“So long, Summer” Bonfire. 8/29

And, just like that- Summer 2014 is coming to an end! While I will undoubtedly miss the days and nights I’ve spent at the beach, the cookouts I’ve shared with family and friends, seasonally appropriate iced coffee drinks, my very-faint-but-still-kind-of-noticeable-tan- and being able to wear sundresses and sandals pretty much all day, every day- I’m excited for Fall and all the things I have planned for it: including but not limited to trips to Vermont and NYC, some preliminary apartment hunting, a return to outfit/fashion posts (it’s been forever since I’ve done one!) and a Halloween-themed blog giveaway that I’m putting together and should have up by the end of September!

August ’14 was, to date, one of the rougher months I’ve had in a while. It began with attending a funeral for a good friend of mine from high school, and it goes without saying that it was a beyond sad and sobering experience. I had also briefly re-capped the unexpected and tumultuous turning point of a long-standing friendship/relationship I was in and the results it had on a move that I had been really looking forward to and preparing myself for. Those things aside, I spent the majority of August being ill, as well- first, catching a strain of a flu my co-worker introduced into the office, and then falling victim to a pretty nasty stomach bug shortly thereafter. Between being physically spent and emotionally exhausted- I was unusually glum for a good portion of the month.

That’s not to say August didn’t have it’s good moments, of course. Boston Comic-Con was a blast and seeing Arcade Fire live for the first time was life-changing. I managed to get in a couple of days with friends soaking up the last of the hot weather and greenery before the leaves begin to change, and just the other night we gathered at a friend’s apartment to have a couple of beers and an impromptu bonfire in the backyard- which felt like a nice way to say farewell to the Summer and welcome in Autumn.

I’m looking forward to September- so much, in fact- that I’ve already dug out my boots and my hoodies, and am putting together a Fall playlist (which I’ll share here when it’s done!) Bring on the season!

xx

I just got this in my e-mail. Completely forgot I had posed for this in California!

Hello (again!) from Massachusetts. Despite some unusual weather- including a tornado that touched down not too far away a couple of days ago- I’ve made it home safe and sound from California and have spent the past few days recuperating from jet lag, returning to the office to get back to work, and fighting off a mild case of “convention cough” that showed up following my long weekend at San Diego Comic-Con.

Indeed, SDCC was- without question- the highlight of July. Months worth of anticipation, scheduling, and costume preparation since early Spring led up to the big event and paid off with an unforgettable experience that I’ll cherish forever. I covered pretty much everything in my last few entries from SoCal- but there really aren’t enough words to properly describe just how incredible and chaotic (but still fun!) the weekend was. Now I can see why people practically fight to the death to get tickets/badges- and although I’m still a little too exhausted to participate in any pre-registration bloodshed anytime soon- I really hope I get to return again next year.

The view from my hotel room in San Diego. 7/26/14.

Apart from San Diego Comic-Con, July was a lovely month- mostly spent at the beach and cookouts in the company of friends when I wasn’t packing or putting the final touches on costumes. There’s just a few more weeks of Summer left (NOOOOOOOOOO!) which means I’ve got to get in as much time as I can at the ocean before it gets too cold to even think about heading to the coast again. I’m also in the process of planning a – gasp! – possible move to Western Massachusetts in the Fall, which will undoubtedly take up a lot of time, too- but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

As much fun as July was and as many strides as I’ve taken in recent weeks towards big changes in the future- the month was, unfortunately- not without tragedy. A good friend of mine from high school passed away recently at the entirely too young age of 27, which came as a complete shock to myself and many others in my graduating class, and was a sobering reminder of how short and precious life can be. Tomorrow morning I’ll be heading back to my old town to pay my respects with other mutual friends. It’s not the most ideal way to begin August by any means, but I’m trying to find comfort in the fact that there will be so many wonderful stories shared from our younger years and about what an incredibly kind, fun, easy-going, and genuinely decent guy our dearly departed was. It’s nice to reminisce and talk about the good times- because it helps get you through the bad ones.

xox

Me at Old Orchard Beach, Maine. June 2014.

I can’t believe another month has passed.

I can’t believe July is here, and that in three weeks, I’ll be heading out to San Diego for a West Coast vacation and a long weekend at San Diego Comic-Con. It feels like just yesterday I had successfully (and surprisingly) scored passes and was anxiously calculating how many months I had to wait to attend.

More than anything, I can’t believe 2014 is halfway finished already!

But before I dive headfirst into July- which may prove to be one of my busiest, craziest months yet- I have to give some love to June. I had a lot of fun over these past few weeks: soaking up the sun at the beach and on the boardwalks in New Hampshire and Maine, having BBQs and playing mini-golf with friends, cooling off and catching movies at the local (and air conditioned!) theater, sipping iced green tea lemonades while cruising around the city and blasting tunes with my girlfriends- a Summer tradition since my teens- and of course, getting my fan-girl on at the “Walker Stalker” convention in Boston.

With all my time outdoors, and even with religious sunscreen application- I still managed to get a little bit of a tan, too. The horror!

