popcornandpandas, Author at Popcorn and Pandas

Love, Lori Michelle

Aside from the amazing Mother’s Day gift that I received from my husband and son, I also received an incredible mommy necklace made especially for me by Lori of Love, Lori Michelle. She worked with me to custom design the necklace I am wearing in this post, and we chose a heart with an “N” cut out in the corner for my little Nico. Lori is a digital artist and designer whose work with 3D models inspired her to create 3D printed jewelry. Most of her early designs were created as birthday or wedding gifts for friends, and she prides herself on her custom one-of-a-kind designs. Her silver and stainless steel pieces are both beautiful and original, and I’m so happy to be the recipient of such a wonderful gift!

What is 3D printing you ask? Lori describes the printing process here if you’d like to read on.

Custom Necklace: c/o Love, Lori Michelle / Dress: F21 – similar / Sandals: Sam Edelman – red sold out, but many color choices here / Heart Sunnies: Amazon – super sale! / Heart Striped Tote: Ban.do / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelet: Stella and Sparkle / Earrings: ALDO / Lip: Lancome Red Haute / Toes: Essie Lights

On Nico – Oxford Button Up Bodysuit: Baby GAP / Shorts: Crazy 8 / Fedora: Old Navy – similar / Stroller: Uppababy Vista

My 1st Mother’s Day was absolutely everything I could have asked for and more. Nico woke up an hour later than his normal time babbling “Mama Mama” in his crib to awake me from slumber. A whole extra hour to sleep in? That never happens! And saying Mama? First time ever! What better way to wake up on my first Mother’s day huh?

We ate breakfast together at home, and then headed outside as it was a perfect, sunny, beautiful day sans humidity. Naturally the beach was calling our name! Although it wasn’t quite bathing suit and ocean weather, it was a perfect day for walking around Coney Island. It was just before tourist season, so it wasn’t too crowded. We had delicious pizza at the new Grimaldi’s (which is super family friendly by the way), and we took a long walk on the boardwalk and out on the pier. We watched people on the rides, got ice cream cones, and even played a little ski ball. The best part was watching Nico’s face as he saw people the Cyclone for the first time. I’m guessing he was thinking: 1) What is that, and 2) That looks awesome! I love seeing him experience things for the first time, and I admit I even got a little teary.

We are headed off to New Hampshire this morning for the Memorial Day holiday. If you want to follow our adventures, you can catch me on Instagram!

XO,

Gina

{24} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading The Girl on the Cliff by LucindaRiley. This book came on recommendation from a friend, and so far I am super captivated!

writing A packing list for our trip to the lake house in New Hampshire. We leave tomorrow, and I cannot wait!

listening Let me start off by saying I know this song is kind of terrible. But something about this song and my old club days makes me not hate it.

thinking Time is going so fast! Nico hit two milestones this past week. “Crawling” – or his version of it at least. He’s basically sliding all over the apartment (including underneath the table and chairs as seen above…we are in trouble), and I told the hubby we should at least strap a swiffer duster to his belly so the floors get cleaned at the same time. I kid, I kid. He also pulled himself up to a standing position all by himself on Monday. I was at work, and I missed it, which sucked, because as a mom you never want to miss those first moments. I am so happy for him and all of his latest accomplishments, but it’s starting to hit home that our little baby is getting bigger, and it’s impossible to go back in time to when he was tiny.

smelling Not much of anything, because I have been all stuffed up with sickness this past week. Meh.

watching The Bachelorette is back! Any early guesses of who will win?

wishing For clear skies in New Hampshire, so we can view all the pretty stars at night again this year.

hoping Along the same lines…for sunshine this weekend! The weather is looking a bit gloomy thus far. I know we will still have fun catching up with our friends, playing board games and watching movies, but if possible, I would prefer to be hiking and exploring!

wearing Casual today in Paige denim, black and white striped tank, Camo jacket, and New Balance tennis shoes

loving The fresh Hazelnut coffee we have been getting from Fairway. I’m not much of a coffee snob. I usually drink one cup a day, and the Keurig system works for us. I had never really thought much about the freshness of the K-Cups, but until you have had one of the new Fairway One Cups (which foregoes all the bottom plastic as well for the green folks out there), you haven’t had a good K-cup!

