CARE TO LOOK

a lifestyle, travel, and photography blog

it started with french toast

This morning I was woken up by a husband holding a plate of french toast topped with strawberries, blueberries, and bananas AND coffee just the way I like it AND I got to stay in bed to enjoy it all. What more could I possibly ask for?!  Apparently I have expressed my feelings towards french toast a lot recently and Ben decided to surprise me with one of my favorite breakfasts. Any day started with breakfast in bed is off to a good start.

Another gift we received at our wedding was a gift certificate to go paddle boarding and we decided today was finally the day. The weather has been kind of bizarre recently and made us change our minds each time we thought about going, but today was the perfect summer day. Ben chased ducks and I did everything in my power not to fall when boats went by, and that about sums up our paddle boarding experience.

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After paddle boarding, we headed back to the abode to make some dinner before heading back to City Dock to try out a new eno spot we have had our eye on. We can’t take full credit for this gem of a location though. Last week we saw a few people using the docks to hang their enos and they are geniuses. We decided this is going to be a reoccurring thing.enu enu-2 enu-3 enu-4 enu-6 enu-10 enu-11

a glimpse

 

This past week has been filled with so much. Here are some pictures to show our week at a glimpse.

Attempting to soak up the sun when it actually showed up.

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Walks after dinner to the docks and stumbling upon some music.

Tuesday night Music

The view I have come to love.

Annapolis city dock boats

Hooray for two months of being married to him!

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Sunsets over city dock.

Annapolis City Dock sunset

Wandering to East port to look at the boats.

Annapolis East Port

Bidding farewell to my first car, Theodore. So long, bud.

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Flat shopping for a home in London. Lots and lots of flat shopping.

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An evening spent at the batting cages.

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Learning I can actually hit a baseball. [Who knew this was something I was actually decent at?!]

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This week has been full of little adventures and a whole lot of planning. Another wonderful week of summer in the books.

 

 

Vineyards and DC trips

Whenever I walk home from work I pass by Annebeth’s, a little shop that has become a favorite of Ben and I’s. Sometimes we are even given the extra homemade bread at night they didn’t sell during the day, which is an absolute treat. I’ve noticed a brand of wine they sell called Great Frogs and recently learned they are located just minutes away from downtown Annapolis. Last night Ben and I bought tickets to go to their Vine Yard Bash with wine tastings, music, food, and a projected movie on the screen. It was perfect weather and we arrived at the vineyard right around sunset. vineyardvineyard-2

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After sampling a few of their wines we chose our favorites (which always seem to be different) and headed on over to the popcorn station. I truly forgot how much I love popcorn! Especially when it comes in those red and white striped bags. 
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We found a spot right in front of barn to enjoy the music while they set the movie up and even got to try some of their new dessert wine they are releasing. The vineyard was beautiful and quaint and I loved seeing everyone who came out to enjoy the evening. Blankets, chairs, dogs running around, and friends covered the field and it seemed as though everyone knew everyone. I loved the feel of it all, a true summer night. vineyard-10 vineyard-13 vineyard-12 vineyard-15 vineyard-14

This morning was spent at the gym together (after Ben came to the rescue when I locked the keys in the car, oops) and then by city dock for lunch. Like I said before, the weather has really been treating us so well. We hung out all day before heading to DC for a meet and greet for those who attended and are attending LSE. Meeting some new faces and talking about travel and school made this whole moving to London for a year thing start to feel a little bit more tangible. Next is flat shopping and booking flights! Goodness, I am excited!falafel-3 falafel-2 falafel falafel-4

We then headed to a restaurant called Busboys and Poets which served as a bookstore, coffee shop, and really good restaurant. I loved the atmosphere and the food hit the spot. We ended our day with the drive home listening to the Totally 2000s Spotify playlist which I highly recommend. And by highly, I mean go look it up now. Ben and I have developed quite the duets.

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  • A collection of items found, gathered, gifted, and made along the way 💫
  • I finally made a little space on here for all of my pottery that needs a new home! Should you want to take a look, head on over to @goodthingspottery 💫 I settled on that name since I truly believe the good things in life are worth celebrating, and pottery has very much been that for me.
  • Another year in the books of capturing daily snippets of our greatest adventures and most mundane days. All very much worth celebrating. You were a good one, 2019!
  • 2019 was a whirlwind with all the ups and downs. I always love looking back through our photos from the year and these are just a few of my favorite. This year I learned that sometimes slowing down is good for the soul and living with your best friends is such a treat. We took more beach walks than I can count and I am certain that Emerald Isle sunsets at the point are some of the best. We took a ski trip and soaked up every ounce of beach living with Anna and Eric. I spent a month in Paris and gosh it was a good one (and I even cut off a foot of hair while I was there). That city always has my heart. We celebrated five years of marriage with the sweetest trip to California. We said goodbye to North Carolina and made the move up to DC. We dropped our bags off at our new home and lucked out with a Space A flight over to Europe and spent a week falling in love with Lake Como and somehow found ourselves being the very first (and only) guests in a castle (one of the best days of 2019 honestly). We settled into DC before heading back over to London for a wedding and a week in our favorite city. We spent the fall visiting friends, taking weekend trips, learning to call DC home, and navigating new schedules. I’ve spent a whole lot of time in the pottery studio and Ben has spent a whole lot of time on the road. It was just the best year complete with really high highs and some hard lows but I am just so thankful for it all and thankful I get to do life with Ben.
  • Anytime we come back home from Roanoke Walter takes a personal day. He doesn’t get out of bed and won’t even look at me and I’m pretty sure it’s because he misses the fam and the mountains as much as I do. (Or it’s just because he misses being the center of attention of 20 people as opposed to just Ben and I.)
  • Happy happy Christmas from our little family to yours 🎄
  • He didn’t travel a single time this week (a Christmas miracle!!!) and we did allll the Christmas-ing this weekend. These simple days and our little traditions are truly the best. Here’s to gifting you the same exact Moleskine planner the sixth year in a row and you acting like it’s the greatest gift you’ve ever received. Christmas with you is my favorite.
  • After eight moves in five years I feel like a professional house hunter and a wizard on Zillow. Our bedroom situation in DC is one of my best finds if I do say so myself. 💫