The Late Afternoon

Every so often, Mike and I take a trip to Santa Cruz to visit my sister to spend the day eating and playing around the little beach town. She always plans the best days for us. We definitely took advantage of the gorgeous weather this time around by being outdoor as much as possible. We brunched at Cafe Brazil, explored the Swift Street Courtyard and downtown, played games on the Boardwalk, and ate a delicious Italian dinner from Lillian’s. We found a bunch of little stores with lots of unique finds and ate delicious food. Short getaways make for the greatest weekends.

The best part about my current hour long commute is the sunset on my drive home. Luckily, the sun sets a little bit later these days, so I get a glimpse at this watercolor sky.

After four days in New Orleans, we are back with our heads filled with jazz and our stomachs full of deliciously fried seafood (and praline bacon and beignets and po’ boys and gumbo….yummm). Whether it the nightlife, the live jazz bands, the hearty meals, or the beautifully run-down French architecture, there is a certain spirit of New Orleans. And that spirit was amazing to experience. So amazing, in fact, that I slept thirteen hours the next day just to recover from all the fun we had!

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Don’t forget to enter our Shabby Apple Giveaway!

Hello friends! Have you heard of Shabby Apple? They’re a little shop filled with vintage-inspired clothing and accessories. You should definitely check them out! Lucky for you, we’ve partnered with Shabby Apple for a fun little giveaway featuring their “Key to Wonderland” necklace.

All you have to do is “Like” Shabby Apple on Facebook & leave me a comment below!

Our lucky winner must live in U.S. and will be selected on Friday, January 20th.

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1/20/2012 Update: Our winner is #1 – Rowena! Congratulations!

We’re heading to New Orleans to indulge in good eats, good jazz, and mostly, good adventure (including a swamp tour + gators!!)! So, so very excited to explore a new city – even with our early, early flight time! Any good tips? places to eat? things to do? I’d love to hear!