One Month Later

We visited with Sara + Marcel again yesterday, and we got to see Audrey exactly one month after we first met her (I wrote about it here and here).

This time I held her for a long time, and she's just so cute!

She slept most of the time we were there, but Eric held her while she was wide awake.

Look! Isn't that just the sweetest? They're a real little family, and they're all getting comfortable with each other. 

Unfortunately I didn't get a good one of Sara holding her, but she was happiest in her mama's arms.

We're thinking we should have a standing date on the 29th of every month. :)

Audrey Ann-Marie

Right about now, you should be so jealous of us. We just had the pleasure of meeting Sara + Marcel's new daughter, Audrey! She was born yesterday at 5:30pm, and good grief is she darling.

Sara + Marcel are parents (something I can't even imagine), and they look amazed and happy and wonderful. We're so very happy for them and their brand new family. xoxo

Stefanie + Chris's Wedding

Yep, we just returned from another wonderful wedding. You guys, it was beautiful. Stefanie was stunning, and I couldn't take my eyes off of her. And Chris never looked happier. I'm tearing up just thinking about the way they looked at each other; seriously, it was awesome. 

The wedding was in New Jersey, and the ceremony was conducted by both a Rabbi and a Priest, to honor both the bride and grooms's religions. Eric was a groomsman, and he looked very handsome in his tux (sorry, I didn't get many pictures of him). At the reception, there was a feast and plenty of dancing. We had such a great time, and we're so happy for the two of them. 

You want to know what makes a wedding great? A great couple! And we are so lucky to know so many fabulous couples.

Psst. I designed their save the dates! Click here to see!

Ryan + Sara's Wedding

We went to another wedding on Saturday! Ryan (aka Q), was Eric's roommate for 3 years in college, and for a year after we graduated. He's also the first person I considered my friend at UMass. 

Ryan and Sara became an item (as they say) just 6 months after Eric and I started dating. We've always thought that these two suited each other, and it was a pleasure to see them tie the knot.

Since they're a UMass couple, it was like a mini reunion! The DJ was actually a friend from school, too, and he got everybody on the dance floor. We had a wonderful time, and we're so happy for the bride and groom.

Three weddings down, and one to go before the year ends. I'm looking forward to it!

Little Emmy

Friday night we were invited to a friend's house for a little dinner party. We had fondue, and it was a brand new experience. I'd only ever heard of cheese or chocolate fondue, but this was a real dinner. There were potatoes and mushrooms plus chicken and beef, all of which could be cooked on our special forks in either oil or a beef broth. Who knew? 

We also got to meet this cutie patootie, named Emmy. She's about 3½ months old, and weighed something like 3 lbs. She's so tiny! Emmy's a Maltese, so I guess she won't be getting too much bigger; she'll probably get to be around 4 lbs. Holy moly, huh? She's pretty irresistible, and ridiculously well behaved!

HBS Clambake

On Labor Day, the HBS Partners Club held a Clambake for partners and their students.

These are the Partners Club committee members; they organized the big event! I'm glad they were able to enjoy themselves, because I know they worked hard to put this all together.

We missed most of the appetizers, because we were late, but we were in time for the clam chowder. Then they served full lobsters, grilled chicken, corn and coleslaw! There was watermelon for dessert, and it was absolutely perfect.

I guess we needed more dessert though, because after the clambake we got ice cream! While we were in line we saw this gorgeous English Mastif. She was pretty shy, and very soft!

Photo Walk With Sara

On Saturday night I went to Norwood to see Sara. We talked and talked, and it was so much fun to catch up. Also, Sara's 21 weeks pregnant and I got to feel the baby kick; it was ridiculously exciting!

I spent the night in Norwood so that we could get up Sunday morning and go for a photo walk. Even though I told Sara an unnecessarily long story and it was much warmer than we expected, we both managed to take some fun pictures. Honestly, I had trouble looking at my surroundings; I only wanted to take pictures of Sara and her little belly, because she's just so beautifully happy. Here are two of my favorites.

If you visit Sara's blog, you'll see photos she took (of the walk and of me!) plus her edits of these two photos and a few others I took!

Leif + Alyssa's Wedding

On Saturday, our friends, Leif + Alyssa, got married. Eric and Leif have known each other since first grade, and Eric was one of his groomsmen.

The ceremony was held outdoors at the Harvard Historical Society. Just before the ceremony started, we felt a few drops of rain. But the weather cooperated, and everything went as planned. The bride was stunning in her lace dress, and the groom couldn't have looked more pleased. It's always such a pleasure watching our friends say "I do."

Afterwards we all went to Wedgewood Pines Country Club for dinner and dancing. I didn't take many pictures because first I was too busy eating and then I was too busy dancing. We definitely had a great time!