laughing At this woman who was just a LITTLE bit excited to be a grandmother.

wanting A recommendation for a new spring nail polish! Who has one?

needing A new bathing suit for summer, but dreading the shopping process this year. None of my old suits fit my current body, so it’s back to the drawing board. I have a couple ideas in mind in terms of styles, so hopefully I can find something that works.

feeling Still feeling pain and popping in my thumb a couple days after the Cortisone shot. Hoping it kicks in soon, or else I may need another injection and possibly surgery. Oy.

craving Fresh fruit. It’s almost summertime, which means all my favorite fruits will soon be in season!

clicking Around on the Father’s Day gift hunt…it will be here before we know it!

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you all have a great week!

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.

In the Garden

My guy has been working hard on our garden this year. I can’t say I have participated much more than a trip to the nursery to pick out some plants (which was really fun by the way!) and a couple days of watering, but I’ve been watching the baby, ok? In due time when these plants start producing some vegetables…that’s when my work will come into play. I will be making homemade tomato sauce and pesto, and I will have a happy husband. Teamwork makes the world go round.

Top: J. Crew (old) / Dress (worn as a skirt): Free People (old) – shop day dresses / Shoes: Nordstrom Rack / Bag: H&M / Sunnies: YSL / Lip: MAC Up the Amp / Necklace: Gifted / Bracelet: Oja Jules / Watch: Coach

It was a bit of a rough weekend, as I caught a sinus infection and was completely laid up. We had to cancel our anniversary dinner and I missed the 30th Birthday celebration for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. On a separate doctor’s note, I spent yesterday morning in the orthopedic office getting a Cortisone shot to try and help my trigger finger. Womp womp.

Starting to feel better today, and enjoying the amazing weather we have had in the city the past few days. We are getting excited for our upcoming family mini vacay with our best friends Erin & Rai. You may remember them from our Maine trip last year. We have decided to take another adventure with them to the New England region, and this time we are visiting New Hampshire (and we will also have a mini addition to the crew this year!) We are heading north earlier in the season, so it will be a bit chillier than last year but we are looking forward to a bit of adventure, some breathtaking natural surroundings, and some R&R as well.

Hope you are all enjoying the week so far!

XO,

Gina

Mutual Weirdness

Celebrating 3 years of ~~mutual weirdness~~ marital bliss today. Tomorrow will also equal 9.5 years together.

To my partner in crime:

Thanks for shaking my hand awkwardly at that frat party. Thanks for accepting my terrible Nextel phone clip. Thanks for the letters from Nevada. Thanks for listening and taking me to The Melting Pot for our first date. Thanks for awkwardly introducing me as your girlfriend to someone before we had had “the talk.” Thanks for being persistent. Thanks for understanding me and my quirks. Thanks for forgiving me after we fight. Thanks for supporting me in chasing my dreams. Thanks for moving to New York with me. Thanks for building a life with me. Thanks for sharing a tiny apartment without killing me for 4.5 years. Thanks for being the best travel partner. Thanks for complementing me in a way that opposites attract. Thanks for laughing at my terrible jokes. Thanks for taking my photos for this blog, even though we get strange looks on the streets and sometimes it’s uncomfortable. Thanks for listening to me. Thanks for taking long walks. Thanks for being open minded. Thanks for working hard for us. Thanks for being honest and trustworthy. Thanks for being an amazing father.

I love you to the moon and back, and I cannot wait to see what the following years of mutual weirdness will bring.

XO,

Gina

P.S. Here is a little blast from the past.

My 1st Mother’s Day

What a wonderful 1st Mother’s Day spent with my boys! I relaxed this weekend, and we also took a day trip to Coney Island which means I didn’t spend much time writing posts. However, I did snap a lot of photos, which I will be sharing in the next couple weeks. My favorite gifts are ones that are made with love and pull at my heart strings. This gift from my amazing husband had me in tears as he compiled a bunch of our videos of our son, Nico, who is now 8 months old (almost 9 now…eek!) It’s crazy how much you forget about each little step along the way because your baby keeps growing and changing and you have to keep up. Watching this video really hit me hard, because you cannot rewind those little moments. He will never be that tiny again. Seeing him with so little hair, making those squeaky little sounds he used to make, hating tummy time with a passion, when he really looked at me for the first time, trying those first bites of food, the first giggle, when he loved sleeping on my chest…you cannot get that back. We are forever pushing forward. Which of course, in and of itself is also extremely exciting. I love thinking about all the other firsts Nico will accomplish…but it’s a bittersweet feeling, knowing you cannot go back to when he was tiny…and it gut punches you when you realize how fast this is all going.

