Happy Valentine's Day

Exactly one year ago, Joe proposed to me and today we celebrate our first Valentine's Day as a married couple. :)

Enjoy your day, no matter how you celebrate it.

Just a few (or a lot) of my favorite foods

One of my besties wrote this post today and it inspired me to write my own.

I have lived in many places and been to tons of restaurants. And while I am not very adventurous with my cuisine choices, I have found a lot of delicious foods. Basically what it comes down to is, I know what I like, I'm a creature of habit and if need be, I could survive on one or two of my favorite foods forever.

When I think about it, most of my favorite foods go hand in hand with great friendships, conversations and adventures. I will include those things with my list.

Here we go...

Get me going/Breakfast: A large Coffee, Sweet and Light (Dunkin Donuts, anywhere but CA) & Swedish Pancakes (Country Inn, multiple locations in CA)
I never truly appreciated DD until moving to Philadelphia, where I started getting my morning obsession at the train station with my good friends, Katie and Rebecca. I miss DD like no other, and always check to see if one will be close by before travelling. *In exactly 6 weeks, I can have DD in Maryland. :)
The Smiths Introduced me to the wonderful world of Country Inn and their Swedish Pancakes (crepes) and I have never been the same. We have breakfast (our family and theirs) every Christmas Eve morning and Joe and I go for breakfast whenever we get the chance.

Pizza: 2 or 3 (or 4) squares from Bobs' Pizza (Indiana, PA) would always make my day. With the slogan 'Atsa My Pizza, how can you go wrong. A favorite in both undergrad and grad school, as the squares were only about 55 cents a piece. A delicious bargain if you ask me!

Cheesesteak: Steak and Mushroom Cheese steak from Boston Style Pizza (Merion Station, PA) Leslie introduced me to this place when I first visited Philadelphia. I think there's a rule that if you like in Philly, you have to eat a lot of cheesesteaks. Good rule, huh? Well, Leslie and I did just that. We've tried both the famous Genos' and Pat's, but when it came down to it, we loved the 'steaks at Boston the best. Maybe it was just because the delivered. :)

Salad: Cesar Salad with Tuna from Boston (Merion Station, PA). Katie and I swore by these salads when we were roomies and would sometimes have them more than on time a week. It may sounds like an odd combo with the tuna on top, but trust me (and Katie) that these salads are amazing. They go great with an episode of Lost, too!

Sub/Hoagie: Turkey Diablo from Primo Hoagies (multiple locations in PA & NJ). There is nothing like a hoagie from the east coast and they really don't get much better than this place. With numerous locations in PA and NJ, I have been to 3. They're amazing. I credit Erin Johnson to introducing me to this wonderful hoagie. She and I share a great love for this place. I even got Katie to jump on the bandwagon while we were in her town of Cape May, NJ. * With any luck I will have a primo hoagie while visiting Erin in MD in 6 weeks.

Quickie snack/meal: Anything from Sheetz (Indiana, PA) Food from a gas station? Yes, please. Sheetz is amazing. If you've ever been, you understand. If you haven't been, go! They have everything. They carry all the normal things you'd find at a convenience store and much, much more. You can custom order everything from breakfast sandwiches to mac and cheese on their handy touch screens. I have spent many a late night (2am after the bars closed) to early mornings (before class) enjoying the wonder of Sheetz. Sheetz is a.maz.ing. If you live near one please go for me, since I cant. Oh, except for in 6 weeks, when I'm in Maryland. Have I mentioned this trip yet?

Soft Pretzel: Original Salted with cheese dip from Pretzel Boys (Philadelphia, PA). You can find pretzels everywhere in Philly. And you better believe I have tried them all (or just a lot). But this place is hands down the best soft pretzel I have ever had. I discovered this place while watching the food network's show Throwdown with Bobby Flay, which was taped at Drexel University, where I was currently working. I decided to give them a try and immediately fell in love. They are the perfect combo of crispy outside, with super soft innards. I passed this love on to Erin, who also loves them and make a pit stop to have one when driving from MD to PA.

