Introducing the newest member of our family

I am beyond excited to introduce to you the newest member of our family - Finn! He's an 8 week old Samoyed. As mentioned in this post, my husband had to drive 14 hours in one day to bring him home. I never thought this day would come. You probably don't know but my husband is severely allergic to both cats and dogs. The kids have been begging for a puppy for years but we always said no. Plus, I am not really a pet person. It's true that as you get older, you become more mellow (lol!). We caved in and said yes. As soon as we saw his pictures, it's over! We're madly in love with him. The kids promised to help out with the puppy and they have been doing a wonderful job. Our family has grown by one and we're beyond thrilled.

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Introducing the newest member of our family

What I wore to my birthday dinner # 2

Sharing what I wore to my actual birthday dinner. On my actual birthday, friends and family took me out for a birthday dinner at Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse. I've been wanting to try this place for quite some time and finally had a chance to do so. The restaurant is very classy and beautiful. The service was top notch and the entire dinner was cooked to perfection. It was expensive but so worth it (our dinner bill was almost $700 for 6 people). If you are looking for a fancy restaurant to celebrate a special occasion, I would 100% recommend Jeff Ruby's. I purchased this dress last month for the occasion and it was perfect. It's classy yet playful. This was my very first purchase from NBD and I am impressed. The quality is so nice! The dress was on super sale and I couldn't be happier. Check out other NBD sale styles here. A special occasion like this is a great reminder of how thankful I am for all the people I have in my life. I can't thank them enough for making me feel special on my birthday and for being a part of my life. Outfit details: NBD dress *size XS* | Christian Louboutin shoes | Gucci bag | Le Specs sunglasses | Michele watch

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What I wore to my birthday dinner # 2

What I wore to my birthday dinner # 1

I had an amazing weekend celebrating my birthday with friends and family. I feel very spoiled but at the same time, grateful for all the birthday love. On Friday, my girl friends and I got together for a night out. We decided on the Whitney House. None of us have been there before (which makes it fun). We had the best time. We sat outside, had dinner/drinks and just simply enjoyed each other's company. They even sang Happy Birthday to me =) I wore this hot pink rompers that night and I love it. This is one of the rare pink pieces I have in my closet. The color is vibrant and the fit is amazing. Perfect for a night out! I paired the rompers with my new birthday shoes. I had a super-fun night and felt so blessed to be surrounded by these ladies who are beautiful inside and out. I came home around mid-night. My husband drove 14 hours the very next day to bring home something very special (stay tuned!). He left the house at 2:00 a.m so he could be back on time for dinner on my actual birthday. Bless his heart! Outfit details: Hot pink rompers | Jimmy Choo shoes | Chanel bag

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What I wore to my birthday dinner # 1

What I got for my birthday

I turned a year older today! No birthday blues from me. As the matter of fact, it's the opposite. I feel loved and appreciated. Life is wonderful! I feel like I becoming the best version of myself even more each year. Many fun things are happening this weekend and I can't wait to share them with you. In the meantime, I wanted to share what I got for my birthday. Every year, I save and splurge on my birthday. This year is no exception.

First up is a new bag (of course!). Introducing the newest bag in my collection - The Saint Laurent Nano Sac De Jour in grained leather. I always love a classic burgundy handbag and this one is an absolute dream. I stumbled upon this beauty on Fashionphile and had to have it. The best part? It's brand new with tags still attached at a really great discount. I can't wait to rock it in the Fall!

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What I got for my birthday

Peru Recap :: Day 3 :: Machu Picchu

Our full itinerary
Day 1 - Cusco
Day 2 - Sacred Valley
Continuing with my Peru recap. The next stop on our agenda was Machu Picchu. Hiking the Inca Trail and seeing Machu Picchu were on our bucket list for years. I've seen millions of photos of Machu Picchu on the Internet. However, being there was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I could hardly put my camera away. There was so much beauty at every turn! Our day started at 5:00 a.m. From the hotel, we walked to the bus stop and waited in line to get on a bus. The buses are leaving as soon as they get full (only one bus at a time). The first bus leaves at 5:30 a.m. The second starts boarding after the first leaves and so on. There are enough buses for everyone. A round-trip bus ticket costs $24. It's about a 30-minute bus ride up to the entrance of Machu Picchu, waited in line to get into Machu Picchu. Then it'll take around 20 minutes to walk to the entrance of Wayna Picchu. Outfit details: Backpack | Jacket | Hiking pants | Hiking boots | Sunglasses

