The Liebster Award

I am so excited! Emily from the Vivre Blog nominated me for the Liebster Award, thank you! This blog is my outlet & I love dreaming up new content to share with all of you. 

“The liebster award is a cyber award (it exists only on the Internet). it is given by bloggers to other bloggers. liebster could mean anything from dearest, sweetest, lovely to kind & valued. it was created years ago to discover new bloggers and is awarded to newbie bloggers. once awarded you have to nominate newbie bloggers to receive the award and link back to the blogger who nominated you.”

Emily from the Vivre Blog has asked me 10 questions to answer to give you a bit more information about myself & my blog! I hope you enjoy, here they are:

1. Why did you start your blog?

Amber & I started this blog after graduating from college. We were both going our separate ways & wanted a place where we could share our journey as "Twenty Somethings." This blog has turned into much more than that for me. It has become an outlet to express myself, share my thoughts, ask for opinions & hear from others.   

2. What is your favorite quote?

"Your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what your put on earth to do with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling" -Vincent Van Gogh

3. What does your perfect day consist of?

Hm... This is a tricky one! A perfect day for me is spent with family & friends. We could be exploring a new city, traveling, relaxing by the pool, hanging out playing games or trying a new restaurant. It doesn't matter what I am actually doing as long as I am with people I love.  

4. What are your pet peeves?

Hair on the floor or in the sink. Clean it up!

5. Do you have any guilty pleasures? if so, what are they?

Um of course I do! I have a HUGE sweet tooth. I love ice cream & candy. It's really hard for me to turn down both of these things...

6. Who inspires you?

I have lots of amazing people in my life who inspire me everyday. But I think one of the most inspirational people I have ever had the chance to meet, work with & learn from is my old acting teacher, Jim Jarrett. The story of his acting career, how he became an acing teacher & what I learned from him has always stuck with me throughout my life. Even after I decided not to pursue acting full time I will never forget how much he inspired me. I can still hear him telling me "talk is cheap!"

7. What is the best book you have read recently?

I have been terrible at reading lately. But right now I am reading This is Where I Leave You, so far I am enjoying it. Stay tuned for a review!

8. What is your favorite childhood memory?

Many of my childhood memories are of my sister trying to kill me (haha!) No but really, the girl hated me when I was a baby. She was jealous of me ;) & wanted to be an only child. But I think the funniest is when she convinced my babysitter I knew how to ride my bike. Long story short I ended up on the top of a hill (I didn't know how to ride a bike.) I basically ended up in the emergency room but, I got lots of Popsicles & Amy was super jealous. She was sad that her plan failed... But now what we are best friends. We look back on those memories & laugh. Although, we probably scared the living crap out of my parents (sorry mom + dad!)

9. what is your favorite restaurant in the city where you currently live?

Well this is really hard because I have a lot of restaurants I love here... I would have to say my favorite is Bourbon Steakhouse. I can't deny a really good steak dinner. I don't get to go here often but it's pretty much delicious. 

10. if you could travel anywhere in the world right now where would it be and why?

If I could travel anywhere I think I would go to Greece. Because I've always wanted to go & I want my mom to come with me because she would LOVE It. 

Now here are my nominees for the Liebster Award:

1. Erica from Sweet Endeavors

2. Sarah from Her Pursuit of Sunshine

3. Kim from Eleventh & Sixteenth

4. Emi from Well Traveled Wife

5. Brittany from Be A Floyd

6. Katie from KD Today

7. Brynne from Something of the Like

Here are my questions for you:

1. When you're not blogging, what do you like to do?

2. What's your favorite season & why?

3. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

4. What is your dream job?

5. What’s one of the scariest things you’ve ever done?

6. If you could meet anyone, who would it be & why?

7. Would you rather live in the country or a city? 

I can't wait to read all of your answers! Link back so I can read them & get to know you better.

Xo,

Emily

Far Far Away

Come November my sister, her husband & I are going on an adventure! We are going to be traveling to Rome, Prague & Thailand. I can't help but to think of all the things I am going to pack + how I am going to make it happen.

I've been saving money like crazy which cuts my budget back for spending on clothes. But since I will be transitioning my wardrobe into fall, I wanted to share some of my favorite picks + what I am craving for my vacation.

Rome & Prague

I've never been to Italy or Prague but I seriously can't wait. I can only imagine what these beautiful cities will be like in November. When it comes to traveling I like to be comfortable & stylish. I try to pack items that can be mixed & matched.