Cupcake: Neapolitan Cupcake from The Icing on The Cake (Los Gatos, CA). This is where we got our wedding cupcakes from. They have the most amazing cupcakes, no matter the flavor. All I wanted from our wedding was for people to walk away talking about the cupcakes (is that sad?) and how amazing they were. It was a success. They are truly the best of the best. The Neapolitan cupcake is a yellow cake with a combo frosting being half chocolate and half strawberry. They're to.die.for. I cant wait to go back on our anniversary and have more. Though I'm sure we wont wait that long.

Comfort Food With a Twist: Lobster Mac and Cheese from Continental Midtown (Philadelphia, PA) This restaurant was of of Kelly Jones' restaurants when he worked for Starr Restaurants and it was by far my favorite. I have been for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and almost always with Leslie. We shared all the same favorite items, and there were many, but my ultimate was the lobster mac and cheese. It was melt-in-your-mouth amazing. The ambiance at this restaurant is just so fun and we always had the best time going. This will be a must go location the next time I'm in Philadelphia.


I will end with one more and although something many people can have whenever they want, I cant because we don't have them in northern California. Basically, when things are hands off, it makes them that much more delicious

Fast Food item: Chicken Sandwich from Chick-fil-A (Anywhere but Northern CA). Mmmm, I can taste it now. It's fast food perfection. A lightly breaded chicken breast on a bun with nothing but one or two pickle chips. All-you-need-goodness. We used to have one at the Sunnyvale Mall, but I had no desire to try their chicken. I was strictly a McDonald's nugget girl, so whenever Laura went to CFA, I went to Sbarro instead and turned up my nose. However, CFA left the Sunnyvale Mall, and it wasn't until my freshman year of college (at the Monroeville Mall) that I discovered the greatness. Now, i just have to wait for trips to Southern CA, Las Vegas or the east Coast to get my fix. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to have some yummy Chick-Fil-A in 6 weeks when I'm in.....yep, you guessed it, Maryland!

And in case you were wondering, I'm not going to Maryland to ONLY eat, though I do plan on doing a lot of it. I need to introduce Joe to all of these wonders, especially Sheetz and Primo's.

I am however going to Maryland to meet and attend my new Godson, Jack's Christening. I'm so thrilled and honored to be a part of this special boys life.

**I will make sure I tell baby Jack all about the wonderful foods he will get to enjoy when he's old enough.**

A Barbie for Grace

Happy Birthday, Gracie!

My beautiful niece turned 4 yesterday! And what does every 4-year old need on her birthday? A Barbie, of course. I was obsessed with Barbies as a child so naturally, it was my calling to get what I think is her first one! She is totally into this one Barbie DVD, but I don't actually think she owns one of the dolls. Oh, however, she did get the big Barbie head last year- you know, the one you can put make up on and style her hair. I...oh I mean she thought that it was super cool. We had a great time getting Barbie's head all fancy.

Anyway...so last Saturday, I headed over to Toys 'R Us to get Grace a Barbie. Easy, right? Go in, check them out, pick one, off to the register. YEAH RIGHT! I wandered through aisles that appeared to be Barbies, but are actually Disney dolls that are similar to Barbies. Then I finally found the right section. OMG, have you seen the Barbie selection lately. It's out of control! What happened to Tropical Barbie and her friend, other Tropical Barbie (they were my faves)? I was so overwhelmed. I stood there, with my mouth open, just staring. Then I'd moves a few feet to the left and do the same thing. I walked back and forth. Barbie isn't just Barbie now. There are more than themes to these dolls. They have entourages, who have DVDs and Cd's and come with 1,000 pieces. Their skirts turn into butterflies and their feet do ballet moves with some magical key! It was all too much. So who do I call? My brother.

He didn't know either, sharing that if he was there, he would have called me! Of all people, you'd think I could handle this whole situation on my own, but apparently not so much. He suggested something princess-like. I hung up with him and took and breath and just though for a minute....ok, Grace likes this one DVD. Do they have the doll that goes with the DVD? Nope, not so much. Ok, maybe I'll get her another DVD. Yes, they have other DVDs and dolls that go with them- or at least I think they go together. The DVD was a something about 12 Dancing Princesses and the Barbie I got looked like the one on the cover, wearing pink and a crown. Close enough right? Geez, I hope so. Next time,I think I'll take grace with me next time and let her just pick. I'm happy with my purchase, I just hope Grace is too!

