A Visit to Butler's Orchard

My sister, brother-in-law and almost 2-year old nephew Dylan came to D.C. last weekend and despite the crummy weather and government shutdown, we still had a great time. Thankfully, the rain turned to a light mist for a couple of hours and we were able to go apple, raspberry and pumpkin picking at Butler's Orchard. The pumpkin festival was closed due to the weather but Dylan still had a blast running around and collecting apples that had fallen off the trees. He especially loved picking the raspberries and wiping his bright red juice covered hands all over his face. His mom loved that too! Before heading out, my sister and I picked a bunch of fresh flowers and made a very colorful garden bouquet that is now brightening up our apartment.

Of course, my camera battery died as soon as we got to the farm so these are all iPhone pics. Happy fall!

Sneak Peak: Our First Dance

This summer has been insanely busy, but in a very good way! On July 6, Mark and I tied the knot and our wedding was everything we could have wished for and more. Having all of our closest family and friends in one place was truly momentous. I now get to spend the rest of my life with the best man I know. I'm one lucky girl.

We're still going through the thousands of wedding photos but I wanted share this one from our first dance. We chose "You Are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne. We talked about taking dance lessons, but we were so busy leading up to the wedding and just didn't have the time. So we did one practice round for Mark's mom in her living room and I had her advice in my head come our wedding day - "Be a noodle." Now this may seem weird but it really made perfect sense. I had to let Mark take the lead and loosen up. All in all, I think we did a pretty good job!

Cherry Blossoms Galore

Hundreds of thousands of people each year travel to Washington, D.C. to see the beautiful cherry blossoms. It's a total gamble because you never really know for sure when they will hit their peak. Lucky for us, the National Mall is just over a mile away from our apartment so I traveled by foot (with Rusty) to catch a glimpse of the blooms. With all the tourists, it was hard capturing great shots without someone's head or arm in the frame! But I managed to snap a few I'm happy with.

Key West Holiday Getaway

Over the holidays we planned a last minute trip to No Name Key and Key West  - and it was probably one of our better travel decisions. I was looking through my pictures today and realized I never put these up on LLS. I'm so happy we stayed in Florida and found a way to put our precious vacation days to good use. First stop: The Caribbean Club to sit out on the dock, take in the scenery and enjoy an ice cold beer.

Instead of rushing straight to Key West, we stayed at a family friend's house on No Name Key for two nights. It was so peaceful and a great way to disconnect. We went kayaking, fishing and spent time at the famous No Name Pub. Order the pizza! 

Despite it being "the season," we were able to snag a room for two nights at The Weather Station Inn in Key West. Special thanks to the Innkeepers Association for coming through for us. I would totally recommend this B&B if you want to be close to all the action, yet still feel secluded in a rather romantic setting. We will definitely be back! 

We did Key West right. Walked around Mallory Square to watch the sunset and get a glimpse of the characters and their daredevil acts, bloody's and brunch at Blue Heaven and live music at the Green Parrot, the best dive bar on the key. Let's also not forget fruity drinks poolside at Dante's and a stop by Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden to meet Peaches the parakeet. 

Christmas in the Keys

We escaped to the FL Keys for a few days before heading back to D.C. A couple extra days of sunshine never hurt anyone. Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!

hey good lookin'

For months (maybe longer), Mark has been telling me that he wants to buy me new eyeglasses from this site called Warby Parker. He's clearly not happy with my current frames, and I really can't blame him. Then yesterday, one of the founder's and CEO of Warby Parker was in D.C. and after Mark heard him speak at Georgetown, I think he developed a tiny man crush. Once again, can't blame him. 

So last night we headed out to their Class Trip event, loaded a custom-designed bright yellow school bus and I got to finally try on these infamous frames. Happy to report that I drank the kool-aid. The price is right - just $95 including lenses, and for every pair sold, they donate a pair to someone in need. (Think Tom's but for eyeglasses.) And if you're one of those people (me) who can't shop online because you're nervous about the fit, they offer a program where they ship you (for free) five pairs of glasses to try on so you can be sure about your selection. Now I feel like Mark...totally going googly eyed over this company. 

