signs of summer

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This weekend marks the unofficial start to summer. When you live in a beach town, Memorial Day may as well be Christmas, with “See you on the beach!” replacing “Merry Christmas!”. From overhearing old friends bump into each other in the grocery store, to running into neighbors in the elevator, “See you on the beach” is joyfully echoed all over town. Our little beach town has had quite the makeover in anticipation for its prime season. The once bland beige ticket booths have been repainted by incredibly talented local artists. The plain trailer where beach passes are sold is now a vibrant mural showing some love for LBNY. A lot that was once empty is now filled with Caribbean colored picnic tables, palm trees and driftwood art installations.  I’ve always considered Long Beach to be beautiful with its white sandy beaches and ocean views but these additions have added some much needed color to our little seaside town. Plus they’re an amateur photographers dream come true 🙂

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Ready for ya, Summer 2016!

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vintage tv cart makeover into coastal glam bar cart

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A few weeks ago I found a very 70s looking TV cart at a tag sale in my apartment building. The best part? It was totally free! I’ve been swooning over bar carts I’ve seen on The Dirty Bar Cart‘s Instagram and as I discovered, turning a TV cart into a bar cart is pretty easy. It’s only a matter of some paint, elbow grease and creativity.

First I wiped down the TV cart with a wet rag and let it dry overnight. One of the few perks of living in an apartment building is that people are constantly leaving cans of discarded, perfectly good (most of the time) paint. I found a barely used can of Behr white paint. I put masking tape over the original brass wheels and hardware. I then painted the entire cart. The whole cart took about 2 coats of paint.

Initially I thought I was done with it after painting it white. Sure it looked nice but it was lacking personality. About 2 weeks went by and I was still racking my brain with ideas to spice up the cart. After watching A LOT of Flea Market Flip (seriously if you haven’t seen this show and you’re remotely into interior design, you should definitely check it out), a light bulb appeared over my little blonde head. Enter my new favorite thing: contact paper. I know what you’re thinking. The last time I remember hearing the term ‘contact paper’ was in grade school when my mom had to cover my text books. Well, turns out contact paper has come a very long way, comes in super cute patterns and can be used for a variety of home makeover projects (check out this Buzzfeed article). I hopped on Amazon to find one that fit the coastal vibe in my apartment and found this Duck Brand Sea Foam Ikat pattern for 20″ x 12′ for $13.45 and free shipping with Amazon Prime (which is literally the best thing that ever happened to me).

After cleaning and measuring the surfaces where the paper would cover, I carefully cut the paper and placed it on the surfaces. the tricky thing about contact paper is trying to avoid air bubbles. I had a scraper (pretty sure that’s not the technical term) from a puzzle glue kit that I used to scrape the paper as I laid it on the shelves. If you don’t have a scraper, I’d suggest using a spatula. Overall it was a pretty simple medium to work with.

Lastly (and most fun), I had to style the cart. I wanted to keep it simple but put a beachy twist on the typical bar cart and what says beach drinks more than margaritas?? I had a Libbey margarita pitcher and glass set from Bed Bath and Beyond that’s just too pretty to take up space in a closet. I had a coastal bar sign from Kohl’s, and a lantern leftover from our wedding (originally from Pier One). Throw in a bottle of Cuervo Silver and some limes and we are ready for a margarita party!

 

 

 

 

my name is jonas…

Winter Storm Jonas pummeled much of the East Coast on Saturday, dumping more than 2 feet of snow on our little beach. I spent most of my Saturday hunkered down with good friends and neighbors, laughing, playing with puppies, Heads Up, eating chili and drinking bloodies. It was a pretty fantastic snow day.

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The Calm Before the Storm

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Friday night-I see you Jonas!

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Frozen Margarita, anyone?

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Waking up to a Winter Wonderland

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ALL THE FRENCH TOAST

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Blizzard Rules: S’mores + S’more flavored beer are acceptable forms of lunch

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Bloody Marys + All the Fixings

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High Tide

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Calm After the Storm

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Just when you think it can’t get any better…

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This Happened.

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Pretty great way to end a pretty great weekend.

