summer recap

You guys. I can't. Actually, I totally can, I'm just lazy. Why keeping up with this little blog of mine proves to be so difficult is beyond me. Well, it's not totally beyond me, because like I said, I'm lazy. 
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I really want to keep up with this small space of mine, but I also don't want to beat myself up every time I let it slip away from me. Sometimes I need the space and I guess this summer that's what I needed. Also, I'm lazy.
I wanted to do a big summer recap just so I have the memories of what this summer was like. I can't believe August is already over! I'm a fall girl though, so bring on every and all aspects of fall. I'll take your cinnamon-marshmellow-bonfire-sweater candle and raise you a pumpkin muffin recipe from Pinterest. 
Here's some of my summer… it was one of my favorites. 
In June… 

I completed first 5k with my bestie! It was a "mindful triathlon" with a group called Wanderlust. It was a walk/run 5k, 90 minute yoga session, and 30 minute guided meditation. I absolutely loved it and it was a great immersion into the 5k experience. This made me hate running less which is a huge accomplishment in my book. Good on you, Wanderlust (seriously, check them out if your a yogi. They're great). We had Chipotle after this to keep it real. 
We celebrated my sister's high school graduation. I can't believe she leaves for college this week. Absolutely ridiculous and crazy but also so exciting for her.

Had the most magical trip to Paris with my momma. I'm so glad I got to experience it with her and have those memories forever. It was everything I could have dreamed of and every time I look back on the pictures from this trip I'm reminded just how magnificent our time there was. I can't wait to get back there. {I'm hoping to still do an in depth post of our experience. Let's see if I can get my shit together to write it.}

           

Celebrated a lot of birthdays, graduations, and professional accomplishments among friends this month. So proud of all of my friends who have worked, and continue to work, so hard to get where they are today. They're going to do such great things.  

Celebrated Father's Day with this wonderful man by going out to the frickin' boondocks of Illinois for lunch and ice cream. If it'll take you over an hour to get there and turn out to be pretty mediocre, my Dad is all about it. He also likes to celebrate his parenting abilities by receiving a free father's day ice cream cone. 

In all seriousness, he's one of the greatest men to ever live and anyone who knows him should be honored to have such a man in their presence. 

I saw Third Eye Blind with my momma downtown.

Finished my second 5k at the Chardonnay Run downtown with my boyfriend, his cousins and their significant others. Despite this race leaving me very bitter about running since I didn't run how I hoped I would (aka walked most of it..), the glass of wine at the end helped a lot and it was still so fun to be with his cousins. Kind of love this bunch a lot. 

We celebrated the upcoming arrival of Baby G! My cousin is one of my favorite people of all time and her shower was ridiculously gorgeous. It was a beautiful day celebrating two amazing people who are going to be such wonderful parents. The day was filled with so much love. 

Through June and July, I worked at a before-and-after care service for a day camp. I spent lots of days stirring up juice, picking markers off the floor, and explaining topics I have very little knowledge of, and have no business teaching, to third graders which is what is happening in the above picture as we waited for their day time counselors to come get them. Little arms must be rested on legs as one attempts to explain what humidity is. My stupidity must have exhausted her. 

In July..

We had two family picnics in Lake Geneva this summer. The first one was in July with my boyfriend's extended family. It was a day filled with lots of sun, lake breezes, too much food (since Italian people can never keep it simple), and one terrifying fun jet ski ride.

                      

Sammy and I went to the Roscoe Village Burger Fest which fed my beef loving boyfriend's heart real good. I ate mostly fried ravioli which fed my fried food loving heart real good.

We celebrated my beautiful mother's birthday by having dinner at Kona Grill, seeing a movie, and then having cake at home!

                        

Sammy and I did the Mustache Crawl in Wrigleyville with his brother, sister-in-law, and her siblings which was fun but left me feeling like total drinking rookie which, lets be honest, I am. #lightweightcity

We spent the last weekend in July with friends (two other couples) at an adorable house we found on airbnb in Wisconsin right on the Milwaukee river. Highly recommend. The owner was so kind and accommodating and it was nice to get away from work and just relax outside.  

