Introducing Molly Carr Fine Art Photography

Well hello there! For those of you who have continued following along during my prolonged absence here in this little space on the internet - thank you! If you follow me on Instagram you may already know, but for those of you who don't I'm excited to share that I have officially started my own photography business - Molly Carr Fine Art Photography. This has been a longtime dream of mine and I couldn't be more excited, hopeful, and terrified. My hope is to continue Dreams in HD in more of an inspirational capacity, but in the meantime, I will continue to be blogging about all things travel, photography, and weddings at www.mollycarrphotography.com. Thank you for your support!

Our Honeymoon: Santorini Part I

I'm going to be posting out of order here, but I'm still sifting through the rest of my photos from Italy and these are just too pretty not to share! For the final leg of our honeymoon we hopped on a plane, and after a short flight over unbelievably blue seas dotted with grey volcanic islands dusted with tiny white villages, we touched down in sunny Santorini. Five days on this magical island weren't nearly enough, and I'm already dreaming about when we can go back explore more of the mythical Greek Isles.

Our Honeymoon: Borgo Santo Pietro

After a magical week celebrating our wedding in Paso Robles with our friends and family, we headed east to Europe for our honeymoon. The first stop - Italy. And not just anywhere in Italy, but the magical Relais Borgo Santo Pietro. I first read about Borgo on Cupcakes and Cashmere four years ago, and have been dreaming about visiting ever since. When we started tossing around honeymoon destinations and decided on Lake Como, I knew we had to spend a few extra days in Italy to visit Borgo. So after a long flight and a night in Florence we headed south through the winding countryside filled with excitement.

Hello!

Well hello there! It's been far too long and I've got some big news - I'm officially Mrs. Molly Carr. After over nine years of dating, Ryan and I were married on a golden afternoon in California at HammerSky Vineyards. The day absolutely overflowed with love and joy, and will forever remain in my heart as the happiest day of my life.

In the midst of working full-time and planning a destination wedding (which I could not recommend more), I seem to have neglected this little space of the internet. To be honest, whenever I would think about it I would feel a pang of guilt because blogging has always been one of the ways that I find time for myself. It has always given me such fulfillment and been such a wonderful source of creative inspiration. I have found that blogging is one of the few things in life that seems like whatever I put in I get back ten-fold. So, now that the wedding is over I am going to turn my focus back to myself and in turn to this blog. Thank you for your love and support over these years, it truly means the world to me and I look forward to reconnecting with each and every one of you!

My Juice Cleanse Experience

Last week I mentioned that I was in the process of completing a three-day juice cleanse, and a few of you reached out to see if I would post on my thoughts and experiences. I purchased the Level One Cleanse from our local juicer—The Garden Table—and since I had tried nearly all of their juices before {they are delicious} I was extremely excited. I had been eating very clean for the past few months, but after a few weekends away, visitors, and dinners out, compounded with stress, I was left feeling unmotivated and overall pretty 'blah'. I decided a cleanse was just what I needed to jump start my healthy lifestyle and inspire me to back on track.

Montreal, Canada

I started this blog in October 2012 to document my experience of traveling through Europe solo. Two weeks before that, my mom and I spent four days exploring Montreal and getting a taste of France in North America. From the cobblestone streets to the unique art scene to the unbelievable cuisine, Montreal is a great place for a long-weekend getaway. A few of my musts are:

Travel :: Paris, France

Ryan and I spent a few days in Paris over the holiday season, and it was pure magic. It was my fourth time to the City of Light and every time I return I seem to fall more and more in love with the city. We stayed at the beautiful Grand Hotel Du Palais Royal and, having already been to most of the popular tourist destinations on other trips, we didn't feel pressured to try to fit everything into our four days.

Amsterdam

Our three days in Amsterdam were grey, misty, and wonderful. Even in cloudy weather the city absolutely shines. Our hotel was ideally located on one of the most beautiful canals surrounded by quaint shops, restaurants, and bars. We would literally spend the entire day from dawn to dusk just wandering the picturesque canals, stopping into antique stores, and admiring the architecture. Our last day we rented bikes {a must} and visited the stunning Rijksmuseum, then took a boat cruise down the canals to admire the illuminated art installations of the Amsterdam Light Festival. The city was incredibly accessible and welcoming, within about an hour we were already talking about how we could easily imagine ourselves living there.

The Hoxton, Amsterdam

If you follow me on Instagram you probably already know that we recently traveled to Paris and Amsterdam over the New Year. It was a spontaneous trip which I think could actually be the best kind! I had about a month to plan everything from our flights to our transportation to our accommodations, which was surprisingly a lot easier than I had excepted {one of the many perks of traveling in the “off season}. 

My Life :: On Becoming a Vegetarian

Many people don't know that about a year ago I quietly transitioned from eating poultry to a vegetarian. I still eat fish, which makes me technically a "pescetarian," but since I get mostly confused stares when I tell anyone that, I just stick to the word vegetarian.

