On a recent trip to Europe with my sister, we took a train from London to Edinburgh, Scotland. I really wanted to visit Edinburgh because the author J.K. Rowling lived in Edinburgh while she was writing the Harry Potter series and she drew a lot of her inspiration from the city. My sister and I are both obsessed with Harry Potter and we loved visiting the spots that inspired the books. Edinburgh is such a charming, medieval city that makes you feel like you have stepped back in time. Scotland has been on my travel bucket list for awhile and I am so glad I got to experience it! Here is my list of the top ten things to do in Edinburgh.
My friend McKenzie and I took a trip to the Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood last week. Neither of us had been to the lodge at this time of the year. We were hoping to get some wintery shots in the snow and evergreens and we were not disappointed! The whole area looked like a winter wonderland. I felt like I was in a scene from “White Christmas”.
Growing up, I was really embarrassed of my teeth because I didn’t like what my smile looked like. After going through half of high school in braces, I am extremely proud of my smile today. I was lucky enough to win a teeth whitening giveaway at my dentist’s office but I haven’t had my teeth professionally whitened since then. That was about ten years ago.
Rooftop Photo Shoot with Corrie Mahr Photography
By Esperanza on November 6, 2017I got to do a really fun photo shoot with Corrie Mahr Photography this past summer. I am just now getting around to posting the photos but better late than never right?! Corrie and I went to college together and I’ve always admired her work so it was really exciting to be behind her lens. We met for coffee to brain storm shoot locations and ideas. We both thought a rooftop photo shoot would be really cool and I knew the perfect location! The top of the Pioneer Courthouse Square Smart Park in downtown Portland.
This past weekend I met up with a few local bloggers for brunch at Tusk, a beautiful restaurant in Portland, Oregon. It was so fun to meet other bloggers and make connections. I loved learning about their backgrounds, passions, and goals. I love being able to connect with like minded boss babes like these gals. Thank you to Jacqueline from Brunchinista for organizing the event! I can’t wait for more brunches in the future.
This past weekend I went on the most beautiful hike in Silver Falls State Park with my sister, boyfriend, and a good friend. We were hoping to see some beautiful fall foliage in the forest and we were not disappointed! I couldn’t wait to wear my new Charlie Timeless Hat from Tinlid Hat Company. I felt super cute with my denim hat and hiking outfit.
I grew up on a cherry farmed turned apple farm but I haven’t picked apples in years. I asked my friend McKenzie to go apple picking with me this fall. We went to beautiful Douglas Farms on Sauvie Island, a U-pick farm with green and red apples. It was a ton of fun taking pictures, exploring the orchard, and picking some yummy apples.
Schyler and I have gone to the pumpkin patch every fall for the past 3 years to pick out the perfect pumpkins; one for each of us to carve. We always make a day out of it by taking a hay ride, going through a corn maze, and drinking pumpkin spice lattes. Usually, we ask strangers to snap a quick photo of us. This year, my good friend McKenzie came along and took some beautiful pictures of us. She is so talented! I just had to share these.
Fall is finally here which means fall sweaters, pumpkin carving, and pumpkin spice lattes. I am quickly becoming a fall person! I’ve always been a summer person because my birthday is in June. But as the years go by, I am learning to embrace the changing of the seasons. There is so much to in the fall, the weather is perfect, it’s beautiful outside. What’s not to love? So in the spirit of the season, I wanted to share my ultimate fall bucket list with you guys. Bonus: there is a downloadable PDF at the bottom of this post!
I love DIY’s, especially seasonal ones! Making seasonal DIY’s is such a fun way to get into the spirit of the season. My good friend Chrystal and I thought it would be fun to make fall wreaths together. We watched Harry Potter movies and made sugar cookies to enjoy while making our wreaths. Chrystal even treated us to pumpkin spice lattes! It was the perfect fall afternoon spent with a great friend.
I wanted to share our fall wreath DIY with you today. This was a really simple DIY under $15 and it only took us 15 min to make! I hope you enjoy it.
Hi! I'm Esperanza, a lifestyle blogger & content creator with a background in interior design. I currently live in Phoenix, AZ with my newborn baby boy, Sage Wylder! The Urban Darling is a lifestyle blog dedicated to style, home, travel, and more.