Summertime Beauty

Friday Frenzy

2012-01-20T11:18:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...no post yesterday. But I have an excuse!

I had a great day off and completely enjoyed every minute of it. I met one of my guy friends and we went for a long walk around downtown. We stopped and got coffees (and some jamo nips haha) and enjoyed the gorgeous day we were blessed with here. And then out of nowhere is started to snow! It was like a moment out of movie. It was gorgeous & sunny with small glittery snow flakes everywhere. Its those moments that make me feel so blessed to live here. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than watching the snowfall over the ocean during the wintertime.

We then stopped in to see my roomate at work and had a few blue moons at the bar. The restaurant group that we work for owns three restaurants on the island and I was transferred to our newest one over the holidays. I love working there, but definitely miss all the fun people I used to work with. I love dropping by and catching up with everyone.

Yesterday concluded with probably one of the best first dates I've ever had. Its obviously something very new so I don't want to jinx anything, but I had so much fun! We actually stayed in and had a casual night. We made waffles together and watched movies. It was such a breath of fresh air to hang out with a normal adult (that can be a rarity with the guys on this island).

Great day all around.

Now I'm off to do lots of laundry, run to the post office & bank, cook, and get ready for work....gotta love crazy Fridays!

Winter on the Vineyard

2012-01-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

So day one went pretty well...blogged, commented, cooked...

Yummy salmon with sauteed crimini mushroons, wilted spinach and aged balsamic

Wintertime on the Vineyard holds a special place in my heart. I have always and will always love summer through and through, but when I moved here last fall I fell in love with the island through the interesting off-season. It becomes a completely different world than it is in the summer and my own little safe-haven.

There are so many people that grow up summering here and believe that they know the real island. They don't. Not even close. June/July/August is such a busy time here. The population explodes and it becomes a whole new world. I had an amazing time this summer going to the beach, going out at night and working my butt off lol. But when the crowds and summer folk leave, the rest of us are still here and have the pleasure of enjoying the other 9 months in tranquility.

Don't get me wrong, you certainly have to be active in keeping yourself entertained throughout the winter. Planning vacations are a must! (Miami vacation recap tomorrow!!) Dinner nights with friends, game nights with friends...all a necessity.

A lot of people also "wife-up" during the winter time haha. During the summer no one has any time to actually carry on a relationship. Also, there's so much fun to be had...who would want to?! But when the wind starts to blow and the temperatures drop, we all need someone to help keep us warm :) Its not like I sought the opportunity out last year, it just kinda happened. So we'll see what this winter has in store for me...

Tonight my friends are having a game night that they're hoping to carry on every week. Hopefully my Wii bowling skills are up to par! Should be a fun night, and any excuse to get together & drink with friends is wonderful in my book.

Do you have any winter time rituals or activities that you fall back to every year?

Soooo let's give this thing a whirl

2012-01-17T08:33:00.000-08:00

I was reminded over at One Twenty Five that all it takes is 21 days to change/rebuild old & new habits. I've known for years that changing things in your daily routine is a day-by-day process, but it's interesting how easily I can forget this!

I don't believe in New Years resolutions because although they start off with the best intentions, I find myself leaving them by the wayside pretty quickly. Looking at the year as a whole can seem extremely daunting, but breaking it up by segments of 21 days seems pretty doable in my book.

Although I have a laundry list of things I would like to change in my life, I'm starting with two: blogging & cooking. I'm always reading through posts on here, but rarely comment or draft posts of my own. WTF mate? So for 21 days I would like to try and write a post each day and comment on at least one other blog a day as well. (Finger's crossed my life isn't too boring for this goal lol). As far as the cooking...I would like to do just that. Actually cook at home in my own kitchen! Because I work in the restaurant industry, it is so much easier to eat things on the go or at work. And while I am fortunate enough to work at a restaurant that has an amazing menu, I hate seeing everything in my fridge end up in the garbage.

So here we go ladies...

Day 1: Draft personal blog post, check. Comment on another's blog post, check. Cook meals at home, (the day is still early but I have meals planned...so basically check haha).

21 days from now is February 6th...here goes nothin'!

Questions

2011-10-01T18:32:00.001-07:00

It seems that many of us face the same trials and tribulations throughout our daily lives. What do I want to be when I grow up? Where do I want to live? What kind of life do I want to live? Let's be honest, I've never been one to have all the answers. Frankly I've never really known who I was. But it isn't really that black and white, is it?

Looking at older siblings I always felt I had to live up to their amazing standards. The sibling who always knew where she wanted to live and what she wanted to do...and of course succeeded in both areas. The sibling who seemed to sail through life dating the perfect person, marrying said person, having beautiful children, etc. And finally the free-will sibling who although never had a plan, seemed to fit perfectly into the 'go-with-the-flow' lifestyle. It always seemed to click for them, why not me? How did I grow up so lost?

Then there are the friends that everything seems to work for. We all have them, let's be honest. They have problems of their own, but they always seem to resolve...easily.

I've come to realize recently though, that while from the outside these people seem to have it all they are just as lost as I am. Who ever has life fully figured out? Things change every day and we as people change right along with them. This has been a hard concept for me to grasp over this past year. I've always been a planner. Climbing rung by rung on what I thought was the ladder to my happiness. I had a moment, almost two years ago at this point, where I thought, "Could this really be happening? Could everything I always wanted actually be within my reach? Could I really be this lucky?" Welllllll...we all know how that turned out.

I was working towards my dream job, my dream wedding, and my dream life. Those were my dream aspirations then, but what about now? I am a completely different person than I was then. So how do I come up with completely different dreams?

Its not that the old me has gone entirely out the window, but I have no boundaries now. I can live wherever and do whatever. On my own timeline. Im just left thinking...where is this timeline headed?

How do you create goals and aspirations for yourself when you have no idea what you want out of life?

Master Cleanse- thoughts ladies??

2011-08-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

So as we approach fall (let's face it, in my mind we're already there), my body is starting to calm down from the craziness of my summer schedule. I've mentioned before that I didn't treat myself very well this summer-crazy ridiculous hours at work, very little sleep, poor eating and drinking habits-and that I wanted to take time to better myself this fall. What better way to start than by flushing out the old? Literally.

I've been doing some research on cleanses lately and I think I have decided to give it a go. I'm going to try out the master cleanse, aka the lemonade cleanse. I'm sure that you have all heard of it before. I'm planning on trying it out for 7 days. Let's be honest though, if I make it past 4 I will consider it a success :)

I've been feeling incredibly lethargic and run-down so I need something to restart my system. I want to start this season fresh, giving my body plenty of time to gear up for cold/flu season.

If any of you have either done a cleanse or this cleanse in particular, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts! I've heard that the first three days are the most difficult, but I would be grateful to hear any other words of wisdom that you may have. Please dish ladies!!

Fall Wish List Part I: Tory & JCrew

2011-08-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

Dorese High Heel Bootie

Jasmine Shell

Dowling Tunic

Double-cloth Symphony Coat

Sidenote Sweater

September Sweater

Enough said.

A Bedroom Makeover

2011-08-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

Anyone remember when Miranda wanted to turn around her bedroom karma in satc and re-did her bedroom? Well ladies, fingers crossed it works in real life as well! It is high time for me to have a legit grown-up bedroom. One that might say: "My life is fully together and I have a bedroom to prove it! Yes, look around...it is fabulous." Never said I was no longer a dork :)

Some ispiration I've found so far:

Ideas and more inspiration would be greatly appreciated ladies! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Vacation Over...Time to Start Living

2011-08-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

So it's been a year since all of the shiznaz went down in my life. I'm coming up on my anniversary of moving to this gorgeous island, and it's obviously got me thinking about my life's direction. Do any of you ever feel so overwhelmed and empowered (at the same time) that you can do/be whatever you want in life?

Just me? Okay, great.

Anyways...I gave myself one year to be selfish and reckless. I think I did a pretty good job of that. For the most part, I did what I wanted and had a great time doing so. I will forever be a planner deep down though and need to know where this whole thing is going. I'm trying to take the time this fall to lay some foundations for my future. To most people these actions will seem pretty trivial, but hey I'm the one living this life over here.

I really want my apartment to be a place that I am proud of. I love gawking at amazing interior design and would love to have a home that reflects who I am.

I want to take the time to take care of myself. I've worked like crazy this summer and my health has definitely been placed on the back burner. (More like in a tupperware in the way back forgotten corner of the fridge to be exact). Time to really invest in my well being.

$avings...enough said.

I want to work on the relationships in my life. It's easy to take these for granted when schedules get hectic, but I want the people in my life to know how much they mean to me. I am truly blessed to be surrounded with amazing people and I want to nurture those friendships.

So there you have it, my bucket list for fall. I can do it, I can do it, I can do it.

Its funny how your goals can change so much over the years. I've really enjoyed sinking into my mid-twenties and really wouldn't trade this time for anything. Just a few years ago I would have been packing up to go back to college. As much as I loved that time in my life, I'm happy to be where I am now.

Cheers to another year!

Terry Stack Belts

2011-08-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon a fabulous new belt designer while purusing downtown a few weeks ago. The company is called Terry Stack. They produce a really great line of interchangeable belts and buckles. AND...the belts are velcro! Sounds crazy, I know. But you don't actually see the velcro phew!

I purchased the 1 1/8" Cognac Ostrich Belt:

With the 1 1/8" Casual Gold Sailboat Buckle:

I'm definitely eyeing the crab though as my next buckle purchase though!

The belt made it's debut last night when I went on a dinner date. Let's just say everything about the night received rave reviews! Happy shopping ladies!

A Second Chance...at Whatever I Want

2011-08-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

Where to begin....well, where exactly did I leave off? Oh yes, just about one year ago....

A whole year seems like an awful lot to catch you up on, so let's try the cliff notes version shall we?

Engagement ended- quit job, moved to an island...

Life dreams semi-fell apart

Bartended/managed at a mexican cantina

Learned how to make a MEAN mojito :)

Met some amazing people

Found a killer townhouse with my bestie from college

Have spent the year like we were in college again

Became an aunt again...then a Godmother

Learned that I am pretty amazing and I won't settle for anything. Ever again.

I've missed the blog world very much. I've missed the real world very much to be honest. I've been living on an island where reality can seem jaded. I love Martha's Vineyard more than anything and consider this place the safest rehab spot I could have chosen. If you have never been here, you are seriously missing out! (And if you're looking for a vaca, I love house guests!)

It is very strange to be given a second chance at a life that you could have never had. I can't imagine not knowing the people I have met over the past year, or having the experiences that I have had. And it all could of never happened! How insane is that to think about?! I've been given the opportunity to be selfish...and it's amazing.

Everything does happen for a reason. Today I can honestly say that I can't even imagine being married right now. If that was meant to be my life, it would be. I am not going to pretend that it has been easy; but it has certainly been worth it.

I hope to be able to share all of the daily nuances that occur on this Rock with you. Hopefully you all enjoy, and welcome me back with open arms!

I'm raising my glass of Veuve to you ladies...here we go again!

