Well, Hello There!

Well hello there my friends! It has been too long, and I have missed you all and this little blog. I was struggling keeping up with it as is with my new job and the new house...but then add planning a wedding {across the country!} into the picture and needless to say I've been quite busy. However, as I've said before - this blog has been truly a happy place for me so I'm really going to make a conscientious effort to invest in more time for myself, creative pursuits, and this blog. So to catch up, I thought I'd share a little of what I have been up to as of late {via my Instagram account}.

My mom threw us the most beautiful and thoughtful engagement party a few weeks after we returned from Thailand. It was very emotional being surrounded by all of our best friends and family and was the first time that we really felt like, "Wow...we're actually getting married!" My mom saw this cake on my pinterest board and had our favorite grocery store create it for us. So perfect!

Visiting one of my absolutely favorite places in Indianapolis, The Cake Bake Shop. The owner is a genius and is as much of a Francophile as I am. I love stopping in to grab a croissant and pretend like I'm in Paris. If you're ever in Indianapolis I couldn't recommend this bakery enough, and please do try their high tea.

We got wallpaper installed in our downstairs guest room/my office and I have to say that I am obsessed! The wallpaper is Smokey Rose from Anthropologie. Any man that allows you to install floral wallpaper in your home is a keeper in my book :)

I just couldn't help myself from picking up these adorable cake plates and card from Bhldn. I just love buying little gifts for Ryan just because!

We went to Chicago for the weekend for Ryan's cousin's wedding and hdd time to head to the Trump Tower for cocktails. Talk about a view!

Memorial Day weekend my mom and I packed our bags and headed west to spend five days in Napa and Sonoma. It was absolutely magical!

During our wine country trip I fell head over heels for this beautifully designed and impeccably curated shop in Healdsburg. SHED features gourmet groceries {read: perfect place to stop before your vineyard picnic}, unique housewares, and a fantastic little cafe. If you're in the area you absolutely must visit!

I finally got rid of my mountain bike circa 1999 and upgraded to a sleek and comfortable hybrid bike. Finally, I can enjoy the fantastic bike trails that Indianapolis is known for!

While I actually haven't gone dress shopping {we JUST now picked a venue!} it has been fun to stop into a few bridal stores just to look. Pictured is a beautiful new bridal boutique that opened up a block from my childhood home in Oakwood called Louise Christine.

I've seriously been loving our back patio! Unfortunately it has been unseasonably rainy this summer, but whenever the sun peeks out I head out here with a glass of wine and a book.

Two weeks ago we headed up north to the lake house my family has visited for the last fifty years. It is on a pristine lake in Northern Wisconsin and feels like it has been untouched since the 1950's. The house doesn't have internet or cable {we like it that way!} so we spend our days swimming, fishing, kayaking, and of course eating cheese and drinking wine.

A lake tradition - a gourmet cookout at the cove. This year we enjoyed salmon burgers, roasted vegetable quinoa salad, and fire grilled potatoes. We drank wine that my mom and I picked up during our wine country trip and for dessert ate s'mores. It was perfect!

My Life :: Instagram Snaps

{Reflections of our gorgeous St. Maarten villa in my sunglasses}

Happy Friday!  What are you up to this weekend?  I'm thrilled to actually be in town for once and plan on spending some time relaxing outside, blogging, and hanging out with my family who are visiting on Saturday.  If you follow me on Instagram you will know this has been a very, very busy {but fun!} summer.  If not, here are some snaps of what I have been up to lately.  Have a wonderful weekend!

My Life :: Instagram Snaps

{Drinks outside under a glorious sunset}

These past few weeks have been insanely busy, but in the best way possible!  Tomorrow is my birthday and this weekend we have all sorts of fun planned.  My bestie is flying in tonight from North Carolina and we plan to eat at my favorite restaurants {Bluebeard & Delicia being two of them}, bike the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, and have a party at our house on Saturday night.  Here are a few snaps of what I have been up to lately...follow along on Instagram!