Nico, it has been a pleasure and a joy to be your Mom these past 8.5 months. I love you forever.

And a special belated Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms I know in my life. I am lucky to have wonderful grandmother’s, aunts, a godmother, ladies that I can call 2nd moms, and a fantastic mother-in-law. Most importantly, I am so lucky to have my Mom. She has shown me what it takes to be a good mom, sister, daughter, and friend. I now understand all the hard work, time, and effort you put in to raise me. I love you so much, and I cannot thank you enough for being my rock. I love our nightly chats on my walk home from the subway, and you are already an amazing Mimi to our Nico.

XO,

Gina

Weekend Casual

Maxi Dress: Forever 21 / Hat: P. Luca for Barami – similar on eBay / Shoes: ALDO / Scarf: Gifted – similar / Jacket: American Eagle – similar / Necklace: Vintage / Aviators: NY Street Vendor / Watch: Michael Kors (now on sale!) / Bracelet: J. Crew – also love this gold pave link bracelet / Earrings: Forever 21 / Lip: MAC Impassioned

Along with spring cleaning, we also joined my grandmother and aunt for lunch over the weekend while they were in Brooklyn for the day. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I’m excited to break out the dresses again. A maxi dress lends itself to putting together a complete look quickly. It allows you to stay comfortable, but also put together at the same time. Nico is just starting to be a bit more mobile and with all the chasing I imagine on the horizon, I have a feeling maxi dresses are going to be a staple item again this summer. The only difference (as I quickly learned Saturday) is that I am going to have to hem my maxis. They tend to run a little long when I’m sans baby bump!

In case you missed my post yesterday, I’m hosting a little closet sale over on Pinterest if you are interested in checking it out!

Hope you are all having a great week so far!

XO,

Gina

P + P Spring Closet Sale!

Hello there lovely readers!

You know when your closet gets so messy that you can’t even see the floor anymore? Things piled so high, so utterly disorganized, that you give up and just forego cleanliness and keep piling things on in heaps? No? Is that just me? Well, my closet had definitely gotten to that point, and this weekend I finally decided to do something about it with a little spring cleaning. I must admit, I have a little bit of a hoarding tendency. My husband is constantly getting on my case about throwing things away.

Zack: I mean Gi, do you really need to keep every birthday card, soccer trophy, and note you passed in 8th grade?

Me: YES HONEY I DO.

When it comes to clothing, I am not much better. I usually keep things around until they are unwearable. Clothes stick around in my closet waiting for a day when that trend will “come back in style.” I have sorority T-shirts that I don’t even wear anymore, but I cannot bear to part with because of all the memories associated. A dress that I didn’t wear all summer will sit there with the clear intent that I will wear it. Then that summer goes and passes, and the dress is still hanging by its lonely self hoping for the following summer to grace the world with it’s presence once again.

That being said, it’s tough to hoard in a two bedroom apartment with a husband and a baby. The things pile on and the clutter becomes absurd. Gretchen says de-cluttering is one of the keys to happiness, and I certainly agree that lack of clutter has eased my stress in the past.

So there you have it. On a quest to staying happy and relieving stress, I spent the weekend cleaning. And here is my first little online closet sale to show for it.

Here’s the scoop:

1) I created a Pinterest board with all the items for sale.

2) If you want to buy an item, write “Sold” in the comments section along with your PayPal email. If you don’t have a PayPal account, you can create one here.

3) Half of all proceeds will go to a Reader’s Choice charity. After you write your intent to buy an item, please cast your vote for your charity of choice. I will then randomly select a charity from the reader’s votes to make the donation.

4) Shipping is not included. All items will be sent standard USPS.

5) All items are final sale.

Happy Shopping!

XO,

Gina

Rainy Day Essentials

As I sit and listen to the rain fall against my windowpane, it only seemed appropriate to put together a collection of rainy day essentials. While the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers, I’m willing to bet we will still get a fair amount of rain this spring. These pieces help to embrace the stormy weather while we wait for brighter days.

