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!

Friday Night Shake Run

Last week was a bit rough for me, so Dave and I decided that a late night shake run was just the thing to get the weekend off to a good start. We headed to our local Micky D's for some delicious, minty Shamrock Shakes. The shakes are quite good this year (sometimes they taste like toothpaste - yuck!). 

Have a great week!

March Resolution: Relaxing Before Bedtime

I've never been a good sleeper - I have trouble falling asleep (sometimes hours pass before I drift off) and I wake up often during the night. So, for my March resolution I've decided to add a little quiet time before bed to see if I can improve my sleep habits a bit. During the weeknights, I'm aiming for a half hour of quiet time before bed (no TV, internet, folding laundry, or running around doing this and that). Here's what I'm going to focus on instead: reading, drinking hot cups of tea, listening to music, taking steamy baths, or talking quietly with Dave about our day.

It's getting harder to come up with my monthly resolutions, although I have a ton of good ones that are perfect for warmer weather. I'm curious, do you set small goals for yourself? Do you think you would like to have a monthly goal to work on?

P.S. I don't really care for March, but this year I'm really going to try to enjoy it. Happy March!

Weekend Getaway: Ithaca, NY

I'm super excited for this weekend! My mom and I are going on a yoga retreat in the Finger Lakes. My yoga studio is running a three-day weekend retreat including yoga classes, wine tasting around Lake Cayuga, and delicious dinners. We will be staying at La Tourelle Resort which looks lovely. Our room has a fireplace - what a luxury!

I can't wait to hit the road tomorrow and start our weekend! I promise to take lots of pictures to share with you when I get back.