Dublin Recap

At the beginning of June I hopped on a plane and met my husband in Dublin, Ireland while he was on a work trip. This country has been near the top of my list of places to visit so I was super excited for the opportunity to go.  The weather was pretty fair, which allowed us to explore the city by foot without worrying about lugging around rain gear.

Here's a little recap of my trip:
Day 1 - After my flight from Houston to Dublin was delayed, I finally landed in Dublin via Heathrow on Tuesday afternoon. I immediately went to the hotel (the Intercontinental Hotel in the embassy district), unpacked and freshened up. My husband Cory got off work shortly after and we walked down the street for dinner at the Waterloo.

Day 2 - We had breakfast at the hotel and then I relaxed in the morning. Cory got off work around lunchtime and we grabbed tickets for the hop-on-hop-off tour bus (City Sightseeing). I had such a good experience doing this in Milan earlier this year and figured it would be just as entertaining to do it again in Dublin. It is such a great way to take in the city when time there is short. We stopped at the Guinness Storehouse for a tour and pints in the 360 degree viewing room at the top, with stunning views of Dublin! We boarded the bus again for a few more sights before stopping at another pub (Nancy Hands) for small pints and walked back across the city to our hotel.

Day 3: I bought tour pass to the Wicklow Mountains through Viator, figuring it would be a great way to kill some time while Cory was at work. I boarded the bus that morning at one of its pick-up locations a few blocks from my hotel. Our tour guide was a hilarious Irishman, full of stories ranging from pop-culture (i.e. U2, Enya, movie stars) to historical (kings and queens, castles, etc.) I fully enjoyed and appreciated the sense of humor he injected into these tales and he kept the whole bus entertained all day long! We made our way south from Dublin along the coast and headed for Wicklow Mountains, about an hour or so away.

We stopped at the "P.S. I Love You" bridge, a filming location for the movie, and got to wander around some other gorgeous places such as a 6th century monastery, a lake surrounded by mountains, and a quaint village where we enjoyed lunch. Overall, I couldn't recommend this tour enough! While I had originally hoped to take a tour to the Cliffs of Moher on the western side of the island, the tour was completely booked and I opted for Wicklow, not knowing much about it. I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty and history of the area. I was pretty wiped out by the time I got back to the hotel that evening, but it was definitely worth the $30!

Day 4: We woke up early and made our way to the airport to head back to the States for the next part of our summer vacation adventure.  Stay tuned for details about our cross-country road trip to St. Helena, California!

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A Weekend in Texas Wine Country

This past weekend my husband Cory and I flew down to Texas to celebrate his 30th birthday with a group of friends in Fredericksburg, Texas. If you aren't from Texas you may not realize that Texas has its own little wine country about an hour west of Austin! This area is also known as the "hill country" because while much of Texas is quite flat, the terrain in this part is hilly and just beautiful! And while all the recent rains are catastrophic for people, the land has benefitted and is currently lush and green.

On Friday,  Cory and I got picked up at DFW Airport by two of our friends and we carpooled down to wine country, stopping along the way for a wine tasting and some lunch at The Vineyard At Florence.

Once we arrived in Fredericksburg, we stopped in at Becker Vineyards--Cory and I's favorite winery--for a quick tasting before they closed for the day. We then set our things down at the house and grabbed dinner at Fredericksburg Brewing Company. We always have to stop here when we visit! The rest of the evening we caught up with friends and enjoyed a low-key wine night.

Saturday we were up with a quick breakfast before getting picked up by our private shuttle! If you are planning to do a day of wine tasting, I highly recommend doing either the public or private shuttle (don't drink & drive!) After a day of wineries, our shuttle dropped us off at the house and we played games, grilled fajitas, and enjoyed more wine. The plan was originally to go to our favorite dinner spot and go out dancing, but the sun was just starting to peek out and we were having too good of a time at home!

Sunday morning we all rose early, had some coffee and hit the road. It was the best weekend, even with the overcast and rainy weather! You can't go wrong when you've got friends and wine.

What I Packed

lightweight gray sweater // cold-shoulder top (similar here) // lace-up top // open-knit cardigan (similar here) // denim cut-offs (similar here) // cropped side-zip jeans (similar here) // boater hat (similar here) // white sneakers // sandals (similar here) // earrings (similar here and here)

I kept my palette and items simple but allowed myself a few options due to uncertainty about the weather. It turned out to be cool and drizzly so I was glad I opted for a old pair of sandals rather than packing one of my new never-worn pairs. Normally, the weather in Texas is hot and sunny, so in that case I would not have brought my jeans or sweaters!