Tuesday Randoms

2010-09-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

I'm officially moved out of my apartment and am living out of suitcases...we'll see how this goes
I only have three more days of my grown-up job left (yay!)
I'm excited to spend time with family this weekend before I leave the mainland
I'm going to miss waking up and seeing my niece every morning
I booked my ferry reservation yesterday...no turning back now!
Does anyone know how to blog from your blackberry? Tips would be extremely appreciated
I'm nervous to be the newbie again! I feel like I'm going away to college again, yet I will be the only new person
I'll be training as a bar tender when I get to the vineyard and also have an interview to be a brand rep for Jack Wills...lots of new things in my future!
Each day is still hard. I thought it would get easier, but it is still so new that it is just getting worse. Each day things become more real. I'm hoping that I will be able to heal over the next few months
I hope that people like me! (I sound like a first grader, nbd)

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Something New

2010-09-02T07:45:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure many of you know, I am a lover of anything monogrammed. When I first became engaged it seemed as though everything I saw came with a monogram and I wanted to buy it all! I of course knew that it was bad luck to wear my new initials around before the wedding, and what was the point in ordering something with my old ones when they would expire shortly? Well ladies, I made a big step (in my mind) this week and ordered something monogrammed.

L.L. Bean was offering free shipping this week; how could I pass that up?! So my new bag arrived today and is all ready for the vineyard. Two weeks from today is my last day at work... I'm ready for it to be here now!

Mixed Bag

2010-08-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

Hi Ladies, hope that you all enjoyed a fabulous weekend. It was insanely warm & humid here this weekend (which I can't complain too much about, considering fall is right around the corner). I helped to host a bridal shower on Saturday for the wedding that I am a bridesmaid for in October. I spent both Friday and Saturday night at my parent's home (the bridal shower was in my hometown) and it was nice to relax and veg with family and our dog George.

Yesterday I started packing. To say this was no easy feet would be the understatement of a lifetime. A) I never thought I would be moving out of my amazing apartment (especially not without Kevin), B) I am moving to the Vineyard during that wierd is it still warm or cold weather- who ever knows how to pack for that?!, and C) I really can't bring a lot with me considering I'll be crashing on a friends couch and then from there who knows. As my friends and family know, I'm a planner. I've grown to be one even more so over the past few years. I like to know what I'm doing, where I'm going, and be appropriately prepared for everything. These next few months are going to be the exact flip-flop of that. I am SERIOUSLY stepping outside of my comfort zone, yet I really am excited about it.

I keep going back and forth with my emotions towards this whole situation and am currently working through the bitter phase. Ugh, this sucks! lol It really does. If any of you have been through something like this, please shed some wisdom on how to get through it. I honestly would never wish this pain upon anyone, and pray that no one I know ever has to go through this.

Half-way through Monday and one day closer to the Vineyard...

Ready to Make a Move

2010-08-26T04:36:00.001-07:00

1.) Thank you all so much for your kind supportive words over this past week. You have no idea how amazing it is to know that you are not alone in a situation like this.

2.) This is going to take time. Some days will be horrible, others will be okay. I have to accept that time is the only way to make it through this.

3.) I'm ready for a change

A few of you may remember when I almost moved to Martha's Vineyard with my best friend Meaghan a few years ago. It didn't end up happening because I knew the strain that it would cause on my relationship. So I decided to stay in NH and start our life together. I'm finally taking the leap. I haven't been happy in my job for a while and this has made it even worse. I need some time to breath, to be mindless, to have fun. I handed in my letter of resignation on Tuesday and have felt amazing ever since. My last day at work will be September 17th (giving them plenty of time to find a replacement, and guaranteeing that I'm leaving on good terms). That weekend my cousin is getting married in Chatham, MA on the Cape and from there I'll head to the Vineyard.

This is honestly the most spontaneous thing I have ever done! (And to be quite honest, can it even be called spontaneous when I'm planning it out a month in advance? lol) I am a planner and like to know how everything is going to play out. I have no clue what the next few months will hold, and I'm kind of excited for that. It will give Kevin and I the space that we each need to figure out what we want. I told him the other night that if he wants me, he will come to the Vineyard and get me.

I finally joined the big girl world yesterday and upgraded to a blackberry so I will have no excuse not to document all of my ups and downs along the way with you all (we were sharing his laptop so itll take a little while before I purchase a new one for myself).

Excited/nervous/anxious/what the hell am I doing?!/huge weight off my shoulders...'nuff said.

2010-08-19T05:32:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know that it has been ages since I've posted...but it might be even longer until my next post. I've hit the biggest speed bump of my life this week, and I'm taking it one day at a time. Kevin and I have ended our engagement, cancelled our wedding, and are on a break. He's going through some personal struggles, and is not ready to be a husband. He needs to find himself and figure his life out before moving forward with 'ours'. I don't know if this means that we will have a wedding one day, or if we won't. I never saw this coming or expected anything like this so I am still in a state of shock.

Who knows what the future holds right now. But I am taking this time to be selfish and find my true self as well. I don't know what that means right now or where that will take me at this point.

I am still reading all of your wonderful posts (except for the bridal blogs which I needed to stop following for my own sanity) and will hopefully document this new chapter in my life here with you all.

I have no answers and no clue right now, so please be patient. Literally taking it day by day...

Breaking Out

2010-07-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

I am on such a rush/high right now, that I just needed to share it with you all. I have all of these ideas and feelings rushing around in my mind right now about my future, but it can be hard to vocalize them sometimes. I was asked today about what I was basically looking to get out of an opportunity, and I'm proud to say that I put it all out there on the line.

I lived life for so long trying to fit the mold along the golden path, and I realized many years ago that that is just not me. I left college after my first semester of junior year. I think its honestly the best thing I could have done. I know that I am young, but I do have a lot of experience under my belt and a lot of ideas to put out there on the table. I also have a lot of love to give in many retrospects. It felt so great to fully respond saying that I'm looking for something to be passsionate about. I hopefully conveyed my drive and force appropriately.

And you know what? Even if this opportunity does not end up working out, I am so proud of myself for finally breaking out of the perfect shell and showing/sharing what I believe in.

Happy Friday everyone!

How have I not posted about this yet?!

2010-07-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past week and a half two major things have been checked off of the bridal to-do list: bridesmaids dresses and my dress!! I've been monitoring JCrew for a while because although I absolutely loved the dress I picked out for my bmaids, I did not love the price. But luckily last week it went on sale and all of the girls were able to snatch it up with in a 24-hour span!

I am so excited about both the style and color of this dress! I know that pale grey seems to be very 'in' right now, but I am not going the traditional route and pairing it with yellow. I've already purchased their jewelry and while I can't share it with you here (in fear of them spying it early) I can tell you that the necklace is ocean blue colored beads. Since it will be right on the seacoast I think that the pop of blue against the grey will be perfect. It will also coordinate nicely with the groomsman who will be in black tuxes with ocean blue bow ties :)

Now...on to my dress! Like I said a few posts ago, I finally got up enough nerve to go try on wedding dresses. It was so much fun and I honestly don't know why I waited so long. I had gone with one of my sisters and we found a dress that we both fell in love with. I was ready to make the purchase that day! I of course wanted my mom's approval as well as my other sister's so we scheduled another appointment. I was seriously ready to buy that dress and call it a day. It was the San Patrick Bahamas dress:

Hook, line & sinker, this was my dress. Or so I thought. When we got to the bridal boutique (my mom, other sister, and one of my bmaids were there as well) I thought it would be fun to try on more...why not?! The first one I tried on absolutely floored me. And everyone else! It is so different from the above dress, but still so beautiful. I had the hardest time decided between the two. We were honestly in there for three hours going back and forth!

But in the end I decided on the other dress- it is slightly more modern, coordinates better with the bmaid's dress, and has that definite 'wow' factor. It fit like a glove and was in perfect condition so we were able to buy it off the rack that day! Luckily they are holding it for me at the store, otherwise I would be tempted to wear it around our apartment all day. I am so in love with it! I know that my fiance doesn't look at this blog normally, but I'm still nervous about posting it. It's also a San Patrick dress. So if you'd like a sneak pic, shoot me your email address and I'll send it to you. Otherwise you'll have to let the anticipation build for another 10 months!

List of complete ramblings and wants...

2010-07-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

While sitting at my desk the other day, I started to write a list of random thoughts floating through my mind that needed to get out on paper. I'm sure that most of this won't make any sense or mean anything to you....but enjoy.

Stumped.

Want to enjoy the Seacoast summer:

images of tanned legs & feet,

beach wavy hair,

summer dresses & flip flops

Freckles.

Laughter.

Lending a helping hand.

Out & about.

Adirondack chairs.

Being completely real and feeling free.

Clean, crisp colors.

Living in the moment.

Letting my creativity flow and seeing where it actually takes me.

Bliss.

Happiness.

Want the feeling I have on the Vineyard - that life is good.

Drinks on the decks.

Real friends.

Putting as much effort into my relationships as I am expecting to get out of them.

Love the life you live.

Happy Wednesday all...

Traveling in style

2010-07-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

Since Kevin and I are going for a New England style wedding, what better way to portray that message than through transportation? Instead of renting limos or fancy cars, we've decided to rent a local trolley. Trolley services/tours can be found everywhere on the seacoast during the summer. I love the look of trolleys and think that we could get some really great bridal party shots through the windows. Its something different and I think that people will love it.

What do you think?

What to do when you don't have a clue...

2010-07-06T09:03:00.000-07:00

I know that I have been slacking on the blog posts lately, but I've been stuck in a bit of a rut. I love reading about everyone's wonderful day-to-day happenings, but in reality we all go through stormy times. It can feel pretty lonely thinking that you are going through this by yourself, but in reality most people deal with personal difficulties all the time. So I'm going to come right out and say it: I have depression and anxiety issues. They came to a head my junior year in college and I've learned to live with the fact that I will be dealing with them my entire life. It's the hand I was dealt and there's no getting around it.

There are certainly times when things are at their worst and others when things are at their best. Well, lets just say that right now is not exactly a 'high point' for me. I left a cushy job after almost three years for something that I truly believed I was meant to do. Things were switched around quickly, and I was then shuffled into something else. Something else, that at the moment, I am currently hating. I've only been in this position for three months and cannot believe that I am already considering trying to find something else. I hate that I might have a random blimp on my resume that will haunt me down the road, but I also hate this feeling of not being happy. I was reading this a few weeks ago, and it really struck a cord with me. Especially # 14:

Let your passion shape your profession. You know that thing your dad says? “If work wasn’t hard, they wouldn’t pay you to do it.” Please. There are professional rock stars, astronauts, puppy trainers, and bloggers.

I'm too young to be wasting away my time. The catch though- what would I rather be doing with my time? I haven't got a clue. I tried making a list of qualities I would want in an ideal job, but they aren't pointing to one specific thing. The listed included things like helping others, having a creative outlet, not being at a desk from 9-5, interacting with others, having fun, taking pride in my position, possibly traveling, etc.

After working out some of the medical effects of this low point, I still haven't dealt with the underlying cause of just plain being unhappy. I'm young enough that I feel like its okay to be selfish and try something new for the fact of having fun, but I'm still at a loss.

When you've hit a crossroads in your life, how were you able to deal with it? What steps did you take to improve things? I'm in need of some serious advice here ladies. Thanks.

Dress Update

2010-06-30T05:10:00.000-07:00

First off, I want to say a big THANK YOU!!!! to Kari for sending me some encouragement to try on wedding dresses now. I went last night, and am so happy that I did. I think I found the one!!

Only one of my sisters was able to make it so the two of us were able to go through the racks like mad women. I must have tried on at least 20 dresses. It honestly is like playing dress-up all over again! At first, every dress I tried on was nice but they just weren't wowing me. I was really nervous that I wouldn't find one that I absolutely loved.

