Stay Inspired!

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Don't have the opportunity right now to go out and experience something new?  Just get lost in a book.  Among other things, a good book lets you go on the characters' journey along with them.  You can get lost in their world and end up seeing yours in a different light.  Personally, I love a wide variety of stories, but I tend to get lost in books like Pride & Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre. It's my way of visiting England while having to stay at home.

What books have taken you on an adventure?

Stay Inspired!

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I have found this to be true.  I would rather fail than always wonder what if I had tried and succeeded?  If you fail at what you set out to do, you still come away with other experiences and knowledge.  "Nothing in this world worth having comes easy."  Be willing to get out there and live a life you love!

Style Find

I will be the first to admit (well, maybe the second as hubby will willingly point it out as well) that I have expensive taste.  But my bank account doesn't always support that.  So while I will share awesome style finds to drool over, I also want to share some affordable stuff as well.

The other day I was walking through Target and found these comfy looking pieces.

They are cute and really soft with a v-neck and racer back.  They would be great dressed up with a cute, fitted blazer, too.  Hmmm, I feel a shopping trip coming on for one!  I'm not a teeny person (between a US size 4 and 6, depending on the brand), but I bought two colors (Xavier Navy and Moxie Peach) in XS and they are perfect. And were only $10 each!  I'm particularly fond of the navy because I think it is very slimming, but I love the bright, summery peach, too.  During the same trip, I found these shoes which are ridiculously cute and comfy!  I love that they can be youthful or mature, so anyone of any age can wear them.  They are great with skirts or jeans/shorts, so they are very versatile.

And for something to drool over, I'm loving the Carolina Herrera Spring/Summer 2014 collection.  LOVE!  It was hard to pick my favorites, but these two are winning my heart at the moment as favorite day and night looks.

They both just make me want to hop on a plane and wear them in Paris.

What style find are you loving so far this summer?

Dream Trip - London

Ahhh, London.  Anyone who knows me even a little, and you will probably notice it a bit here ;), knows that I have this desperate need to go to London.  My heart is just leading me there!  We try to take road trips around Florida as often as we can, but this will be our first really big trip.  When we'll be able to, who knows, but I can't wait!!

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There is something for everyone in London!  Here are the top 10 London attractions, according to VisitLondon.com.  There are so many museums and historic buildings I would just love to visit!  Including the British Library.

info on the British Library

Wow.

The London Eye is a must-do for me.  How incredible would it be to enjoy a glass of champagne or a wine tasting while enjoying the gorgeous view?

 visit my Pinterest boards for London pictures and more

As a lover of tea, I want to experience a proper afternoon tea.  I'm leaning toward The Orangery at Kensington Palace.  One of my favorite bloggers, Rosie at The Londoner, invited her readers to join in her experience at Fortnum's.  This looks fabulous, too!  The Conde Naste Traveller suggests the Mercer Street Hotel for a child-friendly tea.

Any fellow geeks reading?  I'm a huge Doctor Who fan and you KNOW I'm going to go find a blue police box and hope to run into the Doctor.  ;)

There are so many incredible things I would love to do in London.  I didn't even touch on things like Hyde Park, Tower Bridge, the changing of the guards, and so much more!  This was just a random smattering of things I'm excited about, but I will revisit London on another Dream Trip post in the future.

Stay Inspired!

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Whether it is a hop across the pond or lunch at that restaurant in town you've been dying to try out, incredible memories can be made anywhere!  Always take any opportunity that comes your way to try something or go somewhere new.

Weekend Extra - Flying with Kids

Flying with children can be difficult.  Especially if it's their first flight, you never know how they are going to react.  I was lucky, A was a great flier, even when her first flight was when she was 8 days old (long story).  Even if they have flown a million times, though, kids can be unpredictable and it's a great idea to be prepared.  Bringing their favorite snacks and games are great to keep them occupied, because let's face it, even adults can have a hard time sitting in one place for that long!  You're hopefully headed off to go make some wonderful family memories, so why not start on the flight over?  I found a great list at No Time for Flash Cards to give an example of what to pack for that long flight this summer.  Do you have anything to add to the list?