 

blizzard binging

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In case you’ve been living under a rock this week, you’ve probably heard Winter Storm Jonas is making his way up the East Coast and it looks like he is going to make himself comfortable for a little while.

Getting snowed in is the perfect excuse to blow off all responsibilities (exercise, sit down. Wine, you’re up!) and binge those shows your friends and coworkers have been harassing you about. Pop some popcorn, throw on your comfiest PJs and cozy up on the couch with these shows:
     

  • Narcos: Fascinated by the recent El Chapo headlines? You should check out the story of OG druglord Pablo Escobar (Netflix)

 

  • Making A Murderer: If you haven’t seen MaM by now, you probably either don’t own a television or aren’t among the living. This 10 episode docuseries follows the potentially erroneous conviction of Steven Avery, the prime suspect in a murder case that just was just released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit. If you want to carry any sort of conversation on pop culture for the next several months, I strongly suggest checking this one out. (Netflix)
  • Master of None: Probably my favorite choice on this list. First things first- I LOVE Aziz Ansari.  If you are (or ever were) a 30 something struggling to make sense of life while fumbling through adulthood, you’ll appreciate Master of None. And I still really want a Paro  (Netflix)
  • The Jinx: Already seen Making a Murderer? Craving more? Check out The Jinx. The 6 episode series follows Robert Durst, heir to a New York real estate fortune and eccentric millionaire, the bizarre story of his life and how he became the key suspect in a string of unsolved murders spanning 30 years. (HBO)
  • Mr. Robot: A big winner on the awards circuit this year, Mr. Robot follows a young, socially anxious computer programmer who is recruited by a vigilante hacker group to bring down corporate America. (USA On Demand)
If you’re still not satisfied, I’d also suggest the following movies: People Places Things, Tangerine, Beasts of No Nation, Dope, What We Do in the Shadows and Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.

 
There you have it! Hours upon hours of glorious eccentric millionaire serial killers, simple minded Midwest murderers (OR NOT?!?!), corrupt cops (OR NOT?!?!), hermit hackers, and aspiring actors and Colombian drug lord goodness. Stay warm friends!

twosday lovin

  1. Spotify Subscription: Some people are asked to bring cupcakes to parties, I’m usually asked to bring music. The most recent event was New Year’s. I have a few go to playlists, but depending on the audience (in other words if there are kids around) my old standbys won’t quite fly (early 2000s Ludacris probably isn’t something a 5 year old needs to hear). So rather than spend a ton of money on downloading new songs, I decided to try out Spotify Premium’s 3 month trial. The deal is you pay .99 for 3 months and have access through your phone to their entire library (after the 3 months the price jumps to $9.99 a month). Now I can go from Chris Stapleton to Vance Joy to Fetty Wap without have to jump from Pandora station to Pandora station hoping they’ll play my song. Also (back to my original point) Spotify has a ton of different playlist based on mood, genre, activity, time of day, probably one even based on your favorite color. You name it, they have it. Pretty great when your the resident DJ of the group.
  2. This watch: I’m not a label or designer girl by any means. Sure it’s nice, but it’s never been my thing. Having said that I have to say I NEED THIS WATCH. I don’t even like watches. But a watch that tells me exactly when happy hour is? YAAAS.

TAKE ME BACK…

While Winter 2016 isn’t as unbearable as some in recent memory (I’m looking at you 2015), it’s still not sunny and 80°. I’m still not in shorts and a flowy tank top or sun dress or a bikini-although the actual thought of being in a bikini right now in my pale, post holiday body makes me physically ill (note to self: PUT DOWN THE CHEEZ-ITS). Getting dressed in the morning in the summer vs the winter is a completely different situation. In the summer, for work, I throw a dress over my head and run out the door. My hair is naturally wavy and somehow looks less homeless, more surfer girl in the summer. Winter…I don’t leave the house without wearing at least 3 layers. And this is before I add on my giant amorphous coat. My hair is always in a ponytail or a bun because let’s be real: given 15 extra minutes in the morning I will choose sleep over hair every.single.time. Or scroll through Instagram until I get back to the last post I saw before I went to sleep. It’s a toss up, really.

