beach – Laur’s Truly

Tag: beach

I’ll be living in Europe… Say what?!

Posted on July 31, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Hey hey happy Thursday!

I hope you enjoyed reading about all the good food and fun I had while in the Cape! I’m really missing it and I’m not gonna lie, I’ve already gone back and read both the first and the second trip recaps… No shame!

Anywhoozles, as I said yesterday, I had written a ‘Thinking Out Loud’ post in the car on the way to Cape Cod last Thursday, but since we had zero internet all weekend, I couldn’t post it.

Since I love linking up with Amanda on Thursdays to share a whole bunch of random thoughts (especially on things like being a crazy runner), of course I wanted to join the party even more this week since I couldn’t ‘attend’ last week! I didn’t want to trash last Thursday’s draft, so I edited it to make it more relevant (I had written a lot about the Cape Cod trip I was going on). So now I present to you my rambles…

1) I am leaving for Europe in less than one month. 24 days to be exact. Just a little over three weeks and I’ll be en route to Italy. Like what??

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. <- That’s an excited and slightly terrified scream.

I’m going to Italy for a semester abroad and right now I have a crazy mix of excitement, nerves, and disbelief. It honestly hasn’t hit me that I’ll be living in Europe for four months.

All I know is that it’ll be quite the learning experience, and hopefully one I will always be grateful for. Hopefully in ~1 month I’ll be doing well and adjusting to my ‘new’ life abroad! All I can do now is begin to think about packing… that’ll be brutal.

Jamming a semester’s worth of clothes/ toiletries/ all the things I need to survive in one large suitcase + a carry-on is going to be a job and a half…not looking forward to it one bit. Plus it doesn’t help that I already loathe packing and it’s almost impossible to know everything I’ll need while I’m in a country I’ve never been to. I just keep reminding myself that I can always buy the majority of the things I’ll need (minus most of my clothes/ certain toiletries, etc.). Knowing that makes the task of packing seem like a little less of a monster.

Besides packing I still have tons more prep to do (getting the visa/ bank stuff, etc. has been quite the task!), and all the planning/ figuring things out (phone, etc.) just never seems to end!

I really need to start doing more now while I’m still relatively relaxed. Doing all those things while also being nervous about leaving will not be pretty. I should get on that…

2) On another note…The tan lines I now have are just plain awkward. Running outside + lounging on the beach makes for some odd skin-tone differences.

3) I finally did my nails… Thank goodness because they were not looking too hot.

You probably can’t tell but I did a few little blue polka dots on my pale pink ring fingers. Ya know, just getting a little artsy fartsy.

4) Last week I wore a maxi skirt for the first time to work. I will now be wearing maxi skirts every other day (when I’m not in workout clothes).

Screen Shot 2014-07-31 at 12.12.40 AM — Instagram @ fuelingfab

5) I know I said way way way back when that I’d be doing a “how to style a maxi skirt” post. I took tons of photos and wrote a bunch of stuff and it’s saved as one of many drafts, but I just never got around to taking pics in the different ensembles. The way I’m wearing it in the above picture was the main way I was planning on styling it, so since I’m not thinking I’ll finish that post any time soon, we’re just going with this one, mmkay?

Terrible excuse but it now seems silly to take more pictures in this outfit plus a few other combos. However, I WILL definitely be doing more posts in the way I was going for with that “how to style” idea once I have things all figured out on my blog. I’m still experimenting/ exploring/ LEARNING! Thanks for being patient and sticking around 🙂

6) Speaking of clothes… On Thursday I literally felt like I was in pajamas (and simultaneously felt like a genie) at work. Not a bad feeling if you ask me!

I am loving my Old Navy drapey tuxedo pants that I got back in May. If you like to be beyond comfortable while still looking chic, pants like these are the perfect style for you!

7) I think I chose my blog’s name for when I become self-hosted!

Thank you @wthwhynot2011, @faithfulaly, and @gabsessions for giving me some great input on Instagram!

