And we're back!

Welcome back to Pass the Bubbly! After a long hiatus I am back to blogging with lots of new content including party planning, style, and my new obsession with essential oils.

My blogger break stemmed mainly from the fact that I felt like I had so little free time but when I really looked around I realized that I had time I just wasn't using it very wisely (aka binge- watching Bravo). I came across this quote and it really resonated with me, "If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse." I am still learning the balance of life with a baby, full-time job, friends, family and blogging but I do think that I am getting better day by day.

There's no doubt that in order to "find a way" some of my priorities have changed but I really feel it is for the better. More to come on that topic in my "6 Months into Motherhood" post!

So, welcome back, thank you for your patience and I hope you are ready to jump back in head first to some fun upcoming posts!

XO, Katelyn 

Making your baubles last

I am a total sucker for statement jewelry, anytime I see a new piece I can always justify the purchase. The down side to buying statement pieces is that they rarely last. The tend to tarnish, especially the gold pieces which deterred me from buying for a while. Not to worry I have a solution!

This spray works miracles! You can buy it at Michael's or any craft store, follow the instructions on the can. My suggestion is to do your spraying outside and make sure they dry completely prior to wearing.

The pieces I have sprayed are as good as new- I highly recommend the spray, such an inexpensive solution to "big" problem! :)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!  We had a fun filled day that included an egg hunt,  baskets, breakfast & dinner thanks to my Parents! I even got to go without tights today, spring has sprung in Boston! Wohoo

We also got to meet my sister's new puppy, Gus. He is one handsome boy who loves to play with his cousins! 

We hope you had a fabulous weekend with your family and friends :) 

My next project is planning Clovis' first birthday which is next weekend! How did my baby get so old? 

DIY Wreath

I have been looking for a new wreath for our front door for a while, I wanted something bright and fun but also personalized (of course!) I pinned this wreath a while ago, as well as a similar one with a monogram instead of the numbers. Ultimately I decided on the numbers because it is less predictable for me :) 

I had so much fun picking out the colors and painting the numbers! It was such an easy and fun project for a Sunday afternoon!

 

Happy Sunday! :) 

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday- long weekends really are the best!

Oliver came home on Thursday after what felt like the longest two and half weeks ever! I was so happy to have him back. Thursday night we went to a fabulous dinner at Porcini's which is one of our favorite spots, we actually had our rehearsal dinner there so every time we go back it's a fun little reminder of an amazing time in our life! :) I am not sure Oliver was really even awake the whole time at dinner, the poor guy didn't know what time of day it was after traveling for the previous forty hours! I went with a causal look for dinner and paired my favorite monogram necklace with this beautiful necklace Oliver brought home from Australia :)

Friday we woke up early, dropped Clovis off at "doggie daycare" and hit the slopes! We had the best day skiing! I learned how to ski last winter and have been absolutely hooked! Oliver is a great skier he learned when he was only four in the Alps (totally normal right?). He has been the most patient teacher, but I am definitely catching up in terms of skill!

Friday night we had dinner plans with one of our favorite couples. Ashley & I have been friends since we met in college taking a summer class, and we became instant friends. I can always count on her for a great time, but also for the tough stuff too - a rare find in a friend! We love hanging out with her and her boyfriend, and they had friends who recently moved to town so they came to dinner as well. By the end of the night it was like we had all known each other for years, what a great time! I was so excited to wear my faux fur for dinner paired with this super cute Loft blouse & of course my new necklace from Oliver!

Onto the where. We decided to go to Precinct Kitchen & Bar - I am absolutely in love with this place! It is inside a hotel but the building itself is an old Boston Police Precinct- hence the name. Their menu is all "traditional Boston" fare, amazing cocktails, and all nestled in the cutest setting. They have vintage BPD photos and decor, as well as the most gorgeous outdoor patio. I actually went out there just to check it out despite the frigid temps, it is safe to say I will be back there soon, and most definitely when that patio is open!

Saturday I got see a friend from DC who was in Boston visiting family, it is always great to see her! We headed over to The Local for lunch, I love this place (I blog about it all the time!), so I wanted to show Erin what it was all about. It is one of the few places in the area that reminds me of the DC foodie scene. Lunch was super casual so I went for flats, boyfriend jeans & the cutest Zara sweater!

