ireland: the logistics

Our recent trip to Ireland was one of the first trips where I was going to and traveling in a country where I didn't know anyone or have someone else make the plans. I've done a bit of traveling over the years, but I've always either stayed with people who lived there or traveled with my family. This was really the first time I've travelled somewhere completely new and without knowing a local! So it was exciting to completely make up our itinerary from scratch, but it was also a bit overwhelming to figure out where we wanted to go in Ireland. There is just SO much to see, and every place is more interesting and beautiful than the next. You could spend a year exploring all of Ireland and still not have seen it all. On top of that, there are so many different ways of traveling through the country. From hopping on a tour bus and having it shuttle you to all the highlights to backpacking across the country camping, there are so many options. We went pretty middle of the road when it came to all aspects of our trip - we visited three cities, saw a lot of the major things to see, and just thoroughly enjoyed our time in the country.

It seems that so many of you guys are going to Ireland in the near future, so I am going to talk about the logistics of planning our trip and an overview of where we went. I'll have a few more posts about our time specifically in Dublin, the Ring of Kerry, and Galway in the near future!

flights // Ideally the way to fly to Ireland is overnight - that way you "sleep" on the plane (sleep used loosely as I don't know how anyone gets a good amount of sleep on the plane), land in the morning, drink a large coffee, and then spend all day exploring! Stay up all day, and by the time it's 9 PM, you'll fall into bed, and then you'll be on normal Ireland time the next day!

One VERY important note about flying back into the US is that Ireland is one of a few countries that has pre-clearance customs. I had never heard of such a thing in all of my travels, so I was shocked when we spent about two hours before our flight back to the US going through customs (on every other international flight I've ever gone on, you go through customs in the airport in the US you land in). Even though we got to the Dublin airport about 2.5 hours before boarding started (I'm a bit nervous about missing flights), we were running to the gate and were one of the last people to board because I got randomly chosen for extra screening. So really take that into account when coming back! I would plan for at least an extra 1.5 hours more than you normally do.

packing // We went to Ireland in the beginning of June, and boy did we get incredibly lucky with the weather! It was like the perfect early fall weather I wish I lived in all year round - cool enough to wear jeans and a shirt, and really only needing a lighter jacket at night. We discussed packing plans a few weeks ago, and for the most part, what I showed there was what I brought! For packing, I would suggest the following

• If you are doing both cities and country, and are bringing a big suitcase, I really liked having two jackets. I brought my rain coat for when we were out in the country exploring, and then had my J.Crew field jacket in the city. If you are only going to bring one coat, I'd suggest a sleek rain coat, something like this cute packable rain coat from Cole Haan. My raincoat is red, which was fun, but you'll blend in more and it's more versatile if you wear a darker one. 
• Bring a small umbrella to keep in your purse. On days where there wasn't a large amount of rain in the forecast, I just wore my regular coat and then used the umbrella the few minute of showers throughout the day. 
• I wore my short rain boots only once, when we arrived in Galway and it was pouring. Otherwise, I wore my leather driving loafers (currently 25% off!) basically the whole time. I'd suggest something similar, either loafers or sneakers (something fun like these slip ons from Steve Madden!). You'll be doing a ton of walking, and want to be comfortable. 
• Things I wish I had brought: my baseball cap. It's very windy on the coasts, and it would have been nice to have something to keep my hair under control. 
• Extras: we used this converter for the outlets, and then also brought a travel strip so we could charge multiple items at once (a tip I learned from Jessica recently). Phone and computer chargers worked great, but if you are bringing hair tools, make sure they are the dual voltage ones. I'd also suggest an extra phone pack - I have this one from Anker that I used all the time, and never had to charge it while we were there!
• My sister gave us Lonely Planet's travel book for Christmas, and we really liked having a book on us for quick references and to get the inside scoop on places without using our phone data. 

phone use // On other international trips I've gone on, I've always purchased the international data plan from Verizon...which frankly, isn't too great. When I went to Santorini, I got 1 GB of data for like $50 - I basically couldn't use my phone other than to quickly check our location. One of my readers suggested getting an Irish SIM card instead, which was such a great suggestion. Before you leave the US, make sure you phone is unlocked (I just called Verizon and asked). If you are flying into Dublin, you can buy a SIM card at the airport. There's a SimLocal in the terminals (they supposedly install it for you), or you can buy a card from the little convenience store outside of the arrivals gate/baggage claim (which is what I did - here's how you put one in yourself). I got a 7 GB card for 20 euros - I didn't get texting or calling, but our data lasted us the whole week, which included a ton of navigating and instagramming. We really couldn't have done anything if it weren't for having that data!

