merry belated christmas everyone

Earlier this month we took our annual Christmas photo.
I could not find my remote clicker so most of the pictures were me trying to run around and get in position. The dogs kept going a little crazy and would not stay put for photos. I did buy a new clicker already so future photos will be much easier! This has been a four year tradition for me and the second one for us as a family. I remember being so nervous putting Liam in my Christmas photo because we were serious but we had our bumps in the road. Commitment was difficult for me and putting someone in my card to send out to all of my friends was a big deal! How funny to look back and here we are, we're married!

We spent the holiday eve with his parents and headed to Seattle to visit my brother and future sister-in-law. Liam has never been to the west coast so it was a great way to get started! We hope everyone had a great holiday and has a very happy new year!

xoxo

holiday tree findings

The last few years I have gone out Christmas tree shopping for myself. With the craziness of living between two houses, we decided not to get a tree this year. I picked up a fake tree during Black Friday shopping for my apartment but the Christmas spirit has not been in full effect for me.

A few weeks ago we went out to help a few friends hunt for the perfect Christmas tree for their new home. It would be their first tree in their home, how exciting! For me, it was an opportunity to whip out the camera and actually take some pictures! It was a lot colder than I expected but who doesn't love this weather for Christmas activities! I truly believe I would be confused in warm weather states during the holiday season. Pretty sure I will regret saying that since it was 3 degrees last week.



If there is any one of my friends who loves picking out Christmas tree's it's T. She loves Christmas and wanted their tree to be at least 9-10 feet tall, in person it is gigantic. We were happy to help them pick it out and cut it out!


As we left to take the tree back to the truck, the boys decided it was too much to carry so they wanted to drag it back. T was not having any part of that!

philadelphia christmas market

We spent last Sunday in Philadelphia, hitting up our favorite place IKEA and walking around the city a little. It was a bit chilly so we didn't want to walk around too much, but I love this city and the food.

As we walked around IKEA, I realized how awesome of a husband he really is to me. I was looking for a glass box we had seen at the beginning of the 'tour' but could not find it in the Marketplace. He walked all the way back through the entire store to see where he could get the box. The display was the last box in the store and he had to fill out paperwork to get it. He's seriously the best.


We stopped at LOVE park near the City Hall. I love seeing the hall. It reminds me of my early days of college when we used to go dancing in Philly and drive by this on our way home, hanging out of windows screaming and singing at each other. We walked around the Christmas market looking at all the little shops, trying not to freeze. We bought him the cutest and warmest mittens (it was cold).


Sipped some hot chocolate.
Ate some appetizers aka pretzels.
I appreciate his enthusiasm to everything we do together. He is like a kid who sees new things that I some times take for granted because I have seen it so many times. He sees it from a whole new light and I love it. It makes me appreciate it all more.


Plus, we got see some awesome German sausages being cooked. Not that I eat it but it was still pretty awesome to see it! It was amazing to spend a whole week together after we got married. We got married and spent two weeks apart so it was like a mini honeymoon as he said (there will be a real one).

cheers to 2017

Figuring out what to do for New Years Eve is always a struggle, it is always supposed to feel like some BIG extravagant party where you dress up, wear party hats, and toast champagne at midnight.

We did wear party tiaras and we sort of toasted at midnight with red solo cups. I think it was one of my favorite NYE memories to date. It amazes me how much can change in only one year. It was a low key night with some really great friends and lots of cheese, I mean lots of cheese and don't ask us why. The boys built a fire, we vegged out, and spent time together. When we started this year, none of us were really that close and over the months we became the girls.

The girls minus one. She decided to stay in Canada, but she was there in spirit and SnapChat.


We cheers to a new year!
What type of goals are we planning for 2017?

• Getting back to the gym, not like those people who go to the gym for the first few months and stop. We only stopped because we moved and started rebuilding an entire bathroom and kitchen.
• Travel. Travel far or travel not so far, just travel.
• Begin scrapbooking again, I loved Project Life and stopped a few years ago. I want to start on a minimalist version.
• Save money. Future house or new car next year.
• Spend more time together. Yes, we live together but we like Candy Crush a little too much and may need to put down our phones once in a while.
• Learn how to sew.
• Make our house a home.
• Finish renovation projects: stairwell, stairs, third floor living area.
• Help more with the DIY projects we make and make at least 5 of the projects I pin.
• Volunteer our time somewhere.
• Enjoy the moments more.

My new planner can help with some of this stuff! By the way, I love my new planner. We have so many adventures to plan and memories to make this year. I can not wait to see what it will bring.