Clo got his second haircut Saturday afternoon in preparation for getting fixed next week! My sweet boy has had a rough few weeks with his preop visit where they found an ear infection, having his Dad gone, and now getting fixed. However we will be back on track soon and if plans work out he will be starting Advanced Puppy class in February!

Saturday & Sunday night I worked overnights rounding out the end of my night shift schedule as I transition into a new role! :)

Sorry for the super long post, we just had so much fun this weekend it was a blast to recap! I have also recently started an Instagram just for the blog where I have been posting outfits of the day & other fun things so follow along @passthebubblyblog 

Engravable Ideas

Planning our wedding was so fun- blending our different styles into a cohesive day which represented both of us was something of magic. When the topic of first looks, first dances and the ceremony came up Oliver fell clearly on the non- traditional side of things, except for one topic- me changing my name. He felt wholeheartedly that we should have the same last name, whatever that was he wanted to make sure that was the case.

I loved my last name, I was a Collins girl through and through, but for that man I made the switch. So I became k.m.r- it was a change for me for sure. Oliver helped to soften the blow by buying me a few pieces with my new initials- he knows me too well!

I have since embraced the change, monogramming everything I can get my hands on, tastefully of course :)

Here are a few of my favorite pieces, and something I feel every girl should have, especially a new bride! If you know any ladies in your life who are newly minted Mrs, Mama or just someone who would enjoy a personalized piece think about adding these to their collection!


I love the Stella & Dot engravables because there are multiple options, you can do a single letter, a traditional monogram (remember your last name is the center letter- mine would be KRM) several font styles, and they have multiple metals. I also love them because they are SO quick, usual monogramming takes about 4-8 weeks and this is much faster, from when I placed my order to when I received it was 8 days, for an inpatient girl like me that was heaven!

In this photo I am wearing the Signature Engravable Disc Necklace in gold, and with the "script" font. There are three options for chain length I am wearing it on the longest length in this photo. I also love the Signature Bar Necklace.

This is a great twist on a "traditional" monogram, typically you will see the scripted lettering, however I love that this is a modern twist with block lettering! 3-4 week processing time for Nordstrom so make sure to plan ahead! :)

Lastly, another necklace I own personally and absolutely love from Celebrity Inspired! Mine has our anniversary date on one side, and our initials on the other side. I think this is a perfect gift for anyone. You could do an important date, symbols, initials. It can be totally customized to whatever you would like and the Etsty shop owner Lena is amazing! She was super patient, and got the order to me in a very timely manner!


There are countless other monogrammed options for gifts, but these are just a few of my favorites!

Do you have any personalized pieces you love?

Weekend Recap & the cutest J. Crew sweater!

Happy Monday! This Monday feels a bit worse than usual, maybe because it's the first full week after all of the Holiday celebrations? I need an extra shot in my latte today!

My weekend was the perfect mix of relaxation & celebration! I have been battling an awful cold, I got it just after Christmas and I thought I was turning the bend but it hit me again last Tuesday pretty hard, which also happened to be the day Oliver left for Australia for two whole weeks! I am warning you now please excuse the "bathroom selfies" I am seriously missing my photographer/husband..subtle hint for him to come home early ;)

After generous doses of NyQuil/DayQuil I finally felt better so Saturday I had a lunch date planned with an old friend. I hadn't seen her in so long so it was amazing to catch up on life, love & real life jobs! We went to The Local which I know I have mentioned before it is one of my absolute favorites in the area!

Saturday night I headed over to my cousins house for drinks (my cousin is one hell of a bartender as well) &

appetizers. We had an absolute blast hanging out and catching up! My cousin and her partner just bought an amazing apartment in Boston- I have serious real estate envy every time I walk in the door!

Case in point, that fireplace and woodwork is original to the house and we are talking over 100 years old...amazing!!

For a hostess gift I spiced up the usual bottle of wine gift with this awesome bottle coozie and corkscrew. I found these at J.Crew Factory just after the holidays and bought several. I loved the Polka Dot & Chevron mix and so they did they!














On the topic of J. Crew we can talk about my outfit, it is pretty much head to toe J. Crew! I got this sweater for Christmas and I absolutely love it. I like the fit, it isn't super fitted but it is short enough that I think the boxy look is really flattering! I also love the little sparkle along the neckline. The pants I have raved about before, they are the Winnie Pant and I am absolutely obsessed with them! You can get both of these items on sale for an extra 40% off with the code EXTRA40!

