And the indoor concerts were just as fab – these are the Brass-aholics at Blue Nile on Frenchman Street / You’ll also want to check out the Spotted Cat, Maison, Cafe Negril, Vaso, dba, and Three Muses. You can pretty much just walk along and pop in when you hear something you like!
Fabulous dinner at Upperline with friends Uptown – everything from the adorable owner, incredible food, art on the walls and wonderful service made this experience perfect
Is it bad that I hung out with gators, and then ate gators? This and an entire menu of amazingness at Cochon in the CBD
Oh how I miss these adorable houses! I wish I had documented even more of our trip. We got a tour through the beautiful Garden District, uptown, and the area near Tulane and Loyola of New Orleans (where I went my first time to Nola). It was so nice to have such great friends to hang out with and show us around, and we also made sure to enjoy some alone time together. We walked down Royal St. checking out all of the art galleries along the way. I could have spent a week or more there just exploring…although I must admit, I was a little tired after running around for only three days! Haha.
Hanging out with my little guy today. Heading to story time and then maybe the grocery store. I have missed him!
*Just a note on this photo. My boys spent the day together at the grocery store on Sunday so I could get some work done. I received this text message while they were gone! Nothing better than knowing my baby is happy and smiling while he is away from me 🙂 Okay, now onto the rest of the post…
Lately I’ve been…
readingThe Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. Great for any entrepreneur or entrepreneur in the making.
writing Down my goals for 2015.1) Get fit and stay healthy. 2) Start a successful business as a Beachbody Fitness Coach. What’s this, you ask? We basically motivate and help others achieve their fitness goals. Happy to share more information with whoever is interested. Please feel free to e-mail or message me! 3) Travel more. So far I have been keeping up with my workouts and doing my best to motivate the challengers I have in my groups thus far. I also have a trip to Tulum, Mexico on the books, so here we go 2015! Bring it on!
listening I’m still singing Christmas music in my head. Is that weird?
thinking As I sit here in my neighborhood cafe working, I have run into three moms I know, and I am so grateful to have such a wonderful community here.
smelling Not much right now. It seems my cold has returned and I’m currently stuffy and drinking loads of hot tea.
watchingMaleficent. As an avid Disney fan, this was a must see for me! I was very much impressed with the animation and graphics, and I enjoyed the switch on the storyline from the traditional Sleeping Beauty! It reminded me of the show Wicked in that regard.
wishing Upon a star.
hoping For warmer weather. Oh wait, it’s only January…sigh.
wearing My new Panda sweater. Unfortunately this one is sold out, but this vintage sweater from the 80’s is pretty darn amazing. I’m also wearing a heavy scarf, because this coffee shop I’m in is FREEZING.
loving My new snow boots from my mother-in-law. Thank God for them, because I have already needed to wear them twice this year.
laughing At these doorbell notes from Moms. I can’t believe I haven’t resorted to one of these notes yet! This is real life!
wanting A massage. These workouts are no joke!
needing To go through photos from Nico’s first year and pull out his monthly chair photos to put in a frame. This has been on my to-do list since he turned 1 (he’s now 16.5 months old), and I still haven’t gotten to it. This week is the week!
feeling Sick at the moment. And a bit tired. But happy I still got my workout in this morning.
craving Caffeine.
clicking Through photos of Tulum, Mexico and dreaming of our paradise vacation that is only 43 days away.
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What have you been up to lately?
XO,
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.
Tucson. Beautiful Tucson. The boys and I flew out to Arizona back in November to celebrate the wedding of my pen pal (yes you heard that right), Angela to her sweetheart, Leon. We visited them in May 2013 while I was pregnant, back before they were even engaged, and we had the most amazing time out there exploring and meeting her family. We were so happy to return as a family of three and celebrate their wonderful union together.
It was a magical night in the Tucson desert. The sunset was absolutely unreal out there. The flowers were stunning of course, as Angela and her sister are both floral designers. I loved the artistic touches Angela included, especially the four wedding dresses she pulled from the parents and grandparents of her and Leon. These dresses were hung from trees that lined her walk down the aisle. Sigh.
Aside from the beautiful decor and scenery, the wedding was full of fantastic people. Coming from across the country, we didn’t know many of the guests but both Angela and Leon’s family and friends were so completely welcoming and friendly. They were also lots of fun, and we joined them on the dance floor for much of the night. Kids were able to run around in the outdoor space, and I think our little Nico actually learned how to really walk here.
It was a beautiful night, and I am so happy for Angela and Leon. Thanks for letting us be a part of your celebration. Love you both!
Beautiful, huh?
