travel thursday: venice

“the whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” – g. k. chesterton

it's said that once you travel, you catch the travel bug! that's what happened to me and my husband after our honeymoon. in fact, we were plagued by the bug!!! fast forward years later and many travel experiences later with a new baby, traveling has slowed down a bit...well, actually A LOT. but we definitely got traveling out of our system...for now. the urge to travel is still there, hibernating within us, but traveling will come with time. there is SO much more to see and experience! we can't wait for the adventures as we travel together as a family. we want to share with our daughter the joys of learning about other cultures and gaining a different perspective. and one day, we'll be able to travel just as a couple. it's essential to continuing a happy healthy relationship! 

so for now, i'll have to relive our travels through pictures and thought i'd share them with you. today, i'll start with venice...probably my favorite city...so far. :)

view from our hotel...

view from st. mark's campanile.

while walking at night, my husband wanted to take a picture here. 

one of the best surprises about venice is getting lost in the alleys/streets and discovering 

a quaint cafe by the water in a quieter area of the city.

we decided to take a gondola ride under the moonlit sky...yes, it was every bit as romantic 

as i imagined it to be. :)

one of my favorite views from the rialto bridge...there is something very special about cities with 

a river or body of water running through it, but venice takes it to a whole new level! 

from st.  mark's campanile...me wearing a j. crew tank. 

view from our ship...we took a meds cruise via princess cruise line.

what can i say, i'm a tourist. this pose is a must! :) from our hotel, we took a water taxi...a pretty 

posh taxi, which we shared two other people on our cruise because let me tell you, the sticker 

price was ridiculous with the exchange rate at that time.  but it was well worth the price to make

 sure we got to our ship in time to start our cruise. me with another j. crew outfit. 

i hope to make thursdays a "travel" day. 

happy thursday everyone! thanks for reading!

pink gingham

shirt: f21. blazer: thrifted. belt: target. pants: anthropologie. bag: lv. jewelry: bulova watch, anthropologie, carolee, target. 

love the sheerness and softness of this pink gingham top. 

happy wednesday! 

mint n chip

tank: kirkland. belt, cardi: h(and)m. pants: target. shoes: tory burch. bag: salvatore ferragamo. sunnies: ray ban. jewelry: tiffany bracelet and necklace, anthropologie. 

organization for our move continues...happy memorial day everyone! xx

mini grams friday

just a couple of my favorites from instagram: @love_heidi

happy friday, everyone! our 3-day weekend will be spent organizing our things for our 3-4 big moves starting next week. but, we've arranged at least one thing to enjoy our weekend- pizza and brews at pizza port with my cousin and her bf...and maybe a visit from a dear friend! it can't all be work and no play, right? it's all about balance. :) 

have a wonderful and safe memorial weekend! xx 

lake side

dress: j. crew. jacket: abercrombie(and)fitch. bag: michael kors. shoes: alfani. hat: rei. bracelets: anthropologie, gift (turquoise). 

i've enjoyed running around this lake by myself, with friends, my husband, and recently, walking with my daughter in a stroller with our dog, gwenevere, in tow. i'll miss this lake when we move, but excited for the new adventures ahead! 

 happy wednesday everyone! have a great day! xx

eclipse

                         

                        

                

             

jacket and tank: banana republic. flowers top: anthropologie. shorts: j. crew. cardi: merona (target). shoes: seychelles. jewelry: bulova, anthropologie. 

happy monday! if you were lucky enough to be in eastern asia to texas yesterday, you were able to see the solar eclipse! unfortunately, the marine layer didn't give us a better picture (and our camera had limited capabilities), but it was pretty amazing! evidently, at its fullest the moon blocked out 83% of the sun here in san diego! have a fabulous day! xx

scent of a woman

completely enamored by the smell of flora by gucci given to me by my mom for mother's day!

love this pearl bracelet i got from tuesday morning. it was a great deal! 

thrifted this navy blue clutch...planning to give it a new look. stay tuned...