money // Ireland uses the Euro for money (note that Northern Ireland uses pounds though, so be aware of that if you are traveling there - we did not, so it didn't matter for our trip). We ended up using about €100 in cash for things like parking, tipping (10% is considered the norm), and smaller purchases. Just about every place takes Visa and Mastercard though, now typically the "chip and pin" version of cards that most of us probably are already forced to use the US. Some places will offer you to pay in euros or dollars - our banks didn't charge us for using our cards internationally, so we just paid in euros. Check with your bank to see what their policy is, and make sure you let them know of your travel plans.

travel in the country // There are a bunch of different ways to travel, from public transportation to tour buses, to renting a car, even biking the whole country! We chose to drive so we could be on our own timeline, and even though we didn't take a tour bus on this trip so I can't compare the two, I am so happy that we had our own car for this trip. We could stop when we wanted, could stay in locations as long as we desired, and really got to actually experience the country rather than just being bussed through it.

We rented through Enterprise - we booked our car online, and picked up the car at the Dublin Airport (we had spent two days in Dublin first where we relied on ubers/taxis). Things to note about renting and driving a car in Ireland:

• They drive on the opposite side of the road. This can be a bit scary, especially the first time you have to go around a roundabout (which there are heaps of)! I would say if you are a confident driver at home, it won't take very long for you to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road. Many guides say that having a good navigator is key to driving here, and as the navigator of our car, I agree ;) Because I was focusing on where we were going, CR could focus on where to drive. CR actually really took to driving on the left, and I think will miss it!
• Most people will tell you to book an automatic car if you aren't used to driving on the left side. We booked an automatic, but ended up with a manual car when we picked it up because we weren't really paying attention to that detail when getting the car. CR and I are both manual car drivers at home, so it ended up not being a problem for us. But if you do not drive a manual car every day, then definitely make sure you get an automatic! 
• Insurance issues are somewhat confusing. Ireland is one of the few countries where credit card insurance typically won't cover rental cars. When booking online, we chose to basically take all the insurance we could (so the CDW and then the excess insurance offered online). When we went to pick up our car, we also paid an additional ~$75 to lower the potential deductible from $1200 to $100 - we both agreed that we'd rather pay a little more in the chance that something happened, especially on the tight roads we were going to encounter later on in our trip. In the end, renting a car cost us about $440 for one week with unlimited miles. 
• Some of the roads, especially in the Ring of Kerry, are pretty incredibly tight. If you follow along on instastories, you know what I mean! Take it slow, pull over to let locals pass when possible, and be on the lookout for sheep ;)

accommodations // I have really enjoyed using Air BnBs on my travels - it is really nice to come back to a home where you have a bit more space and where you can "live like a local", even just for a few days. There are a range of other options, of course - hostels are a big thing in Europe, and you can get a bed for like $45 in most cities, and hotels are always an option as well. For the AirBnBs, typically you have to book them for at least two nights. We had great experiences in all three of ours (email me if you want the specific places!). I just make sure to read the reviews and keep open communication with the hosts - it really was a wonderful way to experience "living" in Ireland for a week!

food and drinks // Before we left, Katie said to enjoy all the scones and seafood chowder, and boy did I take that to heart! European bakeries are really the best in the world, and so we had a great time sampling various croissants and scones with jam every day. I'm going to cover specific restaurants when I cover the cities we visited, but some of the food items we had the most were scones with jam, fish & chips (my favorite!), guinness stew, seafood chowder, and all the bread. There are all sorts of restaurants, obviously, but we tried to stick with more "traditional" food. If you are gluten-free, a lot of restaurants have GF options, and all have really clearly labelled allergy information. If you are a beer drinker, CR always asked about local breweries and had those, or went with Guinness. I'm a cider girl, and quickly grew fond of Orchard Thieves (technically a Heiniken cider, but not something sold in the US).

where to go // I had such a hard time figuring out where in Ireland we wanted to go. By size, Ireland is the size of Indiana, and no offense to Indiana (I live in Ohio and am from Wisconsin #midwestisbest) but there is SO much to see and do in Ireland that the size of the island is very...misleading. We could have spent a week in every city we stayed in, and still not have seen everything we wanted to! Another big thing was trying to figure out what was worth seeing and how much time we wanted to spend there. We could have really rushed around and seen more cities and managed to make it to Northern Ireland too, but I really wanted to also have it be relaxing and have time to explore, so we decided on a mix of somewhat popular touristy things and the relaxing exploring things.

