tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49786737395650319552024-03-05T11:08:28.269-08:00the cb diaries{ Lifestyle + Mommy Blogger }
Fashion • Design • Style • Art • Travel • Pup Life • Motherhood
Carrie B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09608046245118637508noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978673739565031955.post-34571347668544623022016-01-07T10:43:00.000-08:002016-01-08T09:07:53.366-08:00Looking Back at 2015<div style="text-align: left;">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">My Top 2015 Highlights:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">√ </span></span>The hubs and I (along with Coco, our princess pup) officially <b>lived in our first house </b>for a full calendar year and settled in as suburban home owners. (Quite a change of pace and scenery after living in the Windy City for 6 years together as a couple in 3 different apartments! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">√ </span></span>We rang in the<b> 2015 New Year</b> with my family in Miami, followed by an incredible Caribbean getaway to St. Thomas.</span></span> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exploring the baths of Virgin Gorda, January 2015</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNp-tLsqTs1BwV3MCNXO3NlUoziCpqAw1_l49-2y-5HQBBukftTSKRuZqIjgZiF1At5m6EngLG_yALW_YgEcKcObq6G1hIrz_9E5ZELkit0wSSFHfu5AoFMQ8yEdApMPQOU_OGhHBg_7R/s1600/IMG_6709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNp-tLsqTs1BwV3MCNXO3NlUoziCpqAw1_l49-2y-5HQBBukftTSKRuZqIjgZiF1At5m6EngLG_yALW_YgEcKcObq6G1hIrz_9E5ZELkit0wSSFHfu5AoFMQ8yEdApMPQOU_OGhHBg_7R/s320/IMG_6709.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Year's Eve at the pool in Miami</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paradise discovered in St. Thomas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-fbk0wkId-RvBO3oylLUkf8y5FMZn8-Z44QkygJHiqi-N_SsQg5BAE9BUEGllqZ2UkJddQe14bk69Lqm0qYFiI43CvnTvMeLHG3q-tA5X0D9DL6lih4ivKgksZCLOa-Ev_JXDEeEo1iE/s1600/IMG_9470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE-fbk0wkId-RvBO3oylLUkf8y5FMZn8-Z44QkygJHiqi-N_SsQg5BAE9BUEGllqZ2UkJddQe14bk69Lqm0qYFiI43CvnTvMeLHG3q-tA5X0D9DL6lih4ivKgksZCLOa-Ev_JXDEeEo1iE/s320/IMG_9470.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our very own suburban botanical garden!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> √ </span></span>I discovered that even with zero experience or knowledge, my determined husband developed a surprising flair + interest in <b>D.I.Y. landscaping</b>. After many trips together to Home Depot + Menards, he did quite the bang up job lining our front lawn into a pretty landscape with a mixture of beautiful flowers, wood chips, mulch and brick pavers. In an effort to save some cash (and not wait around for our unreliable landscapers), he took matters into his own hands and together we found a new fun hobby for the spring/summer months that we can enjoy together.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">√ </span></span>I made a new <b>career change</b>. After many years of temporary/short-term freelance graphic design gigs, I accepted a job as a Production Artist in September 2014 at a small family-owned manufacturing printing company. While I only worked for the company for about 11 months, I learned new skills, worked with some quite interesting people, and learned some useful things about the manufacturing services industry. I also discovered that no job or amount of $$ is worth it if you are just going to wake up every day unhappy and unsatisfied. While I struggled with this idea for quite some time, in the end I made the right decision for me.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-PPPynMFiqlbqnhlbPOXSyhpXk5nD9Ugc7WTewzzDUv7YAYTbijWnzqTYR3UzzuXRsnIKJBcMfVa4hXy6FVCQH1FwPAJkOXQPce1JMdoTDNAiAG-X9TnBFchPiZfGg9TfO1JAq9J5zif/s1600/IMG_2092+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-PPPynMFiqlbqnhlbPOXSyhpXk5nD9Ugc7WTewzzDUv7YAYTbijWnzqTYR3UzzuXRsnIKJBcMfVa4hXy6FVCQH1FwPAJkOXQPce1JMdoTDNAiAG-X9TnBFchPiZfGg9TfO1JAq9J5zif/s320/IMG_2092+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">√ </span></span>I was lucky enough to check out several amazing<b> Chicago Blackhawks</b> playoff games live in action at the United Center with my sports-obsessed other half. One game even went to TRIPLE overtime and we didn't leave until 1:30 am. Sure enough, as soon as we got in the car, the Hawks scored the winning goal to end the game. To this day, my husband STILL gets mad at me that we left this game a few minutes early!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicago Blackhawks Game with these clowns</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">√ We took a weekend getaway to scenic Palm Desert + <b>Palm Springs, California</b>
