the video game rabbit hole.

http://stardewvalley.net/

So basically for the past several weeks I have spent all of my free time playing Stardew Valley and because I've spent so much time playing it Justin told me I should write a blog post about it. He was like "You're obsessed with this game... It's taken over part of your life... You should write about it..." and that's what I'm doing right now, sharing my current obsession with all of you...

For those of you that have never heard of Stardew Valley, it is an open-ended country-life role-playing video game (RPG) developed by Eric Barone and published by Chucklefish Games.

"You’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot in Stardew Valley. Armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins, you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have all but disappeared. The community center, once the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity. With a little dedication, you might just be the one to restore Stardew Valley to greatness!"
http://stardewvalley.net/about/
But yeah, it's just a farming game with quests and I am 150% obsessed with it and I don't know why. It is just so uncharacteristic of me to want to sit and play a game like this in my free time but I am absolutely enamored with it and love playing.

So now you all know my secret. I am obsessed with a silly video game.

February 27, 2017

Stuck In My Head: Baby One More Time...

As you may or may not know, I haven't had very many "Stuck In My Head" posts in the past year because I've spent a lot of my time in the car listening to podcasts or audio books. Thus I haven't been listening to music.

But as of late I feel like I've blow through all my favorite podcasts (Slumber Party with Alie & Georgia is on an indefinite hiatus, so there is an extra hour every week in the car gone) and I haven't found any books that I'd want to listen to on audio.

So I've started listening to more of the music on my iPhone and as a result I have Britney Spears' 1998 debut single stuck in my head all morning.

And as you know, if it's stuck in my head I need to get it stuck in someone else's head, so here it is...


Oh, if you don't hate me for getting some Brit Brit stuck in your head and you have a podcast and/or audio book recommendation for me, I'd love something new to listen to.

March Photo-A-Day...

Here is the photo-a-day list Fat Mum Slim made for March 2017...
How To Take Part In March Photo-A-Day:     
  • Using the list as inspiration, take a photo each day.     
  • Share it on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtags #FMSphotoaday and #FMSPAD. You can also share on your blog or on Facebook by joining her group.     
  • Check out other people's photos and like them or comment on them.
  • Each day a Fab Four is picked from the photos shared on Instagram for the challenge. It’s four photos that have captured their attention from each prompt. Check the feed @littlemomentsapp to see the photos.

February 22, 2017

Get Out Art Gallery...

In honor of Jordan Peele's upcoming suspense thriller movie Get Out -- Which I shared the trailer for back in October -- Universal Pictures has just launched GetOutArtGallery.com featuring artwork inspired by the film. And because I love artwork inspired by movies and television shows I thought I'd share it with all of you.

The gallery includes six pieces of striking original artwork being showcased from artists Corey Barksdale, Frank Morrison, Sindisio Nyoni, Jermaine Rogers, Sharlene Artsy and Taj Tenfold.
And for those of you that might not have seen the trailer or don't know anything about the movie, here is the synopsis and trailer again...
In Universal Pictures’ Get Out (In theaters everywhere February 24), a speculative thriller from Blumhouse (producers of The Visit, Insidious series and The Gift) and the mind of Jordan Peele, when a young African-American man visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation.     

Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya, Sicario) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams, Girls), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy (Catherine Keener, Captain Phillips) and Dean (Bradley Whitford, The Cabin in the Woods).      

At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.     

Equal parts gripping thriller and provocative commentary, Get Out is written and directed by Peele (Key and Peele) and produced by Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, as well as Sean McKittrick (Donnie Darko, Bad Words), Edward H. Hamm Jr. (Bad Words) and Peele.  The film also stars Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men series), Stephen Root (No Country for Old Men), Milton “Lil Rel” Howery (The Carmichael Show), Betty Gabriel (The Purge: Election Year), Marcus Henderson (Pete’s Dragon) and Lakeith Stanfield (Straight Outta Compton).     

Genre: Suspense Thriller               
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Stephen Root, Lakeith Stanfield and Catherine Keener  
Written and Directed by: Jordan Peele  
Produced by: Sean McKittrick, Jason Blum, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Jordan Peele  
Executive Producers: Raymond Mansfield, Couper Samuelson, Shaun Redick, Jeanette Volturno

February 21, 2017

Brunch & Wine...

While mostly everyone I knew had a three day weekend this past weekend, I only had Sunday off. So since it has been unseasonably warm here in New York I made sure to take advantage of it on my day off.

