snow SNOW sNoW

Being snowed in...

- gives you a chance to enjoy the christmas tree
- write letters
- create blog posts
- go to bed early and sleep in late
- drink tea and hot chocolate with marshmallows
- play super mario brothers for wii
- read
- talk
- take naps
- teaches you how to use a snow blower
- encourages you to measure icicles
- build snow girls and get creative about her... scarf, hat, eyes, nose and buttons

a little bit of photo cheer!

DC Fun Times... The National Christmas Tree and The Omni Shorham hotel
Lilly Bean... helping decorate! Notice no gifts under the tree... Lilly LOVES eating ribbon!!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

I have been a blog slacker...but... with a full 9 days away from work... I am officially back on blogging...

Some favorite holiday happenings over the past 2 weeks...pictures to come soon!

~decorating our home... our mantle... our christmas tree...our stairs... and our puppy!
~wrapping gifts for friends and loved ones
~sending christmas cards
~receiving christmas cards
~eating candy canes
~selecting a letter from Operation Santa
~a visit to the national christmas tree with our families and dear friends
~a fabulous dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill by the White House
~visiting a festive hotel where my family stayed in dc
~ornament exchanges and white elephants (where I receive a wax dipped teddy bear... which I left at the train station for someone more deserving...)
~drinking decaf skinny caramel brulee latte's from starbucks
~SNOW SNOW SNOW and more SNOW!

gym tales

i started my gym giggling today when i received an email from my dear friend miss virginia vines ;) about a lillified work out woman she saw at the gym today... complete in lilly spandex (we aren't sure if they even make those...) and a large pink bow in her hair...

i continued my gym giggling tonight during my workout... so i completed some cardio (on some full body sculpting thing which I would recommend... my achilles tendon is still hurting so no running right now.. womp womp) and I made my way down to the weights and stretching area which is typically filled with ladies around my age... well not tonight... there was one lady and myself.. with a group of about 5 guys ranging from mid to late twenties to mid thirties... it was truly unbelievable the chatter that was happening... i am truly shocked at that amount of information these people share in the gym...

my favorite..

"yeah she's only 24. I'm 33 but she has no idea. we've been dating 5 months"

Are you KIDDING me?!?!?!

"but now I think I'm going to break it off probably tomorrow"

some other dude, "oh what's her name?"

"Andrea"

If I were a really courageous person, I totally would have walked up and said, "Andrea is my best friend. I saw your picture on her desk."

just a few things i am thankful for...

My wonderful husband
A loving and caring family
A precious puppy that loves to snuggle
Dear friends who are supportive, caring, fun, and make me laugh!
A3 girls
A job that I love
An education that I wouldn't trade for the world
Memories of loved ones we've lost
Spending Thanksgiving with both of our families...

and just a few others...
running
taking pictures
grosgrain ribbon
polos
citizen jeans
long sleeve tshirts
sleeping late
gummy bears and gummy worms from the fresh market
lilly pulitzer warehouse sale
lemon tea in cute mugs
slippers in the winter and flip flops in the summer
reading a good book
looking at magazines
country music
down comforters
white super soft sheets
the color pink
blue moon
trader joes
cute leashes for lilly bean
... and the list could continue...

Why I love the Lilly Sale...

pink and green. white eyelet lace. shopping with family (mom)... shopping with friends. standing in line for a number. having a fabulous number. waking up early, getting bagels and standing in line again. samples and seconds. people watching. pile sitter watching. shoes. accessories. pink mesh bags. trying on trying on and trying on again. stealth missions for samples and seconds. shopping for others. shopping for my husband. shopping for peoples kiddos. going back, not once not twice but three times. adding up what you spent...and adding up the retail value... and realizing...the lilly sale is truly... amazing.

i heart the lilly sale!

Richmond Race weekend

What a weekend! Some highlights of our Richmond Half Marathon weekend...

