Dave & Busters!

I'm so excited because it is my husband's birthday on Friday and I am going to surprise him by taking him to Dave & Busters! He has absolutely no idea and I can't wait to play skee ball and the Dance Dance Revolution game! -Heather

PB Candles

I'm obsessed with these new candles from Pottery Barn - the colors are beautiful (this pictures doesn't even do them justice) but the best part is the smell - very fresh and clean - I wish I could cover my apartment with them! But that would be a tad much - hahaha - Heather H

Oh Christmas Tree...

I'm extra excited for Christmas this year because I'm putting up a tree for the first time in years!! I am starting from scratch but so far I've gotten some really beautiful ornaments and a super-sparkly tree topper. My monogrammed tree skirt is on its way - haha! I can't wait to pick the perfect tree this weekend - that is if my husband and I can settle our difference between a real or a fake one... -Heather

winter travel plans

I just confirmed my holiday trip this year and am so excited I can not sit still! My boyfriend and I are traveling to New Zealand and Australia for an amazing tour of the best beaches and surf spots. I learned to surf this summer from my uncle and my cousins on the Oregon coast and now want to take on bigger and better waves. I asked Santa for a custom longboard this year, so we'll see if he thinks I've been naughty or nice! -Heather R

spinach dip

I needed to satisfy a serious craving for spinach dip so last night the tarte girls and I went out to dinner at one of our favorite places - Houston's! Needless to say, the dip was amazing and the wine and ribs weren't too shabby either! -Heather

Movie Recommendation

08/20/07

~I went to see Superbad this weekend (along with half of the population of NYC) and loved it! I was a little nervous that it would be like Knocked Up - you know - kind of funny but nothing to write home about. Well, it was more like 40 Year Old Virgin! I can't wait until it comes out on DVD so I can constantly quote lines with everyone at work! -heather

4th of July Celebration

07/05/07

~Last night I went to the city version of a 4th of July BBQ. That means burgers and hot dogs on the George Forman and watching fireworks on the TV! Well, we would have walked to the river if it wasn't raining... Before dinner, we tried to play Trivial Pursuit but it was the Genius Edition and no one could answer any of the questions so we ended up playing Charades. It was actually really fun! We limited the categories to Movies, TV Shows and Bands and I was pretty good! I wish someone could see me acting out Groundhog Day - that was a sight not to be missed - hahaha! -heather

Let the Training Begin

06/06/07

~I began my training for the 1/2 marathon last night - it was brutal. I ran about 2 miles and went home. That's not a good sign considering that the race is 13.1 miles and it's 8 weeks away!! I'm hoping that Heather R and Candace will motivate me to step it up! I just put together a nice excel spreadsheet to track my training - and I'm making myself stick to it!! I bet it would be easier if I could think of a good reward for finishing the race - like a new pair of shoes or a spa day, perhaps? Hmmm, I'll have to think about that.. :) -heather

Wishing for Summer

05/09/07

~Everyone warned me about the post-wedding blues that set in after the wedding and honeymoon are over. I have to say, I'm not feeling them - probably because I was a total stress ball the week before the wedding - what with trying to finish everything I needed to do for work for the 2.5 weeks I was out of the office and assembling 100 favors 3 days before. Oh and I almost forgot the debacle with my dress not fitting correctly the week of the bid day! So I can safely say that what I feel most is relief that I can watch tv without thinking there is something else I should be doing and that I can eat a cheeseburger without thinking about fitting into a dress!! Plus I've begun an apartment search so that will pretty much keep me busy well into the summer. Summer... that's another great thing to look forward to! -heather

march 2007

03/30/07

~I’m very excited that it’s almost Easter because that means this weekend is time for one of my favorite activities…egg dying! Usually we just go the more traditional route (this pic is of the eggs Phil and I did last year) but my sister just sent me this link that explains how to do these super fancy eggs…they almost look wooden, don’t they? I’m a little spastic, but that’s a perk of marrying a graphic designer…I know he would be totally into trying this! If we do and it comes out good, I’ll post the outcome. Stay tuned… -alexis


