Thursday, October 31, 2013

a new york halloween

happy halloween 2013!

we are celebrating in NYC today,

so it's a little different this year.
but, we did still come up with a good costume-
gatsby + daisy..since we're in NYC we'll see if it comes to fruition.
either way, i married my very own gatsby, and we are in new york after all, so it works this year whether we actually get costumes on or not! (but i am secretly hoping chase slicks his hair and puts on a blazer...because he really can pull of that gatsby look!

see past halloweens here.

now for a few shots from our halloween day here:
west coast------------> east coast
a stop at chelsea market for food and to see the halloween decorations
we always love a good food market !!
{think: SF ferry building, seattle's pike market, boston's faneuil hall, philly's reading terminal market...
DC's eastern market, london's borough market, paris' every street...etc etc etc.}
we have seen some pretty good costumes all around the city--
can anyone guess what the one on the right is?  <<chicken cordon bleu>> hehe!
^^ the hell's kitchen flea market, unlike any other flea market. such gems here!
our fun neighborhood where we are staying this time.

have a happy halloween! more from the big apple soon.
xo

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

you are my bucket list

on monday we talked about our bay area bucket list...
bucket lists are one of my favorite things, because i love lists and goals and anticipating the future. i have always had them for different stages of life..but overall, my real bucket list isn't very long. my real bucket list is just life with my love. everything i want to do in this life involves my husband, and he makes everything we do ten million times better. i had lots of fun and checked off bucket list items all through life before i even knew him, but now he really is my bucket list and i am ordering this sign as we speak because it says it so well. i can't wait to have every adventure and cross off "bucket list" items togetherleaving on a jet plane for an adventure with him tonight!

xo

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

tuesday ten

1. saw this idea and love it--you make these little ghosts with a 
tulip shaped cookie cutter.. which i just happened to have.
happy halloween week!

2. i finally finished + ordered the book of our china trip
i love it and have looked at it every day this week since 
it was delivered. that trip, i mean...! it was a dream.


3. this is why we will always live in the west.
relaxed + creative? works for me!

4. umm greatest find ever this week.

5. finally spotted a glimpse of fall at google the other day.

6. our friends abby and ralph visited last week, i don't know why 
we didn't take any pictures other than this but we had fun!

7. passed these houses on my run yesterday. 
i can't handle them. i'll move in today.

8. let me introduce you to my husband and his particular 
ways with laundry...every polo tee must not be dried! 
if he gets any more we won't have any space to hang them!
what a cutie...and a nice excuse to let him do the laundry :)

9. this is what happens when chase is out of town like last weekend-- 
i text him dumb pictures to see what he thinks of my outfit, since he's not there. 
also i am messy when he's out of town, you can see that here too! oooops.

10. we may not have a full on autumn here, but i 
can't complain about the pink skies and palm trees.


and there's another random tuesday ten for ya!
xo

Monday, October 28, 2013

bay area bucket list

we l o v e the bay area.
it is the perfect place to be for us right now.
we can't believe we've lived here for over a year!
we plan to live here for a while, but eventually we might end up somewhere else.
so, we better take advantage of all the time we get to live in such an amazing place.
to better do this, we made a little bucket list. some we've done and some we need to do..we'll update as we check more off, but sharing it now for any other bay area lovers!
{the bigger font shows things we have yet to cross off the list!}
click on any we have checked off to see them.

bay area bucket list

•• san francisco •• 

{completed}
tacos in the mission 
california academy of sciences 

{still to do}
bike to tiburon together
sourdough class at la victoria's
alcatraz at night
walt disney museum
visit SF MoMA
picnic at the palace of fine arts
de young museum
go to a show at the cow palace
go horseback riding on ocean beach
yoga on the labyrinth at grace cathedral
go to a 49ers game
yerba buena gardens festival
ghirardelli chocolate festival
A's game
golden state warriors game
stern grove festival
fly kites on chrissy field


