Powder Room Update

We have been in our house for nine months now!  It's crazy to think that it has almost been a year since we started this journey of being homeowners.  There have been ups & downs along the way (more on that another time) & we are still working away at making it the perfect home for us!  One major thing to check off our list was the downstairs powder room.  Eventually, I would like to change out the gold doorknobs on all of our doors & replace the window blinds to wooden or bamboo shades, but for now it's perfect!  I'm really happy with how it turned out.  Have a look! :)

The first room I painted in our house was this bathroom, I actually started painting the day after we got our keys!  I used the color Polar Star by Valspar.  Another thing I wanted to do from the start was get a new mirror.  Turns out, the current mirror was glued to the wall & it wasn't coming down.  It was crooked & driving me crazy!  We decided to buy some wood & stain it, that way we could frame the mirror instead of buying a new one.  I think it turned out great!

Something else that we did early on (before moving in) was add some tile backsplash behind the sink.  This is one of my favorite things we did to this room!  It really helped transform it & add a little something extra to a boring bathroom.  We used this tile backsplash from Home Depot.  I love the look of the mixed glass & stainless steel tiles...I think it matches our paint color perfectly.

When we moved in, this bathroom (& the whole house) had gold fixtures everywhere.  The faucet, light & towel ring/toilet paper holder were all that brassy gold color.  We quickly switched those out to brushed nickel & it looks so much better!  

I'm excited to share the rest of our house with you soon!  Thank you for reading about our little bathroom makeover! :) XOXO

Girls Trip to Cabo San Lucas

Every year my grandma, mom & aunt go on a girls trip to Cabo San Lucas.  For the past five years my sister, cousins & myself have joined on several occasions.  This year, however, was very special because it was the first time that all eight of us went at the same time!  It's always a fun trip but this year was amazing because all the girls were together, which has been a goal of everyones for a long time.

We stayed in Cabo for one week & it was such a relaxing, laid back vacation.  We went to the beach, got massages, went snorkeling, had fabulous dinners, hung out at the pool, took a day trip to Todos Santos, went dancing, sailed on a pirate ship & so much more...

Our days consisted of going to the beach or pool & our nights were reserved for getting dressed up & going to dinner.  We went to our regular restaurants & hang out spots, but we also tried quite a few new places this year.  Three of the new restaurants we visited we absolutely loved!  I think they will be added to the list for next time :) 

Another new thing we did this year was take a day trip to Todos Santos.  Todos Santos is about one hour north of Cabo & is the cutest little town!  We rented a car & drove up in the morning.  Once we got there, we found the sweetest cafe to have breakfast.  We sat in a courtyard with plants & flowers surrounding us -- so beautiful!  

Todos Santos is an artsy town, so there were many art galleries for us to walk through.  It was so much fun getting to see different artists work.  We all purchased some beautiful artwork by Arturo Mendoza Elfeo (you should definitely check him out!) & had drinks/chips & salsa at the Hotel California before heading back to Cabo.

Some other highlights from the trip for me were snorkeling, going on a pirate ship booze cruise & of course, spending time with my family!  

I snorkeled for the first time back in 2014 on our trip to Cabo.  It was so much fun & I loved being able to swim in the ocean & look at pretty fish.  I knew I wanted to do that again this year, so on the day that we went to Lovers Beach, we rented some snorkel gear & my sister & I spent quite a bit of time out in the water.

We decided to try something a little different this year for the booze cruise.  We decided to do the pirate ship version this time!  We are all so glad that we did.  It was so entertaining!  The show went above our expectations, the food & drinks were great & we all had the best time.  The crew heavily interacted with the customers & were hilarious, the music was good, too!  I highly recommend it if you are going to be in Cabo!

Another successful trip in the books, it was nothing short of amazing!  Everyone got along, we had a ton of fun & tried some new things.  I want to thank my mom, grandma, aunt, sister & cousins for making this the best Cabo girls trip yet!  Especially my mom. grandma & aunt for everything they did with planning & making sure all of us girls had a great time.  Thank you!!  Now, who is ready for next year? ;) XOXO

All Things Scandinavian

Over the past six years or so, I have been heavily researching my family's history.  Ancestry is something that I have been interested in since I was a little girl & I love learning more about where I came from!  Recently, I decided to dig a little further into my husbands ancestry as well.  I learned that both of us have Scandinavian roots!  So far, I have found that our families have come from Denmark, Norway & Sweden - which happen to all be mainlands of Scandinavia!  (Finland, Iceland & Greenland are also Nordic countries that some people consider to be a part of Scandinavia.)

Here are some of my favorite things that come from Scandinavia & things that I would love to see:

Swedish pancakes - My grandpa & mom made these for us growing up & we always loved them!  Our family much preferred these to regular pancakes.  They are thinner than typical pancakes & they crisp up a little around the edges.  My favorite way to eat them is with syrup, powdered sugar & whipped cream.  Yum!!  

The recipe I used here (& the one my mom shared with me) is as follows: 

• 3 eggs
• 1 & 1/4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat eggs until thick & stir in milk.  Sift dry ingredients & add to mixture until smooth.  Drop batter onto hot, buttered griddle.  Turn when the underside is light brown.  Finish with your toppings of choice :)

Interior design - It's no secret that Scandinavians have style when it comes to interior decorating.  They have the light & airy minimalist look down & I absolutely love it!  Also, one of my favorite stores (I'm talkin' about you, Ikea!) originates from Sweden.

Photo via Pinterest

Photo via Pinterest

Photo via Pinterest

Photo via Pinterest

The Northern Lights - Scandinavia is one of the best places to see the beautiful Northern Lights!  Norway, Iceland, Finland...the possibilities are endless.   Even though these can be viewed in certain parts of the U.S. & Canada, I would love to stay at this hotel in Finland!  Looking up at the sky in a heated igloo with a glass ceiling?  How romantic!

Clothing - I love traditional Scandinavian clothing.  The bright colors, prints & embroidery make for absolutely beautiful pieces!  I also love that you can find traditionally inspired clothes with a modern update, like this top, this kimono & this skirt!

Photo via Pinterest

Copenhagen - I have to admit that I have never been to Copenhagen, but visiting this capital city of Denmark is definitely on my travel bucket list!  Every picture I have seen of Copenhagen makes it seem incredibly beautiful, there is something so captivating about it.  A few of the things that I would check out if I were traveling to Copenhagen would be:  

1. The Little Mermaid statue - Hans Christian Andersen, the author of The Little Mermaid, is from Denmark!  The statue was sculpted by Edvard Eriksen to commemorate the fairy tale.
2. Frederiksborg Castle - This beautiful castle was built as the home for the royal family.  Sadly, most of the original building burned down in the 1850s.  The good thing is that it has been rebuilt & is now open to the public as a museum.
3. Canals - Called Nyhavn, the district in Copenhagen that has waterfront access & canals, is lined with brightly colored buildings & the waters house gorgeous wooden boats.  This is exactly what I picture when I think of Copenhagen.

Photo via Pinterest

Have you ever travelled to a country in  Scandinavia or do you have Scandinavian ancestry?  What's on your travel bucket list?  I'd love to hear!  XOXO