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My Bachelorette Party in LA & Disneyland

July 6, 2019 Filed Under: travel

May was a really busy month and wedding season really kicked off. First was my bachelorette party, then my future matron-of-honor’s bridal shower, and then we ended the month going to her bachelorette party. It was so much fun to get some of my closest friends together. I rarely get the chance to travel with my friends so I’ll cherish the memories we made forever. I learned all over again how special my friendships are and am super thankful for these people.

We flew to LAX on Thursday evening so naturally the only thing that we really did the first night was go to In-N-Out. No trip to California is complete without some animal style fries and a burger. We tried to sleep at a reasonable hour to prep for Disney day but I couldn’t sleep! I think I was too excited. The next morning, after a coffee run, we were off to Anaheim for Disneyland. Surprisingly the traffic wasn’t too bad however we started seeing some raindrops. LA has been uncharacteristically gloomy lately but this group of Washington gals didn’t even blink an eye.

Disneyland Day

Disneyland was so much fun – I mean, duh. But honestly the weather was perfect because we weren’t ever too hot and I think it caused the park to be less crowded. Even though there were some high schools there for graduation celebrations, the lines were never too long. We enjoyed all the fried foods, Dole whip, and went on all the rides on our wishlist! They were all great but the top three favorites in our group: Splash Mountain (shout out to Christina for sitting in front), Indiana Jones, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Okay, if you ask anyone else, Space Mountain is probably up there. After so many trips to Disney, this was finally the trip where I had the guts to ride Space Mountain. It was an insane experience and I cried afterwards. HAHA. Thanks to Audrey for making us the cutest matching tanks to wear!

After such a long day, we came back to our Airbnb and one more girl joined us! My bridesmaid and one of my oldest friends, Charity, had flown in straight from a work trip in Tulum. Such a trooper. I also got to open a package that was waiting for me sent by another bridesmaid, Montanna. She put together the sweetest, most thoughtful package of goodies for me and I got to share some of the contents with the other girls. The package was so Montanna – she is truly one of the most thoughtful people I know. I felt her love through the package for sure!

Bachelorette Goodies!

The next day we slept in a little and woke up to some sunshine! Also my last guest, Katie, arrived from Portland so we finally had the whole gang together. I decided to give everyone a little goodie bag with some travel beauty necessities. Yes, including a pair of socks with puppies on them. No one was surprised at all that I included those I think. The products if you’re curious are linked and are fantastic. (COPPER + CRANE Hydrating Dew Mist, Alchimie Forever Safe Travels bundle, Cake The ‘Do Gooder dry shampoo, and Revlon brushes.) Cake Beauty is a new brand to me but it stood out to me because of the fun packaging, affordable prices, and because the products are vegan and cruelty free. You guys have probably heard me talk about Alchimie Forever a lot but if you haven’t, it is a Swiss skincare line founded by Dr. Luigi Polla who is the leading dermatologist in Switzerland. My friend Ada is the CEO of the company and has taught me so many things about skincare in the past three years I’ve known her. The Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask is my favorite mask ever and it is perfect for anyone. This little travel set of four products is such a good way to try the brand but trust me, you’ll want the larger sizes after you try the travel sizes.

Exploring + Eating

After we all got ready, we ventured off to the Fairmont Miramar for brunch at FIG. This spot was so cute – there was a section of the restaurant with tons of plants hanging from the ceiling and it was overlooking the pool. So LA, right? We then walked along the ocean and spent some time on the Santa Monica Pier. Some of us went up on the ferris wheel which was actually so much fun. We took some photos around the pier, watched Charity and Dara brave a scary looking ride, then dodged the rain by heading back to our car. We shopped a little at Third Street Promenade and then went over to Abbott Kinney. I had never been to Venice before and loved all the cute shops and fun murals. We were all feeling a little tired already so we also stopped into Blue Bottle for coffee. I am obsessed with their New Orleans iced coffee and I’m not really a coffee drinker!

Later we went to dinner and ate sushi (of course) before a long night of getting ready, taking photos, drinks, and dancing. Smartly I left my phone in someone’s purse so I could properly dance but that means I don’t have any photos from when we went out, but here are some photos from before! We ended the night at El Dorado and danced until they closed for the night. I left with my sash still on but blisters all over, so you could say it was a successful night.

The next morning was a struggle and I don’t think I felt like a normal person until the afternoon! My lovely friends cooked a really good homemade breakfast and it was nice sitting around the table talking with everyone. Then we headed out to The Grove to do some more browsing and to just get some more sunshine since the sun decided to show itself! The Grove was crazy because of Mother’s Day but I still managed to get a Sprinkles cupcake. We later went to Koreatown for some all you can eat Korean BBQ. This was so much fun just because we don’t have a lot of these types of restaurants here in Seattle and the food was really good. We explored more around Koreatown and got some fun drinks for dessert then headed back to the Airbnb to have a chill girls night.

