travel Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Popcorn and Pandas

{27} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading Finished beachy read, Another Piece of My Heart, by Jane Green. Nothing groundbreaking, but a decent vacation read.

writing A deposition for a court date. I’m a witness! Don’t get too excited, it’s just traffic court…

listening To lots of upbeat music, because Friday I returned to the gym after a 20 month hiatus. And I actually went again on Monday, and went for a run this morning. Hoping to keep this momentum going, because I’m already feeling more energized (apart from my sore limbs).

thinking That we had a really great time last Sunday at the Industry City Dance Party in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Zack was eager to go, and I was a little worried that we would be “those people” bringing a baby into an entirely inappropriate situation, but I was happy to find all sorts of kids and babies rockin’ out on the dance floor with the best of them. It was definitely a party. And not a kid’s party. But the fact that kids were welcomed and deemed appropriate there was pretty cool. Nico (not surprisingly) loved it, and our little fam had a really great time getting our dance on.

smelling My fav scent, Light Blue.

watching All the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge videos. I was a little annoyed by them at first…people dousing themselves so they didn’t have to donate…didn’t make a lot of sense to me. But after reading this blog post, I have a new perspective.

wishing Nico an early Happy 1st Birthday! He is turning ONE on Friday. I just can’t believe it.

hoping That I can get my act together this week for a party planning extravaganza. And by extravaganza, I mean myself, a glass of wine, my living room, and some DIY crafting.

wearing In the photo above I’m wearing my new ModCloth dress that I got at their 70% off sale! It’s sold out, but check out some of their other sale dresses here. Did I mention I was able to go shopping this weekend…ALONE? It was kind of amazing.

loving My new haircut (also seen in photo above) from the amazing Tim Dueñas. Feels so much lighter and loving having some layers again.

laughing At this adorable friendship on Daily Laughs.

wanting The summer to stick around a little longer. I’m not ready for the beach days to end…

needing To start checking some more things off my bucket list. And as I’m looking at it…thinking about making some edits.

feeling Incredibly nervous as today is Nico’s first day with his new nanny and new playmate. We are going to miss our old one so much, and it’s going to be a tough transition week for all of us, but I’m hoping he will adjust quickly.

craving These sweet cinnamon oven roasted peaches. Thinking this is just the recipe I need for the peaches in our yard this year.

clicking Looking for a few sweet new baby gifts for little ones on the way.

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you are all having a fantastic 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.

Porch Swing

On me: Top: J. Crew / Tank: J. Crew (available in other colors) – also similar here / Shorts: J. Crew (available in other colors here and here) / Sandals: Sam Edelman (sold out, but many color choices here) / Sunnies: Francesca’s (similar) / Necklace: Baublebar (similar) / Watch: Michael Kors / Bracelets: Henri Bendel, Baublebar, Stella & Sparkle / Earrings: ALDO / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

On Nico: Bathing Suit Top & Trunks Set: Carter’s

Feeling nostalgic today from our vacation to the Outer Banks. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already noticed I’m protesting my post-vacation blues. The photos above show some of my most favorite times in the OBX. Doing. Absolutely. Nothing. Relaxation in it’s purest form. There’s just something about a porch swing at sunset that immediately resets my zen. After a long day in the hot sun, taking walks and building sandcastles, it feels great to come back to the cottage, have a nice shower, and climb into the porch swing and just sway. Feeling the breeze as the sun drops down below the horizon brings an immediate feeling of calm and a sense of peacefulness that I haven’t been able to really recreate anywhere else but here. Sometimes I will even bring a book into the swing and get lost into some other dream world. This year, I brought Nico onto the swing with me, and for a kid who otherwise at this age is squirmy and adventurous, I was mildly surprised with his ability to just snuggle and relax with me on the swing for awhile. It was as if he was silently saying, “Oh hey Mom, yeah I could get the hang of this relax in the porch swing thing.” I’m lucky that my little one still does love to snuggle with me often…usually at night before bedtime. But as he approaches his first birthday and becomes more independent, I start to see him squiggle away from me more and more as he explores the world around him. It makes me sad, but at the same time I know he has to grow. Part of me wants to cling and keep him small forever though and that part of me is going to soak up every moment I can while he is still little enough to be wrapped in my arms cuddling on the porch swing.