03/28/07

~So I went to the movies on Saturday and saw (let me be more specific- drooled over) 300. This is by far the absolute best movie I have seen in a long time. I don’t know what it is, but I loved it! Maybe it was the action packed fighting scenes, the great one-liners adding just the right amount of comedic relief, or maybe (and lets be honest- most likely) it was Gerard Butler’s (King Leonidis) amazing body- yes I think that’s it! If you don’t like action, adventure, gore, or mythology, go see it for the ridiculously cut Spartan bodies. Plus, Spartan men apparently always walked around in Speedos- I promise you will not be disappointed. -julia


03/27/07


~I just came back from the most amazing bachelorette weekend in Miami. If you can imagine it - there were 10 of us soaking up the sun and having a few drinks together. Ok, maybe we had more than a few drinks but who's counting?! ;) It was one of the best weekends I've ever had and I can't thank the girls enough for making it such a great experience!! -heather




03/19/07

~Happy belated St. Patrick’s Day! I was planning to head to home to South Boston for the parade, but the crazy, stormy weather left me here in NYC. My roommate and I decided to throw a little St. Patty’s celebration in our apartment. She made her mom’s homemade Irish soda bread, which was delish! Not to mention we had every other green food you could want: spinach dip, green frosted cupcakes and lime jello! We also made some delicious green bloody mary (food coloring makes all the difference!). To top it all off we had a fun dance party! There was even an Irish jig dance-off. You can’t beat that on a Saturday afternoon! -candace

03/12/07

~I had such a nice (albeit action-packed) weekend…we went to Phil’s brother’s engagement party on Friday night, which was awesome—two Italian families merging always makes for a good party (and the penne alla vodka was pretty good too). Sunday was our nephew’s christening, and we were the godparents! Antonio was the best baby in the church, he didn’t cry once (not even when the water was poured over his head). Of course, seeing us with the baby got everyone asking us when we’re planning on having kids……..but the answer is “not anytime soon,” since our new apartment is about the only “baby” we can handle at the moment! -alexis

03/05/07


~This weekend I went to the Syracuse v. Villanova basketball game in Philly. Despite all of my cheering and name-calling (yes, I tend to be pretty competitive when people get mean), we lost the game 78-75. After the game a bunch of us headed to Atlantic City to try our luck there! To start the night we did a little dancing at Mur Mur and then some gambling at the Borgata. I played the slots (specifically Wheel of Fortune) but ended up empty-handed. Greg, on the other hand, played Roulette and we ended up leaving with some winnings! All in all, it was great weekend, but I’m soooo tired!!! -candace

february 2007

02/26/07

~Maria and I got to hang out on Saturday and I finally got to see her new dog Rocky! He is so cute and so BIG, I brought him a new squeaky dog toy which he just loved. After playing with Rocky we went to the movies to see "The Number 23" which we both liked and would definitely recommend to anyone that likes thrillers. -erica

02/12/07

~The wedding invitations are officially out! I can't believe the wedding is now 2 months away. It's very exciting but at the same time, it's kind of nerve -racking! Now it's actually coming soon and there is still so much to do! I'm thinking John might have been right when he was lobbying for us to elope! -heather

02/05/07

~If you check out my craving for the month you’ll see that I wanted a home for Trixie and all the other dogs at the New Rochelle Humane Society. Well, my craving came true – Trixie was adopted! Better yet, my parents decided to adopt Kodiak from the shelter this past weekend! He’s the most adorable, huggable, bear of a dog you’ll ever meet and I can’t wait until he comes home. He’s been renamed Rocky by my dad, which I have to say suits him well, but I’ll always think of him as Bear! -maria

june 2006

07/03/06

~This week I’m heading to San Francisco to visit my best friend (we grew up playing soccer together in Mass). We’re planning a run across the Golden Gate Bridge, mini-shopping escapades and a chill time on the beach. I’m really excited about this trip! Another one of my newly engaged friends, who lives in Boston, is meeting me there. It’s going to be such a fun girl’s weekend!! We’re even driving to Tahoe for the Fourth! If only Greg could join me for the fireworks…now that would be perfect! -candace


06/26/06

~I had found this recipe for caramel apple wedding cake (in Martha Stewart Weddings) that I really wanted to try, but before I gave the recipe to the caterer I wanted to taste it myself. Because Erica is the best girl in the whole world, she actually spent time this weekend baking me a sample wedding cake. (This is no small task…it involved a meringue and a custard and a buttercream and all kinds of other things like candy thermometers). She brought it in today and it’s divine. Possibly because she made it. All hail Erica, queen of baking and everything arts-related!! -alexis

06/19/06

~So Saturday I’m all excited because I finally have time to install my new Sirius satellite radio in my car (QVC TSV!) when all of a sudden I hear screaming and a horn blaring the whole way up my block. Without looking up, I already know its my brother and when I finally do look up, I’m not at all surprised to see that he’s tethered a 5 foot long Italian flag to his car. Ahh, you gotta love World Cup Soccer! Saturday’s game – Italy v USA – was awesome; I was a little torn at first because my heart is to cheer for Italy but I didn’t really want the US to lose. Well the game ended in a tie so I guess things worked out for me! -maria


06/14/06 Congrats Heather & John!