So what we planned was to fly in Dublin, stay overnight two days, drive down to the west coast and stay in Killarney for two days as a jumping point for the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula, and then drive to Galway to spend two days in that area before heading back. We ended up losing a whole day in Dublin due to a flight cancellation, and during the trip we wish we had done things a little differently, so based off our experiences, here are my recommendations if you want to go to similar places:

• Day 1: Fly into Dublin. Check into your hotel/AirBnB, take a quick shower and change, and then go out and explore the city (more on that to come). 
• Day 2: Explore Dublin
• Day 3: Dublin > explore along the way (we loved Killiney Hill south of Dublin and Port Louise) > visit Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney stone > stay in Killarney overnight
• Day 4: visit Killarney State Park and then drive clockwise around the Ring of Kerry. Stay in a bed and breakfast towards the end of the Ring of Kerry
• Day 5: Drive to and around the Dingle Peninsula > Cliffs of Moher > Galway (stay in hotel/Air BnB)
• Day 6: Explore Galway and/or go to Aran Islands for the day. 
• Day 7: Drive up to Kylemoore Abbey. Drive back to Galway and back to Dublin
• Day 8: Cry about leaving Ireland

We were discussing how disappointed we were that we couldn't spend more time in Ireland as there is so so so much more to see than we were able to, but as CR put it best, if we saw everything on this trip, we'd have nothing to come back for! So here's looking forward to future trips to the Emerald Isle!

packing for shorter trips + my suitcase is now on sale!

I have traveled more in the last nine months than I ever have in my entire life. Between living in different cities for away rotations, going on interviews, and fitting in a ton of fun trips with friends, family, and CR, I have put some serious miles on both my car and my luggage.

I have been receiving a ton of questions about my Delsey suitcase, which is what prompted this post today! I owned the same beaten down suitcases for over a decade, and when I finally upgraded, I really wanted to buy something I loved and knew I would use for another decade or two. So after a bunch of research, I now own the Delsey Chatelet in the white + cognac colors in the 21 inches (seen above) and 28 inches. I absolutely love these suitcases. They are hard shell, have two separate compartments, are on spinner wheels, a breaking system, and TSA approved locks. They are just so darn pretty too - I love the cream white color. The questions I've received the most is if these suitcases show a lot of wear because of their color. I have only used my 28 inch suitcase on one airplane trip, when we went to Santorini. When I got it back from luggage claim, it did have a few marks and scuffs on it, but a quick rub with a Magic Eraser, and it seriously looked brand new. My smaller 21 inch one has been on every rotation, interview, and trip with me, and it looks like the day I got it.

If you are interested in the suitcases, I have found some really good deals on it! Macy's currently has the 21 inch suitcase on sale from $500 down to $250, with an additional 25% off using code VIP. If you have an Amazon prime account, you can get it even cheaper at $171 (which is $80 cheaper than what I got it for!). The 28 inch version is also on sale - here at Macy's for $250 total, or here at Amazon for basically the same price.

So that's the luggage...now what about what goes inside? This is the reason that I really love the two compartment system. My old luggage was one compartment, and it was so annoying to cram everything into it, never being able to find anything, and then stuff it all back, shoes next to sweaters, shampoo next to underwear, and so on.

In my carry-on, I separate it into clothes versus non-clothes. I know the travel experts say to roll your clothes and blah blah blah, but I don't like to do that - I just fold my clothes normal, especially because I unpack everything as soon as I get to wherever I'm going. When I use my larger suitcase, and therefore am bringing more things, I really like to uses these packing cubes. They don't make a ton of sense when you're only bringing a few tops and bottoms in a carry-on, but for longer trips, they are so nice to separate your swimsuits from your work out clothes from your t-shirts. Plus they are just so darn cute. I wish they had a red + white polka dot version!

