Saturday, November 12, 2011

Birthday time!


Tonight, I'm headed to Manhattan to celebrate my deal friend Sara's birthday. We are starting at Flute Bar, a champagne place and then headed to a comedy show. I am beyond excited. How do you like to celebrate your birthday or friends' birthdays?  It is nice to have a quiet dinner with significant other or best friend but it is also so fun to really go all out and celebrate with a bang.
As far as gifts, how do you decide? I have made it my personal goal to not do gift cards at all for anyone for birthdays. I really have been trying to find something that suits them and tailored to their personal preferences.....but it's hard! I do find it fun though looking for the perfect gift for that special someone.
What are your weekend plans?

Friday, September 30, 2011

Wsup skanks

I have been in such a non-inspired blogging mood the past month but a friend keeps pestering me so here goes. Another blogger has this very cute "fill-in-blank Friday" post on her blog so I copied this from her.

1.   My current obsession is    everything from ZARA, stripes and sweaters with expressions in French. 

2.    Friends   make me happy.

3.  My greatest strength is  the ability to buck up and get stuff done and deal with life when perhaps things may get rough  .

4.    My tendency to focus on the negative   is my greatest weakness.

5.  My life is  good and a work in progress. When I feel like I have got this thing figured out, I go and surprise myself by how little I actually know. 

6.  In high school I was    a kid who had a toe in many group ponds. At times, I ran with a fast crowd,cool crowd,  nerdy crowd, weird-o crowd, jocks, etc. I think it gave me an appreciation for having a diverse set of friends. 

7.  When I'm super tired , I find simple things ridiculously funny. 

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

end of summer

I can't believe we are nearing the end of August! I know that technically summer doesn't end until Sept 20th, but, to me, Labor Day always marks the end of the season to me and the return to work. I was thinking of what I hope to accomplish before that day arrives. Here is my list:
1. Visit the Rembrandt exhibition at the Philadelphia museum of art
2. Have another great NYcity day and visit Madison Square Park and have lunch on the green
3. get to the beach at least once
4. finally order my hardwood floor and new carpet selection--it is so hard to decide on woods, colors, etc.
5. plan and book my next vacation!

What is on your list to do before end of season?

Monday, August 8, 2011

Je ne sais quoi!



So, it seems that we will be going to Europe again this holiday season. My husband's family is there and we will be spending Christmas together. Along with this, we are hoping to combine our Netherlands trip with another European destination. Our 2 top contenders right now are London and Paris. I am leaning toward London because I have heard that it is amazing and magical to visit in December....but I am not 100% decided yet. Which would you choose? As far as expenses, London will be a bit cheaper than Paris due to Pounds vs. Euros. Also, something I read is that the museums in London are.....FREE to get in! How great is that? Not that the museum prices would be a huge trip expense but I love that aspect of being able to visit several museums for free. Regarding weather, I am guessing that the two cities will be fairly similar at that time of year. I am beyond excited about visiting either one of these cities but would love to hear from others.....which would you visit? Why?

Friday, August 5, 2011

Weekend!




Yay, it's Friday! What are you doing this weekend? It is my anniversary today and my sweet husband woke me up with a very nice card this morning;) Tomorrow, we are going into Manhattan and plan on getting some fantastic sandwiches from No7 in midtown and then having a picnic at a nearby park. I know subs don't sound particularly fancy or elegant but I am enthralled with them. The broccoli is my absolute favorite! Then, we'll probably do a lot of city walking and stop into a Belgian pub to make my husband happy. It is so nice being only a train ride away from the best city in the world!;) So, what are you doing this weekend? I love to know how everyone plans on spending it---cheers

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Anniversary time!


On Friday, it is my 9th wedding anniversary with R! I almost can't believe it....I know it's such a cliché but I really do feel that time has flown by. It really doesn't seem that we have been married that long. We are trying to plan a fun night out/weekend but can't quite decide between NYC or Philadelphia. We will definitely be indulging in a nice dinner, champagne and long city walks. I would like to buy my husband a nice anniversary gift but I am without a clue. Any ideas? I find it so much harder to shop for men than women. How do you celebrate anniversaries? Make a big deal of it or just another day?

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Red lips baby!



