Disney World!

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What's the best way to spend a Tuesday afternoon, you ask? By acting like a  big kid at heart at Disney World, of course! It was time for our family to renew our annual passes, so my mom, dad, and I drove over to Orlando for a few hours (we missed you while you were at work, Michael!). We rode the monorail to Magic Kingdom and proceeded to go straight to a few of the rides and eat some delicious treats while everyone crowded around Main Street to watch the electrical parade. 

All aboard the Magic Kingdom Railway! Next stop, Frontierland and Adventureland in search of Dole pineapple whipped ice cream. I wish they sold it by the gallon and that I had a miniature freezer to bring it home with me! Ps- how cool is the train station for guests to sit down in while waiting for the next train? Amtrak, take note...

The park was overwhelmingly crowded, so many school groups!!, the only ride we made it onto was the Haunted Mansion. It's always been one of my favorite rides; there's always just so much to see.  I am always keeping my eyes peeled for any new updates or additions to the ride. 

The above statue was a tomb marker for a "deceased" ship captain. The marker said he ironically drowned in his bathtub. The best detail is that every few minutes bubbles floated out from his statute. If you look closely you can see one little bubble left. Oh Disney, so silly with details, I love it. 

The cutest and least crowded little corner of the park. It was down an alley off of Main Street and it seemed like no one really knew it even existed. Shhh, don't tell anyone, we'll keep it our little secret ;) 

I've never noticed the below letter boxes posted all up and down Main Street and close to the entrance of the park. The park staff collects letters and postcards each day and mail them from a local Orlando post office. The mail might take slightly longer to reach its recipients, but I loved the vintage post boxes so much I had to mail out a few cliche postcards. 

After the park, we had dinner at the Yacht Club Resort. We ate lobster rolls at the Crew's Cup Lounge and had ice cream cookie sandwiches down by the pool at Beaches and Cream Soda Shop. Can I have these cute ice cream tables and colorful chairs for my kitchen? 

The Weekend // 5.15.15

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I had a weekend free of dogsitting and babysitting this past weekend, so I hopped into the car and headed up to St. Augustine for a couple of days. I arrived late Thursday evening, so come Friday morning, Ryan and I woke up early to head out and cross some activities off of our "favorites" list. First up, we drove down U.S. 1 to Out There Antiques and Graybeards Antiques. It took a while to sift through everything, and we ended up leaving with a few treasures. I found a few little antique glass bottles for little bouquets of flowers and a vintage Tampa postcard. Ryan found a variety of items from comic books to letterpress drawers and printing blocks. He ended up purchasing an old safety razor, so we each had a successful trip!

It's been several months since we have eaten at The Floridian. Our go-to is the fried green tomato hoagie...I'm getting hungry just thinking about it now. We've made our own version at home before, which was delicious, but there's just something you can't quite duplicate about The Floridan's. I've tried a few other menu items before, such as the veggie burger, and everything I have had is just as delectable. 

Post hoagies, we learned that it was National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. I have a bit of a sweet tooth and could easily eat an entire tray, or seven, of chocolate chip cookies. They are my absolute favorites, as are most cookies, and I've kept note of the best ones I've ever had. Note to self- Levain Bakery in NYC still has the best chocolate chip cookie, hands down. One of my top favorites was the cookie that they used to bake and serve at The Hyppo Cafe. They recently did away with them a few months ago (why Hyppo, why?!?!) and St. Augustine will never be the same without them...RIP.  Since The Hyppo no longer makes them, I figured the next best thing would be a cookie dough milkshake from Cousteau's. 

Later that evening, we stopped by the opening reception for the Flagler Art & Design Alumni Exhibit.  Ryan had a piece of work that was chosen for the exhibit and it was so exciting to see his work on display. I'm proud of you Ryan! Now if only I could draw a decent stick figure...