This undergarments bag is one of my favorite little packing tricks, and something that I use on every single trip. It's a zipper pouch with two separate compartments, so you can keep you clean underwear in one and everything that needs to be washed in the other. It is so handy. Mine is from Etsy - here are a couple of cute options!

Last is the cosmetics and skincare! I alway save those "free with purchase" pouches, so I have a ton just waiting to be used. I keep them in my purse, that's how I keep my cords separate in my carry-on, I use them at home to keep make-up samples separate, and they are great for travel! I use a smaller pouch that's see through for the fluids - I have a couple of sample sized containers of my favorite products (like my moisturizer and overnight serum), and luckily a few of my regular items come in containers less than 3 mL (like my matte sunscreen and dry shampoo). In the larger pouch I keep all non-fluid items, like brushes, toothbrush, retainer, hair ties, and deodorant. I keep all of my make-up in a hanging cosmetic bag (it looks like my exact version is no longer available, but I believe this one is made by the same brand). This is such a standard in cosmetics bags, but I really like it because it keeps everything separate. I have eye products in the top pouch, brushes in the middle pouch, flat face products (including my new bronzer/highlight powder) in the bottom pouch, and then all the bigger items in the largest pouch. It rolls up nicely, there's less of a chance of one thing exploding and getting over everything, and it's so convenient to just hang it up wherever you are. Sometimes when I'm home only for a few days, I don't even unpack it. 

Last talking point is airport style! I typically dress for the location I'm going to rather than the location I'm starting at. So even though I live in colder Ohio, I typically will wear slip on shoes and a light jacket to the airport. Even though I always park in economy parking, I spend no more than a minute or two outside, so I always dress lighter. My go-to airport uniform is black jeans (this is my exact pair), loafers (my cognac ones are now on sale, as well as the same style in a few other colors), a looser top, a utility jacket (mine is old from Old Navy, but they currently have a very similar style), and a big comfy scarf that doubles as a blanket. In my carry-on, I keep my computer, a book (still working my way through The Emperor of All Maladies), my noise-canceling headphones, and usually a magazine, water, and a snack. 

So that's it! I don't think there is anything to ground breaking here, but I've been asked about my packing strategy so often over the years that I figured it's easiest to put it all in one post! If you're looking for a real expert, my girl Hitha just came out with a whole book on packing.

...now if only I was better about actually unpacking my suitcase when I come home. I still haven't unpacked from the last trip 😳  If anyone has tips about that....

it's still winter, y'all

Although much of the blogosphere is currently all "yay spring look at all these off the shoulder dresses!"...it's still very much winter around here! We actually just got three more inches of snow yesterday...

But that means I get to show you guys my amazing new coat! I actually forgot to mention this purchase in my last budget post, but that's because it ended up costing me just a few dollars out of pocket! I've been eyeing up Burberry's coat for a few months, and finally decided to order it...only to send it immediately back. It felt so cheap, and for that price, I do not want my coat to feel like it's from Forever 21. Then I stumbled upon this similarly styled coat from Cole Haan for half the price. With a little patience, it finally went on sale, and with Nordstrom notes saved up and a giftcard, it ended up costing me like $10 out of pocket.

And guys...this coat is amazing. I wore this on our trip to Montreal (where these pictures were taken) and it was perfect. I was very comfortable in the 10 degree weather wearing just this coat and my medium thickness sweater underneath it. I love that it's belted because it gives it a bit more shape (I wear it tied in a bow as you can see below). Even though all the cool girls in Montreal were wearing these complete fur hoods (I've never seen anything like them! Is this a thing everywhere or only in Canada?), I love that this has just a bit of faux fur right where you want it most - around your actual neck! I'm wearing a size large, and I find it fits true too size. If you are interested, I actually found the coat for more than half the price that Nordstrom is selling it for, here at Macy's and here at 6 PM.

