4 Months in New York

It's been (almost) 4 months since I left the Golden Gate for the Empire State and I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by! I'm starting to get use to being tan, having frizzy hair and "Summer showers." As much as I love my new home, I am SO excited to spend some time on the West Coast with my family & friends for the next two weeks. Have a lovely weekend! xo
Image via my trusty iphone ;)

New York Vacation Photos

I've been back on the West Coast for two weeks already and just starting to feel like my life is back in order after 10 amazing days in New York. Here are some highlights from my trip. Always have to start a vacation with a photo from the wing :)

How amazing is this view from happy hour at 230 5th???

Apple & pumpkin picking in the Hampton's at Seven Ponds Orchards.


A beautiful view of the Brooklyn Bridge after indulging in a huge pie from Grimaldi's coal brick oven Pizzeria. My 10 days in New York flew by waaaay to fast, but I made some amazing memories with great friends :)

Hello NYC!

Greetings from 35,000 feet! It is time for some serious vacay and I am so excited to spend the next 10 days in one of my favorite cities... NYC! I've been a lazy blogger all Summer and its time to start spending some major quality time with this little work in progress. Be sure to check back next week. xo. Photo credit here.

A wedding, Chicago, NY & a bachelorette party...

Happy Friday! Life's about to get real crazy over here at B&B. Elizabeth and Bryan are getting hitched tonight (so excited for you two, congrats!) Followed by an early morning flight to Chicago on Saturday morning... heading to NY mid week and back to California on Friday for Kelly's bachelorette weekend in Tahoe. I may be in over my head here... it's going to take a few red bulls to get through this very exciting & busy week. xo Image via Simply Hue.

Palm Trees... Sunshine... Here I Come!

Thats right... I'm off to Fort Lauderdale for a long weekend of fun in the sun and relaxing on the beach with my roomie Tasha. What are you up to this weekend? Image via here.

New Orleans: 2006 vs 2011

After graduating from college in 2006, my friend Sarah and I made our (almost) cross country journey from San Francisco to New Orleans to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity post Hurricane Katrina. Last month (almost five years later) I returned to the Big Easy. Here are the photos from my journey...

2006: Watch out NOLA, here we come!

Sarah and I arrived in New Orleans on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. We stayed at Camp Hope, a volunteer camp organized by Habitat for Humanity. We were put into teams to start "gutting" homes, which consisted of debris removal, knocking down drywall, and leaving the shell of each home so that the homeowner could return and start to rebuild.

Many of the homes we gutted were under 20+ feet of water for days after Katrina hit. The majority of homeowners in St. Bernard's Parrish and the Lower 9th Ward lost everything they owned.

New Orleans & the Lower 9th Ward: 2011

Last month, I returned (this time by plane) to visit my friend Sarah who now lives in New Orleans and works for Habitat for Humanity. I was lucky enough to revisit the Lower 9th, and the progress this community has made is absolutely amazing.

Make It Right NOLA (Brad Pitt's organization) builds sustainable and affordable (not to mention beautiful) homes in the Lower 9th Ward for working families who want to return to the community.

The Lower 9th & other communities have come a long way since August of 2005, however, the foundations of destroyed homes remind us of the devastation Hurricane Katrina caused to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to volunteer in New Orleans in 2006, and to return and see the progress this amazing community has made over the past 5 years. If you are looking to volunteer in the Big Easy or want to make a donation, check out these fantastic organizations: Habitat for Humanity, Make It Right NOLA & The Zeitoun Foundation.

NOLA Highlights

I had such a great weekend in New Orleans with Sarah! It was great to see how much progress NOLA has made since I last visited in 2006. I took tons of photos and will be posting more soon. One of the best moments of the trip was when we walked past one of Zeitoun's painting contractor signs! Zeitoun is a fantastic read; I highly recommend picking up a copy. New Orleans is such a unique and vibrant city... I can't wait to visit again soon.

On my way to NOLA

Happy Friday! I'm off to New Orleans for a long weekend to visit my lovely girlfriend Sarah. The last time I visited NOLA was back in 2006, when Sarah and I worked with Habitat for Humanity gutting homes that were hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. I can't wait to get back to one of my favorite cities and see how the rebuilding process is coming along!

Have a great MLK weekend! xo

Greetings from Anchorage, Alaska!

Ashley and I landed in Anchorage yesterday and OMG this place is absolutely gorgeous! Our lovely girlfriend Sophie is getting hitched tomorrow and we are honored to have been asked to create the hair pieces for the bride and bridesmaids! Here's a sneak peek at our little creation... Congratulations Sophie and Scott! We are so excited to be a part of your special day! xo, B&B