Fast forward to present day: Yesterday marked the first Day of P90X for me. As you can probably imagine, I am in an incredible amount of pain! But no pain, no gain right? Day 2 (today) I woke up early to do plyometrics. I was actually enjoying the workout, but started to feel sick and queasy about half way in. Now, I know I’m not pregnant, so I guess this is a sign I am out of shape! I started having flashbacks of high school basketball tryouts where there were trashcans lined up around the gym “just in case.” Yikes. I decided to listen to my body, and stop the workout at the moment. It’s only Day 2, and I have a long journey. I do plan on completing the second half of the workout later today when I have a bit more energy. Oh the curveballs!
Other than that, we have SNOW today up in the Big Apple! Unfortunately, since Nico and I have been sick, I think we will be enjoying the snow through the window today, but at least it’s pretty!
Hope you are all having a great week and a great start to the new year!
Before skipping town for the holidays, we made our way to Dyker Heights, Brooklyn to check out their stunning Christmas Lights display. We found a spot to park and had a fantastic night walking around the blocks to check out the all festive houses. They were completely decked out with strings of lights, humongous wreaths, multiple blow up characters, reindeer, and toy soldiers. We saw nativity scenes, dancing ballerinas, a giant Santa Claus, and even two carousels! One house was selling hot chocolate for charity, and that ended our night with a sweet twist. Dyker Heights has the most stunning display of lights I have ever seen in one neighborhood. I definitely plan on returning for future holiday seasons, and I would love to bring some out-of-town visitors here to check out the scene.
We had a lovely time on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family and the day after Christmas with my husband’s family. It was so much fun to see Nico get excited about opening his gifts this year. He was very much into the wrapping paper, and wanted to play with every single toy or book he opened right away. Simply magical!
We are spending another week in Maryland catching up with more family and friends. Last night we went out to celebrate a friend’s 30th Birthday, and we are planning on spending New Year’s Eve in Baltimore. It’s kind of nice to have free babysitting! 😉 Not to mention, we love that Nico is getting so much quality time with his grandparents and family.
Hope you all had a great holiday, and wishing you the best for the new year!
readingJust started The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, and so far it has my attention.
writing I have been writing a ton lately. A few opportunities have arisen lately in the writing world, and it’s all very exciting! I’m not quite ready to share yet, but keep a look out in the next month!
listening Love this song, Stay, by tyDi featuring Dia Frampton (Frank Pole Remix)
thinking We had a lovely Friendsgiving dinner at our house the other night. We decided to do a sit down and all write things we are thankful for about each other. We also had a new addition to the crew this year as my friend brought her newborn baby. I am very thankful for my NYC Upper East side loves.
smelling (and eating) lots of pumpkin pie! Mmmm.
watching The hubby and I watched 12 Years A Slave over the weekend. It was an incredible film, and also extremely heartbreaking. I was pretty much in tears the entire time.
wishing Everyone safe travels and a Happy Thanksgiving!
hoping That all my little soccer students enjoyed our session! We had our last class of the season yesterday. It was a lot of fun, and it was definitely a learning experience coaching such young children (ages 2-5) !
wearing Lots of plaid and aztec prints this fall.
loving At how quickly Nico is picking up new words. He is like a little parrot right now just copying everything we say. It’s super adorable, but I realize I also need to start watching my potty mouth!
wanting To find some time to edit my personal photos. I am super back-logged! Maybe I will get a chance over the break, although that is probably wishful thinking.
needing To get packing. We are heading back to Maryland for the holiday, and excited to see family and friends.
feeling Motivated.
craving What else? Thankgiving food. Turkey, stuffing, corn, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. All the essentials.
clicking Through family photos to try and pick one for the holiday card this year.
*
What have you been up to lately?
Hope you all enjoy the holiday week!
XO,
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.
Dress: ModCloth (now on sale!) / Shoes: Sole Society (similar) / Sunnies: ModCloth / Earrings: Gifted / Clutch: Old (can’t remember!) / Bracelets: Gifted and Baublebar / Lip: MAC Rebel mixed Up the Amp / Eyes: Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Liner in Radium, Sonia Kashuk Eye on Neutral Limited Edition Palette (I cannot find this anymore, but you can buy the matte and the shimmer separately, which is basically the same thing!)
I had been dying for an opportunity to wear this fancy dress, and I figured a wedding in sunny Arizona was the perfect place! Oh how I am missing that warmth right now. We are freezing over here in New York. Tucson is just such a beautiful place, and this backdrop was so gorgeous, we had to stop along the side of the road for some snaps before the wedding. The wedding photos are gorgeous as well, and I’m excited to share those at a later date. Although it was a quick trip, we had an amazing time eating delicious authentic Mexican tacos, celebrating a wonderful couple, and soaking in the sunshine.
