popcornandpandas, Author at Popcorn and Pandas

{26} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading Finished a few good ones recently. First up was The Fault in Our Stars. I wanted to read the book before watching the movie. Of course, it’s predictable and a total tearjerker, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well a male author (John Green) was able to capture the mind of a sixteen year old girl. Next, I read Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn. This author never disappoints. Although the main character, Libby, is a little unlikable in my opinion, Gillian Flynn is always keeping you on your toes with her novels and makes you want more. Heading to the beach this weekend, so if you have any beach reads to recommend, please do!

writing A ginormous to-do list of everything I need to get done before our trip to the Outer Banks. And a packing list.

listening Summer…my summer anthem by Calvin Harris. Prepping a little playlist for our road trip.

thinking That this beautifully written blog post from my friend Sascha really hits home for the working mom.

smelling The delicious homemade eggplant parm the hubby cooked this week. Fresh eggplant, tomatoes, and basil from the garden. Melt in your mouth amazingness.

watching The Bachelorette finale really threw me for a loop! I realize I am delayed on watching my shows, so sorry for being late to the party. I won’t throw out any spoilers for those who may also be behind on their TV watching, but let’s just say I was really surprised!

wishing Time would slow down a bit. My little baby is almost a year old already! I can’t even take it.

hoping I can pull off this fabulous fishtail braid at the beach next week shown in this tutorial by Nikki.

wearing Lots of leopard print this week. Feeling feisty.

loving The end of summer sales! ModCloth, Free People, J. Crew, & Zara have some pretty good ones going on right now.

laughing At how Nico loves to be chased around the house. I will crawl after him, and he will start crawling away squealing with delight…then come back and start chasing me while laughing. That belly laugh is enough to get me laughing and smiling all day long.

wanting To be with my little boy today. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m missing him a lot while at work this week. Looking forward to spending a whole week with him at the beach and introducing him to the place I have vacationed since I was a small child. Also excited that the whole family will be able to see how much he has grown.

needing A little girl (one day) so I can buy these adorable ribbons from Brit!

feeling Totally inspired by hometown friend Candice as she becomes the first plus-sized model to appear in next year’s Pirelli calendar. Doesn’t she look fantastic!!??

craving Something sweet. What else is new?

clicking On 1st birthday party ideas for my little guy.

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you are all having a fantastic week!

XO,

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.

Captured in Cape May

I’m finally getting around to sharing some more of our Cape May vacation photos. Some of these were taken on my camera, and some of them are from my Instagram feed, so don’t mind the inconsistency. My favorite part about Cape May was looking at all the adorable houses, many of which have been converted in Bed & Breakfast Inns. The architecture actually reminds me of my neighborhood, Ditmas Park in Brooklyn yet even closer to the beach. I loved that mostly everything was in walking or biking distance and that it was very family oriented. Many thanks to my mother-in-law and father-in-law for organizing such a fantastic trip!

*Note* The 2nd baby pictured is my adorable nephew, Nathan! He and Nico had a great time playing together throughout the week.

Now we are on a countdown to our next family adventure…the Outer Banks! This is a place my family has been going every summer since I was four. Last summer, I was hugely pregnant and unable to attend as my due date was creeping up, so I am extremely pumped to not only return to the OBX, but to show Nico how much we all love this place and each other. My cousins have already started the text chain, and I cannot wait to see them!

Happy Monday!

XO,

Gina

{Style Envy} Rompin’ Around + Turning Thirty

On Brianna – Romper: Forever 21 / Sandals: Michael Kors / Necklaces: Forever 21

Introducing my beautiful niece, Brianna. You may remember a few posts way back when from my Style Envy segments with Marisa and Alex. Every now and then I like to showcase someone else’s style rather than my own, and Brianna was looking so adorable in this romper while we were on vacation in Cape May that I just had to snap some photos at the beach. Rompers made a small come back last summer, and they are still in full force this season. It’s so nice to only think about one piece. No need to worry about which top is going to go with which bottom. Matchy matchy tops and bottoms have also been a trend this season, so why not just buy one piece and call it a day? Of course, everyone’s main complaint about rompers is the ever-annoying hassle of going to the bathroom, but in my opinion, it’s no big deal to suck it up for a day for the sake of fashion. That’s what we women do, right?