happy friday, everyone! enjoy your weekend! xx

lemon yellow sun

top: victoria's secret. jacket: anthropologie. skirt: banana republic. shoes: tory burch. bag: michael kors. jewelry: tiffany's, gucci watch, anthropologie, banana republic, gift

photos by: brb

happy wednesday, everyone! 

i've been looking for a military jacket and the above version by anthropologie is a fantastic feminine alternative without a collar and with its sweater knit detail in the back. because of the sweater knit panel, i love that this jacket breathes. when it's warmer out, i can wear a tank underneath, roll up the sleeves, and still feel comfortable. 

the jacket off-sets the loud tone of the simple neon yellow shirt and the outfit is balanced by my brown bag and sandals. and yes, i do live in mini skirts these days. today, it's white. :) earth tones with a little neon punch, comfortable, and simple. 

what do you think of military jackets. xx

bougainvilleas

dress: ophelia (from fancesca's collections). shoes: j. crew (great selections here). bag: lv. jewelry: anthropologie, gucci, wilkins(and)olander (gift from mother in law), gifts from husband and handmade by aunt.

happy monday! i hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! as i've discussed in a previous post, i've been inspired by mango's summer catalogue lookbook, discussed here. i wore this yesterday and just love the simplicity of this white lace shift dress. i wore it with a few of my turquoise jewelry (given to me as gifts :) along with few colorful ones. turquoise jewelry can go with most outfits and pairing it with white makes the outfit have a cool pop. it's not too loud, but just right....on the other hand, bougainvillea flowers are the opposite; they make a loud pop, but enough to add a little sunshine to your day! have a monday and rest of the week! thanks for reading. xx 

a mother's love

it's my first mothers' day and i am thankful to have an amazing daughter! being a mother far exceeds any love i have ever felt and i never thought i could feel such an immense love for a little person that is just too much for words.

as a mom, i have an even deeper appreciation for my mom and all other mom's! happy mother's day to all the lovely mothers, especially to my mom, grandma, and the mothers in our family!

thank you for reading! hugs

mini grams

lately on instagram. follow me @love_heidi

happy friday and have a wonderful mother's day weekend! xo

perception

                                       

top and bag: banana republic. skirt: j. crew. accessories: bulova watch, banana republic, single strand pearls gift, multi-strand pearls borrowed from friend.

photos by: ed

much of what we wear or want to wear are based on feelings and how they make us feel. when we look at ourselves in the mirror while trying on dresses or what not, buying that piece is based on how we feel in it. if we feel good in it, then we look good in it. if we don't feel good in it, then we think that we don't look good in it. it's our perception. and that's ok because we have to feel good in what we wear. and then there's the perception of others about what we're wearing, which could be very different from ours...but that's another topic for later, because what really matters is our own perception. right? or is it?

for me, color is a huge factor in determining whether i like something or not. for example, i love the color red so our front door is red. for me, it's such an attractive color that it enlivens me to go inside. it's an inviting first impression of our house...but i digress. as for my outfit. mint is still my favorite color this season and love the soft ruffly texture of this top! it's simple, refreshing, calming... AND it looks good on my skin tone! a big plus! it's like white, but in color. what's your go-to color this season?

have a wonderful wednesday! thanks for reading! xxx


p.s. i had to include the outtakes because let's face it. sometimes they're just more fun! ;) 

inspiration: white

pictures from fashion gone rogue

just a bit of inspiration from fashion gone rogue. this is anna selezneva for mango's summer catalogue lookbook.

there's something clean and refreshing about the color white. it's so classic that it can really be worn all year...though some would say that white shouldn't be worn after labor day...or is that just white pants? it can be dressed up or down. nonetheless, i have been looking for a white linen airy blouse like the ones right above. these are just perfect for that tropical okinawa sun. it may be hot and humid there (with splashes of typhoons!), but i don't necessarily want to be out in tank tops or just shirts either. i have lived in hot humid climate before and light long sleeve tops provide a bit of screen from the sun, but it's not too hot...really not looking forward to the weather in okinawa and hate to leave beautiful san diego. but alas, it will be a great adventure of our little family. 

thanks for reading! have a wonderful tuesday! xx