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Peru Recap :: Day 3 :: Machu Picchu

Nothing to wear

Being a style blogger, I definitely have more clothes than the average person. However, there are days that I feel like I have nothing to wear. This tee shirt is perfect for one of those days =). If you love a good white tee and a good graphic tee then this "Nothing to wear" tee is a match made in heaven. It's incredibly soft and drapes really well. This is just a basic outfit but I am all about fuss-free outfits these days. Outfit details: Levi's jeans | Nothing to wear tee | Le Specs sunglasses | Target mules

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Nothing to wear

I found my birthday dress

Taking a break from my Peru posts to show you my birthday dress! I've been looking for the perfect dress to wear on my birthday and I finally found it. The best part? It's 75% off! Crazy right? I got it in the mail yesterday and I love it so much that I have to share. This is my very first piece from NBD and am very impressed with the quality. Sizes are selling out fast so if you have a special occasion coming up, check this one out. I linked some of my other favorites below (all under $50). Shop the entire sale here.

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I found my birthday dress

Peru Recap :: Day 2 :: Sacred Valley Zip Line Experience

Our full itinerary here
First day in Cusco here

We spent the first night in Cusco. Woke up the next morning around 7:00 a.m to get ready for a full day of adventure. We booked a zip lining tour with Natura Vive. Full disclosure: I have never been zip lining before and this was my very first time doing it. Natura Vive picked us up from our hotel in Cusco at 8:00 a.m and dropped us off at the train station in Ollantaytambo around 3:00 p.m so that we can catch the train to Machu Picchu. The zip line is in Urubamba which is about  45 minutes drive from Cusco. There are 7 zip lines ranging from 500 feet to 2300 feet long. The longest line took 45 seconds from start to finish. For some reason, I thought there is a chairlift ride to the top of the mountain. I didn't know that I had to climb up to the zip line's starting point high on the mountainside until we got to the base camp. I wasn't going to do it but my husband gave me a pep talk, I decided to sign my life away and just went with it. I am so glad I did because it was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. The experience was beyond exhilarating. It's something I'll be talking about for the rest of my life.

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Peru Recap :: Day 2 :: Sacred Valley Zip Line Experience

Peru Recap :: Day 1 :: Cusco

First post of our Peru recap! Wow, this trip exceeded our expectations. The planning did take awhile but the effort has paid off. I can honestly say this trip was the most memorable trip I have ever had in my life. I will share my experiences throughout the recap. 16 hours and 3 flights later, we landed in Cusco. Truthfully, Cusco isn't my favorite city. It's very crowded and has become very commercialized. However, it's important to spend a day in Cusco to get acclimated before continuing your journey to Machu Picchu.

What to do: After a long day of travel, we wanted to take it easy. There wasn't much on the agenda for Cusco. Tips: Be sure to take it very easy on your first day. You need time to acclimate. Even walking you may notice feeling out of breath. Drink plenty of bottled or properly boiled/treated water as it's easy to get dehydrated and that contributes to altitude sickness.
1. Plaza De Armas: The most popular spot in Cusco is the main square (Plaza De Armas). This is where everyone ends up in Cusco. It's a beautiful area where you can relax and people watch. Surrounded by plenty of restaurants, bars and shops. The cathedral is definitely worth a visit.
2. Cristo Blanco: Another spot that's worth visiting is Cristo Blanco (statue of Christ). You can see the statue from the main square. It's a 15-minute ride from the main square ($5 ~ 16 soles). Cristo Blanco offers incredible views over Cusco
3. San Pedro market: It's a really cool market! San Pedro market is huge and well sectioned. You can find anything and everything here from fresh fruits, raw meats, dried fruits, food and Peruvian textiles. This is a great place to buy souvenirs. Buy some snacks here to take with you to Machu Picchu. I highly recommend nuts and dried fruits. We had a chance to visit Pisac market on the last day and I prefer Pisac market over San Pedro market. I will talk more about Pisac market in a later post.

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Peru Recap :: Day 1 :: Cusco

What I bought and packed for a week in Peru

Sharing what I bought and packed for our Peru trip. There was a lot to take into consideration when it comes to packing for this trip. The key is to pack for a variety of weather conditions. The weather ranges from the intense sun during the day, the cold mountain nights, and the heat and humidity of the Amazon Basin. Dressing in layers in the way to deal with the extremes that Peruvian weather is known for. Below are what I packed in my suitcase:

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What I bought and packed for a week in Peru