Onto my niece…Bri is one of those people with a natural easy-going attitude. She’s always down for an adventure, for trying fun new things, and she’s a total pleasure to be around. Throughout the week whenever someone would make a suggestion about something fun to do, she was always up for it. No matter how weird to crazy the activity, she was always excited to partake. Want to go play skee-ball at the arcade? Yup. Want to go for a walk? Yup. Want to take photos on the beach? Yup. Want to go get ice cream? Yup. Want to go on a four-person family bike? Yup. She reminds me of my husband (her uncle) never wanting to sit around. Always go go go…they might miss something or won’t be able to enjoy the most out of their vacation if they are relaxing too much. We had a blast hanging out at the beach, and I only wish she and my sister-in-law could have stayed longer!

On a final note, I turned 30 over the weekend. That’s right THIRTY. Holy crap. Where does the time go? I remember when I used to think thirty was so old. It’s crazy how much I have grown and changed in the last decade. Met Zack, graduated college, moved to New York City, got into the animation/advertising industry, partied my ass off, traveled, got married, moved to Brooklyn, slowed down, had a baby, and now I’m a mom of an almost 1-year-old. My twenties were a lot of fun indeed. As scary as 30 sounds, I do admit, I am excited to embrace this new decade with the clarity, responsibility, and self-awareness that I did not always exhibit in my twenties. Sure occasionally I know I will miss my carefree days, but my life is all about my family and closest friends right now, and I couldn’t be happier.

Special thanks to my husband for planning an amazing 30th surprise weekend for me complete with Six Flags, a fancy dinner, a night on the town, and finished with a beach day. I am a lucky lady.

Hope you are all having a great week!

XO,

Gina

Summer Sunlight

Dress: Boxing Kitten for Urban Outfitters (old) / Neon Sandals: Dolce Vita – similar / Crossbody Bag: T.J. Maxx / Necklace: Guilty Jean / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelet: Baublebar / Lip: Lancome Fuchsia Clutch / Nails: Essie Marshmallow / Toes: Essie Bachelorette Bash

Summer sunlight peeking through the trees as the sun is starting to set. Probably my favorite moment of the day. The magic hour brings me a peaceful calm. It strange how only a few years ago, the sun going down was a symbol of the start of my evening. It meant that it was time to start prepping to get ready for a night on the town with my man or the girls. I’ve always been a night owl, and I lived for summer nights exploring New York City. Dressing up, hair, make-up, the whole sha-bing.

Nowadays, the sunset usually represents quiet for me. Time to reflect on the adventures from the day, give the baby a bath, put him to bed, and then enjoy dinner with my husband and maybe even a glass of wine. This particular evening, however, we were on family vacation which meant Bubbe and Pop Pop were eager to babysit. So after Nico’s bedtime, my husband and I were able to go out on our own little adventure. We started by taking these photos and others in the summer sunlight. We walked around Cape May, and had a delicious romantic dinner for two at Louisa’s. I guess we realized how little we get out after 8pm these days, and so we didn’t want the night to end. We walked around in the moonlight, shared a kiss under the stars (or two), and played video games and skee-ball at the arcade until close. We felt like two teenagers running around on a summer night. Yes, things have changed. Instead of closing down bars, we are closing down arcades at a family beach town. Instead of going to sleep at 4am, I am waking up at 6am.

But I’m okay with that.

Hope you are all having a great week so far!

XO,

Gina

Floral Fit & Flare

I’m tiny, yet curvy (even more so now post baby), so the classic fit & flare has always been a favorite silhouette of mine. I found this Pim & Larkin floral beauty on sale via Piperlime, and I had to snag it for wedding season. Unfortunately, this one is sold out, but they have other gorgeous options as well. I particularly love the two black and white striped fit & flare options you’ll see on this page.

Dress: Pim & Larkin via Piperlime – sold out, but love their other options here / Shoes: Sole Society / Clutch: Express / Shades: ModCloth / Bracelet & Earrings Set: Gifted / Lip: Lancome Fuchsia Clutch (discontinued – Wannabe is similar)

I apologize for falling off the world (wide web) these past few weeks. It’s just that it’s summer time, and I have been having way to much fun enjoying it rather than writing about it. I’ve been taking photos along the way, but I’ve been too busy to bother with editing and uploading. Sorry, not sorry. These were taken back on our trip to Rock Hall, MD. We were on our way to the rehearsal dinner, and we passed a drive-through wildlife refuge. There was no question, we had to turn back around and take a peek. We saw a hawk, baby deer, a few more birds and a gorgeous landscape which turned out to be a beautiful back drop for a photo op as well.