I’ve thought ~~a lot~~ too much about the title and am currently leaning towards ‘Fueling Fab’. I think it works better for multiple reasons, but I won’t be self-hosted for a little while, so I’m still totally open to your input on the whole great debate (in fact, I’d love to hear it!). You can read about the current title here and here and about ‘Fueling Fab’ at the bottom of this post!

8) I really miss everything about Cape Cod. The beach, the pool, the time with family and friends, the food, oh and sipping some post-run coffee while looking out at this wasn’t a terrible way to start a day…

Now don’t get me wrong, I love my hometown, but nothing can really compare to this view.

9) I know I said it back in June, but seriously, the freckle face is out in full force these days.

10) I’ve been Instagramming (is that a verb?) basically all my work OOTDs, so if you’re here for the fashion, be sure to check out all the outfits I’ve been wearing to work at J.Crew @fuelingfab!

11) And just for kicks and giggles…#tbt!

Have a great rest of your week!

xo’s

Questions of the day:

If you’ve been to Europe, what is your favorite country/place to visit?
Fave memory from this summer so far?
Any fun plans this weekend?

And in case you missed them, here are a few of my more recent posts…

Less Than 48 Hours Later… (Escape to the Cape – Part 2)

Posted on July 30, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Hi guys! Happy Hump Day!

I feel like it’s been ages since we last spoke…

It’s been much longer than I anticipated because I did end up going back to the Cape on Thursday night, and unfortunately we had no internet.

I actually wrote an entire Thinking Out Loud post last Thursday in the car, thinking I would hit publish as soon as we got to the hotel.

Wellp that wasn’t exactly possible when we had no internet. The hotel ‘had wifi’ but for some reason it didn’t work, at least not in our room..

I was ~~a little~~ extremely frustrated at first, but then I decided to fully embrace a much needed break from technology. I didn’t use my laptop once and I only used my phone to text (and to Instagram one pic) when we were at restaurants and places where there was service. I have to admit, it was really nice to step away from the internet and social media for a couple days and just focus on my family and enjoying our little vacation.

Anywho, most of the post I wrote on Thursday is still relevant so I’ll probably edit and publish it tomorrow. Since today is Wednesday and all and I have tons of food pics, I think that calls for another WIAW, hosted by Jenn of course!

First of all, you may be wondering why I headed back to Cape Cod less than 48 hours after I returned home from there…

I got back from Chatham last Tuesday at about 8pm, worked Wednesday and then Thursday from 7am to 1. After weighing the pros and cons, I decided to give someone else my on-call shift Friday so I could head back to the Cape with my parents on Thursday afternoon. They had made these plans to go a while back, and since a few of my college friends were possibly going to be in Chatham, my goal was to at least see one of them.

Going into it, I knew that even if I didn’t end up seeing my friends, the quality family time was needed, especially since I’ll be leaving for Europe in less than a month.

After I got off work Thursday, I did a quick run and some arms, then repacked my bag (that I had basically left packed from Tuesday, just swapped out some outfits and such).

We arrived in the Cape Cod town of Yarmouth around 7pm and went right to The Skipper Restaurant & Chowder House. We had to wait an hour to be seated, but we didn’t mind!

I started with a few spoonfuls of my mom’s chowdah, which was super thick (and tasty).

For my meal, I ordered the ‘Grilled Scallop Salad’ which was fantastic. The cranberries and poppyseed dressing were just the right amount of sweetness to balance the salty scallops. I also had a piece of cornbread alongside my salad which tasted like dessert, so obviously I loved it.

We ate every bite of our meals, but there was no question about whether I would get ice cream from Skipper’s Icecream counter…

I chose the ‘Sea Salt Caramel with Walnuts’ which had some surprise chocolate caramel cups in it! I learned quite the valuable lesson by eating this ice-cream -> I don’t love plain walnuts… I guess I only like the candy-coated variety. That said, I loved everything else in this bowl of goodness that I enjoyed later on at the hotel (and I still ate all the walnuts – gotta get those healthy fats ;))

On Friday I woke up and ate a quick breakfast before heading out for a run (while my parents walked). I had some greek yogurt, a pear, and a bit of s’mores coffee pre 5 mile run, then a protein bar afterwards. Nothing too exciting, but it got the job done!

