Spa Time!

I'm happy to say that my husband and I are headed to a spa for the next two days. It's a little babymoon getaway -- a chance to pause, relax, get a bit pampered and spend some time together. I'm definitely more of a spa person than he is, but hopefully we can both unwind and have a great time. I can't wait!

Photo from here.  

Girl Time

We are back from our girls getaway, and what a fantastic time we had! It was so nice to truly spend time together, in a way friends don't often have a chance to when life is busy. In our little hotel room we crammed together, gabbing and snacking and listening to music like we were teenagers again. We survived a somewhat treacherous kayak trip, and followed the ordeal with an afternoon of wine tasting. We literally danced the night away at a dive bar and spent the next day strolling the charming town and browsing its shops and lakefront. We goofed around, told stories, shared challenges and encouraged one another. In other words, we had perfect girl time.

Photos by me. 

Hittin' the Road

I can barely contain my excitement! In a few hours I'm going on a weekend trip with three of my girlfriends. To celebrate my friend's upcoming wedding, we're road-tripping to a lake town where we're planning to go wine-tasting, kayaking, shopping and out dancing. These girls and I became friends in the seventh grade, so there's lots of history and laughs to fall back on -- and I'm looking forward to creating more fun memories.

Here's wishing everyone a fantastic weekend!

Photo from here. 

Little Apple

This weekend, my husband and I visited my cousin and his wife in Appleton, Wisconsin. We had a great time! The city is small but has an impressive amount of restaurants, museums and natural beauty. We had lunch and played Scrabble at a cute cafe while a guitarist performed, then explored an art museum whose walls were taken over by thousands of tiles decorated with the theme of compassion. We napped and slept in at a great hotel and went on a dinner hop, visiting different restaurants for appetizers, pizza and drinks. And before heading home, we spent time in a lovely park by a lake, soaking up the sun. Here are a few glimpses:

Photos by me.

Ski Style

This weekend my husband and I are going away for a little ski getaway. I can't wait to hit the slopes! I love skiing but I'm also looking forward to taking walks through the snow and throwing on cozy sweaters and sipping drinks by a roaring fireplace. Here's what I'd like to pack for these pursuits:

* Gloves with a graphic print

* A beanie that looks a little bit rough

* Faux-fur mittens

* A knit hat with a cute pom-pom

* A button-down with soft lining

* A luxe wrap sweater

* Boots with attitude

* Rugged leather shoes

* A stylish duffel to throw everything in

* A soft blanket for cuddling

Happy weekend to all!

Happy Weekend

Whew! The week has flown by and I'm so glad the weekend is here. We're off for a big family get-together up north. I'm looking forward to catching up with loved ones, eating lots of food and laughing constantly. The plan is to go to the beach tomorrow if it's nice out or go for a long hike if it isn't. And if things go as normal, dinner will stretch out into cocktails and later we'll walk into town for some dancing. But no matter what we do, I'm grateful for the promise of an effortless, carefree, fun few days ahead.

Happy weekend to all!

Photo from here.

Time to Hibernate

I'm looking forward to a little getaway with my honey this weekend. A cozy resort, lots of relaxing and maybe some snowshoeing. 

Happy weekend! 

Photo from here.

Ahhhh ...

I am relaxed, calm, serene even. I feel refreshed. I feel wonderful. This is probably because my husband and I got to spend the weekend at a spa. Whirlpools, saunas, massages, facials and lots of lounging ... two days perfectly spent, in my opinion.

Here's hoping these glorious feelings last.

Photo from here.

What a Weekend

This has been such a wonderful weekend. My husband and I took a little overnight getaway to a resort town. We played a round of golf, took a lake cruise and ate way too much. It was great!

He and I had never played golf together but it was really fun. He's very good and was very positive and patient about me being not so good. And it was interesting to experience the culture of a golf course -- all the traditions and codes of conduct.

Golf courses really are beautiful. I loved all the rolling hills and trees and variations of grasses. How whimsical it all seemed at times reminded me of books I read and places my imagination wandered when I was a child.

But even after a lovely two days away, we both said we were looking forward to coming home. I think that's the best of both worlds -- to love getting away but also love going home.

Photos by me.

Dreaming in Blue and Green

Two summers ago my husband and I were able to take a little getaway to Lake Placid. It was such a beautiful, peaceful, charming place and we had a wonderful time relaxing and exploring. And the ferry ride over from Vermont was beautiful as well.

My mind keeps wandering there today, to the blues of the ocean, lake and sky and the greens of the grass and trees.

Come, take a little breather with me.



Photos by me.

Getaway, Indeed

I have a serious case of wanderlust. I am positively itching to go somewhere, anywhere!

This happens to me throughout the year. Fortunately, I have a family that's passionate about traveling. Unfortunately, everyone has been so busy and the economy has been so cruddy that we don't have any getaways planned.

Therefore, I'm loving (and torturing myself with) this absolutely stunning St. Barts vacation home featured on LivingEtc.

Would you look at this view? Gorgeous!

I love the mix of dark wood and the lighter natural materials in the shades and baskets.

What a simple yet utterly romantic bedroom.

If I were here, I truly don't think I could leave ... well, except for another trip maybe!

Photos from here.