Shakespeare On The Common 2010: Othello

On Wednesday afternoon I packed up a bunch of snacks, blankets, and some reading material, and headed to The Common. I got there around 5:15 to reserve a spot for the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's free summer production. This year they put on Othello. Most of the good spaces were taken by 5:45. It was 95 degrees out, and super humid; I was glad that all I had to do was sit.  

These were the people to my left. They used their bikes to hold space for their friends who were coming later. I held space with my two blankets; I laid on them while I read, took pictures, and waited for my friends to arrive.

Everybody loved this dog.

Seriously. The owner couldn't go two feet without somebody stopping to ask him about it and pet it. 

My friends started arriving around 7:15. By the time the show started there were nine of us! Some of the girls brought their dinner and we also had some snacks for sharing. That's my blue bag and green backpack right in the center. 

Here's our view of the stage. You could pay $25 and get one of the blue chairs reserved for you. Since the chairs were being held, all of the occupants showed up much closer to show-time, which was 8:00.

I had never read or seen Othello, so I was really excited. Luckily, before the show started, Lindsey gave us a little synopsis (she's a high school English teacher). That was so incredibly helpful! 

Even after hearing the details of the story, I found the first half sort of difficult to follow. After sitting on the ground for almost 3 hours by the time it started, I wasn't especially comfortable. I think that may have had something to do with my confusion. But maybe not.

After half time (aka intermission), I got more comfortable and the play seemed to make a lot more sense. The second half is also more exciting than the first.

I had a lot of fun. There's something so awesome about being in a big crowd of people who are all doing the exact same thing. Plus, there's nothing better than enjoying a gorgeous summer night with a bunch of friends. The show ended late, and with train ride + walk I didn't get home until midnight! That's pretty late for a work night, but totally worth it. And now I know the story of Othello.

P.S. I wasn't about to lug a tripod to the play in addition to all the other stuff, so I'm really pleased with how well these long distance nighttime pictures came out. I've got a pretty steady hand!

Crane Beach

On Saturday, some friends and I headed to Ipswich for a glorious day in the sun at Crane Beach. We packed up the car with chairs, blankets, magazine, and snacks and headed north on a little adventure. It was my first time visiting the area, and it was just beautiful. On our way, we even drove by a real live polo practice! I'd never seen anything like that (except in Pretty Woman).

The beach was an absolute delight. It was so great to have my feet in the sand and the sound of the ocean as the soundtrack to the day. I had a lot of fun with the girls, and everybody everywhere was smiling.

The only downside to the day was a bit of miscommunication in the morning. We accidentally left one of our friends behind; we assumed (always stupid) she wasn't coming, and didn't wait around at all to find out. We left in a hurry, but if we'd stayed at our meeting point in Harvard Square just a few more minutes, it would have been a perfect day. 

Historical Walk In Cambridge

On Wednesday, I went for a walk with some friends. We visited some of the historic landmarks in Cambridge. 

We started at Cambridge Common, at the gate you see above. We also checked out a really old cemetery, The Longfellow House (pictured below), and the Cambridge Historical Society. We made a few other stops and saw some other great looking houses in between, too.

The weather in Cambridge was perfect for our little excursion, and it was nice to be out and walking around as the sun went down. Warm summer evenings are awesome! 

Hope you have a great weekend! :)

Areej + Uzair's Three-Day Wedding Extravaganza

Where to begin, where to begin? This is going to be a long one, but I have so much to tell!

On June 11, I attended my first dance practice for this event. Yes, I said dance practice. I was terrified and felt ridiculously uncoordinated, but I persevered (and had some wonderfully patient teachers to help me). On the 12th I visited florists with the bride and helped tie ribbons on party favors for 350+ people. On the 13th,  three of us choreographed a surprise dance (with Areej's help) for the Saturday reception. The week leading up to the wedding was full of dance practices and restless sleep, because I was worrying about said dances.

Friday, the 18th, Eric surprised me by getting home at 11:30ish - he woke up at 5:00am! - three or so hours before I expected him. It was so wonderful to be able to spend time with him before I had to leave! At 3:30 I went to the florist with Areej's cousin, and then we headed to the hotel to put the arrangements together. Eric met me at the hotel at 6:30, as the other guests were starting to arrive. The night was a bit of a blur because all I could think about was the dancing. There were about 160 people the first night (Mehndi). We performed after dinner, and it went by in the blink of an eye; I didn't even mess up!

Saturday, Eric and I woke up early and went to breakfast and spent some time outside. At noon, eight of us met to finalize our plans for the surprise dance that evening. We figured out formations and taught the dance to four of the people, including Eric! Amazingly, practice went really well and we finished earlier than expected (Eric was a really quick study!). That night, the eight of us surprised 350+ people with our four minute dance, and I think we were a big hit! The best part was how much Areej and Uzair liked our show.

