March was a pretty exciting month. Courtney's family was coming to visit so I knew that I had to get all my school work done so I could really enjoy their visit. So the first week was full of preparations. I did a ton of school work and cleaning of the apartment so that I wouldn't have to focus on those things during their stay. At the top of my planner that week, I wrote 'GET SHIT DONE'.
Anyway, leading up to their visit, my mom's package of Target DollarSpot stationery goodies was a nice surprise / distraction.
I finished Courtney's quilt...finally! It had been sitting quilted with one side of the binding attached just waiting for me to hand sew the other side. I powered through and finished it up in a couple of days.
Courtney's family arrived on a Sunday and we had big plans to go to the Philadelphia Flower Show. Unfortunately, Nate was super tired from the red eye flight and Marissa was sick, so Courtney and I were the only ones that went with her parents.
Because her family rented a car, we took full advantage of that! We were able to visit IKEA to pick up a shoe rack...our shoes were out of control in our entry way. Plus, we went to Target and stocked up on essentials. Since Target is far enough way that I can't walk and I'd need to take the subway and a bus, I don't go very often. I miss Target so much. In college I used to wander the aisles as a study break because there are so many things to look that!
On Tuesday, we tried Hai Street for the first time with the Chinns. As weird as a sushi burrito sounds, it was delicious...even with the portobello mushrooms! (I typically hate mushrooms) Later that day, we were able to make a trip to Trader Joe's and really stock up since we didn't have to carry everything home ourselves. They also visited Pat's to get cheesesteaks. Nate introduced us to Trivia Crack and by the ends of the week we were all addicted and determined to beat each other.
On Wednesday, Courtney's aunt, cousin, and grandma arrived and they all went to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell when I was in class. That night, her parents had an event to attend so Courtney, Marissa, Nate, and I went out to Thai food and gelato. We finally tried Capogiro and I am definitely a fan. So good. While I tried gelato, they have plenty of dairy free sorbettos to choose from.
On Thursday, Courtney's family waited for me to get out of class and we visited Reading Terminal Market. I think it is one of the best things in Philadelphia. A whole warehouse space filled with different food stalls. Of course we indulged in a few Miller's Pretzels and Courtney had to get some vegan baked goods. While we were there, her aunt purchased some Irish Potatoes (a Philadelphia candy) and insisted we tried some. I have to say that while they look very interesting, they are so delicious.
That evening, Courtney's dad, Courtney, Marissa, and I went to the 'Rocky steps' at the Philadelphia Art Museum to run the steps. Us girls raced and I won both times. Marissa was still sick so she gets a pass, but I crushed Courtney! She still thinks she's the real Rocky after running through the streets of Philadelphia to bring me my forgotten calculator before an exam.
On Friday, we visited the Adventure Time Aquarium in Camden, NJ. It was a cool experience, but I still think Monterey Bay Aquarium is the best one out there.That being said, it was cool to see hippos! Later than night we went to Su Xing House, an all vegetarian Chinese restaurant and on a ghost tour of Philadelphia. Courtney and I spent the entire tour quietly poking holes in the guide's stories.
The Chinns were scheduled to fly out Saturday afternoon, so we spent the morning at Reading Terminal again since that seemed to be everyone's favorite. More pretzels of course!
The next week was my finals week, so nothing much happened besides studying and exam taking. My last final was on Friday which also happened to be the first day of spring. I guess Rita's, a water ice and custard chain, celebrates the first day of spring by giving away free treats. Of course Courtney and I were all over that. Unfortunately that day was super cold and snowy, but we still trekked from school to Rita's then back to the apartment in a snow storm.
Courtney finished my bleated-birthday cowl. It is amazingly soft and goes with so much.
Spring Break was pretty low key. I had big plans to get a lot of projects done, but mostly I just relaxed and worked on what I wanted to. I did download SAS, which was itself an adventure.
I also finished a piece for my art wall, a plastic canvas yarn embroidery. While it sounds pretty cheese-y I think it's a great yarn themed project. It uses up scraps and is a way to display my love of yarn.
I was so excited to start the spring quarter because I only have class Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. With work on Tuesday and Thursdays, my Mondays and Fridays are completely free! So that first Monday, Courtney and I stopped at Starbucks to try the new 'Birthday Cake' Frap. It was a yummy treat. Then it was off to Whole Foods to get supplies for our fancy Easter brunch. Then we tried a new Indian buffet, Sitar. I ate way too much and felt sick the rest of the night, but it was worth it. Sitar offers mango juice at the buffet and marks all the vegan dishes.
// Lauren
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