Christmas in July

Oh, the weather outside is frightful!  But instead of harping on how hot it’s been outside, I wanted to take you on a trip down memory lane.  I’ve been wanting to share these pictures with you for a while, and I thought Christmas in July would be the best time to do it! 

Have you ever seen snow on the beach?  That had always been on my bucket list, and this past Christmas, I finally got to see it.  It came at a price… we got snowed in for a few days after Christmas, but when we finally dug out, we were rewarded with some sparkling snow! 

Grab your favorite mug of Christmas Tea (I prefer Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Green Tea), and transport yourself into a land of snow and sand!

This is what we saw when we walked out the front door…

People couldn’t make it back to their houses, so they just ditched their cars on the median!

We finally made it to the beach, and it was so worth it.  Isn’t this breathtaking?!

The snow froze the sand, and where you thought you could stand… you just sank! 

So beautiful…

This guy decided to brave the snow too

One of my favorite shots. 

I super heart Rockaway!

And this is what we would have had to drive home in!  So… we waited an extra day.  There was no way this was happening.

Upon returning home, we were greeting by the best fur-niece on the planet.  What better way to warm back up from visiting the frozen tundra than cuddling with the sweetest bulldog ever?!  And what better way to reward ourselves for shoveling out our cars the next day than the best  New York pizza ever?! 

We might have been snowed in, but it was a fantastic trip.  We played lots of board games and card games, and generally had some sibling bonding time.  I love my newly extended family, and it was nice to spend some time snowed in with them… but I have to say the beach walk was the highlight of that visit.  The beach was so peaceful and serene, and it was a wonderful way to cure the cabin fever!

Did you get snowed in this year?  Do you wish you were still snowed in instead of sweating buckets in July?  Personally, I prefer the warmth, so I’m trying not to complain too much!  Snow is pretty in pictures… but I can wait a while longer to see it again in person!!

May by the Numbers

Hello friends!  Hope you’re all doing well.  I’ve been doing some thinking and I realized that I keep getting stuck in the past on the blog, and don’t ever find time to write about the present.  So I’m going to power through – fire off a bunch of old posts that I really want to remember, mixed in with some fun new things.  Feel free to skip the old, boring stuff if you want!  I hope to be done in two weeks or so, and then finally be all caught up.  By that time, we should have our professional wedding pics, in which case I’ll also bang out some Weddingbee style recaps, and then be on our merry way.  Sound good?  Good.

To start off, let’s recap the month of May in true accounting style – by the numbers.  (PS can you believe it’s June?  Holy Crap.)

1 – One new camera!  Check out this amazing gift that the hubster surprised me with.  I cried!  I can’t wait to use it on our honeymoon!

1 – Also a new iphone!  I’ve been loving using apps like instagram (see pic above!) and beating Robert at Words with Friends

2 – New blog friends who I finally got to meet for lunch last week!  Chrissey and Stephanie and I had a great lunch at Marathon Grill in Philadelphia.  It was surreal meeting people I met on the internet, but we had so much to chat about.

3 – Flavors of frozen yogurt I had at the new Yapple Yogurt down the street from our apartment!  It opened two weeks ago, and Robert and I went to welcome in summer over Memorial Day Weekend.  I tried white chocolate, peanut butter, and birthday cake – they were all so good!

4 – Number of books I read in May!  This includes Bossypants by Tina Fey (amazing, had me laughing on the train, and loving all of the Pennsylvania references!  she also included a great message for women – not just women comedians.  Girl power!)  I also read The Love Season by Elin Hilderbrand.  This book was good, but I threw it on the couch at the end because I was disappointed by the ending. Finally, I read Firefly Lane and True Colors by Kristin Hannah.  I am now officially addicted to her books!  The first had me bawling on the train, and the second was so deeply real.  Kristen Hannah really paints you into the story, both in the plot and in the setting.  You find yourself so invested in the characters!  I loved both books and can’t wait to read more of her work in June!

7 – Inches I chopped off of my hair right after the wedding!  I couldn’t wait to get my Post Wedding Chop, and scheduled my appointment for the first day that the salons were open after the wedding.  Take a look:

             Before………………………………………………………After!

8 – Number of yoga classes I attended at Dana Hot Yoga this month.  I really enjoyed the chance to fulfill my groupon, but by the end of it, I was ready for a little break.  But I truly feel like I am a better “yogi” now… except:

1 – Number of times I FACEPLANTED while attempting crow pose.  OUCH.  My nose was bruised for days!

13th – My 25th birthday!  Robert and I celebrated with an amazing dinner of calamari, basil mojitos, and amazing bacon burgers at 20 Manning.  The burger was great, but not the best burger I ever had!  (Although I might have kept comparing their food to 20 Manning’s sister restaurant, Audrey Claire.  The mussels at AC are in the top 5 of favorite meals ever!)  We finished the night with drinks at Table 31 on the Thursday prior.  Although I work right above Table 31, I’d never been there.  We sat outside, and I swear it felt like we were in Miami!  The celebration continued at my BFF Kirsten’s house, where she and her husband bbq’ed for our friend Georgia, Bob’s friend Pat, Robert, and me.  We drank strawberry wine from Heritage Vineyards, ate a giant cookie cake, and just chatted.  It was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday! 

31 – Days of being a wife!  I never thought that being married would feel very different.  We’d  been living together for almost 3 years by the time we got married, but it has been amazing.  I feel more connected to Robert, and I’m just giddy with love.  (Ok I’ll stop making you puke now.)

80,000 – Degrees that it’s been outside.  OMG it is so hot and humid, and it was only May.  I’ve never wanted rain so badly before in my life.  Anything to break the heat!

What were you up to in May?!  I can’t believe my favorite month is over

Nice Day for an Irish Wedding

Once upon a time, a beautiful young lady went to Ireland to visit a friend.  This friend took it upon herself to introduce the beautiful young lady to a handsome Irish fellow – and they fell in love.  As months went past, the beautiful young lady saved her pennies to visit her handsome Irish fellow, and in turn he would come to the states and visit her.  Eventually they decided that it was time for the handsome Irish fellow to move to the united states with the beautiful young lady, and soon later they were engaged!

As the year went past, there were several celebrations for the beautiful couple.

But none were quite as amazing as the wedding between the beautiful young lady and the handsome Irish fellow…

The wedding was on June 4, 2010 at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park, and I can’t imagine a more picturesque location!

The food was amazing (think: seared tuna and filet mignon!)  and the DJ was terrific.  He kept us dancing all night… in fact I’m hoping to book him for our wedding!  And with plenty off family  and friends to celebrate with, there couldn’t have been a more perfect evening!

In the end, all anyone could talk about was how perfect the beautiful young lady and the handsome Irish fellow were for each other.  I couldn’t be more happy for them, and am so excited for my future sister-in-law!  I’ve never seen such a beautiful bride!  Congratulations!