Coat: Cole Haan [exact]

Pants: Express [exact]

Sweater: Caslon [exact]

Boots: Vince Camuto [similar below]

Apple watch strap: Amazon [exact]

Hat: similar

And because my black boots are four winters in and badly need to be replaced (there's a hole in one side of the boot and they no longer stay up on my legs), here are eight options that are currently on sale! Which ones are your favorite? I think I like the pair from Jessica Simpson the most!

one | two | three | four

five | six | seven | eight

san diego [...mostly what we ate! ;) ]

This past weekend, CR and I went off on a little three day trip to San Diego. Due to our schedules, we actually have only been able to go on one real vacation since we started dating (we went to Seattle the summer between first and second year) - the next time we get to go on a real vacation is next June! So we have been trying to take advantage of three day weekends as much as possible, which is why we jetted off to visit one of our besties in San Diego! Here's what I packed, wore, ate, and saw!

rose city

On Sunday morning we hopped down to Portland. I had checked the weather the night before, and it said it was going to be in the mid 90s, so I happily put on my new (sleeveless) dress, didn't even think about packing a cardigan (because 90 degrees, hello), and jumped on the bus. 12 minutes into being in Portland...and it started to pour. Yeah, that 20% chance of rain was actually 100%, and those 90 degrees were actually 65. Luckily someone was smarter than me and brought his rain coat, and was kind enough (he forced me) to wear it. 

Despite the weather, we had a great time in the city! We did some of the touristy things, and ate at a bunch of great places (brunch at Huckleberries, ice cream at Salt & Straw, dinner at Deschutes Brewery, breakfast at Blue Star Donuts, and lunch at Oven & Shaker). Thank you to everyone for your recommendations - they were excellent :) All of you native Portlanders have such a beautiful city. 

Dress: J.Crew [exact, still on sale with code HOTOUT]

Belt: Everlane [exact]

Shoes: Target [similar]

Watch: Michael Kors [exact]

troll-lol-lol

Another day in Seattle means another day of playing tourist/tour guide! Bri let us use her car on Friday, so after a beautiful walk around Green Lake, we headed down to Ballard to grab some nachos + margaritas for lunch from the Matador, and then to Fremont to visit the troll who lives under the bridge (turns out he's a big softy). We ended up spending another hour walking around the area - it's adorable, and maybe my favorite part of the city so far. For dinner we had a sushi picnic down around Green Lake again - there were sooooooo many adorable babies around. It was mentioned that it was like watching real life America's Funniest Home Videos, with all the kids falling face forward into the wading pool and toddlers chasing squirrels, and it was so true!

On Saturday we headed up (down? over?) to go on a little hike to Snoqualmie Falls. Bri and I seem to match where ever we go - this time in our favorite Everlane tees. After the "strenious" hike, we treated ourselves to the most expensive pizzas ever, but they were worth every cent as they were so so good.

On the way back into the city we stopped at U Village because I've wanted to get to a Madewell all summer. I was hoping and praying that this crossbody bag would magically be on sale as it would be the best bag ever, but it was unfortunately still full price. My luck turned though when we popped into J.Crew as they were still having their 50% off sale items sale in stores. I have wanted this dress since the day it was released, but with the hefty price tag, I have held off for a good four months. I found the last one on the sales rack, in my size. With the 50% off sale plus my student discount, I got it for one third of the original price! I'm excited to wear it now during the summer for our last couple of trips, and then a bit more covered up during the school year. There are a few sizes left online, and with the current 40% off deal (that ends tonight), you can get it for a steal too! If the pattern is too busy for you, I think this subdued striped one would be a great addition to any closet (plus it comes in petites and talls).

Tee: Boden [exact on sale]

Shorts: Gap [similar on sale]

Necklace: Forever 21 [exact]

Purse: Coach [current version]

Watch: Michael Kors [very similar save | exact]

Shoes: Target [similar version now on sale]
Nails: Essie [exact]

We are headed down to Portland today - thank you so much for all of your awesome recommendations! We can't wait to fit in as many as possible into our quick 24 hour stay there - as many donuts as possible will be instagrammed ;)

greetings!

Greetings from Seattle! We got here Tuesday and have been all over the place. Buying fresh fruit and flowers at the market, visiting EMP, experiencing all sorts of public transportation, kayaking on Lake Union, having dinner with a few of my favorite bloggers (more on that later), and just really enjoying our trip out to the west coast. I loved my trip here last summer, and this trip has been just as wonderful. I feel like I can kind of figure out the city better, and sometimes it's fun just to play tour guide a little bit!

During our adventures downtown, I of course managed to sneak in a tiny bit of shopping. I found these amazing super soft jeans at Nordstrom Rack that I was willing to pay the $90 price tag for (I buy jeans like once a year and they last me forever) so I was of course super excited when they rang up for 1/6 of the price they go for at Nordstrom! Seattle is just my jean-shopping location apparently. 

