Feel Good Friday- New Surroundings

We have truly enjoyed our first few weeks in our new home. Our favorite part? We are in the heart of the city & we can walk to everything. Pubs, bistros, markets, shopping, coffee shops, etc. it is all right outside our door. Here are some pictures of our new surroundings. 

 Gorgeous church that can be seen & heard form our front balcony.

All the food & shopping is right that way.

 A historic art museum 

Patios line the entire street

So close to the water this area is full of paths, parks, & lots of people.

Wedding...A Proposal

It is officially one week from our wedding day. But we wouldn't be here without the grand proposal right?! So here is how it all went down on August 13th 2012

It was the day after my birthday & my best friends wedding. We walked hand in hand to my favorite spot in Minneapolis, The Walker Arts Sculpture Garden. He had never been there before and I was giving him the unofficial tour. The park was full of different wedding parties, croquet players, & parents pushing double wide strollers. He pulled me off the beaten path onto the grass directly facing the famous spoon & cherry. With his arms wrapped around me his heart was beating fast... a little too fast for just a stroll (come on he is an athlete I thought he was supposed to be in shape). It was then and there he spun me around and it all happened. I wish I could remember every little detail but I was in complete shock and could only murmur the words omg stop it (in a good way)!

The first phone call went to my parents who were conveniently located around the corner eager and willing to celebrate with bubbly! The evening continued with dinner at Chino Latino our first date spot nearly 5 years ago. It ended at Marvel bar where we continued the celebration with close friends.

Little Update

It has been quite an eventful & stressful last few months. I have been dying to share with everyone our exciting news. Those who know me well know I can't keep a secret for the life of me. So while we revealed our news to immediate family & close friends, I was bursting to tell the entire world. As we transition into the second trimester I can say I have had a pretty normal pregnancy thus far (so I am told). However, I didn't seem to think puking from the site of avocados is normal. Until I realized  almost everything made me gag. I found comfort in Annie's mac&cheese and bunnies, of course. My girlfriend teased the baby  would come out orange.  I have been able to continue yoga practices & running although, not as often as I would like. I am excited to return to teaching flow yoga when we return from the wedding. As far as the baby bump goes it is small but there :) Bearsy is pretty excited about the baby & he seemed to know well before we did. He sleeps under the covers on my growing belly. I think he is already assuming the role of protective older brother.

All About the Shoes

My fiancé has promised not to look at this blog post. Therefore, I am able to share with you pictures of my wedding shoes! Many of you voted & gave your opinions on what you thought would fit well with a beach wedding. Here is what I decided on. For the evening before I went with ah-mazing ice blue leather platform pumps featuring a squared off toe & chunky heel. They will be paired with a strapless tiered dress made from vintage lingerie. Sweet & sexy.

 For the actual wedding I will be pairing my vintage a-line dress from the 60's with scaly snakeskin embossed peachy nude pumps. I am most excited about their 4.5"inch heel & 1.5" platform (can you say hello illusion of long legs). Beachy & bohemian. 

Must Have Monday- To the Max

This Must Have Monday is all about the maxi dress. I swear they are your best friend when you are pregnant in the summer. Long, cool, easy & comfortable is what I am going for. I love pairing it with heels & bold earrings for evenings. For the days I knot up the side (so I don't trip) & pair with long necklaces & mocs. You better believe that my suitcase is full of these for the wedding festivities/honeymoon. This season I chose an easy every day one, two-toned, strapless, sexy, & striped!

Bobi- tiered tank dress @ Stephanies Shop MN

Chaser- leather back maxi dress $172.00

Splendid- strapless maxi dress $118.00

Tart- genie stretch-jersey maxi dress $110.01

Quicksilver- heat wave stripe maxi dress $74.00

Feel Good Friday- Happy Bday

It has been an eventful month for my little brother. He had prom, graduated from high school, college orientation, & now his 18th birthday. I want to wish him a very special happy birthday from way up here in Quebec City. You can now play Slotsky at the Casinos & go to the bars with us in St. Maarten & Quebec :) Enjoy this time, you are finally an adult. 

 Love ya Gruff.

Moving Chaos

Moving day, well what can you say about it? It was crazy long & a lot of work. But what moving day isn't? Our day started at 7am & we finally crashed somewhere after 1am. We had such wonderful help from all of our friends & family. We greatly appreciate your patience (several Uhaul trips) & strength (appliances up 3 flights of stairs). Our condo is slowly starting to come together. Here are some pictures from the chaotic day.

Let the moving begin!

 Will it all fit? Million dollar question.

 Little closet....  lots of clothes.

 Garbage corner.

 What will be my office area.

 Not for sale! 

 Main hallway

Bear could you get off your buns and help?

Oh baby!

