paris, part I

Since the dude and I were officially hitched, we've decided to make a few life changes. First, we're packing up our lives and moving back to Chicago. Second, since we're leaving one life to start anew, we decided to embark on a little holiday we've always dreamed of: a month in Paris. We had both traveled briefly to the City of Light before but both felt a few days just doesn't do this place justice. We wanted to feel like we truly did Paris and had the time to soak in the beauty (and an offensive amount of macarons) without rushing from museum to monument to museum.  And so, we rented a modest apartment in the 6th arrondissement, not to far from the Notre Dame, the Seine and the Louvre. It's truly been the perfect spot to discover all that gives Paris that certain je ne sais quoi.

{locking it in}

{love this guy}

{picnic al fresco}

{cafe pit stops; highly required with this amount of walking} 

{first stop was Laduree - 2 blocks from our apt!} 

{stopping for smells along Saint Germain}

{view from Sacré Cœur}

our days in dubai.

I've neglected posting lately, mostly due to a week spent wandering the desert. My fiancee's best friend has been working over in the UAE for some time, and we finally found some vacation time to venture over to Dubai. It was my first time to the Middle East, and proved to be just as fascinating as I expected. What surprised me most was how contemporary the city is - a seemingly progressive city built on a very conservative culture. And it literally felt like an oasis surrounded by desert, with fascinating architecture juxtaposed to camels roaming the beach underneath. Not to mention the obscene amount of malls. Then again, whats a girl to do you when its 100+ degrees for most of the year? (sidenote: the desert sun is brutal, so my irish skin learned. To quote an awful song from the 90s, wear. sunscreen.) 

The entire city is only a few decades old but makes up for it with slices of Arabic tradition infused in the culture - from shisha at upscale lounges to the traditional prints and patterns abound. Here are a few of my favorite snaps from the trip. 

{spices at a locale Souk}

{along with fresh rose tea}

{an architect's dream}

{vibrant prints]

{left: the burj khalifa - tallest building in the world

right: the burj al arab - the only seven star hotel in the world}

{beach at sunset}

{stuffed dates, a local (delicious) delicacy}

{view from the Atlantis aquarium}

{desert safari}

venetian engagement.

It happened. Just when I thought the summer getaway in Italy couldn’t be any more amazing, my boy threw a unexpected curve ball - and it just so happened to come in a little blue box. I never imagined I'd be one of those girls that boasts the story of their engagement, but here I am. Doing it. Deal with it. But, I do think that the romantic Venetian backdrop makes the story worth a shameless share. It was the absolute perfect end to a vacation with my favorite person ever.

Venice was nothing short of magical. We stayed for the week at St. Clemente Palace – a hotel on it’s own private island, a quick water taxi ride away from the city. I always knew Venice was close to water, but never realized it was literally in water. Instead of streets and sidewalks, canals split each block, and rather than buses and trains you catch boats and gondalas here and there. Amazing. St. Clemente was an absolute dreamland. The island was impeccably kept, the service was fantastic and the island was filled with bunnies. Yes, bunnies. The fluffiest, cutest things you have ever seen. It literally felt like you were stepping off the boat and into a dreamland.

 We were so exhausted from traveling that we decided to stay on the island on one of our last days, sipping Bellinis and Spritz by the pool. For dinner we went to the hotel restaurant, made up of a few tables along the waterfront. We dined just as the sun was setting on the city. After a wine-drenched four course meal, and a delicious plate of desserts – because that’s what you do on vacation – I was ready for a Negroni nightcap and bed. But, just as we were finishing desert, Josh surprised me with a question that has made me giddy to this day. And now, I get to marry my best friend and the sweetest dude I've ever met. Not a shabby way to end the trip. 

{Right before he popped the Q.}

{Dining at sunset.}

{I mean, who could say no to this guy?}

{Our wonderful new friend, Giovanna. We had met her sister in Milan and stopped by their family restaurant, Al Vagon. We were welcomed like long, lost family and treated to one of the best Italian meals of the trip. Deliziosa.}

{Giovanna's mom makes one killer dessert.}

{View from the gondola.}

{Bellisimo.}

cinque terre | hiking in paradise.

Cinque Terre. It's one of those other-wordly discoveries that makes you wonder 

why we don't all pack our bags and grow old sipping Moscato in these parts. 

"Cinque Terre" literally translates to five hills, referring to the adorable little towns that make up the area: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso. Each is pocketed within beautiful mountains spaced along the Italian Riviera. The towns themselves are quant and lovely, shaded in Easter pastels and each a welcome destination between the hefty climbing trails between them. Not that I'd dare complain. It's too freaking beautiful to whine about the 1-2 hour hikes in between. I realize I tend to fall head over heels for every new place I travel to - but Cinque Terre is quite possible the the most beautiful place on earth. 

{View from Vernazza}

{Manarola from the trail}

{Riomaggiore Harbor}

 {Locks of Love}

{Spritz in Manarola}

{A long hike to Vernazza}

{The rough life}

{Well-earned drinks after a two hour hike}

{Finally made it to the beaches of Monterosso}