John and Hillary get married!

So this weekend we went up to Cooperstown for the wedding of one of Zan's good family friends. I was super excited from the start because I love weddings and I LOVE dressing up. The wedding was at the Otesaga, one of the most BEAUTIFUL hotels I have ever been to. The day was absolutely magnificent and as most weddings go, sent chills up my spine. Zan's brother Erik was the best man-- he's been friends with John since they were 3 months old! The wedding was held outside on the back lawn, looking right out to the lake (and if you know me, there is nothing better than a lake in the summertime). The cocktail hour was held on a deck overlooking the water, and there were the cutest white rocking chairs with a blue and white striped cushions on them- ADORE! The reception was held in the ballroom, where the food was delicious, the drinks were flowing, and the dancing was merry. I think it's safe to say we all had a blast. Cheers, John and Hillary! CONGRATS!!

Here's some pics from the wedding:

Before the ceremony.. the lake was amazing!

Enjoying the cocktail hour...

Looking sharp!

So pretty!

Me with Zan and his brothers...

With the groom after the reception...

He's BACK!

Finally! After 15 days Zan and his family have returned from their river trip on the St. John in the North Maine Woods! Since there is no cell phone service up there I went for 2 weeks without knowing if they were fairing alright or if they were attacked by bears. Just have to have faith in these situations I guess! YAY for Zan's return!

Wegmans: the mecca of all grocery stores.

Wegmans is the best grocery store in the whole entire universe. I thought I would dedicate this post to Wegmans because I have been home in the Cuse for the past week and a half and living it up at this dream of a grocery store (if you could even call it that, to me it is SO much more). Where should I begin? How about with the produce? When I first walk into Wegmans in Dewitt I am always in awe at the immense amount of produce that stands before me. And if you're someone who likes fruit as much as I do, it's like you've died and gone to heaven. Then there's the whole restaurant section. DREAM! I personally like to get a turkey sub (white roll, mayo, lettuce, pickles, provolone.. delish) but I have also tried their chinese, pizza, salads and sushi and am a fan of it all. In the bakery section I often like to pick up a pizza bialy to enjoy while I'm shopping, or to take home for a quick, light lunch. The bakery section is also where you will find the one and only rye bread dip. I have tried to find this dip at other grocery stores in Boston, with no luck, no luck AT ALL. I could live happily off this dip and pumpernickel bread for the rest of my life. Glorious. There is an amazing cheese section, a pharmacy, a mini book store, a flower shop, a natural food section, and all the bulk candy you could ever want. I can only hope and dream that someday Wegmans will come to my town, where I could do all of my shopping in one place and be perfectly content for the rest of my life. Until then I will just have to make do with my occasional trips to Syracuse, where I soak it up as much as I can to last me until the next time I am back.

Thank you Danny, for creating such a truly special place.

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There'd be no scope for imagination then, would there?"

Just read Anne of Green Gables again this summer (not actually sure if I ever read it before, just remember being a huge fan of the movie in my childhood) and I truly ADORE this book. It is one of the most fun, heart-warming stories I have ever read. I just love Anne (spelled with an e), her big words, her desire for the ever so fashionable puffed sleeves, and all of her kindred spirits. It's amazing how much trouble one girl can get into, but she makes you laugh the entire time. You fall in love with each of the characters, even gossipy Miss Lynde and especially Marilla! And Matthew and her bosom friend Diana are so near and dear to my heart. I hope to read this book many more times in my life. Avonlea seems like a dream world and I just love visiting it.

"There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting." -Anne of Green Gables

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the Dinosaur.

The Dinosaur BBQ is one of my favorite places to eat when I'm home in the Cuse. Actually, the more I think about it, it's one of my favorite places to eat, period. It's that good. Waaaaay better than any BBQ place I've eaten at in the Bean, that's for sure. We went the other night for dinner and good food was had all around. I personally like to order the pulled pork sandwich with a side of macaroni salad and baked beans. Glorious. But I also know that the ribs are amazing as well as all of their other sides (my sister and Josh got mac and cheese and

coleslaw, my mom got this really good tomato cucumber salad and my dad ordered french fries with gravy slathered all over them... aaaa-mazing.) The picture to the right is our plates after we were stuffed silly from all the fixings. I still saved room for some peanut butter pie though, you just gotta.

