adventures Archives - Page 19 of 29

Spring Has Sprung {Guilty Jean Series #1}

Here is the first outfit post from my Guilty Jean series, and this is one of my favorite looks of the bunch. The weather was gorgeous for the first time this spring, and I was clearly loving it! This look is girly, flirty, and fun, but definitely has a bit of edge as well. When I found this dress and floral crown, I immediately couldn’t wait to add my Guilty Jean jewelry to complete the look. I love how the skull and bow necklace sits at the perfect length, and the pop of turquoise on the bracelet is a perfect compliment to the pink and black color palette. Spring has finally sprung!

Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Dress: Hot Topic (on sale!) / Jacket: Macy’s / Shoes: Betsey Johnson / Pretty Little Evil Necklace: c/o Guilty Jean (on sale!) / Turquoise Bracelet: c/o Guilty Jean (on sale!) / Skull and Cross Bracelet: c/o Guilty Jean (on sale!) / Ring: Forever 21 / Floral Crown: Urban Outfitters / Eyes: Make Up Forever – Lid: No 26 Fuchsia – Crease: No 58 Dark Raspberry – Brow: No 303 Diamond Pink / Lip: Mix of MAC Candy Yum-Yum and Lancome Fuchsia Clutch / Nails: Essie Smokin’ Hot

Of course, now that I am back in New York, I am feeling much chillier temps this week. I am eager for that sunny, warm weather I experienced in Maryland this past weekend! Come back to me!

This week has been a bit busy with unpacking, eating Easter leftovers, a girl’s night, and tonight I have photography class. Hope you are all having a good week so far!

XO,

Gina

Introducing Guilty Jean

They’re a little bit girly…a little bit rugged…a little bit dark…a little bit spiritual…and a little bit rock and roll. They are…Guilty Jean! The phenomenal jewelry collaboration by artists Nicole Rivera and Maria Vaspasiano is a personal favorite of mine. Connecticut born and New York City based, these two ladies handcraft each piece of jewelry in their collection. They are extremely talented individuals with a passion for fashion and a love of all things edgy. I was so excited when Nicole and Maria surprised me with these fabulous pieces from their “Sinner & Saint Collection,” and I could not wait to style them. This line has an element of gothic punk mixed with spirituality. It’s flirty, yet edgy at the same time. I love the mix of skulls with religious symbols and bows. If you know designers Nicole and Maria in person, you know this line totally fits their personality. Take a look at some of my favorites from the collection below. I know you will love it just as much as I do!

IMG_7146v2 — Guilty Jean provides detailed write-ups in their packaging about the materials they use to handcraft your jewels.

Stay tuned this week and next for some upcoming posts on how I decided to style this amazing jewelry line. In the meantime, stop by Guilty Jean’s website to browse some of their other pieces. Both the “Sinner & Saint” and “Rockstar Buddha” lines are currently 20% off all designs. And you’ll definitely want to check out their new 2013 Spring/Summer collection called “Love, Gypsy.”

Gentlemen, don’t feel left out! They also have a men’s line which is equally amazing.

Enjoy, and hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!

XO,

Gina

Easter Celebrations

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend! The hubby and I went down to Maryland to spend Easter with the family, and as you can see from these photos, there were a lot of sweets involved. Yes, my Mom even made us Easter Baskets. Never too old for Peeps right? We also celebrated my Granny’s 92nd Birthday and my Uncle’s 58th since we were all together. We feasted on BBQ chicken, filet mignon, potatoes, baked beans, salad, spinach artichoke dip, pasta salad, deviled eggs, and more. I was stuffed to the brim before having to drive back to the Big Apple. And what a drive that was. 6 1/2 grueling hours of traffic. Much different than our 4 hour drive down. Feeling pretty exhausted today, and can’t wait to get some and catch up on some Zzz’s.

It was great seeing some friends and family this weekend, and I also had time for a photo shoot featuring Guilty Jean jewelry. I cannot wait to share these! Stay tuned this week.

XO,

Gina

Easter Favorites

In celebration of Easter this weekend, I wanted to share some of my favorite things about the holiday.

1. Dyeing Eggs:

Nothing like the old school dye tablets in the vinegar. My family has been dyeing our eggs with Paas since before I can remember.

2. Peeps

My absolute favorite Easter Basket treat. My trick for getting them to stay softer longer is to keep them in a ziplock bag. Of course, you can always pop them in the microwave to warm them up. Just make sure it’s only for a few seconds or else they blow up! Oh yeah, and the chicks are my favorite.

marshmallow_peeps — Photo Credit: The New Forty blog

3. Potato Salad

This dish is served at our Easter table every year, and it’s something I look forward to. It’s simple, yet delicious! Here is a recipe I found on Pinterest from Key Ingredient that is most similar to the one we use. This one only serves 4, so you’ll have to pump it up if you have a large gathering!

