love Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Popcorn and Pandas

Chesapeake Bay Beach Love

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.

Hope you all are having a great week so far!

XO,

Gina

Family Reunion

fam·i·ly

/ˈfam(ə)lē/

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Noun: A group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.

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Now, this gigantic group of people above may not all live together in one household…but I certainly consider them all family.

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After at least a 10 year long hiatus, my Italian grandfather’s side of the family got together at the end of June for a family reunion in Davidsonville, MD. My cousin, Valerie, was kind enough to open her home to 100+ crazy Italianos from all over the U.S. Some as far as Maine, Iowa, and Washington state. I expected maybe 40-50 people or so, but to have over 100 just blew my mind. It proved to me that I was not the only one who saw a larger definition to the word “family.”

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We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day, a pool for the kiddies to enjoy, delicious BBQ, and a lot of fun. We had a large family tree diagram to trace each bloodline back multiple generations thanks to my Uncle Art. People brought tons of old photos. One of my favorite moments was sitting with my Uncle Danny (my Grandpa Frank’s 1st cousin) while we looked through an old photo album of his life from childhood to the present. He had so many stories of growing up with my Grandfather that really just made my day. Everyone brought tons of desserts, and many of them were family recipes. I think I ate more dessert than actual lunch food! Oops.

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We had such a great time catching up with each other that I really wish so much time hadn’t gone by since our last reunion, and I’m hoping that the next one will be sooner rather than later.

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When I think of family, I think of love, respect, sacrifice, holidays, being there for one another, having a shoulder to cry on, people to laugh with, those to get crazy with, honesty, trust, friendship, acceptance, support and care. Family shapes who we are as people and changes us for the future. I realize that not everyone may have this same definition of family depending on their life experiences, but I am so grateful for the amount of love in my family.

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You can’t choose who is in your family, but you can choose whether or not you want to spend time with them. The fact that so many people came out for this reunion shows how much we all care about each other even after so much time had gone by. I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of such a greater whole, and I’m looking forward to when my Little Monkey will be able to join this amazing group of people that I can call my own.

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XO,

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Gina

Boston Love

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!

IMG_7959_Layers_v1 — 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!

XO,

Gina

Love Is…

Love makes the world go round.

Wishing a Happy Valentine’s Day to my husband, my family, my friends, and all of my readers out there. Whether you are spending today with a loved one, or spending today slugging back wine on the couch by yourself, know that someone out there loves you.

Although we should spend every day spreading love throughout the world, try and do something nice for someone else today and bring a smile to their face. Everyone loves to be loved 🙂

XOXO,

Gina

P.S. Image above is sold as a print by Kari Machal on Etsy.

Mom’s Turn for a Birthday Shoutout

My Mom and Dad are literally two days apart in age. They usually end up celebrating their birthday’s together (much like my sister and I did growing up), but I figured I would give them each their own individual shout out on the blog for their special days this year. So Mom…now it’s your turn…

She’s the one who tucked us into bed at night. She’s the one who said goodnight at the bottom of the stairs. She’s the one who made up songs with our names in them. She’s the one who performed these songs while giving us a bath. She’s the one who always tickled our backs. She’s the one who made us dinner every night. She’s the one who also made us eat it whether we wanted to or not. She’s the one who drove us to soccer and basketball practice. She’s the one that was cheering or coaching at every single game. She’s the one who watched TGIF with us on Fridays. She’s the one who thought of cool birthday party ideas. She’s the one who took us shopping. She’s the one who helped us with our homework. She’s the one who helped us study until we were falling asleep with our books in our laps. She’s the one who took me to her lab and showed me what scientists do at work. She’s the one who helped me apply to thirteen…yes thirteen different colleges. She’s the one who went with me to visit a lot of those colleges. (Loyola New Orleans was particularly fun.) She’s the one who understood the true meaning of being a Terp since she’d experienced it herself. She’s the one who taught me how to balance my checkbook. She’s the one who still pretends we are five years old when we are coming down the stairs on Christmas morning. She’s the one who cooks Christmas dinner every year. She’s the one who has her own special Redskins touchdown dance. She’s the one who makes sure there is always food in the fridge when I come home to visit. She’s the one who comes to visit me in New York City. She’s the one who is afraid of the subway. She’s the one who shares my love of singing. She’s the one who plans our OBX vacations. She’s the one who sacrificed so much for us throughout the years. She’s the one who taught me how to be a woman, a daughter, a friend, and hopefully one day a mother myself. She’s the one who has no idea how much she means to all of us.

She is my Mom.

Love you so much Mernie! Hope you have a fantastic Birthday! XO.

