foods of thailand

i never wanted to leave

this weekend

so it's back to packin, but this time i'm more happy about it :) 

i'll be packing up a storm this weekend so i can high tail it out of here on monday to see alyssa & her new baby girl. i've been stocking up on plane reading material.

then jordan will be doing the heavy lifting while i'm away in WA. thanks jray. 

here's a few things for your friday

+ super cool project called dear photograph

+ seriously funny ad campaign for kmart

+ changing the way we see ourselves. real beauty by dove

pack it up, pack in it

there's been a lot of packing in my life lately. so I thought I'd share some of the packing and travel trips I've found/figured out.

+suitcase placement

+how to bundle clothing. rolling is also a huge space saver!
+a microbead travel pillow & sleep mask are a must. don't know what it took so long for me to figure out travel pillows... they make such a big difference on a flight.
+over the ear headphones are SO much more comfortable and you don't have to max the volume to hear.
+hydration, hydration, hydration!

and

some travel rules I liked straight from GOOP

1. The Travel Drawer: Before you go anywhere, start a travel drawer that includes: a passport, coin purse, travel adapters, sunglasses, phrase books, maps, guides and swimsuits. You can take this a step further by creating The Travel Beauty Drawer.

2. Roll Your Clothing: I acquired this tip from a flight attendant - they always have the smallest bags. Tightly roll casual trousers, t -shirts and shorts - this also minimizes wrinkling. (Naturally, we don’t advise this for evening wear or designer dress suits.)

3. The Suitcase: While overstuffing your suitcase can damage your clothing, lots of empty space can also cause creasing. Fill up empty spaces with white tissue paper and place a towel over the top.

4. Security Savvy: Always remember to have two identity luggage tags on your case, including one on the inside, in case the outside label gets ripped off.

5. Tissue paper and more tissue paper! I buy reams of tissue paper for placing between shirts and knitwear; it really is the best way to keep clothes in shape. Plus it feels like you have been shopping a fabulous boutique when you’re unpacking at the other end!

6. The Travel Pouch: A shameless plug. Those leather passport and boarding pass holders are such a waste of time, as you’re forever having to take everything out anyway. In my travel pouch I keep my smart phone, passport, boarding pass, money, sunglasses and a good book.
via

p.s. happy weekend

london calling

I miss london terribly! I'm dying to go back, those were some of the most unforgettable months of my life.

reunion trip girls?

thx for sharing that vid jen!

reuntionites

every other year my massive extended family gets together for this (deseret news article). we head to homestead in the mountains of arizona to camp and play.

I just booked tickets for J and I to attend this summer and I can't tell you how excited I am. family reunions have always been a big part of my life. for years we have been trekking to zion or arizona (sometimes with me in the back of our station wagon's trunk sleeping on top of the luggage) every summer. I have so many memories of capture the flag with cousins, climbing out of my tent for pancakes and bacon, singing songs by the campfire, and exploring the forest. this isn't your typical family reunion (although we have one of those too) this is a HUGE reunion, I'm taking about 1,000 people. which makes it SO fun! every reunion you make new friends. I can't wait to continue this family tradition as my own family grows.

which reminds me how grateful I am for the family (and friends who've become family) in my life! I love em so. 

that's all.

the district

{before I say anything else I have to tell you that ice cream is homemade thing mint, mocha fudge, and pistachio. I died}

I've said it before (and I will say it again) living so far away from family has been hard. so when my sister and brother-in-law booked a trip to DC I was really excited. it seemed like a great time to see them and visit my cousin and his new cute wife during cherry blossom season. 

I can't decide if I love or hate the fact that all the metro stops down there look exactly the same. not like at home.

// I had to post this because its the longest escalator I've ever seen. it was crazy. //

first stop was mt.vernon. so beautiful.

I guess you could say the real first stop was the mt.vernon cafe where we devoured some authentic GW food before touring the grounds. side note: hardly anywhere in nyc serves rootbeer. its super rude.

I have to admit that the highlight of the visit for me were the farm baby animals.

baby pigs kill me. one summer while visiting my sister in UT I fell deeply in love with an all black baby pig at the county fair. the little thing slept in my arms for what felt like days. I cried when I had to go back home. {I know how you feel fern.}

ever since then my bucket list has included own a pet pig. dead serious.

I mean...

we had perfect weather and plenty of cherry blossoms

we started out day two at eastern market for some famous blue bucks

guess who was in line in front of us??? ANNA!!! oh how I miss all my london girls. it was a lovely and unexpected reunion.

love me some breakfast!

there was a bit of rain that afternoon so we drove up to gettysburg for a bus tour of the battleground. 

such a perfect weekend away, rain and all!