Day: Converse/ Striped Top/ Scarf/ Jeans
Night: Stripe Sweater/ Floral Tee/ Dress/ Flats/ Booties

Thailand

Coming from Rome & Prague in November, Thailand is going to be a nice treat. The packing is going to be VERY different. Swimsuits, light weight dresses & sandals are on the list.

Beach: Floral Two Piece/ Floral One Piece/ Palm Two Piece
Cover up: Palm Cover Up/ Pink Cover Up/ Embellished Sandals/ Yellow & Cream Sandals/ Beach Hat

Have you been to Rome, Prague or Thailand? I am knee deep in planning so, fire off your suggestions below. 

Xo,

Emily

#CityWeekly: Farmers' Market

One of my favorite parts of living in the city is having several unique markets at my fingertips. I love getting fresh produce, flowers  & anything else for the week.  I used to go to the Salt Lake City farmers' market with friends & I loved it. Since I grew up in a family run store, I am a huge advocate for supporting & shopping local.

Emily & I decided to share our favorite farmers' markets where we live. Check out Em’s picks over at the Vivre Blog.

1. Eastern Market

I’ve talked about how much I love Eastern Market before. I obviously had to include it in this post. This has to be one of my favorite markets in DC. It offers a wide variety! On Saturdays I love to go for the Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes & then shop. Favorite stops along the way through the market: gardeners gourmet, crepe truck, pickle truck & of course all the fresh produce you can pick up along the way. If you're in the area call me & we can go!

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2. Dupont Circle Farmers' Market
This market is perfect for a weekly produce pick up & is located in the heart of Dupont. It's open Sundays from 9am until 2pm but the schedule does change from January-March. I love going into the city to pick up seasonal fruits & walk along the row house lined streets. It's very dreamy!

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3. Courthouse Farmers' Market

I discovered this market when I moved into my apartment. I seriously had no idea there was a little farmers' market right outside my door. This market is a bit smaller but that doesn't mean it doesn't have great things. At this market you can find fresh produce, meats, cheeses, homemade bread & street vendors selling art + clothing. It's really cute & if you're in the Arlington area you should check it out. Oh & come by to say hi to me!

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4. Union Market

This is an indoor market that you can visit anytime. Union Market hosts pop up restaurants & shops as well as a traditional farmers' market. I recently took my first visit to the market to attend the Twitter Ice Cream social. Afterward I wanted to take a look around & see what all the fuss was about. I am sure it would be much more happening during the weekends but from what I saw, I liked it! I want to go back & check out Red Apron. Toki Underground also hosts a pop up there (calling my name!)

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5. White House Farmers' Market

I discovered this little market when I was interning in DC in 2010. It's really small & a great place to run during your lunch break to pick up some produce. You can't beat the view of the White House from the market! Where else can you do that? The market is held Thursdays from 11am-2:30pm & runs through October 30th. 

I am savoring every little bit of the warm weather. If you need me you can find me at any of these spots!

What markets do you like in your area? I am always on the lookout for great local spots when I travel. I would love to hear from you!

Xo,

Emily

Great Falls

This Labor Day I opted to stay in DC for the weekend. It was a perfect time to relax & hang out with friends. On Saturday Zach, Tony & I decided to head to Great Falls Park for the day. As I have mentioned this is one of my favorite parks in the DC area. So of course I had to do a proper post on it!

When I first moved to DC I lived in Great Falls with a family friend. It is such a pretty place & I honestly didn't take advantage of the park enough. After going back this weekend I got nostalgic about my days there. We decided to make it a point to visit more! We already have a trip planned for the Fall to see the leaves turn.

After arriving we went to the first look out point to see the falls.

We wanted to get a closer look. This is where the real workout comes in ;)!

Tony & I decided to get adventurous. We hiked to to top of the rocks for a better look out!

After climbing to the top we took in the views. So pretty!

We hiked back down & met up with Zach to walk along the river trail.

The trail takes you through the old canal & Matildaville. It's crazy to think of life before us & what this park used to look like. 

Don't forget to stop along the trail to see the water. So pretty & calm.

It was a perfect day trip. It was just what I needed. I love being able to get out of the city sometimes & explore my surroundings. I can't wait to go back this Fall (my favorite season!)

I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend! What did you do?

Xo,

Emily

Inspiration, Motivation & Together

I've been really bad at blogging this week. Dealing with things at home & working really has really taken a toll on me. One thing I love about this blog is that I can come here & share my thoughts. Writing things down & putting it on paper soothes me. Lately I've needed inspiration, motivation & to know I am not in this alone. 

Here are some things that have been helping me lately:

Inspiration

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Motivation

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Together

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This little blog of mine showcases my life through the happy times, hard times & everything in between. I hope you can relate! Have a great weekend.

Xo,

Emily