Weekend Fun!

It is hard to believe the weekend is already over- it goes by WAY too fast!

Friday I had a class for work which was tough because it added another day to my schedule, but I found a little extra boost in knowing I could actually get dressed instead of wearing scrubs. I imagine if your job requires you to get dressed up you would envy wearing scrubs, but it does get old! I was even more excited to be able to wear my new Zara blanket scarf- it is super warm and I love the softness of it! I loved it so much it is getting it's own post tomorrow :)

Friday night we headed over to my Sister's & her boyfriends apartment- I decided to change up my look and wore this awesome silk blouse from Target no less! We had a great time hanging out with my siblings and their significant others!

I kicked off my Saturday morning with my favorite shopping partner- my Grandmother! If you saw my Instagram from my cousin's wedding you'd see she has pretty fabulous style! She is always dressed to the nines, and looking fabulous. I would like to think some of her fashion sense has rubbed off. I got an awesome fedora which I wore all weekend, and this amazing Ralph Lauren cape both of which will be featured on the blog this week! I tried on these three Ted Baker pieces- I loved the pink/black lace shirt!

Clovis had his first haircut this weekend- it was a little stressful but he did great! It is a little shorter around the face than what I wanted but overall it is easier to maintain while his "adult coat" is coming in. It can be difficult to find a groomer/vet/dog walker who knows anything about his breed because it is pretty rare, but I like to think he is a great ambassador for the breed! :)

Oliver & I had a great lunch while Clo was getting his hair cut (2 doors down- I may or may not be too attached to that little guy) it was so nice to just relax and enjoy each others company. I don't know if any of you feel this way but sometimes it is so nice to just take time out, no phones or distractions and just catch up! This photo of Clo & I was pre-haircut, and with my new hat! Loving the color :)

Saturday night we got to Skype with our beautiful nieces who live in Australia! We absolutely adore them, and are so grateful to be able to watch them grow! We are so blessed!

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! xo

Fantastic Finds for your Table!

For more details on my Thanksgiving plans see my previous post. I have been on the hunt for several pieces for hosting in our home. I think there are certain elements that are worth splurging on, and some where scoring a good deal is exactly what you need!

We were fortunate enough to receive some amazing shower gifts which really set us up for everyday dining and some special occasion hosting. We did not register for fine china because at the time we knew we'd be moving around for a few years and decided to hold off. I have since found so many patterns I love and would love to have, however I have decided to wait until we purchase a home and have more storage.

Until then I think it is totally acceptable to use our "everyday" plates with some upgrades to jazz it up! Starting with charger plates, I have been on the hunt for a simple gold charger plate. Sounds easy right? Not so much- I ordered several online none of which I loved! Then I went to Target and stumbled upon these babies. They are a subtle gold with some detail to add texture and visual interest to the plate. They came in gold and silver, I bought both but have decided to go with all gold. Don't mind the wrinkled table runner- it was fresh out of the package & will be ironed before the big day :)

I added in this last photo because I couldn't get over how cute my little guy was in the background keeping an eye on the neighborhood! :)

Target also had a series of holiday glassware out, white and red wine glasses, water glasses, and champagne flutes, all for $1.00! I know right? I was ecstatic! We do not have a set of twelve flutes so I thought this was the perfect solution for my signature cocktail- gold sugar rimmed champagne cocktails!
















I was feeling pretty lucky after my Target finds so I stopped into Homegoods where I found this Kate Spade Holiday table runner! Kate Spade is easily one of my favorite designers, so when I came across this runner (they also had it in a tablecloth) I was over the moon! I love the simple color & cute sayings!

I am planning to add some burlap to the table as well, but I don't want to completely cover the table as I love the grey wood style!As for the table scape I have decided to go with a more "nature centric" style- layered wood, lots of greens, burlap & candles! I also ordered a set of monogrammed napkins so as soon as those come in I will make sure to do a review!

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! :)

Thanksgiving Themes & Family Heirlooms

Sorry for being off the grid for so long! I came off a long stretch of night shifts and haven't been feeling well since. Nothing that some sleep & soup couldn't fix!