*the expo with mom and katy~ free fun tshirts, samples, people watching and of course fabulous sayings on tshirts
*pasta party with my fam and dear friends katy and hunter including a fabulous cheese ball in the shape of a pumpkin.. thank you Southern Living and Katy
*race day... cheering for mom, vijay, brandon and katy for the 8k and then meaghan and i's half marathon
*the friendliest half marathon in the country ... which has lots of cheerleaders, dj's and treats along the path including Yuengling at mile 9 (we had to take a sip and CHEERS, just because!) and "jumk food" at mile 7 to include gummy bears, cookies, pretzels and coke.. no thank you!
*the course was filled with hills... but we kept each other going and beat our last half marathon time by almost 5 minutes!
*the new running outfit was PERFECT... for the temperature ... and a little drizzle at the beginning of the race
*a yummy place for celebrating in richmond, The Capitol Alehouse which was quite yummy for a raspberry beer and a huge pretzel for sharing to start us off!
*a birthday celebration for meaghan... 13.1 miles when turning 31.. go Meg girl...
*a great road trip home that took a bit longer but we learned that our puppy is a SUPERSTAR in the car! 8.5 hours later and she was still snuggling!

*and LILLY LOVED her sleepover with dear puppy buddies Ellie and Crosby... she loved playing in their backyard, going on walks, playing and even snuggling on the couch! (pictures to come soon!)

Ready... ready... ready... ready to run...

Its that time... the day before the half marathon... and I'm excited for a great race tomorrow...and am really hoping that the weather clears up a little!

I got some fabulous new running tights and a wonderful new running top...which I happen to love. I am going to be an adidas commercial tomorrow. My favorite running store Bryn Mawr Running Company was wonderfully helpful in finding the perfect outfit for me... and the perfect running shoes for meaghan. Gotta love a place that lets you bounce around in their apparel for a good hour... that is also pet friendly.. so Lilly got to come along! Love it.

The Expo today was great... some classic running shirts (pictures to come soon)... and some giveaways that always make an expo interesting! I was excited to see that one of the benefactors of the race is Donate Life... quite a wonderful cause!

So dear friends and family are coming over to have a fun pasta dinner here at my families home tonight ... and then up bright and early tomorrow morning for race day!

a thankful birthday girl...

What a wonderful birthday! Birthdays happen to be one of my most favorite days of all time... not only my own birthday... everyone's birthdays... I love what a special day they can be... and for that matter how you can celebrate for weeks surrounding a birthDAY!

My wonderful husband planned such a fun little get together at our home with our new puppy.. Lilly! It was a combo party..Welcome Lilly being the main event... and it happened to be my bday.. November 2! We enjoyed snacks, dinner, drinks and company with some dear friends.









Lilly did such a wonderful job meeting everyone and welcoming them (whcih I was a little concerned about, as we have kept her pretty sheltered for the first week of her life here with us...I thought she might run and hide.. but she was the opposite) She of course, licked each person a few times to welcome them to our home! She snuggled ... and played... with so many new toys and so many new friends and "aunties"! She loves all of her new toys and
apparel!











One of my most favorite parts... is the ice cream cake pictured here. The writing on it is fabulous, right?!

Well, sweet Derek says to me, "If you like the way it looks, I wrote it!, If not, the lady at Maggie Moo's wrote it." Well I of course commented on how nice it looked and he stated, "well then I did it!" I did not believe him. At all. I mean, it was clearly professionally written. However, the next morning I was packing my lunch, Derek was sitting with Lilly while she had breakfast and I opened our pantry to discover two icing canisters... one pink and one white... the same colors as the writing on the ice cream cake! He DID write on the cake.. I am one impressed lady.

What do a lobster, Abby Cadabby and a graduate have in common?!

FAMILY!!!!! we were a mismatched bunch that matched just perfectly :)

Introducing Lilly Bean!!!

What an adventure it has been so far!!!

Lilly's first two days have been packed full of excitement! The first
day was a lot of sniffing and getting used to being held by both of us.
Lilly didn't want to show us she could even move her little legs... she just
sat and cuddled.