At my 8th grade graduation. Look how stunning she is!

228257_555185612078_5596554_n — My bridal shower with my main girl

317191_10100548880321288_771106430_n — Photo courtesy of Joe Brier from The Happy Couple Photography.

59460_10101362998801328_988486883_n — The fam

383696_10100700083119668_1892271096_n — Me and my gorgeous Mama

Happy (Belated) Birthday Papa Bear

He’s funny. He’s sweet. He’s loud. He’s crazy.

He’s friendly. He’s fun. He’s handsome. Never lazy.

He’s strong. He’s affectionate. He’s lovable. He’s grand.

He’s Italian. He’s an entrepreneur. Always willing to lend a hand.

He golfs. He skis. He dances. He plays.

He smiles. He whistles. He works hard for days.

He cries during movies. He smokes cigars.

He builds lots of things. He has lots of cars.

He makes pizza and wine. He loves to play bocce.

He built his own motorcycle. He loves the movie Rocky.

He also likes the Godfather. And Scarface too.

He quotes movie lines. Probably better than you.

He’s a good friend. He’s a good husband. He’s a good father. He’s a good lad.

This man that I speak of…

He is my Dad.

Happy Birthday Pops. Love you!

301056_1811378983044_1965031429_n — Can you guess which one is him?

215908_149363731796054_6415923_n — Dad on the motorcycle that he built himself. He named it “Sicilian Venom.” Haha.

297746_10100548961264078_320998571_n — Wedding Day Father/Daughter Dance. Frank Sinatra’s, “The Way You Look Tonight,” followed with a breakout disco dance routine to “She’s on Fire” from the movie “Scarface.” Photo courtesy of Joe Brier at The Happy Couple Photography

259872_159505327448561_7739234_n — Bocce Champs

1921_651595535218_1846_n — Skiing together at Seven Springs in PA

18551_845786110748_3189832_n — Dad with Sister and Me on Christmas Eve

162624_10100135991169458_8177314_n — Family on another Christmas Eve

547446_10101084754849438_1664376519_n — Killing it on the dance floor. Photo courtesy of Erin Lassahn Wedding Photography.

598960_10101363031845108_1409168279_n — Photo from a recent wedding we attended together.

I apologize that I am a day late on this post! I originally meant to post this on my Dad’s actual Birthday which was yesterday, but I was on the hunt for some of those older photos. Alas, here they are. Hope you enjoyed following me on my trip down memory lane. 🙂

Happy Wednesday!

XO,

Gina

30 Days of Thanksgiving

I have seen friends on Facebook and Twitter posting about things they are thankful for this year, and it has inspired me to create a list of my own thanksgivings for 2012.

1: First and foremost, I want to thank God for putting me here on this beautiful Earth and allowing me to wake up another day.

2: My wonderful husband, for loving me every day, accepting me the way I am, faults and all. He is my rock and my best friend, and I am very lucky to have such a fantastic partner in this world. Who else would have taken me on a surprise skydiving trip for our one year anniversary this past year? He just gets me, and I fall in love with him more and more every day.

3: My parents for an amazing upbringing full of love and support. For giving me everything I could have asked for, and although at times I thought they were too tough on me, it has made me stronger and more independent for it. There have been a few bumps in the road this past year, and I am so thankful to have had my mom and dad by my side during these times.

4: My sister for being the BSITWWW (Best Sister in the Whole Wide World). For being the person that I can always come to if I need to get something off my chest, for making me laugh constantly, for reading my mind without ever having to say a word. For being able to sing every song from The Sound of Music or Grease from start to finish with me, and for being my partner in crime growing up.

5: My in-laws for always accepting me from the start. For never questioning the fact that I was Catholic and their son was Jewish. For respecting me and welcoming me lovingly into their family.

6: My extended family. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, etc. For always being there. As crazy as we all are, we always have the most amazing time together. I relish in our Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, Easter, and Outer Banks celebrations every year. There are a lot of us, which only means a lot more love and fun times to go around.

7: My friends. I am very lucky to have made such wonderful friends throughout each and every moment of my life. From Queen Anne, to Bowie Soccer United, the Beltway Lady Cougars, St. Mary of the Assumption, to Archbishop Spalding, to the University of Maryland, to my girls at Alpha Phi, to the Dewey Crew, all the way to New York City. Each one of you has made a difference in my life for the positive. You are also my extended family, and I would not be where I am without your friendship and support.

8: Popcorn and Pandas. The former being my favorite snack in the world and the latter being the most adorable animals on the planet.

