During Scott and I’s trip to Louisville a very sweet lady approached us outside of a coffee shop and asked if she could take our photo for a street style blog – The Pretty Gritty. Scott and I were actually just about to snap some photos of our own, hence our camera in his hand, and were still enjoying our iced coffees, but she asked us to keep everything the way it was and just snapped away (loved that!). She featured us on the blog a few days later, and you can see our Louisville street style debut right here!
With my official start date marked on the calendar, I’ve been searching for some desk space inspiration for my new home away from home. I’ve never really had an office space like this that I could decorate and make my own, so I’m very much looking forward to filling it with items that reflect who I am and can put a smile on my face during the work day. I’ve noticed that the desks in my office vary in decor – from full on Star Wars theme, to minimalist at its best. I’m thinking that I want to be somewhere in the middle – filled with enough items to really feel and look like someone works in the space every day, but clean enough to not look messy and overwhelming. The images above (all pinned to my Work Space Pinterest board) been serving as inspiration for my soon-to-be work space.
What does you work space look like? Do you have any favorite Etsy shops for nice prints or unique coffee mugs?
-Chelsea xo
Today was the longest day of the year, so I decided to celebrate with the tastiest frozen yogurt I’ve had in a long time (orange dreamsicle & berry hibiscus). I also spent a few hours at one of my favorite local coffee shops, Lux Central, working on a few freelance projects and sipping on endless hot coffees. Speaking of freelance projects, have I mentioned I start full-time at a digital marketing agency on July 1st? I’m ecstatic for this amazing opportunity and can’t wait to start this new chapter in my life. I’ve already done a little desk shopping (picture frames, pen holder, wooden calendar, etc.), and today Scott brought home the teeniest little cactus to bring a little green into my space.
I’m still looking for some desk inspiration and would love to hear/see what your desk looks like!
Between the dreaded stomach bug/food poisoning I had last week, working, and trying to keep up with my daily life, it’s definitely been a bit too quite around here in regards to outfit posts. Fear not, however, I’m healthy, happy and back in action! I have quite a few outfits and other posts saved up from our trip (and even pre-trip, oops!), so I’m going to start sharing those posts today. On that note, while in Kentucky I was enamored with how GREEN everything was. Trees and gorgeous flowers were in abundance, and the whole city felt extra magical with all the green surrounding it. It’s safe to say that these desert rats (Scott would admit he was way into all of the greenery as well) were certainly in heaven!
On this particular day, Scott and I drove his great grandparent’s Cadillac Deville into the city (we were still staying with his aunt outside of the city in Glendale) and somehow took a few wrong turns and ended up going on a longer adventure than we had planned. We had an old school navigation device as our guide, and it started to fail us miserably (or maybe we just couldn’t catch the exits fast enough after they said it was approach, which was really after we were passing it), so we took a few re-routes and ended up in a part of the city that we knew looked familiar and decided to stop for coffee and a little shopping.
We took these photos in an alley way of sorts behind a popular pottery outlet that Scott’s aunt had told us so much about. We parked our giant boat car nearby, and poked around a bit in the pottery outlet. We ended up taking a few things home, and getting a gift for his aunt for having us while we were there. Scott and I each got a mug with an anchor on it, and also some coffee beans a few days later – which ended up being our only sovereigns from our trip (but the best sovereigns we could have bought, as these cute mugs will always remind me of our trip to Louisville!).
This was also Scott and I’s first solo trip together, and I’m really, really happy with how well it went. We got to sit next to each other during all four of our flights, ran together through the terminals when we thought we were going to be late for our flight, visited his family that we have been talking about going to see for years now, explored a part of the country I’ve never been to, saw my very first White Castle (and even had a few onion rings from there as well), went to the famous Churchill Downs, ate some derby pie, and the list could go on, and on. We really had a wonderful trip!
Ok, I’m off to get ready for the day and run a few errands before a meeting later and wherever else my day might take me.
What are you up to today? What do you love about traveling?
-Chelsea xo
Where I have been you may be asking? Well, I’ve been feeling under the weather since last Wednesday, and with continually working every day and spending any extra time on a project that I can’t wait to share more about – my blogging has fallen a bit behind, unfortunately. Today I’m happy to be back here in my favorite space, just to say hello and let you know that I’m on the mend. I’m almost positive that I had food poisoning, and I think that lead to either an ear infection or sinus infection (yuck!). Today I’m headed to my family doctor just to make sure everything is going good so I can feel 100% ASAP. My doctor is about 45 minutes from home, but the upside of that is that I’m going to stop at The Coffee Shop on the way and pick up a yummy iced coffee and see if they have anything good in the Agritopia fruit/veggie pit spot across the way.
What have you been up to lately? I feel like I’ve missed so much the past few days!
-Chelsea xo
During the days leading up to our Kentucky trip, Scott and I searched online for some interesting coffee shops to check out while we were in Louisville. Together we gathered a handful of shop names and put them on our “to-do” list, and once we got to Louisville we were pleasantly surprised to find numerous coffee shops (a few already on our list) lining the streets close to Scott’s grandparents’ home, and also to receive a few more suggestions along the way. During our last morning in Louisville, we headed to Nord’s bakery for the best donuts in town (or so we heard), and a stop at Sunergos Coffee – Scott’s very hip aunt’s favorite coffee shop!
The atmosphere in Sunergos definitely reminded me of the coffee shops we have in Phoenix. Hip, personal coffee roaster in house, and fancy coffee accessories to boot. We ordered a pour-over to share, and took a spot by the window so we could enjoy our coffee, the shop in full perspective, and our donuts (we got four because we just couldn’t choose).
