botanical bliss // greenhouse styled shoot

There's something so calming about greenhouses. I always thought a wedding held within one would be so beautiful because the couple is coming together and growing into the next season of their lives, surrounded by botanical life which is constantly growing as well. It truly is love personified. And that's where this vision stemmed from - the venue! 

My vision with this styled shoot was creating an absolutely ethereal moment for the couple. I wanted to go with more neutral, earthy colors (deep reds, grey, lavender) that were more on the muted side so the true beauty of the venue itself (all that plant life!) could speak for itself. I didn't want to limit the scope of the concept by categorizing it under a specific season, but the colors and dress are definitely geared more towards the winter aesthetic. 

 I wanted to include some unique details, and one of my favorites was serving coffee in these vintage Turkish coffee cups and saucers that belonged to my great grandmother. That, paired with the romantic calligraphy decor incorporated really brought the entire look together. The entire day was simply magical. 

These stunning photos, both film and digital, are courtesy of my talented friend Yasmin Roohi Photography -- See our full vendor list under the gallery! 

Full vendor team: 
Styling/ Design/ Planning: Naseem Events
Photography: Yasmin Roohi Photography
Venue: Shelldance Orchid Gardens
Florals & Wreath: Petal Atelier
Rentals & linens: Chairs & Cups
Calligraphy: Danika.Ink
Makeup: Neda Abootorabi
Cake: JustBakeCause
Wedding dress, veil, accessories: Dean & Willow
Models: Sohrab Fatemi and Jessica Johnson 
Men's Suit and Shoes: Tuxedo Wearhouse
Hair: Nicole Jamora (One of a Kind Beauty)
Turkish Coffee Cups and Saucers: Naseem Events (personal collection) 

 

dessert table styling // winter mini shoot

December has been so busy for me in the best way possible. I managed to pack in planning 3 shoots simultaneously, and this one I'm sharing here is super special to me. It's always a treat to collaborate with friends in the creative sphere and I was stoked to work on this mini shoot with two of my favorites, Yasmin Roohi Photo and JustBakeCause to showcase Amanda's winter offerings. In styling the dessert table for her, I thought I'd share a few of my tips and tricks that helped me envision what I wanted the final product to look like:

1) Always start with a staple piece: When I go shopping to scout out pieces for shoots I always look until I find that one piece that I fall in love with. For this shoot, it was the antler-shaped gold tray. I absolutely loved this and thought it was the perfect embodiment of the holiday season. I based the rest of my decor off that piece and what would mesh well with it. 

2) Build upon textures: I knew I wanted most of my aesthetic to be gold (obvi), but I also didn't want it to look super regal or old-fashioned. I purposely mixed in more modern, earthy textures like the marble cake stand you see -- as well as the subtle pops of red in the holly and candles to balance everything out.

3) Less is more: I knew Amanda's desserts speak for themselves (no I don't just mean the taste); she is a true artist as you can see in the photos below. Because of that, I wanted to let the desserts speak for themselves which is why I went the more minimal approach with the colors and table decor. I wanted the focus to be on her work, with the decor as unique accents to highlight (i.e. acorns with the bells). 

Ok enjoy these beautiful photos and let me know what you think! What's your go-to for designing your holiday tablescape?

(Special shout out to my girl Neda for being on glam squad patrol for this shoot <3). 

holly, jolly holiday parties

Ahh the holidays! I love Christmastime SO much. It's crazy to see how quickly it came upon us this year -- but I'm not complaining! I absolutely love the crisp air, rosemary garnishes everywhere, and the warm winter colors. I had the privilege of working with my home church, Awakening last weekend to help bring to life our vision for our annual Christmas party. My favorite part was that we held it at this amazing warehouse venue in downtown SJ, Forager Tasting Room-- that brick wall in the back?! Swoon! We had an indoor gelato cart, photo booth, dance floor, raffle, and of course - drinks & light bites. I decided to go a more minimal route with the table centerpieces and went with long wreathy garlands (save a buck or two and get these from Trader Joe's) that I cut into shorter pieces, and then added texture with candles and ornaments. Who says ornaments only belong on the tree?!