•• bay area •• 

{completed}
monterey 

{still to do}
stay a night at stinson beach
angel island state park
stay at the claremont hotel in berkeley
tour it's-its ice cream sandwich factory
lake merritt
quiksilver hiking trail
see a concert at shoreline ampitheater
sequoia national park
hike in the stanford "dish"
alameda island sand castle contest
visit el capitan in yosemite
russian river
downtown redwood city
burlingame
emeryville horse races
stay a weekend in mill valley
go to the gilroy garlic festival
cal game
eating tour through berkeley's "gourmet ghetto"
farallon islands
point reyes 
hot air balloon ride in napa
safari west in santa rosa
sharks hockey game
lake anza and lake temescal {east bay}
treasure island flea market
redwoods
go ziplining in the santa cruz mountains
hike mt. diablo
eat at nepenthe in big sur
see a movie and have dinner doing it at rialto
lake tahoe in the winter and summer
petaluma {see cowgirl creamery}
big basin state park
we're so lucky to live in such a beautiful place with so much to do. 
we've done a lot in the time we've lived here, but there is still so much
to do and see. we can't wait to check more items off this list!
see our guide to san francisco here!
xo

comment with any other bay area bucket list items!

Sunday, October 27, 2013

c&e throwback

this weekend chase is gone on a boys trip in LA for the USC game. 
i hate having him gone, but it's been fun to have some girl time with friends 
all weekend including pedicures, a dinner out downtown, and 
watching nashville on the couch until late late late.

...anyway, this weekend we are headed to new york city!
we love the big apple, and we've both visited a lot but the last time we went together 
we were dating! so obviously i had to go back in time for some pictures of that trip. 
as long as chase is out of town, i had an excuse to look through my iphoto at all 
of our dating pictures and reminisce! i put some old NYC pictures 
here along with a few others because, well i can't help it.
at the time of this new york trip, it was a big deal. i was at school in 
salt lake city and chase was living in washington DC so we were 
dating long distance. i was going to visit him over valentines day, and then 
a day before i flew out to DC he mailed me surprise tickets to NYC for part of the weekend! 
{he has always been a master of surprise.} so once i got to DC, we took the 
train to new york for the weekend. it was the best to celebrate valentines day 
there with him, and we were so young and in love and dreaming of our life together. 
we saw 3 broadways, ate the perfect meals, did the empire state building, stayed 
in greenwich village with friends who lived there, and splurged on our 
college student//washington DC intern budgets. i smile just thinking about it! 
it's crazy that it was almost 3 years ago..
^^ such nerds
while i was going through old photos to find these, i came across so many pictures 
that made me nostalgic for our fun dating years. the fact that chase is out of town 
made me love these pictures even more since i was missing him. here are a few 
other random throwbacks i have to share of us before we were mr. & mrs.!
 ^^4th of july in DC, when i lived there and chase was visiting.
^^ i miss jackson, and the boat, and the giddy feeling 
of bringing chase up there for the first time.
^^ the cutest book ever that i finally gave to the right boy
^^ when i came home from a trip once and chase brought my dog to 
pick me up at the airport. yes, he brought her IN the airport haha. 
the sign says: "we don't like when you leave us" ...swoon!
^^ what chase wrote while filling out our marriage license application :) 
^^ one of the cute love story doors we made for our wedding
^^ hawaii while engaged. i want to be tan again!
the first time i tried on my dress, and then how it hung outside my room for 
months before the wedding...i got more excited every day when i would see it!
sorry for the cheesy post. 
come home, husband.
and we're excited to see you again soon, NYC!
xo

Saturday, October 26, 2013

sweet potato turkey chili

say hello to our new go-to easy winter dinner. 
i made our own version of this healthy 
sweet potato turkey chili last week, 
and it's a keeper for sure. 
bonus, it's super healthy and even 
qualifies for the paleo diets..
{not that we would ever be capable of being so disciplined..but some of you are!}



