christmas is coming, christmas is coming, christmas is coming!

yep, it's happening! i still can't believe it but i sure do love it. decorations all around town have been up well before thanksgiving but i can never really appreciate the rush of that. now, it's starting to snow here in binghamton a little too regularly (every morning) but it does make it feel a little bit more like christmas is coming. in addition to the millions of christmas commercials, christmas songs playing everywhere, and everyone else's obsession. but how can you not love the enchantment?

 the perfect christmas tree.

in binghamton

the other day i came home to my room mate

making cinnamon sugar cookies... how much more christmas is THAT?!

the perks of my job. lindor truffles. mmm mm mm

giving thanks

thanksgiving was special this year. i got to make a vegan pecan pie! it was a hit! my dad and baby sister (who are vegans) loved it! so did everyone else. i also made some special sweet potatoes.

it was also the first time my sisters and i were reunited after going back to school and my younger sister started college. it was so strange but we laughed nonstop for hours the first few hours we were together again. it felt amazing and it's a little bittersweet to have to return to school tomorrow with the last few weeks of the semester (final exams and projects eek) and then GRADUATION in just a couple weeks...so unbelievable.

i loved being with my grandmother.. one of my best friends, my inspiration, and my number one role model...love her and miss her so much. someone i am very thankful for.

so thankful to have been with my wonderful family (that overwhelms me at times), the amazing home food i ate all weekend (definitely gained 10 pounds), and my special home.

what did you do for thanksgiving? what are you thankful for?

A few of our favorite things...

As we've been a long-distance couple for almost 3 years now, we have many special moments and things that we love that help us reconnect and share our happy moments, together. Here are a few of our favorite things I'd like to share with you. (All photos we've taken ourselves.)

French Macaroons. They have amazing ones in NYC where we spend a lot of our time. (Close to where we both live and he spent his undergrad career at NYU). We would often share a box like this one over a weekend. Or he would surprise me with some for a special visit at my school, or for just a little bite whenever we would find someplace. Our favorites are definitely Pistachio, Raspberry, Vanilla and most Mocha/Coffee flavors. Some of our favorite places in the city are: Bisous Ciao, La Maison du Macaron, Mille-feuille, and Francois Payard.

Max Brenner's Chocolate Fondue. We are for sure foodies and dessert lovers. The one thing we bond MAJORLY over is our love for food and new things. Max Brenner has always been nearby to wherever he's lived during undergrad and also a place where we had our first date. You cannot go wrong with the chocolate filled aroma that surrounds you as soon as you walk in, the great atmosphere, food, fun, and DESSERT!

Flowers, small presents, little trinkets. Part of being long-distance is trying to express your love and missing one another as best as you can without actually being together. We often send each other little things like treats, stuffed animals (we now have too many and think have put a pause on that), little memorabilia from past things we've done, letters, and so on. It's important to send things unexpectedly, I know it has always brightened up my day to receive and unexpected package from "him." Just a tip: be original and sweet! He's actually rarely sent me flowers but this photo was the first time he had ever sent me them, and I couldn't help but brag at the time (we had been dating just under a year then...oh young love).

 

Sitting in the grass. We love it. (I think he more than I, a lot of the times, too!) It's important to always talk-- about anything and everything. We have a very special bond that I'm blessed to say we are very best friends. We always lay within each others arms, next to each other, across from each other, anything and just talk. Here, we're at the Griffith Observatory in LA this past July. Down time in a naturey setting is always fun and relaxing..for both..together!

Hope you enjoy learning a little more about US! xoxo