Sunday started off with me pouting at Justin that I wanted to do something because it was supposed to be sixty degrees in the middle of February. So we decided that we'd go have brunch a few towns over and go for a walk at one of the near by parks which is close to the water.

We went and had this fantastic brunch at a restaurant called Salt & Barrel, where I got tipsy right quick because I hadn't eaten all day (And I'm getting old).
While tipsy I ended up texting Day about how I wanted the next Fat Kid them to be brunch with all the bells and whistles. And in the middle of that she informed me that she, Toni and Toni's sister-in-law Jamie were heading to this little hidden vineyard about fifteen-twenty minutes from where Justin and I were having brunch.

So I ask Justin if he minded joining the girls at the vineyard. He didn't, so we finished our awesome meal (This place was really fantastic, we made a reservation to eat there for our anniversary next week and I'm going to contact the manager about possibly throwing my sister's bridal shower there) and drove out to Loughlin Vineyard.

We spent hours just sitting outside drinking bottles of their South Bay Breeze (Which is a blush wine), enjoying the warm weather and chatting about various things.
Eventually Alana saw on Snapchat that we were at the vineyard and she texted Day asking how much longer we'd be there. We told her we had no plans on leaving just yet, so she showed up and we hung out until right before the vineyard closed.

It was just this awesome impromptu day and I cannot wait to do it again.

February 19, 2017

Warm & Cozy Living Room Inspiration...

Despite the fact that it is sixty degrees in New York on this fine February day, we are still in the middle of winter. And even though it's warm out today I know that in a day or two it'll be chilly again and all I'll want to do it be warm and cozy in my living room.

So in anticipation for another cold day and with a inspiration from Arhaus Furniture, I've put together a little inspiration board of items to make ones living room nice and cozy for the remainder of the season (Because I know not all of you are enjoying the effects of global warming today and are indeed still in need of some warmth and coziness).


I don't know about you guys, but nothing has screamed warm and cozy this season like the big chunky knit arm blankets that have been all over the place. Since the minute I saw them I've been obsessed with the idea of buying one, specifically in my case one from Ohhio because I love the story behind the brand and that it was a successful Kickstarter campaign.

In addition to chunky knit items, I think wooden pieces are just the epitome of warm and cozy. Especially this tuffet/ottoman which combines the chunky knit aspect that I've been loving and wood details.

Other pieces I'm in love with are Arhaus' Martin Antique Brass Trunk Coffee Table, which is reminiscent of an antique steamer trunk and is just classic in my mind. As well as, Arhaus'  Hidalgo Round Black Floor Basket which I think would be prefect to throw a blanket or two in. And to top everything off, just simple throw pillows. Since chilly weather just makes me want to melt into my couch I thought this "Let's Stay Home" message was perfect.

So, what kind of pieces do you think make for a cozy living room? I would love to know!

February 10, 2017

Getting Ready For Spain...

After years of talking about it and then traveling to other destinations, Justin and I are finally going to Spain and I cannot tell you how excited I am for it! So in true me fashion (OCD librarian who likes organized information), I've yet again collected links to articles and blog posts about traveling around Spain (We are specifically going to Barcelona, Madrid, Seville and Ibiza) which I thought I'd share because someone else might find them useful. So here's what I've put together as of thus far...

Adventurous Kate
Allspice Abounds -- Highlights From My Trip To Spain
Bruised Passports
CNN -- 11 Things To Know Before Visiting Spain
College Tourist
Fathom Way To Go
Huffington Post -- My Spain Travel Diary
Nomadic Matt -- Spain Travel Guide
Oh Hello, Spain
Solo Traveler
Sunshine & Siestas
Tasty Eating
The Blonde Abroad -- Madrid Archives
The Blonde Abroad -- The Ultimate Barcelona Travel Guideturess
The Pretty Blog -- What to Pack: Spain
The Shooting Star -- First Time to Spain? 10 Travel Tips to Plan Your Trip
The Travel Hack
Travel Fashion Girl -- What To Pack For Spain Vacations
Travel With Kate
Young Adventuress

As we have in the past, Justin and I watched some of Anthony Bourdain shows to check out his recommendations.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005–2012)
  • Season Four, Episode Seventeen: Spain
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013–Present)
  • Season Two, Episode Four: Spain
That's it for now. We are going to Spain in June, so I'm sure there will be plenty more of these.

Have any of you been to Spain before? If so I'd love some suggestions!

February 6, 2017

Being K's Bridesmaid | Bridesmaid Dress Shopping...

