My Mother's Wedding Video (Happy First Anniversary Jeri & Hal!)

My radiant Mom, Jeri, on her wedding day, with my beautiful sister, Heidi, and me last September.

There is nothing that makes a daughter happier than knowing her mother is enjoying life and love to the fullest.  My mom, Jeri, and my new Step-father, Hal, have enjoyed an uncommonly rich romance, a heartfelt and memorable wedding celebration, and a European honeymoon in the last two years. It's safe to say, this daughter is extremely happy for these two, especially as they celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

This is the wedding video....it will make you cry happy tears!

Video credit to Jensen Films

For a peek at the wedding last year in A love story and a wedding,

the lucky in love story of how these two met in Love is just mean to be, and wedding planning in

A Sparkling Day Sneaks Up on You.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Hal!

We are blessed by welcoming this warm, wise, loving man, Hal, and his family, into our family.

Your love story is truly an inspiration for ageless love.

Scott and I could not be happier for you both and we love you dearly.

Cheers!

xx,

We're savoring the golden days of summer at my here!

New arrivals from Spain and Portugal!

Rylee Wishmyer for Stylemindchic

Getaway to Seville, Spain

In my Summer Travel Series we've visited Lisbon, the sunny beaches of Algarve and our next stop is the charming Seville, aka Sevilla, Spain. Scott and I booked a bus transport for this leg of our trip and found it to be a convenient way to travel the 4 hours east from Portugal to Spain.

In Seville we caught a taxi, and experienced an ultra wild ride, through the extremely narrow streets of the city center. I'm sure we could have reached out and touched the buildings on either side if we had only dared open the windows.

From the moment we entered the Fontecruz Sevilla we knew we had made the perfect choice with this sleek, modern hotel in the midst of Bario Santa Cruz. It's located within a couple of winding blocks to cafe-lined streets, the Sevilla Cathedral, the Alcazar, the Plaza de Espana, and the river front. From this 'wagon wheel' of a city center we could pick a direction, head down a tiny street to explore, and it would take us to a new hidden gem.

Along with the excellent location, I liked the vibe of the Fontecruz Sevilla. Our suite was sleek, well-appointed and spacious. The common spaces, were luxurious and comfortable. There is even an outdoor pool for a dip on hot summer days.

When I was making reservations for the trip the photos of this hotel had me at "roof-top terrace overlooking the city". The Fontecruz Sevilla is the perfect perch for capturing a brilliant sunset from the rooftop lounge.

We walked by this friendly fellow (with cap (center) who encouraged us to see the city, escorted by himself and his steed, in this colorful carriage. We politely declined, but a minute later changed our minds. Why not? We found the carriage to be a charming way to see the sights in Sevilla. We recommend a carriage ride in the mid-to-late morning, during the summer months, before the heat sets in.

 I captured a moment during our carriage ride on this video: 

The Seville Cathedral, also called 'Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See', is the third largest church in the world and adorns the ancient city center of Seville like an ornate stone wedding cake. We viewed the burial site of Christopher Columbus and the scope of that slice of history is awe-inspiring. This gothic cathedral is definitely worth a visit and we appreciated it's ability to transport us to another place in time, even for just an hour, on a sunny Spanish afternoon.

One a completely different cultural note, one of our favorite aspects of travel is meeting fellow travelers and locals along our path. Just across the cobbled street from our hotel we spotted 'Abbatia', an authentic tapas restaurant. We thought it would be an excellent first stop for our evening out. Little did we know that the warm, friendly owners, Pedro and Blanco, and their chef Andres, would capture our hearts. Our evening started with tasty tapas, lovely wines and lively conversation. We eventually made our way out on the town to discover more of Sevilla. As we ventured back to our hotel, late at night, our new friends waved us back in for a nightcap, an after-hours flamenco show/dance lesson and the hilarity ensued. We certainly felt the 3:30 am bedtime the next morning, but our adventure was more than worth it! In travel there are those memorable times, when a language barrier simply does not exist, and this was one of them. Thank you to our new friends in Sevilla!

A few more views of Sevilla (the street view taken from our tiny balcony).

We fell in love with the charms of Sevilla. Scott and I agreed that three days was not enough and next time we will plan to stay longer. Our plane reservation was already scheduled so we reluctantly boarded the plane to Bilbao, Spain. Join me on the next leg of our 'Summer Travel to Portugal and Spain' series for a glimpse of the sparkling seaside city of San Sebastián.

Birthday in Paradise at Zoetry in Dominican Republic!

I've always been secretly happy that my birthday is on July 15th and smack dab in the middle of summer. It means I've never had to go to school and usually not to work on my birthday.

This year the timing was perfect for my birthday as we are enjoying our last couple of days in the tropical paradise of Dominican Republic.

My favorite birthday companion #spoiled me a bit

With a significant number of difficulties marking the beginning of our trip this phase at Zoetry Agua has been completely sublime.

This little guy has kept us company during breakfast on our terrace.

Some spa time made the birthday girl very happy.

I'm not politically minded and I thought it was fun to see that Jon Stewart had 'favorited' one of my tweets.

Our dinner with some of our new fabulous friends from the pool. We laughed and bombed out at a merengue dance lesson together later.

Thanks for making my birthday perfect and hopefully we will all end up at Zoetry again someday!

I just wanted to say a quick thank you for so many lovely birthday wishes on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and text.

I feel truly blessed this year that my world has expanded in so many

incredible ways. The connections I've made with Stylemindchic Life mean the world to me.

Happy Birthday to my lovely mom today! Though we are separated by distance our birthdays always

stand side by side (she always tells me I was an early birthday present).

Looking forward to celebrating together.

Thanks for stopping by Stylemindchic Life!

Can't wait to catch up with everyone on our return.

xx,

                                         Curated Collections at my Stylemindchic Boutique!

Paradise Found at Zoetry Agua in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

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The pool at Zoetry Agua Punta Cana

If you've been following Stylemindchic blog, and this journey to Punta Cana, you know that the early part of our trip was not an easy one. We had more than our share of delays due to the plane crash and lost luggage for days. We finally got our luggage and swimsuits when a tropical storm was forecast so the pool and beach were closed.  There were challenges all around......(and a few bright spots too-an unexpected night in Manhattan and Juan at the spa, Clare and Carlos at Secrets-thank you).

As of yesterday we have finally arrived at our true paradise. Zoetry Agua Punta Cana here is pure relaxation, tranquility and zen bliss. We finally feel rested for the first time and intend to make use of every moment of the rest of our vacation. I will post more on this incredible place and if you are seeking relaxation, peace, luxury, privacy, gorgeous beaches with a healthy vibe this could be your place too. So far our favoritedestination ever.

And now, back to my vacation

(although posting from our thatched roofed terrace overlooking the lazy river and ocean is my idea of the perfect spot!).

My view from the terrace