a cape cod maternity shoot.

{all photos used with permission from Kate Headley  //  outfit details: dress | sweater | necklace}

A few weeks ago, I spent the day on Cape Cod with my dear friend, Kate Headley. We met in DC in 2009 when I started the interview process for wedding photographers. Thankfully, I only had to interview one. She won me over from our first meeting and captured our wedding day perfectly. Kate has taken my photo many times over the years, but this time was a bit different: baby {v} was in the photos with me. Trying to feel comfortable "posing" with my bump was a new phenomenon. I count my blessings that when Kate is behind the lens, I feel completely at ease in front of it. 

During our blustery afternoon in Falmouth, Kate captured this special season of my life in a way no one else could. I am beyond grateful -- and always will be -- for these images. I can't wait to have Kate shoot our growing family in the coming years. Endless thanks to Kate for taking these priceless photos and letting me share them with you. xoxo {av}

P.S. You can see a more images from this shoot here. You can also see a few of our past shoots here, here + here.

sweet sweet summer.

{my image, originally found here}

{cv} and I have been filling this sweet, sweet summer to the brim with memories. From our babymoon in California to perfect weekends with friends and family, this last summer sans baby {v} is certainly one for the record books. It may be the pregnancy hormones, but I find myself extra nostalgic. While it feels like the last few months have passed in the blink of an eye, there is a part of me that feels like this summer has progressed at a snail's pace. In some ways, it mimics a summer a decade in my past...

The summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college was, by far, the longest of my life. I was living in Kansas City and training for my first marathon in the worst of the Midwest heat. It was the summer my beloved grandfather passed, after a battle with cancer which was both too quick and too long at the same time. It was also the summer I really started to figure it out -- with boys, with friends, with school, and with life. I emphasize "started" because I am still a very long way from actually figuring out life. 

Though this summer has been much different than the hot one spent in Kansas, I realized recently it has held much of the same change. In 2004, I was returning to Georgetown after a transformational summer in the Heartland. This summer, I am embracing the craziness of life and what it will soon hold for us. On my daily walks, I get lost in thought about the next few months. With the baby and the house, {cv} and I have so many wonderful and "big" things on our plate. There is no shred of complaint in this happy anxiety; it is only the fear of the unknown. 

If you're a long-time reader, I'm sure you've noticed I have been posting much less frequently this summer. {cv} and I are doing our best to enjoy the peace and quiet of our life as it exists today. I find myself missing more regular posts {and, for once, have a queue of ideas a mile long in my head}. At the start of 2014, I pledged I would share only my best with each of you. I can look back on my posts from this year and say I didn't just toss something up for the sake of sharing a post. I'd like to think I saved you the pain of reading a tired post and I saved myself the misguided effort. {I will take it as a win for both of us.} Though the posts may be less frequent, I hope they are posts worthy of a few minutes of your time. 

The biggest blessing of this sweet, sweet summer is simple: I am finally working toward a more focused and fulfilled life. Many thanks for staying by me -- and I hope you'll stick around for the ride. I'm not going anywhere. xoxo {av}

P.S. Do you have any specific topics you'd like me to cover in future posts? Leave a quick comment below or shoot me an email. 

I want to make my content relevant to you -- and the best way for me to do that is by asking, of course. 

instagram etiquette: why it matters + why you should care.

When I joined Instagram three years ago, it was little more than an auxiliary social media platform. I posted haphazard photos of everyday life and didn't overanalyze things. I don't know exactly when it changed, but somewhere along the way, Instagram became so much more. From photo editing apps like VSCO CAM to shopping platforms like LIKEtoKNOW:it, there are countless ways to make your snapshots more than just a photo. 

Far and away, Instagram is my favorite social media platform. I have always loved photography, so my favoritism should come as no surprise. In the midst of my love and affection for Instagram, there is also a bit of frustration. The seven points below encompass my view on Insta-etiquette in a nutshell:

1) IF YOU'RE GOING TO SHARE, USE PROPER SOURCING: If my most viewed {and pinned} post of all time is any indication, I am a sourcing fanatic. I won't pin a photo until I can find the link to the person, blog or brand who created the content. As a blogger, I know just how long it takes to craft new posts. Though I don't share "inspirational" photos from others on my Instagram feed, it makes my blood boil to see the hard work of my fellow creatives uncredited and unattributed on Instagram. Applying a new filter and adding some text below the image does not make it yours. Do your due diligence and find the source before you're tempted to share someone else's content. I have heard countless stories about missed attribution and have experienced it myself. While you may be inspired by someone else, prettying up your own feed with their work isn't the best tactic. If you do share someone else's work, always {and I mean always} tag them in the initial photo description. Otherwise, the quick passerby of your feed will miss the attribution completely. My personal opinion is that you shouldn't share the work of others, but I know I could be alone on this one.