Here's a pic of the whole fam (and Josh) living it up at the Dinosaur:

my tribute to MJ.

Jamming out in the jeep to Michael Jackson:

the ROC.

This weekend I hit the thruway and drove out to Rochester to visit one of my oldest and dearest friends, Mo Hannan. We don't get to see each other as often as we'd like, so I take every chance I can get! The last time we hung out was around Thanksgiving so we've been due for another get together for some time now. This trip was great because we got a chance to catch up, go out to dinner and drinks, have a picnic, do some shopping at the outlets, watch a movie and order chinese food. All in one weekend! Here are some pics we took for the memories:

Out to dinner!

Mo is also a lover of headbands

(this is how I know we are kindred spirits).

We took Mo's puppy Scout on a picnic. He's so lovable!

Regal Paisley twist-front bandeau tank.

Today I purchased my first one-piece swim-suit since the 8th grade. It's super adorable and from j.crew: 2 things I require for most of my wardrobe. I decided to get the suit because it was on super-sale on the j.crew website. Awesome! Now, I have been wanting to get a one-piece for some time now, I could just never find the right one. I went last year with Hannah and Ali to try some on at L.L.Bean and boy was that a disaster. To put things simply I looked like I was twelve and wearing my old ballet leotard. I thought black would be slimming and flattering, right? Wrong. So after that experience I gave up on the whole one-piece idea for awhile, until my mom offered to buy me and my sister each a suit for the summer. I looked on the website for one I liked, but could not make up my mind. Plus this was pre-summer and all of the suits were close to one-hundo dollars. For serious. I could not bring myself to buy something I will only wear 3 months out of the year (only on the weekends plus that one luscious week in CC) for such a steep price. So up until now I have been making do with my last years suit, which is fantastic by the way (also j.crew), but I've still been yearning for that cute one-piece I've had in the back of my mind ever since they came back into style. Well, today I was randomly browsing jcrew.com when I came across this suit:

Isn't is great? I just hope it looks as good in person as it does on the website. I just love the print. I think it will look great on and will minimize imperfections because the print is so busy. The top of the suit is a twist front, which is the same as my two-piece from last year and I love it. Plus I like the strap that you can put around your neck if you'd like. I can't wait till it comes in the mail! It better fit/look good because I bought it on an impulse and it was final sale! Cross your fingers everyone... I'll let you know the final verdict when it arrives!!!

DMB 8.4.09

Well, folks, Dave Matthews finally made it back to Syracuse, NY. And I came home to take part in the thrill of it all. This concert marks Dave's first cuse experience since 1999, when he played at the Landmark Theatre with Tim Reynolds. Bet that show was phenomenal. My sister and I saw Dave and Tim play at Westpoint in 2003 and it was the best concert I've ever been too.

Anyhow, back to last night at Alliance Bank Stadium, what a show! Brought me straight back to high school and my days of dave-mania. The night was perfect, the company was quality and I just LOVED it.

Here was the setlist that he played:

We had a great time singing along and dancing it all out. My personal

favorites were Crush, Lie In Our Graves, and Grey Street. CLASSIC. Boyd Tinsley just ripped it up on the violin. Sweeeetness! Now I will admit here in my post this was my first concert in about 4 years. Shameful, believe me, I know. But I sure haven't forgotten the glory. Overall it was concert #17 for me... can only hope to go to 17 more!

I used to say back in the day and I'll say it again: DAVE FOREVER. Thanks for a terrific concert DMB... amazing as always.

goodbye, KAP!

This past Friday I had my very last day at KAP school, where I have been teaching 1st grade for the past 2 and a half years. Although I am excited and ready to move to the next phase of my career, I am so sad to leave my kids! This year I had an amazing class that I will never ever forget. There have definitely been some tough times (this was my first teaching job!) but I feel like I have grown a tremendous amount as a teacher and know that this is what I want to be doing. I LOVE it.

Here are some of my favorite pics from this year:

Beginning of the year at the tire swing park...