The very last morning we had one last foodie adventure and went to Urth Cafe in Beverly Hills. I had heard so many good things about this spot and it didn’t disappoint. It was the perfect basic LA thing to end our trip with, haha. I guess the final treat we got was all of us got put in comfort seats on the plane back to Seattle.

Sorry for the late recap! We are super busy lately and have had some big things happen in our personal lives, beyond wedding planning. Thanks as always for reading. xo

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My Mother’s Breast Cancer Journey & What it Taught Me #BeautyOfChange – Everviolet

May 27, 2019 Filed Under: life

My Mom’s Breast Cancer Journey

During a self-examination, my mother found a lump in her breast in the summer of 2016. In September 2016, she was officially diagnosed with stage 2A breast cancer. It was devastating for my mother and of course, my family. I still remember the moment she told my brother and I. The immediate pit in my stomach and feeling crippled with fear. My mom said she felt heavy with confusion, sadness, and fear for months. Nobody in our family had ever had cancer. Why and how did this happen?

A lot of people don’t know much about the healing process that cancer patients must go through. There are so many different types and courses of treatment that one can go through. My mom’s oncologist happened to be a family friend, so extra precautions were taken to ensure it was treated aggressively to prevent any return. Although technically being cancer and tumor-free after her initial surgery, my mom had to endure 8 rounds of chemotherapy and 20 radiation treatments. Chemo alone is extremely harsh on bodies. It does things to you that I can’t even try to explain but you probably get the picture – it causes hair loss, loss of appetite, deep pain in your bones, exhaustion, nausea, and more.

Many, many long months of treatment were coupled with support from my parents’ network. Seeing the love that my parents received was so inspiring and made me feel comforted whenever I had to leave home to Seattle for work. (My parents live 3.5 hours away.) Whether it was friends accompanying my mom at her treatments when my dad had to go to work, or people praying for our family, the support we felt was incredible. My parents’ church even had a group of people deliver homecooked meals daily. I wholeheartedly believe that made a huge difference in encouraging my mom’s recovery journey. I guess I’ll just cut to the chase and tell you all that my mom kicked cancer in the booty and she finished off her last radiation treatment like a champ. She is now better than ever and we are super proud of her.

My Mom’s Words of Advice & Reflection

I asked my mom how breast cancer affected her life and she said, “I found a positive outlook for life coming out of my illness, believe it or not. My kids and I become so much closer after my illness and I really valued my family a lot more after. Worldly things are only temporary and I started to see beyond just the temporary things of this world. The friendship and kindness that was shown to me during my illness really touched me and encouraged me, especially on days when I felt lonely and down.”

Her words of wisdom to anyone going through their own healing journey: “Be strong and one day, all of this pain will be a part of your journey and your story. It will be something that you can look back on and use to inspire and others who are going through a similar experience. Do reach out to others. In the end, reaching out and helping other people will touch your life too.”

Experiencing Breast Cancer from the Sidelines

My mom is an active person and also really busy with all the hats she wears. She’s a wife, a mom, a software engineer, serves at her church, a caretaker for friends and extended family. Being out of commission for so many months and enduring the most physically and mentally draining times of her life was extremely hard. It was also difficult for my dad, brother, and I to see her in pain. It is so tough to know what to say or what to do when your loved one is battling something so foreign.

Talking about experiencing cancer from the sidelines feels odd because you’re not the one who is sick, however it’s a very unique position to be in. Not everyone will understand that role but those who have been there know what I mean by how foreign it is. Like breast cancer patients need their breast friends, those who are supporting their warriors need some help and support too. My heart truly goes out to anyone who is going through a sickness or trauma with a loved one. I’m hardly qualified to give advice but something I’d encourage is being strong and taking care of yourself in the midst of everything, because it can help your loved one fight harder. When we neglect ourselves while we care for our loved ones, it can actually make them feel burdened and in more pain. I am always happy to chat if you are reading this and need someone to listen.

Like my mom mentioned above, sometimes these tragic things that happen to us help us become a light to others. Instead of letting her sickness define her and bring her down, she chose to turn her lemons into lemonade and help others once she got better. My mom has now helped two of her friends navigate their own illness. I have seen how much my mom cares for others and goes out of her way to visit people, cook food, give advice and support, and love on others. Her empathy is inspiring.

#BeautyOfChange – How Everviolet is Changing the Healing Journey

I am honored to share the brand Everviolet with all of you in part of telling my mom’s story. Everviolet is an intimate apparel and loungewear collection founded by Keira Kotler. Keira was diagnosed with breast cancer when she turned 40 and during her healing journey, she realized that there were simply no comfortable and beautiful options for survivors. From the Everviolet webiste, “Keira found the disconnect between fit, comfort and beauty in the lingerie industry to be not only universal, but a consistent point of differentiation between feeling like a patient and a person — a barrier to psychological and emotional healing.” When she spoke with other survivors, she realized she was not alone.

