Monday, September 3, 2018

Labor of Love


This Labor Day post is all about work. As much as I'd love for blogging to be a full-time gig, it unfortunately is not the reality we live in. Instead I work a full-time job and a part-time weekend gig and try to work this in in my free time. It's a passion I refuse to give up on but life does sometimes get in the way. 

Thank you all for your support in my labor of love. 

(Top: Gap, Skirt: Mango, Shoes: Forever 21, Bag: Zara)





Sunday, August 19, 2018

Urban Greenery


I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. 

When you find a pretty tree standing alone in the middle of the city during a Sunday stroll, you stop and admire it... and then take a couple photos with it. 

(Top: H&M, Pants: Zara, Bag: Vintage, Shoes: ATP Atelier)






Thursday, July 19, 2018

Summer Daze


Really loving this vintage green chair in my living room. Got it from a market outside Chicago a while back and it's the perfect addition to my cozy space. 

Plus, it looks nice as a backdrop to my new yellow jumper. Talk about the ultimate summer vibes. 

(Jumper: Depway)






Thursday, July 5, 2018

Lion Queen


I'm workin on my ROAR. (Lion King/Queen anyone?)

That weekend roar, that is. Who's ready for a little summer fun? I know I am! Nothing like a little animal print to get you in the feisty weekend spirit.

(Top, skirt: Zara, Shoes: ATP Atelier)




Sunday, June 17, 2018

Weekend in NOLA


You had me at beignets, NOLA. Talk about an incredible city! Great music, great food and great booze. I fell in love with the history, the beautiful homes, the colorful lifestyle and the incredibly nice people! I mean, when you wake up every day and have a beignet and coffee for breakfast what can possibly go wrong?! Here's a little recap of our trip. 

Our first day was spent largely traveling to the city and then spending time with some dear friends - though we of course had to end the night with some delicious gelato from Angelo Brocato. On Day 2 we slept in a little and went for breakfast at an adorable cafe called Bear Cat, which may have had the most delicious chia pudding I've ever had, plus a cold brew unlike any other. Then, we went to a baby shower for one of our most favorite couples (who are going to be the best parents) and spent the afternoon indulging in good beer with good people. We later walked to a small coffee shop in the Garden District called Cafe Luna before bouncing around to a few vintage shops in the area. 





For dinner, we stopped at Superior Seafood, where we had crawfish risotto, blackended grouper and some phenomenal oysters -- a home run meal if you ask me. 


The night was spent beer hopping, visiting a hidden but adorable gem called Courtyard Brewery. After a drink there, we popped over to NOLA Brewing to cap our evening off with some old timey movies and delicious beers -- did I mention you can drink them while you walk down the street?!



Our final day was one for exploration. We went to the French Quarter, starting off with the obvious beignets and coffee at Cafe Du Monde. We walked all over the area, stopping at small coffee shops and little vintage boutiques. We had lunch at the new Pythian Market - I had some delicious crawfish poutine and Dave had jerk chicken with jasmine rice and plantains. 













We went back to the Garden District, where we were staying, and stopped inside a voo-doo shop called Dark Lady. We had a lovely tarot card reading (individual and couple) and walked over to Creole Creamery for some incredible ice cream, sipping on some delicious Jucifer beer from Gnarly Brewing as we walked. 

Then we capped off our trip with a walk back to our apartment and headed for the airport! 

Sunday, June 3, 2018

Summer Greens


I'm back ramblers! I know it's been a while but work and home life got pretty crazy and something had to take a back seat for a bit. But with the change in seasons comes the change in my priorities! 
So, here we are. 

There's nothing quite like kicking off summer weather with the perfect easy, breezy dress. I'm obsessed with this print from Mango and couldn't be more in love with the material and flow. Plus it goes so well with my new Bershka shoes! And of course, I'm still trying to find and outfit that my Cult Gaia bag can't work with. 

(Dress: Mango, Shoes: Bershka, Bag: Cult Gaia)  





Wednesday, March 21, 2018

My 7-Day Trip Around Iceland



Well, the trip I've been waiting for for the last six months has come and gone and let's just say I'm not happy that it's over. It was a lot of planning but boy was it worth it! If you've been following me on Instagram, you've probably seen a photo or two. 

Since I've been back, I've had a lot of people asking me to share what I liked and what we did so they could prepare for an Icelandic trip of their own. So, this was our journey -- pros, cons and all.

First things first: There are some things you should know before planning a trip to Iceland. 

1. It's expensive
2. I definitely recommend renting a car and building your own trip
3. Everyone speaks English


       

  


Day 1: Reykjavik, Blue Lagoon

Our flight landed in Reykjavik around 6:30 a.m. Iceland time and we couldn't check into our Air BnB until 2 p.m. so we had plenty of time to kill around the city while we waited. We picked up our rental car (a trusty Volvo wagon that was a dream for our adventure) and drove 45 minutes to the city. 

Reykjavik is filled with adorable cafes, delicious coffee shops and cute little stores to explore. It's not very big so I recommend just parking in a lot and trekking around on foot. One of my favorite stops was Stofan, a quaint and beautifully decorated little coffee shop and cafe. 

From there, we simply walked around and enjoyed the city, visiting the gorgeous Harpa concert hall, stopping in various shops and getting a taste of the local culture -- literally, at Iceland Fish & Chips. (Note: all fish in Iceland is incredible)


Then, it was time to check in to the Air BnB, an adorable little apartment in the heart of downtown. We showered (some of us napped) and got ready for a trip to Lebowski Bar, a Big Lebowski-themed bar with live music, White Russians and burgers for the most part -- not the best menu for this vegetarian but the drinks and atmosphere were worth it. 