I recently went through pictures from Summer 2015 and thought I’d post as a reminder that vast gray, bleak wasteland that is winter does have an expiration date. And it’s in exactly 154 days. In no particular order, here are the things I miss most about the summer:

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Long lazy bike rides to empty beaches

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How tan I was (disclaimer: I haaaate hot dog leg pics, particularly pics of my hot dog legs, but you guys I WAS SO TAN)

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Wearing a sleeveless dress without hating life

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Maxi.Firepit.Sandals.Pedicure.Come back to me.

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Frozen cocktails without immediately feeling like I needed mittens

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Sweet, buttery lobster rolls ::insert Homer Simpson drool here::

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Seasonal Restaurants. Beer just doesn’t taste as good unless you’re on the water.

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Some of the best sunsets ever

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Taking pictures in the water without feeling like my toes will fall off

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Everything about summer storms (that smell of rain right before though…)

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Rainbows after the aforementioned summer storm

 

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That holy-crap-the-sky-just-exploded way summer days end

long time no blog

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September has been a crazy busy month and I cannot believe we are almost into OCTOBER!!!! I’ve had a ton of social functions, and here on Long Island we’ve been having an unseasonably warm {HOT} fall. It’s been in the 80s the majority of the month so I have been soaking up the sun every moment I’ve been able to! I’m hoping to keep my tan going until Thanksgiving…cross your fingers for me!

Well, Fall has officially begun and the weather forecast is calling for a cold front this week, so I will be making up for lost time. I have plenty to catch up on and a bunch of October adventures in the works. I promise I will keep you up to speed on all my pumpkin spiced, sweater filled, boot wearing escapades!

it started out with a kiss…8.30.14

Sunday, August 30th marked Jon’s and mine’s one year anniversary. Our wedding day was even more amazing than I could have ever imagined. I was never a ‘wedding’ girl. I never saw the point in getting married, having a wedding, any of it. However, once we got engaged, I threw myself head first into the wedding planning process and to my much to my surprise, I loved it. I loved looking at pictures of pretty things. I loved trying on pretty dresses. I loved putting all of my ideas into motion and watching them become a reality. And the icing on the cake…I got to marry the best guy ever.

There is so much planning and preparation that goes into planning your wedding day and when it comes down to it…it’s only a day. And that day will fly by. Our wedding day was a beautiful whirlwind of a day, filled with our best friends, family and so much love (and Fireball, but that’s an entirely different story). I wouldn’t consider myself an overly emotional person but the outpouring of love and joy that I felt that day caused me to tear up at things that I usually wouldn’t think twice about.

When planning our wedding, I wanted it to really reflect mine and Jon’s style and I have to say that our vendors brought our ideas to life even better than I could have imagined. I wanted something nautical but with a bohemian vibe. We found the setting for our day in Bridgeview Yacht Club in Island Park, NY. All I can possibly say is the staff at Bridgeview went way above and beyond for our wedding and I will never be able to thank them enough for giving us such a perfect day. Bridgeview has sweeping water views, with a gorgeously elegant tented ballroom that took my breath away the first time I set foot in it. I knew it was the perfect venue for our coastal inspired nuptials.

Remember back when I said I against this wedding thing? Well I secretly might have found a dress on Pinterest that I said to myself “well maybe if I change my mind, this would be the dress”. Flash forward to us getting engaged in June 2013. As fate would have it, the LA based designer of the dress was having a trunk show in Tribeca the weekend I started doing dress research at Lovely Bride (best bridal shop ever. Seriously, if you need a dress check them out). I was lucky enough to get an appointment. I went with my mom and maid of honor. The Poipu by Katie May was the fourth dress I tried on and it was THE dress! It was unlike any other dress I had seen before. It was fitted in all the right places, lace and had a showstopping back (or lack thereof). It is still my most favorite dress ever.

