family

Seven Clam Bake’s

| The Bee Life

This past weekend marked my Aunts’ 15-annual clam bake – and it’s been a tradition for me for the last 7-years; I wouldn’t miss it for the world! So in honor of the 15th year, I decided to compile as many pictures as I could find of the last 7 clam bakes.  It’s funny looking back at how everyone has changed, how new friends and family have come over the years and how some things just never change, i.e. the booze, great food, laughs and good times. It seriously is one of my favorite day’s of the year, and something I always look forward too! This year there was 80-people who attended and we had probably the worst weather I can remember, rain all day, and just cold! Luckily the rain did break for some time in the evening.  But it was another year full of laughs and good times.

Enjoy this look back…

2009 – My First Clam Bake

2010 – Last year was fun, let’s do it again!

2011 – B’s First Clam Bake!

2012 – M&K’s first Clam Bake!

2013 – The Year We Got Moz! (at the Clam Bake)

2014 – Perfect weather, family + friends!!

2015 – 15th Anniversary!

There have been a lot of good times at these clam bakes, as this small sampling of all the pictures shows! I can’t wait to see what next year unfolds!

Until then,

3-Saturday’s

| The Bee Life

This past weekend B and I went crazy and took Thursday and Friday off to enjoy a long weekend, as I am sure I’ve mentioned before our weekend getaways have been the extent of any vacation we’ve had this year.  So it was amazing waking up Thursday morning and not having to go into work and to realize it was the start of 3-consecutive Saturday’s!! I even did a happy dance when I got out of bed!

Thursday morning was perfect. We just relaxed, caught-up on laundry, blogging and even a few work emails.  We have been hooked on American Horror Story, so we binge watched a few episodes too.  Then we packed up and headed to the cabin in the woods… we were there by 3! Our main goal was to visit Southern Tier Brewery (again), made famous by Pumking (the reason we went). Ohh it’s so delicious especially when you can enjoy it straight from the draft where it was created.  B and I enjoyed some Pumking and a few other tastings along with their yummy pretzel sticks and loaded chips.

IMG_7464
We even got to say good-bye to Maya, my aunt’s black lab who passed away suddenly last month, they left her remains at the cabin and the pond where she loved to play, her happy place.  It was nice to have a moment with her.

The next day we headed another 2-hours east to my parents for the rest of our long weekend.  Birthday celebrations and even a wedding were thrown into the mix!  It was a nice somewhat relaxing and low-key weekend. We got back early-ish on Sunday and enjoyed some company with B’s brother and also hosted our neighbors for some pizza and beer and chats!  It was a nice long, much needed break!

How did you relax this weekend?

#weekendhangover

| The Bee Life

What a weekend! It was so busy, and so much fun – so many awesome things happened.

The big focal point around the weekend, was celebrating my aunts’ wedding – yes you read that correctly aunts, plural.  They decided to get married last month, just 2-weeks after the big Supreme Court decision.  So finally on Saturday we got to celebrate their marriage with family and friends.  Family started pouring in for the weekend Friday night with festivities starting early Saturday!

I was the designated photographer for my aunts, so I was busy popping around to all 170 guests making sure everyone was photographed, not to mention the group shots and cake cutting!  The cake cutting was about the only ‘wedding reception-esq’ thing that happened, besides an open bar with endless drinks.

The night ended over at our house, with some more drinks and a smaller crowd of the family – I was happy to host everyone around our dining room table.

Saturday also was a big day for B’s family, his brother and sister-in-law welcomed their first little girl, Avery into the world. She is the first grandchild, so it was a big deal!  We went to the hospital Sunday afternoon to meet her and see the new mom and dad!

The weekend was full of close family, good friends, lots of laughs and more memories to add to the books.  Moz even got to meet her new cousin, Findley (my aunt’s new puppy).  It was a nonstop weekend full of fun. I definitely have a weekend hangover to start this Monday off.

Ten Things

| The Bee Life

Here are ten senseless distractions; and a quick read to get to know a little more about me!  I saw this idea in another blog I like to read; Centsational Girl and loved this idea and thought it would be the perfect distraction for my afternoon. It was hard just picking one answer for each, but I tried my best.

1. If money was no object, what’s something you’d buy right now.  My own personal gym.

2. Spring vs. Fall ? Fall – clam bakes, sweaters, pumpkins, coffee, jeans, scarfs, cool runs… shall I continue?
3. What’s on your nightstand?  Pictures of me and B and my glasses.

