Tuesday, March 20, 2012

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

FDR Park
Outfit Details: Dress: Gift via Vintage & Gee//Cardi: UO (old)//Shoes: UO

fdr park

FDR Park

fdr park

FDR Park

FDR Park

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FDR Park

FDR Park

For a good slice of this week my little family and I will be spending some time with my hubby's parents in Philly.  Sometimes it's just nice to fly away and breathe in some new scenery if just for a few days.  On this afternoon, Albert, Keane, and I ventured off to a cozy little park by the stadiums and just enjoyed one another's company and the fresh Spring air.  We sipped our iced coffees and Keane ran around like the place was his own.  This of course meant we did lots of chasing:)  Though all the running around was well worth it as immediately afterwards we met up with Albert's parents and were rewarded with a very large piping hot bowl of muscles.  Mmm mmm good.  Days like this are so rejuvenating to the soul.


Love bunches,

Saturday, March 17, 2012

St. Patrick's Day Randomness

Happy St. Patrick's Day Darlings!

Not that I'm Irish or anything, but I think it's ok for an Italian gal to hop on the train and celebrate as well:)  You know what other train I'm hopping on today?...The 11 things one.

The very sweet Chantilly tagged me .... so really, how could I resist?
Alright, here I go:

Shadow Catcher

There are five rules:

1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.


My 11 Things: 

1.  I drove half way across the country to get this vintage piano I had my heart set on.  My husband and I rented a car with unlimited miles, then drove 16 hours to and from Kansas without stopping.  When we returned the car, the clerks at the rental place thought there was something wrong with the odometer.  

2.  My first crush at the age of 8 was on Wesley from Mr. Belvedere.  

3.  I make up words for things and then sing about them throughout my day.  My poor husband and son.  My humor is kind of strange.

4.  No way, no how will I go near ketchup.  Both the smell and taste of it disgust me.

5.  I like myself a good ol' piece of barbecue though:)

6.  Perhaps I mentioned this before...but I well, kind of made out with Joey Fatone, from NSync when I was a senior in high school.  Long story.  It is not something to brag about I know, but it's darn-tootin hilarious.  

7.  When I worked retail, I once chased a group of shoplifters throughout the mall...by the time they got to the parking lot, four police cars surrounded us and arrested them.  Even better, my parents were sitting in the food court waiting for me to get off work and witnessed it go down.

8.  I was engaged twice.  

9.  I can't stand to fly, I'm not that naive.

10.  My maiden name was Bongiorno.  Just like the Italian greeting for "Good day".  Boys in school used to make fun of me and call me Marisa BonJovi.  Whatever, I thought it was cool.

Chantilly's Questions: 


1. Where are you sitting, and what are you doing right now?
In my family room, watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.  This never gets old to me.  I am kind of a nerd like that.

2. What's your favorite fruit? Least favorite?
Favorite - Nectarines  Least favorite: Anything in a can.


3. Are you a dog or cat person?
Oh a cat lady most definitely.  Maybe even a crazy one....hmmm.  I adore my cats Philly and Lily to pieces and can't wait till they move into our new house with us.  (they are currently dwelling at the in-laws until we finish a few things up).


4. Who's the last person you talked do, and what's the last thing you said?
My friend Kat...via text, she lives down the street from me.  She told me to go to my deck and look up at the stars.  I ran and did.  It was unmatchable beauty.  I told her: "I love this place!".


5. Name your top five bands/ music artists.
1. Keane - so much, this is also my son's name:)
2. The Beatles - Fact, I almost named my son McCartney
3. Los Campesinos
4. Johnny Cash
5. Tennis


6. Where did you grow up? 
Camp Hill, Pennslyvania.  It's like the picture perfect little suburbia of the US. 


7. On your fantasy trip of the world, where would you go?
Italy hands down.  It's where much of my family is from.


8. Describe your perfect day- from start to finish.
Sleep in.  Eat Breakfast.  Play/reading time with my son.  Eat Lunch.  Jam a little.  Explore the outdoors with the fam.  Coffee.  Vintage hunt.  Dinner at my mom's house.  Dessert.  Some more play.  Movie.  Cuddle.  Bed.  I'm a pretty simple gal. 


9. What's your least favorite smell?
How gross can we get here?  I hate when someone burps and the smell is in the air.  I used to work around hundreds of teenagers and this happened often...with the boys, not the girls, just to clarify. 


10. Imagine your 2 most favorite foods are people, and describe the way they met.
Manicotti and Spaetzles.  Mr. Manicotti was a soldier stationed in Germany post WWII.  One day he was driving down the road of a small German town with his friend and noticed two lovely dames walking together, the one being Miss Spaetzles.  He tried to charm her and pick her up and when she refused him, he told her that she had to give him her name and address if she wanted to get off scott free without any further problems.  She begrudgingly did.  From that day on, he showed up at her family's house every day, making quite a pest of himself.  As her father was POW MIA at the time, her family was very poor.  Every day he showed up, he brought them food, cigarettes, and stockings for her and her sisters.  After time they became friends and fell madly in love, got married, had kids and lived happily ever after.