There was not a single cloud in the sky and our hotel was right on the water, so we quickly changed into our swimsuits, bathed in sunscreen, packed some lunch, and headed to the beach!

We relaxed in our chairs for a couple of hours before my mom and I took a walk along the water. When we returned, we were more than ready for lunch!

I packed a pb banana wrap, a white nectarine, and a kind bar.

Around 3:00 we decided to head back up to the hotel to lounge by the pool.

Clearly it was rough day..

For snack I had a gala apple with the rest of my pb + some almonds.

Around 4:30 I took a much needed shower and then we headed to Hyannis for dinner!

We parked our car and then walked around in search of the perfect place to eat. We came across The Black Cat Tavern where we were told it would be an hour wait. I had plans to meet up with one of my roommates (the same one I saw last week!) at 7:45 for an a Capella concert, so we said thanks anyway. As we started walking away, the hostess stopped us and said they could actually seat us right then. Score!

I chose the ‘Oven Roasted Pistachio Encrusted Salmon’ which was cooked to perfection and served on top of the most delectable orange honey glaze and creamy fruit risotto. I ate every last morsel and even used a piece of crusty bread to soak up all the delicious remnants. It was dee-lish.

We finished dinner right around 7:30 so I made it just in time to catch the Hyannis Sound concert with one of my college besties and her mom (while my parents explored town and went to ice cream, awww).

If you are ever in Cape Cod in the summer and you like good music, cute boys in Vineyard Vines, and/or having fun, you need to see one of their shows. Click here for all the info (and to listen to some of their amazing music!)

After the incredible show, we drove to my friend’s condo in Chatham where I was spending the night. On the way back we stopped for, what else, ice-cream!

I chose the ‘Purple Cow’ which was black raspberry with white and dark chocolate chunks. Yum!

We stayed up giggling like middle-schoolers and chatting away before calling it a night around 1:30.

It was a long but fabulous day!

On Saturday morning we woke up at 8:30, ate some cereal and fruit, then headed out for an easy run around downtown Chatham!

It was pretty humid out, and the pool was calling our names when we got back!

We were bummed we couldn’t see our other roommates (one had an early ferry ride to Nantucket, so the timing didn’t quite work out, and another ended up having to go to New Jersey), but we had a blast and were thankful just to see each other again!

My parents picked me up at 11:45 and as soon as we arrived back at our hotel, we got set for the beach.

It was pretty windy and the sun was going in and out of the clouds, so after about an hour I had to drape a towel over me as I ate my lunch (which was the same as Friday’s).

In an attempt to escape the sea breeze, we headed to the pool shortly after.

Around 4:00 it started to sprinkle, so I headed in for a shower before mass and dinner with my parents.

^ Lilly Pulitzer + some serious tan lines…

After church we went to The Waterfront at Lighthouse Inn in West Dennis.

I chose the ‘Sweet Salad’ which was a ginormous bowl of fruit over a bed of lettuce with seasoned shrimp. I thought it could have been tastier with spinach instead of romaine and iceberg lettuce, but the fruit and dressing were great and the shrimp was even better!

The sun was setting outside the window, which was an absolutely perfect way to end a yummy summer meal.

We then drove to Harwich Port to walk around for a bit before it got dark.

As we drove back to the hotel, we were on the lookout for a good ice cream spot. We saw tons on our way, but most were super crowded, so we decided to just head back to Skipper’s Icecream.

I got ‘Lobster Tracks’ which was vanilla ice-cream with a thick fudge swirl (oh my gosh), and red white-chocolate caramel cups. It was to die for. Definitely my favorite flavor of this trip!

^ That second photo is a massive fudge chunk. Aka a bite of heaven.

I went to sleep very happy (and very full) that night.

I got up at 7:45 on Sunday and went straight out the door for another 5 mile run. When I got back I stretched and sipped some coffee out by the pool, soaking up one last bit of sunny Cape Cod.

Once my parents were all set, we packed up, checked out, and headed to Hyannis for brunch at The SunnySide Restaurant.

We grabbed a table outside and enjoyed some breakfast while people-watching and recapping our awesome mini vacation!