Little Talbot Island

While the important reason for our long Memorial Day weekend here in America is to remember those who have fallen to protect our country, it is also a time synonymous with beaches and barbecues.  Hubby happened to be off as well (he doesn't always get holidays off with his job), so we decided to not worry about crowds and head somewhere sunny.  Little Talbot Island State Park in Florida is not far from us, and it sounded lovely, so we hopped in the car. 

After a picnic lunch, we trekked past the sand dunes and onto the beach. 

Luckily, it seemed like we picked a spot most families wouldn't think of, considering it is surrounded by more popular spots.  We had passed a park on our way that had a really long line of cars just trying to get in and park.  Here we had plenty of room to frolic.

I wouldn't say Little Talbot Island was the most picturesque beach I've ever been to, but I loved it nonetheless.  During low tide, the ocean leaves a tide pool to wade in and find sea creatures.

The water was not this green.  I have no idea what my camera was doing.

A trip to the beach is not complete without jumping in the waves!

It is only $5 per car to get in and there are a lot of pavilions to barbecue or have a picnic.  We were sad to leave, but we departed with a pocket full of seashells and minds full of memories.  We will be back, Little Talbot Island!

Stay Inspired!

Mondays can be rough, whether your Monday is the beginning of the week, or your work week starts somewhere in the middle.   Even if you don't work outside of the home, it can be easy to get lost in all the "must dos" of the day.  Take some time today, even if it is just 10 minutes, to do something that makes you happy.  Read a chapter in that book you've been meaning to get to.  Throw some cookies in the oven, homemade or store bought dough... doesn't matter, they'll be delicious and your house will smell great!  Go for a walk if the weather is just begging to be enjoyed.  Or just sit down with a nice cup of tea, wine, whatever you like and breathe.  I do believe that even a small bit of time each day can help keep your spirits up and keep you inspired!  Live a life you love!

Weekend Extra - Beach Trip Packing List

Memorial Day weekend is here!  A lot of people will be heading to the beach this long weekend, and I found a helpful carry-on packing list (though it's great for packing in general, even if you're road tripping it) from thrifty little blog.  Sometimes I have to be reminded to pack things that will easily take an outfit from day to night and other things that will help me pack lighter.  This is just clothes, so always remember other important things like sunscreen and your passport/IDs if going out of country! 

Even if you aren't headed out this weekend, this will be helpful for 4th of July trips and just the fact that summer is practically here!  Have fun and be safe!

Quick Stops To Make In Tampa

One last post about our time in Tampa!  We had to make a pit stop for hubby's work (since that was the primary reason we went), so we did a little more exploring while we were there. 

If you are as big of a book lover as I am, stop by the Old Tampa Book Company on your way out of town.  Hubby's boss mentioned that we should stop by, and I'm so glad he did.  The rain was about to get serious when we pulled up, so we just popped our heads in for a minute, but we could tell there were many treasures just waiting to be uncovered. 

Hubby's boss also mentioned how whenever he is in Tampa, he has to grab this soup from Bamboozle Cafe to bring home to his wife. What soup could be so good that he would bring it on the long car ride home?  Well, the place happened to be right across the street from the bookstore, so we scampered over to find out!  Now, I'm not always very into Asian food, but I was willing to give it a shot.  I'm really trying to be better at saying yes to things instead of being scared of stepping out of my comfort zone.  I grabbed the vegan pho soup boat and hubby got the beef.  This stuff really was awesome!  It had just the right amount of kick without being overpowering, and the spices were spot on.  We loved it!

If you're ever in the Tampa area, definitely stop on by!

So ends our trip to Tampa.  It was lovely and I hope we can make it back soon to discover more of it... perhaps the beach areas!

The Florida Aquarium

For our first full day in Tampa, we headed to the Florida Aquarium.

