And we’re back!

28 Monday May 2012

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Sorry I’ve been a delinquent blogger lately. Alex and I spent the last few weeks, much to Harry’s dismay, traveling around the U.S. seeing friends and family. We started our U.S. tour in Chicago, where we saw our friend Whitney get married, and I reminisced about my college days at Northwestern and shopped an amazing sale at Bloomingdales. (How I miss that store!) Next, we flew to D.C., where we caught up with old friends over one to many drinks at the Big Hunt and met up with Alex’s parents to drive to my grandmother’s home on the Jersey Shore. My lovely in-laws spent four sunny days with us, indulging in hoagies, pizza and all the other Jersey delicacies that we can’t find in Brussels. Then, my family descended on the shore house, and the weather heated up to the point where we could actually sit comfortably on the beach. Knowing that we were coming home to rainy Brussels, Alex and I may have overdone it in the sun, but we couldn’t be prouder of our bronzed skin. Anywhere else, we’d still be a shade past pale, but in Brussels we are sun-kissed gods:)

It was so great to be home for a bit and catch up with loved ones; we’re sad to be back in Brussels. The one upside was the little orange creature who greeted us with a cry as soon as we opened the door at 7 a.m. this morning. (Side note: I hate overnight flights and, several cups of coffee later, am still cursing jet lag.) We missed you too, Harry.

Scrapbook: Champagne Region

07 Monday May 2012

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To celebrate our anniversary, we decided to head to the Champagne region of France for a boozy weekend of champagne tasting and tours. We were really excited about the trip since 1) we LOVE champagne, 2) we’ve always had so much fun wine tasting in Napa Valley, Santorini, etc. and 3) a quick 3-hour drive from Brussels, it seemed like the perfect weekend getaway.

We decided to begin our trip with a guided tour through one of the region’s smaller producers, Domi-Moreau. Our guide, Nathalie, picked us up in downtown Épernay, where we were based, and drove us to her vineyards that she tends along with her husband and in-laws. Later, we went to her production center and cellar for a tour and tasting. We learned so much about the production process and their champagne was delicious–I highly recommend the experience.

We also wanted to see how a larger champagne house operates, so we took a tour of Moet & Chandon the next day. It was a totally different experience (the tour began with a cheesy video narrated by Scarlett Johansson), but also really interesting (you get to see an impressive wine barrel, formerly full of port, gifted to Moet by Napoleon). We took a lengthy tour of their cellars, which are pretty spectacular, though I thought the 16 Euro tour fee was a little steep.

Other than that, we hung out a lot in Épernay, a really cute town overflowing with champagne shops and tourists and did a lot of eating and drinking. I’m sad the weekend is over, though we brought back a few bottles to keep the memory of the trip alive throughout the year!

In downtown Épernay on the Avenue de Champagne, where most of the large champagne houses are located

Downtown Épernay. Why does it seem as though every European town is home to a gorgeous church?

On the Domi-Moreau tour

Baby champagne grapes in the Domi-Moreau vineyards

The man himself, outside the Moet headquarters.

Royal Greenhouses in Laeken

03 Thursday May 2012

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Tuesday was a national holiday in Belgium, so we decided to use our day off to check out the Royal Greenhouses in Laeken. For only three weeks out of the year, the Belgian monarchy opens its spectacular greenhouses to us common folk, and I had heard that it was a must-see while in Brussels. The greenhouses did not disappoint–the flowers, plants and trees were absolutely beautiful–but the crowds were brutal. We inched through the maze of greenhouses in a pack of thousands, taking hours to complete the route. But, as you’ll see from the photos, it was worth it!

Cat tree fail

27 Friday Apr 2012

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A few months ago we had dinner at the home of a German couple who we’ve become quite close with during our time in Brussels. In addition to bonding over the fact that we hail from countries much more organized and efficient than Belgium (a passionate topic for some of us…), we all also happen to be crazy cat people. Our friends have two girl cats, Charlotte and Josephine, who are much more shy than Harry, but love them some cat tree time. Our friends’ apartment has a ceiling-high cat jungle gym that Charlie and Josie scramble up and down as they chase each other, treats, the laser pointer and pretty much any other motivating influence. Alex sat in awe as our friend Hannes (a stage dad, just like Alex) demonstrated his kids’ athletic prowess with a series of rehearsed tricks. On our way home, Alex made it clear that we would also be purchasing a cat tree to ensure that our little cat had access to all the finer things in life.

The cat tree arrived last week, but things did not go as planned. Those who know Harry know that he’s an unpredictable, fickle little guy. Though Alex has tried bribing him with treats and trying to force him to engage, he still has not set one tiny cat foot on the cat tree. I think it’s been officially rejected. He does, however, love the box it came in.

The cat tree--installed and ready for action.

Harry's preferred toy.

