Here and gone

All traces of the holidays have left the building (literally and figuratively). We took down the decorations Monday night and it was back to the grind yesterday. I really can’t complain though, since our time off was well spent with friends, family and a healthy dose of date nights!

Here are some highlights:

Had my first red cup of the season.


Saw Young Adult and loved it. Charlize Theron was perfect for the role.


Discovered a new Pinot Noir that I like.

Went on a beautiful birthday celebration/double date night with Kristen and Sean at Longwood Gardens and Dilworthtown Inn.

Kristen and I at Longwood Gardens. Here is a full recap of the night.

Got 1 mani and painted my nails 2 more times.

Zoya Shay w/Sally Hansen Gem Crush in Big Money as an accent nail
Venique in B-Ceen-B-Gorgeous w/Venique in Twinkling Glitter as an accent nail


Revlon Scene Stealer

Had a fun shopping day in Delaware with my mom and got Red Robin…yum!

Went to WWE Raw with Geof (since he's taken me to see Britney and Lady Gaga). I’d be lying if I said I wasn't a little interested in the storylines. We went to Denny’s afterwards and some of the wrestlers showed up.

Geof and I at the Wells Fargo Center, me with The Miz and Zack Ryder, Geof with Nikki Bella and me with Dolph Ziggler

Watched Elf for the first time ever.


Drove around and looked at pretty Christmas lights.

Saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Besides a few differences from the book, I thought the movie was done really well.


Finally saw Love and Other Drugs (first half – good, second half – depressing).


Went down to the city to have lunch at Reading Terminal Market and then went to Macy’s to see the light show. It’s also where the movie Mannequin was filmed!




Baked lots of Christmas goodies.

Spent Christmas Eve at home with my mom and Geof.


Spent Christmas Day at my cousin Bill & Lara’s house with the entire family. I had such a blast with all of my cousins.

Me with two out of the three triplets on Christmas

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and are gearing up for the new year!

{mid} Summer Bucket List

It’s hard to believe that we’re already into July. Summer is flying by and I need to hang on tight before it’s gone. With that said, I wanted to make some goals for myself and fun ones at that. Most of the time we’re always setting goals to better this and improve that (which is great, don’t get me wrong), but sometimes we need to just let go and have a little fun. Isn’t that what summer is all about?

Here is what I intend to do before Labor Day weekend:

Amusement park


Water park


Read more


Watch a sunset or two


Wine tasting


Beach day


I’ll let you know how it all works out!

Is there anything you have your heart set on doing before the end of summer?

Images via weheartit

Weekend recap

Friday, Geof and I had a date night and headed to the King of Prussia mall for some shopping. Usually he is really bad about being at the mall with me, but he was patient and we made it a fun trip. I got a new Glossimer from Chanel at Nordstrom. It’s a limited edition shade called Bikini Peach (love the name). It was the last one they had in stock, so I was happy to get my hands on it. I also had a really good coupon for NY&CO, so I got a comfy pair of yoga capri pants, a cute scarf and pair of earrings. We also went to Lilly and I got a really cute tunic on sale and also got the new spaghetti strap McKim in daiquiri pink. I can’t wait to wear both to the pool!


New purchases!

After shopping, we went to dinner at Rock Bottom. We were seated where we could watch the Phillies game and had some microbrews and the most delicious soft pretzels as an appetizer with cheese/spinach dip. I had a really good flatbread pizza and Geof got a burger. After dinner, we went to the movies to see Iron Man 2. For a sequel, it was surprisingly good. The special effects were so cool and it had an interesting storyline. I remember when the first one came out and I didn’t even want to see it. I’m such a fan now.


Iron Man 2

Saturday, Geof and I went to the gym and got in an awesome workout. It’s been so long since we’ve been able to go together because of our schedules. As a side note, I took on a second job and it’s making it harder to stay on a normal schedule. It will take some getting used to, but it was necessary for right now.

We came home, relaxed a bit and then got ready for our date night with Trish and Matt. I had been anticipating this for such a long time and couldn’t wait to finally meet in person. We met for dinner at Generations and I was giddy with excitement to see both of them. When they walked in, Trish and I just grabbed each other and hugged for the longest time. She was just as sweet as I had always imagined. Matt was so friendly and I knew right off the bat that it was going to be a wonderful night. We were seated and basically took all of the server’s recommendations with regard to wine/beer, appetizers and entrees. Conversation was easy and we chatted about everything from the silly to the serious. They are a beautiful couple and overall incredible people. I’m sincere when I say that Geof and I feel lucky to have connected with another couple that is that wonderful. To think that if it weren’t for blogging, we never would have met.


Me, Geof, Trish and Matt before dinner at Generations


Trish and Matt at Jack's Tavern


Love this girl!

After they practically kicked us out of the restaurant (just kidding), we headed across the street to a dive bar called, Jack’s Tavern. It was funny because Geof and Matt had both made comments about wanting to check the place out, so we were all on the same page there. We had a few drinks, some more laughs and finally called it a night. This is definitely not the last time that we’ll be seeing the two of them.

