Quick Pics

As you saw in my last post, the beginning of August started off with a nice day trip to Newport. We went to a handful of shops that had a bunch of fun nautical stuff in them. There was one store in particular where I just wanted everything, but their throw pillows were $80, so there was no way I was getting anything in there. We ended up using some of the credit that Chris has for Restaurant.com towards a hibachi dinner at a restaurant near Newport on our way home. It was really good!







It was my Grandma's birthday this month, and it was requested that I make the cake. I had no idea how to decorate it, but then I settled on something simple - the Italian flag! I also had a relaxing pool day to celebrate the end of my summer semester and drank sweet tea while I laid in the sun. It was great, although it was probably the last pool day of the season since it will probably be closed soon.





I was at work when I heard that Robin Williams had passed away. I had to keep my composure because I didn't want to cry in front of my coworkers and patrons. I went to the bathroom to let a little out, but once my shift was done I got in my car and cried all the way home as I listened to songs from Aladdin. I am still so sad that he is gone. I wish I could have had the opportunity to meet him because he seems to have been such a kind, gentle, generous, amazing, compassionate, and beautiful human being. I've heard nothing but good things about him. I don't think a celebrity death has ever affected me the way his did. It's odd to feel so much for someone you have never met and not really realize how much he has touched your life through his work. It's like he was always there while I was growing up, and it felt like he would be around forever. He had some really amazing movies and played great parts and I love that he could do comedy, drama, and suspense. I think what really gets to me is how someone who seems so upbeat, jolly, funny, and happy could have been going through such suffering on the inside. You never know what's truly going on with someone, and that's a little scary. I can't believe he is gone.



On a lighter note, my friend's family had their annual luau this month. They always have a ton of food and a fire at night and there's always a point in the evening where everyone at the luau sings Bohemian Rhapsody together. It's always a good time.



There's a local theater that has movies all day for $5.50 every Tuesday, so Chris and I decided to do a double feature one Tuesday night and get the giant bucket of popcorn for it (free refill included!). We saw Guardians of the Galaxy because he really wanted me to see it. I wasn't that into it, though it had some funny parts. I only really liked the part when Groot dances. I think Groot was my favorite. We also saw Let's Be Cops because we both love New Girl and the movie stars the actors who play Nick and Coach. We both really enjoyed that one because while it was a comedy, it also had a little suspense added in. It wasn't just another dumb comedy. So many movies came out this month that I want to see. I still have to see The Giver even though it looks a lot different from the book, and I want to see the new Sin City as well.



In other news, I got a new hat, have been enjoying making myself healthy dinners like grilled chicken salad, and also enjoying treats like my mom's pepperoni bread when I visit my parents. She makes the best pepperoni bread that you will ever have. I know a lot of people say this about their family's cooking, but this is serious business. I have never tasted another pepperoni bread as good as hers.







Yesterday I wanted to go raspberry picking, but the orchard that I planned to go to ended up not having raspberry picking. I still wanted to go to the orchard, so we headed there anyway. On the way, we ran into a lot of traffic since it's Labor Day weekend so we decided to go to an orchard that was smaller, but closer instead. Well, they ended up having raspberries AND blackberries to pick so we picked some of those. :) I wore one of the dresses I recently got from ModCloth since it reminds me of farms and orchards.





I'm glad that I was pleasantly surprised with some berries because those are what I look forward to picking in the summer! Now that the summer is coming to an end, I'm excited for apple picking. I think I definitely need to go a couple of times this year. I usually only go once, but I'd like to try the different varieties that are available at the different times of the season. Fresh fruit is always the best! :)

Newport, RI

At the beginning of the month, I had a rare weekday off so I decided it would be a great opportunity to take a day trip with Chris! I have been wanting to go to Newport for a while, now, and we finally got to go. It is such a nautical place, so I loved it. I mean, it was like a super nautical deluxe (with cheese) town with all the works such as nautical themed shops, a seaside walking trail, sailboats, and lighthouses. I wish we had gotten there earlier than we did, but I had wanted to sleep in a bit since I don't get to often. Regardless, we still had a good day and we got to see some pretty cool stuff!

















