Christmastime is here.

We set up our Christmas tree on Sunday night. I knew we would both be too busy the next few weeks and I really wanted the tree up. Usually I like to set it up the day after Thanksgiving but I knew this weekend we'd be busy.

Christmastime is here.

58 hours. 2 people. Manhattan.

So we went to New York, New York for our 2nd wedding anniversary.

We stayed at the Harlem Bed & Breakfast..we got to the city really early Friday morning. Hello, Chinatown. & then we made our way through the city, just exploring. The Staten Island Ferry was a lot of fun..if you ever go you must ride it. We got a lot of shots of the cityscape that way. We also went by Miss Lady Liberty herself..and she is actually a lot smaller than I thought she was. Surprising.

My favorite building is Grand Central Station..it's so gorgeous inside and out. My favorite park is Bryant Park, even though Central Park is amazing all on its own.

We left late in the afternoon/early evening that Sunday. I miss NY so much. I know we were there for only a weekend but I felt like I belonged there.



The Staten Island Ferry



The Chrysler Building



The Empire State Building



The Statue of Liberty



The Browns in Central Park

We did pretty much everything 2 young people can cram into 58 hours. We visited every place we wanted to see and then some. We also have a list of things to do on trip 2. Not sure when that will be, though.

Let's just say I can't wait to go back. There's another blog coming eventually with the list of places we saw/things we did/etc.

You can view our photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsorigami/sets/72157625283101237/




I love New York.

What I'm Loving..

The Lillywhite Sessions by Dave Matthews Band..it's not an official album but it's my favorite collection of recordings by DMB. Something so real about all of those songs..raw, very real, just really great songs..right now if I had to choose one album to listen to for the rest of my life, this would be it. It's just that good.

It's from 2001, so before Busted Stuff (which a lot of these songs are on). In my opinion, the songs recorded on TLWS are much better than the ones on Busted Stuff.


track listing:
busted stuff
grey street
digging a ditch
sweet up and down
jtr
big eyed fish
grace is gone
captain
bartender
monkey man
kit kat jam
raven







NYC..just a couple more days until we're there. I just know I am going to love it.





Philosophy's raspberry sorbet lip balm. With ingredients like sunflower seed oil & candle wax, how can it not be great? And it's not sticky or waxy when you wear it. It's super smooth and shiny.






This vintage McCoy smiley face mug. I found one myself the other day and it's so cute. It's sitting on my desk at work holding some pens. Nice little thing to remind me that life is good.

1 week!

This time next week we'll be in New York City!

Here are some photos of the bed & breakfast we'll be staying at:










I can't wait to get there!

Everything is all set..I am so excited. I can't wait to see NYC and experience it with my Mr. Brown. He's been there before but this will be my first visit there.

What I'm Loving..

Today I am loving..



Dr. Wily. But, I love him every day anyway. I am just so happy that he is finally just about back to normal. He still has fur growing back on his belly and his front paws (from the surgeries and the IVs), but he is acting like his old self again. He has been getting into things and jumping up on places he shouldn't be, just like he used to do. He hangs out with us again and wants to sleep near us every night. He greets us when we get home and he follows us around everywhere we go inside the house.





Apples! Apples are good all of the time, but I have really been enjoying them more lately. The apples I got from the orchard, the chocolate caramel apples we made on Halloween, and just regular good old fashioned plain apples. They are good and filling snacks.




I am also loving cranberries! It's cranberry season and it's time to make all sorts of good things with cranberries. My sister Bonnie made some fresh cranberry sauce yesterday. I was just thinking about cranberries the other day and how I can make some FRESH cranberry salsa with them. Some other good cranberry recipes might be some cranberry granola bars, cranberry bread or muffins, and even chicken with cranberries.

Tomorrow..

Don't forget to vote tomorrow!

I am going to vote before work in the morning, bright (actually dark) and early.

I am in the 105th precinct of Richmond City.

My ballot includes:

Candidates:

Member House of Representatives - Eric I. Cantor (R)
Member House of Representatives - Rick E. Waugh, Jr. (D)
Member House of Representatives - Floyd C. Bayne (I)

Referendums:

Question 1 Exempt Property
Question 2 Property Tax Exemption for Certain Vete...
Question 3 Revenue Stabilization Fund