Merry Christmas 2016

Our first Christmas card together and if you ask me, it turned out pretty darn good.

It's unfortunate that you can see the photo clicker in my hand but think it depicted the dogs perfectly. Sebastian is smiling like the goofy dog he is trying to stare at us. Fifa is staring at Sebastian thinking why are you here? Do you know realize we're trying to take a family photo? You shouldn't even be here. She's kind of evil in that way but we love her.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas this year and we're hoping you are spending it with those you love.

Happy holidays from our family to yours!

xoxo

our first christmas

This year is our first Christmas together!
We met last year around this time when I was running a holiday gift drive for a family in need in our local community. Liam came to my office to pick up a gift tag and we started to chat. We met a few months earlier at a Happy Hour but this time was when he asked for my phone number. So this is our first official Christmas together, hooray.

It's hard to believe it has been a year, but what an exciting year it has been for us both.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving we went to pick out our Christmas tree. It was a cold cold day but it didn't take us too long to pick it out, probably due to the cold we decided not to be too picky. This is my third real Christmas tree, my parents have always had a fake one and when I finally left for good, I decided a real tree was going to be my thing.

We named her Beatrice, or Beaty for short. She's tall, round, and full of life. She also has an antenna because I haven't found a star or topper that has caught my eye. Picking out and cutting down trees is so fun, maybe not for the person who has to lay on the ground and actually cut the tree but for me it's fun! Sorry Liam. Our decorations in the house are at a minimum considering the house is a little disorganized and not done but at least we have a tree!

16 days until Christmas!

photo shoot

We decided this weekend was the perfect weekend to take some photos for a potential Christmas card. I have been doing cards for the last two years with Fifa and have loved the reaction I have gotten from friends. This year is a potential to add a boyfriend to the mix, risky risky! It has been a running joke with friends that you shouldn't add significant others until engagement or marriage. I guess you will have to wait and see if Liam made the cut!

If you did not receive a card the last two years (sorry, let me know about this year and we can try to squeeze you in) here they are:

 2014

2015

These were some outtakes from our photoshoot, we had a ton of fun.
We laughed, a lot. It brought him to tears. The dogs were barely cooperative, more interested in rolling in the grass or peeing on something on the trail. It's so difficult for me to choose a card when I'm on Tiny Prints but their cards are my favorite!

If anyone has thought about doing a Christmas card but felt like it was only for people with families- it's not! I think anyone can send them, it's not only for couples with children because I love getting cards from friends with or without kids. I love pets, I love friends, and I love snail mail.

back to the grind

I spent the fourth down in Florida visiting B for a few days and it was a nice getaway.
We spent most of the time taking naps and eating out. I am a huge fan of naps, eating out - not always. It has been my experience lately, his area is not keen on the vegetarian, mom-and-pop lifestyle that I love so much. It poses a problem to the future of me moving down there; I'm not sure I could handle that!

It was a good time overall and I was happy to spend it with him and his coworkers/friends. Being able to set off fireworks and not have to worry about getting into trouble over it was an amusing part of the process. I had never been into a fireworks store so it was crazy to see how much they spent. New Jersey has none and it is illegal to set them off, but so is Florida. I was most excited about sparklers because I'm about 10 years old, ya know? They're fun! You can't blame me!

I met one of his friends from college who brought his 6 month old with him and B takes the funniest pictures when holding children. We both have the same reactions to it, I think. He's much better than I am haha. One day I am sure I'll get better at it, but until then I'll stick to holding dogs and children that can walk themselves.


++

Classes are almost over so I can't wait to have more time doing things! Like planning my trip in Europe! Woo! I will return with a bang when class is done and I've had a few ideas on wanting to change the look and updating more often. Let's cross our fingers.

love

I never made a big deal about, but I love handing out little bags of chocolate to my coworkers.  I think it puts a small smile on everyone's faces and that makes me happy.  Enjoy the day of love with your loved ones, but remember to appreciate them the other 364 days of the year!♥

vacation part two

After a lot of flying and getting sick, I finally ended up in Florida to spend New Years Eve with B.  When I say I was happy to see him, it is basically an understatement, because I was beyond ecstatic.  The 40 minute delay I had to wait for him was not too pleasing but it was totally worth it.  Holding his hand on the hour drive back to his place was enough to make the whole trip worth it.

