Destin, Florida Vacation Part 1

It is difficult to believe that just a couple weeks ago, I was in Knoxville, taking pictures of snow!

The snow sure was pretty, but I sure am glad to have had the opportunity to go on vacation to Destin, FL!!

Nathan and I (and Riley) headed down to Florida to stay with his parents for a little bit! Steve and Kay had a condo and we couldn't pass up the chance to join them!

There is a LOT to catch up on, so this is part 1 of the vacation recap!

Riley investigating

Our condo, right across from the beach!

View from our balcony

Gorgeous!

Although I don't mind winter in Knoxville, I must admit that being in Destin in January has been amazing! Between the warmer weather, the sun shining, the beach, and being with family, it has been the perfect vacation!

Finding shells is a fun activity at the beach. I have found an enormous amount of shells, big and small! Picking up shells on the beach never gets old!

As y'all know, I love taking pictures of birds. I have had the opportunity to take tons of photographs of birds!

One night during the week, we were all invited to a friends house for dinner, and we wanted to bring a paleo dessert! 

Kay picked a delicious looking paleo recipe that we decided to try making!

The crust was made with a blend of dates and almonds. Over the crust, we poured a mixture of melted dark chocolate that had been mixed with almond milk; topped with sliced bananas then drizzled with more melted dark chocolate. We refrigerated the dessert for about an hour and then it was ready to be devoured!

It turned out very well! I will certainly be making this dessert in the future!

Of course, the group of us wanted to go out and try some recommended restaurants!

So far, we have had Pompano Joes, Camille's, Margaritaville, Ciao Bella, Fudpuckers, and The Pancakery!

Camille's - "Philly" Roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese, and avocado)

More sushi

Ciao Bella - Greek Salad

The Pancakery - Egg white, veggie omelette

I didn't get pictures of my meals from Margaritaville, Pompano Joes, or Fudpuckers.

I did, however, get some pictures of the gators (yes, real gators) from Fudpuckers!!

Gators 

Albino gator

The majority of our time has been spent at the beach, which is great because you never know what you may see/find:

Stingrays jumping out of the water

Circle of Feathers

Sea cucumber

The sunsets have been stunning every single night!

Another perk of being in a warmer climate during January, is that I have the motivation to be more active. You can walk pretty much anywhere you need to go! 

Riley definitely enjoyed being somewhere new! He didn't want to leave:

Unfortunately, Nathan and Riley had to go back home to Tennessee. I, however, was invited to stay a little longer if I wanted, and of course I said yes!!  :)

I can't wait to keep y'all posted on the other fun adventures I'm having in Destin!

Questions for You!

* Where do you plan on going for your first vacation of 2017?

* What is your favorite beach activity?

First Snow Recap!

Wednesday was the first snow day of 2016 in Knoxville! It feels like it has been forever since we have had snow here, so it was a pleasant surprise! Watching the snow fall with a hot cup of coffee (usually with a cat on my lap) is one of my favorite relaxing things to do. It snowed quite a bit, but unfortunately did not take long to melt away on Thursday.

First snowfall on Wednesday:

After playing around in the snow for a little bit this week, I came inside to work on another chalk paint project. My jewelry armoire!

Before:

I used the Americana Decor brand again. I chose the color "Yesteryear," which is a beautiful light grey with some blue tint in it. 

I wanted to show you how you want the first coat to look - very streaky. A little paint goes a long way!

After:

The jewelry armoire turned out perfect, but blends in a little too much with my blue walls. I'll have to place it in front of my accent wall (dark grey) so it pops out better!

Thursday, the hubby and I both had the day off, so we grabbed some Starbucks and ventured up toward Tellico Plains and Cherohala Skyway.  We're always ready for an adventure!

Our first Starbucks of 2016!! 

Bald River Falls is one of my favorite places to go in that area, so we stopped to take some pictures.

Isn't it gorgeous?!

The sun came out for a second!

Cherohala Skyway is such a fun scenic drive, no matter what season it is!

Today we woke up to a little bit of snow on the ground - maybe half an inch or so. Looks like the "blizzard" missed Knoxville this time. 

Even though it wasn't a ton of snow, I went outside to play around and to build a tiny snowman. 

I had on about 4 layers to keep myself warm! I would be lost without my Columbia jacket!! It's the best!

Our patio heater puts out some good heat! It was nice having it on so I could sit and not freeze to death!

I grabbed my Canon 60d to take some pictures of the birds in our backyard. I love sitting out there (even in the cold) watching the birds. The bluejays are my favorite!

Finally, I decided to hang out with Riley for a while inside, WITH my heated blanket on & coffee in hand! Tonight will probably be dedicated to marathoning shows on our Amazon Prime TV. Nathan and I have become addicted to watching the show "Orphan Black." We have binge watched the first two seasons already! Orphan Black seriously is amazing, and the acting is phenomenal! I HIGHLY recommend checking it out!

Riley sure enjoys the little heater! He just lays in front of it, soaking in all the warmth! We're pretty spoiled!    :)

I hope ya'll are staying warm and safe in this weather!

Is it snowing where you are? 

Do you have cabin fever?

Do you like to go outside in the snow?