4. What’s your favorite room in your house?  Our sunroom! 5. If you could have lunch with anyone in the world, who would it be?  Too many choices…. it’s a toss up between Derek Jeter and Katy Perry

6. Name one thing on your bucket list.  Sky dive with B

7. What’s the best vacation you’ve taken?  Jackson Hole w/ B and my parents! The company makes all the difference.
8. Congratulations, you just won an all expenses paid trip to Ireland and Germany!

9. Backyard BBQ or Formal Dinner?  Formal dinner – I love getting dressed up, and sitting around the table sharing stories, good laughs and a bottle of wine.
10. What advice would you give your teen self?   There is a much bigger world out there; explore it as much as possible, and even if you break away – there is still a bigger world beyond that.

Weekend Update

| The Bee Life

WA day late. This past weekend was a busy one! But well rounded and full of people I love.  The weekend started with some PTO and hitting the road to Upstate NY.  Road-trip back home to see the parents/brother and go wedding dress shopping with my HS BFF – plus it was Father’s Day!

Friday night, Moz and I arrived to my parents ate some pizza, had some drinks and played some Yahtzee – I ended up beating my mom, which rarely happens!

Saturday morning, I went over to the bride-to-be’s house so that we could ride together to the first stop! This was my first time out wedding dress shopping, so I had no idea what to expect (except what I’ve seen on TLC’s Say Yes To the Dress). I thought that I was going to cry at every dress I saw Katie in, I only got teared up on one.  It was also Katie’s first time out dress shopping, so she had to figure out what she liked compared to what she thought she would like.  It was pretty intense! She brought 6 of us along too so there were a lot of opinions and voices to listen too! There were two contenders when we left the first appointment.  At the second appointment there was one that she loved, but as soon as she put on the next dress she knew it was her’s.  It’s absolutely beautiful, plus Katie’s sister and I might have picked it out. *smiles*  I was so glad to be apart of this day with Katie – the first of many before she gets married. We also got to chat a lot in the car and catch up, it felt like old times when we used to go all over the place together.

My lame attempt at a selfie
The crew minus Lori
Bestie!

Saturday night, we got to enjoy a family dinner. My brother came over, so it was just the four of us, I can’t recall the last time that happened! Sunday was Father’s Day, so we started the morning with church and then brunch at a local diner in my hometown.  I had to go with the chocolate chip pancakes, one of my favorites!

CLE Whiskey – the perfect Father’s Day gift.
Selfie with Dad!
With Nate

After the drive back home; we got to celebrate little Moz’s 2nd birthday.  Of course with a mammoth cookie that she was beyond excited about.  Plus she got a few new squeaky toys! I can’t believe she is two already, she’s just so little. B and I love her to death.

Moz turns 2!
Moz turns 2!
Moz turns 2!

It was a fun weekend, away. B stayed back home to do Father’s Day festivities with his family. This upcoming weekend we will be gone again, just wait till you see what we’re getting ourselves into… again.

House Party

| The Bee Life

Our house was officially broken-in since we hosted our house warming party on Saturday!  I would say the party was a success overall.  The weather of course wasn’t as warm as I had hoped, in fact it was almost chilly, a cool 60-degrees, it would’ve been perfect had it been October. We had plenty of food and plenty of alcohol… we have so many leftovers, but I am not complaining about that! A lot of friends came that we hadn’t seen in awhile, that meant a lot and it was great catching up with them.

It was nice to be able to share our home with some many people who are near and dear to us, the first of many parties, I am sure.  I will hopefully get the food/drink portions down a little better and also try and be a little less stressed pre-party. We could probably have a second party with all the beer and left overs we have!

Traditions.

| The Bee Life

Soo… I just can’t help myself, but I am just in the Christmas mood! This year especially with the house, moving, and work… oh and the lack of snow, it’s been hard to get into the Christmas spirit.  We are almost half way through December and I have no Christmas decorations up, half of our apartment is packed up and the other half of our things are making their way to the house.

But, this past weekend, was another holiday tradition that I wouldn’t pass up this year.  Since I’ve moved to CLE, I’ve always made it a point to go home the first weekend in December to help my parents get their Christmas tree… and since I’ve been with B, the last four years we’ve kept that up.

It’s as simple as this:

When? First Weekend in December.
Where? Baughman’s Christmas Tree Farm. Every. Year.
What? Brave the Elements in Search for the Perfect Christmas Tree.
Who?  My Mom Always has the Final Say.

