Joshua Tree, Ca

Earlier this month my husband and I took a quick trip to the left coast for some sun, sun, sun. And to see these wonderful and weird trees that only grow in this one small part of the world; Joshua Tree. We booked a small homestead cabin close to the National Park through Airbnb and planned to stay a few nights. And you know, sometimes things just don’t go the way you plan it and so you have to come up with a plan B, and sometimes plan B is just totally awesome and you don’t even care that plan A failed. And you also think to yourself, “I’m glad I married a guy who can come up with a plan B like it ain’t no thang”…

We’re Back!

We are home from our mini vacation and super wiped out. We packed a lot into 4 days and on top of it all I came down with a cold (huge bummer) which I’m still getting over. It was so nice to get out of the city for a bit and see a part of the country that neither of us had ever been to. I took a ton of photos which I’m really excited to share, so stay tuned! For now, I’m feeling inspired to bring a piece of the desert into our cloudy and gray Pittsburgh home, and cacti are by far the easiest plant for me to keep up with. I think these photos offer great ways to incorporate cacti either indoors or out. And I especially love the way small cacti and succulents can be used for a centerpiece!

 

Sources//1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

 

 

Wearing This//Going Here: Joshua Tree, CA

Tyson and I are going to the desert on Thursday! I’m beyond ready for a bit of a vacation, even if its a short one. We decided to go to Joshua Tree, CA to celebrate our one year anniversary and spend some time together way out in nature. I’ve never been to the desert and quite frankly after the winter we had here in Pittsburgh I’m ready for some serious sun and heat. We found a great place through Airbnb thats only a few minutes from Joshua Tree National Park. Did you know that Joshua trees don’t grow anywhere else in the world? And U2 also has an album called Joshua Tree. And thats about all I got for Joshua Tree facts.

So this round of Wearing This & Going Here I’m featuring things I’ll actually be packing. Comfortable sandals are a must for walking around the “downtown” area of Joshua Tree and of course exploring the park, so even though Tyson hates my Birkenstocks there’s no way I’d leave them behind. And a couple of shirt dresses and nice shorts should do the trick. Jcrew has a really great sale going on for their chino shorts collection, so jump on it! We’re probably going to be doing a lot of hiking and so a good water bottle is key. And that’s it folks! Super simple.

Wearing// 1. Madewell Bien Fait sweatshirt 2. JCrew water bottle 3. Timex Weekender watch 4. Target Striped shirt dress 5. Birkenstock Black Arizona sandals 6. JCrew Chino shorts

Destination// Joshua Tree, California

 

 

 

 

Watkins Glen, NY

Last weekend Tyson and I took a spontaneous trip to his hometown, Watkins Glen, to surprise his mom for her 60th birthday. No one knew we were coming so we had to figure out where they would be celebrating her birthday. We went to his brothers new house and saw that there were birthday decorations out on the deck, but no one was out there. So we rang the doorbell and peaked through the window and everyone saw us and started screaming! It was so funny to see our nieces slightly confused and then REALLY excited.

Our Wedding Day

This is my husband. Its a honor to be married to him, to get to experience life with him, to see things differently because of him. In just one year of marriage we have experienced incredible things together; some scary, some sad, and some completely joyous. I have been grateful for every minute of it because it has brought us closer together in ways I could never imagine. Not to mention he turned me into a morning person, something I didn’t think was ever possible.

These are our wedding photos taken by our talented friend John Pope. He was kind enough to allow me to edit them myself (the closest you can get to being the photographer at your own wedding, I suppose). The best part about our wedding day was that it felt so wonderfully normal. Nothing was over sensationalized. I put on my dress and zipped it up and that was that. I wore my normal amount of makeup. Tyson didn’t wear a tie. Its not hard for me to go back to that day and remember the feeling of it because it felt so true to who we are. I’m so happy to finally be able to share some of these moments with you. 

Jumpsuits?

Jumpsuits seem to be all the rage right now. I’m curious, would you wear one? I’m not sure I would be fashionable enough to pull one off but I have to admit that the simplicity really appeals to me. Get up late in the morning and don’t want to stress about pairing a top to a skirt or shorts? Need to be on the move and so a dress just won’t cut it? Throw on your jumpsuit! Voila! Cute outfit in under 2 seconds. I think the examples above are classy and feminine.

If I really did try this trend I’d go with something like this. Simple enough that it looks like normal shorts and a top. And I think some geometric shapes on your accesories would add some fun! Plus, for 22 bucks, you don’t have to majorly invest in a trend that might not last to next year.

 

//1. Kate Romper 2. Zara Sleeveless 3. Crepe Long Jumpsuit 4. Parker 5. Zara Indigo 6. Steven Alan Crossover Jumpsuit

My Picks// 1. Navy Sleeveless Jumper 2.Madewell Medina Transport Tote 3. Lapis Curio Ring 4. Steven Alan Douglas Sunglasses

 

Wearing This//Going Here

Anyone else have an insatiable desire to jet off to Sweden, waltz around the streets, sit at cafes eating crepes and drinking coffee while watching the locals go about their day? If I could turn that daydream into reality this is what I’d wear and where I’d go. A nice leather tote would be perfect to carry around a small travel guide, a book to read at a cafe, and room left over for shopping, of course.

To Wear// 1. Lucia Sunglasses 2. Sandals, unknown source 3. Grey Cotton Dress 4. Madewell Transport Tote 5. Satomi Kawakita Diamon Necklace 6. Shinola Watch

Destination// Visby, Sweden

Down By The River

 

Tyson’s family recently came into town for a visit! We couldn’t wait to see our nieces, Olivia and Natalie, and our nephew Lucas. They are such incredible kids and I feel like I really hit the jackpot marrying into this family.

See what I mean, aren’t they beautiful?? We had such an incredibly fun weekend with them…

How Do You Relax?

How do you relax when you feel overwhelmed with stress? Do you exercise? Call a friend? Watch a movie? As soon as I got home today I did a couple of things and I realized that I have a pattern when I want to relax…

Philly People

Friends from Philly came to visit! We had a blast…