Desert Florals

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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!

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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

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Ride the Wave {Waveborn Part II}

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Remember my friends from Waveborn?  Well, they were also kind enough to send over a fresh pair of Baysides for my husband to rock this summer, so I forcefully…err kindly…asked him to show them off in this blog post since he was wearing them all over Arizona.  I love the look of these shades, and I have to say, my man is lookin’ pretty studly in them…or maybe I’m just biased 😉  Remember, every pair of shades you purchase from Waveborn also helps give someone the gift of sight!  Check out their campaign here.

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Sunglasses: c/o Waveborn / Button Down: Thrifted – similar herehere, and here / Jeans: ZARA – similar / Flops: Reef

Happy Hump Day everyone!  Yesterday ended up being a beautiful sunny day, and we enjoyed a lovely dinner outdoors at Spina in the East Village with two of my favorite Aussies.  The $5 mussels and meatballs were to die for as well as their homemade fresh pasta dishes.  Nom Nom Nom!  Tonight is going to be a low key one.  I’m hoping the sunshine will come out to play again despite the weather reports.

Have a good one ya’ll!

XO,

Gina

Big Floppy Hat

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In honor of Kentucky Derby weekend, I packed my big floppy hat and took it with me to Arizona.  I purchased it earlier this spring, and was obviously excited to wear it.  My belly is definitely starting to pop, and I wore this comfy outfit in Phoenix to meet my cousins for dinner.  Would love to see the different ways you wore your big floppy hats that weekend!  Tweet your pics my way to @popcornpandas!  Of course, Preakness hats are more than welcome too. 🙂

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Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Big Floppy Hat: Francesca’s – similar here and here / Top: Motherhood / Skirt: Motherhood – similar in gray / Sandals: Sam Edelman via Nordstrom Rack / Bag: Coach (old) / Snakeskin Bracelet: Henri Bendel – sold out – shop bangles / Bow Bracelet: Baublebar / Red and Gold Chain Bracelet: Gorjana – sold out – shop bracelets / Watch: Michael Kors / Necklace: Family Heirloom / Sunglasses: LOFT / Toes: Essie Peach Daiquiri / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

Dreary Monday here in NYC.  We had a great weekend seeing family and friends that were in town visiting, and I worked on creating a baby registry for my little guy.  Wow, and I thought a wedding registry was overwhelming!  Boy, was I wrong! It pretty much took me all weekend, but it’s finally complete.  Can’t believe I will be 24 weeks tomorrow!  Time is flying right by.

Hope you all have a great week!  Memorial Day Weekend is on the horizon.

XO,

Gina

Wild Wild West

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I borrowed this romper from a friend of mine recently, and I could not wait for some warm weather to wear it.  The Arizona desert seemed like the perfect opportunity.  I love the tribal embroidery detail in the top half of this piece, and because I was in the west, I just had to top off this look with some fringe booties.  This outfit was super comfortable, flowy, and free…and I’m hoping to get a few more wears out of this bad boy before my bump grows too large!

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Romper: Borrowed from a friend – similar here, here, and here / Fringe Ankle Booties: Target / Bracelet: (Old) Street Vendor  / Necklace: c/o Guilty Jean / Chevron Stack Ring: Baublebar / Watch: Betsey Johnson / Earrings: ALDO / Shades: NYC Soho Street Vendor / Lip: Lancome Fearless

It’s FRIDAY!  Hubby is home from ATL, and we are heading out on a little date night tonight for a belated 2 year anniversary celebration.  I’m currently in the dark on the surprise, so I’m excited to find out what’s in store!  We also have some visitors in town this weekend, so looking forward to seeing and catching up with some friends and family.

Hope you all have a GREAT weekend!

XO,

Gina

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Phoenix From My Phone

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Mystery Castle

For one reason or another, it proved easier for me to take photos on my phone while in Phoenix.  This first photo is from my DSLR, but the rest were snapped from my iPhone.  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen some of these, but here is a little more description about our travels.

We arrived first to the Tempe area and stopped at the Mystery Castle.  It is a house that was built out of recycled and found materials of the area.  It was constructed in the 1930’s  by a father for his daughter who didn’t want her “sand castle to wash away.”  It was an interesting stop off with a cool backstory, and the house was unique with tons of art and crafts produced by the family, mostly the daughter.

We then headed to Mill Avenue, home of Arizona State University.  We drove around the campus exploring, walked around the town to the different shops, and then stopped off for lunch at Caffe Boa, which was absolutely delicious.  Being Cinco de Mayo, I expected it to be a little more crazy than it was considering ASU is supposedly  the “#1 Party School in America,” but I think students were graduating and finishing up their finals…and it was also a Sunday.

We later arrived at our hotel, Hilton Tipatio Cliffs Resort, which was absolutely stunning.  The views were gorgeous, and I couldn’t wait to jump in the fabulous pools.  However, we were zonked, so we crashed for the night.

The next morning we woke up and decided to hike the short but steep climb, the North Mountain Trail, which was surprisingly connected right to our hotel (as well as at least three or more other trails).  It was pretty great, and we got some nice views of downtown Phoenix as well.  After the hike, we suited up and headed to the pool for the day.  A (virgin) pina colada, sunshine, swimming, and a good book was just my idea of vacation that day!