We got home and our neighbors invited us over to play Rock Band. It was the first time that we’ve played with enough people to do all of the instruments. I was laughing so hard as the finger pointing ensued as to who screwed up and got us kicked out of our virtual show. We stayed up way too late, but had a nice time.

Sunday was a much needed laid back day. I slept in and then did some baking. Geof got me some Sprinkles cupcake mix from Williams-Sonoma and I made vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. I have to say that they’re the best cupcakes I have ever made at home. We watched The Hangover and then Geof made us dinner while we caught up on Friday Night Lights and watched the season finale of Celebrity Apprentice.


Yummy cupcakes!

Wednesday Randomness

We just got the pups back from the groomers and they look adorable! I had to share. I’m sure they’ll be a mess again in a few days, but for now I’ll enjoy the cute ribbons on their collars and the fact that they smell like little angels.

Mandy & Chase all fresh and clean

Last night, I went out with my ladies group and we did a spa night that was set-up at my nail salon. It was a blast. Everyone got manis and pedis (I just got a mani), had some wine, yummy snacks and listened to Lady GaGa on repeat.

The ladies

We had this really good blackberry merlot and those pink cookies were as soft as cake

Right now I’m loving…

First, sorry I have been so out of the blogging loop this week! Work has been absolutely crazy and unfortunately I haven’t had a lot of free time in the evenings. I promise to catch up with all of you tonight and tomorrow. Without further ado, here are some things that I love at the moment:

Dior Addict Lip Maximizer

I love this lip gloss. It is not sticky and gives my lips a nice sheer pink tint and shine. It also has collagen in it and after continued use, it is supposed to help plump your pout. I noticed that it does tingle certain times, so that must mean that it’s working!


Febreeze Noticables

These air fresheners make my home smell so nice and last for at least a month. I keep one upstairs and downstairs so you can smell it all throughout the house. With having 2 dogs, I think it definitely helps.


Dating in the Dark

I admit that I’m a reality show addict and this new show is a right up my alley. I’m sure most of you know the premise, but it features single ladies and men that meet in the dark and then reveal their looks towards the end of the episode. Each person then decides if they would like to continue with the relationship after they have seen what the other person looks like. I find it so interesting what people decide once they have seen the person. You should also see some of the looks on their faces when the other is revealed in the light…priceless!


Bitch wine

I saw this awhile back at the store and based on the name, I had to try it (I know that’s terrible!). It turns out that it is quite good and different from any kind of red wine that I’m used to drinking. It is called Malbec and I’m not a wino, but I would describe it as medium to full-bodied with flavors of cherry and raspberry. It is very good! I think that it would be perfect to bring to a girls’ night party.

Barefoot Wine Summer Goodies Giveaway

I was contacted by Barefoot Wine to host a fabulous giveaway for all of my readers. One lucky winner will receive the following goodies: beach bag, corkscrew, beach towel, and stemless wine glass. There is still plenty of time left this summer to enjoy all of these things while sipping on a glass of Barefoot Wine!

The thing I love most about Barefoot is that their philosophy is all about relaxing and joining the fun. They have an entire community called the Barefoot Republic where wine lovers can connect, chat, watch videos, get recipes, and enjoy the laid back lifestyle. I signed up a few weeks ago and think it’s great.

Here are the rules for entering the giveaway:

1 entry - please visit the Barefoot Wine website and tell me your favorite flavor of their wine or bubbly and also tell me what food you would pair it with. For example: I would love to have a nice glass of Barefoot Wine Chardonnay with Shrimp & Angel Hair Pasta.

Comments without this information will be deleted.

2 entries – comment on this post with your favorite Barefoot Wine and food pairing and let me know if you’re already follower or become a follower

3 entries – comment on this post with your favorite Barefoot Wine and food pairing, follow and post this giveaway on your blog or write a post about it.

Please let me know in one comment how many entries you should receive based on the criteria above.

This giveaway will end on Thursday, July 30th at midnight. I will announce the winner on Friday, July 31st.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents ages 21 and up only.

Giveaway, Hello Kitty wine & VV discount

Fantabulously Frugal is hosting a very generous giveaway right now. Tell her that I referred you and get an extra entry for both of us!

Today, I also learned today that Hello Kitty will now have her very own brand of wine. Who knows what it will taste like, but the bottle alone is enough to make me try it. My favorite type of red wine is Pinot Noir and it looks like that it what they will be bottling for the red version. They will also be making a white and two different types of sparkling wine. I have a friend that loves Hello Kitty and I’ll have to remember this when we have an evening at her place. She will get a kick out of it!

Last, I got my DailyCandy email today and Vineyard Vines is offering a 25% discount right now. Just enter DAILYCANDY09 at checkout. This discount does not apply to gift cards, MLB-, NFL-, or collegiate-licensed products. Happy shopping!