Happy New Year!

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The past year has been a bit of a roller coaster.  My family has suffered a lot of loss, but we have also shared in a lot of joy.  There have been changes in my career, trips across the country, exciting wedding celebrations, babies born, and interesting adventures.  Watching my son grow this past year has been the most amazing part.  He turned one in August with a nautical birthday party, and he has been soaking up knowledge like a sponge.  He amazes me every day with the way he communicates and how much he can remember.  He is sweet as pie and shows so much love and affection.  I feel incredibly blessed and lucky.

I also feel extremely lucky to have so much love and support from all of you.  Thanks for sticking by me this past year through the good times and the bad.  There were moments when it was tough to find the time or energy to continuing blogging and creating, but this is always a place I love to come back to, and I appreciate you all coming back here as well.  Some of your favorite posts from this past year included the beautiful fairytale wedding of Melissa and John, some creative ideas for engagement gifts, and when I tried out these fabulous new hair extensions.  I also heard from a lot of you about how I survived the first year of motherhood and the gear that got me through.  As always, please let me know what types of posts you would love to see more or less of in the coming year.

I can definitely say I am excited for what 2015 has to offer.  I’m going to jump into a P90X program starting TOMORROW, and I am so excited to get back into shape again.  I have always been athletic having played soccer and basketball my entire life through college and beyond.  After having my child, I have struggled to find the time and the energy to get into a regular workout routine.  When I was working outside of the home, I quite frankly hated to spend my free time away from my son.  Now that I am home most days, it’s tough to even have free time!  I received the P90X DVD program a couple years ago as a Christmas gift.  It was on my wish list and also on my bucket list as something I wanted to complete as a challenge to myself.  Although the program is still in the shrink wrap, it’s something I have not been able to let go.  I despise the feeling of not being in shape anymore, and although I have lost all of my baby weight, I do not feel like my healthy, energetic self anymore.  I plan on joining an online challenge group to keep myself motivated on this journey, and I am looking forward to feeling good again and setting a good example for my son.  If you are also interested in joining me in my fitness journey, please let me know and I would love to give you more information about the group.

Aside from getting fit and healthy, I am setting my sights on a family vacation to Tulum, Mexico!  I have never visited, but I have heard so many amazing things.  Our itinerary is completely open, so if you have any ideas or suggestions on where to stay or what to do while we are there, please share!

The photo above is from New Year’s Eve on my friend’s rooftop in Baltimore, MD.  We had a blast on our trip, although we are now trying to recover from the yucky sickness we managed to catch while away.  Poor lil guy has the croup plus a fever!  We have finally unpacked all of our Christmas goodies from the car, took down our tree, and put away all the decorations for the season.  I’m always sad when Christmas is over, but I am excited for a fresh start in 2015.

Hope you all had a wonderful year, and I am wishing you all the best for a happy, healthy new year in 2015!

XO,

Gina

Back in Action

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Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Striped Blouse: H&M – similar here,  / Absolute Legging: AG Jeans / Booties: ALDO / Locket: Vintage via Etsy – more from the shop here / Clutch: TJ Maxx / Bracelets: Wanderlust + Co., ASOS (sold out – similar here), Baublebar

2014 has had a crazy start!  I started back up to work, and have been trying to figure out how to be a working mom.  Right now I’m trying to cram all my work into three days and still have time to pump three times a day to make sure my boy has enough to eat while I’m gone.  When I am home with him, he is more awake than ever, and he keeps me busy all day long.  It’s a lot of fun watching him grow (He rolled over for the first time this weekend!  And he’s sitting up for long periods of time on his own now!), but it can definitely be exhausting!  On top of that, we have been dealing with some house issues that need crucial hands on maintenance, and I’ve also been planning Nico’s upcoming Baptism.  Whew!

Needless to say, my poor little blog has been getting neglected.  I’ve had ideas for posts and outfits that I have wanted to blog, but life has just been getting in the way, and p + p unfortunately had to go on the back burner the past few weeks.  Hopefully as we settle into our new routine, I will be able to find some time to keep things going, because I really do love having this little creative outlet!

Onto this outfit.  Although, I do adore some pops of color every now and then, I do tend to go back to my comfort zone of black and white quite often!  Maybe it’s the New York in me.  I’m now back in my original size jeans (yay!) which called for a shopping celebration, and I scored this striped blouse at H&M while out.  The vintage locket I am wearing was a Christmas gift from my husband, and I’m absolutely in love with it.  There is a family photo of the three of us inside, with three other spaces to put photos when I want to add them.

Hope you will be hearing more from me in the coming weeks!  I am glad to be back in action.

XO,

Gina

Farewell 2013

I can’t believe it’s time to say farewell to 2013.  It’s been a crazy year, but also a really fun one.  I want to thank all of you for continuing to check out my posts every day.  Your comments and kind words definitely keep me coming back here to this little blog of mine.  Your favorite post was when I announced my husband and I were having a boy!  That little boy sure has changed our world.  You also liked my recipes for garden fresh tomato sauce and homemade pesto.  Who knew I could actually be crafty with my DIY Nursery Letters, which you all also seemed to enjoy.  And your favorite outfit post was this winter white number.

Now here is a little photo reminder of my trip to Maine, which is perfect for today’s celebrations.  I will most likely be in bed before the ball drops this year, because when you have a baby, you can’t stay up until midnight anymore.  Instead of drowning yourself in champagne and singing Auld Lang Syne while staring at the blurry fireworks…you sip some sparkling cider, cuddle your little one, put him to bed, and then climb into your own bed to catch up on sleep.  The difference in Brooklyn is that us parents postpone celebrations for a chic daytime party with other parents and babies in the neighborhood at the local bar (which I am looking forward to by the way).  So we will still be celebrating tomorrow, just during baby-friendly hours. 🙂

I am wishing you all the most wonderful New Year for 2014!

XO,

Gina

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