Happy New Year!

Back in spring 2012, I went to a James Beard Foundation event with my Uncle Phil and I was introduced to Janie, who has become one of my closest friends in NYC! This year she hosted New Year's for five couples, complete with chili bar and champagne. We had a blast ringing in the new year with our friends! I also got to repurpose my bachelorette dress which was fun, although Nate. We continue to be fortunate to meet great people in NYC who become part of our lives and make special memories with us. Hope everyone had a very happy new year - cheers to 2015!

Christmas in NYC

Christmas in NYC is such a magical time of year! This year was my and Nate's first Christmas as a married couple and after several big trips and time off work (wedding, honeymoon, Paris) we planned to stay here this year. We were lucky that my parents, sister, and her boyfriend were able to fly up for Christmas week and we got to spend the holidays together! Some of the top highlights: seeing Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra play Christmas classics, we had an amazing Sunday visiting with friends in Connecticut, we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in our little apartment - 6 adults and 3 puppies! We had a final special dinner at STK Steakhouse in midtown. It was such a special week, I love my family so much - the Vettetls, the family that I was born into, and the Schweers, the family I've created with Nate - us and our two sweet puppies!

Hoping everyone had a very merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving in Paris!

We were lucky enough to spend an incredible week in Paris this year for Thanksgiving. I had been twice, but the last time was seven years ago, and Nate had never been! Rather than stay in a hotel, we rented a lovely apartment in the Marais district. It is a beautiful Paris neighborhood filled with locals, it was really easy to get around and absolutely charming - on every corner bakeries, chocolate, cheese, and of course wine shops! Because we had an entire week, we didn't have to rush sightseeing. We took in everything - museums, cafes, opera houses, just about everything! Nate really loved Paris - one of his favorite cities we've been to. Visiting France also marked his eleventh country (ten, not counting the US) so he's officially in double-digits. Not bad for a guy who didn't have a passport four years ago! ;) Some favorite pictures of our trip are below... we continue to be blessed continuing to travel and explore the world!

Who knows where our next adventure will take us? We're looking forward to the holiday season and the year ahead!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the Schweers! We haven't really dressed up for Halloween in a while - two years ago we went as Hunger Games (see that post HERE) but Hurricane Sandy had just hit, and there wasn't really anywhere to go out so we just hung out in our building lobby. This year, Nate and I decided to do more of a DIY costume and we went as the Peanuts gang! Nate was Charlie Brown, I was Lucy (hence my sign, The Doctor is IN!) and our baby girl Siena got to be Linus for a minute, with her light blue baby blanket.

Nate and I went downtown with my group of friends from the Book Club. We had a blast! Everyone's costumes were so original - we had everyone from Captain America to Peter Pan, a homemade Peacock costume, American Hustlers, a Boy and Girl Scout, Jackie and JFK, to Gilmore Girls Luke and Lorelei. Seriously everyone looked amazing and the night was so much fun! Here's a cute picture of all the girls - I wish we'd gotten one with the guys too, since so many of us came in couples costumes. Such a great night!

Upcoming Adventures Announcement: Thanksgiving in Paris!

Photo Credit: Steve Johnson, world's best photographer

I know what you're thinking... you're going on another trip!? Are you and Nate crazy?! Where do you find the time/money/energy for another big trip. Well, let's rewind... Last fall I got a serious case of cabin fever/wanderlust. Plans were underway for our wedding just under a year away - our two week honeymoon trip for summer 2014 was booked, but there was nothing on the horizon for the near future. I got the idea to go to Paris for Thanksgiving from a friend of mine who went for Thanksgiving in 2012. It's a great time to go, Paris is cold but not freezing, it's very low season for tourists, but the city is already decorated for Christmas. March of Dimes and Columbia were closed Wednesday-Friday so we'd only need two days off work - it was a brilliant plan!

Unfortunately, the reality of saving for 2014 caught up with us and we were unable to make Thanksgiving in Paris a reality in 2013. So as this year went on, we started saving and found a great deal on a beautiful apartment rental in Paris. After getting through this summer, we decided to book it! We'll spend seven days, six nights in Paris - I can't wait to show Nate the city. I have been twice, in 2005 and 2007, and I know he will love it! We plan to live like locals, shopping and eating some meals in our apartment similar to how we are when we travel to Rome. We can't wait!

In related news: this has inspired me to resume Rosetta Stone French practice! I hope I will get through some of the lessons and be somewhat useful our week in Paris.