It was one of the last dresses I tried on, and let me just say- I totally had that 'wow' moment. The fact that I didn't want to take it off was definitely a good sign. My sister kept reiterating that the dress just screamed 'me'. I'm getting excited all over again just thinking about it!

I made another appointment for the 10th to go back with my mom, my other sister and possibly some bmaids. I just hope that they love it as much as I do!

We made it!!

2010-06-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

We made it through the week people!! Only a few more hours and it is officialy the weekend! This week has actually gone by relatively quickly, so there's really nothing to complain about. But no matter how awsome a work week has been, a non-work weekend will always trump it :)

What's on the schedule for this weekend you ask?

Hopefully lots of dancing! We have wedding number 2 this weekend and I'm hoping that it will be just as fun as all of the others. Kevin's cousin is getting married on Saturday and it'll be nice to cut-loose and dance the night away with his (and my soon to be) family.

Ahh if only we all could pull off the chic sheet look so effortlessly...

Happy (almost) weekend everyone!!

Wedding Dress Conundrum

2010-06-16T05:08:00.000-07:00

So here's the question on the table: now or later? I know that for many brides one of the first things on their list is to buy their dress. Me being me you would have thought it would be purchased by now. Truth be told, I've only gone to try on dresses once in 10 months that I've been engaged (and we all know how poorly that went). I knew in the beginning that I had time on my side so there were no worries. Well folks, we're now 11 months out (thank you reminder email from the knot on Monday :))and it feels like the last thing I want to do right now. Manly because every bride wants to feel gorgeous & svelt on their wedding day. Let's just say there's nun o' that going on over here.

I'm worried that if I go shopping and choose a dress based on how I look now, I'll miss out on something spectacular that will look great on me in a few months. Am I crazy?

I've started running every day which has helped to shed a few pounds, but I have more than just a few pounds to go. I had a shock to my system when I entered college and I've never fully gotten back to where I want to be. I know that its insane to try and reach a goal of high school weight, but I want to reach of goal of just plain feeling great.

So should I just bite the bullet and start trying things on now? Or is it okay to wait until say August (8 months out)?

"The List"

2010-06-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is "the list". Not everything is definite, it will depend on if I have time to get to it (or if it fits in the budget). It is also broken down into sections (can you tell I plan things for a living? lol). I would love to hear any and all advice from you out there!

Ceremony:

Programs
Something to hold the programs
Flowers for program table
Pomander balls on pews
Vases with hydrangeas mimicking centerpieces on the altar intermixed with candles

Cocktail Hour:

Family wedding photos
Oars as guestbook
Flowers for guestbook & gift tables
Card box
Flowers for bar & cocktail rounds
Framed seating chart
Monogrammed cocktail napkins
Moss covered M & K for doors into cocktail area

Reception:

Hydrangea vases on tables, fabric covered stands, votives & holders
Table numbers
Menu Cards
Cake stand
Flowers for cake topper
Favors

Etc:

Flowers for MOB & MOG
Pomander ball for flower girl
Ring bearer pillow
Boutonnieres
Bouquets for Bride & Bmaids
Bow ties for Groom, Groomsmen, FOB & FOG
Invitations, Save the Dates, etc.

Wish me luck!!

Updates...

2010-06-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

First off, I just want to say thank you for all of the support regarding my last post. You are all wonderful and have no idea how great it felt to read your kind words. And secondly....Kevin got a job!!! And at our amazing alma mater no less!! I'm so happy for him. And so happy that he's happy! He doesn't have to start until July 1st, so he still has a few weeks of vacation. It will be nice for him to actually enjoy his time off now that he doesn't have to scramble for a new job. God works in miraculous ways, and I know that this is where Kevin is meant to be right now.

Things have been a little stressful lately with all of the changes going on. We were wondering if we would have to cancel our dream wedding and opt for something smaller, or push the date back, etc. We decided though that we could still have our dream wedding, just on our reality budget lol. I've done a lot of research, and the good thing is that time is on our side. I already knew that I wanted to do a lot of DIY projects for our big day. I'm a DIY kind of person anyways, and I wanted to incorporate a lot of personalization into our wedding. Now...we'll just be doing more of it! Be prepared for lots of upcoming posts on DIY ideas and projects. I've been scouring the blog world like crazy for inspiration. There really is no place better to look for it!

The main project that we have decided to take on ourselves will be our flowers. Not use an actual florist...are we crazy?! Well, looks like it folks. I've been doing some research and it seems that a lot of you out there are doing the same thing. I'll be able to purchase all of the flowers and materials for our bouquets, centerpieces, etc. at about 25% of the cost to go through a florist. To me, this seemed like a no brainer. I know that it will not be a piece of cake, but with careful planning and preparation I know that I can do it.

I found this picture on JL designs and fell in love. It is so simple and classic, yet works perfectly. And even better, they simply covered blocks with fabric themselves to create the stand! Sounds pretty simple to me! This is definitely my inspiration for our centerpieces, and I know that I will be able to pull it off.

I knew that I wanted to use hydrangeas to begin with, so this seemed like the perfect idea! Hydrangeas are not only beautiful and classic, but they are large enough that it wont take many of them to fill a vase and they are relativly inexpensive! I also had a thought of borrowing tall vases from family and friends instead of buying 15 or so new ones. I like the idea of each one being a little different as long as they are all generally the same height and width. I have a feeling that it will not be a problem rounding them up, and it will be a great use of resources!

I have a long list of the projects that we need to start looking into. Be prepared for that post tomorrow!

Learning to let go...

2010-05-26T18:01:00.001-07:00

Learning to let go and trust in God has been a big life lesson for me over the past year and a half. I've always believed in the back of my mind that God will lead me in the right direction, but lately it has been front and center. Every time that I've raised a difficult time upto God, he has placed right where I should be. So many times throughout our daily lives do we try to control every little detail. As I grow older though, it seems that there are certain things that cannot be controlled. Certain things just need to run their own course. Now that Kevin and I are starting our lives together, so many what-ifs are coming into the picture. Not only regarding the wedding, but our future lives together.

Well I have now come upon another circumstance that I cannot control and I need to raise up. Kevin has left his job after some very hard contemplation. He was in a place that he just could not support the decisions that were being made. I love him so much for staying true to himself, and standing up for his morals. We both know that it was the right decision, but it still comes at a very difficult time. He is such a wonderful person and has so many amazing qualities to offer, and I just need to trust that God will lead him in the right direction.

Even though I know that this is what I should be doing, its difficult not to freak out. Freak out about bills and our now one income family, freak out about all of the weddings that we are attending this summer and the funds to support that, and lastly freak out about the $$ for our own wedding. Woah Meghan, breathe...

I needed to get all of that out. I also need to let it all go. Please Lord help me to trust in you and know that you never give us more than we can handle.

On a lighter note-is anyone else ready for the holiday weekend?!?!?!

Hello Summer!

2010-05-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here this week and I am LOVING IT!!!! Last summer was such a dissapointment with all of the rain, so I'm hoping that this week is a prelude to a wonderful beach season.

Today my company rented out an ice cream truck and gave each employee a ticket for one free ice cream of their choice. I felt like a five year old! I was so excited! I honestly can't remember the last time I ate from an ice cream truck. I decided to go with old reliable, a teenage mutant ninja turtle pop!

Do you remember these?! Even though I no longer can partake in summer vacations like the good ol' days, this special treat definitely helped to jog my memory of how awsome it was to be a kid :)

P.S. And the best part...it was only 100 calories! You can't beat that!

Recent Happenings in the Life of SB...

2010-05-13T06:11:00.000-07:00

Where to begin, where to begin...

Well, I started the amazing new job that I previously posted about. And then, three weeks later...they offered me a promotion at another one of their properties. To say that things have been a little crazy for me lately would be the biggest understatement of my life! I was just getting into the routine of my new position when BAM, time to start training all over again lol. It's a wonderful opportunity and I truly am thankful. Its the position I was hoping to get in 2 years...not expecting it in 3 weeks. Here's hoping I can pull it off!

I've been gearing up for wedding season! If I thought last summer was busy with events, that was childs play compared to this year. We have 7 weddings this summer. Yes, 7! And don't forget about all of the bridal showers and bachelorette parties that go along with those! Three words will sum up my 2010 summer: Hectic, Fabulous, & Expen$ive lol. I've already attended two bridal showers and will be attending the first wedding next weekend!

Along with wedding season, I had a friend who asked that I make some clutches for her bridal party. Her wedding is next weekend, and I'm really hoping that her girls like them. I'll make sure to post pics of what they look like!

K and I have been spending lots of time with our families. I cannot get over how big my niece has gotten! It's insane how much babies grow within their first few years. I was looking at pictures of her last night at this time last year and its mind blowing. She was a baby then, she is most definitely a toddler now. My favorite thing in the entire world is hearing her call me "M". Love, love, love it!!!

Turning 24! For some reason 22 & 23 were really hard ages for me to swallow. They sounded so "adult" in my mind and I still wanted to be living the fun college life! I'm very glad to say that turning 24 was exactly the opposite. I was ready for 24. So many things changed in my life during 23 that I was prepared for the next step in my life. I now feel like a true adult and I'm ready to recognize that! Cheers to the next year!

Back to Monday!

2010-04-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone! Hope you all had fabulous weekends! We had some beautiful weather here so it was great to soak in a little sun.

I took a half day on Friday (since I had to work on Easter) and was able to meet Kevin for lunch. Its so nice working so close to eachother! We also picked up a house-warming gift for our friends that we visited on Saturday. They just bought their first home and its located about 1/2 mile from the beach. Lucky, lucky! We thought a beach-themed gift would be perfect. So we got them a big lobster pot, lobster crackers, lobster pickers, a cute bucket for the shells, lobster themed dish towls, and an Orka. We figured that the only way to round out the gift was to buy lobsters on our way upto seeing them! So Saturday morning we stopped at the lobster pound and picked up some delicious lobsters and steamers. Nothing says summer to me more than lobsters.

We had a great afternoon catching up and seeing their new place. We even walked down to the beach for a bit. It felt like we were officially kicking off the summer season! I know that spring is still in the air, but summer is definitely around the corner!

Yesterday we just hung out and relaxed. Hope that you all had a great weekend as well. Now back to Monday again!

Stuck in a Rut

2010-04-07T05:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

As I'm sure you've noticed I've been extremely MIA lately. I don't know what it is. Nothing really has come across my mind in regards to good blog posts, and the rest of me is kind of stuck in a rut. I love my new job, but my days are much longer. By the time I get home I am completely exhausted. All I end up doing each night is eating dinner and hitting the hay extremly early. Only to wake up and do it all over again. I can't even remember the last time I worked out- 3 weeks ago maybe? Way to go Meg, really putting that unlimited Zumba pass to good use!

But seriously, I am always exhausted. No matter how much sleep I get it's never enough. I have no motivation and would rather be a bum than do something productive with my free time. Its so annoying but I can't seem to break the cycle. I'm hoping that something will inspire me within the next few days to give me a quick kick to the tush...

Until then, I'm here. Reading & loving all of your posts, just lacking inspiration for mine. I'll let you know when I'm back on the upswing ladies...

2010-03-31T04:53:00.001-07:00

I apologize for being MIA!!! Its been really busy with the new job so I have had as much time to draft some fab blogs for you all. But don't worry, I've still been reading all of yours! Hopefully I will be back in the swing of things soon. (And with all this rain there hasn't been too much to chat about. But its supposed to be in the 70s this weekend! Here's hoping!)

Anyone else obsessed with...