Over the weekend my sister, Lisa and I went on our first outing to look for bridesmaids dresses. We started off the not-so-long shopping excursion at Here Comes The Bridesmaid here on Long Island.
Aside from being lazy and not wanting to travel into New York City, we made an appointment at Here Comes The Bridesmaid because they told my sister that they had a selection of plus size dresses. And as you can probably guess, they had all of two actual plus size dresses so Lisa was the one who was really trying on the dresses.
After having Lisa try on a handful of dresses at Here Comes The Bridesmaid (She didn't wanna be photographed, so I have no pictures of her in the dresses we were kinda interested in) we decided to go to the mall to check out the selection of Adrianna Papell dresses at Macy's. They ended up not having a single dress we wanted to look at from our hours of Pinning but we found a couple of new dresses to throw Lisa in, all which were just okay.

All in all we aren't 100% on any one particular dress but we going to look into a couple of Mori Lee Geometric Patterned Sequins dresses (Not in the color below, but in taupe) because they go with her art deco theme.
https://www.morilee.com/product/bridesmaids/amazing-patterned-sequins-on-mesh-bridesmaid-dress/https://www.morilee.com/product/bridesmaids/v-neck-patterned-sequin-on-mesh-bridesmaid-dress/
So yeah, nothing is definite but I'm sure we'll pick something out soon and then I'll have to do it all over again for Phil in a few weeks.

February 2, 2017

Mini Life Update + Month In Review: January 2017...

As you've all probably noticed last month was very light on blog post and it's not for a lack of doing anything (Just look at the highlights from my month). It's because when I came back to work from my annual end of the year vacation I had to reassemble my desk because we had new carpeting put into our office while I was out. Then a couple of days later I had to disassemble it again because my Department Head decided that she wanted to have a bookshelf installed behind my desk and that just became a whole big deal. So for a good couple of weeks I was displaced with no access to my computer (I was literally sitting in the middle of our office in my chair sulking at one point because there was no place for me to go). And also because I caught the stomach bug that has been going around and was just miserable for a sold week and a half (I honestly still don't feel great) -- All of this while I was taking turns watching Nella with my sister because our parents were in Florida. So yeah, that's why there has been a serious lack of post this month but I promise that I'll be on the ball next month.

Now on to my first month in review of 2017...
♥ Justin booking us a trip to Spain.
♥ Celebrating my mother's birthday with my family.
♥ Watching The Driggs play at The Bitter End with Day, Justin, Phil and Steph.
♥ Attending an advance screening of Split (2017) with Nicole in New York City.
♥ Fat Kid Sunday with the crew.
♥ Justin's belated birthday dinner with his family.
♥ Dinners and video games with friends.
♥ Starting my final semester of school for my Directors certificate.
♥ Beginning to bullet journal.
♥ Hiring my favorite library volunteer to be our newest Page.
♥ Applying for graduation.
♥ Receiving an e-mail from a reader that followed my Sherlock Inspired DIY tutorial.
♥ Finally going to The Dead Rabbit (Voted best bar in the World 2016, where Day's friend Jesse works) for drinks.

 
♥ White Rabbit Project (2016 - Present) ♥
♥ Restored by the Fords (2016 - Present) ♥
♥ Kids Sweets Showdown (2016 - Present) ♥
♥ La La Land (2016) ♥
♥ Atlanta (2016 - Present) ♥
♥ The Crown (2016 - Present) ♥
♥ Split (2017) ♥
 ♥ Hidden Figures (2017)
♥ Trolls (2016) ♥

Nikita Dragun

February 1, 2017

Preschool Yoga & Wary Grandparents...

Here's something I haven't had for you in a while, a work story...

So yesterday I was sitting at the reference desk after one of our bigger programs ended and one of the regular grandmothers walks up to me. She starts asking me about various age appropriate programs that she and her husband (Who looks like the grandfather from Jurassic Park, so much so that I refer to him as John in the office) could bring their granddaughter to. I start rattling off programs and the last one I mentioned was yoga for preschoolers. Once the word "yoga" left my mouth she made a face and said that they were wary of yoga because of "All of the Middle Eastern stuff and that they are good Christians..."

As taken aback as I was, I just looked at her and said that since the class was targeted towards preschoolers that I was pretty sure that there was no actual "Middle Eastern stuff" and it was more like little kids in a circle on yoga mats stretching. I assured her that I'd check for her, so right now I'm waiting for the yoga class to end so I can tell the yoga instructor about the ridiculousness of the grandmother from yesterday, as well as report back to our good Christian grandparents.