California Vacay

Here are the rest of the highlights from our trip to California!

Friday morning we were jet lagged so we woke up at 5:45 and watched the sunrise on the beach. It was so pretty and was a perfect way to start the day.


The plan for the rest of the day was to hitch a ride down to Long Beach with AJ's parents. They ended up needing take his grandparents, so we decided to rent a car and take a fun little road trip. And that is exactly what we did....we drove from Pismo Beach to Long Beach with just a map. We were so tired the night before that we didn't charge either of our cell phones so we had no phones, no internet, no GPS. It was such an adventure!


We decided to go inland and stop at a winery we found somewhere in Santa Barbara county (I think near you, Chiada) and while we were there Alson got a call from one of the law firms in my hometown and was offered a summer associate position for next summer!! So then we hit up four more wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley to celebrate! Don't worry, we shared tastings to avoid a DUI. How happy does my husband look?!


We also ate lunch at one of the wineries that doubles as a culinary school. We shared a wood fired pizza and it was delicious.


Once we hit the coast again we took the Pacific Coast Highway down through Malibu and Santa Monica. So beautiful!


Saturday morning we woke up and went to a bar at 9 am so that we could watch the ECU game. We're hardcore like that! Luckily the bar caters to the east coast football crowd and had mimosa specials all morning. It was a lot of fun. I'm so excited for football season!

Sunday we went to the beach and did a lot of walking. We also had some fun playing in the sand.


In the afternoon we went to the harbor area for lunch.

That night was the "reception" which was more like a beach party. It was very casual, but it was very close to the ocean so it made for an amazing atmosphere.


So that concludes my California trip recap. It was definitely nice to get away!

SIL's Wedding

And we're back! The trip that I had been dreading for months (I don't really enjoy traveling....I don't like flying, I don't like sleeping in unfamiliar places, and I don't like uncertainty) is now over and it actually was a lot of fun and almost everything went smoothly!

I was mostly stressed about flying out Thursday morning and arriving on time for the wedding festivities Thursday night. Props to United! Our flight into San Francisco arrived 40 minutes early and our flight into San Luis Obispo arrived 10 minutes early. It was only a 15 minute ride from the airport to Pismo Beach, so we had plenty of time to get ready and take pictures with the rest of the wedding party. Phew!

The wedding was very small; only 19 people, including the bride and groom, were in attendance. It took place in a gazebo on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Very beautiful!




My MIL was born and raised in Hawaii and their family still adopts a lot of Hawaiian traditions, as you can probably tell from the pictures. Instead of carrying flowers, we all wore leis that were shipped fresh from Hawaii.


Flashback: My MIL had us wear traditional leis at our rehearsal and dinner too.

Okay, back to the current wedding....

We also took pictures down on the beach. I love this one of my SIL and her MOH.

After the ceremony we had dinner with the wedding party and guests.


By the time we ate it was almost midnight on the East Coast, so we snuck back to our room shortly after eating to get some sleep. We were exhausted!

I was planning to do my entire California recap in one post, but I didn't realize how many pictures I wanted to post. Stay tuned for more recaps and some exciting news!

Trip Recap (or Why I Waffle About Moving Back to NY)

I am way too lazy and unmotivated to write a full post about my vacation, so I'm resorting to a bullet point recap. And I forgot my camera so I have no pictures to break up the bullets. Sorry!

• Our first full day back we spent the afternoon following my dad while he played golf in the pro-am of the Dick's Open. It was nice to get outside and enjoy the sun, but walking four miles in flip flops really tired me out. I know my dad was happy we were able to watch him play, and I get to spend time with my mom and my grandparents, so it was a good way to start our vacation. Also of note, this was the first time AJ and I were out in the community of my hometown since being married, and a real small part of me missed the small town camaraderie and "who knows who" jabber that takes place between strangers. I also really enjoyed how cheap things were. This started my "we should move back to NY" thinking that took place most of the week.
  
• On Thursday I played golf at the town country club with AJ, my brother, and my grandfather. It was hot as hell out, but we had a nice time and this again made me miss spending time with my family. After golf we had lunch in the club house and I spent most of the time looking out at the pool at all the moms with their kiddies. I think you know where this is going....
  