2010-03-16T07:24:00.001-07:00

I am love love LOVING the new show Kell on Earth! Is anyone else as obsessed with this as I am? I love the insane dynamic of their office. Steph V. is definitely my favorite- hardworking, dorky and fun...what more could you want?!

If you haven't checked it out, you need to! Trust me, you'll love it :)

A new kind of style

2010-03-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of my current job is that the office dress code is business casual....very business casual. I could probably wear jeans every day if I wanted to. That's what you get at a non-profit! For my new position though, I will need to wear suits everyday. Quite the step-up! Any time I've needed a suit for an interview or whatnot I've just borrowed one from my mom. The perk of her working at Ann Taylor Loft for a number of years is that she has the best closet! And we're the same size! I'll need to borrow a few of her business type pieces until I'm able to go out and basically buy a new wardrobe, but I've been looking into some suits and have come up with some favorites. I'd love to hear some feed back from you all though regarding your favorites and some good places to hit up.

I of course love this JCrew suit in both khaki & navy.

I also like this Banana Republic suit in both the tarnished steel & black.

I'll probably be buying the coordinating skirts & dresses for any suit that I buy to get more options from the ensemble. So if any of you have any tips for great fitting suits or any other business wardrobe tips I'd love to hear them!

I might need to congratulate myself with this...

2010-03-11T13:52:00.001-08:00

I've had my eye on the Marche Satchel from JCrew since it came out a little while ago. It might need to be my congratulatory gift to myself for my new job. And its on sale! Doesn't get much better than that!

2010-03-08T06:33:00.000-08:00

I am so very fortunate to be able to drive up to this beautiful place every day (starting in two weeks)...And to look out over this beautiful harbor every day (once again, in two weeks)...

Thank you Lord for this wonderful opportunity! I feel truly blessed to be on the path to my dream career. Eeeek!!!!

SO excited!

2010-03-07T15:16:00.001-08:00

Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes....because they have definitely been answered! Although I was not offered the position last month, I was offered a position on Friday!!!! I will be working in the catering and sales office of an absolutely fabulous restort! I am sooo excited! It is a very historic and famous spot that I am so happy to be working at. I start in two weeks! More info to come, just wanted to share my excitement with you all! :)

What a night...

2010-02-26T08:21:00.000-08:00

With wind speeds upto 90 mph last night, it was quite a night. Here are some photos of the beach this morning- or more like the ocean...there was no sign of an actual 'beach'...

Thought Bubbles of the Day

2010-02-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

I have been pigging out waaaaay too much lately. If I'm ever going to look good in a white dress I need to change this ASAP.

I am so ready for summer to be here. Like now.

I going through a wierd hair funk. Its at a wierd length because I'm growing it out and I hate it. Hopefully it will grow, grow, grow, quick, quick, quick.

Kevin and I had a great weekend of nothingness with some amazing friends.

I'm really hoping that a new opportunity will open up for me. Saving for the wedding on my current salary is not so much of a good time.

Is it Friday yet?

Blog Sale!!!- Updated Prices!

2010-02-11T16:05:00.000-08:00

My closet was in need of a serious clean-out. Here are the first batch of items that I am ready to part with. Everything is in great condition, I just don't wear it all often enough. Why not find someone who will?! If you are interested in purchasing any items, please email me at summertimebeauty@gmail.com. All transactions will take place through Paypal. Happy Shopping!!

(I apologize for the poor quality of pictures and the water lens stains in the photos. I am in DESPARATE need of a new camera. Trust me, there are no actual spots on any of the items.)

JCrew Navy Scottish Dog Wellies Size 7- $15.00 OBO

Brown Rampage Stacked Heels Size 8 (only worn once)- $15.00 OBO

Seven For All Mankind Boot Cut Jeans Size 29- $30.00 OBO

Gap Boot Cute Size 6 Jeans- $20.00 OBO

Ann Taylor Loft Skinny Fit Jeans Size 4- $20.00 OBO

(There is some wear on the back of the bottoms)

Ann Taylor Loft Trouser Jeans Size 4- $20.00 OBO

2 JCrew tops both size small (pink turtleneck & orange pintuck tee)- $20.00 for both or $10.00 each

Ralph Lauren Cream Colored Sweater Size Medium- $15.00 OBO

Ann Taylor Loft Navy/Blue Striped Sweater Size Small- $15.00 OBO

Gap Turquoise Sweater Size Small- $15.00 OBO

Gap Cream Sweater Size Small- $15.00 OBO

Ann Taylor Loft Red Zip Neck Sweater Size Small- $15.00 OBO

Michael Kors Key Hole Tank size 6- $15.00 OBO

Ann Taylor Loft Tweed Khaki Pants Size 4- $20.00 OBO

Ann Taylor Loft Black Tie Neck Sleevless Sweater Size Small- $15.00 OBO

3 JCrew Silk Tanks All Size 4 (Brown, Pink, Cream)- $45.00 for all 3 or $15.00 each

Gap Grey Pinkstripe Trousers (Pale Pink Pinstripe) Size 6- $20.00 OBO

Ann Taylor Loft Maroon Tie Neck Silk Top Size 6- $15.00 OBO

Express Brown Shirt Dress Size 6- $35.00 OBO
Ann Taylor Loft Black & White Check Blazer Size 4- $25.oo OBO
Gap Blue Wool Toggle Coat Size Small- $35.00 OBO

Keep Your Eyes Peeled...

2010-02-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

....for my very large upcoming blog sale! I will be posting things this evening and tomorrow!

A Current Favorite

2010-02-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

I have always been a fan of yogurt, but have viewed it as more of a take it or leave it type of food. Lately I've been stocking up when grocery shopping and loving the taste of greek yogurt. It has a thicker consistency than regular yogurt, so I've heard that it takes some people a little getting used to. My favorites are the Chobani Blueberry and Pomegranate. Its all natural which is another great quality. I love to have it as a snack or even treat myself to some as dessert!

Time flies...

2010-02-10T06:50:00.000-08:00

How could you not love this face?!

My niece Maeve will be 16 months at the end of February. Where did the time go?? It was my sister's birthday over the weekend so we headed to my parent's house to celebrate. She is so adorable that I love spending every minute I can with her. How could you not love that face?! (And the sweet potatoes all over it lol)

Fresh Start

2010-02-03T06:30:00.000-08:00

To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance. - Oscar Wilde

Thank you to all of you who have had me in your thoughts over the past few weeks. The opportunity that I was asking for prayers did not end up working out. It was actually my dream job that I was interviewing for. Although I do have the qualifications for a wedding and social events planner, I do not posses the years of experience that many of the other candidates did. Alas, I continue to trudge to work, sit in my cubicle, and front a fake smile. Pity Party- table for 1?

Last night I was absolutely crushed and was overindulging in my depressive self. Though, as I awoke this morning to a new day I thought of all the wonderful things that I do have in my life. I love my fiance, where we live, my family, my friends, etc. So, no more pity party! At least I do have a job to go to everyday and a paycheck to come home with. During the interview process I asked God to guide me in the right direction. Now I just need to trust in him that this was not the opportunity for me and I will find where I am meant to be.

I am working from home today to finish up a big project that I have been working on since August. I'm hoping to feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders once this is completed and to let out a huge sigh of relief.

I'm hoping that I can spend some time on myself and indulge in my artistic side as well. A dear friend has asked that I make the clutches for her bridesmaids for her wedding in May. I'm hoping to finish the prototype this week for her review. I will keep you all posted!

Happy hump day everyone. I hope that your lives are filled with nothing but wonderful things!

All I want to do...

2010-01-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

All I want to do is go home, put on sweatpants, curl up on the couch, order chinese take-out and watch the snowfall.

That would be much better than what I'm currently doing- sitting in my cubicle, craving egg drop soup and worrying about the drive home in the snow. Ugh.

On a lighter note, that thing that I had asked prayers for went really well. Like really, really well. I'm still waiting for more information so I would appreciate those prayers still. Hopefully it will all work out and I can dish to you all soon!

Friday Flowers & Tablescapes

2010-01-15T09:24:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday everyone! Anyone else pumped about this upcoming three-day weekend?! As I'm sure you can tell, I've gone into full-on wedding mode. Although it is still 16 months away, I'm trying to look at as much inspiration as I possibly can. I've loved purusing wedding blogs long before I was even engaged because I'm such a huge design fan. The littlest details can really make an event and say a lot about the couple.

I decided long before I got engaged that when I get married I want all of the flowers to be white. Not just my own bouquet, but all of the flowers throughout the event. I've always loved the look of white flowers. they are so elegent and pure. Below are some photos of inspiration that I've come across and wanted to share them with you all. I love the classic look of the silver plate chargers against the crisp and clean white background of the table clothes and flowers. I think that these will be what I strive for the tables at my reception to look like.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Cuteness.

2010-01-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

How adorable would these be for wedding cocktail napkins??

OBSESSED

2010-01-13T11:39:00.001-08:00

New Kate Spade Cammie Pump...to die for.

Save the Date Ideas

2010-01-13T06:50:00.000-08:00

Though we are among the dreary days of winter, thinking of my wedding instantly perks me up on cold mornings such as this. While driving into work today, I started to think about our save the dates. This seems to be the one area where Kevin and I cannot seem to agree. Ugh. Here's the back story:

One night this fall we were flipping through the channels and landed on the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory. You know by now that we both obviously love kids movies so we tuned in. (Technically I blame myself, I was the one holding the remote). All of a sudden Kevin comes up with the idea that sending out golden tickets for our save the dates is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Wait, what?? Apparantly "our wedding will be so awsome that people should feel honored to be invited and therefore giving them golden tickets will show how amazing it will be". Once again....what??

Ever since that dreadful night he has been stuck on this idea. He keeps saying how this is the only thing he really wants for our wedding...way to pull the guilt card Kev! Ladies, I need your help. If we were perhaps having a candy bar at our reception for favors than it would make a little more sense to mail out 150 candy bars with golden tickets inside for our save the dates. But we're not! Our wedding is an elegant coastal new england theme and golden tickets just do not fit!

One of our very good friends will be designing all of our invitations and print-outs. Originally my idea was to have him design a map similar to this one:

I've seen these before and think that they are so adorable! And they fit perfectly within our theme!

Another idea I saw:

A little goofy (very us) without being overtly "beachy"

And now for Kevin's idea:

Seriously?!?!

Does someone have a case of the Mondays? This girl right here.

2010-01-11T11:59:00.000-08:00

(For those of you who don't the reference in my blog post title today, please rent Office Space. Hilarious. Especially if you work in a corporate office. Seriously.)

So this weekend didn't exactly go as planned. It snowed all day here on Friday. So Kevin and I decided that instead of going to the movies we would pick one up to watch at home (as well as some amazing burritos!). So many of you commented on how much you liked Sherlock Holmes, so we're shooting for this Friday night...round two, here we come!

So instead of Sherlock Holmes we purchased Bolt. Yes, the Disney/Pixar moving that is intended for 7 year olds. What can I say, we love us some Disney movies! It was cute and hilarious; exactly as we expected. We spent a fun night home and still had a great time. Who says date nights can't be just as romantic when you're wearing sweat pants? lol

Did anyone else want another day added onto this past weekend besides me? Monday morning came way too quickly and it has been insanely hectic thus far. Luckily next Monday is a holiday and hopefully I will have some good news that Tuesday. Keeping my fingers crossed for a great opportunity that I'm not ready to dish about yet. But the more fingers crossed and prayers said for me this Friday would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Is it the weekend yet?