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1. Wide Brim Hat: ASOS – To cover your head on those days when it’s sprinkling or when it’s too windy for your umbrella.

2. Umbrella Studs: Etsy – Embrace the rainy day with these adorable studs.

3. Panda Umbrella: ModCloth – I mean, is this not the cutest umbrella you have ever seen?! I need this.

4. Waterproof Mascara: Tarte – Because running mascara is not a good look.

4. Rainboots: Hunter – Rainboots are a must in the city, and these bright pink ones boost my mood on a rainy day.

5. Hairspray : Dove – For those frizzy fly-aways, because we all know rain equals a bad hair day.

6. Teapot: Occa Home – The most adorable vintage teapot, because there is nothing like a cup of hot tea while you watch the rain fall.

7. Rain Earrings: Etsy – Remember when we were kids and we used to splash through the puddles and get excited about the rain? These earrings bring me back to that place.

8. Raincoat: ModCloth – Who says you can’t look cute in the rain? The polka dot raincoat is fabulous!

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Happy Rainy Thursday!

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XO,

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Gina

-Wide B

On The Edge

Jacket: Goodnight Macaroon – similar here and here / Top: Forever 21 / Absolute Legging: AG Jeans / Shoes: ShoeMint / Locket: Vintage via Etsy – similar here / Bag: T.J. Maxx / Earrings: Forever 21 / Bracelets: Flair Accessories, Wanderlust + Co., & ASOS / Watch: Betsey Johnson / Lip: Lancome Luxe

I apologize for falling off the blogosphere the past few weeks. I spent the holidays tending to a sick baby. It was the most sad thing. His little face looking up at me in too much pain to really cry. Just moaning and groaning wondering “What the heck is wrong with me mama? Please fix it.” At least that’s what I imagine he was trying to say. It’s probably the hardest on us parents knowing our babies are hurting, and we can’t do anything to change it. All I could do was give him Tylenol/Motrin and lots of snuggles. He tried to be as happy as could be, and I love him for trying. He’s the sweetest little monkey there ever was.

I had been dreading the first sickness, and I suppose it had to happen sometime. I have to say, I am happy it’s over. Although, we could not travel for Easter, we did manage to get down to Maryland this past weekend to see some family and friends. It was nice to spend some quality time with the fam, and we even had a fun night out for a dear friend’s 30th (thanks Bubbe for babysitting)! Sunday we participated in the John Petrovick 5K as a family and raised money for the neurology and neurosurgery unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital. I also saw another dear friend to shower her with baby gifts for her little principessa on the way!

Back in New York, I feel swamped with a million things I “need” to do. Unpacking being one. Cleaning. Laundry. Gift buying. The list goes on and on. But I am glad I decided to forego all of that for the moment to come back to my little space here that I have missed these past few weeks.

Hope you are all having a happy one!

XO,

Gina

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Beauty. Natural light. Vibrant color. Fresh blooms. Sweet smells. Tranquility. These are some of the things that come to mind when I think about our trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Spring is here, and I couldn’t be happier. Coming off a harsh winter, there is nothing nicer than walking around in the sunshine without a heavy coat. Taking in the views of the tiny buds coming to new life in a new year reminds me why this change of seasons is important. It forces you to pay attention. To appreciate the nature that surrounds you and the warmer, happier months ahead. At least, I think they are happier. I’m sure there is someone out there who loves the snow. To be bundled up, cozy and toasty by the fireplace with a good book and a hot chocolate. Don’t get me wrong. I do enjoy those moments for what they are worth. And those moments get me through the winter season. But I am much happier outside in the sunshine and warmth. I enjoy taking long walks, picnicking in the park, riding my bike, hiking through the woods, jumping into the ocean, sipping a pina colada, and everything else that comes with these warmer seasons ahead. The blooming flowers at the Botanic Garden give me the sense as if this is the real start of the new year. And it makes me excited for the adventures of what’s to come for this little family of mine.

After an exceptionally gorgeous three days we just experienced here in Brooklyn…today I don’t even mind the rain. Cheers to spring, and everything it brings.

XO,

Gina