9: Brooklyn, for being an affordable way to stay in New York city without going broke. Being able to have the luxuries of a washer/dryer, dishwasher, a 2 bedroom apartment inside of a house with the most amazing neighbors while still having Manhattan and all it’s glory right at our fingertips has just been a blessing.

10: My boss for keeping me employed during an awful recession period, helping me continue to grow in my field, being a great mentor in the production, television, animation, and advertising industries, and for making the work day enjoyable.

11: Uncommon Goods for employing my husband thereby, helping to keep a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, giving us the ability to travel back and forth to Maryland to see family and friends, and for making possible those moments where I “just had to have” those pair of shoes.

12: My nephew pup, Finley, who I just met and already love and adore. He is the cutest, sweetest little tyke I have ever seen!

13: My health, for allowing me to run around and play soccer and basketball, run races, dance, and do all the other things that I love.

14. The invention of photography for allowing me to capture almost every moment of life. For without photography, I would probably forget half of the things I have done and accomplished. People say I have a good memory, and while this may be true, I remember so much through my photos, and cherish those memories every time I view them.

15. Music for putting me in a good mood, for enjoyable car rides, for awesome nights on the dance floor, for lazy nights at the beach, for getting me through house cleaning, to accompany me while cooking, for jam sessions with my husband, etc.

16. Teachers and coaches for making a difference in the future of America. I had many great teachers and coaches growing up, and wouldn’t be where I am today without their guidance and leadership in the classroom and on the field/court.

17. Our military for putting their lives on the line to protect our freedoms in this country. Your service is much appreciated.

18. Doctors, especially Dr. Q. for dedicating his life and career to curing brain cancer. He fought for my friend John, and still continues to do so every day with Q’s Quest.

19. Ice Cream for curing my sweet tooth always.

20. The film industry for giving me a drive and passion to succeed and be creative.

21. Artists for continually reminding me that humans are capable of creating beautiful things.

22. Technology for making it easier and faster to communicate with people from all over the world.

23. Television for giving me an outlet when I am stressed to just chill and relax without having to think about anything. Also to reality TV for helping me realize that other people are much crazier than me!

24. For the amazing restaurants in NYC. You provide a most delectable experience for those nights where I just do not feel like cooking.

25. For online shopping, because with my busy travel schedule, I find it hard to make it out to the store as often as I would like.

26. For children, who are completely innocent, and remind me of the days when things were so simple.

27. For my long subway ride to work (I know, weird right?) for allowing me to catch up on all of my reading daily.

28. Our car, so that I no longer have to take the Bolt Bus on every trip down to Maryland. Having the car has definitely made traveling a lot less stressful, and being able to come and go at our leisure instead of being locked into a schedule has been bliss.

29. My family home. I’m so grateful that my parents still live where I grew up. I am able to come back to visit and be greeted by all the memories of childhood.

30. The Brown Family for cooking Thanksgiving dinner today, so that we can enjoy the benefits of a fabulous meal without having to do all the work. Don’t worry, we got you on Christmas 🙂

What are you thankful for this year?

Hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

Love,

Gina

Wedding Season Part Deux

Well, here you have it. This rounds out the last bit of wedding season this fall. We’ve traveled up and down the East Coast these past few months to celebrate the nuptials of some of our nearest and dearest.

The first adventure took place in Montauk, NY. At the tip of Long Island, Montauk is a gorgeous beach setting, and couldn’t have been a more perfect spot for this bride and groom. The entire weekend was lovely from start to finish. The groom played rugby with my husband at the University of Maryland, so all the college boys were reunited with their beautiful ladies in tow who I very much adore. We had a blast!

Wedding I – Montauk Yacht Club, NY

The second wedding featured in this post is a wedding of my longest best friend, Katie. We met when I was 4 and she was 5 as neighbors, and we have been friends ever since. Not many people can say they have had a non-relative friend for almost their entire life. We spent numerous years going to school together, and although, we have both moved on and moved out of our childhood homes, we have still managed to remain close. I am so lucky to have had Katie and her family in my life all of these years, and I’m happy to welcome her new husband to the “neighborhood.”

Wedding II – Sagamore Farm, MD

Wedding Season

Well, it’s definitely wedding season again! We have a total of 8 weddings that we were invited to this year, and half of them were in the past two months. It’s been a lot of traveling, but it’s been a ton of fun. The weddings have been so beautiful and unique. The first one featured here took place at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. It was the first military wedding that I had attended, and it was very cool to see all the gentlemen dressed up in their whites with their swords. The second was held at the Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, MD. It was a quirky fun location that totally fit the personality of this fun-loving couple. It’s been a blast running around this season snapping photos of all the couples saying their vows and breaking it down on the dance floor.

