girl talk, date nights, hikes, softball champion, & an anniversary

I've been meaning to share some fun photos from weekends the past month. So let's get to it . . . .

Whoever thought of summer Fridays deserves a high five & a snow-cone. There's nothing better than getting a half day & catching up with friends over lunch & a margarita!

One of my favorite things Bryan & I do together is have a low key Saturday date night in. A couple weeks back we made our way to Nyack after his softball games & made a delicious dinner for two followed by a nice chat around the fire pit. 

The next day we went to Hook Mountain to go hiking. The rocky trail follows the Hudson River; so most of the way you can steal little glimpses of the river & my favorite . . . sailboats! The weather was absolutely perfect! My only suggestion would be to wear proper hiking shoes & not running sneakers. I was walking like a granny the last two miles haha.

All those early Saturday mornings & trips to Staten Island were worth it by the end of last Saturday! The Underdogs took home this GIGANTIC trophy!

 

Later that night we met up with some friends for mexican {read: queso dip & steak nachos}. I also realized that I need to start taking group photos . . . whoops! But I think we got a framer . . . 

Bryan & I celebrated one year together this past Monday. Holey moley one whole year!!! We started the celebration off with a good laugh. My favorite flowers are tulips & the poor guy tried so hard, but was steered to lilies in the shop instead. When I broke the news to him he felt bad, but you still get an A++ for effort, Bry! We headed over to the Roosevelt Hotel for a drink {if you're in the city you have to go. The drinks may be a little pricey, but they are darn good} & then ate the best dinner at Delmonico's. I sure do love this guy {those dimples - how can you not?} & can't wait to celebrate many more! 

weekly muse & a carousel ride

What do you do when NYC has hit its summer peak & it's too sweltering hot outside to do anything? Why you make muse boards for the week & take a stroll through Brooklyn, of course!

Yesterday as Bryan & I were travelling back to Manhattan we decided to make a pit stop to explore a section of Brooklyn. Sandwiched between the Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridges is a neighborhood called DUMBO {Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass}. Front Street is lined with cute restaurants & pop-up stands {think lemonade, hotdogs, beer, & ice cream}, but after seeing this post over on Love Taza I knew I had to  pony up on Jane's Carousel. 

After we melted in the sun for an hour or so, we made our way to Williamsburg to gorge on ribs, brisket, & good ole southern sides. I've been called a BBQ snob more than once. I've tried almost every place in NYC and nothing compares to southern pulled pork & ribs. Behold Mabel's. I highly recommend this smokehouse - be sure to try the collard greens! 

summer weekends

Although the summer officially started this past Saturday, I feel like it has been in full swing for a while. Bryan & I have gotten into a summer weekend routine. Staten Island Friday evening, dinner with his parentals, double header softball games early Saturday morning, & either off to the city or back in Nyack to enjoy the rest of the weekend. So far we have had jam packed weekends . . . . 

walked the highline & cooled down with popsicles

strolled through the 9th Avenue fair

ate oysters by the Hudson River

brunch at Jacob's Pickles

celebrated Hollis' birthday

explored Piermont on a sunny day

look ma, I have curls! 

took the tram to Roosevelt Island - how cool is this abandoned Smallpox Hospital built in 1854?!

a view of Manhattan from the south end of the island.

nailed it

Not pictured are a few backyard BBQ's, hammock swings, a wardrobe meltdown, & celebrating 40 years of shark entertainment {aka me squeezing the life out of Bryan's hand}.

taking stock | 03

Making: weekend & a much needed vacation plan
Cooking: . . . . more like he cooks, I drink the wine
Drinking: hazelnut coffee
Reading: my Jesus Calling a lot lately
Wanting: to spend a summer night on a rooftop
Playing: Ed Sheeran’s Live At The Bedford set
Enjoying: date day with my love
Looking: forward to a potluck dinner with friends
Liking: an optimistic attitude
Wondering: why Friday took so long to get here : )
Giggling: over this Japanese trend
Needing: a weekend at the beach very soon
Smelling: fresh peaches when I go to the market {trust me, they’re not as good as those Georgia peaches}
Wearing: anything but pants. this humidity has my curly, frizzy hair like whoa.
Counting: down the days til I get my stitches out!
Feeling: thankful & grateful
Bookmarking: this blog. seriously, read it!

april

How in the world has April come & already practically over? It's beginning to look like Spring around here! Needless to say, I think myself & the rest of NYC could not be more thrilled! April has been busy & I've had some really great weekends . . .

01. brunch with friends at Supper

02. poor choice in sending selfies little brother - I plan to keep for blackmail haha

03. a visit to FIT for the YSL & Halston exhibit

04. perks of an evening boat ride

05. taking advantage of chilly spring nights with a bbq & bonfire with friends

spring is here | taking stock 02

Making: summer plans {beach weekends, summer reading list, & bookmarking blueberry jam recipes}
Cooking: chicken meatballs & chocolate chip cookies
Drinking: water and lots of it
Reading: 1984 by George Orwell
Wanting: spring weather
Playing: Afternoon Acoustics {in my opinion, the best playlist on Spotify}
Enjoying: being 25 - some people cringe at turning this age, but I've learned to embrace this decade of learning & growing
Waiting: for this lingering cough and runny nose to go away
Liking: the Spring line at J.Crew {obsessed with this, this, & this}
Wondering: how on Earth it's almost April!
Loving: quick chats with old friends
Hoping: to partake of some Chipotle sooner than later
Needing: a beach to lay on
Smelling: like PB&J sandwiches - volunteering is fun!
Wearing:  striped tee & ripped jeans
Noticing: warmer morning walks to work {read: 35 degrees instead of 15}
Feeling: thankful & grateful
Bookmarking: this
Giggling: over jokes at work - sometimes you need a laugh when you're feeling stressed & frustrated

march

01. Birthday dinner

02. Ferry ride

03. A quiet {and cold} weekend out of the city

04. Glow-in-the-dark putt putt

the intrepid

 This weekend Bryan & I went to The Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum. We went in a submarine growler where I can't imagine 88 men in such tight quarters, walked on the flight deck with the coolest aircrafts, explored the space shuttle pavilion, & toured every nook and cranny of the carrier. If you're ever in the city, I would definitely add this museum to your itinerary {even if the weather decides to turn into a wintry snow storm}.

 

a bust

This was my walk home from work early afternoon on Monday . . .

After a much talked about blizzard that was suppose to blanket Manhattan with up to two feet of snow that evening, I was pleasantly surprised when I walked out to this Tuesday morning . . .

I've never been more grateful.

Okay, that might be a tad dramatic. But seriously, thank you Juno for skipping over the city & high five to the snow plows.

I'm officially over this winter & beginning the countdown to warm weather. Although I'll be sad to trade in my cozy plaids & blanket scarves for pretty pastels, I'm ready to hang up my puffer jacket for awhile. I've started to compile a list of my spring must-haves.
These are on the top of my list . . .

 

lace tops / boyfriend jeans / pink lipstick / leather-strap watch / pop-of-color bag

pretty flats / tortoise sunnies / statement necklace / neutral polish / a spring-y scent

{click on the photo below for details}