Since I've been gone...

Oh dear...it's been a while since I've stopped by here.  Now that it's almost November (gasp!), I decided I need to make my way back into the blogosphere.  First and foremost, let me fill you in on where I've been...

October started off with a bang; or, rather, a midnight drive down to Cape Cod when we got the call that my sister was in labor.  Here's my beautiful (one-month-old!) niece, Sally, here to wish you a Happy Halloween!  Pretty spooky, huh?!

The rest of October went by in a blur: midterm stress, birthday celebrations for a certain tall/dark/handsome someone, a THREE (!!!!) year anniversary celebration, and finally, a visit with Liz!

When Liz arrived in Portland last weekend, it was the first time we had seen each other in almost a year and a half!  That's just unacceptable, if you ask me.  We had the most relaxing weekend involving long walks around town, yummy food, tall glasses of wine, and outlet shopping.  There was even a guest appearance from our most loyal reader.

Lizzo, let's never go that long without seeing each other again!

For your travel adventures

The best luggage tag around.

Via Harlex

Maintaining my sanity

In two short weeks I will be taking quite possibly one of the most relaxing vacations of my life. And I cannot wait. My cousin is in the Peace Corps in Honduras and the rest of us cousins are heading down to visit her. It didn't take much convincing. We will be staying in the most unbelievable beach house on the ocean with a view of the second largest coral reef in the whole world. I plan to spend all of my time in these hammocks or in the pool below...

Image via vrbo.com

Image via vrbo.com

Pictures of the trip to come in mid-July :)

MIA no more

We're sorry. We really are. This blog hiatus was unacceptable. We brought you all this bouquet to show you that we truly missed you and we felt bad for leaving you (temporarily).

Photo via Thunda Funda

You see, so much is/was going on. Anna is working her butt off. But she's going to be the best nurse! (I would be the worst nurse - I'd be too afraid of your germs.) Did she tell you she got a new stethoscope?!

I, too, have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I spent weeks months searching for an apartment. In weather ranging from 60 degrees and rainy to 90 degrees and humid. But it was worth it. Because the one I got my hands on has a working fire place, and a kitchen with a granite breakfast bar, and a shiny new washer and dryer. And now I just have to move in. With my new roommate. More on that later :)

I also went to LA with Ben and his family. Here is a picture of the city through a stone cut out at the Getty museum. If you've never been to LA, make sure you stop at the Getty.

And here is a picture of the Santa Monica beach. Breezy in the mid-70s. Mmmmmm.

While I wasn't blogging, I was re-painting a dresser, frequenting happy hour at Masa 14, dreaming about fudge popsicles, and watching a Mourning Dove get pregnant, lay eggs, sit on her eggs, and eventually, have little baby Mourning Doves! More on that another day.

Sleep tight xo

A Trip to Baltimore

This weekend I visited Baltimore for the first time and I was totally impressed. While I love almost everything about DC, I found Baltimore to be more calm and charming (thus, the nickname Charm City). It was a lot like the smaller New England cities of which I am familiar.

We went to Iggies for great pizza, walked around the harbor, and visited the amazing farmers' market. Fresh local strawberries and tall iced coffees marked the beginning of summer. We also tried pickles on a stick! Some photos below. Happy Monday!

 

Back to Reality

Happy Sunday!  While Liz was baking apple-berry crisps, I've been in Richmond visiting family.  I finally met my new baby cousin (I'm so in love!) and got a good dose of vitamin D.  Richmond is such a fun city and it's especially beautiful in the springtime.  Here are a few pictures from a previous visit - forgot my camera this time - so you can have a look. :)

Stopping for an iced coffee with Elspeth on Cary Street

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

Hanging out by the river at one of our many cousins' houses

Tomorrow I have a 7 AM flight back to reality so...sleep tight! xo

The Friday Find

Everyone has their own opinion on buying plane tickets: You should use Kayak, or Orbitz, or Expedia; you should buy your tickets on Tuesdays or Wednesdays because that's when it's cheapest. You should take a Friday or a Monday off of work so that you don't get hit with high weekend flight prices.

Well, damn it, that takes a lot of effort.

Low-budget fliers, there is a better way: yapta.com. I only learned about this site yesterday from my friend Lisa. And it is AWESOME. They will track your flight and alert you when the price drops, so that you can get it for less. And if you bought the ticket when it was a little pricey, and the price later drops, they'll start the process for you to get a refund! Seriously! How cool?

P.S. Cherry blossoms are making their way out in DC!! Happy weekend!

Homeward Bound

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Whatever! I didn’t grow up celebrating Christmas, but I do love the festivities. Yesterday while riding the Metro to work, a grown man (I would say mid-50s) in a long black peacoat started singing Silent Night at the top of his lungs. He didn’t have the best voice, but I loved his spirit! In fact, it put me in a good mood for the past two days.

The other reason as to why I am in a good mood: In about an hour and a half, I will be soaring through the clouds on my way home to Massachusetts for the holidays. I usually like to sit in the front of the plane so that I can get off first, but I was warned that overhead space goes quickly during the holiday season, and I should sit in the middle of the plane to reserve a nice spot for my WONDERFUL bag. By Jane Marvel. Best weekender bag on this planet. Get one for yourself.

Lots of Love,

Liz