Florida.

I'm gonna keep this one simple.

Please enjoy this photo journal of our trip to Florida.

Struttin' her stuff by the pool.

Pedicure. It had only been 6 years since my last one.

Still admiring my toes.

Bubbles.

Nick and Johnnie's Palm Beach.

Nugget,  Aunt Nicole and Grandmom

Palm Beaching.

Time to feed the Kitty!

Unpacking.

More unpacking.

That about wraps it up.

Rainy Beach Daze.

What do you do when it rains on your parade? Sing and drink beer.

A room with a view.

That was all we saw of the sun.

It was a drowsy ride home but I have to say I think a good time was had by all.

Random things...

So it's been another whirlwind tour for us. 

The beach was wonderful. Iris just loves the sand now and has taken to chasing (on all fours) the seagulls. She doesn't mind a faceful of sand.

I planned on returning last Monday but with computer issues, a new iphone to get up and running (one having everything to do with the other... Jeesh!), trying to get organized from being away and everyday life with an energetic baby it just didn't happen. But we're here now.

Not a bad view huh? There is music and weddings in this gazebo every weekend. I'm really going to miss it there.

I added a little something to my dining room decor. This little round vase has housed some mementos from our travels (beach glass, smooth stones, shells, etc.) for some time but I added a little sand in the bottom from the beach where my Dad lives (pictured above). He'll be moving away from there soon so it was the perfect addition to a bowl full of memories. I know it's corny and it makes even me throw up in my mouth a little bit but at the same time it makes me smile and it has meaning to me.

This is me having fun with my new phone...

Gotta love that morning sun!

Since we've moved our dinner time back until Iris goes to bed (you know...so we can actually enjoy our food) I've been whipping up these little snacks for us. A little cheddar, goat cheese, olives (black and red cerignolas...my favorite), whole grain dijon, crackers and my latest edition but not yet pictured... organic medjool dates do the trick.

The platter was a 5 year anniversary gift from our BFF Danielle who also officiated our wedding. Apparently wood is the traditional gift for the 5th wedding anniversary. There's a joke there somewhere.

We were also able to do something else we hadn't done in a while... go to the library. I love the library! By today's standards it's an old fashioned concept. I love the hushed environment and the access to all the books I could ever want without paying a dime for them (unless there late of course but even then it's pennies on the dollar)

Must... learn... to... knit... in... round.

This is my happy place (below). I rarely get to hang here but when I do I'm usually....well...happy.

I even made myself a mini margarita. Ahhhhh summertime!

And finally, my main focus right now is Iris's birthday party. I bought some supplies for the invitations (can you tell I'm in love with instagram). So until then... no new projects unless they're birthday related.
I pained over a theme of some sort and I didn't want to go overboard on a first birthday (but still want to make it special of course) so I just chose colors. That's right, my theme is colors. Pink and green. All shades.  I'm still kicking around ideas for food. I'm keeping that simple too.

And I bet you can't guess what I'm doing right now...that's right, I'm at the beach...again...in the rain.

Beach Bound.

Hey all. We're heading back to the beach to visit grandpa and to attend a wedding shower. We'll be back Monday (hopefully with pictures this time). 

And I'm soooo excited to be attending a farm to table dinner at Blooming Glen Farm on Sunday. It will be my first time out with just the girls since I had Iris 10 months ago. It's long overdue. Of course, I'm already planning what I'm going to wear, how I'll do my hair and what kind of wine we're going to bring. 

We wish everyone a safe and fun filled weekend and we can't wait to share ours just as soon as we can!

Gratitude.

This past 5 days has been full of moments of gratitude. My mother and sister coming to visit us and offering plenty of helping hands, treating myself to a babysitter so that I could do some REAL cleaning around the house, visiting my father for a belated birthday/father's day and loving that he lives on the beach and still surfs at 60 years old.

Tearing up toilet paper with Aunt Nicole.

My mom and sister live in Florida in winter and Jersey in the summer. My sister had not seen Iris since she was born and I was excited for them to meet again. My mom was able to visit a few times this winter. It is always such a relief when she is her. She is a huge help folding laundry, chasing nuggie around, helping me run errands and babyproofing the house. She loves her one and only grandchild and it melts my heart to see them together.

Iris's reign of terror.

Having a 9 month old who crawls and pulls up on anything she can get her hands on is tiring and sometimes downright frustrating. I have had to rethink my whole gameplan when it comes to getting things done. I literally can barely do anything while she is awake. She does not like to be contained anymore (i.e. exersaucer, johnny jump up). She wants to move, explore and taste everything. I can hardly blame her. That is why I have decided to treat myself to a babysitter for 2 hours a week (maybe not every week) just so I can get some things done and keep myself... afloat. She feeds the little nugget her lunch, takes her on walks and generally makes sure she doesn't hurt herself or crawl off a cliff. It's the best $20 I've spent in a while.

It was also Iris's first time on the beach (well technicaly her second but the first time was just for a photo). We forgot our camera so sadly there is no documentation. I plan on updating my technology and am getting an iPhone in August so I'll have no excuse and I won't have to lug around my giant Nikon (especially onto a beach where it can get sandy). She wasn't a fan of sand but she did like the water. It was nice to get some sun and some sand between our toes. My dad is a real beach guy still surfing, boogie boarding and paddle boarding at 60 years old. I love that he is so enthusiastic about the outdoors. It always makes for a fun visit.

My best friend was along for the trip to my Dad's and stayed at our house for 2 days after. SLUMBER PARTY!!! It was fun to lay by the pool, read some magazines, watch Trueblood and drink some wine with her. We needed that. We don't live far from eachother (in fact I could ride a bike to her place if it weren't so damn hilly around here) but we live in a small town so it's nice to just be out here in the woods and away from the sometimes-all-to-familiar-faces of town.

You didn't think we'd leave her out of the pool lounging did you?

For all of this... I am grateful.