Weekend snippets

We had such a nice weekend. The sun is starting to shine more and we are certainly taking advantage of being outside...

... and soft serve.

Found matching pink doors on a walk + pre-dinner drinks at Dylan.

One of my favorite spots in Dublin.

More from the walk + cards and drinks canal side, with my trusty Tieks.

Hope you had a lovely weekend as well.

We are headed home tomorrow for our first visit of the year! Yay! Looking forward to posting from the flip side.

Happy Memorial Day

I hope you are all enjoying your long weekend!

We are headed home on Thursday... Beyond excited for some family time!

Don't forget about the Tone It Up giveaway, which also ends Thursday.

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Tone It Up giveaway

Hello Thursday... haven't seen you in awhile.

I am dropping by today with a lovely giveaway. We've been getting in the summer mode over here for a couple upcoming vacations and thought this giveaway fit in perfectly!

I am also running a 10k in about 10 days which I am fairly nervous about. I only keep mentioning it because I need the self-encouragement. :)

:: The Modern Tulip :: Kristal Strong :: Make Me Up Mia :: Birdie To Be :: 

Southern Style :: Jess's Designs :: Erica Jacquline :: Kids and Cabernet ::

Here are the details on the Tone It Up giveaway:

You could win a $110 prize package including The Beach Babe workout DVD, Tone It Up apparel and... well the rest is a secret! Who doesn't love a good surprise?

a Rafflecopter giveaway   The giveaway ends Thursday May 29th at midnight. Winning entry will be verified so please be honest. Good luck!

Summer Recipes

One of my favorite things about summer are all the good food coming into season.

I am looking forward to going home next week for a visit and getting a taste of some of my favorites.

1 // Grilled corn, lime and cotija cheese make the perfect summer bbq dish.

2 // I love making my own granola. It's even better when I can top my morning granola with fresh summer berries.

3 // I have never had a watermelon salad this fancy, but I do love the watermelon, avocado and heirloom tomato combo.

4 // This recipe would be great with spinach or kale. Love the grilled ribbon veggies on top.

5 // My ultimate summer go-to is a green smoothie. My favorite combo is spinach, frozen bananas, mango and almond milk.

Here is my round up of recipe favorites from last summer.

Weekend Recap

Hope you had a fabulous weekend!

Our sunshine was very short lasted and we have rain in our forecast all week... so here's a sunny pic from a couple weeks ago in Dublin at St. Stephen's Green.

This weekend we headed over to the west coast of Ireland for a weekend trip to Galway.

I did a terrible job of taking pictures while we were there, but here are a couple from our quick trip:

This was only our second time making it to Galway... but we love this little town. So lively and full of traditional Irish music and scenery.

In other news, in...
• 10 days we head home for a visit... can't wait!
• 13 days we attempt a 10k race in Sonoma.
• 28 days, I am taking my first solo trip to a new country.
(More details on this later...)

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Summer Staples

It has been in the low to mid 60s here in Dublin... such a treat! Sunshine really makes this city shine and come to life.

Here are some fabulous summer staples because I have been oh so inspired by a couple days of sun:

summer dress // metallic strapped sandals // eyelet top // two-tone wedges // ikat printed pant

I am loving this summer dress... light, flowy and such a pretty print. I also love these sandals, which remind me of the Joie ones I've had my eye on, but at a much sweeter price.

I hope you have a fabulous weekend. Our friends are still in town and we are headed off for some fun in Galway tomorrow, which is on the west coast of Ireland. Looking forward to catching up on Monday.

Linked with A Liz Adventures and Meet at the Barre

Trip to Paris (Part II): Champagne + Versailles

Since we stayed for a week, my mom and I wandered outside Paris for a couple train adventures. The first was to the Champagne region, Reims and the second was to Versailles.

Champagne was absolutely gorgeous. I am from the wine country in California and my mom is in the wine business, so this day trip was very exciting for both of us.

If there is ever a next time, we both agreed we would travel to Epernay as well and make it an over-nighter.

The trip to Versailles was not as successful as we had hoped. But nonetheless, I wanted to blog about it and hopefully pass our experience onto others planning a trip.

We purchased tickets online and were encouraged to arrive early as the Palace of Versailles tends to get very busy. However, when we arrived, just after the doors opened, there was already a 2 hour line to get in! The picture above is the sea of people waiting to enter.

So we opted to forgo the tour and walk around the grounds instead.

The grounds were gorgeous, which made the trip worth it. But I know the interior is supposed to be amazing. Did anyone else have better luck at the Palace of Versailles?

