Good morning! In case you are new to A Thoughtful Place, I often take Mondays to share an unedited look at what we’ve been up to for the past week. While most wrap-ups consist of mundane weekend activities, this one found us traveling a bit and celebrating one of our very dear friends. Here is our Monday Morning Wrap-Up.
Scottsdale, Arizona
Last week I found myself in Scottsdale, Arizona for a very short trip to tour the HGTV Smart Home. We stayed at the Andaz Resort which is a fairly new hotel. Can’t recommend it enough. Not only is it beautiful but the staff was extremely welcoming and helpful. My only regret was not bringing a swimsuit as it was 95 degrees!
This is the chic lobby of the Andaz. Such a fun and stylish spot.
It just so happens that I was able to our the Smart Home with my beautiful friend, Carmel, from Our Fifth House. We had the best time catching up and spent hours talking about life, parenting, travel and making plans to see each other again. Carmel is one of the most genuine people I have met through this blogging adventure and I feel so fortunate to know her friendship.
The next morning we headed out to see the HGTV Smart Home which coincided with a poolside brunch. I chose this dress and loved wearing it. This will most likely be what I wear for Easter this year, too. I will be sharing the full tour of the home with you soon.
DATE NIGHT
Both my husband and I traveled last week but at different times so we ended up missing one another for a few days. We snuck in a date night at Waterman’s (Dana Point) thanks so my sweet dad. He had given us a gift card knowing how much we love to take time out for evenings out together. If you happen to pop in, the ahi is award-winning and fantastic. Thanks, dad!!!!
ON THE FIELD
St. Patrick’s’ Day found us at the softball field. The girls are blessed with a great coach and one of their game day traditions is writing their names in the dirt before the game begins. I am so proud of this little one who was chosen as player of the game after hitting and fielding so well. She is just learning the game and does not have the experience of the other girls, so this was a huge boost in her confidence. At the end of the day, these girls are having fun out there and that is all that matters.
TEMECULA VALLEY
After sports we joined up with 11 other couples in Temecula to celebrate a friend’s birthday. It was less than 24 hours but just what we needed. Our first stop was Peltzer Family Cellars which is near and dear to our hearts. It’s a family run winery and I can’t say enough great things about it. If you stop by, you have to watch the darling dogs play soccer with kids that come to visit. It’s the cutest thing I have ever seen.
dress | similar booties | handbag | similar necklace
You know those friends that are more like family than anything else? These girls are family. I have known these two since before we met our husbands and their friendship and support through the years is priceless. Love them so much. We celebrated Jessica’s birthday (in the stripes) in style and savored every second of it.
We all stayed at the Carter Estate. Each room has a back patio that opens up to the beautiful vineyards. We were able to sneak in some group shots before heading to dinner. And apparently we all decided color was not the way to go. This wasn’t coordinated and yet we all showed up in gray, black and white.
The best part of the trip was getting to spend some time with this guy. Our schedules have been unusually hectic as of late and we really needed this time away. This is one of my all time favorite dresses. The back bow is darling and it’s back in stock!
WHAT A VIEW
When we woke up the next morning, it was so beautiful to see these hot air balloons in the sky. I had never seen them so close up. I only wished my kids had been their to see them. So much fun. After grabbing a quick coffee we packed up and headed home for more sports and play practice.
Thankful for time with good friends and ready to tackle the week. I have some fun posts coming up and can’t wait to show you what we are working on over here.
Oh, and thank you to all of you who gave me positive feedback with the Saturday Shopping post. I love hearing that posts like that are so helpful.
How does your Monday look? We are looking forward to having my parents for dinner. Guess that means I better hit the grocery store!
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