Where We Stayed

We stayed in a house right off of the highway that leads into town, which I found through HomeAway. It was super cute and I wish I'd taken my own pictures of the place, but here are some from the home's rental website. Joanna Gaines would love it, I think! If you're planning a trip for two, I can also recommend Austin Street Retreat.

Wineries

William Chris*, Lewis, 4.0, Grapecreek, Becker*, Six Shooter, Messina Hof

Transportation

The 290 Wine Shuttle provides public hop on/hop off transportation for only $25/day! Private tours cost $395 for up to 14 people. To me, this is a great deal and way better than drawing straws to figure out who will be the DD. 

Eat
There's plenty of delicious places to eat in Fredericksburg. However, these are some of my favorites!

• Hondo's - If you're feeling adventurous, try the jalepeno margarita. The quesadillas are my go-to but everything here is great.
• Fredericksburg Brewing - I love this spot for lunch or dinner. A few pretty good beers on tap and a pretty wide selection of food choices -- from salads to German cuisine to wraps and burgers.
• Clear River Pecan Co. - Cookies & ice cream. Enough said.
• Werner Warehouse Cafe - This is a charming little place tucked away from Main Street. I am a sucker for their cinnamon rolls!

To Do
If you need to take a break from wine tasting, there's lots of cute shops up and down Main Street to keep you busy. In the evening, put on your dancing shoes and check out Crossroads. The infamous Luckenbach, TX is only 15 minutes away and a fun place to visit for music and drinks.

Shop the Post:

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Milan Recap

I recently took a trip to Milan, which was actually my first trip to Italy! Since it is not the typical tourist season right now, airfare was relatively inexpensive. My husband was already there for a work trip so I flew a few days later to meet him there. I had never flown overseas alone before, but luckily got the row to myself going both ways. Despite the extra space, I was not able to fall asleep so I need to figure out some good strategies for doing that the next time around (the jet lag was killer the first day I was there.) Here's a little recap of my trip:

Day 1 - Like I said: killer jet lag. I took a bubble bath in the amazing tub at our hotel, napped, and then went downstairs in the hotel lounge/bar area for dinner and a drink.

Day 2 - I grabbed a cappuccino and breakfast at a cafe down the street (I did my best to speak only Italian and enjoyed my meal up at the bar like the locals do!). Then I bought a bus pass and toured the city for a few hours while my husband was in meetings. For less than $30, I could hop on and off at any stop and there were multiple routes so I could see all the main sites! I ended up hopping off at the Duomo to scope out the area and grab lunch at Luini before jumping back on a different bus route. I typically try to avoid super "touristy" things like this when I travel and prefer to explore the city like a local. But I was pleasantly surprised at how fun the bus tour was and the fact that I got to see so much more of the city than I would have just walking around on my own. I enjoyed listening to the audio explanations of each sight as we went along to get some background and history about the city. I joined my husband and his coworkers for dinner and dancing that evening--it was a late night but so much fun! I had some wonderful risotto and tiramisu... I'm still dreaming about it!

Day 3 - I slept in a bit and worked out in the hotel gym. Once my husband finished up the last of his meetings, we napped and relaxed before heading to dinner at an amazing pizza place called Camilo Benso. Superb! We walked off our meal and headed to the Duomo to see it lit up at night.

Day 4 - Hubs and I explored the Brera district for breakfast. It rained pretty much all day, but we made the most of it. We walked all around the city, grabbing cappuccinos and pastries along the way. Hey, while in Rome Milan, right?? In the afternoon, we headed to Sforza Castle and walked through the museums. We would have liked to see the Da Vinci Last Supper exhibit but since I wasn't sure what our schedule would be like, I didn't buy tickets in advance (we attempted to get in but were turned away!)

The next day we flew back to the U.S. It was a whirlwind trip but I think we made the most of it! I was so glad I spent a few weeks leading up to it listening to my Coffee Break Italian podcast episodes--it really helped! I used my new language skills quite a bit while ordering coffee and food as well as just generally understanding the Italian culture.

Overall, my trip was a blast and I cannot wait to return to Italy.

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Travel Playlist

I'm a sucker for a good playlist, especially when a long plane ride is on the agenda. I like mellow tunes that also put me in the right frame of mind for traveling to my final destination, whatever that may be. Recent playlists I've made include a beach/tropical theme (for my trip to Punta Cana in 2014) and a California themed playlist (for my 5 year anniversary trip to Napa last year).