I got a blueberry pancake and an over-easy egg. Once I saw my moms wheat toast and jam, I wish I had gotten eggs and toast instead of the pancake, but I was craving pancakes all weekend, so it had to be done!

We hit the road around noon, just as storm clouds rolled in and the skies opened up. Perfect timing!

Because Cape traffic can get a little crazy on Sunday afternoons, it took about 4 hours to get home, so a light lunch was needed in the car around 3:00.

I whipped out an undocumented nectarine and then topped a wheat wrap with pb and banana (while we were in motion, hence the horrendous presentation).

Plus an apple and more pb as soon as we got home!

In the summer, my parents usually throw something on the grill and we have a nice Sunday dinner with my older brothers, but since we didn’t get home until after 4:00 and were in no mood to cook, we ordered takeout around 7:00.

I got my fave Cosi salad (the Peruvian Palm). No pistachio-encrusted salmon or waterfront dining, but I still liked it!

It was such an amazing long weekend with my family (and a friend!). I’m so glad I decided to take work off to spend that time with my parents. I’m going to miss them so much when I’m abroad, so this was the perfect trip for us. Plus, the beach and food weren’t too shabby either…

Once again, thanks for enduring another photo dump/ rambling post from me! I hope you enjoyed reading it because I loved writing it.

Have a great rest of your Hump Day, and a fabulous rest of the week 🙂

I’ll see ya back here soon with some Thursday Thoughts, a ‘how to pack‘ post, and much, much more!

xo’s

PS – Don’t forget, my Twitter and Instagram handles (as well as Pinterest) are now @fuelingfab (which will possibly be my new blog title!). Your input on my blog name (once I go self-hosted) is still much appreciated 🙂

Questions of the day:

Have you gone anywhere fun this summer?
Do you have any end-of-summer plans coming up?
What is your all-time favorite ice-cream flavor?

And in case you missed them, here are some of my more recent posts…

A Quick Escape to the Cape

Posted on July 23, 2014 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

Hey hey what up on this Wednesday?

I guess someone’s a little (too) excited to be back on the blog today (and to have an app that frames pictures)…

I did stop by for a quick ‘hey!’ on Monday, but today it’s back to your regularly scheduled programming with another WIAW link-up hosted by Jenn!

As I briefly mentioned at the end of my Friday Favorites post (and made pretty obvious in Monday’s Instagram), I did end up going to Cape Cod, MA for a quick trip. A couple friends of mine have cottages there, so since I had work off and schedules aligned, I packed my bags Saturday night and headed up there with a high school friend on Sunday afternoon!

We arrived around 5:45 and went straight to one of my college roommates/ best friends’ beautiful condo. It was cool and drizzling, but I did not care one bit. I hadn’t seen her in over 2 months and I was beyond excited to reunite!

A couple of my high school friends met my roommate when they visited me at school, and since this friend was one that visited, it wasn’t awkward (not that it would’ve been even if they hadn’t met) when we drove into downtown Chatham and had a nice long catch-up sesh over a delicious dinner.

Originally we had planned to go to The Chatham Squire, but there was a 45 minute wait (must mean it’s good!) and my roommate had to be on the road by 8:00 to get back for work on Monday morning. We walked around a bit and quickly decided on The Captain’s Table, and we were soon quite glad we did!

I ordered the salad plate with salmon, which was a tossed salad topped with a salmon filet and drizzled in raspberry vinaigrette (<- my favorite). It was simple but absolutely perfect. Plus a fluffy roll dipped in the dressing (I told you it’s my favorite!) rounded out the meal.

After chatting away for almost 2 hours, we (sadly) dropped my roommate off at her condo so she could head home. Even though it was way too short, I’m sooo happy I got to see her! 🙂

We then headed to my high school friend’s adorable cottage and got settled before leaving again to get ice-cream.

When I’m on vacation (and even when I’m not…), the question isn’t “do you want ice cream tonight?”, it’s “what flavor do you want tonight?”

We went to Emack & Bolio’s and I got the ‘Salted Caramel Chocolate Pretzel’. So sweet. So salty. So. freaking. good.

