Dulce Adventures

Just Like HGTV

2015-07-17T15:11:00.000-04:00

A year ago this week we had just put in an offer on what we have affectionately come to call "The Cottage" or sometimes, when our gaze drifts out toward the trees swaying in our back yard, "Our Little Slice of Americana". If you asked me to come up with a #hashtag to sum up the past year, it'd have to be #JustLikeHGTV or, perhaps more accurately, #NotQuiteLikeHGTV.

Over the years, Kevin and I had become pretty big HGTV fans. It wasn't unusual for us to spend several hours on a Saturday morning watching episode after episode. And there may have been a few Saturdays (back in the day when I lived alone), that I had HGTV running in the background for the entire day while I set about working on various projects around the house. SO, the opportunity to "live the HGTV dream" with our little fixer upper of a house was pretty exciting.

Fast forward to this year, and we've realized a few things:

1) Fixing up a house is NEVER just like HGTV. For starters, all of the "projects" that are chronicled on HGTV are tidily wrapped up in 45 minutes or less. They always have all the supplies they need on hand and their designer knows just where to go, or just what to do to create the "perfect look" the homeowner is going for. In real life, everything takes forever and there are a million decisions. Just figuring out what you're going to do and getting the supplies to do it can easily fill up a Saturday afternoon. Never mind actually DOING the project.

2) As a result of #1, watching HGTV shows now just makes me feel anxious. So many decisions! And they finish everything so deceptively quickly - entire house remodels, finished in 6 weeks! [sure, if you hire a contractor to do all the work for you and a designer to decide how everything should look].

3) We have a love-hate relationship with Home Depot. It is simultaneously our #1 destination on the weekend and The Devil. They have everything and yet any contractor will tell you that most of the stuff they sell is crap compared to what is available from distributors.

Of course, there have been many other lessons - too many to chronically here after my delinquency on the blogging front over the last year. I've done a fairly good job of chronicling most of our triumphs on my Instagram account, so I encourage anyone interested to follow me there @dulceadventures.

For now, I'll share some then & now photos to share some of the progress we've made since the photos from my original post (which were pulled from the realtor.com posting).

Power washed concrete, removed ugly gray paint from top step, painted door, added blingy brass hardware, installed storm door (hello light!), tore out ugly box wood and landscaped in front of patio, added flowers to flower box, and set out patio furniture that we already had.

Removed gobs and gobs of ivy (and planted grass from seed in its place), removed one giant tree stump (that was previously covered in ivy), removed dying tree (and planed a big-ish new one nearby), relocated shed to back corner (instead of middle of yard?), planted evergreen shrubs at back fence and along left fence near house for privacy, planted crepe myrtle for extra shade/privacy.

Paited the walls a less boring greyish beige (greige). Unfortunately this was the only place for Kevin's huge TV. I'm still kinda sad that the cute woodwork details on the stairs are mostly hidden, but overall this is the best use of space for the room. I painted the risers on the first two stairs at one point last winter, but not very happy with how it looks and planning to strip it down to wood again soon.

Basically we just added all our stuff. Pretty happy with how this space is shaping up. Next up: shutters for the front windows to replace the hideous vinyl blinds underneath the bamboo shads.

My favorite before & after pictures. So. In. Love. With. This. Kitchen!

So I think these pictures make the "now" look worse than then "then", but it is actually a huge improvement on the nasty scale. Before, the basement was stinky and just generally sketchy. Now, every surface is clean/freshly painted and all our stuff is well organized. Eventually we want to re-finish this area, but for now it is serving nicely as our workshop for our various projects!

Our "Hobby Home" (Part I: Upstairs)

2014-09-15T22:53:00.000-04:00

Also known as That Time We Bought A Seventy-four Year-old House That Had Been a Rental for Forty Years. This has been our life for the past 3.5 weeks. We closed on the house on Aug. 21st and have been spending most of our free time since then working on various projects to turn our 864 sq. ft + basement + yard into our little oasis in the city. Most of those projects have taken longer than expected, and practically none of them have gone as planned. Such are the charms of a "pre-war" home.

I share these photos with some trepidation; there is still much work to be done before I will be satisfied to declare victory on any of the rooms, but we've gotten nearly all the boxes unpacked and things are at a state where we can go about our daily routines without too much inconvenience.

MASTER BEDROOM
The real victory here is that our king-sized bed made it up the narrow staircase and that it actually fits quite nicely in our bedroom. The side tables (Kevin's Craigslist find from a couple years ago) slid neatly into place on either side of the bed and the lamps from my living room provided some nice symmetry and warmth.