I'll let you know after her party on Sunday. :)

PS. I miss Tropical Barbie.

IWT- Flip Video Camcorder

So, every once in a while, or maybe more often than not, I will share with you an IWT item. What does that mean you ask? I Want That! I always see things that I would like to have, but when it warrants a post, I will call it an IWT. Understand? Good. Here is my first item.

It's the Flip Video Camcorder. It's so cute, right? Oh, but it's more than cute, it takes videos that can easily be uploaded to your computer (see the litle usb arm?). They have all different colors and styles and certain models can even be designed to your preference.

They have different memory sizes, each with different recording times and there's even an HD version now. WHOA! The most expensive one available is $230 and the least expensive is $150.

It's about the size of a classic ipod or cell phone, so it fits nicely in your purse or your fiance's pocket. ;) The Mino version is even smaller.

Oh, and it comes in PINK! I'm sold. I have about a million reasons that I want one, but mostly I think it would be fun to take little videos throughout the getting ready process of the big day and even some little clips of our honeymoon in Hawaii....PG rated folks, behave!

I have seen a couple people blog about these little guys, saying how they want one too or that they have one and absolutely love it. It's a must have.

What's funny, is that my mom was way ahead of the times and bought one of these little guys a year or so ago and I believe I made fun of her. Ooops. Who would have thunk that Sue would be ahead of the game when it comes to technology. Go Mom!

Do you have one? Would you get one? Please share.

Halloween Wedding?

I love the fall. I love watching the leaves change color. I love the sound of the leaves under my feet. I love that the evenings cool off. I love Halloween.

Even though I'm once again on the west coast and don't get to see the leave change color or rustle under my feet (until maybe December), I still love the fall. And I really love Halloween. I'm not so much about the costumes, but more of the stuff leading up to the holiday. I love any kind of autumnal decor and just generally love the energy surrounding Halloween.

It's really no surprise to anyone who knows me that I'll be getting married in the fall. It was a given. The fact that our wedding is the day before Halloween happened by chance. The date was available at our venue and we thought it would be fun.

I've struggled with incorporating Halloween into the wedding. People would mention that it might be fun to dress up- I disagree. I'm all about a nice theme, but I believe costumes take weddings to another level. I have definitelyseen some interesting Halloween themed weddings...

Not exactly my cup of tea. However, I thought it might be fun to have some elements of the holiday tied into the wedding celebration. There will be plenty of candy corn, pumpkins and other fall items integrated into the ceremony and receptions. Our main colors for the wedding are black and white, however most of the flowers and other details will be orange. I wanted to use orange, knowing that I'd be using pumpkins throughout. Here is what our ring bearer will be using as his ring pillow.

I found a smaller version on etsy and contacted the seller to see if it would work for a ring bearer pillow and she happily offered to make a bigger version. It's absolutely perfect! I think Ty will love it. I've been warned by Kerry that I shouldn't plan on keeping it, because Ty will want to. :)

My niece Grace, as the flower girl, will be carrying a pumpkin basket (similar to the one below- minus the cat!) to hold her rose petals. I have tossed (no pun intended) around the idea of using silk autumn leaves instead of roses petals for her to throw, but haven't decided on it yet.
The kids table will be full of fun Halloween activities, crafts and toys, to get them excited to trick or treating the next day.

I'm sure I'll come up with other ways to incorporate a little bit of Halloween without it being too much. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

My Ladies. My Maids. My PICs.

I'd like to introduce to you my lovely bridal party. Well, at least the especially lovely side, being the girls. :) I have been told on more than one occasion that I have a very attractive bridal party and I certainly don't disagree.

Each and every one of these ladies hold a special place in my heart. They are all from different time periods in my life, that have remained a true friend. I am honored to have them by my side as I marry the man I love.


So here they are...


This is my beautiful Matron of Honor, Leslie. She is truly like a sister to me. We met on the first day of college, as she was in the dorm room right next to me. We were instantly buddies. We chose the same sorority, or rather I made her join the sorority and from there it was history. People thought we had know each other for years, when it had only been days. We have shared many secrets, cross country road trips and all out laughing sessions. She truly is my rock.