From the bar we then drove 45 minutes over to the Blue Lagoon - we would have liked to have gone earlier but the earliest reservation we could make the week before our trip was for 8 p.m. (Reserve early if you're planning a trip here because the times book up quick!) We got a silica mud mask and a drink with our admission and spent the night drinking wine in the wonderfully warm water. It was definitely the perfect relaxing end to a long day. 


Day 2: Golden Circle, Seljavallalaug, Horseback Riding

This day was our biggest and most jam-packed day of the trip. We began at sunrise by heading to Thingvellir, a gorgeous national park where you can walk between tectonic plates and learn a ton about Iceland's history. We didn't have a ton of time to stay here so we moved on to the Golden Circle's geysir, a brutally cold but worthwhile excursion. The geysir went off several times during our short visit. From there, we went over to Gullfoss, a stunning waterfall with heartstopping views. We ate lunch at the little cafe at the waterfall and then headed down to one of the most gorgeous sites of the whole trip- Skogafoss. Yes, it was another waterfall and maybe it was the beautiful weather and rainbow that made it so lovely, but it was definitely one of the must-see stops in our day.  

 


After the waterfalls, we headed just a short drive over to Skogar and hiked into the mountains for one of my personal favorites- Seljavallalaug. A small geothermal pool nestled in the mountains. While, this was definitely not the cleanliest pool we'd been to, and the water not quite as hot as we'd hoped, the views were unmatched and the experience most definitely worth it. 

 

We finished up at the pool and headed 15 minutes south for a horseback riding glacier tour. Here, we rode Icelandic horses up a mountain and glacier for a three-hour trip. As much as I'd like to say this was a highlight of our trip, it was surprisingly dangerous and a little too rough on the bums for such an intense travel day. 


We ended the night in at the Volcano Hotel in Vik - a quaint and gorgeous hotel with stunning views. It was here that we managed to catch our first and only glimpse of the northern lights, which we unapologetically spent all night watching. 


Day 3: Black Sand Beaches, Glacier Lagoon, Ice Cave Tour

This was another big day on our trip, mostly because it began with one of my favorite moments - you know, the one where Dave proposed. But also because it began in one of my favorite spots on the trip so far: The black sand beaches. We had breakfast at our hotel and drove 20 minutes down to the beaches for a gorgeous, sunny morning view. 

 


After enjoying the sites at the beaches (and me soaking up the moment), we drove 2.5 hours up the coast for an ice cave tour. The tour began at glacier lagoon, but unfortunately the cave we had planned on going to was flooded and we were forced to change plans and head to a new location. 

 


The new cave was still quite pretty, but some of the excitement was dampened by the melting ice. It was still cool to be walking around on crampons in these beautiful natural wonders. We then followed up by visiting another black sand beach covered in icicles. 



We ended the evening at the most adorable little cottage at Guesthouse Skalafell. The hospitality here was amazing and the food was definitely a highlight of our evening.


Day 4: Myvatn, Nature Baths

What an amazing day this was. After plenty of adventures and sightseeing, this was a day to simply drive and stop where we pleased with no deadlines to make. We paused several times on the 6-hour trip to pet some of the beautiful horses and look at some gorgeous scenery along the way. 

 



We ended the drive at the Myvatn Nature Baths, hands down one of the biggest highlights of this trip for me. If I had to choose between the nature baths and the Blue Lagoon, I'd pick these any day. (Note: in many of the geothermal pools here you have to get passed the smell of sulfur and also shower naked before putting your suit on)

  

We ended our evening with dinner at a bistro near the nature baths and on to our incredible hotel the Dimmuborgir Guesthouse. 


If I could pick a place to spend more time it would be Myvatn. 


Day 5: Godafoss, Akureyri, Hvammstangi

This was another day of driving and stopping. We left our beloved cottage in Dimmuborgir for the Godafoss waterfall, stopping briefly to check out an ancient cave that was featured in Game of Thrones. This was a stunning sight to see and definitely a must-visit if you're planning a trip. At one point during my explorations I fell down a small hill and ended up at the bottom of the waterfall where the views were even more jaw-dropping. 

 


We moved on to Akureyri, the second-biggest city in Iceland next to Reykjavik, though it's still quite small. We stopped here for lunch at Bryggjan, where the decor is just as amazing as its food. This was definitely a place we decided to splurge at. 

 

While we would have loved to explore the city a bit more, we decided to drive on to our cottage in Hvammstangi, about 2.5 hours away. 


These quaint and cozy little cottages offered a great view of the sunset. 

 

Day 6: Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Back to Reykjavik

On our final day of driving, we decided to take the long way home, driving through the Snaefellsnes Peninsula as we headed back to Reykjavik for one last night. The weather on this day was rainy, windy and even snowy at times, which made for some difficult driving conditions but thankfully we powered through it (and by we I mean Dave). 

We drove down to see Kirkjufell, which could be seen from a gorgeous waterfall. 


We then moved on to have lunch in Hellnar. There was an adorable cafe that offered coffee and soups and light meals here. Then, we moved on to Gatklettur in Arnarstapi, a stunning arch rock that is a great place to stop for photos. 

 

We returned to Reykjavik for the night, staying at this adorable Air BnB with a wonderful woman who gave us the most delicious lobster tails to try. We then we out for small bites and drinks nearby and ended our night northern lights hunting, though we were unsuccessful. 


Day 7: Reykjavik, Back to the Airport

We got up early for our final morning in Iceland and visited a geothermal pool in Reykjavik, walked around to a few more shops and headed back to the airport to finish our journey home.