On the weekend we went back to Maryland for Teri’s bridal shower and Little Monkey’s baby shower, we were lucky enough to squeeze in this maternity photo session with the lovely Marisa Crider of Misa*Me Photography. I was looking for a sun drenched romantic setting with tall grass for the backdrop of this shoot, and Marisa found the perfect location! The sun more or less cooperated for some of the time, and we were able to get the beautiful field shots I wanted as well as some surprise shots on a nearby beach. Marisa never fails to impress with her talents, and she truly captured our excitement for our arriving baby boy. We cannot wait to meet him and share these photos with him one day.
Outfit 1:On Me – Dress: Target Maternity / Necklace: Cheerfully Charmed (similar) / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelet: Baublebar / Lip: MAC Venomous Villains Heartless / Baby Shoes: Luvable Friends — On Zack – Button Down and Linen Pants: H&M
Outfit 2: On Me – Dress: Ella Moss via Gilt / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelets: Henri Bendel and Baublebar / Earrings: Borrowed from Misa*Me / Lip: MAC Venomous Villains Heartless — On Zack – Shirt: H&M / Shorts: Target / Shoes: Sanuk – similar here, here, and here
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Thank you so much to my amazing cousin, Marisa, for taking these photos for our little family. We really appreciate it, and cannot wait for our little man to get here!
If you’d like to see more photos from the shoot, then please head on over to Misa*Me Photography to see the rest.
It’s that time of the year! The time when our tomatoes are coming up in the garden, and more importantly…time for fresh pasta sauce! I typically make my own homemade sauce (carrying on the family tradition) all year long using cans of tomatoes, but there is something about those fresh tomatoes that really make the world go ’round. I have tried both all fresh and all canned versions of this recipe, but my preference is actually a 50/50 method of half fresh, half canned. For some reason, that packs the best punch of flavor in my book, and it’s just the perfect combo for an amazing sauce.
The recipe is quite simple. Most of it is all about taste and preference. I hardly measure anything, and I kind of pinch and throw in as I go.
What you need:
4-6 cloves of garlic chopped (or whole, but I chop mine)
chopped yellow onion (or white or spanish) – I use about 1/4 of a medium size onion
extra virgin olive oil
fresh tomatoes from the garden (I used about 12)
canned tomatoes (my favorite brand is the Sclafani crushed, I used 1 can for this batch, because that was about how many fresh tomatoes I had, and I wanted it to be a 50/50 mix)
fresh basil from the garden to taste (I used about 10 leaves)
salt
pepper
dried italian herbs (if you have more fresh, the better!)
sugar (my secret ingredient)
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How to Make it Happen:
First prep the fresh tomatoes by dicing them up to remove all the seeds (the more seeds you have the more bitter the sauce is, so I remove them all from the fresh tomatoes). Then, you can either put them in a food processor to blend or keep them as is (again your preference of texture!) and put them aside.
Saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat for a couple minutes or until the onions are translucent.
Add the fresh tomatoes and the can of tomatoes to the pot and stir, stir, stir. Lower heat so it’s not popping bubbles of sauce all over the kitchen.
Next, stir in the basil, salt, pepper, extra Italian herbs, and sugar to taste.
Let it sit, stirring frequently, and tasting frequently. You may find you want to add a few herbs, a little more sugar, etc. as it cooks. You can really cook it as long as you want. The flavors will change a bit as time wears on, and you may want to add more to it. I am all about the quickness, so unless I have a very large pot of sauce, I don’t really cook mine for more than 20-30 minutes. I am usually just cooking for two, so it can cook pretty quickly.
Boil up your favorite type of pasta while you are waiting for the sauce. Once the pasta is ready, drain it, and coat it with a few large scoops of sauce so that it doesn’t dry out and stick together. Serve it up in bowls, and add as much extra sauce as you like! I top mine with grated Locatelli Romano cheese as well, and voila! Dinner is served.
Got an ever-growing baby bump, and can’t really wear sweats and a t-shirt to the office? No problem…skirt the issue! Luckily, I can pretty much wear whatever I want to work on a daily basis. However, when I have meetings or lunches with clients or advertising creatives, I do like to look presentable! This particular day, we were having a birthday lunch at the Mandarin Hotel for my boss and I, who both have our birthdays around the same time. The meal was delicious, and the view overlooking Central Park was even better. I scored this outfit at Motherhood Maternity, and both top and skirt are quite comfortable, yet presentable for the workplace.