Since becoming a mom, I sometimes feel that I have neglected to be a very good friend. I have always been the person who remembered every single birthday of friends and family members. I remembered to call. I remembered to go out of my way to do something nice on an important day for them. Nowadays, I am lucky if I even know what day it is, let alone that there is something special going on that day. I love my friends and want them to know that I still love them. I know being a mommy is not an excuse to forget about my friends, and I hope they know that I do still think about them often, even if I don’t always remember to call.
One particular instance of me being a bad friend…my bestie from high school called me up one night when I was particularly exhausted from lack of sleep. I felt bad for not answering, but I just didn’t have the energy to have the catch up session that we needed. The next day, she called again when I was in the middle of watching both my son and another child at the same time for the first day. I figured since she called again, that it was important, but again it was just a bad time. I answered, but immediately said, “Hey, can I call you back. I’m watching two babies and it’s a little insane.” She said “ok” but sounded like she really wanted to talk, so I said, “What’s up?” and she follows with “I’M ENGAGED!!!”
Oh. Em. Gee!!! No wonder she was calling so much! And here I am blowing her off, because I’m too crazy and tired on one of the most important days of her life! What a jerk! I said, “Congratulations, and I will definitely call you back later to hear the story.” To which I did follow through. Upon calling her back, she says, “Did you remember today is also my birthday?”F@#$!!!!!! Ok, I am officially the worst. friend. EVER. I knew her birthday was coming up, but when the actual day arrived, I didn’t even know the date. I felt AWFUL.
Luckily, she is an amazing person and has forgiven me. And I know gift giving totally doesn’t erase the fact that I am a nincompoop. HOWEVER! It’s cannot hurt, and I totally owe her one. So I have spent a lot of time trying to come up with some creative engagement gifts to send her way, and here are some of the ideas that have crossed my mind:
Wedding Planning Basket: As a new bride-to-be, it can be really exciting to think about planning your wedding, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. A wedding planning basket will give them a little boost to get started and fill them with ideas and organization tips. Include bridal magazines, a planner, pen, thank you card, ideas for local vendors, to-do list with typical budgets, wedding-themed movies to put them in the wedding planning mood, and more.
Personalized Champagne Glasses: Nothing says celebrate like champagne! I love the idea of personalized champagne glasses with the names of the couple and the date of their wedding. They can use them for the big toast on their wedding day, and toast again with them year after year on their anniversary. Include a nice bottle of champagne for the win.
Take Them Out/Send them Out: Take them out for a night on the town, a nice dinner, or a fun activity you know they will enjoy to celebrate the new journey they will take together. You could also get them a gift certificate to send them on their own adventure together. A couples massage to relax before their big day would be one of my favorites to suggest!
Create a Slide Show: Gather photos from friends and family members to compile an adorable slide show for the future bride and groom. The thought and effort put into the project will mean the world to the engaged couple. You can include photos from their childhood with family and friend or include photos of solely the couple themselves on their many adventures together. The slide show can be used at an engagement party, bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, etc.
Photography Session: Speaking of photos, a professional engagement photography session could be an amazing gift for a couple. With all the insane amount of expenses that come along with planning a wedding, a couple might not have it in their budget to include an engagement session as well. The photos could be used for their future “save the dates,” thank you cards, at the wedding, or framed and hung in their home.
Personalized Art Work: My husband and I received a piece of art work for our wedding, and we still have it hanging in our home. Something sweet to hang as a reminder of their special day will always be appreciated. I really enjoy this simple Happily Ever After piece from Etsy. Artwork is also not limited to the wall! A personalized platter, ring holder, pillow, or anything else for the home could be a great gift and beautiful reminder of their special day.
Wine Box: If the engaged couple is into wine, a wine box could be a really fun idea. Choose about 6 bottles of wine or so and label them with tags for different milestones that they will reach in their lives (First Anniversary, 10th Anniversary, First Home, First Christmas, etc.) Make sure to ask someone at the wine store for advice as they may be able to suggest wines that age well. You could also include a bottle of sparkling cider to toast their First Child. If they have a different drink of choice, you could do a similar box filled with beer, mini liquor bottles, or something else that would interest them.
Personalized Greeting Card: Sometimes it’s the simple things that mean the most. A personalized greeting card is an inexpensive, yet thoughtful way to let someone know you are happy for them. I absolutely love the greeting card options available at Treat. They have lovely designs, deliver right to the recipient’s door, and they can also include photos or a gift card inside if you wish.
I cannot divulge what option I ultimately decided on because said friend might be reading this post, and I haven’t presented her with my gift yet. 😉 Hopefully one of these ideas will speak to you. I know I will definitely be returning to this list for future friend’s engagements.