• Later that night we had a barbecue at my aunt's house, and this kicked off the family reunion festivities. Not many people were in town yet, so it was mostly our immediate family and some of the sisters*. It was kind of lame, but I think that is mostly because my cousins invited all their friends from high school to come to the party too (why? I have no idea), and I felt 100 years old and like a chaperon. This made me not want to move back home....I don't get along with many people from high school.
• Late Thursday night my BFF from high school (who also doubles as my college roommate and now my {younger} brother's hook up) met up with us and we had a couple drinks at a local bar. I love hanging out with my BFF, but it is kind of strange seeing her and my brother touching, holding hands, etc. This apparently first began at our wedding and has been on and off ever since. We shall see how his develops.
  
• Friday morning my mom and I went to the spa while the boys golfed. It was nice to spend time with my mom and I love getting pampered, so this was definitely a highlight of our vacation. I got a traditional massage and an anti-wrinkle facial that included a chemical peel, and since a few of you showed interest when I mentioned the facial on twitter, I figured I would talk about it more in depth tomorrow. Stay tuned.
  
• Friday night my parents had a clam bake at their house. AJ and I manned the cooker for the clams, which initially was not a great success. We put wayyy too many clams into the pot and had a hard time steaming them and fishing them out once they were done. Once we got it figured out though, we were clam cooking machines. We were cheating too and ate a few from each batch. Yum.
  
• Saturday was the actual reunion, which was at a church hall in the middle of the afternoon. My dad hails from a ginormous Italian family. My grandmother has 7 sisters and the sisters have 857 kids resulting in 3290 grand kids. And now some grand kids are having kids, but I think there are only like 10 great grand kids. Okay, maybe some of those numbers are inflated, but there really are 7 sisters and there are so many cousins and second cousins that I have no idea how many there actually are. AJ and I have not been able to attend a reunion since being together as we used to live in NC and last summer we were getting married. We had some of the family at our wedding, but it was nice to see the people who didn't attend the wedding. AJ, my brother, mom, and cousins played Apples to Apples for like 3 hours. I am now obsessed with this game. I am heading to Target ASAP to buy this so we have it for all the parties we will have at our new house. And yes, our parties will involve board games, because we're old like that.
• Saturday night we went to dinner with my parents and brother to one of my favorite Italian restaurants. Seriously, I cannot get enough Italian food when I am home. If there is one thing I hate about DC it is that there are very few authentic Italian restaurants.
  
• Sunday we headed up to Ithaca to visit AJ's parents. AJ golfed with his dad while I hung out with his mom. If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I was super uncomfortable the entire time. I hate to be the bitchy DIL, but we are just so different and we have nothing to talk about. I am also still desperate for approval, so I get nervous about being around her and that she is going to oust me from the family. AJ reassures me that it is just her personality and that she actually loves me, but when she constantly criticizes and makes me feel like a spoiled brat, I can't help but wonder. I was so glad when the guys were done golfing, and the rest of the night wasn't nearly as bad. AJ does a good job of appeasing any tension and is better equipped to deal with his parents. Not that they are crazy or anything ;)
  

So overall we had a great time in NY, but we were definitely busy. Throughout the vacation I waffled back and forth about whether I want to move back there, but I think in the end I like where we are in our lives now, and don't plan to move right after law school. After a few more years in DC we will have to reassess again and see where things will take us...

*The "sisters" refers to my grandmother and her 7 sisters. I feel like this makes them sound notorious, which now that I think about it, suits them.

Back from Vacay!

I'm back! I didn't plan to take a week off from blogging, but I'm not gonna lie....it was kind of nice to disconnect from the computer.

After a week in NY we are finally home in DC. Our vacation was nice, but not very relaxing; the entire week was full of parties and plans, so I am actually pretty tired and ready to relax this week before heading back to work on the 7th.

I have lots to blog about, but instead of being able to sit down and spend some time on the computer, I have to deal with insurance and a trip to the Toyota dealership today. No, my car troubles did not end here.

A quick synopsis...