This is a true story:)  


11. Do you prefer to receive flowers or chocolate from a significant other?
Chocolate all the way....Godiva perhaps:)  My sweet tooth need satiated.

My tags and questions:


My questions:
1.  What's the last book you read?  
2.  Name your top 3 songs of all time.
3.  What's the first film you saw at the movies?
4.  Milk chocolate or dark chocolate?
5.  Name something that grosses you out.
6.  What's your guilty pleasure song?
7.  Who's your famous crush?
8.  What are you afraid of?
9.  What's one thing you don't do well that you wish you did.
10.  Name one person who's brain you would like to pick.
11. What's your dream job?

Alright darlings, if you made it this far....do have yourselves one loverly little weekend.  
Catch you later, 

xx
Shadow Catcher

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Far Beyond

Beyond
Details: Dress: Forever 21 (old)//Cardi & Boots: Thrifted//Hat: UO

beyond

beyond

Beyond

Beyond

Beyond

Beyond
This was just another sunny and cool afternoon spent with Albert hiking the backroads in our neighborhood.  We made it all the way to the other side where the dam lies so peacefully against the mountainous backdrop.  For the several times I've been here, no one else has remotely been seen around.  Except that is, for our friends and their lovely dog, Ingrid.  Fancy running into them on this day.  There's a concrete pad that jets out into the lake at the end of the dam and I do suppose this would be the perfect place to park myself with a book once summer is here.  This town is small simply put, so life lately has been about exploring the great outdoors.  No complaints here:)

On a different note, thanks so much for your sweet comments regarding my article.  It was positively encouraging to an average every day gal like me.  I know on Chictopia it upset some that they would have even chosen me and considered my body type to be put in this category since I am more just a curvy, fuller figured gal rather than plus size, but still I do think us "in between" ladies get overlooked in the world of fashion as well along with true blue plus sizes (18+), so I was throughly proud to represent on behalf of all curvy girls out there.  

Enough about me...how about you?  Any fun plans on the horizon this weekend??

See you soon!
Love bunches,

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Dangerous Curves Ahead...some news.

So as I mentioned this past Saturday, I had some pretty nifty news that I was "like omg totally excited" about sharing with you all.  Recently, I was contacted by the editor-in-chief from Chictopia.com asking me if I would be interested in writing a sponsored post for their blog Everybody is Ugly in conjunction with Nordstroms dealing with dressing tips for a curvy body.  I actually couldn't believe what I was reading at first and reread the email several times to make sure I was seeing things correctly.   Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity and was pretty darn ecstatic to take on this task as the subject is near and dear to my heart.  

It's pretty easy to see that I am a curvy gal.  I've struggled on and off from adolescence to adulthood with body image issues and have fluctuated in weight (sometimes in unhealthy ways) from high to low and back high again for many years.  Even at a "small size" I was still never a "skinny gal" like many of my friends and this bothered me for such a long time (it sounds absurd writing this now)...that was until I learned to embrace who I am, curves and all and dress my body properly...and stop the crazy comparisons because as we all know, beauty comes in all shapes, colors, and sizes.  Geez, us gals can be so hard on ourselves at times!  So without further ado...you can read my article 5 Tips for Dressing a Curvy/Plus Size Body here at Everybody is Ugly on Chictopia.com. Hop on over and say hello if you feel so inclined.  It would truly brighten my day.

Catch you tomorrow!
Love bunches,
Marisa

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Hidden Bridge

Hidden Bridge
Outfit: Dress: Vintage and Gee  - Etsy//Hat: Handmade//Cardi: Target (old)//Necklace & Tights: Modcloth//Shoes: UO 

HIdden Bridge

Hidden Bridge

Hidden Bridge

Hidden Bridge

Hidden Bridge

Hidden Bridge

Hello darlings, 
In our explorations this past weekend, Albert and I stumbled across a curious hidden back entrance to our neighborhood where an old abandoned campground used to be.  Our neighborhood is kind of rare in that it is both a summer vacation place where people own time shares and a normal every day community.  With it's woods, trails, beach, and mountain views, I guess it's kind of an ideal escape.  Anyhow, because it's a gated community, the hidden back entrance has now been blocked off to the road but Albert and I found it and I couldn't help but think we were explorers who uncovered their hidden treasure.  Rumor has it that there's a old Indian burial ground there and that's why it was mysteriously shut down.   Hmmm.  As no one was to be seen for miles, I hereby deem this the perfect spot for summer picnics.