It was such a fun time for all of us:) Thanks to the talented Oh.Pictures for taking these photos,  Cafe Primavera for catering, and my amazing friend/ planning parter Kathryn for helping make all of this come together so seamlessly. 

elegant, outdoor winery wedding

On the blog this morning is one of my favorite weddings from this season. I had the honor of helping Shauna and John with their wedding this past September at one of my all-time favorite venues: the lovely Regale Winery in Los Gatos. The wedding was held the last week of September, yet the weather was well into the high 80's all the way through the ceremony and early evening cocktail hour. It was such a gorgeous day. The photos speak for themselves so I'll keep this short and sweet. Thanks to the talented Courtney of Photoflood Studio for capturing these images. See full vendor list below the photos! 

Photography: Photo Flood Studio

Florals: Petal Atelier

Venue: Regale Winery

Catering: Cafe Primavera

Planner: Naseem Events

moroccan-inspired bridal shower

Hello November! This is officially my favorite time of year. I have to say, it's mostly because I'm biased and my birthday is mid-November. But in addition to that, I love the fact that my birthday kicks off the entire holiday season :) My family is huge on celebrating so it's always one party after the next as soon as Thanksgiving hits. 

This bridal shower styled shoot was created from a Moroccan-inspired vision I had. I wanted to incorporate autumn season elements such as pears, pomegranates, and persimmons, which worked perfectly against the florals and greenery, and the earthy wood tablescape. The details are what matter most to me: sparkling pear cocktails, custom "maca-s'mores" for dessert, and a textured Persian rug to bring all of the aesthetic to life. We decided to incorporate a DIY floral jewelry-making station which I think is so unique (and let's be real, flower crowns are so last year!). 

Best of all, the models were all my friends! It was so special to me to introduce my friends from all different parts of my life and have them celebrate together.  Not to mention, it was such a joy to tag team with my bestie, Amanda Az who took these gorgeous shots. Enjoy!

*Currently booking for holiday parties // see entire vendor team below photos* 

Vendor Team:

[Styling/Design: @naseemevents | Photography: @amanda.az | Florals: @petal_atelier | Desserts: @justbakecause | Calligraphy: @inkcitra | Makeup: @nedaknows | Tables, Chairs, Tableware rentals: @williamspartyrentals |Dresses: @anthropologie @freepeople | Pillows: @pier1 |

(Pewter antiques and Persian Rug: Naseem Events) 

styled shoot basics // my top 3 tips

Hello lovely readers! I'm so pleased to share part 2 of a recent styled shoot I put together with an amazing team of vendors who all came together to make my vision a reality last month. (See below the photos for the full list of creatives!). For this shoot, the vision was more girly/classic and romantic; more focus on pinks and gold, + tulle as you can see in the bride's gorgeous two-piece skirt & crop top. We had such a fun time shooting this; so much laughter and also so many things to learn.

That being said, I wanted to share the wealth! One of the biggest takeaways for me from planning this shoot was not to underestimate the amount of work that goes into one of these. From start to finish as a planner your role is Indian Chief/ Ringleader. I'd love to share the three tips I think are the most beneficial when planning a shoot (good for those who might not even know where to start!) --

1) Build your vendor team: this is one of my favorite parts of being in the creative world because there is such a big network of talented folks to collaborate with. I absolutely love building relationships and getting to know new people so this kind of came as second nature. If you're having trouble nailing down lets say a florist or something, one thing I found that helped (might just be my creeper social media stalking abilities, but hey who's labeling it) -- is that I would search via hashtags for the right vendor. I.e. "#bayareaflorist" or something along those lines and then see who had an aesthetic that really resonated with me and my personal brand.

2) Nail down the venue: this is HUGE. I honestly think this is the hardest part of planning a styled shoot. Big lesson for me was to do my research ahead of time. For example, we had scoped out a certain park in the North Bay and come to find two weeks before the shoot it's strictly open to residents of that city. Always do your homework about the permits needed and whatnot.