The flats are old from Gap, I love them at really like the pointy toe. Here are a few other similiar styles: Gilt: Elyse Pointed Toe flat, Steve Madden: Elusionl  use code SMFREE50 for free shipping!

Creative & Crafty Weekend

Happy Monday! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend! If you haven't gotten a chance to check out our Thanksgiving Recap you can see it here. We definitely enjoyed our extended weekend.

Friday was a recovery day for us both, we were exhausted after hosting on Thursday! We slept in and then I headed into work Friday night until Saturday morning. I got home shortly after 7:30 only to get ready and head right back out again. My Mom's best friend was hosting a basket class at her house, which is about an hour and a half away- I slept most of the car ride which was great.

I was hesitant because I had never made a basket before, but thought I'd give it a shot! I was pleasantly surprised it was fun and not too difficult! It was so fun to see how everyone's basket differed, mine was much tighter and tapered up a bit, whereas my Mom's was perfectly round and looked exactly like the sample-  it wasn't her first time! ;)

I still have to burn off the "hairs" apparently you have to wet it really well first otherwise it will go up in flames. I think I will wait for my Mom to help with this part! I also want to stain it somewhat natural, but something to even out the coloring. I would definitely do this again! Have any of you made a basket before?

Saturday night Oliver & I had lots of leftovers and snuggled with our boy Clo! It was so nice to relax & have a low key night in. I had never seen Good Will Hunting- I know this makes me a bad Bostonian, so we watched it!

Sunday was super fun! We went to a calligraphy class with Liz at Lettering By Liz! It was amazing! I couldn't stop staring at all of her work adoring the walls! I was envisioning all of the parties I want to host just to have some of her work!

I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I remember when we were getting married I absolutely loved having calligraphy on all of the little details and really wanted to be able to learn someday. I wasn't sure I would actually be able to do it, and to be frank I am not confident I will ever get it perfectly. However, over the two hours I definitely made progress along with the other three classmates. I loved that the class sizes are so small, on average they are eight people.

Our class was only four, which meant lots of one-on-one time & attention. I appreciated that Liz really watched and showed me how to tweak my style. She also gives you a ton of supplies to get started & practice at home. I will for sure be back for her intermediate class once I practice a little more! If you live in the area and are remotely interested go see Liz, she is a wonderful teacher!

Just to be clear- the photo on the left is done by me! I joked with Oliver our children won't have "B" names, they aren't my specialty! The photo on the right is what Liz made for me, she did this for each of us before we left! 

After class we headed over to my Parent's house for dinner & cake for Oliver's birthday. His actual birthday is today so we have some surprises planned & super cute outfits! :) 

What did you all do this weekend? Have you ever looked into taking a calligraphy class? 

Enjoy your week! xo

Faux Fur Find

If you read about my fall "wish list" you remember that I had been on the hunt for a faux fur vest for some time!

Well I finally found it, and at Forever 21 no less! It was the perfect balance of quality and price- I couldn't be happier! A friend of mine knew I had been looking and when she came across several vests at F21 she gave me the heads up- thanks Ash!

I promptly headed over and was so happy to see there was tons of variety in color, length & style! I tried on just about all of them, and fell in love with this one the moment I put it on!

I've been wearing it around the house constantly! I actually planned to wear it to dinner with friends last Saturday night, but Ashley texted to see if I was wearing mine- she has the same one and was wearing her's. I left mine at home that night, it looked beautiful on her as most things do!

I plan on pairing this with black jeans, booties and a sweater for Oliver's birthday dinner coming up soon! :)

What is your favorite fall find? How do you feel about the faux fur trend? I'd love to hear from you!



Girls Weekend Plus Husbands- Round Two!

After our big move I vowed to maintain friendships I had made in DC, I made some of the best friends I could have asked for and I feel incredibly grateful for that! In August we had a "girls weekend plus husbands"- it was pretty amazing! The boys hung out, talked sports & exchanged stories about their "kids"- all of which are four legged; it was super cute!

Us three girls took too long to get ready, drank several bottles of Veuve and laughed non-stop! Before the weekend had even ended we planned our Girls Weekend Plus Husbands round two. I have been looking forward to this weekend since before our August weekend ended!