Saturday was another early morning as we wanted to beat the breakfast crowd at The Blue Hen. Corned beef hash and scrambled eggs for Ryan, two eggs and sweet potato home fries for myself. Let me just stop and make a special note about their biscuits as well. I have no clue what they do to make them so addicting, but I am convinced it's magic. Plus, I need the recipe for their peach butter asap. I find myself craving it in Tampa all. the. time. 

The cute little guy below is one of my favorite houses in St. Augustine. He reminds me of the house from UP. Just add a few thousand balloons and I'll be sailing away to Paradise Falls. I'll send you a postcard when I get there! 

We strolled around downtown a bit more stopping into some of the antique shops and galleries at The Lightner Museum. Of course, we had more popsicles at The Hyppo, raspberry and blueberry rose, before heading home to whip up some frozen pierogies we had picked up at Gaufre's and Goods. 

I had planned to stay until Tuesday morning, but Saturday night I was in a fender bender on the way to pick up dinner. It ended up cutting the trip short, and I had to bring my car back to Tampa Sunday afternoon. My little bug and I are okay; he's at the shop being fixed as we speak. Although the weekend ended abruptly, and not on the best of notes, we made the most of the weekend and the situation at hand! 

Thanks for having me and for more little fun adventures, Ryan! 

Ybor City

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Earlier this week, Ryan came into town to visit for the day. We spent the afternoon roaming up and down 7th Avenue, checking out some of the best restaurants and shops that Ybor City has to offer.  With so many beautiful and historical buildings, plus the easy access via the trolley to downtown, it truly is the perfect area to spend a few hours on the weekend. Ybor hasn't always had the best reputation, but there are so many new and local businesses and restaurants opening in the area. It's equal parts cool and sketchy, with a lot of amazing history thrown into the mix. If it's been a while since you've made it over that way, you really should check it out! 

If you've been downtown before, then you know this guy is just one of the unofficial mascots of Ybor City. 

We didn't ride the trolley throughout Ybor, but it is certainly on my bucket list next time we adventure into downtown Tampa. 

We first stopped into The Blind Tiger Cafe for a cappuccino and an earl grey lavender iced tea. They serve Buddy Brew Coffee and a selection of Tebella Tea, both local companies in town. They recently expanded their availability for seating, making it the perfect place to hangout and catch up with friends, study, or read a book. 

Afterwards, we headed to Tampa Bay Brewing Co. for a beer and an order of their pretzels. Their handmade pretzels are my favorite in Tampa. TBBC has eight of their own core brews on tap year-round, with several other seasonal options changing every few months. I tried the Jack the Quaffer Porter which has undertones of coffee and chocolate. 

Next up was La France. I would love to go down to La France and spend an entire afternoon patiently sifting through all of their clothing. They have racks of clothing from every decade, along with a large variety of antique and vintage jewelry. If you are ever attending a themed party or event, this is the place to go for an amazing outfit.  This is also the best place to go if you're just looking for a unique piece of clothing for your personal collection. They have the best vintage coat collection I've seen anywhere in town. 

Lastly, we had dinner at The Bricks, just in time to escape the downpour of rain that came out of nowhere. Ryan had the bird and pig sandwich with chicken, bacon, apples, brie, and agave on sweet bread. I had the cure sandwich with a fried egg, avocado, tomato and cheddar on a toasted kaiser bun. 

Thankfully, the rain let up a bit just in time for us to head home. 

One thing is certain, Ybor sure does make for a beautiful, yet dreary, scene.

Sea Critters Cafe

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From the first time I dined at Sea Critters in high school, it has easily been one of my favorite restaurants in the Bay area. Although it doesn't look like much from the outside, everything that they serve is freshly prepared and so delicious you'll be craving it again as soon as you leave. They offer daily soup, fish, and entree specials as well as a full menu with staple appetizers, sandwiches, and seafood platters. There is seating inside, outside on the deck, and if you own a boat you can park and eat dockside. I recommend the onion rings to start with, they are the best I have had, and the house salad or one of their featured fish sandwiches for your entree. The house salad comes with feta cheese, sunflower seeds, and my favorite dressing of all time-a sundried tomato vinaigrette. They offer sandwiches to be fried, grilled, blackened, jerked or crunchy almond crusted. Get the crunchy almond coating and you can thank me later; I promise it's that delicious. 