3) Finally, the biggest piece of wisdom - be prepared for rejection and take it with a grain of salt. Whether it's a vendor who can't work with you on this shoot or a blog who declined you from publishing the shoot, I think it's super important to remember that we're all hustling; and that will often times include rejection or maybe things not always turning out your way. What grows your character is how you respond to that sudden left turn. I never really understood the weight that the world "hustle" really carries but I can confidently say as a business owner who is only six months in, I am dailyyy pushing myself above and beyond what I'm used to in order to make my business successful. And sometimes that might even mean you don't have the support you expected but a wise friend once told me that it's not others' support that will matter in the long run or bring in the big bucks ;) You have to hustle because YOU believe in your craft and you visualize that long term goal coming to fruition. 

Ok that's all from me! Enjoy xx

fall inspo // styled shoot

While we in the Bay Area are currently stuck in the middle of Indian Summer at its finest, autumn is quickly upon us. When I think about color trends and inspiration for styling fall events and weddings, I really see shades of jade being prominent this year. There's just something so poignant about the color that makes everything pop. 

With this recent styled shoot I put together, my vision (that played out perfectly I might add!) was super boho, airy, and intimate. I love the freedom planners have with styled shoots because it's your chance to really showcase your own personal aesthetic and encapsulate your brand. 

Currently booking for fall weddings, photoshoot styling, holiday parties, and more. Please reach out. See below for all the amazing vendors I partnered with on this shoot. xx

DIY beer tasting & bbq

It's always fun to change things up and get creative in the events department. Last night I switched from wedding planning mode to birthdays after one of my closest friends asked me to throw her husband's 28th birthday party. First thought: a guys' birthday; how can I style this in the most manly way possible? Haha. What initially came to mind (and call me stereotypical if you will) was meat. Yes, meat. I'm very close with our fellow birthday boy too so I knew he'd appreciate a nice, meaty feast. So I went with a good old fashioned Southern BBQ theme for dinner, along with a beer tasting flight station to start the night off right. 

Putting together a DIY beer tasting flight is not as hard as one might think, and if anyone has ever wanted to style one, I wanted to give my top 3 tips/ suggestions for how to go about it:

1) Keep it simple: I wanted to keep the focus on the beers so I went with three types that I thought would be interesting to each palate. Lagunitas IPA, a Radler, and Chocolate Stout. Pro Tip: Trader Joe's personal beer selection is bomb and their visual design is very appealing to the eye. Win win.

2) Beer snacks; a must: I had a little bit of everything going to compliment each of the three beers. Some suggestions I have are olives, pretzels, almonds, and even plantain chips. Yes, you heard that right. Funny enough, those were the most popular of the night and were gone before anything else. 

3) Presentation: How you present something will always make or break it. When it comes down to food especially, studies have shown that people are universally drawn to pretty looking things; therefore my priority after I nail down what my "content" is (in this case, a beer flight), I focus on how to present it in a way that will be most visually appealing when the guests walk in the door. For this party, I wanted the aesthetic to be generally very earthy so I went with butcher paper for my table runners and wooden platters to serve most everything on. My favorite part though was the glassware for the beer flights. I've had these glasses in the family for about 10 years now, straight from Moscow. It was great to bring them out and give some flair to the design. 

 

It was fun adding other little tidbits to spice up the decor. When hosting an indoor party; especially one that's pretty intimate like this was, the little things matter most, namely making something ordinary pop. So whether it was writing out each dish name in calligraphy on the butcher table, fruit skewers instead of plain cut up fruit, or the BBQ set in the background on display,  each small thing added to the overall look and feel. And in the end, party was a success! Enjoy the photos below. Huge thanks to my fellow creative friend, Parastou Bartley, for helping me take these! <3

beatrice & mike's wedding

The photos from Bea and Mike's June wedding are here! I'm so stoked to share these photos (how perfect is Lucille Lawrence's work?!) because this wedding was so memorable for me and truly a day I will never forget. I had the privilege of working with Bea to coordinate all the logistics for her wedding about two months out. I love thinking back to our text sesh's debating about the final details and to finally see everything come together the day-of. It was so special to me to be able to spend the morning with her & the bridal party. I delivered them some much needed grub before the festivities began; her favorite, In N Out. Being a part of the whole getting ready process (that's me steaming her veil below, hehe) was unforgettable. The wedding itself was a dream. Rancho Yerba Buena is off the beaten path and boasts such stunning views, not only lush greens but a very whimsical back drop. We were treated to seeing all the horses come out right at sunset, which made for some perfect golden hour photos. The little things really added to the wedding too; from their band playing some bomb covers with a live saxophonist and all, to the homemade cake baked by Bea's close friend -- you could really feel the love. Not to mention that posh poolside cocktail hour, am I right?!