Whimsical probably sums up our wedding look best. The main color scheme was navy and coral. I didn’t want flowers as centerpieces since they tend to run up the bill and we were working with a fairly strict budget. I wanted something tangible, useful and something our loved ones can take home and use. We ended up choosing copper lanterns filled with sea glass and candles, which sat on top of a bed of coral rose petals, surrounded by mercury glass votives, all on top of a navy and white striped tablecloth. The ballroom was bathed in candlelight, giving it a soft, romantic look.

The day began with a Taylor Swift-90s hip hop dance party in the bridal suite, led to pictures with my mom and my best girlfriends around Bridgeview, then we headed to meet the boys at the beach where Jon and I would have our first look. Our insanely talented photographer orchestrated the beach we would meet on and how the first look would happen. We met in nearby Lido Beach. His back was to me and as I walked over the dunes, my heart was beating out of my chest. When I tapped him on the shoulder, we had the biggest smiles on our faces and he gave me the biggest kiss and hug. It was really happening! The day was finally here. Finally real. We continued taking more photos on the beach, eventually heading back to Bridgeview to prepare for the ceremony. Walking down the aisle was one of the most surreal, indescribable experiences I have ever had. It was the most nervous, terrified, happy, excited and overjoyed I have ever felt. I was so nervous I forgot I had a veil in front of my face. Twice. I may have tried to kiss him with my veil on. Oops.

The rest of the night went by in a blur. From our first dance, to the speeches, to the cake cutting, to the last song where we danced in a flurry of bubbles and rose petals to our song (“Mr. Brightside” by The Killers. Hence the title of this blog.) it was literally the best day of my life and I would relive it everyday if I could.

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on my way to meet my groom

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about to see each other for the first time…

our first look

our first look

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our amazing bridal party

ceremony setting

ceremony setting

bridgeview's beautiful ballroom

bridgeview’s beautiful ballroom

the centerpieces

our centerpiece

candle light just makes everything prettier

candle light makes everything prettier

one of my fave details-the cake table

one of my fave details-the cake table

a little obsessed with these cake toppers

a little obsessed with these cake toppers

shoes: something bleu by bhldn

shoes: something bleu by bhldn

headpiece by wildflower couture

headpiece by wildflower couture

flowers: christina santos design

flowers: c. santos floral & design

my beautiful mom walking me down the aisle

my beautiful mom walking me down the aisle

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we did!

we did!

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Photographer: Martina Micko Photo

Venue: Bridgeview Yacht Club

Florist: C. Santos Florals & Events

Makeup: Glam Me Up

Hair: Dream Hair by Cynthia

Dress: Poipu by Katie May

Dress Shop: Lovely Bride

Shoes: Lambent Knot Shoes by Something Bleu (Coral)

Shoe Shop: BHLDN

Hair Piece: Wildflower Couture

Dress Alterations: The Wedding Dresser

Bridesmaid Dress: Adrianna Papell Boatneck Lace Sheath Dress in Guava

Ribbon Curtain: Oh My Charley

Cake: The Sweet Peace

Please feel free to Pin or email me if you have any questions about our wedding!

how mermaids whet their whistle…spiked seltzer!

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I’m always on the hunt for a new cocktail, preferably one that is low cal and yummy. Enter Spiked Seltzer. I had first seen Spiked Seltzer on Instagram a few months back and fell in love with the packaging. The cans are tall, sleek and slender (kind of how I would like my body. Too bad pizza keeps getting in the way.), with their trademark mermaid on the front (were you wondering how it got my attention? There’s your answer!). I was in my local beer distributor and they carried it, so I snapped it up.

There are four flavors each named for its origin: Valencia Orange, Indian River Grapefruit, West Indies Lime and Cape Cod Cranberry. Each flavor is bursting with refreshing citrus flavor, but none are overly sweet. Developed by Nick Shields, Spiked Seltzer is brewed in Connecticut. Each flavor is made with all natural ingredients, is gluten-free, has a 6% alcohol content, 5 grams of carbs per can and is 140 calories. The best part of not having any unnecessary sugar or preservatives? No hangover!  The Spiked Seltzer website even suggests that it even makes a nice mixer and comes complete with cocktail recipes: Spiked Seltzer Cocktails

It’s a flavorful, guilt free cocktail that is best served chilled over ice with your toes in the sand.