The closet is actually a decent size (although definitely smaller that your standard modern closet), so we're still working out how best to use the space. A closet make-over is on the list for future projects (right now, there are just dual level wood rods in place). We did hang a iron rack on the back of the door, which provides a nice place to tuck the iron out of view. A new dresser is also high on the list; despite the best efforts of our movers, Kevin's dresser was just too big to make it up the stairs (unlike the king bed, it didn't bend ;-/).

I love the view out our window here. Makes me happy to see trees and nicely updated homes across the street rather than a glass & steel high rise. It's also MUCH quieter here than at our old place where cars, planes, and other city noises were rattling the windows at all hours of the night.

A Room With A View

NEW REGISTERS THROUGHOUT!...said no real estate listing ever.
Most people don't even know what these things are called; I certainly didn't, until our home inspector mentioned that we should have our vents cleaned and I removed the old ones (which were painted over with multiple layers of paint!) and discovered that all of the vents were coated in (74?) years of dust, pet hair, and various other varieties of nastiness that I'd prefer never to have in my air supply again. It was quite the task to remove all of the old ones (10 total), and a project in and of it self to measure & mount the new ones. After some trial & error and several trips to home depot, I finally got the right sizes ( 6"x 12" vents on some and 6" x 14" on others; most weren't standard sizes) & functionality (each room has an intake and outflow, each of which fits differently). We also had our ducts cleaned, which may have been the best $200 we've spent yet!

New Vent Registers. Get Excited.

2ND BEDROOM (A.K.A - THE STORAGE PIT)

This room also gets great natural light (and the newly refinished floors are gleaming in this pic!), but at present this room is just an unorganized mass of things we don't have a place for, but hope to soon. Namely: a desk, some type of storage/low profile bookshelf, and possibly a bed or sofa (I'd like it to be the later, but my old sofa may not make it up the narrow staircase). That new dresser for Kevin (who is currently living out of the box in the middle of the room) and improved closet storage (so I can stop using the plastic storage bins I bought in college) should help with the clutter factor and allow us to turn this into a home office.

THE BACKYARD (as viewed from our second floor bedroom)
Kevin has put in some major work back here, removing several truckloads of ivy, relocating the shed to the back corner of the yard, and overseeing a tree and stump removal last week while I was out of town (the tree was rotted out in the middle and the stump was leftover from the previous owners). Kevin is currently overseeing a major grass re-growing project and is monitoring the progress carefully. We've got big plans for this yard: Trees! A patio! A new fence! Landscaping! A new shed! Patio furniture...we'll get there (eventually). For now, we're making do with our little stoop and grill that Kevin's parents gave us as a housewarming gift. Barkley is enjoying all the sniffs.

Our backyard on Sep. 13, 2014 (hoping for a big makeover in the next year)

THE BATHROOM
Nice natural light and recently updated, but certainly nothing fancy. We're focusing on adding functionality and upgrading some of the rental grade hardware. New bath mats purchased this weekend freshened up the look. There is a nicely sized storage closet with shelves, which Kevin recently removed the door to (it was bumping up against the other door and getting pretty annoying), so I'd like to get some nice storage bins to organize the stuff on the shelves and a bright colored curtain that we can close when we don't want to stare at all our bathroom stuff.

Shower curtain pulled back to show window

shower with curtain closed to show other bathroom details

our massive bathroom storage closet; now sans door.

Under Contract!!!

2014-07-24T23:38:00.000-04:00

"After nearly three months of browsing Realtor.com every night, spending Sunday afternoons criss-crossing the DC metro-area visiting open houses, and a lot of emotional ups and downs, we are under contract on a cute little brick 1940's duplex semi-detached/twin home with a yard. Total fixer-upper, but great neighborhood and low-stress commute for us both. Let the adventure begin!"

This was my Facebook post from Tuesday night after we returned from an evening walk in our potential new neighborhood and decided to accept the sellers counter-offer after a drawn-out negotiation period that had started Saturday night. It had been a pretty intense week leading up to this decision. Eight days earlier, Kevin sent me a mid-morning text: "[the house we had our eye on] back on the market for [a lower price]. Buy buy buy!!!". My heart immediately started racing. We originally went to an open house at this place on June 8th, but thought the price was a little high and just weren't quite ready to commit. It went under contract at the beginning of July, at which point we both spent the next week saying "we should have gotten that one".

Now we were getting a second chance to make a move on it. I quickly e-mailed one of the real estate agents we had met at an open house a couple months earlier, followed up with a phone call, and scheduled a showing for later in the evening.