As I have mentioned (most certainly more than once) we are hosting Thanksgiving celebrations this year and I am super excited about it! In the two years we have been married we have entertained a fair amount, however this will be the first time in our new place as well as hosting this many people. The easiest part to the planning was the menu, Oliver makes slow roasted game hens with a homemade brine which is pretty much perfection! We are really stepping up our game here, we usually roast two to four hens at any given time but when you're hosting twelve you can easily triple that number, fingers crossed for no top chef like disasters! For sides we are sticking to family staples- maple glazed carrots, roasted potatoes, bacon sauteed brussel sprouts, Yorkshire puddings, and cinnamon butternut squash. It is no secret Oliver is the chef in our house, I however have become quite the sous chef and have been gaining some serious independence taking the lead on cooking a few meals thanks to a great (and super cute) teacher! For a signature cocktail I am sure you can guess, we are doing a champagne cocktail for a little something extra I am adding a gold sugar rim- the taste testing has been amazing :)

When it comes to the sweet endings to a dinner party I'm your gal! I am pretty positive I have a refined palette for desserts merely due to exposure! I look forward to the finale of every meal, and never skimp when we entertain. If you saw my previous post regarding the most amazing Pecan Pie ever, you should definitely consider adding this to your Thanksgiving menu- I promise your guests will be talking about it for a lifetime! Of course the Pecan Pie was an easy choice and no Thanksgiving is complete without the fruit of the season baked into gooey goodness also known as Apple Pie! I am also toying with the idea of some bite sized desserts- caramel apples, pumpkin whoopie pies, or salted caramels. I plan to trial some recipes and share with you all over the next few weeks so keep an eye out for those posts :)





Something I love even more than menu planning is decorating & a good theme! When planning a theme I usually plan it around one piece or idea. For example, our wedding color scheme & style was built on a pair of shoes- royal blue Manolo Blahniks with a vintage style crystal statement piece on the toe. It embodied a classic, vintage style with a flair- precisely what we had envisioned for the day.







So it will come as no surprise when my Thanksgiving vision was based upon a set of silver my Mom had recently given to me. It was a gift to my Grandparents at their 25th wedding anniversary, which they never used and chose to save for their Daughters. My Mother however never used it and gave it to me just recently. This silver is making its debut on our table on November 27th after forty years of being in my family & we could not be more excited! I am planning to use the silver as the accent metal to my gold & creme theme! How gorgeous is this place setting, no doubt the person who gifted it to them had impeccable taste!

In my search for the perfectly balanced tablescape I have been collecting a few pieces over time. I am super excited to share those with you this week so make sure to keep an eye out for that post as well!  I am still deciding between edible & nature themed place cards.

What is your perfect Thanksgiving theme?

Weddings & Marriage

When I think back to our wedding day it really brings me to tears, it was the most amazing day I could have ever dreamed of! My Parents went above and beyond to give us the perfect day, and that it was. When the planning began I realized just how quickly things can get out of hand, I remember sitting with Oliver the night we got engaged talking over when, where, colors etc. At some point Oliver pointed out that he didn't really care about any of that and he was just so happy to be marrying me, which of course brought me to tears, as well as back to reality.

That night we promised no matter what else happened from that moment on we would not loose sight of what this day was truly about, marrying each other! I assure you we had to remind each other of this along the way, but it was the best thing we did! We put the time in to focus on what we wanted out of our marriage instead of just June 24th. We decided to write our own vows, which completely terrified me, but turned out to be my favorite part of the day. Hearing Oliver tell me what he envision for our future, and the husband he planned to be was the most incredible moment of my life to date!

I know I have mentioned before we have been to several weddings this summer, and at least two dozen since our wedding in 2012. I love weddings, especially when they are a true reflection of the bride & groom. It is always so fun to see how people bring their own personality to their big day & the love between them!

However at each wedding there are details that I think I would have loved to do that, or if I could change one thing it would be this (thanks Pinterest!) At the end of the day I am brought back to that conversation with Oliver, and I realize how far we have come since then, how much has changed in our lives in just two short years & how many more I have to look forward to with the a Husband who has surpassed every promise he made to me that day!