Sunday was the third and final night (Walima). (Eric had six hours of driving, so he didn't go, but I did get to spend most of the day with him.) I wore a black dress and a pink shawl from Pakistan that Areej gave me when we were roommates in college. After two nights of wearing gorgeous clothes from Pakistan, I felt under-dressed and plain, but I wasn't the only girl in American clothes. That night, there were sweet and funny speeches that made me tear up a little.

During the three nights, I felt like I was in a movie (perhaps because at any given moment at least 40 people were taking pictures!). Everything was beautiful, colorful, and intricate. There was amazing food, and I think I need a new playlist of Bollywood songs, because they are so catchy! The first night I borrowed an outfit from Areej (orange, because she knows that's my favorite), and the second night I wore an emerald green outfit that was made in Pakistan specifically for me! Watch the slideshow below for more photos of everything. 

I've been looking forward to this since the engagement party in May 2009. Now, more than a year later, the wedding has come and gone. It was beautiful, and I'm so thrilled that I was able to be there. For me, almost all of it was new and exciting; what fun!

To Areej + Uzair: May your future be filled with love and laughter. ♥

At The Flower Shop

On Saturday I went to a few florists with my friend, because I'm helping with the floral arrangements at her wedding reception on Friday. One shop we visited had the most beautiful flowers.

Unfortunately, the owner was rude and less than helpful. We ended up getting everything we needed elsewhere, and it was a much more pleasant experience. But I can't stop thinking about that other place; I want to spend all day there surrounded by gorgeousness (without the crabby lady, of course).

These photos (more on flickr) were all taken with my new used point-and-shoot. It's the same as the one I broke, but it's light blue. Let's hope this one doesn't suffer the same fate. I should probably mention that it was more affordable to get a used replacement than to get the other one fixed. Thank you ebay.

*New personalized contact cards in the shop today. Fun, fun, fun!

Brunch In The South End

You guys, I had a busy, busy weekend! As you know, I spent Saturday at a wedding. And Sunday I went to the South End to meet my friend, Justin, and his girlfriend. They were in town for the weekend, visiting from NYC.

I've known Justin since elementary school, but I haven't seen him since 2001 when we graduated high school. We weren't really friends in school, but last year we reconnected via Twitter. Seriously. The internet's pretty amazing, huh? Turns out, we actually have many common interests.

Anyway, the real life meet-up was fun! I was introduced to his girlfriend and the three of us had brunch at Masa. It was cool to catch up in person. Afterwards, I gave them a quick tour of the public garden and the common downtown.

*The picture was a little blurry so I Polaroid-ized it. I think it's definitely an improvement. I felt self-conscious photographing them while they were trying to eat and accidentally focused on their arms instead of their faces. And only took 1 picture. Haha.

Cloudy In Newport

Last weekend I was in Newport, RI for my college roommate's bachelorette getaway. It was a fun time. As always, Newport was gorgeous, even though some clouds did sneak in on us.

See more pictures from the weekend right here.

Aidan Sitting On The Couch

Last night we went to our friends' house to watch this week's episode of Glee (DVR is awesome). Added bonus: our hosts have two beautiful dogs (plus two cats and two rabbits). They're not easy to photograph, but I did get a few shots of Aidan. He's a tall dog, and sometimes he sits on the couch. With his feet on the floor. And it's hilarious.

Our friends made a delicious dinner and I got to play with some animals. It was a great night. I love Glee!

What did you do?

Newport Ball

Friday was the Newport Ball, the second HBS formal we've attended. Eric got all suited up in his tux, and I wore a black satin cocktail dress. Dressing up is so much fun.

There were good things and bad things about the ball, so I've made two lists:

Cons:

• I was freezing for hours. It was raining, in the 40s at most, and we were in a tent for dinner. I had no idea we'd be in a tent, so I just brought a little wrap instead of the coat, scarf, and mittens that would have been appropriate.
• Dinner was served at 2 different times, depending on section, so it was really hard to find my friends afterwards because there were 900 people there.
• I wasn't a huge fan of the music.
• It felt chaotic and I kept waiting for somebody to tell me what to do or where I should be (that never happened).

Pros:

• I got to know a bunch of new people since I couldn't find my friends. I had some really great conversations and enjoyed the company.
• I wore low heels so standing for a long time was not a problem (and I did stand for a really long time). Plus there were chairs, so when I wanted to sit it was easy (that wasn't the case at the Holidazzle).
• It was a buffet, so I got to eat a lot of salad (the best part of the meal).
• I eventually did find some of my friends, and we had a great time.
• It was warm inside (once I discovered that there actually was an inside).
• I got to wear a pretty dress and Eric got to wear his tux (and we looked great)!

As you can see, the pros outweigh the cons. I had a good time even if I was freezing and somewhat confused about the goings on!

Saturday we went on two mansion tours (no pictures allowed inside) with a small group while other people went to a wine tasting (which we heard was terrible).

