The Journey Continues in Prescott

IMG_8661_Layers_v1

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!

IMG_8650_Layers_v1
Downtown Prescott
IMG_8648_Layers_v1
I kind of wanted to just kick these saloon doors right open!
IMG_8651_Layers_v1
Enjoying lunch with Uncle Doug and Aunt Bobbi in Prescott
IMG_8656_Layers_v1
Uncle Doug’s fabulous ride
IMG_8682_Layers_v1
The mountain town of Jerome
IMG_8691_Layers_v1
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

Enhanced by Zemanta

Big Floppy Hat

IMG_8594_Layers_v1

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. 🙂

IMG_8587_Layers_v1

IMG_8582_Layers_v1

IMG_8607_Layers_v1

IMG_8586_Layers_v1

IMG_8616_Layers_v1

IMG_8598_Layers_v1

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

IMG_8469_Layers_v1

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!

IMG_8480_Layers_v1

IMG_8486_Layers_v1

IMG_8506_Layers_v1

IMG_8519_Layers_v1

IMG_8536_Layers_v1

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

Enhanced by Zemanta

Phoenix From My Phone

IMG_8573_Layers_v1
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!

photo1
Mill Avenue

photo2

photo3
Room service on the balcony 🙂
photo5
View from the North Mountain Trail
photo7
I did it!
photo6
Chillin’…toes – Essie Avenue Maintain

photo4

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

Enhanced by Zemanta

Dotted in the Desert

IMG_8372_Layers_v1

The weather was beautiful in Southern Arizona, and I was so happy to be rockin’ a sleeveless dress with no jacket!  I wore this little handkerchief hem dress to the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, and I even got a little suntan!  This flowy little number was perfect for my prego belly and very comfortable in cotton.  And I must mention that this dress is not a maternity dress!  I have found that by buying dresses san zippers and in comfy material, I can find items that are much more fashion forward than the typical things I have been finding in the maternity sections (although there have been some good exceptions!)

IMG_8369_Layers_v1

IMG_8383_Layers_v1

IMG_8394_Layers_v1

IMG_8362_Layers_v1

Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Dress: Target / Sunnies: LOFT / Sandals: Sam Edelman via Nordstrom Rack / Watch: Michael Kors / Skull Bracelets: c/o Guilty Jean / Spike Bracelet: ASOS / Bow Bracelet: Baublebar / Toe Polish: Essie Avenue Maintain

Today is overcast, a little rainy, and a little chilly here in New York, making me miss that Arizona sun!  This week I’ve been trying to play catch up at work, at the doctor’s, with my DVR, and on life in general.  Hubby had to skip town for a quick business trip to Atlanta, so we are going to celebrate our two year anniversary (bc Arizona just wasn’t enough) with a date night when he returns on Friday.

Happy Wednesday!

XO,

Gina

Tucson Reunion

IMG_8342_Layers_v1

You may recall, two years ago, when I met my pen pal, Angela, in person for the first time.  Yes, that’s right…I said pen pal!  I wonder if kids even know what those are these days?  Crazy as it may be, we met on my wedding day after 18 years of writing and keeping in touch with each other.  She lives in Tucson, Arizona, and I grew up in Maryland, eventually moving to New York City.  While, it was absolutely amazing she flew all the way out to the East Coast for my wedding day, I wished that we had gotten more than 10 minutes to speak to each other.  So now, two years after our first brief meeting, and 20 years after we first started writing, Zack and I headed out to Arizona for the first time to stay with Angela and her boyfriend, Leon, in their Tucson home.

Angela’s entire family blocked off their Friday night to welcome us with a wonderful homemade Mexican feast at her Nana’s home on their family ranch.  Back in the day, they hosted roping competitions and rodeos here, and there are still many folks who keep their horses on their stable grounds.  It was so awesome to finally hang out with Angela, meet her entire family (minus one sister who wasn’t in town…we missed you!) and see the place and land where she grew up and wrote from all these years.

Saturday, they gave us the grand tour of Tucson starting off with the Sonoran Desert Museum.  I must have repeated a million times “I’ve never seen anything like this!” mostly in regard to the huge giant cactus, err saguaros, that littered the desert.  In the museum, we also saw tons of other flora, fauna, and animals.  My favorites were the coyotes and the prairie dogs…so cute!  After the museum we stopped at The Mission, which is the first Catholic Church in Arizona, and also the oldest European structure in the state.  It was extremely beautiful and special to see.  For more info on the history of the Mission, click here.  We grabbed lunch in South Tucson at El Torero, a yummy Mexican local hotspot, and then headed downtown to do some exploring.  The city is extremely artsy and many of the shops displayed a “Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead” theme.  Angela, actually had one of her paintings displayed in a gallery downtown which was really cool to see.  I am so proud!  We drove past Angela’s elementary school, St. John’s, where she wrote me my first letter.  It was really interesting to see how different the architecture was from my grade school, St. Mary’s.  Saturday night, we attended a Live Theatre Workshop, which turned out to be a hilarious performance, and we ended the night with a fab dinner.

