Eat, Drink, Be a Tourist!

For the record, Paris is way more awesome with Mike here...which means its pretty mind blowingly cool. We are off to spend the day in Montmarte and enjoying as many pastries as we can hold. 


Today my old friend Kelsey is here to talk to you about her favorite things in life. She loves all the good stuff which is why she is so wonderful. I was lucky enough to get to know Kelsey in college, being in the same sorority...we had some good times :)


We are also both Orange County girls who fell in love with San Diego. Make sure to stop over at her blog and pick up some great tips on eating, drinking and traveling. All the world's greatest things.  Have a lovely weekend!


hi friends! kelsey here from eat drink be a tourist! i'm excited to be taking over brit's blog as she's exploring paris with her lover boy. boy am i jealous! i remember when i was lucky enough to travel to france - paris was definitely one of my favorite stops. such a beautiful city. i'm so happy for britt to be able to follow her passion of baking and pastry. so in honor of britt's inspiring passion, today i'm going to let you in on some of my passions. and who knows, maybe one day one of them will take me to paris!

traveling 

i love to travel.  whether it be to a city an hour away, a different state, or a different country.  i love exploring new places and soaking up all that i can.  i love learning about new cultures and traditions, eating new food and seeing all the historic sights that i can.  i dream about where i want to travel to next and even find myself looking at plane tickets to exotic destinations when i'm bored.

baseball

i have played softball since i was about 5 years old and have always had a passion for it.  i have grown up a dodger fan (thanks dad!) and can honestly say one of my favorite places to be is at a baseball game.  i love the atmosphere - the fans, the noise, the excitement of the game.  to me, there's no better way to spend a summer night than watching a game with a cold beer in hand.  

music

if i were to put a theme song to my life, it would be a toss up between journey's "don't stop believing" and the beatles "obla di obla da".  i love all genres of music - from oldies but goodies & classic rock to country & dubstep.  i love driving with my windows down and music up.  there's always a song for any occasion.  my love for music stems from growing up listening to my parents music, back then music was something special.  mix that with the fact that i play the piano and you've got yourself a recipe for an extreme love of music. 

cooking 

ok let's be real, food is my real passion.  but that might make me sound like a fatty if i made that the main focus, haha.  i love to cook.  i love trying new recipes and seeing the reactions of the people eating my food.  i also love to try new restaurants and new types of food.  i've learned that trying new food is one of the best way to broaden your horizons.  plus, food is yummy, and you really can't argue with that point.

so there you have it - four things i'm passionate about.  i can't wait to one day live out my dreams and hold a career in a field im absolutely passionate about, just like brit will soon be doing.  you go girl!

what are some things you are passionate about? come stop by my blog and let me know!  

you can also find me on twitter & pinterest!!

thanks for having me brit! xoxo

My First Soulmate

"It was quite a wedding and as I stood there watching I realized something I'd forgotten a long time ago. Sometimes in life there really are bonds formed that can never be broken. Sometimes you really can find that one person who will stand by you no matter what. Maybe you will find it in a spouse and celebrate it with your dream wedding. But there's also the chance that the one person you can count on for a lifetime, the one person who knows you sometimes better than you know yourself is the same person who's been standing beside you all along." - Bride Wars


Now, if you have seen the movie then trust me the movie is definitely NOT what this is about but that quote really does say it all. Neither of us are getting married, definitely not on the same day in the same place and fighting a full blown war with each other like Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway do in this movie, but we do have a friendship like none other. (If you haven't seen the movie, its a crack up!)


Meet my oldest and most dear friend, Brittany. Yes, we have the same name and our entire lives people seem to find it funny to say "Hey Brittany!" and watch us both turn around. Can anyone explain to me why that is so entertaining?? 