We walked around the shopping areas for a bit and did a little window shopping. Everything was pretty pricey, so I didn't end up getting anything like I wanted to. After we walked around that area, we took a drive down the Scenic Ocean Drive. This road was literally right along the coast with the ocean in full view. We stopped at Brenton Point State Park to take in the views and take some pictures. Chris noticed a building at the opening of the woods, so we went to explore it. It ended up being what's called The Bells. It's an old abandoned and neglected building that used to be a carriage barn and was built in 1885. I think it was part of some house/villa. It is now abandoned, graffitied, and is/was probably the site of many parties over the years as there was a bunch of broken glass and empty bottles. Chris really liked the contrast between my pretty floral dress and the broken down mess of the building.















Let's talk about haggling for a second. This is an area that I really need some improvement in. I suck at haggling. I'm pretty awful. I get nervous and ask if they will accept a price instead of demand it or state it. I give up easily because I feel awkward. Chris is better at it than me, and he always tries to give me tips but I just get awkward when it comes down to it.















I'm bringing this up because we went to a vintage store where I found this amazing dress from the 50s that fit me perfectly. I really wanted it, but it was $150 and I couldn't justify spending that much. I told the woman who works at the shop that I couldn't afford it. She asked me what my budget was and mentioned haggling a little bit. I told her that I should try it on first before I decide anything. So I tried it on and it was perfect, of course. Let me pause to say that this RARELY happens to me. When I go to a vintage store, I never find anything that's the right size and style. It's always online that I find things, if that. Anyway...so I come out of the dressing room to find that she has been teasing Chris about buying it for me. I said that I could pay $75. She said that Chris will pay the rest, right? We laughed since it was kind of a joke. Then she went on to say, "Actually, I can't sell this piece for less than $145 since it's a consignment piece". I was livid. She set me up to believe that we can haggle and compromise when she clearly knew that she could only take a measly $5 off. I told her that I couldn't take it, then and we left.

















I was pretty disappointed, and I kept thinking about it throughout the day. I'm one of those people who thinks of what they should've said/done after the moment has passed. I'm bad at "in the moment" stuff. I always think about situations afterwards and think of all the different things I should've done. I wish I had expressed my disappointment to her.















Anyway...after all of that and visiting The Bells, I really wanted to find the Castle Hill Lighthouse. We drove back and forth wondering how to get to it. I knew that it was smaller than lighthouses usually are and set in the rocks. Finally, with some help from Google, I found out that there were trails to it within the grounds of the Castle Hill Inn. We drove into there and asked a guard about it, and it turns out the lighthouse was just down a short path in the woods that led to the water! It was very picturesque and I loved that I got to climb right up to it. :)

After the lighthouse, we continued down the scenic road to get to the Cliffwalk. The Cliffwalk is a seaside walking trail that is along a cliff (derp). It's 3.5 miles long, but we didn't walk the whole thing. We did get to see some neat things though like a cute archway under a bridge and a section of fence that people started attaching signed locks to. I know it's something that's done at the Eiffel Tower, but I guess people started doing it here too. I wish we had a spare lock to leave. If I had known about it, I would've brought one! Chris decided his Nickelodeon bracelet would have to suffice, though I'm not sure how long it'll hold.















I wish we could've spent a night over and done more exploring the next day, but I had work and it's pretty pricey to stay up there, especially during the summer. There is a lot to see, but I think we did a good job at seeing the basics - the downtown area, the shoreline, and a lighthouse.

Dress: Dixiefried by Pinup Couture//Shoes: Mudd//Sunglasses: H&M

I'd like to visit other nautical towns like Martha's Vineyard, Block Island, and Cape Cod next summer. I've never been to Block Island, and I haven't been to Martha's Vineyard or Cape Cod since I was younger. I'd love to go back now and really get to explore them. :)