Unplugged

Source

The hubs and I got the heck out of Dodge for a bit and we're going old school in our adventure. We found an adorable cottage to rent and it doesn't have wifi. 

Crazy, indeed.

It's just us and the pups for a much overdue vacation and lots of rest and relaxation. 

Have a great week! 

Batter Up!

Tee Shirt: Venley by Youth Monument (Made in the USA!) // Jeans: Old Navy (super old) // Flats: J.Crew (similar) // Bag: Etsy (gift from the hubs) // Cap: Unknown (stole it from the hubs' stash!)

Meeting up with the hubs and a bunch of his coworkers for happy hour - definitely a great idea on a Wednesday night.

Picking a bar across the street from Camden Yards - even better.

Watching the O's take down the Royals in crisp fashion - perfect Wednesday evening.

This was the first, of many, games that the hubs and I hope to attend at Camden Yards this season.  Wednesday night was absolutely amazing, even through a tad of a drizzle, because the play was fast and we were home by 10pm.  Yes, you know you're old when you get excited a baseball game ends at 9:30 and you're home by 10pm.

I'm definitely a flats/sneakers at a game type of girl.  The last thing I want to be worried about while getting my responsible amount of beer on is tripping in a pair of heels.  I don't care what you're wearing, but tripping is never cool. 

How about you?  Do you get dressed up for sporting events?  Obviously a polo match or the Kentucky Derby are different in terms of dress code, but I'm always amazed when I see women dressed in their Sunday best at the ballpark.  Especially on a night with rain in the forecast! 

And I don't think the hubs is ever getting that camo hat back.  I'm claiming ownership on that one! 

Catching up

I had the absolute pleasure of shooting not one, but two photo sessions over the weekend with some delightful two-year olds.  These kids will not be falling into the terrible twos trend. 

The first was a 2 year old's birthday party.  To give you an idea of the party, when I showed up to the house I was asked, "are you another princess?" Sadly, I wasn't and I was just the photographer.  Everything made sense when a woman in a perfect Cinderella costume appeared for the party.  This party was like Pinterest on pink overload. 

Don't believe me. This is just HALF of the candy buffet. 

The second session was a family session with a boy who is giving Patrick Dempsey a run for his money in the awesome hair department.

The photo below is an outtake. I about fell over when this little guy's dad reached into the shot to wipe away some boogers.   It just caught me off guard because it's a tad bit scary when you see a giant hand and tissue come out of nowhere.

Thankfully I'm done editing the birthday party photos already and can finish up the family session before the week is over.  Maybe then I can actually resume normal blog functions. 

Be honest - who's craving chocolate after looking at that first photo?  

Lace Tee Shirt

Shirt: Les Femmes Velours (Made in USA!) // Jeans: J.Crew // Bag: Rebecca Minkoff (via Gilt) // Jewelry:  Nordstrom, InPink, HelloFab // Sunnies: Ray Ban // Shoes: Cole Haan // Nails: "Butler Please" by Essie (Made in USA!) 

Casual date night recipe in my life is a simple equation:

Heels + Jeans + Tee shirt = DONE

Let's be honest, casual date night is a classy way of saying I'm out for a beer with the hubs.  Yeah, I said it.  With that being understood it wouldn't be quite right to get overly fancy for casual date night.  Thank goodness Gal Meets Glam introduced me to Les Femmes Velours and their insanely gorgeous line of luxury tee shirts. 

What is a luxury tee shirt?

Think of the last time you jumped in bed at a super swanky hotel.  You know that fuzzy feeling when you melted into the sheets and comforter because they were beyond soft and inviting.  That's what this tee shirt feels like.  Even the lace is soft.

Best thing - these beauties are handmade in NYC. I know, I was shocked that such an amazing tee shirt wasn't made in Los Angeles. Who knew! The price definitely reflects the craftsmanship and materials, but trust me these tees are worth it.  I scooped up two during a recent sale and I know I'll be wearing them again and again. 

Les Femmes Velours offers sales regularly, so definitely sign up for their mailing list.  They even give you a 25% off code just for signing up for their mailing list if you can't wait for a sale. 

Bring it date night. I'm ready for you. 