I have been blessed with some really amazing friends and a few of them I know I can count on for anything and I love them SO much. However, Brittany is definitely my friend soulmate. We met in the 2nd grade and have pretty much been inseparable since then. Of course we have grown up, matured and we can't spend every single day and night together like we did our entire childhood, but she is the one friend who really understands me better than I think I understand myself. She has been around for everything: school, crushes, cheering together, family vacations, births of my siblings, heart break, love, drama, loss, college, post-college, and everything in between. I mean, we had matching tomagachi's for crying out loud. If you have a friendship like this, then you know how special it is.


 Note the cockroach that we are holding in this photo...WTF were we thinking?!!! Not to mention that matching shirts and the stoned expression on my face.

Squeezing "google-y eyes" in our own eyes...ya, completely normal kids.

The two of us have definitely come a long way since the days of chinese jump rope and forcing my little sister to practice cheer and gymnastics against her will but the fun, ridiculous, silly and fierce friendship we have has never faltered and there is something so incredible about that. I can't tell you how important this girl is to me and I am so blessed to have two soulmates in my life. Sorry Mike, Brittany was the first one ;)


I love my best friend Brito! The rest of our lives are going to continue to be just an entertaining and exciting, I'm sure. 

3 Days!

There are three days left before the 3 day breast cancer walk starts on Friday morning. It came so fast, I hope I am ready. Today my mom and I are hosting a fundraiser in OC at one of our favorite pizza restaurants. If you are in the area (ha!) stop on in for some good food! 20% of your bill will go to our breast cancer walk!

Remember, everyone deserves a lifetime.

Took my Iphone for a walk

Everything is so beautiful and fresh around these parts lately. The air is crisp, the sun is still shinning and everything is showing off their pretty colors. I went walking a few days ago in OC (my 3 day breast cancer walk is in 9 days!!) and decided to take some pictures along the way. I find it really easy to overlook the beauty of everything around you on a daily basis but when you really stop (cliche, I know) and take a minute to look around at the details - you will be amazed.

I love my cities. San Diego and Orange County for different reasons but they are both gorgeous places that I am lucky enough to call "home". I can't ever complain about living here. Where would you all live if you could pick anywhere?? I think in the end, I would still pick San Diego.

Pictures Worth 1,000 Words

I got this idea from my friend Kai at All Kinds of Complicated to do a sort-of "photo survey".  Pictures can definitely explain more about my life than words can. So here you go... for your viewing pleasure :)

someone you spend a lot of time with

Miguel

a picture of you

me in SF

a random picture of you and your sig. other

Halloween..lookin' good!

a picture of something that makes you happy

Boomer & Taylor

an old picture of you

My First Country Concert :)

a picture of your siblings

oooh us sibs

a picture you never posted on your blog before

Beer in Mexico

a picture of a person you miss

RIP Kurty

 a picture of people who know you now and then

My Godfather (Yes, that IS a mullet)

a picture of your favorite place

Punta Mita, Mexico

a person you can tell everything to

The BFF's Brittany & Mandy

a picture of your everyday life

Livin' in SD

a picture from a place you love

San Sebastian, Spain

a picture that reminds you of great times

Tahoe Trips

a picture of one of your favorite foods

Ice Creammm

a picture from the best day of your life

The Sunset of a Lifetime

a picture that always makes you laugh

My Sis at her Finest

a picture of your spare time

Hangin' with Tay Tay

 a photo from a great night

Watching Spain win the Eurocup in Granada

 a picture of the people who are closest to you

My Siblings and BritO 

(yes, we have matching outfits - don't judge!)

a picture of someone you always have a good time with

Rooms Ashley & Erin

a picture of your parents when they were your age

Yep, they had me and my age..scary!

a picture from last summer

Vegas with the Gphi Girls

 a photo of one of your close friends of the opposite sex (not sig. other)

My Brother and Sligar :)

 a picture of you on a favorite vacation

Backpacking Europe

a picture of an accomplishment

College Graduation & Finishing the 3 Day Walk!

a picture of your closest friends

Some of the Best

a photo that makes you smile

Miss these days

someone you will never let go of

Obvi

.xo.