Adventure

Today, we went on an adventure.  We packed up and the 3 of us loaded into the car early this morning.  We stopped for croissants and coffee and enjoyed our breakfast in the car while Hugo napped.  We arrived at the coast mid-morning to a beautiful sight.  The fog was just starting to lift and the sun was shining (which is a somewhat rare thing at the Oregon coast).

I suggested we go to the coast today, instead of doing our usual grocery shopping/errand running/laundry catch-up, after reading this post.  Alison over at A Little Blueberry is headed back to work after being off for the summer (she's a teacher).  She wrote about how difficult that transition is and what she is doing to stay positive.  I can relate to her post so much because my transition back to work after maternity leave has been very hard for me.  It's so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities and fall into a rut. I love what Alison wrote about being a weekend warrior, "where I don't just spend my weekends grocery shopping, but instead go on an adventure with my family".

We spent the day at Ecola State Park introducing Hugo to the ocean/beach for the first time, exploring the tidepools, walking on the beach, relaxing on our blanket, and hiking through the forest high up along the cliff side overlooking the ocean.

Lazy day at the beach

I hope you guys are having a great week!  Did you find anything good at the Anthropologie tag sale?  Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to the store because of my crazy work schedule and by the time I got online, everything I was interested in had sold out.  Oh well, I don't usually find much during the summer tag sale anyways (winter is a different story!).

Ben and I went to the beach last weekend.  We took Kya along because she LOVES going to the beach.  It's one of her most favorite things:)  She runs, chases birds, plays in the water, and then relaxes on the sand.  Last summer, we stumbled upon a beach on the Oregon coast that is 1) absolutely gorgeous and 2) never crowded  (some days there is not another person in sight).  It has fast become a favorite spot.  We had such a nice day!  If you follow me on instagram, you have already seen these photos.

 

2012 Recap #3: Adventures/Experiences

Happy Friday!  We are celebrating this weekend because our home refinance finally closed this week and we got our car back from the shop!  I thought that our refinance would be a fairly simple process, but not so.  It took months and we ended up having to do a few last minute home improvements (like I mentioned in another post - having our house painted the week of Christmas - ack!).  After we completed all of the requested work, we had more problems because the appraiser who needed to come back to do the final inspection was suddenly out of the state on vacation.  I won't drag you all further into this very long and complicated story, but let's just say it was a very sticky situation.  The day that the appraiser returned was the day of our  (now extended) deadline and I had to have a not so nice conversation with him that morning.  Anyways, it's officially done now! Phew!

In looking back at my posts from 2012 to compile my other recap posts (2012 recap #1:  outfits and 2012 recap #2:  Purchases), I decided it would also be fun to reminisce about some non clothing/style happenings of the year.  There is certainly no way for me to compile a list of my absolute favorite moments of the year, but here are 5  adventures/experiences from 2012 that put a smile on my face:)

PARIS

Posts here, here, here, here and here

Ben and I went to Paris  in the spring of 2012 for our honeymoon.  It was such a lovely trip, full of beautiful memories that I will cherish forever.  

 

PLATE AND PITCHFORK

Post here

In July, we experienced an amazing dinner at the Domaine Drouhin winery via plate and pitchfork.  It was a beautiful day, the food was delicious, the wine was flowing, we were surrounded by good friends, and we enjoyed it all outside, right in the middle of the vineyards.    

SUMMER HIKES

Posts here, here, and here 

We enjoyed summer to the fullest, including lots of hikes on the Oregon coast, the Columbia River Gorge, and eastern Oregon.    

I QUIT MY JOB!!!

Post here

In September, I quit my job of 7+ years.  It felt SO GOOD to say goodbye to all of the stress and frustration associated with my old job.  I haven't looked back since.  I am enjoying my new job and I would do it all over again.  

BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

Post here

My birthday weekend was full of magic - my brother came to visit, I got a new pair of Chie's, we consumed lots of good food, we saw the wonderful Sallie Ford in concert, we went on a gorgeous hike at the coast and even spotted a whale.  Wow! Weekends like that only come around every once in a while.  I hold these memories close to my heart.      