For dessert, if we don't get a slice of key lime pie from Sea Critters, we hop over a few streets to the beach for ice cream at Paradise Sweets. I couldn't decide between the shaved ice or a scoop of rainbow sherbet. The sherbet ended up winning...until I got in the car and took two licks and the entire scoop of sherbet fell off and onto my shirt. Le sigh. It was tasty while it lasted and thankfully my favorite striped shirt came clean :) Next time, I'll try the shaved ice! 

Happy Saturday, friends! 

Mother's Day Sidewalk Sale

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Anyone that might be a lover of snail mail, and that lives in driving distance of Winter Park, would be crazy to not try and attend one of Rifle Paper Co's Sidewalk Sales. In honor of Mother's Day weekend, Rifle Paper was offering up to 75% off samples and 15% off new products. Greeting cards, small and large art prints, notebooks, wrapping paper, phone cases, etc. You name it, they have it...and at an amazing price. Greeting cards are only $1 each; yes, you read that correctly. It's difficult to refrain from buying one of everything! If you ever have the chance to go right when they open, on the first day of the sale, do it. The retail and studio space are both incredibly beautiful, but difficult to maneuver once it starts to gets busy. There are so many products to look through, take your time and don't rush. I dare you to leave without purchasing at least one thing...I'm convinced it's impossible ;) 

To sweeten the deal, Rifle Paper always hosts local businesses to come set up a pop up shop for customers as well. In the past, I've been there when Rifle has hosted Mama's Sauce, Lineage Coffee Roasters, and Wondermade Marshmallows. This Sidewalk Sale, Porch Therapy was the featured shop. Located in the East End Market, Porch Therapy creates the most beautiful floral arrangements and plantings. I knew I couldn't leave without purchasing one of those awesome dinosaur succulents and a floral arrangement for my mom. 

After collecting up all of my newly purchased paper goods, I headed around the corner to try out PR's Taco Palace. I've passed this place several times before, it's hard to miss a neon yellow taco joint in downtown Winter Park. The decor inside threw me for a loop. There is writing all over the walls and barstools, random pinatas and bunting hanging from the ceiling, and local regulars dining solo, yet chatting back and forth from two tables away. I ordered the blackened mahi-mahi  tacos with rice and beans. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious they were and I would definitely make a stop in again if I am over that way. It's a casual and no-frill environment that would be a great place to go to with a big group of friends.

Lastly, I made a special trip over to P is for Pie to purchase a few treats for my mom. Not far from downtown, they make every style and size pie you could possibly want to try. I picked out one s'mores, one peanut butter chocolate, and two key lime mini pies to go. For myself, I tried the Stumptown Cold Brew Coffee. I'm fairly certain I'm now addicted to it and need to find and stock up on a few more bottles of the cold brew asap! 

Here's to wishing you the kick-off to a great weekend! Hopefully you will be spending it celebrating with your wonderful moms! 

The Monday Blues

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When the Ridgeway family asked if I wanted to join them out on their boat Monday morning, I knew the week would be off to a great start. We headed out to Tarpon Springs to prep the boat for the day and then off we went to soak up 85 degrees and plenty of sunshine. 

We first stopped to grab some lunch at Frenchy's Rockaway Grill on Clearwater Beach. A buffalo grouper sandwich was a must. The only thing that would have made lunch even better would have been a slice of key lime pie to top it all off ;)

After lunch, we hopped back on the boat and headed over to Caladesi Island. Mr. Ridgeway, aka Captain Paul, pointed out a cluster of trees covered in shells and sponges. People would paint the shells or write little notes of remembrance before stringing them and hanging them in the trees. I thought it was incredibly special and a such a sweet sentiment. 