Wedding I…

Wedding II…

On left: My cousin (remember that fabulous photographer from Misa*Me Photography?) wearing Forever 21. Similar here. On right: Me wearing H&M. Who says you can’t get luxe looks for less?!

Bridesmaids got purple chucks for the dance floor! So fun.

Going to all these weddings this past year makes me think back to my own wedding day, and how much fun it was. My husband and I danced to Michele Featherstone’s, “We Are Man and Wife” for our first dance, and all our family and friends were up on their feet the whole time rocking’ out.

For my married friends out there, what song did you dance to on your wedding day? And if you aren’t married, which song would you choose in the future?

If you like these photos, stay tuned, because Wedding Season Part II will be featured next week. Hope you all have a happy weekend!

XO,

Gina

#56 Get Married

May 14, 2011

I’m sure many little girls imagine what it will be like to grow up and get married. They dream of who their husbands will be, what their wedding will be like, who will be there. Some have planned out everything about their wedding day—where it will be, what their dress will look like, their colors, bouquets, food, etc. Some picture the man of their dreams—tall, dark, and handsome, or the blonde laid back surfer type. Most little girls have thought about it at one point or another growing up. Of course, this notion also crossed my mind. However, I was not one of those little girls who knew exactly what I wanted when it came to getting married and finding a husband.

I had boyfriends growing up, broke some hearts, got my heart broken, had a little college fun, and then right when I was sick of it all—the drama, the heartache, the games—is when I met Zack. Of course, it happened right when I WASN’T looking for a relationship. I had gotten burned pretty badly and just wanted to have lighthearted fun, but something kept drawing me back to the short, Jewish, ex-Beta fraternity, working man that he was. Maybe it was his persistence in hanging out with me. Maybe it was his hilarious letters that he wrote me while he was away on business trips to Nevada, but I just could not get him out of my mind. We ended up dating for 2 1/2 years before deciding to move from Maryland to the Big Apple in New York City together. Basically, we were going to make it or break it in the big city. I am happy to say that 3 years after moving in together we were just as smitten with each other, if not more so.

He popped the question with my sister, her boyfriend, and my cousin in town in front of a restaurant of gawkers. I was completely and utterly shocked, because I was getting ready to sing “Happy Birthday” to my cousin, Marisa, when the waiter plopped a shiny ring on the table and Zack was on one knee! I could barely speak; I just kept looking to my sister for confirmation that this was actually happening. Of course, I said yes, called every single one of my family members and friends, and continued celebrating all night NY style.

When first beginning to plan our wedding, I had NO idea where to begin. There are a million things to do! We ended up choosing to do our ceremony at the University of Maryland Chapel since we both went there, and it was a special place for us. It was also a non-denominational chapel that allowed you to bring any religious ceremonies in, which was perfect for our Catholic-Jewish hybrid ceremony. After searching high and low for reception venues, we ended up choosing the Greenbelt Marriott for their exquisite ballroom and outdoor cocktail hour patio. We settled on classic black and white, modern yet vintage theme with bright pops of color from pink and orange flowers. I designed the cake myself inspired by a combination of many photos online, doused myself in bridal magazines for the latest trends, and splurged on one of most unique wedding dresses I had ever seen from Cymbeline.

All the details and stress of planning aside, I could not wait to walk down that aisle and marry the love of my life and my best friend for the past 6 years. We are so lucky to have a very large family and many friends that were there to celebrate our special day. Not only did they throw us an awesome Hawaiian luau engagement party, my bridesmaids also threw an amazing bridal shower, and kick-ass bachelorette weekend in Wrightsville Beach, NC. Zack’s equivalent was a near-death white water rafting experience in West Virginia, which only solidified their friendships when they pulled through to safety.

Our wedding day on May 14, 2011 was more than I could have imagined. I was fairly calm for most of the day and excited rather than nervous. The weather forecast didn’t look good, but the rain held off at just the perfect times for photos and cocktail hour. The ceremony was beautiful, and our reception was truly rockin’! The room looked stunning, it was an ultimate dance party, and my dad and I pulled off a Father-Daughter dance that could go down in history. I am so lucky to have so many family and friends, and such a wonderful husband who cares so much about me. I am truly blessed!

I am very much looking forward to spending many more years with Zack exploring the world, loving life, and creating a wonderful family together!

The photos below were taken by Joe Brier of The Happy Couple Photography in Northern Virginia, and we are thankful he was there to document our special day 🙂

***Blog update: Our wedding videography was done by Stephen Gradin of Dockside Video Productions, and the highlights can be seen here. Enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/27795391