in May. The highlight of the trip was taking a drive to Mt. St. Jacinto
State Park and riding up an elevation of 8,516 ft. on the Palm Springs
Aerial Tram, the world's largest rotating tramcar. Cheesy? Yes. Tourist
trap? Sure. But once we took a hike thru the wilderness and breathed in
that mountain air, all our worries melted away ...</span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa • Palm Desert, California</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4OF45ppC1iu-qivQ2OTzXtYl57f-5u7XL8kfEoUf4TNFRJgzZBXB5AeaTc8zLdEhpL2dZXk-KFVNfgm_sjV5nlpwvfYUZmW9lGYo4-cRAb_2TX9qM6URMXNecEY4PGpqooe9QORTsbax/s1600/IMG_0644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4OF45ppC1iu-qivQ2OTzXtYl57f-5u7XL8kfEoUf4TNFRJgzZBXB5AeaTc8zLdEhpL2dZXk-KFVNfgm_sjV5nlpwvfYUZmW9lGYo4-cRAb_2TX9qM6URMXNecEY4PGpqooe9QORTsbax/s320/IMG_0644.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a speedboat for the day in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">√ We took our "baby" bichipoo Coco on her first speed boat ride with us in <b>Lake Geneva, Wisconsin</b> on a sunny and warm summer afternoon in June and had the BEST time. After an awesome trip on the lake, we had lunch and walked around the cute town. Coco enjoyed all the attention!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">√ I met up with the hubs in <b>Amelia Island</b>, right off the coast of Northeast Florida, for a quick weekend in June. With 13 miles of beautiful beaches + sand dunes, combined with a stay at the swanky Ritz Carlton, it was a lovely getaway! </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July 4th on the Lake Michigan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSoxEF4MIb1gi_22UBFh-AVsSOTJfsyDPYl2X6ekHU449_9mTcl66Q13AVmbYUWkcWJy7F29dTfAdodxLq0rRZV84iLeKvMAyNHn9lVBiejpdnHptWwDkvhukt-Y8OvC5r2ZEeInrEeJq/s1600/IMG_0385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSoxEF4MIb1gi_22UBFh-AVsSOTJfsyDPYl2X6ekHU449_9mTcl66Q13AVmbYUWkcWJy7F29dTfAdodxLq0rRZV84iLeKvMAyNHn9lVBiejpdnHptWwDkvhukt-Y8OvC5r2ZEeInrEeJq/s320/IMG_0385.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amelia Island, Florida </td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">√ We took a fun boat ride with my husband and brother-in-law on the <b>Chicago Lakefront</b> over the July 4th weekend. We even crashed a huge rooftop party! </span></span></span></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">√ We traveled back to beautiful <b>Aruba</b> on Labor Day Weekend 2015. This was a very special trip for the hubs + I, as this was the site of our very first vacation together out of the country 7 years ago. Fun fact: we had only known each other at the time for <i>3 months</i>!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TiSBZEsB5lOnhVuNe9B3hab7oIjSBOYdT2j5Z8D_4MQIvPGQVdFdTSF1FTSkvo99EREQCCmx2UkoFCDQqUz9_6-L6Duh02f81JzK-cqgL1gjo2cHyu_gtCWNOmAqGLE9iLZFJzJ5peBA/s1600/IMG_1268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_TiSBZEsB5lOnhVuNe9B3hab7oIjSBOYdT2j5Z8D_4MQIvPGQVdFdTSF1FTSkvo99EREQCCmx2UkoFCDQqUz9_6-L6Duh02f81JzK-cqgL1gjo2cHyu_gtCWNOmAqGLE9iLZFJzJ5peBA/s320/IMG_1268.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="_Tgc">♥ </span>Aruba Lovers, Labor Day Weekend 2015 <span class="_Tgc">♥</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> √ As always, we had lots of memorable <b>fun family time</b> (including bowling, baking + sleepovers!) with our twin nieces Sammie + Maddie!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmiyOTIa_Nr2IV7s4KYHnp7rkguHJigpGZVMcNaHf15BvT0EjIkYX6Alo-W5laCmkS0eGlR30qeRjGGUtPEP1rpkOSLrBpLyruRNhZMkmsjCRZdULa7PvtzNDeWwyPmkoUXXhVIFofiCi/s1600/IMG_0149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmiyOTIa_Nr2IV7s4KYHnp7rkguHJigpGZVMcNaHf15BvT0EjIkYX6Alo-W5laCmkS0eGlR30qeRjGGUtPEP1rpkOSLrBpLyruRNhZMkmsjCRZdULa7PvtzNDeWwyPmkoUXXhVIFofiCi/s320/IMG_0149.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Always <span class="_Tgc">♥</span> hanging out with these ladies!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lincoln Park Zoo Lights, December 2015</td></tr>
