annapolis Archives - Popcorn and Pandas

Americana

Dress: Borrowed from Tommy Hilfiger / Clutch: Jonathan Adler via Navette (consignment) / Shoes: Sole Society / Sunglasses: ModCloth / Earrings: Stella & Dot (similar) / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelet: Baublebar / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

Nothing says July and summertime like a red, white, and blue Tommy Hilfiger maxi dress. Perfectly patriotic, this Americana cocktail dress was perfect for the July wedding we attended a couple weeks back. While it is not from the maternity section, the stretch of elastic around the middle of the empire waist allowed me to pull off this look at about 33 weeks pregnant. It can be tough to find wedding attire when you are in your third trimester, so thank goodness for good friends who work in fashion for allowing me a night to borrow this beauty!

I paired the dress with blue suede pumps that I received for my birthday a couple years back and this unique Jonathan Adler clutch I scored at the consignment shop, Navette, on a trip to Annapolis last fall.

We had a lovely evening at the outdoor ceremony and enjoyed dinner and dancing with friends while celebrating a beautiful couple at a stunning country club in Long Island. With a toddler at home and another babe on the way, we definitely do not take these nights out for granted, and we have come to appreciate them very much!

This past weekend, I celebrated my 31st Birthday with my boys getting in two awesome beach days, two yummy dinners, a movie, some shopping, and a little quality family relaxing time. Today I hit the 35th week of my pregnancy. Can’t believe how fast things are flying. Baby will be here before we know it!

Hope you all have a great week!

XO,

Gina

Plaid + (Faux) Fur

(Faux) Chinchilla Fur Jacket: Express (a couple years old, but similar here) / Plaid Button Up: Target (on sale!) / Denim: Rag & Bone / Booties: Target (on sale!) / Sunglasses: ModCloth / Bracelets: Tory Burch (similar), Stella & Sparkle / Watch: Michael Kors / Lip: Lancome Luxe

Call me crazy, but I absolutely adore the mix of plaid & fur right now! To me, it’s a perfect fall or winter look. I was gifted this amazing jacket for Christmas a couple years ago, and I recently scored this bright button up at Target. Mixed the two together, and boom. I all the sudden look a lot more put together than I really am. 😉

I wore this on a little trip to downtown Annapolis when we were visiting family and friends for the holidays. We started at Miss Shirley’s for breakfast. Let me tell you, if you are a Maryland local, and you have not yet been to Miss Shirley’s, you need to go there…like immediately. They have the best southern comfort food you could ever imagine. Proof here. From there, we headed down to walk around the gorgeous harbor, the historical homes, and popped into the amazing consignment shop, Navette. I found this shop through Instagram, ordered from them over the phone, and even met one of their amazing owners for coffee in NYC, yet I still hadn’t visited their store front until this day! I was very excited and delighted to see a bustling shop full of fantastic treasures and happy customers. Unfortunately, due to a toddler naptime meltdown, I had to cut my trip there short, but I didn’t leave without scoring this fabulous Jonathan Adler clutch.

I’m looking forward to returning to Maryland again for Christmas, but until then, I am enjoying the holiday spirit up here in NYC. Our tree is up, and we took Nico to see Santa last weekend. Much to my surprise, there were no tears! Yay! I love New York City at Christmastime. If you missed yesterday’s post about things to do in December, check it out here.

This week I have been working on my holiday cards (which is pretty difficult with a bum thumb), online shopping for gifts, and listening to Christmas music non-stop. Tonight, I am getting out of the house to go to a holiday party with a friend, and I’m really looking forward to it.

Hope you are all enjoying the season!

XO,

Gina

Maternity Photos By Misa*Me

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.

Hope you are all enjoying the week so far.

XO,

Gina

Veterans Day

271765_457932974229917_121548844_o — Photo Credit: Alexandra Chioini

Since today is the federal observance of Veterans Day, I am dedicating today’s post to all the servicemen and women that have fought so bravely to protect us and our freedom in this country. Growing up close to Annapolis near the Naval Academy, spotting a man in whites was pretty much the norm, but back in those days we were more focused on how hot they looked in their uniforms and not really the work they were doing to serve our country. Both of my grandfathers were vets, but they served well before I was born, and although I had heard a few stories, I still didn’t understand the full capacity of what it was like for them and their families. As I got older, I started to see friends my age going into the service. Classmates of mine, both men and women, graduated high school and went on to the Naval Academy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, the Air Force, and the Army. They were shipped across the world on many different missions across the globe, and some came back with stories you wouldn’t believe. Most of them came home safe and sound after deployment, but I do know a couple who were not as lucky. Hearing of these losses was extremely difficult, and I cannot even imagine what their families must have gone through. It takes an unbelievable amount of bravery and courage to join the service, and I have the utmost respect for these individuals. I want to thank all of you, especially my family and friends who I know personally. You are all truly heroes.

My cousin, Alexandra Chioini, is a graphic designer and military (almost) spouse who has recently started a new company called Welcome Home. She creates original, one-of-a-kind, handcrafted signs for military homecomings. Having been through a deployment period where her boyfriend was gone for 9 months, she has first hand knowledge of what it feels like to be left at home while your loved one is out in (who knows where) fighting for our freedom. It’s such a joyous day when the companies return to home base and reunite with their friends and families. A sign from Welcome Home is a wonderful way to tell your loved one that you missed them while they were away, their service is appreciated, and you are happy they made it home safely.

Check out these photos by Marisa Crider of Misa Me Photography from a military homecoming. God bless the Vets. And God bless America.

All photos (except for 1st one) courtesy of Misa Me Photography.

Homecoming signs created by Welcome Home.

Milk & Cookie

Here are a few photos from my cousin, Alex’s, bridal shower this past weekend. Alex and her fiance, Seamus, have been calling each other “Milk & Cookie” for quite some time now, and as you can see, we decided to take that theme and run with it for her shower! Each of the bridesmaids made a batch of cookies (or in my case brought down cookies from a Brooklyn bakery – a family favorite), and we created a little cookie bar where guests could take home some sweet treats.

The beautiful bride looking stunning in a dress from Forever 21! Rock it girl!

A gift from the in-laws! Also got her a “Gaelic & Garlic” tee. So funny!

It was a great day to see family and shower Alex with love. Isn’t she just the cutest?!?! She is going to make such a beautiful bride!

In other news…NYC is a mess. Insane amount of flooding, power outages, trees down, houses and cars destroyed, subways and tunnels down. It’s unreal. I am shocked at how much damage Hurricane Sandy has caused. I think a lot of us were hoping it would be similar to Irene, but this is way more intense. My husband and I have been very lucky. We are doing okay in Brooklyn. Luckily we are far enough inland that the flooding has not reached us, and we did not lose power. I am praying for family and friends in the area who were not as lucky. If anyone needs a place to stay and you can get here, you are more than welcome. Stay safe everyone.

Love,

Gina