Oh the Algarve. It's a magical place. Those rocky coastlines crashing into the sea are even more beautiful in person. The pictures don't do them justice. But, I will say, we had a hard time figuring out where we wanted to stay a long the coast - there are just so many beaches, and it's such a large area with so many towns to pick from. We felt like we were kind of guessing when we decided on a spot to rest our heads.
Read MoreThis little trip was a birthday present from my (truly) amazing husband. Andrew and I aren't present people. We honestly have never purchased a thing for each other except for trips. That's our one big indulgence, and it just works out that neither of us really like getting gifts (we are both somewhat awkward at heart). But the gifts we end up getting for each other - the once in a lifetime, will always remember, adventures we'll tell our grandkids about - they always end up beating any piece of jewelry in my book. And the Douro Valley is the perfect example.
Read MorePorto surprised me in so many ways. I genuinely loved everything about the sweet little, azulejo-covered city. The food, the people, the architecture - it all won my heart over the second we stepped off the plane. We always try to hit the ground running after a red eye flight to try and adjust to the time zone, and it wasn't hard to keep our eyes open while exploring every nook and cranny of this place. I literally woke up the first morning at 5:45AM because I just couldn't wait to start exploring again (I'm also a crazy person). It's a safe, easy to navigate, charming city that is just begging to get lost in. We obliged.
Read MoreAndrew and I always have a problem when we go to a new country, and the problem is we want to see EVERYTHING during our short little American vacations. So we always try to do a lot of pre-planning before take-off to strategize the right amount of sightseeing (and sleeping). For Portugal, we basically wanted to see the entire country in a week, which is kind of crazy. Looking back, we really fit a lot into 9 days. And man oh man would we have loved to linger in every spot. So if you are lucky and have a few more days to fill - I would say any of these places are worth tacking on some extra time.
Read MoreI know cocktails are fabulous all year, but I feel like they really start to shine when summer rolls around. There is nothing like the first sip of an interesting cocktail on a warm night, and this little number from The Coastal Table I had the pleasure of styling is one to add to your arsenal. It's as delcious as it is pretty, meaning you need to try it out tonight. See it in all it's glory over on SMP Living today!
Read MoreIf you are scrambling to make last minute Memorial Day weekend plans or just want to shake things up a bit this summer and head somewhere new, I highly recommend Kennebunkport, Maine. Now, I know I am not the first person to fall in love with this sweet little city by the sea (there is a rather famous family who tends to frequent quite a bit), but I will say, we've had the privilege of visiting a few times over the last year, and I'm beginning to feel like it's a (rather lovely) home away from home.
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