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. 

so long, sunshine!

^^^ take me back to california, pretty please!? ^^^

^^^ one of my favorite breakfast stops on the trip! 

we loved visiting alta coffee shop, located in newport beach.

i chose their yogurt and granola bowl, and of course, 

the signature toffee latte! ^^^

^^^ for our first few days, we stayed at a vacation rental, 

located in newport beach. our apartment was conveniently located four blocks from 

the beach - it could not have been more perfect!

the above pirate house (as it is appropriately nicknamed) 

was across the street; the entire house is absolutely covered in pirates

and all things pirate-themed. it was fun to sneak around! ^^^

^^^ just one more from balboa island! ^^^

^^^ we biked all over with these trusty guys! ^^^

^^^ we had to stop at in-n-out for lunch; obligatory photo, too! ^^^

^^^ our selfie game is strong, clearly :) 

highlight of the trip? a surprise visit to disneyland with willie's cousins!!!

we spent 13 hours at disneyland and california adventure, 

and it could not have been more fun! we rode 9-10 rides,

enjoyed the new water show at california adventure, 

laughed until our bellies ached, and ate far too many treats! ^^^

^^^ picked up some purple minnie ears and an ariel shirt

to commemorate our trip! ^^^

^^^ of course we had to stop at 'willie's churros' for a churro (or three)! ^^^

when we flew home sunday, i was very sad! 

while it is always nice to be home, i truly miss our little vacation.

we had such a blast visiting family and friends

and are incredibly grateful to everyone who made time to see (and spoil!) us.

california, we cannot wait to come back!

xoxo. 

snapshots from balboa island

^^^ while in california, will and i made sure to visit 

balboa island - a quaint island with much to do:

shopping, biking, water sports, parasailing, copious restaurants, 

fishing, and vacation homes galore! ^^^

^^^ can you imagine living here? the views were gorgeous! ^^^

^^^ the island is particularly known for their candy (salt water taffy especially!), 

balboa bars, and the frozen bananas ^^^

^^^ the island is incredibly quiet, yet active! i sure wouldn't mind

living or spending the summer in one of these gorgeous homes! ^^^

^^^ this is the house will's mom grew up in. it is lovely! ^^^

we spent the morning exploring and enjoying the beautiful 

island scenery. unfortunately, we ate a large breakfast 

before visiting balboa island, so we did not indulge in a frozen 

banana or ice cream bar - however, i have heard

both are incredible! next time, we must

come ready, with empty stomaches :) 

california, you were good to us; i miss you already!

xoxo.

a post about love, life, anniversary's and other happy things

dress: endless knot, ring: old navy, flats: thrifted, purse: hand-me-down (from mom)

as you may have read in my previous posts (or seen on social media),

will and i are in california for the week! 

we are celebrating our anniversary in newport beach.

the weather could not be more perfect! sunshine, 75+ degrees, 

cool evenings, and lovely sunsets. 

on thursday, we celebrated by going to dinner here

in costa mesa; it was delicious! 

i enjoyed the roasted vegetable salad (and added chicken!),

while will opted for the pork belly and garlic mashed potatoes. 

we finished off the meal with a brownie, 

smothered in chocolate, with chocolate ganache, too.

all special occasions deserve chocolate, right?!

i picked up this dress a few weeks before our trip at

endless knot, a small boutique located in belltown.

it is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to shop, 

as they always carry a variety of brands, adorable prints,

and affordable tops, dresses and accessories!

willie, thank you for bringing me to california! 

this trip (and the past year together, too) has been amazing.

i am one lucky lady, let me tell you.

i love you, and can we come back soon?!

xoxo.

p.s. kicking myself because i don't have a photo of us 

at dinner for this post! will disapproved of my selfie :)