{11} Lately…

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Lately I’ve been…

reading  Finished reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed, about a woman who finds herself while hiking the Pacific Coast Trail.  Sort of an Eat, Pray, Love in the wilderness if you will.  I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys the outdoors.  I am now starting Bossypants by Tina Fey, and hoping for a laugh.

writing  Other than blog posts, I haven’t been writing much of anything else lately…

listening  Violin and Dubstep?  Who knew this combo could work.  Check out Lindsey Stirling’s Crystallize.  She’s mad talented.

thinking  That I am extremely grateful to my husband and neighbor for installing our A/C window units this week.  It’s 90 degrees here today!

smelling  Yankee Candle’s Summer Scoop.  A candle that smells like my favorite dessert?  Yes please!

watching  Well, I got dragged into a “Bachelorette Draft” this past weekend.  Yes, it’s like fantasy football, but with Des and a bunch of hot guys.  I really had no interest in this show whatsoever, but after investing time into making draft picks for a friend that couldn’t make the event…I am now finding myself wanting to know how this whole thing is going to pan out.  Go Juan Pablo!

wishing  Everyone a Happy Last Day of May!  Can’t believe it’s going to be June tomorrow.

hoping  For a fun-filled weekend with friends in the Big Apple.

wearing  A dress that I found at Nordstrom Rack a couple years ago along with red, strappy Sam Edelman sandals.

loving  This strawberry, banana, pineapple smoothie I’m consuming right now.

laughing  At what happened when Vine tried to make a commercial for Vine.  See over at FunnyorDie.com

wanting  To meet my new little cousin, Noelle Raelyn, who was born yesterday!  Congrats to her Mama and Papa, my cousins Brittany and R.J.

needing  To figure out what to wear to a costume party on Saturday…Disney princess or pregnant Britney Spears?  Hmmm…

feeling  My little one kicking up a storm in there all day long.  It’s such a crazy and awesome feeling!

craving  I had been craving a pedicure (since I can no longer reach my toes well enough to paint my own), and luckily this was fulfilled on Wednesday.  I went with the new Essie 2013 Neon Collection’s DJ Play That Song.  I can now proceed with open-toed shoes again.

clicking  Researching pediatricians and birthing classes for the little one.

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What have you been up to lately?

Happy Friday!

Love,

Gina

***I was inspired by Tina of Like Ordinary Life to create this post, and she was inspired by Lauren of siddathornton, who started The Sunday Currently.

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#58 See the Grand Canyon

May 11, 2013

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This is my final post about our trip to Arizona, and what better way to end the trip than with a bucket list check mark!  I have been wanting to see the Grand Canyon for a long time as it is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and it’s right here in the U-S-of-A.  I had seen photos previously, but there is nothing like seeing it with your own eyes.  The pictures cannot do it justice.  I’m not even sure my own eyes could do it justice!  This canyon is so incredibly massive that it’s tough to even understand what you are looking at…where does it end?  Where does it begin?  Where is the other side?  How deep does it go?  These are all questions I asked myself as I viewed this natural wonder from the South Rim in Arizona.  I was a little disappointed to find out the glass bridge was located on the North Rim…I guess I didn’t adequately do my research.  But it was still phenomenal nonetheless.  We drove from lookout point to lookout point stopping to take numerous photos along the way.  Finally, we started to hear people around us saying, “Ok this is the last time we are stopping!”  And I have to say, I started to jump into that same boat.  I mean, honestly, how many photos can you take of the same thing?  Haha…apparently a lot.  The views were incredible, and if we had planned things properly, we would have packed a picnic lunch to eat at one of the lookout points while taking in the scenery.

While we were in the Grand Canyon, we had a lovely fancy dinner at El Tovar lodge, which I would highly recommend.  We ended up staying at The Best Western for the night, which was not too far out of the National Park and was actually pretty decent with a free buffet breakfast.  It didn’t hurt that the concierge upgraded us to one of their best suites in the hotel! Points to my handsome husband for that one.

The only bad thing about our visit to the Grand Canyon was that it meant our trip to Arizona was coming to a close.  We headed back to Phoenix the next day for our last dinner at the amazing Parlor, and then jetted back to NYC.

Hope you enjoy the last of our trip photos!

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I finally got my wish…it is SUMMERTIME in the city today.  Whew!

Stay cool, my friends.

XO,

Gina

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Desert Florals

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Here are some images from our second day enjoying Sedona, Arizona.  Oh, how I love those red rocks!  The views were absolutely stunning, and it’s tough to really capture it in a photo alone.  I hadn’t been feeling that great in the middle of our trip, but this day, I was feeling much better and able to explore.  We drove around making stops at different locations for photos, and then walked a little on the West Fork at Oak Creek trail which was a lot of fun.  I really hope to go back to Sedona when I’m back to my athletic self and can really take it all in!

