Monday Lovin’

Happy Monday!!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend & were able to enjoy good times with great friends :) If you’ve been reading along, you already know my in-laws were in town — we had such a great time exploring Cleveland, eating yummy food, catching up & sharing stories! It’s always good to have family in town! I shared a bunch of photos from our trip to Little Italy, but I wanted to share this compilation again…I just love the colors & vibrancy so much! :)

As always, things I’m loving this Monday:

• Food Should Taste Good tortilla chips. Oh my goodness, I could eat these things ALL. DAY. My good friend Ali introduced me to their amazingness, and I’ve been hooked ever since!! In fact, I’m currently munching on them with some cheese slices as we speak!
• ProPhoto websites — SO MANY OPTIONS!! I know I’ve mentioned a few times that I’m in the process of branding & professionalizing different areas of my business, and one of the things I am most excited about will be my new blog/website!! I still haven’t 100% made up my mind on which option I am choosing, but I know it will be FUN, bright, and full of love :) I especially love using ProPhoto because of how customizable the features are — you can make practically anything unique and just-for-you! Plus the tutorial videos are a HUGE bonus! While I have loved my time on this wordpress site, I can’t wait to have MY OWN website. Big things, guys, big. things. :) :)
• The O.C. — Oh my swoon, BENJAMIN MACKENZIE & SETH COHEN. Thanks to my lovely co-worker Kate, Chris and I are on a new season-watching binge, and it’s amazing :) Nothing better than the smoldering looks and witty comments…what a duo! We’re currently on the Oliver drama of Season One…ooooh I HATE that guy!! Ya know what I mean?!?! So silly how much we get wrapped up in lives that don’t actually exist…but I love it :)
• My new Anthropologie cardi-sweater. People — this little guy is AMAZING & so so fun!!! Cozy arms, bright colors, and these sassy little poof things on the waist tie…sigh :) I’ve never owned an Anthro clothing item until this weekend, and I’m super thankful for my generous mother-in-law & her eye for a good deal :P
• And finally, I’m loving all of the positive feedback & excitement that has resulted from the spring giveaway!!! I turned on the “review” feature of my Facebook page last week thinking it would be beneficial for new fans who may not know me, and I am so glad I did!! You guys make my heart so happy with your sweet words, and there is nothing better than hearing how happy you are with your photos as well!!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for giving me the chance to do what I do :) You are the best, and I am SO excited to giveaway a free session to one of you lucky ducks!!!

Wish we could sit down & have a chat on this front step — I would love to hear about the things you’re loving (and maybe not so much loving) today too!

And if today has been one of those Mondays, hang in there! Reflect on past triumphs, hold on to truth, and choose joy :)

-Sami

P.S. LAST DAY TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY IS THIS WEDNESDAY!!! Make sure to put your name in the mix — comment on the blog, share the photo, like the page. Woohoo!

#happyinCLE: Little Italy

After a fun morning romping around Cleveland, the Os are in rest-mode: Chris & Dennis are watching the Pacer’s and Terri is napping, so I decided it would be a perfect time to throw together a quick post to share some fun photos from our adventure!

While Chris & I are definitely #teamWestSide, we decided it was a good day to venture over to the East side of Cleveland, and I am so glad we did! After showing off the Clinic & all of it’s awesomeness, we decided Little Italy was calling our name!! But of course, we got a bit turned around a few times & ended up touring a beautiful cemetery first…which I wasn’t a bit sad about :)

(All of these photos were taken out of the car window as we drove…HAHA!)

After making it out of the maze, we finally arrived at Little Italy : a unique little spot full of eclectic designs & historic buildings. 

As we were walking around admiring the different shops & bakeries, I kept noticing different fire hydrants, so I decided to snap a pic of a few :) Who knew they could be so fun?!
I especially LOVED all of the different texture & patterns on all of the buildings. Old meeting new…sigh :)



Chris made such a cute model :P
And talk about these fun DOORS!! Oh my goodness, how cool are these?!?! So much character! I’m obsessed.

I also thought this little tomato holder thing on the right was so neat :)

After walking around for a while, we decided to grab a pizza pie at Mama Santa’s…yummy!!! Probably the best pizza place in the world, and it smells SO. STINKIN. GOOD!!!
With full bellies & happy hearts, we headed back to the car! As we walked, Terri pointed out these adorable steps & cute bench — LOVE them so much!!

I just loved getting to see all of the CHARACTER, history, & pizzaz of Little Italy — definitely a unique place with lots to offer! :) Hope you are all having a wonderful Saturday too. For my Cleveland friends, I would LOVE to hear from you about your favorite parts of Cleveland!!! What are your go-to spots when people come to visit? Comment below & let me know!

Happy Saturday!

Sami