New York, New York!

I vote for every Monday being a government holiday. Colton and I took advantage of the extended weekend by jetting to the Big Apple and treating ourselves to a mini vay-cay. Each time Cole and I arrive in a new place we immediately throw our bags in the room and head straight for the Metro. Depending on what time we get into town we either find a great cup of coffee or a rockin' happy hour. Our choice bears some quality time and thought because the location often serves as a home base for the remainder of our stay. On this trip to NYC we took  residence at a great independent coffee shop in SoHo (whoa, SoHo. I just sounded SO fancy). After savoring every sip of that ohmygoshbestlattesincewelivedinoregon, we took to the streets and explored our city.

Our city, because, really, who doesn't feel like New York is their own personal discovery?

If Colton and I do one thing well when we travel it is walk. When we saw Rome I couldn't believe we made it to day five with my feet still attached to my body. And when we left Paris I was slightly disappointed my legs weren't an eighth of the size they were when we arrived - we really did walk that much. If there's any way to get to know a city it's by using the Metro system and by walking - which we both do an exorbitant amount of. On this trip we arrived in the Concrete Jungle on 34th & 8th and, because refuse to ever pay for a cab, we happily walked the entire way to our hotel on the upper west side - the one on 96th street. I like to tell myself this all makes up for the ridiculous amount of food we eat while on vacation. I do feel a strange freedom when allowing the Barista to make my latte with real milk instead of skim, and I always always always make Colton eat dessert with me. Like a vacation could actually be a vacation without dessert! Pfft.

I'm posting a few pictures from our trip. I hope you had a wonderful weekend and, at the least, were able to relax and reflect upon this ridiculously wonderful country we live in. We are truly blessed.

I've been to New York before, but I've never taken the time to walk the Brooklyn Bridge. I think my favorite part of traveling with Colton is that we never ever ever ever ever make plans. We simply promise to find good coffee, take long walks, and let our feet lead us where they want to. I'm happy they led us to the Brooklyn Bridge this time.

In the off chance you're thinking I Photoshopped myself into this gold number, you would be oh-so-sorely mistaken. I sported this shirt with pride - pure, natural, unwarranted pride.

By day three our feet could only beg for mercy. The remedy? A day trip to the beach, of course!

I'm trying to get over the fact that I look exceptionally squinty  and awkward in this picture. I'm including it with the hope that one day I'll be glad to have documented Colton and I in the big city. Together.

Oh, America, your flag gets me all excited inside. This giant display across the New York Stock Exchange in conjunction with the most incredible fireworks I've EVER seen, made for one patriotic - and beautiful - weekend. A million bonus points go to Macy's for setting up five enormous barges along the Hudson river and letting Colton and I experience the amazingness that is the NYC 4th of July Fireworks Magnifico. Way cool.

Happy Monday, Happy Long Weekend, and, most importantly, Happy Fourth of July!

Michelle

Happy Day, Daddy :: Personal

Colton and I have been blessed with a pair of pretty incredible dads. It goes without saying that we wouldn't be the people we are today if it weren't for them.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy. I love you more than you will ever know.

All my love,

Michelle

P.S. 20 bonus points go to the person who can guess which dad is Colton's. Hint: It's the one that looks exactly like him.

Sperry Loafers and Sneak Peaks :: Personal

For some reason I never saw it coming. When I fell in love with Colton I was attracted to his kind spirit, his sense of humor, and his, ahem, rugged good looks - don't get queasy yet, it gets better. In our situation rugged good looks referred to the fact that Colton's wardrobe faves were a Carhart jacket and a pair of Levis from four years prior. A slight but noticeable difference from the rugged good looks of Bradley Cooper in The Hangover. It wasn't that kind of rugged.  Regardless, I was a freshman in high school and Colton could have been wearing one of those swishy teal and purple track suits and I would have found the teen boy handsome. Love is so, so, powerful. I probably should have picked up on it earlier. He fell in love with Linen my Sophomore year of college and was crazy about the white Italian linen suit he received for Christmas of the same year. He had a mild obsession with crewneck sweaters during our Junior year and was an especially big fan of the merino wool versions we found at Banana Republic. And then, this winter, he asked for a scarf. His own scarf. Because, let's face it, mine weren't cool enough. It never truly came to fruition until we arrived in Virginia, though - almost as if Colton was simply waiting for the go-ahead from the seersucker sporting East Coast. My husband had totally gone Preppy.

Since settling in to our East Coast apartment Colton has added to our wardrobe five cotton polo shirts, two pair of darkwashed jeans, a fantastic pair of pinstriped Bermuda shorts, and my personal favorite, a perfect pair of Sperry loafers. Also a partridge in a pear tree. We're currently on the lookout for a plaid bow-tie and those Chinos with sailboats and Scottie dogs on them. ...Colton doesn't know about the Chinos, though. They may just have to subtly appear in the dresser one day. I'm alllll about the Preppy.

In honor of Colton's initiation into the Preppy Club of America (...on second thought we would never make it into that club), I'm posting a preview of last week's engagement shoot. I think the groom has especially rugged good looks - the Bradley Cooper kind.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Michelle