popcornandpandas, Author at Popcorn and Pandas

Wedding Season

Well, it’s definitely wedding season again! We have a total of 8 weddings that we were invited to this year, and half of them were in the past two months. It’s been a lot of traveling, but it’s been a ton of fun. The weddings have been so beautiful and unique. The first one featured here took place at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. It was the first military wedding that I had attended, and it was very cool to see all the gentlemen dressed up in their whites with their swords. The second was held at the Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, MD. It was a quirky fun location that totally fit the personality of this fun-loving couple. It’s been a blast running around this season snapping photos of all the couples saying their vows and breaking it down on the dance floor.

Wedding I…

Wedding II…

On left: My cousin (remember that fabulous photographer from Misa*Me Photography?) wearing Forever 21. Similar here. On right: Me wearing H&M. Who says you can’t get luxe looks for less?!

Bridesmaids got purple chucks for the dance floor! So fun.

Going to all these weddings this past year makes me think back to my own wedding day, and how much fun it was. My husband and I danced to Michele Featherstone’s, “We Are Man and Wife” for our first dance, and all our family and friends were up on their feet the whole time rocking’ out.

For my married friends out there, what song did you dance to on your wedding day? And if you aren’t married, which song would you choose in the future?

If you like these photos, stay tuned, because Wedding Season Part II will be featured next week. Hope you all have a happy weekend!

XO,

Gina

Color Pops & Polka Dots

I found this bright red-orange trench coat down at the outlets this summer when I was on vacation in the OBX. I love how it pairs with the mint green pants and the navy and white polka dot button down. For me, this was a great transition into fall, because you can cover up to keep from getting chilly, but you still get those bright color pops! I chose these sparkly ballerina flats because of all the walking I have to do in the city, and they are so comfy!

Jacket: Gap Outlet / Shirt: J. Crew Outlet / Pants: Zara / Shoes: Nordstrom Rack / Bag: Longchamp Le Pliage in Graphite / Elephant Ring: Noir – similar also here / Watch: NYC Street Vendor / Bracelet: NYC Street Vendor

Photos by: Zack Notes

This week is going by super fast! I can’t believe it’s already Thursday. The hubs and I are looking forward to a camping trip to PA this weekend with one of our fav couples, Erin & Rai (who made an appearance on the blog yesterday).

This week, I cannot seem to stop listening to this new song I was introduced to by Ben Kweller called “Full Circle.” It’s definitely a feel good jam, and I’ve been bouncing around to it on repeat all through the city and the subway. Check it out!

End of Summer

Ok, so I know I promised I would move on to the fall season, but I wanted to share some of the last moments of summer that we spent in the Big Apple. These photos are from a visit from one of my best friends and her husband (who also happens to be a great friend as well!) They drove up from Maryland, my original home state. We explored our neighborhood (Ditmas Park) in Brooklyn, Prospect Park and the beaches of Queens. It was such a fun weekend, that I couldn’t pass up on sharing these photos. Hope you enjoy!

Yes, these are WILD parrots in Brooklyn! Insane!

My new favorite local beach–Ft. Tilden in Queens

Lovebirds Erin and Rai having fun in the sun

Apparently, this is how you sell ice cream in Rockaway

One of the many dream houses in my neighborhood

What were some of your favorite adventures this summer? Any fun plans for the fall?

XO,

Gina

Weekend Wear

This outfit was perfect for a local Brooklyn weekend. The weather had just started to cool down, so this new jacket was a perfect cover up for an overcast day. These combat boots are also my most favorite and so comfortable for walking long distances in the city. Spent some time in Williamsburg visiting a long lost 2nd cousin for brunch. She and her boyfriend recently moved to the city, so it was great to meet and catch up with them.

Jacket: American Eagle / Top: Urban Outfitters / Pants: Zara / Boots: Aldo (old) similar here / Bag: TJ Maxx / Earrings: Aldo / Ring: Forever 21 / Bracelets: J. Crew, Oia Jules, gifts from family / Necklace: NY & Company / Watch: Betsey Johnson / Sunglasses: NY Street Vendor

Thank You!

I just wanted to give a big thank you to all my family, friends, and supporters for your donations to Q’s Quest for the Johns Hopkins Departments of Neurology & Neurosurgery. I surpassed my goal and raised over $5,200 dollars for the cause. I couldn’t be happier, and you all have made a huge difference toward finding a cure for brain cancer. I’m sure my friend John is smiling down from heaven right now.

I also want to thank my friends who ran the Rock ‘N Roll New York 10K with me in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Due to an injury, I was nervous that I may not be able to run the race, and thought I would have to walk it. I hadn’t run in a month, and on race day, I decided to go for it. I made it through 6.2 miles without being able to train properly, and I did it with 9 minute miles (I was originally hoping for 8:30s when I was able to train), so I am extremely happy with how everything went. I have no idea how I was able to do it, but I appreciate my friends that ran with me, and I know I must have had an angel carrying me through. 🙂

Up for this week: trying to nurse my sore legs back into shape! Hope you all have a great week!

XO,

Gina

Inside All of Us is Hope

In 2 days, I will be partaking in yet another adventure. I will be running the Rock N Roll NY 10K in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Now, the fact that I am running this race is not so much the adventure. I have done plenty of races in the past. The adventure is more in the reason I am running this race. I am running for my friend John Petrovick who you see pictured above.