Hope you all had a great weekend. I have a short week here in New York, before I head off to my longtime friend and pen-pal’s wedding in Arizona! I haven’t seen her since our Tucson reunion last year, so I am very much excited to see her and her awesome fiancé tie the knot!
Since Nico was born on Labor Day Weekend of last year, we decided to throw a little nautical themed bash to round out the summer. The hubby and I spent the week prior crafting some decorations for the event, and I think they turned out nicely. To create letters like the ONE shown above, check out my tutorial on the letters I created for Nico’s nursery.
My parents, sister, and her boyfriend came up from Maryland, close friends in NY arrived, and Nico had his little buddies to hang with and jam out to the Munchkin Music Club sing-a-long. I decided I did not want to spend the entire day in the kitchen, so we had the event catered by Fairway, and they did a phenomenal job. I think we may have overdone it a bit…just a little bit…as we had food leftover for the entire week and then some. The fabulous cake from Betty Bakery tasted just as good as it looked! We appreciate everyone who came out to celebrate, and we hope you all had a great time!
Hey friends! Well, I wasn’t planning on being completely M.I.A. last week over here, but as it turns out our beach house in the OBX lacked wifi. I’m sure I could have scooted over to a coffee shop of sorts, but instead I decided to enjoy the free time I had with family, and tried to relax as much as possible. As much as you are able to with an (almost) one year old child in tow and thirty family members to catch up with. Nico was a hit with the family and he made sure to show them all of his latest “tricks.” What a little charmer he is. The exception to this charm is that our dinner dates with the little guy might be put on pause for awhile. The scene that entailed was definitely anything but. Breakfast dates, however, are still a go. We had a lovely one on the Nags Head Pier watching the waves crash onto the shore. Nico loved the beach as usual, and we took him up to Jockey’s Ridge to check out the famous sand dunes. Overall, it was a really nice get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Onto these photos of this beautiful wedding from earlier this summer. Our dear friends Joe and Colette look ravishing and totally in love. They were smiling from ear to ear the entire day. The magic took place in Rock Hall, Maryland (beautiful and totally under the radar), and it also marked our first full weekend away from the little guy. He was in good hands with his aunt/godmother, and we actually got to sleep in for once, which was kind of amazing. We had a lovely weekend with friends, and looking back at these photos makes me want to plan another weekend with this crew soon.
Missing my vacation already, but a small part of me is glad to be home in Brooklyn.
We spent Memorial Day Weekend up in New Hampshire near the Wolfeboro area and Lake Winniepesaukee. While it was rainy and cold a lot of the time, we did manage to get some sunshine and some great hikes in. We stayed on Lower Beech Pond overlooking the water in a fantastic lake house with good friends. We drank wine, cooked delicious meals together, played games, explored the town of Wolfeboro, and took in some stunning views. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen a lot of these, but here are a few snaps from our trip.
Nico reading a story at the lake house with my bestie, Erin
Some other places we visited that aren’t photographed here:
1. El Centenario: Delicious Mexican fare – We loved the fresh homemade chips and salsa, chile relleno, and chicken enchiladas they had to offer. The staff was very friendly, and we would definitely go back here.
2. Downtown Grille: We came here for coffee and enjoyed their lattes so much, we came back again on the way to drop our friends off at the airport! I enjoyed both the Blueberry Cobbler latte and the Milky Way. Yum! If we go back, I would like to try their breakfast as well.
3. Sandy Martin Art Gallery: We had a lovely conversation with owner and artist, Sandy. She is an extremely talented artist in multiple mediums including oil paints, watercolors, photography, & more. She loves music and hosts parties within the gallery featuring local musicians on the in-house piano and guitar. She also knows all the town gossip and Jimmy’s Fallon’s whereabouts when he comes to town. Definitely a nice stop in!
4. Sprout’s: Featuring lots of children’s toys, clothing, and gifts.
5. Details: Great little boutique stop for gifts and accessories. Also have an adorable dress selection. I walked away with a dainty little flower crown that I love!
6. Jake’s Seafood: Enjoyed steamers, haddock, chowder, and lots of other yummy seafood here! Outdoor seating is nice as well.
7. Castle in the Clouds: A beautiful stop with a beautiful view. It was rainy and we were hungry, so we didn’t end up doing the tour, but we did have some lunch (I had a lobster roll…drool!) at the Carriage House.
We had such a great time on our trip, despite the inclement weather. I’m glad we were able to get two great days of hiking in, but I think next summer if we go back to New England, we will try for the 4th of July weekend again so it will be warm enough to jump in that lake!