It was pretty nasty out so we decided to take it back to the cottage and eat it while watching the Kardashians because come on, is there any better way to spend a rainy summer night? Not in my book.

After devouring our frozen treats and commenting on the ridiculousness that is the Kardashians, we Face-Timed one of our friends who is interning in DC. It was awesome to ‘see’ him and he (as always) had as laughing so hard my abs were sore (which is a good thing since I didn’t workout at all Monday or Tuesday). I know I say this a lot, but I am seriously so blessed to have the hilarious/ fun/ caring/ incredible friends that I have!

We went to bed super late (and I didn’t end up falling asleep til 4 am…) so on Monday we slept in until 10:30. We had brought a ton of food from home so we could just eat dinner out (and ice-cream, that’s a given) in order to save money after the NYC trip last week. Breakfast was light and uneventful, and we left the cottage around 11 to head into town!

It wasn’t raining, but it wasn’t awesome weather, either. The skies were gray but luckily the temps were prime, so we decided to park the car in town and walk ~1.5 miles to Lighthouse Beach, window shopping and chatting as we went. When we got there we realized we wanted to stay so we walked back to the car, grabbed some beach towels and headed back.

I couldn’t help but snap some photos of the gorgeous hydrangeas and breathtaking ocean views!

The 4.5 mile walk in flip flops (+ lack of sleep) meant it was nap time as soon as we found a spot to spread our towels.

It was a bit chilly and windy, but the sun peaked out for about an hour or so. The soothing sound of waves crashing and little kids giggling made me so relaxed that I almost fell completely asleep (but not quite). I had my eyes open for a total of about 30 minutes to eat a pb + banana pita, white nectarine, almonds, and a few other snacks that I honestly can’t even remember (that’s how boring they were).

At about 4:30 we decided to make the trek back to the car so we could shower before heading to dinner!

Looking out and seeing this reminded me just how good life is.

After a nice warm shower, we headed out in search of an inexpensive place to eat. As we drove into town, the sign for Sweet Tomatoes caught our eye so we turned right in, ordered at the counter, and snagged a table outside! The sun was out now, and the weather couldn’t have been better for some casual outdoor dining.

Since it was just the two of us (other friends from home couldn’t get off work, which was a huge bummer, but we made the best of it!), we decided to split a salad and a sandwich. Again, another great dinner decision!

We literally did not leave a crumb on our plates.

The salad was fresh, and the raspberry vinaigrette (see, I did it again!) + goat cheese brought it to the next level. The sandwich was on the most incredible, thick focaccia and the roasted veggies + warm goat cheese melted in our mouths.

I know I can ~~sometimes~~ always sound a bit dramatic when I describe food, but I’m just being honest, and honestly it was that good.

Once we licked our plates clean, we sat and talked for another hour before going back in and grabbing a root beer. Don’t ask why I was suddenly craving this… It was weird but I just went with it.

Naturally, we then ventured over to Harwich to go to Schoolhouse Icecream and Yogurt for our nightly ice-cream fix. After mulling over the menu for about 10 minutes, I chose the ‘Harwich Mudpie’, which I believe was coffee ice-cream, brownie bites, almonds, and a little bit of heaven sprinkled in.

We brought them back home to eat later on after digesting our dinners, and so we had something to enjoy as we ~~watched~~ suffered through the painfully awkward ‘Bachelorette: The Men Tell All’.

By that, I mean we had it on in the background as I blogged/ read blogs/ enjoyed every spoonful/ cringed at the conversations the guys had. I haven’t been watching this season, and honestly after Monday night’s episode, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on much.

While I was happy when the episode was over, I was legitimately sad when I finished my ice-cream. I could’ve eaten another cup despite the fact that this ‘small’ was literally overflowing with chocolatey goodness.

Exhausted and in mild food-comas, we happily went to our rooms around midnight, and I was asleep by 1:00.

Tuesday was a sunny day (yay!), so I woke up at 8:45 ready to beach it. Again, we ate some lame breakfast, and then grabbed Dunkin iced coffees (toasted coconut for me!), and were basking in the glorious sun by 10:20.