{My first one-piece since the days of high school swimming...definitely an improvement!}

{Love the early morning light in our bedroom}

{There's not much better than those few weeks that peonies are in bloom!}

{Enjoying a delicious Blackberry Basil Fizz Cocktail via Coco & Mingo}

{Yoda loving his little squirrel}

{Before one of the 11 weddings we have this year!}

{Seared Cilantro Shrimp Salad with Mango, Avocado, Corn, and Homemade Tortilla Strips}

{Sometimes late night soft serve is just what you need}

{Ginger-Mango Popsicle from our new neighborhood popsicle shop}

{Lingerie inspired swimwear from JCrew}

{A perfect summer night at the Italian Street Festival}

Guest Blogger :: Paris in Color from Melinda's Musings

{Place de la Concorde}

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  We are on our way to Florida, but no worries I have lots of fun content planned for this week :) Today I am excited to be sharing with you a guest post by none other than Melinda of Melinda's Musings.  We 'met' a few months ago and connected on a mutual love of travel.  I swear, this girl is always on the go!  I absolutely devoured her Instagram feed when she took a weekend getaway to Paris last month {jealous!}, so I'm thrilled today that she will be posting about just that.  C'est parti!

Hello Everyone! I'm Melinda of Melinda's Musings, and I'm so excited to be guest-posting on Dreams in HD today. It was not too long ago that I came across Molly's wonderful blog, and couldn't help noticing that we shared similar passions - style, art, food, photography, and travel….as well as the ability to find and appreciate the beautiful things in everyday life. 

Since Molly is off on her own travels this week, she asked me if I'd like to share a piece of one of my most recent trips with you. Last month I was very luck to spend a few days in Paris with my boyfriend...it was simply wonderful! But the weather was on-and-off rainy, and while some say that "Paris is even more beautiful in the rain," I have to admit that I prefer the sunshine! The reason being that not only do I love bright blue skies, but I love taking bright, colorful photographs. The rain did lend itself to one great shot, but the photos I chose to share with you today represent the most colorful ones from our trip. I hope you enjoy them! 

{One of the many infamous "Love Lock" covered bridges}

{Carousel at the Hotel de Ville}

{Colorful street art mural near the Centre Pompidou}

{The Centre Pompidou contemporary art museum's colorful, industrial exterior}

{Yaacov Agam's installation at the Centre Pompidou}

{Gérard Fromanger's "En Chine, á Hu Xian" at the Centre Pompidou}

{"Made In Japan, La Grande Odalisque" by Marital Raysee, at the Centre Pompidou}

{A colorfully painted door in La Marais}

{Me, in front of a blue door in La Marais}

If you'd like to see more photos from our Paris trip, visit Melinda's Musings. You can also connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Google+.  A very big Thank You to Molly for having me guest post today!

Italian Dreams

We have spent the last four days in Italy, and it is fair to say I have died and gone to heaven.  We are in the Cinque Terre exploring the five gorgeous cliffside towns on the Italian Rivera and spent a day visiting the medieval town of Lucca.  Internet is limited here so I won't be doing tons of blogging while I am here {just wait until I get back} but for photos of our adventures feel free to follow me on Instagram {@mollyms619}.  Caio!  

Snapshots

{A peaceful morning in the country}

Good morning Dears!  I hope you are all having a fabulous week.  I know I am very much looking forward to this weekend, as it is the only one in July that we have actually be in town for!  And what's even more exciting is that we have no real plans.  Sometimes the weekends where you don't do much of anything are the best of all.  Until then, here are some snapshots of what I have been up to lately!

PS - Follow Dreams in HD on bloglovin' here!

{The adorable vintage bistro set my mom bought us for our yard - hooray to having a yard!}

{Afternoons spent lounging with a book by the pool}

{A birthday dinner at my one of my favorite restaurants in Indianapolis, Bluebeard}

{Birthday bouquets from friends and family - I feel so loved!}

{How cute is my dog?!}

{The most magical spot in my mom's backyard}

{Our new dining room table from West Elm - the legs look like tree branches and it's on sale!}

{Our new gold flatware, also from West Elm}

{Watermelon Vodka Coolers for a hot Fourth of July in North Carolina}

{The most amazing sky}

{Driving through Columbus, Ohio ALWAYS entails stopping at Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams}

{"The M.O.M.A." - cloverton and strawberry buttermilk ice cream, roasted strawberry sauce, salty graham gravel, int, and hand whipped cream}

{Love this guy!}

{American Gothic}