Beachy for Brunch

We had a wedding in Newport, Rhode Island this weekend so of course we went out exploring when all the festivities were done. If you've never been, it's an incredibly adorable town and I suggest stopping by if you're within a reasonable distance. We wandered around a bit and settled on a super crunchy hippie breakfast place. One of the best parts about staying in a beach town is that you can dress like you're on the beach... even when you're not! That means you can do some serious multitasking: yes. I'm talking about getting a tan while you're eating brunch. What a time to be alive.

Red Wine and Cucumber Sangria

I really love cucumbers. A perfect Friday evening for me would involve Curb Your Enthusiasm, cucumbers and tahini, and red wine. I was never a fan of Sangria until some of my friends over at Kit and Ace made a dreamy white wine and peach sangria for First Friday a few weeks ago. I felt the earth move under my feet. (Okay, maybe not but it was still amazing.) I started looking for recipes with cucumbers and red wine and couldn't find any-- at all! So, of course, I decided to just make my own.

Dressed for a Wedding

I'm usually the one schlepping around the wedding reception in black denim, a black shirt, and comfy shoes. Not this particular day. I was dressed in all my wedding dress glory. LBD, fancy-schmancy up-do, sparkly clutch, and some very uncomfortable shoes. Very uncomfortable. But I felt good and I think I looked pretty classy.

Lately

Happy Wednesday! Can you guys believe August is almost over? I can't... this year is going by so quickly. Is this just all part of getting old? Hopefully not. Because I kinda hate it. Anyway, I thought I would share some links with you guys since I haven't in a while.

With a Bow Tie

One of my favorite spots in Philadelphia is the Piazza at Schmidt's. (Or if you wanna sound like a local, just "The Piazza.") It can get a little out of hand after dark on the weekends but it's perfect for people-watching and has some great food and drink options. I needed a reason to get dressed up so we took the doggies on a little date... and of course snapped some photos.

Watermelon Mint Stir-Fry

Watermelon is one of the simplest joys in life. It is perfect in every way yet somehow made even better by mint. I love grilled watermelon but seeing as I live in a tiny apartment with no grill... I decided to compromise. I was not disappointed.

Death, Where is Your Sting?

A simple derailment in a breakfast conversation changed the course of my Monday. My Tuesday. My Wednesday. My week. My month, maybe (probably) more? Growing up is hard. We've discussed this. I've parted ways with just about everybody I've ever known. It's rarely been amicable, but for those cherished souls who sort of flickered faded away without some violent fanfare, they're tucked away into an everlasting corner of my heart. We're living in different cities, time zones, coasts, counties. We rarely speak. Not for any specific reason other than the fact that we just don't. We go on with our lives. We chase our dreams, we try to make our way in the world without ending up loathing ourselves entirely, and someday, we will die. Some pass on sooner than others. When it happens, it's tragic. It's inevitable. But that doesn't make it any better. 

Dressed Down

One of my favorite Philly fun-times is First Friday in Old City. I try to never miss one. Free booze, tons of art, and quality people-watching. I also like having a reason to look nice... but not dress up too much. A sort of "dressing down," if you will.