gettysburg

Today marks the 152nd anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.

 Last weekend my mom and I took a whirlwind, last-minute trip to Gettysburg, a place that neither of us had been before. For a sleepy Pennsylvania town, it is brimming with relevant history and is absolutely one of my favorite experiences in a while. It really was an investment to go, as a historian, and as a stakeholder in history education. It was powerful to see the sprawling, hilly fields of Gettysburg and contemplate what it may have looked like all those years ago. It was a somber but meaningful visit, especially as I am becoming more and more interested in the Civil War. Short weekend trips like this can teach you so much, and make you appreciate your country. It was really good timing, as today marks the anniversary of Lincoln's famous address; it was also the weekend after Veteran's Day which really made me think not only about our country, but the people who quietly gave what they could to serve to make our country great. In light of recent events I am even more grateful for this.

Not sure if I should be posting this, because technically we broke a rule...but my favorite part of the trip was going onto the fields at night. Not to hunt for ghosts, but to take pictures of the stars. The milky way was fantastic. Streams of stars lit the sky. Little bright balls of white developed the longer you kept your eye on them. The starlight picture above was taken at the site of one of the hospitals at Gettysburg, near Cemetery Ridge.

Even without the history, Gettysburg is a delightful town. All the locals that I spoke to love living there. It is quiet, simple, and well maintained. The town has a certain dignity along with its charm. We found some cute cafes and restaurants on the main street, Chambersburg Street, including this place and this place. 

I can't sufficiently express what I got out of this trip. I loved every second of it and can't wait to visit again.

ciao! xo

some november thoughts

Hellooo! It's incredible that we are already over a week into November, and I haven't posted since mid-October! I promised I wouldn't give up blogging, and I wanna stay true to that! But the idea of privacy has definitely taken the pressure off the need to post a certain number of times per week and month. I feel like it's a good fit for now. November is the month of gatherings and birthdays here in this family. It has been lovely and busy, as usual, with lots of dreaming and doing. Here are a few thoughts, favorites, and phases for November so far...

• my nifty fifty lens! I had been eyeing up the 50mm f/1.4 prime lens for my Nikon for a few weeks before making the (not so big) splurge. It is so cost effective and I love the super wide aperture, which results in a more blurred background with a delightful bokeh effect. The picture above was taken of me with the nifty fifty. Love the versatility of this lens, even though you can't zoom in and out. Definitely can see how it is a piece every photographer should own. 

• outfit obsessions right now: hats, vests, and boots. I have been all over hats for a while and it seems suddenly with the ushering in of fall, they are EVERYWHERE, available in all stores, and man I love it! This one is an oldie from last winter from Brixton - love the super wide, floppy brim. The whole trend is really great and even extends into better haircare, I think...here's my thinking...if I know I am wearing a hat, I'm not worrying about my hair or what it looks like.  Outerwear and vests are another current obsession of mine - I keep finding myself pinning new pieces and really lusting over unusual, textured pieces that make layering easy and interesting. And boots! I'm searching for a nice pair of black booties, and I expect I will wait until I meet the perfect pair.

• amazon prime movies and rentals. this is my new friday night date! I have been all over Amazon Prime's rentals - most start at $2.99 - because it is so effortless and easy, and almost any title is available. I've really been enjoying it on cold weekday nights when I have some extra time to relax in bed. With the free titles, I've been exploring all types of movies I normally don't watch - oldies, war movies, Jane Austen classics, etc. Most of them are clunkers but it is fun to give it a shot. My most recent eye-roller was Miss Julie, with Jessica Chastain and Colin Farrell....it had me for a while, but just got so horribly bad. My on-rotation favorite is the Civil War documentary by Ken Burns. It is going through its 25th anniversary again on Sunday nights, PBS :)

• cabin dreaming. I have been really keen on the idea of simpler country living, it seems. This year we've had talk in the family about what it would be like to have a cabin. It just seems like all of this dreaming and talking is turning the idea of a cabin into quite a lovely aspiration. The country appeals to me for its lack of crowds, the fresh air, the untainted night sky, the sounds and smells of the outdoors. I was not always like this! I am not sure where this is coming from...but I am feeling really into country, cabin life. 

• wanderlust: i am dreaming big and small. We are taking a small trip to Gettysburg this weekend, which I am looking forward to immensely. part of it is inspo from watching the Civil War documentary! It will be a poignant, but eerily enriching trip. Big dreams include international travel...I'm missing the big time trips!  I really want to get some plans into work about London, my friend and I have been wanting to go for years now but the plans just never fell into place. Maybe something in the next few months will work out...

scenes from my weekend

Because the Pope was in town, we decided to keep it chill and have a low-key, laid back weekend. Which was totally fine with me because I seem to have caught a nasty cold that I can't quite get rid of. I hate how tough head colds are! Anyway, as you can see it was a very autumn-ish weekend will all of the hues of orange, the jacket-wearing, and the autumn time treats. It was a picturesque day, with chilly blue skies and lots of goings on.