We laid out, chatted, people-watched, and relaxed for a solid 5 hours before we decided to call it a day so we could hit the road and be back home before dark.

In case you’re wondering (which I’m sure you aren’t) – Yes, I did apply (and reapply) sunscreen, but yes, I did still get burnt in the places that hadn’t seen the light of day all summer. My stomach, upper thighs, and random patches on my back are the color of a tomato. Ouch.

Anyway, after a quick cleanup, we were saying goodbye to the cottage and to another awesome little getaway by 4:15.

The ride home takes about 3.5 to 4 hours, so we made a pit-stop at Dunkin again, and this time I tried the blueberry coffee. I always thought it sounded pretty gross, but I went for it and was pleasantly surprised!

As we sipped away, we had the age-old Starbucks vs Dunkin debate and concluded that DD’s coffee is the way to go.

This is because 1) it’s cheaper, 2) it comes in way more flavors, and 3) it doesn’t taste like syrup. I don’t know about you, but whenever I’ve gotten a flavored iced coffee from Starbs, all I taste is syrup. Could just be a bad barista, but I still prefer the price and variety of DD’s. Starbucks is good for other things though!

I digress…

I hadn’t eaten lunch (WHAT?! I never forget to eat a meal!), so as we drove I ate another pb banana pita, almonds, and various other treats I had stuffed in my bag.

I got home at 8:00 ready for a real meal, and luckily my wonderful mother had saved me some leftovers. I also had a bowl of cinnamon chex, yogurt and fruit, and a few little granola bars throughout the night because I was suddenly starving. I guess all that sun really drained my energy!

It was an awesome quick escape to the Cape, filled with fun times with friends, fabulous food, and lots of R&R!

Also, while I was there, I thought a lot about this little blog of mine. You may have noticed that my Instagram and Twitter handles are now @fuelingfab… As I said in my short post on Monday night this may be the name of my blog once I become self hosted…or it may not.

As I commented on my Instagram photo ^, I originally titled my blog ‘Fueling a Life’ for these reasons (also explained a bit more here).

As much as I love and am always going to keep the purpose of my blog and the meaning behind the current name, I love the word ‘fabulous‘ because I think it can describe so much – from life in general to fashion to workouts to food, which is what my blog is all about! Although I may discuss some serious topics, my blog is generally meant to be a lighthearted, slightly witty read to brighten peoples’ day, so I like how ‘fabulous’ is a fun word (that I use quite often) and is shortened to ‘fab‘, which is just a little more spunky (if a word can be spunky?). Plus, I do love a good alliteration…

I guess it all boils down to what name has more of a ring to it/ makes sense/ represents my blog/ lets the reader know exactly what my site is all about right from the get-go.

As you can see, it’s a really tough decision for me, so any and all input would be greatly appreciated! And don’t worry, you won’t hurt my feelings either way 🙂

Thanks for sticking around through my long posts and listening to allll my thoughts! I hope you have a great Wednesday and a fabulous rest of the week 😉

xo’s

The Rainbow After the Rainstorm

Posted on August 16, 2013 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

My last post was a little emotional, so I thought I would check in with a more fun, upbeat photo post!

Over the past week or so I’ve been enjoying some much needed fun in the sun and oh soo many delicious eats…

~~~~~~~~~~

Like…

Soft serve with toasted coconut.

DROOL.

Girl’s night out = Counter Burger!! The usual – veggie burger with roasted red peppers, mixed greens, tomato, and corn & black bean salsa!

After that awesome dinner date with some of my girls, I was reminded that the most amazing things can come even after a terrible storm… or as Dolly Parton once said, “if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain”.

~~~~~~~~~~

*Little update on my ‘situation’ – Let’s just say the torrential rain has slowed to a light sprinkle, and the sky is beginning to clear up in the distance. I’m still patiently waiting for the sun to come out and reveal a rainbow, but I’m staying positive and trying to enjoy the change in weather that happened a few weeks ago.

