Masking Bang Stages

About a week before I flew out to San Diego last Christmas for a 10 day vacation, I decided to get bangs. It seemed like a great idea at the time.  I've had the same hairstyle since I was 7, and I felt like it would be a fun change. Nothing could go wrong in my quest for bangs.  For starters, I was getting the  cut out in Southern California where everyone is trendy and good looking, so I figured this would translate to my bangs. Secondly, I made sure my stylist was edgy and beautiful herself, so she should have no problem making me feel the same.  Right?  Wrong.  As soon as I walked out of the salon, I wished my bangs away. It was a bad idea to cut them, and I've been growing them out ever since. To spice things up in my awkward bang stages, I've created some fun hair accessories. They work best for the days when a plain bobby pin won't do.

I used a post from Henry Happened for my first set of pins.  I won't go into detail about how make them because you can link to the post, but my finished product is below.

I experimented with beading for my second variety of hair pin. You can get the pins at Target, along with fine point super glue and a high quality bead. I used these Swarovski crystals. After all the beads are glued in a row, it takes about 30 minutes to fully dry.

Does the sparkle distract from my shaggy bangs??

An Anniversary Cake

When buying ingredients to make a cake for our 3 year anniversary, I realized what I really wanted was a cake from my childhood. Each birthday my dad would bring home a fruit cake from an Italian Bakery in our town. It was so delicious served cold, and I remember the fruit filling rotated depending on the season between peaches and strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Since moving away from home, I pine for the fruit cake at most celebrations. While I didn't follow a recipe, my Italian bakery replacement was simple and actually surprisingly similar to the original.

I made a standard vanilla cake and topped the bottom layer with vanilla pudding (Trader Joe's boxed variety).

Strawberries and bananas are two of Chase's favorites, so I went with the classic combination.

It was a delicate task adding a second layer of pudding to support the cake.

I think the Italian fruit cake had frosting, but I whipped up cream in my mixer, and it proved easier to spread than frosting.

Until I find another Italian bakery with delicious fruit cakes, this cake will be a nice substitute.

Until Next Summer

"About 90 minutes from Boston, Ogunquit is less flashy than the Bush bastion of Kennebunkport nearby, but it contains the same inviting blend of Down East charm and quiet sophistication. Wooden seafood shacks share the terrain with the state's top restaurants, and the historic harbor shelters weathered fishing vessels alongside fancy private boats."

Seth Sherwood

Maine was great!  It was just as relaxing as I'd hoped. Some of my favorite things to do each day included waking up and eating breakfast in the backyard without having to rush to work, alternating between sitting in the sun and dipping in the sixty degree water, and eating delicious food without abandon. Some of my favorite photos from the week are below.

Vacation!

We leave tomorrow for our summer vacation at the beach in Maine. I've visited Maine nearly every summer since I was a kid (including our honeymoon!). Maine in the summer is magical. It always feels  so wonderful staying on the rocky coast with all of the sailboats and quaint New England cottages. I packed a giant suitcase full of dresses and cute tops, but in all reality I will be in a bathing suit and shorts the entire week. Maine is for relaxing, and that's what I plan to do.  

Chase and I rented a house with our good friends Dee and Andy, and I think it's going to be amazing having only a walk to the beach and a backyard to grill and hang out each night. I've already mentally pictured myself in a lawn chair with a margarita.

 I'm most excited to eat lots of this,

take walks here every night,

go on a boat tour here,

and work my way through this ice cream menu.

Be back next week--hopefully with a healthy glow!

Color Run

I ran in the Color Run on Sunday with 2 new friends (plus one fiance and 2 husband onlookers). Over 25,000 people in Philly ran the race, and it was a blast.  I was a little skeptical about the how the concept would unfold (you run a 5K and get sprayed with non-toxic chalk?!?), but it turned out to be more fun than I anticipated. Every kilometer, a team of Color Run staff sprayed each runner using a giant squirt bottle filled with colored chalk. The entire race was filled with energy and great music-which went a long way at 7am! Some pictures from the run are below.

Leo

Some photos are below from Leo's 6 month birthday last weekend (for the cuteness factor).

On City Pools...

This past Saturday, we took Leo to the Astoria Park Pool in his Queens neighborhood. Leo grabbed his hat, new shades, and lathered up the sunscreen, and we were on our way.

How pretty is the view from the water? To be admitted to the pool, one must undergo an intimidating process of showering, locking up all valuables and shaking out towels to prove that condemned goods (cameras, food, cell phones, etc.) weren't being smuggled into the pool area. Once we were allowed entrance to the pool deck, the mellow vibe restored our nerves, and it was all worth the initial locker room shakedown.  Leo loved the water and was in his element!

Because I couldn't bring my camera, I don't have any real pictures from the day at the pool, but I found a cool comparison between present and past photos of the pool below.

How funny are the bathing suits the boys wore back then?  I think the boys in the foreground swam in their tighty whiteys!

Below is a city pool in Philly. I have been grateful for the pool on hot days during the past 3 summers when it just isn't feasible to drive 2 hours to the beach in NJ.

How amazing is this community pool in LA? Only in Hollywood can you swim in a public pool designed by William Randolf Hearst!

Photo sources
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