XO,

Gina

Rockin’ Wedding Weekend

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.

Hope you all have a great week!

XO,

Gina

{26} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading Finished a few good ones recently. First up was The Fault in Our Stars. I wanted to read the book before watching the movie. Of course, it’s predictable and a total tearjerker, but I was pleasantly surprised with how well a male author (John Green) was able to capture the mind of a sixteen year old girl. Next, I read Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn. This author never disappoints. Although the main character, Libby, is a little unlikable in my opinion, Gillian Flynn is always keeping you on your toes with her novels and makes you want more. Heading to the beach this weekend, so if you have any beach reads to recommend, please do!

writing A ginormous to-do list of everything I need to get done before our trip to the Outer Banks. And a packing list.

listening Summer…my summer anthem by Calvin Harris. Prepping a little playlist for our road trip.

thinking That this beautifully written blog post from my friend Sascha really hits home for the working mom.

smelling The delicious homemade eggplant parm the hubby cooked this week. Fresh eggplant, tomatoes, and basil from the garden. Melt in your mouth amazingness.

watching The Bachelorette finale really threw me for a loop! I realize I am delayed on watching my shows, so sorry for being late to the party. I won’t throw out any spoilers for those who may also be behind on their TV watching, but let’s just say I was really surprised!

wishing Time would slow down a bit. My little baby is almost a year old already! I can’t even take it.

hoping I can pull off this fabulous fishtail braid at the beach next week shown in this tutorial by Nikki.

wearing Lots of leopard print this week. Feeling feisty.

loving The end of summer sales! ModCloth, Free People, J. Crew, & Zara have some pretty good ones going on right now.

laughing At how Nico loves to be chased around the house. I will crawl after him, and he will start crawling away squealing with delight…then come back and start chasing me while laughing. That belly laugh is enough to get me laughing and smiling all day long.

wanting To be with my little boy today. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m missing him a lot while at work this week. Looking forward to spending a whole week with him at the beach and introducing him to the place I have vacationed since I was a small child. Also excited that the whole family will be able to see how much he has grown.

needing A little girl (one day) so I can buy these adorable ribbons from Brit!

feeling Totally inspired by hometown friend Candice as she becomes the first plus-sized model to appear in next year’s Pirelli calendar. Doesn’t she look fantastic!!??

craving Something sweet. What else is new?

clicking On 1st birthday party ideas for my little guy.

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you are all having a fantastic 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.

{Style Envy} Rompin’ Around + Turning Thirty

On Brianna – Romper: Forever 21 / Sandals: Michael Kors / Necklaces: Forever 21

Introducing my beautiful niece, Brianna. You may remember a few posts way back when from my Style Envy segments with Marisa and Alex. Every now and then I like to showcase someone else’s style rather than my own, and Brianna was looking so adorable in this romper while we were on vacation in Cape May that I just had to snap some photos at the beach. Rompers made a small come back last summer, and they are still in full force this season. It’s so nice to only think about one piece. No need to worry about which top is going to go with which bottom. Matchy matchy tops and bottoms have also been a trend this season, so why not just buy one piece and call it a day? Of course, everyone’s main complaint about rompers is the ever-annoying hassle of going to the bathroom, but in my opinion, it’s no big deal to suck it up for a day for the sake of fashion. That’s what we women do, right?

Onto my niece…Bri is one of those people with a natural easy-going attitude. She’s always down for an adventure, for trying fun new things, and she’s a total pleasure to be around. Throughout the week whenever someone would make a suggestion about something fun to do, she was always up for it. No matter how weird to crazy the activity, she was always excited to partake. Want to go play skee-ball at the arcade? Yup. Want to go for a walk? Yup. Want to take photos on the beach? Yup. Want to go get ice cream? Yup. Want to go on a four-person family bike? Yup. She reminds me of my husband (her uncle) never wanting to sit around. Always go go go…they might miss something or won’t be able to enjoy the most out of their vacation if they are relaxing too much. We had a blast hanging out at the beach, and I only wish she and my sister-in-law could have stayed longer!