Okay, enough of the metaphorical talk…let’s get back to some pics.

~~~~~~~~~~

Homemade flatbreads topped with fresh un-photographed salsa.

Classic summer barbecue (plus tons of BBQ pop chips!)

Is anyone else as obsessed with Drumsticks as I am? Holy YUM.

Fresh beets, carrots, and way more steak than what’s in this picture… (plus of course, dinner wouldn’t be complete without my fave roll!)

More ice cream…this time a twist with rainbow sprinkles. Probably my favorite way to eat soft serve. Seriously, who doesn’t like sprinkles? They make everything better. And it’s hard to make the best food (ice cream) taste better.

Babysitting means easy meals…aka frozen pizza. This was not exactly my favorite…I’m more of a thin crust veggie pizza girl, but I mean, it’s not like any pizza is bad. It was actually pretty good for a change and it brought me right back to my childhood.

Or maybe it was the terrible Disney movie we watched that did that…

(let’s just say that channel is not what it used to be :()

(multiply what’s on that plate times two)

Slightly more sophisticated fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella so gorgeously prepared by yours truly…

…paired with BBQ meatloaf, sweet potato with cinnamon, and rolls.

~~~~~~~~~~

This past weekend my parents wanted a vacation, so they let me bring along one of my best friends for a nice little getaway with them.

Not too shabby, eh?

The first night, I had salmon with some sort of spinach and fruit risotto. Fancy-shmancy.

Followed up by raspberry chip gelato.

I’m obsessed with the tiny spoons they give with gelato. It forces you to take teeny bites aka eat way slower aka the deliciousness lasts so much longer.

We also indulged in some super fine dining every morning…

…not.

(But actually, the Dunkin’ Donuts Egg White Veggie Flatbread is pretty good!)

For lunch, I ~~spilled hummus all over myself~~ had a hummus veggie wrap on the beach.

For dinner the second night I had a killer sweet potato and black bean veggie burger smothered in horseradish aioli with a side of kale and leeks. Oh my gosh. SO. GOOD.

Then, obviously, we had to get gelato (it’s a given that ice cream is consumed every night of vacation). This time I had mint stracciatella. Perfection in a cute little bowl.

Lunch on the last day was a veggie wrap with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. I wish I could have bought the goat cheese spread. It was so light and creamy and really complimented the roasted zucchini, onion, tomato, and other veggies.

We also snacked a lot in between meals, but that all went undocumented, clearly ;).

~~~~~~~~~~

Believe it or not, I have even more foodie and fun snapshots from the past few weeks, but I think I’ve bored you enough for one day. Plus, I don’t want to post all my pics at once!

~~~~~~~~~~

On the fitness side of things, I’ve been running a lot more lately than I was earlier in the summer. I ran with my friend during our mini vacation which was fun since we were XC buddies back in high school. I’ve also just been loving the alone/thinking time that running provides, so since I’m still enjoying and not dreading runs in the summer sun, I’ll stick with it for now! I’ve also been alternating between some core work and arm/back/hip(PT)/leg strengthening on days when my runs are 5 miles or under. On days when I run 6+, I just leave it at that (plus my stretching/rolling routine, of course)!

~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you’ve been enjoying yummy food, awesome workouts, and lots of fun with family and friends! Summer’s almost over… gotta live it up while we still can! 🙂

Already?

Posted on June 21, 2013 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

It’s already Friday people! How did that happen?

I feel like I just got back from my weekend getaway and now another weekend is already here.

This summer is flying by. I’ve been home from college for over a month already! AHHHHH. Slow down, please.

Actually, today is technically the very first day of summer. But, in my mind, summer starts as soon as I get out of my last final.

Anywho, since I already did my “Fun Facts Friday” and finally wrote my “About Me” page, I figured I would keep things short and sweet so I can finish up all my internship work for the week and enjoy this beautiful day.

So, in honor of the very first day of summer, here are a few pretty pictures from last summer!

Oh, and if you’re wondering why all my photos are just scenery or only of me, that’s because I don’t feel comfortable posting pictures of my family and friends quite yet. Some day!

On that note, Happy Friday and HAPPY SUMMER!! 🙂

Pure Bliss

Posted on June 17, 2013 by lmpicard16@gmail.com

This weekend was amazing. Period.

