new york, I love you

I took a trip up to NYC this weekend, which isn't a completely rare thing for me to do, but I realized something - I never actually get to enjoy the city. Usually I come up on a Friday or Saturday, go out on the town with my friends & then head home the next day; it's always such a whirlwind. This time around, I did things a little differently. I came up on a Saturday and instead of rushing myself, stayed through Monday and I must say, it was a fantastic decision. On Sunday, Little Italy was having the San Gennaro festival so the tiny street was packed with people and vendors & wonderful Italian food. I had an amazing lunch of homemade gnocchi along with some homemade sangria as well. 

To top it off we had a to-die-for cannoli & cappuccino while wandering around the city for the rest of the day. We ended up near South Street Seaport, where I had never been, so needless to say, it was a pretty amazing way to spend a Sunday.

bloglovin'

I am now on Bloglovin'! be sure to follow me on there :)

http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4054153/livelavergne

figuring it out

the other night, I went out to celebrate my cousin Alison's 24th birthday, just a small dinner with her & some of her friends in the area. we were having some good conversation when one of her friends said "isn't it funny how when you were younger, you thought that people in their 20's had it all together?" a light bulb went off in my head "yes!" I sputtered at her. I mean, I'm sure I'm not the only one who at 8 years old thought that when you were 25 meant you were old, married  had probably 3 kids. obviously that is not that case. we then kept going with the conversation and ultimately decided that to make ourselves feel better, your 30's is when you figure it all out. but then I wondered to myself, what if that's all that life is? everyone just collectively trying to figure it all out? sorry to get all philosophical on you here, but we all know how easy it is  to get bogged down with the every day things; envying all the people your age who are able to move out (maybe that's just me, but student loans are killing me), having trouble jump starting your career, worrying about that first date, daydreaming of doing something you really love for a paycheck; & simply wondering when it will all come together. So it's kinda comforting to think that we are all in the same boat in some way, shape or form.

this is my pondering thought for the week, in the mean time, let's all try not to get bogged down with the everyday things, shall we? happy monday!

source

life lately...

...according to instagram.

1. a yummy lobster roll from here for lunch

2. enjoyed a day full of good food & good wine here with my parents

3. a pug with a pink tongue

4. a fun day

5. excellent words to live by (& delicious cookies too)

happy weekend! xx

p.s. are you on instagram? follow me @lavergne

25 years

today is my parents 25th wedding anniversary - 25 whole years! I always think about my family & how lucky I am to be surrounded by so many long-lasting relationships, especially at a time when divorce is so prevalent. I'm not saying all of their relationships are perfect, but it's certainly promising to see two people work through things rather than give-up all together. So happy anniversary Mom & Dad; here's to many more! xoxo

today.

the date is september 11. 11 years ago today, it was a beautiful day. I was 12 years old & in 7th grade. lots of kids were getting picked up & leaving early for the day but I didn't know why. many teachers were talking in hushed voices in the hall between classes with worried looks on their faces. I had a feeling something may have happened but didn't know what.

when I got home that afternoon I was surprised to see my dad home early, he was sitting on the couch with the news on. He turned and gave me the most serious look I had ever seen cross his face. I immediately grew quiet, sat down on the floor and stared at the TV as he began to explain to me the horrible things that had happened, and I strained to grasp them.

it seems fitting that I just finished the book 'extremely loud & incredibly close' by jonathan safran foer. the story about a boy, Oskar who loses his father in the 9/11 attacks on the world trade center. I cried at the end of the book, thinking about how many people from that day that are still searching for anything, some sort of meaning, to hold onto. It was certainly a day I will never forget, that our nation will never forget, and my thoughts go out to the thousands of people that lost loved ones on this day.

tuesday tunes

it's that time of the week again! my musical choice for this week, below:

the song is "lake michigan" by Rogue Wave. Plain & simple I love this song (shocking, I know) it's uplifting, happy & the infectious drumbeat makes me want to run (aka good motivation for when I'm actually trying to go for a run). Hope you enjoy.

p.s. happy september!