Arizona Here We Come! (In 27 Days ….)

I received a text from my friend in Arizona who we’ll be visiting over July 4th weekend yesterday that said: “Starting to plan our trip now … can’t wait!”

I seriously cannot wait. I’ve heard so many great things about the area, and my friend really loves hiking and camping, so I’m sure she’ll take us to some pretty fun places. I mean look at this:

Can you even take it?

Do you guys have any fun plans for July 4th weekend? (Yes, I’m aware of the fact that it’s barely June 4th, but a gal can dream, can’t she?!)

Bis bald!

Read Full Post »

With Our Eyes to London, Our Hearts, Thoughts and Prayers Are In Boston

As Chris and I get ready to fly out on Thursday to London so he can run the London marathon, I find myself glued to the TV, watching, listening to and reading everything I can about the senseless bombings that took place at the Boston Marathon yesterday.

Three years ago Chris ran that race. My sister and I drove around like mad women from point to point to follow him throughout the course–to include making a beeline for that last mile to watch him at the finish. As I watched the videos of the attacks yesterday, I couldn’t help but remember what it means to be a spectator. How excited you are for your runner or runners. How you scream and cheer until you have no voice. How your heart bursts with pride when you see your loved ones run by.

The fact that anyone would target innocent bystanders and people fulfilling the personal goal and dream of running a marathon—something people train for months, or even years, for—is disgusting. An 8-year-old child was among the three confirmed dead from the bombings. What right did he or she have to die?

These races have meant so much to Chris over the past five years—he’s now run New York, Boston, Chicago and Berlin. London will be his fifth (and what was to be his last, until they added Tokyo to the World Marathon Series at the beginning of this year)—and they’ve meant a whole heck of a lot to me, as well.

What happened yesterday will not stop us from heading to London on Thursday. It won’t stop Chris from running in that marathon, and it won’t stop me or his parents from running around the course to watch him–nor will it stop what I’m sure are to be the thousands of others who will be there as well.

But that’s the point, isn’t it? Terrorism is disgusting, vile and heartless … but it shouldn’t, and it won’t, stop us from living our lives.

Read Full Post »

A 30th Birthday Celebration for the Books: Hiking in Breakneck Ridge

Oh hey, Hudson River on a gorgeous, sunny day!

Hey friends!

So someone (ahem, me) just had a birthday, and it was a big one. That’s right, the big 3-0! So in honor of getting older, I decided to do something to make me feel younger–go on a 3-mile long, rock-climbing hike.

The place we picked was Breakneck Ridge in the Cold Spring area. It’s about 2.8 miles in total, and let me tell you — it is strenuous! 

Holy rock climbing!

I have some amazing friends who agreed to go on this hike with me!

Thanks for going along with my crazy idea, gang!

We all packed some food (and my husband packed a 3 liter bag of boxed wine to carry the entire way … what a husband!) and drinks and sunscreen and took off for the day. I would say it took us about 4 1/2 hours to hike it, but that included about an hour stop for a picnic at the top.

A tasty assortment of goodies, including homemade baked cookies by a good friend from college and Trader Joe’s brownies with a birthday candle from a former co-worker.

The 3-liter bag of wine that Chris took out of the box of wine he purchased, which he carried the entire duration of the hike. That’s my man.

There were many points of the hike that provided awesome and amazing overlooks of the Hudson, and it was the perfect day to hike—sunny and in the low 50s. Here’s a little bit of what we saw:

We envisioned this point being somewhere near the end. It was not.

And so, we all made it through, all the way to the end, and I was so proud of everyone…

After the hike, before catching the train back to the city, we stopped at the Cold Spring Depot (which is walking distance to the train stop) for beers:

And so that’s about it, my friends. I had such an amazing time. It felt nice to be outside, we had an amazing group with us and I’d recommend this hike for anyone who’s game for some awesome, strenuous rock climbing.

One other word of note: If you’re planning on catching the train from New York City to Breakneck Ridge, I’m told you can alert the conductor to the fact that you want to get off at Breakneck, and that sometimes they’ll stop there for you (otherwise there are only two stops directly at Breakneck a day). We thought we’d get off at Cold Spring and walk to the trail, but it turns out that’s about a 4+ mile walk. We were not game to do that before even starting the hike, so we had parts of our gang who were driving pick us up. Just something to think about.

Bis bald, friends! Off to London week after next! My lovely in-laws have purchased Les Miserables tickets for us for Friday night when we get there. I love London theater, and I’ve never seen Les Mis, so I’m really looking forward to this!

Read Full Post »

The Excitement of Upcoming Travel

Hi friends!

Well we’re firmly into the second quarter of 2013 here, and it’s time for me to start getting excited about some of the trips we have planned for the rest of the year.

So let’s see. For starters, my in-laws will be making their way to the U.S. the week after next, and Chris and I will be heading to London with them to watch Chris run the London Marathon:

^^A little flashback to when Steph and I first visited London back in 2010

Then, Chris and I booked a trip out to Arizona to visit an old friend of mine for the weekend of July 4th. Neither one of us has been before, so we’re super excited. We’re going to go camping and hiking, and visit Lake Powell and Havasu Falls:

September will be a big month for us, too. We’ll be heading to Australia to celebrate our wedding with Chris’s side of the family, and then taking a couple-day honeymoon to The Great Barrier Reef:

^^A little memory from our last trip to Australia (written about here and here). That’s Shawn the Koala, the subject of my soon-to-written children’s book series. Seriously. It’s coming.