John was a friend of mine for 14 years. We met in high school in biology class and hung out after school on the soccer fields. John was hilariously funny and while making everyone laugh, he is also the most amazing, inspiration person that I knew. He battled through 4 years of brain cancer all while continuing to run marathons, finish law school, and remain the funny, friendly, caring person that he was.

We unfortunately lost John on April 28, 2012, but we did not lose the legacy and inspiration he left behind. John played a huge role in his doctor’s (Dr. Q) quest to cure brain cancer. He encouraged his doctor/surgeon to join him for the Baltimore Half Marathon, and they raised thousands of dollars to help Johns Hopkins departments of neurology and neurosurgery. These past few months, I have tried to continue with John’s efforts to raise money for this cause, and so far I have raised over $3,600 in his memory. My goal is to get to $5,000, so I still have a bit to go, and not much time left! I’m at 72% of my goal, and I would really appreciate your help in achieving this for John.

To donate please click here: http://www.active.com/donate/qquest/ginanotesforjohn

Also, for those of you who didn’t know John, this is how amazing he was: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=CDrEIYyyIds&NR=1

For those of you who did know John…you already know he was “superman.” Please join me in the fight against brain cancer. As John would say, “Inside all of us is HOPE.”

Thanks for your support, and I will update you after the race!

XO,

Gina

Summer Stripes

Dress: Tart via Last Call Neiman Marcus / Bag: Coach (old) / Sunglasses: LOFT / Necklace: Baublebar / Bracelet: J. Crew / Watch: NYC street vendor / Ring: Banana Republic / Bow Earrings: Aldo / Shoes: Aldo (old) similar here / Lipstick: Lancome Fuschia Clutch

Okay, so I am STILL reminiscing on summer. With the drop in temperature this weekend, I am missing the warm weather. I promise to start embracing the fall soon. These photos were also taken on our amazing family vacation in Outer Banks, NC. I wore this to the birthday dinner for my sister and I at “Tale of the Whale.” The photos are courtesy of Misa*Me Photography.

OBX ta Sea

Our first stop upon arrival: Pizza at The Black Pelican. Yum!

Our beach access that we walked across every day

Me and the Hubs
Top: Style Mint / Pants: Zara / Earrings: Baublebar / Ring: Banana Republic

So many cakes! Celebrating all the family July & August Birthdays together.

My sister and I have our birthdays three days apart, and we have always shared our celebration. This year the family went to “Tale of the Whale” for some delicious seafood!

I have been coming to the Outer Banks, North Carolina for as long as I can remember. It’s the one time of the year where all of my family gets together for a full week in three big houses and spends quality time together. The OBX is a great place to kick back, relax, and just enjoy the beach and enjoy each other’s company. This year was no different. We spent every day lounging in beach chairs with our toes in the sand soaking up the sun. We played numerous games of corn hole (or Bagg-o depending on where you are from) and pool volleyball with our makeshift net. We had lots of family dinners including the annual meatball night & birthday night, late night jam sessions on the back deck, trips to our favorite restaurant, “Tortuga’s Lie,” (which will be featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives this season), BINGO night with Granny, family game nights, lots of wine and lots of laughs. These are some of my favorite photos that I took with my new camera (Happy Birthday to me!) during our vacation. Summer is my favorite time of year, and although we are now in the beginning of fall, I’m already looking forward to next year’s crazy Italian/Irish family vacay!

Outer Banks on Dwellable

Reminiscing a Rockin’ Summer

Dress: Urban Outfitters / Shoes: Go Jane (old) – similar here or in pink here / Watch: Betsey Johnson via Nordstrom Rack / Sunglasses: NYC street vendor / Necklace: Barami NYC / Ring: Banana Republic – similar here by Amrita Singh / Earrings: Baublebar – similar here and here / Bag: TJ Maxx / Lipstick: MAC Snob w/ MAC Cremesheen Gloss Right Image / Toe Polish: Essie Lights

These photos were taken on our family vacation to the Outer Banks, NC in the middle of August. My cousin, Marisa, is a portrait and wedding photographer, and she was wonderful enough to take the first fashion photos for popcorn and pandas. It’s so fun to have a professional photographer in the family, because you never know when an impromptu family photo session will strike! (at least with the girls anyway.)

Thank you to Misa*Me Photography for your brilliance behind the lens!

Change is Good

New name. New layout. New blog? Not exactly.

I have been thinking a lot about my blog lately, and while I LOVED the premise of the “Great Freakin’ Adventures of Gina,” I realize that I was limiting myself to only posting when I accomplished a breakthrough bucket list item. Yes, those are probably the most exciting adventures of mine, but I am constantly partaking in adventures on a daily basis that although may not be bucket list worthy, they are still worth talking about…at least in my opinion.

I have a lot of interests including fashion, film, photography, writing, travel, etc. that I was not allowing myself a creative outlet for. So I have decided to rename my blog as “popcorn and pandas” which for those of you that really know me, know that those are two of my favorite things. All of my earlier content is still here, so you can still catch up on all the bucket list items you missed. However, I don’t want to pigeon hole myself into only writing about bucket list adventures any longer. While those will still be a huge part of my blog, I will also be posting about an assortment of other interests and adventures that come my way! You will probably see a lot of changes to some of the content and the layout of my blog in the next few months as I sort out the details of my new site. I hope you enjoy and stick around for the ride!

XO,

Gina