A little video from our honeymoon...

Here is a little video from our honeymoon in Turks and Caicos. We had so much fun using our LifeProof case while snorkeling. Although we had heard some negative reviews about the case, we did not have any issues with it while swimming and diving. We also had a LifeProof life jacket for the phone, which made me much less nervous while swimming in deep water. All underwater and biking footage was taken on my iPhone 6S. Everything else was shot using my Canon 6D. Enjoy!

Honeymooning

Brian and I honeymooned in Turks and Caicos for six days after our Minnesota celebration. The entire vacation was a dream come true. We quickly established our island-life routine. We started our days with long, relaxing breakfasts at our hotel. We sat at the same table every morning and tried so many delicious meals throughout the week. After breakfast, we headed to the beach to snorkel. Did you know Turks and Caicos has the third largest barrier reef system in the world? We spent hours at Bight Reef and Smith's Reef (I will share more photos from our time there soon!). I had no idea how much I would love snorkeling and honestly couldn't get enough!

We relaxed on the beach in our pamper pod every afternoon and dined at a new restaurant on the beach every evening at sunset. Every single meal we had was fantastic! Brian ate locally caught fish for dinner every night and sampled a lot of conch dishes, the specialty of the island. I do not eat seafood, so I treated myself to steaks almost every meal. 

Our honeymoon included the perfect amount relaxation and adventure for both of us and we didn't want to come home! We are already dreaming of returning to Turks someday to celebrate an anniversary.

Scenes from the weekend.

My Labor Day weekend was everything I hoped it would be and more. After a long week at work, I spent most of the day on Saturday catching up on sleep. We had a date night in on Saturday night, complete with pizza and several episodes of Arrested Development. On Sunday morning Brian and I tried Culture Espresso, a coffee shop in midtown that has the most delicious cold brew on tap. We ended up buying our own cold brew system for our house- we love it! After fueling up on coffee, we scored some great deals at Macy's and had a delicious lunch at sweetgreen.

Rockaway Beach has quickly become one of my favorite places in New York City, so it seemed only fitting I spend my last day of summer there with several friends from work. We had lunch at Rockaway Taco and spent several hours in the sun before the rain rolled late afternoon.

If only every weekend was a three day weekend...

*Weekend bonus: When I studied abroad in Florence back in 2005, Vivoli Gelato was one of my favorite treats. This weekend I discovered that it is sold on the sixth floor of Macy's! The riso gelato was just as delicious as I remembered. I can't wait to go back for more soon!

Scenes from the weekend.

I returned to work last Monday after 53 days of summer bliss, which meant the weekend became a defined and cherished time again. Those two days are so precious after five days of early alarms and long commutes!

On Saturday I spent the afternoon at 21st Precinct, an exhibit in an old police precinct that is scheduled to be torn down at the end of the month. Over 50 street and graffiti artists covered 5 floors of the building in the most amazing art (more photos coming soon!). On Sunday I hopped on the Q53 bus to the Rockaways for a day at the beach. I treated myself to tacos and watermelon juice at Rockaway Taco before spending hours reading in the sand. I went home with a sunburned back (ouch!) and a happy heart. Rockaway Beach has quickly become one of my favorite places in New York City.

Life according to Instagram, Week 28.

Another week brought to you by Instagram...

1. Jackson Heights 
2. Indian dinner date at Indian Taj; my beer was as big as my head. 

3. & 4. What the hell happened to these sweet potatoes? At a market in Elmhurst. 

5. Chicken paws, anyone? 
6. After dinner, Brian and I strolled through Elmhurst in search of my favorite almond cookies. 

7. Early morning baking! 
8. Emily and I made pancake cupcakes. Emily snuck a few chocolate chips into hers. 

9. Good morning! 
10. Rainy downtown Manhattan. 

12. & 13. Wednesday night we made homemade pizzas. Emily made one with extra cheese, while Brian and I topped ours with farm fresh tomatoes, zucchini, arugula, and parmesan. 
14. & 15. Early morning baking, take two! Our chocolate chip sour cream muffins were delicious. 

16-19. Brian, Emily, and I had a great time at Brighton Beach on Thursday. Brian and Emily worked hard all afternoon digging a hole in the sand, which we all took turns sitting in before heading home. 

20. Girls' day! Manicures and pedicures at Stone Spa. 
21. Summer clouds. 

22. & 23. Subway rides up to the Bronx. 

24-27. Friday night I met up with my friend Angela at Yankee Stadium. We caught up over hot dogs and beer as I rooted for the Red Sox in a sea of Yankees fans. Even though the Sox lost, it was still a fun night! 

28. Movie date with Brian and Emily- The Odd Life of Timothy Green was so cute! 
29. I made Pad Thai! I used this recipe I found on Pinterest. 

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