This summer has been epic for road travel. Who would have thought we could handle this many adventures as a family of three? I have to say, Nico is taking these road trips like a champ and he seems to enjoy every new place we take him. I have so much to share from the rest of Rock Hall, Cape May, and Rehoboth, and I promise I will give it my best effort, but I have to warn you we have the North Fork, Deep Creek Lake, and the OBX on the horizon!

Hope you all are enjoying your summer as much as I am.

XO,

Gina

Channeling Jackie O.

“You look like you’re channeling Jackie O.”

That is what my friend Heather said to me when I arrived at the wedding two Saturdays ago. Me? Resembling the ultimate fashion icon?

I can only wish to come close to the likes of Jackie O., but I am taking this compliment and running with it people! It might be the best one I ever get!

Jackie did love a classic shift though, like this black and white number I’m wearing from Marc New York by Andrew Marc, and I don’t think this silhouette will ever go out of style.

Dress: Marc New York by Andrew Marc (now on sale!) / Shoes: Audrey Brooke / Clutch: Lulu Townsend – similar here and here / White Wayfarers: Francesca’s – similar here / Bracelet: gifted / Earrings: gifted

And how about these lavender fields? Let me tell you, this wedding location was gorgeous! In all my years past of growing up in Maryland, I had never heard of Rock Hall, but boy am I happy for this discovery. It was such a beautiful place to visit, and I’m looking forward to sharing more photos from our trip in the upcoming weeks so stay tuned.

XO,

Gina

{25} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso, founder and CEO of Nasty Gal. Incredible story and extremely inspirational. Would recommend to anyone, not just the ladies.

writing In Nico’s baby book. I have a few months of catching up to do with all his new milestones!

listening “Talk Dirty” by Jason DeRulo. As a former sax player, I had to give a shout out to the awesome solo work in this song.

thinking It’s been a bit of a crazy few weeks for me and my family. We lost my beloved Granny recently, and although she was 93 years old, it was sudden and a bit of a shock for all of us. After losing my Uncle earlier this year, it’s been rough for everyone, especially my Mom. I cannot imagine losing my own mother, and I know this has got to be incredibly difficult for her. My Granny was the sweetest lady, and I miss her dearly. I am comforted in the fact that I was able to be by her side in her last week along with the rest of our family, and that she was comfortable and knew we were all with her at the end. I truly appreciate all of the love, prayers, cards, and support that people have given us during this time.

smelling The great outdoors. Spent Zack’s 1st Father’s Day Weekend hiking Bear Mountain on Saturday, and Sunday was spent smelling the sweet salt air at Rockaway Beach. I would definitely recommend the Perkins Memorial 3.9 mile trail loop. Amazing views and a challenging, fun hike. I impressed myself by doing a few rock scrambles with a baby on my back as well, and we were able to introduce Nico to his first ride…the carousel! Onto the beach…if my fellow New Yorkers make it to Rockaway this summer, you must go to 106th street for arepas at Caracas. I insist! P.S. Nico LOVED the beach. That’s my boy!

watching Watched the throwback movie Big for the first time with one of my favorite actors of all time, Tom Hanks. Although the method of getting “bigger” was a tad cheesy, I really enjoyed the movie and would recommend it.

wishing For the weekend to get here! We are heading to Cape May for the first time for a family vacation with the hubby’s side. Looking forward to snuggling that little nephew of ours, and spending time with the entire fam. Have any of you been to Cape May before? Would love some suggestions on what to do/where to eat/where to shop, etc.!

hoping That Nico feels less pain when the rest of his teeth come in…yes, you heard right…Nico got his first tooth this weekend! My boy is getting big.

wearing This new vintage style bathing suit I purchased from Grey Dog Boutique. Discovered this shop from Bonnie over at Flashes of Style. Go say hi!