When I learned about Keira’s mission and own story, it struck me and I knew that this was a collection I needed to share with the most important breast cancer survivor in my life. My mom shared with me that after her own surgery, the muscles around her tumor were very tight since they also take out surrounding lymph nodes. She couldn’t wear most of her bras because they were too uncomfortable and even ended up throwing some out. Her experience was very similar to Keira’s.

My mom and I have both tried pieces from Keira’s collection and they are truly one of a kind. Pictured are the Maia Bra and Astrid Bralette. I almost never wear bras so the bralette is perfect for me – it is comfortable and thick enough, although not padded. The pieces are made with love by real people in a small, family-owned factory and they only use ethically sourced fabrics. For more information about the behind-the-scenes of Everviolet, check out this great post. The pieces are extremely comfortable and feel very luxe and durable. They are amazing whether or not you are a survivor. The garments are so comfortable that they are popular with women who may not have experienced breast cancer but first found themselves drawn to the brand’s mission. I myself love the Calla kimono and will be wearing this on my wedding day!

comfortable loungewear for breast cancer survivors

I am inspired by the stories of survivors like Keira and my mom. They are both examples of women who came out of their recovery journey with a mission to do something with their experiences that would help others. I hope that you are also inspired by their stories and if you know of anyone in your life now or in the future who needs some help along the way of their journey, consider sharing the advice in this post and Everviolet with them. XO.

Lisbon, Portugal Travel Guide

April 15, 2019 Filed Under: travel

A quick note before you start reading this post..this is going to be a lengthy one. I have hundreds of photos but alas, no one has time for that (not even me) so I’ve tried to consolidate them to the best of my ability. In this post you’ll find the names to many places we visited including where we stayed in Lisbon. If you ever have the chance to visit Portugal, do it. You won’t regret it.

Where to Stay

One of my favorite hotel experiences I’ve had was in Portugal. We stayed at the Memmo Alfama Hotel which is more of trendy, boutique hotel tucked in the old streets of Lisboa. It’s several hundred dollars a night however there are some reasonable priced rooms if you don’t have a view. I do think it’s worth the extra money though because these views were from our room! You can also enjoy the view from the outdoor bar and pool. Unfortunately the pool wasn’t open in November but this would be a great spot in the summer!

The hotel has a complimentary breakfast buffet but this is not your ordinary lame hotel breakfast, y’all. Not only does the cute Smeg fridge have fresh squeezed juices and yogurts, there are a ton of other options set out buffet style and each table has a menu where you can order complimentary crepes, omelettes, etc. Starting the day off in the adorable dining room was awesome. I know not everyone is a fan of hotel breakfast but I think it’s really good here and you might as well save some money!

What To Do If You’re a History Buff

Just a few minutes away from our hotel, stands the famous Lisbon Cathedral. It is the oldest cathedral in the city as it was built in 1150. I can’t even fathom how long ago that is but the structure is massive and worth a stop!

The Santa Justa Lift is not quite as old as the cathedral but has been around for over 100 years. It is an impressive, working elevator that takes you to the Bairro Alto neighborhood!

Another famous place to visit, especially if you love castles like Jared and I, is Pena Palace which is in Sintra. You do have to drive a bit outside of the city however the taxi wasn’t too expensive and it is entirely worth it. It’s one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal and I can see why! The palace is at the very top of a mountain and is built unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. You really do have to see it for yourself because the photos will never do it justice. But be prepared to try to capture its glory. I gave up after some photos because it’s just something better experienced by your own eyes.

Another castle to visit if you’re really into old structures is the Castle of the Moors. I didn’t enjoy this place as much as Jared because it’s all outdoor and involves some climbing. There is definitely more wind here and if you’re afraid of heights at all, this might be scary at times. It reminded me of the Great Wall of China to be honest! It was pretty cool to see the views from the towers but I was too shaky to take many photos.

Belém Tower or the Tower of St. Vincent is another popular historical site to visit in Lisbon. We packed so much into our day that we were not able to go inside but honestly, the outside is gorgeous so I don’t think we missed a lot! The tower is right on the water as you can see and there is a lot of space around to walk around and enjoy the view. You’ll also see a gorgeous bridge here that looks exactly like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I think they were designed by the same guy!

After you visit the tower, you can walk about half a mile to Jerónimos Monastery. Jared and I walked over during golden hour and took some beautiful photos while it was really empty but we loved it so much, we came back the next day when it was open to visit the museum and wander the monastery grounds! I highly recommend this.

The museum has some cool artifacts and artwork but what really made an impression on us was the gorgeous detail in all the architecture. I took tons of photos here so sorry not sorry, I have to spam you with some.

