BAHAMAS, c'mon pretty mama...and my first cruise!

Everyone knows that I am obsessed with traveling, shopping and finding the best possible deals and adventures I can. Sooo, when I found a Groupon (yes, Groupon!) for a 2 night cruise to the Bahamas I just couldnt pass it up. I had never been on a cruise but grew up hearing my grandmothers cruising adventures and had always been curious.  The 2 night cruise was perfect bc if I didnt like it the time would be over before I knew it and if I did like it then I found another way to travel!

Our ship, the Bahamas CELEBRATION! 

Myself and Diana enjoying some wine and the sunshine

while exploring the ship before leaving port

Good-bye Palm Beach!

Winning big on the penny slots!

         I always seem to find these...

    

WELCOME TO GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND!

We decided to take a Jeep tour for our land excursion.

GREAT CHOICE!

The first stop was this beautiful beach

Next we took it off road to the forest land.

Unfortunatley this area is being threatened, mostly by fires

LUNCH STOP

Our fancy spread

We had some unruly visitors

this was the GORGEOUS beach

we enjoyed after lunch

Transportation back to our Jeeps

I'm pooped, time for a new driver!

The rest of our Jeep entourage

Last stop was the shops for some cute Bahamian goods

Loved this Lighthouse.

                   

GOOD-BYE BAHAMAS!

I LOVED IT! I wish we had more time and saw more places!

London's Calling...Cheerio!

When I was 16 I visited London for my first time with a group from my high school. The only thing I really remember doing in the City is spending a day at a flea market and I vaugly remember seeing Big Ben. One thing we did NOT do was go see Buckingham Palace. Ever since that trip I had been determined to go back and see all the sights and do LONDON up right.

After a silly airline ticket purchasing incident I ended up with a trip back to the city I had been longing for for over 15 years! And this time I got to see what I wanted bc I went, of course, by myself. I literally walked all over this grand city for 4 days! I went at the begining of January and expected it to rain the entire time and it only rained one time when I was shopping at Harrods and was done by the time I was finished.

here are some of the highlights of my amazing 5 nights across The Pond:

FINALLY! BUCKINGHAM PALACE

I saw the balcony where Wills and Kate

shared thier kiss!

At the gates

EVERYONE OUT TO SEE THE FAMOUS

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

HARROD'S AT NIGHT

THE FAMOUS PORTOBELLO ROAD

AND MARKET

IN NOTTING HILL

THE GOODS; SO MANY GREAT ANTIQUES

THE FAMOUS HUMMINGBIRD BAKERY

kinda like a British Sprinkles shop

a coulple people came out for the all the finds at

PORTOBELLO MARKET

MARBLE ARCH

WESTMINSTER ABBEY

BIG BEN

TOWER BRIDGE

TRAITOR'S GATE

THIS IS WHERE PRISINORS ENTERED

THE TOWER OF LONDON,

ICLUDING ANNE BOLEYN

INSIDE THE TOWER OF LONDON

MY AWESOME GUIDE AT THE TOWER

Got my nails did at WHA NAILS inside Top Shop

I CANT WAIT TO GO BACK!!!

may as well stop in Miami...

since i had to stop in Miami for my Jamaica trip i decided to take a couple of extra days in Miami since i had never been before. i also had no desire to ever go to Miami so to be honest i wasnt expecting much. however, i was pleasently surprised. but probably not enough to go back...
pretty much all i did was walk around the art deco district, shop and lay out by the pool.


the view from my balcony


omg, this was the most comfy bed i have EVER slept in. everything was amazing: the mattress, pillow, comforter-like sleeping on a cloud. i think. ive never actually slept on a cloud before...
 

this was probably my favorite thing in Miami: A-1-A! and for all of you who grew up with Vanilla Ice then you will know that A-1-A=BEACH FRONT AVENUE! seriously, i never knew why he would say A-1-A, now i know! ICE ICE BABY


Miami is famous for their art deco buildings. they are pretty cool. i enjoyed walking around looking at the different styles and colors more than the shopping, which wasnt good at all. here are a couple of my favorite buildings. the multi-colored one was actually turned into a chinese restaurant.

 
 
  

this is a view of South Beach from my hotel rooftop pool.