loving The the line-up of summer travel we have on the horizon. While driving long distances can sometimes be draining, Zack and I are always up for an adventure, and this summer will be no different even with a little one in tow. We started off the summer in New Hampshire with good friends, enjoyed upstate NY last weekend, and have Cape May to round out the month of June. July we will be heading to Rehobeth Beach (DE), North Fork (Long Island), Deep Creek Lake (MD), and celebrating my 30th (eek!). Ending the summer will be a trip to the Outer Banks (NC) and celebrating Nico’s 1st birthday. Some may call us crazy, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

laughing I’m not a cat person, but this kitten jam had me rolling!

wanting This shocking coral lip color for the season.

needing Some more time with girlfriends. I’ve been loving the family life without a doubt, and I love my boys to death, but sometimes a girl needs some quality time with her girlfriends too! Hoping to set up a few “girl-dates” while the weather is nice and warm.

feeling A second needle injection into my thumb this morning. OUCH. My thumb has definitely gotten a lot better since the first shot, but it’s still not completely back to normal, and as the doc said “I am too young to have this problem!” Not to mention how impossible it is to “rest your thumb.” I really do hope this one will curb me from having to undergo surgery, but worst case scenario, I have heard it’s a fairly simple procedure.

craving More time to work on this blog and other personal endeavors/passion projects. My creativity is bursting at the seams with very little time to act! I’ve always been great with time management, but juggling work, caring for a baby, and our social/travel calendar have made things a bit more tricky. I know it’s tough to “have it all,” but I’m determined to come up with a way to make things work without sacrificing my family time.

clicking Nico is pulling himself up to a standing position, and I think it’s time for some functional shoes for summer. I’ve been searching around online, but does anyone have any favorites they love for their little one?

What have you been up to lately?

Happy Hump Day!

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.

Red Rain Boots

Rain Boots: Hunter / Leg Warmers: similar / Tribal Leggings: Forever 21 – similar / Coat: Old Navy / Top: Urban Outfitters / Necklace: Guilty Jean / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

These photos were taken on our trip to the lake house in New Hampshire on a chilly, rainy day. Instead of swimming or hiking, we spent this day eating Mexican food, browsing the local Wolfeboro shops, playing games, and drinking wine. These boots were a recent gift from the hubby for our 3rd wedding anniversary. Totally picked out on his own, mind you! Perfect timing for rainy season, and it seemed appropriate to share today as the rain is currently falling.

XO,

Gina

Insta-Snaps from New Hampshire

We spent Memorial Day Weekend up in New Hampshire near the Wolfeboro area and Lake Winniepesaukee. While it was rainy and cold a lot of the time, we did manage to get some sunshine and some great hikes in. We stayed on Lower Beech Pond overlooking the water in a fantastic lake house with good friends. We drank wine, cooked delicious meals together, played games, explored the town of Wolfeboro, and took in some stunning views. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen a lot of these, but here are a few snaps from our trip.

Nico reading a story at the lake house with my bestie, Erin

Penny Candy Shop in Wolfeboro, NH

Yes, I think I will have some wine this vacation! Oops!

Snuggling my baby at Camp Beech in Tuftonboro, NH

Taking a break for lunch on the Italian Trail on Mt. Shaw…that one’s for you Pops!

My two happy guys!

Mountain Selfie on the top of Mt. Shaw

So proud of Nico on his 1st hike ever! He was a champ in his Beco Gemini Carrier.

Cairn aka Rock Tower

On the top of the White Ledge Loop Trail in the White Mountain National Forest

Standing on the top!

Continuing on the trail loop

Such a stunning view!

Some other places we visited that aren’t photographed here:

1. El Centenario: Delicious Mexican fare – We loved the fresh homemade chips and salsa, chile relleno, and chicken enchiladas they had to offer. The staff was very friendly, and we would definitely go back here.

2. Downtown Grille: We came here for coffee and enjoyed their lattes so much, we came back again on the way to drop our friends off at the airport! I enjoyed both the Blueberry Cobbler latte and the Milky Way. Yum! If we go back, I would like to try their breakfast as well.

3. Sandy Martin Art Gallery: We had a lovely conversation with owner and artist, Sandy. She is an extremely talented artist in multiple mediums including oil paints, watercolors, photography, & more. She loves music and hosts parties within the gallery featuring local musicians on the in-house piano and guitar. She also knows all the town gossip and Jimmy’s Fallon’s whereabouts when he comes to town. Definitely a nice stop in!

