Boardwalk Bachelorette!

Sarah in her custom sunglasses!

I've managed to live in New York City for four and a half years, and somehow I've never had opportunity or reason to visit Atlantic City.  I've heard the tales of the AC crowd, Mike has made a trip or two out there for bachelor parties, and I've watched 3 seasons of Boardwalk Empire, but never had I experienced the legend that is Atlantic City...until NOW!  My sweet cousin Sarah's chose AC as her destination for her very own bachelorette party!  So I packed the Jeep full of favors and presents for the bride and the 15 other ladies who were joining in on the fun and headed out for what was sure to be a memorable trip.

Our first choice of hotels was in a bit of a financial crisis, and actually announced it's closure the week before our trip - so thankfully we had a backup plan that proved to be perfect for the needs of our sweet little bride. Harrah's Hotel & Casino was the location and backdrop for our evening of celebration, but no trip to AC would be complete without a visit to the boardwalk, and the beach!  The beach was where we all congregated and said our introductions (I was meeting most of these ladies for the first time), enjoyed some fresh mimosas, and soaked up a few rays before heading back to the hotel for the night.  Having grown up in the vicinity of some of the world's best beaches in Laguna, AC was a little....different.  I'm not sure what the mixture of unidentified black particles were in the sand - it could have been ash, or it could have been just dirt - but let's just say the sand was a lovely shade of, well...gray!

The MOH did a fantastic job coordinating all the events for the evening, and luckily everything we did was all in the comfort of our hotel which proved to be MORE than convenient.  There was a Dos Caminos in the hotel, which was extremely accommodating to our party of 16 for dinner, and after a little shower in the hotel room for Sarah, we stayed again in the hotel for the big party.   Harrah's has a funny little indoor "pool party" that turns nightclub in the evenings.  And because we were with a bachelorette party, and because the MOH hooked us up with VIP, we were swiftly escorted into the club that was our stage for the rest of the evening.

There is the saying that "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas", and I'm not sure if that applies to Atlantic City as well, since it IS the "Vegas of the East Coast", so I'm going to save any more details for the hearts and minds of all the ladies that were actually there.  But I will say that this bachelorette party was the most drama-free bachelorette party that I've ever been to.  Despite the girls coming from different backgrounds (some were related to Sarah, some had grown up with her, some went to high school with her, and then she had all of her lovely ladies from Providence), we all meshed.  There were no petty fights, there were no disappearing acts from any of the girls, there were no tears, and there were no clashes of the different groups.

Sarah has a fantastic group of friends, who all love her very much, and it was an absolute pleasure getting to spend time with all of them.  I can't wait to see them all in September, and I know that Sarah & Ian's wedding will be that much more fun, now that I have 14 more friends to celebrate with.  Sarah, I'm so glad you had a wonderful time at your party.  And on top of that, I'm glad I got to experience Atlantic City before it either falls into the ocean or goes bankrupt! :P  I'm always happy to visit a place I've never been.  I love you to pieces, and I'm so so SO excited for you to marry your best friend and for the family to grow by one more cousin in just one month!  Here is to our gorgeous, blushing bride!!!!! <3

Mom & Pops Come for a Visit!

I can't remember the last time I had BOTH my parents in town at the same time.  Usually Pops stops by the city during a business trip to have dinner with me, and I've been able to convince my mother to keep me company from time to time while my husband is away for work travel.  But it's a REAL treat when I get them BOTH here at the same time.  It's even more fabulous when they have a sweet suite at the Gansevoort just five blocks from our apartment.

The weather could not have been more perfect for the DuPont's trip to New York - and Mike and I were excited to have an rare summer weekend home in the city.  So we celebrated the weekend like any festive couple hosting their parents for the weekend - cocktails and snacks at our place!  Our little one bedroom apartment offered a fully stocked bar, a squeaky clean patio to enjoy a gorgeous summer night in New York City, and a really happy bulldog who enjoys having visitors to his apartment.

We took my mom and dad to one of our favorite restaurants in New York City - the Strip House. Since both of my parents tend to favor a delicious martini after as their beverage of choice, I couldn't wait for them to experience the truffled blue cheese stuffed olive martini that the Strip House is so famous for.  We absolutely gorged on a fantastic seafood tower complete with lobster, oysters, crab claws, tuna tartare, clams, and any other type of shell fish you could ever imagine coming from the sea.  And just when it seemed as if we couldn't eat anymore, our dinner was delivered - a giant tomahawk steak for all of us to share.  I felt like I had to be rolled home.