After cruising along the island, soaking up the sights, we turned around to head back to dock the boat for the day. It's been quite some time since I had been out on a boat and it makes you realize just how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place. 

Thanks for such a wonderful day, Ridgeway family! I'll be free to join you on the boat anytime :) 

Olde Bay Cafe

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Tucked away at the Dunedin Marina is one little gem of a restaurant, Olde Bay Cafe. Known by the locals for their fresh fish dishes and craft beer selections, this place has everything you could want from a casual seafood shack. It's the ideal location to grab a drink, or two, and a few fish tacos with friends on the weekend. Not to mention, the view of the sunset each evening is pretty picture perfect. Go early, as there is limited seating which fills up quickly about an hour or so before sunset. Don't leave without ordering a cup of lobster bisque and the blackened grouper cheek with mango vinaigrette appetizer. 

Dunedin Farmer's Market

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Each Friday and Saturday, Downtown Dunedin hosts a relatively large farmer's market filled with fruit and vegetable vendors, bakers, chefs, jewelry makers, and other local artisans. The weather has been picture perfect here lately so I knew I wanted to take advantage of the sunny day and partake in an activity outdoors. There are several restaurants and antique stores surrounding the downtown market area, so it's perfect to visit the market and to shop and support the local businesses as well

If you like to shop for antiques and vintage fare, you should definitely check out Patina Vintage and Modern. They have an amazing selection of housewares, purses and accessories, as well as clothing and jewelry. The owner of Patina has several vendors she purchases from and she shops for products at local and sate wide estate sales and auctions. She always has incredibly interesting stories about where each item comes from. I left with a brass dial calendar that shows the day and month. If you're down there this month, they are offering 50% off specials for hundreds of their products. 

We stopped and purchased several little afternoon snacks from some of the local vendors. We tried a watermelon lemonade and mango dream mixed juice from Sereniteas and Soothers. It was so delicious and was the perfect drink for a hot afternoon. 

We also bought several bags of these flavored marshmallows sold by a woman who splits her time between Florida and Rhode Island. She owns a homemade ice cream shop in Rhode Island and when the shop is closed during the winter months, she travels to Florida and sells her marshmallows at several farmer's markets in town. This was her last market in Florida before heading back to Rhode Island for the season. I knew after trying samples of all the marshmallow flavors, I had to leave with a bag or two. I bought one bag of the toasted coconut and one bag of the espresso marshmallows. I can't wait to use them in s'mores or homemade rice krispie treats this summer!

Local artist, Anna Hamilton, painted the below mural as a charity event to raise money for the Dunedin Doggie Rescue. Fun fact, Anna is also the owner of Patina! People in the community could pay between $25-200 dollars to have a portrait of their pup painted on the Dogedin mural. Each dog is labeled with their name and it's fun to stop and spend some time going through them all. 

Post market, we went to Lobster Haven for a late lunch. Aside from the restaurant, Lobster Haven is a market where you can call in advance and purchase large quantities of fresh Maine lobster, shrimp, oysters, crab, and fish. They also have a smaller variety of seafood available to purchase in-store. One of the chefs brought out a new dish for us to try, smoked salmon with a key lime and stone ground mustard sauce. It was so delicious we had to order an appetizer portion to split. For our entree, my mom and I split a Maine lobster roll. I'm so happy it's the kick-off for lobster roll season. There's nothing better than enjoying a lobster roll and cape cod chips after a day spent outdoors. 