2) DON'T PROFIT FROM OTHERS' HARD WORK: On the subject of sharing others' work, don't take someone else's image and make it shoppable. It may be a "smart" business move for a blogger, but you shouldn't be profiting from someone else's outfit or living room. Forever and ever, amen.

3) STOP SHARING FOR THE SAKE OF SHARING: In the past, I used to beat myself up for not sharing new content on my Instagram feed daily. These days, I don't give myself the guilt trip. You may read things about how sharing regularly is the best way to gain followers. I can't argue with those articles: when I'm posting more frequently, I do see my followers increase. When I mention "sharing for the sake of sharing", I mean the posts where you toss something up there just to say you Instagrammed that day. Chances are that if you don't like what you're posting...others won't either. Blowing up someone's feed with mundane things is just that: mundane. Allow yourself a pass. Instagram isn't going anywhere. 

4) DON'T OVER-GRAM: In a similar vein to #3, there are few days in life which require more than three or four Instagrams. Back in the good ol' days, I didn't pay attention to the number of snaps I shared. Fast forward to present day: I rarely share more than two Instagrams in a 24-hour period. On vacation or for a big life event, I may share three or four photos in a day, but it is incredibly uncommon. This is just one example, but follow me here: unless you work in the food industry {or have a food-oriented Instagram account}, no one needs to see all six courses of your dinner. I rest my case.

5) BE ORIGINAL: Peony season inevitably brings an onslaught of peony posts. If you're going to share these beautiful blooms, find some way to make yours different and stand out from the crowd. This concept applies to all of your Instagrams: don't knowingly re-create an Instagram you saw elsewhere. It is just the same as re-gramming someone else's work without attribution. Ick.

6) LEAVE GENUINE COMMENTS: Commenting is a fabulous way to join the "conversation" on Instagram. However, if you don't have something nice to say, leave it to yourself. Leaving a comment on Instagram is so much easier than leaving one on a blog. Quipping something rude and inappropriate may seem funny, but it can be incredibly hurtful. While bloggers are used to putting themselves out there, it doesn't mean that Instagram is the forum in which to criticize them. I may be on my own island here, but I don't think I am: keep your negativity to yourself. Nobody wants it.  

7) STAY TRUE TO YOU: My favorite Instagrams are often the ones which receive the fewest likes. This used to confuse me, but now I understand. Be it the subject or the timing, certain Instagrams will always perform better. {Think about yourself as a potential follower of your feed; it should all make sense.} When I look back on my feed in a few years, I will be glad to have those low-performing photos in it. In the end, all that matters is that your Instagram feed reflects you. Goodness knows, my Instagram feed isn't the most popular. {I gave up caring about the number of followers and likes long ago.} I share what makes my heart happy and this has made all the difference for me.

What would you add to the Instagram etiquette conversation? I share these seven pointers because I would genuinely like to make Instagram better -- not because I'm better than anyone else. Instagram etiquette matters because social media is, by definition, a public platform. We owe it to one another to  be supportive and encouraging, rather than catty and calculated. Agreed? xoxo {av}

P.S. The lucky winner of my $100 Rent The Runway giveaway is Anne from In Residence! Many thanks to all who entered :)

insta-update: summer 2014.

Is it me or is this summer flying by? I can't believe half of July is already in the books! Long after this summer is over, I will be grateful for the sunny summer shots in my Instagram feed. This corner of social media continues to hold a special place in my heart. I could blame my heightened nostalgia on pregnancy hormones, but I have always been a fan of walking down memory lane. I think that's the best part about Instagram: it makes a stroll down this wistful lane infinitely easier. With that in mind, here are a few of my favorite snaps from my feed over the last six weeks or so...

