NYC Recap - Part III

OK, if you're still with me I have one last recap from our NYC trip. Enjoy!

We woke up Saturday morning to blue skies and decided to do brunch in Greenwich Village. We had another recommendation from Milltini and once again, she did not disappoint! We ate at Blue Ribbon Bakery and I think they had some of the best french toast that I've ever had. Of course, we arrived a little early hence the picture of me posing outside the restaurant.

Outside Blue Ribbon Bakery

After brunch we headed to the Brooklyn Bridge as we wanted to take in the views of the city from that angle. Of course, everyone else had the same idea so we only made it half way and then turned around. However, the views were great and I was able to take a couple of cool pictures.

This is one of my favorites from the bridge and if you look closely you can even see Ryan's head at the bottom :)

Since it was a beautiful day outside we decided we would spend our last afternoon in NYC at Central Park. We ended up staying here a few hours and honestly we could of spent more time there. I couldn't believe how many people were out in the park either riding their bikes, jogging, playing softball or just lounging. I love that in such a big city you can go to such a beautiful area to get away from the buildings and bright lights. I definitely think this was one of my favorites areas of New York.

After the park we came back to our hotel, relaxed, and then got ready to head out for dinner. We ate at The Modern which is associated with the Museum of Modern Art and it was absolutely amazing. My Dad's friend had recommended this restaurant and even made the reservations for us. It was a perfect way to celebrate our anniversary and a perfect way to end our trip :)

Two Years

Two years ago....

I was getting ready...

You were getting dressed...

My dad was walking me down the aisle...

We were saying our vows...

and exchanging rings...

celebrating with our friends and family...

spending a few minutes alone...


having the best time...

dancing our first dance as husband and wife...


and starting our lives together.


Two years ago we were married.
Happy Anniversary Ryan, I can't wait to see what the next year brings us!


(all pictures are courtesy of Vanessa)

NYC Recap - Part II

Here's day two recap of our New York trip. Scroll down (or click here) to see yesterday's post on our arrival to the big city....

After a long day on Thursday we slept in on Friday and headed out mid morning. The weather forecast had predicted rain but luckily it was only cloudy. We grabbed a quick bite to eat at a small cafe and walked through Times Square before getting on our first subway of the day.

This picture is actually pretty calm of Times Square. We must of caught the time after the early morning hustle and before lunch hour.

Our first stop of the day was the Financial District. Here's Ryan walking down Wall Street. I think he could fit in, don't you??

The New York Stock Exchange

We're actually in front of Ground Zero trying to find our way to the closest station. I had to get a shot of Ryan on the iPhone because honestly this little guy was a life saver! We pulled out the iPhone at every corner and all we had to do was plug in what neighborhood we wanted to go to next and the GPS told us exactly what streets to turn on and what subway to catch. I don't know what we would of done without it!

A glimpse of what you see on almost every street corner. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try out one of the hot dogs but maybe next time.

Now we're in Soho and we absolutely loved this area! There were so many great shops and restaurants here that we walked around for quite some time. We ended up stopping for lunch at Soho Park and ate outside. Oh, and did you know that no one wears color in NYC?? I'm pretty sure I stood out all weekend with my bright colors. Oh well...

After lunch we headed to the Upper East Side and walked around that neighborhood before venturing into Central Park. We stumbled upon the Central Park Boathouse and we stopped for a drink on their patio before heading to the Great Lawn.

Ryan and I at Rockefellar Plaza. Apparently when you're on vacation you don't have to shave. Haha J/K. We had a wait to go up to the Top of the Rock so we decided to stop here and take a break from walking. Oh, and we might of had another drink :)

One of my favorite pictures from the weekend. The views from up there were spectacular and it seemed that the city never ended. You can also get a good idea of how big Central Park actually is.

Ryan taking in the views.

After that we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner. We took another subway out to East Village and went to a small Italian restaurant called Max. After that we headed back to Greenwich (yes, we took the subway again) and found another bar with live music. Overall, another great day in the city!

