Well, Hello There

Between the epic museums, awe-inspiring monuments and perfect sunny weather, my four-day trip in Washington DC flew by way too fast. Although I only skimmed the surface of all the awesome things this city has to offer I had a great first visit. Here are a few of the trip highlights. Monuments by Moonlight On the first night of our trip, we booked Old Town Trolley Tours’ fabulous Monuments by Moonlight tour. The trolley promptly arrived at our hotel in National Harbor (aka in bum f*** Egypt) at 6:30 p.m. and we embarked on a very windy ride down the freeway towards the heart of DC. Upon arriving at Union Station we boarded an even larger trolley where we met our tour guide “Hollywood” for the night. We made a number of big stops throughout the duration of the evening including: the Iwo Jima Marine Corps Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the FDR Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In addition to getting an up close

I recently checked a visit to NOLA off my bucket list and was impressed with all the city had to offer. A diverse mix of locals and tourists, music everywhere and an interesting art scene, our five days in New Orleans were well spent.  Exploring the French Quarter  Now I know that most people will tell you not to spend your trip trapped in the French Quarter, but man, there is just so much to see and do there. Odds and ends shops, tantalizing food and of course, booze, the French Quarter is jam-packed with excitement every which way you look. So, like the tourists that we were, we went against the abovementioned advice and spent a good chunk of our time exploring it and I'm glad to report that we didn't feel it was time wasted.  Once the home of early European settlements, the French Quarter has plenty of interesting history to explore including the intricate iron-detailed buildings that line the streets. Tiered and colorful, the architecture of this area is if

New Orleans' rich history made for the perfect setting for season three of AHS, Coven. From Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau to deranged mass murderer Delphine LaLaurie, these figures weren't just characters in a TV show, they were real people who lived out their days in The Big Easy and who left their mark on the city forever. Now, AHS did take a few artistic liberties, for example, Laveau and LaLaurie weren't sworn enemies, in fact, they weren't even alive during the same time period. But AHS also got some things right, in addition to crafting Gris-Gris bags for healing and good luck Marie Laveau really was a hairdresser and Delphine LaLaurie was indeed as dark and sinister as portrayed. If you find yourself in NOLA and want to do some Coven-inspired sight-seeing here are a few stops you won't want to miss.  Marie Laveau's Tomb  Nestled in the famed St. Louis Cemetary No. 1 , you'll need to join a tour group to experience this piece of living history as it&

I was inspired to write this post after seeing a similar article on Buzzfeed a while back. The challenge is simple, have your s/o choose your outfits for one week, take some pics and reflect. My everyday style tends to be pretty business casual and consists of a whole lot of black. I also own an abundance of warm colors like red and orange and have a soft spot for military greens. I used to take a lot of pride in my fashion *lewks* when I was younger but I'd definitely say my everyday style choices have gotten a bit more basic over the years. That being said, I still like to spice it up with an edgy outfit every once and a while. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of my normal outfit choices (also, sorry for the lack of good outfit pics, looking through my photos I realized I never take full body/outfit shots.... maybe I should have planned for this better 😋). Day 1 - For the first day of the challenge Jake chose a tan v-neck t-shirt, a blue cardigan, and some skin

It wasn't until I began giving a friend oodles of self-care and wellness tips that I realized I have a lot of knowledge to share. My mental health journey has been in full swing for a few years now and I've tried a lot of different things to see what works best for me. Wellness is different for everyone, but here are a few things I found work especially well for me.  https://bit.ly/2FwkVHx Meditation  The Headspace meditation app has been a literal godsend in my life. Forming a daily meditation practice continues to prove to be difficult, however, when I take the time to commit I can truly feel meditation change my life. Since starting my Headspace journey a little less than a year ago I've learned how to observe my thoughts for what they are and how to live in the moment. I've felt significantly less anxious and I've conquered mental roadblocks I never thought possible.   Fitness Nothing banishes a bad mood like a killer workout. I signed up for a

“It’s made out of real goat hair,” said Izzy Jaecks. “And this year I added 121 bells.” Huddled around a circular table within the cozy confines of the Riverwest Public House, Jaecks’ colleagues listened attentively. “It totals about 40 pounds, but it’s attached to my body so it’s not a big deal,” said Jaecks. Dark matted-fur, twisted wooden horns and glowing red eyes, the group had been perfecting their costumes for months. The group was preparing for Krampusnacht, the one night of the year that St. Nick’s ghoulish partner has his fun. Good boys and girls will wake up to toys and treats in their stockings while those on the naughty list are met with dread. “Krampus puts a switch in your boot if you’re bad,” said Cast Member Kael Starr. “He either whips you with a switch or throws you in a sack to take you to the underworld where he keeps you in a cage until quite frankly, he’s ready to eat you.”  The story of Krampus isn’t exactly the feel-good tale of Christmas cheer we’re use