My advice for any engaged couple is to take it all in, focus on your future together & remember what truly matters; one another! 

Definitely not feeling 22: Our weekend on the blog!

It is safe to say that the weekend really takes it toll more now than our college days, or even early 20's. We had grand plans for our Sunday which all came to a screeching halt when we woke up today!

I worked nights this past week while Oliver was out of town. Which meant Clo's routine was completely thrown off- not ideal for a six month old puppy! This included a two day hunger strike, an accident inside, and more alone time than he is used to while I worked.

So I decided I would make Friday special starting with a long walk along the Charles, and a trip to the doggie spa, which quickly took a turn for the worst. Before that I got a much needed manicure & pedicure Friday morning, so relaxing & was the perfect "me time" after that it was Clo's turn so we headed to BYOD dog wash in Newton, this place is awesome, if you live in the area check it out! However halfway through our bath I found ticks on my sweet boy, it took everything in my power not to break down into tears in front of the whole place- I am blaming this on a week of sleep deprivation from night shift!

We are both first time pet parents and this felt like the ultimate failure, everyone assured me it happens but I was alone, mortified, and most importantly guilt ridden. After that we went straight to the pet store where they advised me to switch to a different tick repellent, and soothed my anxiety. They even gave Clo a special treat, which was so sweet of them! How handsome does he look after his bath?

I spent the rest of Friday with the vet & disinfecting everything in sight- I am fully aware this is not necessary but it's the Nurse in me! I had plans with some friends from work, but I decided to stay home with my little guy instead and obsess over how I had failed him! Luckily, Oliver called us on Face Time and assured me it would be fine, that Clo knows how much we love him- I don't know what I would do without that man! 

Saturday Oliver came home, and we were so happy to have him back! He had a great time visiting friends and had a few meetings in Maryland. After that I had an appointment with my favorite hair stylist- Marina Melnikova! This girl seriously is amazing! She used to work on Newbury Street but then ventured out on her own, where she opened an on location business. I love that she comes to you, it gives such flexibility to her hours. Not to mention it is like hanging out with a girlfriend & getting beautified! She is going to be doing a photo shoot for her portfolio and I am so honored she asked me to participate!

She did a little color touch up, trim & blowout! I loved her version of romantic finger waves, which I topped with a bright lip. She also did my Mom & Grandmother's hair- both looked incredible! It was such a fun bonding day before we headed out to my Cousin's wedding- not before I sent Marina a selfie of the finished product of her work!

Saturday night was really beautiful, the weather was amazing for this time of year! You can't ask for much more than great company, food & of course lots of bubbly! I am terrible about getting photos of Oliver & I at events, luckily one of my Aunts is a pro & always manages to snap our picture- thank you Auntie Rosa! :)

Back to the bubbly, we had planned to go to Nashoba Valley Winery for a little tasting and outdoor lunch (check out my list of things to do this fall for more ideas to make the most of the season). Those plans went out the window when we woke up and realized we probably didn't need those last few drinks!

We spent today catching up on our shows, snuggling on the couch & hanging out with Clo's favorite people- Auntie Kelsey & Uncle Chris who were at a different wedding last night- we really missed them!

I hope you enjoyed your weekend, come back & visit soon! xo

Secrets to the perfect lip!

If you have had a chance to check out my "favorites" page you will see there is no shortage of beauty products. I have tried so many things but those listed are products I truly love!

The key to getting the perfect lip is hugely dependent on the canvas! I always start by using  Laura Geller smoothing lip scrub followed by Clinque All about lips!

 

After I have scrubbed & moisturizing I pick up one of my favorite colors!

My most recent addition to my favorites is the NARS satin lip pencil- I have mentioned it before in other blog posts but it really amazing- enough so I think it deserves a it's own post! Due to the season I have been gravitating towards Palais Royal- the color is so rich and this pencil truly lasts! I have sported this pencil to several events and only reapplied once a night- mostly out of habit than necessity! I have these three colors and absolutely love them- I am constantly looking too add some new colors, I think my next will be Yu- bring pink :)

I will be sporting one of these this weekend at a wedding! Keep an eye out for some Instagram shots of the weekend!