We were driving on 95 N near Baltimore during rush hour in a middle lane, when all of a sudden we heard the loudest smack EVER. I was driving, as I had picked up AJ from work, so I looked in my rear view mirror to see if something hit us. Sure enough there was a black rectangular-like thing bouncing around in the road behind us. Because we were on 95 in the middle of a million cars, we couldn't exactly pull over to check out what happened. When we arrived at my parent's house a few hours later, we found this:

We are guessing we were hit by a stray piece of metal, probably a muffler. We called our insurance and they are going to pay for the entire bill, which will likely include a new driver side door because this doesn't look repairable to me...

We are soooo thankful it didn't hit my tire, or the window, or the windshield, because we could have been seriously injured. We are also shocked that I didn't lose control of the car. But still, this sucks!

I'll blog more about my trip later today, or tomorrow, so stay tuned for happier posts. And because I was gone for a week and I subscribe to a million blogs, I think I am going to have to click "mark all as read". Sorry!! If something exciting, important, or read worthy happened, please let me know so that I can read your posts!

Schooooool's Out For Summer

Okay, school in my district actually ended on Thursday, but today is the first day of MY summer. I stayed up until 1 in the morning last night and slept in until 10 today. Heaven!

The sad part is I don't get off the entire summer, but hey, at least I get a small break, right? I have off until July 7th, and then I go back to work for all Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in July. I have off again the first week of August and then go back for good on August 11th. Why the crazy schedule, you ask? I have to work 15 days over the summer, but I get to choose which days. Most people choose to take off the entire month of July, but since AJ is working all summer, I decided to take off the weeks at the beginning and end of summer and work in the middle. This allows us to head back to NY this week and maybe take a beach trip in August. Plus, a three day work week isn't bad.

So, first up in my summer plans.....

We are heading back to NY tomorrow to visit our families and attend my dad's family reunion. We've got a lot planned over the next week so hopefully I will get a chance to blog while we're away. In between the multiple family gatherings I am hoping to get some sun, play some golf, read The Beach House by Jane Green and The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and maybe squeeze in a few runs. Gotta love vacation!

Lazy Day(s)

I am taking laziness to a whole new level.

I just changed out of the pajamas I have been wearing for two days and left my apartment for the first time since Sunday night. All this because I had to move my car to the other side of the street. Granted, I probably didn't need to change out of my jammies, but I was starting to feel a little gross. Hopefully a shower is in my future. Then I can actually leave the house and not feel the need to run out and back in as fast as possible.

At least I was a little bit productive this morning.... I finally sat down and edited the wedding album layout my photographer sent me back in December. Maybe we will have the actual album in time for our one year anniversary!

Other than that, in the past two days the only thing I have done is watch TV, read blogs, snuggle with Kona (and Alson when he is home), and eat. And to be honest, it feels AMAZING.

Sometimes I just need it, ya know?

The Cottage - Day Two

I can't believe how many pictures I took at the cottage! Here is a synopsis of the rest of the weekend...

More fishing:


Alson and I went kayacking before the motor boats hit the lake:


I finally got to meet Carmel! How cute is she?? :

After seeing all the fish that were being caught, I was afraid to get off my tube...of course that meant everyone tried to push me in:

My dad wanted his clean up to be documented (gross). It was a joy to find this picture on my camera the next day:

Carmel stole Kona's toys:

The dogs chased each other:

We played games:

Grant was so excited to get Yahtzee:

The guys went out for a little more fishing before dinner:


And my dad caught a monster....according to Grant "It's a shark!":

After posing for a picture, they threw it back....No more swimming for me:


Such a fun weekend...thanks to everyone that helped make it special!

And for good measure, another picture of Kona, who may or may not have felt neglected because Carmel got all the attention.

The Cottage - Day One

I have many fond memories of trips to my grandparent's cottage as a kid. It is maybe 30 minutes from our house, so we were always able to go for a week, weekend, or just the day if we wanted. While it is not exactly roughing it....there is electric, running water, and bathrooms...it still forced us to get outside and play and swim, or stay inside and play cards or other games because there is no tv, internet, etc. It is my mom's parents that own the cottage, and she comes from a family of 6, so needless to say, there was, and still usually are, a plethora of grandchildren at the cottage at any given time. My aunt and uncle also bought a cottage next door, so now there is even more room for everyone to congregate there during the summers.