I *NEVER* ever thought I would be in the red lipstick camp but after reading several posts from bloggers that have tried it, I wanted to give it a try. I normally only wear Clinique black honey, urban decay gloss or nothing. However, I had seen some bloggers look so cute and chic wearing really bold pink (nars schiap) or red. On Saturday, I went to Nordstrom and started first at the Mac counter. I tried 2 bright pinks and the results were nothing less than disastrous. Think barbie convertible pink and my olive complexion---ICK! It really looked horrible and as if I were really trying hard to look 17. I was ready to run out of the store but the makeup lady gave me a deep, true red to try. She insisted on me putting on primer first, using lip liner and then applying the lipstick. It was dramatic......but I really liked it! I usually wipe off all my makeup after trying it on but I actually wore it the rest of the day. I kept on looking at myself in the rearview to make sure I wasn't too Bozo-esque but it actually looked nice. I wasn't bold enough to try to take pics but sometime soon, I promise;) I would appreciate any tips though---what types/colors do you use for the rest of your face when going with red lipstick. I am sure it is very basic and light but I would appreciate any specific feedback!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Friday! Friday! Gotta get down on....shut up!


Yes, it's weekend time. What are you doing to enjoy this lovely, boiling weather? My lovely friend, Kimberly, has arranged a rafting outing for us today to be followed by lunch and a possible pedicure. I am glad to be doing anything near water as the thought of submerging myself sounds divine. Tomorrow, another sweet friend has suggested the beach---isn't that the perfect outing for a Saturday? I am hoping to find canned champagne and fruit for us to enjoy on the sand (canned champagne idea came from Kate). Finally, Sunday, my husband will be competing in an Olympic triathlon; he has worked very hard training so I will be there cheering him on and taking pictures. As far as more recent purchases, I ordered the CUTEST pair of glasses from this website and can't wait to receive them. My prescription is very slight but the cute frames they offered and the home try-on pushed me to pull the trigger on the Langston style. I am super impressed with their customer service thus far and I will post a follow up as soon as I receive them.
So, what are YOU doing this weekend? Staying indoors and staying cool or braving the heat? I want to know:)

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Recent purchases

I have felt so uninspired lately with summer fashion. It is hard to be creative, accessorize and not wear something really light when it is 90+degrees. However, I have made a few purchases; here they are:
Yes, I fell prey to the whole boat shoes trend.
I was at Lord & Taylor and saw these Sperry in the bronze metallic and could not resist:)

Surprise--another striped dress. I have decided though--THIS IS IT. After seeing pictures where all I am wearing are striped dresses, I have made the decision that I am done!

I couldn't resist this shirt on sale from jcrew---It is too hot to wear it now but I think it will be perfect for late summer and fall. 

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Back to life....back to reality

I am so missing Italy. We had such a fabulous time---it is hard to articulate it really. We spent the majority of our time in Senigallia which is in the Marche region and a few days in Rome. Before arriving in Rome, I was pretty sure that it would be my favorite part due to the many landmarks and cultural attractions....I was wrong. I feel that I got an authentic look at the real Italy in smaller town Senigallia---we were completely surrounded by Italians and we only saw non Italian tourists twice there. Rome was great but I constantly felt like we were completely surrounded by tourists and the places we visited (Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Vatican, etc.) seemed to be engulfed by touristy trap places and scammers---think Times Square in NYC. While it was amazing to see these places, I better enjoyed walking along the streets in smaller town Italy and talking to people who were not so jaded by constantly having to deal with tourists. All in all though, we really loved our trip and would like to return.
the B&B we stayed at was completely surrounded by sunflower fields
eating outdoors was so nice
checking out the market in Senigallia
beach time







going out at "la tartana" was so much fun  



at outdoor restaurant in ROME

Trevi Fountain in Rome---it was really beautiful
at Spanish Steps
got this dress at Zara in Rome on sale!!!!!
view from rooftop at our hotel, La Griffe in Rome


loved the exposition we saw at Museo Esposizioni--it was 100 paintings of impressionism, expressionism
at Museo Esposizioni
love awkward pics---don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me???? ;)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Italy!

Wow, it seems like I just left but it was a wonderful 11 days in Italy. We spent 8 days in Senigallia (Marche region) and 3 days in Rome. I am not exactly sure where to start so I guess I will begin with food. I am not normally a big fan of Italian food (bought in US) except for pizza but the food was very, very good there and the biggest difference I noticed was the freshness and richness of taste compared to Italian food here. Here are some pics:
this was an octopus antipasti dish


A black risotto with langoustines



I am IN LOVE with Pizza Napoli---mozarella, tomatoes and anchovies

I loved how you could get vino frizzante (sparkling wine) right on the beach

this was spaghetti cacio e pepe (pecorino and pepper)--it was so simple but very delicious

spaghetti and clams

I never usually drink capuccinos but had several in Italy--they were always perfect


another food bonus was that any time you order a drink in a bar/pub, you always get little snacks served with it

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Ciao Bellas!

We are off to Italy tomorrow so I won't be blogging for the next couple of weeks but I promise great pictures and stories when I return. I can't believe the time has arrived; it feels as if this trip has been planned for ages. I am so excited about seeing in-laws and exploring the Italian countryside. Here are some lovely pictures of the Marche region where we will be staying the majority of the time.