Allora…

Edited down photos (about 100):

The whole kit and caboodle (about 300):

millzy was out of town for a conference and so i scooted down to VA to help jenna out for 2 days. also a pit stop in bel air on what happened to be Ava’s FIFTH birthday! can u believe she is 5? Also – Carrie is very close to having baby #3! can’t wait to find out if it is a boy or a girl!!! and to meet him/her.

Hurricane Earl really made us all nervous before heading to the OBX, but the vacation gods smiled upon us – there was barely any sign of Earl and we had amazing weather the whole time. 80 and sunny, everyday. i could get used to that. Christina & Jason could only stay til Tuesday, so that was a bummer, but I’m glad they were able to make it. My friend Michelle came and so it was really fun to have a sidekick.

The kids played great together – no scuffles! and they’re getting so big.

here are the pics, volume 1. volume 2 is TK…i’m having major/minor internet issues.

This weekend Jenna came to NYC! Allie, her sister in law had never been to NYC and wanted to do something fun for her own birthday which was Saturday. It was great for Jenna to getaway for the weekend and goof off without the kiddies. No offense kids – but you cramp a girls style! Also, I was the SHORTEST out of the three of us. Never in my life…. Also we are all leo’s. But we managed to get along just fine. I unfortunately had to work friday, but on Saturday and Sunday we did as much as we could.

1. Natural History Museum – we saw “journey to the stars” and some crazy dinosaurs
2. walked around central park – didnt get to the fountain jenna wanted to see – ahhh sorry, we ran out of time!
3. went to kefi (my favorite restaurant) for lunch – jenna felt the same way as i do about the grilled octopus and bean salad. love.
4. subway up to yankee stadium for yankees v. redsox in the bleachers. the bleacher creatures were insane but were nice to us – check out the pics and you’ll get an idea about these individuals.
5. Sushi dinner and then out to brass monkey and gstaad
6. wake up go to Metropolitan Museum of Art. I love that place – everyone loved that place. I think jenna really enjoyed it bein the art history buff she is and Allie was definitely impressed with it all. We saw the American Woman fashion exhibit (had the most gorgeous clothing and a really cool history of how fashion and the american woman have evolved – i tried to take pics but got in trouble – no pics in that exhibit) and the Picasso exhibit which blew my mind because it was SO extensive. He was producing art for like 50 years which is incredible. And he wasn’t always so surrealist/cubist, he also did beautiful pen and ink sketches, and painting before and after his extreme years and that was cool to see. I need to go back there again soon. I always miss something I want to see.

We did as much a we could and I think I did a decent job playing NYC tour guide. it was fun to show people around the parts that i actually know.

lots of pics!!!!! which btw – mariel maybe you have some advice. had a hard time focusing in the museums. I didd the best I could – but I didn’t want to use my flash bc I hate how that looks. The lighting is so dim that short of having a tripod, I don’t know what else I could have done to get them sharper.

chicago and san francisco are on the horizon!

details TK

I had a great relaxing 3 day weekend in maryland for memorial day. it was hot and swampy just like summer on the east coast should be. We had the blow up pool in dan’s back yard going in full force, lots of food, drinks, and just hanging out. Ava and Sophie kept me busy and laughing even though they were pretty sick…. Here are the pics:

I just got back from Austin, TX where I visited Sean and just generally had a great time! I didn’t go with a laundry list of things to do, i just went looking to have fun tooling around with Sean like when he was here in town. We had a great time. The weather was great – 50s 60s and sunny, and the food in that town, wow! amazing….great mexican and great bbq…among others. Compared to the girls in Austin – i am very very clean cut! haha it seemed that every other girl had a big tattoo! the way to look like a tourist in austin, is to wear black (like me) and have no tattoos (like me) hahahah.

On Saturday I got into Austin at about 11:30 am and we stopped at sean’s before heading out. First stop, Curra’s Grille for a great big brunch to get me going, and a great avocado margarita. yeee haw! Next stop, Congress St for some shopping – i got some really cool old mexican movie poster/post cards that i’ll probably frame together. And this neat printed big piece of paper with a cool design – more decor for the apartment! I told sean that Austin reminded me of San Diego so much….just without a big ocean next to it! it has the same kind of architecture and the same attitude. All the houses are like bungalow style or craftsman houses, very cute, and the trees kind of look the same too – no palm trees tho! After a good bit of walking – OH and a stop at an outdoor coffee shop, (that takes debit- amazing) hahaha we went for a cruise around town and then Sean took me to Mount Bunnell – the highest point in Austin to get a good view of the city, the lake, and the surrounding towns. it was beee-yootiful. And then…..back to the apt before going out for the night to Lamberts BBQ and the Liberty (a good divey bar – sean knows exactly what i like hahah) but not before a minor incident. I took a shower before we went out to get the airplane stank off me, and i started to blow dry my hair. and my hair dryer broke mid way thru! i looked liek a crazy person, with half a head of straight smooth hair and half a head of Van Halen hair. woof!

Sunday: sean cooked brunch….then we did a bit of shopping – (i needed some hair supplies, desperately) and then we went to Z Tejas – another great place and had a mexican martini and some grilled shrimpies. Then to Lindsay’s new place (remember – my roomate? she moved to austin) for a bbq – that was a great time too, and also the place where I discovered texas shaped tortilla chips. a revelation.

Monday: sean had to meet with someone from work for a bti, so I grabbed a coffee and walked around town for an hour or so. Then we ate lunch at Frank – this place with all these awesome hot dogs and just general awesomeness. yet again – another great meal. The rest of the day we just tooled around until we went to the Alamo Alehouse which is a movie theater! and they have waiter service at your seats! which is genius. So we saw Youth in Revolt which had us laughing out loud a lot. cute movie. Then to Hotel San Jose – for a Modelo Michelado? i think thats how you spell it. its when you mix like bloody mary mix with a beer. The weather was great, and sean, his friend Leah and i sat outside near the hotel’s pool and just enjoyed it! Then home, watched some 30 rocks, packed up, and left early the next morning.

Enjoy the photos, y’all!