Bachelorette Weekend in WPB.

Happy Friday! 

I'm off to West Palm for the long weekend to engage in some bachelorette festivities. 

This is what my friends will look like.

I will be the one getting pummeled by waves as I plug my nose like a little wimp. 

Hooray for impending marriages! 

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Friends at Vintage.

The other night following our company offsite at the beautiful Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, I headed out to dinner with two new work friends who have been so wonderful to get to know.

It makes me feel a little silly when I think back to 7 months ago when I was starting this job, worried that I would feel lonely in the new setting. It's natural, I suppose. But I'm learning that there are friends to be had almost everywhere you go, if you're looking for them.

I also learned that Vintage has a lovely back patio, if you're into those kinds of things. And really, who isn't?

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Summer's end.

This weekend we were back in Connecticut celebrating husband's birthday with family. At the end of August, our hometown is beautiful - the cicadas sing at night and into early morning, the weather is slowly making its transition to autumn, and school buses weave familiar patterns along side streets, picking up the kids who were so young when I last saw them. Babies, really. Which always makes me a little sad. A little nostalgic. A little surprised by the passage of time. We're all in it - the whirlwind of change that reminds me, in quiet late-August moments, that some of the past is still very much alive in our present.

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Saturday afternoon in Central Park.

This past Saturday we took a walk through Central Park before dinner. With cooler temperatures in NYC this weekend, we started to remember what autumn is like. It's always been my favorite time of year - the heat of summer behind us, the reintroduction of plaid in my wardrobe, and (when I was still that four-eyed, uniform-adorned little kid) the excitement around returning to school. As much as we've loved this summer, we're ready for autumn. And maybe being able to take Gus for more than a 10 minute walk without fearing that the poor pup will overheat. That will be nice.

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On my prom date turning 25.

Dear husband,

I blinked, and suddenly I'm 23 and you're 25. With a quarter of a century under your belt, I couldn't be more proud of the person that you've become - you're strong, determined, hard-working, servant-hearted and so invested in the lives of the people that you love.

You make me laugh, husband, and I can't wait to see what kinds of adventures we're going to take with this life in the coming year.

I love you. More than I can fully explain, I love you. Happy birthday.

wife.

(photo taken by Studio1923)

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Our friendly pup.

Gus loves meeting new people. It's one of his favorite things.

And I'm pretty sure our friends like us better when he's around. 

We're living with an adorable, fairly unintelligent little bear who loses his mind every time the doorbell rings.

Now, if we can only get him to stop staring awkwardly at strangers (especially those wearing ridiculous outfits or shouting obscenities), that would be great. 

Happy Friday!

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Peacefood Cafe.

On Sunday we left a bit early for church and ended up at Peacefood Cafe on the Upper West Side - it's a little vegan restaurant with a lovely atmosphere and great windows looking out onto Amsterdam Ave. I've tried a few of the smoothies and baked goods before, and all have been delicious. And while neither of us is vegan (or even vegetarian, for that matter), I'm in full support of any restaurant that seeks to be mindful of the ingredients in its food, offering locally grown, healthful meals that also happen to taste pretty good.

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Charlotte, NC meets New York.

This weekend, our friend James came up for a visit, which was especially exciting because we hadn't seen him since our wedding two years ago. On Friday night, we took James to Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. He'd never been, so we patted ourselves on the backs for being such good friends and introducing him to one of the best burgers in the city.

Already looking forward to our next visit - we'll have to make the trip down to Charlotte sometime soon!

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On riding the subway in August.

This face should tell you exactly how I feel about waiting for the train in the summer heat. 

And I must say, the humidity is doing something FIERCE to my hair. 

Ah, the glamorous life. 

Despite these small annoyances, we love summer in this city. Especially when we can justify taking a cab. 

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Thoughts from Gus.

Hi friends,

It's no secret - there's nothing I love more than sitting down to an episode of Mad Men on a weekday night. There's just something about the advertising industry in the 1960s that really speaks to me. Plus, they wear such darling outfits.

I was born 50 years too late.

Sniffs and licks,
Gusington

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Katz's Deli.

Last night we had dinner at Katz's Deli, and we decided it's just stupid that we've never been before - despite the fact that it's a good 40 minute commute from our apartment. Irrelevant when you're eating one of New York's best hot dogs and trying a knish for the first time. Do we eat it with a knife? Do we eat it like a sandwich? We're not sure, but any kind of potato product that's been baked to look like an enormous french fry is okay by me.

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Lately.

I spent a few mornings alone in our apartment, watching the rain fall on our little garden. I tried a new coffee shop and fell in love - Chelsea's Table is my jam. Mama boarded our cruise ship on a beautiful Saturday morning. Husband spent a lot of time on our balcony. We went snorkeling in Bahamian waters and I looked like a clumsy fool in flippers. My cousins rocked karaoke, which boosted their coolness score by about 10 points. We arrived in Fort Lauderdale on an overcast day. We took photos together on that overcast day. And then made a casual stop in Disney World, because (duh) a vacation is not a vacation until we've visited the happiest place on earth. We arrived in Nassau. My sister and brother-in-law fared better in a clear-bottom kayak than I did - they're basically professionals now. And husband found the first pair of sunglasses that he likes. He wore them all week.

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Cruising: Bahamas

New York is nice and all, but I don't think I'd hate living in the middle of the ocean with my family. Especially when there are chocolate buffets involved. And matching shirts.

Photos courtesy of the little sister and grandparents.

And a BIG thank you to my grandparents for such a fantastic trip!

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