  • lean ground turkey {20 oz. package, uncooked}
  • salt sprinkles, to taste
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 10 oz. can rotel mild tomatoes with green chilies
  • 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 medium large sweet potato, peeled and diced into cubes
  • sour cream, for topping {optional}

in a large pot, brown the turkey over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. season with salt sprinkles.

once the ground turkey is cooked through and browned, add onion and garlic into the pot. cook this for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. add in the can of rotel tomatoes, sweet potato cubes, tomato sauce, water, and some grinds of salt.


cover the pot and let it simmer over medium-low heat. leave it cooking for 25 minutes, stirring once in a while until sweet potatoes soften and cook through. you can add a touch more water if needed, but ours didn't need it.

serve and enjoy a few bowls since it's so healthy! 
xo

Friday, October 25, 2013

peanut butter no-bake cookies

my husband is out of town on a boys trip down in LA, and it's a foggy day 
here in the bay so it was a perfect time to share this recipe. 
we already know and love the regular no bake cookies,
but this version is just pb and it's oh-so-good.
peanut butter
 no-bake cookies
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • sprinkle of salt
{bring these ingredients to a boil, let it boil for one minute}
then, take it off the heat and add:
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1.5 cups oatmeal
mix together, and drop by spoonfuls onto aluminum foil or parchment paper.
let cool to set, and enjoy!

xo

Thursday, October 24, 2013

guide to rome

i'm slowly but surely trying to get all of my travel guides out of my drafts folder and published! my favorite hobby is collecting favorite places when we travel, so i try to share them here. i have so many more saved from over time, but haven't gotten them up yet..they are coming! here is rome in 3 days. we loved it oh, so much when we went earlier this year.
xo
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

we fell head over heels in love with rome last february. i’ve been all over italy, but had never made it to rome. i had heard it was dirty + crowded. not so! we adored the history, the tiny little charming alleys, the FOOD of course, and the sites. we had three days there, and it was the perfect amount of time. granted it was off-season so there were less lines, but i still think rome in 3 days is doable. here is our guide!
...in 3 days!

day one
1. arrive in rome and go to villa borghese park
it's a great introduction to the city, since it has amazing views to 
give you a sense of the city. it has a relaxed feel, and you 
can stroll around and peruse all of the pretty italian art. 

2. keep going until you get to the spanish steps
and go down those...stopping for a photo on the way down! i 
adored the spanish steps! it was one of those places that 
i know i'd go to all the time if i was a local.

3. the spanish steps lead you right down to the trevi fountain
it’s breathtakingly beautiful. way better than i expected. 
spend time and take it in! remember to make a wish and 
throw a coin in, promising to return to rome one day. 
{this was a pretty easy thing to promise for us!}


4. after the fountain, you can grab some pizza and then try
san crispino gelato 
nearby on via della panetteria 42, one street from the trevi fountain. 
it is really famous & fancy gelato. it is shipped all over the world 
and served in high-end italian restaurants in new york, vegas, LA, etc. 
it was our 2nd favorite gelato in rome, but it's worth 
stopping in because it's so well-known, unique and fancy.


5. later, stroll down the
via del corso for some shopping. i saw some 
of my favorite little boutiques in rome on this street. the italians know their fashion!


6. as you finish your shopping stroll, you will run right into the pantheon

it’s not a long stop, but it’s amazing. make sure to have someone tell you about 
the history, {there are cute old italian men who volunteer there} and 
notice the open hole in the roof! hopefully it’s not raining!


7. piazza navona is right off an alley from the pantheon, and 
our jaws dropped when we stepped into this piazza. 
i loved going at dusk, because the building was glowing 
and the musicians were beginning to play. 
a m a z i n g and so italian. definitely go here.


8. at night, head to
campo de fiori, a cute 
square with great cafes and a huge market 
every morning. {this is where we stayed, we rented 
a little local apartment off the square...bollo apartments}. 
there is live music, so don't pass up the chance to dance!

