Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic
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Week in Review

I really enjoyed the past week, as it was filled with fun friend get-togethers, last minute Christmas shopping, a hair appointment to take me back to being a brunette, and lots of sweet Isla moments (think big, poufy pink tutu play time!). I feel so fortunate to have been able to take a leave of absence from work for the past six months, and I am soaking up as much time as possible with Isla before returning to work at the end of February. My childcare search is ramping up heavily this week! I’ve been procrastinating because it makes me want to cry. Sasha is an amazing dad and wakes up at 5am to workout so he can get to the office around 6:30-7am and gets home around 4:00-4:15pm, which is perfect for two hours of family time before Isla’s bedtime routine starts at 6pm. We do a 1.5 mile walk every evening with Belle, our dog, and I look forward to this outing all day long.

Some of the major highlights of the last week include:

  • Getting my hair colored by Eric at Estilo Salon – I decided to go ombre 9 weeks ago, and I’ve been dying (no pun intended) to go back to my original hair color ever since… finally did it! (see awkward makeup-less selfie below)
  • Isla finally got the swing of eating food vs. just licking and spitting… which led to two days of constipation, which wasn’t all that fun
  • Planning our trip to Paris and St. Petersburg – down to the hour, metro stops, restaurants, coffee stops, etc. (and reading Comment le Grinch a Volé Noël and This is Paris)
  • Getting so many Christmas/holiday cards in the mail – I am obsessed! I seriously chase the mailman down every day when he comes to our cul-de-sac
  • Eating a delicious brunch hosted by Christie of KiKiMac – lots of pretty pictures below!
  • Catching up with old co-workers-turned-friends at The Tasting Room
  • Hosting a Christmas dinner with three of my friends from childhood – seriously was crying laughing at numerous occasions… love those ladies! We drank these delicious peppermint cocktails, which I’ll share tomorrow!
  • Prepping for Isla’s Christening on December 27 – she’s going to wear the same Christening gown that my grandpa, dad, and I all wore (think long gown à la Prince George)
  • Buying lots and lots of peonies for the house – not sure what this winter season is all about, but I am loving it!
  • Finally putting lights on the trees outside (thank you, sweet husband!)

I hope you had the best week as well! I’d love to hear some of your highlights too in the comments below. xo

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Events

Breathtaking Parisian Engagement Session

One of my closest friends from childhood, Amanda, got engaged last month while visiting Paris with her (then) boyfriend. Sasha and Scott are friends, so we are both extremely excited for them and their spring wedding in New Orleans. While in Paris, they had photographs taken by the very talented Stacy Reeves.

I absolutely die over these photos. Paris is my favorite city in the world (see travel guide here), and I just swoon at their strolls through the Palace Gardens, romantic tossing of a key on the lock bridge, romantic poses outside the Louvre, and breathtaking shots in front of the Eiffel Tower.

Isn’t this couple just stunning? I cannot wait to celebrate their big day with them in less than six months.paris engagement session louvre eiffel tower lock bridge photographyparis engagement session louvre eiffel tower lock bridge photographyparis engagement session louvre eiffel tower lock bridge photography

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International

Bucket List: Famous Landmarks

If you’ve been following Snapshots and My Thoughts for any length of time now, you’ll now that I love to travel. I have an extensive list of places I’m dying to go and visit – Sasha tells me that I “need to pump my breaks,” because I’m already planning an international trip for us three in December, and he thinks it’s a bad idea to take a 6 month old out of the country. We’ll see! I am not a list-checker when I travel, but there are some iconic landmarks I’m dying to see – see below. Have you been to any of these? If so, I will be asking for advice on what to do and see. Machu Picchu is probably at the top of that list! I’ve been very fortunate and have ticked-off quite a few of my ‘to-sees’ in the last few years (pictures below). Of all these places, Sydney, Istanbul and Paris were definitely my favorites.

As the adage goes, ‘not all who wander are lost…‘

 Great Wall of China

Beijing, China

Machu Picchu

Peru

Cristo Redentor

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Giza Pyramid and Great Sphinx

Cairo, Egypt

St. Basil’s Cathedral

Moscow, Russia

Taj Mahal

Agra, India

The Colosseum

Rome, Italy

Stonehenge

Wiltshire, England

Petra

Jordan

Milford Sound

New Zealand

Newgrange

Dublin, Ireland

Some iconic landmarks that I have visited – and would love to see again! These travels have taken place mainly over the past 6 years – I don’t have many older pictures on my computer. I would love to give suggestions on any of these places if you’re traveling there!

Table Mountain

Cape Town, South Africa

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Sydney Opera House

Sydney, Australia

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Eiffel Tower

Paris, France

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Mont St. Michel

France

The Beautiful Mont Saint Michel (1)

Tirta Empul Temple

Bali, Indonesia

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Statue of Liberty

New York, New York

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Golden Gate Bridge

San Francisco, California

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Grand Canyon

Arizona

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Iguazu Falls

Argentina/Brazil Border

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The Parthenon/Acropolis

Athens, Greece

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The Blue Mosque

Istanbul, Turkey

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Devrent Valley (or Imagination Valley)

Cappadocia, Turkey

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El Obelisco

Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Big Ben

London, England

Oh Hey Big Ben

 

Want to track your worldly travels? Try Wolpy – it’s free and I love it!