Her first night was a quiet night, no whining at all! At one point I heard some
rustling that continued for about 15 minutes. Because I took Monday off and Derek
was working, we made a pact that I would take her out. Well I decided it was time. I
put on my coat, my shoes and went to her crate inviting her out. Well I have since learned that you are not to make a big deal when getting them out of the crate. When I picked her up... I thought I felt a little wetness on my pajama pants leg, and then I felt like my leg was soaked... however, seeing as thought it was about 2 am I thought no this cant be. Until we got outside and under the light I looked down to note that, yes, I was officially covered in Lilly puppy pee. And so began the bond between me and Lilly Bean!

The next day (yesterday) I stayed home with her for lots of cuddle time and getting used to us, her new family, without her brothers and sisters (sigh, tear). We had a wonderful day of cuddling and meeting people! We met a pet "au pair" who was simply wonderful! (I thought they were called dog walkers... not anymore!!) I was out walking with Lilly... carrying her of course (she isnt quite ready for leash walking) when I met this nice woman who has a Cavalier King Charles named Layla!
Lilly met a big black lab named Wix who was so sweet to her, he licked her ears and Lilly was very friendly! We also met a nice neighbor with 3 children... Lilly got to meet 2, 3 year old little boys and a 5 year old little girl... and was SO sweet! She is a cuddle bug!

Lilly has had a few visitors which she has loved! She has played with them and snuggled with them! She loves all of her auntie's (and she loves having lots of them!)

Things we have learned so far...
1. she loves little nooks and crannies and corners...
2. she isnt quite sure what a water bowl is... perhaps the breeder had some other fancy way of feeding her water...
3. she is alarmed by fire engines (they must not have many where she came from in texas)
4. she loves licking hands (not chewing ... just lots of licking... and her tongue is extremely long)
5. she hearts soft toys!
6. she has not figured out treats yet... so if anyone has any suggestions please send them our way!
7. she loves sitting on dry ground when its raining
8. she is extremely smart.. you show her how to climb the stairs outside once, and shes got it!
9. she is afraid of the poofy white dog from next door, just like we are! (not really afraid.. just a little surprised how such a poofy white thing could bark so so much!)
10. she hearts the color pink and wearing one simple little bow.. she is a lady!

Lilly Bean's Arrival

Welcome to our home Miss Lilly Bean!!!

We are so excited to welcome you to our family!!! We were all ready for your arrival... with a comfy bed, a nice cozy crate (because you are crate trained!), lots of toys, the food that the breeder has been feeding you, treats and of course a cute collar and leash!

It took months to make the decision about getting you, weeks to find you, and more weeks to schedule your arrival and confirm all of the details with the breeder for your adventure all the way from Houston, Texas. For such a little puppy.. that sure is a long way! 4 hours in the plane you traveled... our little unaccompanied minor...

However, you arrived safe and sound... and simply PRECIOUS.

The Last Lecture

by: Randy Pausch

is one of the most moving, heartwarming, and well written books I have read in a long time. It has some similarities to Tuesdays with Morrie; however, touches a completely different set of topics and connects in a different way...

I would highly suggest this book as a vacation read, Sunday afternoon read, train read or plane read... (but have your tissues ready if you are traveling... I made that mistake on the flight home from Naples...my tissues were nowhere to be found and the lovely gentleman next to me asked if I was ok, and politely offered me kleenex...)

As you are reading... I suggest paying attention to the following lessons... they are my favorites...

3. The Elephant in the room
35. Start by sitting together
36. Look for the best in everybody
41. The Lost art of thank-you notes
44. Show gratitude
46. All you have is what you bring with you
51. No Job is beneath you

"That is what it is. We can't change it. We just have to decide how we'll respond. We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." -Randy

Sunshine and Sand.

Sunshine. Sand. Flip Flops. Rafts in the pool. Laying at the pool. Fresh seafood. Mint chocolate chop ice cream from Kilwin's. Captiva & Sanibel Islands. Pink and green sundresses. happy hour. Girl time.

...Naples.

