Opening Night at the Met Opera

John and I were very fortunate to be invited to opening night at the Met Opera the other night. We had an amazing experience!
In the cab on our way to Lincoln Center.
Here we are in front of Lincoln Center.
And another shot full length - we looked pretty hot ; )
Another shot of Lincoln Center and the banner for a new opera, "Doctor Atomic".

Inside Lincoln Center...everyone is mingling, having champagne, and getting ready to find their seats. There were lots of celebrities at the opera, including Martha Stewart (who I got to meet!) It looks like "Ugly Betty" made it into the picture too! At the risk of sounding like a star-struck dork, I have to share all the names of famous people and artists John and I encountered at the opera (celebrity sightings are still pretty exciting for me!)...Martha Stewart, Ellsworth Kelly, Zac Posen, Helena Christianson, Parker Posey, John Lithgow, Blythe Danner, Francesco Clemente, Faye Dunaway, Henry Kissenger, and Jeff Koons. It was a pretty big night for this little Baytown Brigadier (as my dad put it)!

This is the Marc Chagall painting that hangs in Lincoln Center.
We were very fortunate to also be invited to the dinner afterwards. This dessert was created in honor of Renee Fleming, the famous soprano who was the star of the show.
Our wonderful friend, Richard and his beautiful guest, Helianthe.
The future Mr. and Mrs. Newsom!

Richard's friends, Eugene and Denise.
The amazing tent where the dinner was held.
This is the best picture of my dress...I loved my dress!
Richard and John.
Richard, John, and Cassie

Tortilla Soup

I love, love, love to make homemade soup- especially on a chilly day. Now that autumn is gradually approaching, I'm pulling out all my favorite soup recipes. Tortilla soup is always a favorite, but there are so many different versions.

This particular version came from "Everyday Food" by Martha Stewart. My dad also has a mean version which I will try another time.

Pear, Brie, and Spinach Panini with Honey

This is the best panini ever! I've tried various versions of this sandwich in cafes and have made versions at home as well. I came across Giada De Laurentiis's version on the Food Network website the other day and had some pears on hand so I tried it.

One suggestion if you make this...keep napkins handy because the honey and melted brie make it gooey and sticky, but delicious none the less!

Peachy Keen

I continued painting yesterday and tackled the hallway. This is the before picture which shows the original light yellow color.

Now the hallway is "peachy keen." We also used this color for an accent wall in our kitchen/common area. The other walls in that area are going to be painted "springtime peach" which is a lighter shade of the color shown.

The bathroom was the first room I repainted back in July. I used a color called "paradise green."
I painted the bedroom a light Tiffany blue called "crystal clear."

This is a great picture taken from a corner in our bedroom that allows you to see all three colors at once. The medicine cabinet mirror in the bathroom creates an interesting reflection. Ironically, this is the exact palette John is using in a love bird painting right now!

Ike Damage at Granddaddy's house

Ike left a huge mess at my grandfather's house, but luckily, there was no flooding. My little Honda (actually mom's now since I moved) got a smash in the windshield.

Lizzie and Josh help clean up the old plum tree that was uprooted during the storm.

Even when she's working hard, Lizzie still looks pretty cute in Granddaddy's old hard hat.

Washington Square Park with Georgie

Georgie and I walked to Washington Square Park today and came across this amazing chalk drawing on the sidewalk.
We also stopped at the dog run so Georgie run around without the leash and mingle with some other dogs.

Sleeping Beauty Queen

Amira won the baby pagent at the State Fair in Oklahoma yesterday! It must have been a big day that required a big nap afterwards.

Amira shows off her crown at the fair.

Here is the dress she wore for the pagent. We're so proud of you Amira!

More Hurricane Ike pics

Tracy sent this picture to me of her front yard. They believe a tornado may have destroyed this tree. From what I understand, this was their worst damage. Their house did not flood and her family is okay. Thank goodness!

Hurricane Ike

Kristina sent this picture to me during Hurricane Ike. This picture was taken from her apartment (where I used to live too) in the Montrose area in Houston.

Kristina took this after the storm. If you look closely, you can see water flowing down the street on the other side of the gate, but it didn't get high enough to flood the house, thank goodness!Kristina told me today that the entire area is without power and that trees have been uprooted all over the neighborhood. My friends Tracy and Jena stayed in Houston during the storm as well and are both okay, thank goodness! I hope that power comes back on soon so they can get everything back to normal. My thoughts are with you Kristina, Jena, and Tracy...and all the rest of my family and friends that are having to deal with the aftermath of Ike.

Saturday with Vera

My friend, Vera and I met up for brunch today.
Afterwards we walked around Chinatown and Little Italy.



We stumbled upon a huge street fair during our walk.
This looks like a large buffet of food, but actually, it is magnets made to look like food.

What a fun day!

Two Openings in One Weekend

Last night John and I went to a group show at Marc Jancou gallery where John was showing his amazing work on paper, "Ensemble". It was an amazing exhibit and John's piece was by far the best in the show!


John and Bob stand in front of "Ensemble". Bob will be one of John's groomsmen in our wedding next year.

Ion, another one of John's groomsmen, came to see the show.
What a cute couple!
Ion, Bob, and John
Justin Lieberman (another artist in the show) and John ham it up for the camera at the dinner after the show.
Looking good...but I'm getting a little sleepy!I had to drink cappucino with my dinner to stay lively.

The following morning, we have coffee before John gets on a plane to head for Los Angeles for another group show at Patrick Painter gallery. Peace out!