Some explaining to do

You may have seen my post yesterday, or if we're friends on social media, possibly even a little earlier. I think I owe the readers of this blog a little apology. Because I've had this big thing on my mind that I couldn't share with you all, it felt almost artificial to write about other things during this time. So, the blog took a hit in the content department. I slacked off on compiling my ten happy moments, because honestly, there's this ONE happy thing that tops them all. And also, the exhaustion, oh the exhaustion, I hardly had the energy to change out of my work clothes and into pajamas when I walk in the door after work, let alone research topics, cook, take and edit photos, and write amazing blog posts. So again, I apologize. It is my hope and commitment going forward not to let this thing take the back seat any more.

With that being said, I think I also have a few things to address. Yes, we're having a baby. Yes, that means that eventually I'll be a mother. No, that does not mean this will be a "mommy blog." This is a "lifestyle" blog. Whatever the hell that means. But to me it means that it's about MY LIFE (and style). So will I talk about things related to pregnancy and being a parent? YES, because they are parts of my life. But will I also continue to post content completely unrelated to those things? Absolutely.

Oh baby

Homemade corn tortillas

I swear, I actually do eat food other than tacos, although by the looks of things on this blog, that's not how it appears. Well, a couple weeks back, when I posted my sneaky trick for easy carnitas tacos, my pal Dave reached out to me and said, "Did I ever tell you that I used to make my own tortillas? I haven't made them in forever but they are so good. We should set up a taco night so I can make them for you guys." And to that I said, HELL FREAKING YES. Plus, this way I could put together a blog post about it without having to do any actual cooking, win-win! So first things first, we prepared some watermelon margaritas. I don't think you can properly make tortillas without a little tequila in you first. 

Dressing up taco night

I talk about tacos a lot on this blog. I just love them so much they really hold a special place in my heart. The weird thing is that when I was a kid I really didn't like tacos (Say what, Marissa!?! You cray!) I suppose I'm just making up for lost time now, stuffing my face with the delicious meat filled discs whenever I get the chance. When it's a hot day, and you don't really feel like cooking, you can cut up a bunch of fresh veggies and toppings and make yourself a fancy taco bar. The "trick" I'm going to fill you in on, is a little secret I learned from my dear friend, Ana. First, you need to head to Trader Joe's and pick up some of their traditional carnitas. One package is just barely enough for two people, but if you have a big eater in your family, you're going to want to pick up at least two packages. This stuff is like gold, it's pre-cooked, pre-seasoned, so all you have to do is heat and serve. See below for more photos and garnish ideas. 

Friendcation in OCNJ

Happy 8th of July! I hope you had a fantastic Fourth of July weekend. Mine consisted of sun, sand, games, friends and a lot of laughter. We headed to Ocean City, New Jersey for a long weekend with friends. We played countless games of Salad Bowl, ate and drank wayyy too much, enjoyed some fireworks, and soaked up some sun rays. Special thanks to our friend Jimmy for letting us crash his parents' vacation home. It was so perfect for hanging out and cooking and spending a rainy day on the porch and late nights watching Drunk History. See more photos from the weekend below. 

A trip to the lake

Following my brother's high school graduation ceremony on Saturday, my family and I packed the cars and made the drive up to Sacandaga Lake where my parents rented a house for the week. The few days we got to spend there were perfect (minus the relentless mosquitoes.) On day one, we had some boat issues, so we spent the morning hanging out at the dock, soaking up the rays, playing endless games of fetch with Titan, and letting dad work his magic on the boat. Finally, the boat was up and running and we headed out on the high seas. Titan got to practice his fetching capabilities in deeper waters and everyone jumped in for a cool off.

Titan

A preview of the blog post to come... 

Happy moments of the week

Photo by SimplyChelsetta on Flickr

1. Finally getting all of my herbs planted! 

2. Having a fun night playing classic college drinking games, witnessing a soda stream explosion and hanging out by the fire pit with some of my favorite people in the whole world! 

3. Seeing the bottom of the hamper for the first time in months. It's so hard to keep up with laundry sometimes, but feels so good when all of your belongings are finally clean!

4. Sunday brunchin' and thriftin'. I picked up a Waterford crystal ring holder for like $15 bucks, normally $65 or more. Plus, I got to try on some bomb ass fur coats. 

5. Any movie starring Liam Neeson. Such as Non-Stop, in which Liam essentially plays exactly the same character he plays in the Taken series. But I'm not complaining. Taken 3 comes out next year, I wonder who gets taken this time? He's running out of family members...

6. Scoring free Dunkin' coffee thanks go a generous co-worker sharing her coupons. 

7. I'm BEYOND excited to head to New York today and see my lil' bro graduate high school and then party with my fam at a lake house in the Adirondacks. GO DACKS!

8. Getting my paws on these adorable vans, not only are the comfortable but they are basically the cutest shoes to have ever lived. 

9. Hanging out in the conference room with co-workers for a few hours while cheering on the US during the US vs. Germany World Cup game. 

10. Catching up with a former co-worker over sushi. Sushi dates are the best.