viva las vegas!

^^^ right before the water show outside the bellagio resort and casino.

water shoots 460 feet into the air to choreographed music routines; 

it was quite the performance! ^^^

a few weekends ago, i had my very first las vegas adventure!

a friend of mine's mom was getting married, so we flew to vegas

to attend her wedding. the weather forecast called for 110 degree temperatures, 

so i brought my swimsuit, a romper, shorts, and light-weight dresses to

keep me cool; although when it's 110 degrees outside, i think the only way to keep cool

is in the water or to stay inside one of the well air-conditioned hotels.

we ate (and drank) our way through the weekend. i don't think i was

ever hungry (and certainly not bored, either!) - ice cream sundays, 

pizza and quesadillas, frozen hot chocolate, and the most delicious moscow mules!

i now understand why people refer to vegas as 'adult disneyland.'

there is so much to see and do, you could 

easily be entertained for days! although i was only in vegas for about 48 hours,

we kept very busy. i've compiled a list of my favorite activities from the 

weekend and shared them below.

high roller ferris wheel

the high roller, located at the heart of the las vegas strip,

was by far my favorite activity! it is the world's largest observation wheel 

and allows you to see all of downtown vegas. each pod of the high roller 

holds approximately 40 people, and some of the pods have an open bar inside. 

the views from the top were incredible!

beer park

beer park is a 10,000 square foot outdoor rooftop bar and grill, located 

at the paris las vegas hotel and casino. with music, flat screen tv's, and larger

than life games (like chess, tic tac toe and connect four), this 'park'

was a lot of fun! they have 36 beers on tap and offer all-american food. 

we ate prior to stopping by, but enjoyed playing games, people watching, 

and sampling a few different beers.

explore the casinos

i'm not much of a gambler, but i loved walking through the different casinos.

the architecture is incredible, and i felt as though i was saying 'oh my gosh, 

did you see that?' throughout the weekend. this painted ceiling was my favorite!

margaritaville restaurant

although we didn't eat here, i had to stop by for a picture!

i grew up listening to jimmy buffett ('margaritaville,' 'come monday' and 

'cheeseburger in paradise' are a few of my favorites). i immediately

sent this picture to my dad, as he is a big supporter of jimmy, too.

on my next trip, i hope to stop by for the seafood mac and cheese,

beach tacos and nightly music!

serendipity 3

located just outside caesar's palace, serendipity 3 is comparable to an 

old-fashioned ice cream parlor! everything is vibrant and pink, and the food and drinks

were incredible. my girlfriend and i stopped by for lunch, and i ordered

the most delicious frozen hot chocolate and a turkey b.l.t. sandwich.

i think my hot chocolate was predominately whipped cream, but i'm okay with that.

my weekend in vegas could not have been more memorable.

the outdoor wedding i attended, held at the flamingo hotel, was gorgeous -

complete with a waterfall, palm trees, and flowers galore!

i would love to go back and am already planning other activities

i would like to do - attending a cirque du soleil performance, 

watching the street performers, shopping downtown, and zip-lining

down fremont street in old vegas (to name a few!). 

have you visited las vegas? if you're planning a trip any time soon, 

be sure to visit vegas.com for deals, travel tips, and everything you need to 

know about planning a las vegas getaway!

#capturingvegas

xoxo.

aloha!

my family and i spent the week after christmas 

in kona, hawaii. we swam, explored different beaches, 

ate deliciously fresh fish, and greatly enjoyed the sunshine together!

^^^ pu'uhonua o honaunau national historic park -

while my dad and brother snorkeled here, mom and i read and

walked around the tide pools on the lava. ^^^

^^^ on our way to the beach one afternoon, 

we were all craving a treat. we made a stop at this adorable

antique shop after seeing the sign 'antiques + ice cream.' 

i can't even tell you how often i ate coffee ice cream while on vacation;

coffee ice cream is prevalent in hawaii ^^^

^^^ cheers to 2016! we rang in the new year from the beach. 

we enjoyed dinner at the restaurant, lava lava beach club. 

the view could not have been more perfect! ^^^

^^^ and this guy - always on the hunt for geckos (mostly

as a means of tormenting me). brother + sister love, i suppose? ^^^

'do you wanna build a snowman?'

^^^ for our last night, we said goodbye to kona and drove up to kamuela.

we checked into our favorite place, the hapuna beach prince hotel.

the hotel (particularly the pool area) is stunning and 

sits above our favorite beach, hapuna! ^^^

the waves, white sand, and warm sunshine was just what 

this girl needed to recharge for the new year. 

i feel incredibly grateful to have spent the week relaxing with my family.

now, can i go back?! 

xoxo. 

a few of my favorites

source

traveling the world is something i strongly aspire to do.

whether simply driving across the country,

or spending time abroad, 

either sound lovely to this girl.

however, as a student and new teacher,

traveling is not necessarily something i can afford.

this saddens me.

in the cold winter months (especially), it is hard not to feel stuck -

stuck in your house, stuck at your job, or stuck in the city in which you reside.

i live and work in the seattle area;

a city with much to offer.

while it is sometimes difficult to see outside of the rain and gloom,

this city is beautiful. i am lucky to live here.

today i am collaborating with the seattle marriott,

encouraging you to travel and enjoy this pretty city we call home.

source

located in the heart of downtown, the seattle marriott 

has gorgeous accommodations to offer their guests.

while staying downtown, 

you can easily get to and from a variety of attractions.

a few of my favorites?

pike place market

seattle aquarium

seattle great wheel

beecher's handmade cheese

wild ginger

le reve bakery

these are just a few places i like to enjoy.

thank you, seattle marriott for collaborating with this little blog.

you helped remind me what a wonderful city seattle can be - 

a city that i am fortunate to call my home.

xoxo.