Rainy Weather, Reflective Mood

We've had rain and generally overcast weather here these past couple days.  Secretly (or maybe not so secretly) there's something I just love about weather like this.  Over the past 24 hours I've found myself listening to classical music on the radio and sipping coffee/tea to keep me warm non-stop.  It puts me in a nice and reflective mood...and even though I'm working in my office (as opposed to being curled up on the couch with a good book) there's something kind of peaceful about rainy days that makes me content. 



Picture Courtesy of Pinterest - Link Here
 

A Moment of Gratitude

Life certainly has a way of happening in its own perfect way, at the exact moment it should.  Hard to believe how much my world has changed over the course of the year.  I met and got engaged to the love of my life, started a new (dream) career and through it all, I can honestly say that I have never felt more myself.  How blessed I am. 

With the hustle bustle of life, I find it's tricky to stay connected with everyone as often as I'd like to, and as someone who places their relationships with family and friends at the top of the importance scale, I felt it important to reclaim a venue to connect.  Snippets of ideas, thoughts, updates, wedding plans and career moments.  Happy in Heels feels like a great little corner to do just that. 

I took a moment this morning to breath in a moment of gratitude.  Life is good. 

XO,
Megan

Spring Cleaning

I'm a girl all about the goal-setting.  It helps me to be clear and focus on what I'm looking to accomplish!

Spring Cleaning is a personal goal I hope to tackle this coming weekend.  With nice weather happening I'm hoping to open the windows and clean, clean, clean!  I'd be the first to admit that my linen closet needs a top to bottom overhaul at the moment.  This is the main area of focus of my cleaning efforts, but also on the docket are the following:

• Deep cleaning the floors - both hardwood and carpeting
• Window washing
• Clean out fridge and freezer

I've heard that to inspire progress, it's often a good idea to visualize the results and environment once the goal is complete.  How does it look?  What does it feel like?  I envision a clutter free, freshly scrubbed environment where I'm calm and relaxed.  :)

Do you have any great Spring Cleaning rituals?  Any good tips for me?

Florida Recap

Bonita Springs turned out to be every bit as relaxing and fun as I could have hoped!  We had gorgeous weather the entire trip (84 degrees and sunny basically every day) and enjoyed not having much of an agenda at all!

We stayed at the Trianon in Bonita Springs; it is located in a Promenade of various shops and restaurants.  We loved being able to walk to most all of our meals - and enjoyed the Lakehouse Restaurant adjacent to our hotel. 

Our favorite spot would likely be Roy's; located just around the corner of our hotel, they boasted a wonderful $6 Happy Hour that we indulged in a few times.  Our bartenders were the best!  We also loved Doc's (Katie!  Thought of you!)

Each day we enjoyed coffee and breakfast on the patio of our hotel - probably a favorite memory of the trip (what a treat to just sit, relax and drink my coffee in nice weather!)  We then drove about 7 minutes to the ocean, went for a morning walk on the beach and then layed out in the sun.  We swam in the ocean a few times, saw some dolphins, enjoyed great wine and a few Corona's and Margs, too. 

I feel blessed to have taken this trip with my mom.  Especially with life moving and shifting at such a fast pace right now, it is a trip I'll remember forever.  And I hope to come back to Bonita soon!

Below is one of my favorite pictures from our trip - I think it sums up our vacation quite nicely. I'll post more in days to come. 


Sunset at Bonita Bay!



Florida, here I come!

Well the time is nearly here for Florida!  Cannot wait to soak up the sun (pool side, beachside...), indulge in some fun cocktails and good wine and explore some of the local cusine.  We'll be in Bonita Springs, which is right on the Gulf and very near to other fun spots, like Naples, Marco Island and Fort Myers (where we're flying into.)  So, we're excited to explore a bunch of different areas, namely their beaches :)

On My Agenda?

Not a whole lot specifically.  I'm fortunate to have a mother that likes to roll with whatever comes her way.  I'm more of the planner, and she balances that out nicely - thus we travel well together.  I plan to read a lot while laying out in the sun (my favorite past time, which lately, I haven't had much time to indulge in.)  Just planning to relax, go for walks along the ocean with my Mom, do a lot of reading and perhaps some writing, take some good pictures and collect some seashells for my guy (per his special request.)  :)

Looking forward to sharing some fun pictures upon my return!