4. Floral Dresses

My sister and I used to get dressed up in the most frilly floral dresses for church every Easter. Although some years it’s tough because of chilly weather, I still love to put on a floral or spring-like dress to celebrate the occasion. Here is a gorgeous vintage style floral dress I discovered on ModCloth:

5. Pastel Polish

Easter is the perfect time to switch up your polish from darker hues to pastels. Essie is my favorite nail polish brand, and here is their Spring 2013 Collection for sale at Kohl’s:

What are your Easter and holiday favorites? Would love to hear what you have to share.

Wishing everyone a Happy Friday and a Happy Easter this weekend! For those celebrating Passover, I hope you are having a great holiday as well.

XO,

Gina

Saturday at the Market

This past weekend, we had a wonderful visit from the in-laws, and we decided to take them to the Union Square Greenmarket on Saturday. If you have never been to the Greenmarket, you should definitely make the trip. There are fresh, local, organic fruits and vegetables galore, potted plants and herbs, flowers, local cheeses, meats, fresh pastas, honey, pies, candles, yarn products, and so much more. Your mouth is watering the entire time you are there, and I felt like I had a bit of an attention problem, because my eyes were constantly being taken in different directions. It’s hard to focus on any one thing, because there is something else amazing in the booth next door! We had a great time walking around there, and we continued our day by taking my in-laws to the famous hot-spots Russ and Daughters and Katz’s Delicatessen. They really enjoyed the day, and we headed back to Brooklyn afterward where we all fell into a food coma (i.e. a two hour nap.)

We had a really great weekend spending time with family. We hadn’t seen them since the holidays, so it was a lot of fun getting together. We are also getting excited for this upcoming weekend as well where we will see my side of the family for Easter in Maryland.

I want to wish everyone celebrating this week a Happy Passover!

Also, Happy 92nd Birthday to my Granny today! She is the sweetest most amazing lady!

Have a great week everyone.

XO,

Gina

Spring Greening

MOTO Denim Shorts: Topshop / Tory Burch Burlap Sandals: L’Inde Le Palais / James Jeans Skinny Jeans (on sale!): The Outnet / Robert Chiarella Emerald Envy Earrings: Max and Chloe / Prabal Gurung Racerback Tank: Target / Ray-Ban Rubberized Wayfarer Sunnies: Bloomingdales / Nettie Silk Lace Up Dress : Calypso St. Barth / Pantone Emerald Candle: Occa-Home / Jessica Simpson Suede Pumps: Piperlime / Sergio Rossi Leather Clutch: StyleBop / Kempner Bracelet: BaubleBar / OPI Go On Green – Nelly

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According to Pantone, Emerald is the color of the year. In celebration of both St. Patrick’s Day and the first day of Spring this week, I thought green would be a fantastic color to feature. Although it’s still freezing cold outside in New York City, I am hopeful for some upcoming warm weather. I’m looking forward to seeing all the green sprout up in the parks, on the trees, and all the flowers blooming. I am also looking forward to putting away my winter coats for the season, and breaking out some new Spring attire. If we could only get these snow flurries to calm down!

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What article of clothing are you just dying to pull out of the closet and rock this Spring?

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Happy Thursday!

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XO,

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Gina

{8} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading Just finished Belong to Me by Marisa de Santos. Now I’m reading Love Walked In by the same author. Someone should have told me I should have reversed that reading order. Oh well.

writing Bills Bills Bills. Yes, I still do most of mine by hand. Call me old-fashioned.

listening The Sound of Music station on Pandora. Complete with musical ensembles from Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, and many more Disney and show tune favorites. So guilty, yet so not ashamed.

thinking About my upcoming girl’s night tonight! Yay for friends and Mexican food!

smelling Juicy Couture Eau de Parfum

watching My favorite restaurant in the Outer Banks, NC, Tortuga’s Lie was featured on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives last night! My cousin’s uncle (Richard Welch) is a chef and owner, and my cousin worked there for years. It’s amazing, and Guy Fieri gave Tortuga’s rave reviews for their Jerk Chicken and Pork Antonio. I’m so proud of them!

wishing For warmer weather. Snow be gone! It’s time for Spring now.

hoping For a good doctor’s report tomorrow.

wearing This photo is from over the weekend pre-shopping trip, but today I am wearing…jeans, J. Crew navy and white polka dot button down, cream and navy striped GAP sweater w/ red bow over top, Steve Madden boots, and some fun baubles.

loving The fact that my tax documents have already been organized and shipped out to my accountant, and I can let her take over from here. Totally worth the money to not have to do them myself.

laughing We watched a few documentaries over the weekend on Vice.com, and stumbled across this genre of music called Turbofolk in Serbia. Serbian pop star, Goga Sekulic came out with this hit “Seksi Bizinesmen” (note the spelling) and we couldn’t not stop cracking up at how serious they were while performing this video. Is that a fox on her shoulder? The worst part is that after to listening to this song three times, I am starting to think it’s kinda catchy.

wanting Warm weather. Did I say that already??? Well let me just reiterate…spring cannot come soon enough.

needing Before this weekend I was needing pants that fit! I am now satisfied, and banning myself from shopping until spring is over since I went a bit crazy. We’ll see how long that lasts.

feeling A bit more energized, and a lot less nausea than the past few weeks.

craving Family time. I haven’t seen the fam since the holidays, so I am looking forward to my in-laws visiting this weekend, and also looking forward to seeing my side of the family on Easter weekend. It’s been too long!

clicking Through baby toys. What does one get a 1 year old for their 1st birthday? I’m new at this baby thing, folks!

