My Aunt Marie, My sister on the left, and that’s me on the right – My sister and I are two years and three days apart, and we’ve been celebrating our birthdays together our whole lives. Love you little sis!
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twenty eight: a reflection
twenty eight
you’ve been great
so much has happened
from the past year to date
it started with
a new camera to shoot
a photography class
to give this blog a boost
went to the obx
on family vacay
relaxed on the beach
all worries kept at bay
katie’s oc bach
was a ton of fun
laughing and dancing
til up came the sun
summer days at ft. tilden
with erin and rai
summer nights in dewey
to celebrate labor day
this year brought us very
many weddings galore
most of them being
near baltimore
there was one in boston
during a crazy manhunt
another in montauk
on the gorgeous waterfront
a ten year reunion
for my high school class
can’t believe
how much time has passed
a trip to a.c.
for a bachelorette
dinner and dancing
complete with roulette
brunches and bar crawls
in the n-y-c
pollard potluck had
their 5th anniversary
nights in new york
during santa con
thanksgiving and christmas
had lots of family to bond
we went through some struggle
went through some strife
when we lost our little peanut
it cut like a knife
we tried to stay strong
and looked up above
for some courage and guidance
and we got through with love
next came a photo shoot
with blue balloons
a new baby coming
for us all to swoon
we call him little monkey
our pride and joy
we can’t wait to meet
our sweet little boy
my fav blondes came to visit
new york in the spring
we walked on the high line
and of course went shopping
arizona adventures
brought me to tucson
hung out with my pen pal
hiked in phoenix at dawn
prescott, sedona,
and the grand canyon too
are all the great places
that we got to view
after over ten years
our huge fam got together
with over one hundred kin
and some beautiful weather
a father’s day feast
with the notes clan one day
gathered instruments together
and a concert we played
the fourth of july
brought us to maine
the lake house was awesome
and the lobster insane
this year has been wonderful
twenty eight has been sweet
but this year is now over
and we cannot repeat
twenty nine is stepping in
so let’s have some cake
celebrate, cheer, and sing
for the new memories we’ll make!
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Can’t believe another whole year has passed by, and boom I’m in my last year of my twenties. Time really does fly by. Twenty eight was awesome, and I am really looking forward to embarking on so many more of life’s adventures in year twenty nine. Thank you so much for all of the wonderful wishes I have received thus far!
I would also like to say a special early “Happy Birthday” to my little sis, Angela, who is also celebrating her birthday this weekend. We are lucky to have our birthdays so close, and we have always been able to celebrate together from either near or far. Love you Pooks!
Hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a fabulous weekend ahead!
Red’s Eats – Best Lobster Roll in MaineAnd here you have it…amazingAt the top of Mt. Battie in CamdenMaine blueberriesThe cute little town of CamdenWe ate ice cream everywhere…Blueberry pancakes with fresh fruit and blueberry syrup thanks to the homeowners of the lake house we stayed atThe view from our bedroom…breathtakingPretty much ate blueberry everything…also the popovers here were fantastic!Me and my Munchkin at Jordan PondJust chillin’ at Branch LakeA little Fourth of July manicure – Essie Forever Yummy and Set in StoneGorgeous sunrise on the lakeHappy Independence Day in Bar Harbor!Homemade blueberry pie from Gale…found her through a local inside tip!30 weeks pregnant smoochin’ my honey – this photo by Rai Pollard
Wow!! What a trip! Well, here is your first sneak peak into our Maine adventures! While I took many photos with my “real” camera on the trip, sometimes it is just easier to run around with your iPhone instead of lugging around the big heavy camera all the time. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen some of these photos, but you may want to read on if you plan on visiting Maine. If you haven’t planned on it, you should still read on, and you may want to afterward!
