Julia's First Birthday Party

this past weekend we celebrated the first birthday of our sweet little niece. i cannot believe it's been a year since this bitty girl came into the world in the middle of hurricane sandy. being able to document her life has been an excellent adventure and she never ceases to amaze me with her beauty...and smart little smirks :).

julia's parents went to great lengths to entertain a huge amount of family and friends. everything was delicious and perfectly fitting for a fall festival! from the gigantic crock of chili, with all the fixings you could ever imagine, to the frankenstein puddings and even a pumpkin carving/painting table to keep all of julia's friends happy!



the birthday girl was so chic in her classic black dress...with just a touch of gold and a teeny tutu popping out! i think i need to find one in my size!



hi, friends! who's having fun?!?!



can't have a bday party without a cake, right?! jules didn't go wild, that would be so out of character for this gal. she was more concerned with actually ingesting the cake rather than making a major mess out of it, but it still made for some very funny reactions!



how can a halloween baby not show off her costume to all of the party-goers?! just how cute is this little lamby?! ugh, love her and her little rolly baby legs! :) happy birthday, julia! xoxo!!

fall vacation | ocean city, nj

as the days get shorter and the leaves begin to change, i can't help but get excited for sweaters, tights, boots, and scarves. fall fashion is superb, but i can never get enough of summer life!

every year, my new jersey family rents a place right on the beach in ocean city and it never fails to satisfy my need for one last blast of salt-kissed air before fall officially sets in. waking up to the lull of the waves and the squawk of gulls...and this year, some energetic toddlers eating their 'baffles'...sets the tone for a fantastic day.

for the first time (for me), we took a day trip to cape may and explored their stretch of sand and victorian neighborhoods.  the weather was gorgeous and had the wind died down, i would've been in that ocean! we toured the bird sanctuary and saw the lighthouse - which is in the middle of a parking lot, huh?! and of course lots of ocean, birds and blue.




back in ocean city, we walked the boardwalk between naps (only for the kids this year!).  being together with the ever-expanding in-law brood was relaxing, rambunctious and filling.  we had our fill of sand, candy, boardwalk treats, delicious homemade dinners and of course, plenty of laughs. as the years pass and the family grows, the memories and traditions grow as well...i'm sure we'll never travel to the shore again without dry-erase markers to take notes, write recipes and do math problems on the sliding glass doors (WHY?!? haha).

thank you to nonna & papaZ for another great seaside escape! xo!!


more vacation snaps here!