 Bea and Mike had been together for almost a decade so this was really a celebration in the making. What I love most about them is their swag; how cute are their matching Lover Jackets that they put on when it got chilly? Smiling so hard as I relive that day with these gorgeous photos! #bealikemike

Photography: Lucille Lawrence

Florals: Wild North Flowers

Venue: Rancho Yerba Buena

Catering: Karen Bevels

 

 

live color fully

Ok, so I may have stolen that line from Kate Spade, but hey who's complaining?! I'm so excited to share the final shots from a wedding rehearsal dinner I threw for one of my brides last month. I love when my clients simply give me their budget and full reign to do as I please creatively when it comes to their events. For this one, knowing the couple and what I thought would make their hearts truly happy on the eve before their big day I decided to go for a sunset, neon fiesta. 

I started working on the details for this party about two months prior; making my inspiration come to life through my shopping runs, gathering little pieces as I went. The end result I think turned out even better than I dreamt up because of little finishing touches like deciding to arrange the florals the way you'll see pictured below instead of in typical vases. Plus, I got a wide assortment of neon glassware for drinks which made the entire table pop with color and vibrancy.

One of the highlights of the night was surprising the bridal party with PopBar for dessert (If you haven't gone yet, do yourself a favor and find the nearest one to you and go now!). Watching everyone mingle under the stars that night was so memorable for me & I'm so grateful I got to collaborate with the effortlessly talented Cheri Roohi for the stunning photographs. Thanks for reading everyone and happy Monday! 

Photography: Cheri Roohi

the art of calligraphy

Calligraphy and pretty hand writing have always been big in my book. When I was in 5th grade, we had a mandatory calligraphy course (private school times lol) and since then I think the passion for it just remained in me. I didn't keep up with practicing the art, unfortunately, until early this year. I took a refresher course at Paper Source back in January and it slowly came back to me.

I was lucky enough to do all the calligraphy for my friend Lindsay's wedding back in May. How soothing are these earthy tones? She added such a special touch to the wedding by writing personalized notes to each wedding guest in their escort cards as they walked into the reception. Can you imagine how long that must have taken? It was so worth it though, just seeing all the guests' faces as they opened their notes and read the memories to themselves; unforgettable. 

In addition, Lindsay opted to number her tables as names of pasta instead of actual numbers. I loved that her and Mike decided to do this, as cooking pasta together was one of their most frequent date night activities. This added such a unique touch to the wedding; something you really don't see much of! For me it was hilarious too because I had no idea that there were so many different names for pasta, haha! :) Doing the art work for this wedding made me realize how much I love it and that I want to keep it up. For anyone who is interested, I offer an a la carte option for calligraphy in all my wedding packages. Thanks for reading! 

Florals: Second Street Flowers

Photography: Foot Candles Photography

wild & free

One of my goals/desires when I decided to start my own business was not only to help my clients throw that perfect event they've been dreaming up, but also to inspire the community of creatives that I'm now a part of. To shed light on the importance of vulnerability, the danger of comparison, and to create a safe place for women to share their life lessons and revelations. 

I began reading this book last month, Wild & Free, with two friends and it has been such a breath of fresh air. I encourage everyone reading this right now to click and order it! (no, I'm not affiliated with them but I'm that crazy about the book hehe). I'm only half way through right now but it's already challenged me so much that it's made me tackle some issues I struggled with in the past. This has led to such an increase of confidence and joy in my life. 

Being the lover of writing that I am, I decided to publish my experience on Medium earlier this week. If you're interested to read further, simply click here.

Little teaser for those curious: 

…I didn’t get a job because the manager said I was “too much.” How that statement has impacted me 4 years later.

---- 

Once we cut off those strings of expectation, pride, and insecurity we stop allowing others to define us. That’s when living can actually begin.

