Aug 12

Before & After

Published in Widowism by chefswidow { 15 comments }

Our family doesn’t buy new furniture. We never have. Before mini’s, the Chef and I lived in NYC and we were broke ass poor. Our rent was high (for us) and all of our money went towards that. Thank god we were both in the industry because we would starved otherwise.

Furniture was not on our priority list of things to buy. We needed it though, and I soon found that when people got sick of their furniture in New York City, they would put it on their curb. Most of this curbed furniture was in decent condition, thrown out because it was out of style. I would tell the Chef, he would send dudes, and soon enough I would have a new dresser. Being the stylish chicka that I am, I would throw myself into a furniture rehab. Whether it be painting, sanding, or a faux finish, I would make the curbed out of style furniture my own.

This obsession with re-purposing obviously grew larger when we opened up the restie. I would spend hours searching garage sales, antique stores, and barn sales for the perfect flatware cabinet. Over time, we filled the restaurant with re-purposed items and I got lucky enough to take a few home. I found the following piece at a garage sale while I was pregnant with Biggie Smalls. The woman selling it told me she bought at West Tech High School (my grandpa’s alma mater) and it was used in the shop department. The dresser was unlike anything I had ever seen. I paid her $40 for it.

Three years later I finally finished the rehab.

Before

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Aug 10

Hot Humid Hair

Published in Widow Digs, Widowism by chefswidow { 8 comments }

As most of you know, I spent the past four-days in New York City for the BlogHer conference. I had the most amazing time and yes, I will get to that soon, but first I must address something much more important.

Humidity and my hair.

New York summers are not my favorite. The streets smell of garbage, the air is hot, and sometimes breathing in tastes’ like maple syrup. The heat is stiff as it hovers between skyscrapers. The pavement burns through the soles of shoes and walking tends to be painful. To summarize, it can be really gross.

But anyway, back to my hair and the oh so humid big apple.

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Aug 6

Missing Them

Published in Widowism by chefswidow { No comments yet }

Loving #BlogHer10 but missing them.

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Aug 5

Widow of the World: Meet Nicky

Published in Widowism by chefswidow { 2 comments }

What is your name & what kind of widow are you?

Nicky Nolot widow to Chef Matt

Where is your casa & what is your jobby job?

Fort Wayne, Indiana and by day when I’m not “The Chef’s Wife”, I’m the shaper of little minds – a.k.a. Kindergarten Teacher

How long have you been in a relationship with someone in the ‘industry?’

3 1/2 years and married since July 2010.

What is your biggest turnoff or dislike of being a Chef/Restaurant Widow?

- When we go out to eat, can it not be a critique? I think we are running out of places to eat in our city that we both will go to for dinner.

- When people don’t recognize me unless I’m with my chef. I can see someone that I’ve talked to a hundred times in the restaurant but they don’t recognize me when I’m out and about by myself.

- The pity that people give to me on the holidays. It gets old when I hear “Oh, I’m sorry that you are spending the (insert holiday) by yourself. That must be hard.” I just want to tell the person – “Do you really think so? I mean, geez… I would LOVE to have my husband home with me on Christmas Eve or Easter to celebrate with our family instead of him feeding people that don’t know how to stay home with their families.”

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