On a final note, I turned 30 over the weekend. That’s right THIRTY. Holy crap. Where does the time go? I remember when I used to think thirty was so old. It’s crazy how much I have grown and changed in the last decade. Met Zack, graduated college, moved to New York City, got into the animation/advertising industry, partied my ass off, traveled, got married, moved to Brooklyn, slowed down, had a baby, and now I’m a mom of an almost 1-year-old. My twenties were a lot of fun indeed. As scary as 30 sounds, I do admit, I am excited to embrace this new decade with the clarity, responsibility, and self-awareness that I did not always exhibit in my twenties. Sure occasionally I know I will miss my carefree days, but my life is all about my family and closest friends right now, and I couldn’t be happier.

Special thanks to my husband for planning an amazing 30th surprise weekend for me complete with Six Flags, a fancy dinner, a night on the town, and finished with a beach day. I am a lucky lady.

Hope you are all having a great week!

XO,

Gina

{25} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso, founder and CEO of Nasty Gal. Incredible story and extremely inspirational. Would recommend to anyone, not just the ladies.

writing In Nico’s baby book. I have a few months of catching up to do with all his new milestones!

listening “Talk Dirty” by Jason DeRulo. As a former sax player, I had to give a shout out to the awesome solo work in this song.

thinking It’s been a bit of a crazy few weeks for me and my family. We lost my beloved Granny recently, and although she was 93 years old, it was sudden and a bit of a shock for all of us. After losing my Uncle earlier this year, it’s been rough for everyone, especially my Mom. I cannot imagine losing my own mother, and I know this has got to be incredibly difficult for her. My Granny was the sweetest lady, and I miss her dearly. I am comforted in the fact that I was able to be by her side in her last week along with the rest of our family, and that she was comfortable and knew we were all with her at the end. I truly appreciate all of the love, prayers, cards, and support that people have given us during this time.

smelling The great outdoors. Spent Zack’s 1st Father’s Day Weekend hiking Bear Mountain on Saturday, and Sunday was spent smelling the sweet salt air at Rockaway Beach. I would definitely recommend the Perkins Memorial 3.9 mile trail loop. Amazing views and a challenging, fun hike. I impressed myself by doing a few rock scrambles with a baby on my back as well, and we were able to introduce Nico to his first ride…the carousel! Onto the beach…if my fellow New Yorkers make it to Rockaway this summer, you must go to 106th street for arepas at Caracas. I insist! P.S. Nico LOVED the beach. That’s my boy!

watching Watched the throwback movie Big for the first time with one of my favorite actors of all time, Tom Hanks. Although the method of getting “bigger” was a tad cheesy, I really enjoyed the movie and would recommend it.

wishing For the weekend to get here! We are heading to Cape May for the first time for a family vacation with the hubby’s side. Looking forward to snuggling that little nephew of ours, and spending time with the entire fam. Have any of you been to Cape May before? Would love some suggestions on what to do/where to eat/where to shop, etc.!

hoping That Nico feels less pain when the rest of his teeth come in…yes, you heard right…Nico got his first tooth this weekend! My boy is getting big.

wearing This new vintage style bathing suit I purchased from Grey Dog Boutique. Discovered this shop from Bonnie over at Flashes of Style. Go say hi!

loving The the line-up of summer travel we have on the horizon. While driving long distances can sometimes be draining, Zack and I are always up for an adventure, and this summer will be no different even with a little one in tow. We started off the summer in New Hampshire with good friends, enjoyed upstate NY last weekend, and have Cape May to round out the month of June. July we will be heading to Rehobeth Beach (DE), North Fork (Long Island), Deep Creek Lake (MD), and celebrating my 30th (eek!). Ending the summer will be a trip to the Outer Banks (NC) and celebrating Nico’s 1st birthday. Some may call us crazy, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

laughing I’m not a cat person, but this kitten jam had me rolling!

