One of my favorite poems...

O Me! O Life!

By Walt Whitman

1819-1892

---

O me! O life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill'd with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself, (for who more foolish than I,
and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the
struggle ever renew'd,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see
around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring--What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.
That you are here--that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.

Beautiful Bridal Shower

I attended my sister's best friend's bridal shower at mima vinoteca today and it was spectacular. The food, service, and ambiance are unmatched. There was a simple, yet splendid decor of sunflowers in wine bottles and minimal, but appropriate games! Not once was my wine glass (or my stomach) empty! hors d'oeuvres consisted of piave cheese, mini meatballs, fried calamari, and bruschetta crostini, followed by a delicious gorgonzola and cherry salad and pasta. WOW! A great meal but most of all great to spend this beautiful day with my mom and sister (and the other guests of course)! I will definitely go back to this fantastic establishment to enjoy all of its eminence. Hopefully I can share it with all my loved ones for my birthday in a few months!
The best part of the weekend though has to be the pajama party with my mom and sis. It's such a treat when they come to visit me because I know its not an easy commute out here. But it makes it that much sweeter when they do come!

Don't stop to surrender

sweet disposition
never too soon
oh reckless abandon
like no one's
watching you

a moment, a love
a dream, a laugh
a kiss, a cry
our rights, our wrongs
a moment, a love
a dream, a laugh
a moment, a love
a dream, a laugh

chorus
just stay there
cause i'll be comin over
and while our bloods still young
it's so young
it runs
and we won't stop til it's over
won't stop to surrender

Lyrics to The Temper Trap, Sweet Disposition..

LOVE THIS SONG!!!!

I'm back!

It has been 2 weeks since my last blog post and up until last night (dare I say) 2 months since my last yoga class!  So with all the business I've seemed to neglect the things that bring me peace. So with this realization I took a vinyasa yoga class last night and boy what a difference! I feel so refreshed and renewed today. I thought after being out of practice for nearly 2 months it would be hard to get back into yoga, but the instructor was so calming and her class really gave me guidance. My body was so sore the day before last and the stretching and breathing helped to make me feel like a new person today! I slept like a log and woke up awake (and before my alarm went off to boot!) I am convinced it is my return to yoga that has helped me achieve this balance and inspiration to start writing again.
And I thought I'd imitate my sister's blog  and leave you with a question to ponder...
What brings you peace and makes you balanced? I'd like to know!
Evaluate what you do to make you feel like your best self and spend more time doing that in your daily life!

Spring Vacation

So it's 5:07 a.m. Sitting at the airport waiting for my flight at 6. Paul is at dunkin donuts getting me breakfast while I sit and wait for one of 2 flights to Florida. Yes you heard right, we have a layover in Atlanta. Well I can't really complain because we still get to our destination by noon which means a full beach day! Only a few hours away... We are going to visit my grandparents in Ft. Lauderdale and also going to spend a few days in South Beach Miami. I'm looking forward to a relaxing couple of days, pool, beach, margaritas, the whole bit. I plan on taking a lot of pictures and coming back with a good tan to keep me going through the rest of the school year (and that's the last time I will talk about work for the week). I will update about my trip along the way and post pictures as soon as I get back! Let's hope for good weather and good times! Until next time xoxo

Happy Early St. Paddy's Day!

I just got home from a great weekend spent with my sissy and brother in law. They are the best hosts and most generous and loving people to be around. Last night we went out for sushi and hibachi at Sweet Mandarin in Sayville, Long Island and had a great meal and a great time. After they so generously and givingly treated Paul and I we went back to her house to start the festivities for (what should have been) the 3rd annual Blue Point St. Paddy's Day parade, but since the weather didn't hold up we shared a day with friends and family instead, doing none other than what we do best: feast on mom's famous potato soup, corned beef and cabbage, Paige's amazing quiche and oatmeal cran-raisin-choc.chip cookies, sang some good ol' karaoke and played Wii sports! Sounds like my kind of Sunday! I enjoy this tradition that we have kept going for a few years now and I look forward to it each year. It didn't matter that the parade didn't work out because we listened to Irish music indoors and it was a fantastic celebration! Thank you to my great sister for an always appreciated stay at the Carbone B&B! Happy St. Paddy's Day to all and remember everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Birthday to my beautiful sister!

My beautiful sister is going to be 30 years young tomorrow and I want to send her a birthday shout out. Check out her blog! Well I never thought my sister and I would be as close as we are, as I use to chase her into a corner to try and pull her hair out of her scalp. I'm not even kidding; not that I am proud of it, but that's in the past. Today she is such an inspiration in my life. She is an accomplished career counselor, life coach, and such a motivated professional. But more importantly she is the most kind-hearted, selfless, and fun person to be around.

She always makes me feel better when I'm down. She does these great impressions of other people and has been known to do a stand up comedy skit every once in a while. For her birthday weekend we had a girls sushi night out with the most delicious white wine sangria and great company! And today she enjoyed a day at the spa and was joined by my mom and I for a spa pedicure and lunch. I wish her the very happiest birthday and many more to come! Part of her birthday will be celebrated in Greece this summer on the sandy beaches of Mykonos and Santorini. So Paige don't think it's over after tomorrow, there is so much to look forward to and this is just the start of a new and even better chapter of your life. Happy birthday Sissy!!! xoxo

Snow Angels

The only thing better than a weekend is a 3 day weekend! So thank you snow for adding another day of peace and rest to my week.  Well it wasn't all rest I might add. Yesterday as I attempted to shovel my car out of about two feet of snow, I couldn't help but almost give up. I was tired after a meager 5 minutes of that mess that was the snow, slush, and ice. So I asked God to send me an angel so I wouldn't have to do it all by myself ( I could just picture me there for at least another hour and I wasn't happy about it!) And wouldn't you know, a few minutes later my angel appeared. He was a man about 5' 2" with a good pair of gloves and sturdy shovel. He answered my prayers. He didn' speak English, but he understood that I needed help, and in less than 10 minutes  I was out of the snow and on the road to Jersey to go see my boo! I gave the guy $25- well worth it and he deserved it.  God brings you what you need! Now how is that for an Angel? This is just another reminder of the joy that is lent. Be thankful for the small things and always have hope and faith.