Knowing that Mike & I are usually on-the-go, my parents had no other expectations for our Sunday together.  We spent a little time at the Gansevoort rooftop pool, I took them to Eataly to get the full "fancy grocery shopping' experience, we ate a Shake Shack lunch in the park because the line was shorter than I've ever seen it on a beautiful 80 degree summer afternoon, and we had Sunday dinner, complete with my dad's delicious meatballs.  Sure, we could have done a Yankee game, or a Broadway show, but this was a no frills weekend for the DuPonts, where the most important thing was to just be with us and to just be HERE.

It was a short and sweet visit, and it was over in the blink of an eye - but it was what we all needed.  We wish EVERY Sunday dinner could be with my parents, so it was lovely to just pretend that this was a regular ol' Sunday dinner with the parents, even if it was for one night!  Our spaghetti with meatballs with my parents was the perfect end to our weekend together.  We can't wait to have everyone back on the East Coast in just a few more weeks for my cousin's wedding at the end of September - next time with Garrett & Jenny!  Thanks for visiting us mom & dad - come back ANY TIME!

Ho Ho Ho & a Bottle of Rum!

It's that time of year again everyone.  The time of year when we pull out all the Christmas decorations, play some steel drum holiday songs, find our finest Christmas attire and wrap little gifts for our beloved friends.  The weekend we have been waiting for all year is finally here. Ladies and gentlemen, it's Cape Christmas time!

Totally normal family picture....

Midnight crab hunt

A few things have changed in the core Cape Crew over the past years.  It's pretty amazing what a difference a year makes.  We grew from five people to nine for Cape Christmas 2014. For the first time ever, we had a baby joining us at Cape Christmas! Instead of just Winston having full reign of the Cape, we had TWO beach-ready pups!  Instead of a lovely three day weekend, we extended this year from Thursday into the following Monday!  And rather than a caravan of cars driving in from various locations in New York City, our attendees this year arrived over two days from THREE different states.  All of these little tweaks and developments of Cape Christmas were sure to promise an eventful and exciting trip for all of us.

Even though we had a few personnel developments this year, we stuck to the same fantastic traditions that have made so many memories for us and our friends in the past.  We had our themed costume nights (albeit a little toned down as to not scare off some of the newbies) this year, we made our regular visit to Wood's Hole on a rainy day for dark and stormys, we stuffed our faces with steamers & lobster rolls, we played our made-up games on the sand at the beach, we went for a midnight beach walk through the foggy/haunted neighborhood, we enjoyed refreshing sunset and invigorating morning swims in the ocean,  and we stayed up until the wee hours of the morning playing games and hosting sing-a-longs.

 

Boys on Cape Christmas

Ladies on Cape Christmas!

Despite the continued traditions, there were a few highlights this year that were particularly special, and a little bit different.  Over the past few Cape Christmases, we have enjoyed a ferry ride over to Martha's Vineyard.  But this year, we called an audible and took a day trip to Nantucket instead!  And my GOODNESS what a festive and adorable little town.  We were not lucky enough to have a day full of sun, and we battled the elements slightly with some rain, but the cobblestone streets and stores upon stores of nautical treasures entertained us for hours!  And like every other year, we came home with a few unique little gifts for our apartment!

 
We added a new tradition this year, by heading out to a local restaurant for sunset on our first night while we awaited the arrival of the rest of our team.  The landscape offered some pretty spectacular views as we sipped on our Mount Gay and tonics and world famous mudslides from weathered Adirondack chairs.  We didn't have the full crew at this point, but it was a gorgeous sunset with a pretty amazing group of friends that was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

As always, one of the most memorable parts of our trip is the actual night of Cape Christmas.  My friends never cease to amaze me with the costumes they are able to procure for our made-up holiday.  Even our littlest member of the Cape Christmas Crew had some festive attire. And while it was the 4th annual celebration of our summer Christmas, it just doesn't get old.  Singing Jimmy Buffet holiday songs, selecting our choice of lobsters for dinner, cooking together in the kitchen, dancing with oven mitts on, setting the table for our group, wishing the neighbors a Merry Christmas as they walk by the house, trimming our hot pink tree with tropical ornaments & staying out late on the patio to play games - none of that will ever get old.

