life, according to my iphone

[happy hour; burrata, i love you]

happy almost turkey day everyone! i cannot believe that this year/semester is almost over. so many assignments, so many papers, so much work, and life have happened in between the start of the semester and now. and here we are, at the tail end of it. you know, there are times in your life where you are so in the thick of it that it seems like there isn't going to be a break. then, before you know it, you've made it through. 

at some point during this year, i came across the following quote that i keep in mind when things get a little intense. "when you think you are being buried, you are actually being planted. so, bloom"

enjoy the long weekend!

[made me laugh; loving this color combo]

[san miguel views]

[i'll take one of each, please]

[can you spot the pup?; my grandparents' garden]

[study sessions]

[floral views]

[funny signage]

[gorgeous sunset skies]

[confessions; courtyard views]

[dinner prep; ice cream break]

[colorful flowers in hand = one happy me; anniversary wine]

[pouty pup; reflections]

[tasty dinner salads; cozy nights]

[a hunky husband; another gorgeous courtyard]

mexico photo diary

mexico...one of my favorite places to visit and gets me giddy every time i get to spend time there. the food and drinks are always a delight to my taste buds. the people, i've had the pleasure of meeting, are wonderful. but, most of all, i enjoy getting to love what the locals love and do what the locals do. it has been my favorite way to experience mexico.

for our first trip to san miguel de allende, i made a photo diary of our adventures. i hope you enjoy!  

first night in:

we got settled in, were greeted with mescal to toast to our holiday, ate delicious tamales, and swapped stories. it was a perfect greeting after a day of travel and made us all the more excited to start our week in san miguel. 

[my grandma's offering]

day one:

we started off our day with a tour of the main sites in downtown san miguel, took a tasty ice cream break, fell in love with several displays of marigolds, and enjoyed a dynamite dinner courtesy of my grandpa. 

[my grandpa and i]

[peeks into beautiful courtyard gardens]

[a couple of happy travel birdies]

day two: 

T and i started the first part of the day working on homework. then, we got our faces painted, got dressed, and enjoyed the day of the dead festivities with my grandparents.

[my hunky date]

day three: 

my grandparents took us to the flower market (the colors!) and we visited the cemetery to pay our respects and lay flowers among the sites (it was beautiful and significant). later, we checked out a few antique shops, visited the town of dolores, found several market goods, tasted delicious carnitas, sampled mescals, and watched coco.

   

[how can i choose?!]

[carnitas? yes please]

[pottery making on site]

day four:

we visited the main site for the altars (impressive), had lunch and cocktails at one of the popular local spots (the jicama taco...i still think about it!), found loads of treasures at the market, and went to a day of the dead party of my grandparents' friends (the balcony views of the town were...wow). 

[lovely views]

[so much color]

[cured ham is my weakness]

day five:

T and i spend most of the day studying. later, we went my grandparents' favorite bar to taste their killer margaritas (that jamaica flower...omg), chat up their friends, wait out the rain, and eat delicious tostadas. 

[ginger margies...what!]

[i loved the decor and atmosphere of this place]

day six:

T and i spent more time studying while a rainstorm whipped through. later, once the rain dissipated, we walked the streets of san miguel, picked up some amazing local chocolate, found yummy mexican wines, enjoyed a beautiful dinner, and capped our holiday with another tasting. but, this time, we sampled my grandpa's scotches...i may have become a fan as a result.  

[still beautiful]

[T and my grandma]

it truly was a bittersweet departure. we were missing our friends, other family members, dogs, and routine, but we really fell in love with san miguel and cannot wait to return. 

a huge thanks to my grandparents for treating us to such a lovely time away. miss you both so much!

día de los muertos

día de los muertos...such an amazing experience and series of moments i will keep forever. it was T and i's first time to partake in the events and we were so excited. well in advance, my mom used her dynamite artistic skills to paint T's suit (yes, she painted that by hand!) and make the flowers for my hair. on the day, my grandma had our faces professionally painted by a local makeup artist (who was incredibly talented and sweet). and then, it was time to put it all together. T and i were beyond thrilled with how beautiful everything fit together and were getting more excited by the moment to walk about town. 

[T, me, and my grandma linda]

our first stop was to hit the first meeting spot for all of those who were dressed. it was...stellar. i loved seeing all of the artistry and detail put into people's dressings. it really was impressive. there were people not dressed taking photos of the people around, and T and i were asked to pose a few times!

[watching the crowds come in]

then, we made our way to el jardín (the garden) to meet up with the larger groups of people dressed, see the sights, and take it all in. it was spectacular and a feast for the eyes. we took more photos, i couldn't even with some of the adorable children dressed, and people marveled over T's suit. 

[i loved this altar]

[T's loved these two]

[more coming in]

taking a break from the crowds in the square, we enjoyed dinner nearby on a rooftop across from the paroquia (parrish). we watched the festival continue on their rooftop while enjoying great cocktails and company. 

[side note, i may have scared this child with my enthusiasm]

[the paroquia at night...isn't it beautiful?]

after dinner and wandering with my grandparents, they ventured home while T and i continued to explore. we loved how alive and beautiful the main square was with adults and children playing in the night. we ventured to a couple of bars for cocktails, wandered awhile longer, and i, of course, snapped more photos. 

[i loved his headdress]

[stumbling upon a really fun bar]

[my absolute favorite of the night]

after having such an amazing time out, we eventually ventured back home. it was a night and experience that T and i will surely never forget...and such a treat to partake in.