Oren!

My nephew was born back in May, and I finally got to meet him at the end of July for his Baptism.

This is one of my favorite pictures of him and I, but I'm sure there will be many more to come!

Oy vey

This shows the location of Irene from a few days ago, now she is in North Carolina

Watching The Weather Channels coverage of Hurricane Irene is seriously stressing me out, more so than it does when the hurricane is heading directly for me.

Maybe it’s because I have grown up with hurricanes as a way of life and I know exactly what to do in case of an emergency. I have always had a hurricane kit hidden somewhere in my house so I don’t have to be scrambling at the last minute for flashlights, batteries, bottled water and canned soup. I know that if it is a particularly bad hurricane you sanitize your bathtub and fill it up with water because you may or may not have clean water for a few days.

The horror stories that I have heard from friends and family are ridiculous. All of the stores in the cities (Irene is heading for 4 major ones – Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston) are completely packed with people and they are getting violent.

I hope that all of my family and friends from North Carolina to Maine that are in the path of the storm stay safe over the next few days!!

xoxo,
Mariah

What is the one place, that every time you leave, you feel as if you are leaving a part of yourself behind?

In one form or another, I have been asked this question by so many people over the past few days. In discussions of post-graduation life, potential graduate school programs, and career choices, my friends and I keep coming back to this one question.


I think today I finally realized where this place is for me.

I used to think that it was Florida, specifically Ft. Lauderdale where I grew up. Sure, I have so many memories there and it will always be considered my home but I have nothing really keeping me in Florida. My parents, who still live there, are planning on moving onto their sailboat within the next few years and do a lot of traveling, and my younger sister who goes to school in Tampa is probably planning on moving as well once she graduates. The rest of my family is all in the northeast.

I also used to think that Philadelphia was the place for me. I am a diehard Phillies and Eagles fan because I grew up watching them with my grandfather. All of my mom’s side of the family lives there. When I was applying to college for my undergrad the only two out-of-state schools I applied (and got accepted) to were in Philly – and I was broken hearted when I found out I couldn’t go. I love to visit my family there and miss them when I leave, but I rarely miss the actual place, the city, or anything really around it.

I have a million and one memories from Massachusetts (specifically eastern Mass. but who’s keeping track). I love it. Weird, I know. I have so many memories. I don’t think I could ever in good conscience root for any athletic teams from there (unless they are playing against NY… I still hold my grudge against all things NY from when the Yankees beat the Phillies in the World Series a few years back). But I love thinking about all of the times that I have spent there…

… Spending summers at my grandfather’s house in Chatham,

… Harwich Junior Theater (don't judge, I was totally a theater geek back in the day).

… Riding bike through the sand dunes to get to P-Town

… My first trip to Boston (including all things touristy – duck boats, swan boats, taking a picture outside Cheers, etc.)

… The countless cruise summers I spent in Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and New Bedford (yes, New Bedford…if you've ver been there, you know what I mean).

This doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of all of my great memories (some just aren't appropriate to blog about), but every time I leave I feel like I'm leaving a piece of me behind.

Heck I am even a sucker for a good accent and I love Massachusetts/Boston accents.

xoxo,
Mariah

What my life has turned into...

singing Fleetwood Mac into a ladle as I dance around the kitchen and unload the dishwasher.

I am so okay with this scenario.

You know you're in love when you don't want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. ~Dr. Seuss

I still can't believe that two weeks ago my roommate of five years married the love of her life. It was such an amazing wedding and it was so great to see so many people that I hadn't seen in awhile.

I wish Audrey and Paul the best in everything they do!



The bride and groom with all the Kappa's



The couples first dance

Table 4: The Party Table

Photobooth fun!

The next morning two of my sorority sisters, Jessica and Kristen, stopped at the University of Florida Kappa house and had a mini photoshoot.

Friday Five: back-to-school edition

A few of the blogs that I love to read have a weekly Friday Five where they share the things that they are in love with at the moment. I decided that I want to try my hardest to do the same.


My first one is going to be all about back-to-school since classes start again on Monday...

1) I have been looking everywhere for a new school bag and the Kate Spade Bow Bridge James is just perfect. It is a great size and I love the camel color - just perfect for a Florida fall/winter. The bow is a super cute touch too!

2) Obviously you need to stock up on as much UCF gear as possible. Love this UCF notepad, perfect for keeping track on my copious to-do lists that I'm sure I'll have this semester.

3) Along with the start of fall classes in the start of the college football season. I am in love with all things black and gold. The ModCloth 'It's Morning Dress' is a great addition to any tailgating wardrobe (especially in Florida where it's about 95 degrees at every single game). I already have a gold belt to add to it and some UCF Knights croakies. GO KNIGHTS!

4) Gotta love some Vera! Coral, yellow, and brown has always been one of my favorite color combos. This Vera Bradley Brush and Pencil case in Buttercup is great to throw into any oversized tote along with textbooks and a laptop.

5) It has taken me awhile to finally jump on the iPad bandwagon, but I am finally there. I had the opportunity to buy one when they first came out but wasn't to impressed with them at the time. Now that they have come out with the iPad 2 and the super amazing protective cover I really like it.

xoxo,

Mariah

Labels or Love

Anyone who knows anything about Sex and the City and Carrie Bradshaw knows all about her signature 'Carrie' necklace. In just about every episode you can see her wearing the classic gold name necklace. Since the show started I'm sure hundreds upon thousands of women have been searching for their perfect signature 'Carrie' necklace.

Alas! I have found mine!

I stumbled across this charm one day while I was at a Tiffany's store in Connecticut this summer. I had just run in to the store to get a deep cleaning on some of my jewelry and as usual I wandered around to look at the other things they had. At first I didn't see this charm, but on my way out of the store I saw it for a split second and have been pining for it ever since.

I would wear it with just a simple silver chain - but trust me I would wear it all the time!

xoxo,
Mariah