The girl from Ipanema

                         

                             

Ahhhh Brazil! The moment I landed, I knew I was going to like it there. 

The streets of Rio De Janiero were buzzing with excitement and you could feel the infectious energy even from the inside of the car--people drinking beer on every street corner, juice stands every few blocks and a very cool beach scene! 

We spent 5 nights in Rio, 2 nights in a small beach side town in Buzios and then one last night in Rio!  Highlights include: sipping on Caipirinha's ( traditional Brazilian cocktails), accidentally booking a hotel in the Favela (but liking it!), hang gliding off a cliff and landing on the beach ( no big deal), meeting up with an old roommate from NYC, trying the best coconut water I have ever tasted, eating "chicken hearts" (actually), learning to say cheers in Portuguese (chi chi!), spending a night with some locals (in their favela home- sorry mom), and taking in as much as the culture as I could.

I can't wait to go back when I have more time to see other parts of the country....perhaps during Carnival ;)!

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Father of the Bride

This is a little throwback to a wedding I worked at while living in LA for bride Annie Meyers, daughter to director Nancy Meyers.  If Nancy's name doesn't bring a bell- think of some favourite romantic comedies like The Holiday, It's Complicated and Father of the Bride. Yup- she wrote and directed them all! I don't know about you but I LOVED the set design on all 3 of those films so I was not surprised that both Nancy and her daughter Annie had quite the vision for Annie's big day. 

The wedding took place at Nancy's house in the Pacific Palisades (which was a replica design of the It's Complicated house) and was perfect. I loved how they played on all of the natural settings around them and turned that into it's own decor ( and when the natural surroundings needed a lift, we got fake tree branches and sewed them into the trees to amplify it!). Martha Stewart's team came and shot the whole thing for the magazine which was also really cool to see!

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Boxer

Shoes: Shoemint, Shorts: Joe Fresh, Blouse: Express, Jacket: Forever 21

Been pretty much  living in this black studded blouse over the last few weeks. It's such a great work piece but also doubles as a great top for a night out. 

I can't believe we have one more week of Summer left. A part of me is sad but another part of me is excited to get back into a routine. My work out and regular sleeping schedule has been a bit neglected for warm patio nights and late night laughs with friends. 

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Malaysia

                                                                    {Classic Bus rides}

                                                                  {Bat and Monkey Caves}

{Petrona Towers}

                                                             {Our 5 year old Tour Guide}

{Perenthian Islands}

{Climbing a mountain in Borneo}

Malaysia was the beginning of the first big epic trip that I took. Not only was this my first taste of Asia, it was also my first (and last! ha) time backpacking. I didn't hate backpacking but I felt it was a one time thing, you know? 

I will never forget being scared shit less boarding the plane-  knowing I was flying across the world to a place that was so very different than anything I have ever experienced. I am so thankful I put my fear aside and made the leap. They say "Once you travel, the voyage never ends" and this was the trip that ignited my passion for travelling. I definitely traveled before this trip but kept it safe and close- Caribbean, NYC, California...not to a country where there were squat toilets, soda in bags and monkeys that roamed freely. I was constantly in awe of the things around me. 

We landed in Kuala Lampur which turned out to be a MODERN city and an amazing transition into my journey. There were Coffee Beans AND Topshops..REALLY! I was floored. We saw the Petrona Towers, explored the local markets and then made our way through various small towns until we reached the north of the country.  From there we went to the Perenthian Islands- an idyllic piece of land that made me want to become a full time hippie. It wasn't real. We did nothing there but read and veg out. 

We ended our Malaysian journey in Borneo where we decided to climb a mountain. It was an aggressive two day trek that I definitely didn't finish. After a day and a half, I threw in the towel and decided that I won't be climbing Kilimanjaro anytime soon. 

I can't wait to go back to this beautiful country one day! 

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