In the meantime, Kevin talked to the seller's agent and found out that the earlier buyer had backed out after getting the home inspection report back: "it needs a new roof, new water heater, and there is evidence of flooding in the basement" were the highlights. Hmmf.

Were we in for such a big challenge? Would it be better to just pay a little more and find and place that is already "done". We both agreed the neighborhood and location were ideal, and all the other places we had seen in our price rang were in less convenient or more run-down neighborhoods. This offered a nice neighborhood, with the potential for making it the house we wanted - if we could negotiate the price down enough to comfortably make the necessary repairs and remodel the kitchen. (just like Property Brothers!)

In the end, the sellers made a counter-offer that was within the range we had determined would be acceptable, and we decided to go for it. I'm sure we're in for more than a few surprises along the way, but for now, we're pretty excited about all the possibilities: Cookouts every weekend! Our dream kitchen! We'll add built-ins! A fire pit in the back yard! We'll DIY everything! I'll learn to do all the repairs myself and becoming a handyman on my days off (says Kevin).

For now, we'll have to content ourselves with exploratory walks in our new neighborhood, Aurora Highlands, which we are absolutely in love with. And I may just become obsessed with Young House Love (thanks, Mailena). Meanwhile, Kevin has committed himself to learning how to build a French drain "I'm going to need to buy a jackhammer", was a key quote from tonight).

And for those of you that have asked...a few pictures ( it doesn't look like much at the moment, but it has potential!!):

If all goes well we close Aug. 21st! Eeeek!

There she is! (all 864 sq ft of her)

Back yard for Barkley (and cookouts, firepits, gardening, and doggie splash pools)

Basement (I'm looking foward to finally getting to tear down some wallls like they do on HGTV

The lack-luster kitchen we're hoping to replace with our mini-dream kitchen

Living area - love the wood floors and sconces. Actually not too much to complain about here.

Love the stairs and all the 1940's details.

Wedding Recap

2014-04-05T12:26:00.000-04:00

The past eight months I have spent most of my computer-facing free time researching, planning, and coordinating the various aspects of our wedding that took place on March 7th in Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

In some ways, it seems silly that it would be necessary to spend so much time and energy planning for what ended up being a week-long event with 30 of our closest friends and family. But it was a labor of love, and the end result really was everything I had hoped for. My #1 rule for wedding planning was that there would be no rules; we would not feel obliged by tradition/expectations for what we should do, and instead focus on what felt important and authentic to our personalities. I also wanted to make sure we had no regrets; that looking back on our wedding thirty years from now, we would feel like we had checked all the boxes on what would make it truly feel like our wedding day.

What follows is not so much a recap of the entire planning process, but more of a summary of the elements of our wedding that I am most proud of, and the memories that we will cherish the most for years to come. I wanted a place to organize all these things not only for myself, but also for our friends and family who weren't able to attend the wedding, and for all those brides out there who are looking for ideas/planning resources like I was last year.

Not having planned a wedding before, I really didn't know where to start (yes, I know, there are tons of magazines/websites out there, but they are just all so ridiculous and tell you that you need to make twenty list and follow a strict calendar, etc. etc. - basically a bunch of "rules" that I was determined not to follow). So, at the recommendation of one of my friends, I checked out the very awesome and totally my style, A Practical Wedding blog, which let me to the book with the same name, which proved to be a nice introduction on how to approach the whole process. Highly recommended.

After much web searching/contemplating and a few on-site visits to local venues, we thought we had found just the place - 128 South, a nicely done event space in the historical downtown of Wilmington, NC overlooking in the Cape Fear River. However, after tallying up the "bare bones" guest list with "only" our aunts/uncles/cousins/good friends, we realized the guest list was quickly approaching 100+, and the idea of planning an event for that many people (and having all of them looking at us) was just a bit too overwhelming. So, we went back to the idea of a destination wedding. Kevin suggested Vegas, but I quickly veto'ed that idea (I wanted something a little less, - ahem- tacky). In the end, we decided on Isla Mujeres, Mexico due to it (1) being located reasonably close to a "commodity destination" (Cancun), which meant that flight options for our guest would be reasonably priced and easy to come by (most major airports have direct flights into Cancun, and the prices are comparable to what it would have cost for guest to fly to a destination within the U.S. ), and (2) being a quaint fishing village with authentic charm that would be easy for our guest to navigate and less "touristy" than Cancun.