Here is the Mother/Daughter Trip to Paris recap if you missed it!

Weekend Recap

The bird and I had a couple lovely date nights this weekend after I was away in Paris for a week.

Date night one and two (both great spots if you are ever in Dublin) + peonies waiting from me when I got back from Paris.

In other news:
This week we have friends in town visiting from home.
At the end of the month we head home for a week long visit... and signed up for a 10k while we're there. Eek!
I will have my second Paris recap up soon on Champagne and Versailles. Here is the first, if you missed it.

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Mother/Daughter Trip to Paris

Last week, my mom and I took a trip to Paris for a week. It was so nice to spend an entire week with her since we live so far apart now. And we couldn't think of a better city to spend it in.

Here is our trip recap in pictures:

These last 2 are from our room: a view from the balcony and our last supper while packing up our suitcases.

And here are some of our trip details if you're interested:

Hotel
• Hotel Chateau Frontenac
The location of this hotel was amazing. We were next to several metro stops and less than 2 blocks from Champs Élysées. The rooms were a bit outdated, but overall a great stay.

Restaurant Highlights
• Les Ombres (27 Quai Branly 75007 Paris)
This is my 2nd trip to Paris and my 2nd time eating here. The service and food are great... but the ambiance and view are absolutely amazing!
• Le Violon d'Ingres (135 Rue Saint-Dominique 75007 Paris)
This restaurant is fantastic. It has one Michelin star, but doesn't feel stuffy at all. The service was perfect and the food was some of the best I have ever had.
• Café Saint-Régis (6 Rue Jean du Bellay 75004 Paris)
If you find yourself on the islands of the Seine, this cafe is so lovely. The decor and food are definitely worth a visit.

Other
• Publicis Drugstore (133 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris)
We frequented this place many times for the variety inside. They have a food market, wine shop, pharmacy, bookstore, Pierre Hermé macaron boutique, 2 restaurants and more. It is located at the top of Champs Élysées.

We also went to a couple destinations on the outskirts of Paris: Champagne and Versailles. I will post pictures and our experiences in those places in Part II next week.

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!

Gifts for Mother's Day

I am back from my wonderful trip to Paris with my mom. It was an amazing mother/daughter vacation and even though it wasn't planned, it was also such a nice way to celebrate an early Mother's Day!

I put together a board with some last minute goodies that would also be perfect for Mother's Day:

lavender + gray pens // iphone case // polish: go ginza // perfume roller // salad set 

stud earrings // initial mug // cork pouch // coconut cream

I love the idea of putting small gifts into this cork pouch or mug. That way the wrapping is part of the present and you can easily top it off with a pretty ribbon. I also found this monogram mug diy if you're extra ambitious.

Everything on the board is also under $40... happy mom and wallet! :)

I am gathering up pics to put a Paris post together soon! Thank you again to Ally of Life as I know it and Jillian of Cornflake Dreams for filling my blog with pretty posts while I was away!

Guest post: Jillian of Cornflake Dreams

I am so excited to have Jillian here in my place today! She is one of my favs. I love the Paris round up she put together!

Five on Friday - Paris edition! It's Jillian from Cornflake Dreams and I am thrilled to be guest posting for Jessica while she is running around Paris :) I have visited Paris twice and it's one of my favorite cities, so I wanted to round up my five favorite things about Paris: 

ONE: The Fashion - High-end designers aside, I love every day Parisian fashion. The city is full of stylish men and women who look so chic in the Parisian uniform: lots of dark colors, simple jewelry and no-fuss fresh make-up.

TWO: The Food - specifically croissants! There are days when I dream about Parisian croissants! It's kind of hard to believe that I wasn't a huge fan of croissants until recently (even after studying abroad in Paris for a month in college). I finally gave in and I had a croissant every day on our honeymoon. Now I am really disappointed when American croissants are mushy and not flaky on the outside (that's the most important part!)

THREE: The Architecture - Paris is one of my favorite cities because it is a city filled with gorgeous architecture and historic churches and museums. There is something beautiful on just about every street!

FOUR: The Parks - There is nothing like a beautiful green space and Paris has quite a few parks (perfect for an impromptu picnic or people watching).

FIVE: The Art - Paris has some of the world's most famous museums, the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Centre Pompidou, Cluny Museum, Rodin Museum and a few others I haven't gotten the chance to visit. Not to mention all the sculptures. 

Have you visited Paris? 
What is your favorite part about the city?
xo, 
Jillian of Cornflake Dreams
psst: want to see more Paris posts? See all of my recaps here.

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