This Cape Christmas ended with a few more tears than the other ones. I'm always a bit sad when the weekend comes to a close, especially since it's this weekend that actually gets us through the brutal winters every year.  It's like Cape Christmas is the light at the end of the winter tunnel.  But this year was a little bit harder for us because this was the end of the East Coast road for some of our best friends who were moving to Austin.  The end of Cape Christmas meant the end of them living just 1 mile away from us.  The end of us calling them up to go have lobster rolls and sit outside and drink a bottle of Chardonn-yay.  The end of us running in to them at the bar during football season.  The end of our impromptu dinners Chez Buck complete with a home cooked meal & steel drums.  The end of our random meet-ups in Princeton.  So it was an emotional departure for us to lose a little part of our New York family when they flew home to Austin instead of riding home with us to their apartment in Tribeca.

Two of our friends have moved halfway across the country, we have a baby for the first time in our group of friends, and we have grown the Cape Christmas family by almost double - but I find the greatest happiness in knowing that despite all of these life changes, this weekend never fails to exceed expectations.  Even as we "grow up" and even if some of us move to different states, this is a tradition that all of us are committed to keeping and improving each year that we plan it.  Yes - weddings, babies, and moves may change everything else, but they won't change Cape Christmas - they'll only make it better! Thank you to our gracious host for having us out to your home. And to my friends - I love you guys.  I really, REALLY love you all, and thank YOU for another year of memories. I'm already starting the countdown until Cape Christmas 2015.

Winston is 5!

 

Winston's best friend....

It's been five WHOLE years that we've been blessed with the love and affection from our sweet pup Winston.  Five years since we Googled bulldog puppies for fun and instantly fell in love with his picture online.  Five years since we became fur parents to the World's most handsome beast.  This year we treated him to a Five year-old celebration with some of his favorite things.  Footballs, cookies (we got him a special lobster-shaped cookie this year), other smooshed-face puppy friends, hot dogs, salty swims in the ocean, a few long naps, and of course....a visit to Cape Cod.  And because I just can't get enough of the majestic pictures of this regal pooch, I'm sharing a few of my favorites with you from Winston's 5th year of being the greatest dog in the world:

Loving on my sweet boy 

Winston with the God Father 

We gave Winston a girlfriend for his birthday - he's into French chicks :P

Winston - you're the only guy I know more grumpy than I am in the morning - but every time I see that little hiney wiggle, my life is complete.  Thank you for loving us (and pretty much everyone else in the world) with all of your heart, and for your sweet snuggles every day of your life.  We love you more than anything and hope that we sufficiently spoiled your stinky face on your special day.  Happy birthday big guy - we can't wait to have you by our sides (or by our feet) for many more family adventures.  

Stef Leppard meets Def Leppard

Mike and I had a rare weekend home this summer - a weekend that didn't entail a flight across the country or a long road trip through the East Coast.  So with our downtime, the Mobleys took that opportunity to have a much needed date night.  No, we didn't stay in for a movie and dinner, and this particular date night didn't entail champagne and roses.  And we didn't spend our coveted Saturday night at a New York hot spot or exploring a new art exhibit at one of Manhattan's culturally rich museums.  Our date night was a breezy summer evening at PNC in Holmdel, New Jersey for the Def Leppard./KISS concert.

Unless we're in another country or we are battling work conflicts - the Mobleys rarely miss an opportunity to see Def Leppard.  But we were even more stoked when we saw that arguably one of our favorite bands in the history of the world was touring with KISS.  Mike has seen KISS countless times (including a show in LA just weeks before we went together!), but this was my first time, my first KISS!  And I got to share it with my husband!

This particular Def Leppard/KISS concert was even more memorable because we did something we've never done before.  We had meet & greets!  Sure, that means that we had to get there hours before the concert even started, and sure, we had to endure some of Jersey's finest while waiting to meet our favorite band - but it was a life highlight!  Out of sheer awe and a little panic, I failed to inform them that one of my favorite nicknames is in fact Stef Leppard - but they were amazing nonetheless. And we walked out with a signed photograph from the band, but more importantly we walked out with this fantastic shot of Team Metal with Def Leppard.