Selecting the actual venue on Isla Mujeres was not as strait forward as I would have hoped - there are lots of great venue options on the island, each with its own pro/cons. We decided that we wanted to have our wedding at the same place our guest were staying to make logistics less complicated (and hopefully take advantage of some volume discounts). Kevin and my Dad both wanted an all-inclusive hotel to allow for easy visiting/socializing without the hassle of pulling out your wallet every time you want a drink. That narrowed down our choices quite a bit since there are really only two all-inclusive hotels on Isla Mujeres: Privilege Aluxes (our venue of choice), and Isla Mujeres Palace (which is quite a bit more spendy and also located on the southern tip of the island away from the town).

I could go on and on about all the decisions that we made leading up to the big day, but what I really set out to do here is to share a few of my favorite details from our wedding day, along with a couple videos that our guest captured that day. Enjoy!

Video of our wedding ceremony: M&K's Wedding
A little dancing later in the evening: Dance with my Dad

The Dress - HB6622 by Saja

HB6622 by Saja - Photo by Susan Pacek Photography

Our Invitations - "Mexican Wedding Flags (Papel Picado)" by Señor & Señora

"Mexican Wedding Flags (Papel Picado)" by Señor & Señora

[our full names are marked out for public internet-posting ;-)]

The Program - designed by Madeline on Zazzle, and you can buy one here

Vintage Mexican-inspired program timeline. Photo Credit: Susan Pacek Photography

[our full names are marked out for public internet-posting ;-)]

Place Cards - tags stamped by Madeline and attached to maracas bought on the island.

Maraca placecards for vintage mexican-inspired wedding. Photocredit: Susan Pacek Photography

Menus - designed by Madeline on Zazzle, and you can buy a copy here

Vintage Mexican Wedding Menu. Photo Credit: Susan Pacek Photography

Centerpiece & Table Numbers - designed by Madeline on Zazzle, and you can buy a copy here

Vintage Mexican Wedding - Tablecard & Centerpiece. Photo Credit: Susan Pacek Photography

Bouquets - our wedding coordinators Elba Machado & Alejandra Izaguirre did a great job coordinating this element of the wedding with very little instruction from me.

Bridesmaids Bouquet - Photo Credit: Susan Pacek Photography

Bridal Bouquet - Photo Credit: Susan Pacek Photography

Hair & Make-up - by the seriously fabulous Anne-Marie Cote from Make Me Beautiful - Mi Secreto Salon. She did a great job and was super easy to work with - just sent her a picture of my dress before and hand we chatted a little bit about what I wanted and she did the rest with very little instruction from me. Made getting ready for the wedding so easy and relaxing!

Showing off my gorgeous hair and gazing off over Privilege Aluxes grounds. Photo Credit: Susan Pacek Photography

A rare occassion: me with full make-up on. Love the view of the eyelashes here. Photo Credit: Susan Pacek Photography

Anne-Marie works her magic as I enjoy a mimosa with the girls and look out over the Caribbean Sea.
Photo Credit: Susan Pacek Photography

Our Mariachi Band - sadly, I don't even know their name(s). It was a bit of a splurge, but totally worth it - all our guest had such a fun time, and so did we!

Posing with our mariachi band! Photo Credit: Susan Pacek Photography

Papel Picado / Mexican Wedding Flags

Papel Picado/Mexican Wedding Flags. Photo Credit: Susan Pacek Photography

Summertime Adventures

2013-08-09T22:01:00.000-04:00

So, it's been a while since my last post. Potential excuses are numerous, but I'll just suffice to say that I haven't made writing a priority. I've spent many of my weekends over the past few months traveling - to D.C. (several trips), Carolina Beach, Arkansas, Jacksonville, and in a couple weeks - San Francisco. I love being in a new places and getting out of the routine, but it has left little time for catching up on things at home.

We spent Memorial Day weekend at Carolina Beach in another great VRBO find - a 4th floor one bedroom condo just one row back from the beach, with dual balconies looking out on the town lake and ocean (read my review here).

View looking west: Carolina Beach Lake

Our beach-themed condo

View looking east: The Ocean!

The summer solstice weekend was spent visiting my hometown in Arkansas, where we toured some of the local attractions such as the Wal-Mart Visitors Center and fabulous Crystal Bridges Art Museum, spent an evening shooting off fireworks on my parent's farmland, took a road trip to the Victorian era Ozark mountain resort town of Eureka Springs, went for a swim at Hogscald on Beaver Lake, enjoyed a fun-filled night on Dickson Street catching up with old friends, and even got in an engagement shoot with a very talented local photographer, Novo Studios. Really a quintessential Arkansas summer weekend.

