This is your life

I love everything the Holstee Manifesto says, so much so that I had the poster framed and it hangs on our wall to serve as a constant reminder to live life to the fullest. In our cozy one bedroom apartment, it can't be overlooked. I read these words while making coffee, paying bills and doing laundry. With new change on the horizon, I've been searching for inspiration. I haven't had to travel very far to find it.

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!

Graduation Day

Where does the time go? Feels like just yesterday that we packed up our Uhaul and moved from Miami to D.C. so Mark could go back to school. It takes a lot of courage to make such a big change and leave a life so comfortable. I never had a doubt about joining him on this adventure. If he was going, I was going too. I look back at the past nearly two years and feel so proud of all that he has accomplished. Change can be a very scary thing. Resigning from a great job, signing an apartment lease in a new city sight unseen, leaving our best friends and family behind. Tough decisions were made. But in the end I wouldn't change a thing. This has been an incredible journey and I'm so excited for what's coming next.

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.

Sign of Spring

Spotted today on my morning walk with Rusty...a sign of spring! Not to mention, birds were out chirping away. Ladies and gentleman, spring is almost here...

Monday Music: The Lumineers

Last week we saw The Lumineers play an incredible sold-out show at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. I have to say my favorite moment was when the band left the stage and set-up shop right in front of us to play "Ho Hey." I would have captured video but lead singer Wesley Schultz had a strict no cell phone recording policy that I wasn't about to break. Second favorite moment was when they played this new untitled duet. Warning, this song is really catchy! The band will be back in the D.C. area July 26th to play at the Merriweather Post Pavilion. Buy tickets soon before they sell out!

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.