~Since I got engaged exactly 6 days ago, I've been in wedding overdrive! I've been to Barnes & Noble 4 times (for various wedding planners and magazines), I've visited at least 100 websites and have been on the phone non-stop with reception venues, my mom and my fiance (that sounds weird!) (though I'm trying to keep him out of it as much as possible!). But I feel good because I'm visiting 4 places this weekend and hope to get something booked right away! The next 10 months will be crazy!! Unless we do what John wants - elope -haha! -heather


06/13/06

~So a few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to form a team with her & her friend and submit applications for this game show she heard about. I submitted the application and my picture and totally forgot the whole thing. Lo and behold, they actually want us to audition this week!!! It’s called Chain Reaction and it’s actually a remake of an old game that was on NBC in 1980. My friends and I have been emailing each other practice puzzles…but keep your fingers crossed that I get on, because maybe I can actually make some wedding money back! (Plus how cool, a tartelette on Tv!) -alexis

06/07/06

~So, I must admit I have a peanut butter addiction. I was shopping at Gourmet Garage last week and I came across Peanut Butter & Co Cinnamon Raisin Swirl. OMG—this is seriously the best stuff ever! How ingenious—“a breakfast blend of peanut butter with swirls of aromatic cinnamon and raisins”! I’m truly addicted. And the best part—I just found out that there is a Peanut Butter & Co. store near my apartment! Next on my list: the Dark Chocolate Dreams….YUM! -candace



06/06/06

~Last week we got a delicious treat. One of the vendors I work with sent us a Godiva Cheesecake and a Cookies and Cream from the Cheesecake Factory! If there’s one thing the tarte girls love, it’s the Cheesecake Factory! Being the chocoholic that I am, the Godiva cheesecake is my favorite. Flourless chocolate cake and chocolate cheesecake, what could be better! -nicole

may 2006

05/30/06

~In three more days I will be in Lake George, camping for the first time…and I’m actually looking forward to it! I went all out and bought a big back pack, a tent, a sleeping bag, etc. Now I just need to get some camping clothes! I took this holiday weekend to go to The Westchester Mall and did some quality shopping – I mean really, what’s camping if you don’t have cute pink boots?! -maria



05/25/06

~So one thing I’ve kinda been pushing off is looking for shoes for my wedding. I think it’s mostly because I HATE bridal shoes—all that white satin and bows and chunky heels is so not me, and I know I’d never wear them again. So I think I’ve decided on gold shoes—that way I can always pair them with jeans or dresses after the fact. I like these Jimmy Choos a lot, but why does everything good have to be 4” high?? If anyone has suggestions for this never-ending quest, please advise!! -alexis


05/19/06

~My little brother Kenn (though he is 6 ‘2”) is graduating from Boston College on Monday! Woohoo—I’m a proud sis! But, shhhh—I’m not a very good one. The thing is I have yet to get him a gift!! On the contrary, it’s so hard buying gifts for guys that they’ll actually be excited to receive and/or use. That said I’m thinking I’ll get him clothes. Since he is starting a new job in July and will DEFINITELY need some dress clothes (I think he owns like 1 pair of dress pants and a hand me down suit). Hmm..I’ll have to hit up Brooks Brothers on Sunday!!! -candace

05/15/06

~Very excited for the Grey's Anatomy season finale tonight. Last night they prepped us for it with a new, action-packed episode that left me in suspense until tonight's show. It's 2 hours and I can't wait to see what happens! Will Burke die? Will Denny die? You know someone is going to die - so who is it, ahhhh!! At least they didn't make us wait a week. The only problem is that it conflicts with Deal or No Deal which is a 2 hour special tonight. Oh well, I'll bypass the game show this time... -heather