Sunday, we were sad to leave, but also excited to continue on to Phoenix on our state-wide tour.  We had such a blast in Tucson, and it was so much fun getting to know Angela in person.  She is exactly how I thought she would be from her letters over the years, and we all got along wonderfully.  I am so grateful to her and Leon (as well as her entire family) for being such amazing hosts, and I look forward to having them come out to visit us in Brooklyn sometime!

IMG_8283_Layers_v1
Angela and I on her Grandparent’s Ranch

IMG_8270_Layers_v1

IMG_8258_Layers_v1

IMG_8264_Layers_v1

IMG_8348_Layers_v1

IMG_8320_Layers_v1

IMG_8438_Layers_v1
From left to right: Me, the hubby Zack, Angela, Leon, Angela’s parents

IMG_8426_Layers_v1

IMG_8434_Layers_v1

IMG_8441_Layers_v1
The Mission
IMG_8463_Layers_v1
Angela’s Painting

Me and Angela

Angelas House
The sun shining down on Angela and Leon’s house
Four of Us
The four of us at breakfast on our last day in Tucson

After our 10 day hiatus, Zack and I are now back in New York, and I am completely overwhelmed by the amount of photos I need to go through!  I have so many updates for you regarding our trip to Arizona, and this is only the beginning.  Stay tuned through this week and next for photos and stories of our travels, outfit posts, and more.

In other news, Happy 2nd Wedding Anniversary to my amazing husband!  Can’t believe we were saying our “I do’s” two years ago.  Tomorrow also marks 8.5 years that we have been together.  I am so very lucky to have him in my life, and I am excited for what this upcoming year will bring for us.  We have embarked on so many journeys together so far, and I can’t think of a more exciting and important one than parenthood.

Have a great week everyone!

XO,

Gina

Enhanced by Zemanta

Our Brooklyn Garden

Since moving from the Upper East Side to Brooklyn, we have acquired a ton of outdoor space.  Last year, my husband and I decided to grow a little garden in our front yard.  It was crazy plentiful with tons of basil and other fresh herbs, tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, peas, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and of course some pretty flowers as well.  But as you can see from this photo, it was also quite a bit of a mess.  This could possibly (ok definitely) have a lot to do with the fact that I think we only weeded once the entire growing season, but regardless, this year my husband was bound and determined to create a much more organized and clean structured looking garden.  He even created raised beds…raised beds!  I have to say, I have been very impressed with all the work he has put into it.  He has been working his tail off, while I haven’t even lifted a finger this year.  I’m using my pregnancy as an excuse, but frankly, I’m just not that into yard work.  I would much rather be doing laundry.    Luckily, our neighbors have been very helpful.  Our one main problem is the stray cats in the area, which is the reason we fenced off portions of the garden last year.  They like to dig up our fresh eats and relieve themselves in our flower beds.  Darn cats.  So anyway…here is the transformation from last year’s garden, to the new and improved 2013 Brooklyn Garden.

Last year…

555687_10101223379369788_681841901_n

This year…

IMG_8252_Layers_v1

IMG_8248_Layers_v1
This empty space here is waiting for a nice little outdoor table and chairs set

IMG_8251_Layers_v1

IMG_8246_Layers_v1

IMG_8245_Layers
King of the Garden
IMG_8249_Layers_v1
Fresh spinach growing

IMG_8176_Layers_v1

Since I took these photos, those darn cats have returned, and they have started to dig into the spinach bed.  Therefore, my husband was back out there last night putting up a little fence around the bed, and I’m sure he will have to do the same with the other beds as well.  Hopefully that will do the trick as it did last year.  I am dreaming about making fresh homemade tomato sauce and fresh pesto sauce this year…mmm…I can’t wait!

Tomorrow, Zack and I are leaving on a jet plane and heading west to Arizona!  We are super excited for our 10 day adventure and state tour.  I’m pretty sure I won’t really get around to posting or editing anything next week, since I will be too busy exploring, so follow along with my adventures on Instagram!

XO,

Gina

Enhanced by Zemanta

Find the Sun {Waveborn}

IMG_8233_Layers_v2

My Waveborn sunnies arrived in the mail, and I was super excited to rock them this past weekend!  For each pair of Italian designed and handcrafted shades you purchase, Waveborn provides a new pair of prescription eyeglasses or funds a portion of vision-restoring cataract surgery for a person in need through their partners Unite for Sight and SEE International.

They are currently hosting a crowdfunding campaign so they can continue to bring you more styles and colors for 2013.  They raised over $10,000 on the first day of their campaign, and the numbers are still increasing.  There is still plenty of time to join the campaign, so check it out!

