Work is still killin' me this week. Guess it must be fall! Oh so busy. Luckily I have accomplished most of my weekly goals, and have been taking time for myself each day to stretch and sweat with a Barre workout. Work, workout, sleep - work, workout, sleep - that's been my schedule. Sometimes it is nice to just be focused...but I'm looking forward to a weekend with a bit more variety. Maybe some wine, fresh air and friends. 

For now I'll go down memory lane for a moment with these shots from our trip back East in September. Did you know how beautiful the Jersey Shore is? I didn't. As a Cape Codder by heart I've always been very content to stay up on the shores of New England, but I'm so glad that I had the chance to explore the shores of Jersey a bit more during my time there. There is a whole lot more to it than this. The beaches are wide, the waves are huge, the sand is soft, and there is usually a funnel cake and mini golf within reach...so you just can't go wrong. We had such a good time there catching up with friends and family. 

Enjoy the weekend, friends! 

Cape Cod // Traditions

Every summer growing up, my family and I would pack our lives into the car for two weeks on Cape Cod. It was a tradition, and within that tradition we had an infinite number of other traditions; a list of food to eat, games to play, places to visit, and other things we just had to make sure to do during our time there. Traditions like these are something my family has always valued enormously, and it's something I've never taken for granted. Having something to depend on and get excited about year after year instilled great comfort and gratitude in me from a very young age.

I hadn't been back to the Cape for a couple of years, so when Jim and I returned a couple weeks ago as part of our East Coast whirlwind, I was flooded with excitement, comfort and gratitude once again. 

Post-Labor Day Cape Cod is delightfully quiet, cool, and moody. Don't you just love off-season beaches? It was sunny enough during the days to bask at the beach, cool enough at night to snuggle with blankets by the fire, and quiet enough to enjoy restaurants and shopping in Provincetown (and to feel like we had beaches to ourselves). 

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Here are some shots of my first few days back East. Low tide walks, oyster farming, deck sunsets, beach hangouts and blue skies. That sunset was one of the most spectacular ones I've ever seen (and I didn't even include the most fiery ones because the photos just didn't do it justice. Anyone out there have tips on sunset photography? It's hard).

Some of my favorite Cape traditions and memories:

• Fried seafood and onion rings at Liam's - Nauset Beach
• V+T's on the deck with an ocean view after a long day in the sun
• Outdoor showers - 'nuff said
• Shopping and walking around Provincetown
• Dunk in the frigid Atlantic til numb, then thaw out on a towel in the sun
• Dirt bombs from the Cottage Street Bakery (if you've never had the doughnut/muffin delight known as a dirt bomb, get on it)
• Mini golfing then a cone from the Sundae School 
• Catching sunsets whenever possible
• Freshly shucked corn + Fancy's squash rolls + lobstah

What were your family traditions growing up?

Hele Mei Hoohiwahiwa (Kauai Part II)

The longer I stretch out this Kauai photo-dump, the longer I can keep revisiting these memories and going back in time. So please forgive me as I force you to do that with me :). In my next post I'll share the fun details of where we stayed, ate, explored and played, but for now, some photos + captions will do.

What is sour sop??? Freaking delicious, that's what.

Just a light tap tap taparoo. 

A kayak ride under the prettiest tree. 

Our tour of the Napali Coast had to be our favorite part of the whole trip. 

Such outstanding beauty!! 

Fishing in a sea cave.

TURTLE!!!!!

These little cardinals are adorable.

Hanalei Bay captured our hearts for-ev-er.

A morning paddle.