Book Worm

I love to read!!! It is my little way of getting out of my normal world and into a world with adventure and excitement. My favorite is Fiction.

 I just finished "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins. It is the 3rd and last book of the series. They are all amazing!!!! The first book is called "Hunger Games". Look them up!

Another book that I recently fell in love with is "The Goose Girl" by Shannon Hale. It was very good.

Now I am off to find another book to fill my time with! If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

One Last Adventure Together

So the last Thursday my old (and amazing) roommate were going to be in town before they left me to go back to school we all had the day off. We then planned to go to the BEACH!!!

Unfortunately we had to drop Dani off at the airport right before we headed off. Then we headed to the Atlantic Ocean! That was the first time I put my feet in the Atlantic Ocean. I was so cool. We had planned to go to Cocoa Beach, but when driving there I was not sure were it was. I thought we were close so I drove down this street and luckily found an other beach. It was not even crowded!!

Here we are all together with the ocean in the background

We got there so early that you could kinda still tell that the sun was rising. it was so pretty!

All set up to play in the water and then take a nap.

After we played in the water, then napped, and then played some more we packed up and went in search of the real Cocoa Beach. We found it and toured the shops for a while. This is Jenna and Alyssa looking a flip-flops.

On the escalator in one of the shops we went in.

We were so hot and thirsty so we stopped by Starbucks and I got a Vanilla Bean Frapachino. It was so good! (you can see Merri in the background)

All of us together, chillin at Starbucks in the air conditioning 

Trying on funcky hats. I love these girls!

We found these tiki men so we wanted to take pictures of us popping out of them. Here are Jenna and Alyssa

Then it was my turn

Look at this sweet car! I had to get a picture with it. (oh and that dress I'm wearing I bought there too. It is so cute, and silky!)

There were all these statues outside the shops so we took pictures of them. This one was my favorite so I made them take a picture of me with it! I am such a dork.

I saw this sign for a surf museum so we had to check it out...

It wasn't much. A little room at most, but it was kinda cool.

There was this cool wall with foot prints on it, so we pretended to put our footprint on there. (it is only for awesome surfers...yea, I can't surf...)

I had to get my picture with the surfboards! they were so cool!

So we finially found the actual Cocoa Beach. It was so much more crowed! I am so glad I chose to drive down that random street!!!! We are so cute! I am going to miss these girls!

P.S. We all got FRIED that day, but the best part is, we went to Magic Kingdom that night to ride Space Mountain and watch the fireworks one last time together! Here we are on the Monorail. You can totally tell we got burned! 

One last time on Space Mountain with these girls! 

I am going to miss these girls like crazy! Thank you so much for a fabulous summer! We will always be friends! 

College Program 2010!!!

Worth Every Penny

Every once in a while you get to do something totally out of the normal and experience something rare. This last week I was able to do that with my roommate. Sometimes those things cost some $$$. Well, this time is did, but it was worth every cent that I payed. 

Dani Ashcroft, who happens to be my roommate, works for Victoria and Albert at Walt Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. It is one of Disney's most expensive restaurants on property. It is a Five Diamond Restaurant. Which means that not only the food is amazing, but the atmosphere and also the serves too. And if you ask me, and you are since you are reading my blog, it lives up to it's reputation!

With out farther ado, here is my night where I step into a fairy tale.

Dani and I started off our pampering with Jenna, our other roommate, curling our hair. Here is a picture with our lovely hairstylist after she was finished.

Next we had to get a picture of me all dressed up, and of course I could not do just any face I had to do a "Kimmy Face" but I still managed to look cute

We got there a little early so we sat down in the lobby and listen to the pianist, who Dani actually knows.

And he dedicated a song to Dani. It was the Hawaiian Wedding song...hehehehe. Here she is with him while he played her song.

We finally went to our reservations. It was truly amazing, we got the best table in the dinning room. 

 It was right next to the harpist

Here is a picture of the dinning room from where I was sitting. It is small and quaint. Excellent atmosphere!

 They even gave us purse hooks so our purses where not in the way. I have to say I love them so much. I want to get one for myself.

Here we are just enjoying ourselves before the food begins

We were so pampered that we had our very own menus with our names and the date we went printed on them. Here is mine.

Now is where the good part comes in...the food!

For our first course the chef gave us a little pallet teaser. 

"Amuse-Bouche"

For the second course Dani had the "Gulf Shrimp with Breakfast Radish, Kohlrabi, and Tamarind"

and I had the "Minnesota Elk Carpaccio with Olives, Artichoke and Chirizo Vinaigrette"

The third course was the same for Dani and I

"Citrus-poached Halibut with Warm Verjus Vinaigrette"

On the top they had a baby cucumber with the flower still on it (don't worry, the flower was edible)

After the third course we had to use the Ladies room. It was so amazing. They had washcloths to dry your hands with instead of paper towels. Also, each bathroom stall had its own sink and such.

The fourth course went something like this...

Dani had the "Brentwood Corn Soup with a Petite Crab Cake"

And I had the "Duck Breast, Duck Sausage and Confit with Strawberry and Rhubarb"

Finally we got the the fifth course, or the main entrée. (by this time we had already been there for over three hours)

Dani got the "Filet Mignon with Marble Potatoes and Sauce Soubise"

Also the chef was so nice and added an extra entrée for us, which is the one on the right in this picture, and that was the "Kurobuta Pork Tenderloin and Belly with Baby Beet and Sherry-Bacon Vinaigrette"

I had the "Niman Ranch Lamb with Spring Asparagus and Minted Jus" 

(I have to say that the Pork belly, from the extra entrée, was probably my favorite part of the meal)

After eating all that food plus an extra entrée we had to get up and walk around to settle our stomachs. We walked around the Grand Floridian. While on the walk I found a hidden mickey on the floor!

Also, there were other characters in the floor too...

When we returned from our stroll we were able to go back into the kitchen and meet the chef (who Dani already knew) and thank him for our meal. Here we are with Chef Scott.

The sixth course was the cheese course. We both got the same thing, which was "Colston Bassett Stilton, Coach Farm Goat, Gouda Reypenaer V.S.O.P and Comte"

And last but not least was the seventh and final course, the dessert! 

Dani had the "Grand Marnier Souffle"

I had the "Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Souffle"

And again the chef delighted us with an extra dessert of "Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee"

And if that was not enough they gave us "Friandises" which were little bit size candies. We ate them so fast that I forgot to take a picture of all of them, so here are the lemon custard on butter cookies

At the end of it all we received each a long steamed thorn-less red rose

In total we were at the Grand Floridian for five hours, with eating for four hours and fifteen minutes. We finished just in time to go outside and watch the fireworks that Magic Kingdom does every night at ten o'clock. Here we are enjoying them.

and here was our view of them.

All-in-all it was an amazing night! Worth Every Penny I spent!!