On the packing front, things are almost all together.  I'm bringing the usual trip items:  some notables include several sundresses, coral nail polish, some fun sun products from Victoria's Secret that I treated myself to and of course my trusty Kindle.  :)

Easter Weekend!

This Easter weekend involved pretty much all of what makes me love this time of year.  Friday night was spent out for drinks and sushi with some special people.  I had a Sweet Potato Veggie Sushi that knocked my socks off!    

Saturday, I did some shopping for my upcoming trip to Florida with Mom (Next Tuesday, I'll be in 85 degree weather in a swimsuit!  So excited!) and also purchased a few new Spring items for work (I'm loving the mint and coral items out right now.)  Saturday evening, my Mom and I went out to St. Paul for dinner and Mass downtown St. Paul.  The church we go to is beautiful - full of tradition and celebration, candles and beautiful music.  I love spending mass cuddled up in the pew with my Grandma; we're 2 peas in a pod (seriously so much a like!) so it warms my heart to spend quality time with her.  We are a pretty feisty duo when together, lots of laughing and fun - my Mom just shakes her head ;)

Sunday, my parents hosted a lovely brunch.  We ate so well, per usual, with delicious Homemade Spinach Stratta, Waffles and Coffee Cake, among other delectable treats.  It was lovely having Sydney join the mix; she is quite the hit with my family, and lifts right in!  Love her so much, so very special to share the day with her as well. 

As promised, I supplied the Blushing Mimosas - they were delicious!  Quite sweet, but I used a dry Champagne which cut through the sugar a bit - what a treat they were!  As I made the juice mix separate from the booze, I got to thinking about ideas for fun summer cocktails using the same mix with different liquours - Vodka and Gin both came to mind as refreshing potential options.  Might have to do a little taste test ;)

I hope you and yours had a relaxing, sunny and beautiful holiday.

Spring has Sprung! 

Here's Sydney and I in our Easter brights, enjoying our Blushing Mimosas.

 

Tuesday Thoughts - Easter Week

As I mentioned in my last post, Easter week always reminds me that spring is right around the corner.  Beyond the welcomed shift in temperature, however, I love how holidays serve as staples in my year.  In a world of busy schedules, shifting priorities and the ever-evolving "things" that go on in life, Holidays serve as a constant.  For each family holidays mean something a little different:  for mine, it means spending time together, enjoying lovely meals coupled with great wine, church and relaxation.

My brother just moved to Madison and unfortuantley due to starting a new job/moving into a new place will not be able to make the trip home this year (he just moved last week.)  My best friend Sydney, however, will be joining the festivities! 

My cocktail contribution this year will be these lovely "Blushing Mimosas" (we'll have classic Mimosas available and flowing as well, but thought these looked too good to pass up.) 

The recipe and lovely photo are courtesy of this site.  I just discovered the website, but it seems fun! 



Happy Easter!

Spring Ahead

Although it is still quite chilly outside, I'm getting excited for Spring.  Easter week always serves as a reminder that warm weather is on the horizon - and I am ready.

Here are just a couple warm weather festivities on the horizon that I'm looking forward to...Spring and Summer, here we come!

Local Vineyard Visits
Minnesota boasts some lovely vineyards.  Plans are already in the works to visit a few of them.  I love exploring new wines, stocking up on new and old favorites and soaking up the gorgeous scenery.


   














The Lakes
Growing up in surrounded by so many lakes, my summer leisure time tends to revolve around water.  I love spending time walking around Lake Calhoun {pictured below} in Uptown, Minneapolis - and rounding out the day with dinner at one of my favorite spots ever - Amore Victoria.   For my college girls - kind of cool backstory on Amore Victoria - the family that owns this restaurant also owns Victoria's in Green Bay!  Lovely homemade italian food right in the heart of Uptown.  Boasting a wonderful rooftop - it makes for a great end to a Spring/Summer day!

Hope everyone has a great Monday!