We ate outside for every meal. Luckily we had in house grill masters ;)

(sorry for the terrible snapchat picture quality)

The  backyard had a gorgeous view of the river and Sammy spent this Saturday morning trying to catch some fish.

And I spent the morning sipping coffee in the lovely Adirondack chairs that I now need all over my future backyard.

On our way home from the house, we stopped in Cedarburg, WI to meet Sammy's family for some birthday celebrations (for his Momma), antique shopping, and good eats

Over the same weekend I accepted a job with the publishing company I had been interning for. I am their new editorial assistant and I could not feel more blessed and exceptionally grateful for the opportunity to start my publishing career there and hopefully grow within the company. They are some of the greatest people in the industry and I don't know what I did to deserve their kindness.

To finish out July, I did a paint-n-sip night with my girlfriends which was so much fun! Can't wait to do it again. Love these ladies. 

In August…

We went to the San Francesco di Paola feast with Sammy's brother and cousins. The feast is slightly more religious so there was a mass that morning his grandparents went to and then we met them after for the food... great Christians, I know. The food is free and the entire feast is put on by Casa Italia which is an Italian organization that preserves Italian American culture in Chicago. This is a feast I used to go to with my family when I was younger, but we unfortunately stopped as I got older so I loved having the opportunity to go again and am hoping to get my family to go next year. There's a very old school Italian vibe there which I absolutely love.

This sweet doll was born. Giovanna, we have been waiting for you for longer than you know. The world is so much better with you in it. 

I got to spend some time downtown with friend's of Sammy's family who were visiting from Sicily. I always love an excuse to be apart of this beautiful lady.

Sammy and I hit another Italian fest (don't worry... there's another one Labor Day weekend! ;) ) at Italian Fest West and I got to stand next to my favorite guy ;)

I got to take a cooking class with some of the women in Sammy's family one Saturday morning and it was so much fun! It was a "Tuscan Brunch" themed class and we made a panzanella salad (which I've made twice since), sausage and roasted fingerling potatoes with a poached egg on top, and a prosciutto, scrambled egg, and tomato crostini. Everything was as delicious as it sounds. If anyone is in the Chicagoland area, I recommend checking these classes out. They have a variety of classes to choose from and they're often on Groupon (that's how we got ours)! Also, I highly recommend Chef Anthony if you can find classes he's teaching on the schedule. My uncles are chefs so I have an appreciation for intelligent and passionate chefs which Chef Anthony absolutely is. 

We celebrated my Uncle & Godfather's 50th birthday! I'm very blessed to have such a man as a Godfather and an uncle and I can't wait for his big party at the end of September!

We celebrated Sammy's first football game and win (!!!) with the little league team he coaches. I'm so proud of him that he volunteers his (limited) free time to teach kids about football and the importance of being on a team. Being on a football team gave him such good memories as a kid so I know it's important to him to give some similar memories to his players. Here's to more Saturday morning games and more wins!

Are they the most gorgeous couple ever? Think so. 

Their engagement pictures are my favorite thing to look at.

I got to finish off the summer by attending a gorgeous bridal shower for Sammy's cousin Christina and her fiance Matt. It was such a beautiful day full of great food, a lot of love, and many, many cookies (seriously, there were five more tables with this many cookies on them..). I'm so honored to be standing up in their wedding with them and I love being able to attend all the events leading up to the big day! Can't wait for the bachelorette weekend later this month and the wedding in October!

Looking back this was one of my best summers yet. I was constantly reminded of all of the blessings in my life and everything I am grateful for. Can't believe it's already over... but here's to the greatest time of the year! *insert pumpkin and fluttering leaf emojis here*

Thanks for reading this long post (mom and my one friend who loves me ;) ) 

How was everyone else's summer? 

Back soon!