Spring Has Sprung!

Decorate: Greenpoint Represent

For my birthday, back in November, Boyfriend bought me this amazing poster from neighborhood company Two Arms Inc.

Revelations 20:11

Thursday's guest post from Boyfriend looks back on some of the best of 2011. In his mind anyway.

The year is over and you are so tired of list. Oh well I want to share mine, so you have to deal with one more. Instead of a best this or top 10 these I’ve opted to go with some of the people places and things that discovered and enjoyed this year. Some are unexpected some are some aren’t. They were all bright spots in an tough year. This is in no particular order.

Holiday Traditions

Another Thursday guest post from Boyfriend!

In my family we don’t have a lot of holiday traditions. There is no routine that is followed every year. Usually we get together on Christmas Eve and after mulling about for a while we will do one of two things either eat a meal together and then open presents or we will not eat a meal together and then open presents. Perhaps the tradition is really the lack of a plan. For many years I have tried to establish some sort of routine and plan to follow for the holidays. My family is just not into it.

After the Hurricane

fallen branches in McCarren Park

Sunday afternoon, after the brunt of Irene had passes, Boyfriend and I took a little walk through Greenpoint, into Williamsburg, in search of a Bloody Mary and less than an hour wait for one (understandably, with no public transport, a lot of people were not able to get to their jobs and restaurants that were open were very understaffed).

Below is some of what we saw.

Wedding Crashers

Weekend Fun: Renegade Craft Fair

This weekend, gentle readers, is the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn. Sure, there are about four million people selling screen-printed T-shirts (I'll probably buy a couple), but it's always so fun to walk around and see what else there is. Last year I took my friend Leroy (he's a dachshund) and  I got a really cute walltet and a little handbag (that I carry so often I can't believe I've only owned it a year) and, of course, the requisite T-shirts.

Menu Plan: Week Six

Gentle readers, I cannot believe that it has been six weeks since I started writing menu plans for Boyfriend and myself to follow. And I can't believe how well we have done following them!

Menu Plan: Week Five was pretty successful, I think. A quick recap after the jump:

Experience: Intense Movers

Boyfriend and your MatchGirl hired Intense Movers! of Williamsburg to handle our move. As your MatchGirl had purged a lot of her belongings and the majority of her furniture, in order to create a home that belongs to her and Boyfriend together, instead of populated by the ghosts of past lives, the move consisted mostly of boxes of books and clothes and kitchen supplies - of which your MatchGirl has quite a lot.

The final count on boxes was about 50, of varying shapes and sizes - some procured from a shipment of swag at work, some from the pet supply shop and bodega near my old space and still more donated from friends who recently made the big move from Brooklyn to family friendly Maplewood, NJ - and a bit of furniture. There were a couple of small tables, a big vintage wing chair, a 60s style Lucite stool and a dresser, amongst other things.

Progress: The First Four Days

Boyfriend and your MatchGirl moved into our new Greenpoint space on Friday of last week. There is still so very much to do, but I thought I'd share some picks of the apartment and the progress we've made, and the mess that still exists.

Above is the view from the front door of the apartment. To the left is the dining area. Right now it's home to Boyfriend's bike and a whole bunch of plants, as well as my vintage breakfast table, inherited, long ago, from the Great-Aunt Jessie. To the right is the living room area. We still haven't purchase a sofa, so right now it's where the yet-to-be-unpacked-boxes are stacked.

In the distance you can see the kitchen, where we've made the most progress - paint job complete and some shelving installed. 

Apartment Search: Weekend Edition

This weekend Boyfriend and your MatchGirl visited, or, rather, attempted to visit, three different apartments.

Boyfriend went to see one while I was at book club on Saturday morning and deemed it not good enough to take me to. While the price may have been right, the location, basically right under the BQE, was not.

New Beginnings

This blog represents the beginning of some big changes, gentle readers. Your MatchGirl, employed for nearly a year now, and Boyfriend are moving in together.