Of course the rest of the concert experience was pretty fantastic.  Def Leppard was solid, as always, and my first KISS concert did not disappoint.  And because we had the meet and greet package, our seats were just 10 rows from the center of the stage.  We could almost feel the flames from the KISS pyrotechnics. But more importantly, I'm so grateful that Mike & I have this joint passion for seeing live shows - particularly sweet, sweet 80s metal bands.  It makes me so happy that we take these opportunities to get out and listen to the music, either with friends, or as a date night like this.  Sometimes the haul out to New Jersey is daunting, or the idea of a metal concert until 1am on a Tuesday can seem aggressive, but it's always, ALWAYS worth it.  We'll be heading back to PNC Bank Center in August for the final tour of Motley Crue.  Of course will share pictures and highlights from Team Metal's summer concert adventures, but until then, enjoy a few snaps from Def Leppard & KISS.

Garrett & Jenny's "I Do", part Du

Sometimes a wedding is so nice, you do it TWICE!  When Mike and I got married over 3 years ago, it was a far trek out to California for some of our Connecticut family.  But we couldn't imagine celebrating our marriage without them - which is why we had TWO receptions!  Garrett and Jenny were in a similar situation with their wedding this past May in Long Beach, CA.  So we gathered our family one more time for another wedding celebration, or as we like to call it, the "I Do, part Du" (as in DuPonts....get it????).

My aunt's country club, Chippanee was a perfect setting for the newlyweds.  It was close, it was quaint, and it was accommodating.  There were a few key contributors to the DuPont entertainment who were unable to attend the party.  This included my husband (who was at the wedding of our dear friend Bozzo - CONGRATS BOZZO & MAEVE!), our next groom/my cousin's fiance Ian, my cousin Andrew - who was with Ian on his bachelor party in Lake Placid, my cousin Belle, and a few other out-of-state family members.  They were all definitely sorely missed.  Despite some of our favorites being absent, we still had what I believe is the best crew in the entire state of Connecticut in attendance for the reception.

In typical Jenny fashion, we covered the tables in the room with rhinestones - to add just the right amount of bling!   Dad started off the night with a special speech to the bride & the groom, followed by another quick little dance for the guests of honor.  My mom did a fantastic job coordinating the menu featuring some of the best caprese salad ever.  We loaded up the DJ's playlists with some dance-worthy tunes for the youngsters, and some Sinatra-esque themed music for our dinner.  And we topped off the night, literally, with an ice cream sundae bar (because its more fun than another wedding cake) with toppings GALORE!

It was the perfect family celebration & I live for these yearly DuPont parties.  It's fantastic whenever we get together to celebrate a milestone birthday, or a graduation, but it's even better if that celebration involves adding another family member - because weddings are just the best!  We went the summer of 2012 and 2013 without a DuPont celebration (which is astounding!), and this year we're more than making up for it, and we hope to keep the tradition going as we rack up even more birthdays, graduations, weddings, and BABIES - oh my!

We had THE BEST time seeing everyone from our Connecticut family & any time I get to see my parents and siblings, my life is made.   Having so much of my family visit from out of town under one roof, regardless of the number of beds, always makes me wish that we all lived closer to each other.  I wish it was more than once a year that we stayed up to 1am playing games, or ordered post-party comfort food from Greer's in bulk to feed the masses, or polished off a full handle of vodka one in hour, or enjoyed a late-night on the patio lit with citronella candles and stogies.  So thank you to Garrett & Jenny for bringing everyone together and for giving us another reason to celebrate not only you, but most importantly... family.  The family you brought together to join us in a toast to the happy couple, the family that we are growing by adding one more member to the DuPonts, and the LITTLE family you guys have created with the two of you (and my furry little nephew Ziggy of course!).  Congrats again to Jenny & Garrett - we all wish you all the greatest things life has to offer!

Girls Gone Mild 2014

After 12 years of friendship and 8 years of taking girl's trips, it's already that time for our Friendship Fiesta 2014!  We've had several returns to Las Vegas, 4 bachelorette parties between us, and an adult long weekend to Orlando, FL visiting Disney & the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  So we decided that we'd go big this year because this year was particularly special.  2014 was the year that we all celebrated turning 30, and what better way than to celebrate together in the picturesque backdrop provided by this year's destination selection - The Ritz Carlton, St. Thomas, USVI!?!?

I've had a countdown on my phone every day since we booked this trip exactly 6 months ago (oh we had such a miserable winter!).  Every day that the calendar ticked closer to our July 9th departure was one day closer to my yearly reunion with my favorite girls.  And when it was finally upon us, I think I slept for like 3 hours before having to wake up early and catch my flight to the US Virgin Islands.  My flight got me in a good 4 hours before all 3 of the other girlies landed.  So naturally, I spent my time at the bar, sipping on rum drinks (I became particularly fond of a treat called the Lime in the Coconut...because why not?!), reading my book and enjoying the view from the pool bar before the 3 crazy girls from Texas arrived at the hotel.