I went to my high school friend’s beach house with two other friends. It was absolutely what I needed. I hadn’t been to the beach since last summer and boy was I missing feeling the sand between my toes and the warmth of the sun on my shoulders.

Unfortunately, I may have had a little too much of that warm sun beating down on my barely sunscreened body.

Huge mistake.

Lesson of the day – wear sunblock. Slather it all over. I’m the color of a lobster and it’s pretty darn painful. Oh well, this tends to happen to me at least once a summer and then I (re)learn my lesson.

Anywho, back to the fabulous trip.

We left early Friday morning and arrived around 2:00. As soon as we got there, the cloud covering rolled away and for the two days we were there the weather was absolute perfection.

We went out to eat Friday night after grocery shopping and driving around the island, followed by indulging in some local ice cream. Definitely some good eats.

Saturday morning was spent at the beach, and the afternoon was filled with hours of boating. Boating is quite possibly my favorite thing in the world. The word bliss is all that comes to mind. I could lounge on a boat all day everyday and never get sick of it.

After showers and naps (we had quite a late Friday night full of reminiscing about middle and high school, college stories, as well as a dance party, of course), we went over to the boardwalk. We ate at an authentic Hawaiian restaurant which has the best “Hula” sauce ever. It made something as simple as a chicken sandwich on a super soft potato bun something to write home about.

I even went back and bought a jar of the Huli Teriyaki Sauce for my dad’s Fathers Day gift. It will definitely be thoroughly enjoyed by my whole family this summer atop of some grilled chicken or seafood.

We played a game of mini golf and then went on a few amusement park rides before ending the night out by getting these.

That would be the Dairy Queen M&M Brownie Blizzard. ‘Nuf said.

We got back late and after talking for a while, we hit the hay.

As the two boys were out golfing at the country club all morning, us girls stayed back at the house. We hit the beach around 11 and by 1:30, I had transformed into the red lobster that I am now. Ouch.

After lunch back at the house, we attempted to bike to ‘Crazy Susan’s Famous Cookies’ (which apparently was featured on the Food Network?). Unfortunately, the fourth bike was broken, so I said I would run alongside for the ‘easy’ 3 miles there and then 3 back. It was all flat and definitely a slow, easy pace, but I had not hydrated and fueled properly for a run – and even worse, my sunburnt body was not prepared for more time in the extreme heat and sunshine. Also quite unfortunate was that about a block from the bakery, we found out it’s closed on Sundays… but instead of heading right back and making the whole trek for nothing, we decided to go back to the boardwalk (this is when I bought the Huli Sauce).

The run back was not too comfortable. My lunch had long run its course, I needed a bathroom, and the mix of the sting of sweat running down my sunburnt skin and the simple action of moving my burnt body was SO painful. The finale to the little afternoon outing was a half mile sprint ahead of the group back to the house so I could get out of my misery.

After scarfing down a protein bar and apple, I attempted to stretch and roll out my aching body. It was not pleasant.

Finally, I was able to shower (so painful) before we ate takeout from a local fresh seafood restaurant.

At 7:00 we loaded up the car and, with frowns on our faces, left the beach house and embarked on the five hour drive back home.

The ride home was just like the ride there – filled with singing along to Nicki Minaj, attempting to ‘harmonize’ to Wicked‘s “For Good” and “Defying Gravity”, and playing games to pass the time.

The quad that went on this trip was a little crew that’s been hanging out at least once a month since eighth grade. It’s been over six whole years and we’re still just as tight – if not tighter, despite attending different colleges. They’re some of my favorite people and I can always count on laughing til my abs are sore when I’m with them.

It was the perfect weekend full of laughs, delicious eats (particularly from The Hula Restaurant and Sauce Co. and Dairy Queen!), perfect weather, a bit too much sunshine, beach and boating. I could not have asked for anything more. I’m so lucky for the friends I have and the life I live.

Well, it’s back to reality now – which really is nothing to complain about seeing that it’s summer and all…

Time to slather on more aloe, unpack, and climb into bed.