<3

 

 

 

Source: http://thewildrevival.com/wp-content/uploa...

sepideh's bridal shower

One of my favorite memories from the last six months has been celebrating my friend Sepideh during her wedding season. Her and her fiancee's journey is so inspirational and moving -- proof that God has His hand in the pages of their story. I've been blessed to do life alongside Sep for the last few years and really see her through this amazing time in her life. It was awesome to function not only as her bridesmaid but as an event planner for her bridal shower, which was a total dual effort by myself and her amazingly talented MOH and sister, Jasmine. You can see the love she put into all the calligraphy & handmade streamers below! Our goal was to incorporate vibrant color pops as well as some modern glam touches (because who doesn't want a gold sequin photobooth backdrop, am I right?!) We were also lucky enough to have Amanda Az take our photos, see below and enjoy! Oh and how hot is the bride? ;) 

black & gold // maz's graduation party

Wedding planning for my other brides took a pause this last weekend as I shifted gears to plan one of my good friend's graduation parties from SCU Law :) It was so fun planning this because not only did I get to put my amateur design skills to use by making the menus, but I also pulled together some fun DIY projects with the candy bar, the favors, and the vases. One huge tip I shared on my Instagram the other day that I suggest for those planning events is to always look into the budget-friendly ways to make your party run smoother. For instance for this party, I bought some vases from my local dollar store and then spray painted them gold (easy Michael's run). Definitely helped to save a TON on all the vases by only getting them for $1 each. I used to look at dollar stores from the outside with such distain, but it's been such a pleasant surprise for me to see how they legitimately have everything you could ever want for such good prices. 

Best of all, I got to tag team with two dear friends in the creative sphere on this event. My bestie, Amanda Azarpour took all the photos and my other Amanda (Just Bakecause) baked the gorgeous cake and cupcakes. Check them out! Enjoy these photos and once again, I'm so proud of you Maz! Thank you for letting me create this event for you <3 

the sun does come out eventually

 
 

I'm stoked to finally share one of the biggest changes going on in my world at the moment. You've probably already caught wind of it with the new domain name, but without further ado, I am pleased to announce that I'm embarking on a new venture of starting my own wedding and event planning business! 

I've been obsessed with planning & hosting events for as long as I can remember. That, paired with being a bridesmaid more times than I can count + my Type A overly-organized personality + watching The Wedding Planner at an age when I was easily influenced and there we have it! I can't think of a better way to expand my career than taking on this new path. Working at a tech start up was one of the most invaluable experiences I've ever had. And now I see the beauty in my last role which was so heavy on client communication and making sure my vendors were satisfied 247. I can't wait to translate that over to my love for weddings and events. Weddings especially are so dear to my heart: what the union means for the couple on a deeper level, for the extended family, and all the emotions that come with it. It's seriously such a pivotal moment in one's life and I'm stoked to be a part of that for my clients.

For those of you who have been so supportive of my lifestyle/travel blog, first off: THANK YOU. I can't tell you how much it means to hear from friends I don't see regularly but yet hear that they love reading my posts. Fear not: This blog is going no where. In fact, I'll be updating it regularly alongside this new business website so any potential clients have a better chance of getting to know the real me and what I'm all about :) 

On that note, I wanted to have a tiny soap box moment and encourage anyone out there who is in a transition period of their life. I can honestly say going through that in your mid-twenties and dealing with the up and downs of soul searching can be exhausting; both mentally and emotionally. However, I wouldn't take this time back for a second because of how much it's helped me grow both as a person and as a working professional. And the sun does eventually come out "tomorrow." I never thought I would be starting my own business, but during this down time, I've realized how much I want to break that mold that we're so forced to fit in: that you have to go down the tech path if you're in the Bay Area. That's great, but it's not for everyone. And especially for me, I want to spend this next part of my life making my own dreams come true vs. someone else's. Best of all, I love that I'll be able to give back to my clients and help remove the stress for them during a joyous season.

