Cape Cod bachelorette

I'm back from another super busy weekend on the Cape, this time for my sister's bachelorette party. It was a lot of fun, and I'm still trying to recover. Here are just a few shots from the weekend.

Each of the girls got a welcome pail that included the weekend's itinerary and a red tank to wear Saturday for our beach day.

Friday night started with welcome drinks and a catered clambake at the house. It wouldn't have been a true Cape Cod weekend without lobsters, clam chowder, and Cape Codders (cranberry juice and vodka).

Friday night ended with most of us in a pool at a bar (epic). It was a fabulous weekend, and we were all sad when it was over!

I can't believe we're already at the end of August! Until next year, beach days...

weekend links

Here's one guy ready for the weekend

These ballet dancers in random situations, which Emily linked to on her blog, is amazing. I also feel like this when I have a great shopping day.

I'm in the beginning stages of planning our wedding, but not everyone wants a big affair. These city hall weddings look perfect in their own ways.

If you work in a corporate office, you'll probably love Mary's blog, which shares her work-appropriate style.

Happy weekend!

recent happenings

I recently invested in a DSLR camera, so of course I had to try it out on my favorite test subject, Sprout. (Also note the mess of wires in the background - at the top of the house to do list.)

He thinks he's a dog model.

Meanwhile, this room serves as both my office and my closet, so it's easy for me to make a mess. (Think piles of clothes on the floor next to piles of homework... not good.) I went through a closet purge yesterday and then converted a picture frame into a jewelry hanger to get rid of the jewelry mess on my desk. 

I'm also in the final planning stages of my sister's bridal shower and bachelorette party. Party planning is one thing I love - the lists, the logistics! Can't wait to share how both turn out!

What's on your mind this weekend?

bachelorette party apparel

My best friend's bachelorette party is this weekend, and I'm having trouble deciding what to wear. I have a few options I'm considering, including 2 dresses with back detail, which I am loving lately, as well as one fun floral shift. Then there's the sequin skirt I wore in this post, which transitions easily into summer with a simple white tank.

Asos orange dress (1), Susana Monaco pink dress via ideeli (2), Grace floral shift via ideeli (3)

Normally I'd grab an LBD and some fabulous shoes and call it a night, but mid-July calls for something brighter. What is your go-to bachelorette party outfit?

life lately via instagram

Thursday night we attended the Boston Strong concert, which was an overwhelming night of feeling support and love from and for this city that is indescribable. I heard that there was a lot of annoyance from people watching the concert via live streaming at home, but you can't overlook the number of performers who came out and performed (for free), and said such kind words. One of my personal favorite moments was hearing the entire Garden sing "More Than Words" along with Extreme.

This weekend was my college reunion - cannot believe it's been 5 years! The ladies and I stayed in our old suite, and it was divine to be back. There was a very weird normalcy about being back at our college, hanging out in the dorm, walking around campus, and dancing in the campus bar. Cannot wait to do it again in another 5 years.

T surprised me with hydrangea and peony plants in our front yard, and yesterday we cut our first blooms off of them! I'm looking forward to a summer full of my favorite flowers.

outdoor entertaining must-haves

Every time I host a gathering, I recognize that I am missing one or two or 10 things that I don't need in everyday life but are essential to a great party. And this weekend's bridal shower taught me a few more items I should add to my list.

1. A drink dispenser
Originally, we had bottles of raspberry lemonade sitting in the boat bucket until we decided to use this little dispenser. Super easy to use and not bad on the eyes - I need to add one of these to my outdoor entertaining suite. I've seen some cute ones before, but this one at Target is a steal. This duo is perfect to have lemonade and iced tea side by side.

2. Boat o' drinks
This fab find is from Homegoods and, into the afternoon, also held vodka, rum, and other goodies. The boat base was perfect for the nautical-themed shower. Now I'm on the hunt for a metal bucket for my summer parties... maybe something like this one?

3. Plastic "glasses"
Classier than the tried-and-true Solo cup, and ones that you don't have to worry about your friends breaking, plastic ware is always great to have on hand for a more formal event. Or you could go all out and purchase acrylic wine glasses. (But then you'd have to wash those instead of just throwing them away, which takes away part of the fun of plastic!)

weekend recap

My weekends have been jam-packed lately, but definitely not in a bad way.

Saturday I spent some time volunteering at the Belle of the Ball event in Boston, which gives donated prom dresses, shoes, and accessories to girls who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford to go to prom.

I wanted to volunteer last year but was unable to due to travel, so I was really excited to take part this year. I played personal shopper, which was great. Remember how exciting it was to pick out the perfect dress?

I also finally made it to one of the new paint bars in Boston, which was a belated birthday activity my sister and I had set up for our mom. This was my "in progress" shot of the Boston skyline painting we did.

