CARE TO LOOK

a lifestyle, travel, and photography blog

throwing it back to the honeymoon

Ben and I had just the best time on our honeymoon exploring around Playa del Carmen. We went to the most beautiful beaches, rode around on scooters, saw lizards I would never like to see again, ate an embarrassing amount of chips and guac, and ate at some of the most delicious restaurants we have ever been to. Oh what I would do to be back. But for now, watching this little video we made will have to suffice.

 

our first fourth

This weekend was a good one. Ben and I somehow managed to spend every fourth of July while dating apart for five years. So, when this weekend rolled around we were more than excited to celebrate, and that we did! We had a slow morning and then made a [not so American] lunch before heading into DC. fourthofjuly-1fourthofjuly-1-2

Being in our nation’s capitol was rather fitting for the day. It was filled with red, white, and blue and the weather was on its best behavior. All morning Ben and I were craving ice cream so as soon as we stepped off the metro our first order of business was to find peanut butter cup ice cream and plop down under a shaded tree and dig in. Messy, and perfect. fourthofjuly-1-6 fourthofjuly-1-7 fourthofjuly-1-8 fourthofjuly-1-9 fourthofjuly-1-10

Then we wandered on over to the mall, found another shaded tree and took ourselves a nap. It was one of our best decisions of the day.
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fourthofjuly-1-17 fourthofjuly-1-18We headed back to Annapolis for the evening to grab some dinner with friends and watch the fireworks. Apparently we planned it perfectly to get back home right when the parade started and people were flooding the streets of Annapolis so walking proved to be our only option. But I really can’t complain about our view walking to dinner. After dinner we headed on to the yard to watch the fireworks over the water and man was it quite the show. Something about fireworks makes for a dreamy night. I really could not of asked for a better first fourth with Ben. America, we love you!

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our humble abode

Our abode may be humble, but it’s perfect. It is always stocked with pistachios and honey wheat pretzels. Having this little space has been so fun to call home right in the heart of Annapolis. We get to walk to late night pizza and go to Sunday morning farmer’s markets to get chocolate milk and even attempt to play tennis on the yard. We even get to open our door to find an Annapolis historical tour stopping by. Prince George Street, you are grand.

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home-24  home-17 home-25-4home-15 home-6-2 home-9Although we are excited about our next stop in London, Annapolis is sure treating us well for the time being.

  • The flu struck our household this weekend, which wasn’t exactly the start to the new year we were hoping for. But, in between medicine breaks and movie watching on our makeshift bed in the living room we snuck in a few walks on the beach and sunset views over the sound.
  • I realize it’s only the second day of 2019 but this is how I’m feeling about this year. Ben and I were chatting about goals and looking at our calendar for the year and I’m just so excited for all that’s in store! I’m choosing to expect big things from 2019 👏🏼✨
  • 2018 was full of surprises, twists and turns, ups and downs. I'm learning that will be the case at the end of every single year, but it never ceases to catch me by surprise. I lived the vanlife with @katielentile for a month, explored Vietnam for two weeks with @benwradford , spent several weekends third wheeling with some pretty incredibly couples as they said 'I do', finally got to go back to my favorite place in the world, London, for a week and trained up to Scotland for the weekend, packed up our home of two years in New Bern to move to the coast with our best friends, unexpectedly added a furry fellow to our family (and thank God we did), evacuated from a hurricane, traveled back and forth to Nashville, and soaked up a lot of time with family in Roanoke. It was a wild year filled with a lot of crazy plot twists but I am so incredibly thankful for all Ben and I learned, experienced, saw, and dreamed up this year. On January 1 I had a "new year's resolution" to capture a second a day and I DID IT. Through this little project I learned that it is quite alright that some days, my most exciting second is that we are cruising on Halong Bay in Vietnam, and others it's just that we made dinner on a Wednesday night. Both are just as wonderful. So, enjoy a brief snippet of every single day of my 2018 and shout out to everyone who probably has no idea I captured them 😉
  • Ten whole years today with you makes for a very Merry Christmas indeed. I just adore you and all we’ve done these past ten years from prom and Friday night high school football games to traveling the world and walking on the beach with our pup. Merry Christmas! Love, the Radfords
  • It’s my most favorite time of the year and we are finally home, sweet, home. Ready to snuggle up and soak up all the time in Roanoke with my best pal.
  • Merry Christmas ya filthy animals! Doing life with these five humans (yes, five 🐶🐶) is hilarious and perfect. 10/10 would recommend living with your best pals.
  • Last year around this time we were playing in the first snow of the year in Boston and this past weekend we soaked up the warm weather and walked on the beach with our pup. Life with you is fun @benwradford 📷: @rachelleinerphoto
  • This year has been an absolute whirlwind and looking back through all the ‘I dos’ I got to be a part of is such a joy. I’ll forever be grateful for all the couples that invited me into their lives this past year. You humans are the best!