I added some serious sparkle to my rotation since the beginning of summer. A statement necklace and a pretty pair of sandals {similar here} have helped to jazz up my shrinking closet. I also scored this serious steal at TJ Maxx and felt like a real #maxxinista. {For those interested, I promise a full post on my maternity wardrobe soon, so hang tight!}

Since Memorial Day weekend, {cv} and I have been busy bees. From the Jersey Shore to Cape Cod, we have covered a lot of ground in the last few weeks. The next month or so is no exception. With a surprise babymoon, a Midwestern swing, and a Martha's Vineyard weekend on tap, we are squeezing in a lot before baby {v} graces us with his or her presence! I also think it will provide for some fab Insta-opps ;)

My streak of consecutive 10,000-step days continues! Stumbling on new neighborhood gems make my daily strolls even better. The snaps from these walks will always bring back lovely memories of these quiet days. 

If this little blog is quiet for the next few days, don't worry: hop over to Instagram and take a little vacation with {cv} and me! We leave on Thursday morning on our surprise babymoon. This season in our life together is one I will always cherish. He has worked so hard to make this trip unforgettable--and I can't wait to see what he has up his sleeve. {I only know the average temperatures and that the destination is one plane flight away!} The anticipation is killing me, but the adventure which awaits will be worth it. More soon! xoxo {av}

how to write with sparklers.

{please excuse any grumpy or weird faces...I should work on my pleasant resting face!}

When we made our big announcement a few weeks ago, I promised a post on writing with sparklers. I thought it was only appropriate to share those tips in the week leading up to the Fourth of July. In typical {av} fashion, I did a fair amount of research to prep for our first attempt at sparkler writing. These five tutorials gave me the most insight into the final product: The College Prepster | A Little Sussy | Society Bride | Pixels & Co. | This is Life? 

PREPARATION:

-This is one activity you cannot do alone. Unless you've mastered the art of using a self-timer in the dark, you are better off have a partner-in-crime for this adventure.

-You are best served buying a few packs of "Morning Glory" sparklers. These are larger scale sparklers with a longer burn time. Depending on your state's firework laws, you may have to do some digging to find this type of sparkler. Thankfully, I was able to find them in the dollar bins at my local Wal-Mart and Target. I've heard rumors about three-minute sparklers, but I was never able to find those myself.

-While you're at it, you should also purchase a real "long" lighter--not matches. Sparklers can spark {crazy, right?}, so having something which can give you some distance from the sparkler itself is key.

-Maximize the visibility of your message by wearing dark clothing from head to toe {preferably long sleeves and pants}. Lighter clothing will show up in your photos and distract from the sparklers.

-Borrow or buy a tripod. With the longer exposure, you will need your camera to stay perfectly steady in order to capture the sparklers. If you don't have access to a tripod, scout a few spots during the day where you can confidently place your camera. You wouldn't want any unfortunate camera mishaps in the dark.

-Try to stay away from streetlights and any other large light sources. This may seem obvious, but it is worth saying. It may take some time to get your bearings with your camera in the dark, but practice a bit inside before you head out into the darkness.

-As an aside, you may want to bring a vase or glass full of water outside. You can put any used sparklers inside to prevent any residual fires.

NECESSITIES:

-Morning Glory Sparklers

-Large lighter

-Tripod {or sturdy surface}

-DSLR camera

-Dark clothing

-Patience

PROCESS:

-Using our DSLR camera, we shot all of our photos in manual mode. {I have a Nikon D5000.} I liked Nicole's post for technical information, though I used a different shutter speed method.

-You can gain more control with your shutter by setting your camera to "bulb" mode. It allows you to press down to "start" the photo and let up to "finish" it. This sounds really unscientific, but I promise it gives you the most control of your sparkler writing. {cv} would press down on the shutter button, say "go", then I would start writing. When I would finish the letter, he'd let up on the shutter button. We could often get multiple letters done with one lit sparkler.

-It goes without saying that you can include multiple people in the letter drawing process for a fun group photo.

-Many tutorials mention the difficulty of writing backwards. I have to give {cv} credit here: he realized it would be so much easier to write as if you were doing so on paper. {aka the normal way}. By flipping the photo, the word {or letter} appears correctly on your screen. If you don't have photo editing software on your computer, don't worry. After a quick trial, this website seems to work--just choose the left-right option. {If you have a smart phone, the Afterlight app will also allow you to flip the photo after you send it to yourself via email.}

-Have some patience: some letters are definitely harder than others. I struggled with J, R, and Y especially. Even though they seem easy, they tripped me up! 

This may seem like an intense process, but I can assure you that your first attempt at sparkler writing will be the toughest. We were able to take the photos for this post rather quickly, compared to our baby announcement photo shoot. As a point of reference, this post included 26 letters and a heart and the announcement had only three letters. It does get easier!

