Art

Of course, Philly has lots of statues- there's so much history here it would be impossible not to have them. Philly also has some...interesting sculptures. Here are a few.

They also have a section dedicated to Monopoly. Yes, Monopoly. I like to think it's these types of pieces that add to the character of our City. Pretty neat, huh?

Liz visits Philly!

I'm a little late posting these pictures, but two weekends ago Liz came to visit our dear City. She had only been once before, to see a play, so I was excited to show her some of the sites. We went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to walk Kelly Drive and see Boathouse Row (yes, same "tour" as with my parents...great place to see), visited our beloved Rocky, Old City, and the Liberty Bell. We also pulled the biggest tourist move and tried Pat's vs. Geno's. If you know anything about me and Liz, it probably won't surprise you that we were sisters divided- I'm a Geno's fan and she's a Pat's fan. Variety is the spice of life.

From above, at the Museum of Art

Boathouse Row. This spot is my favorite in the whole city.

Looking down from the front steps of the Museum. The building directly in the middle is City Hall. 

Pat's Rules...They aren't kidding. Not even a little bit.

The Liberty Bell, where a little girl walked up, sighed, and opted not to take her picture with the Bell. Not as impressive as some think it's going to be, but a piece of our history nonetheless.

Babypalooza 2011 continues...

With visits to see Will and Andrew, the newest member of the Misleh family. Like BFF Will, Andrew decided to come about ten days early but considering the terrible August heat, I think Mommy and Daddy were just fine with that! Will smiled pretty much the whole time I was with him and LOVES his bouncer (see blurry picture, best I could do). Andrew had put up quite a fuss the night before I met him, so most of the time I saw him he was sleeping, but he did open his eyes for a few moments, which Rommie luckily caught on camera. Adorable little boys!

Love his mohawk hair!

Tiny little nugget!

John and Dor make the trek to the big city

This past weekend, my parents came up for a trip to see the new place and spend some time with us in the city. We did a walking tour of the neighborhood and showed them some of our favorite places. They were amazed how close everything was to us, and thought it was a really "cool" place :) After a brief happy hour at home, we went to Pietro's on South Street for dinner. Michael and his cousins used to go there a lot when he lived up here before, and we've been several times when visiting. The food is delicious and I love the relaxed atmosphere. The only downfall? I had forgotten how LARGE the food portions were! We left with three to-go boxes! That said, we had a fantastic dinner of leftovers Sunday night :) Apparently, there is a Rita's a few miles from where they live in Virginia but they had never been, so we introduced them to water ice as well. On Sunday, after Michael made breakfast for everyone (thanks MBT!), we took a 2-mile walk along Kelly Drive. They got to see lots of statues (Dad had to stop to read EVERY inscription...those who know him should not be surprised by this!), Historic Boathouse Row, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the famous Rocky statue! Not only is this area one of (if not my absolute) favorites in the city, my Mom always asks "Where are you in relation to Rocky?? Are you near Rocky??" The funny part is, she had never seen Rocky anyway (the statue, not the movie), so the question was moot. That said, I wanted her to see this iconic statue she asks about and I think they had a nice time. It was a gorgeous day with a light breeze, and people were out on the Schuylkill River in their kayaks and dragon boats...very picturesque.

After Kelly Drive, we took them to Rustica for a slice of pizza. Although I know we all liked it, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say my Mom would have married the pizza if she could have! She couldn't stop raving about it and even talked about it that night when she called to let us know they got home safely! I'm glad we introduced them to it, and they've already said it needs to be a stop anytime they come up again in the future. Done and done!

Pietro's on South Street

Historic Boathouse Row

Looking down Kelly Drive, boathouses on the left

Back of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Rocky!

View from the top of the back of the museum

Misleh, Party of 2.5

Last weekend, Christine and Rommie came up for a visit/eating tour of Philly and we managed to hit up several destinations in a short 24-hour time frame. Among them: Chickie's and Pete's, Reading Terminal Market, Brown Betty's, Rita's, and El Camino Real. It was our first time at RTM and it did not disappoint. Name a type of food or dessert and this place has it! It was amazing- a "fat kid's heaven" as Rommie described it. Fresh seafood, fruits, vegetables, port and beef sandwiches galore, chocolates, sweets, even a beer garden! RTM had it all and I highly recommend it to our foodie friends out there! The boys tried Dinic's famous Roast Pork & Beef sandwich (Rommie's with broccoli rabe, MBT's without), per Adam Richman's advice. It was a big hit and the ladies had to convince the men not to eat the entire sandwich, so as to leave room for dinner at El Camino Real. It was a good choice, because the food portions there were hefty and delicious!

We were really glad they were able to make the trip and I especially give Christine credit, being 8 months pregnant and all! Something tells me BBM will love visiting Reading Terminal Market one day :) Below is a picture of the famous Dinic's sandwich. YUM!