This is in no way, shape, or form a sponsored post.  I recently purchased two tee shirts from Les Femmes Velours and the review is all my own opinions.  I'm just happy to share how I found another company that makes amazing clothes in the USA.  Just one more reason I love blogging because if it wasn't for a blog I wouldn't have found this tee shirt. 

American Made Sparkly Little Things

1. Feather Necklace 2. Rosebud Necklace 3. Tory Burch Mini Clover Necklace 4. Alexis Bittar Dewdrop Earrings 5. Kris Nations State Pendant Necklace 6. Lilac ID Bracelet by Garnett Jewelry  7. Helen Ficalora Love Charm 8. Catbird Rose Gold Heart Ring 9. Sophia and Chloe Children's Hospital Charm Necklace  10. Dogeared Accomplish Magnificent Things Necklace 

Before the week is out May will be here. That's mind boggling if you ask me, but I trust my iCalendar not to lie to me. With May comes Mother's Day, college graduations, summer wedding season and before you know it it's fall already.

If you happen to be in the market for a little shiny thing whether it is a gift for someone else or just a happy Tuesday for yourself, well I've got you covered. All ten of those little beauties above are made in the USA and cost less than $100 each.

I'll be honest, I've been completely smitten with some of these items for longer than I care to admit, but others are new favorites.  I want all of them is what I'm saying.

Any other sparkly baubles I should add to my proverbial wish list? I try to tell myself that if I keep them to under $100 I have a better chance of actually getting them off the list and into my life.

Happy Tuesday!

Fresh Air

Do you ever have a day where you just need fresh air?

I'm talking about the Spaceballs kind of fresh air. You just need a deep breath to calm down in order to have a chance to get back to center. You inhale so deeply that it feels physically impossible to let all that air back out of your lungs. 

I had one of those moments over the weekend.  Thankfully, I was surrounded by fresh, spring, mountain air for a few hours. 

I hope the scenery conveys why I'm a self-proclaimed "tree hugger."  It was impossible to grow up in Eden conditions and not develop a strong fondness for protecting nature.  Except for spiders - those suckers are on their own. 

The other perks of going "home" for the weekend besides visiting with both grandmas, German crepes, NY pizza, quality time with the nephew, rummaging through family treasures, and lots of red headed snarkiness is playing with my sister's pets.  And by "playing" I mean annoying to the point of provoking attack.  Apparently they're like me and they hate having their photos taken. 

I'm not kidding, but I was balancing a stick on top of my lens hood in order to get the Dane to look straight at me.  The stick did not survive. 

Well with eyes like those they better get over themselves and get used to it.  Maybe I need to get a bigger zoom lens so I don't have to be right up in their faces to snap a photo.  Especially with the cat! I'm highly allergic to cats! 

I hope you and yours had a good weekend and found a few moments of fresh air.

Praying

The story line goes that our grandparents remember exactly where they were when they heard that Pearl Harbor was bombed.

Our parents remember the moment they heard that JFK had been assassinated. 

Thankfully they also remember the amazement of watching Neil Armstrong bounce on the moon. 

I pray for our children because they've had too many horrific events in their short history to comprehend. I'm 30 and I remember watching the events of Columbine unfold with my friends. We had a scheduled half-day of school and thankfully we were able to huddle together when the world didn't make sense anymore. 

I was in grad school, studying in the library, when Virginia Tech happened. Complete strangers came together and offered a shoulder to cry on, yet everyone was looking around imagining, "could this happen here?"

9/11, Oklahoma City, Newton, and far too many other events have happened that each pulls at the string of your heart in a different way. It's impossible to think of one and not immediately think of another. Those shocking images are forever seared into our brains.

And now Boston is added to that list. 

The world doesn't seem to make sense anymore.  I'm thankful in the midst of this chaos that there are people in the world who run towards the smoke, towards the gunfire, and towards the destruction to help and save others.  That's what I'm going to hold onto. 

I urge you to hold onto your loved ones and never forget to tell them you love them. 

Today is my brother's birthday. He turned 21 on April 16, 2007.  Like so many college students that should have been an amazing day for him.  It's a date he'll never be able to forget and neither will no one else.

Never forget. Never forget Newton. Never forget Boston. Never forget Columbine. Never forget Virginia Tech.