~I am so excited to get home tonight - season finale of Prison Break at 8! Seriously, it's frightening how obsessed I've become. I'm sure tonight's episode is going to be edge of your seat exciting (and I quite literally was on the edge of my seat last week so I'll probably end up passing out this week, lol). One thing I'm not looking forward to is the inevitable cliff hanger they are going to end the show with - I don't think I can wait 6 months to find out what happens! -maria


05/11/06

~May is the month of weddings (at least for me)! Two of my good friends from high school are getting married this month. Next weekend I’ll be traveling to Massachusetts for my friend Colleen’s wedding at The Georgetown Country Club and then Memorial Day Weekend I’ll be in Cape Cod to celebrate my friend Seth’s wedding! Um, yea, I’m already feeling teary-eyed!!! OK, I need to change the focus here—I’m on the hunt for dresses…. -candace


05/09/06

~Let’s ignore the fact that 9 times out of 10, my blogs are food-related—I promise I do not have a problem/obsession, I just happen to be a big foodie. However, despite my love of fancy cheeses and wines, I can go pretty low-brow too, which explains my current obsession with those Nabisco 100-Calorie packs. First of all, how smart was that idea?? The marketer in me just thinks it’s a totally genius concept. And of course, the prone-to-oversnacking girl in me is eternally grateful. Finally, a way for me to eat cheese balls and Oreos and know when to stop. If I lose any weight before the wedding, I owe a little something to the good people of Nabisco. -alexis

05/08/06

~We all had a festive weekend, Maureen's baby shower was on Saturday and it happened to be a Cinco de Mayo theme. So there was lots of yummy food and even more margaritas and coronas! -erica






05/01/06

~ Heather and I were just sitting here talking about Trader Joe’s and I really needed to take a moment to praise this fine establishment. My love for Trader Joe’s knows no bounds (I even got a gift certificate there for my birthday!). They have the BEST spreads, dips, sauces, snacks (cinnamon sugar pita crisps?? So good)…to say nothing of their frozen food section. And you’ll go up to the register with like 10 items and it’ll only cost $25. How can you beat that? (For any newcomers, I recommend the artichoke tortellini…once you’ve tried that, there’s no turning back). -alexis

april 2006

04/25/06

~Last night I was watching tv and I saw a commercial for the latest Cirque Du Soleil show that is starting on Randall's Island today. My mom has been dropping hints like crazy for this show so we are going to see it for Mother's Day. Even better, my boyfriend and his mom are going to come with us (the moms will meet for the first time!). I'm just so happy that the Mother's Day Gift pressure is over - both for me and John plus Cirque shows are pretty awesome!! -heather

04/24/06

~With spring here (despite today’s torrential downpours) and summer around the corner, I realized that I desperately need a tan if I plan to wear any fun clothes!! However, I don’t need the wrinkles! Soooo, per a friend’s recommendation I’m trying Clarins’ self-tanner. I’ve tried self-tanners in the past, but I usually ended up looking a shade of awful orange and so did my clothes, sheets, etc (you get the point). Well, so far this one is spot-on without the splotches! The key is to mix it with a moisturizer. Anyhow, I’m hooked..now when will it be sunny again?! -candace

04/19/06

~Happy ::belated:: Birthday to Erica!!! We had a nice tarte celebration yesterday complete with, what else, cupcakes! For those of you who don’t know, Erica is the queen of baking around here, so Lex and I wanted to repay her with some really special cupcakes of her own…so we made Beaker from The Muppets cupcakes! They were so much fun to make, and surprisingly easy…problem is, they looked so cute and hysterically funny we almost didn’t want to eat them! Key word being almost… -maria

04/12/06

~So it’s possible that I might have a new obsession: Coke Blak. Phil has been telling me about this stuff since he saw a commercial for it during the Academy Awards, and I swear, I thought he made it up. I hadn’t seen it anywhere! But lo & behold, I spotted a 4-pack at Key Food this weekend, and I had to try it. It promises “coke effervescence with coffee-flavored essence,” and since I’m a big coffee soda fan, that’s definitely worth exploring. Anyway, it tastes just like this soda I used to drink as a kid called No-Cal Coffee Soda. Apparently me & my dad are the only ones who remember this stuff, but whatever—I am officially a Coke Blak convert. -alexis