Since I spent my summers living in NYC and NC during college and then moved to NC after graduating from college, Alson had never been! So we planned a trip to the cottage for a weekend, and we both really had a great time. Two of my cousins, my aunt and uncle, and their new puppy(!) were there for the whole weekend, and another one of my cousins, her friend, and my aunt came out both nights. My mom stayed with us at the cottage, but my dad was on call that week so he could only come out randomly throughout the weekend. Oh, and obviously my grandparents were there! It was great to have a bunch of people to hang out with. Here are some of the things we did...in picture form of course.

Alson and my cousins swimming:


Airborne! :

We tried jumping on a trampoline, but it wasn't quite blown up enough...or perhaps my weight made it lopsided (sad face):

So we decided to use it as a launching pad:


I got some distance this time! And Grant took a nose dive, poor thing:

They went fishing:

Kona got to ride on the boat:


Grant got to drive it:

Hanging out on the boat:

My dad was so excited to catch a fish:

I didn't realize how many pictures I have....so I guess I will have to continue posting another time!

Fun Times with My Cousins

When we were back in NY last week, we spent Thursday night at my Aunt and Uncle's house. Among other things, it was fun to see how they handle their crazy, but so adorable children. And it helped remind us newlyweds that we certainly aren't ready for any of our own. Here are some of my favorite shots of the night.

Everyone loves steak on the grill, especially my husband:


Kona was so happy to be able to run around with their dog:


My cousin drew Alson and I this chalk portrait...she wanted to lay down next to "us" for the picture:

I was trying to get a shot of the dogs playing, when this was suddenly in my viewfinder:

I was so excited for Wegman's bruschetta, until I saw little hands in it:

When I said "ewwww" I got this face (which is why she gets away with everything):

My cousins hamming it up:

They are so cute! I have tons of other pictures because they were always doing something photo-worthy. Boy are they BUSY!

Photos from the lake to come.....

Back to School (This Time For Work) Shopping

I was planning to post about our weekend at my grandparent's cottage in Pennsylvania today, but since I forgot my laptop (which has the pictures already downloaded on it) and my camera cord (which would allow me to download the pictures onto Alson's laptop) at my parents house, I am forced to blog about another aspect of our week up north....shopping.

First we hit up Old Navy and I got these awesome shoes (in a deep blue color) for $16Then I saw this dress at Express, and decided I had to have it because it would go so perfectly with my new shoes (remember they are blue). Luckily my mom agreed, and bought it! I can't wait to wear it out...now I just need something to wear it to...

The next day we went to the mall, and Alson and I hit the motherload at the Gap. My favorite purchase was a pair of the boyfriend jeans (remember the commercials with Claire Danes?) that I got for $7. That is no typo, yes $7...because they are not made anymore and it was the last pair in the store. And the best part, they are a size 0! Now, I don't normally wear a size 0...usually a 2 or a 4, so don't hate me. Because of the price, color, and style (which I love) I forced those babies over my behind, which is quite voluptuous for a girl my size. Once I got them on (I had to make sure I didn't rip holes in the belt loops from pulling them so hard) they looked so awesome I thought Alson was about to have a When Harry Met Sally diner moment. These will be my Saturday jean. They are so casual and soft and kind of acid washed...in other words perfect with a classic white tee.

I also got another pair of darker straight leg jeans for $10 and a pair of khakis for $10. Alson got a pair of jeans for $18, a pair of khakis for $12, a t-shirt for $3, a long sleeved linen shirt for $12, a really nice windbreaker for $28, and a ribbon belt for $2.

Very successful trip to the Gap.

We then hit up JC Penny because they also had amazing sales, and I got some really cute separates that I can wear to work. My favorite purchase was this jacket (in deep red) :

Worthington® Sateen Belted Jacket

My other favorite purchase at JC Penny is this shirt (in deep yellow, which according to the JCrew catalog I received yesterday, is the "it" color this fall...yay!) :

Nicole by Nicole Miller® Peasant Shimmer Top

I won't bore you with my other work outfit purchases I am sure you all have similar items in your closet too. But, the best part about this shopping trip, no sales tax. Ahh I miss NY.