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They say when one door closes, another one opens. As we closed the
books on 2015, we brought in the 2016 New Year in style - where else but
the beach, of course? - in <b>Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbhrHN2c_XN2kXbVBUxKk9WBzyg61NXgaQIaDurf4tHTQpW63Xn9Fy9tExjhBxGVzFrTf6vClUL1NU8DogdIK-f7NzMFoKIXv133aSI62LsF4yLf4sxIe_W94YjC6UkftskGJ9wVDOTSa/s1600/IMG_3347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbhrHN2c_XN2kXbVBUxKk9WBzyg61NXgaQIaDurf4tHTQpW63Xn9Fy9tExjhBxGVzFrTf6vClUL1NU8DogdIK-f7NzMFoKIXv133aSI62LsF4yLf4sxIe_W94YjC6UkftskGJ9wVDOTSa/s640/IMG_3347.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ringing in the 2016 New Year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wow, I can't believe how many fantastic memories I got to re-live while scrolling thru my photos. I almost forgot just how many cool places I got to visit and explore. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What are some of YOUR top memories of 2015? Please share your highlights in the comments section! </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">~ Carrie, aka The CB Diaries </span></i></span><br />
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Carrie B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09608046245118637508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4978673739565031955.post-66205038378738896282016-01-07T09:34:00.000-08:002016-01-07T09:55:09.432-08:00Welcome to The CB Diaries!<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74DYlc8CTNLxzwOxTlnHeKogJ4ChvtuHmQeW7o_U_JCPhdg_14PFRFf7AjGa-y9MUFo1nT19Bgt9PIMLypwWVL5RIhWKov5AY-z5ch72mRki7INaG6E9bqS2QvxrentOXjRxUtvvwJBnK/s1600/IMG_7762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74DYlc8CTNLxzwOxTlnHeKogJ4ChvtuHmQeW7o_U_JCPhdg_14PFRFf7AjGa-y9MUFo1nT19Bgt9PIMLypwWVL5RIhWKov5AY-z5ch72mRki7INaG6E9bqS2QvxrentOXjRxUtvvwJBnK/s320/IMG_7762.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Welcome to the launch of my new blog. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was inspired this chilly January evening to start a fresh new blog. I just came home from a fantastic 6 day winter getaway to Mexico with my hubbie, and after uploading and scrolling thru hundreds of beautiful photos that I snapped along the way, I realized that my love of photography, creative writing, travel, fashion, design and art just needed to be shared with the world (or just my closest family and friends) … whomever may happen to stumble upon my little blog.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have always had a flair and knack for both writing and photography for as long as I can remember. Nothing feels better than looking back at wonderful memories from vacations and family holidays over the weeks and months and years. It truly makes one appreciate just how quickly time passes us by, and how crucial it is to enjoy every little moment. I know it sounds super cheesy, I do … but it’s oh so true!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I love to post inspirational photos, quotes, stories and funny pics on my Facebook and Instagram, but I decided to create this blog to have my own special place to document everything in greater detail. Plus, it’s excellent (and free!) creative therapy. There’s something about the start of a brand new year that has me feeling all nostalgic and full of warm fuzzies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sit down, relax and “carrie on” if you will …</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">~ Carrie aka The CB Diaries ~</span></span>Carrie B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09608046245118637508noreply@blogger.com0