sweet magnolia

As I arrived at the airport to check in for my flight last week, the individual checking me in asked my destination, "Waco, Texas" I replied. His response? "By choice?" We chuckled. No, not by choice; but really by choice. Who chooses to go to Waco, Texas of all places? If it weren't for my mother living there, or my parents being from Waco, I don't think it's a place I would have ever known about. Until Magnolia Market came along. Thank you Chip and Joanna for making Waco, Texas something to talk about. The Magnolia Market is amazing, and if you get there at opening time you'll be lucky enough to feel as though you almost have the place to yourself. 

Tips of the Silos!

My sweet momma and brother! 

I want it all.

The cutest food cart I've ever seen.

Très Bien

Très Bien, meaning very good, is the cabin we stayed at over Valentine's Day weekend; and a very good weekend it was indeed. We spent our time doing very little. Besides going out to check up on how much was left of Detroit Lake, we stayed in and did one of my favorite things. Cuddle. As if I needed a romantic holiday to celebrate my love for Erik, it was nice to escape and hide out in this A frame.  

So crazy how low the water still is.

Hello, gorgeous.

Two roses for two Valentine's together!

Best cuddle spot ever. 

I wasn't even upset about the amount of rain we experienced. Detroit, OR needs all the rain it can get!

Chocolate fondue will be our new thing, seeing as how Erik couldn't stop obsessing over it.

I think A frame cabins have become one of my newest obsessions.

Road to Hana

I wish I could be saying "Aloha from Hawaii!" right about now, but unfortunately I'm backtracking to the beginning of November. Le sigh. November was a wonderful time, as I spent ten glorious days in Maui. On one of these days, we decided to take the Road to Hana to check out the beauty of the island. It wasn't the ideal road, as it is more like a long roller coaster, but man were the views worth it. 

taking a break from car sickness

such gorgeous waters 

first waterfall of the hike setting high standards

Trying to capture the rain ^

if you've never ventured through a bamboo forest, I highly recommend it

i heart new york

New York has the capability of allowing me to escape life, as it is here that I am no one. It grounds me in a way most unexpected. It is the oddest thing to be surrounded by thousands, yet to feel completely alone and love it. This may not be the feeling for everyone, but for me, it is.  New York always makes me want more, as I could wander this beautiful, dirty place for eternity and still not feel like it is enough. Every neighborhood delivers the feeling that you've stepped into a new world although you've just turned another corner. I heart you, New York; for you are always living, always giving, and always offering me a photograph. 

finding beauty in greece

With as much excitement I had to experience all that is Greece, I really struggled there. Athens was nothing like we expected, as I pictured all of Greece to be coastal hillside towns, with white stone buildings and blue rooftops.  You know, like you see in the movies? Athens is nothing of the sort, as it is overly populated with the coast nowhere in site.  We did find it's beauty as we escaped to the old historical neighborhood known as Plaka, where I indulged in my first euro ever, and roamed old multicolored streets.  However, Plaka wasn't enough as we discovered Aegina Island was only a little over an hour away and we altered our travel plans immediately.  The Port of Aegina offers endless amounts of outdoor patios where you can take in the view. We spent the day walking along the port enjoying frozen yogurt, driving up into the hills, and learning about some of Aegina's history.  I'm truly happy I was able to relax here and experience a brief moment of coastal Greece before realizing my valuables had been stolen.  By the time that occurred, I was ready to head over to Italy. 

London

As soon as I arrived in London I immediately acquired an accent, or so I thought.  I couldn't help but walk around and pretend to know what I was doing.  I'm sure I worried my friends as they prepared for me to do this everywhere we went for the entire three weeks.  It did stop in London though, as it became a bit harder to pick up on entirely different languages elsewhere.  London was the first stop on our Euro tour, and an excellent way to ease into the culture shock of all the visited countries involved.  I fell in love with it's history, architecture, and fish and chips. It also reminded me a whole lot of New York, which is something I could never complain about.