So bottom line, do you. I used to be so stuck on what people would say/ how so-and-so would react to what I'm doing. But now as I'm getting older and specifically in this season, I just see how much freedom there is in simply doing you. No second guessing. No over analyzing. You might have 20 people supporting you or only 1 in your corner. No matter what, if you feel at peace with what you're diving into then DO it. In my personal life, I've learned that God wants us to take that risky step first before He'll unveil the whole picture. So, here goes :)

best of #march

Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 2.56.48 PM Can you believe tomorrow is April 1st? Where is this year going?! I swear each year flies by sooner than the last. Starting at the end of each month I've decided to do a round up of a few of my favorite indulgences. This is definitely geared more towards the ladies, sorry boys! I'm hoping to incorporate a mix of things to stay true to covering all things lifestyle related, so expect to see my most satisfying shopping buys, skincare reviews, as well as cute things I just had to share. Let's get started!

  1. YSL Radiant Touch Highlighting Pen: I got this as a gift from my cousin when I was visiting Paris earlier this month. Cannot explain how much I love it. It's the perfect highlighter to apply midday when you're feeling like your makeup is wearing off and you need the extra pick-me-up.
  2. Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil: I'm becoming more and more of a fan of the matte look on lips, especially for darker colors like red. Pairs as a lipstick and liner.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

3. Mario Badescu Skincare: This entire line is to die for. I sampled their lotion this past weekend in an Urban Outfitters in LA and was so surprised at how soft it kept my hands all afternoon long. Being the lotion aficionado I am, I'm always on the hunt for a good bottle. I carry lotion around with me everywhere I go since I have extremely dry skin so finding one that keeps them moisturized for longer than an hour is key. This one did the trick. My cousin told me she had been using his skincare line for 20 years now so as soon as I got home I went all in and purchased a few of his things. I am OBSESSED with the silver powder. It's seriously a magic powder that works wonders for blackheads and oily skin. Plus side, each product is very cheap considering the quality and quantity that comes in each bottle. Cannot wait to try more of his skincare line.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

4. Madewell's Brisbane Crossbody Bag: Perfect bag for the summer and I'm loving the size since I was getting sick of carrying my bigger Madewell bag. Bonus - get 30% off right now, see link for details!

5. Le Sportsac X Rifle Paper Makeup Bag: I think I am what one might call brand-obsessed when it comes to Rifle Paper. I even call the brand my spirit animal, LOL. So when I found out they came out with their own line of cosmetic bags, I had to get one. I had been looking for a new makeup bag for a while too and I'm super happy with the quality of this one (plus the pockets inside for my makeup brushes). It's big enough to take on a trip if you want to stuff it with toiletries too.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

What do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

 

6 Ways to #Travel Budget-Friendly 

A lot of people have asked me how I manage to travel both domestically and internationally so much and not go broke. When I realized I had the travel bug a few years ago, I made it my mission to spend time doing the research and educating myself on exactly how to answer this million dollar question. A ton of backpackers out there will blog about how they saved the most on staying in hostels, buying their own groceries, and limiting their eating out. I think that's awesome and definitely one way to do it. However, I'll be honest here, that's just not me. I'm big on the comfort factor, especially while traveling (not to mention safety), so for me I'm not really into the hostel thing and traveling for months on end with only two shirts. Not trying to be high maintenance or anything, but it really just depends on the person. And for me, having a secure place to leave my bag for the day is important. So with that being that, this post will cover 6 ways I've been able to travel pretty luxuriously without having to dip into any savings;)