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Stationery

Rifle Paper Co. City Prints

Rifle_Paper_City_Prints

I love, love, love Rifle Paper Co. and am anxiously awaiting the debut of their wallpaper line with Hygge & West – I cannot wait to see what prints they sell! I have about 8 Rifle Paper Co. prints throughout the house – one in Isla’s nursery (the Paris print above). I dream of having a house filled with their travel prints – the collection above touches on all the places I’ve been, and I’d quite like to add Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, and Rome to the list of places I’ve seen soon. I would also love to see Anna paint ones for Buenos Aires, Edinburgh, Athens, and Cape Town – cities with pretty iconic sites. Have you been to many of these places? Which are on your bucket list? Can you tell I’m feeling lots of wanderlust today?

Featured image via

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City Guide

Bali Travel Guide

DSC_0190If you’ve been reading Snapshots and My Thoughts for awhile now, you’ll know that my husband and I just got back from our delayed honeymoon to Bali. We were gone for 15 days and loved every minute of the trip. We had a 50/50 split between relaxation and cultural activities, so we saw the best of both sides of the island. We ate some amazing meals, especially those in Ubud and Seminyak (where we believe the best food is on the island). We stayed at the Conrad Bali, which was dream-like. The hotel is located in Nusa Dua, which is at the southern part of the island, near most of the other big name hotels. If we were to go back again though, we would stay in Seminyak at an independent hotel to be close to the beach, quality shopping and delicious food – ideally the Samaya Hotel. It’s also important to spend a good amount of time in Ubud, which is in the northern part of the island and is the heart of the culture and arts scene. My last big tip is to get a good driver. We found Panji of Bali Safest Driver on Trip Advisor, and he was such a saving grace. Don’t rent a car – the driving is out of control. Email Panji and he’ll take you wherever your heart desires, and his rate is more than reasonable. Please contact me if you are planning a trip – I’d love to help!

Best restaurants (all with good vegetarian options)

  1. Chandi in Seminyak: Our favorite meal by far – I wanted to savor every single bite and I’m craving the crispy tofu appetizer right now!
  2. Melting Wok Warung in Ubud: This small restaurant has a limited menu, but they’ve perfected each of those dishes, so you can’t go wrong.
  3. Bumbu Bali in Nusa Dua: Sign up for the cooking class and then eat at the restaurant (in that order), so you’ll appreciate every delicious bite.
  4. Sakala in Nusa Dua: A very fancy restaurant (think gastro-cuisine) with delicious meals and a very Vegas-meets-Bali atmosphere.
  5. Bella Vista in Legian: A gem cafe with a delicious menu – we found Belle Vista on Trip Advsior – the good reviews weren’t wrong!
  6. The Bistrot in Seminyak (shown below): I want this restaurant in Houston. The decor and food were both out of this world. I loved it!
  7. Rin in Nusa Dua: This Japanese restaurant is part of the Conrad, but open to all guests – Sasha liked his sushi and I loved my seaweed salad.
  8. 8 Degrees South in Nusa Dua: You feel like you’re sitting on the beach while eating tasty mediterranean cuisine – the best of both worlds.

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Must-Do Activities

  1. Visit the Tirta Empul Temple – bring a spare set of clothes so you can get into the holy water and pray
  2. Go and watch the Devdan Show at the Nusa Dua Theater – well worth the ticket cost
  3. Go to Jimbaran Bay for sunset and eat at one of the many beach-front seafood restaurants
  4. Take a Balinese cooking class – I highly recommend Bumbu Bali with Chef Heinz von Holzen
  5. Visit Padang Padang Beach where they filmed Eat, Pray, Love
  6. Go to the Elephant Safari with Bali Adventure Tours
  7. Get a massage at the Jiwa Spa at the Conrad Hotel
  8. Enroll in surfing classes at Pro Surf School on Legian Beach
  9. Shop in local markets in Ubud
  10. Try Luwak Coffee at Santi Coffee Plantation
  11. Eat dinner in Seminyak (see recommendations above) and browse in the nearby boutiques
  12. Watch a traditional Balinese dance performance
  13. Play with monkeys at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud
  14. Try mangosteen
  15. Play with parrots at the Blanco Museum in Ubud

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Area Guides

  1. Ubud: The yoga-crowd of Bali resides here. There are hippie coffee shops, yoga stores everywhere, gorgeous temples, elephants, and a monkey forest. What more could you ask for? You could easily spend 3 days in Ubud.
  2. Seminyak: Sasha and I loved Seminyak and would choose to stay in one of the gorgeous hotels here and eat all the delicious food nearby. The boutiques have high-end shopping that I was drooling over!
  3. Nusa Dua: This is the more touristy part of the island, so activities and food nearby are price-adjusted (i.e. more expensive!) accordingly – we ended up taking cabs north almost every evening.
  4. South Kuta: Home to Padang Padang Beach, where you must go to see the breath-taking beaches and rock formations (surfing here too). You’ll also find Jimbaran Bay, where you should go for a romantic seafood dinner!
  5. Legian: Just north of Kuta and south of Seminyak, this is a total surfer spot (i.e. Australians everywhere!). Sasha did his surfing classes in Legian, and we ate at Bella Vista – definitely worth coming here if you want to surf or see gorgeous beaches.

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Map by Kate Evans

Love to travel? Check out my other guides to Paris, Durango (Colorado), Austin, Houston, Washington, DC. I’m also working on ones for Istanbul, Athens, and San Francisco. More to come soon!

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