Bri has been such an amazing host, I really couldn't ask for a better friend. I'm excited every day when she gets done with work so we can go explore together. Yesterday we took advantage of going to the Nordstrom Anniversary Early Access Sale, and even though neither of us really found anything, it was just exciting to see all the pretty pieces coming out this fall. I was so tempted to buy these earrings (going for almost half of what they usually sell for) as I have wanted them for years, but I just always have to remind myself that I'm allergic to most metals. We then went to J.Crew because they were having a 1 day 50% off sale items sale (it is currently still 40% off though!). I fell in love with these olive pants, but they only had regular sizes in stores, and online they were almost 3 times as expensive! I also tried on this ruffley dress which Bri quickly vetoed, and a striped dress which was cute but sat too low on my waist. So in the end I walked away with nothing (I know, no one was more surprised than me, not even my boyfriend), but I loved having that shopping time with Bri in real life. 

We are going to Portland this weekend for a quick 1.5 day trip, so I would love to hear any recommendations you have. I've heard voodoo donuts is a must!

Sweater: Banana Republic Factory

Shorts: Old Navy [exact]

Sunglasses: knock-offs via Amazon [exact]

Bag: Coach via Etsy [current version]

Watch: Michael Kors [exact]

Ring: BaubleBar [exact]
Shoes: Target [similar now on sale!]

how to not pack for vacation

This is not a "how to pack for a 7 day vacation" post. 

I will be the first to admit that I'm not a great packer. My strategy previously was to throw all of my favorite items (so a bunch of basics) into my suitcase and hope for the best. It's worked out fine in the past, but always lead to pretty uninspired outfits. With this trip to Seattle, I tried to at least come up with a few outfits ahead of time (you can see some of the planning here on instagram). I still threw in some favorites because I knew I was going to change my mind, and because we don't have exact plans of what we are doing yet, but I'm hoping that this pre-planning will help me on days when I don't know what to wear. 

Here's what's coming with me:

Tops: 
- 5 blouses (top to bottom: ASOS, Loft, Loft, J.Crew Factory, J.Crew)
- 1 long sleeved striped shirt (Loft)
- 3 tees (Boden + Everlane)
- 1 cardigan (J.Crew Factory)
- 1 sweater (Banana Republic Factory)

Bottoms: 

- 3 shorts (Gap + Old Navy)

- 1 skirt (J.Crew factory - current version)

- 1 pair of jeans (Madewell)

- 2 dresses (Target)

Accessories

- 1 crossbody (current version - mine is "vintage" via Etsy)

- 4 necklaces (c/o oNecklace, Forever 21, c/o BaubleBar - available next week)

- 1 watch

- 2 rings (the x-ring is my new favorite!)

- 2 belts

Shoes
Madewell + Target (the ones I ordered last week didn't come in time, but luckily I found my favorite pair from last year hiding in the garage!)

I left a little room in my suitcase because I'm hoping to find a few special pieces to come back with me. Last year in Seattle I bought my favorite pair of jeans (I found them for $30 on the sales rack!) so with so many stores right at my finger tips, I'm keeping an eye out specifically for another pair of jeans (lighter coloring, a little distressed - like this pair) and I'm hoping to find a cognac crossbody bag (like this beauty). Having a plan, and being willing to spend a little more on things I know I'll wear for years will help prevent having grabby fingers about every cute thing I see!

and for what I wore for a 6 AM departure time...

Blouse: Loft [exact]

Pants: Gap [similar on sale]

Watch: Michael Kors [exact]

Bag: Madewell [exact]

Flats: Banana Republic [exact]
Nails: Essie [exact]

Bri and I will be 'gramming like crazy - follow me here and her here!

be right back.

I was a litttttttttttle stir crazy this semester. We live in a city of 100,000, which is a fairly decent size, but still somewhat small. The closest larger cities are about two hours away, so with very limited free time, I didn't leave the city all semester. Now that we have all the free time in the world (!!!), I can't wait to get out of here and visit other places. 