Our mom and daughter girl's trip to Naples was sprinkled with sunshine and a gorgeous "cool front" of about 75 on the last day. We enjoyed every second and had time to reminisce about all of our favorite Naples memories!

One group of memories involves The Mucky Duck... a favorite restaurant on Captiva Island from my brother and I's childhood... one where we played in the sand while my mom and dad enjoyed one another's compant at the tables in the sand... during sunset! When we arrived at the Mucky Duck, we shared with the hostess that I had not visited the Mucky duck in at least 23 years. They were all amazed and excited to hear about my Mucky Duck memories from childhood! One memory I have is of my Mucky Duck tshirt with a green ringer around the neck and sleeves! It is truly unreal that Sanibel and Captiva survived Hurricane Katrina, and brought back businesses that thrived there for years. During hurricane katrina, these islands were completely evacuated, as they were flooded and the bridge to the islands was destroyed. The islands were closed for about 2 years, and now they are back up and operating with an island flavor life no other! Live music on the streets and an island pizazz that encourages chillaxing in the island breeze!

We enjoyed some shopping and celebrating my birthday a little bit early at a favorite Nashville, Charlotte, Naples restaurant called Bricktops. They have a dessert that is simply divine... a warm gooey chocolate chop cookie served in an iron skillet with vanilla icecream... it was a wonderful way to start some b-day celebrating! If only I could figure out a way to re-create this perfect dessert at home...

The sunshine was breathtaking, the sunsets were like paintings, the water was like a warm bath and the company was simply perfect!


If only I could just stay!

Naples Bound...

I am ready... with my Lilly goodies from our big Lilly Lovers win all packed and ready to go! (by the way.. this fabulous prize included an awesome straw beach bag, some classic pink McKim's, an adorable towel, a frisbee, a deck of cards, a pink wallet, and one of my most favorite parts... Lilly sunglasses!!!!!)

At this time tomorrow... I will be chillaxing in Naples, FL. Mom and I have not had a girls trip to Naples in over a year, so this will be simply wonderful! We are planning on fun in the sun, some shopping, beach walks, a trip to Sanibel Island and anything else that comes our way! All in all it will be a fabulous fun filled adventure in the sun...

I'm leaving on a jet plane...

Dance your cares away, worry's for another day...

Let the music play... Down at Fraggle Rock!

Jim Henson's Fantastic World is a traveling exhibit that is well worth a visit! Derek and I traveled to Doylestown, PA to visit this exhibit at the James A Michener Art Museum with my dear friend Mel from college and her sister Mary. It was a fascinating exhibit filled with a historical perspective of the Muppet's including original drawings and actual muppets...We didnt know what to expect and who the exhibit was geared towards, however, we were pleasantly surprised!

Who knew that the original Kermit the frog was created from Jim's mothers coat and a ping pong ball?!

The drawings and thoughts from Jim Henson were interesting...Grover was originally purple...the first Bert and Ernie looked NOTHING like they do currently... and Cookie Monster had some pretty scary looking teeth. We were interested that there were many spiral notebooks with Jim Henson's doodlings and random story lines for Sesame Street. There were also many pages of his random thoughts about characters and ideas for both Sesame Street as well as Fraggle rock. I would highly suggest this exhibit to anyone able to visit... it is traveling around the country so check some of the museums near you!

Life's fun when you're having flies. I've got a dream too, but it's about singing and dancing and making people happy. That's the kind of dream that gets better the more people you share it with. - Kermit the Frog

When coffee turns into wine...

we had plans for a cup of coffee to catch up... talk about life... in different cities...now that my dear susie k has moved to annapolis, md...

so you might ask, how did that cup of coffee turn into a glass of wine?

well let me explain... we started chatting on my couch the minute she arrived... as dear friends tend to do... we jumped from moving to missing life in the same city, rings & wedding bells, family, work, friends, puppies, good meals, running, healthcare and every topic in between...and two hours later without skipping a beat... sweet derek came in and casually stated, "clearly you all haven't made it to your cup of coffee... how about a glass of wine?!"

and that my friends is how coffee...turns into wine!

