taking stock | 06

Making : plans for a cabin weekend in the catskills

Cooking : homemade apple muffins
Drinking : moscow mules thanks to my at-home bartender
Reading : lots & lots of blogs (1, 2, 3)
Wanting : Bryan to pass his PE exam the end of this month (he's been studying like a mad man)
Looking: forward to visiting my siblings in Germany later this year! 
Wishing: this fall weather would stay forever
Enjoying: quiet weekends at home
Needing: my packages to arrive (went a little shopping bananas this weekend & can't wait for my new boots to be delivered)
Smelling: creamy pumpkin & sweather weather (current Bath & Body Works candle obsession)
Wearing: hoodie & leggings (best combo for rainy, fall days)
Thinking: good thoughts after reading my horoscope for the month (insert raise-the-roof emoji here)
Feeling: so thankful & content
Opening: wicked nail polish

around here

Summer has been incredibly busy & it's hard to believe we're in the middle of July all ready! Here are a few snaps from my camera roll:

01. First softball game of the season

02. Literally the best homemade pizza

03. Yankees game wth friends

04. A trip to Nashville & the Grand Ole Opry

05. Bryan & I took my grandmother to her favorite musician, Vince Gill, at the Grand Ole Opry for her birthday

06. Drinks & live music at Acme in downtown Nashville

07. Date day at the local fair

08. We went down to Maryland for 4th of July weekend to meet Bryan's sweet niece Leanna.

09. Spent Saturday at Laurel Park for some horse racing

10. 4th of July brunch in the city & ended the afternoon with drinks at The Frying Pan

a l a b a m a

Last week Bryan & I headed down to Alabama for a long weekend. My brother was home from Italy on leave & it was so good to get a hug from the little nugget! It had been almost TWO YEARS (!!!!!) since the last time I saw him. We had a jam packed weekend of seeing family & taking Bryan around Birmingham. We ate some great BBQ & home cooked meals, went to the largest cast iron statue in the world, & stopped off for a couple of brews. It was great to be home, but so good to be back in NY! 

birthday shenanigans & a wine tour

Last week I turned 26 & celebrated with brunch in the city. I could not have been happier having college, Manhattan, & Nyack friends under one roof!

On my actual birthday I was spoiled to the core by Bryan - he made me breakfast before work, gave me the sweetest necklace, & came home to the prettiest spring flowers. I think he's a keeper, don't you think?

This past Saturday we took a road trip 50  minutes north of Nyack to Brotherhood Winery for a wine tour & tasting. Fun fact: it was established in 1839 & is the oldest winery in America. It was really neat to see how the original owner made the ports & wines (his first job was a shoemaker & he converted one of the shoe-making tools to cork the wine bottles).

taking stock | 05

Surprise! You blinked & January was gone. As hoped, the start of 2016 has been absolutely wonderful. We've only had one snow storm where we got 14 inches of snow (praise the Lord for a mild winter!), I moved in with Bryan & now officially a suburbs girl, & I started a new promotion at work! See what I mean? Best. Month. Ever! 

Making: plans for a Nashville trip (can't wait for Bry to meet some friends & fam!)
Cooking: the easiest bbq chicken in my crock pot
Wanting: this skirt for Spring
Enjoying: early mornings & breakfast to myself
Looking: for a new book to read . . .  HELP!
Liking: waking up next to Bry every morning, ya know, the small things in life :)
Needing: a relaxing mani & pedi - treat yo self, right?!
Smelling: fresh air when I walk out the door (seriously guys, best.thing.ever.)
Wearing: black everything, per usual
Counting: down til our next date night in! I have the best recipe to try.
Bookmarking: this TED talk for my commute home

lots of catching up to do!

So much has happened since the last time I was on here:

+ birthday party celebrations

+ gamedays at The Ainsworth

+ watched a friend run the NYC marathon

+ a beautiful weekend walk along the Hudson

+ dressing up as Will Ferrell & Cheri Oteri

+ a visit from my sister & cousin

+ winning the fall softball championship

+ a trip to Macy's Herald Square Santa Land

+ a much needed date day

Brunch at Supper  for Kelsey's birthday

Because going four people deep in a small cab needs a photo

Celebrating Lauren's birthday at The Ainsworth

Go Kelsey!

Literally the most perfect fall day in Nyack.

The wig - kills me everytime

Jessica & Alicia came to visit!

I can't tell you how many times people asked if we were twins. I just don't see it.

We ended their stay with a walk around Central Park!

Go Underdogs! Bryan's team won the Spring AND Fall championships. #1 fan goes to . . . . JULIE!

Because when you get a chance to preview Santa Land, you go & wear Christmas sweaters.

Wine & cheese at Beecher's

taking stock | 04

I have survived a little over two years living in New York City. Two years?!?! Seems like yesterday I moved here with my two very large, over-stuffed suitcases & settled into my first teeny tiny apartment. So many things have changed since the fall of 2013 so it only seems fitting that I take stock as I head into my third year {& bracing for the arctic winter ahead}. 

Making: plans for a BBQ & bonfire night with friends
Cooking: a polish dinner tonight
Drinking: lots of water & hot tea
Reading: this funny article
Wanting: an elephant print for my room
Playing: Thomas Rhett | South Side
Enjoying: simple weekend plans
Looking: forward to my visitors next month!
Liking: Love My Goat & Friday night date nights
Giggling: while watching this video from The Ellen Show. I am patiently waiting for this years post.
Needing: a manicure
Smelling: my favorite creamy pumpkin candle
Wearing: a striped sweater dress & boots
Counting: down the days until 2016 . . . it's going to be my year!
Feeling: the struggles of the changing weather {hello sinus & cold season}
Bookmarking: soooo many recipes {especially from Half Baked Harvest}

we shall watch sports & pick apples

So far October has proven to be idyllic. The weather could not be more perfect, Alabama football traditions are in full swing, & enough crock pot recipes have been bookmarked to last the season. Weekends have been chocked full of fun events . . . 

Introduced some friends to The Ainsworth to watch the Tide beat the Georgia Bulldogs

Best part of the day was running into family friends from my Birmingham church.

I have become obsessed with this food blog. I made my own version of her Autumn Chicken & Phyllo Dough Pot Pie. I have leftovers for days & it left the apartment smelling delicious!

Hockey season has begun! 

Bryan, myself, & my friend Jenna spent Sunday afternoon in Warwick, New York. It's a quaint little town just an hour north of Manhattan. We picked apples from Maskers Orchards, saw some farm animals, & ate apple cider doughnuts. 

 

"Act like you love apple picking Bry!" He was a great sport playing chauffeur & putting up with our "Isn't this so cute?!" & "Look how pretty!"

But seriously, how pretty is this view?!