The City

One last post from chi-town!

Maggie and I have started a new tradition of finding a new coffee house in Chicago from this list on the Charmingly Styled blog. This trip we hit up Bourgeois Pig Cafe. It was in an old charming building with a beautiful patio, I am all about patios when the weather turns warm! I think we were there for at least an hour, between lunch, our delicious iced lattes and a cappuccino to share, because we just had to try it with our truffles.

Her many expressions

So that walk I went on yesterday.....the sky decided to open up five minutes into it! hashtag so my luck! And the best part, I had a white t-shirt on! Ha ha ha I should have known better it was one of those days where it looked like it could rain at any moment but it never did.....until I went out:) This unfortunately isn't the first time this has happened to me. Does that make you think of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and Marianne? Okay probably not, but I just did.  

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More from my time in Chicago!

During one of the rare moments my Goddaughter would let me hold and play with her, we had a fun little photo session! Be prepared to be overloaded with too many pictures of her. I know I went crazy but it was so fun, and I love all of her facial expressions! 

places to go

I can't help but think of a year ago at this time. I was excitedly awaiting to take my first trip out of the Country. Ever since I took that trip it has made me want to travel more. I want to see the world that God has created. It's amazing to think you can hop on a plane and be transported to what seams like a whole other world.

There is one thing that a lot of my patients tell me, make sure you take vacations, TRAVEL, learn from the cultures and history. The ones who traveled had some pretty sweet stories to tell!:) So I have started a list of places that I want visit. These are in no particular order. The number one place that I wanted to visit was Rome, and I am so glad that I made it happen! 

 

Salzburg, Austria

source

I have always wanted to visit Austria, and go on The Sound of Music Tour! I loved that movie as a kid and still do. 

split rock lighthouse

One of my last summer weekends was spent with my sister and her family in Duluth! I always love a trip to Duluth because it's only a few hours away and yet, it feels as if we went much further. I think it's because of the huge body of water. And I love a huge body of never ending water! My sister and I decided we wouldn't mind living there:) I think my runs would be much longer and my sister would start running! 

The Races

June and my visit to see Maggie seems so long ago already. It was an incredible time though as always and I cherish the memories! The first day I arrived almost felt like two days I still actually get confused with what we all did, because I was up at 3:30 A.M. to make my 6:30 A.M. flight! (Note to self I will never do that ever again!) I am pretty sure we got massages first thing in the morning.....but I do know for sure that in the afternoon we went to the horse races at Arlington. I loved horses and all horse movies growing up and have always wanted to go to the races! Being there kept reminding me of National Velvet. Dream come true, and it was a great experience! 

Roma Day {5} Venice

It was Thanksgiving day back in America, and it was probably the only day that I actually missed my family. Venice was so unique, I have never been anywhere in my life where cars don't exist! (Then again I haven't traveled to many places, this was my first trip out of the country!) You only go by foot bike or boat! It was an incredible experience! The streets were so quaint and full of character, people walked around with their dogs off the leash in and out of shops, they all seemed so care free and timeless. A far cry from what I am used to! The bakery shops and breads were to die for! I want another piece of their ciabatta bread! And the hot wine oh. my. gosh. AMAZING! I want to re-create it so bad! 

As always I took way too many picture:)

Roma {1}

11.23 ~ 11.24.2013

I know I know it's about time I get posting about my trip! 

 It was pure excitement! I had never left the country and I was finally on my way! With the most random person and someone I would have never picked or ever even thought to travel with! My best friends younger brother. We had a blast though! It is strange how different opportunities arise in life that we never expect!

At this point it was pure exhaustion and all they did on the plain was feed us! SO annoying it was a night flight! I'm someone who is always hungry but seriously all I wanted to do was try to sleep. Not hear "Tea, Coffee, Tea, Coffee!" "Miss do you want any tea or coffee?" DO I LOOK LIKE I WANT COFFEE? I have a mask over my eyes and my chair is leaned back!!! Bahaha 

We finally landed in Dublin Ireland! Ahhh I was exhausted and so excited at the same time! We had just enough time to make Sunday Mass and go to a Pub for lunch before out flight to Roma!

The Guinness Factory

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I thought this day called for some pictures from Ireland, and Guinness! 

White lines | and a goal

White out that's all I could see was white! Looking for lines to guide me praying I make it home safely! Hoping the snow plow behind me doesn't smother me, and the car in front of me doesn't brake! I don't want to have to drive in those conditions again! Thanks to my Guardian Angel and St. Christopher I finally made it home!