That night, we met up with some cousins of mine who moved to Phoenix about 10 years ago, and went to dinner at a great Mediterranean place called Fez.  It was so wonderful to catch up with them and share stories after not seeing each other for so many years.

We were also able to meet a family friend in Phoenix before we went on to our next destination, so we were happy to be able to make our rounds and see everyone we had planned on!  That about sums up our time in Phoenix until the end of the trip.  Stay tuned for my next post of Arizona adventures!

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Mill Avenue

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Room service on the balcony 🙂
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View from the North Mountain Trail
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I did it!
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Chillin’…toes – Essie Avenue Maintain

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FYI…my bathing suit is my first maternity one from Target.  The book I’m reading is Bringing up Bebe – an American mother discovers the wisdom of French parenting.  I would definitely recommend this to all expecting mommies!

It’s supposed to be sunny and warm here today in NYC, but I’m still waiting for the clouds to part.  Hubby returns from ATL tonight, and I am definitely looking forward to it!

Happy Thursday!

XO,

Gina

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Dotted in the Desert

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The weather was beautiful in Southern Arizona, and I was so happy to be rockin’ a sleeveless dress with no jacket!  I wore this little handkerchief hem dress to the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, and I even got a little suntan!  This flowy little number was perfect for my prego belly and very comfortable in cotton.  And I must mention that this dress is not a maternity dress!  I have found that by buying dresses san zippers and in comfy material, I can find items that are much more fashion forward than the typical things I have been finding in the maternity sections (although there have been some good exceptions!)

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Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Dress: Target / Sunnies: LOFT / Sandals: Sam Edelman via Nordstrom Rack / Watch: Michael Kors / Skull Bracelets: c/o Guilty Jean / Spike Bracelet: ASOS / Bow Bracelet: Baublebar / Toe Polish: Essie Avenue Maintain

Today is overcast, a little rainy, and a little chilly here in New York, making me miss that Arizona sun!  This week I’ve been trying to play catch up at work, at the doctor’s, with my DVR, and on life in general.  Hubby had to skip town for a quick business trip to Atlanta, so we are going to celebrate our two year anniversary (bc Arizona just wasn’t enough) with a date night when he returns on Friday.

Happy Wednesday!

XO,

Gina

Find the Sun {Waveborn}

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My Waveborn sunnies arrived in the mail, and I was super excited to rock them this past weekend!  For each pair of Italian designed and handcrafted shades you purchase, Waveborn provides a new pair of prescription eyeglasses or funds a portion of vision-restoring cataract surgery for a person in need through their partners Unite for Sight and SEE International.

They are currently hosting a crowdfunding campaign so they can continue to bring you more styles and colors for 2013.  They raised over $10,000 on the first day of their campaign, and the numbers are still increasing.  There is still plenty of time to join the campaign, so check it out!

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Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

Sunglasses: c/o Waveborn / Maxi Dress: Target / Jean Jacket: American Eagle / Flip Flops: J. Crew – similar / Bag: Longchamp – this color sold out, but more colors here / Travel Bag: Urban Outfitters (old) / Earrings: ? (old) / Necklace: Family Heirloom /  Chevron Stack Rings: Baublebar / Snake Bangle: Henri Bendel – sold out, but shop bangles here / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelets: Guilty Jean, ASOS, Baublebar (similar) / Nails: Essie Mint Candy Apple w/ Madison Avenue Hue accent nail / Toes: Essie Avenue Maintain / Lip: MAC Impassioned

I was very excited to find this colorful maxi dress for such a bargain price at Target this past week!  Typically, with my 5’0 stature, it’s very difficult for me to find a maxi dress that isn’t too long.  I suppose since this dress was in the “juniors” section, maybe it was a bit shorter.  Or could it be because I’m now sporting a little baby bump?  Either way, I plan on rocking maxi dresses all summer long.  Frankly, I have found the majority of maternity clothes I have come across to be old-looking, frumpy, and just plain ugly.  Of course, there have been some good finds here and there, but I am beginning to think gorgeous maxis from the regular sections (sans ones with zippers) may be the way to go this spring/summer!

Happy Hump Day!

XO,

Gina

Beantown Strollin’

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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!

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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!

Happy Tuesday!

XO,

Gina

Boston Love

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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!

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Brotherly love

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Me and the hubby (with the little one doing a good job of hiding)

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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

Waveborn

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Waveborn is a sunglasses company combining affordable fashion with social good.  For each pair of Italian designed and handcrafted shades you purchase, Waveborn provides a new pair of prescription eyeglasses or funds a portion of a vision-restoring cataract surgery for a person in need through their partners Unite for Sight and SEE International.

Director of Business Development at Waveborn, Mike Malloy, is a personal friend of mine from high school.  He is a great guy, and he introduced me to his brand and the mission behind their company.  I was immediately drawn to the idea, because what is better than fashion?  Fashion that can help people and make a difference in the world.  Sign me up!

Today Waveborn is launching their crowdfunding campaign to increase their styles, colors, and your ability to give for 2013.  I have donated myself, and I am looking forward to sporting some Waveborn shades on my upcoming outfit posts this spring and summer.

Check them out, rock some shades, and give some sight this spring!

XO,

Gina

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