Big things in the works for us. New condo, wedding, & a baby :)

Beach Necessities

Our destination wedding is right around the corner! I have already planned what to pack. Here are my must haves for staying cool, relaxed, and stylish on the beach.

1). Planet Blue hair ties 

2). Wildfox Indian Brave tank dress

3). Joe Fresh flip flops

4). Fresh Sugar lip treatment

5). Neutrogena sensitive skin sunblock 

6). Bose SoundLink 

7). Vintage floral sheet

8). Vintage striped floppy sun hat

9). bkr water bottle

10). Bumble & Bumble surf spray

Must Have Monday- Naked

This Must Have Monday is the Naked 2 Palette from Urban Decay.  With much success in their first color set, many of us beauty groupies eagerly awaited the release of their second. While it took me a while to actually cave in and buy it, I must admit I am extremely happy. The second addition showcases a dozen stunning shades. The palette has matte, sparkly, light, dark, & everything in between. With this set I can say I have successfully mastered a subtle day eye & a dramatic evening look. The free lipgloss is a mauve color that doesn't sit well with me. Little bonus the cruelty-free good karma shadow/crease brush is actually phenomenal. The crease brush allows you to create a perfect cat eye liner every time & that says a lot coming from this gal with her shaky hands. 

Feel Good Friday- Happy Dad Day

I was so lucky to be home for three weeks with my fam. Unfortunately, I am not there over Father's Day. So I thought I would show my dad a little love from afar. Here are some of my favorite pictures of us together throughout the years. 
Thanks for loving & inspiring me. Happy Dad Day love ya George! 

 

 

 

 

I hope to get a really good picture of us together at the wedding. We haven't had a good one in a few years!

Movin Day..almost!

We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. We finally get the keys to our new condo!!! A majority of our goods are in storage the rest is sprawled out everywhere from our U-Haul. Our poor families have had to put up with us & all of our luggage for nearly a month now. We are so excited to settle into our new place. I can't wait to unpack, decorate, & make it our own. Poor Bear doesn't even know where home is anymore!

Is it weird?

I am officially back in the beautiful province of Quebec. It took only a few short hours for me to remember why my fiancé & his family are so lucky to live here (me too now)! The city exudes history, charm, and a sort freshness if you will. Local vendors line the streets with fresh product grown no where other then right here. The mall parking lots are empty on hot days. Rather the parks & streets are full of bikers, runners, children playing etc. I love everything about this city....minus the language barrier & that pesky double kiss greeting. It gets me every time. 

Do I go in left side first or right? If we both go left I practically just made out with you. Did I go in too aggressively? Do you make a loud smooch sound effect? Or soft? Now do my lips actually touch your cheek or is it more of an air kiss? Call me a typical midwestern but I like to give a slight wave to people I kind of know & a giant hug to the ones I do. Why is greeting people here so stressful for me!? Is it weird I would rather embrace someone in my arms then lean in for a double cheek kiss?

Honeymoon- Eden Rock

I have literally been drooling over our honeymoon location. With it's stunning beach, delicious restaurants, and eclectic art gallery I can hardly contain my excitement.  I can't wait to have our own pictures from the trip but, until then these will have to do :) 

This place oozes art, fashion & beauty... oh the fun!

Must Have Monday- Sugar Lips

I am the chapstick & lipstick queen. I love trying new colors and exploring different brands.  However, I have a hard time spending over $20 bucks on a chapstick. I have been dying to try Sugar by fresh; it seems to always be in the checkout aisle at Sephora. I finally bit the bullet & gave into this little brown tube. Let me tell you... my lips have never been so shiny, smooth, & hydrated. The best part is it contains SPF 15, reparative oils, waxes, & real sugar. With daily use it has lasted me well over a month. I say next time you see this little guy scoop it up!

Feel Good Friday- Grimes

A fun little jam for your Friday from Grimes. Happy Weekend!!

Wedding Countdown 4 Weeks

In exactly four weeks from today we will be saying our " I do's" on the beach of Mullet Bay. The guests are invited (only 13), the songs are selected, & my dress is lined (thank goodness). Our condo is situated right on the beach & I can't wait to park my buns right in the sand. We have little to no plans besides the ceremony & dinner (obvi). Rather, we are going to bum around, have a bonfire on the beach, & soak up the sun. 

The day after the wedding we will be taking the ferry to St. Barths for our five day honeymoon. Stay tuned for more updates!

The little things...

There are so many random little things that I find just make me happy these days. Like......

Ice cold glass of organic Santa Cruz cherry lemonade

Reading a book in the morning sun

Juicy watermelon

Sitting in the shower (weird I know)

Winning at Monopoly against my brother

Thunderstorms

Girl time

S'mores