I Just Love His Eyes by Candlelight...

Sometimes I just need a date night.  Do you ever start feeling like you're in a rut with your hubby and you just need to get off of the couch and get a little dressed up?  Well, I'm one of those people who could go out every week, twice a week, three times a week... but who has the money for that?  Who has the time?  And wouldn't it get boring?  I don't know, but one day I'd love to find out.  I'm just waiting to hit Mega Millions, then maybe we'd have the time, money, and energy for date nights more often than we get them now.

Tonight we went to Nina, our favorite restaurant, well, my favorite restaurant, the hubby favors Peter's just a little bit more.

I love it there, and every time we go, I can't help but picture myself owning a restaurant just like it someday.  I think I have the same conversation with him every time we sit down about how I'd love to own something like it.  At least that's what he tells me.  I can't help it; great service, great atmosphere, and amazing food.  For our first anniversary my dad and his wife gave us a gift card for Nina, and four months later, we finally used it.  The entire $100 gift card, gone in one visit, and worth every dime.  Thanks guys!  We'll be enjoying it for lunch tomorrow too—just too much good food to let go to waste.

Now we're back to reality and date night is over.  I'm back in my sweatpants and his old sweatshirt with my hair twisted up, and he just got back from the gym and started cleaning up the kitchen from our lunch this afternoon.  Tomorrow it's on to the bathroom for me; toilets and tiles are my speciality.

Thank God for a date night to remind us of the days when going out on dates helped us fall in love and get to know each other.  Every time we go out I remember one of those dates and the happiness I felt when I knew I was falling in love with this man.  I always remember the look in his eyes when I knew he was falling for me; that look hasn't gone away.  I guess that's why I love date nights and I'll always look forward to them when they come around.

Things I Love...

Yesterday was one of those days that I cherish. It was a Monday, so of course I loved it from go. I caught up on my Time and New Yorker magazines and on the book I'm reading. My dad (here's my shout out dad!) came over for an impromptu visit with his fiance and I finally was able to give him his Christmas present! Yes, that's right, Christmas present. A photo album of our wedding day that had pictures of us and of his side of the family. On Christmas day he was stuck working through a snowstorm and I was stuck in an empty house waiting for my hubby to come home since that same snow storm pushed me out of my mom's house a little bit early. It was nice to have people over. My hubby and I aren't the most sociable people, so it felt nice to show off our new dining room table. We even sat at it and had a cup of tea; with coasters of course because I'm so scared of ruining the beautiful table top with the dreaded rings that happen from hot or wet stuff on wood! I can't wait to get a glass top so I don't have to worry about ruining it anymore. But that's to come. Maybe after tax time. I have to start saving for vacation in June! My dad also said he'd help me put doors on a book shelf that I have. Hopefully come spring I'll have a new project to show. I'll put it on here to help him follow through and I'll show lots of pictures.

Their visit was cut a little short because the hubby and I had dinner reservations at Nina— One of our favorite places to eat.

It's definitely an experience going there. It's pricey, but definitely worth the money. Instead of being shoved out the door within a half-hour like in chain restaurants, we ended up staying for about an hour and a half. We weren't pushed to finish up and move on. We were able to enjoy ourselves and enjoy the moment. I'm all about the moments. It was one of those nights that I won't be forgetting anytime soon. We had fondue for the first time and it was delicious! Who would think that apples with melted cheese would be good? I never thought it! It was definitely a treat that should only be enjoyed on those special occasions like Valentine's Day or Anniversaries. We both highly recommend the braised short ribs. The food at Nina is amazing. The service is amazing. The atmosphere is like out of a movie. Although I have to admit, the music was perfect when Sinatra was playing but then all of a sudden the Beastie Boys started to blast. That was quickly scratched and it went back to the bluesy music. Someone dropped the ball on that one, but it definitely got a laugh.

I love how the hubby let's me be a cheeseball. He'll look into my eyes. He'll let me steal kisses. He lets me be me. I had two glasses of wine, which for me is a lot. I think we both realized that the dessert wine that I love is not like the wine that you get in restaurants. The alcohol content is just a little bit more in those wines. I'll stick with my fruity stuff...

I love family. I love our house. I love our little date nights.