Weekends Are My Happy Place

This weekend consisted of...

* Catching up on a couple episodes of these gorgeous people, also known as The Vampire Diaries. Hey, they're my vampire fix until True Blood returns. No shame!

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* Becoming completely engrossed in this book.

* Am grateful for a couple of awards from Aubrey and Sarah. Thank you, ladies!


* Shopping (I know, I can't believe it either). Some purchases:

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I never buy bags, but I had a credit to Macy's and after thinking this was knocked down to $81 and then being told that it was knocked down further to just $56, it was (quite literally) in. The. Bag. Hey Miss Simpson, you're my new favorite.

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I found it, I found it! At long last, I found the powder oofa's been raving about. And guess what? It's worth every penny...all $15 of it because it was half off because guess what else? Sephora's discontinuing the brand. No bueno. But rumor has it they're moving to CVS (I know, what?!) so we shall see. I also got a shirt that I'm pretty much obsessed with (thanks Liza!), but couldn't find a picture of it. Oh well. I'm wearing it in the pics below if it matters at all?

* Loving on some amazing Birthright people for our friend Dov's b-b-b-birthday. Seriously, seeing and spending time with these people make me happy beyond belief.


* Planning for my very first (and way long overdue) giveaway! Details manana. I'm starting small but am still very excited.

Tonight's the Grammys! I think I'm the most excited for Lady Gaga, what about you?

And your weekend consisted of...?

I'm Brilliant Sometimes

So.

Who's a moron and thought she could change her blog URL and that everyone would just magically get the memo and follow her on over there?

Yes, that would be me. And the error of my ways occurred to me when Stephanie asked where my blog was.

Oops.

Sorry.

I have been wanting to change this blog address to thewayaliseesit.blogspot.com for a while, having finally realized that I didn't have to use my full name (and probably shouldn't). So I just went ahead and did it since my followers remained the same over there.

What I didn't anticipate was the fact that you're not all psychics.

My bad.

So...I am asking all of you to do me a favor...

Please comment here that you read this post and that you will (pinky promise, cross your heart, hope to die) change your feed to http://www.thewayaliseesit.blogspot.com.

I'm making the switch on Wednesday (provided that that URL name is still available for snatching by then), forever and ever amen.

Wow, I'm acting so dramatic about all this, you'd think I was going to WordPress or something.

Okay, ready? Go!

Come On, Get Happy

Wow. After blogging the heck out of my trip to Israel, I thought, how in the world am I going to blog about anything else? But alas, life goes on and damn it, so will my blog.

And all because of Sonja, who tagged me in this thang.

It goes like this:

1. List 10 things that make you happy.

2. Tag 10 5 bloggers that brighten your day.
(Sorry, 10's just too much for me right now!)

Sooo, here's numero uno of numero uno!

1) Le fam

What I'd do without them, I really couldn't tell ya.

2) Molly and Emma

Emma (the cutest puppy ever here) is much bigger now, but this is one of my all time favorite pictures of them.

3) Amigos

I put Drew as the picture here because he is my best friend, my everything. But friends in general are a must in my life, and I love 'em all.

4) New York City (+)
Because it's the state I hail from and let's face it: there's nothing like NYC. Nothing.

5) Coffee and 6) Writing (+)
#5 just comes with the territory of having lived in #4. And #6? My passion.

7) Israel
Uh, I don't know if you heard...but I just visited...

8) Cupcakes (+)Do I need an explanation?

9) Joseph Gordon-Levitt (+)
I can't even discuss it.

10) Heels (+)
Found out about this to die for one through this fabulous lady's post and haven't been able to stop dreaming about it since.

Know that these are off the top of my head. So many other things bring joy to my life. Namely, bloggers (oh, and blogging too!), gift giving, donating (if you haven't done so for Haiti yet, please do), traveling (I'll report back on this once I do more of it!) and so on.

That all being said, tell me what makes you 5 happy.
gorgeous footsteps in the sand.
Class and Coffee
Iva Messy
life is BANANAS.

The Pittman Show

Okay, that's enough of me for now. Tomorrow, I'll have something a bit more substantial to say!

ISRAEL: Departure

Okay, before I wrap up this massive Israel adventure, I need to first say something.

LOOK! LOOK AT MY BLOG!

Do you like it? At long last, it's made over and in my opinion, adorable. And all thanks to my new friend Stephanie of Dirt and Lace Designs. I found this gem of a woman through Lacey and snatched her right up. And I am so glad I did because folks? She. Is. Good. I'd never had my blog redone, and Stephanie worked with me every step of the way, obliging me every step of the way and even more miraculously, not wanting to kill my anal retentive self any step of the way.

That right there should prove to you just how wonderful and talented a person she truly is.

So Stephanie, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Now, let's get on with this, shall we?