Apologies for the novel of a post, but I wanted to arm you with everything you need to take great sparkler photos this 4th of July--and beyond. If you've tried to take sparkler photos and have any tips, please feel free to add them below. Every little tip counts! Happy almost July 4th! xoxo {av}

dreaming away the cold.

This has been one brutal winter. With spring finally making its long awaited return this week, I feel like I can finally breathe a huge sigh of relief. The temperatures may not be spring-like just yet, but I am holding onto hope that we aren't far from some warm sunshine. I spied this quote from Ben Aaronovitch and it described my feelings about this winter perfectly. I am officially dreaming away the cold.

After this endless winter, I'm calling March 20th is the start of a new "year". Who's with me? I may even make a few new resolutions, starting with putting my phone away after 9:30pm. What other "resolutions" would you like to start with this new season? xoxo {av}

P.S. Tackling our biggest project yet is taking the vast majority of my time and attention. If you hear from me less frequently in the coming weeks, please know I'm not far away...we just have a ton of decisions to make. I love my little space on the internet, but sometimes "real life" wins out. I promise to share updates on the house front when I have them. Thank you so much for your understanding {and moral support!}.

 

48 hours in paris.

This December, we made it back to my all-time favorite city: Paris. We managed to pack in a LOT of the sights in the 48 hours we spent in the city of lights. In the last four years, we have visited Paris three times, so this post will be home to the places which we loved the most. If you have only two days in Paris, you can maximize them using our learnings from the past few years. {I'm not the slightest bit sorry for the picture and information overload below. Paris is the best.}

VISIT:

-Paris is chock full of museums, so we generally choose one to visit when on a shorter trip. The Louvre is a must-see for a first-time visitor to Paris, but then again, I would say the same thing about the Musée d'Orsay. We also loved our visit to the Rodin Museum, which is slightly off the beaten track but in a lovely corner of Paris. Wherever you choose, you can't really go wrong.

-Strolling through Montmartre and seeing the city from Sacré Coeur make for an excellent afternoon. You can take the Metro there and get in a little exercise while climbing up to visit ;)

-Notre Dame is near the top of the list of "cliché" tourist stops in Paris. The crowds are bananas, but the amazing rose windows and the overall beauty of the cathedral are incredibly powerful.

-If you have two mornings in Paris, save one to stroll the market on rue Cler. {It's close to the Eiffel Tower.} My best friend who studied in Paris clued us into this gem. If you want a real taste of Parisian daily life, this is it. 

-I will always and forever love the Eiffel Tower. Whenever I see it for the first time, it literally makes me stop in my tracks. Be sure to pre-book your tickets for this one! If you can only swing tickets to the second level, you CAN get tickets to the top when you get off the elevator. {We were able to swing that on our last visit; it felt a little like the Amazing Race.} If you don't love heights, don't worry. Whether you go up the tower or not, I would recommend taking a picnic at sunset to watch the Eiffel Tower start to sparkle. We grabbed a few things from a market nearby and made a little evening of it. {It also makes for a cost-effective dinner option!}

EAT + DRINK:
-If you're down for a good drink, Harry's New York Bar is the birthplace of so many drinks {the Bloody Mary, the French 75, just to name a few}. It's an experience for sure--and is a real "American" outpost in Paris. {Here is a little video I snapped on our trip this December of the 15-second Bloody Mary production...unreal!}
-You must have the hot chocolate at Angelina on rue Rivoli. Though by sharing that I may be forever cursing our future visits, we found that the best time to go is first thing in the morning around 8am. If the line is too long for a seat, you can still get the hot chocolate in a take-away cup in the macaron line. {While you're in the take-away line, grab a few macarons while you're at it. We did a direct taste test with the same flavor from Angelina, Ladurée, and Pierre Hermé--and we liked Angelina the best.} One other tip: If you're planning on a visit to the Louvre, Angelina would be an ideal stop before you go.

-Buvette is a one of my favorite stops in NYC and they just opened an outpost in Paris. In addition to being perfectly quaint and cozy, the food is super tasty.
-We found Willi's Wine Bar on our honeymoon, thanks to a sweet little guidebook my mom gave us. It was closed on our visit in 2012, but we were happy to find it open again this winter. With a killer wine list and wonderful atmosphere, {cv} and I definitely plan to go back on future trips to Paris.
-Another great friend is lucky enough to call Paris home for the next few years. She recommended we stop at Candelaria for a few tacos {yes, you read that right}. They were AMAZING. The seating is tiny, but worth the wait. Though we didn't time it right for their hidden bar {literally through a nondescript door in the back of the restaurant}, she tells us phenomenal tales of their drink selection.

