NYC & The Nate Berkus Show

I was lucky enough to score some tickets to the Nate Berkus Show.  I invited my Mom and some forever family friends of ours, Kathy and her daughter Andrea.  We made a mini-trip out of it.  We covered a lot in a short period of time.  It was so much fun!

We took at very early Amtrak train and arrived in NYC about 10:30AM.  If you take the train be sure to check out all the discounts Amtrak has to offer (AAA, senior rates, etc.).

Our hotel, The New Yorker, was within walking distance from Penn Station.  We went to the hotel thinking we would just have them hold our bags until check-in.  As luck would have it, they had a room ready for us!

The New Yorker Hotel is a well-known Midtown Manhattan hotel offering location, value and style.

This hotel is fabulous!  Great service and super comfy beds!
We got a "Facebook Special" rate, it was a great deal.  "Like" them on Facebook, click on "contact us" to receive special discounts or follow them on Twitter.  If you check-in on Foursquare you get free breakfast coupons for the Tick Tock Diner.  This is a 24-hour diner, we eat there twice it was so good.

The Nate Berkus Show wasn't until 2PM the next day so we had plenty of time to explore the city.
First stop, lunch!  We took about a 15 minute taxi ride to Little Italy.  There was so much to choose from, it's a bit overwhelming.

 On a whim we strolled into Cafe Napoli - OMG amazing!

I had the sole...beyond delicious

Mom, Kathy, Me and Andrea

After lunch we walked a block to Canal Street.  I got these fun scarfs for five bucks each.

It was a gorgeous day so we keep on walking and made our way to Ground Zero.  On the way we got a glimpse of "Occupy Wall Street".  Needless to say it was a little crazy.

We didn't realize we needed to reserve tickets to view the 9/11 Memorial, but we were able to see a little of it without tickets.

 It was very moving...

We had trouble finding a cab for some strange reason, it was the financial district after all!  My mother finally flagged one down (we were impressed with her skills!) and we slowly made our way back towards our hotel.  We stopped along the way at Chelsea Market.  Very cool.

Anything you could imagine to eat.  We needed an energy boost so we had gelato and cookies! 

Before we got in another taxi, we noticed a filming crew.  They were filming a movie called "Disconnect" starring Jason Bateman (love him!).

We saw his trailer.  I was hoping to for a photo opportunity, but it didn't happen.

We went back to the lovely New Yorker Hotel to regroup and figure out where we were going for dinner (yes eating again!).  The concierge informed us that we were not too far from Restaurant Row.  She suggested a few restaurants.  We ate at Joe Allen's and it was very good.

Then we walked over to Times Square!

 So awesome

The next day we headed over to CBS studios.  We were early so we had some refreshments at a nearby Irish pub.
Andrea & me

Kathy & Mum

While waiting to get in it started raining, but it didn't dampen our excitement.

We were not allowed to take pictures once the cameras started rolling.  We were able to sneak in a few before things got started.
The set!

It's even more bright and cheery than on TV

 All of us in the audience, we had great seats!

The show was so fun.  The woman who warms up the crowd was hilarious.  In between segments she had us doing dance contests and trivia.  My mother won a t-shirt for her dance moves!
Nate did come out in between segments and played trivia with us.  He is so cute!

The guest star was Linda Evans.  She was promoting her new cookbook/Dynasty picture book.  The other segments included House Proud, some frugal fashion tips and how to decorate if you are living paycheck to paycheck.  The show will air in two weeks.

We had a great trip.  It was time to get on the train back to Boston.  Goodbye New York...until next time...

Since our stay, The New Yorker Hotel awarded me with their #twotels award...check it out...
The New Yorker Hotel Blog

Search is over...for oilcloth fabric that is!

As I mentioned in my last oilcloth story, I had ordered a few yards of fabric for my dining room chairs from fabric.com.  Here it is! 

I found http://www.fabric.com/ to be reasonably priced, tons to choose from, and free shipping!! (orders over $35)

This is not actually oilcloth, it's laminated cotton.  My plan was to use the green and white, since it goes nicely with my curtains.

Now I will reveal my disgusting chairs before.  My old house was smaller and my boys used the dining room for everything!

Here take a close look...so gross!  LOL 

 OK, first, pour yourself a big glass of wine because your going to need it.

Then we removed the old nasty covers by prying the staples off with a screw driver and some pliers.

This is definitely a two woman job.  I enlisted my favorite jack of all trades, my mother!

We used the old cover as our pattern.

My mother held it tight while I stapled with the staple gun.  It is not as easy as it looks, my mother was at my house helping me until midnight God love her.

I didn't order enough of the green and white.  2 yards was not enough!!  I had also ordered a yard and a 1/2 of black and white.  Here is what I decided to do...

 

I LOVE the results!

 Sean likes them too!

Mother's Day Greatness

I had a great Mother's Day weekend that was the perfect balance.  Time for me, time with my mother, time with my boys and husband...

As a Mother's Day gift to my mum (and me!) we went down to Falmouth, MA on Saturday.  Our mission:  To shop, eat and sleep! 

 

The shopping extravaganza started at The Buy Way Boutique on North Main Street.  It's a consignment shop that sells only designer labels.  Great deals! 

Real designer bags for a fraction of the price.

 

I really really wanted to buy this antique form, but it wasn't for sale :(

My bargains were from the 75% off rack...I think I spent $25.

It was time to check into the Seaside Inn.  It is technically a motel but it was so not motelish...

view from our room...

right across from the beach...

 

Off to Falmouth Village for dinner.  We had appetizers, drinks and split an enormous lobster sandwich while watching the Kentucky Derby at The Quarterdeck.

Cheers Mumma!

I didn't get as much sleep as I was hoping for.  Motherhood and old age have made me a very light sleeper.  There is a British Beer Company right across the parking lot that had a band rocking the night away.  Great for a girls weekend but if you go to this lovely inn looking for some rest bring a fan or some sort of "white noise".

Early breakfast at Betsy's Diner, a great old fashioned, all American diner.

A quick stop at the Christmas Tree Shop and then had to get home to my boys!
Cheap cuteness from the CTS...

And then I came home to a BBQ with the rest of my family and got some fabulous Mother's Day presents:

Let me break them down...

A beautiful plant my Sean picked out.

From Nolan, card with some money in it...the money cracks me up but "Mom Kelly"? LOL 

I'm looking good here, that's me with pocketbook...and a crewcut?

I can't stop laughing about this one.  Nolan made me a necklace.  This is some chain that was left over from the light our dining room, the "clasp" is fashioned from some duck tape.  Hysterical.  It's like a Tiffany's necklace on steroids.

I also received, wrapped in tin foil, some Star Wars guys that Nolan says he didn't need anymore. 

 Oh and this is what I found in my bedroom.  I have been searching for the perfect picture for over my bed but this was really not what I had in mind.  It's a red lightsaber that Nolan made, he put it in a turkey oven roasting bag and taped it to my wall LOL LOL...Um was my husband even watching the kids...LOL

I love my boys, I had the happiest Mother's Day!