scenery Archives - Popcorn and Pandas

Tying the Knot in Tucson

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!

XO,

Gina

Sunrise on Branch Lake

It’s 4:13am and I am awoken in the middle of the night due to pregnancy and my inability to control my bladder from the urgency to relieve itself these days. So, I hop out of bed to make my way downstairs to the restroom in the lake house, when I look out the bedroom window. Holy sky. This is amazing. We had thought about waking up early to watch the sunrise, and had set our alarms for 4:55am since the sun was supposed to come up at 5:00am, but we weren’t really sure if we would be able to force ourselves out of bed at that hour. After waking up and taking care of business, I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few shots across the lake and into the colorful sky. It was eerily quiet, peaceful and serene. Just me and the lake and the brightly colored sky. I wrestled with the idea of whether or not to wake the rest of the gang this early, and ultimately decided that they needed to see what I was seeing at that moment. It would just be too selfish to exclude them from this view, and by 4:55am, they may have missed all of this. So I woke up Zack and our friends, Erin and Rai. They weren’t too pleased at first, grumbling and groaning, but when I showed them a photo I had taken of the sky, they knew they too needed to jump up before they missed this magical moment. Zack and Erin got so excited in fact, that they broke out the kayaks and enjoyed the sunrise from atop the water. Rai and I stayed behind taking in the moment from the lake house dock and capturing photos. I know photos can’t really do justice, but my memories and these photos are all I’ve got. Hope you enjoy.

If you were still unsure about whether or not you should visit Maine, then these photos probably did the trick. We were lucky enough to wake up to this view every morning, even though it might have been a bit earlier than we were used to!

Hope everyone is having a good Thursday. I am looking forward to a little girl’s night. My friend Jess is moving to New Jersey at the end of the month, so this will be the last one she hosts in her NYC apartment. I then have to go home to pack for our trip to Maryland this weekend for both my friend Teri’s bridal shower and my baby shower for the Little Monkey. We are trying to get the guest bedroom cleared out, and after this weekend it’s go time on that nursery!

XOXO,

Gina

Lake House

Happy Monday everyone! Just wanted to share some photos from our lake house that we stayed in at Branch Lake in Elsworth, Maine. The location could not be beat, and it was a dream come true. I took these on our first full day when we played on the lake all day. If you’ve never been to Maine, I would definitely suggest you check it out. Thanks to the Shaw family for opening up their cottage to us as the first renters ever!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

The hubby went away with his brother for a guy’s weekend, so my sister-in-law came to visit me in Brooklyn. We did girly/mom things like prenatal massages, high tea, hung out with college girlfriends, dinner, and brunches. The massage was phenomenal and extremely relaxing. Just what the doctor ordered. We went to Massage Williamsburg on recommendation, and it sure was a treat! Our delicious dinner was Korean BBQ at Dokebi, and we had brunch in my hood at Costello Plan. It was a lot of fun bumping both of our prego bellies together (me at 31.5 weeks and her at 29 weeks!), talking about baby things, catching up on life, and being girly. Looking forward to both my little one and my little nephew who will be arriving so closely together. It’s a really exciting time for the Notes Family!

XO,

Gina

Desert Florals

Here are some images from our second day enjoying Sedona, Arizona. Oh, how I love those red rocks! The views were absolutely stunning, and it’s tough to really capture it in a photo alone. I hadn’t been feeling that great in the middle of our trip, but this day, I was feeling much better and able to explore. We drove around making stops at different locations for photos, and then walked a little on the West Fork at Oak Creek trail which was a lot of fun. I really hope to go back to Sedona when I’m back to my athletic self and can really take it all in!