Weekend in Baltimore

Last entry for a bit - last weekend we headed to Baltimore to spend time with some of the Breakfast Club ladies. We stayed with our friends Dave and Laura, and had visits from Kristy on Friday night and Kelly and Sam on Saturday! Baltimore has tons of great restaurants and Saturday there was a fun St. Patrick's Day celebration, which we all got dressed up for and spent the day in Canton. It was tons of fun! We love being close to friends and getting the chance to get out of the city for a weekend - especially on a day where it was almost 60 degrees in Baltimore! Can you tell we're over the winter weather? We definitely are...

Here are a few favorite pictures from our weekend! Friday night with Kristy:

Enjoying the beautiful weather Saturday:

Downtown in Canton:

"Husbands and wives" picture: Nate, Me, Sam, Kelly, Dave, & Laura

 And more fun: skee ball & live music!

Can't wait to return to Baltimore... maybe this fall!!

To Resolve, Or Not To Resolve?

Resolutions - friend or foe? There's something about every year that makes us resolved to be happier - so we make lists, and goals, and ultimately - excuses. And we start over every year. Back in college I had the same resolution for 3 years in a row - not to drink soda. It seemed like a good one, and I kept it. In grad school I had laundry lists of resolutions that went nowhere fast. Last year I made one big one - to learn moderation, and to get a better handle on my anxiety. That's come a long way but it's really a lifestyle, not a resolution. So... my big question this year was should I have any resolutions? What should they be?

I do have one, inspired by our New Year's Eve dinner at Rosa Mexicano. Two girls at the table next to us (best guess college age, early 20s) spent the entire meal (including eating) on their phones. They did not put them down once. They snapchatted to each other, they tweeted, instagrammed, posted status updates to Facebook, and texted. I was stunned, and concerned - not for them, but for all of us. As a Social Media Manager it's my job to be plugged in to trends, to understand and use social media with fluency and ease. But I couldn't help but wonder - am I at risk for behaving this way? For experiencing a real-life experience virtually? It made me resolve to spend less time on my phone this year. To put it away during meals, to Instagram later, to be in the moment more. It's so easy - and downright fun - to post what you're doing, to get instant likes and "omg! wish I was there! so cool! etc." comments. But it shouldn't come at the expense of the actual experience. Will I do it? We will see. I'm lucky that my fiance and husband-to-be does NOT have a smart phone and as a result, does a good job of helping keep me in the moment.

Other resolutions... well again, lifestyle-wise I resolve every year to travel to a new domestic and international destination. Last year I made it to the Dominican Republic twice which was a new country and both were amazing trips. I did not make it anywhere new in the US. Travel-wise, 2013 was a slowwwww year. 2014 is shaping up to be busier already. Domestically, I am traveling to Arizona for one of my bridesmaids' Erica's bachelorette party. Internationally, we are traveling to three new countries on our honeymoon - Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia (Bali). And Nate and I are planning for Thanksgiving week in Paris. France will be a new country for him - I've been twice!

So alas, one true resolution this year... we will see how it goes! I leave you with this fun "resolution" that I found as I was putting this blog post together:

Cheers to 2014!

Cheers to 2014!

I didn't blog as much in 2013. In a lot of ways, the year was a disappointment. There were some amazing highlights - like Nate and I getting engaged and my opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic twice to see my sister. I also started a great new job. But in other ways, it was disappointing. A lot of waiting, some personal struggles, and some painful endings. It was, in sports terms, a "rebuilding year" and that's okay to have sometimes. This fall I lost a lot of the "stress weight" I put on at the end of 2012 and I'm feeling fit and happy.

2014 is off to an amazing start. We rang in the New Year with our best friends, the second year we've done so and it's my favorite new tradition! We are so excited for what this year has in store - our engagement party in Gainesville is just a few weeks away and it's followed shortly by the wedding of a dear college friend and member of the Breakfast Club. Spring is a busy time at work with March for Babies, and I have two bachelorette parties to attend (my own, and my friend Erica's) and then in June, it's our wedding and honeymoon! Fall is rapidly filling up as well - I know this is going to be a year to remember. Right now I'm feeling really thankful and grateful for our amazing families and friends and my own little family, my wonderful understanding, patient, and unconditionally loving fiance and sweet little pup Siena.

Here are a few favorite pictures from last night/early this morning:

Happy New Year!

Christmas in Gainesville

Not much to say except this was one of the best trips home we've ever had - nice long week at home spending quality time with our families and friends. Here are some of my favorite photos from the trip:

 Merry Christmas, everyone!!!