Our Christmas traditions

My husband and I grew up with different holiday traditions, so when we were getting ready for our first Christmas as a married couple, I remember one of the biggest differences was when gifts would be open. Do we stay up late

The Gervais Family - a family photo session in Houston

I'm still in the process of  building my portrait portfolio, so I was so happy when a friend of ours asked me to take their family picture. They expressed their preferred setting to be one with trees, which is currently my favorite

Lattes and Layers Christmas Gift Guide

With the holidays here, I've been searching for gifts in the hopes that maybe this year I won't succumb to the procrastination I often find myself in. I've definitely been guilty of combing the aisles of department stores on

My December Book List: A Christmas List

Much of this month will be spent enjoying the holidays with family and traveling. But I'm also looking for those cozy moments of candlelight, cookies, and hot chocolate that just usher in the need to read a holiday classic. With

Vlog: A Weekend Getaway Guide to New Orleans

For a moment I felt a bit like Ignatius, from John Toole's novel A Confederacy of Dunces, as I stood in the middle of the French Quarter, of course without the floppy green hat to draw unwanted attention my way. Instead, I

Lafeyette Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans

One of my favorite activities while in New Orleans, was exploring the Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Since we visited a little after they had opened the gates, it was really quiet, and only a few other passersby ventured through. I was

Some holiday inspiration - 3 links

Every year when November comes around, Christmas vinyls begin turning on the record player, the scent of apple cider wafts through the living area, nights become a cozy affair with holiday movies, and shopping lists are made.

A Pinterest Inspired Thanksgiving Table Setting

Thanksgiving is in a couple of days, but if you're still thinking of a simple way to bring a bit of decor to your table, this eucalyptus idea is as minimal and elegant as it can get. I call this table setting pinterest inspired, because I never

French Quarter Wanderings - What I Wore

I love being in the presence of architecture with character, details, history, and charm. Therefore, it may sound as no surprise when I say that the French Quarter in New Orleans kept me in utter awe of the pastel colored buildings,

DIY: Autumn Inspired Flower Crown

Although the season of autumn had a calendar date of Thursday, September 22, it seemed it was a bit at war with summer, who felt it was the more superior child. So instead of switching out my wardrobe for those long desired

The Cardenas Family - A family photo session in San Diego

Last week I made a quick, 48 hour trip to San Diego where I got to take photos of my brother's family. We drove to a nearby park, as the sun was setting, to capture a few pictures. Since this was my first "official" family photo

My November Book List

November has arrived, and although opening up holiday books seems like the reasonable choice, I will postpone those novels for December. Instead, I thought I'd continue with two authors I read from last month, which were

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Granola

Granola is usually a part of my daily breakfast scene. I find the crunch and honey sweetened flavor to be a comforting addition to my morning routine. But only recently, as I was contemplating pumpkin recipes, did I

Thoughts on becoming a creative

My journey of being more intentional about pursuing a creative lifestyle started about two years ago. Instagram became this creative outlet from the stresses of life and slowly evolved into a project of learning photography. Soon

Recipe: Apple Rosemary Galette

On a fairly cold and windy day in Chicago last November, my husband and I took the subway to Bang Bang Pie Shop. The atmosphere was so warm and cozy, so we purchased two slices of pie, apple cider, and coffee, and took a

A few of my favorite fall minimalist looks

One of my favorite aspects to these autumn months other than the cooler weather, pumpkin coffee, and increased amount of baked goods, is dressing in layers and chunky knit sweaters. So in putting together my favorite

DIY: Minimalist Eucalyptus Wreath

Simple is best, right? Many times I like taking this approach when it comes to DIY projects. As of late, all my DIY projects have revolved around greenery and flowers, because I tend to gravitate in that direction. But sometimes at

My October Book List

I quietly imagine myself sitting by an old chimney, a fire crackling, a wool blanket draped over my shoulders, the window curtains pulled back to the sight of rolling mountains and an overcast sky, and the scent of warm apple

A few of my favorite fall things

Autumn is always a special season to me. The heat finally begins to subside and the shift to brisk evenings, fisherman sweaters, hot apple cider, and pumpkin flavored goodies all make for a cozy atmosphere. I find that it is during this

DIY: Green and White Floral Garland

It has been a while since I've posted a DIY post, so I thought I'd kick off September with some floral inspiration. I find that you can never fail with a simple green and white floral garland. It must be noted that the flowers will last

My September Book List - another month of classics

I must say that last month's books were all incredibly good, but I guess that is to be expected when you combine C.S. Lewis, Jane Austen, and John Steinbeck. C.S. Lewis' words were refreshing to me spiritually, Jane Austen was

Recipe: Strawberry Wild Blueberry Lavender Galette

A few weeks ago I had planned to make a couple of recipes with blueberries in them, because it was my husband's birthday and he loves blueberries. We had blueberry pancakes with a wild blueberry compote, blueberry doughnuts

My August Book List - a month of classics

Throughout my life I've gone through various phases of book genres, whether it be The Chronicles of Narnia, a momentary period of suspense with novels by Mary Higgins Clark, WWII books, romance novels, or books about

A few of my favorite summer minimalist looks

I've been wanting to blog a bit more about my minimalist wardrobe/style, so I've decided to do so by highlighting a few of my favorite looks by season. In this post, I share five outfits that I've currently been wearing on repeat. You'll

All lives matter - my personal reflection on recent events

As you may already know, the past few weeks have been filled with many national tragedies. I've spent a lot of time sitting in front of the TV watching images replay, while various people are provided the platform to speak out