We made our way to a pumpkin festival/farmers' market, sampling delicious fall delicacies like pumpkin ice cream and apple butter. I've heard at least a dozen people exclaim the words "I love the fall!" yesterday. I also saw some of the largest pumpkins and ugliest gourds (I like them best) in my life!

We drove through Princeton, NJ via Hopewell and had an awesome time looking out the window at the nascent signs of autumn in the trees. I fell in love with a cafe in Hopewell and got to visit some new and old favorite pit stops in Princeton, my ideal weekend hangout, especially on such a gloriously brisk day.

It was obviously light jacket and jeans weather - so, outfit post coming up soon!

ciao! xo

seaside september weekend

 Some of my thoughts from our fall beach weekend, which is turning into quite a tradition:

• I am discovering that I am in love with the allure of ships. I think my favorite place at the beach is the inlet, where all the giant steel fishing boats sleep. We went there one sunset and saw fishermen unloading their day's bounty, which included small blue fish. I asked the fisherman, who was very kind, if I could snap a few pictures of him doing his work. He obliged, and that black & white photo above is one of my new favorites.
• We also have a weird new go-to beach that I like to call Carcass Beach (sounds lovely, right)? It's actually gross but I always leave there as wide-eyed and curious as a kid. There is almost always a scattering of fish vertebrae, crab legs, and that pungent smell of fish. This is weird...but I kind of like it. At a distance, of course.
• To go with my new love of watching ships, I have become obsessed with tracking them and reading up on shipwrecks. I started reading a book, Shadow Divers, which I am halfway through...it is SO COOL. All about shipwrecks scattered along the coast of New Jersey. I borrowed the rental house's copy but didn't finish in time, so I bought my own copy and am patiently awaiting its arrival in the mail.

I love the beach in the fall when the crowds have left. It is so inspiring and beautiful, with the most enchanting smell of autumn in the air. It is the season for spices, orange hues, scents and tastes - but by the sea everything is better. 

I woke up every morning around 5am to see the sunrise - thanks to my mom, for getting me out of bed. Once on the roof, we saw the most stunning vistas, even if it was a cloudy daybreak. I also liked watching the ships bob in the water - even the big freighters and fishing ships, too. 

 - - - 

Last post I announced I was changing my public settings on my blog and going to go "private." So if you're reading this, thanks for staying on :)

ciao xo! 

the loveliest thanksgiving!

 he's home! home! home!

Thanksgiving this year was as simple as could be. No frills, no crazy snafus in the kitchen - just us decking the halls and patiently waiting the year's most awaited meal. Actually I couldn't wait and I snuck in to steal stuffing and turkey pieces quite frequently! I lurked around as we watched Trains, Planes and Automobiles (what a classic!) and set a fire in the fireplace early in the morning. It created such a sense of relaxation and coziness that is making me SO excited for the upcoming few weeks. I love seeing all the lights on the houses nearby, smelling the scent of pine, and imagining all the snow that will fall {hopefully a white Christmas!}

Undoubtedly the best part of Thanksgiving was that S came home! Seeing him and going on aimless drives, going to our favorite restaurant, and crossing things off our must do list was just so nice and even nourishing. One of my favorites moments was Black Friday - which could not have been less stressful. We went to a cozy little cafè and sipped coffee as its flurried outside..magical. Note to self: handle Black Friday the same way next year!

I've been so off the grid lately - my computer is acting up which I am pretty disappointed about. Last year I got a MacBook air and looooved it, no problems until now - the fan is acting up and I'm going to have to take it to the Apple store a second time - frustrating. I am hoping we can resolve it but it's this little worry in the back of my head...

Tomorrow we put S on a plane back for California but it will be a short trip back because he will arrive back home for Christmas in just a few weeks. I can't even explain how I am looking forward to this break! Four days off for Thanksgiving was absolutely perfect, I can't imagine how it will be topped!

breaking the rules

skirt banana republic (old) / leggings lululemon / booties banana republic (old) / hoodie freeloader / bag street level / necklace j.crew factory

This unorthodox outfit was originally a lazy-saturday morning getup; black leggings with this ridiculously comfortable hoodie from the beach. Hair half towel-dried and in a knot, mismatching socks, and no makeup was the forecast for the day. And it was cold! A sharp chill in the air for sure. Except my day went from cozy-indoors to day of busy family outings, including a birthday lunch for my sisters (yay) and sending my brother off to a high school dance. But I was not changing out of my comfy weekend uniform. So I broke some cardinal fashion rules.