wanting This shocking coral lip color for the season.

needing Some more time with girlfriends. I’ve been loving the family life without a doubt, and I love my boys to death, but sometimes a girl needs some quality time with her girlfriends too! Hoping to set up a few “girl-dates” while the weather is nice and warm.

feeling A second needle injection into my thumb this morning. OUCH. My thumb has definitely gotten a lot better since the first shot, but it’s still not completely back to normal, and as the doc said “I am too young to have this problem!” Not to mention how impossible it is to “rest your thumb.” I really do hope this one will curb me from having to undergo surgery, but worst case scenario, I have heard it’s a fairly simple procedure.

craving More time to work on this blog and other personal endeavors/passion projects. My creativity is bursting at the seams with very little time to act! I’ve always been great with time management, but juggling work, caring for a baby, and our social/travel calendar have made things a bit more tricky. I know it’s tough to “have it all,” but I’m determined to come up with a way to make things work without sacrificing my family time.

clicking Nico is pulling himself up to a standing position, and I think it’s time for some functional shoes for summer. I’ve been searching around online, but does anyone have any favorites they love for their little one?

What have you been up to lately?

Happy Hump Day!

Love,

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.

Red Rain Boots

Rain Boots: Hunter / Leg Warmers: similar / Tribal Leggings: Forever 21 – similar / Coat: Old Navy / Top: Urban Outfitters / Necklace: Guilty Jean / Lip: Lancome Red Haute

These photos were taken on our trip to the lake house in New Hampshire on a chilly, rainy day. Instead of swimming or hiking, we spent this day eating Mexican food, browsing the local Wolfeboro shops, playing games, and drinking wine. These boots were a recent gift from the hubby for our 3rd wedding anniversary. Totally picked out on his own, mind you! Perfect timing for rainy season, and it seemed appropriate to share today as the rain is currently falling.

XO,

Gina

{24} Lately…

Lately I’ve been…

reading The Girl on the Cliff by LucindaRiley. This book came on recommendation from a friend, and so far I am super captivated!

writing A packing list for our trip to the lake house in New Hampshire. We leave tomorrow, and I cannot wait!

listening Let me start off by saying I know this song is kind of terrible. But something about this song and my old club days makes me not hate it.

thinking Time is going so fast! Nico hit two milestones this past week. “Crawling” – or his version of it at least. He’s basically sliding all over the apartment (including underneath the table and chairs as seen above…we are in trouble), and I told the hubby we should at least strap a swiffer duster to his belly so the floors get cleaned at the same time. I kid, I kid. He also pulled himself up to a standing position all by himself on Monday. I was at work, and I missed it, which sucked, because as a mom you never want to miss those first moments. I am so happy for him and all of his latest accomplishments, but it’s starting to hit home that our little baby is getting bigger, and it’s impossible to go back in time to when he was tiny.

smelling Not much of anything, because I have been all stuffed up with sickness this past week. Meh.

watching The Bachelorette is back! Any early guesses of who will win?

wishing For clear skies in New Hampshire, so we can view all the pretty stars at night again this year.

hoping Along the same lines…for sunshine this weekend! The weather is looking a bit gloomy thus far. I know we will still have fun catching up with our friends, playing board games and watching movies, but if possible, I would prefer to be hiking and exploring!

wearing Casual today in Paige denim, black and white striped tank, Camo jacket, and New Balance tennis shoes

loving The fresh Hazelnut coffee we have been getting from Fairway. I’m not much of a coffee snob. I usually drink one cup a day, and the Keurig system works for us. I had never really thought much about the freshness of the K-Cups, but until you have had one of the new Fairway One Cups (which foregoes all the bottom plastic as well for the green folks out there), you haven’t had a good K-cup!

laughing At this woman who was just a LITTLE bit excited to be a grandmother.

wanting A recommendation for a new spring nail polish! Who has one?

needing A new bathing suit for summer, but dreading the shopping process this year. None of my old suits fit my current body, so it’s back to the drawing board. I have a couple ideas in mind in terms of styles, so hopefully I can find something that works.

feeling Still feeling pain and popping in my thumb a couple days after the Cortisone shot. Hoping it kicks in soon, or else I may need another injection and possibly surgery. Oy.

craving Fresh fruit. It’s almost summertime, which means all my favorite fruits will soon be in season!

clicking Around on the Father’s Day gift hunt…it will be here before we know it!