I wish I could say that our last day in Israel was the most memorable one of the trip but alas, that just wasn't the case. Having been out the entire night, we slept in and had one of the best breakfasts ever.

No, really. We did. I mean, have you ever seen more beautiful blueberry pancakes?


Me neither.

I kept the picture taking to a bare minimum that day because, well, none of us were feeling it. We were tired, lazy and sad to be leaving.

Nir, one of the soldiers, had been trying to leave his base to meet us at the airport to see us off. The biggest and best surprise came about an hour before we went to the airport, when he told us he'd be there waiting for us.

Excited beyond belief to see him, we left for the airport around 9 pm that night. Our flight was at midnight (hello, red eye!) and since this was right after the incident in Amsterdam, we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time to deal with security.

I swear, seeing our friend there, in his uniform, waiting for us...it was like a movie.


I told you he was special.

We all hung out for the couple hours before our flight. And I couldn't help but look around at everyone - people who I didn't know existed just 14 days ago - and feel so incredibly blessed.

We landed at LAX at 6:15 am on New Year's Eve. When Liza and I got home, it all felt like a dream.

So what now? All we do is talk about Israel, all we want to do is hang out with the people from our trip (who, for the most part, all live here in LA).

And all we want to do is go back.

End scene.

***

Get caught up.
Arrival
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11

ISRAEL: Out in Tel Aviv

Liza and I woke up the next morning and booked a hotel room at the Leonardo Hotel in Tel Aviv. The majority of others who had extended were staying around there and we were all planning on going out that night.


That's our room. See the Leonardo influence? Haha.

We relaxed all day until Nofi picked us up for dinner with her family and boyfriend, Moshik (Liza calls him Milkshake because she can't pronounce his name).


Nofi dropped us off after dinner and we said goodbye (my least favorite part since I don't know when I'll see her next). Liza went to meet up with our friends from the trip while I waited for Minnie and (her brand spankin' new husband) Lior to pick me up to go to the bars. We all met up at a pub and had a great time.


After Minnie and Lior left, the rest of us went to a bunch of places, ending at a bar whose name I don't remember.


Ifat didn't have to be back at her base until a few days later, so she met up with us too. Perfection.


It was one of those crazy, hilarious, amazing Tel Aviv nights. And our last one in Israel.

You know the kind.

***

Ketchup.
Getting there
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10

ISRAEL: The Last Day (of Birthright)

I don't think I've ever shown you a picture (or even mentioned, really) of Yair.


Yair was our bus driver. Meaning? Yair was pretty much our reason for living on this trip, as he took us to all the places that made Israel what it was for us.

In all honesty, I think Yair wanted to kill us all for the majority of the trip, as he was a neat freak from the word go and well, sometimes...we weren't.

Poor Yair. Bless that man.

Anyway.

The next morning, we packed all our things. One side underneath the bus was designated for those of us who would be leaving for the airport with the group, the other was for the ones staying in Israel (Liza and I were a couple of those people).

From there, we visited Independence Hall.


We danced around outside.


Israeli grafitti fascinates me.


Then we visited Yitzhak Rabin's memorial/site where he was assassinated, known as Rabin Square. This really got me. A man, a very important man, is shot dead immediately after giving a speech for peace.

Go ahead and try to make sense of that.


This is Rabin's memorial. The unsteady rocks symbolize what Israel felt after he was killed: an metaphorical earthquake.


The word in the above picture reads "s'licha." In Hebrew, it means "excuse me." As in, excuse me...why and how could this have happened?


On a bit of a happier and lighter note, we went to Jaffa, an ancient port city, afterwards. It's basically one big flea market, and lots of fun.


The Wishing Bridge there was just so cute. Read the sign and I think you'll agree.


Erez gave his final speech at the beautiful structure below. And while we were listening, we saw a bride about to be married. She took a group picture with all of us which I wish I had! It was a perfect little prelude to the wedding Liza and I were about to rush to get to.


We left Jaffa to have the final discussion at a guest house. But this place merely served as Liza and my changing area. We hauled ass into the bathroom and got into our nice clothes for Minnie's wedding, said quick goodbyes to everyone (not a fan of the quick goodbye, but we really had no choice) and got picked up by a family friend of Minnie's.

We stopped off at he and his wife's house and drove to the kibbutz where the wedding was being held. I saw Minnie right when I walked into the cocktail hour, and down came the tears!


One of my nearest and dearest friends was getting married. This made no sense.


The wedding ceremony was very casual but beautiful of course, though Liza and I had no idea what was being said.

After that, party time. Liza and I probably looked a little lame since we were going on about 3 hours of sleep.


It meant so much to me that I was able to see one of my best friends get married. Talk about good timing!

Tomorrow, we'd be headed back to Tel Aviv to meet our friends who extended their trips as well. Our last night...

***

Read past Israel posts here below:
Arriving
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9