 

One week away

23 Monday Apr 2012

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It’s one week until our first anniversary–I can’t believe it! It seems like just yesterday that family and friends were starting to arrive in D.C. as we stuffed gift bags, made last-minute arrangements with the florist, practiced our vows, and picked up the wedding dress, trying to stay calm as the big day quickly approached. After we came back from our honeymoon, I remember a friend asking me if I was sad it was all over. Without hesitation, I answered “NO!” At that point, I was so drained from the stress of planning a big wedding far away from most of my California-based family and friends, that I was relieved and excited to move on with our lives as a married couple. Now, at the one-year mark, I do feel a little nostalgic. While our 18-month engagement seemed to crawl by, our year as newlyweds has done the opposite. I really can’t believe it’s been a year!

We’re still trying to figure out how to celebrate. No big plans at the moment, but hopefully we’ll come up with something. I believe the first anniversary calls for paper gifts, though I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to get Alex. Any ideas?

Speaking of paper, I decided to finally start working on our guest book. Instead of a traditional guest book, we asked the guests at our Paris-themed wedding to fill out vintage Paris postcards and drop them in birdcage. (I’m not too sure where the birdcage idea came from…some things make more sense at the time) I had a Martha Stewart-inspired idea that I would put the postcards in gorgeous album for a more creative take on the guest book. Though I did pick up a great Rag & Bone album (below) from Gilt last summer, I only got around to actually putting the postcards in the album last week. Still, I think it turned out pretty cute. Take a look!

Foodie Faux Pas

13 Friday Apr 2012

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I’ve been hesitant to admit this since I consider myself a bit of a foodie, but I think it’s time to come clean: I love Carrefour croissants. There, I said it. After years of only eating pastries from fancy bakeries and wannabe-French cafes, I’ve started shopping at the local grocery chain. But before you judge, let me make my case: 1) They are amazingly fresh and light for something that’s stocked between the frozen food aisle and the rotisserie chicken stand; 2) They are less than a euro each (amazing in a country where a night out at a modest restaurant will set you back 100 euros); 3) They are just plain delicious:)

I don’t know how you do it, but keep up the good work, Carrefour!

Breakfast this morning. Yum!

My moody little cat

05 Thursday Apr 2012

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Harry fans have been complaining that they haven’t seen enough of him lately (I’m sure he agrees), so I decided to dedicate this post to everyone’s favorite feline. When I first got back to Brussels, he was a one-cat welcome wagon, never leaving my side. This caught me a bit off guard since he’s been known to shun people (read: Alex and I) after they’ve dared to leave him for any extended period of time. (He didn’t so much as glance at me for two weeks after we returned from our honeymoon.) Now that he’s feeling a little more secure, he’s back to his old tricks, and I’ve hardly seen him. When we are all the same room, he makes it clear that Alex is his human of choice. I guess I deserve my punishment…I just hope it will end soon:)

Harry appreciates the fan mail. Here’s a look at what he’s been up to the past few weeks:

On top of the desk, watching as I write a blog post.

Irritated that the kitchen floor is getting a cleaning.

Taking a little snooze mid-day.

Sitting on a box of Alex's birthday presents, clearly bothered that they aren't for him.

Chocolat

03 Tuesday Apr 2012

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Last week, a group of friends and I took a chocolate-making course at Zaabar in St. Gilles. Since Belgian chocolate is so unbelievably delicious, we were eager to learn the secrets behind the delicacy (though I could have lived without the hair nets). We were treated to a video on the history of chocolate making, a rowdy Q&A session during which the kind men of Zaabar were peppered with questions by some of the more curious in our group, and a hands-on demonstration. We then got our hands dirty making truffles with ingredients ranging from red pepper flakes to dried papaya. Alex and I have been munching on some of the misshapen truffles I brought home ever since. Yum!

Happy birthday, Alex!

26 Monday Mar 2012

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Yesterday was my darling husband’s 32nd birthday. He’s not big on birthdays, but I am, so I always push him to celebrate in a more decadent way than he would otherwise choose. On Saturday, we had dinner at our favorite restaurant, Le Bugatti, and then headed to a friend’s party where the real festivities would commence.

To understand just how amazing the scene that I’m about to describe is, you have to know a few things about Alex: 1) he’s an introvert; 2) he hates, hates, hates being the center of attention; and 3) he is definitely not a dancer. That being said, you can imagine his shock and horror at being in the center of a circle of Spaniards dancing, clapping and laughing while singing Happy Birthday. I should back up. One of the great things about a party in Brussels is that in any given room more than 20 languages can be spoken, and this international crowd had it’s share of diversity. So, when someone found out at midnight that it was Alex’s birthday, the group decided to wish Alex a happy birthday in all the native languages present. First we did English, then French, then Swedish, then Spanish, etc. until Alex ended up dancing in the middle of the circle. Fortunately, he had had a few glasses of wine to take the edge off, but still, he was a good sport. Poor guy!

We had a much calmer celebration yesterday. Here’s a shot of him with his cake while just I sang him Happy Birthday in our little kitchen:)

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