9. for dinner: our favorite meal was on a tiny street just off campo de fiori. 
it was called cantina lucifero, and I think we are still dreaming 
about that meal. it is the most authentic italian you can get! 
the owner and his friends can be seen eating their meal in the tiny restaurant 
around 6pm before the restaurant opens. they take their time and enjoy…
then, it opens up for the night. the owner is the nicest man in the world, 
and the pasta is being handmade in the back. if you're into wine, 
there is a famous connoisseur there who matches up the perfect wine 
for what you order. we didn't have wine, but loved listening 
to him sit down with other customers and go into such detail 
about the flavors. wow. every single thing we tried was incredible. 
i would give anything for that dinner again right now! 
favorite meal of the trip for sure. we all agreed on this. 

10. go to bed with tired legs and a happy stomach!


day two
1. on your second day, rent bikes or get a bus pass so you 
can get around easily after all that walking the day before.

2. head to piazza venezia in the morning, {again…stunning!!} go inside too!

3. then, get on a bus/ taxi to the vatican and take the tour. 
plan lots of time...there is a lot to take in.
**we recommend booking your tour of the vatican online ahead of time, 
so you can save yourself time and skip the ticket line when you arrive.**

4. before the long tour, you can stop by the famous 
bakery 24 close to the vatican for breakfast. {via barletta 27}

5. for the vatican, try to book a tour guide, or find one there. 
chase noticed an american priest speaking english as 
we were walking into st. peter's basilica, so he introduced 
himself and before we knew it, we had a personal tour 
from an american priest who had been studying in rome for 8 years 
and told us more than we could comprehend. it is 
always the best to find people like this! we learned and saw so much 
more because of him, and we're still in touch with him!
{he is happy to do tours for any visitors, so let us know}
the vatican is so amazing, our favorites were: 
st. peter's basilica, the sistine chapel, and those rafael paintings!

6. need a treat after all that art? old bridge gelato is a good one, 
right outside the vatican wall in piazza risorgimento 

{official address: viale bastioni di michelangelo 5}

7. head to the trastevere district for the afternoon and evening. it is so 
darling with its windy roads, and it's right on the west bank of the tiber river. 
stroll along, listen to the sound of accordions, and take in the beauty. 

8. for dinner, there are two great choices in the trastevere: 
try roma sparita first. it's hard to get into, so if the wait 
is too long you can try dar poeta pizzeria 
on vicolo del bologna 45. at roma sparita, please 
order the cacio e pepe. it is heaven on a plate.

9. for dessert, go have 
gelato at frigidarium. 
this is the most important thing you need to do. go here every day. 
i've never had anything better! get the frigidarium house flavor 
dipped in chocolate. what i would give for that at this moment! 
words can't describe it. it's right across the river from st. peter's 
on via del governo vecchio 112.

day three

1. breakfast at forno bakery for the best italian pastries known to man


2. head to the coliseum-- make sure you get there earlier rather than later,
so that you can get tickets and spend time in there! for the coliseum-- we read
a lot about it beforehand, and then rented an audio guide and chase listened and
told us about it. it was an inexpensive way to hear about the coliseum without a 
guide, but if you haven't read beforehand you may want an actual tour guide! 
the coliseum is crazy and so much more interesting when you know details about it.


3. go explore castel sant'angelo-- this is where the pope used to come
for refuge if the city was under attack. there are tunnels that lead from the 
vatican to this castle, so they could secretly and safely transport the pope.
pretty crazy! this castle is so pretty with the river right in front.

4. grab lunch at da francesco pizza-- it is a little bit hard to find in a tiny little square..
but it's worth it once you find it. the address is piazza del fico, 29.

5. for your final dinner in rome, choose somewhere off a city square, or head to 
 the armando al pantheon, which is known for its classic pastas. yum!
don't forget to stop by frigidarium one last time!

*to see what is going on in rome during your visit, 
check out the rome digest here *


and, that's it! ciao roma!
xo

see all our posts from rome here: part one, part two, part three, part four {video}