This week marked my 40th week of pregnancy, and I had prepared by deciding to take the week off work and start my maternity leave. Of course that has meant that nothing has actually happened, but I'm sure my coworkers were all relieved to not have me waddling in to work and making their worst fears come true: my water breaking in the office There was a glorious moment a few months ago when a coworker offered me one of the office's back-up first aid kits to keep in my car "just in case." I'm not sure what a band-aid and some aspirin would do for me if I went into labor, but it's the thought that counts.

Scared yet? We're heading up there! Angel's Landing is the most well-known hike in Zion National Park, and a destination trip for nature lovers and thrill seekers across the US.  When we first started planning our trip to Utah, I made the mistake of watching some seriously scary hiking videos on youtube where scaling the edge of Angel's Landing with nothing but a chain anchored into the rock face to support you was made that much more stomach turning by the chaotic motions of a GoPro. Taking into account that at least 5 people have died falling from Angel's Landing since the hike's inception in 1926, it's not for the faint of heart.  But here's why I think you shouldn't back out if you find yourself staring up at this view and considering turning around.

Warning signs placed at the trailhead make you feel warm and fuzzy

The Angel's Landing hike is a 5 mile trek, but since it is mostly uphill and gets easily congested due to its popularity, give yourself 4.5-5 hours to make the hike up and back.  The trail head is easily marked across the road from the Grotto picnic area shuttle bus stop.  The first 2 miles are relatively easy: slight incline, paved path, with gorgeous views of the valley.

Heading up towards the base of Angel's Landing

The views as you head even just slightly higher up get more beautiful and dramatic.

Creating a personal, lived in feel in a new home can raise challenges.  There's something so austere about freshly painted walls and pristine floors.  But our new contributor, Esther, is showing off how she established her own unique style in her new Raleigh home.  The last thing you want when you walk into a home is to feel like you've stepped into a textbook open house - nondescript styling and accents just to fill a space.  Esther wanted to bring in both traditional furniture (her home has very traditional finishes) and the modern aesthetic that she personally loves.  Here's what she accomplished in the most-used social room in her house, her kitchen/dining room:





Since I don’t host sit-down meals often, I wanted casual dining table settings that wouldn’t show a lot of dust. To keep with the graphic patterns I'm layering in this space to create a modern aesthetic, I layered stripes napkins and geometric place mats, all in neutral grays and whites to make a more cohesive look. The coasters are my favorite purchase; I love the pop of color from these Anthropologie geodes!  For an improptu centerpiece a make-your-own terrarium is a low maintenance counter to traditional fresh flowers. 


 The two large focal pieces of my gallery wall are the items that I most identify with.  An aerial map of my current home town, Raleigh, and a portrait of my actual DNA (below).

Last fall we hit the road for the most amazing vacation through some of the Southwest's best national parks.  We've been lucky enough to have vacationed in Spain, Paris, Costa Rica... my husband and I both agree that our trip through Arizona and Utah was the best of anything we've done so far! You can check the full itinerary here, but we're getting you started at the very beginning in today's post -- flying into Las Vegas.

The oxtail chili cheese fries were a meal in their own.  And worth every calorie.

My man loves a good burger.

So no surprise, but this was hands down the best meal of our trip.

Pull up a seat; this was the breathtaking view from our room at the Driftwood Lodge

I loved Driftwood Lodge, but I have to say food in Springdale in general is not so good.  We ate at a few different places over our 3 night stay, and it's definitely a town that suffers from the typical tourist food dilemma.  Keep expectations low and you'll be fine.

Rewind your mindset to 2011.  The housing market is around rock bottom -- even here in Raleigh. Homes were routinely sitting on the market for over a year as the economy continued to stutter and falter.  My husband was a few years into his job, living from dorm to apartment to apartment with his college roommates, and he was at the time in his life to start thinking about buying a house.  We were so fortunate to find a home that we could grow with -- space for a family that we may eventually get around to starting. But ever since those days of new home ownership, when we were still using college dorm couches and had a mattress on the floor of our bedroom to sleep on, there was one glaring project that needed attention as soon as the funds existed for it:


The "patio" was in all sorts of states of pathetic, from the warping wood slats to the strange addition of a cement paver side bar where weeds loved nothing more than to worm their way between. It had to go, but it was a project that, let's be honest, was way beyond the do it yourself gusto that got me through painting, hedge trimming, and wasp nest spraying (you know, normal home owner problems).

Since we were well out of our league, we got a referral from a friend who had a lust-worthy patio.  If you live in the Raleigh area, I can't recommend Mike Fogt at Ryan's Landscaping enough!





When you decide to invest in a patio, you're faced with a few decisions.  Stamped concrete? Pavers? I would say if your budget can allow, flagstone is worth every penny.



Flagstone ages amazingly well, and every rain storm we get seems to bring out more dimension and color.  Now we're ready to add furniture and a grill and get out there and enjoy all the work we put into the yard!