Louboutin Tasseled pump. fall 2011.

these are beautiful... thank you, Christian Louboutin! another piece of art.

Happy 7th Birthday to Glee! (my car, not the tv show.)

7 years ago TODAY, we started a remarkable journey together. my 2004 Volkswagen Jetta GLi 1.8t...more affectionately known as "Glee". which is how one of my friends pronounced "GLi" as word. and the name stuck. she was my dream car and when i graduated in 2004 from college, she was my graduation present to myself. August 31, 2004. my parents were scared for me signing on my own on such a HUGE decision and financial commitment. but i never asked for a penny and paid her off in 5 years with 0% interest and 0 down. thank you, VWOA. and because of her, i've literally met some of the best friends i've ever had in life that i still count as my closest friends. thank you, VWvortex. ant, mark, scott, meg, steve (nina!), erin, charles, josh, ian - and of course shis and andrea who i talk to every day. and i'm leaving many out, not intentionally but this blog only has so much room. we've come a long way... 125,000 miles later she is still going strong with no real mechanical issues. oh but we've had our share of cosmetic issues! comprehensive insurance claim should be my middle name...

rear ended at a stop sign... tree branch fell in a storm crushing my front corner panel... sheet metal flew off a truck on the highway scraping my hood and roof... significant hail damage... a half dead deer ran into the side of it while i was driving. and i'm sure there are more that i'm forgetting.

but here are a few pics from the night i made her mine. picked her up in sparkly new condition with only 13 miles on the odometer. brand. spanking. new. and i never looked back...

glimpse of Philadelphia.

my city. i may not live IN it. but i'm certainly there a few times a week. and i love venturing to the city for any reason... business meeting, lunch with colleague or friend, cocktails in the evening at one of the finest restaurants in the world... or just to take in the sights and walk around with a good friend.

so i spent a moment appreciating the sights this morning. as i was ...what? sitting in traffic? no way! so here i am on the Schulykill... 76... waiting my turn to reach my destination. some more patiently than others. but i chose to embrace the wait and admire... taken from the driver's seat of my car (don't arrest me, i was barely moving.)

the Philadelphia Zoo balloon.

the breath taking skyline sight as you come around the corner from Boathouse Row.

i work for an engineering/architecture firm. and we happened to have designed the parking structure here that says Amtrak for one of the most notable buildings in the city - the Cira Center!

The Cira Center.

busy?

for those of you who wonder how i keep my head on straight? i have no idea... this was last week's spread in the good ol planner. i refuse to switch to electronic, so don't bother suggesting that. i enjoy writing in colors, erasing, whiting out. and FEELing each of my little notations. it's just how i'm wired!

yellow pants?

can i pull this off?
love the look. thanks, JCrew.

cotton candy sky.

early fall.

i think fall has arrived. between friday and today, monday. fall is here. it was 53 degrees when i left my house for work this morning at 6:15am. i did a mix of an outfit today with summer and fall. i like to mix them this time of year. so here is what i selected...head to toe - first chilly fall morning edition post-hurricane.

shirt - TJMaxx
necklace - El Sal market
white capris - Ann Taylor LOFT
black cork wedges - Michael Antonio
scarf - Banana Republic
earrings - T&Co

rules of a gentleman No. 225

big news Friday - Hurricane Irene!

the big news to report on this Friday that is sunny at the moment... is that the northeast of the United States is preparing for one of the biggest hurricanes to hit our area in quite some time. we had an earthquake this week.... and now we're bracing for a hurricane with 100+ mph winds. this does not happen in PA! i think Jesus is coming back. hopefully?

not good...

lululemon Audrey jacket.

is it ok if i lust after this for a moment? mmm ok that felt good.

CHICAGO!

another item on my bucket list. (two in one week. an earthquake in PA, and now booking a trip to Chicago!)

i've never been to Chicago - so many people's favorite city of all time. i'm missing out, clearly. so using some of my closest friends, matt and rebecca, as an excuse - i've booked my first Chicago trip! matt and rebecca moved to IL this year, to my heart's discontent. after spending almost every day seeing them and their kids and being at their house... they've moved. heart breaking. but gives me another reason to travel - which i LOVE. i also have two cousins who have lived there for years. i should have gotten here way sooner and now i'm excited to visit Christine, Theresa, Michelle, Marcus, and baby Matthew!

so here i go... off to the windy city! well, not till November.

reunion - the wining and dining group.

