a florentine weekend

I stayed in Florence this weekend and took a trip up to Piazzale Michaelangelo, which has the best view of Florence. I hadn't been up there since I was a student two years ago, so it was nice to take in the magical view once again.

One thing not so magical, however, are the tiger mosquitoes in Florence. They are enormous compared to regular mosquitoes (see the photo below) and just seem to love leaving bites on my skin in particular. Can't wait for bug season to be over!

 Three guys and three girls in one apartment...recipe for a mess! A couple of us cleaned this weekend, however, when the boys get back...it might not be so clean anymore. Which is I why I documented the clean state of the apartment with a photo, because it may not look like this for a while...

xo-ally

happy shark hat, windy drive

Hat: Tuckernuck Tank: H&M Shorts: Rock & Republic Shoes: Sperry Sunglasses: American Eagle

I got this cute Harding-Lane shark hat recently and was so excited when it came in the mail! It was sold out online in quite a few places so I was happy to find one in stock. I wore it in the car on the way to the lake house I went to this weekend and my friend and I stopped the car on the way - in the middle of nowhere - to take a photo. It was so windy! The not-very-scenic drive was worth it, though, when we got to the lake. It was a beautiful day:

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend!

xo

recipes for memorial day weekend

I can't believe it is almost Memorial Day. 2012 is just flying by! I'm going up to the lake for a friend's bachelorette party this weekend, and since I'm leaving soon I don't have time to cook something (but that's just an excuse for not being much of a mastered chef). If you are going to some barbecues or other parties this weekend, here are some tasty recipes I found 'round the web that would be easy to whip up!

These Lemon Bars from Smitten Kitchen look amazing. I've been getting into lemon lately! Normally, if I had to choose between chocolate and lemon, it would be no question that chocolate would win. Now lemon is coming into the picture more...anyways, I think these sound great!

Smitten Kitchen also made apple pie cookies. What a creative idea! Another great dessert for barbecue-style or buffet-style parties. Or to keep at home and not share because they'd be so good. I wouldn't tell anyone. ;)

This grilled pineapple from Skinnytaste sounds delightful. I love pineapple even by itself because it's so sweet. This recipe adds honey, cinnamon, and lime juice to the pinapple to make it extra sweet! Bonus: Only 51 calories.

Finally! A non-dessert on this list! This grilled corn guacamole from The Pioneer Woman sounds delicious. It is a unique way to switch up regular guacamole. This would be a hit at any party this weekend!

Well, I'm writing this in the morning before breakfast. And now I feel like eating guacamole and lemon bars instead of eggs. Great.

xo

photos from the weekend

xo

Easter Weekend in Photos

On Sunday I posted a few photos from my phone because I couldn't find my camera photo uploader thing. I forgot it at home (typical...) so here are some more photos from the weekend! Enjoy!

Love the brightly colored Peeps! They outlined the funfetti cake.

It was snowing when we first got there, and while I am a wimp about being cold, it blanketed the cabin beautifully.

The crab boil...so delicious

Eye dyeing!

The very colorful cake

The many empty boxes of Peeps used to decorate the cake

xo

Happy Easter! [a few photos]

Happy Easter! We have been keeping a very busy schedule lately - a schedule chock full of relaxation and celebration! So it's a nice busy instead of crazy-work busy. A few friends and I went to our friend Abbie's family's house for Easter weekend. Last night involved a huge crab boil and egg dyeing and I took some good photos to document it! Unfortunately, I cannot currently find the uploader thing for my camera. :( Here are a few photos from my phone though!

The four of us after church. I had not yet changed into my "comfy clothes," but definitely did right after this photo was taken. We wore our "Easter Best" to church, had a coffee on the way, and went to a wonderful service.

This afternoon we went on a quick hike! It was nice to get moving when my body was so ready to crash and take a nap after the large brunch with chocolate bunnies for dessert. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon and a nice way to sneak in some exercise while we got to chat.

These warm rolls were amazing. Enough said.

I love this sign! It says, "All Because Two People Fell In Love." So sweet. It makes the home feel even cozier.

Have a wonderful Easter! Enjoy the holiday and celebrating with those you love!

xo