The coffee was delicious, and the donuts were equally as good (maybe even better – as much as I love coffee, donuts are my second love). We shared a chocolate long john, a coconut long john, some kind of crumble, and a raspberry filled one – which was by far our favorite. I believe the coffee we had was the Tanzania Peaberry, but don’t quote me on that.
I adored these photo sets that lined the coffee shops walls. I never found the photographers name, but loved the realness of all of the photos.
This hanging coffee mug, origami tree branch also caught my eye – I love unique decorations like this.
On our way out I also spotted a poster for the band Local Natives – a longtime favorite! They’re playing tonight at Headliners Music Hall, so if you’re in town – check them out!
Have you ever been to Sunergos Coffee before? How do you like your coffee?
I would be lying if I said that spring in Arizona isn’t beautiful. Everything pops back to life, and the desert blooms always leave me in a state of awe. My folks have lots of great trees, bushes, cactuses, and vines growing on their property, but this purple blooming bush is surely my favorite. I’m a bit sad that I can’t tell you what it is, but it sure is breathtaking with the sun shining on it and the flowers in full bloom.We took these photos pre-Kentucky adventure, so to look at these photos and the ones we took most recently, they sure look worlds a part. The change of scenery, however, was much welcomed and savored as long as possible, but more on that later.
Today I’m playing catch up and running around town for a few errands. Courtney and I also have plans for a smoothie date later, and I’ve got a shopping trip to TJ Maxx on my mind. I feel like I should also note that I’ve been living vicariously through Amber and her Spain travels. I spent two days in Barcelona a few years back and still can’t get that gorgeous, vibrant city out of my mind. Spain holds a very special place in my heart, and I hope to make my way back there sometime in the future (with my soon-to-be husband in tow, of course).
What are your plans for today? What do you love most about spring? I seriously can’t believe the season is almost over!
-Chelsea xo
Please pardon the quietness that has been going on around this little blog of mine. Scott and I headed to Louisville, Kentucky bright and early Monday morning and had a great few days visiting with his family and exploring the Kentucky countryside and the Louisville area. We took nearly 600 pictures on our trip, and may have convinced his family that we’re caffeine addicts. Oops!
We landed in Louisville around 4pm Monday, and spent the evening ohh and awwh over the lushness of the scenery surrounding us, and the quaitness of the whole city. We also visited with his great grandparents in there Civil War era home, and looked at old photographs of Scott and his siblings – they were all so cute!
After dinner and homemade brownies, we drove to his aunt’s house in the countryside. It was nearly 10pm, but the sun was just setting and the whole area – acres, and acres of lush, green grass – glowed the most beautiful pinky orange and transitioned into a lovely dark grey and green. The temperature was beyond perfect, and felt like a blessing to these two desert rats who were just finally getting used to 110+ degree days.
We spent some time visiting and befriending two very large dogs – one very loving and the other very shy. I wandered outside alone and realized that in the fields in front of me flew a hundred fireflies. Scott and I had hoped we would get to see them, but knowing it was still early in the season we thought we may miss them. Together, we walked more into the field to try and see if they would land on us – and they did, one green light at a time.
We spent our first night in Kentucky in a quaint old farmhouse with creeky floors and charm to boot. The next morning we fought to beat the three hour time difference, and found ourselves wandering through this field about an hour later (post-coffee, of course).
Our first morning in Kentucky was lovely and will sure not be soon forgotten. After our walk through the fields we were surprised to learn about ticks, and were asked to immediately check our ankles and legs. Luckily, we were tick free and decided to opt out of future field walks (or at least I did – haha). I’ll be back soon with more stories and photos from our Kentucy adventure, but right now I’m off to dinner in a very cool place – temperature wise that is, trying to beat this treacherous heat!
What are you up to today? Have any fun weekend plans?
-Chelsea xo
One of the first things on Scott and I’s “To-do while in Louisville” list was to check out a local coffee shop. After searching the web, receiving a few sweet recommendations online, and also the suggestion from a family member that we should check this place out – we ended up at Heine Brothers’ Coffee today. Heine Brothers is a locally-based, 100% fair trade & organic coffee roaster. They opened in 1994 with one shop in Louisville, and now they have 14 shops and a mobile airstream espresso bar – all in Louisville! Their iced coffee was delicious and definitely hit the spot after a full morning/afternoon of adventures around Glendale, Elizabethtown, and Louisville. Scott and I are also adjusting to a 3 hour time difference here (so waking up today at 8am was more like waking up at 5am for us – yikes), so the coffee was much needed and sipped down as quickly as possible.
Tomorrow we’re off to explore more of Louisville, which will hopefully include a trip downtown and to Bardstown Road – we hear they have some of the cutest shops in the area!
Have you ever tried Heine Brothers’ Coffee before? Have another favorite Louisville coffee shop? Let us know so we can check it out!
-Chelsea xo
After nine hours of travel time, Scott and I finally made it to Louisville, Kentucky. We spent the evening visiting with his family, and catching fireflies as the sun set (close to 10pm around here). So far, Kentucky seems magical! I’m more than enjoying the quiet “cricket, cricket” noises that are flooding into our room as I sit here with the windows open, feeling the cool breeze blow in as a new day is being welcomed.
We’ve received some great suggestions of spots we must check out in and around the city, and I can’t wait to start exploring tomorrow.
Goodnight, Kentucky! You’re fireflies and cool breeze are winning my heart over already.
-Chelsea xo