through losing one of my best friends almost two years ago, i gained a lifelong friend. when i flew to Alabama for a second memorial service for Andrea, i met Tiffany. one of her friends from med school who helped to organize the memorial service for her Birmingham friends. although i was there for less than 24 hours, Tiffany and i hit it off as friends. of course we would get along having a mutual friend in Andrea who just knew how to pick GOOD friends! and good people in her life. she was a magnet of fun. Tiffany later came to visit the east coast twice last year and has returned this week once again.

blessed to spend time with someone who means so very much to me - a connection to one of the best friends i ever had. and lost too soon. and to spend time with Andrea's mom and stepdad... laughing and enjoying good food. and of course... good wine.

we miss you Andi. every. single. day.

El Salvador No.10

it was hot there. and we were always thirsty. i actually drank soda. which never. ever. happens in the US. but it tasted good. iced cold orange Fanta! and i tried hand made fresh squeezed orange juice that was so bitter and sour that made me make a weird face. i guess the OJ in the US has some sugar added? just a little bit. and after hiking a good ol volcano, we got fruit drinks on the dock restaurant overlooking the volcanic lake. so refreshing. gulp gulp.

ice cream truck.

just a little ice cream truck action at work. because that's how we like to do things here in the summer.

earthquake. in Pennsylvania.

cross that off my bucket list! experienced my first ever (and hopefully only) earthquake yesterday afternoon.

i have no pictures of the devestation. well, because there was none. thankfully. so this is one of those boring word posts. i was peacefully sitting at my desk typing away in marketing land, and our entire building began to shake... and continue shaking... a bit more severe... people's heads began to turn, eyes wide in the "what the HECK is going on look". walls shook and picture frames swayed... my glass of water was sloshing around. and then... it stopped. and just like that it was all over. and i survived my first earthquake. enough of that!

some prayers.

for my daddy. today. he had minor eye surgery to lift his eye lids. apparently it's somewhat common but as you get older, they begin to droop or sag a bit. i never really noticed until he pointed it out. if he didn't get it "fixed" they would eventually start scratching his eye and eliminating peripheral vision. not good! i was teasing him that he was getting a face lift or brow lift :)

i happen to think he is still a handsome guy and doesn't look like he is 54. he's YOUNG!

prayers for you dad. i love you - feel better soon. oxox.

am i ready for fall?

am i really ready? i've mentioned it once already. and as much as i LOVE summer and it's my favorite time of year. ...there IS a small piece of me that loves the transition into fall and all that it brings with leaves, pumpkin spice everything, and sweaters and boots and scarves.

i think i found my fall scarf of choice. Banana Republic leopard scarf of course.
(hint: it's cheaper at the outlets!)

one year.

since we were forced to say goodbye.
missing you every day, robbie.

(dana and robbie at her Sweet 16, many years ago!)

restaurant review - Broad Axe Tavern

i love this place. and thought i'd give it a little shout out. close proximity from work makes it a great lunch spot with co-workers or colleagues. and we happen to be dining there this evening with out of town co-workers from our regional offices. The Broad Axe Tavern is quite a unique place, and i just learned after visiting there website - America's oldest tavern? really?? right in our back yard here? it's also haunted. you can read about Rachel the ghost on their website, i believe. really cool, chic, trendy, elegant decor and dining. and incredible fresh gourmet food. love love. high recommended. two claps.

El Salvador No.9

a special friend arrives tonight! while in El Salvador, one of our main translators was Pastor Martinez's son, Marito. everywhere we were, there he was with us translating for us. the super cool part is that he arrives TODAY to begin attending Eastern University this fall as a freshman. through God's goodness he was able to get a scholarship with the help of Tyler's non-profit oganization as well as some private donors. our El Sal team is so excited to have him begin this journey right here in our home country. we welcome him with open arms as family. just as he did for us in El Sal. we pray that this is the beginning of something grand for him. a journey to draw closer to God and experience life in the USA - i pray that God would bless his time here with Godly people and friendships. Welcome Marito - we're so excited you're here! (almost.)

America's past time.

what summer time is made of... one of the components. a Phillies game on a warm summer night. with great friends. expensive food. and bad beer. and the Phils won. of course.

(this is my 200th blog post! go me. thanks for reading.)

El Salvador No.8

Little bit o cheerleading - El Sal style. also known as... it's been a few years, i'm rusty. and please don't be too critical. right nick?

rules of a gentleman No. 202