Brooklyn Heights on the Fourth of July

Brooklyn Heights was one of our favorite neighborhoods. We really weren't considering the Heights before our walking tour, but it really stuck out to us. Lots of cute brownstones, patios, backyards. This was a beautiful park looking on to Manhattan. 

 

Lady Liberty in the distance

 

 

 

Neighborhood Shopping in Brooklyn

We spent our Fourth of July wandering around Brooklyn shopping for neighborhoods. That's right, we are leaving Philly behind sometime soon and moving to New York!

Monster Litter

Mmmm, a pork store

This place had a gorgeous turtle and koi pond in the front yard

A moss farm

Sorry for the blurry picture, but I had to post this. I just loved this little moss farm. So creative! I'd like to try making a living wall with succulents and moss. I think shadow box frames would be handy for a project like that. Maybe once we get settled. It's all I can do to force myself outside to water our flowers now!  

Adorable little old fashioned soda fountain

 We had a nice lunch at this soda fountain and I had my first egg cream! Egg creams are kind of a fizzy chocolate milk (no egg involved). My grandfather, Adam, always told me about egg creams but I'd never seen one on a menu until now. I love when little reminders of him pop up and surprise me. I think that's one of the reason I'm so excited for our move. Even though my grandparents lived in New Jersey and raised their family there, my grandpa spent a lot of time in New York and would always tell me stories about his adventures there. Maybe I can retrace some more of his steps!

Interesting sculptures outside of the Brooklyn Academy of Music Opera House 

  

Julius, the Ultra-Flexible Laundry Monster

Every weekend when I go to do our laundry I face this dreadful beast, the Laundry Monster.


He inhabits caves made from sundresses and attacks when you least expect it. 

 

When he isn't terrorizing the laundry pile, he can be found showcasing his contortionist abilities.   

 

Phair, Pink Lemonade Flowers, and Mounted Police

Last weekend we took a long walk along the Schuylkill River and ended up at Phair, a small flea market with a few food trucks on the river banks. It was too hot to stay for very long but we made sure to sample some pork belly bao buns and korean tacos on our way out.

Phair on the Schuylkill Banks

On our way home we passed on of my favorite gardens in Philly, a teeny strip of land near the Boy Scouts of America Headquarters at Van Pelt and Winter Streets.  

I call it the pink lemonade garden because of the gorgeous yellow and hot pink flowers. 

These bloom s replaced some lovely royal purple spring flowers. I hope I can learn to garden this well! At a recent library book sale I picked up a guide to container gardening but haven't had a chance to read it yet.  

That evening we met up with a few friends in Old City for a drink. On our way there we passed these horse cops patrolling the NEIGH-borhood (sorry, I had to).  

Pre-Wedding run at W&L

Doremus Gymnasium at W&L

The day before our wedding I was able to sneak out for a quick solo run around Lexington. I was lucky enough to get a perfect running day. It was cool, breezy, and beautiful. So pretty in fact the clouds stopped me in my tracks a few times. I only did 2.5 miles, but hey, it's better than nothing!

Wedding Week

Here we are in the car on our way down to Lexington for our wedding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lola, the wedding-mobile

One of my favorite exits, Lexington, VA

Our wedding week happened to overlap with W&L's graduation

Graduation set up on the Colonnade

Essential wedding project: Welcome Bags. Must have Dogfish Head for all wedding tasks.

This is Roux, our friend's dog. He was visiting Lexington from NYC for the wedding. 

Such a cute pup

My wonderful bridesmaid, Laurel, with our cart full of essentials from Sam's Club. Laurel was such an amazing helper. She's in Sierra Leone right now with the Peace Corps! You can check her blog out at: http://laurelinsalone.blogspot.com/

Rehearsal Day!

When we headed down to Lexington on Tuesday, the week of our wedding, things weren't looking so great. It was cold, rainy, foggy, just generally gross weather. Things started to clear up on Friday just in time for the festivities the next day. 

Tent and site set up in progress

Fuzzy action shot

Chatting with my groom before our rehearsal :)

My parents 4Runner full of wedding flowers!

We did all of the wedding flowers ourselves on Friday before the rehearsal and finished up that evening. There were four or five of us making arrangements, boutonnieres, etc, and two others running errands and working on set up and other small details. I would definitely DIY the flowers again. However, I'd say that if you are easily stressed, don't have many helpers, or have elaborate designs in mind you may want to go with a florist.

I ordered spray roses, hydrangea, baby's breath, and stock from Sam's Club and we supplemented the flowers with greens from my mother's wonderful friend, JoEllen. I think we had just the right amount. We made:

9 bouquets (1 bridal, 7 bridesmaids, 1 toss bouquet)

14 boutonnieres (baby's breath)  

4 large arrangements in galvanized pails

18 centerpieces

5 arrangements for buffet and bars

20 assorted arrangements (extras)

Decorations for cake

More flower pictures to come!