What have you been up to lately?

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

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.

In the Garden

My guy has been working hard on our garden this year. I can’t say I have participated much more than a trip to the nursery to pick out some plants (which was really fun by the way!) and a couple days of watering, but I’ve been watching the baby, ok? In due time when these plants start producing some vegetables…that’s when my work will come into play. I will be making homemade tomato sauce and pesto, and I will have a happy husband. Teamwork makes the world go round.

Top: J. Crew (old) / Dress (worn as a skirt): Free People (old) – shop day dresses / Shoes: Nordstrom Rack / Bag: H&M / Sunnies: YSL / Lip: MAC Up the Amp / Necklace: Gifted / Bracelet: Oja Jules / Watch: Coach

It was a bit of a rough weekend, as I caught a sinus infection and was completely laid up. We had to cancel our anniversary dinner and I missed the 30th Birthday celebration for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. On a separate doctor’s note, I spent yesterday morning in the orthopedic office getting a Cortisone shot to try and help my trigger finger. Womp womp.

Starting to feel better today, and enjoying the amazing weather we have had in the city the past few days. We are getting excited for our upcoming family mini vacay with our best friends Erin & Rai. You may remember them from our Maine trip last year. We have decided to take another adventure with them to the New England region, and this time we are visiting New Hampshire (and we will also have a mini addition to the crew this year!) We are heading north earlier in the season, so it will be a bit chillier than last year but we are looking forward to a bit of adventure, some breathtaking natural surroundings, and some R&R as well.

Hope you are all enjoying the week so far!

XO,

Gina

San Fran Style

Photos by: Zack Notes / Edited by: Myself

On me: Dress: Free People (old) / Blouse: Forever 21 (sold out) / Bow Tie: ASOS – similar / Sunglasses: ModCloth / Ankle Boots: H&M / Lip: MAC Heartless / Nails: Essie Sexy Divide

On Nico: Shirt & Bow Tie: Koala Baby via Babies “R” Us / Jeans: Baby GAP (sold out) – also like these / Shoe Socks: Trumpette

The hubby had a conference/speaking engagement in San Francisco a few weeks ago, so Nico and I flew out to join him for a quick family trip across the country. In retrospect, I am kind of asking myself what the hell was I thinking (re: A 3 hour time difference doesn’t mean anything to a baby, and 6 hours on a plane by myself? Why did I think this was a good idea?). Waking up a 3am was a daily occurrence, and sitting in the hotel room at 5pm with the curtains drawn, trying to be quiet while eating take-out pho was a bit difficult as well. However, at the end of the day, I kind of think it is hysterical, and I am really glad we made the trip. I realized how much I can do on my own with a baby…I mean, I’m always up for a challenge right? My current challenges have just migrated from Tough Mudder races to “what can this mom accomplish today” type challenges haha. We were able to see a lot of friends and family, and we explored a bit in a much warmer climate for a few days, so I cannot complain! On the day these photos were taken, we got dressed up for a lovely outdoor brunch with a wonderful group of people. We followed it up with a beautiful walk on the water in Marina and in Ft. Mason Park. I love seeing Nico’s face as he sees a new part of the world for the first time. He just takes it all in, and I can tell he is going to enjoy traveling just like his parents.

We had a nice Brooklyn weekend here in the city. The hubs got a new iPhone for his birthday. We met our friend’s new 4 week old baby for the first time, who was absolutely adorable! (You forget how little they once were!) We also hosted a little Babies & Bagel’s St. Paddy’s Day brunch with our local parent/baby group in our neighborhood.

To all my fellow Irish out there…and all of those celebrating…Happy St. Paddy’s Day, and have a wonderful week!

XO,

Gina