TRAVEL

Travel: Driving The Oregon Coast & My First-Ever Vlog!

Driving down the Oregon coast has been on my travel bucket list for some time now – and for good reason. With a number of beaches and state parks not too far from one another, this beautiful stretch of coastline is filled with incredible scenic vistas, wide stretches of beach and an array of sea stacks (large rocks jutting out of the ocean!).

However, if I am honest, another major inspiration for this trip was to visit and spend time with my dear friend, Ekaterina Walter, who lives near Portland, Oregon. Ekaterina and I co-wrote our book, The Power of Visual Storytelling, together. We are also dear friends with a shared passion for travel and try to meet up for a few trips annually.

For this trip, we decided to take one day on a Thursday in late July and start in early in the morning (arriving around 10-10:30 am?) at Ecola State Park with stops in Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock, Arcadia Beach State Recreation Site and the Neahkahnie Viewpoint in Oswald West State Park, before heading inland through Tillamook State Forest and then back towards Portland.

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LONDON, RESTAURANTS

London: Dining At Soho’s Little Italy

Girl’s night is a treasured tradition among my group of friends. We each take turns planning fun night’s out all over London, with each evening completely different from the previous ones. For our most recent girl’s night, we went to Little Italy in Soho. From classic Italian dishes, to an unexpected magic show and a crowd ready to work off their meal with lots and lots of dancing, this venue has a lot to offer – and then some!

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ENTERTAINING, LONDON

Entertaining: A Doggie Birthday Party Fit For A Queen

I have a confession to make. Up until recently, I had never been to a birthday party for a dog before! So, when I was invited to a 10th birthday party for my dear friend’s dog, I was very excited. From the venue to the food, doggie treats and more, the party was fabulous! Planning a doggie birthday party? Take inspiration from my friend’s soiree!

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LONDON, RESTAURANTS

London: Brunching at Jackson and Rye

As an American expat in London, one of my favorite Sunday rituals is brunch. A time to gather with your girlfriends, catch-up and gossip a bit. Upon moving to London, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there are tons of great spots for brunch, including Jackson and Rye in Soho.

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Interestingly, Jackson and Rye describes itself as, “Bringing a flavour of the USA to London.” However, when presented with this delicious coffee, one has to feel like J&R is bringing its own distinct style to the table.

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RECIPES

Recipe: Chicken, Veggie and Brown Rice Stir-Fry

When I’m not on the road, I love testing out new recipes. I have a never-ending email folder filled with links to recipes online. It’s curated and searchable, which is fantastic if I want to use up an ingredient that’s going to expire soon.

This week’s test? A chicken, veggie and brown rice stir-fry from Fit Foodie Finds, a great blog with a focus on healthier recipes from a blogger who is also a yoga instructor. The original recipe called for broccoli – a veggie I’ve never really warmed to – so I decided to buy a pre-chopped stir-fry veggie mix from Waitrose (grocery store here in London) with mushrooms, bok choy, carrots and snow peas.

I did, however, stick with the rest of the recipe and it was incredibly quick and easy. The sauce was also delicious and held up well even after a few days in the refrigerator.

The end result!

The end result!

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