I'm Back!

After an unplanned 3-month hiatus, I'm back to blogging! I guess I just needed a bit of a break. :) Just for fun, let's take a look at what I was up to during the spring and early summer...

After years and years (and years!) of hard work, my mom earned her bachelor's degree in English. She graduated on a sunny morning in May. I'm so proud of her!

Uncle Gary came up for graduation day!

Michelle's sister held a polo bachelorette party for her. We chatted, ate yummy finger sandwiches, and drank Champagne while watching the ponies race back and forth.

The bride-to-be looked gorgeous, of course!

Later in May, Dave and I spent a long weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia with our wine and food club. We stayed in a charming house surrounded by rolling fields and horses. During the day we visited wineries and historic sights and then spent our evenings enjoying delicious meals and relaxing in the house's hot tub.

Our lovely farmhouse.

Mama horse and her colt.

We toured the University of Virginia campus.

Vines and roses!

James Madison's house - our last stop before heading home.

June was super busy for me - I traveled to Miami and Las Vegas for work. I also attended Michelle's Alice in Wonderland-themed wedding shower and Dave and I hosted a Rose tasting.

After much pre-wedding celebrating, Michelle and Chris were married on a hot and sunny July evening. Their wedding was so much fun and full of Michelle's creative, artistic touches. We had a blast catching up with our friends and dancing into the evening.

And now we are all caught up on the big stuff! I'll share some more stories soon including my 30th birthday celebration and our plans for the rest of the summer.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

May Resolution: Visiting the Farmers' Market

It's time to roll out another monthly resolution! This month I'm going to be focusing on visiting my local farmers' market on Saturday mornings. The market just opened three weekends ago and I did a bit of shopping last weekend and this morning. There are gorgeous veggies to buy (asparagus, lettuce, and radishes) and lovely potted herbs that really get me in a springtime mood. I can't wait for the fruit to start appearing!

Speaking of spring...here are some photos of the azalea that grows near my front door. I love seeing those gorgeous hot pink blooms when I come home from work.

Dave and I are meeting up with friends for sushi tonight. I can't wait! I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

A New Coffee Routine

After 3+ years of starting my work day with a cup of free office coffee I finally reached a point where I just couldn't take it any longer. Our office coffee isn't brewed in a traditional coffee pot, but dispensed through a large machine that takes the contents of small packets of "coffee" and combines them with hot water for a truly awful coffee beverage.

I treated myself to a small French press this past weekend and it makes delicious, hot coffee in just a few minutes. Now, I find myself wondering why I waited so long to make the switch.



I love small rituals that make the day a bit brighter. Now, I count my 10:00 cup of coffee as a small pleasure that I look forward to each morning.

Happy May Day!

Sunday at the Lake

Dave and I like to go for hikes in the parks and lakes that are near our home. We squeezed in a hike around Lake Galena on Easter Sunday.

I love to watch the woods slowly becoming greener...

I hope you enjoyed today's beautiful weather. Happy spring!

Meghan & Derek's Wedding

Meghan and Derek were married last weekend on a sunny Saturday evening. They had the good fortune of mild weather and were able to hold their ceremony outside. As I listened to them make their vows I tried to memorize the way the sun filtered through the young spring leaves of the trees that surrounded us. Their lovely wedding was the start to what I'm sure will be a long and happy marriage. :)

Meghan and her dad coming down the aisle (Meghan looked gorgeous!)...

I always have to take a photo of the cake...

We sat at a great table with high school and college friends (we were, admittedly, a bit loud)...

The newlyweds...

As we were leaving a waiter asked me if I'd like to take home a vase of flowers. Of course! Happily, the blooms are still alive and brightening up my bedroom...

Overall, the wedding was elegant and fun with good food, conversation, dancing, and time to catch up with old friends - the perfect way to spend an April evening.

April Resolution: Cleaning Closets

I'm going super practical for this month's resolution: clean out those closets! My friend Emily mentioned that she cleaned out her storage space this past weekend and we chatted about how good it feels to do a big purge of stuff you no longer need. I'm feeling inspired to do a bit of cleaning out myself and I definitely have enough messy closets to make this a month-long resolution.

I'll leave you with a pretty picture as closet cleaning isn't the most exciting topic of discussion. :) This lovely tree grows right next to our house and I snapped a picture of the pretty white blossoms on a misty morning two weeks ago.

Meghan's Bachelorette Party

Last weekend, I made a quick trip into New York City to celebrate Meghan and her upcoming marriage. Her sister hosted a bachelorette party for her on Saturday night and since I wasn't able to stay late (I had an early flight the next morning - more on that later) I caught an early train into the city. I made my way to Brooklyn to catch up with these two ladies over tea. Later, we met up with the rest of Meghan's friends for dinner at B Bar. It was a chilly night, but we were still able to eat outside in the restaurant's charming garden.

One of Meghan's former college roommates gifted her with a decadent box of chocolates...

Meghan's sister gave her the prettiest tiara to wear since she isn't into sashes and shot glass necklaces...

And we toasted to lovely bride, of course...

I hope these ladies had an enjoyable evening! I hailed a cab (my first time!) back to Penn Station and just made my train out of the city. I secretly love taking taxis in NYC at night - it always seems so exciting to watch the city whirl by. This time was no exception. :)

Meghan is getting married next weekend and I can't wait for that first glimpse of her in her wedding gown!