Gardens in the City of Roses

While we were in Portland, we decided to check out the International Rose Test Garden. We mainly had a little time to kill and a lot of brunch calories to burn, so with full bellies and a caffeine boost, we made our way out of downtown one hazy morning. The garden was about 2 miles from our hotel, but the walk was so enjoyable.

When we finally reached the garden, it was like something out of a fairytale. Rows and rows of roses. And the smell! Utterly amazing. The pictures don't do it justice. I found myself repeatedly exclaiming "This is so crazy!" 

Next we made our way over to the Japanese Gardens. Practically the polar opposite of the rose garden, but equally beautiful and so incredibly peaceful.

Beautiful Goodbye

Hi friends... Wanna hear something exciting? Dark and early tomorrow morning, my sweet momma and I will be catching a flight across country! I'm headed to Portland and this time I'm dragging my best friend with me. Technically I'm going for "work," if you can even call the CAbi Scoop work. We lucked out & scored a guest ticket to the fashion show and I'm so thrilled to share this experience with my mom! I swear I'm already dreaming of the Fall 13 collection, I cannot wait to see the new line, and I'm so looking forward to some girl time with some of my favorite ladies. Besides all the fashion, we plan to drink fabulous wine and eat delicious food, hike off some of the extra calories, and do some general exploring. If you have any recommendations for things to do in the Portland area, please share!

In the mean time, it's all packing... and I'd say this Maroon 5 song is the most perfect packing music!

Canary

Instead of a regular post today, I wanted to send you darlings over to the CAbi Canary. Not only is it one of my most favorite blogs, but you just might see a familiar face making an appearance in that corner of the web today... Eek!

A big thank you to CAbi for including me... it's such an honor! 

p.s. be sure to check out some of the other bloggers featured... good reads! xoxo

shoe game

I'm a shoe girl. I could live in gorgeous wedges and strappy espadrilles. Sky-high heels? Bring it on. From riding boots to rain boots... I love them all. During the summer months, with tanned legs and perfectly-pedicured toes, gold sandals tend to reign supreme. But lately I've had my eye on something a little different...

There's something so laid-back and effortlessly cool about these ladies and their fresh kicks. I'm loving the "off-duty model" vibe... the question is can I pull this look off? So tell me, what are your thoughts on taking sneakers beyond the gym?

[all via Pinterest]