July will undoubtedly be filled with more Summertime shenanigans and as many day-trips as I can fit in- but I’ll also be putting the final touches on my SDCC costumes, which I’m so excited to finally share prior to my trip. Speaking of, for the blog- I’m planning a couple of hotter weather & vacation-themed posts for the coming month, too- including my “How-To” for Summer hair care, and a peek at the essentials inside my carry-on bag. All of that and a couple of refreshing recipe posts, and I’ve got myself a lot of writing to do!

xox

Boston Common – May 2014.

For all my excitement and incessant pining for Spring to get here, it came and went in a flash- and now Summer is at our door. I won’t complain, though. As long as the weather is warm, I’m happy- and Summertime means getting to do a lot of my favorite things: going to the beach and actually being able to swim in the ocean, going on picnics, wearing shorts (as silly as it sounds, I look forward to that!) and using some of my accrued (and much deserved!) vacation time for extended travel, or even to simply take a day off to go to an amusement park during the week.

May was lovely, with my days divided between work and spending as much time outside in the sun and around the (finally!) blossoming trees and flowers as possible. I had kicked off the month in NYC, eating cupcakes and laughing so hard it hurt at Chris Hardwick with my good friend Alison, and today I am wrapping up the month with an iced coffee and seeing the much-anticipated “Maleficent” movie with friends after a quick stop at my office. It’s the first of many Summer movies I’m looking forward to this year.

While June will be spent mostly working, of course, as well as finishing up my costumes for July’s San Diego Comic-Con (photos coming soon!), I am also planning another weekend trip to NYC for some Marvel-related geek-dom, and to Maine to visit a beach community I haven’t been to since my teens. I’m really excited and am looking forward to sharing what will surely be a LOT of photos.

Au revoir May- and Spring! Bring on Summer!

“Lemme’ take a selfie.” Me & Oliver. March 2014.

Come December, when it’s time for me to reflect on the year that was, I think March of 2014 will stand out as one of the most surreal, surprising months I think I’ve ever experienced. It started off with a bang- with an impromptu day trip to NYC to visit the Statue of Liberty for the first time in years and a stop in SoHo to create my own custom lipstick color, and was followed up by my unexpectedly (and miraculously) scoring passes to each day of this coming July’s San Diego Comic-Con. The preliminary outlines for the costumes I plan on making are nearly finished, and I can’t wait to gather up the materials I need, begin working on them, and show you all how they turn out.

March ended with a bang, too- with me falling on my face a little more than a week ago. One of the two procedures I’ll need to fix the minor damage to my two front teeth as a result of that accident is actually scheduled for later on this afternoon. I’m anxious, but mostly looking forward to just having it over and done with. My little tooth gap has been fun and all- but it’s time to look like myself again!

So, as I sit here writing this, adrenaline coursing through my veins from the season finale of “The Walking Dead” (which I’ll break down in a post within the next couple of days,) I’m also preparing for April. Now that it’s not physically painful to stand outside for more than a few minutes at a time due to the cold, I’m looking forward to spending more time outdoors, taking pictures of the scenery around me, of abandoned places that are no longer hidden under the snow- and of some of the new additions to my Spring wardrobe.

But first- I gotta’ sort out my “Walking Dead”-related emotions, because OH MY GOD.

I had gone into February with the best of intentions. Truly. I had all sorts of day/weekend trips and photography projects planned- and I had been looking forward to the sense of productiveness and accomplishment I thought I’d feel with all the things I’d done by the end of this month. Unfortunately, Mother Nature and Old Man Winter had other plans in mind, and while I did manage a couple of nice outings and small adventures- February was mostly spent trying to burrow out of the snow that seemed like it just never stopped falling on us here in the Northeast.

But March is here, and with it comes the hope of Spring! I’m ready for warmer, longer days. I’m ready to rock my florals. I’m ready for baseball season to start. I’m just so ready to boot what has been a brutal, merciless winter out the door and welcome a new, beautiful season with open arms.

The things I had planned to do in February that I didn’t quite get around to because of the weather have been pushed into the coming weeks in March (I have a bit of an impromptu trip planned for tomorrow that I’m looking forward to,) and I’m excited to share it all here as next month progresses!

February in Fall River, MA.

How is it the end of January already? It feels like I was just ringing in 2014 in NYC- and now we’re heading into February! Granted, January is usually one of the busiest months out of the year for me. Between work picking up speed after the lull of the holidays, friends’ birthdays happening one right after the other, my own birthday sneaking up on me- and the overall preparations and goal-setting for the new year- January seems to go by in the blink of an eye, without fail, every year.

Even still, I had a good month. New Years Eve and New Years Day were a blast, of course- and not even the polar vortex and lots (and lots!) of snow could slow me down while I spent time trying to keep warm with friends, networking with other bloggers, and feverishly making plans for February. I had one of the most fun and shamelessly nerdy birthdays ever, and I managed to get in a couple of good photography outings- despite the snow and dramatic temperature drops.

New Year – New York! Me all smiles in NYC 1/1/14.

February looks to be another busy month (but by choice!) I have a few adventures planned, a little bit of travel, some recent recipes I’m excited to share here, and- weather permitting- some more photography/urban exploration sessions, among other things. So far, this year is off to a lovely start.

I hope 2014 has had a wonderful beginning for all of you, as well! I just remembered that today is Chinese New Year, too, so here’s to The Year of the Horse!

xox