Oregon + Washington Trip

Ekkk! Today we are headed to Oregon to celebrate our second wedding anniversary! Over the next several days, we will plan to road trip through Oregon + Washington in hopes of unpluging and recharging our batteries! I will share details on the full itinerary and recommendations from our trip in the weeks to come.

To see our daily whereabouts, follow me @ericaddiaz or look out for #PacNWdiaz2014

P.S Please pray we don't freeze (!!!) When we left Miami this morning, it was around 50 degrees (

which is practically freezing

) - Well, at least now there's an excuse to drink coffee five times a day, can I get an amen?!

Happy Thursday friends!

Oregon Packing Essentials

In just a short week, Gabriel and I will be venturing to the west coast. We just adore it over there! Two years ago, we spent two weeks of our

honeymoon

road-tripping through the pacific northwest (Seattle, Vancouver, Whistler). Last year, we celebrated our first anniversary in

California

, and this year, our second anniversary will be spent on the Oregon coast.

My only concern in traveling to the PACNW during this time of year is the weather (!!!). They are known for experiencing much cooler weather than we are used to. While packing this week, I've put together some essential pieces that will hopefully keep me warm and not look like a giant marshmallow.

Uniqlo black jacket

/

Brown coat

/

J Crew vest

/

Hunter tall boots

, $135 /

Frye tall boots

/

H M infinity scarf

, $11 /

H M pom beanie

, $13 /

Calypso St Barth glove

What are your essential warm weather pieces?

Tampa Treasures

Last weekend we drove to Tampa and visited my family in celebration of my uncle's wedding. I am glad I was able to be there with my cousins on this day. Second marriages are hard. No matter the age - children are left affected. And although we are imperfect creatures that make tough choices, I find peace knowing we serve a perfect God.

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart. Don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen to God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go." Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG

...

I love visiting Tampa during the month of November. It reminds me of our sweet

wedding

day, almost two years ago.

We made sure to pack a lot into our short trip - breakfast, bonfires, quiet afternoons with my grandma and turkish dinners with my aunt, uncle and cousins! There's never enough time to spend with everyone (tear!!). We look forward to our next visit during the holidays!

...

If you are in the Tampa area, I reccommend checking out

Buddy Brew

. Located in South Tampa or inside of Oxford Exchange. It is the first artisan coffee roaster we visited during our engagement shoot a few years back.

Our Visit to Rifle Paper Co + The Coop

This past weekend, we drove to Orlando with my in-laws to attend a sweet family baby shower. Half of Gabriel's family lives in Orlando and we love making trips to visit. I should also mention that 

Gari

and

Cortez

 got to tag along - they are destined soul mates!

Following the baby shower, we headed to Winter Park to visit 

Rifle Paper Co

. and

The Coop

. If you weren't aware, I am a HUGE fan of Rifle Paper. I love 

Anna Bond's

 small business story and her lovely illustrations. The shop was even better than I had imagined. It was set up in two large, very organic rooms filled with open shelving, rustic planked floor and tons of illustrations. That day, they were hosting a sidewalk sale AND to put even more icing on the already iced cake, my sweet mom-in-love purchased a little

surprise

 for me!

After the shower we decided to walk over to The Coop, a true southern affair, with our cousin who happens to be a local Orlando

blogger

/SAHM. It was great getting to spend time with her and experience such a wonderful gem. The Coop is a deep rooted southern restaurant with a modern twist. They are known for their delicious fried chicken, authentic side dishes and the best bread pudding you'll ever eat! If you are in Winter Park, Florida, I definitely recommend checking these spots out.

Happy Thursday!

The Oldest US City

This past weekend, Gabriel and I enjoyed time away in St. Augustine, Florida. There is something so special about getting away, just the two of us. Although we both have weekends off from our daytime jobs, there's always a running to-do list around our house. Getting away gives us a chance to put those pesky tasks on hold and relax, explore, spend time together and dream.

Enjoy time away with your spouse or family. Sometimes, I find the little moments mean so much more than the big ones combined.

........................

My thoughts on St. Augustine:

I will start off by saying, if you've never been, it's definitely worth checking out. Think Savannah, except much smaller and tourist-y. You can pretty much see everything in 1 to 2 days max.

Lodging:

- If you are looking for a place to stay, I would recommend the Hilton or the Casa Monica Hotel. Although we did not stay in either, we had a chance to talk to locals and this is what they recommended. We stayed at the World Golf Hall of Fame, just a few miles north.

Food:

- For dinner on Saturday night, we decided to go for sushi in Jacksonville. Cozy little spot - we loved dinner. For $46.00 we ordered so much sushi, we couldn't even finish our plates. RARE!

-Breakfast was eaten at a local bakery called the Bunnery which was recommended by a dear blogger friend, Nilda. The biscuits were to die for!

- We ordered afternoon lattes at Cafe Dolce and were pretty blown away by the southern hospitality and quality.

Others meals were spent at our usual favorite spots: Chilies, Chipotle etc. 

Must See:

-Flagler College

-Matanzas Inlet

-The Fort

-The Missionary

-Henry Flagler's House

-Old Town Road

-St. Augustine Paper Co. (for paper lovers like me!!!)

All in all, St. Augustine was the perfect place to get away and disconnect for the weekend.

Where do you go to disconnect?