DC Holiday

I wasn't in the holiday spirit after returning from my vacation. We spent Thanksgiving in Prague & I really didn't feel like Christmas was right around the corner. When I got home I felt like I had been hit in the face with all things Christmas. I figured it was time to come back to reality & attend some parties. So that's what I did this past weekend (obv!)

My friend Terrell invited a couple of friends over for craft night. She also made the prettiest drinks + food.

If these drinks don't get you into the holiday spirit, I don't know what does! 

The food wasn't half bad either ;)!

We made ornaments for her tree, such a cute idea! That's my Kate Spade inspired polka-dot ornament (haha!) I never said I was good at crafts ;).

Now I was officially feeling the holiday vibe! On Saturday, I met up with Zach at the Sculpture Garden to go ice-skating.

DC is so gorgeous! I love ice-skating in the nations capitol. If you are visiting or live here I highly recommend going. It's so fun + you can't get much better scenery!

It took us sometime to get used to being on the ice again. But once we got the hang of it we were rocking & rolling!

We had so much fun!

After ice-skating we checked out the holiday market downtown. I love markets like this! You can find unique gifts & yummy treats. Check it out!

Before we headed home we got a treat at DBGB & we looked at the Christmas tree downtown.

Now I am officially ready to go home for the holidays!

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Xo,

Emily

Power of 5

I am going to take a break today from talking about our recent trip to share the Power of 5. I spent the past weekend attending holiday parties & it was fun to get into the holiday spirit after coming back from a whirlwind trip but it also got me thinking. During the holidays it's easy to get caught up in our own lives that we forget to think about those who are less fortunate then us.

My aunt & uncle own a company called Ganesh Himal Trading. They are doing really incredible things (seriously inspiring!) One of their many ventures is called the Power of 5.

Ganesh Himal Trading started the Power of 5 in 2012 when they visited Nepal. They had the opportunity to meet two recipients of the ACP Girl Child Education Fund. Both of the girls they met received scholarships to help them stay in school for 3 years & they LOVED school. The problem was their scholarships to help them stay in school were ending & their family couldn't afford to keep them in school. 

Most of us had/have the opportunity to go to school & it wasn't even a question. Can you imagine having that opportunity taken from you? It breaks my heart!

Over 160 girls were facing the same problem. Determined to help these young girls Ganesh Himal Trading donated $5, for one month of school, believing they could get 2000 more people to do the same.

$5 can help a girl in Nepal attend school for one month. That means that for 20 days a young girl is reading, writing, learning with her friends, and stretching her imagination. What happens if she isn’t at school? She is three times more likely to be married before her 18th birthday and she is twice as likely to die in childbirth than if she completed primary school. $5 helps a young girl break the cycle of poverty.

In the season of giving let's help these girls get back to school & make their dreams come true! Donate here.

Please share this with your family & friends. The Power of 5 can go so much further with your help! I hope you all have a great week.

Xo,

Emily

P.s. Be sure to Like their page on Facebook to follow along on the progress.

The Colosseum & The Roman Forum

On our third day in Rome we stepped back in time & learned all about Roman history. First, we headed to the Colosseum to see where 50,000-80,000 spectators would come to watch the gladiators.

Imagine arriving at the Colosseum & coming through the arch into an amphitheater filled with a screaming crowd. It's pretty incredible to stand before the arch, take in the size of the Colosseum & imagine what it was like in it's glory days.

Now let's go in, shall we?

^ The first thing I saw when I walked in was a cross & the bright sun. Then I looked around, I was standing in the Colosseum! It took me a second to adjust. It seemed surreal!  

^ The Colosseum was built in 80 AD & is partially ruined from natural disasters + stone robbers. But it is an iconic symbol in Roman history. Isn't it mind blowing to think how old these buildings are?

^ Where they would keep the gladiators.

^ The nose bleed section of the Colosseum. Then we looked out onto the Arch & the Roman Forum from inside. 

^ After visiting the Colosseum we walked around the Roman Forum. 

^ The Altare Della Patria is absolutely stunning. I couldn't get over the view!

^ Watching the sun come down, I mean seriously how gorgeous is this?

We truly stepped back in time & experienced ancient Rome. We had more to see! Next up was Vatican City.

Xo,

Emily