Our friends came up on Friday, we had a ladies lunch & manicure date what a perfect way to unwind and get the weekend started! After that we lounged and had some cocktails at home we had Moscow Mules in my favorite copper mugs! After that we got dolled up and braved the weather for a great dinner at Hillstone right near Faneuil Hall. Dinner was delicious, very chic ambiance and of course the company was amazing!

Saturday was the day we had planned this trip around for our Southern friends- they have never experienced a true New England Fall & we were hoping to grab some photos!

Last year I had taken photos for both couples with their pups which they used for Christmas cards and home decorations, so this year we decided a repeat was needed!

We drank champagne, got blowouts by my favorite girl Marina! The pups had been groomed & husbands fed, dressed and then Mother Nature spoke Her peace...it was not pretty! We are talking horizontal rain, huge gusts of wind leading to- frizzy hair, uncooperative dogs & soaking wet subjects.




However I think we managed to snap at least a few quality shots- all you really need is one right? One of these may be making its way onto our Christmas card! :)

After the photos we poured back into our cars, drove straight back to the house and warmed up with food, bevies & a dance party or two! 

We feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends in our lives! :)

A Dinner party, wedding & sightseeing: Our weekend on the blog!

I will preface with the fact that although I don't always recognize it I have a pretty great schedule, I work three 12's a week which means I have four days off. However I work a rotating schedule so after those three long night shifts I am pretty much useless for a day or two. One of the perks is having the time to do errands that on weekends would be a total nightmare (Target or Trader Joe's on a Saturday morning). Like anything there are pro's and con's to shift work, as I am sure there are for 9-5's. This week I am grateful for the "pro" of having an extra long weekend! :)

Our weekend started Thursday evening at 730 when I left work and met up with my college roommate and her Fiance for drinks in town. They live in NJ so I don't get to see her often, when she called and said she'd be in Boston I was thrilled to get the chance to see them. We had a great time catching up and getting to know her future husband! I snapped this photo of the city on our walk home- I am always in awe of this city's beauty!

Friday was my day to run errands and get ready for a little dinner party we had scheduled with my sweet friend Ashley and her boyfriend. I absolutely love getting together with these two, we always have such a great time! Last time they came up for dinner we had a Mexican themed dinner where we tested out new recipes. We totally appreciated them being taste testers, but this time we went with a signature dish in our house, homemade ravioli with a white wine pesto sauce. For dessert we had a flour less chocolate cake a la mode topped off with a lingue di gatto cookie! It was a such a fun dinner to prepare, and even better to eat!

Saturday morning we got an early start dropping off Clovis to his "grandparents" for the night so we could head North for one of my childhood  friend's wedding. We have known each other since second grade so getting to see her marry the man of her dreams was such a great moment! So happy for those two :) In between the ceremony & reception we were drove by the cutest coffee shop- Backyard Coffee & Eatery and could not resist stopping in. How perfect is this chalkboard sign in the shop?


After a couple of lattes we headed over to the reception. We danced, drank & ate lobster so quite frankly it could not have been better!

We also got to spend time with my cousins who have a place in Maine. They cooked us the most amazing breakfast and we got to enjoy their company. Hours had passed & an entire bottle of Champs before we realized we were still in our PJ's- a pretty perfect Sunday for me! :)

We had such a great time but I was SO happy to come home to our little guy and snuggle up with him on the couch!

I hope your weekend was filled with laughter & love! 

Fall Fun Activities

I sounds like a broken record about things to do/eat/see & wear in the fall,  however it really is such a beautiful time of year that I feel compelled to get out there and enjoy it! Not to mention what follows is several cold, harsh months of being indoors. So here are a list of a few things I think should be on everyone's fall to do list!

1. Apple Picking- two of my favorite places are Honey Pot Hill which is great as a family activity or with friends. I also love Nashoba Valley Winery how can you go wrong when you can apple pick and stop in for a quick wine tasting as well? We are actually headed apple picking on Saturday so keep an eye out for some photos! :)

This was from yesterday we did the Charles River walk- the leaves are starting to turn!

2. Check out the leaves on longer stroll, you can do a day trip for the Newport Cliff walk or check out Castle Island (both of which are great for pets!) Of course no list would be complete without my favorite which is the Charles River walk. My Husband and I will park in Watertown and walk along the river passing by the various city, town and university boat houses, continuing on overlooking Harvard's campus and on from there.