The mansions were cool and it was a lot of fun. We carpooled in a station wagon, and I sat in the way back (you know, the backwards seat!) and took pictures from a different POV. After the tours we had Awful Awfuls (milk shakes) at the Newport Creamery.

That night was a dinner at the Clarke Cooke House for Eric's section. A few of his section-mates put a lot of effort into an end-of-year presentation which we enjoyed after a delicious meal. Sunday morning we met up with some friends from college for brunch and hanging out before heading back to Boston. Overall, good weekend.

Check out this slideshow for more photos from the weekend.

The Future Of Menus?

On Friday night we joined some friends for dinner at Da Vinici Ristorante (yay for restaurant week!). The food was excellent, and the company was even better. Our waiter was a pill, but all of the other staff seemed great (after our meal the chef came out to ask us how everything was; I felt like a VIP). You guys, this place had glowing menus. Glowing!

Some guy who works there told us they cost $200 each (maybe that's why there weren't enough to go around - we only got 3 for a table of 6). It seems a little excessive, but it was so dark in there we probably wouldn't have been able to see the menu otherwise. It was a fun novelty, that's for sure!

I took this picture with my blackberry, but you can clearly see that the menu is lighting up Eric and Joe.

Spring Break {Part 2}

Saturday we went for a short hike in the woods. The great thing about hikes on the Vineyard is that the goal is always a beautiful beach. As we approached the sand we saw a few rock sculptures. This one really seemed to defy gravity.

After spending some time exploring the water's edge, we continued our hike. We climbed up a small hill and looked out over the ocean. The trees are all bent from the sea breeze.

After the hike, we went back to the house and we all read/napped on the beach for a while. The weather was just amazing; I still can't believe how beautiful it was. In the evening we headed to The Net Result to pick up some lobsters and oysters for dinner (I had fried clams and coleslaw since I'm not a huge fan of lobster fan or oysters).

While we waited for the lobsters to be steamed we walked around Gannon & Benjamin's looking at the boats they're working on. It was so cool! The tools they use look like they've been around for a really long time.

Eric's grandfather joined us for our decadent dinner. He's an amazing guy, and he told us some really interesting stories. Eric and Mike ending up talking to him for long time after dinner while Brooke and I cleaned up and played some games.

Sunday, I woke up to watch the sunrise. Everything was so quiet and peaceful. I spent a few hours sitting in a sunny spot on the couch reading and enjoying my last morning of vacation.

After everybody else got up and ate breakfast, we cleaned up the house and spent some time in downtown Vineyard Haven. Most of the stores were closed because it was Sunday + the off season, but I did manage to get a gift for a friend (I had something specific in mind and her birthday was soooo long ago). After lunch it was time to say good-bye. It was hard to leave! It was warm enough to spend the ferry ride outside, which is always the best.

Eric and I will be back soon enough (I hope!). See more pictures of our trip on my flickr.

*It's Thursday, so head on over to the ELM blog for some sunny inspiration.

Spring Break {Part 1}

Last week was Eric's spring break. It was great having him home for the first part of the week, and I took some time off for the second half so I could have a mini-break, too. Our HBS friends, Brooke + Mike, picked us up on Thursday in the early afternoon, and the four of us headed off to catch the boat to Martha's Vineyard.

As we approached the island, it looked so different. We're used to seeing it with tons of green leaves and boats all around us in the water. It was a little strange, but that's why it's still the off season. The weather was almost too good to be true! It was just glorious (all weekend).

It was their first time visiting, so everything from parking for the ferry to visiting the shops on the island was exciting for them (and for us too, because it's just such a wonderful experience). We got there late in the afternoon, so we didn't do too much besides get groceries for the long weekend before grabbing dinner at Offshore Ale. As we drove to the restaurant, the sun was setting in a spectacular display.

Afterwards we played games and chatted and just relaxed, in the way that feels so right when you're on the Vineyard.

Friday morning I woke up bright and early to get some exercise in before we started our day. Then I got everybody to go for a quick mile run to the West Chop Lighthouse and a 2 mile walk to finish the loop back home. Since it was Brooke + Mike's first time visiting, we had a lot to show them. First we set off to see the gingerbread houses in Oak Bluffs.

Then we drove to Edgartown where we walked around for a bit and visited their Lighthouse.

Then we drove across the island to Gay Head (aka Aquinnah) to check out the view and another lighthouse (3 lighthouses in one day!).

After that we went home. And then we realized that I was severely dehydrated. I'm not exaggerating; I got pretty sick. I'll spare you the details, but I drank a ton of water and then made a pretty speedy recovery after a few hours of total misery. I was even able to join everybody for dinner at the Black Dog Tavern - a first for me! That place is usually too crowded for us to visit, so I was excited for a chance to check it out!

Soon I'll share pictures from the rest of our trip!