EXTRA TIPS:

-Always book tickets ahead. Always. For the Eiffel Tower, I would hop on to book your ticket the same day you book your flights. When time is at a premium, 30 minutes here and there spent in line add up. You'll be glad you took a few minutes on the front end to pre-book. 

-Leave your giant purse, tote, or backpack at home. I carried a small Longchamp and never had to check a bag at a museum. It helped me look slightly less touristy, as many French women also carry these bags. You can also keep a better handle on access to your bag when in crowds. I may sound like a crazy person, but I always keep the zipper in my hands on whatever side I carry it. Knock on wood: I've never been pickpocketed.

-I know Paris is a fashionable city and you want to look chic, but you must bring a comfortable pair of shoes. One day, we tallied up our walking to discover that we walked more than 13 miles {equivalent to a half marathon!}. Doing that kind of distance in heels or strappy sandals just isn't a good plan if you want to be mobile for your entire visit.

-While we're on the topic of fashion, I maybe one of the few women who would prefer sightseeing over shopping. If I only have two days, I don't need to be doing it inside a boutique. It is my preference, though it may not be yours. We can agree to disagree ;) 

-Plan some unplanned time. Some of our best memories from Paris are from strolling through different corners of the city and just taking it all in...

Do you have one city which will always rank as your favorite? Paris is, without a doubt, mine. The city holds so many incredible memories for us--and I'm already dreaming of our next visit. If you're planning a visit soon, bookmark this post for later consumption and report back on your favorites. xoxo {av}

passport to paris.

We were in Paris two months ago this week. For some reason, I always procrastinate going through our snaps from Paris. My theory? I am always in denial that our next visit may be a few years away. 

Paris holds a very special place in my heart: I was 7 when I first got a taste of this amazing city. It is the city in Europe I've visited the most. At the start of our long distance years, I studied a few hours south of Paris and made frequent weekend trips to soak up the city. Most of all, {cv} and I honeymooned there in 2010. The romance of the place gets me every. single. time.

For a little mid-week treat, I thought I would give you all a little passport to Paris. This is only the tip of the iceberg of our trip photos, so I hope you'll indulge me in a few Parisian posts. In the dragging days of winter, I think they'll give a bit of a boost to all of us ;)

Sadly, I was only able to capture one of our two days in the city of lights. Our first day had plenty of sun, but our second day was full of rain. We visited a few of our favorite haunts during the trip, but we added a few more to our repertoire. {I'll get to those in another post, I promise.}

The one big tip we learned during this trip to Paris: Hotwire is your friend. With our knowledge of the city, we were able to score a room in an ideal location without paying anything close to full-price. While you may not always get a "name-brand" hotel via Hotwire, your location in Paris is arguably more important. Paris isn't a cheap city, so finding a reasonably-priced place to rest your head in close proximity to the sights is worth every penny.

Your passport to Paris doesn't end with this post! Check out these posts from our trip in the summer of 2012 for more Parisian prettiness: here + here + here + here. I also have a few more tips and tricks from our past trips in an upcoming post, so stay tuned. I can't do this visit justice with a single post.

Have you ever visited Paris in the winter? How did it change your Parisian tourist tactics? In spite of the cold temps, we found Paris to be just as romantic and charming as ever. In some ways, I was glad to have cold fingers so I wasn't constantly snapping photos--and could enjoy just soaking in the sights. {cv} and I also used the metro much more during this winter trip than our warmer weather visits. All in all, I'd go back to Paris in a heartbeat...but then again, was that ever a question? ;) xoxo {av}

insta-update: winter 2014.

row one: door - spoons - dress | row two: barn - museum | row three: Gus - water view - macarons 

row four: earrings - cookbook | row five: snowy night - ice cream - bedroom

Since we got home from Europe, {cv} and I haven't strayed far from home. Aside from a family wedding in New Hampshire and our "staycation" in Boston, we have been in and around Rhode Island for the past two months. There are few things I love about the snowy New England winters, but if there is one thing I'm learning to appreciate it's this: the winter forces you to slow down. If you take a look at my Instagram, you'll see a lot of cozy shots from the last two months--which is just fine by me.