2011: The Year of the Baby

In case you haven't heard, having a baby is soooo in right now. Everyone's doing it- Natalie, Pink, Posh, Jewel, Kate, Ivanka. So far this year, I've had three baby showers (one I had to miss, so technically it would be four if I went) and I still have two more to go! And that includes only my closest friends, not mentioning extended friends and family! Twice I've been back to Virginia for baby showers; first, for Christine and second, for Katherine. Both were thoroughly enjoyable and I was so happy to see my friends again!

First up in 2011, there was William Hinson. He decided to come 10 days early and it threw Mommy and Daddy for a loop, but we were all really excited to meet him, so it was okay. He really started the whole baby trend :) Here is the smiley boy with Mommy.

Then there was Chase Neubert. Unlike his future BFF Will, Chase wanted to wait at least five days after his due date to be born...and even then, he put up quite a fight! I think Mommy was probably happier than anyone else when he finally came into the world, and we all welcomed him with open arms!

On deck: Baby Boy Misleh. Here are a few pictures from Christine's baby shower, although I have to admit that the second picture is somewhat fraudulent, as it comes from her brown shower. For some reason, I wasn't invited to that one ;) JK JK. Either way, super cute decorations that I wanted to share. BBM will be here in three short weeks, and Mommy and Daddy are both very eagerly awaiting his arrival.

Renea, Cari, me and Christine

 

 

 

 

 

Cookies are a critical part of a pregnant lady's diet!

About a month after Christine's shower, we had Katherine's! It was really a special treat because she lives in California now, so visits are far and few between. In addition to native Virginia friends, friends from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New York also came...it was great to see everyone and catch  up. Little Harper will make her debut it about two months and like her parents, I am sure she will be an amazing, lovely person!

Casey, Katherine, me, and Liz

Casey is very crafty!

She did all of this! Amazing hostess!

By the end of the year, we will also welcome a baby boy for the Essamas, and a yet-to-be-determined boy or girl for the Cliffords!!!


Babies. So hot right now.

Nom, nom, nom.

While we love our new neighborhood, but I am pretty sure my waistline does NOT. It is so tempting to eat out more often, between the huge variety and convenience of it all...we literally have to walk two blocks to be in close proximity to some really fantastic restaurants and bars.
We tried our first BYOB at Dmitri's, a quaint Greek restaurant that offers full portions as well as tapas-like portions. I tried baba ghanoush for the first time, and we tried a delicious tomato and mozzarella salad. Like most places in NoLibs, the service left a lot to be desired, but it would be a great place to bring a group of people and share different plates on the cheap. LOVE BYOB!

With the exception of Adam's Morgan, I can't think of anywhere in Northern Virginia where you can go into a restaurant and get a single slice of amazing pizza...enter Rustica. Of course you can get an entire pizza there, but when they offer toppings like brussel sprouts, steak, asparagus, and broccoli rabe (just to name a few) why settle for a boring plain pie? We've found a few unusual and filling slices where just one will do. It's quick, easy, and cheap. And tasty! Nom nom.

Another interesting NoLibs spot is PYT, a burger-joint-turned-club-at-night that always seems busy. We've been in a few times and have sampled some of their hearty burgers, but were most satisfied with the "adult milkshakes" they offer. The one we tried and loved? The Butterfinger, with vanilla ice cream, Van Gogh's dutch caramel vodka, peanut butter and crushed Butterfingers. This came with high recommendation from our waiter, who was delightfully honest and told us which ones to avoid- a trait we appreciated :) It's fun and funky, and a great place to go for a burger, sandwich, or sliders.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Rita's, if not for my personal preference but for Michael's (and seemingly every other Philadelphian). Of course, the main attraction to this place is the water ice and gelatis, but I myself am really digging their frozen custard. The only problem I have with Rita's is that I am drawn to it after a full meal, thinking I want something sweet and immediately regretting my decision for custard, which is always too large a serving- regardless of what size I order. Must. Order. On. Empty. Stomach.

So far, we have gravitated towards Liberties for happy hour specials and such. It's a very laid back bar with friendly bartenders and amazing food. And who can turn down $2 drafts? They do weekly Quizzo games, which we took advantage of a few weeks back. Much to our chagrin, Team Toole did NOT win- we have some stiff competition. However, I did manage to make the bar laugh by shouting out (albeit impulsively) the answer "The worse one!" to the question asking which Hasselback brother is Elizabeth married to?? I was pretty proud of myself :) We've affectionately nicknamed this place MacLaren's, for those HIMYM fans out there, although we have yet to meet our Barney and Robin (because really, who needs Ted? He's the weakest link, if we are being honest with each other).

Yeah, definitely don't need a Ted.