See you real soon:)
Love bunches,

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Up Up and Away

Up Up and Away
Outfit Details: Dress: Topshop (old)//Hat: Vintage Thrifted//Blazer: Forever 21 (old)//Cowl: Taylor House//Bag: Vintage from Grandmother//Boots: Vintage from Grandmother

up up and away

Up up and away

Up Up and Away

up up and away

up up and away

up up and away

A very sweet Saturday morning to you darlings!
Like I previously said, I am tied up to my hats this weekend with weddings, birthdays, and just a whole lot of celebration.  Not bad, eh?  I have some pretty exciting news - for me at least, about a recent opportunity I had...but I'll save that for the middle of next week.  Yesterday evening I was way up high in the mountains for a wedding rehearsal & dinner.  It's breathtaking up here, but the air is smack-you-in-the-face cold and unforgivably windy!  I was definitely a bit of a baby every time I set foot outdoors while there...I just don't handle extreme cold weather well at all, however the night of festivities put me in the most chipper of moods, so I was able to survive:)

That's all for now, gotta run and get ready our friends' big day!  It should prove to be pretty exciting as they decided to give their wedding a mob theme...haha.  Now this I can't wait to see!  Catch you later darlings!

Love bunches,

Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Everyday Simple

Pink and Wine

Pink & Wine
Outfit Details: Top (Dress): Topshop (old)//Shorts: Anthropologie (old)//Floral Crown: DIY//Necklace: Gift from Mother//Cape: Vintage from Grandmother//Shoes: Thrifted


Pink and Wine

Pink and wine

DSC_0037

Pink & Wine

Hello darlings!
It's quite often that as the weather is warming up, all I really want to do is go outside and play.  This was just a simple little evening spent at home and after dinner was had, my little family and I went outside just to catch a bit of fresh air.  These photos were literally taken at the bottom of my driveway.  Nothing too exciting but very relaxing indeed.  Living in a small mountainside town is kind of like this.  As I wouldn't be so inclined to play around in foo foo dresses and heels, this is more me on a typical day when I'm not out and about.

This whole month I am on a shopping ban...so I have been remixing the life out of my closet.  A another big weekend is ahead - a rehearsal dinner, a wedding, and another trip back to my hometown.  I am busy as bee.  Hoping you have time to catch a bit of fresh air too:)  Any fun plans for you ahead?

Love bunches,


Tuesday, March 6, 2012

The Other Side

The Other Side
Outfit Details: Top: Via swap with The Modest Muse//Skirt, Scarf, Bag & Shoes: Vintage//Hat: Target

The Other Side

DSC_0188

DSC_0180

The Other Side

I'm back from Pittsburgh and what a whirlwind of a trip it was!  Being on the other side of the state is so different...I don't even know if I could explain what this means except for I do believe Pittsburgh is the most peculiar city with it's jungle gym like layout...I feared for my life several times while my husband navigated over and up around the hills, through the tunnel, and under the bridges.  Yes, we got lost...several times...and it snowed to boot!  Life is always an adventure.  

The only photo I got to show for it is cozily nestled away on my instagram, however I did manage to snap a few on our pitstop at my parents house to drop off the kiddo.  The weather that day was a glimpse of spring and so sad to say it didn't stick around.  Oh but here's a fun little tidbit...while at a local thrift store that evening before we got back on the road, a group of middle schoolers parked themselves in the next aisle over and were making fun of anyone who passed by their way.  "Oh great", I thought, just wait till they see me.  Sure enough 5 seconds later I began to hear the chitchat and the snickers..."Oh my gawd, look at her...bahahahaha....you gotta see what she's wearing....bahahaha."  Nice, right?  Better yet, as I shopped through the racks, they were critiquing everything I was looking at.  This went on for at least five minutes and I just ignored it.  It was pretty annoying but so hilarious at the same time.  Here's hoping my photo or video didn't end up on Facebook somewhere. The whole thing quickly brought me back to my school days...and I just had to laugh.

Wishing you a week full of laughter!

Love Bunches, 

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Apples, Pears, and Birthday Cake

Apples and Pears
Outfit Details: Dress: Modcloth//Cardi: UO//Scarf & Necklace: Antique Marketplace//Blouse: Thrifted//Shoes: Amazon.com

Apples and Pears

Apples & Pears

Apples and Pears

Apples Pears and Birthdays

Hoping your weekend is off to a magical start darlings!  This one finds me off and away to the far of land of Pittsburgh on business with my husband, so today I am leaving you with photos from two weeks ago on the day of my little man's birthday.  It's hard to believe I have a two year old on my hands already.  He's quite full personality and a strong will, but very sweet and affectionate indeed and I couldn't be more proud of him!  Lately he's been loving inviting me into his Thomas the Train tent to read Dr. Seuss to him and play cars and he also loves cuddling and giving his mommy a back massage.  All I can say is, I have it pretty darn-tootin good!

Thanks so much for all your sweet comments regarding my new Etsy, it's been so encouraging to get such positive feedback from so many lovely gals like yourselves.

Well I must run...lots of packing to do and a long trip ahead!

Talk to you soon!

Love Bunches, 

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