Our Engagement Photos

Happy Monday! Hope everybody had a great weekend. I spent mine in Connecticut with some college girlfriends of mine. Z is currently at Lake Tahoe for his bachelor party (a five-day ski trip).

Speaking of bachelor party...I realized it's been a while since I've provided you guys with a wedding update. Remember those engagement photos I mentioned last time? Well, here are some of our favorite shots from that photo shoot:

Our good friend Joey took all of our engagement photos (it was his wedding present to us). We took them all at deCordova Sculpture Park in Lincoln, Mass.

Although Joey also offered to photograph our wedding for us, we decided to hire Eric McCallister Photography for the big day. We want Joey to enjoy himself at our wedding, and Eric McCallister came highly recommended from another photographer in New Hampshire. Eric even sent us a bottle of wine as a "thank you" for hiring him. I like him already.

Next up on the wedding to-do list: order flowers, finish our registries, and go to our tasting!

Sunny Day Diner in Lincoln, N.H.

The morning after our meal at Gypsy Café – a.k.a., the morning of the day we got engaged – we had a lovely breakfast at Sunny Day Diner in Lincoln. We decided to eat at Sunny Day Diner based off their 4-5 star reviews online.

I started my meal with a piping hot cup of coffee (Sunny Day Diner also offers iced coffee).

Since I knew we were going for a hike that day, I wanted to make sure my breakfast was filling and full of protein. I eventually opted for their veggie omelet, which was served with crispy hash browns and homemade toast (I went with the cinnamon raisin). 

The omelet was jam packed with veggies (I wouldn’t call them “fresh,” but it was still tasty), and the homemade bread was thick and full of sweet cinnamon flavor, albeit a bit too crispy for my liking.

Sunny Day Diner does not have an online menu, and I didn’t make note of their prices – but it’s a diner, so...it's affordable. Trust me!

When you're on vacation, how do you decide where to go out to eat? Online reviews, hotel staff suggestions, etc.? 

Gypsy Cafe in Lincoln, N.H.

The night before we got engaged, Z and I kicked off our mini vacation with dinner at Gypsy Café in Lincoln, N.H. 

Gypsy Café offers “food from around the world,” and is located right on Main Street in Lincoln, not far from Loon Mountain. It was a warm night, so we opted to sit outside. The friendly and honest hostess warned us that their kitchen was currently backed up, but they’d be happy to seat us and get us a drink while we wait to order our food. We happily obliged, and eagerly reviewed the creative cocktail list.

I went with an Elderberry martini (Gypsy Café doesn’t have a menu online, and I didn’t take notes…so sorry for the lack of info./prices), and Z went with the Key Lime Pie martini, which was unfortunately sans the graham cracker rim.

Despite the lack of graham cracker, our martinis were fantastic. Mine was refreshing and perfectly strong, while Z’s tasted exactly like a key lime pie, without being sickly sweet.

By the time our martinis were finished and we ordered our food, we decided to move to a table inside. The bugs outside were getting insanely annoying, and our waitress was happy to accommodate us.

We split an appetizer, but I honestly couldn’t tell you what it was (I swear my brain stopped working after I got engaged). So, we’ll go right to my entrée: Malai Kofta ($14.99).

Despite Gypsy Café not being a full-blown Indian restaurant, I was really impressed with this dish. It was wonderfully spiced and addictively fragrant – and the enveloping sauce was silky and perfectly flavored.

I washed my dinner down with a Wasabi-Cucumber martini, which was a special on this particular evening.

The martini had the obvious flavor of wasabi with a slight kick, but nothing earth-shattering, which was nice – I love my spice, but drinking it is not my favorite thing. Gypsy Café really nailed this flavor combination.

Overall, we had a great meal at Gypsy Café despite a few minor hiccups (Z’s entrée came to the table with shrimp on it, but the kitchen quickly made him a new dish). Next time we're in Lincoln, I’d love to go back and try another dish on their menu, as well as another cocktail (or two).

deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum

This past weekend, two of my friends from college came up to Somerville and spent the weekend with Z and I. We hadn't seen each other in months (and these two friends recently got engaged), so I was really looking forward to spending time with them.

On Saturday, the weather was beautiful, albeit a bit windy. Over breakfast, we contemplated how we could spend the day outdoors; then Z suggested going to deCordova in Lincoln. I had only been once before, with Z and his family, and loved it; and I knew my friends would, too. Once breakfast was cleaned up, we hopped in the car and made the scenic, surprisingly short drive out to Lincoln.

If you've never been to deCordova, I highly suggest checking it out. It's an unique, fun way to enjoy some art while being outdoors.

Admission to the park is normally $14 for adults, $12 for seniors (65+), and $10 for students. Children 12 and under get in for free. Through May 25th, however, these prices are half off due to the indoor portion of the museum being closed for installation until then. 

After enjoying our time at deCordova, we stopped in Lexington for a late lunch at Nourish. I ordered a Sam Summer and the Falafel Wrap ($11.50). It was a little pricey, but worth the extra few bucks considering Nourish's devotion to responsibly sourced food. 

In summary, we had a great time enjoying the sunshine on Saturday. It was a pretty fabulous weekend overall!