Downtown Sarasota

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One of my good friends, Katie, lives just a quick 45 minutes south of Tampa in Bradenton. Last week, she invited me to come spend the day with her exploring the downtown Sarasota area. We spent the afternoon lunching and shopping around at several of the local stores. It's such a cute area and I need to make it down there more often! We stopped into State Street for lunch, and I am so happy that we did! Upon walking in, I instantly fell in love with the look and feel of the restaurant. The interior provided an industrial feel with exposed brick, rafters and beautiful steel light fixtures. Now, onto the food, my favorite part! Katie tried the grilled reuben with onion rings and I had the chickpea and yellow zucchini burger with fries. My veggie burger was fantastic and those onion rings were the best I have tried in a while! I would love to go back for dinner and try one of their handcrafted cocktails from their bar menu. 

We hopped around to several of the boutiques along the main street downtown. My favorite store we stopped into was, of course, an antique and used bookstore. Katie found a few Ernest Hemingway books for her husband while I looked through the Florida history books and fiction and literature sections for older copies of Pride and Prejudice. I could have spent all afternoon in there if she would have let me! 

The temperatures were easily in the mid-80s making for an incredibly warm afternoon walking around town. We saw a snowball shop called Baltimore Snowball Factory and immediately ran in for dessert. The owner was telling us how he is a Baltimore native and had never been to Sarasota until he moved down here to open up the snowball shop. Sarasota is the home of the Orioles for spring training, so he knew it must be a beautiful place. I think he picked well ;) although I wish his shop was in Tampa! There are several snowball sizes and hundreds of different flavor combinations to choose from. You can even add marshmallow fluff and chocolate syrup to the tops of your snowball. I had the mango snowball which was incredibly refreshing and just what I needed on a typical Florida afternoon. 

Pizza, Pierogies, and Preacher Lawson

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I spent a few more days last week cruising around St. Augustine with Ryan. We spent time  stopping into our favorite local spots and adventured out to a few new places as well. On my first day in town, we hopped on Ryan's new (but vintage) bikes and rode up to one of the antique shops, Anastasia Antique Center.  After, we headed into downtown for dinner and dessert before the monthly comedy night at the Corazon Cinema. All of the comedians were really funny and it made for such an entertaining night. My favorite was Preacher Lawson, definitely check out his YouTube videos!  It's been one week since we saw his act and I am still laughing over his jokes. 

On our bike ride home we ran into this little guy. I really have a love for all types of VWs, especially buses...as you can see here. 

Ryan and I have been attempting to go to Gaufre's and Goods for about a month and a half now. Each time we try and go it's always closed. This trip, we made sure it was on our "must" list and we headed there for lunch one afternoon. They have a variety of Greek and Polish dishes that all looked, and smelled, amazing. We ordered three of each type of pierogi: spinach, potato and cheese, sauerkraut and mushroom, and meat...extra sautéed onions too, of course. Ryan had never tried pierogis before and I think it's now safe to say he loves them almost as much as I do. 

 We ventured up to  the Jacksonville Farmer's Market to pick up a few different fruits and vegetables for dinner that evening. Everything looked amazing and if you know the vendors, they will make you a great deal if you are purchasing a few different items. 

We tried the cocos frios, which I had never had before! 

After drinking all of the coconut water, they split the coconut open and sprinkle chili powder on top to scoop and eat. 

My pineapple before. 

My pineapple after. 

Raspberry lemonade & rosy pear pops from The Hyppo before heading into the studio so Ryan could work on printing business cards all afternoon. 

My last night in town happened to fall on a Thursday, so bingo at the Elk's Lodge was a must. Ryan's friends Nick and Mary Kate joined us. It was both of their first times playing in St. Augustine and Mary Kate was definitely struck with beginners luck; she won the $250 coverall game! Right before Mary Kate won the coverall game, I won one of the $50 games! I couldn't believe we had both won back to back. We all were in shock and couldn't stop laughing. Needless to say, I think they'll come play bingo with us more often! I ended up "donating" the $50 dollars to our "little fun adventure" jar that we just started. Maybe if we play and win enough bingo games, it'll eventually pay for a trip to Europe :) 