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Floral Pants: Motherhood – similar here, here, and here (in non-maternity) / Chambray Top: GAP – similar (runs big FYI!) / Tank: American Eagle / Shoes: Nordstrom Rack / Shades: c/o Waveborn / Earrings: Baublebar – similar / Ring: Banana Republic / Necklace: Family Heirloom / Watch: Michael Kors / Beaded Skull Bracelets: c/o Guilty Jean / Spike Bracelet: ASOS / Bow Bracelet: Baublebar / Lip: MAC Impassioned

Tonight I’m headed out with the girls for a little mani/pedi action.  I usually do my own nails, but the belly is starting to get in the way making it impossible to paint my toes these days.  Oh darn, I guess I have to pamper myself!  Looking forward to hanging with the ladies.

Tomorrow I am participating in the Wall Street Heart Walk with my Alpha Phi sorority Alums in NYC.  Did you know that heart disease is the leading killer in America?  There’s one more day to donate, so if you are able to contribute, I would really appreciate it!

Hope you all have a great day!

XO,

Gina

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The Magic Hour

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I know the Arizona photos seem to be never ending, but there is just too much to share!  I promise you this is the last week of Arizona posts!  These shots were taken during the “Magic Hour,” a photographer’s  most favorite hour to shoot.  This happens about an hour before sunset, and it’s when the light is most lovely for photographs.  We happened to be on the road at this time, and having no set schedule to be any particular place, we frequently made stops to shoot this beautiful scenery.

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First and foremost, I want to thank all of our military for serving and protecting our country.  For those who have been lost, we are ever grateful for your strength and bravery.  I hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend holiday.

We spent part of ours in Philly visiting friends, and part of it hanging out with friends on the Upper East side and Central Park.  It was a wonderful weekend, and a great kick off to the summertime!

Have a great short week!

XO,

Gina

Red Rock Country

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Sedona, beautiful Sedona.  This was one of my favorite parts of our Arizona trip.  I had never seen such stunning red rock mountains like these before, and they were absolutely breathtaking.  We spent two days in this area.  The first of which we mostly drove around the area with Zack’s aunt and uncle, taking in the beautiful scenery.  We had a delicious cheap lunch at Tortas de Fuego, with the best churros I have ever tasted for dessert.  The second day, we explored a little more checking out the West Fork at Oak Creek.  Unfortunately, we could only walk a little bit of it, because my prego body was pretty averse  to the Arizona desert heat at this point.  Next time we go back, I would love to do this whole trail.  I would also love to do the overnight hike to Havasu Falls, which I hear is amazing.  But, we did what we (or I) could do, and we had a great time doing it!  What a beautiful place to visit.

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Can’t believe it’s already Thursday.  I’ve been enjoying my low key week, and I’m looking forward to Memorial Day Weekend!

Who has fun plans?  Would love to hear about them!

XO,

Gina

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Ride the Wave {Waveborn Part II}

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Remember my friends from Waveborn?  Well, they were also kind enough to send over a fresh pair of Baysides for my husband to rock this summer, so I forcefully…err kindly…asked him to show them off in this blog post since he was wearing them all over Arizona.  I love the look of these shades, and I have to say, my man is lookin’ pretty studly in them…or maybe I’m just biased 😉  Remember, every pair of shades you purchase from Waveborn also helps give someone the gift of sight!  Check out their campaign here.

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Sunglasses: c/o Waveborn / Button Down: Thrifted – similar herehere, and here / Jeans: ZARA – similar / Flops: Reef

Happy Hump Day everyone!  Yesterday ended up being a beautiful sunny day, and we enjoyed a lovely dinner outdoors at Spina in the East Village with two of my favorite Aussies.  The $5 mussels and meatballs were to die for as well as their homemade fresh pasta dishes.  Nom Nom Nom!  Tonight is going to be a low key one.  I’m hoping the sunshine will come out to play again despite the weather reports.

Have a good one ya’ll!

XO,

Gina

The Journey Continues in Prescott

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Just some more updates and photos from our Arizona trip.  After Phoenix, we headed to Prescott to see Zack’s Aunt Bobbi and Uncle Doug.  They moved out there over a year ago, and they are loving it so far.  They took us around Prescott and out to the mountain town of Jerome as well as Sedona.  We had a great time catching up with them and getting to spend some quality family time out west.  Many thanks to them for hosting us on our trip!

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Downtown Prescott
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I kind of wanted to just kick these saloon doors right open!
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Enjoying lunch with Uncle Doug and Aunt Bobbi in Prescott
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Uncle Doug’s fabulous ride
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The mountain town of Jerome
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Views in Jerome

We are finally having some beautiful warm weather here in NYC!  Zack finished up the garden last night, and it’s looking fabulous!!!  He planted tons of tomatoes (for my homemade sauce!), basil, peppers, eggplant, cilantro, and snap peas.  My tum is already getting hungry.  Speaking of food, tonight we are having dinner with two of my favorite Aussie mates, and I could not be more excited!

In other news…my heart goes out to all of those affected by the Oklahoma tornado.  All of these natural disasters have been so heartbreaking lately.  I’m saying lots of prayers for everyone out there, and if you are looking for ways to help with the relief, you can start here.

