The World of an Ambitious Girl

europe 2017

7:20 PMChalayne

And just like that 2017 came and went! That being said, I am a little behind to put together the movie from our Europe trip back in April/May, but they say better late than never right?! Barcelona was full of architecture and good eats. Nice still proved to be worthy of the title 'my favorite place in the world' (and Nate somehow managed to find a way to make it even better). Cortona was full of charm and romance as we stayed in a villa and watched our friends Eryn and Jon say 'I do', and we even managed to fit in a bit of sightseeing in Rome!

We cannot wait to see what 2018 has in store for us!

travel

europe 2016

4:03 PMChalayne

This last September Nate and I embarked on a three week European adventure in which we visited London, Munich, Stuttgart, Nice, and Paris. There were far too many experiences had and photographs taken, so we decided a movie was the best way to share it all! It was truly an eye opening experience, and we cannot wait to go back and see what more Europe has to offer.

eric & kristin

11:08 PMChalayne

There are some people in life that truly are meant to be together, Eric and Kristin happen to be one of them! These two make the absolute best of company, and I am so honored to be the maid of honor in their upcoming nuptials, and was equally as humbled by the opportunity they gave me to take some pictures for their 'save the dates'. Love you both so much!

featured food

a birthday brunch

10:56 PMChalayne

It's better to post late than never! This year I hosted brunch to celebrate my mom's birthday, it was full of delicious treats catering to the vegan lifestyle. Of course we had mimosas, but the real star of the meal was the polenta benedict. The initial inspiration came from Foodscape, but I changed up the hollandaise sauce based off the recipe on GoDairyFree (I chose to add some extra turmeric and more importantly canned coconut milk for the consistency). It was a real hit, especially with the side of crash hot potatoes!

Finally, no birthday would be complete without a cake. My mom, a lover of lemons was treated to a vegan white cake (recipe was found here), topped with a basic vanilla frosting, and adorned with candied lemons (thank you She Wears Many Hats).

it's a girl!

7:30 PMChalayne

Back in December we had our girls to New York, and during that time Karen shared with us some exciting news...she was going to be a mom!!!! Fast forward 5 months and here we are celebrating the pending arrival of her little princess. It was a perfect weekend in the bay - friends came from all over to join in on the fun. The shower was held at an adorable restaurant in Pacifica The Surf Spot complete with fire pit, incredible food, good company, onesie and bib decorating, and of course momma's favorite...sweets! But a baby shower alone wouldn't be enough celebration, we also spent some time exploring the city and eating tons of goodies at the Picnic in the Presidio. It was a perfect weekend.

travel

memorial weekend in slo

10:31 PMChalayne

Memorial Day weekend is meant to relax, eat, drink, and have fun - and we did just that. A group of us rented a house in SLO, the primary attraction of the weekend being the California Festival of Beers at the Madonna Inn Meadows. We tasted a lot that day! Not sure if I could really pick a favorite, but it was a great experience in general. But the best part of the trip? Some of the best oysters of my life...though I bet the boys would say playing endless games of Moa was the best part.

featured travel

hawaii | part four | diamond head

10:47 PMChalayne

On Easter morning we decided that we would hike up Diamond Head to watch the sunrise...let me tell you, don't think you are the only person to have that thought. It was a bit busy, imagine tour buses dropping off mass quantities of people at 5:50am. But it was totally worth it! As always, Diamond Head had some spectacular views to share, and the sunrise was breath taking. If you are considering doing this hike, I promise it's very doable, and a fantastic experience!