São Jorge Castle is another beautiful area to explore. We walked all the way here even though it is really high up but it wasn’t bad, as there are a lot of fun viewpoints along the way. There are insane ruins here that we got to tour and you also get a magical view of the city.

There are plenty of shortcuts to help you get to the castle like this graffiti lined path!

Where to Take Photos…For the Gram

If you’re in the Alfama area, stop off at this gorgeous viewpoint – Miradouro de Santa Luzia. There’s a nice view of the water, all the famous rooftops, and the grounds itself are beautiful. There is a lot of tiling and a small church. You will see the famous trams around Lisbon and in the Alfama district, runs the famous Tram 28. We didn’t feel the need to travel on a small tram that is rumored to have terrible pickpocketing but hey, it does look cool! Instead, I opted to just take photos of one. We usually explore by foot anyway!

You’ve probably seen this all over Instagram but not everyone tags it with the right geotag, so if you’re looking for the exact name of this bookstore it’s called Ler Devagar. It’s an independent bookstore within LX Factory which is a fun spot to visit. I thought there were going to be more shops but it’s actually a better spot for food and drinks. Basically it’s a historic industrial complex that got converted into an artsy district of shops and restaurants. You’ll even find some that are inside shipping containers!

Another popular Instagram spot is Rua Nova do Carvalho, also known as the Pink Street. This was Lisbon’s historic red light district that’s now deserted during the day, except for tourists, and a spot for nightlife during the evening. The shocking pink street will totally catch your eye and you can’t miss it. We actually stumbled upon this by accident and I immediately recognized it from you guessed it, Instagram.

Another popular area to wander but take photos is the Praça do Comércio square which is right by the water. There are restaurants here as well as the famous beer museum (lol). We indulged in some beers but trust me, we did our fair share of learning about the history of Portugal. I would say skip the Lisboa Story Center, by the way. It was kind of lame.

Literally any street or doorway will probably make a good photo op. Lisbon is seriously beautiful that you can’t go wrong anywhere you look.

Where to Eat

Time Out Market is one of the new, hip spots in the city that every foodie has to go to. There is a little bit of everything here though I’d recommend starting out with some traditional Portuguese foods. One of the things we tried was Portuguese duck rice, as pictured below. Pretty tasty but we agreed it could use some hot sauce! We also got some delicious sangrias here as a pick me up. Just a warning, the market is crazy busy and it can be difficult to find seats.

Walking around the city, you will find tons of cafes, restaurants, and small eateries. We found it overwhelming to pick places to eat even! This gelato was one of my favorite snacks.

Possibly the most hyped food is the Portuguese egg tart – but for a good reason. Pasteis de Belem is the most famous spot to get the tarts however you can find these all over the city. I’m usually hesitant to wait in long lines but the line passes quickly and if you’re taking the tarts to go, it’s really not too bad. These are perfectly flaky in the crust but so creamy and rich inside. I am drooling just thinking about them!

Another famous snack you have to try is called bolinhos de bacalhau or salted cod cakes. They’re very, very salted as the name suggests and remind me a bit of a crab cake. Highly recommend only when they are piping hot! Once they have cooled down, they’re not as enjoyable.

Something else recommended to us was a fado dinner. Fado is a genre of music famous in Portugal that is very emotional, and powerful. We went to Casa de Linhares for our dinner and it was an incredible experience. We did a tasting menu so we were SO incredibly stuffed by the end of the night. I already forgot all the food that we ate but we had a variety of seafood for sure.

What to Pack

Obviously depending on the time of year, you’ll have to pack accordingly however in general I would say there are a few must-have essentials all year long.

-Comfortable walking shoes. Lisbon is a very old city and there are tons of hills and cobbled streets. Your adorable heeled shoes are great for Insta but your feet will hate you. Be kind to yourself and just wear comfy shoes.
–Sunscreen. Even in November (which is when we went) there was a lot of sunshine. You need sunscreen and maybe a hat.
–Light jackets. Again, even in November, it wasn’t freezing (unlike Prague which we went to right after but that’s a different story). You still experienced some winds though, especially when on the mountaintop in Sintra. It did sprinkle here and there as well so I would recommend a light jacket to guard yourself from at least the raindrops.
–Secure bag. I recommend something with locking zippers or at least something you can keep close to you like a small crossbody, worn in front. There are a lot of pickpockets around the city, especially on the trolleys. I never go on a vacation without my PacSafe backpack with secure zippers. I did a full review of the backpack here!

Congrats, you made it to the end.

Ah…this post is finally over. I procrastinated hard core when it came to editing these photos and because I had waited so long to write the recap, it took me extra long to remember what things are called. Going down memory lane was so fun though and I had a great time putting this together. I hope this was enjoyable and helpful!

Cheers, Lisboa. You are a gem.