TGIF!!!!!

2010-01-08T07:15:00.000-08:00

Thank GOODNESS its Friday!!!! This has been an insanely stressful week so I'm glad its finally over. I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend of nothingness lol.

Kevin and I are having a date night tonight :). We've both been dying to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie since the previews started playing in the early fall. We'll grab some dinner and check out the flick tonight. I can't wait!

Also, my new fave blogger Molly over at Grace in her step has awarded me with the chic blog award! Although I personally don't believe my blog is very chic, it is one of my goals to finally learn some html and jazz it up a bit :). Thanks Molly!

I'm passing this on to some of my fave 'chic' bloggers:

Happy Friday Everyone!

The only thing getting me through...

2010-01-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

Work has been so terrible lately that the only thing getting me through is the thought of relaxing on the beach this summer. I know its a million days away but a girl can start to day dream can't she??

Speaking of Pops of Color...

2010-01-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

How amazing would the color of this necklace look with my bmaids dresses??

Or this bracelet?

And the best part...I can make them myself! Fabulous how-tos found here and here :)

New Year, New You?

2010-01-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010 y'all! I'm so happy to be in the new year and can't wait for all that it holds for me! Our new year's celebration was filled with friends, food, and plenty of laughs. I've loved reading about everyone's resolutions and have started to compile a list of my own. Here are a few of my toppers:

Take better care of myself- I feel like I am always on the go, or always exhausted from being on the go! I did not do a very good job of taking care of myself over this past year. I know that If I set the ever-expected weightloss goal that I won't succeed (too much pressure!), so resolving to take better care of myself helps to cover many more facets.

Stay organized- I've spoken before about how I am a hit/miss organizer. I'm either really organized or all over the place. Let's see if 2010 can bring more consistancy to summertime b!

Enjoy my time with loved ones- Sometimes I get overly stressed about get-togethers. What should I wear/bring/make, etc. Although I always enjoy my time with friends & family, I feel like I also spend too much time stressing on the details. At the end of the day its the time spent together and the laughs had that really matter.

Stop complaining & do something about it! I'm sure it happens to everyone, but I am stuck in a rut where I complain, complain, complain, but never end up doing anything about it. This reaches over a few different areas of my life so I am trying to step up and not only talk the talk, but walk the walk!

2010 here I come!!

Another resolution of mine (which should come as no surprise) is to finish planning my wedding! This isn't really a resolution but it is definitely something that needs to be done over the course of this year. Regarding wedding details, I have picked my bridesmaids dresses! I think they are so adorable and look really comfy as well. They are from JCrew and are in a light pewter color. I wanted to choose a neutral and add a pop of color with jewelry. I had originally thought of light blue as a bmaids dress color, but it seems like everyone in the world chooses some shade of blue. I wanted something different and not so 'cookie-cutter'. I think that the color achieves this perfectly, while still being classic and elegant for evening.

What do you all think??

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T06:56:00.000-08:00

Hello Blogging World! I hope that you all had a very merry Christmas filled with love and laughter. I love the Christmas season because it reminds me how grateful I am to have such wonderful people in my life. I have been blessed with an amazing family and amazing friends. Although 2009 has been filled with many ups and downs, the joy I feel during this time of year certianly makes it all worth it :).

Kevin and I at my sister's Christmas party

Our Christmas/Guitar Tree...we thought the lights & ornaments definitely made it legit :)

Christmas Day

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Favorite Part of Winter...Holiday Parties!!!

2009-12-21T11:59:00.001-08:00

We enjoyed a fabulous weekend filled with family, friends and cocktails!! I hope that you are all enjoying the holiday party season as well!

I can't believe Christmas is in 4 days!! Eeeek!!!

The Engaged Girl's Monogram Dilemma

2009-12-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

I am sure that it comes as no surprise to you all that I am a sucker for anything with a personalized monogram. From compacts to dishtowels- you can never go wrong with a monogram. Some of my favorite go-to gifts include a monogram. Simple personalization can take any item from ordinary to extraordinary.

As I've been trolling through sites for Christmas gifts, I've stumbled upon a few items that I myself would love to have. I've realized that I am at such a strange place though-my current initials have an expiration date. There is no point in purchasing items with my current initials, but I am a personal believer that it is bad luck to purchase items with my new initials before they are my 'actual' initials. Not that I expect my relationship to go south or anything, but what a way to jinx a good thing right?

So what is a monogram-loving engaged girl to do??

Time to Hibernate

2009-12-17T07:50:00.000-08:00

(This has been me every day this week-minus the feline)

Has anyone else's body started to go into hibernation mode? It has been alarmingly cold this week and this summer girl is not a fan. Getting out of bed in the morning might as well be termed 'Meghan's Daily Torture Routine'. I would give anything to snuggle in bed next to K all winter and wait for the thaw.

You would think that because I have lived here my whole life that the winter's brutality would feel like nothing at this point......WRONGO BONGO. Counting down the days until it is socially exceptable for me to turn into a 'snow bird'. Our neighbor across the hall is a fab snow bird and will be leaving for Florida two days after Christmas and returning to the seacoast in May. Ah, now that would be the life!

Yes, I'm Alive

2009-12-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you are all used to my flaky-blogging habits by now...fall was crazy/busy but I am back on the blogging wagon :)

Here's a re-cap of some fall festivities:

Apple picking with the fam

Maeve's first birthday!!

Kevin and I as "Soon-to-be" Mr. & Mrs. Incredible for Halloween

Thanksgiving!!!

My italian rice balls that did not last very long :)

Time to feast!

Leftover turkey sandwiches on Friday.....yummmm!!!!
The Ladies The Fellas
I hope you all enjoyed your fall as well!!

Wedding Ceremony Cards

2009-10-23T08:09:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! Since I've been so awful at coming up with ideas for posts lately, I've decided to start posting about all the little ideas that pop into my head regarding my wedding. I stubbled across the above image on Marth Stewart Weddings this morning and came up with a great idea for our wedding ceremony cards/pamphlets/whatever you wanna call 'em :).

How cute would it be to have Kevin and I's silhouettes facing eachother, with our new monogram and the date below it? Since our colors are light blue and clover green, I was already planning on having our monogram in the green, so why not put our silhouettes in light blue with a silver line along the edges of the page?

What do you all think???

Wedding Photographer Poll

2009-10-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

Hello Ladies!

Since we've nailed down the date, church, priest, and venue the next two things on my list are the photographer and the band. I've been scouring the internet to find that one photographer who I feel "clicks" with our taste. I don't want the stuffy wedding photos, I want the photos where you can feel the magic of the day just by looking at them. I've narrowed it down to two choices and I would love to hear all of your thoughts!

1. Matthew Lomanno Photography
As it turns out, Matthew Lomanno was one of my professors in college! He is still teaching, but is also doing photography on the side. I like his work, and because Kevin and I are St. Anselm alums he will give us a 15% discount! Not too shabby!

2. Nystedt Photography
I came across this photographer on the knot and completely fell in love. I love the beauty of his photographs and the emotions that he displays in his work. I am leaning more toward this photographer- both are in the same price range, but because of the discount Lomanno comes in at a little less.

What do you all think? I am looking for brutal honesty here ladies!!

Typical Fall Weekend

2009-10-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

To those of you who are lucky enough to have today off- make sure you're enjoying it enough for the rest of us! I unfortunately am sitting in my cubicle completely jealous of Kevin who is lounging around the apartment for the day. Oh well I guess. Instead of giving up Columbus day off, my company gives us an extra day at Christmas- so I can't complain too much!

The temperatures have definitely dropped and it is most certainly fall in new england. I couldn't get over how chilly it was this weekend. And I had frost on my windshield this morning! To say the least I was disgusted the whole way to work.

Anywho, we finally booked the reception site for our wedding! I originally didn't want to get married here because both of my sisters had their wedding receptions here, but after we looked at all of the possibilities in the area (and after the disaster with the last place) we decided that this would be our best bet. I know that it will be great and as long as everyone enjoys themselves thats all that really matters. Because at the end of the day, all I wanna do is be able to marry Kevin! Its also right on the water so it will be a great setting for photos: http://www.sheratonportsmouth.com/

Yesterday we went apple picking with my family. It was pretty windy at the orchard so we made it quick, but the apple crisp last night was definitely worth the goosebumps!

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend as well!

Blogger Question/Help Needed

2009-10-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Ladies, I need some help from all of you savvy bloggers out there-

When I signed up for this blog I used my personal email address (which contains my full name)which then in turn became the username that I sign into this site with. Now that I've been blogging for a while, I've created a specific Summertime Beauty email address (I'm not so keen on giving people I don't know my personal info). How do I link the two together? Its so annoying to check the email and then have to sign out/in to check my blog. Is there a way for my to change my username so that it will coincide with my gmail account?

Thanks for your help!!!!!

Girl Talk

2009-10-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

So I came across an article yesterday, and I felt that I must bring it to the table for discussion. The article was entitled "When In A Relationship Do You 'Let Yourself Go'?"

After reading said article, I had myself contemplating the very same questions. Is it bad that I prefer to be in pjs the second I walk in from work at night? Does Kevin wish that I actually did my hair and makeup on days that we just spend around the apartment together?

These questions seem to coincide with a thought I've had on my mind lately: does my fiance want me to be a better 'housewife'? I am one of those people who go through shifts of ocd-ness. I'll have times where keeping the apartment meticulous is the last thing on my mind, to times when it can't be clean enough. Since we've been so busy on the weekends this summer/fall, the former seems to be the winning side lately. As a girlfriend, although I do want to step up by game, It doesn't bother me so much. But the thought of being a wife and acting this way seems sub par. Not to revert back to the 1950s or anything, but I feel like when we're married our apartment will be our 'home'. I no longer want it to look like a thrown together thing- a mashup of random furniture and pictures. I want it to look....grown up.

So calling on all of you newlyweds (and not-so-newlyweds): When does an apartment become a 'home'? And when does a wife need to step up her game a bit??

Its never too early for Christmas lists...

2009-10-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

Since its never too early to start thinking of the Christmas season (and since Kevin works best with an actual list of items), I've started to think about what I would like for Christmas.

Here are a few items that I'm hoping Santa might bring:

I LOVE the shamrock print on this:

What do you all have on your Christmas wish lists??

Please don't let this be a bad sign...

2009-10-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

I apologize for being so mia lately. Things have been crazy with work and with wedding planning that I haven't had a chance to sit down post any updates. We are still on the search for a reception venue, but there is a place we are going to look at this week. I originally didn't want to have it there because both of my sisters actually had their wedding receptions there. But each of theres were very different and mine will be different as well. And since it has everything that we're looking for, I figured I should stop being so difficult and give it a chance. (I'll let you know how it goes)

I did come up with a cute idea for our save the dates/table numbers/thank you cards though! Since the beginning of planning we've both kept saying over and over again that we just want our wedding to feel like us. Fun yet sophisticated without being too stuffy. A few weeks ago we had come across Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory on tv. Kevin immediately decided that sending out "golden tickets" for our save the dates would be perfect. He thought that it would be a great way for people to realize how great this event will be, and that they should be honored to be invited. Ummmmmm.......no. First of all, neither gold or candy are present anywhere else at our wedding. I could see if maybe we were having a candy bar at the reception it could be cute, but we're not. It would totally end up being one of those random things that doesn't really fit in with anything else. Cute idea, but I just didn't think it would work for us. Instead, I was thinking we could go to a photobooth and take a few fun and goofy pictures (you know the ones that come stacked on top of eachother on a strip?) and either print our save the date info on the back of those, or paste those onto our save the date cards. Then for table numbers we could take black and white photo prints of us through out the years (fun photos) and place them in cool frames on the tables with numbers on the frames. Then for thank you notes, we could have the photographer take a picture of us holding a thank you sign and send those out to our guests. I thought it was a cute way to incorporate 'us' into the wedding and to show people how much fun we have together.