My husband and I had a BUSY weekend. Unfortunately, we never made it to that Hester Street Fair (don’t worry girls, we will make it before August is through!). However, we made LOADS of progress on our little boy’s nursery. I completed all of my thank you cards, Zack installed the carseat and built the stroller. We figured out how to use all the stroller seats and attachments. We built the bassinet stand, swing, rock and play, and activity gym. We cleaned out the entire living room (so we can now sit on the couch), and found a place for almost everything, set up his dressers and started decorating the room. We decorated his name in wooden letters, adorned an entire wall in monkey and tree decals. We built a crib…loaded up shelves…I think there is actually more we completed if you can believe it, but my brain is too tired to think straight anymore! Not to mention my body. All this while 8 months prego, and a husband running a fever. I have to say, we were pretty proud of ourselves.
After all our hard work, we decided to treat ourselves to a little dinner out last night at a new restaurant in the neighborhood called Wheated. They boast fresh Neapolitan pizza. Let’s just say we will be returning! This whole area on Church Avenue is actually booming with new businesses and restaurants, so we discovered a whole slew of places that we need to try in the near future.
It’s a gorgeous day in NYC. If every day in August is like this for the rest of my pregnancy, I promise to never complain! It’s amazing. Hope you all had an awesome weekend, and wishing you a very wonderful week ahead!
reading Just finished The Sh!t No One Tells You: A Guide to Surviving Your Baby’s First Yearby Dawn Dais. I’m not sure whether or not it was a good idea or a bad idea to read this book. It was quite terrifying, although I suppose I am grateful for the dose of reality and preparations. Just started reading Maineby J. Courtney Sullivan. Stumbled across it last week while browsing at Barnes and Noble and figured I would read it since I went to Maine this summer. It’s more of a beach read about family summer drama.
writing Well technically, I haven’t started yet, because my apartment has been a disaster zone since the baby shower, and I haven’t even been able to sit on the couch. HOWEVER, I plan on starting to write out some thank you notes this weekend for all of the lovely gifts we received from our family and friends.
listeningI think I am late on this song, but I heard it a few weeks ago, and honestly it reminds me of my grandfather who always used to say, “You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone.” Ain’t that the truth, Grandpa. The song is Cups by Anna Kendrick from the movie Pitch Perfect.
thinking That every time I think my belly can’t possibly get any bigger…I wake up, and it’s bigger.
watchingThe Challenge: Rivals II. I know it’s ridiculous that I still follow these shows, but I just can’t get enough of the drama that unfolds with every new season of a challenge. I also constantly wonder how I would measure up in these challenges. Something tells me I would give those girls a run for their money.
wishingThat I could fly out to Missouri to celebrate my friend’s Cris and Kate’s big day this weekend! This is the second big wedding we have missed this year, and it’s definitely a bummer to not be there, even though I know it’s for a good reason. Wishing Cris and Kate a magical day and lots of love!
hoping To make a lot of progress on our little boy’s room this weekend. I’m really excited for my vision of how it will look when it’s finished, but it’s a long process to get there! I’m hoping we can get a good chunk done this weekend. Am I in nesting mode perhaps?
wearing Mint green shorts and a gray and orange striped top (different color here), both from Motherhood Maternity.
loving The maternity session photos that Misa*Me Photography took for us! She gave us a little sneak peek, and I am so excited to share them with you all in the next couple of weeks. She did a wonderful job, as always. Stay tuned!
laughing At this rendition of Ice Ice Baby that my co-worker shared with me earlier this week. Props to the editor for stringing together 280 movies worth of clips to create this.
needing Water, water, water. Hydration is key for this prego mama.
feeling Alien-like movements coming from my belly. He’s kicking and squirming more and more every day. I swear, it’s the weirdest feeling ever that something is alive and moving inside of you! But it’s also pretty cool.
craving Watermelon. Nothing like this delicious fresh fruit on a hot summer day.
clicking Through resume after resume. Trying to find someone to fill in for me at work while I’m away. I think we are getting close to making a decision!