04/10/06

~I can’t believe Passover is this week! I like the holiday because I get to see my family, but giving up foods like pizza for a week is tough. You would think I’d be used to it by now, but every year it’s s struggle. At least my Mom made an extra pot of matzah ball soup for me. Nothing is as good as her golden chicken soup and fluffy matzah balls! -nicole

04/07/06

~I'm a die-hard cat lover but I'm not allowed to have pets in my apartment. I'm dying to move to a different place so that I can get a kitten! So when my brother tells me he's going away for 3 weeks and needs someone to watch his 2 cats, I unselfishly offered to host them (ok, maybe it was a little selfish!) I figure it's only temporary so the super won't have a problem with the illegal pets - haha! Well, he drops the cats off last Saturday and it's been sort of a nightmare ever since. Turns out my boyfriend is allergic to them, they wake us up every night at 4am running back and forth through the apartment (did I mention it's a studio - 2 people and 2 cats are a bit TOO much...) and they love to sleep on top of us! I just don't know how we're going to get through the next 2 weeks! John has even threatened to move out until my brother comes home. I think my chances of getting a kitten in the future are dwindling by the minute... -heather

february 2006

2/27/06

~So Phil went to the NY Comic Convention at the Javits Center this weekend and he came back with a new friend for me. His name is Mister Toast. I don’t know much about the artist who draws him or about his whole comic “world’ yet, but he’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I’m having fun looking at the other characters on the website…how cute is the guy called Shaky Bacon? Anyway, I love when Phil brings home fun toys for me…just one of the perks of being with a toy/graphic designer. However, between my perfume obsession and his toy obsession, our apartment is overrun. But it’s still pretty funny to see Apocalypse from X-Men and a bottle of Guerlain perfume happily co-existing on a shelf. -alexis

2/23/06

~OK, I’ll admit it—I LOVE American Idol! I wish it were on a little later because I always miss the first half! I already have some favs…Lisa, Paris, Katharine, Melissa, Ace, Elliott…. I think I have some idea of who will get the boot tonight (but I don’t want to jinx it). I should probably vote, but I leave that to my mom and aunt who do it for everyone! I’m not kidding you can’t call my parent’s house during the show. Not only do I like to watch the show, but I like to sing along! And, unfortunately I wasn’t blessed with a good voice, but I still belt out the songs. Last season, my best friend Lori and I would sing our little hearts out. Hmm, wonder how our neighbors didn’t tell us to shut up! Ha. And could someone please tell Randy to knock off that “dog pound” thing, does it annoy anyone else? Anyhow, I’m excited to see it tonight! -candace

2/22/06

~I had a busy 3 day weekend - dinner out, broadway show, etc. But the highlight of it was Saturday morning... my boyfriend was flipping through the channels and stopped on a random cartoon. And I thought to myself, "They don't make cartoons like Bugs Bunny anymore." Then I remembered that while Christmas shopping for my brother this year, I picked up an extra Looney Tunes DVD for myself! So I spent all of Saturday morning watching Bugs Bunny and loved every minute! The only thing that could have made it better would be breakfast in bed... -heather

2/21/06

~Oh how I love 3 day weekends! This past weekend was especially fun – I did some relaxing, some good eating and had some old school fun. On Saturday I went to see Eight Below with Rich because we are both huge dog lovers – it was such a sweet movie, but still very sad. Basically I cried for an hour and a half straight and probably frightened all the kids sitting around us. Then yesterday Rich, my brother and I took my nieces and nephew to Sportstime – an arcade/ carnival games/ pool hall…you get the idea! I had such a good time pretending to be a kid again! What made the day even better was getting to play my favorite game in the world – air hockey. I tied Rich and beat my nephew…yea, he’s 8 but so what, I still won! -maria

2/17/06

~So 3 weeks from today at this time, Phil and I will be on a plane to Florida to visit Pam (his sister), Anthony & Mya (our niece). I am SO excited—not just because it’s warm down there, but also because we get to have some nice QT with the family and be on vacation…nothing better than that. We haven’t seen Mya since October so I can’t wait to see how big she’s gotten. Another big plus of the trip—we’re going to Disneyworld!! I haven’t been in a million years and I’m seriously dying to re-experience Space Mountain. Mya’s too young to really get the whole thing so she’ll mostly be watching from the sidelines with her mom…but luckily, my second favorite ride is Dumbo (not kidding)—so maybe she can go flying with her aunt-to-be and a friendly elephant. -alexis