Pink cupcakes and Puppy thoughts

What could be better than eating a hot pink cupcake and thinking about getting a puppy?!

We would LOVE to get a puppy... I, personally, have wanted a puppy since graduate school started so we are going on about 5 years now. I have been patient patient patient; however, every day as I bop around on my running adventures I see more and more puppies and dogs and just get SO excited to have one to join our little family! Currently we are waiting to hear if we can have a lil puppy in this home... so we are keeping our fingers crossed!

Now, for the exciting part... you are probably thinking... what kind of puppy would they get? what would they name her?

let me share...
I would LOVE a big golden retriever to train to run by my side, go on park adventures, play in the ocean etc; however, with a small yard and the fact that Derek has never had a dog... I think we will start with a smaller pup! We are thinking about a cocker spaniel or a king charles spaniel... medium sized, great temperament, love to cuddle and also to play, friendly to children.. really a perfect puppy for us! I have also gotten some great recommendations about breeders for king charles spaniels.... and really they are just precious!

now of course, we would love to adopt a puppy from the humane society; however, the application states that you will not even be considered without a fenced in yard... which I happen to think is a little bit silly. I mean really? We will be perfect puppy parents... even though we don't have a fence!

Will keep you all updated as we patiently await...

a thought to ponder...

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Happy Fall Y'all

Happy fall y'all! I adore lil punkins... therefore... I decided why not buy some and do a little decorating?! Now I typically set them around the house in random locations; however, in this home with a mantle, my dear fresh basil gave me a wonderful idea... place them on the mantle. I love them.

this past weekend I got to do a little adventuring in Baltimore while Derek was attending a conference. I got to join him at the beautiful Renaissance Hotel at the Inner Harbor. It is a wonderful place with great amenities including an extremely fluffy bed, a great gym, coffee bar and it's attached to a mall! What more could a girl ask for?! I had some tips from a dear friend about spots to visit while there~ had a wonderful time adventuring through the inner harbor and Fell's Point. If you are ever in the area and want a great lunch spot, I suggest stopping at Kooper's Tavern. The outdoor seating looks directly at the sailboats... its a wonderful sight.

Another highlight of the weekend was the social event for the conference. the group rented the club level of the Ravens football stadium which was adorned with fun drinks, great food and wonderful music! We had a great time enjoying the company of others and a little bit of dancing!

We look forward to another trip to Baltimore for a stop at Red Star which came highly recommended!

and perhaps... part of a new thought in our minds about a puppy might have been sparked by this wonderfully chill painting as we left a fun weekend in Baltimore...puppy thoughts to come shortly...

Philadelphia ING Half Marathon Finishers!

Our half marathon weekend was full of great friends, pasta, Alex's Lemonade water ice and running!

We started off attending the Expo on Saturday. Two of my fabulous college roommates, Julie and Kate, came in to town, one to run and one to cheer so we made our way into the city for lunch at Reading Terminal Market. It is a wonderful historic spot in Philly... a few people ate thai food and I ate at a wonderful southern cooking spot with famous macaroni and cheese! It was wonderful! After lunch, we attended the ING Expo where we picked up our numbers and sampled a few different products including cytomax (an energy drink) that we did not love, muscle milk (which is a bizarre name for an oddly tasting drink) and MGD64 the new beer that has 64 calories which we decided tasted similar to Mich Ultra with a bottle of water added to it! We had a blast bouncing around with orange sunglasses which they were happily handing out.

We enjoyed pasta with friends that night and ate some Alex's Lemonade Water Ice in honor of our running shirts and "team" of runners! The next morning we were up early for our start of the race. I for one love a simple banana and a new favorite, thomas's flat breads that are a combination of a roll and a pita pocket with some crunchy organic peanut butter. I would strongly recommend this combo to any runner looking for a good pre-race breakfast!

The weather was GORGEOUS. It started out in the mid 50's and at the end of the race was in the low 70's! We could not ask for a better running day! The corrals were organized well, and the beginning of the race was flawless. The biggest decision of the morning was to wear, or not to wear a running jacket... and finally, both meaghan and I decided to leave them with our cheer team.