Here's my playlist for last week's trip to Milan. Many of these could easily apply to other trips but I did sprinkle in a few Italian-themed tunes for fun. Enjoy!

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Carryon Packing List for Italy

Last week, I took a spur of the moment trip to Milan, Italy to meet my husband on one of his business trips. I took my first trip to Europe last year so though I'm by no means an overseas travel pro, I definitely implemented lessons learned from packing for that trip into planning for this trip.

I spent a full week in Italy and was able to pack everything I needed in a carryon suitcase and a big purse. And this is for WINTER, so I imagine if you plan to travel to Europe in the summer, you should have even more extra space (read: no bulky layers to pack) so that you can shop and bring things back with you! Here's a peek into my carryon purse that I kept with me at my seat for easy access to all my necessities. My goal for this trip was to pack only what I NEEDED and not a bunch of random things that would take up space and never get used.

The List:
Noise-canceling headphones
Passport
Moleskine & pen
Kind Bars
Warm fuzzy socks
iPad
Lip balm
Cord organizers
Tissues
Camera
Scarf & hat

Luggage-wise, one of the best pieces of advice for packing in a carryon is to pack clothing in the same or complementary color family so it is easy to mix and match a few basics. This also makes it easier to pack only 1 or 2 pairs of shoes because you won't have to worry about needing shoes to match that one super cute floral blouse, for example.


Travel Day

Shopping Day

Date Night

Nine West boots (similar here) // Zella leggings // J. Crew pants (similar here, on sale) // Thread & Supply peacoat (on SALE!)

As you can see, black riding boots, black tights/pants, and my black peacoat were STAPLES on this trip. I switched out my tops/accessories but for the most part this was my uniform. I was not only comfortable and worry-free, but I found that I actually fit in with the locals pretty well. The Zella leggings were my favorite and I wore them nearly every day--highly recommend these!

Stay tuned for pictures from my trip and some recommendations of places to go in Milan!

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travel // st. helena

Last month, the hubs and I went to St. Helena in the Napa Valley for our annual anniversary vacation. To date, it was probably our most favorite trip yet! Rather than sticking to the popular, "corporate" wineries along Highway 29--which runs North-South through the valley--we chose some more off the beaten path wineries to try instead. This made for such a memorable, fun experience! We learned so much about wine-making just by talking to the people that worked in the tasting rooms. And because many of these weren't overrun by tourists, we got a little bit of special treatment including a private tour of one and a barrel tasting at the other (usually these types of things are added costs to a normal tasting.) If you're planning a trip to wine country anytime soon, here are my recommendations for lodging, food, and (of course) wineries.

STAY

The Harvest Inn is a wonderful place right off of Highway 29 tucked behind towering trees and a gorgeous vineyard with sunset mountain views. Our room was spacious and always clean, which I appreciated. We had our own back patio with a hot tub and lounge chair, perfect for an evening glass of vino and stargazing. We lucked out and happened to be there during the Perseid meteor shower and witnessed a breathtaking show! Every morning started off with a few laps around the vineyard and a delicious breakfast at the hotel restaurant Harvest Table. The inn has two pools perfect for an afternoon siesta in between wine tastings. The staff were impeccably professional and friendly. I can't recommend Harvest Inn enough if you plan to visit St. Helena!

EAT

The hubs and I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Farmstead on our actual 5 year anniversary. I knew it was a highly rated restaurant in the area and made it a mission to go. Because of its popularity you should definitely make reservations on Open Table ahead of time. Hubs and I split the caramelized beets and fried green tomatoes for appetizers and ordered the gnocchi and ribs for entrees. All the food was decadent and spectacular. Farmstead only charges a $5 corkage fee when you bring in a local bottle of wine, which is very reasonable! (We brought a bottle we had purchased from Plumpjack earlier.)

Other notable eats: Oakville Grocery (pictured above), La Luna, Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen

DRINK

Silver Oak, Oakville // Beautiful grounds, not crowded, great cabs.

Clockwise: Plumpjack, Saddleback, Frog's Leap

Plumpjack, Oakville // Off the beaten path, robust tasting menu, very intimate and personal. Call ahead.

Saddleback, Oakville // Off the beaten path, beautiful grounds, robust tasting menu, can do tastings outdoors. Call ahead.

Frog's Leap, Rutherford // Gorgeous grounds, much more crowded, so-so tasting, not as personal. Call ahead.

Groth, Oakville // Very intimate tasting, museum-like atmosphere, friendly staff. Call ahead.

Casa Nuestra, St. Helena // Our favorite winery. Very intimate and personal tasting experience, great wines, off the beaten path, friendly staff. Call ahead.