We picked up our friends Erin and Rai from the airport in Boston on Tuesday morning and started our journey to Maine. Along the way to our lake house in Elsworth, we decided to take the longer scenic route through Camden, a town we had visited for a wedding a few years prior. I have to admit, another main reason for taking this route was for the amazing lobster rolls at Red’s Eats! We ate here last time we were in Maine, and it’s absolutely amazing. They pile on the lobster, add some drawn butter, throw it on toast, and it’s ready to chow down. Although, the lines here are typically and famously long, we have gotten lucky both times and have arrived with no line. The first was at closing time, and this time it was for opening. We arrived 30 minutes before opening and were the first group in line. Not 2 minutes after we arrived there was a ridiculous following behind us. Talk about perfect timing!
After Red’s Eats, we continued on to Camden, where we drove to the top of Mt. Battie, picked some Maine blueberries, walked along the water, and ate blueberry ice cream. It was the perfect little day time stop through on our trip.
We eventually made it to camp at the Branch Lake house, Shaw Cottage. We met the owner there who gave us the grand tour, and we found out that we were actually the first people to ever rent the house! He even left us blueberry pancake mix with blueberry syrup as a little welcoming gift. How sweet was that? We stocked the house with groceries for dinner and breakfast and played Cards Against Humanity while we cooked. So fun!
The next morning, we hung out at the lake, took the motor boat and kayaks out for some fun, went swimming, and had a ball. That night, we gussied up and drove down to Bar Harbor (which surprisingly seemed closer than it did on the map) for dinner at Havana. It was an adorable little spot with fantastic seafood and Latin cuisine. And of course we got ice cream after at Mt. Desert Is. Ice Cream. Yum! After returning to Branch Lake, we did another one of my favorite Maine activities, which is looking at the stars. I don’t know whether it’s lack of pollution or being closer to the top of the globe, but the stars just look amazing in Maine. I could literally see the Milky Way Galaxy outline; it was unreal.
Day 3, we started off the morning bright and early (and I mean early) around 4:13am to watch the sunrise. I cannot wait to actually share these photos with you soon. Zack and Erin went kayaking to check out the morning sights and the sunrise from the water, and Rai and I stayed behind to capture the view from our floating dock. I don’t know if I have seen a sunrise so beautiful! It was picture perfect. Once the sun was fully up, we were actually still exhausted so we went back to sleep for a few hours before really starting our day.
Once we were fully up, we headed down to Acadia to check out some easy hiking trails. Unfortunately, we ended up “hiking” by a golf course and the side of the road for an hour instead of on a “real” trail. That was kind of a bummer, and it was super hot out, so we decided to then hit up Sand Beach quickly before lunch. Sand Beach was really beautiful and had gorgeous rocky cliffs on either side of it. The water was so cold, I don’t know how people were actually swimming in there, but it was at least refreshing to dip my toes in. After Sand Beach, we headed to Jordan Pond, which was a really great restaurant within the State Park. We treated ourselves to their famous popovers, lobster stew and sandwiches while taking in the views of the water and mountains around us.
That night, we headed into town at Bar Harbor for their Fourth of July fireworks show! We have seen fireworks in Manhattan for the past couple years, which are always fantastic…but there is something about sitting on a big lawn overlooking the water with the band playing patriotic tunes that just makes you feel good ‘ole American on the Fourth of July! We were all really impressed with the pyrotechnics, and we headed back to Elsworth that night with big smiles on our faces.
Our last full day in Maine was spent lazily enjoying the peaceful lake. The early morning and the hustle and bustle of the previous day made us all exhausted, and we wanted nothing more than to relax and enjoy the serenity. We kayaked, sunbathed, took multiple swimming dips in the lake, read books and magazines, and had long chats on the floating dock. I think we each had a little nap that day as well. We ended the day with a delicious tapas dinner at Cleonice in Elsworth, although I have to warn you, there is no AC there, which was pretty brutal! Luckily, the food was good enough to make it worth withstanding the heat.
We definitely wish our trip to Maine could have lasted longer. We had a great time with great friends, and a trip back is definitely in our future! Stay tuned for the rest of my photos next week from the “real” cam.
