wine-filled week

Vino and I have spent some quality time together lately. I'm always up for a good celebration.

The biggest cheers of the week went to Kurt and I celebrating three years of dating! Can you believe it?! I really can't sometimes :) We always celebrate on the summer solstice and have adopted this tradition of soaking up all the long evening sun we can at Erie Basin Park next to Ikea in Red Hook.

This year I wanted to do something different. I almost wanted to abandon Red Hook because I feel like it is something we would do any other day of the week. It just didn't feel all that out of the ordinary or special for such a noteworthy day. I really do enjoy all this bike riding and beer drinking but I can't claim to be anything other than a girly girl at heart. And sometimes you just want to get dressed up and do something NICE for a change, right?! (I claim Kurt is handicapped in this department because he never had a sister. He claims I have a whole other slew of issues because I don't have brothers. I guess it's all relative.) So I cut him a deal: we would do the Ikea thing but he had to plan the whole event and make it fancy or special in some way. In return, I would plan a surprise weekend trip.

You would have thought I asked him to cure cancer by his reaction to this "impossible feat" I'd laid before him. After much personal turmoil, Kurt pulled out a lovely evening and we had a great time. Still working on our definition of fancy though....

We started a Botanica and both had a glass of prosecco. Kurt got me those lovely yellow flowers (which I promptly let wither in the black hole that is my apartment). 

Next we ran by the Good Fork to pick up some food to go and took it to our park. We even occupied a new area this year. BIG changes happening over here :)

We shared Oxtail Ravioli (yum) and a Salad with White Balsamic Dressing (double yum). Kurt brought a couple bottles of New Zealand wine and real silverware and plates and glasses. He was a trooper to carry them around on his bike all day!

While my gifts for Kurt are lost in Amazon/FedEx land somewhere, Kurt was right on time and got me this gorgeous bottle of vodka. He is single handedly helping me build my bar and knows I have a soft spot for pretty labels. This one is made nearby in Brooklyn even!

We technically missed the actual sunset but it was nice to enjoy the warmth and long glow of the evening before heading back to the Good Fork for dessert and grappa. It was such a good evening! I'm going to put Kurt in charge of planning date nights more often! Happy 3 years!

Later in the week, I went to a wine tasting fundraiser for Architecture for Humanity NY. Remember I took my parents to one last summer? Fun and for a good cause!

Wine, knowledge, and space provided by Moore Brothers Wine Company. Snacks by Fresh Direct :) 

Then for my half of the anniversary deal, I planned a weekend trip for Kurt and I out to the North Fork of Long Island. They are known for their awesome wine trail, so we definitely knocked back a few glasses. It was so fun! I cant wait to take everyone who visits me in New York (tempting, right?). All the details to come soon!