One of my favorite places to enjoy an afternoon is at Scribe Winery. I don't usually bring my camera with me but this time a few of us decided to taste some wine and play with cameras. If you haven't been to Scribe yet, you are going to love it.

I could gush about New Zealand for hours--maybe even days--and Chris & I only saw a slice of the country. New Zealand is majestic in ways that made me gasp and disbelieve the function of my eyes. There were so many oh my god moments: the expansive & untouchably gorgeous views, the zesty people, the fresh & delicious food, the utter peace & quiet. Maybe because it's so untouched, or because it feels so pure--I'm not sure--but New Zealand had a way of making me feel like I was constantly discovering it. I had recurring thoughts of: wow, I've got to tell people about this; wait until they hear; they are never going to believe it...I can't even believe it.

For eight days we explored the southern part of New Zealand's south island in the coziest campervan (with some serious zoom) and were blown away by the southern alps, glaciers, fjords, endless glacial lakes, wine, adventure, mountain passes, kindness, snowy peaks, flat whites, empty roads and astounding stillness. An absolute highlight, and my feet still get sweaty thinking about it, was skydiving in front of The Remarkables. Eight thousand feet free-fall. Fantastic. Surreal.

Thank you New Zealand. I can't wait to experience more of you in the future. More of our trip can be found on our travel blog.

A few highly recommended vendors: United Campervans | NZone | Matakauri Lodge | Top 10 Holiday Parks | Central Otago Wine | Akarua Pinot Noir | Fergburger | Vesta Design Store & Cafe | The Store at Tai Tapu |

My awesome sister-in-law gave me a subscription to Organic Style for Christmas in 2001. Inside was a story about Outstanding in the Field--an outdoor feast of local food, wine & conversation. I was immediately smitten and awestruck by their ethos (& bus!) and put this experience in the top ten of my loosely organized to-do list. (Also on the list? A swim in the pool at Hearst Castle.) Every year I would drool over their locations, menus, website and idyllic photos. To say I yearned would be an understatement; I really built it up to being the ultimate foodie experience. This summer, about ten years later, I was able to score tickets to my first OITF farm dinner at my most dreamed of location (Secret Sea Cove), on a hot coastal day (such a rarity). I set a high bar and it was all I imagined it to be.

SFGirlByBay has inspired so many of us and she pulled out another winner with Blog It Forward: blog about a topic (this round the topic is inspiration) and pass off your reader to another blog who will also post about this topic. It's community at its finest & full of so much beauty. It's great to be a part of this. Here are other blogs to check out today:

Black Eiffel | Our City Lights | Covet Chicago | Richie Design | Freshly Picked | Sugar And Meringue | The Sweetest Occasion | Mireio | Words And Eggs |


When something inspires me, I feel a mind-blowing rush & enthusiasm. I smile, sometimes jump, but ideally, I would like to roll around in the delight of it all. I am hooked & always welcoming more. Here are some things that jump to mind when I think of inspiration. Enjoy, lovelies!

Did you see the Super Moon last Friday night? It was called a wolf moon and appeared 30% brighter and 14% larger than any other full moons we'll see this year. It was gorgeous...a moon to bathe in. I took this around 1AM and luckily, heard no howling. :)



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