Let me set the scene. It was a beautiful sunny day in Annapolis. We headed over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge by shuttle for a lovely church ceremony, followed by a gorgeous reception on the water at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club. We watched Kurt and Tiffany say their long-awaited “I do’s” and the love was radiating between the two of them all day and night long.
I have known Kurt since college. He was roommates with my high school friend Mike at St. Joseph’s University in Philly, and my cousin Marisa and I took many of those two hour trips throughout our college years up from the University of Maryland to visit them as well as another one of our besties at UPenn. We really got to know all of the St. Joe’s guys, but especially Kurt as he and Mike stayed roommates and best friends for years to come. We spent many crazy summers in Dewey Beach fist pumping, dancing to techno, screaming Taylor Swift at the tops of our lungs and taking a gazillion photos. We also spent many fun nights hanging out in Baltimore in the off season for all different kinds of events or just random weekend nights. I remember when Kurt first met Tiffany, and her first trip to Dewey Beach. I think I may actually have it on video. She seemed a little nervous (because let’s be honest, my friends are crazy), but she was sweet as could be and fit right in with the gang. I knew she would be sticking around for the long haul.
Kurt and Tiffany have such a special relationship that you would have to be blind to not notice. I hope the photos below capture the beautiful and awesome wedding day that June 29th was. They are a wonderful couple and I am happy to call them my friends. Congratulations Kurt and Tiff, and I I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together!
Hope you enjoyed the photos from this magical day. Doesn’t Tiff just look stunning in this last photo?
This week has been a good one…been busy with multiple errands, catching up with blogging and e-mails, and enjoying a little peace and quiet around the house. I have a doc appointment for Little Monkey today for our 7 month checkup. I still cannot believe we are almost there! Things have been piling in for the nursery…he is already spoiled thanks to my family and friends. We are getting super excited for his arrival, and I’m pretty sure the “nesting” bug is going to hit me soon.
1. Nautical Knot Earrings: J. Crew / 2. Red Stripe Sperry Top Siders: Nordstrom / 3. American Flag Sunnies: PacSun / 4. Tory Burch Kelsey Laser Cut Tote: Neiman Marcus / 5. Religion Flag Tee: We Like Fashion / 6. NARS Jungle Red Lipstick: Beauty.com / 7. Gucci Envelope Clutch: Profile Fashion / 8. American Flag Shorts: We Like Fashion / 9. Red Retro Sunnies: Liberty / 10. Nautical Stripe Bangle: Coach / 11. Anthony Peto White Panama Hat: Modewalk / 12. Red and White Stripe Button Dress: New Look / 13. Red and White Stripe Tote: Modcloth / 14. Americana Pillow: Calypso St. Barth / 15. Dolce Vita Striped Sandals: Jildor / 16. NARS China Blue Eyeshadow: Beauty.com / 17. Vintage Style Polka Dot Bathing Suit: Unique Vintage / 18. Red and White Sailor Dress: Attitude Holland / 19. Navy and White Sweetheart Dress: Forever 21 / 20. Navy and White Soludos: Shopbop / 21. Marc Jacobs Red Jean Shorts: Stylebop / 22. Fossil Watch: Piperlime / 23. Z Designs Anchor Necklaces: MetroPark / 24. Essie Butler Please: Target
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The 4th of July is right around the corner, and I decided to put together this little red, white, and blue inspiration board to put me in the mood! We are getting extremely excited for our upcoming mini-vacation to the cutest lake-side cottage in Maine. But first, we have a wedding to celebrate on Maryland’s Eastern Shore! We are headed down there tonight to celebrate our friends Kurt and Tiffany tomorrow, and we couldn’t be more excited.
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Happy Friday, and hope you all have a fabulous weekend!
These are all things I look forward to in the summertime…and now it’s finally and officially here…
HAPPY SUMMER YA’LL!