  • 1) Constant research: if you want to get into travel (more specifically, cheap travel), you've got to do the research. While my friends were on Snapchat or CandyCrush during a long line at the food trucks, I would be on travel apps. I downloaded the top apps on my phone and that was my go-to boredom buster. I'd consistently be searching flight deals and playing around with the best times to fly. Helpful hint here: download the Cheapoair app as well as Sky Scanner -- which brings me to my next tip 
  • 2) Know when to travel: it's crucial to know the peak seasons for the country you want to travel to. For example, going to Europe in the summer (May - September to be exact) will always cost you an arm and a leg. However, winter -- not so much. That's why I decided on finalizing our Europe adventure a month ago because the tickets were so cheap! I mentioned Sky Scanner because this app offers you a matrix to compare travel dates (not only individual but also month to month comparisons). Some people are Excel wizards, I'd proud of say I'm pretty much a wiz at this app, haha. 
  • 3) Stalk airlines for glitches: no I'm serious. This is probably my favorite secret to share with you guys. One of my favorite things to brag about is that I got tickets to Bali (roundtrip) from San Jose for $375. Yes you read that correctly. My trip to Austin earlier that year cost more. Have you picked your jaw off the floor yet? This occurred simply because of an airline glitch. For me, it could have been that the reps at Delta just wrote the wrong price down (human error) or forgot to include oil charges in the flight cost. It can really be anything. There are a ton of blogs out there that highlight when these glitches occur, and one that I'll share is Secret Flying. Subscribe! It can be tedious but to me checking it now is comparable to checking my Email; I just do it by default. 
  • 4) Sign up for the right credit card: I'll split this one into two parts. Part 1: sign up for a card that has a 0% charge for international travel. Most credit cards charge a 2-3% fee on all international transactions. My family has had Wells Fargo for years now but even they have the fee. I had signed up for the Capitl One Venture card about a year ago and this is one of the only cards not to have any fee. I highly suggest it so you can avoid the annoying fees. Part 2: sign up for a card with travel perks. My mom has the CitiBank Expedia card and pretty much purchases everything on it, and therefore we accumulate points on the daily. This has led to a number of completely free tickets (for example, her Europe ticket RT was free!). 
  • 5) Master the art of TripAdvisor: ok so shameless plug here, but TripAdvisor has become my new best friend. I absolutely love this site and all it has to offer travel junkies. It's pretty much the Yelp for travel. And if you know me, you know how much I love Yelping. I would suggest using this site pre-trip so you can compare the prices and ratings of all the hotels of your destination. They include the ratings from guests, the overall ranking of the hotel compared to all the rest, as well as prices across the board from all booking sites. I did all the booking for our past trips via TripAdvisor. I love the fact I'm able to see real photos instead of only the professional ones the hotel has on their site. Not to mention, hearing from past travelers on their tips and overall thoughts after their stay. Best of all, I'm able to find the cheapest hotel for my personal budget and wants. 
  • 6) Fly into a less popular city: finally, I'll leave you with this -- always look into a nearby airport to fly into. I've seen this both domestically and internationally. For instance, for those of us living in the Bay Area, flying out of Oakland will almost always be cheaper than SFO. Same goes for your overseas destination. London and Paris will always be pricey. Consider a city like Zurich to fly into and then take the train (super comfy) to your final destination. Best of all you get to see the countryside by train and save a ton on the flight. Happy travels friends! Let me know if these tips help. XO

  

    #vienna 

    Last stop on the Euro adventure was Vienna. After our one day in Salzburg we took the night train to Vienna (only an hour!) and arrived just in time for dinner. Our stay in Vienna was super special because we stayed with my mom's best friend from junior high/ high school whom she hadn't seen in 26 YEARS! How crazy is that? I'm 26 right now so I can't imagine not having seen a friend for pretty much my entire lifespan. That's a long time. They had kept in touch of course, but this was such a special reunion for the both of them. Best of all, her friend had a daughter exactly my age so the four of us had the best time together. Highlights in Vienna included the amazing castles (and the stories behind them), the cheap hot dogs which were to die for, trying an original Sacher Torte, more tasty beer, and going to the opera together on our last night.

    Fun travel tip if you're planning to go to Vienna: you can purchase standing-room only tickets to the opera, day-of, for only 4 euros. This was perfect for us since we weren't down to spend a whole 3 hours at the opera and we didn't want to pay an arm and a leg. I wish SF had something like this! It's so convenient for tourists. We got a good taste of the opera for 20-30 minutes and then spent the rest of the night exploring the enormous opera house.