This beautiful bridesmaid is Erin. Erin and I also met in college, as we joined Delta Gamma at the same time. Erin came over to meet Leslie and I as we prepared for our first mixer with a fraternity. Erin is an amazing friend. We can talk for hours about anything. If I need someone to go to for advice on clothing, babies or just life, I call Erin. I am so proud to have Erin as a bridesmaid for so many reasons, but one of them is because she is pregnant with her second child, a baby boy. I think it's so cool that two big events in our lives will be crossed. She will look beautiful in every way.

This beautiful bridesmaid is Cari. This picture is from her rehearsal dinner, back in May when I was one of her bridesmaids. I met Cari during grad school in 2004. She was my study buddy, dinner pal and all out balance to the crazy life we led as grad students. I would never have made it, if it weren't for Cari. Cari kept me sane, entertained me and even moved the second year, so we wouldn't have to drive a dreaded 15 minutes to see each other. We were kind of attached at the hip. Cari is one of the most fun and creative people I know.


This beautiful bridesmaid is the one that I have known the longest- almost as long as I've known Joe. Laura and I met our freshmen year of high school and have been friends ever since. Laura and I have more inside jokes, funny stories and random adventures than I have with anyone else. Although we've been separated by many miles through the years, we have always remained the best of friends. Joe and Laura are also friends, as we all hung out together in high school. That's what makes it even more special to have Laura be part of our wedding day!

This beautiful bridesmaid is Katie. Katie and I also met in grad school and braved some tough terrain together. We were instant friends, who were given the title "beach club girls" because of our hair color and tans. We accepted the title and ran with it. We have spent a lot of time at the beach actually, as Katie's hometown is Cape May, NJ. Her family has so graciously hosted me numerous times. I was fortunate enough to be roommates with Katie when we lived in Philadelphia. There we became even closer while we bonded over Lost DVDs and ceasar salads.

And last but not least, this beautiful bridesmaid is Kerry. Kerry and I met through my brother back in 2001. Kerry and I hit it off right away bonding over coach purses and spa treatments. We were instant friends who spent a lot of time crafting and shopping. I immediately became attached to her son Tyson when he was born and spent every night at their house, feeding him a bottle and rocking him to sleep. Leaving that little boy to go to grad school killed me. We kept in touch and of course reconnected when I returned. Tyson will be our ring bearer and Kerry's husband is a groomsmen. We love the Smiths!

The following two lovely ladies are our flower girls. You met Grace in my last post, and now I can introduce you to Abby. She is Joe's niece, the daughter of his brother and sister in law. I totally stole her picture of her mom's facebook page.

Aren't they cute!?!

Gracie, age 3 1/2

Abby, age 17 mos

Showered with Love!

A few weeks ago, my wonderful bridesmaids (more on them later) threw me an amazing bridal shower and bachelorette party. It was seriously A-mazing. I have been to a number of bridal showers in my day and had hoped for something fun for my own, but these girls outdid themselves. I didn't want the traditional bachelorette party, but rather a fun evening with sleepover of sorts that was by no means mandatory! It was a weekend I'll never forget. I am truly blessed to have friends so wonderful.

Here are a few pictures to recap the day...

This is the restaurant where the shower was held (Tapestry, in Los Gatos), all dressed up by my 'maids. I love pink! So perfect. The theme of the shower was Cupcakes and Cocktails! :)

And here are the lovely ladies. Cari couldn't be with us since she's back in Connecticut working her butt off, but she was there in spirit for sure! She definitely contributed to the greatness of the day!!

**Left to right: Erin, Leslie (MOH), me, Laura, Katie and Kerry. Thank you ladies!

This my niece, Grace. She is one of our flower girls. I love this little girl.


And this is my Mom. Isn't she cute? A big thanks to her, since she paid for all the food and beverages at my fantastic shower!

Here are the yummy cupcakes from Jen's Cupcakes. The vanilla one was to die for. Leslie gifted me the cake stands as well. Aren't they awesome?

This is the hotel suite where the ladies went all out and decorated in all pink and black. Complete with feathers, boas, and undies hanging from the ceiling. I loved it! This was later in the evening, when we were all hanging out.



Thank you all for such an amazing, fun filled, unforgettable day!