Painting pumpkins for Halloween...

Science Fair winners!

Becoming readers...

Field trips to fun places...

Last days of school...

Me and Brenda... the best classroom aide!

Goodbye KAP teachers! I will miss you all!

fenway.

Today at KAP we took a field trip to.... FENWAY PARK! Home of the good ol' Boston Red Sox. I have been to Fenway numerous times before to see the Sox play (thanks to other people giving me tickets they cannot use) and it always is a super time. But the Fenway Park tour is a really cool experience in itself because you get to go inside the park while it's empty and sit in seats you could only dream about sitting in while it's full. For one thing, I got to go up in the green monster seats and pretend like I got lucky enough to actually afford them. They are awesome. We walked around the perimeter of the park while a really funny tour guide, who reminded me of one of my uncles, made jokes about the yankees and told us weird/interesting facts about all the details behind America's most beloved ballpark.

Overall I would recommend this tour to others; however, there are two things I would add to make it extra great:

1. They should totally bring you behind the scoreboard and let you peak out of that little hole between the ball and strike count (I've always wondered about that).
2. You should get a free Fenway Frank to eat while on the tour... seriously.

The whole tour experience is really cool. Just being inside and seeing all the pictures and memorabilia is worth the $12 ticket. What a history. What a team. GO NATION.

the way life should be.

This weekend's adventure was to Maine, which is one of my most favorite places ever. I always have such a great time when I visit. Maine is (without a doubt): the way life should be. Hannah and I had a great weekend in Portland enjoying Saturday afternoon on Reebs and Rosie's boat just loving Castco Bay. Finally, some real summer weather! For dinner we hit up The Lobster Shack for some lobster rolls and onion rings. It doesn't get much better than that, people. We packed sunday in with some outlet shopping in Freeport where I purchased some great stuff at L.L.Bean and J.crew (love!). Definately didn't need anything, but when I see something cute, sometimes I just can't help myself.

Here's a pic of me and Han at the Lobster Shack. So Maine.

Now I'm back in Boston after a very pleasant ride on Concord Coach Lines (as always!), but of course, already seriously missing vacationland... worth a visit, worth a lifetime. Can't wait till next time!!

the headband.

Who loves wearing headbands? I DO! I just think a headband adds a little pop to any outfit, inevitably making the wearer look adorable. And who doesn't love to look adorable? The headband is such a classic look too. So timeless.

This headband, worn by Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf, is particularly stunning (I'm obsessed with the dress too!). The beautiful pink orchard headband by Jennifer Behr unfortunately costs $225... so I think it's a little out of my price range. Boo.

The J.Crew headband to the right is more realistic for me as far as price goes. It's from crewcuts (and it fits!) and is super fun! I wonder though, can I pull it off? It is pretty extravagant, which kind of makes me nervous. But it's just so... adorable. I want it.

This tortoise shell headband is almost a daily staple for me, although it's not exactly the most exciting of the bunch. It's just so classic you absolutely cannot go wrong. My only complaint with headbands would be the headache I sometimes get when I wear them all day. I've found that the thinner ones are less uncomfortable, but some of the thick headbands are the cutest. I've recently become a huge fan of the "scarf" look,which is essentially a headband made to look like you wrapped a pretty scarf around your head. So fun and great for a day at the beach when you want to keep all the wispy's out of your face! Hooray for the headband!

Newport.

Here are a few photos from my little friend's bachelorette weekend in Newport, RI. We had an amazing time enjoying the seaside town! We started off the weekend at Fluke, a fun wine bar with yummy appetizers. We ordered a lot of little dishes to share and I don't think any of us were disappointed! The owner was very friendly and accommodating too, seeing as we came by around 11 o'clock just as the kitchen was about to close!

The next day we started off the morning with some brunch at the B&B and then spent the afternoon at the Atlantic Beach Club sitting by the water enjoying some nice cold beverages in the hot summer sun. Terrific.

The above and below pictures were taken on a sunset cruise in Newport Harbor. It was a perfect night with a perfect sunset. And the glasses of champagne were only a buck! So much fun. After the cruise we had dinner at Asterisk ... a fun restaurant in an old garage! They had good apps and the martinis were just delish. Our waitress was a little spacey, but I can overlook that if it's a good meal. And it WAS.