Austin Comes to D.C.

The great folks at the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau invited Live Laugh Snap to the Gibson Guitar Showroom for the Austin Airstream Road Tour. As soon the invite appeared in my inbox, I knew it wasn’t going to be hard to convince a couple of the guys to tag along.

We drank Shiner Bock, ate Texas BBQ, toured the 1970s fully decked-out RV, drooled over one-of-a-kind guitars, and had front row seats to the Austin-based Marshall Ford Duo. Not bad for a weeknight! Otherwise known as the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin is definitely on my cities-I-must-visit list. I almost went last month to celebrate a girlfriend’s birthday, but couldn’t splurge for the $600 plane ticket. That’s ok though, now that I’ve had a small taste, it won’t be long until a trip is planned! Check out some pics below and also this music video which showcases some of Austin's local musicians.

Apple Picking

Ever since we moved to D.C., I've been dying to go apple picking! It's just something kids growing up in South Florida don't get to experience. However, I do have fond memories of riding around in my grandfather's golf cart going orange picking! Nevertheless, I was really looking forward to apple picking this fall season. The weather could not have been more perfect so we rented a car and ventured out to Larriland Farm after reading great reviews. The apples were plentiful and we got to pick several different varieties including Braeburn, Stayman and Fuji apples. We also went home with some fresh broccoli. And of course, we had to stop by the market for fresh, ice cold apple cider and fried apple fritters before heading back. All in all, totally worth the trip! 

Del Mar Dog Beach

We went looking for surf yesterday but ended up at the Del Mar dog beach since the waves were pretty flat. It was high tide and we found a group of pups diving for tennis balls. They didn't seem to mind when the waves came crashing down. Rusty on the other hand pretty much stayed on shore sniffing the rocks and seaweed, but every once in a while he would feel brave and try to keep up with the big guys. It was dog paradise and the perfect way for us to end a long week. We stayed for an hour or so just enjoying the scenery, making friends with the other dog owners, and talking about one day owning a house with the beach as our backyard.

Livin' the California Life

About a week or so ago, I hopped a plane from Miami to San Diego with two suitcases filled with clothes and of course, my pup Rusty. You see, one of the benefits of working remotely and having a boyfriend in business school, is that I get to go on adventures like this one. For the next two and a half months, we’ve made San Diego our new home and so far, so good. I told my mom the other day that when you’re outside here, it feels like the AC is on. No humidity, just cool and crisp.  Life is good, no complaints here. I’m just really looking forward to exploring our new city and meeting some new friends along the way. 

Exploring DC

Sunday was a gorgeous day and I really didn't have much to do except for a few errands. I decided to take advantage of the time and go exploring around town by bike. Let me just say that joining Capital Bike Share was a brilliant decision and I highly recommend to anyone living in DC without a car. And yes, I am that dork with a bright pink helmet! 

My first stop was the National Sculpture Garden. I brought a book along and sat by the fountain sunning myself. It must be tourist season here because the National Mall was packed with people and graduates in cap and gown, and the double decker tour buses were out in full force clogging up traffic. 

Next was a quick trip to the National Archives Museum on my way to grab a bike home. Said hello to the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Ya know, just an average Sunday. 

I felt a little guilty knowing Rusty was inside all day and not getting to enjoy the beautiful weather. I picked up the poodle and we spent an hour or so lounging at Meridian Hill Park. 

You never know what you're going to see when you come to this park. Tightrope walkers, hula hoppers, yogis and you may even catch a few arrests! Yup, saw some dude getting hauled away in a cop car for what I assume was selling or possessing illegal drugs...but that's just my speculation. Nonetheless, we had a good time and met some new friends. 

The day ended with dinner at Lauriol Plaza but of course the restaurant had a ridiculously long hour and a half wait so we walked across the street to find $2.50 sake and Kirin Light. Not a bad day at all!