Before I could even finish the 3rd installment of the Divergent series (OMG, so good), my friends arrived and they were a tropical, festive sight to see!  I think we checked in to our hotel room, enthusiastically exchanged a few surprise gifts, slapped on our swimsuits, grabbed our  floating devices, and headed out to the ocean within minutes!  We were fully submerged in the Caribbean waters with painkillers (St. Thomas's specialty cocktail, not the pills you crazies!) in hand just moments after being reunited.

I'd say that there was a bit of a fundamental shift in this particular trip vs some of the girl's trips we've taken in the past.  First, we had a whopping ONE night where we dressed to the nines. A big part of our girls trips is usually around our lady routine of primping - coordinating outfits, helping each other curl our hair, swapping jewelry, giving each other advice on shoe selections, and maybe even sharing a lipstick or two.  But on this trip, we had ONE night where we actually got dressed in something other than our swimsuits and cover ups.  ONE night where SOME of us actually did our hair (contrary to what some of you may think, my Caribbean inspired dread-like curls are actually natural! :P).  ONE night where we actually wore shoes to dinner.  And it was magical.  I think all of us needed a trip without wardrobe woes - and where our biggest problem was making sure we kept all of our belongings inside our kayak as we paddled through the crystal blue water (we did have some small casualties lost to the sea...but it made for a few hours of laughter).

Second - we had no agenda.  On past trips, we had jam-packed days that extended well into the evening.  This time, we actually "played it by ear".  No pre-meditated dinner reservations, no daily itinerary, just going with the flow - the island way!  There was an excursion day that we planned ahead of time - and that was our private boat charter - the Lion in da Sun.  We had an unbelievable trip island-hopping with our very own friend, Captain Rick.  We cruised around St. John, Tortola, Jost Van Dike, and a tiny little spot called Sandy Spit - a real life Corona commercial.

Captain Rick let us bring our own refreshments on the boat, and we stopped at Foxy's and Pusser's for well-deserved painkillers, provisions, and shopping!  We were invited to hop off the boat for a little swimming with our sting ray friend, snorkeling around some of the Caribbean's most colorful reefs off St. John, and drinking at the world Famous Soggy Dollar.  Our fantastic captain was extremely accommodating and I'm fairly certain our entire experience would not have been the same without the fabulous navigational skills and island narrating from Captain Rick and his trusty apprentice.  If you're booking a trip to St. Thomas or St. John - he's a MUST.

Third, our nights on this trip did not extend into the wee hours of the morning.  I'm not embarrassed to say, that we were nestled in our cushy down pillows and matching pajamas by 10p every night - with the exception of our last night...probably my favorite night.  Instead of the fancy black & white coordinated outfits we had scheduled for our last night together - we slipped into matching American Flag printed leggings (because everyone needs those) and big cozy matching long-sleeved t-shirts.  We had a bottle of rum and several flavored mixers to polish off before we all headed our separate ways the next morning - so we mixed our own cocktails & took them down to the beach to watch moon rise over the Caribbean.  Little did we know, that we were actually seeing a very special moon rise - it was the SUPER moon.  We chatted on the lawn chairs and hammocks while watching the sun move from between the palm trees to the wide open sky above the ocean.  We walked along the beach with our drinks in hand, taking pictures and hunting for tiny little sharks swimming parallel to the shore line.  There were a lot of giggles, a lot of hugs, and a lot of memories made and recapped under the Super Moon light.

Maybe it's because we turned 30, maybe it's because we were joined by our calming presence Lauren, or maybe it's because our selected destination was the low-key island of St. Thomas, but there was a much needed soothing aura around this trip that we all appreciated.  Every trip I get with these special women is amazing and full of precious memories, but this was definitely my favorite so far. I know that we will have many more chances to take more adventures together as we continue our traditions, but this one is really going to be hard to top.  Girls - I hope you all know how much these getaways mean to me, and I hope that in 10 years we're doing something fabulous for our 40th, and then 20 years after that, jetting off somewhere exotic for our 50th!  There are few things as special to me as the memories I make with you all, and how happy it makes my soul.  Here's to a successful and particularly exceptional Friendship Fiesta 2014!  Now...when can we start planning for next year! :)