What do you all think?

Also, I went to the JCrew bridal trunk show on Saturday. I love JCrew anyways, but I also LOVE their wedding dress collection. I want to look very simple and elegant on my wedding day (remember Caroline Bessett Kennedy's dress??) and JC has exactly what I'm looking for. Unfortunatly the day did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. To make a long story short I basically blacked out in the dressing room. Talk about embarrassing! Its something that has happened to me and my sisters our whole lives. Randomly our system like shuts down and we blackout/passout. NOT FUN. While I was sitting on the dressing room floor with my head between my knees I just looked up at my mom and said "Mom, I swear-I really do wanna marry Kevin! This isn't me freaking out about the wedding!" My mom is the greatest and just kept saying, "I know Meg, I know". Please don't let that be a bad sign!

stressed.stressed.stressed

2009-09-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

The only part of this whole wedding planning that stresses me out is finding a venue to hold the reception. We already have the date, the church, the priest, the time....now where can we party?! Well last week we found it...or so we though...

We got an email yesterday stating that the location we had chosen was all of a sudden booked for that date. They had told us they weren't booking for 2011 yet, but magically they now are. Kevin and I were infuriated. Now we're back to square one....UGH

Why is it so hard?! I JUST WANT TO BE MARRIED!

Sorry for dropping off the face of the earth...Target Finds...Wedding Updates

2009-09-18T09:07:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone!

It's Friday!!!! WOOOHOOOOO!!!!! I will be so happy when that clock actually strikes 5:00 today. You have no idea. I'm sorry I've been MIA this week. Work's been crazy and I've been trying to get ahold of wedding venues like its my job (well, I guess right now its kind of my job-it would be nice if I could get paid for it though!). Last night I took some me time after work and ran into Target for some fall wardrobe updates. I absolutely love Target and would probably have spent my whole paycheck there if I could afford to lol. Here are a few of the items that I picked up:

This blazer fits perfectly and looks adorable with the sleeves cuffed and paired with some dark jeans. Great for the "work to night out" wardrobe.

This dress also comes in black and red.....I might have to go back to grab those :)

This dress also comes in a brown print that would look adorable with brown boots! (Maybe I'll go back to grab that dress as well)

I also picked up a long sleeve white tee, a short sleeve v-neck tee with flower ruffle design, grey pinstripe dress pants and two cardigans (white and teal). All and all I made out like a bandit!

Wedding Plan Updates:

We've finally picked a date! May 14, 2011!! We're meeting with the priest tonight and we're going to see three venues tomorrow. Wish us luck! Hopefully I will have more details for you on Monday.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Weekend Recap

2009-09-14T10:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! Who else is wishing that today was a holiday like last week? What I wouldn't give for a four day work week.....well a girl can dream I guess :)

I was hoping for a really fun and relaxing weekend of nothingness...but life always seems to keep me on my toes. Friday night Kevin's band had a show at a wine bar in Portland which was fun, but we didn't get home until the wee hours of Saturday morning. We were supposed to go to the seafood festival in Hampton during the day on Saturday, but it decided to rain all day. Since all of the vendors from the festival are basically within walking distance to us, we decided not to spend the day in the rain. Looks like I'm going to have to go out and grab me a lobster roll this week to make up for it! Instead Kevin's parents needed us to help them build a new front porch on their house. They live in Maine, and luckily it wasn't raining there. It was still a disgusting day to be outside though and we were not too pumped to spend the day doing construction. Blahhhh

Yesterday we went to church and finally spoke to the pastor about joining the church and getting married there. We could tell that he already loves us! We just need to call the rectory to make an appointment to meet with him this week to get the ball rolling. (I mentioned to him that we are looking at May 2011 for the wedding and he said that they haven't even gotten a scheduling book for 2011 yet! Looks like we won't have any trouble scheduling a date!) And apparantly he went to the same college that we did- one more point for us!

After church we ran to the store to get home in time for the beginning of the first football Sunday of the season. Question: How do you non-loving football ladies do it?! I mean, growing up my dad always watched football on Sundays, but since we had more than one tv in the house it wasn't a problem. We only have one tv in our apartment though, and it was made very clear yesterday that it would be used soley for football on Sundays from now on. Funnnnnnnn. NOT. Oh well- I made it very clear that although football is on Monday nights as well, the new Gossip Girl season starts tonight...meaning that from 8-9 the tv is mine! We'll see how long that lasts though :)

We rounded out the day by going to my sister's for an early dinner. It was her husbands birthday and a nice relaxing end to the weekend. So we didn't have as much downtime as we had wanted, but there's always next weekend!

Good luck with the start to your week ladies!

P.S. An updated wedding details post to follow tomorrow!

Wedding jewelry is en route!!!

2009-09-09T11:35:00.001-07:00

Every since I was introduced to etsy a few years ago, I have been hooked! I love to stroll through pages of fabulous finds. Not only to look for the perfect gift, but for the perfect idea! I can't tell you how many ideas I've come up with while purusing ety's pages. As I had told you in my first wedding post, I found a gorgeous necklace that I just had to have for my wedding day. I had seen this necklace online and knew instantly that I wanted it for that special day. Unfortunately is was waaaaay out of my price range for what was looking to spend. BUT....I found an identical on on etsy! I instantly snatched it up and the designer created matching earrings for me as well!

I am a pearl girl all the way :) I'm so excited to wear these beautiful pieces not only on my wedding day, but for years to come. I can't wait for them to arrive!!!

The store on etsy that I purchased them from can be found here: japonicas. Jet was amazing to work with. I would highly recommend using him for custom pieces in the future.

Happy hump day everyone!

Mad for Mad Men

2009-09-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else Mad for Mad Men?? I have heard a lot of buzz around this show for awhile now and decided to check it out (thank you surfthechannel.com!) I have been sucked in and cannot get enough! I've always been a fan of the late 50s/early 60s era. The fashion, the politics, the drama. Love it! Love it! Love it!

My favorite actress on the show is hands down January Jones. She plays a fabulous house wife that is the epitomy of style and class. Can't wait to keep watching!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

2009-09-02T06:38:00.000-07:00

As you all know I am, and will forever be, a summer girl at heart. There's something nice though about needing that extra blanket at night, the new crispness in the air, and changing over the seasonal wardrobe. On Tuesday night Kevin and I went for a nice long walk after dinner to soak up the last of the summer nights. We are so fortunate to have the ocean at our fingertips. No matter the season, looking out across the waves has always had a calming effect on me. I've enjoyed our first summer together at the beach, and I'm looking forward to what fall will bring us as well.

I wanted to share with you all a few photos from my vacation last week:

No one likes a sunburn!

I cannot get over how big Maeve is getting! She'll be 1 on Halloween...wow this year has flown by!

(Please excuse the no makeup...it was vacation!)

The perfect little family :)

Sister shots
Now all three of us!

Kevin and I

Big Brother & Little Sister

Mom and Dad

Happy Hump Day Everyone!!

Updatesssss

2009-08-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

I am back from a very relaxing week of vacation with the fam! Of course, all of the stress that was relieved through numerous hours of sunshine & cocktails last week is all back today-but now is not the time to get into that :)

Kevin and I once again had a blast at our friends wedding last weekend. I love attending weddings, but I am happy to say that was our last for this season. (Although we do have 4 on the books for next summer already!) Kevin surprised me by purchasing his very first bow tie the day before the wedding. Thanks to the Martha Stewart wedding planner binder I was able to tie a fabulously preppy bow! With his bow tie and my pleated collar, we looked like quite the couple :). (If I do say so myself!)

On another note, I am thinking of a career change. I've known my whole life that sitting in a cubicle was not for me, but alas, here I am. Both Kevin and I have jobs that pay the bills, are secure, blah, blah, blah. But do we enjoy them? Not in the slightest. And shouldn't we at least attempt to find careers that make us happy? I understand that there are good days and bad days associated with all jobs (thats why they're called 'jobs' right?), but I would like to have position that I am at least interested in the field and enjoy what I am doing. And of course feel like I am doing something good for mankind! Kevin has always wanted to be a highschool english teacher and is now realizing that its exactly what he should be doing. I've begun to think of my path in life as well, and have put a lot of thought into becomina a nurse. I've always had nursing in the back of my mind-specifically perinatal nursing. I want to work with newborns, new mothers, and with the birthing process itself.

I've started to look at some schools online, but to say the least the information is overwhelming. I figured that I would look to my blog readers for some expert advice. If anyone has any tips or information regarding nursing programs in new england I would GREATLY appreciate it.

Happy Monday Everyone!

Onebag.com

2009-08-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

It seems as though I am not the only one searching for the tell-all wisdom of the perfectly packed travel bag. I was shown this site today by a friend and thought I would share it with you all as well:

http://www.onebag.com/

Happy Packing!!

Vacation Fashion

2009-08-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

I realized on my drive into work this morning (yes, into work- no more cold for me!) that I have yet to think about packing for my vacation next week. I also realized that I will have barely anytime to do this. Tonight I am watching my niece, tomorrow we are having friends over for the night after work, Saturday we have a wedding to go to, Sunday straight from the hotel to vacation. Wow, I'm going to need a vacation just from all of our weekend plans!

Over the years I have come to the realization that packing can be both relaxing/stressful at the same time. I start off by grabbing a few things here and there and end up with a pile of clothes that covers the entire top of my queen size bed. Since my family goes on the same vacation every year, you would think that I would have this packing situation down pat. Exactly the opposite actually. We will be staying at a cabin on a beach-front lake so depending on the weather, the items I need to pack have to be somewhat varied. While this is also a vacation of absolute relaxation and comfort, a girl has still gotta look good! Thinking of this brought me to think about Jacqueline Kennedy and her vacation days spent on Cape Cod. Below are a few of my favorite pictures of my ultimate fashion idol. Hopefully these will not only help me with my packing woahs, but yours as well!

Simple, classic, chic. Comfortable yet perfectly styled. LOVE IT!

Lovely Engagement Gifts

2009-08-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

Although I am still feeling under the weather, another post on "poor sick me" is too boring for this gorgeous day. So I have decided to post on lovely engagement gifts.

Since we have plenty of time before the wedding, Kevin and I have not officially registered yet. Never having been engaged before, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect in regards to engagement gifts. Depending on the family/area, this custom can be very "large and in charge" or on the lax side of the spectrum. Since we weren't planning on having a large blowout party, we got together with just our families last Sunday to spend a relaxing day together at Kevin's parent's lake house. Other than the usual bottles of wine/champagne, we received a few cute items that help you realize how special your engagement time is.

We recieved and engagement journal which is meant to be filled out by the both of us. From questions about our first date to the honeymoon, the book is meant to be kept as a keepsake for years to come. I would love to have something like this to read about my grandparents wedding, etc. so I can't wait to be able to pass this along to our children, thier children, etc.

