Brilliant purple flowers as far as the eye can see

Iceland’s summer is uniquely beautiful. I’ve seen wildflowers before, but nothing quite like this. With conditions perfect for the growth and spread of the lupine flower, they’re a more common site than those furry little horses in Iceland. They’re easy to access, too, growing right along the roadside, so we couldn’t resist pulling over for a more immersive experience. Iceland was the final of twelve European countries we visited on our Europe trip, and despite the chill (that wool kept me warm), in beauty it was one of our absolute favorites. The steamy geothermal activity, the waterfalls, the massive volcanoes, the puffins (!!!)… we drove around in awe of the landscape at every turn. That eternal sun is a kicker. On a cloudy day when you can’t place the sun in the sky, it’s midnight before you know it, and you’re still three hours away from your hotel. (We spent a lot of time in the car in Iceland, so I dressed cozy.) Now I understand why many choose to rent campervans and RVs to explore this country. Perhaps we’ll try that next time. I know we’ll return soon. Below you’ll find my perfect outfit for a cozy summer day of exploring in the northerly part of the northern hemisphere.

Cozy neutrals are keeping me warm this winter!

Happy New Year, ladies! I hope you all had an amazing holiday season filled with love and warmth and powdery snow (if that’s your thing). Two months ago, I’d already experienced snow in Alaska, but now that it’s January, winter weather has spread further south. I just arrived in Reno earlier this week, and it’s colder than usual. Billboards around town are bragging that they’re getting the best snow they’ve had in years up here! I generally hate the cold, but I do like snow, so we’re going skiing tomorrow — Yay! — and as usual, ski apparel took up a large amount of space in my suitcase this trip. But playtime isn’t the only thing on my agenda, and since most days I’m frequenting local coffee shops to work on my online businesses, I did need to pack some comfy workday clothes: a loose sweater — the cardigan here is actually ‘plus size’ — with a warm hat, warm boots, my favorite jeans (and maybe some long underwear if it’s extra chilly)… yeah… I can stay pretty happy despite the cold. And speaking of cold weather blues, I’m trying something new! Since my activity level plummets in cold weather destinations, I finally got a fitness tracker to remind me to make an effort to keep moving. (So far I’ve only made it to 40% of my goal number of steps each day, but I’m hoping to improve on that in the new year.) I can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store for me, and I hope it sends some amazing things your way, too! I wish you all the very best in 2016!

It’s officially cozy sweater, hot cocoa, and cuddle season!

Brrr! Last week I arrived in Anchorage to 40-something-degree weather and the sun lingering low in the sky. A week later, it’s officially reached freezing temps, the wind now has quite a bite to it, and snow will no doubt be falling soon. I’m normally not a cold-weather fan, but I do love the feeling of being ‘cozy.’ Bundling up, flipping on the seat warmer in the car, sipping seasonal Starbucks treats, re-learning how to operate a touch-screen with gloved fingers… winter is coming. And quickly, I might add, here in Alaska. But with sunny Southern California as a home base, the Alaskan chill is a welcome change. Especially when it means I get to wear these adorable new SOREL boots and finally test out my fuzzy UGG snood against the cold (it does a fantastic job). And while I’m still finding plenty of opportunities to wear my fall jacket, this gold-threaded creme-colored poncho warmed me right up (in temperature AND appearance) on this cold and dreary day! Doubling up on my fleece-lined tights helped with that, too. My personal favorite thing about winter, though, is the spike in cuddle time with the boyfriend! So if the cold weather comes with my fair share of ‘cozy,’ well then, I’ll welcome it with open arms.