I piled on unexpected (and perhaps unfitting) layers. A skirt, booties, and a set of new J.Crew baubles to dress it up a bit. In the mirror this seemed to look pretty darn good but in the sunlight the leggings are kind of off - definitely not hose, you know? But I kind of like it. Paired with the hoodie, it is sporty - but the skirt and the necklace make it fit for a sit-down dinner. Comfortable, warm, and clever ''table dressing." I am thinking this (modified, of course) is going to be my thanksgiving dinner outfit! If only I had fabulous suede black knee-high boots to wear with this buffalo plaid.

Would you dare to mix yoga pants with a more dressy piece? What are you willing to do, or not do, when it comes to breaking some rules?

ciao! xo! and happy monday!

november goals

via

Ah, November! 

The month of chilliness, coziness, family, and turkey.

A new month bringing a new set of goals.

+ Go to yoga 1x/week and continue running - I've sort of stopped. It has just gotten far too cold! I am going to have to start up spin classes or something to keep the movement up, but I'd like to suck it up and run 1x/week as well. A nice 'long' 3 miler or so should do it.

+S comes home! So naturally we have a MILLION things to do on our bucket list in the short 10-day window he is home. That is a separate post in and of itself! Involving lots of fun friend reunions, coffee dates, a turkey bowl, and more. Wishing him a safe and effortless trip home!

+ Shoot another outfit post

+ Bake my annual apple pie(s)

+ Try a new recipe; I'm thinking a soup. Butternut squash or pumpkin chipotle (inspired from this)

+ Stay sane on Black Friday. I usually hate shopping and avoid it at all costs on this day. But I'm being a little selfish this year as there are a lot of things I actually want to buy for myself (hello, Blue Mercury!). I'm almost embarrassed to say that I am really considering splurging on La Mer moisturizer.

+ Stick to my spending plan. See my 4 tips to make your 20-something yuppie wallet a little happier. Not that I know what I'm doing, or anything...

+ Get the ball rolling on grad school. Does waiting back take forever, or does it take forever!? I feel like I missed something...

+ Go somewhere new (or a place I haven't been in a loonggg time). Maybe Boston, NYC, or even a more local spot...

+ Since we have 4 birthdays this month in the family, it'd be nice to have a big family dinner. Perhaps I can organize that at a place we can all agree on.

What are your November goals!?
Ciao, xo!

insta-lately

What an amazing past couple weeks (if you're into the golden hues of fall like I am)! It's been gorgeous, although now that we're in November and it's freezing, it seems like the past couple of weekends were too good to be true. The tastes and smells and sights of October were so appealing to all of my senses.

Honestly - last week was a doozy. It was horribly stressful, and the work bled into the weekend. Trips to Whole Foods + fuzzy slippers + instagram distractions + milk duds leftover from Halloween + November bucket list dreaming became the perfect blend of distraction. But now this pile of papers glaring at me needs to be attended to...ugh.

Another random thought for you: last month I sort of neglected yoga. I got back into it and realized just how much I missed it! The studio itself is so enchanting and tranquil - just stepping in there calms me down.  Yoga is truly a blessing. I need to keep going. It's expensive but seriously such a source of nourishment; I've somehow not gone over the last month to any classes (except one!) and realized that can't go on any further! Some of my favorite classes are 'restorative,' which is more focused on gentle stretching and calming your body; I also love vinyasa flow which is more of a workout depending on the instructor. Gotta get back into it more routinely - I love it! Do you ever do yoga?

you can check out more instas @tmango77!
ciao, xo!

golden light

top daydreamer | vest THML | jeans j.crew | booties banana republic (old) | tote street level

Happy Friday! And Happy Halloween! I can't wait to reveal to you the silly costume that I've whipped up - but until then I thought I'd share with you what has turned out to be my f a v o r i t e fall  chill outfit. Comfy, minimal, but perfectly fitting for this crisp and golden time of year. We snapped these photos on such a gorgeous night - I mean, I can't get enough of this natural light in the photos!

Last Sunday we grabbed Wawa hot chocolates (where're my Philly peeps at!?) and headed out to a haunted hayride for what turned out to be perhaps the most quintessential October evening. My very talented sister captured these moments during the golden hour before the sun went down and the festivities of the evening began. By the end of the night I didn't look quite as pulled together and collected - all the creepy clowns and chainsaw massacre scenes may or may not have had me ducking in the hay, screaming! Anyway, the evening was picturesque and the weather was perfect for a slightly bundled-look. I love this faux-leather/knit vest I picked up at my favorite beach boutique last month. It is the perfect thing to effortlessly throw over a tee, and look so put together and layered. I love the texture of it! And I'm really pleased that I am finally wearing in my tan leather booties from last year - they look the perfect amount of aged and scuffed! I couldn't be more pleased!

Another cool outfit detail is this reversible bag by Street Level. It's my go-to weekend bag and I love how sharp the white looks - but black is classic, too! It was the best complement to the faux leather details in the vest. I'll probably be wearing a variation on this theme for the rest of the weekend. 

ciao! xo