Kevin received a coupon book for the groom. I don't know if any of you have seen this before, but it is absolutely adorable! Filled with coupons for things such as: a quiet afternoon with you (the bride), watching the sporting event of my choice (the groom). On the back it describes the book as "22 Treats for the Groom...He Deserves It!" I'm sure as we get closer to the wedding Kevin will want to be cashing in more and more of these :)

Another fun keepsake we received was the Martha Stewarts Keepsake Wedding Planner. Along with sections to organize all details of your wedding, photos, ideas, and helpful hints are included. What more could a preppy bride ask for?!

My two favorite gifts are from my parents, and two of my sorority sisters. My parents gave us our crystal champagne toasting glasses. Our names have already been engraved on them, but we will take them back to have our wedding date added as well as soon as we decide on one lol. This past weekend two of my sorority sisters came to visit and brought along a little surprise:

This adorable Kate Spade wedding album. I am in love with the etched ribbon design. It will complement the necklace I plan on wearing (see post below) perfectly! I can't wait to see all of the pictues that we fill this up with!

Happy hump day ladies....one day closer to the weekend!

I've been hit...

2009-08-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

...with the summer cold. Blech. Of course we're amid the best days of summer and all I want to do is crawl into bed. I worked from home yesterday and I think I will be doing the same this afternoon. I woke up this morning feeling practically drunk from the cold medicine I was taking. My boss took one look at me and said, "Why are you here? Go home and take care of yourself!" Nothing makes you feel worse that when you feel disgusting and everyone tells you that you look the same way. Awsome.

On a brighter note, I am on vacation next week! My family and I have taken the same vacation every year since before I was born. We rent a cabin on the cleanest lake I've ever seen (Newfound Lake in Northern NH) and just veg for seven whole days. Its perfection.

Now, time to head back to bed. Hopefully you are able to enjoy this beautiful day for me as well!

Finally Friday!!

2009-08-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

Yay for Friday!!!!!!!! Is it just me or has it felt like Friday since about Wednesday? But thankfully it is finally here and its supposed to be a B-E-A-utiful weekend! I plan on parking myself at the beach and not leaving until Monday morning for work :).

Kevin will be away this weekend doing man things so I'm having a couple of my girlfriends over tonight. Beach + wine + girl chat= the perfect weekend in my book! I hope that you all have wonderful things planned for the next couple of days as well.

The Dish on Dishware

2009-08-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday Ladies!

The great thing about having so much time to plan a wedding, is that stress does not need to be involved. I honestly feel like this wedding will be completely planned by the new year :). Everyday I look at a few things online, and more and more things are falling into place. I have been casually purusing dishware collections online and think that I may have chosen my favorites.

Everyday dishes:

Crate & Barrel Camille Dinnerware

Fine China:

Lenox Opal Innocence Carved Dinnerware

Let's just hope that Kevin likes them!! lol

The Ultimate Catch-up/Wedding Ideas Post

2009-08-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

** Warning: This is going to be very long, but I'm just bursting with so much to tell you all!!**

I apologize for taking so long to post the details of my very special news, but this past week has been absolute craziness. So here goes:

The proposal: When I got out of zumba (I take it every Monday after work) Kevin was still working on something at the office. So I got home, took a shower and just relaxed. Kevin called on hi way home and said he wanted to get ice cream at our favorite place thats right down the road. So when he got in we jumped in the car and headed over to the Beach Plum. It was such a gorgeous night out so we brought the ice cream back to our apartment and walked across the road to sit on the beach. Talk about a picture perfect setting! It was just about sunset- he couldn't have planned it better if he tried! We were just talking and being our goofy selves when he kept mentioning how much he loved me, and asking me if I really did know that he wanted to spend his life with me. Not expecting anything at all, I was like "Yah, yah. Blah, blah, blah". Kevin then said, "Well you know I want to spend my life with you even though you don't have ring right?"I was like yea, I know, I understand. So he replies, "Well what if you did have a ring?" I looked at hime with complete shock! He then got down on one knee, and the rest is history! :) I was so shocked that I dropped my ice cream right to the ground lol.

I am still in complete shock. I feel so lucky to be marrying my best friend. Kevin is literally everything I ever wanted in a husband, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives together. Plus he picked out the perfect ring! It's the exact ring that I wanted. He even got the band size correct!

Eeek!!! I am still on cloud nine if you couldn't tell lol. Onto the wedding details:

We are planning on a May 2011 wedding on the seacoast where we live. We wanted to have plenty of time to save, thats why we are waiting so long. We both have very large families, and we want to make sure that we will be able to have all of our loved ones with us on our special day. Our colors are light blue, clover green, and white. I am thinking of these for the bridesmaids dressing in light blue:

I want all white flowers throughout the entire affair. I am thinking of this as centerpieces:
I want a cake along these lines:

And I want to wear this necklace with my dress:

As you can tell, I have a lot of things already planned out. I will be giving you a few details each day. I welcome any advise that you may have as well!

Happy Thursday!

Guess Who's Engaged...!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

Kevin proposed last night!!!!! Eeeeeeek! I'm so excited I can't even contain my joy! Will post a pic soon!!!

List for the Weekend

2009-07-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

Snuggle up with George (my parent's dog whom i'm "puppy-sitting" tonight through Sunday)
Clean out closet (maybe I will jump on the badwagon with this whole blog-baying thing :))
Get some sun!
Go for a few long walks along the beach with George
Organize things for work
Sew (?)
Prep for Kevin's birthday on Tuesday
Sleep, sleep, sleep!!

These past few weeks have been absolutely insane at work. Since I work in the education field, the release of all this stimulus money has thrown people into a tizzy around here. Kevin will be away this weekend at a bachelor so I am looking forward to having some downtime alone (and with George of course!) I hope that you all have a fun weekend full of plans as well!

Thursday Ramblings

2009-07-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

Well, today marks my official 2 year anniversary with my company. Looking back, its hard to believe that i've already been here for two years. I've grown up a lot and my life has changed immensely during this time. Cheers to (hopefully) another great year! (And earning two more days vacation!!!)

Speaking of work, I opened my email account this morning to a forward from a coworker that I just had to share with you all. As I'm sure many of you have heard, the weather in New England has been horrible this summer. It feels like we've only seen the sun a handful of times. Its the middle of July and not even 70 degrees out. Yuck. Today we actually can see some blue skies, but it doesn't make up for the past two months of dreariness. That being said, this story is very fitting:

A curious fellow died one day and found himself waiting in the long line of judgment.

As he stood there he noticed that some souls were allowed to march right through the pearly gates into Heaven.
Others though, were led over to Satan who threw them into the burning pit.
But every so often, instead of hurling a poor soul into the fire, Satan would toss a soul off to one side into a small pile.
Watching Satan do this several times, the fellow's curiosity got the best of him.

So he strolled over and asked Satan what he was doing.

"Excuse me, Mr. Prince of Darkness," he said. "I'm waiting in line for judgment, but I couldn't help wondering, why are you tossing those people aside instead of flinging them into the Fires of Hell with the others?"

"Ah, those," Satan said with a groan. "They're all from New England ...
They're still too wet to burn."

Happy Thursday ladies...one day closer to the weekend!

Sunshine! Finally!

2009-07-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone had an amazing holiday weekend! We hosted our first bbq at our new apartment and it went perfectly! We had about 10 people come up on Friday and stay through the weekend. The guys went golfing on Friday while us ladies drank mojitos by the pool. On Saturday we all headed to the beach in the morning and then set up/enjoyed the bbq in the afternoon. We had about 25 or so people over on Saturday so it was a full house. Luckily we only experienced a few rain drops so people were able to enjoy being outside. Yesterday we all headed to the beach in the morning and soaked in as much vitamin D as possible! I love being able to spend our time off with the ones we love.

I was honestly ready to play hooky today because it's gorgeous out once again- but unfortunately I am here in my cubicle (as usual). Back to the daily grind! I hope that you all enjoyed your weekends as well.

Happy Monday!

Life: The Rollercoaster

2009-06-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

* I apologize in advance for this long, at times random post. This is my place to vent and seek advice, so that's what I'm doing.

I learned in my junior year of college that I needed to let go of the reins and just let my life take its course. I grew up with the mindset that there was a certain path to follow in life that would ultimately lead to the happiness I was seeking. Life will never be that perfect though. Fitting into a cookie cutter existence is impossible. There is no 'perfect life'. You'd think that realizing this would feel like finding a golden key. Wrong. How is it that even though life teaches you new things daily, you still seem to stubble along the same speedbumps?

I also learned through that tumultuous time, that giving your friendship (and therefor your heart) freely is one of the scariest things that life can deal you. Growing up, I thought that giving my heart to a boy was scary enough. Who knew that your girlfriends could hurt you the most? Finding a true friendship is hard. I am lucky in my life to have two amazing, amazing girlfriends who I know will be there for me no matter what. We have all been through a lot in our lives that have brought us all even closer. Before this though, I lost a very important friend in my life. I say 'lost', because it honestly feels like that person died. We had been friends throughout high school and went away to college together. We even roomed together for our freshman and sophomore years. I'm not going to hash out the details here, but it still hurts (3 years later) that that friendship can never be reconciled. We haven't even spoken in that time, and its something that can never be fixed. Even though I know that I could never trust that person again and am much better without her in my life, why does it still hurt so much? My two besties don't live close enough to get together with on a regular basis and its horrible that 'she' lives less than 10 minutes away. I hate not having a good friend that close anymore.

I am trying to meet more people in my area, but I resent 'her' for breaking me. I feel broken because I am so nervous of being hurt like that again. I don't know if I could handle another few years like that. How do you move forward without taking caution of events in the past?

Back to Work...

2009-06-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

Returning to work yesterday was very difficult after the fabulous weekend I had. I left work at 11:00 on Wednesday morning and headed to the south shore (Massachussetts) to pick up Gretchen and then we were on our way to the ferry on Cape Cod. There was hardly any traffic and the ferry was barely filled. I was glad that we decided to leave early so that traveling was a breeze! The following are my favorite pics from the weekend! Enjoy!Gretchen and I on the ferry

M & G before the Taste
M & I enjoying some champagne before we headed out

Out on the dance floor

The intense amounts of food/drink were amazing!

Can't wait until next year!!!

Oh the joys of packing

2009-06-08T08:12:00.001-07:00

As many of you know I am heading south to the vineyard for the tail end of this week. I am ecstatic to have a girls wknd with my besties and soak in some sun as well. The taste is fast approaching and I am hurridly finishing up my dress- I know I promised pics but I don't want to post any until it is perfect. Along with choosing the perfect outfit for Thursday's event, I also have several other days to plan for. I am heading down Wednesday afternoon and will be returning on Sunday. The weather keeps flip-flopping so many outfits need to be chosen.

I am a girl who LOVES lists and of course I have started on my packing list. I am looking for as many suggestions as possible. I am always the over-packer, which in some cases works. But I don't want to show up for a 4-day holiday looking like i'm moving in for the summer. Where is the line between being prepared and simply over doing it? Suggestions welcomed ladies!

xoxo M

The Perfect Giveaway!

2009-06-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

My Blonde Reality is hosting an amazing giveaway- a $100.00 gas card! Just in time for summer vacation travel! If you haven't entered, make sure you stop on by and sign up!

http://myblondereality.blogspot.com/

Week Recap & Happy Friday!

2009-06-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggers,

Oh how I have missed you this week! I have had an extremely hectic week and am looking forward to another relaxing weekend at the beach. My boss was on vacation all last week so that alone made things crazy in the office. This week was full of make-up tasks of things that had piled up on his plate from last week. On Tuesday I was in Boston for a seminar. It was nice being out of the office for the day, but catching up on Wednesday was insane. Luckily all of the craziness made the week fly by :).

