Blue & Yellow

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Took these photos back on Easter/Passover weekend when we were in Maryland visiting family. It was a GORGEOUS day outside allowing me to wear this sleeveless number without a jacket and fully enjoy the sunshine. Oh boy am I happy that spring is finally here!

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Dress: ModCloth (sold out, but similar here) / Boots: Target / Watch: Michael Kors – now on sale!

My little bump is starting to pop here in these photos at 19 weeks. I am now at 21 weeks today, and we will head to the doctor on Wednesday for our 2nd anatomy sonogram and to check in with my midwife to see how baby is progressing.  I always get so excited/nervous for these appointments!  I am feeling good and starting to feel baby’s movements so I’m hoping that this means we will be getting a good report!

We had a nice weekend and decided to enjoy the fabulous weather by taking a little family trip to the Bronx Zoo. Nico was in complete awe of the giant tigers and bears. We ended the day with a trip to Arthur Avenue for some delicious Italian fare. Nom nom nom.  Yesterday we headed to Long Island City in Queens for a 2nd birthday party, so I guess you could say we borough hopped around this weekend!

Today I got my PiYo Buns workout in this morning (buns are burning ya’ll!), and I am hunkered down working from home trying to stay out of the wind, cold, and rain. Hoping tomorrow will bring the sunshine back.  Happy Monday everyone! Let’s make it a great week!

XO,

Gina

{23} Lately…

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Lately I’ve been…

reading  The Happiness Project by Gretchin Rubin.  I am two chapters in, and I’m already thinking about what I could do to be happier.  I am totally with Gretchen in the fact that I am already happy…but I agree that there is no reason to not be the happiest you can possibly be.  So far, it’s been pretty thought provoking, and I’ve already thought about so many little changes I could make that would add up to a big difference.

writing  RSVP’s.  Wedding and baby shower season has officially begun.

listening  I’m guessing this will be the “song of the summer” – #SELFIE by the Chainsmokers

thinking  It will be strange to celebrate Easter without my Uncle this year…at the same time, I am excited to celebrate another 1st holiday for my little man, Nico.  Thoughts on painting Easter eggs vs. dyeing them this year?

smelling  Garlic and onions and a sweet smelling tomato sauce.  Mmm.

watching  Dallas Buyer’s Club.  So happy I finally got to see this Oscar Nominated film.  I can’t believe how far Mathew McConoughey has come in his career.  Bravo.

wishing  A Happy Birthday to my {might as well be} brother-in-law, Adam.  Hope you and your Mama had a great time celebrating yesterday!

hoping  That my child will learn to take a nap in his crib.  He’s starting to sit up in and grow out of the swing (I know, we were able to use this a lot longer than most, and it has served us well).  It’s starting to get to the point where he will only nap in the stroller, and that isn’t always an option!

wearing  Dresses!  It’s now warm enough that I don’t have to bundle in pants every day.  I love wearing free flowing dresses in the spring and summer seasons, and I am particularly loving these daytime dresses from Free People.

loving  The amazing weather that we had over the weekend!  We went on multiple walks, enjoyed the Brooklyn Smorgasbord, had a night out at the beer garden, and relished in the sunshine.  Nico also had his first adventure in a swings last weekend, which was a ton of fun!

laughing  At Nico’s current method of transportation.  After a few failed attempts at crawling, he has resorted to scooting while sitting up.  It’s hysterical.  

wanting  A pedicure.  It’s almost flip flop season people, and these puppies are not ready for open-toed shoes.

needing  To baby proof our apartment.  You don’t realize the potential dangers of your home until you have a little one almost on the move.  We ordered a few things from Amazon including thesethese, and these.  If anyone has any suggestions in this department, they are welcome!

feeling  Very behind at photo editing.  Between keeping up with work, a baby, this blog, mealtimes, and an attempted social life, my personal photos have been severely neglected.  I still have to edit our family Christmas photos and ones from Nico’s Baptism.  I keep setting time slots to do it, and something “more important” and time sensitive arrises.

craving  Coconut sorbet.  I have been cutting back a bit on dairy currently, because I think it might be having a slight impact on my babe’s digestion.  I tried out almond milk for the first time, which is surprisingly decent, and coconut sorbet has become my new best friend (because a girl has to satisfy that sweet tooth).

clicking  Over on the Merch website.  Love these stamped necklaces, and would love to get one that says “Ditmas Park.”

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What have you been up to lately?

Also, congratulations to readers, Rachel and Joyce!  You have each won a $35 credit to Stella & Dot jewelry for shopping the trunk show!  You have also won an additional piece at 50% off.  Check your e-mail later today for details.

Hope you all have a great week!

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.

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Easter Celebrations

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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:

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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:

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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

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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.)

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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

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{6} Lately…

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Lately I’ve been…

reading  Still reading Book 5 in the Harry Potter series…I can’t seem to stop falling asleep on the subway lately, which is cutting into my reading time.

writing  Been taking lots of notes in my photography class.  Weird to be using a notebook and a pen again.

listening  Of course the Maryland girl has to listen to a little country every now and then.  This song is a bit of a morbid love ballad by The Band Perry, and I can’t get enough of it.  Check out “Better Dig Two.”

thinking  About my spiritual self.  It seems this is the time of year that I tend to look inside my soul.  Today is Ash Wednesday (if you didn’t already notice from the photo above), which is the start of the Lenten season.  It makes me think about what I can do to be a better person, and what I can do to help others.

smelling  Citrus tea that my boss has been brewing daily in the office.

watching  Still on my “Race to the Oscars,” and I have seen all but two films now that have been nominated for Best Picture!  I have to say, there has not been one that I have disliked so far.  Last night was Lincoln to celebrate Lincoln’s Birthday.  It was a fantastic film, and I have a feeling it just might take gold at the Oscar’s.

wishing  My butt buddie, Erin, a speedy recovery as she is undergoing Lasik eye surgery today.  Love you Munchkin!

hoping  For warmer weather on the horizon.  I’m pretty much done with cold and snow.  Unfortunately, I do not think I am going to get my wish just yet…

wearing  My “Hi” “Bye” heart sweater with leggings and combat boots.

loving  The genius behind Oreo during the Super Bowl a couple weeks ago.  Did anyone see that Twitter ad during the blackout?  Pure genius.

laughing  At my husband and neighbors this past weekend as they attempted to invent a live version of “Frogger” with this Makey Makey invention kit.  Just picture a grown man with 4 children jumping up and down around the room Dance Dance Revolution style while listening to techno music.

wanting  The doctors to come to a diagnosis for my Uncle, so he can start getting the treatment he probably needs.  He has been at Hopkins for awhile now undergoing tons of tests.  Love you Uncle Johnny.

needing  Rest.  It’s been a busy couple of weeks.  While I love keeping myself busy most of the time, I am looking forward to a little downtime at some point.

feeling  Optimistic.  I will leave it at that.

craving  This shade of MAC lipstick – Rebel – Did you know MAC recycles?  If you return 6 empty MAC products, you can get a free lipstick!  I think I just may…yay!

clicking  I have been click click clicking away on my camera since I started my photography class a couple weeks ago.  So far, I have already learned a lot, and I am looking forward to learning even more.

What have you been up to lately?

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.

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