4. Sprout’s: Featuring lots of children’s toys, clothing, and gifts.

5. Details: Great little boutique stop for gifts and accessories. Also have an adorable dress selection. I walked away with a dainty little flower crown that I love!

6. Jake’s Seafood: Enjoyed steamers, haddock, chowder, and lots of other yummy seafood here! Outdoor seating is nice as well.

7. Castle in the Clouds: A beautiful stop with a beautiful view. It was rainy and we were hungry, so we didn’t end up doing the tour, but we did have some lunch (I had a lobster roll…drool!) at the Carriage House.

We had such a great time on our trip, despite the inclement weather. I’m glad we were able to get two great days of hiking in, but I think next summer if we go back to New England, we will try for the 4th of July weekend again so it will be warm enough to jump in that lake!

Hope you are all having a great week!

XO,

Gina

Vintage Style Swimsuits

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1) Splendid Malibu Stripe One Piece: Swim Spot / 2) Rocksanda Ilincic Talgo Color Block Swimsuit: Matches Fashion / 3) Adreana Degreas Striped High Waisted Bikini: Moda Operandi / 4) Red Polka Dot Swimsuit: ModCloth / 5) Island One Piece: ModCloth / 6) White & Black Polka Dot One Piece: ModCloth / 7) Black High Waisted Bottoms: Mini Hammer via Etsy / 8) Floral Two Piece: ModCloth / 9) Zimmerman Verano Floral One Piece: Madewell / 10) Betsey Johnson Floating on Petals Two Piece: ModCloth / 11) Cherry Two Piece: ModCloth / 12) America Stars and Stripes Fringe Tankini (this is kids and obviously too small for me, but it was too adorable not to share): Shop Justice

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Also a fan of these suits from grey dog (not pictured).

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Memorial Day Weekend has passed which means it’s officially summer in my eyes! We went north to New Hampshire over the weekend, and lucky for me, I didn’t have to put on a bathing suit. I know lots of women tend to be self conscious at the beginning of summer. Leftover weight from the holidays that hasn’t come off…pasty pale skin that hasn’t gotten tan yet. You know the drill. It’s normal. Only this summer, I’m feeling a bit more self conscious than usual. I mean, last year I was pregnant in a bathing suit, so as uncomfortable as that might be, at least I felt that I could own my body and be proud that I was carrying a little guy in there. Now, 9 months post birth, I am feeling great, and I have shrank back to my pre-pregnancy weight…and even back almost to my wedding weight! I should be screaming and jumping for joy at my accomplishment! However, it’s been said time and time again not to look at the scale. The scale does not measure how you look and feel. My body has been through a year, oh it has. I’ve been stretched out and starved for time and I’m completely out of shape. Breastfeeding and walking have gotten the weight off, but my body looks completely different than I am used to. My belly is much squishier, and that jiggle jiggle is anything but attractive. I have been patient with getting back to my normal self. No crazy diets or workouts here. Just steady walking, breastfeeding, and trying to eat healthy when I can. What I really need is time to tone. Or maybe I just need to make it a priority. It’s tough, this mom thing. By the time I get home from work, it’s time for Nico’s bath and bedtime routine. After that, it’s cooking, dinner, clean-up, and I maaaaybe have an hour or so to get anything done, yet I am exhausted. The last thing I want to do is a work out at 10pm that would keep me up even later with all the adrenaline. I do hope and plan to get back on some kind of fitness routine in the near future, but in the meantime…it’s bathing suit season people, and what is a beach-loving mommy to do?

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Well…I have decided to embrace and love the body I currently have and find a suit that flatters it as much as I can. Work with what ya got, right? Besides, my body got this way because of the incredible tiny human who now fills my life with so much joy. There is something to be said for that. We moms make sacrifices for our children every day, and if a little extra belly fat is what it takes to be blessed with such an amazing little boy, then so be it. Luckily, vintage/mod/retro style suits are all the rage right now, and I am planning on rocking an adorable high waisted swimsuit or one-piece this summer. Who says you can’t look hot in a onesie!? The most important thing is that I am comfortable, so I am going to go with what works for me right now.

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Would love to hear from any new mamas on what you plan on donning to the beach this summer? OR if you have any great fitness routines that you swear by, I would love to hear from you as well!

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Hope you have a happy one!

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XO,

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Gina