Next time, we will try...
Chateau Montelena, Calistoga
Lava Vine, Calistoga
Chappellet, St. Helena

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chicago trip recap

Over the first weekend in December, the hubs and I took a little trip up to Chicago to visit a friend. Neither of us had ever been, so we were very excited to explore the city!  We were blown away at how beautiful it was, even despite the overcast/foggy weather that prevented us from getting a good view of the lake. We got to see much of downtown as well as Near Northside, Old Town, and Lincoln Park.

Friday, the hubs and I took the train from O'Hare to downtown, left our stuff at our friend's apartment, and started walking around while he was finishing up at work. We first tried to visit the J. Parker rooftop bar at the Hotel Lincoln, but it was under construction. On clear days, we heard, the view of the lake is stunning. We'll definitely have to come back another time to see it for ourselves! We ended up at Marge's Still, Chicago's oldest pub. It was a wonderful, off the beaten path little place to take cover from the cold.

Our friend joined us for dinner at Lou Malnati's for our first taste of Chicago famous deep dish pizza. It seems on the internet and amongst our friends, everyone is split between Lou's and Giordano's. We chose Lou's and were completely impressed with the meal--it was delicious!

Following dinner, we bar hopped along Hubbard Street downtown. Notable stops: Pops for Champagne, Hubbard Inn, and Luxbar.

A late night warranted some much-needed sleeping in. We roused slowly and made our way over to The Publican, just west of downtown, for their highly recommended brunch. If you ever visit Chicago, you should definitely make this part of your agenda. The atmosphere was lively and cheerful, filled with natural light and warm wood paneling. Our booth had doors on the open side that you could close to create a semi-private dining space.

We walked off our (amazing) meal downtown, making a quick stop at the Christmas market (way too crowded) and continued on to Millennial Park. On the way to see "The Bean" I was drawn to an adorable little cupcake/macaron shop called Sugar Bliss nestled discreetly next to Macy's.

We walked up Magnificent Mile, stopping at only a few stores before making our way home to rest. After a little nap, we braved the cold for some BYOB dinner at Cafe Sushi in Old Town, followed by drinks at Old Town Pour House and the most delicious cupcakes ever at Molly's Cupcakes in Lincoln Park (note: try the Cake Batter flavor, it's to die for). I loved that they were open late to satisfy my sweet tooth craving, since most bakeries closed much earlier in the evening.

Sunday, we headed back to Old Town for macarons, coffee, and croissants at La Fournette and brunch (and Sunday football watching) at Benchmark.

We returned home to rest and pack before heading back to the airport. The hubs and I had the most wonderful time visiting our friend and exploring Chicago. We can't wait to visit again! xo.

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salt in the air, sand in my hair

via

I'm off to spend a week in the Caribbean with the hubs, celebrating 4 wonderful years of marriage! Here's to many, many more. xo.

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vacation packing list // beach beauty essentials

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 - "Need a Vacation" & "Sandy Beach" / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

So you've seen part 1 of my packing list--all the clothes and accessories I'd plan to pack for my upcoming beach vacay. Next up are my vacation beauty essentials! 

Since I'll no doubt be out soaking up the glorious sunshine every day, products containing SPF are a must. I plan on very minimal makeup--tinted lip balm and waterproof mascara are my go-to summer beauty items that are easy to pack in my purse or beach bag. I also cannot live without my Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray. It makes my hair look amazingly beachy, smells devine, and comes in an inexpensive travel size that is perfect to throw in a carryon. A fragrance atomizer for my perfume and some travel size bottles for sunscreen, contact solution and other liquids ensure my beauty products will pass TSA scans with flying colors!

What are your travel beauty essentials? xo.

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vacation packing list // beach style

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15

The calendar may say that summer doesn't officially begin for another week, but here in Texas is has definitely arrived. The constant sunshine has me dreaming of my upcoming vacation in August for the hubs and I's 4th wedding anniversary. 

Since last year was devoted to prepping for our move to the new house, we opted for a low-key weekend getaway to Fredericksburg for wine tasting rather than a week-long out of state trip like we've done each year prior for our anniversary. However, now that we are all settled in the new casa, I'm in major vacation mode and have one place in mind: the BEACH. 

I'm pretty pumped about the prospect of relaxing oceanside for a whole week. Packing for this trip will be a breeze! All my beach essentials will fit nicely in my carryon sized suitcase: a swim suit, floppy hat, sandals, 1 or 2 lightweight dresses, tank tops and shorts. Stay tuned for my beach beauty essentials list! xo.

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