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What have you been up to lately?
Happy Friday! Hope you all have a great weekend!
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.
When we came up with the name “Little Monkey” for our future babe, we never realized how much this name would take off! When we started using the name, we didn’t know if we were having a boy or a girl. Once we found out, we decided we wanted to keep his name a surprise until his arrival, so again the nickname, Little Monkey, stuck. It seems that is has stuck with everyone else as well! My mom, sister, and aunt threw us a beautiful monkey themed baby shower for our little boy, and I swear, I didn’t know this much monkey stuff existed! Monkey cake, monkey diaper tower, monkey onesies (for many different months and hardly any duplicates!), monkey sheets, monkey towels, monkey blankets, monkey backpacks, monkey toys, and the list goes on and on. At this point, it literally looks like a monkey exploded all over our living room. Our family and friends have spoiled us with many wonderful gifts for our little guy. We are so grateful and appreciative to have so many great people supporting us and loving us and our little one on the way. And one thing is for sure…he is either going to really love or really hate monkeys at the end of his first year! Here are a few photos from the shower. Hope you enjoy!
The ladies behind it all! Thank you so much!
We had our second prenatal pediatrician consult this morning, and still have one more to go before we decide on a doctor for our little guy. Had a good doc appointment yesterday, and it looks like he is growing strong! Still working on “project nursery”, and think it’s going to take quite some time before it’s complete, so hopefully he continues to hang out inside for a little while before making his grand entrance.
Recently, the matrons of honor along with the bridesmaids (myself included) and close family threw a beautiful wedding shower for our dear friend Teri that was all about the details. Starting with the “guestbook” above made out of a Jenga game, the delicious mimosa bar with fresh fruit, customized “Rome” (her future new last name) gift bags for the guests, handcrafted custom made gifts, and carefully designed centerpieces, this shower definitely showed both creativity and care in every aspect of the event. All of the bridesmaids are currently married, and Teri was involved with each one of our weddings. This was truly our chance to give back to her and show her how much we appreciate having her in our lives. A custom slide show was designed with photos of her and her fiancé and their loved ones, and we also played a little game where we interviewed her fiancé, Charlie, on camera to see how many questions they could answer the same. It was a great time, and we hope that Teri enjoyed being showered with love on her special day. The countdown to the wedding in October is getting close, and I am definitely getting excited to see these two tie the knot!
This was one of my favorite gifts that she was given, handcrafted by a guest on canvas.
This cool handcrafted water container was first personalized with puffy paint, and then painted over with chalkboard paint, so you can actually write on the outside! So great!
Hope you enjoyed the photos from the shower!
The weather has been beautiful in NY so far this week. I have been super busy both with work and life. Just trying to find a moment to breathe…
The hubby and I spent my birthday weekend with a beautiful little day on the beach. The weather was gorgeous, not too hot, with a lovely breeze, and the water was the perfect temperature for swimming. It was such a relaxing day to get a little sun and some reading done. Seeing as we went to Brighton, we decided to embark on some Russian cuisine at the casual Ocean View Cafe for dinner, which was very delicious and definitely recommended. After our beach day, we showered up, and went to sing a little karaoke at Mr. Biggs in Hells Kitchen with friends. It was a perfect day!
The tribal tote pictured above was a b-day gift from my awesome hubby, and the fedora was a little something I picked up at a boutique near my office last week.
Besides celebrating my 29th birthday this weekend (we also had dinner at the amazing Vitae), we were also able to get some errands done, and start on “Project Nursery.” While we still have a ton of work to do, it was nice to get started with a big dent of progress. Today marks 34 weeks; time is inching close and closer until the day we will meet our little man.
My Aunt Marie, My sister on the left, and that’s me on the right – My sister and I are two years and three days apart, and we’ve been celebrating our birthdays together our whole lives. Love you little sis!