Lent: A new beginning

Lent. A rebirth, a time to reconnect with your God, a time of sacrifice and selflessness, a new beginning. I have chosen this time to find my faith again and I feel better already. No one has to go to church to have faith and pray, but it helps me by giving me a place of worship and sanctuary. I especially enjoy the 7 p.m. Iona College community Mass at the Arrigoni Center on Mayflower Avenue in New Rochelle, NY!

So every year I give up something for lent; one year it was candy, another year: cheese, last year: meat. It's the idea that by sacrificing something you enjoy or may indulge in, that you are resisting temptation and turning away from sin right? Well, I think that was the idea. So this year I will try to give up road rage and texting while driving (I know this is really bad and I will give it up permanently!) But more important during lent is that we do something kind for others or maybe even to better ourselves, instead of simply giving something up. This lenten season I want to be more patient. I am most impatient with the people I love the most, my mom, my boyfriend, probably my sister as well (sorry Paige, I am working on this.) So I'm going to try and be a better listener, be more patient with the small things, try not to jump down someone's back when I don't necessarily agree with them or their opinion. This is my hope for myself and in turn it will help me to show kindness towards others.

So if it's hard to think of something to give up this year, don't fret! Isn't it easier and more beneficial all around to do something for others while trying to be our best self?

I hope this post wasn't too preachy, "Holy rolling", or offensive to any of my blog followers, but I do have a real appreciation for the lenten season and maybe in a future post I will tell you why, but until then I hope you enjoyed it anyway! Happy Lent everyone xoxo

The American Dream..what you don't know!

Today I met with my oldest and best friend, Jessie, for some delicious sushi. We have been friends since we were about 5 years old and I am so glad to still  have her in my life. Even though we have drifted apart at times in our life we always find our way back to each other. And when we get together we know how to have a great time. The thing we love to do the most is go out dancing, but most of the time we just hang at my moms for some good conversation, and a lot of the times for a good meal!

So we went to one of our favorite sushi restaurants, Aji 53 in Bay Shore. I had been there before, but today she introduced me to two new rolls: The demon roll and The American Dream. And to get to the point, I am still dreaming of the American Dream. It was the most delicious sushi I have ever tasted. (even though I can't remember what was in it!) Just goes to show you that old friends can bring new things into your life! And for me today that was sushi. If you couldn't tell by my posts so far, I do have an affinity for food! Good food though. Unlike my sister, who isn't too fond of eating. But what she does like is sushi and I can't wait to introduce her to the American Dream.

Who says life has to be about big cars, big houses and lots of cash? I am totally satisfied with good friends and good food!

Happy Valentines Day!

Whenever Valentine's day comes along I always think of the simple pleasures I once relished. They would be sandwiches in the shape of hearts my mom packed for my school lunch, giving out Valentines to my closest friends, a really enjoyable couple's massage, etc. This year I started a new tradition. My boo and I went out to Max Brenner's chocolate restaurant and oh was it divine! Everything from the "falling in love" martini and the Sergeant Peppermint white chocolate martini to the Sharing dessert plate of chocolate fondue with mixed fruit, chocolate banana waffles, and other delectable sweets! I love that you can find the most indulgent treats in New York City, just a train ride away. Oh and if you may be looking for a whimsical Valentine's flick I highly recommend Chocolat with Johnny Depp. It's about a nonconformist woman who opens up her own chocalaterie in a small village in France during lent. It's a real "feel-good" movie! Other things I like about Valentine's: I made my own chocolate covered strawberries today and ate them guilt-free! So even though V-day is a hallmark holiday and we should be showing gratitude and adoration to our loved ones each and everyday, it gives us a reason to do that little bit extra to make it that much more special. So celebrate your love today- may it be by just sitting around watching a movie together, making a brunch of all his favorites, or spending a few extra minutes in bed together. Remember it's all about the love you give. And to quote my yoga teacher "The only way you can love and embrace love is when you love yourself!"

letters from Capri...

For my first blog I wanted to get inspiration from something amazing, something I could think about to take me away from the dead of winter for a few moments...so I decided to peruse through pictures from my trip to Italy, more importantly, my day trip to Capri. What a breathtaking destination it was. As I sit here listening to the strong February winds blowing I can't help but revert to the warm breeze on my back as I strolled the streets of Capri, shopping (and purchasing what may be my favorite piece of jewelry I own...A Capri watch), eating (I remember it was a mouthwatering margerita pizza that day and a lemon ice later on!!!), taking in the beautiful sights of the cliffs, the blue grotto, the immaculate garden in the middle of the island, and then swimming in the Marina Piccolo (there is something about the Mediterranean water that is just so soothing!) So even though I am suffering in the brutal cold this winter with no plans of vaca in the near future, I know I can always escape and turn my thoughts to the summer of 2009 where I spent the most peaceful, unparalleled time of my young adult life. I could only hope that my potential trip to Greece with my sister will be as magnificent as this.