Welcome!! This is my offering for the first official Romantic Monday, freshly founded by the one and only Edward Hotspur. Click here to read his romantically romantic post. Please don’t judge me too badly as you watch this little introduction I’ve thrown together. But do enjoy the background music and the beautiful face of my very best friend. (And just a reminder…it’s New Jersey, not New Joizey.)
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way….
Here is our list of everything we adore that makes us romantically connected in the most non-homosexual way (for the most part) ever.
1.) Blood does not run through our veins. Cabernet Sav-ing-yong (in that voice from the video) does. This proves we are blood related.
;
;
;
;
;
2.) We always end up having the same clothes, like the same pair of leopard print draws from Walmart. (Don’t judge me….clearance…) As we got changed one afternoon, we both pointed to each other’s asses and yelled, “HEY!!!!”. This has gone on for quite a few years now. Jeans, shirts, all by mistake. This demonstrates our amazing – and identical – fashion sense.
3.) What is usually every man’s fantasy – but is Joe’s nightmare – the other Nicole (on those really, really drunk nights) will sometimes sneak into our bed. She’s the teaspoon, I’m the big spoon, Joe is the salad serving spoon. On these nights he remains fully clothed, jeans and all – studded belt, too – to avoid awkwardness. I feel bad for him as we talk in “the voice” before we fall into a deep slumber. That poor, poor man. (He enjoys calling us “dumb broads”.) This proves, as the big spoon, that I am the man in the relationship. *sigh*
4.) As more proof that we are non-sexual soul-mates, Romantic Monday falls on our official “day of play”; every Monday is full of drunken debauchery and cooking some amazingly yummy food. Of course, it’s always after a 3-10 mile run. As the other Nicole’s pop would say, “It’s all about balance, baby!” “hahaha” – the other Nicole.
This man is 58 years old and runs every. single. day. And loves his beer maybe more than we do. 😉
5.) Our passion for fun music gets our shoulders shakin’ and our booties movin’. Oh, yesh (video voice).
Even as we were posting this, we had to stop to sing, “DARKNESS, DARKNESS DARKNESS.”
6.) We are foooooo-deez. We make margarita pizza, and tilapia, and artichoke spinach dip, and more pizza, and chicken, and more pizza, and delicious, blush, vodka sauce, yummy, delicious, pasta…..and we top everything with cheese. (Healthy cheese.) 😉
We couldn’t help but dig in before we took the picture.
;
7.) We share a mutual love of tattoos….so we just had to get one two-gethaaaaaa.
;
;
;
;
8.) We love Halloween, and we love dead things, and haunted walk-throughs, and every year – instead of letting the breasts and booties hang out – we like to look like someone just ran us over. Lots of blood.
;
;
;
;
;
9.) This one doesn’t necessarily connect us, but the other Nicole is one talented “lova” (nickname…video voice). Ch-ch-check it out. Click here, seriously. DO IT. Amazing things happening there. Everything completely handmade. I own 3 purses.
10.) ::drumroll::
My love for running is shared by my best friend. “YEY!” – the other Nicole. (She likes to spell “YEY” that way. I do not.) So, basically, back in the day, the other Nicole’s running father forced us to run and we almost died. But now, we are running beasts! She has completed a ten miler, and I recently finished my first half marathon. But by far….the Color Run is the funnest, most epic run we’ve ever completed (we’ve done it twice).
Philly 5K
;
We completed another Color Run about 2 months ago, and our mutual love of fun music was clearly demonstrated……
My non-homo girlfriend, my partner in crime, my let’s-forget-the-world-and-get-tipsy lova, the one (besides Joe) who reads my mind when I shoot her a look. We tell it like it is, we hold nothing back, she’s a pain in my ass, I’m a pain in hers, we love and laugh and hug and fuel each other creatively and laugh again. She is amazing enough to be my first Romantic Monday post.
Enjoy (I hope).
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
You’re wel-come.
xoxo,
Nicole & Nicole
Filed under Fitness, Uncategorized
A: A poultry-geist!
Ahahaha….hahaha….ha…ha…ha.
OK.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
Today also happens to be my wonderful boyfriend’s Birthday (this is one of the reasons I believe us to be soul mates, seeing as Halloween is my favorite holiday), so a huge Happy Birthday to him as well.
I picked up cookies and cake mix and all types of wonderful things to decorate the cake I am going to make for him today, so I will post pictures of that later on. In the mean time we will watch some old horror movies, leave a bowl of candy out for the neighborhood children (which will probably be gone when the first child discovers that the bowl has been left unattended), and prepare for a wonderful night out for dinner and drinks at our favorite German restaurant.
I’m considering leaving the bowl on the front stoop and positioning myself in the upstairs window, ready to shout down at any little kid who tries to take off with all of the goodies. That would give them a good fright! And maybe make them cry. Bonus points. (Just kidding….)
NaNoWriMo kicks off in less than 24 hours and I’m nervous. Nervous because I have so much to get done tomorrow (and will probably be doing those things with a beer-induced headache), and I still have to fit in around 2,000 words. But I suppose us writers just find a way to make it happen, amIright? Excited. Scared. Ready to get-er-done.
So with the Halloween festivities officially among us, I will enjoy my last day of freedom before my novel takes over my life, with good food, good drinks, and good friends.
Oh, and here are some pictures of Joe and I from a Halloween party over the weekend. Don’t be too frightened!
The spooky masqueraders!
I swear it was a ghost that distorted this photo. It was probably just my crappy phone, but we'll stick with the ghost theory anyway.
What's Halloween, if you're not bloody?