3 Reasons I made this year a year of reading

At the start of this year, I made it a resolution to read more books. Somehow this goal always makes it to my list, but this time I decided to share what I was reading on this blog by posting monthly book lists. I'm now in the

July's Book List and a Trip to Becker's Bookstore

A few weeks ago, during one of those many days where Houston continued to face flooding from the daily rain, I stepped into a home that had been converted into a used bookstore. Shelves of books seemed to cover ever square

The travel bug that never leaves

Neuschwanstein Castle

Perhaps the title of this post could have used a bit more work, but then again, I've never been real good at one liners or attention grabbers, even though I know how necessary they can be in this digital age. But I wasn't going to let

My Top 5 Favorite Houston Coffee Shops

What is the secret that coffee shops use to lure us into their glass doors and cause us to make weekend plans with them in mind? Is it the mellow indie folk or jazz music playing a volume under conversational tone, or the smell of

Pursuing your dream and June's book list

Last month I read The Alchemist, Bird by Bird, and Art & Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking. Due to its small size, The Alchemist is a book that can be read in a few hours. Although the overall

Thoughts about the Instagram world

I know there are many comments and concerns regarding social media and its deceitfulness into perfection or a certain way of life. I've definitely wrestled with my own intentions regarding the promotion of my life or self on

Peonies and lace

I've been swooning over the mass of instagram photos flooding my feed with delicate magnolia branches, lilacs in mason jars, vibrant pink cherry blossoms, and handpicked wildflower bouquets. They've quickly over populated the

A cabin in the forest - Lake Arrowhead, California

The car weaved left and right, as it followed the curvature of the winding road, up the mountain and through the forest to a green roofed cabin. We each stepped out of the car, the 50 degree air feeling fresh and cold against our

An Outdoor Boston Bookstore and May's Book List

Nestled on the corner of West Street and Washington Street is a cozy three story building housing a plethora of used books known as Brattle Book Shop. Before making your way into the old building, you will want to peruse through

Minimalism: 3 Steps I took towards a minimalist wardrobe

For a while I was associating a capsule wardrobe with minimalism. And although there is a relationship there, the capsule portion never really resonated with me, but the minimal part did. I'm sure I've already mentioned this

Recipe: Strawberry Mascarpone Danish

When I walk into cafes, my eyes go directly to the glass case of pastries on display, always searching for croissants or cinnamon rolls. It's really difficult for me to choose something savory when everything that looks amazing is usually

Boston through the lens of history, archictecture, and cafes - a weekend getaway

I used to think cobblestone streets were only found in Europe and rows of townhouses were only dreamy in the city of Montreal. That was until I set foot in the city of Boston. Strewn with brick homes and a rich history, Boston

The Grandeur of the Boston Public Library and April's book list

As you enter the lobby your eyes are immediately drawn to the grand staircase and the light coming in from the three large windows. The sound of your foot steps echo along the floor as you near the top of the steps. It's a rather quiet

Boston window scenes

The scenery of architecture in Boston was so incredible to me that I found myself drawn to its city views from various window locations, such as at a metro stop, in the library, our hotel room, and a bookstore. There was never a

Sweaters and overalls

When overalls began making a comeback, I was a bit skeptical at first. Perhaps it's because the only time I ever remember wearing overalls is as a child. But after I bought my first pair, I never regretted it. I remember the

Museum walks and a bit about impressionism

It was 2 minutes before 3pm, so we got off the bench in the lobby and walked towards the sign, "Tours Start Here". A small group began to form around a petite lady, in her 70's, as she continued to ask those close by, in her sweet

Recipe: Sweet caramelized brussel sprouts

I first tried brussels sprouts at Bo-Beau, a french bistro in San Diego. It was my attempt at trying something new, and I was sold by the description on the menu, as it included pancetta and parmesan. I knew they would taste so delicious

My March book list

The other day my husband mentioned how behind he felt on all the good TV shows out there, to which I replied how I felt so behind on all the good books out there. Ever since this new year began, I have been so motivated to

My obsession with cloudy days

Cloudy days are my favorite days, especially the few moments before the sky makes its decision to pour. The overcast of grey provides a neutrality that highlights the textures and colors of the landscape below. Brick walls become much

Letter to doubt

Dear Doubt,

Whenever I'm alone or in a vulnerable state, you always seem to whisk right in and take over my frame of thought. 

Before I have time to really process with you, you've created such a heaping web of lies that I'm too naive to

Recipe: Brown butter pasta with pancetta and sage

Pancetta is a favorite ingredient of mine. I love substituting it for bacon and I use it frequently in salads and pastas. I also like cooking herbs and chicken in the grease the pancetta leaves on the pan in order to give it a bit more flavor.

Mini Valentine's Day Bouquet Tutorial

I used to love Valentine's Day when I was in elementary school, because apart from Halloween, it was the only day I went home from school full of candy. And since my parents were the type to void the house of sweets, this was an

My February book list

Last month I wasn't completely sure I would finish my book list. And although I failed to finish one book, The Poetics of Space, I did complete the three other books, which is quite a success for someone who only read about four

DIY: Winter floral arrangement

The scent of eucalyptus has become a desired weekly aroma in my home. It is ascetically pleasing to the eye and usually comes in affordable, big bouquets, which means a lot of greenery spread through out my space.

My January book list

If I had to describe the types of books I love to read, it would be those that catered to a daydreamer caught in wanderlust, who loves history, architecture with an ancient past, stories of real people, and thought provoking text.