Friday Favorite

My best friend is just that.

The. Best.

Not only am I already impatiently awaiting summer,

[lets be serious, who doesnt love baseball, beach days, and warm summer nights]

but she just shared this gem with me;

 and now I'm day dreaming of warm LA nights,

chatting on her back patio with delicious adult beverages.

[here]

So Long Summer

After sneaking off to Florida for the weekend, I'm back to finish my summer recap!

Technically my weekend trip was my first trip of Fall but we're going to count it as Summer since the weather was so nice and sunny.

September quickly brought fall weather to my neck of the woods

but I managed to squeeze every last drop out of this amazing Summer.



I headed to New Jersey to celebrate with my nearest and dearest family friends. Christine (with her family in the top middle) and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. We've enjoyed many family parties, camp outs, and holidays by each others sides. [We saw Titanic on her 13th birthday and cried through the entire thing. We even had "friendly" cooking contests every Easter which we cannot wait to start again this year.] Now that we're "grown up" we have transitioned from the kids table ourselves, to having her kids at the kids table. How adorable are the youngest cousins in the middle bottom picture??

Blond locks and unfairly long eye lashes are a sure recipe for trouble.

As was the case most of the summer, September brought on many random activities to pass the time. I spent many nights at CBP watching my favorite baseball team, hanging with cute little girls who give the best hugs, saw Blink 182 for the second time in two months, spent way too much money on Fabric Row in South Philadelphia, and relaxed on the beach with family in Florida.

As sad as I am for Summer to be over, I've got some pretty good things in line for Fall and cant wait to break out my sweaters and boots!

So Long Summer Part Three

Consider this your warning, this is going to be a long one.

For so many reasons, this will easily be one of my favorite posts to write. The middle of the summer was by far my favorite part of this year so far. (which by the way, can you believe it's offically Fall tomorrow??)

August consisted of an overload of good friends, lots of memories,

extremely little sleep and occasionally forgetting to eat because of so much excitement.

(Ok, this may have happened more than once. So what.)

I started the month with one of the best concerts I've ever seen.

My summer side kick Mairead and I made the journey out to Upper Darby to see Bon Iver.

If you're at all familiar with the area, you'll know why this was such a big deal. Aside from a few mishaps with torrential rains and car radios that get stuck on obnoxiously loud volumes and refuse to turn off, the night was a success. Throughout the summer Mairead and I had quite a few memorable dates. We were able to cross many things off our summer bucket lists (inluding but not limited to) Phillies games, beach trips, beergaritas, kicking butt in darts, [many many] peach pommtinis, softball games, & breakfast dates.

Yep, we were busy.



Next was my most favorite whirlwind weekend ever.

 As many of you know my best friend for life Molly, lives in LA and for this years annual trip we met up with her brother in NYC. Not only did I get to reuinte with half of my west coast family, but we were able to make it out to New Jersey to visit with lifelong friends. The seven of us revisted our teenage years together by going to the first stop on Blink 182's summer tour.

It was very well one of the greatest nights of our summer.

After not having all been together in more than 5 years, we quickly fell right back in synch and picked up right where we left off. It was scary reassuring to know that not much has changed aside from (some of us) being a little taller and of legal drinking age. After a minor detour, Molly, Rory and I headed back to the city to continue our New York City adventure. We hit up Times Square, saw a Broadway show, and waited in an hour and a half line for Shake Shack (abosolutely worth it).

We even got surprised by their cousin and my best friend Christine, and spent the night right where we're all most comfortable....in Irish pubs throughout the city. Sunday we enjoyed a lazy morning, delicisous brunch, and a walk on the High Line before heading our separate ways home.

What did your favorite summer weekend consist of?

So Long Summer Part Two

After yesterdays post, next up on my list of summer activities was a trip a tiny bit west

to see my friend Jess and her adorable son Brandyn in Chicago. Oh and her boyfriend Andy too.

[which by the way, tomorrow is Brandyns 2nd birthday! Happy early Birthday handsome!]

After Chicago was a random array of greatness.

I got to see the Femme Fatale tour with Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj (amazing!),

made some Fourth of July treats, spent a sunday in the Big Apple with my college roommate Kristy,

 and relaxed at my family's lake house with my close friends and life savers Matt & Kati.

Not to mention the numerous hours I logged at Citizens Bank Park supporting the Phillies.

[Oh hey Red October, So nice to see you for the fifth year in a row!]



What were your favorite activities this summer? Where did you spend the majority of your time?

So Long Summer

With only three official days of summer left, it really feels like Fall has made an early arrival on the East Coast. Fall is pushing itself on us with crisp mornings, chilly nights and lots of rain.

While I wish I were on the beach drinking icey cocktails instead of inside on this gray day,

I thought a little summer reminiscing might do some good.

If you havent realized, I deeply love traveling. Near or far, I'll go pretty much anywhere.

I started the summer off with a trip north to see some good friends (you cant see them, but paired with Diana's white tank and leather jacket are some amazing sequin shorts!) & one really cool pup...tell me he's not adorable. Next up was a week long beach vacation for my frien Kelly's wedding. That handsome kid with me in the black and white photo is (my one day) B.I.L or Bradley, either applies. Throw in some of my favorite little ones and a beach weekend with my college roommate, and I couldnt have asked for a better start to the summer!

How did you kick off your summer?

Its Times Like These...

I've learned that people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget how you made them feel.

-Maya Angelou

[here]

At times like these, in a small town like mine, you all become family.

Whether you met him or not, you feel it.

You passed him on the street, you had drinks at the bar,

you watched from the sidelines of their crazy antics,

you have friends who were practically his family.

People will judge; do so quickly.

They will say tasteless hurtful things; without a second thought.

People will flock to be a part of all of this because they "knew" him.

Having set foot in the same town is not "knowing" him.

My heart goes out to those who truly did. To those that will forever hold him in their heart.

Your memories of him will bring strength in the days, weeks and years to come.

Those warm (many of them undoubtedly hilarious) memories

will continue to overpower the foolish insensitive negativity.

"...it's in the times of tragedy that you really realize who your real friends are."

Turn to those that love you; those that will always be there for you.

Don't forget to breathe.

And most importantly,  never miss the chance to tell those you love, just how much you do.

Blog Families

We most commonly think of a family with the following definition:

Family : a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head : household

It occurred to me this morning that when combining this definiteion of family,
with that of a blog the meaning is completely changed.

Blog : a web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections,
comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer; also : the contents of such a site

Perhaps family defined as "a group of things related by common characteristics" is more appropriate.
But isn't it true that sometimes the things we don't have in common are what pulls us together?

As bloggers we all have our lists of daily rundowns.
Our lists of blogs we check religously, daily, weekly, or completely randomly.
The blogs that I treasure the most have become like family to me.

I know some of the faces behind the blogs and others I have never met,
others I know are friends of a friend of a friend, and so on.

This being said, I feel like I know them.
I read their blogs daily and feel like I'm visiting with an old friend.

Theres one particular member of this "family" that I think everyone should meet.

Visit The Weldons and take a look at one of my favorites.
This family has such a special story and their blog is full of excitement,
love, faith, inspiration, beautiful photography, and adorable children.

What blogs have become like old friends to you? I'd love to meet them.