In the past few months, I have also been falling in love with VSCO CAM. I wasn't a huge fan of their previous design, but the last few updates changed my mind. You can even buy extra packs of "filters", which make it way more fun. If you're a VSCO user, do you have any favorite "filters"? I'm a huge fan of F2. What other photo apps do you use? I also dabble in Afterlight and Snapseed, but VSCO has really become my go-to. xoxo {av}

how to choose your facebook cover photo.

Happy Monday! Since I'm a serious nerd, I conducted a little experiment over the weekend on Facebook and learned a thing or two about cover photos in the process. To save you the time {and advertising dollars!}, I wanted to share my takeaways from my two-day ad campaign. I was super curious to see what photos engaged the most people and drew enough intrigue for someone to click over to my blog's Facebook page.

I chose four rather different images: a sailboat, macarons, hydrangeas, and a scene from Cape Cod. Each of these four things are close to my heart, thus I would hope to find readers who enjoyed the same things. {Note: I'm not a sailor, but I do love boats.} It may just be super dreamy, but the photo from the sailboat outperformed all three of the other images by nearly 400%. After that overwhelming vote of confidence, I changed the cover photo of my Facebook page to the sailboat scene this morning.

Facebook cover photos have always intrigued me, mostly because it is just another thing to "get right" in the game of attracting new readers or fans. The image you feature needs to grab their attention without going over the top. Here are four things I considered as I chose the images for the ad run, which ultimately translated into my new cover photo:

1) If at all possible, use your own photo or graphic. By using someone else's photo, you're not showing off your work. Sure, someone else's image may be pretty, but giving proper credit on Facebook isn't the easiest thing to do. It also allows for someone to snipe the image and use it for their page, thus causing the same problem that happens frequently on Pinterest: lost, stolen or missing image attribution. Avoid all of that--and use one of your favorite Instagrams or snaps from a recent vacation.

2) This may seem obvious, but choose something that appeals to the type of people you'd like to reach. I would love to attract readers who have a thing for New England, hence several photos in this experiment having a northeastern pull. Ask yourself if this particular photo would make you want to click over or stay for awhile to scroll through your page.

3) Don't overdo it. A busy image with lots of text may seem appealing, but the attention span of most people is under ten seconds. You only have so long to "hook" someone. In a very literal sense, think of your cover photo as your magazine cover: would you want to pick up a magazine with a super cluttered cover? No...

4) Adhere to Facebook's sizing suggestions. I created my images in the 851 pixels wide x 315 pixels tall format. You should too! Whenever Facebook gives clear suggestions on sizing, I follow them! No one likes distorted images or text. 

What other suggestions would you have for bloggers and businesses as they create their own cover photos? What appeals to you? What turns you away? I think the best way to help one another is by sharing our own observations. Even if you're not a blogger, I still think these suggestions can apply to your own cover page. Last but not least: if you're here as a result of my "experiment" this weekend, I'm glad to have you! Thank you for the insight into making my little corner of the internet better. I hope this helps beautify and boost your own Facebook page in the process! xoxo {av}

find happiness in the simplest of things.

First things first, this isn't the post I sat down to write. I love editorial calendars, but this post evolved on its own. Follow me here: by the end of the week, I find many {seemingly} random photos on my phone because I'm a constant picture-taker. There are so many photos which I don't share on Instagram, mostly because I don't want to overwhelm your feed. I try to pick the best of the best to share with all of you, but it does mean my phone fills up with plenty of funny snaps.

I realized that many of those photos are little moments of happiness, which only mean something to me. Case in point: the photo featured above of the bookshelves in the entry of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum {touched up a bit with everyone's new favorite app, Waterlogue}. For me, this photo represents a perfect afternoon spent exploring a historic hideaway with my main squeeze {cv}. For everyone else, the photo looks like a random set of bookshelves.

 

In this internet-driven world, we're compelled to share everything.  Somewhere along the way, I made the choice to share the things I think others will like too {probably because it's called a "like"--go figure}. If I shared everything, you'd see just how normal my life really is. I just assume you'd rather not see my sweaty post-gym selfies or a bazillion snaps of my favorite kitties. I'm okay with that. I will treasure those random snaps from my typical Tuesdays for years to come. Who knows? Maybe they'll even become a future #tbt post.