2/15/06

~I am so excited for my upcoming trip to Playa de Carmen, Mexico! One month to go! I’ll have six days in the sun and sand, and most importantly…warmth!!!!!!! Larry and I will snorkel, swim, kayak, and drink quite a few pina coladas! Ok fine, I’ll be the one drinking the pina coladas. Larry is not the fruity drink kind of guy. After the two feet of snow we got, I’m more excited than ever for my trip! -nicole

2/14/06 ~happy valentine's day! xo

~For all of you real perfume fanatics out there (especially you Alexis), I found the best site: www.luckyscent.com. OMG—it’s amazing. They offer those rare perfumes that you just can’t find anywhere!! The site is sooo easy to use—you can look for that certain scent you’ve been craving or check out the latest from your favorite brand. And, if you can’t decide what to buy, you can order $2-3 sample vials. Next time I’m in LA, I’m so checking out their new store. Oh, I’d be like a kid in a candy store! The Ultimate Vanilla Collection looks divine! But, Eau de Menthe by HEELEY would be ideal for summer. Hmmm….now what to buy…or what my Valentine could buy me. Hint hint! -candace

2/10/06

~Thanks to an invite from Lallie, Phil and I get to go see a screening of the Corpse Bride tonight to celebrate the launch of the new DVD—and Tim Burton is going to speak afterwards! We didn’t get to see the movie when it was initially released even though Phil wanted to, so I’m glad we’re able to do this—plus he LOVES Tim Burton (I do too, how could you not love the man who brought us Pee Wee’s Big Adventure?) so this is quite a treat. It’s nice that with all the useless (to him) makeup I bring home, I still have some job perks that speak to his interests! -alexis

2/7/06

~I’m so excited that JetBlue has flights to Boston—they answered my wishes!! I just booked a flight for President’s Day weekend—it’s amazingly cheap! I can’t wait to see my family and friends. I haven’t been home since the holidays and I like to visit every month. It’s also my friend’s birthday (we’ll be partying at Saint) and I can't wait to see everyone! -candace

2/3/06

~Soooo exhausted today because last night was the CEW Product Demonstration—one of the hugest industry events all year. Basically every brand comes out to show their latest & greatest products in the hopes that they’ll be nominated for a CEW Beauty Award, which is a really prestigious honor in the industry (we won last year for our slide tin lip balm!). We nominated 4 products this year—our bronzer, clean slate primer, lights, camera, lashes! mascara, and sin city liquid eyelining stains—will keep you posted on the status, but keep your fingers crossed!! Anyway, it’s so fun to get dressed up and walk around looking at all the cool stuff from other brands (not to mention the insane goody bag you get at the end)…but my feet were KILLING me after a while. I finally made the ultimate sacrifice of vanity and switched from Chanel stilettos to Pumas. Not nearly as glamourous, but so worth it.-alexis

2/6/06

~Once again, I went into hyper-baking mode this past weekend (it was so rainy out, and I will take any excuse to use my Kitchenaid mixer). I made blueberry corn bread for breakfast on Saturday, which is the yummiest treat with boysenberry jam spread on it…so good. Then I had to make a SuperBowl dessert so I scoured my Joy of Cooking until I found this amazing recipe for “dream bars.” Dreamy indeed…the middle-layer combo of brown sugar, pecans & toasted coconut was rich enough to satisfy any sweet tooth, but it basically put me on full tilt and I think I need to detox for the rest of the day….or week.-alexis

~What a weekend - I decided last minute to have Erica, Nicole and her husband over for the Superbowl yesterday. But the problem with that is my apartment (a studio I share with my boyfriend) is a disaster area. I mean, it usually looks like a bomb went off in there - literally! So I got to work and by 1am I felt like I had done alot but in reality the place didn't look that much better... But I set the alarm and went to sleep because Sunday was going to be an even bigger day! Sunday morning I bolted out of bed, went to the grocery store, rushed home, threw the food in the refridgerator and ran out to the other grocery store to get the stuff I couldn't find at the first one. By 4:30 I was finally ready to start the food - my favorite part!! I was ready about 5 seconds before my guests arrived and I have to say I was pleased with the result. The apartment looks great and the food was delicious - I think we have a food coma today. I'm so happy with my clean apartment, I need to have guests over more often so that I keep the place clean! I -heather