Our Wedding :: The Destination

Last week I blogged about our choice to have a destination wedding and our venue, HammerSky Vineyards. We took a less traditional approach in the fact that when we booked the venue 1) we had never seen it before and 2) we had never even been to the Central California wine country region before! However, knowing how much we loved the Napa area and the fact that my parents had vacationed in Paso Robles before and had the best time, we decided to just go for it.

Our Wedding: The Venue

After returning from Thailand and relishing in being engaged, we took time to really think about what we wanted our wedding to mean to us. We bounced around nearly every idea from having a 300+ person wedding in our hometown to getting eloped in our backyard {ok, that was my idea and it only lasted about thirty seconds}, but we ended up deciding that an intimate destination wedding was exactly what we wanted. After attending over forty weddings together we definitely knew we wanted our wedding to be a reflection of us as a couple and to be an opportunity for us to spend time with our closest friends and family. But the problem with having a destination wedding is the options are virtually endless.

Hello My Long Lost Friends

I'm not even sure if anyone reads this blog anymore, and to be fair, I probably wouldn't either. It has been nearly 6 months since my last blog post and just a handful of blog posts for the 6 months before that. I know no apology is necessary, but I do feel as though I owe one to myself. I love Dreams in HD and feel like it made me a better, more well-rounded individual. It kept me creatively engaged when it came to cooking, decorating, and traveling. It made me a better writer. It encouraged me to improve my photography and photoshop skills. But most importantly, it kept me feeling inspired to constantly seek out the beauty around me.

Switching jobs in 2014 definitely took a major toll on my free time, and adding planning a wedding and decorating a new house to the mix...well that didn't help. Whenever people have asked me, "How's your blog going?" I would instantly feel a wave of guilt because I knew I had been neglecting my blog and more importantly myself. So, after feeling especially inspired by a recent trip to Paris and Amsterdam, I've decided to try to give it the old college try and get back into blogging {again!} I can't say I will be posting 5x week, and I can't say all posts will be filled with beautifully edited photos and collages. However, I owe it to myself {and hopefully a few dear readers that still remain} to give Dreams in HD another chance!

Travel :: Railay Beach, Thailand

Better late than never...I wanted to share the last bit of photos from our trip to Thailand. We spent the last three days at the beautiful Rayavadee Resort in Krabi. Accessed only by boat and situated on the stunning Phranang Peninsular on the edge of Krabi Marine National Park, the resort is nestled amidst pristine tropical gardens and coconut groves against a backdrop of breathtaking cliffs. 

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!

Travel :: Koh Rok, Thailand

While staying at the Pimalai we decided to take a day trip through the hotel to the island of Koh Rok. The island is a natural marine park, meaning there is zero development allowed on or around the island. In fact, the only inhabitants of the island are a pack of roosters that we shared the beach with for the afternoon. The ombre waters were crystal clear, making for some of the best snorkeling I have ever experienced. 

Travel :: Ko Lanta Sunsets

I had heard that Thailand boasted some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer magnificence we witnessed every night at 7PM. The Pimalai Resort & Spa was located on the western side of Ko Lanta, giving us a front row seat to watch the sky change colors over the Andaman Sea. Our favorite place for sunset viewing was our resort's beach beds. We'd order a fresh coconut or a Bellini, curl up together under our beach towels, and soak in nature's brilliance. The pictures don't even do it justice - it was pure bliss.

Travel :: Ko Lanta, Thailand

Next up on our trip was the relaxed island of Ko Lanta. I had heard from many that this was their favorite island in Thailand, and I can certainly understand why. Much of the island is a natural marine park, meaning in many areas it is still completely untouched. The island has what the Thai people call a "sabai sabai" vibe - reminding me in many ways of the laid-back island of Kauai. 

Travel :: Koh Phangan, Thailand

Today I wanted to share with you photos from my happy place - Koh Phangan. This idyllic island is located in the Gulf of Thailand and can only be accessed by ferry or speedboat. Upon arrival into Koh Samui we were were greeted by our resort and after being given fresh water and lemongrass infused cold towels we were driven to the pier. A quick speedboat ride later we arrived to the beautiful Santhiya Koh Phangan.

Travel :: Elephant's World

After Erawan Falls we headed south to Elephant's World. As soon as we booked our trip to Thailand it became apparent that riding an elephant was a very unusual and popular experience that many people partake in while visiting Thailand. I was thrilled at the thought and started even looking into staying at an elephant camp. However, a small part of me started to wonder how ethical the elephant trekking camps that I had seen so many of my Facebook friends visit over the years actually were. After doing a significant amount of research I decided against riding an elephant. We were going to opt out of the experience all-together, but while booking our trip to Erawan Falls with BKK Tours they mentioned that we might also be interested in adding on a stop at Elephant's World.