There will be another trip in September two weekends before Australia, but that’s super secret for now, as it’s a surprise trip in honor of Chris’s 30th birthday. Let’s just say—I’m super excited about it!

And that’s about it (for now)! Bis bald, friends! I’ll catch up with you again super soon …

Read Full Post »

Down in D.C.

Me and Lise in D.C., circa 2006ish

Hey friends,

So I arrived back from my trip to D.C. to visit Lisa last Sunday and I have to say, I love that girl a whole heck’uva’lot. We actually met back in college when we both worked for our school newspaper, The Breeze, and we’ve been besties ever since. We’ve both moved around a couple times in the, ahem, EIGHT years since graduating from college (good grief), but throughout it all we’ve stayed in touch.

So back when Lise first lived in D.C., we used to do a whole lot of sightseeing when I would come and visit. It looked a little something like this:

Yeah … we’re pretty cute

Anyway, these days there’s almost nothing we’d rather do together than sit around drinking wine, eating delicious food and talking until we fall asleep. We did a whole lot of that on this trip (Guapo’s in Shirlington is one of our fave spots), as well as taking walks, playing with Lisa’s insanely adorable niece and practicing with my make-up for Chris and my wedding party at the end of April. (Lisa’s doing my make-up for that, so I got my make-up done for the first time ever at the Bobbi Brown counter at Nordstrom.)

This trip looked a whole lot like this:

Lisa’s detailed notes from my Bobbi Brown makeover

All the makeup we used to replicate the look back at her apartment. She did a fabulous job, if I do say so myself.

Anyway my dears, that about sums up my trip to D.C. Oh, we also saw ‘This is 40′ at the Arlington Cinema & Draft House, where you can order beer and food while you watch your movie, and Zero Dark Thirty the following day. Lise also lovingly allowed me to visit World Market, since we don’t have a store here in NYC, and we ate at the Nordstrom Cafe before getting my makeup done, which I would highly recommend for it’s deliciousness.

Okay, bis bald, friends! Chris and I may or may not be snowboarding this weekend at Windham, and we’re in the midst of planning a little hike with some friends for my birthday (perhaps here). Plus, before you know it it’ll be London Marathon time in April! Lots to look forward to, my friends, lots to look forward to …

Read Full Post »

The Wheels On the Bus …

Are taking me to somewhere with better weather than NYC!

I’m on my Tripper Bus right now on my way to visit a BFF in D.C. I’ve got my Wi-Fi, my computer, some movies and music and my bottle of water … I’m good to go for the 4 1/2 hour ride.

I’ll update soon about the goings-on in and around D.C. (although in the name of full disclosure, I have to admit that Lisa and I do a whole lotta nothing — happily! — on these trips, so there may not be much to report).

Bis bald, friends! Hope everyone has fun weekend plans.

Read Full Post »

A Valentine’s Day Trip to Tarrytown

Hey friends,

Chris and I just arrived back from our Valentine’s Day trip to Tarrytown, a quaint little town about 45 minutes north of the city, and I have to say–I loved everything about it. Since it’s winter it was obviously a bit freezing outside, and some of the stores in the town and some of the historical sites were closed for the winter months, but still, we managed to have an awesome time just the same.

Here’s what we got up to.

Read Full Post »

A Valentine’s Day Weekend Retreat

Hey friends!

So Chris and I are about to leave for our first Valentine’s Day weekend as old marrieds We are heading to the Tarrytown House Estate, and I’m super excited! Post soon to follow with the details.

Hope you’re all having a lovely Valentine’s weekend … bis bald!

I made this tasty treat for Valentine’s Day….yum!

Click here for the full recipe.

Read Full Post »

A Very Hamptons Girlfriend Getaway

Hey friends,

So my sister finally posted some photos from my surprise bachelorette bash in the Hamptons, and I thought I’d share them here. I loved our time together talking, eating, drinking, taking in the hot tub and watching movies by the fire. It was perfect, and I’m blessed to have the sisters and friends that I have …

The bus that took us to the restaurant Saturday night was Jamaican themed!

The house we stayed in was gorgeous, and right on the bay!

Our night view.

The beautiful breakfast my sisters had for everyone.

From when we took a walk on the beach.

Our hot tub!

Our porch view.

Me and some of my gals.

I’m getting married!

Me and the gals from Learnvest.

Me and my sisters, whom I love dearly for throwing me this little shindig.

Bis bald, friends! I hope you all had a lovely holiday!

Read Full Post »

A Bachelorette Party for the Books: I’m the Luckiest Gal Alive

Hey friends!

So just a super quick update here, as it’s Thanksgiving week and I’m swamped and exhausted! I just wanted to let the world know that this past weekend, my two sisters and about a dozen of the best girlfriends a gal could ever ask for swept me away to a surprise bachelorette weekend in Hamptons Bay in the Hamptons.

I was so surprised! It was relaxing and fun, and there were drinks and a hot tub and a fireplace and movies and an amazing Mexican dinner–and lots and lots of games and prizes and love. Lots and lots of love.

I don’t have any photos, but my friends and sisters took some so when I get a couple I’ll post them.

All I have to say is, when you amazing friends and family in your life, everything else will always be okay. And I’m truly blessed to have everyone in my life who I do …

Bis bald, friends!

Read Full Post »