Joe and I carved pumpkins on Friday night. In the time it took him to intricately carve one eye of his pumpkin, I finished mine. Maybe that’s why mine is so messy (his still isn’t finished!). I’m not much of a perfectionist (or a professional) when it comes to these things. But I was proud that the thing didn’t fall apart – at least, not right away…
I call him, Charlie.
Joe is a bit nervous about leaving the bowl of candy unattended. I told him I’ll just make a sign that says: “Take one. I’ll be watching.”
Muahaha….
Enjoy!
Filed under Uncategorized, Writing
At least the one in my dream didn't look like he was going to eat me.
Could it be that my mind is going into Halloween mode, with the beautiful chilly weather we’ve been having? Or maybe it was the Merlot we drank that evening?
Either way, I haven’t had an actual nightmare in quite a while. But Saturday night brought a black cat and the premonition of death into my head.
First, here’s how it went:
I sat on the couch in someone’s living room, while a co-worker of mine was in the bathroom. Suddenly I heard the front door creak open, and turned my head to look down a long hallway, where I saw a sliver of light creep in along with the black cat. How did he open the door? I have no idea. But he slinked inside and began to make his way down the hall.
Somehow, as most of us do in strange dreams, I knew he was there for me, and that it was bad news bears.
And so I ran, frightened, into the bathroom with my co-worker, where I slammed the door shut and figured I would be safe. The cat, who had reached the bathroom just then, began to sweep his paws back and forth in the crack between door and floor, and I made every attempt I could to bat them away.
Then comes the really creepy part.
The cat’s face appeared as he effortlessly slipped his body through that same crack. Of course I nearly had a heart attack, especially when he proceeded to rise up on his back legs, coming towards me with paws outstretched.
Here, I begged: “I’m not ready to go! Not yet! There are still people I have to help!”
And with that, the cat promised me another 6 months.
I woke startled, and convinced I was going to die unless I did something to somehow benefit others.
Strange, is it not?
I’ve always been aware of the symbolism of the black cat in relation to Halloween, etc. But after a quick Google search I stumbled upon this site, that aids in interpreting dreams as crazy as my own.
The site talks about cats as symbols of femininity, independence, sexuality – all of which I did not feel were trying to be known in my dream. And then I read this:
“To see a black cat in your dream indicates that you are experiencing some fear in using your psychic abilities and believing in your intuition. You may erroneously associate the black cat with evil, destruction, and bad luck. In particular, if the black cat is biting, clawing or attacking you, then the dream means that you must acknowledge what your intuition is trying to tell you. You can no longer ignore it. Do not be afraid to face the situation. If you see a white cat, then it denotes difficult times.”
I definitely don’t think I retain any psychic abilities, but I do strongly believe in my own intuition. It has revealed the truth to me on several occasions, and when it’s at work it always puts knots in my stomach. The curious thing? I went to bed that night with that nauseous, knots-in-my-tummy feeling (but so did a girlfriend that stayed over…we thought it was the chicken from the wedding).
While the cat did not bite or claw me, I’d say standing on your hind legs and running towards me can be categorized as an attack. Is my intuition trying to tell me something? For now, I’m not sure. But I’m trying to keep my mind wide open to anything my little “friend” was trying to reveal.
For now, I’ll keep thinking it was the chicken (and the wine).
And maybe I’ll do some volunteer work…
Have any wacky dreams lately?
Filed under Uncategorized
And our fridge is prepared (nevermind the tomato juice).
Pumpkin coffee! Pumpkin pie! Pumpkin candles!
The leaves are turning. The food is better. The clothes are better. There’s a chill in the air. HAUNTED HOUSES ARE COMING BACK!
You’d think we’d be all pumpkin-ed out already, and it’s not even Halloween yet. But no – I can never get enough pumpkin this time of year. And I know there’s many who would agree.
While I was late on the Starbucks bandwagon (only within the last year have I struck up a romance with their Tazo Chai Tea Latte), I’m sure glad I did. Their Pumpkin Spice Latte? Heaven in a coffee cup. And while I have not yet tried the Dunkin’ Donuts pumpkin coffee, I am very eager to get over there and purchase one. I’ve heard very good things about it.
And one of my favorite things about Fall? (Besides Halloween.)
See that Sam Adams 12-pack in the picture up there? Not only does it hold their Harvest Pumpkin Ale, but it also contains one of the most delicious beers I have ever had…
Behold the smokey amazingness.
Sam Adams doesn’t lie. Their Bonfire Rauchbier tastes like an actual bonfire. (But I promise you won’t be left with any soot or things associated with an actual bonfire.) What you will be left with, however, is the urge to drink about eight more. Sadly, only 2 are available in the sampler case.
So light a fire (safety first!) and enjoy.
And go here (enter your birth date first…no children allowed!) for more information on the deliciousness:
Over the weekend, Joe and I went to a friend’s house for a Fall-time beer tasting. Complete with pumpkin dip, a pumpkin candle, and pumpkin muffins, we sampled about a dozen different pumpkin beers. And while listening to 311, seated at a picnic table in good company, I fell in love with this:
All hail the Pumking! ...No, seriously.
Looking for pumpkin pie in a bottle? Then you’ve come to the right place. Smell it before you sip it; the aroma is like mom’s house at Thanksgiving. Creamy, delicious, and you can smell the graham cracker crust. I bet it would be phenomenal with whipped cream on top…but why mess with perfection?
By the way – I have 4 reserved bottles of this coming my way tonight. Be jealous.
Enjoy the season! And all of the pumpkin variety that comes along with it.
Filed under Uncategorized
Motherhood Misadventures + Creative Living
Because we’re all recovering from something.
Cultivating the Space to Bloom
Shape Your Mind, Body, and Spirit to Prosperity
Nicole Marie
wordsandotherthings.wordpress.com 