The Story Of Us

I don't know about you but I noticed myself sporting an extra few love handles in my Istanbul pictures.. well guess what? source And as you can tell by the picture above, that is not me. :( I know.. I disappoint myself for not announcing it more creatively.. but i'm kind of tired.. spent the last week allergy ridden taking care of a toddler while my husband was away for a week.. But I have gone around the webesphere and collected for you other proud parents making adorable and creative announcements.. you are welcome source     source source   source And one more big announcement... coming on Monday.. eek! Get my post directly in you inbox with  Bloglovin I am now also offering ad space.  See  Sponsors  for more information .  Newsletter Sign Up - Let's Stay Connected, Shall We?

We had about half a day left in Istanbul before our flight.. and we had some visitors. We were staying at the Hotel Armada in the Sultanahmet area.. it was the perfect choice. Everyone was so nice.. you can always tell by the way they treat your child. The rooms, the ambiance.. everything just right. But the best part of it all.. the breakfast. Delectable. Squeeze your own orange juice. and the view of the Bosphorous and before I forget.. our not so surprise visitors. The Honeymooners! no I am not the weird sister in law who crashes her brothers honeymoon. The couple was so tired after planning the wedding that they came to me to plan the honeymoon.. I was already going to Turkey so my brother jumped on the Turkey bandwagon except his trip included Cappadocia and Antalya while we had to go home :(   oh and did i mention the other stunning view from our hotel.. The Blue Mosque The hotel also featured turtles Vintage wooden bird cages A...

We started day two with a trip to the Spice Bazaar delightful place, delectable smells.. and even a few free samples nom nom. and then made our way over the Galata Bridge.. not much to see there.. a lot of fishy smells and a pass if you don't want to catch fish or eat fish. We grabbed a taxi to Taksim Square which was a let down. The whole place was under construction.. so D grabbed a quick snack and we had some cafe lattes to refuel.. We grabbed another taxi to Dombalache Palace.. nice grounds but not much too ooh and aah over after you've seen the garden's and grounds of Versailles (there is that whole we've become jaded story.. it's unfortunate but true) and we ended up not going inside the Palace as they was an almost two hour wait for a 45 minutes mandatory guided tour.. bummer. this is what D did through most of our trip. Meaning everything took double the time.. he even insisted on carrying it up the stairs himself! Another tax...

We arrived a little after noon and since it was time to check in just yet we decided to take a stroll and eat a light lunch. We found Albura Kathisma. The complimentary balloon like bread with olives, a grilled cheese salad for me and a spinach crepe for M.  Then we continued our stroll headed towards the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia Unfortunately, with the blessing of travel also comes the chance of becoming jaded.. and I am sad to say that we are jaded. Standing inside two of what are to be some of the most beautiful mosques in the world.. we looked at each other and thought.. hmm nice. Did You Know:   The Blue Mosque was the inspiration for the building of Mohammad Ali's Mosque in Cairo. They were built by the same architect. Next stop.. the Basilica Cistern Followed by a dessert break.. how could we not? The beautiful and delicious, creamy white and green pistachio rice pudding.. We found this treat at the Hafiz Mustafa sweet shop on our way t...

The Munchkin a Munckin no more..  M and I  Shoes and once my mother's antique payal (an anklet that jiggles when you walk) Rituals and Traditions.. the bride and groom eat a rice pudding of sorts and then all those single men and women looking to get married eat a spoonful too. Our version of catching the bouquet.  Leaving the reception under the blessings and protection of the Holy Quran   Home Saying Goodbye. 99.9% of girls (middle eastern, sub-continental etc) go from their parents home to their husbands home. So saying goodbye really is the hardest part..  I'm taking the next week off.. but when I come back I have 3 days of Istanbul to share with you and 2 BIG announcements!  Get my post directly in you inbox with  Bloglovin I am now also offering ad space.  See  Sponsors  for more information .  Newsletter Sign Up - Let's Stay Connected, Shall We?