If you're in Boston, happy Patriots Day and Marathon Monday (and a special happy birthday to my big sister)! If you're elsewhere in the world, happy regular Monday!

Happy Friday!

image via

This weekend is the long-awaited return of Mad Men, and I cannot wait. Now that midterm week is over, I can breathe a little, spend some quality time with my DVR, get outside to enjoy the spring weather, and pick up where I left off on bridal shower planning for my sister's wedding.

Some things to check out this weekend:

• Some Roger Sterling (Mad Men) one-liners
• Love, love, love the details in Alaina's home tour
• I'm looking at ideas for redecorating a room in the house, and these pillows are at the top of my list
• Dying over these shoes Meg included in her must-haves for Spring

Have a fabulous weekend!

Friday thoughts

via

1. These button cookies from For Chic Sake are so cute- and don't have to be just for Christmas! They'd be adorable in a heart shape for your girls on Valentine's Day.

2. Social media screening is very real. Clean up your (digital) act before your next job hunt, and watch what you're putting out there the rest of the time.

3. I would really, really like to know how this lady pulled off a wedding under $200, as she claims. If you live in an apartment, are not good in the kitchen, and don't have hoards of friends willing to put down everything and help you DIY a wedding, you probably will not be able to do the same. But take a bride who has best friends with a bakery and a house on the Cape with a gorgeous (and huge) backyard and a cousin who can easily whip up meals for 50 people, and you're in luck. Helping my sister plan her wedding, I know that it is not easy in New England to plan a budget-friendly wedding.

And with that, have a fabulous weekend!

clean out Saturday

photo via

I spent a good chunk of Saturday cleaning out, and while I don't have "before" photos and won't show you "after" photos (well, yet), it was crazy how much stuff came out of the guest room and my office. We're talking 6 trash bags of clothes, curtains, bedding, and a few other things that we had totally forgotten we even had.

For some reason we decided a while ago that the guest bedroom closet would serve as our storage closet for out-of-season clothes, extra bedding, and a variety of other items that probably should have never made their way in there. I'm a bit of a pack rat by nature, but T is amazing at reminding me what I can part with:  And once I get going, I have a hard time stopping!

If you're in the market to part with some tangibles, here are some closet clean out tips:

1. If you haven't worn it in a year, you're not going to. I've heard some people turn their hangers around at the beginning of the season and anything that isn't worn (visibly, because the hanger is still turned the wrong way) is donated or thrown out.

2. If you don't love it now, you never will. Why are you keeping that shirt you bought that is kind of an okay color but was a really great deal? I have had my share of "just in case" items- what if you need it for a Halloween costume? That, my friends, is why there is a goodwill and why it is so busy the week of Halloween. You're never going to love it, so just get rid of it.

3. If it hasn't fit you in 6 months or more, it probably won't fit you again. I have hung onto quite a few pairs of jeans because they used to look great on me. Key words: used to. Probably won't ever again, because my body has just changed. Unless you have recently gone through an illness or a pregnancy or are on track to lose (or gain) weight to get back to your previous self, forget that you might someday possibly fit into those clothes again.

4. Remember- there probably is someone who needs it more than you do. So you haven't worn it in over a year, you don't really love it, and it doesn't really fit you anyway. Good news, there's someone out there who would probably love it, would fit in it, and would wear it. Donate it! Trust me, you'll feel so much better after you do.

Not sure where to send all of the stuff you don't need? There are quite a few organizations that will pick up your donation, including the Vietnam Veterans of America and Epilepsy Foundation (New England area). You can also do a Google search to find local donation boxes for Planet Aid, or drop off at your local Salvation Army.

weekend recap + gift wrapping

This weekend, like many others, was busy but somehow relaxing at the same time. 

We went to get our Christmas tree, which Sprout was very excited about. He also got to meet a 3 month old Lab puppy at the tree place, which was a bonus of the already awesome car ride between Dad and one of his uncles.

My mom and I volunteered to wrap gifts for the JDRF station at a nearby mall. It was a lot of fun, despite all of the questions around the mall itself. (No, I don't know how to get your niece's name on the TV screen in the food court, and no, I cannot tell you which banks have ATMs in the mall.)

Now I'm looking forward to wrapping all of the gifts I've been stacking in my office over the past couple of months. I bought a ridiculously large roll of brown paper - somehow, I convinced myself that 4' x 200' was the correct size. So far, the gifts are coming out exactly how I wanted them to look:  simple, but with pretty details.

This is by far my favorite time of the year. Merry, merry everywhere!

weekend plans

This weekend includes some important plans, like Christmas-ifying my dining room with a cute 4' tree, beginning to wrap some of the gifts in the stack that has taken over my office, and attending a first birthday party for T's nephew, who turned 1 yesterday! Have a fabulous weekend!