This last picture was taken at the Castle Hill Inn where we had brunch before heading back to Boston. It was so much fun to sit right on the water and see all the sailboats go by. We all had some mimosas for one last cheers to a fabulous weekend!

Marshall Slocum Inn

The Marshall Slocum Inn is an absolutely adorable little B&B in Newport, RI. I stayed there this past weekend with a couple of friends for a bachelorette celebration filled with good food, good wine and good times. Just a few minutes from town you'll find this fabulous white house on Kay Street which is just the most wonderful little abode I ever did see. As soon as we walked in the front door we felt right at home. Since there were six of us, we had one room on the second floor of the house and then a little apartment around the back of the driveway. SO cute! The rooms are inviting, the beds cozy, the staff friendly and the breakfast is DELICIOUS. However, I think my favorite part of Marshall Slocum was the little porch swing on the front porch of the house. DREAM!

If you're ever in Newport and are thinking of where to stay, consider this little B&B... it will not disappoint you!

BK buffalo sauce.

This spicy buffalo sauce from Burger King is deeeeeeelicious. I discovered it a couple of years ago while on a road trip with one of my best friends from college. Deciding we were in some real need for fast food we stopped at a service station for some Burger King. Wendy's has always been my personal favorite (Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, anyone?), but I'm a big fan of the King and Mickey D's too. They are all winners in my book. For the current meal we decided on the BK chicken fries and this fantastic dipping sauce to go with them. The sauce is super hot but also super flavorful. It pairs nicely with an ice cold original Coke from the fountain soda machine. Since I don't eat fast-food very often (fortunately for my waist) having this sauce is a real treat. Last time I went to BK I was so obsessed with the sauce that I asked for a plethora of it at the counter to take home with me. Now I can have it whenever I want with frozen chicken fingers from the grocery store. GENIUS!

I am about to indulge in this dinner as we speak and I couldn't be more thrilled about it. Adios!

on top of the world.

Here is a picture of me at the top of Mount Lafayette in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The top of the mountain was so windy I thought I was going to blow away. It took us about 8 hours to finish the hike and boy did I feel like a superstar afterwards. Must have been the bag of peanut m&m's that saw me through to the end. They never let me down.

What an awesome adventure!

Canon Powershot SD790

This camera is amazing. I have had it for about 4 months now and don't have a bad thing to say about it. I have had my experience with cameras too. In the past 5 years I have broken more cameras than you can count on one hand. It's pathetic, really. But I can tell this camera is different. Actually, I know this camera is different because I dropped it onto concrete and it didn't even get a scratch! The pictures are great quality too. Very clear and the colors are so vibrant. At around $150 you can't beat the price! I give this camera 5 out of 5 stars. It's super.

Twilight Series.

I think the twilight books/movie are pretty great. I mean, they are nothing compared to Harry Potter (the most glorious books in the entire universe), but they will suffice now that can no longer read about Harry and the rest of the gang. At first I was hesitant to start this series. VAMPIRES? are you serious? But then I remembered I used to love Buffy back in high school, the coolest vampire slayer EVER. And so I decided to give Bella and Edward a chance. Also, everyone else loves them and usually when everyone else is doing something I inevitably end up doing it too. Shucks.

So anyways, I liked the first book well enough. I read through it in a couple of days and enjoyed getting back into the vampire scene (although very different from good ol' Buffy). Then I watched the movie. OMG. fantastic. Two thumbs up! I think I even like the movie better than the book, which hardly ever happens for me. I just I want to watch the movie over and over again. I can't even wait for my sister to finish the book so I can watch it again with her. I started the second book, New Moon, right after I watched the movie because I was in "Twilight Mode". I finished it in like 2 days. Alright fine, maybe a day and a half. I just couldn't stop reading it. I'm HOOKED.

I plan to read Eclipse and Breaking Dawn in Chatham this summer. So excited. A week at the beach with Bella and Edward. Take me there now please.

So I am thinking about writing more frequently on this blog. I see everyone else has blogs and I feel like I want one too.