The cutest souvenir...

I've been traveling quite a bit the past few years. I just love going new places and learning about other cultures and people. The food, the art, the hobbies, and best of all, the beaches. I am a total beach lover. I could spend the rest of my life on a sunny beach and feel pretty happy about it. 

I haven't been great about collecting treasures from all of my travels, but I began to notice that I had a collection of sandwich bags filled with cute souvenirs from some of my trips.  I always think that beaches are so interesting. They all have different shells, wood, seaweed, birds, and sand. I like to collect a thing or two to take home to remember my trip by. Don't be mad. 

I decided that I needed a cuter display than sandwich bags... so out came the bottles!

My Beach Bottle Collection

You can really use anything you want. I think small Ball jars could be cute. Or old baby jars (for all those Mama's out there).  A little string and a tag and you're on your way.

I lived in California for most of my life, and visited a lot of beaches. I wish I had collected a thing or two from some of my favs...Carmel, Pismo, and a bunch of southern CA spots. But we go back a few times a year (to see our families), so I am going to fix that in a few months! And funny enough, my family has a timeshare in Maui... we have gone every year since I was about 12 years old. And I haven't collected and sand from there either. What is wrong with me?! All my favorite spots have been forgotten. I guess I'll have to go back. 

I have SO many other beaches to visit to really feel like I've completed my collection... although, I don't really feel like it will ever been complete. 

-Nicola & the little pup

We're backkkkkk...

I feel like we've been MIA for a while.  Probably because we have been! Summer has been way too fun and busy around here.  We've been living it up as much as possible. I planned to post some of our pictures, but as I looked through them I realized that there are quite a few (and by a few, I mean thousands- I have a problem). So I thought I'd spare you the downward scrolling and post our adventures in parts.

We started out with a little trip to California for a little summer fun with family and friends (Part 1). From there, I was lucky enough to go to Phuket, Thailand with some friends (Part 2).
And we've been keeping busy here in NC with crafts, gardening, eating, and exploring (Part 3).

Part 1:

 C A L I F O R N I A  aka. H O M E

We've been visiting, eating, and beaching our way through the summer.  

I know that was probably a picture overload... We had the best time with our friends and family. I have so many pictures, I could hardly choose which ones to post. 

To Be Continued...  

-Nicola & the little pup

Fried everything AND animals for sale...

The State Fair 

is serious business around here... 

Literally people buy, sell, trade, and show their animals. I was tempted to go home with a few. Turns out, they're affordable!  

We had company this weekend. our friends Andy and Jenny came to visit and what better way to introduce them to NC than a trip to the fair. 

For sale: $35.00 for the pair! 

Halloween's around the corner. 

One more month and these poor babies will be goners. :(

Kids showing their livestock. The judge literally said, "she has a nice brisket".
 I almost became a vegetarian on the spot. 

Jenny and Andy

The blurry shot of us. 

  In hopes of finding the best food, we asked the police officers about the 'best bbq at the fair'. They sent us to a random grill vendor who spent the day cooking to show off his fancy grills. it turned out that he didn't sell food, but fed all of the police officers everyday to thank them for their service. He was nice enough to invite us in to eat for free. and it was the 'BEST'! The best part was when he gave us all of his recipes to help the "californians" fit in around here a little better. 

 Glad to have met my new BFF, Ned. 

Winner: 700 lb pumpkin!

A little theif. 

NC state makes their own ice cream. It's only sold at the fair and on campus. It was delicious. 

Pig races were great, but mini goat and duck races were better!

Even the signs were a little bit country. :)

As a bonus, we took Andy and Jenny to the morning times and the NC state campus for a visit. Miles was in on the trip. 

New friends. 

This might have been one of the funniest parts of the day. Gotta reach to greet that one...  

Miles is joining the Wolfpack.

the library

Miles knows the word "wait" and the cross walk kindly announces "wait" until it's time to go. miles was very interested in this. i think he could get around campus safely without me.

Overall, it was a fun weekend. I still might go back for some of those farm animals... gotta get my backyard fort up to par. 

-nicola & the little pup