Five for Friday: Racking up the miles

The next few months are full of adventure ... Just the way I like it. The first trip takes the fiance and I to the San Juan Islands at the beginning of August. We're going to check out a few more wedding venues (yay) and spend time on the boat with family and friends. If you ever have a chance to visit Washington, try to see the San Juans. You won't be disappointed.

Next on the agenda is a trip to a state I've wanted to visit for a long time: Montana. I'll be spending Labor Day with one of my best homies at Flathead Lake. We're even thinking of going skydiving. My Dad really wanted to see Montana, but didn't get a chance to before he passed away, so I'll be making the journey for both of us.

I can thank my college's football team for the chance to visit San Diego and Colorado. The fiance and I are piling in an RV with some of our alumni group friends for a road trip to watch the Cougs play San Diego State at Qualcomm Stadium in September. And the stars pretty much aligned for the trek to Colorado in October. WSU plays at the University of Colorado on my birthday, which also happens to be the same weekend as the Great American Beer Festival. Oh. Hell. Yes.

Finally, a travel roundup wouldn't be complete without a stop in Vegas. As part of my journey to a healthier me, I've started running again. And I'm a firm believer in the saying "Go big or go home," which is why I'm training for my first half marathon in December with my amazing Lil Sis from my sorority. The race is billed as "the World's largest nighttime running event" and sounds incredible.

Whether it's around the United States or in Arizona, traveling is important and necessary. Do you have any fun trips on the horizon?

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See why else Fridays rock here.

Seen live: Those Darlins

Those Darlins, a scrappy and sassy quartet from Tennessee, combine the best elements of country, rock, doo-wop and pop to make a sound all their own. A high-energy show from start to finish, Jessi, Nikki and Kelley Darlin and drummer Linwood Regensburg shared vocal and instrument duties, keeping the set fresh and fun. They're definitely a new favorite, and if they come to your town, don't miss out.

Check out what other bands I've seen live here.

Haboob = Luggage destroyer

Flying into a storm is both exhilarating and scary as ish. The fiance and I had the pleasure/displeasure of being on an airplane while a crazy storm called a "haboob" (I couldn't make that ish up) was covering the Phoenix area at the beginning of the month. The lightning show was incredible, but the abbreviated drink service as a result of turbulence sucked (we were in first class, which meant all the "free" delicious alcohol you could consume).

When we landed, the aftermath of the storm was insane. All of the fire alarm lights were going off in Sky Harbor, and the ground was covered in grimy dust. It was a weird scene, but we were happy to be safe. Too bad I couldn't say the same for my luggage. When my suitcase and sleeping bag came around on the carasoul, they were caked in mud. The damage to my suitcase was more than cosmetic. A wheel was busted off and pieces of the frame were breaking (which was totally conducive to dragging a piece of luggage over a dust-covered sidewalk).

So with all of our fall travel adventures coming up, I needs me some new luggage. My requirements include a fun design or color (because I'm tired of owning one of the other 128 black suitcases on any given flight) and the ability to be wheeled. And I think any of the below choices would suit me just fine. Here's hoping future haboobs will be few and far between for my luggage's sake.

Get the goods: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8

Five for Friday: Even more pretty pins

This weekend is going to be way chill (and most likely devoted to picture editing) considering the past few and upcoming have been and will be non-stop go, go, go.

I'm still in full-fledged love with Pinterest and thought it would be fun to share a few of my fave pins from this past week. I'm thinking of turning this into a series because there are soooooooooo many pretty images out there.

Hopefully your weekend is just as gorgeous.

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Get your Five for Friday fix here.

50 states: Summertime in the Tri and the livin's easy

I'm so behind on sharing pictures of the fun ish that's transpired lately. As I posted before, the fiance and I spent the 4th of July holiday in his hometown of Kennewick, Washington, which is part of the Tri-Cities. The area has a special place in my heart, too, since it's where I got my first professional newspaper job after graduating college.

We had an amazing six days of wakeboarding, boating and camping on the Columbia River, catching up with family, friends and former coworkers, eating at a few of our fave restaurants and relaxation.

See more of my travel photography here and here.

In the studio: The Bargain Blonde

I'm sooooo stoked to reveal the blog redesign I did for my homegirl Lindsey. She pretty much gave me free rein, which I really appreciated. Go check out her hilarious posts and get hooked up with bargain tips in beauty, fashion, decor and more.

Need a refreshed blog? Let's work together. Stop by the studio and check out my portfolio.