Dominican Republic Trip

Last week I was lucky enough to jet off to the Dominican Republic to see two friends from college get married! We stayed at the Hard Rock Punta Cana and couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather.

Letters Are Lovely | Dominican Republic
Letters Are Lovely | Dominican Republic

This trip was a rare exception where I didn't take too many pictures, but instead relaxed and enjoyed the beach, pool and a snorkel trip. But I did get a chance to test out my GoPro and made a super informal video with my friends. I am still getting the hang of filming without feeling awkward, but I am planning on making a few videos when I head to Italy in a few weeks. I'm really happy I tested it out beforehand, I know the video will be fun way to remember the trip.  I hope you all are off somewhere sunny this summer!

Letters Are Lovely | Dominican Republic
Letters Are Lovely | Dominican Republic
Letters Are Lovely | Dominican Republic
Letters Are Lovely | Dominican Republic

Anniversary Trip To Nashville

Dale and I spent Memorial Day weekend road tripping to Nashville! It was our first time in the city as adults, and I would have to say it exceeded our expectations. We stayed in a lovely East Nashville Airbnb with hosts who were more than willing to share their favorite spots. Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee

We arrived late Friday night and got up early Saturday morning in order to get in a full day of exploring! Our first stop was Biscuit Love for breakfast, and I have to say the Bonuts were as good as I imagined. (I suggest going early because there was already a line forming at 8 AM.) The waiter recommended 12 South as an area we wouldn't want to miss, so we drove through on our way to Pinewood Social for some morning bowling. The restaurant at Pinewood Social looked great but we were so full from breakfast that we headed back to 12 South right after in order to do some shopping. Our next stop was the Nashville Farmer's Market. After that we explored Hillsboro Village and then made the trek out to Hewitt Garden and Design Center. If you are on the hunt for a cactus (like I was) this is the place. I could have been happy snapping photos of all the different plants for hours. 

By this point we were exhausted and headed back to our Airbnb to relax before dinner. We choose to eat at The Pharmacy, and boy was it worth the wait. The beer garden atmosphere was just what we were looking for after a full day. (I recommend grabbing a drink at the Holland House Bar and Refuge next door if you have a long wait.) We finished off the evening with a drink at No. 308 and headed back home for the night. One of my favorite parts of the trip was chatting with our Airbnb hosts that evening! 

Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee

Sunday we slept in and then headed to Barista Parlor for coffee and breakfast. This is perhaps one of the most well thought out restaurant spaces I have ever been too, and I really appreciated their attention to detail. Amelia's Flower Truck was parked right outside which was an added bonus. After eating and relaxing for a bit we wandered down to several shops close by including Wilder. The rest of the afternoon was spent driving around to a few other shops we didn't want to miss (White's Mercantile & Old Made Good) before a late lunch at Desano Pizza Bakery. I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate our First Wedding Anniversary! If you are headed to Nashville, take a peek at A Beautiful Mess' posts, too, because they were super helpful in planning our trip.

Until next time, Nashville!

May Around The Web

This month was full of spontaneous decisions and late nights at work. I love Spring and snapped photos of flowers everywhere I went! Here are a few of my discoveries around the web this May:

I loved how Dale and I were able to fit in a trip to Nashville this month, and I am really looking forward to a summer filled with travel! In early June I head to the Dominican Republic for a wedding. This month at work my team finished designing Valentine's Day cards for next year, and I also found out I will be moving to a new team. Next week I will start work on Mother's Day 2017. I hope you all had a wonderful last month of Spring and are ready to head into Summer!

Creative Gift-Wrapping for Think.Make.Share.

I recently had the chance to participate in a gift-wrapping workshop for Hallmark's Think.Make.Share. blog! Take a look at all the ideas here. (And take a peek at the video they made during the workshop below!)

Letters Are Lovely | Think.Make.Share. Creative Gift-Wrapping
See how Hallmark designers get inspired by different gift wraps, ribbons and trims. It's easy to make a present stand out! You can find the best selection of gift wrap for every occasion at your Hallmark Gold Crown store. Browse our online selection here: http://bit.ly/1MGuSBl