What have you been up to lately?

Happy Tuesday!

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.

Kiss Me I’m Irish!

Hope everyone had a HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!!! Being half Irish, this holiday always means a bit more to me than the typical American “let’s get wasted” mentality. I make sure to call my off-the-boat Irish Granny to wish her a great day as well as my mother, sister, aunt, and uncle. I dream of my roots, and wish to someday actually visit Ireland. Of course, I also usually take part in the fun festivities as well, but obviously this year was a bit low key! This weekend, I ended up going to church instead of the bar, hung out with my guy and some friends, went shopping for new clothes (that fit–yay!), and of course, still sported some green in my attire. It was a nice switch up to St. Paddy’s Day this year.

In addition, my photography class assignment this week was to do self-portraits. Ahhh!!! Scary! Definitely out of my comfort zone, but it was good for me to actually take my tripod out of the box and learn how to set it up. I decided why not use this as an opportunity to learn how to take my own blog outfit photos if I get in a crunch or the hubby is unavailable. I was limited in my ability in the sense that I could only do the landscape set up (as opposed to the long-ways portrait set up) with the tripod. It was also difficult to focus the lens without having anything to focus on, so I had my hubby stand in for me while I focused, and then I mind-marked the position he was standing so I knew where to go. Trust there was a lot of trial and error, blurry shots, etc. But I eventually ended up with a few shots that I was satisfied with. Of course, you are your own biggest critic. To be the subject AND the photographer at the same time was something very new and different for me. However, I am glad I was presented with this challenge as it ended up making me more confident in my abilities.

Top: ZARA / Skinny Jeans: Motherhood Maternity / Boots: Steve Madden / Watch: Michael Kors / Claddagh Ring (Irish Ring): gift – similar / Madonna Necklace: gift / Shamrock: Wedding Gift – here / Pearls: gift – similar / Lip: Lancome Luxe

Let me tell you…I think ALL jeans should be made like prego jeans…they are ridiculously comfortable!!! Haha.

Anyway, hope you all had a great weekend, and wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

XO,

Gina

Happy Bump Day

Surprise! Happy Bump Day!

Zack and I are so excited to announce that we have a Little Monkey on the way, expected to arrive on or around September 10th of this year. 🙂

Here is a photo from my 13 week sono. I am now at 14 weeks, and happy to be in the second trimester. It’s amazing how much detail you can see, and I cannot believe there is a tiny little human growing inside me!

Little Monkey is so photogenic already. He/She even waved for the camera! (either that or L.M. was still fist pumping from the Swedish House Mafia concert…or sucking his/her thumb?) I’m going with L.M. was saying “Hello” and “Happy Birthday” to Dad last week.

It’s been a bit of a crazy adventure so far, and we are both looking forward to what lies ahead…specifically this weekend, I’m thinking my wardrobe needs an update of clothes that actually fit…

Happy Bump Day!

XO,

Gina

#44 Eat a Mangosteen

Saturday March 9, 2013

Have you ever heard of a mangosteen? Being a lover of all things fruit, this item made it to my great adventures list as something I just had to try. I had heard that it was the best fruit in the entire world, and it was super expensive and rare in the United States. This fruit comes from a tropical evergreen tree mostly found in Southeast Asia and in some South American countries. I hadn’t “googled” the fruit in awhile, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect it to look like or taste like when my husband brought a bunch home for us to eat on Saturday. He had been out exploring in Chinatown after his class, and stumbled across this rare fruit at a decent price (although still not cheap!) I think $8 a pound. When mangosteens first arrived in the US, they were sold for $43 a pound! So I’m thinking relatively here. Of course I had to photograph the little buggers, which kind of look like acorns from the outside. The edible inside part tasted sweet and tangy, juicy, and fibrous. The flavors were a bit like a type of small orange, and nothing like a mango. There wasn’t much meat on the fruit, and although it was indeed tasty, there is no way I am claiming this as the best fruit in the world. That being said, I am excited that I was able to try such a rare find in the U.S. I would definitely eat it again, although maybe next time I would wait to travel to Southeast Asia instead of paying $8 a pound.

Have you ever tried a mangosteen? If so, what did you think?

Hope everyone is having a good week so far.

XO,

Gina