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You guys I have so many awesome pictures from Europe! I can't get through them fast enough. My handicap is the fact that I am trying to learn Lightroom at the same time...half frustrating and half so fun looking at the pictures!

Venice!

My goal for this week is to stop hitting snooze! Seriously what is nine or eighteen more minutes of sleep going to do? 

Happy Monday and here's to a great week:) 

Ciao

Rachel

Grateful Friday

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'M GOING TO ROME AND IRELAND!!!!!!!!!! that's what's going through my head over and over and over!!! I better start believing it's going to happen because before I know it I'm going to be on a plane! I am not quite sure how I plan on focusing at work today....? It's not going to be easy!

Growing up whenever I saw a plane in the sky I would start day dreaming. I wondered where they were going, was it somewhere fun? out of the country? some crazy adventure? a business trip? How awesome it would be to be in that plane, going somewhere, anywhere, going on an adventure! I can't believe that I finally get to make that happen! AMAZING!

~ For long slow mornings when I can sip my coffee and read before I have to head into work. If only they came more often!

~ For my strong Faith in God that I know He will bring me through anything. Knowing that He has the master plan, becuase I seriously sometimes don't understand it! It's a good thing somebody does!

~ For my sisters:) I love them to pieces and couldn't live my life without them! It's so nice to have sisters because well I love my brothers but sometimes it's nice not to be teased all of the time!

~ For my brothers, and their teasing! haha I would be a woose without them')

  ~ My parents who gave me life and a good strong foundation to grow from!

~ My many gifts and talents that God has given me. I pray that I use them to do only good in this world, and that I USE them and never take them for granted.

~ For figure skating. That'a all I LOVE it! 

Ciao XO 

Rachel

Lately

1 2)this past weekend I headed off to Chicago you can read about my trip here. I love flying, and though I've been to the Chicago O'Hare airport a few times I had never seen the walkway with all the neon lights everywhere! It was pretty cool!

3) my first pumpkin spice latte of the season! It was delicious and made me excited for fall!

4) this cider was amazing! It was basically fall in a bottle i know thats cliche but it was! I love hard ciders but I don't know if i'm going to be able to drink any other hard ciders after Stella Artois cidre! Have you tried it?

5) enjoying a nice walk over one of my lunch breaks! I am soaking up every last bit of sunshine I can! Before I know it I don't want to say it but its going to be another MN winter. 

Other things lately. It's been a busy and slow week all at the same time if that's possible? I do feel as though I'm caught up on sleep from my weekend, thank goodness! I am finally finishing up Downton Abbey season 3! Ha I'm slow! I have to be in the mood to sit down and watch a movie, I'm not much for sitting! I've also been trying to get back into Pilates. I used to do it almost daily in high school when I was in figure skating. I love how strong your core gets and I am kinda missing that kind of a workout!

What are you up to lately?

Linked up with Rachel Heather and Laurie!

Rachel

"It is a truth......

universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Jane Austen.

 The view from the endless bridge, inside the Gunthrie! I had no idea the theatre was in such a beautiful area of Minneapolis!

This year for my Mom's birthday I got her tickets the see Pride and Prejudice at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis! Neither one of us had been to the Guthrie, we were pretty excited for this experience and it did not dissappoint! It started off with a delicious meal at Spoonriver a yummy and healthy restaurant. All the food was locally grown, organic and grass fed meats! My kind of restaurant! The play was excellent, I was so impressed with the actors, in character and into their roles, their facial expressions alone were great! I loved every minute of it! I definitely want to go back to this theatre in the futer!

~ Rachel

Snapshots from Duluth #2

Some more beautiful shots from our fun day trip to Duluth!

Snapshots from Duluth #1

At the end of my weeks vacation back in July I went up to Duluth with my sister brother in law and their three kids! I absolutely love Duluth it's so beautiful! We left pretty early in the morning and on our way up we took a little detour when we got into Duluth because we wanted to go over a huge bridge! It was a great detour because we found a delicious coffee house and bakery! 

The interesting art going down to the coffee house.

Raspberry jalapeño jam! The yummiest jam I've ever tasted! This bakery had delicious bagels too!

Tiramisu also delicious!  

They had sweet pottery inside too.

The honey latte was amazing! Not too sweet like most coffee houses seem to make it.

It was inside a cool old building with lots of character! It didn't even have AC! I am not sure how the bakers do it! It was really warm inside!

I want to go back! Next time I'll get lots of bagels and jam to bring home!

Rachel