our weekend

our weekend unfolded into so much fun. friday we had to brave the blizzard that was coming. we spent the evening just being together relaxing in pjs (don't we all need nights like that) and had the best (and i mean one of the top 3) cuddle sessions...ever. the next day after some studying and schoolwork, we had a fun mall date..destiny usa, nonetheless (my boy even dressed for our "date night"...looks like i wasn't the only one needing it) and spent a little too much money :/ but it's safe to say we've both added a few items to our wardrobe that we now love. we went to a syracuse basketball game and cheered and cheered and also got these funky tail things!!! and finally on sunday night we told the weekend "see ya" to studying and watching the grammy's of course my favorite performance was wiz. (duh.)

make someone smile

this post is a bit overdue..i know but anyway my weekend challenge from last weekend spilled over into my last week a bit but it was still amazing. being a guyanese girl, i never really meet many other guyanese people. one of my first graduate school classes, i walked in and saw a tall, brown guy. a brown guy! AND HE WAS GUYANESE! we immediately connected and once telling him of my ancestry and past he was smiling and excited to continue and build this relationship.

i'm certain that what i learn from him will be more than from the class itself and i look forward to building the relationship that i could with a guyanese scholar, which is something i would like to be identified with by the end of my degree(s)...a female first-generation Guyanese-American scholar. :)

weekend challenge: doing something for myself

and now #3! all weekend i've been decorating and prepping my apartment and it's finally all unpacked and the decorating is gradually coming together. this is something that's definitely doing something for myself. i'm loving my apartment more and more and am excited to have the next chapter of my life here. :)

thought this was the perfect place for this piece and very appropriate for this time (please excuse the unmade bed, rarely like this...i swear!)

so my mantle is now another step closer to being done. i thought the black, white, and red theme was perfect (inspired by my piece from China) and it looks great so far. found the awesome red frame from Target for $1! that place is incredible! definitely going back for some other home decor stuff! (also need to print some new pics- one for the red frame!)

Laci's!

so going on with the weekend challenge... #1 is now complete! "try something new" the word "new" has been used over and over again this past week with my new apartment, city, and so on but last night ammu and i went to Laci's Tapas Bar.

it. was. amazing. and that is an understatement! the service was incredible...we even made jokes of wanting get to know the staff there better and we easily concluded that we'd like it to be our new "spot" here, in Syracuse. the tapas were also perfectly sized, were delectable, and were some of the best things i have ever tasted. boy and i shared the lobster ravioli, lamb chops with apple-mint chutney, and the garlic chicken flatbread. the items on the menu were so unique and perfect for anyone wanting to try any type of new food. i would 100% recommend Laci's and it was so funny that we literally stumbled upon them when looking up "food" on our iPhone map, so we also surprised ourselves.

the space was so, so cozy and great and i regret not bringing my camera to take and show you some pics!! but i promise we'll return soon, and when we do there'll be a photo-overload ;)

 *all photos from Laci's Tapas Bar website.

a weekend challenge

so one of my favorite blogs, Sometimes Sweet posted this morning about a weekend challenge that i'd love to share. I think it's perfect for me, especially since this is the weekend right before i start grad school in this whole new chapter.

the challenge includes the following:

1. Try something new.

2. Make someone smile.

3. Do something for myself.

these are things i really need to do right now and think they are perfect. as Danielle says, nothing has been or will be planned. i will just allow everything to unfold and be ready when these three things happen and let you know how it all goes! please do join us :)

binghamton...you've been good to us.

so my boy is here for his last visit in binghamton...ever. so strange that it's the last one before i graduate which is just two weekends away now (omg). he's sound asleep after a very long day and big med school exam. also, in honor of movember he has shaved his god awful mustache (sayonara!).

anyways, binghamton you've been so good to us during my time here. you've certainly taught us what a real winter is like, what "upstate NY" living was like, and you've brought us together in ways i never thought i could be close to someone. i really can't believe all the times we've spent here...good and bad i love them all.

never thought i'd say this.. but we promise to visit. how could we not? thank you, for everything binghamton.

photos: {Jonathan Cohen}

giving thanks

thanksgiving was special this year. i got to make a vegan pecan pie! it was a hit! my dad and baby sister (who are vegans) loved it! so did everyone else. i also made some special sweet potatoes.

it was also the first time my sisters and i were reunited after going back to school and my younger sister started college. it was so strange but we laughed nonstop for hours the first few hours we were together again. it felt amazing and it's a little bittersweet to have to return to school tomorrow with the last few weeks of the semester (final exams and projects eek) and then GRADUATION in just a couple weeks...so unbelievable.

i loved being with my grandmother.. one of my best friends, my inspiration, and my number one role model...love her and miss her so much. someone i am very thankful for.

so thankful to have been with my wonderful family (that overwhelms me at times), the amazing home food i ate all weekend (definitely gained 10 pounds), and my special home.

what did you do for thanksgiving? what are you thankful for?

my baby's birthday weekend

so as i mentioned...this past weekend was my boy's birthday. it was very interesting (i finally met his friends), very fun (SU football game, food, presents), and very productive (finding my new apartment!). he was very happy with his presents (yay!) and i even got him some macaroons that he keeps bragging about (boooooo!) they got delivered AFTER i left (double boooo!) hopefully he'll save some for me.

 PJ's! we're their new regulars.

and their lobster mac and cheese is incredible.

 i'm already an obsessed, new fan. go, orange! :-*

'Cuse win versus Louisville

 pastabilities. where we had my boy's birthday dinner.

more good food. dying.

the incredible macaroons.

everyone...meet Chloe

Chloe has been displaced from her house in New Jersey after the terrible storm and she is now my best friend! She's actually my room mate's dog but spending the weekend with her has been more than wonderful. Now...I want a dog more than ever and not to mention since boy was up here this weekend he, too fell in love with her. She's just so perfect and loves people food (especially turkey bacon- LIKE ME!), wears a sweater (pink, argyle nonetheless), loves the height of the window in our apartment to people-watch, and her little tude is more than anyone can handle. She left today and I must say, it's the saddest longing I've felt for a while, the little pitterpatter of her feet, knowing she just wants to be with you, it's just so unconditional and he has certainly agreed to a dog (as long as it's a bulldog, he says) so cute to see him with her... anyway look at her little face! How can you (or anyone) resist?!