{So Long Sweet Summer}

It is, sadly, not so hard for me to believe that this summer has already come to an end. Since I started my job a mere three days after college graduation, I didn't have much time to relax and get into summer-mode! Nonetheless, it was a wonderful summer full of friends, family and great times.

{Where it all began: my graduation from Fordham University, May 21, 2011.}

{Not too bad for an early morning commute!}

{Me and Thomas at Ship Ahoy Beach Club on Memorial Day Weekend.}

{Thomas moved into the perfect "starter" apartment on East 22nd Street! We love having a home base in Manhattan for all of our city adventures.}

{Mark Murphy, Ana Murphy, Dad, Me, John Robinson, Lindsay Robinson, Nick Ford, Blaike Ford. Graduating was celebrated with a Father-Daughter dinner at Rumson Country Club.}

{A lovely graduation party was held at my dad's house for Jack, me and the other cousins who graduated this year. Seven of us in all!}

{I can't believe Jack graduated from 8th grade and is starting high school this week! It feels like yesterday that he was baby. I am so proud of all he has overcome (and is still overcoming). What an inspiring young man I have for a little brother!}

{I made my first visit to Paris in June for a work trip. Not too shabby for a first job!}

{As a Mets fan, I was reluctant to attend a Yankees game. But hey! The tickets were free :)}

{Before Thomas started work, he would accompany me on my walk to the subway for my commute to work. We spent many a morning at the Union Square Greenmarket, often walking away with a few delicious treats!}

{Trips to Brooklyn are always full of surprises, like this great "installation art" we found in Williamsburg!}

{We had drinks and appetizers at a darling place in Brooklyn, Nita Nita. They had a great outdoor seating area with mismatched furniture that made us feel like we were in a good friends backyard!}

{4th of July weekend was spent on Shelter Island, New York with good friends from college.}

{Thomas and I trekked to the west side on 4th of July Monday to watch the Macy's Fireworks on the Hudson. They were unbelievable, as were the amount of people we were huddled with watching! I'm so glad we saw them up close and not on a TV screen, but I am also so glad we can say "we did it!" and don't have to deal with those crowds ever again!}

{View from a penthouse suite in the Thompson Hotel.}

{Liz, me, Mom. We spent an afternoon shopping at Bergdorfs and Saks, then ate dinner and saw "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" on Broadway. The perfect girls night!}

{Two of my best friends from Fordham, Cait and Anne, visited for a weekend. It was so fun to show them around my hometown!}

{My little sister, Hannah, and I baked a lot with our cousin Elizabeth, who has a new love for baking.}

{The weather this summer (for the most part) was beautiful, and we spent a lot of evenings at our beach club.}

{One of the things I miss most about the Bronx is Estrellita Poblana, a restaurant and delivery place with the best Mexican food I have ever tasted. Thomas and I spent a good part of this summer searching Manhattan for something just as tasty. We had a delicious brunch at Vamos, a restaurant near the apartment. Though good, we still haven't found something to fill in the void in our taste palettes since we haven't been eating "Estra," as we affectionately call it.}

{Tropical Storm Irene made an appearance.}

{My lovebug of a niece, Kendall, gets more and more adorable by the day! I can't believe she is almost a year old, and I can't imagine not having her in our family.}

{This is how Bullet spent his summer. Relaxing. Every. Single. Day.}

It was an amazing summer, but fall is my favorite season and I am so excited for the adventures to come!