Another disaster also occurred this week- remember when I posted about the cute fabric I had ordered for my dress for the Taste? Well, the company is completely ridiculous and I had to cancel my order. I had not received my order in the mail so I called yesterday to confirm that it would be arriving shortly. I was rudely informed that it might take up to two more weeks for my small order of only 4 yds. of fabric to be shipped! Two weeks?! Considering the event is a week from yesterday, I realized I was completely screwed and promptly cancelled my order. Looks like I will be making an emergency trip to the local fabric store and trying to find something that will work. I am so dissapointed though because the fabric I had ordered was PERFECT. Exactly what I was looking for: classic and overtly preppy (while still remaining understated). UGH! Wish me luck ladies...update to follow on Monday...

Tomorrow Kevin is going golfing with some friends while their girlfriends and I lounge in the sun. What is more perfect than two days with absolutely nothing to do but sip cocktails and work on my tan?! It is exactly what I need after this week. I hope that you all enjoy a fabulous weekend as well!

I'll take another rainy day....

2009-05-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

...if it means a sunny weekend! It has been raining all week so I'm looking forward to a weekend by the pool/beach. (I just love it that you can lay out at our pool and see the ocean thats just across the street!) Maybe its because I've been stuck inside all week, but last night I decided that I needed a change. I took a big step and cut my hair. Yes, CUT. I've trimmed my own hair before (who hasn't?) between cuts, but last night I took a plunge and performed a full-on style makeover. I don't have a picture to show you all, but this is basically exactly what it looks like:I'm actually really happy with how it turned out. I'll make sure to take some pics this weekend to show you on Monday!

I was excited this morning when I picked up my mail because the new dress patterns that I ordered came in! Looks like i'll be doing some sewing by the pool! I hope that you all have fun and fabulous plans for the weekend as well. Can't wait to hear all about them on Monday!

Happy Friday Ladies!!

Wednesday Ramblings

2009-05-27T07:42:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I finally ordered my fabric for the dress I am making for the Taste of the Vineyard. It is the first big event on Martha's Vineyard in the summer and everyone must be dressed in their vineyard best. I've chosen the following fabric which is absolutely adorable and completely prep-tastic:

Hopefully it will arrive this week and I can work my magic on it this weekend. I will definitely post pics when it is completed!

Now the next big decision will be shoes....hmmmm

Well, these shoes definitely don't work for this dress, but I am completely lusting after both of them. I saw them in the new jcrew catalog and I need to find an accuse to have them!

I am saving money on clothing, so why not invest it in shoes right?!

Happy Hump Day Ladies! The weekend is almost in sight!

Ten Things I’d Love To Tell My Younger Self

2009-05-26T11:36:00.001-07:00

Thought this was adorable and had to pass it on...

http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-ten-things-id-love-to-tell-my-younger-self/

Why I've been MIA...

2009-05-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...I said that I was back for good to blogging on a regular basis, but last week was complete insanity. I have a lot of events that I'll be attending this summer (4 weddings, 2 wedding showers, Taste of the Vineyard...) and of course I will want to look as cute as possible at all of these fabulous outings. Looking at all of the adorable dresses on Lilly, VV, JCrew, etc. got me to thinking that even though my taste is simple, it is VERY expensive. I made a stand and have decided to make all of my own dresses for this summer. So exciting!

I had my first wedding this past weekend and I was really happy with how my dress turned out. I used a white on white patterned fabric for the top and a blue coral print fabric for the skirt section. I had actually started to make another one, but made this one last week for the wedding instead. The difficult part was that although I have a sewing machine, it has decided to just stop working on me. AHHHH! Of course when I actually need it, it goes kaput on me. Sooooo long story short I sewed the entire dress by hand. Hence why I've been so busy! Here are some of my favorite photos from the wedding... (Oh, and did I mention that Kevin was the best man...so I had to look good!)

Can you tell we love to dance??? hahah

Now onto making the next dress!

New Fun Things

2009-05-13T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hello, Hello,

Happy hump day all! The middle of the week is upon us, which means that the weekend is nearing in. Yay! This post is going to be pretty random, so bear with me lol. I have had some new fun things going on this week that I wanted to share...

1. New Workout:

Zumba! I had my first zumba class on Monday night and loved it! It is definitely an intense workout. I can't remember the last time I sweat so much during a workout haha. I would highly reccomend it anyone who is looking for something new a fun to try. It is all fun, current, and upbeat music so you really don't feel like your taking a workout class. It seriously just felt like one big dance party! And who doesn't love a good dp, right? I am feeling more and more sore as the week goes on so I know I worked it haha. I'm excited for next weeks class!

2. New Hardware:

I have the best boyfriend ever! Kevin surprised me with this little beauty yesterday morning before I left for work. He said it totally reminded him of me lol. I am loving the color!

3. New TV Show:

Has anyone else seen 'Taking the Stage' on mtv? I caught some clips of episodes here and there when it was on during the weekends and thought it was okay, but this week I started watching the full episodes online and got completely sucked in! I would have loved to go to a high school like SCPA when I was a teenager. These kids are really talented. I am totes jealous of Mia's voice. It's amazing! I do hope that she gets signed to some label, because I would definitely listen to her music.

5. New Music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB0GOs92o70

I've started to hear this song on the radio and a few other places and I absolutely love it. Erin McCarley seems like a really cool artist and I'm definitely interested to hear more from her in the future.

I hope you enjoy my new favorites!

xoxo M

Weekend Recap

2009-05-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

Now that the warm weather has come, I feel like my weekends are jam packed and are over in a heartbeat. I wish my company would move to a 4-day work week. It would be so amazing to have three day weekends every week. Ugh, sadly though, it looks like that will not be happening. Onto the good stuff- this weekend was absolutely fabulous (although I wish I was able to get some more sleep!). Friday night we headed up to Maine for a party at a friends house. It was an 80s themed party and Kevin and I were dressed to impress. I have always been a huge fan of theme parties and always get decked out lol. Unfortunately though, I didn't take any pics this weekend :(. Saturday morning I was up early to surprise my oldest sister for her birthday. My other sister and I went over with my niece with mimosas, coffee, & muffins in tow. She loved the surprise. What better way to wake up on your birthday, right?! That night we did mother's day with my family along with my bestest M and her friend J. M & J live on the vineyard, so it was a special treat having them visit for the night. We went out for drinks in Portsmouth and met up with a bunch more people. Yesterday we headed to Kevin's parent's to celebrate mother's day with them. By the time we got home last night we both crashed!

Although I've been really tired all day, I am going to my first zumba class tonight! They are offering it weekly at the gym in my work building. I've heard that zumba is intense and that you can burn 700 calories a class! I was a dancer for 15 years, so I have a feeling I am going to love the salsa/hip-hop/aerobic dance mix. I'll give you all the full report tomorrow!

P.S. Run, don't walk, to your nearest Marshall's. All of the Lilly items have arrived and the prices are unbelievable!

Back from Hiatus

2009-05-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hello Strangers!

I have not blogged in several months- I apologize. The winter was so blah that there really wasn't anything exciting to chat about! Now that the summer is revving up again though, the fun starts! I hope that I can become more frequent with my posts, because I love reading all of yours so much! A lot has happened over the past few months, so here is a recap:

Kevin and I moved in together! We celebrated our three year anniversary in April :). We have the most amazing apartment, and I honeslty have no idea how we lucked out on this one.

We live right on the beach! I love being able to step outside to the smell of the ocean everyday. I've always said that I could never live far from the ocean- its something inside of me that craves it. I feel truly blessed to have found this wonderful spot. Here are some more pics of our view:

We have only lived there for a month so there is still a lot to be done:painting, decorating, etc. But we are loving every minute of it!

Since I haven't been blogging in forever, I would love your suggestions on some new, fun and exciting blogs that I should check out. Let me know!

So excited to be back in the blogging world- I've missed you ladies!! xoxo

Hello Winter

2008-12-22T13:31:00.000-08:00

Nothing too exciting to report here- I was completely snowed in this weekend. I received about 2 ft. of snow. Yes, winter has officially arrived. With nothing else to do, I did about 6 loads of laundry, caught up on all tv shows and knit. By last night I had a huge case of cabin fever. Unfortunately I ended up getting sick and having a horrible tension headache last night so I went to bed extremely early. I love the holidays, but sometimes the stress of it all can be overwhelming. Tonight I'm baking for the people in my department and hopefully will begin packing for Christmas (I'll be staying at my parents from Wednesday night through Sunday morning), as well as finish the hat for my niece. Once I do I will be sure to post pics!

I hope that you all are almost ready for the holidays and are safe in all of your travels! Cheers!

I am LOVING etsy.com

2008-12-18T12:37:00.000-08:00

Etsy.com is certainly my go to place when I have no idea what to buy for a gift. I have been so busy this holiday season that I was behind on finishing up my shopping. This morning I had some fabulous finds that I just needed to share with all of you:

Seller: rumpunch

* beautiful handmade monogrammed silver pieces. I purchased this necklace for one of my friends:

Seller: KM Thomas Designs

* Cute stationary that can be personalized with any words, names or initials. These are the choices I made for my mom and sisters. Each with their initials on the top:

Seller: Acorn Beach

*more handmade jewelry. I purchased a handstrung glass bead necklace. (sorry no picture)

A few more great sellers that I came across:

Pink Pins and Needles
Decal Monograms

Pecan Pie Puppies

Happy Shopping!

Knocking and Knitting

2008-12-18T06:11:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry, but I need to vent. When we are little, aren't we all taught to knock on a door if it is closed before entering? The motion isn't very difficult, and there are many techniques to make it your own, but why is it that some people still just try to barge into places without knocking?! There is a single person bathroom by where I sit at work. AT LEAST twice daily when I am in there people try to open the door without knocking! It always scares me half to death! Why wouldn't they be afraid of walking in on someone? I'm always afraid that I am going to forget to lock the door and someone is going to barge in on me. It is common curtesy America, knock before entering!

On a higher note, I have decided to take up knitting. I know it is very 75 year old grandmother of me, but it is something that I have always wanted to learn. I watched a few 'how-to' videos on youtube and gave it a whirl. I am attempting to make my niece Maeve something for her first Christmas. I figured that something for an infant would be easier than a scarf or something as it will be much smaller :). I'll let you all know how it goes!

proof of kindness in the world

2008-12-16T07:59:00.000-08:00

Update: The jersey that I was frantically looking for this morning has been purchased! I had found it on ebay and emailed the seller and they agreed to let me purchase it today! I am sure that if he had kept the bid going it would have sold for a lot more than I purchased it for. I am so thankful for kind people in the world and acts of the holiday kindness. Kevin is going to love it!

calling all helpful bloggers!!!

2008-12-16T07:21:00.000-08:00

Ladies, I need your help! All Kevin want's for Christmas is a Milan Lucic Boston Bruins Home Jersey. Stupid me decided that I would wait until today (pay day) to order it online. I found a website that carried it and bookmarked it yesterday for easy access. This morning I went to purchase it and it was sold out! I have been crazily calling all the local sporting goods stores and scouring the internet but it is no where to be found! I found the jersey (perfect size and everything) on ebay, but the bid doesn't end for 6 days. I emailed the seller to see if there was anyway I could purchase it from him before that, but am still awaiting a reply. If any of you know where I could find one (size medium) it would truly be a Christmas miracle!