Trip to Madrid: Hotel

I have been looking forward to recapping my Christmas and New Years trip to Spain and Portugal. It was an amazing trip that took us to Madrid, Porto and Lisbon.

Taken in Plaza Mayor, a festive square that was full of Christmas markets.

While the majority of our pictures were taken in Portugal, I wanted to share where we stayed in Madrid, Spain: Melia Fenix.

We spent 3 nights here, including Christmas Eve and Christmas. It was a gorgeous hotel, with all the amenities and had a prime location.

Recap of our trip to Portugal to come soon!

Weekend Recap

Happy November! I hope you had a good Halloween weekend and enjoyed the bonus hour yesterday.

Here are some of our Austin Adventures from the weekend:

Austin's iconic postcard mural

S 1st Street & Annie Street

Gourdough's

(The most ridiculous and delicious donut truck around!)

We even managed to pull together some diy costumes for a fun date night.

They look strikingly similar to last year... Cat Burglar. (Same costume, different city = safe, right?)

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Adventures in Austin

We are finally feeling settled into our new digs in Austin.

We moved out of the short term hotel stay and into our apartment. It's so nice to unpack! Our place is in amazing proximity of great restaurants, a running trail on the water and the Whole Foods flagship store.

Juice Austin // Hey Cupcake // Bar 96 // Cafe 1886 (amazing pastries and brunch)

La Condesa

We love Austin. There is so much to do, see and eat! Definitely more adventures and explorations around Austin to come.

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Bachelorette Party in Jackson Hole

Over Fourth of July weekend, I celebrated my best friend's bachelorette party in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

We stayed at Spring Creek Ranch resort. It was close to town and had the most beautiful views. The grounds and rooms are gorgeous, rustic and spacious.

We had a fun-filled weekend that included horseback riding, white water rafting and a rodeo.

Last week I posted about looking for a great pair of denim shorts. I was lucky enough to find the pair of Joe's I'm wearing at TJ Maxx just before I left! Our fun 'Bride Tribe' tattoos were from the Etsy shop, Daydream Prints. Loved them!

Jackson Hole was absolutely gorgeous! If you have the opportunity to go, it's definitely a US destination spot. I can't wait to go back again when it's winter.

Here are a couple restaurants we went to:
• The Bunnery: Yummy breakfast and pastries
• Snake River Grill: Delicious dinner and such a fun setting
• Trio: Also great for dinner, a bit more modern

Best Carry-On Bags

After living in Dublin, the bird and I went through (and left behind) our carry-on bags. With lots of mini getaways this summer, I was in need of a new tote bag that would work as a carry-on and 'weekender.'

Here were a few favorites I found in my search:

Canvas Weekender // Striped Woven // Canvas + Leather Weekender // DAY bag // Pink + Grey Parker // Lo & Sons OG

I ended up going with the DAY bag. It's the perfect size for a long weekend and the material is durable and easy to clean. I also have the Cassidy tote from Sole Society. But I find this size is really only good for an overnighter.

Trip to Charleston

I wanted to include a Part II to our trip to the south. Plus, there was no way I could leave out Charleston.

When we found out we'd be traveling to the Carolinas, I was very set on visiting Charleston. So in between the two-week trip, we took a weekend detour and it did not disappoint. Charleston was so pretty and beyond charming.

Details: 

• VRBO
We rented a VRBO in Charleston (the blue cottage in the last pic). It was so cute and the inside was spacious and modern. 
The only downfall was the location was on the outskirts of town. Still walkable to everything, but not in the greatest area.

• Restaurants
The Daily (by Butcher & Bee): Perfect for breakfast on-the-go. Great coffee, juices, breakfast + pastries
Brown's Court Bakery: Delicious fresh pastries and coffee. Very cute spot.
Five Loaves Cafe: Great casual spot to eat on the north end of King Street
Husk: Great southern food + drinks
Poogan's Porch: Fun southern vibe + food

• Site-Seeing
King's Street shopping: Popular spot for shopping and restaurants
Charleston Farmer's Market: Saturdays, April-December
Charleston Waterfront Park: Pretty views and fun swings to lounge on
Walk along The Battery: Beautiful plantation style homes, historic landmarks

I was also lucky enough to meet up with some lovely bloggers (Jillian, Cait + Meg)! So sad we didn't snap a pic together. Next time!

Definitely visit this beautiful city if you have the chance. I would definitely go back!

Here is Part I: Trip to Nashville in case you missed it.

Trip to Nashville

Our road trip through the south was a success! Thank you for all the recommendations!

We worked our way through Nashville, Georgia, North + South Carolina and Virginia.

Here is our city guide from our trip to Nashville:

We forgot our good camera... so excuse the iPhone pics.

Details:

• VRBO
We opted for a VRBO here since it was close to town and sometimes it's nice to have a full set up if you're staying for 3 days.

• Restaurants
Hattie B's: The best fried chicken I have ever had.
Acme Feed + Supply: Great food + atmosphere. They also have live music & trivia nights.
Crema: The cutest coffee shop. Their breakfast menu is on point too.
Puckett's: This place has great reviews... but I think their most known for their breakfast.
Jack's BBQ: Very well-known for BBQ. Delish.

• Site-Seeing
The Gulch neighborhood: Up & coming area, foodie scene.
Broadway Street: All of the bars and restaurants for live music.
Ryman Auditorium & Grand Ole Opry: Larger music venues
Country Music Hall of Fame: Constantly changing exhibits for different artists

Relish Culinary Adventure review

I brought my big girl camera to our cooking class last weekend and after putting the pictures on my computer, I decided Relish needed a full review.

 This class was so fun and all hands-on. And as a bonus, we sipped Rosé as we cooked!

Before we cooked our pizza, we learned how to make mozzarella and burrata cheese. We put some aside for the pizzas and the rest onto plates with heirloom tomatoes, pancetta and aged balsamic for appetizers and side plates.

Here's a fun action shot of my brothers flipping their dough:

Such a fun night out with the family and a fabulous way to celebrate my mom's birthday!

Day trip to Bruges

While I was in Belgium a couple weeks back, I took a day trip to Bruges.

The city is so gorgeous and it was so easy to get to from Brussels via train.

There was a market in the main square, which was so fun to peruse. So many fresh fruit and veggies stands, food vendors and pretty flowers.

And then just like that... the sun (finally) came out!

I didn't stay in Bruges, but I did come across a couple lovely places worth noting:
• Dumon Chocolatier (Simon Stevinplein 11)
Arguably one of the best chocolate shops in Bruges. I brought a couple truffles back home and they were delicious.
• Gelateria Di Vinci (Geldmuntstraat 34)
The only gelato of the trip and it was absolutely superb! If you're in Bruges, make a pit stop!

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