In my pledge to you at the beginning of 2014, I promised you the best. The same applies to all elements of my "internet" life. I will continue to spare you my sweatiness, but I promise to share some of those hidden gems with you here on the blog. When you've long forgotten me ten years from now, I'll be grateful for those gems as I scroll through old posts. Maybe that is what blogging is all about...

How do you draw the line between the internet and "real" life--or do you? xoxo {av}

P.S. Does the idea behind Waterlogue remind anyone of those funny mall photobooths with the paint effects? I know I'm dating myself here.

one day in bruges.

Last week, I shared some photos from our rainy stay in Amsterdam. The morning we left, the clouds started to fade while we were on the train to Bruges. When we arrived in this little city, the sun was finally shining--and we were able to ditch our heavy winter coats in favor of our lighter jackets. After some consultation with friends and family who have visited Bruges, we decided one day would allow us to get a good taste for the city. It also served as a great via point between Amsterdam and Paris. As a warning, this post is a bit photo heavy, but consider it your little getaway for the day!

{one little note: there are a number of conflicting ways to spell Bruges {i.e. Bruges, Brugges, Bruge}, but for the sake of this post, I'm sticking with Bruges.}

We arrived in Bruges just before noon and set out immediately in search of some lunch. I quickly fell in love with the cobblestone streets and vibrantly colored homes. Bruges is an ancient city by European standards. Many of its medieval buildings remain, which allows you to slip back in time. I had been to Bruges for a singular afternoon in 1999, but I remember little from that trip other than the weeping willows over the river.

Once we neared the center of town, we stumbled upon a quiet café near the center of town called Brasserie Rozenhoedkaai. {cv} and I shared an enormous order of moules frites {aka mussels and fries} to fuel up for the day. After lunch, we continued our stroll into the true center of town, finding a full-on Christmas market along with an ice rink. Though we didn't lace up our skates, we did pay a couple of euro to try the glühwein {aka mulled wine}. While on the market square, we wanted to see the Belfry, but the line to enter was two hours long. With time in short supply, we kept on exploring the city.

In true Belgian fashion, {cv} and I decided to seek out some beer. With some encouragement from Trip Advisor, we ended up at Cambrinus. We were lucky to score a few seats at the bar and witnessed the beer-pouring spectacle firsthand. Every beer was served in a "matching" glass. With countless beers available, this was quite a feat.

After Cambrinus, {cv} and I found The Bottle Shop. Though they didn't serve beer, they did have an incredible selection of bottled beer paired with their matching glasses. We knew the Belgians took pride in their beer, but this shop illustrated it in a magnificent way.

I promise beer wasn't the only thing on our brains while in Bruges. Of course, we had to be on the hunt for chocolate too. {cv} and I did a little research and ultimately ended up at The Chocolate Line. As one might expect, the smell of the shop was out of this world. I didn't want to anger the shopowners, so I sadly don't have any photos to illustrate the beauty of their chocolate. One thing is for sure: if you go to Bruges, you need to save a few minutes for a visit to The Chocolate Line.

Though we didn't have a dinner reservation, {cv} and I were able to squeeze into a corner booth at t' Brugs Beertje. Full to the brim with both locals and tourists, we couldn't get enough of the sights, sounds, and smells of this place. I would definitely recommend it for an authentic Bruges dining experience. One word of warning: they only accept cash. {cv} had to leave me for ransom {as noted in this Instagram} while he went to an ATM to pull out the appropriate funds. It was definitely a learning moment.

After dinner, {cv} and I made one final lap through the quaint streets of Bruges. My nighttime photos of this charming city don't do it justice. Before we turned in for the night, we had some late-night fries at Friterie 1900, though I must say they paled in comparison to my NYC fave Pommes Frites. With the help of Hotwire, we scored a room at the Hotel NH Brugge. Though it wasn't a super posh hotel, the rooms were well-kept and it was easily walkable to the train station and the city center. We wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.

In any season, I would certainly recommend a visit to Bruges. It is a nice change of pace from the larger cities in Europe, but it isn't too small to entertain you for a full day {or more}. Our wintertime visit provided even more charm {if that's possible} with its twinkly lights and holiday markets. In retrospect, we could have taken a ride on the river or booked a brewery tour, but {cv} and I enjoyed our visit immensely the way we did it. As we've found, smaller cities are best enjoyed while on a leisurely stroll--without ten million places to stop.

Have you ever been to Bruges? What else would you recommend for a one-day visit? xoxo {av}