Back to school.

Back to school. by hopefullyfashionable featuring a beanie hat

Exploring: Connecticut

(photos via CT Science Center, Elizabeth Park, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Mystic, CT.)

Hi, it's Annie, again! Changing leaves, a chill in the air, apple cider (or wine)...I am beyond excited for Autumn. Don't get me wrong, this summer has been great (with vacations to the Jersey Shore and Rehobeth Beach, DE, all while exploring more of Pittsburgh). But I love the Fall and all that comes with it, including more traveling. OK so I've never been to New England in the Fall, but it just feels like the perfect time to visit! Which is exactly what I'll be doing during the unofficial start to the season, Labor Day. 

My little family, plus a friend from college, will be traveling to Hartford, CT to visit our dear friend Eric. We all attended Point Park University together in Pittsburgh five years ago (!), but this is the first visit up North. It will be a great time to catch up and give us a chance to explore more of this beautiful country. 

The plan is to relax, but also see as much as possible. Luckily, we have a long weekend to do it. We're looking forward to spending an afternoon in West Hartford at Elizabeth Park, which looks just beautiful! From the pictures online it almost reminds me of Regent's Park in London, where my friends, including Eric, and I studied abroad during college! Also in Hartford is the Science Center. I'm excited to take Jack there! It's apparently one of the best places in Connecticut to take kids! Eric also wants to take us to Mystic, CT. We'll probably check out the Aquarium and Seaport. I'm also looking forward to exploring the town and eating at one of their many great restaurants! And as long as there's time, we plan to do a wine tour at one of the local wineries! 

So without wishing away the summer, I'm going to soak up the last bit of the warm sun,  and know that I have a fantastic weekend planned to welcome a new season! I'll share more about my trip in September! And then I'll be off to LA! 

High Five For Friday!!!

1.) Getting ready to go back to school makes me want to kiss Molly every time I walk past her.

2.) Street art is everywhere! My mom and I were just driving and we saw this on the side of a gas station! 

3.) I think it has become mandatory to have at least one photo of my nephew in each of my 'Friday' posts! Haha. These toes are just too cute. I love them :) 

4.) North Park is GORGEOUS!! I would have never guessed that there was such an amazing escape less than 30 minutes from my house! 

5.) I have been debating lilac hair and white blonde hair (like my fav blogger @alwaysjudging)... I think I may be leaning towards the white blonde though. 

Do you have any exciting plans for tonight? Do you like lilac hair or white blonde better? 

Lovely Find!

Wow! I haven't done one of these posts in a while! I promise you all that I have been finding deals in the mean time just haven't had a chance to share them! 

The deal I got on these Jeffrey Campbell sandals is wayyyy too amazing to not share! While walking around the alleyways that make up the Rehoboth shopping area, we stopped in South Moon Under.  This store is amazing! It has a mixture of different designer clothes that are all beachy. 

No matter how tempting these designer goods were, I knew I didn't have very much money to spend so I headed to the sale section after drooling over some amazing bags and crop tops. 

These Jeffrey Campbell Sandals look just like the ones that my favorite blogger @alwaysjudging wears! They were marked at $35 while the original price was $135 so I just couldn't pass up buying them! 

Now every time I wear them, I get so happy! Not just because they are beautiful shoes but because I paid such an awesome price for them! 

Rehoboth Beach

Wow, it really has been a busy Summer! We've gone from London, to Italy, to Ohio, to the Outerbanks, to the Jersey Shore, and now to Rehoboth Beach! 

For as long as I can remember, my parents tried to plan a family vacation every summer! These trips are some of my greatest (and most exciting) childhood memories. So, when they told me that we were all going down to Rehoboth, Delaware (one of our favorite spots to go when I was a baby), I was beyond excited! 

It was Jack's first big Perri Vacation! 

Our week in Rehoboth was a very traditional beach vacation. We went to the beach everyday (obviously!). We spent some time at the main beach in Rehobeth, near the boardwalk, and we also went to Cape Henlopen State Park beach. At Cape Henlopen the waves are milder and safer for younger kids like Jack, plus it was a bit less-crowded than the main beach! We also walked the boardwalk nearly every night, ate seafood and ice cream everyday and shopped! The shops in Rehobeth are so cute. There are so many little side streets and alley ways with the locally-owned shops. We also took advantage of the no sales tax at the outlets near our hotel. 

It's been a long time since my family all traveled together...or stayed in such close quarters, an 8-hour car ride and a single hotel room. The trip wasn't without some tension as we got used to 24-hour a day interaction. But overall, we had a great time. We reminisced about past trips and got to enjoy Jack as he experienced all these new things. It also showed how much I have changed as a traveler since being on my own in Italy and England. I have a different way of experiencing some things while traveling compared to my parents. To each their own, but it was really interesting to see the differences. 

Have you been back to your childhood vacation spot? What did you think? I'd love to know in the comments! 

From my profile to my apartment...

Everyday the camera roll on my phone and Instagram profile grow bigger and bigger. After volunteering at that mobile photography workshop in London, being more active and creative on Instagram has become a daily goal of mine! 

However, recently I began thinking about how the more creative I get with my pictures....the farther away from me they seem (and the farther I have to scroll to see them). I have always loved scrapbooking and being able to share my photos not only with others but to be able to enjoy them myself. Scrolling through them on a tiny screen everyday isn't exactly what I have in mind when I want reminiscence about my time abroad.  

Thankfully, we live in a time where all I had to do was a quick Google search 'How to get Instagram photos developed' and I had tons of choices at my fingertips to explore! After comparing prices and quality, I decided to use Printstagram!

In my first order, I got almost 50 photos total for less than 25 dollars! Not only was the price the best I could find online, the quality of these prints are amazing! They are the perfect little squares to decorate my apartment with and even include a white, Polaroid-esque border on each one.  

I can't wait to hang them up in my new apartment and surround myself with memories from around Pittsburgh, my semesters in Rome and in London, and other places I have traveled to with Instagram!

This weekend I:

Watched: Keegan Allen (aka Toby from Pretty Little Liars) sign photographs in the mall 

Listened: to Ed Sheeran's "Tenerife Sea" over and over again

Learned: that I liked Aldi brand greek yogurt more than Chobani 

Ate: above said yogurt 

Read: Eating Well Magazine 

Drank: a small strawberry milkshake

Thought: I want to go back to London soon 

Wished: I ate slower 

Realized: Eating healthy and exercising can be fun 

Bought: green tea, white tea, oolong tea, and black tea :)