My daughter (you know, for simplicity's sake, let's call her "A" for this blog, shall we?) had never been to a proper aquarium.  She's been to Sea World, but she was about 2 months old, so I'm not counting that.  :) 

We spent plenty of time with my favorite animal, the river otter!  (Okay, if I'm going to be honest, my favorite animal is the SEA otter, but I'm not too picky. ;) )

This big guy, the Goliath Grouper, was pretty much as big as A.  So we told her to look like he was going to eat her.

Maybe she should have been more concerned about this charming fellow.

There is a dolphin cruise that leaves from the aquarium every day and you know we had to join in!  It was a beautiful day for a boat ride, and we even had a few friends come over to say hi.

Growing up, I wanted to be a marine biologist (and a singer, actress, veterinarian, and princess, but that's neither here nor there) so I was in my element.  A adored it, too, and couldn't wait to tell her fish back home what she saw.  :)

Tampa, Florida

We live in the Southern United States.  The Northern bit of Florida, to be a bit more precise.  About a month ago, my husband, Aaron, had to make a business trip down to Tampa, Florida.  Since it isn't too bad of a drive from where we live, we were lucky enough to be able to go down with him.  We made this trip when I had no thought of starting this blog, so any future trips I will make sure to take pictures of things like the front of the hotel, food at the restaurant, stuff of that nature.  :)

I had never been down there, and Aaron had only been on a quick trip for business once before, so we did a  bit of research before booking a hotel.  We decided on the Don Vicente de Ybor Historic Inn.  It was close to where Aaron had to go for work as well as the aquarium which was the most important thing we wanted to see as a family.  Walking up, the entrance way was nice, with wrought-iron tables and chairs and potted plants.

The charm and beauty comes when you walk in, however!

It is a small inn with only 16 guest rooms and a great event space.  They are known for wedding receptions and we even saw a bridal party there during our visit. The staff is very nice and helped us right away when we discovered our air conditioner wasn't working properly.  There was only one staff member who was a bit stand offish, but the others made up for it.  One person wasn't quite as helpful as the others, but I believe he hadn't been working there for long yet, so he was probably still learning all the ins and outs. 

Generally we try to get a room with two beds, since there are three of us, but apparently the inn only had a room with one king-sized bed available.  Luckily my daughter is small, so we all fit just fine.

What I loved about the room was the small balcony.  Each room has one and I spent most of our hotel time just enjoying the sunshine.

 

For some reason we did get a kick out of the fact that we were right in front of a Scientology building.

The inn, like many others, has a free continental breakfast.  I made sure to enjoy my coffee each morning on their front porch.

The Don Vicente is within walking distance to historic Centro Ybor and we made a point of visiting shortly after arriving to get some dinner.

We decided on Hamburger Mary's.  The food is incredible.  We enjoyed every last bit.  I got the "Queen Mary": melted cheddar and jack cheeses with grilled onions, bacon, sauce, lettuce, tomato, and pickles.  I went the veggie route, though, and went sans bacon and substituted the meat for a portabello mushroom cap that they marinate in a homemade raspberry vinaigrette.  Delicious!  I wish I would have taken more pictures of it all, but I will do so next time now that I have this blog.  ;)  I did get a couple pictures of the "make your own s'mores" dessert.  This was way too much fun.  lol

Hamburger Mary's does have drag shows, karaoke, and the like in the evenings, but not in the afternoon/early evening like when we went.

Tampa had officially won me over.  :)

Well Hello!

Welcome to my little corner of the world!  Grab a cup of coffee and make yourself at home.  I honestly couldn't tell you why I decided to start this blog.  In the past year or so, something clicked in me and I decided that I have to be more open to pursuing things that will make my family and myself happy.  I want to travel and explore the world with my family, my beautiful 5 year old daughter especially.  I want to find my style again, now that I am no longer in my 20s (though my husband and I have agreed that I can stay 29 for a bit longer).  I want to experience life!  I think taking the opportunity to share places (restaurants, hotels, etc), tips, and style finds with you will make it even more fun and hopefully you'll find something helpful!  I hope that you will join me in my goal of making every day an adventure!

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