This weekend we went to Cleveland - I've only ever driven through on my way here from Wisconsin, so I was so excited to explore! After a quick twitter crowd-sourcing, we decided to see the West Side Market (where we got amazing desserts), stopped for a quick beer at Bier Market, walked around the little shops, and then drove to Crocker Park to go shopping (there are a few pictures on my instagram...mostly about food). Although most of the big stores were visited, I ended up only purchasing a tie, and it wasn't even for myself ;) I had hoped that I could have tried these shorts on at Gap, but they only had size 25s and 33s. It's probably for the best that I didn't find anything though because I just ordered this dress as a "congrats on finishing your first year" present for myself. I had set a bit of money aside to buy myself something (not out of the budget) so I'm hoping it works out! I'm so happy we got out of town for the day and got to see a city that is so close to us. We're already planning another trip back at the end of the summer to go see some of the museums and go on a brewery tour!

Blouse: The Limited [exact - everything 50% off]

Jeans: Madewell [exact]

Belt: The Limited 

Shoes: Old Navy

Earrings: Tiffanys [exact]

good bye seattle!

Tee: Everlane
Cardigan: Gap [similarish]
Shorts: Gap Outlet [similar]
Purse: Coach [current style]
Sandals: Target [exact]

On Wednesday I was off by myself as both Bri and Kimmie had to be working/mothering adults that day. I loved having both act as my tour guide, but it was also nice to go off and be a bit more touristy by myself. I felt I had a bit of a handle on down town Seattle so I went off to go exploring. I started off by taking the monorail down to the Seattle Center. I just walked around the grounds for a little bit when I ran into the purple wall of the EMP Museum. I had a flashback to this post Kimmie wrote (I had read through all of her archives and remember thinking how cool it was) so I had to recreate it. I like how my cardigan kind of matches the wall - not planned ;)

^^from Bri's favorite espresso "cart" (the world's first!)

After my little selfie photography, I walked down to check out the international fountain and waited for the show...which never started. I texted Bri asking why nothing was happening and it turns out, that day was the day it was down for maintenace! boo. Next time (because there WILL be a next time!). I had wasted just enough time for the Space Needle to open. It was actually pretty awesome being there so early. I got a discounted ticket, I rode up the elevator by myself, and had the whole observation deck to myself besides one other couple.

^^the lake we rode on the ducks & paddle boarded in!

Afterwards I rode the monorail back and headed down to Pike Place Market to buy an OMG Peach, a coffee mug for Chris from the original Starbucks (it wasn't as busy at 8:30 AM on a Wednesday as it had been at 10 AM on a Saturday), and flowers for Bri. I waited for Nordstrom Rack to open, and then went looking around for the third time on my five day vacation. I almost walked out with nothing but then I found these jeans (finally!! I've always wanted a white pair, and especially after seeing how great Bri's always look), this shirt as a complete Bri copycat (mine's grey though), and a bright orange (who am I?!) silk tee thing. Yay, Seattle souvenirs! ;)

Then I headed over to Nordstrom and it was ccrrrrrrraaaaaazzzy. We don't have a Nordstrom in Wisconsin, so I'm not used to 1. all of the expensive stuff and 2. the craziness that is the semi-annual sale. I used this time to figure out what size trench coat I wear, to go look at my future Chanel bag (in 4-5 years), and to try on this dress for size. Now that I know what size I would wear, I'm going to stalk eBay so I can find one for 1/4 of that price! Keep your fingers crossed for me. 

I went and got Bri from work, and we headed back to Nordstrom to eat at the cafe (we also don't have department stores in Wisconsin that have cafes - I feel we are missing out). So much good people watching! The food was delicious and I suppose the company was alright too ;)

Then, because I'm a HUGE Grey's Anatomy fan, I insisted that I needed to go ride the ferry boats.

I don't think that if you go visit Seattle that this is necessarily something you need to do, because after the initial views of the skyline it's kinda boring, but I'm still happy I went. It was pretty beautiful out there.

That night Bri and I walked around Green Lake again, had sushi as a farewell dinner, and then she dropped me off at the airport. You guys, it sounds so silly when you say it out loud, but this stranger that picked me up from the airport and let me stay in her beautiful home has become such a good friend to me by the end of my stay. Bri is like the definition of good people - warm, welcoming, excited to show you her city, and kind. We had so many laughs and like it honestly pains me that I don't get to spend every day with her. Bri, thank you for the best vacation of my life. Can't wait for the next one :)

via Bri's instagram