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twenty eight: a reflection
twenty eight
you’ve been great
so much has happened
from the past year to date
it started with
a new camera to shoot
a photography class
to give this blog a boost
went to the obx
on family vacay
relaxed on the beach
all worries kept at bay
katie’s oc bach
was a ton of fun
laughing and dancing
til up came the sun
summer days at ft. tilden
with erin and rai
summer nights in dewey
to celebrate labor day
this year brought us very
many weddings galore
most of them being
near baltimore
there was one in boston
during a crazy manhunt
another in montauk
on the gorgeous waterfront
a ten year reunion
for my high school class
can’t believe
how much time has passed
a trip to a.c.
for a bachelorette
dinner and dancing
complete with roulette
brunches and bar crawls
in the n-y-c
pollard potluck had
their 5th anniversary
nights in new york
during santa con
thanksgiving and christmas
had lots of family to bond
we went through some struggle
went through some strife
when we lost our little peanut
it cut like a knife
we tried to stay strong
and looked up above
for some courage and guidance
and we got through with love
next came a photo shoot
with blue balloons
a new baby coming
for us all to swoon
we call him little monkey
our pride and joy
we can’t wait to meet
our sweet little boy
my fav blondes came to visit
new york in the spring
we walked on the high line
and of course went shopping
arizona adventures
brought me to tucson
hung out with my pen pal
hiked in phoenix at dawn
prescott, sedona,
and the grand canyon too
are all the great places
that we got to view
after over ten years
our huge fam got together
with over one hundred kin
and some beautiful weather
a father’s day feast
with the notes clan one day
gathered instruments together
and a concert we played
the fourth of july
brought us to maine
the lake house was awesome
and the lobster insane
this year has been wonderful
twenty eight has been sweet
but this year is now over
and we cannot repeat
twenty nine is stepping in
so let’s have some cake
celebrate, cheer, and sing
for the new memories we’ll make!
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Can’t believe another whole year has passed by, and boom I’m in my last year of my twenties. Time really does fly by. Twenty eight was awesome, and I am really looking forward to embarking on so many more of life’s adventures in year twenty nine. Thank you so much for all of the wonderful wishes I have received thus far!
I would also like to say a special early “Happy Birthday” to my little sis, Angela, who is also celebrating her birthday this weekend. We are lucky to have our birthdays so close, and we have always been able to celebrate together from either near or far. Love you Pooks!
Hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a fabulous weekend ahead!
For some reason, this dress reminds me of something I would find in a Florida boutique. Maybe it’s the soft colors, the silky feel, or the floral print. I found it on sale at Francesca’s (non-maternity score again!), and had to have it for my summer trip to Maine. I wore this on our last night out to dinner in Elsworth (at 30 weeks pregnant), added the belt, and some gold accessories to complete the look. I am still reminiscing about the amazing view we had from our lake house.
Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself
Dress: Francesca’s / Shoes: Dolce Vita (on sale!) / Belt: ? / Necklace: Family Heirloom / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelet: Henri Bendel / Earrings: gifted / Nails: Essie Forever Yummy / Toes: Essie In the Cabana / Lip: MAC Snob
It’s overcast and cooler today in NYC, and I have to say I’m actually grateful! It’s been brutally hot for my prego body, and today’s cooler temperatures made my walk to the subway this morning a bit easier. Today I hit the 33 week mark! One month away from being full term. Holy crap. We were able to get rid of our guest bed last night, so we have some space to work with in trying to get the nursery together. I also managed to schedule our pediatrician consults, so hoping to make a decision on that in the near future.
I’ve got a busy day at the office today with a few meetings and lots of resume reviewing.
Happy Monday everyone! Just wanted to share some more photos from our Maine adventures. The first is from a hike we did in Acadia, followed by photos from Sand Beach, the top of Cadillac Mountain, and 4th of July fireworks in downtown Bar Harbor. It was such an amazing trip, and I cannot wait to go back there again sometime.
This past weekend we had an awesome trip to Maryland celebrating my bff, Teri’s bridal shower, taking maternity photos with Misa*Me Photography (hope to have those to share soon!), and celebrating the pending arrival of our Little Monkey! It was amazing, and I am completely exhausted! We are now back in NY, and it’s go-time for getting this nursery put together. I am so grateful to my family and friends for making the event so wonderful, especially to my Mom, Sister, and Aunt for putting so much time, work, and effort into making everything so great. Little Monkey is a lucky little guy! And he is either going to LOVE or HATE monkeys when he gets here. Haha.
