where's waldo

hanna and ben came to town. 

always so much fun to have family. here. 

(please, someone from our family has to move to VA)hint. hint.

anyways.

we had a flag in hand &&& as you can tell, we weren't obsessed at all. 

here's a little sneak peak.  

^^^ ben wasn't excited or anything

^^ typical day in the life. 

 ^^^ no we didn't photoshop him in. 

^^ see if you can spot the flag/ben?!?!

^^^ cuties. 

^^^ we pretended we were in phillie. ###foodtrucklove.

okay, it's true. we are obsessed with the flag. 

well, 

at least i am. 

you may see it again on another adventure. i'm not gonna lie. 

come back, hanniebannanie from indiannie. 

a loaf of italian bread.

it's amazing how much joy a loaf of bread can bring you. 

french toast. paninis. bruchetta. caprese salad. 

oh, the possibilities. && i sure do love options. 

&&& there is something extra special when you purchase it from a farmer's market. 

seriously. i'm convinced. it tastes better. 

---

my obsession with italian bread came when caleb && i were in hilton head. 

we found the MOST amazing french toast at a little diner on the island. (we loved it so much we went to that same place for multiple days and ordered multiple dishes of it)

we have since then tried to replicate the goodness of this particular italian french toast. 

we haven't perfected it. yet, we are getting pretty darn close. 

oh those finds on a saturday morning. and all the possibilities that lie ahead for the week. 

 enjoy the loaf :)

^^^ good thing i ran that morning && this boy, that smiles tells it all.

today show. obsessed.

okay. it's true. i'm obsessed with the today show. i don't really know the exact date this happened. however, it must be playing in the background from 7 am until the end or at least until i run to my car for work. 

as a  kid, i always remember my parents watching the show. i remember my mom saying "your dad loves katie couric" && at the time, so did i. 

since i have moved away & started my own life, i think the show reminds me of being home. the sounds && voices of the news anchors kind of take me back to granger, indiana in a sense. it's truly funny how certain sounds, smells, tastes, or sights take you back to a specific place && time in life. for me, its that 7 am morning show. 

so there you go, i guess i have a fetish with news shows. ((i even run to the news at 6 am- needless to say i always know the weather))

who knows, maybe one day you will see me on a news show as an anchor for the day (now that would be a dream come true), but until then i will keep watching and stay obsessed. 

^^ lester holt. so cool. 

chelsea market- you blow my mind

remember how i said i love markets && grocery stores. 

well i think i have found the market that blows my mind above all else (yes, including whole foods.... don't tell them :)

this place is called chelsea market. 

it truly is quite a beautiful location not only because of the food selections but also the character inside. it used to be the old nabisco factory- yes the place where oreos were created - therefore, you know it's going to be good. but it is even better than good. 

the building contains several little shops and venues where you can try anything from lobster to crepes to doughnuts to gourmet grilled cheese. 

of course, caleb and i tried as much as our tummies could hold :)

some of our favorites included: doughnuttery- you can pick the topping of your doughnut (peanut butter and cayenne pepper- sounds weird but delicious!!) && the filling station (mason jars with your favorite beer- yes brooklyn brewery you are good)

&&& the best part. the food network 

is on the third floor. if you didn't believe me before, now you know, chelsea market is credible. go. go. go. please go. you will love your afternoon and your tummy will thank you :)

 ^^ spices by the handful

^^^ i think he likes it.

^^ see i told you. 

the high line.

one of my favorite things to do: walks with people i love. 
living in an apartment- i have found it harder to enjoy. (not as many nice pathways/neighborhoods)

my mom && i used to walk almost every night when i lived at home. we would chat about literally everything. and an hour seemed to fly by- usually my dad would try to come find us wondering if we were lost. 

naturally, in new york you walk. a lot. 
the sites are beautiful though- worth a little sore muscles at the end of the day && after a long walk, the fight for the subway seat begins. quite a sight, really. 

caleb & i had a goal to explore new parts of the city. 
the new adventure we tried on mother's day was the high line. a beautiful walk "on top" of the city. we went on a sunday afternoon && it was breath-taking. so nice to be viewing the traffic rather than in it. the path was packed. people had picnics && popsicles (apparently the new hit thing in the city). this walk was probably a highlight of the trip. it's amazing all the little gems a huge city has to hold. sometimes you just have to get away from the lights- and go explore on your own :)

and of course, central park. the most beautiful walk in the city. 

 ^^^ these shoes were made for walking

those places.

those special places.

 songs.

meals.

places.

they get me. everytime.

...

one of those places is nyc.

maybe its because of the skyscrapers- (they take my breath away and make me feel a little small which is sometimes refreshing && needed)

or it may be the sounds of hundreds of different languages. all in one place. incredibly amazing.

maybe its the multitude of restuaurants to pick from- do you want italian, pizza, mexican, a latte, french fries, a food stand? (seriously. quite a dilema)

or more personally, it is a place that changed my life. a proposal.

...

for these reasons. i can't get enough of nyc.

or sarabeths.

or central park.

or even the seemingly unclean subway. yes, the subway. i love it.

here is some of our recent adventures to new york.

we tried to change it up a bit this time. but just a hair.

you know me, i like traditions :)

                  

^^^ survivor's tree at world trade && largest building in western hemisphere. inspiring.

^^ remembering and honoring :)

                                   

^^^ because who doesn't love popsicles

^^ my new finds from the brooklyn flea

  

call me a fan.

its true. i wear my heart on my sleeve. if you have seen me excited. you know it. 

there are a few things in life that i count as pure joy. 

we all have "a list." the things that make life special. 

mine include:

lattes.

cookie dough ice cream ice cream (obsessed).

going to bed at 10 p.m. (okay maybe 9:30)

runs in the morning. 

family dinners around a table. 

tacos. homemade. hard shelled. red onions. (&& my secret ingredient- only some know :) :) 

civil wars. ingrid michaelson. ben rector. matt kearney. (pretty much the extent of my itunes)

sunsets.

walks. 

blueberry pie.

red pepper flakes. 

today show. 

kathie lee and hoda. 

so on a rainy monday morning. one of my favorite things rewarded me. big time. 

i was kathie lee and hoda's fan of the week. talk about shocked. i thought to myself "they know me!?!?!?!?!" nbd of course. (thanks nicole for informing me of this news- i had no idea!!)

so anyways.. you can only imagine. i wore a huge grin on my face all day. telling everyone who walked across my pathway. watching the clip 100xxx times. who know's- maybe one day i will make it on the today show. in real life. now, that would be the day! but until then- i will bask in my 30 seconds of fame. 

 

oh ya, i kinda of like him, too.

two families.

what's better than one family? two. 

being married for only a short while, i feel like i constantly ask caleb "what did your family do on a sunday afternoon? for birthdays?  for movie nights?" ... you get the point 
so when you get to see your new family in action- it is truly a joy!

caleb's family (well, part) visited us quickly after my family left. the fun never seemed to end- from running through a fountain, souring on a segway tour to watching hello dolly [at the ford, nbd]. all of which these events seem so much more special with people you love. 

thank you, d.c. for your never-ending amusement && family for coming to visit us.

...

it's amazing how much fun you can have with family. these people are irreplaceable. and, when they are here, it makes you realize how blessed you are :) come back soon. 

p.s. gretta, we will have to find you a cupcake shop next time?!