We spent the next day just laying there talking and enjoying each others company.  His roommate took us out to lunch at a Thai restaurant, he wanted my opinion if the food would be 'authentic.'  If you were wondering, no it was not haha.

this is why we are so great together, funny faces from the both of us

When the evening arrived, we headed to our mutual friends to go out to dinner.  Now, the worst place to take a vegetarian to dinner is an all-you-can-eat Brazilian steak house!  And that is where we went!  There was about 10 of us, neither of the people I knew picked this place so I can not blame them.  It was a lot of fun going out to eat and hanging out with everyone, I just did not feel well so it was hard to even visit the salad bar and get enough to eat.  Then we ventured to the bar for a few drinks and back to Chel's house for celebrations, food, and drinks.  Watched the ball drop, and counted down to the new year...

***
People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.

I had the pleasure of bringing in the new year with old/new friends and a new boyfriend.  I may keep repeating myself when I say this, but only because it is true.  This year has taught me so much and I would not have changed a thing about it.  I begin my year with a smile and a happy heart ♥

vacation part one

Christmas in Seattle is much warmer than Christmas in New Jersey.
Much prettier too.
I love this city, so much.  Almost as much as I love California and if you know me well enough, I love California.  Seattle, you are filling big shoes.

I spent the holiday's with my brother and his girlfriend A.  It was an exciting and exhausting week.  We actually spent Christmas dinner with his friends from Boston, who also relocated to the West.  There was about 10 of us; eating dinner, playing video games, chatting about random nonsense that is life.

We did a lot of touristy things, just like we did last time I went to visit.  I wanted to visit Pike's Place again, hoped I would get to visit the first Starbucks but since it was the holiday week, it was still pretty busy.  Oh well. I did enjoy some cupcakes and a small letterpress shop!  I love letterpress, so much!

Seriously, I could see the Space Needle 100 times and still be amazed by it.  Going anywhere in the city we could see it.  Nuts!  I could totally see myself moving to Seattle, it's so me.  I really think I just adore the West Coast because the people are so different; they're nicer!  Also, the fact that it is so full of vegetarian/vegan foods is a HUGE plus for someone like me... a vegetarian!


Great suggestions for any vegetarian/vegan visiting Seattle:

+  Mighty O's Donut
+  Any Caffe Vita coffee place
+  Wedgwood II Vegetarian Thai
+  Molly Moon's Ice Cream (Stumptown Coffee flavor, yum)
+  Plum Vegan Bistro
+  Red Papaya Ale & Spirits
+  Rocco's
+  Mecca Cafe
+  Oddfellows Cafe
+  Umi Sake House


Holiday vacation part two to come tomorrow!

holiday season

I finally am doing things for myself and I love every minute of it.

This is my first real Christmas tree, ever.
My parents have always had an artificial tree and now that I am in my own apartment; I really wanted to buy a real one. I wanted to walk into my apartment and smell the pine.

So I did it.
December 1st, I went out and searched for the perfect tree. A tree that said hey, pick me! And here we are, with my very first Christmas tree and his name is Petey.


Decorations are in order...


After I buy them, ha!
Enjoy the holiday seasons all!

thank you

I took my walk today and called my favorite vet, Jose.


Take the time to thank the veteran's who have and still are protecting our country. They put their life on the line for us everyday and we should appreciate their service.

a wonderful valentine

Isn't she the cutest Valentine ever? I sure think so.



As I walked over to my desk this was there the first thing in the morning. It made my day. It made me tear up, knowing how much love and support I have at work and in my personal life. It was a great card and I thank her for making my day that much better.

The night before, I decided to make these little Valentine's Day candy bags for everyone at work and then a few more for other people in the building that I am close with. Everyone loved them, they each had a different message on them. "You are loved," "have a great day," "you are awesome." Stuff like that. I had left one for someone who wasn't there all day and she texted me later in the night saying the love you put out into the world is going to come back tenfold, that made me smile. I bought this carnation for my friend John who had gotten me brownies and a mixed CD (which I love).

Priscilla is an angel and sent me a $5 giftcard to Starbucks on FB. I was excited. I gave up coffee for lent so I will be using this when I go back to it! And no I am not religious, I do it more for discipline reasons and I enjoy knowing that I can do that. And last but not least, I bought Fifa a nice toy for Valentine's Day that she proceeded to tear into pieced about an hour after I gave it to her. I'm not sure why I continue to buy her toys but it makes her happy so it makes me happy.



Overall, it was a great day spent with friends. OH, and I saw Safe Haven that night too with a friend of mine.. totally not worth it though. Womp womp. But it was a good day. And I will continue to enjoy these good days. All we can do is move forward.