3. Baking is another favorite, I have a few staple recipes, (see my post on pumpkin cookies) apple pie, pecan pie. Keep an eye out for more fall recipes, or check out my "Fall Fun" board on Pinterest! I will be trialing some recipes for our first Thanksgiving hosting the family. We are hosting twelve people for dinner so for my family pretty small- but I can't wait to plan the menu and decorate!

Pecan pie from an impromptu dinner party yesterday!

4. In my mind no fall is complete without a trip to Salem, MA. I am not a big Halloween fan, in fact I hate it. Even as a kid I didn't like getting dressed up (except for the year I went as Belle!) There is just something about the holiday I can't get on board with. However there are many other things to do in Salem other than Halloween things. Including a Walking Tour of the Trees, and  Harvest Day. This year we have friends coming up from DC over Halloween so we will have lots to do that is not Halloween related!  

5. Another favorite activity is heading to a football game. While we were living in DC we went to a fair few Ravens games (not my by choice!) However now that we are back home we plan to head to a Pats game. College games can be really fun as well! Oliver is a Maryland Alum so he's headed down for  a game this season as well- unfourtuantely I am working that weekend so I don't get to partake in the fun.

As always, thanks for reading! Please make sure to subscribe in the bottom right corner, I have recieved a few emails that people with Apple computers are having difficulty using the widget to subscribe so I have added the email option as well!

Happy Thursday! :)

Fall in New England - the changing of seasons and pumpkin cookies!

One of the things I missed most living South of the Mason-Dixon was the distinct seasons. Don't get me wrong not having to shovel for two years was pretty amazing, however the shift that takes place when the temperature drops, the leaves change and you need a blanket to snuggle up with at night is something I live for every summer. 

There are countless reasons I love fall, especially a true New England fall, apple picking, layering on a cute sweater, baking everything pumpkin flavored and the smell of a fireplace on a Sunday afternoon after family dinner. So its no surprise that mid way through September I am already working through my list of things I am dying to do for my first Autumnal season back in my home state!

To kick off the fall festivities I made my first batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies, they were fun to make and even more delicious than I had remembered! Hope you enjoy the photos and give the recipe a try :) 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients:

1 can of Pumpkin

1 Egg
1/2 cup oil

1 Cup of sugar

1/2 Teaspoon of milk (I use 1%)

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla extract

2 Cups of flour

1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon 

2 Teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 Teaspoon of salt

1 Teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips  

 
Preheat your oven to 375 and grab an non-greased cookie sheet.



 


 

Mix pumpkin, egg, sugar & oil by hand, 
adding in milk and vanilla.










Next mix the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a separate bowl. Gradually add your dry mixture to your wet until mixed together. Lastly, add in your chocolate chips.

Scoop mixture onto cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

You will see in my photos they are no meant to be perfectly round cookies so no need to roll them, the mixture is generally too wet for that. They will not spread too much so feel free to pack them onto a cookie sheet. Depending on size of the cookies this will make approximately 2 dozen. 

I am working on a list of "Fall Musts" - Attire, Activities, Cocktails & Food so keep an eye out for that coming soon!

My very first blogpost!

 

      I have been wanting to start this blog for quite some time now, however there was always something holding me back. Would anyone read it? Would it be something I could maintain with a job, family and other life demands? I had so many reservations however the desire to start never wavered, so here I am writing my first post. I've decided to embark on this with no expectations for what it will be- just enjoy the ride and see where it takes me. This is something that will be a personal challenge as I tend to have incredibly high expectations for just about everything!

      A little bit about me: I was born and raised in the burbs of Boston with an enormous Italian family, everyone lives here, no one leaves, and Sunday's are sacred family days. I loved every minute of growing up with more cousins than I can count on both my hands and feet. There was always someone to play with and adventure to be had. Despite having an amazing childhood I looked to challenge myself and decided to head out of state for college. I studied to become a nurse, and graduated in 2010, but during all that studying I still found time to meet a guy who definitely was not from Boston! After college I traveled, got married, and moved to DC.  Our first two years of marriage there were amazing! We have recently moved back to Boston, and expanded our little family with the cutest Barbet puppy named Clovis! :)

      This blog is about all of the things I love about life; family, entertaining, fashion, decorating, and love...oh and of course my favorite beverage of all time, Bubbly!

I hope you enjoy reading about all of our adventures!

Kate
XO