Sunny Life

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Over the last few days, the weather in Tampa has been so wonderful, I could hear the beach calling my name. Last Thursday, when I saw the weather was going to be in the low 90s for the day, I threw on my swimsuit and packed up my beach chair to head to Clearwater Beach. I sprinted out the door rather early in the morning, hoping to beat the crowds...it seemed everyone else had the same idea that I did. When I saw that Clearwater Beach was already buzzing with tourists and locals, I headed through Clearwater and over the bridge to Sand Key Park. Sand Key Park is because there is the beach, as well as, a park with picnic and grilling areas, kayak and bicycle rentals, nature trails, and concessions. Parking is a $5 daily flat rate which is so much cheaper in comparison to finding a metered or two hour only parking spot on Clearwater Beach. I headed down near the water and set up my chair to spend the afternoon reading and soaking up some much needed vitamin D. 

I picked up this radio last year with a gift card I had to Anthropologie. It's the best radio and MP3 player to take outdoors, and comes in several cool color combinations. 

Although the crowds of tourists can be frustrating at times, the sight of hundreds of striped umbrellas sprinkled along the beach make me so happy. 

One of these days I would love to rent a paddle board or kayak and spend the afternoon cruising all up the coastline. 

I love combing along the beach for brightly colored and unique seashells to add to my collection. 

These were a few of the shells that I picked up. The tiny little orange one was my favorite find of the day. 

After a few hours in the sun, I decided it was time for lunch..and by lunch I mean tacos. I had read several great reviews about Pearly's Beach Eats and after looking over the menu online, I knew I needed to try it out. You order at the front window and pick a seat amongst the palm trees in their outdoor garden area. Pearly's serves a variety of foods from tacos and burritos to burgers and fish sandwiches. I placed an order for the blackened Cobia tacos with jicama coleslaw, mango salsa and shredded cheese. The woman at the counter informed me that the fish tacos are known as a local favorite, and after tasting a bite I knew exactly why. They were so good I ate them all before I could snap a picture. Why do tacos (or any food for that matter) taste so much better after a day at the beach? 

I couldn't leave lunch without ordering one of their shakes or cold treats. After taking the recommendation from one of the servers, I went with a key lime pie bar. It was a slice of key lime pie dipped in dark chocolate and was served on a stick. I could have easily eaten an entire pie worth of slices. If you like key lime pie, definitely order a slice to go; I promise you won't regret it! 

St. Augustine Days

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I took a few days last week to head back to St. Augustine and wanted to share a few photos of some things Ryan and I were up to. On my first night in town, we drove up to Jacksonville to have dinner at Whataburger. Ryan had been telling me about a secret menu item called the, "brown burger," that replaces a regular burger patty with hash browns. Funny enough, when I ordered so called, "brown burger," the manager looked horrified because had no clue what I was talking about. After explaining it a bit more, he graciously said he would try making it for me anyways. I was beginning to believe this was a trick Ryan had played on me to order an item that has never existed, however, according to the internet (my incredibly valuable resource) the brown burger does exist! The very sweet manager did a wonderful job making it for me and I will definitely be back to order another one next time we drive up there. 

The next day, Ryan and I spent the morning running a few errands before meeting up to hang out with our new friend, Calli. We ate waffles at Cousteau's, popsicles at Hyppo, shopped around Uptown and stopped into Ice Plant for pretzels and cocktails before calling it an early evening. Calli snapped a few photos of Ryan and I at Cousteau's; we're pretty silly. 

We stopped into Jenna Alexander's shop to check out some of her work. I am so in love with her Stripes and Buns collection (on the right) and wanted to take the entire gallery wall home with me. 

Declaration also recently reopened their new space called Declaration & Co: The Market Place. My best friend, Britni, used to intern for them when we were in college. It's been a lot of fun to see just how much they have grown over the past five years. On one side of the shop they sell a variety of home goods, gifts, clothing and their own line of stationery and textiles. On the other side of the shop is Mr. George's Candy Corner which pays homage to the building's original use as a candy and tobacco shop. 