IMG_8180_Layers_v1

IMG_8191_Layers_v1

IMG_8199_Layers_v1

IMG_8212_Layers_v1

IMG_8210_Layers_v1

IMG_8193_Layers_v1

IMG_8229_Layers_v2

Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Sunglasses: c/o Waveborn / Maxi Dress: Target / Jean Jacket: American Eagle / Flip Flops: J. Crew – similar / Bag: Longchamp – this color sold out, but more colors here / Travel Bag: Urban Outfitters (old) / Earrings: ? (old) / Necklace: Family Heirloom /  Chevron Stack Rings: Baublebar / Snake Bangle: Henri Bendel – sold out, but shop bangles here / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelets: Guilty Jean, ASOS, Baublebar (similar) / Nails: Essie Mint Candy Apple w/ Madison Avenue Hue accent nail / Toes: Essie Avenue Maintain / Lip: MAC Impassioned

I was very excited to find this colorful maxi dress for such a bargain price at Target this past week!  Typically, with my 5’0 stature, it’s very difficult for me to find a maxi dress that isn’t too long.  I suppose since this dress was in the “juniors” section, maybe it was a bit shorter.  Or could it be because I’m now sporting a little baby bump?  Either way, I plan on rocking maxi dresses all summer long.  Frankly, I have found the majority of maternity clothes I have come across to be old-looking, frumpy, and just plain ugly.  Of course, there have been some good finds here and there, but I am beginning to think gorgeous maxis from the regular sections (sans ones with zippers) may be the way to go this spring/summer!

Happy Hump Day!

XO,

Gina

Beantown Strollin’

IMG_8072_Layers_v1

We were very lucky our trip to Boston was not cut short as they were able to capture the Boston Marathon bomber.  After being on lockdown for quite some time, the residents of Boston were eager to get out and about on that Saturday afternoon.  The streets were packed with people trying their best to get back to “normalcy.”  We stumbled upon this sidewalk chalk memorial, which was very sweet.  Passersby could stop and add their kind words and thoughts.  We were a block away from where the explosion happened at one point, and there were plenty of police officers still there blocking off the streets.  We saw many flowers and tributes to those who were lost or injured.

It was very sad to see, but it was also encouraging to see the camaraderie, love, and support of the Boston community.

We spent the day walking around with my old college roomie Danielle, her husband, Andrey, and their baby, Gray.  We had a great time catching up with them, and this was also sort of a little parenthood preview of what it will be like to raise a baby in a big city.  Fun times were had, and we look forward to having them visit us in Brooklyn sometime soon!

IMG_8067_Layers_v1

IMG_8078_Layers_v1

IMG_8091_Layers_v1

IMG_8100_Layers_v1

IMG_8102_Layers_v1

IMG_8106_Layers_v1

IMG_8107_Layers_v1

IMG_8109_Layers_v1

IMG_8112_Layers_v1

IMG_8121_Layers_v1

IMG_8151_v1

IMG_8174_Layers_v1

This week I am counting down ’til our big trip to Arizona!

I’m also planning on meeting up with my Bronx cousins in the city this week to celebrate an engagement as well as our Little Monkey.  It’s been awhile, so we have lots to catch up on!

Happy Tuesday!

XO,

Gina

Boston Love

IMG_7997_Layers

I finally found some time to go through the tons of photos I took at Jamie and Kaitlyn’s wedding in Boston.  For those that don’t remember, their wedding took place on the same day as the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bomber.  It was an extremely crazy day, and I am proud of the bride and groom for taking everything in stride.  Their original ceremony location was supposed to be held at a church that was in a lockdown area, so they had to move it at the last minute to the same location at the reception.  I think they did a phenomenal job with the transformation, and this couple proved that the show must go on and love prevails!

Tons of love, patriotism, and Boston pride were shown at this wedding from start to finish.  The groom and his men dressed in Naval attire, the sword arch ceremony, the altered speeches, and the irish jig and Bostonian song lyrics gave this wedding a special touch.  It was so nice to see their family and friends rally around the bride and groom on their special day, and also rally around their city in light of such crazy times.  I’m sure you can see the love here in the photos below.  Enjoy!

IMG_7836_Layers_v1

IMG_7851_Layers_v1
Brotherly love

IMG_7861_Layers_v1

IMG_7889_Layers_v1

IMG_7912_Layers_v1

IMG_7927_Layers_v1

IMG_7933_Layers_v1 copy

IMG_7935_Layers_v1

IMG_7941_Layers_v1 copy

IMG_7954_Layers_v1

IMG_7959_Layers_v1
Me and the hubby (with the little one doing a good job of hiding)

IMG_7984_Layers_v1

IMG_8015_Layers_v1

IMG_8028_Layers_v1

IMG_8034_Layers_v1

IMG_8057_Layer_v1

IMG_8049_Layers_v1

IMG_8051_Layers_v1

What a fun night!

Stay tuned for more photos from our Boston trip to come.

This past weekend we went to Maryland for the 1st Annual John Petrovick Memorial 5K in Baltimore.  You may remember I ran for John and raised over $5,000 for the Johns Hopkins Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery back in October.   Well, yesterday marked the 1 year anniversary of his passing, and some good friends of mine put on this special event to honor his memory and inspire others.  John was a truly inspirational person, and I am so happy this event went off without a hitch.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and about 250 runners and walkers participated.  This was definitely the best possible way we could have spent the day.  “Inside all of us is HOPE.”  Miss you, John.

Hope you all are having a great start to your week!

XO,

Gina