The run itself was awesome. Few hills, great scenery, a few good cheering spots (where we saw our awesome cheer team!!!, thanks yall!!), great distance between water stations, plenty of Gu at the energy station, a little bit of music, and a lot of people but spread out enough that we never felt like we were tripping over others. It was also super fun to wear our Alex's Lemonade stand shirts, we were easy to spot and we were running for a cause all at the same time!!! As many of you know, I am not a talker when I run; however, for some reason during this run, Meaghan and I chatted from about mile 5 through mile 12! When you are ready for a race, and you need someone to help distract you from a throbbing finger, chatting is the perfect solution!



Looking forward to the next race... the Richmond, VA half marathon on November 14...in just 49 days! My family is going to run the 8k while Katy, a dear friend from Vanderbilt, and I run the half marathon~ should be a great time!

Ready Ready Ready...Ready to Ruuuun...

So the countdown to the ING Half Marathon in Philly has begun... 1 week from today! Now this training has been interesting... it has been hot and humid so the beginning was treadmill training but then had to switch to outdoor running... so I decided I needed to make a hard core purchase. See the photo with that crazy water bottle?! I decided... I should really be drinking water while running for over an hour so I became hard core. Now wearing this water "belt" was an interesting experience for a few reasons...

1. it bounces around alot
2. it is fascinating how other runners move out of your way when wearing this. I am convinced that it is some sort of symbol of... I am hard core. So people move out of the way!
3. I am really not hard care which made it even funnier wearing this!

More updates to come this week as we all get ready... in our Alex's Lemonade Stand running shirts!!!!

Lilly Winners!

We are SO excited to be named LILLY LOVER DAYS WINNERS FOR 2009!!!!

I looked down at my new blackberry tour (which I happen to love) and noticed 14 messages. Now I enjoy a good text message conversation but to look down and have 14 messages and multiple missed calls was a bit alarming. So I started scrolling through to see who was calling and what could be so important... when I realized... the messages read... CONGRATULATIONS... YAY for you...You've Done it...with these messages, I have to admit I was a bit perplexed!

I thought to myself, what have I done? What have I won? And that is when I learned from a dear friend in Charlotte, NC that Derek and I WON third place in the Lilly Lover Days Competition for 2009!!!! I was SO excited, I called Derek immediately to share the great news! Now we are waiting excitedly for our Lilly Beach Tote fillllled... yes... filled says the competition rules to the brim with Lilly beach goodies (Don't worry we will take some photos when it arrives!!!)! We are super excited and are thinking of some creative ways to celebrate our big Lilly win!!!

a touch of Coastal Living in Richmond, VA

So last weekend I decided... why not head home on the Amtrak train for a little Mom and Vijay time?! So after a few clicks, I was booked for my almost 5 hour train ride to Richmond to go home!

Now Amtrak trains are an interesting way to travel... and one that I highly suggest. If you can get a train that originates where your adventure begins, perfect, if not, get ready for some searching for a seat... especially in Philadelphia. So the picking begins... he's taking up to much room.. she's plastered to the window not looking friendly.... he's sleeping across both seats... she's terrified to be traveling alone (she might be 8 years old...and I have been with children all day long)... but he looks nice, clearly an older businessman...looking at people as they walk by eating M&M's... might be a normal ride! So I take a seat. Turns out it was a pleasant ride to DC, we each had our own agenda... I was finishing up work from the week, as was he... so we greeted one another and then enjoyed a quiet ride. He did walk to the cafe car at one point and then suggested I join his "happy hour" on the train, so I walked to the beverage car and had a beverage on the train while watching movies, writing thank you notes and flipping through magazines! After DC, I was solo in my two seater... what a fabulous ride for the final 2 and a half hours of my trip!

