Photo Overload and Other Updates

Ever misplace your camera adapter for over two months (eeeek!)? Good, me neither! Here are some extremely overdue photos from the holidays and my trip home. 

Downtown Salem, Massachusetts.

Freshly roasted coffee beans ready to be ground. I can almost smell them just from looking at this picture!

Raisin-studded brioche from Seven Stars sliced for French toast.

Thistle + tulips from the Thanksgiving table.

Orange + dark chocolate chip scones sliced and ready to go into the oven. These made a great take-home favor at a Christmas get together with friends.

Our Christmas tree that we tagged and cut down from a local tree farm. I miss the holiday decorations!

My favorite vintage ornament from the 1950s that was gifted to my by my grandma.

Santa's suit + matching sparkly nails.

Newest s'more obsession from Brooklyn's S'more Bakery.

My family's hand-stitched stockings lined up on the mantle.

Colorful wrapping paper + glittery ornaments.

The best ombré birthday cake ever (made by Tiane's talented sorority sister). 

Fun joint birthday celebration with Tiane and Alex.

The decadent oreo in a blanket cookie from Bakeshop.

Spiky NYE decorations on my mom's table.

Lighter-than-air homemade doughnuts for brunch on New Year's Day.

Colorful tassel garland hanging over my Washington, DC poster in the guest room.

So that's what's been going around in these parts over the past few months. I can't believe Christmas has come and gone once again and I'm another year older. I actually forget how old I am sometimes now. If that's what happens when you're officially 'old' then I'm there! I have been hard at work on my 30 before 30 list. There are some simple things I'd like to accomplish (ahem, getting the courage to chop my hair) and of course some loftier goals (like take a trip outside of the country and brush up on my French skills). I think 2013 came so fast that I haven't had enough time to fully process all that went on in 2012. I'm still working on reflecting on last year's resolutions and building from there. I hope you all had a great end to the year and that 2013 is starting out strong for you!  

Weekend Snapshots: Cape Cod

Can you believe I've lived in Rhode Island for almost five years and had never been to Cape Cod prior to this past weekend? Me either! It seems so silly since it's literally less than two hours from my doorstep. Fortunately, my friend/coworker Jan invited me to spend the a night at her adorable Cape house and showed me all around Yarmouth and Dennis. It was a whirlwind 24 hours, but we were able to pack so much into a short amount of time that it felt like a three day vacation! The highlights for me were lots of time spent walking on the beach, an early breakfast at the Red Cottage, and a surprise woody wagon show (that made me wish my dad was with me). I can't wait to go back and explore more of the little beach towns on Cape Cod, which seems to be much easier to navigate in the off season.

Friday afternoon walk on Seagull Beach.

New England beaches have so much character.

Admiring lots of old woody wagons in pristine condition.

Deluxe.

I loved the surf board tied to the roof.

Antique Massachusetts license plate + flags.

Sleek hood ornament.

Monogrammed doors, apropos for the Cape.

West Dennis beach after the storm clouds cleared.

There was an abundance of horseshoe crabs washed up on the beach.

Hunting for the perfect seashell.

Late summer beach days are so peaceful.

Footprints in the sand.

Impromptu Peach Pancake Brunch

The entire week of vacation I spent at home was hot and sunny, that is until a big group of us had plans to spend the day at the pool all day Saturday. That morning I woke up and it was drizzly and overcast (of course). Instead of letting the rain ruin our plans, we hit the farmer's market for a big bag of ripe white peaches and sliced them up for pancakes. I used this recipe with a few adaptations. Instead of making ginger syrup, pancakes were served with real maple syrup (my favorite!) and the amount of milk was reduced to only two cups. The end result was crispy on the outside, but fluffy on the inside pancakes, with lots of peaches and of course laughs with friends. 

Mixing all of the ingredients together.

Table set with brightly colored napkins and gerber daisies.

Pancakes on the griddle.

Camera fun with glassware.

Hot pancakes ready to be smothered in syrup.

The perfect brunch!

Thanks to David for snapping lots of great photos!

Wait, It's May Already?

Life has been busy lately! I had so much fun on my little weekend solo jaunt to New York City last weekend. I survived a great barre class at Exhale Spa, did tons of walking around the city and through Central Park, and met up with a friend who recently moved from Chicago. Jessica's bridal shower was a great celebration and I loved being able to hang with her close girlfriends before the wedding next month (already!). The group ventured out to the Standard's biergarten on Saturday afternoon, where I could have continued people watching for daaaays. I was super diligent about packing my camera, but somehow forgot to put the battery back in it before heading out, so I was only able to snap some iPhone photos. Oops! I need to get better at remembering to actually use my real camera. 

This past weekend was spent enjoying a little Cinco de Mayo action, grilling on the porch (steak fajitas), and finally meeting up with Lauren (for mani/pedis + cocktails), who was in town from DC. I only wish the weather was warmer. I'm ready for more spring-like temps and less rain! 

What about you! How was your weekend?

favorite new polish combo: Chanel's nouvelle vague + gradient glitter

remnants from Saturday's homemade margaritas using this recipe (which was so good!)

late takeout sushi lunch on Friday (sashimi is my fav!)

pretty packaging + tape from Anthropologie

minty fresh watch and neon bracelets for warmer weather

And That's a Wrap

Well, Tiane and I made it!

365 photos in 2011.

Time for 2012. Are you ready? Pour a glass of bubbly and toast to a new year!

Toro and Dental Floss

Spent a fun night in town at Kushi (amazing!) with old and new friends. The best part about having foodie friends is that they always know where to go for dinner! We never have the ongoing 'so where do you want to go' convos. Tiane is my walking Yelp app and I love how we sometimes end up on the most randomly hilarious topics of conversation.
Thanks for a fun night, girls!

Cutest Card Goes To

Tiane seriously sends out the best Christmas cards ever. I love all the personalized little details and illustrations she makes. Plus, the lottery ticket inside is an added bonus.

Thanks, Tiane, and have a very Happy Birthday!

Game Day

Today was the perfect fall day for tailgating! Even though the Patriots lost, I had a good day in my fantasy league and lots of fun at the game. Thanks again to Jessica and Shannon for getting tickets and driving up from NYC for the weekend!

End of Summer Crab Feast

On one of my last nights at home, we had a big crab feast at my house, complete with grilled pizzas, blueberry cobbler, key lime pie, and, of course, Chesapeake Bay blue crabs. It was a fun way to catch up with David & Tiane and Lauren & Ryan (and their adorable baby, Jackson). I hope this becomes an annual tradition! For more pictures check out Tiane's blog.

Weekend Snapshots: Labor Day

Saturday morning Pinkberry date.


Homemade french toast muffins with cinnamon and sugar.


Ready for fall with gingham + arm party + Essie's chinchilly.


Delicious Mediterranean slate from Armsby Abbey.


Summer's last BLT with farmers market heirloom tomatoes.


Sparkly ring finger inspired by this photo.


Rhode Island themed onesies for our friends' new baby boy.


Look at the cheeks on baby Brandon!

I can't believe Labor Day has come and gone. It feels like I was just celebrating my cousin's wedding over 4th of July. I spent the long weekend with lots of grilling, fun times with friends, soaking up the sun, and getting back to some of my regular routines (now that summer is winding down).
What did you do?