2011 – B’s First Tree
2011 – The Family
2013 – Mom & Dad
2012 – Success!

Then… we take pictures in front of the tree… and then we cut the tree down.  In 2011, it was actually B’s first time harvesting a real Christmas tree!  This year we had a little more fun with our pictures (well, except my parents, they sort of just stood there.)

2014 – Mom + Dad
2014 – Me + B
2014 – Nate + Kiera

Once we’ve found the tree, we grab some hot chocolate, (with a mini candy cane thrown in) and then get home to decorate the tree! It’s always a fun weekend with the family, and having those traditions that build up the anticipation for the upcoming Christmas Holiday.

Do you go to the same place every year to get your Christmas tree?

Happy Holidays!

Wednesday Reminders – Gratitude

| The Bee Life

With the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow, there is no doubt that everyone is thinking about all of the wonderful things in their life. For me it’s simple. I am thankful for the wonderful people in my life; family and friends, co-workers and furry friends. No one big thing stands out, but it’s all of the small ones.

“Sometimes, the Best Way to Make a Big Difference is Adding Up Lots of Small Ones.”  – Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan

This time of the year is always fun, family comes together because of tradition, and with tradition new memories are made. For my family, the tradition is as simple as getting together, and as I’ve gotten older, traditions are starting to change. People can’t always make a weekend, too many things are going on, the weather prohibits travel, work isn’t as flexible…  I am not always a fan of change, especially when it comes to traditions and holidays, but I’m trying to look at it as an opportunities for new memories and traditions. With all the change, it reminds me to be more thankful for the time I do get to spend with my family and friends.

I think we all need to remember to be grateful, around this time of the year… but even more importantly always.

Four Weddings.

| The Bee Life

The wedding season is officially over for 2014. We attended four beautiful weddings over the past seven months, each couple different and each wedding beautiful in its own way. The bride’s were gorgeous and the drinks were a plenty…And no, I am not going to judge these on, dress, venue, food, and overall experience… but I did think about it!

Wedding #1 – 5.23.14
“The Bridal Party“

Location: Silver Lakes Country Club, Stow, OH
Colors: Navy + Grey
Hashtag: #ChechakWedding
Standout: The Steak! YUM

Our first wedding for the season was our dear friends, and B and I were both lucky enough to be in the bridal party! The day was special, and a long time coming for these two high school sweethearts. The night was beautiful and we sent the couple away with a sparkler send off.

Wedding #2 – 8.30.14
“Vermilion Getaway”

Location: The Rose Cafe, Lorain, OH
Colors: Navy + Seersucker
Hashtag: #IdTrappThat
Standout: Campbell’s Popcorn at the end of the night

Next on the tour was B’s coworker and now friend’s wedding. This may have taken place on one of the hottest days of the year, but we were excited for a little getaway in Vermilion, a cute little water town.  With views of the lake at the venue and a DJ crankin’ up the tunes, we helped shut down the reception.

Wedding #3 – 10.18.14
“A Hampel Wedding“

Location: Woodcliff Hotel & Spa, Fairport, NY
Colors: Navy + Grey
Hashtag: #allyouneedisloveSC
Standout: Pumpkin Centerpieces + Homemade Chocolate Covered Apples

This was my cousins wedding… and my Hampel family weddings are always a crazy good time. And this wedding did not disappoint.  The ceremony was heartfelt and tear-jerking and the reception was full of drinks and dancing, it was an awesome time (not to mention my whole family was there and they are pretty fun!)… we definitely paid for it the next day.

Wedding #4 – 11.1.14
“East Side Wedding”

Location: Nighttown, Cleveland, OH
Colors: Navy
Hastag: #TheyDidntHaveAHashtag *frown face*
Standout: Carmel Apple Cupcakes

My brother’s best friend from high school and also best man tied the knot this past weekend.  He was also a second brother to me growing up, and ironically we both moved out to Cleveland the same year for school.  This wedding was not your traditional wedding, but was effortlessly sweet with touches of fall throughout.  It was nice seeing old friends, plus my brother and sister-in-law for the weekend!

Wedding season is always a fun and busy time, but I am happy to have the 2014 wrapped-up, with the next wedding season already in sight.  My best friend since freshman year in high school got engaged last week and asked me to be her Maid of Honor this weekend! I am so excited and happy to be able to be by her side on such a special day, like we’ve both been for each other, for over a decade now. It will be a bit of a long distance, but that just means more weekend trips in to see her and help plan her big day!