Wanderlust: Favorite Moments in Paris

Last night, I watched The Way. It's a film about El Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James. The beautiful footage in the film has me reminiscing about my own travels. This past summer, I was so incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to travel parts of Europe for 6 whole weeks.

Naturally, Paris was included in the trip, and the city didn't disappoint. I'm reminiscing about all the lovely experiences, with the help of some (um, several thousand...) photos.  Here are some of my favorite moments from the visit:

This amazing street performer by Sacré-Coeur

The most perfect pink roses

The Louvre at night - much more peaceful

  

Picnic in the park with Ladurée macarons

Drinking wine by the Seine (with an excellent view of Notre-Dame)

Finally, the Eiffel Tour light show, of course

Have you ever been to Paris? Currently seeking travel partners for another visit...

xo,

Rachel

(All Most photo credit goes to Jeff Steller. He's an excellent travel partner! The picture on the Seine was snapped by the ever-spontaneous Bastian Delacorte)

#runOMcincy

Last night, I tucked myself into bed around 10:30 p.m. in preparation for today's event - runOMcincy! In this super-fun community gathering, around 2,000 Cincinnatians ran either 6, 3, or 1 mile distances to Great American Ball Park to do yoga. If you're from the area, you know it's kind of a big deal to be on the grass.

I pulled myself out of bed around 5:30 a.m. (eek!) with a huge smile on my face. I had a feeling today was going to be a blast, and I was absolutely right. I even got to cross it off my 101 in 1001 list. Check out some of the pictures!

Yogis taking over the outfield!

Feeling happy in the sunshine post-run and post-yoga

Love this picture of the whole group

Rosie did some yoga too!

The (totally free) event was organized and executed by some wonderful employees from lululemon Hyde Park and lululemon Kenwood, and amazing yoga instructors from local studios. Do it with me next year?

xo,

Rachel

Autumn Essential: Bourbon Cider

As a Kentucky resident, I can tell you the local love for bourbon knows no bounds. Now that fall is upon us, I'm trading in gin and tonics for more seasonally appropriate drinks. One of my favorites to make is bourbon cider. It's incredibly simple and SO good - perfect for drinking next to a fire.

Photo credit

Recipe:

• 1/2 gallon apple cider (I like Gravenstein, available from Whole Foods, but any delicious brand will do)
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 15 cloves (or 1-2 tsp. ground cloves)
• 1/4 c. brown sugar or maple syrup (optional)
• 1 orange

Pour apple cider into a saucepan, cover, and turn the heat on med-high. While it's heating, use a vegetable peeler to remove a few thicks strips of peel from the orange. Press the cloves into the orange (if you're using whole cloves). Place the orange, orange peel strips, and rest of the ingredients into the sauce pan with the cider. Keep covered and heat the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. 

Use a mesh sieve to strain the liquid away from the other ingredients. Add your favorite bourbon to taste. I usually use 2-3 cups in this recipe. Use more bourbon if you're enjoying it with debauchees, less if celebrating with more virtuous company.  You can serve it with a cinnamon stick in each cup, if you're festive like that. 

xo,

Rachel

Weekend Recap: Hello, Fall!

Cincinnati was seriously blessed with beautiful weather this weekend, minus the crazy storms on Friday night. I completely took advantage of the perfectly crisp fall weather! 

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati was this weekend. It's the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the USA! The event also features the World's Largest Chicken Dance...yeah, my city is a little strange sometimes. I also went to the City Flea in Washington Park. It's always nice to support local artists and small businesses.

 

(I can't take credit for these three photos)

On Sunday, I went to a yoga class sponsored by lululemon, followed by lunch with a new friend. Fresh green juice from Whole Foods after yoga is probably my new favorite thing.

(follow me on Instagram!)

In order to cancel out that healthy morning, I had to bake and lounge around watching football. I improvised a little and came up with a great healthy (well, healthier) recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies! The picture quality is terrible, but the cookies themselves are so, so good. 

I can't even have the Monday blues after that super relaxing weekend. Cheers to a new week!

xo, 

Rachel

Giving Back

I am lucky enough to be a part of a sorority that values community involvement and philanthropy. While I did volunteer prior to becoming a sorority member, my time as a collegiate absolutely ignited my passion for giving back to the community.

There are many causes I care deeply about, but I especially embrace animal welfare. As a lifelong animal lover, walking through an animal shelter just elicits such strong emotion from me. I adore volunteering at a local no-kill animal shelter, The League for Animal Welfare. One of my favorite events is approaching, and I'll be volunteering!

The event features wine and rare bourbon tasting, art painted by the shelter animals, and a visit from Nick and Nina Clooney. I'm so excited about this event and would love to see familiar faces there!

xo,

Rachel

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Bauble Bar Sorority Collection

Bauble Bar is a fantastic, affordable place to find jewelry. They just released a line of sorority pieces, which I am SO excited about! I can definitely picture these being great Big/Little gifts. They have a wide variety too, so every girl is bound to find something she likes.

Delta Gamma anchor pendant // $28

Zeta Tau Alpha pop wrap // $20

Kappa Delta nautilus pendant // $28

See the full collection here!  

Were you in a sorority? Get in touch with me - I love meeting other sorority women! 

xo,

Rachel

Riding Boots for Every Budget

I love autumn's clothing. It's so cozy and crisp after the relaxed, bright pieces of summer. Once the leaves start falling, one of my favorite items to break out is my riding boots. I definitely consider them a wardrobe staple - so much so that mine are basically falling apart now! Luckily, retailers understand the obsession and are more than willing to provide a bevy of choices:

If you're willing to sacrifice a little on the quality, you can easily find inexpensive riding boots, like those pictured above from H&M. Target also carries some boots, including lighter ones. You can't go wrong with the classic Ralph Lauren boots (from Macy's). They're a little bit of an investment, but you know you're getting excellent quality as well. Finally, how gorgeous are these Tory Burch boots?! 

xo,

Rachel

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