4' fake tree from Target, faux fur tree skirt from Kohl's, silver ribbon and snowflake tie-on from Target

weekend recap: weekend wedding

We went to an incredible wedding this weekend. I couldn't get over the food- seriously, to the point where I ate too much and wasn't hungry at all today (which seems, in my limited experience, to be a NJ wedding thing).

Aside from the incredible food and the gorgeous decor (see evidence in the place card display, above), I was touched by some of the traditions included in the event. Meredith, a friend and fellow guest, posted here about the anniversary dance, during which we learned that 3 of the couples in attendance had been married for 51 years (!).

Also included were a special song for the Italian side of the wedding with a fun, all-guest-inclusive dance, and a song for the Irish side (the groom's family), which ended with a rousing rendition of "Wild Rover". I loved how the bride and groom incorporated each other's family members into the night, and I found myself wishing that my family had more special traditions like theirs.

It was a fabulous event, and though I'm looking forward to another wedding this weekend, my waistline could do without.

weekend whimsy

image via

Leaving you this Friday with this gorgeous image. Have a wonderful weekend!

weekend recap

It doesn't seem like life has slowed down at all from the summer. Even with the outdoor chores - pool maintenance seamlessly rolled into leaf-raking. T planted a hefty 25 mums in the front yard, all in BC colors. Sprout appreciates the extra sticks the trees are dropping in the backyard, as well as the many turkey feathers that are left behind from our feathered friends who make their way through our yard twice a day, just like clockwork.

As much as I love what summertime brings, Fall is by far my favorite season. The crisp air, the apple-themed desserts, and the cozy sweaters... what more could a girl want?

(Above: I found these awesome cookies at the grocery store the other day. How could I not buy them?)

into the weekend

Unfortunately, this weekend includes 8 hours of class, but I still have high hopes for doing some awesome things.

In the meantime...
Links I bookmarked from this week:

• Pumpkin spice latte made in a slow-cooker
• Using Coca-Cola to clean the toilet!
• Fashion-themed costumes - how many Honey Boo Boos do you think we'll see this year? (Also check out the Chanel costume this mom created- so cute!)
• Sad to hear that the McDonald's in Milan is closing! Here's why:

weekend recap

It seems that my weekends haven't had the chance to calm down since the beginning of the summer - but that's okay- YOLO, right? 

Aside from having 8 hours of class on Saturday, the weekend included a half-marathon that T ran for Dana Farber (Sprout and I were spectators and hung out at Mile 11, cheering on the runners taking on their last hill), a really rainy Pats game with some after-game time on the field (that's me in the front row with the bright blue jacket), and my best friend is engaged! 

Of my closest friends from high school (pictured above a few years ago at a girls' weekend on the Cape), Miss Molly is the first with a ring on her finger. I'm so, so excited - her fiance is a great guy (and a friend from college), and I'm sure their wedding will be a ton of fun.

There's so much excitement this Fall. This coming weekend will include a belated birthday celebration for me and wedding dress shopping for Britt, my big sister by 18 months, who is going to say "I Do" next September to a guy I love and already call my brother.

into the weekend

image via

A busy weekend ahead - wish there was more relaxation involved, but that will have to wait!

weekend recipe: apple crisp

Hello, Fall, my favorite season. 

Apple picking is one of my ultimate Fall activities, so you can expect quite a few apple recipes on the blog in the next couple of months. This weekend: make your own apple crisp!

Ingredients
2 cups oats (I use rolled oats)
1 cup brown sugar (I use light brown sugar)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1.5 sticks butter, softened
4 apples, cored and peeled
vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9 dish - I use a glass dish. Slice the apples into thick slices (I usually get about 16 slices per apple) after removing the peels and core.

In a mixing bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and butter. Using your hands (it's the best way!), mix everything together until there are no loose oats/brown sugar - everything should be clumped together with butter (it should be a very very lumpy mixture).

Place your apple slices in the bottom of the glass dish, covering with the oat mixture. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until the oats are golden brown.

Serve with a generous serving of vanilla ice cream, and enjoy!

24 hours in NYC: Team Neon fights diabetes

Team Neon

I spent a quick 24 hours in NYC this weekend with my mom and older sister to visit my younger sister and take part in the Step Out: Walk for Diabetes.

My younger sister has Type 1, which means she is dependent on insulin and her insulin pump to regulate her blood sugar. (As opposed to Type 2, which is usually diagnosed in adults and can be regulated oftentimes with diet, exercise, and prescription medications.)

Some quick stats:

• About 1 in every 400 children and adolescents has diabetes
• 8.3% of the US population has diabetes
• Diabetes can cause complications like blindness, heart disease, stroke, hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Read more here