Honorable mention:

After quite a few unsuccessful tries, I finally learned how to make french macarons this year (post here)!  I became obsessed with these darling little cookies after our Paris trip.  I haven't mastered them just yet, but I'm having fun practicing:) 

Slimy Moss

Things are finally settling down a bit after a very hectic week.  I LOVE my new job!  It is going very well so far.  Some parts of it are definitely going to take some getting used to, but overall it is interesting, challenging, and enjoyable. 

We had company visiting from NC this past week/weekend.  Ben's best friend since childhood and his girlfriend came to hang out and check out Portland.  On Sunday, we spent the day at the coast.  We found a great little spot on the beach to hang out and watch the sunset.  While we were there, our friends got engaged!  It was a very beautiful and special day (and eventful - considering the engagement and the fact that Ben came very close to being swept away by a spout wave - he drives me insane by getting very close to the edge every time we are on a hike or near any sort of cliff.  I hope he learned his lesson).  We did a lot of laughing, eating, and shopping while they were here.  It was so much fun! 

Here are some pictures from the past few days:

Slimy moss at the coast

Moss

Ben pretends to be Peter Pan.  I love this photo!

Sunset at Neskowin

Breathtaking

Agreed.

Brunch

Ready for a day on the town!

I hope you all are having a beautiful week!

Birthday Weekend (+ new shoes!)

I had the best birthday weekend!  My actual birthday was on Saturday, but I started celebrating on Friday and stretched it out as far as possible:)  It was wonderful in so many ways, but the very best thing about it was that my brother was here (he came all the way from NC!).  He and his girlfriend flew in last Wednesday evening and they left yesterday.  We had such a great time and I loved being able to spend time with him.

We went out to Doug Fir on Friday night to see Sallie Ford.  She was amazing.  Her music is very interesting, quirky and fun (and conducive to lots of dancing:).  I had such a blast!  On Saturday, we went out to brunch at one of my favorite spots (Petite Provence) and then spent some time outside at the park.  Later that night, I got dressed up and we went out for a nice dinner at another favorite, Pok Pok. 

Sunday we took a day trip to the coast.  We ended up doing the Cape Falcon hike at Oswald West state park.  It was a lovely, sunny, beautiful hike.  When we reached the top, we sat down to have a little picnic overlooking the ocean.  We soon discovered a whale right down below us, hanging out around the cliffs!  We spent a good long time just sitting there, watching the whale swim around and come up to spout every few minutes.  It was magical.  All in all, I had a beautiful, fun, and very special birthday weekend.



Ben has been talking about my birthday gift for weeks.  Apparently, he purchased the gift a while back and he has been so excited about giving it to me.  I think he was even more excited about my birthday than I was!  On Saturday morning, the wait was finally over.  I rolled out of bed and was still in my PJs when he insisted it was time to open my gift.  I tore the paper off to find a box I have grown to love - a CHIE MIHARA SHOEBOX!!!!  I was shocked!  I still cannot believe that my sweet husband bought me a pair of Chie's.  He even did his research before purchasing and ended up finding this post over at Will Work 4 Shoes, which reassured him that he was making the right purchase (thank you!).  I could not be happier with my new shoes.

Chie Mihara Olivan

       

I 

Dress:  Anthropologie
Tights:  Hue
Shoes:  Chie Mihara  Olivan
Bracelet/hair clip:  Anthropologie



Here are some other shots from the weekend:

Me and my brother

Sallie Ford at Doug Fir

Brunch

Cape Falcon  - whale sighting

Whale

Whale

A perfect end to the day!

Beachwear

Ben and I spent last weekend at the coast.  We had a wonderful time hanging out with friends, walking on the beach, and relaxing.   We enjoyed a beautiful hike on Sunday, and got to see some incredible views of the coastline.  We make numerous trips to the coast every year (it's about an hour and a half from home), but this is the first time we have stayed over.  It was a nice little getaway! 

Switching gears, I want to show off my new top.  After seeing the J. Crew polka dot chambray shirt on AppGal (here) and Molly (here), I decided to take the plunge and buy my very first chambray top.  I'm glad I did.  I love it and I can definitely see  this top getting a lot of wear this fall.   

Cami:  J. Crew
Top:  J. Crew Perfect Shirt in Chambray Polka Dot
Jeans:  AG Stevie via Anthropologie
Shoes:  Chaco