life lately

A few snapshots of what I've been up to during my hibernation.

Handmade banner and Christmas cards from friends and family.

Setting the stage for our New Year's Eve eve family dinner {mark and I hosted 14 people!}

Festive fingers - gold and glittery for the new year.

Canadian water has made its way on to grocery store shelves. {p.s. it's delicious}

delayed

Mark and I spent the weekend in San Diego, conducting final meetings with our wedding vendors. We had a great time checking things off our list and visiting with the people who will be making our wedding dreams a reality. In between our meetings, we enjoyed the picture-perfect weather and even had time both days to soak up the sun and surf at the beach {more on that later}.

What wasn't so fun was the 2-hour + delay at the airport on our way back to Phoenix.

But we're back home in the desert, safe and sound. And hot.

we in dc

You can't get much more patriotic than celebrating Memorial Day weekend in D.C. Although it was hot and humid {but absolutely gorgeous in Phoenix - I don't want to talk about it}, we had an amazing time exploring the city and checking out the sites.

union station

prepping for the capital concert

old p.o. boxes

all about the homeland

the first amendment bold and beautiful on the newseum

at the butterfly exhibit

at the american history museum

pizza paradiso in georgetown

super tourists : washington memorial from dc duck tour on the potomac river

maui wowie

Finally! I've gone through the hundreds of photos from our trip to Maui and, boy, what I wouldn't give to go back.

We relaxed on the beach  

{so much so that I actually napped on the sand. And in the lounge chairs by the pool. Several days in a row. Highly uncharacteristic of me since I'm always begging Mark to go-go-go.} 

We drove the Road to Hana

We hiked to some waterfalls

We explored a lava tube

We enjoyed each others' company

Here are a few of my favorite shots. Please excuse the plethora of SPS {self photo shoots} - it's what happens when you vacation a deux. And Mark is a fantastic SPS photographer.

~don't you just love mark's duck face?~

~very lara croft : tomb raider, non?~

~a gorgeous old banyan tree~

a warm farewell and a chilly reception

How was your Thanksgiving, lovelies? Enjoy spending time with friends and family?

Our vacation was indulgent and relaxing. I wished for a couple extra days soaking up the sun and 80-degree weather, but was out of luck. A little treat from Pinkberry at the Maui airport helped to soften the surrender back to reality.

~my fave - the orginal with strawberries and pineapple~

Back home, we were greeted with chilly temperatures and a full Thanksgiving feast on Sunday {thanks, Mom!} since we spent Thanksgiving Day driving the Road to Hana, exploring a lava tube and hiking around Haleakala National Park's Kipahulu area.




~a peek overtop of the jeep~

I'm still digging through the photos and video and will post a complete recap soon.

sand in my shoes

I'm so ready to dig my toes into the sand and work on a beachside glow.

Mark and I are off to spend the week in Maui. I plan to post a few times while we're away - but no promises!

Happy weekend, lovelies!

outfitted | west side story

Remember when I told you of my insane jealousy of my friend's upcoming trip to New York City? Well, to add insult to serious injury, she told me she was going to see West Side Story. On Broadway.

On the bright side, she did ask me to create a look for her enchanted evening. She's so darn stylish she doesn't really need my help, but I'm happy to oblige her request {or rather, I'm happy she's indulging me}.

Click for shopping info on Sarah's Evening on Broadway.  


If you have an upcoming event and are looking for some style inspiration, drop me a line at modernlovely@hotmail.com or leave me a comment with your event, location and time of year. I'd love to put something together for you.

birthday month

It's November and it's officially my birthday month.

I like a month rather than a day or a week. Silly, perhaps, but this year, my birthday falls on a Tuesday. How completely uneventful. And since I'll be turning 30, an uneventful birthday just won't do {plus, Mark won't be back from Virginia in time to celebrate on the actual day}.

Nordstrom kicks off the month-long celebration by giving me {and anyone else who shops there} the gift of the Half Yearly Sale, which starts November 3. That also means, if you have the Nordstrom MOD or credit card, you earn double points during the first few days!

Oh, and remember last week when I mentioned Anthropologie sends birthday love? It came! I think I get as much enjoyment from the packaging as I do the present.

But this year's biggest factor for celebrating all month long is the fact that Mark and I will be relaxing here over Thanksgiving

Eeep!


*maui image courtesy of here

new york, new york

A wonderful town, indeed. A friend of mine made me quite jealous when she told me that, in a few short weeks, she'd be heading to NYC with some girlfriends. The City? In fall? Oh, be still my heart!

When I went in spring with my mother, we had a wonderful, whirlwind day filled with visiting neighborhoods, checking out shops, visiting with an old high school friend and, of course, enjoying the food. Come along and I'll share the highlights.

~don't throw mama...~

~iconic ice skating~

~30 rock~

~no trip is complete with a beverage from dean and deluca~

~quintessential ny pizza~

~which is better? magnolia chocolate...~

~...or magnolia red velvet?~

~bleecker street~

~chelsea~

~zac posen for target pop-up store~

~inside - just fabulous~

~central park~

~times square~

~sex and the city~

~hs besties in nyc~

~empire state of mind~