The weekend in Richmond was fabulous as always... we spent time laughing... staying up late (he 2 nights I was there Mom and I easily hit the 1:00 hour...) bopping around Richmond to a few favorite spots and enjoying some yummy treats! 2 favorites include... Tweed .. an adorable boutique that happens to have a gift for every occasion you might be shopping for... and an adorable lunch spot... Mosaic... that came highly recommended from a dear friend. Mosaic may have had the BEST cooke we have EVER tasted... about an inch thick... white chocolate & milk chocolate chunk with toffee pieces... amazing.

Another favorite includes Mom's decorating adventures.. she finds something cute, new and different in her Coastal Living or design magazines and implements it in the house... note the pink accent chairs at the kitchen table... a new "go to" design for kitchens these days! So cute and so inviting for a bright and cheery kitchen! What a fun weekend at HOME!

Wine glasses... and pins... and poems... oh my!

It's important to celebrate the Bride to Be...

So we decided to celebrate Annie B with some cheers... and fondue! A group of girls got together for an evening of rhyming poems to lead us to our destinations, cheers in a glass that matched the bride's dress perfectly (Annie is in teal... and notice the polka dot "I Do" wine glass next to her!), and some fabulous Because She's the Bride buttons. Now party planning happens to be something that I LOVE. When it comes to parties... I like coordination... and classy fun... topped off with fabulous friends. This evening was just that.

Having been to the Melting Pot before on dates and other celebrations, I was excited for the adventure that is a meal at this unique spot. It met my expectations, with a fabulous server named, Simba. Yes, I am serious, Simba. We started off with cheese, salads, entrees and of course finished it off with chocolate. We enjoyed some wonderful red wine a well, Bogle Merlot, which I would highly recommend.

More posts will be coming shortly from our wedding adventures in Chattanooga and DC... stay tuned!

Summer Baseball Fun

I have never been a big baseball fan... but these days I am finding that it can be quite fun! The first baseball event of the summer was to the Delaware Blue Rocks Minor League team... we joined some Elon alum's for this adventure. We had great seats and the company was wonderful!

The second baseball event was for... The Phillies! Now I know that anyone from Philadelphia ADORES the Phillies with everything in them... I simply don't understand that level of commitment to a sports team... but I can play the game! (I think its a southern thing to be dedicated to college sports but not major league sports...) We spent time at McFadden's during the game and got to enjoy some cold blue moon's with CHOP friends and others. Katherine ( a Child Life Specialist I used to work with...) was in town so it was wonderful to see her! These baseball adventures were an all around good time with friends... looking forward to the DC Nationals game on the Fourth of July with my family!!!

The Lilly Pulitzer Wearhouse Sale

Every year, the Lilly sale gets a little bigger, a little more involved.

I don't mean the size or scope of the actual sale. I'm referring to our involvement in the sale. I knew we had reached a new level when I was asked "Where's our air mattress?!" We were excited to have Peggy in town for the sale. Here's the week's activities via pictures...

Tuesday --- Waiting for a ticket. Arrival 11am. Departure 7pm.

Wednesday --- The Lilly Pulitzer Wearhouse Sale opens! Arrival 4:45am. Departure 11am.

Saturday --- The Men's Sale. Arrival 7am. Departure 10am.

What a week... for the serious Lilly lovers, make sure that you follow Lilly on Facebook. They chose 20 people this year from their fans to get a tour of the corporate office and juice bar!

The fall date has already been announced... NOVEMBER 18 -21. Reservations at the Luther Resort and Spa are now open.

Our First Camping Trip

What an adventure!

It took some convincing to get LML out in the wilderness for a night. Not a weekend, just a night. You see, contrary to her brother's experiences, Brittany doesn't really camp. How Julie, Sam and Kate convinced her to do this, I'll never know.

We stayed at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware. It's just down the street from the Cape May, NJ - Lewes, DE ferry. We had two sites next to each other in a nice wooded area . We were on the outskirts of the camp ground (which made for some quiet) and were able to walk to the beach.

There were some proud moments, like the tent going up,

and some challenging ones... mosquitos, a morning hail storm, and lack of a concierge lounge.

My full compliments to the A3 ladies for getting everyone together for the first of many +1 adventures.