I plan on posting pictures from the last day of our trip either tomorrow or Thursday. We're actually celebrating our 2nd anniversary tomorrow so we'll see if I can get another post in or not. Have a good rest of the day!

New York, New York

Wow, I can't believe our New York trip has come and gone. It seems like we were just boarding the plane for the big city and now we're home. We had such a great time and did so many things in the few days that we were there that I plan on posting this recap in several parts. I want to make sure I don't leave anything out so I can look back and see what we did, where we ate, etc. so I plan on writing a lengthy recap full with pictures. Bear with me!

We took off Thursday morning and arrived at the Newark airport around noon. Ryan is confident when he tells me he knows how to get from the airport to the hotel using public transportation so we catch the Air Train to Penn Station and then grab another subway to find our hotel. Honestly, this wasn't that hard but when you have your luggage, a carry-on and a purse it's a whole different story. Luckily, the rain held out on us as we made it to our hotel but I proclaimed that we would be taking a cab on our way back to the airport. We arrived at a cute boutique hotel in Midtown that we loved. You would barely notice the hotel from the street but the lobby is very modern and chic as well as our room.

The front of our hotel

Our fabulous room

At that point it was nearing late afternoon and we were starving! We headed out to find the Shake Shack to try out their delicious burgers. We decided to walk (it couldn't be that far, right??) and we thought this would be a great chance to scope out the city. Well it was a little farther than we thought but the long walk and the wait in line were worth the wait.

Mmm delicious

After our late lunch we decided to start our walk back and of course at this point the rain started in. We didn't have our umbrella with us so we headed for the subway. We arrived back at our hotel around 5 and took a much needed nap before our dinner reservations. Thanks to a recommendation from Milltini we tried a restaurant called Schiller's Liquor Bar and the food and atmosphere were fantastic! The rain never let up that evening but it didn't keep us from seeing the city. After dinner we grabbed another subway and ended up at Greenwich Village to have a glass of wine at a local jazz bar. Then we decided that the night was still young and hopped on another subway to a piano bar near our hotel. Yes, we rode the subway about 8 million times over the weekend. I'm pretty sure we rode it even more than the locals but hey, we don't have this at home so we had to take advantage of it!

Our self portrait before we left for dinner :)

That's all for now as I need to go unpack and get ready for the week. Stay tuned for more!

Weekend Getaway

Our trip to NYC is finally here! Ryan and I leave tomorrow morning for a weekend getaway to the Big Apple and we couldn't be more excited. Our 2nd wedding anniversary is next Tuesday and we plan on celebrating this weekend by relaxing, eating good food, taking tons of pictures and enjoying each others company :)

Be back early next week!!

When Ryan's away....

.....his wife will play! Today happens to be our Friday off from work and Ryan was playing in a golf tournament. I love having every other Friday off and Ryan and I normally spend our days together relaxing, eating out for lunch and running a few errands. Well, today I had most of the day to myself. Bennett and I started off our morning with a jog at the park and then I came home and started cleaning. And I cleaned. Till my house sparkled. And when I was done it was only 12 o'clock.

So what's a girl to do when she's all alone, her husband is playing golf, her friends are all at work and her mom is not even in the country?? Hmm....easy answer. Go shopping!

I've been good all Spring with avoiding my favorite store and I couldn't take it anymore. I needed summer clothes, especially since we're going to New York in just a few weeks. I keep getting coupons in the mail and I'm constantly receiving e-mails about the latest and greatest at Banana. And let me tell you, Banana did not let me down! I managed to pick up a few casual tees, a new cardigan, a pair of shorts, a skirt, and a bright pink top that will be perfect for summer nights out on the town. Did I mention the discounts! Of course, this is how I justified all of my purchases :)

Oh and I might of picked up a pair of white linen pants at J Crew.

Now I'm just waiting for my friends to get off work so we can hit up El Tiempo for some fajitas and margaritas!

Ryan better come home soon...