Zack and I are headed down to Maryland tonight for a big family reunion and a belated Father’s Day celebration. We have been blessed with beautiful weather, and we cannot wait to see everyone!
Wanted to share a few photos from the past couple weekends we have spent in NYC. It’s been nice to actually be in town for a bit and enjoy this amazing city!
My awesome soccer team at our championship BBQ in Williamsburg, BK
A little corn hole action…
Taking a walk in the neighborhood with our neighbors
It’s been so nice and super relaxing these past few weekends staying in town and enjoying this city in which we live. I often think about how lucky we are to be in such an urban place with so much to offer in terms of food, theatre, culture, events, and more. And in addition to this crazy metropolis, how is it possible that we still have the ocean only 4 miles away from our home? For me it is the best of both worlds, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hope you all had a great weekend, and wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
ModCloth had a sale recently, and I couldn’t help but snag a few retro-style items from their online store. This rainbow frock totally brightens my day, and I’m in love with these new cat-eye sunnies. I’m also excited that I was able to score another non-maternity dress to rock while prego. That way, I can also wear it post-bump! Little Man is getting bigger and bigger. And Mom is too. These photos were taken at 26 weeks, and today I hit week 27. 3rd trimester here we go!
After a beautiful weekend of sunshine, we have been getting some crazy storms up here! I have to say, I’m glad it wasn’t the opposite. We spent the weekend getting some errands done, picking up supplies for a small DIY house project, hanging out with friends for a birthday party and a cookout, playing some corn hole, and an impromptu trip to Brighton Beach/Coney Island.
Please send some love and prayers this way as my Uncle is currently having surgery today. He’s been through a lot these past few months, and this surgery is extremely crucial to his health and well-being. So any positive thoughts you can spare would be much appreciated!
You may recall, two years ago, when I met my pen pal, Angela, in person for the first time. Yes, that’s right…I said pen pal! I wonder if kids even know what those are these days? Crazy as it may be, we met on my wedding day after 18 years of writing and keeping in touch with each other. She lives in Tucson, Arizona, and I grew up in Maryland, eventually moving to New York City. While, it was absolutely amazing she flew all the way out to the East Coast for my wedding day, I wished that we had gotten more than 10 minutes to speak to each other. So now, two years after our first brief meeting, and 20 years after we first started writing, Zack and I headed out to Arizona for the first time to stay with Angela and her boyfriend, Leon, in their Tucson home.
Angela’s entire family blocked off their Friday night to welcome us with a wonderful homemade Mexican feast at her Nana’s home on their family ranch. Back in the day, they hosted roping competitions and rodeos here, and there are still many folks who keep their horses on their stable grounds. It was so awesome to finally hang out with Angela, meet her entire family (minus one sister who wasn’t in town…we missed you!) and see the place and land where she grew up and wrote from all these years.
Saturday, they gave us the grand tour of Tucson starting off with the Sonoran Desert Museum. I must have repeated a million times “I’ve never seen anything like this!” mostly in regard to the huge giant cactus, err saguaros, that littered the desert. In the museum, we also saw tons of other flora, fauna, and animals. My favorites were the coyotes and the prairie dogs…so cute! After the museum we stopped at The Mission, which is the first Catholic Church in Arizona, and also the oldest European structure in the state. It was extremely beautiful and special to see. For more info on the history of the Mission, click here. We grabbed lunch in South Tucson at El Torero, a yummy Mexican local hotspot, and then headed downtown to do some exploring. The city is extremely artsy and many of the shops displayed a “Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead” theme. Angela, actually had one of her paintings displayed in a gallery downtown which was really cool to see. I am so proud! We drove past Angela’s elementary school, St. John’s, where she wrote me my first letter. It was really interesting to see how different the architecture was from my grade school, St. Mary’s. Saturday night, we attended a Live Theatre Workshop, which turned out to be a hilarious performance, and we ended the night with a fab dinner.