Floral Pants: Motherhood – similar here, here, and here (in non-maternity) / Chambray Top: GAP – similar (runs big FYI!) / Tank: American Eagle / Shoes: Nordstrom Rack / Shades: c/o Waveborn / Earrings: Baublebar – similar / Ring: Banana Republic / Necklace: Family Heirloom / Watch: Michael Kors / Beaded Skull Bracelets: c/o Guilty Jean / Spike Bracelet: ASOS / Bow Bracelet: Baublebar / Lip: MAC Impassioned

Tonight I’m headed out with the girls for a little mani/pedi action. I usually do my own nails, but the belly is starting to get in the way making it impossible to paint my toes these days. Oh darn, I guess I have to pamper myself! Looking forward to hanging with the ladies.

Tomorrow I am participating in the Wall Street Heart Walk with my Alpha Phi sorority Alums in NYC. Did you know that heart disease is the leading killer in America? There’s one more day to donate, so if you are able to contribute, I would really appreciate it!

Hope you all have a great day!

XO,

Gina

The Magic Hour

I know the Arizona photos seem to be never ending, but there is just too much to share! I promise you this is the last week of Arizona posts! These shots were taken during the “Magic Hour,” a photographer’s most favorite hour to shoot. This happens about an hour before sunset, and it’s when the light is most lovely for photographs. We happened to be on the road at this time, and having no set schedule to be any particular place, we frequently made stops to shoot this beautiful scenery.

First and foremost, I want to thank all of our military for serving and protecting our country. For those who have been lost, we are ever grateful for your strength and bravery. I hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend holiday.

We spent part of ours in Philly visiting friends, and part of it hanging out with friends on the Upper East side and Central Park. It was a wonderful weekend, and a great kick off to the summertime!

Have a great short week!

XO,

Gina

Red Rock Country

Sedona, beautiful Sedona. This was one of my favorite parts of our Arizona trip. I had never seen such stunning red rock mountains like these before, and they were absolutely breathtaking. We spent two days in this area. The first of which we mostly drove around the area with Zack’s aunt and uncle, taking in the beautiful scenery. We had a delicious cheap lunch at Tortas de Fuego, with the best churros I have ever tasted for dessert. The second day, we explored a little more checking out the West Fork at Oak Creek. Unfortunately, we could only walk a little bit of it, because my prego body was pretty averse to the Arizona desert heat at this point. Next time we go back, I would love to do this whole trail. I would also love to do the overnight hike to Havasu Falls, which I hear is amazing. But, we did what we (or I) could do, and we had a great time doing it! What a beautiful place to visit.

Can’t believe it’s already Thursday. I’ve been enjoying my low key week, and I’m looking forward to Memorial Day Weekend!

Who has fun plans? Would love to hear about them!

XO,

Gina

Sedona on Dwellable

French Creek

Living in the concrete jungle, it can be tough sometimes to get out into nature and enjoy the great outdoors. Most public transportation only takes you so far. Getting to another major city is no problem, but to get to a campsite or a hiking trail can be a bit of a task. Luckily, with the purchase of our new car a few months ago, we now have the luxury of going and coming as we please in any direction we choose. My nature loving husband is especially appreciative, and to be honest I may or may not have used that in part of my selling pitch to convince him we needed a car (along with the fact that we now live in Brooklyn, travel an insane amount, and have a driveway to park.)

We headed to French Creek State Park in Chester County, Pennsylvania for the weekend, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather! It was warm during the day, not too cold at night, and no rain. Perfect conditions in my opinion. When we arrived at the campsite, we put together our tents and set up shop. We got a new tent (thanks in-laws!), and this was our first chance to use it. We were extremely happy with how easy it was to put up, and I was extremely happy that it stayed bug-free the whole time. 🙂

After setting up camp, our group of four set out on a three hour hike. We got a great work out while taking in the colorful views on the trails. The foliage was just so beautiful; I love being outside at this time of year. After working up an appetite, we came back to camp and cooked up a delicious meal. We sat around the campfire until way after dark telling stories and catching up with our friends.

My only gripe with the trip was that it ended too soon. What a wonderful weekend with wonderful friends.

(Last photo by Erin Pollard. All other photos my own.)

What are some of your favorite places to visit in the great outdoors? We decided we want to try a new campsite every year, so we are looking for recommendations. Let me know!

XO,

Gina