We quickly popped into the Yield shop and studio so Calli could take a look around and see where Ryan keeps his letterpress for M.C. Pressure. 

More Hyppo pops were consumed...I can't stop and won't stop until I try all 450 flavors. This time, we had pistachio coconut and papaya pineapple. 

Treasure hunting at its finest. 

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And of course, no trip to St. Augustine would be complete without an order of shrimp tacos from Catch 27. If given the chance, I'm fairly certain I would eat them every single day. 

See you again soon, St. Augustine! 

Birthday Happenings

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A few weeks ago I celebrated my 25th birthday with family, wonderful friends, little adventures, and lots of delicious food. On the morning of my birthday, I packed up the car and headed to meet Ryan in Gainesville to test out Satchel's Pizza. Neither of us had ever been before, but after discovering this eclectic pizza joint via social media, I knew we had to go. We arrived at lunch time and we were seated inside the restaurant's vintage blue VW bus (I think I died and went to Heaven.) We ordered a large cheese and pineapple pizza annnd it was so delicious I think we could have ordered another one!! Post pizza, we made our way downtown to visit one of Gainesville's Hyppo Pop locations. We met up with one of Ryan's friends and enjoyed our pops while walking through the downtown area.

Mid-afternoon, we headed back to St. Augustine and made a pit stop at a little antique store called Finders Keepers in Palatka. They had lots of unique little treasures such as old type writers, sewing machines, and eclectic kitchen accessories. The only thing that I purchased was a tiny binocular brooch that reminded me of Suzy from Moonrise Kingdom. It was a dollar and I would have been silly to not pick it up!

One of the activities on our St. Augustine bucket list has been to go play bingo at the Elks Lodge in town. Since my birthday fell on a Thursday, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to test it out. Little did we know just how intense bingo could actually be! We walked in and were a little overwhelmed at the site we saw: lots of cute elderly people, piles of good luck trinkets and too many bingo cards to even wrap my head around. Each game was color coded and played by a different set of rules. Thankfully, the two ladies next to us were gracious enough to explain all of the bingo terms such as small kite, X, T, four corners, stamps, and so many more. They filled us in on all of the "official and unofficial rules." Unofficial meaning that there were several social rules set in place by avid bingo goers. If you broke those rules, you instantly received dirty looks and silent head shakes of disapproval. Despite bringing my good luck penguin and miniature VW bus, neither of us won, Ryan was pretty close several times though! Although we walked away with empty holes in our pockets, we had the best time and will definitely be back! 

Later that weekend, I headed back to Tampa to partake in a few more festivities with my family. Saturday, Michael and I took our hot air balloon ride that I posted about earlier this week.  Sunday afternoon, my mom and I went to Oxford Exchange for a cup of tea before a matinee movie. Tampa Theatre is currently running a family fun series which plays a different movie each Sunday for the next month and a half. The opener for the family series was Matilda, one of my personal favorites! Tampa Theatre is one of the most special places in town and if you've never been, add it to your list immediately! The theatre is incredibly beautiful and has even been listed as one of the top fifteen most spectacular movie theaters in the world. If you go, make sure you arrive early to experience the pre-show organ concert. Also, if you attend one of the family fun movies, keep your ticket stub and take it to Duckweed Urban Market, post show, for a free Whatever Pop popsicle! That evening, we met up with my grandparents at Cappy's Pizza in Seminole Heights for dinner. In my opinion, they have the best pizza and greek salad in town. Plus, they have the sweetest workers you'll ever come across! 

We headed back to our house after dinner to cap off the weekend with several XL slices of birthday cake. The entire weekend was such a wonderful way to kick off the start of my 25th year. More so than all of the fun activities, I feel incredibly thankful to be surrounded by such magnificent people in my life. It's my family, friends, and the memories that we create together that make the passing of each year that much more special. I am the luckiest.