Six Days and 3,000 Miles Later

Although I left the Boston area not even three weeks ago, my roadtrip to California feels so far etched in the past! My little car was fully stocked - I didn't even think everything would fit, but it did! Well, almost everything... I left behind two trash bags of clothes, and one bag with all my shoes and boots! My current shoe wardrobe is now pretty modest - 1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of flip flops, and 2 pairs of wedges. The drive was beautiful and always changing - it went from vast farmland, to steep mountain passes, to brown stretches of desert, and then finally, to palm trees and ocean views!

Highlights (both good and bad) from the trip out west:

• Sitting in stopped traffic for two hours in Massachusetts
• Having the best.grilled.cheese.of.my.life at Bin 707
• Finding awesome deals on hotels thanks to Hotwire and Priceline!
• Driving into Denver as the sun was setting
• Only eating "unhealthy" fast food once (KFC)
• A morning hike in Zion National Park
• Crossing into California!

I'm so happy to be here. There's still a lot to do to get really, truly settled, but I'm getting there! And sooo happy to be back on the blogging circuit. Can't wait to hear what you all have been up to over the past couple of weeks!

Newbury Street Mural

The power of blogging never ceases to amaze me. Extraordinary opportunities fall into blogger's laps every day. Blair of Atlantic-Pacific appearing in Vogue, Jessica of What I Wore getting a book deal, various bloggers getting invitations to store openings, after-parties, and fashion shows. And while my list of bragging rights isn't as long or exciting, I couldn't believe it when I got an email from an interior designer a couple of months ago:

{I love the Newbury Street photo you have on your blog. I was wondering if I can purchase the photo to use as a mural in an interior I'm doing for a client in Boston.}

Several emails later, my photo has since been blown up to a gigantic floor-to-ceiling size mural, and is now proudly on display in the lobby of an office in Boston! The original picture, ironically, was snapped as part of an outfit post I shared earlier this year.

Has anything unexpected happened to you as a result of having a blog?

Crane Beach

One afternoon I created a  "Before I Move Away" bucket list. Visiting a beautiful New England beach was near the top of the list, so a couple weeks ago, the boy and I made an afternoon of it! Crane Beach is perched along the North Shore of Massachusetts and is drop dead gorgeous, with tiny little waves and a wide expanse of grassy dunes.

♥

 

I can't believe it's already Friday!!!! Today, I'll be driving through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, and spending the night somewhere in Iowa. We're making progress!

Have a great weekend!

I'm Off to California Today!

After what feels like years of planning, I've FINALLY packed up my trunk with all my clothes and my most precious personal belongings {basically whatever fits} into my little car, and I am on the road! By the time you read this, I will have already left.

I.am.on my way.to.California. !!!!!

Planning the roadtrip was a lot of fun. The ultimate decision was to get a few looooong days of driving out of the way so that my boyfriend and I could enjoy Colorado, Zion National Park, and Las Vegas.

 

I'm so excited!!!

I will be honest and admit that I'm sad to leave the Boston area. I have close friends here, my parents live here, and I've met so many cool and interesting people in the blogging community over the past two years. It'll be bittersweet on many different levels. While it's going to be a wild ride and definitely a bit of an adjustment, I'm looking forward to seeing what sorts of fun I can get into on the opposite coast ;)

Olive Green Skinny Jeans

Olive green skinny jeans are a trend I've been excited to try, so imagine my luck when I snatched up a pair at Marshalls for only $10! {Thank you Marshalls for having unbeatable clearance sales!!!} They're really versatile and since this pair has a high waist, I thought it would be flattering to wear a looser fitting top, accented with layers of bangles.

Top & Pants: Marshalls, Bangles: Coach and Forever 21, Sunglasses: Forever 21, Shoes: Franco Sarto, Nails: OPI 'Let Me Entertain You'

What do you think of olive green skinnies? Are you a fan?!

Portland Sights and Sweets

I'm baaaack lovelies! {my move to California is now just 2 days away, eek!!!} A few weeks ago, I ventured off to Maine for a day trip with my family. Getting in the car and setting off on a 2 hour road trip to a city I've never been to before was in a word, amazing. I need to do this more often! When I returned home, I was definitely in a massive food coma, but my heart was happy.

Hello, Portland! {Maine}. A charming little city on the water with quaint streets and dozens of boutiques.

Afternoon treats at Gorgeous Gelato.

My sisters and I on Peaks Island, a cozy place that was a quick ferry trip from Portland.

Looking out towards Portland from Peak's Island. I love how serene it looks!

Dinner and drinks at Sebago Brewing Company.

This cupcake shop had a cute storefront, but underwhelming desserts :(

Tips for a fun Portland getaway:

• Portland is a foodie's paradise! Read reviews on Yelp for the top restaurants.
• Fore Street has lots of fun window shopping opportunities and places to eat.
• Sip on martinis at Grace, a gorgeous restaurant that's inside of a renovated church.
• Try the weirdest flavors of popcorn you've ever had - Dill Pickle popcorn anyone?!! at Coastal Maine Popcorn Co. We got bags to go and enjoyed them with a movie when we got home.
• Take the short, inexpensive ferry ride over to Peaks Island and rent bikes. If you get there early enough, snag a cinnamon roll at Peak's Cafe.

{p.s. - if you're not reading this in an RSS reader, you'll notice I changed up the design a little bit. a new header is coming soon!}