Sunday, we were sad to leave, but also excited to continue on to Phoenix on our state-wide tour. We had such a blast in Tucson, and it was so much fun getting to know Angela in person. She is exactly how I thought she would be from her letters over the years, and we all got along wonderfully. I am so grateful to her and Leon (as well as her entire family) for being such amazing hosts, and I look forward to having them come out to visit us in Brooklyn sometime!
Angela and I on her Grandparent’s Ranch
From left to right: Me, the hubby Zack, Angela, Leon, Angela’s parents
The MissionAngela’s Painting
The sun shining down on Angela and Leon’s houseThe four of us at breakfast on our last day in Tucson
After our 10 day hiatus, Zack and I are now back in New York, and I am completely overwhelmed by the amount of photos I need to go through! I have so many updates for you regarding our trip to Arizona, and this is only the beginning. Stay tuned through this week and next for photos and stories of our travels, outfit posts, and more.
In other news, Happy 2nd Wedding Anniversary to my amazing husband! Can’t believe we were saying our “I do’s” two years ago. Tomorrow also marks 8.5 years that we have been together. I am so very lucky to have him in my life, and I am excited for what this upcoming year will bring for us. We have embarked on so many journeys together so far, and I can’t think of a more exciting and important one than parenthood.
We were very lucky our trip to Boston was not cut short as they were able to capture the Boston Marathon bomber. After being on lockdown for quite some time, the residents of Boston were eager to get out and about on that Saturday afternoon. The streets were packed with people trying their best to get back to “normalcy.” We stumbled upon this sidewalk chalk memorial, which was very sweet. Passersby could stop and add their kind words and thoughts. We were a block away from where the explosion happened at one point, and there were plenty of police officers still there blocking off the streets. We saw many flowers and tributes to those who were lost or injured.
It was very sad to see, but it was also encouraging to see the camaraderie, love, and support of the Boston community.
We spent the day walking around with my old college roomie Danielle, her husband, Andrey, and their baby, Gray. We had a great time catching up with them, and this was also sort of a little parenthood preview of what it will be like to raise a baby in a big city. Fun times were had, and we look forward to having them visit us in Brooklyn sometime soon!
This week I am counting down ’til our big trip to Arizona!
I’m also planning on meeting up with my Bronx cousins in the city this week to celebrate an engagement as well as our Little Monkey. It’s been awhile, so we have lots to catch up on!
I finally found some time to go through the tons of photos I took at Jamie and Kaitlyn’s wedding in Boston. For those that don’t remember, their wedding took place on the same day as the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bomber. It was an extremely crazy day, and I am proud of the bride and groom for taking everything in stride. Their original ceremony location was supposed to be held at a church that was in a lockdown area, so they had to move it at the last minute to the same location at the reception. I think they did a phenomenal job with the transformation, and this couple proved that the show must go on and love prevails!
Tons of love, patriotism, and Boston pride were shown at this wedding from start to finish. The groom and his men dressed in Naval attire, the sword arch ceremony, the altered speeches, and the irish jig and Bostonian song lyrics gave this wedding a special touch. It was so nice to see their family and friends rally around the bride and groom on their special day, and also rally around their city in light of such crazy times. I’m sure you can see the love here in the photos below. Enjoy!
Brotherly love
Me and the hubby (with the little one doing a good job of hiding)
What a fun night!
Stay tuned for more photos from our Boston trip to come.
This past weekend we went to Maryland for the 1st Annual John Petrovick Memorial 5K in Baltimore. You may remember I ran for John and raised over $5,000 for the Johns Hopkins Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery back in October. Well, yesterday marked the 1 year anniversary of his passing, and some good friends of mine put on this special event to honor his memory and inspire others. John was a truly inspirational person, and I am so happy this event went off without a hitch. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and about 250 runners and walkers participated. This was definitely the best possible way we could have spent the day. “Inside all of us is HOPE.” Miss you, John.
Hope you all are having a great start to your week!