    Our final full day in Europe we drove out to Slovakia (only an hour drive) to explore another country. Why not?! We went to Bratislava which has so much character. The town is teeny, tiny! The restaurants are so hipster, it reminded me a lot of being in SF. We shopped, ate some bomb food, discovered some cute bakeries, and walked all day long. I loved it. I loved our whole trip and what was the best part was not only being able to do all this with my mom but to be able to mix that up with meeting some close family members who I personally had never had the opportunity to meet until now. It was such a blessing. These are people I can't imagine not knowing and I am SO excited for them to come here and tour CA with me guiding them ;)

    Top 3 realizations culture shocks:

    • You can only get your ice cream in a cone if you get it to go. We tried sitting down after the opera in this ice cream parlor and I really was craving a cone but they wouldn't let me since apparently a cone is more prone to messes so they only give you cups when you're seated. Um... ok.
    • On the same note, no ice cream sampling allowed in Vienna. I told our friends about Salt & Straw in the US and how they pretty much beg you to sample everything and they were mind blown!
    • There isn't much variety when it comes to food. We stayed in Vienna the longest during our whole trip (about 5 days) and towards the end both my mom and I were really in the mood for some ethnic food. Back home, we both get Japanese or Chinese food at least once a week so going three weeks with nothing was killing us. I finally was able to locate a high rated ramen spot so we went. It was average at best which made us realize how lucky we are in the US for the diversity in food options. Not to mention some of the TOP ethnic cuisine in SF (burritos, ramen, sushi, the works).

                     

       

     

    #salzburg

    Hello Austria. On this next leg of the trip we took a short, two hour night train from Munich to Salzburg. We arrived close to midnight and the best part was that the hotel I found us for the night is pretty much connected to the train station. You walk out, turn the corner and right there in front is the beautiful Ramada Hotel. This hotel was one of the most beautiful and most modern of our stay. Best of all, the glass walls are built noise-proof so you don't have to worry about the sound of the incoming and outgoing trains all night. We were only at this hotel for ~12 hours but we loved it. Blame it on our exhaustion maybe, but nothing felt better than climbing into freshly washed sheets and taking part in an amazing Austrian breakfast buffet first thing in the morning. After breakfast, we checked out and headed to yet another Hop On, Hop Off double decker tour bus ride. These bus rides are seriously the best way to see a city in Europe. Especially if you only have a day or two in each city these buses take you all over the major landmarks of the city, as well as provide an in depth explanation of everything under the sun as you're driving around. We spent the first half of the day seeing the landmarks -- highlight for me and my mom was seeing Mozart's house and walking where he walked. It's crazy to think about. For those looking for which tour to use, I highly suggest Panorama Tours . Being the review nerd that I am, I researched a ton via TripAdvisor for the best tour. Panorama is the way to go! For more resources and offerings, check out their website. 

    Around 1pm we got off that bus that walked around their Old Town for a bit. It was perfect timing since our next tour started right at 2pm. Ok, I can't hold it in any longer -- our next tour was the SOUND OF MUSIC tour!! If you know me and my family well, you'd know that this is our absolute favorite movie (right up there with Father of the Bride and Home Alone), I think we've seen it over 70 times at least. I think that's what made Salzburg so special for both of us was going on this tour -- private, may I add! Blame it on the low tourist season; it was just me and her on a private tour with our amazing tour guide, Rosemary. She was so sweet and knowledgable. Our entire 4 hour tour she was spitting out fire facts about the film and behind the set. Leave it to me and my competitive nature to try and one up her the entire time. Let it be known that even I was schooled when it comes to Sound of Music trivia! Rosemary's lived in Salzburg for 40 years and has met over half the actual Von Trapp family in person so ok, I guess she wins. Haha. We went everywhere. The church that Maria gets married in, the terrace and backyard of the home where the kids fall out of the boat when their dad comes home, the yellow wall Maria runs by while singing "Confidence" in the very beginning (see video below for us trying to reenact it), and even the fountain and gardens where they sing Do Re Mi. It was magic. Oh and of course, the iconic gazebo! Thanks so much to Bob's Special Tours for making this so memorable for us.

    Finally, we had an hour of downtime before the end of the tour where Rosemary drove us an hour outside the town to the outskirts. We devoured some delicious toasted ham and cheese sandwiches (only 4 euros - what?!) and a few (ok, 4) pastries between the two of us. #treatyoself.

    This day is really one that stands out to me because of how special it was to act like true groupies from one of our favorite films, but also because of how short and sweet it was! We took the 7pm train that night to head to Vienna so we really only had one full day. And to be honest I think that's all you need! We both love walking and being on the go so we were able to get a ton done. I highly suggest both tours if you ever go! Enjoy the photos :)