Name: Property Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled
Election: General - 2010
Type: Legislative Referendum
Status: Undecided
Topic Areas: Human Services / State & Local Government / Tax & Revenue - State
Summary: Shall Section 6 of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to authorize legislation that will permit localities to establish their own income or financial worth limitations for purposes of granting property tax relief for homeowners not less than 65 years of age or permanently and totally disabled? EXPLANATION Present Law Under the Constitution, the General Assembly may give localities the power to grant full or partial exemptions from real estate taxes to persons 65 years of age or older or for persons permanently and totally disabled. The exemption applies to owneroccupied property used as the sole dwelling of such persons. The exemption is currently available only to such persons who bear "an extraordinary tax burden" in relation to their income and financial worth. Proposed Amendment The proposed amendment (i) removes the requirement that tax exemptions are available only to such persons who bear "an extraordinary tax burden," and (ii) gives the General Assembly authority to permit localities to determine their own income or financial worth limitations for tax exemptions for persons 65 years of age or older or for persons permanently and totally disabled. (7710)


Name: Property Tax Exemption for Veterans
Election: General - 2010
Type: Legislative Referendum
Status: Undecided
Topic Areas:
Summary: Shall the Constitution be amended to require the General Assembly to provide a real property tax exemption for the principal residence of a veteran, or his or her surviving spouse, if the veteran has a 100 percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability? EXPLANATION Present Law Currently, the Constitution does not grant real estate tax exemptions specifically to veterans. However, the Constitution does allow the General Assembly to give localities the power to grant full or partial exemptions from real estate taxes to persons 65 years of age or older or for persons permanently and totally disabled who "bear an extraordinary tax burden" in relation to their income and financial worth. This exemption applies to owner-occupied property used as the sole dwelling of such persons. Proposed Amendment The proposed amendment would require the General Assembly to pass a law exempting from local taxation the principal residence owned and occupied by any veteran with a one hundred percent service-connected, permanent, and total disability. The veteran's surviving spouse could continue to claim the exemption so long as he or she does not remarry and continues to occupy the home as his or her principal residence. (7712)


Name: Revenue Stabilization Fund
Election: General - 2010
Type: Legislative Referendum
Status: Undecided
Topic Areas: Budgets - State
Summary: Shall Section 8 of Article X of the Constitution of Virginia be amended to increase the permissible size of the Revenue Stabilization Fund (also known as the "rainy day fund") from 10 percent to 15 percent of the Commonwealth's average annual tax revenues derived from income and retail sales taxes for the preceding three fiscal years? EXPLANATION Present Law The Revenue Stabilization Fund (also known as the "rainy day fund") is used to offset shortfalls in anticipated revenues in any given year, and thus is designed to provide a cushion in the event of an economic downturn. The Constitution currently limits the Fund to 10 percent of the Commonwealth's average annual tax revenues from income and sales taxes for the preceding three fiscal years. Proposed Amendment The proposed constitutional amendment increases the maximum size of the Fund from 10 percent to 15 percent of the Commonwealth's average annual tax revenues from income and sales taxes for the preceding three fiscal years. (7713)

---------------------------------------------------
From wiki:

Incumbent Republican Congressman and U.S. House Minority Whip Eric Cantor is seeking a sixth term and faced no primary opposition. Rick Waugh is the Democratic nominee, and Floyd C. Bayne is the Independent Greens of Virginia and Tea Party supported candidate.





Please don't forget to vote tomorrow, whatever state/district/etc you are in! It's important, people!

It's November..

It's November but it's time to wrap up October!



We carved our pumpkins on Friday and watched some scary movies.



Pumpkin and ghost shaped brownies!


On Saturday I went over to my friend Anna's and we made our holiday cards! I brought some brownies that I cut out into pumpkin shapes. (I also made some ghost shaped ones) I am so happy with how my card turned out..I would show you a photo but it'd be a spoiler..so you will just have to wait.




Daniel got the giant pumpkin for $8..it was originally $75. He brought it home on Halloween morning and we have it sitting on our front porch now. It's huge!!



Dr. Wily ready to go trick or treating..he loved this basket!



We had some trick or treaters last night, too. I was expecting more than we actually got, but it was still fun passing out candy and seeing all of the costumes of the ones who did actually make it to our place. We are at the end (or the beginning) of the neighborhood on our street so kids were probably tired by the time they got in our direction.



Our doorstep :)



Oh yeah! and we made chocolate caramel apples!






On Friday, I also organized my craft area. Since I lost my craft room (the sun room at the old place), my craft area is now in the office. I had these cubbies at the last place and I really like them because I can get to exactly what I need when I want to if I am trying to make something. The bottom cabinet has boxes in it on all of the shelves. Each box is clearly labeled with its contents. The middle cubbies hold my stamp sets and the top cubbies hold supplies and other tools. The empty spaces in this photo are from where my holiday stamp sets go. I have them in my to-go carrier right now since I took everything to Anna's on Saturday. I will put everything back this week sometime. I like how it all turned out. The jars on the top are just misc. items I am planning on finding a cubbie or box for.