XO,

Gina

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Big Floppy Hat

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In honor of Kentucky Derby weekend, I packed my big floppy hat and took it with me to Arizona.  I purchased it earlier this spring, and was obviously excited to wear it.  My belly is definitely starting to pop, and I wore this comfy outfit in Phoenix to meet my cousins for dinner.  Would love to see the different ways you wore your big floppy hats that weekend!  Tweet your pics my way to @popcornpandas!  Of course, Preakness hats are more than welcome too. 🙂

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Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Big Floppy Hat: Francesca’s – similar here and here / Top: Motherhood / Skirt: Motherhood – similar in gray / Sandals: Sam Edelman via Nordstrom Rack / Bag: Coach (old) / Snakeskin Bracelet: Henri Bendel – sold out – shop bangles / Bow Bracelet: Baublebar / Red and Gold Chain Bracelet: Gorjana – sold out – shop bracelets / Watch: Michael Kors / Necklace: Family Heirloom / Sunglasses: LOFT / Toes: Essie Peach Daiquiri / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

Dreary Monday here in NYC.  We had a great weekend seeing family and friends that were in town visiting, and I worked on creating a baby registry for my little guy.  Wow, and I thought a wedding registry was overwhelming!  Boy, was I wrong! It pretty much took me all weekend, but it’s finally complete.  Can’t believe I will be 24 weeks tomorrow!  Time is flying right by.

Hope you all have a great week!  Memorial Day Weekend is on the horizon.

XO,

Gina

Wild Wild West

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I borrowed this romper from a friend of mine recently, and I could not wait for some warm weather to wear it.  The Arizona desert seemed like the perfect opportunity.  I love the tribal embroidery detail in the top half of this piece, and because I was in the west, I just had to top off this look with some fringe booties.  This outfit was super comfortable, flowy, and free…and I’m hoping to get a few more wears out of this bad boy before my bump grows too large!

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Romper: Borrowed from a friend – similar here, here, and here / Fringe Ankle Booties: Target / Bracelet: (Old) Street Vendor  / Necklace: c/o Guilty Jean / Chevron Stack Ring: Baublebar / Watch: Betsey Johnson / Earrings: ALDO / Shades: NYC Soho Street Vendor / Lip: Lancome Fearless

It’s FRIDAY!  Hubby is home from ATL, and we are heading out on a little date night tonight for a belated 2 year anniversary celebration.  I’m currently in the dark on the surprise, so I’m excited to find out what’s in store!  We also have some visitors in town this weekend, so looking forward to seeing and catching up with some friends and family.

Hope you all have a GREAT weekend!

XO,

Gina

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Phoenix From My Phone

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Mystery Castle

For one reason or another, it proved easier for me to take photos on my phone while in Phoenix.  This first photo is from my DSLR, but the rest were snapped from my iPhone.  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen some of these, but here is a little more description about our travels.

We arrived first to the Tempe area and stopped at the Mystery Castle.  It is a house that was built out of recycled and found materials of the area.  It was constructed in the 1930’s  by a father for his daughter who didn’t want her “sand castle to wash away.”  It was an interesting stop off with a cool backstory, and the house was unique with tons of art and crafts produced by the family, mostly the daughter.

We then headed to Mill Avenue, home of Arizona State University.  We drove around the campus exploring, walked around the town to the different shops, and then stopped off for lunch at Caffe Boa, which was absolutely delicious.  Being Cinco de Mayo, I expected it to be a little more crazy than it was considering ASU is supposedly  the “#1 Party School in America,” but I think students were graduating and finishing up their finals…and it was also a Sunday.

We later arrived at our hotel, Hilton Tipatio Cliffs Resort, which was absolutely stunning.  The views were gorgeous, and I couldn’t wait to jump in the fabulous pools.  However, we were zonked, so we crashed for the night.

The next morning we woke up and decided to hike the short but steep climb, the North Mountain Trail, which was surprisingly connected right to our hotel (as well as at least three or more other trails).  It was pretty great, and we got some nice views of downtown Phoenix as well.  After the hike, we suited up and headed to the pool for the day.  A (virgin) pina colada, sunshine, swimming, and a good book was just my idea of vacation that day!

That night, we met up with some cousins of mine who moved to Phoenix about 10 years ago, and went to dinner at a great Mediterranean place called Fez.  It was so wonderful to catch up with them and share stories after not seeing each other for so many years.

We were also able to meet a family friend in Phoenix before we went on to our next destination, so we were happy to be able to make our rounds and see everyone we had planned on!  That about sums up our time in Phoenix until the end of the trip.  Stay tuned for my next post of Arizona adventures!

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Mill Avenue

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Room service on the balcony 🙂
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View from the North Mountain Trail
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I did it!
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Chillin’…toes – Essie Avenue Maintain

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FYI…my bathing suit is my first maternity one from Target.  The book I’m reading is Bringing up Bebe – an American mother discovers the wisdom of French parenting.  I would definitely recommend this to all expecting mommies!

It’s supposed to be sunny and warm here today in NYC, but I’m still waiting for the clouds to part.  Hubby returns from ATL tonight, and I am definitely looking forward to it!

Happy Thursday!

XO,

Gina

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