Wal-Mart Visitors Center - Bentoville, Arkansas

Farmland near Winslow, Arkansas

One of our engagement photos! (photo credit: Philip Thomas of Novo Studios)

On my weekend trips to D.C., we always make a point to try a new restaurant and explore a bit of the city on foot; definitely one of my favorite things to do in any city. July 4th was an extra fun weekend to be in Our Nation's Capital, with special (free) events going on all over the city, including a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence - quite good, and not as cheesy as I thought it would be!

Amazing Savory Waffles from Locolat Cafe in Adams Morgan

Fresh seafood & crabs at The Wharf @ Southeast Waterfront (en route to Nationals Game)

Two weeks ago, I made the trip down I-95 to Jacksonville to visit one of my dearest friends who recently gave birth to her first child - an adorable baby girl. She is the first of my close friends to have a baby, and it was such a special experience to spend the entire the weekend getting to know the newest member of their family.

Next up - a long weekend in San Francisco to visit another one of my dear friends! Looking forward to sampling the amazing food, drink, and scenery in and around the Bay Area. Not so much looking forward to my flight that departs at 5:50 A.M. But hey, on the bright side, I'll be arriving at SFO before 10:00 A.M. :).

House Warming Party, Tapas Style

2013-03-24T01:03:00.000-04:00

With Operation Decorate complete and the condo looking presentable, I was happy to be able to spend most of the last month showing it off to both local and out-of-town guest.

I had been waiting to host a party for while (even at my old place, I had contemplated throwing a Halloween or Christmas party), but other events always seemed to get in the way and I would ultimately end up chickening out for one reason or another. Throwing a party is a lot of work! But that is true with most things worth doing and parties can also be a lot of fun. And really, what else is going on the last weekend of February? All the more reason the throw a party.

The end result was an intimate gathering of ten-or-so friends on a chilly Saturday evening enjoying tapas, wine, beer, and Latin pop music (what can I say, one of the perks of throwing a party is controlling the play list :). And while a number of folks ended up not being able to make it, it was great opportunity to visit with old friends and meet a few new ones, which is really my favorite things about parties.

Throwing a party was also a great excuse to try out new recipes with exotic ingredients that aren't typically on my weekly shopping list. According to Pinterest, all great parties these days have a theme, so I felt a certain amount of obligation to conform. This also proved quite useful in providing some direction to party-planning since there are so many options to choose from on the outset. I settled on Spanish tapas, or more specifically, pintxos (some times called "pinchos"), which are the types of tapas served in the bars of San Sebastian in the Basque region of Northern Spain (see corresponding Pinterest board here: Pinchos Party).

I could really go on and on about all the amazing pintxos I tried during my visit to San Sebastian. It is a unique type of eating that combines the casual setting of standing up at a bar, with a heightened attention to detail and complexity of taste. It has been exciting to see all the new tapas bars popping up in the U.S., but I have yet to see the pintxos concept duplicated. With that spirit in mind, I attempted to duplicate the "specialness" of the pintxos bars in San Sebastian, with a variety of tapas, each offering a different taste combination.

Olives Marinated in Orange & Thyme Infused Olive Oil

From one of my favorite cookbooks, Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres, which I displayed in a fancy OLIVE DISH (they make those?) that I snagged for a song a TJ Max the week before. Pictures found here: http://trissalicious.com/2011/01/10/olives-marinated-in-orange-and-thyme-infused-olive-oil/

Pintxo de Chorizo y Manchengo

From a great story on NPR's "The Kitchen Window" - Pintxos: The Flavors Of Spain, On A Toothpick (with recipes included!). These were really a great hit, and so simple to make!

Datiles Con Beicon (Dates With Bacon)

Also from Pintxos: The Flavors Of Spain, On A Toothpick.

Ok, I admit it. I love dates, and I love bacon, so there was really no way that I was not going to love this. And from my perspective, it was my pièce de résistance, if based on nothing other than the fact that it took me a solid two hours (on a dreary rainy Saturday when I literally had nothing better to do) to pack the little dates with blue cheese & an almond and then laboriously wrap each little sucker in a slippery piece of bacon. Anyways, I thought they were pretty good, but I may have been the main one eating them :).

White Tuna in Piquillo Pepper

From tapasbonitas.com, I simplified it a bit by just placing a piece of piquillo pepper on top of the tuna instead of attempting to stuff (most of the peppers from the jar weren't as nicely shaped as they appear to have come when tapasbonitas attempted it).

Tichi's Gazpacho

Also from Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America by Jose Andres

Recipe is here, although admittedly my gazpacho doesn't look the same as it does on that website; mainly because I skip the garnish and just go with the blended mix of fresh tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, garlic, vinegar, olive oil (lots of it), and salt. The appearance is somewhat creamy and many people who taste it guess that the recipes includes onions (it doesn't). The zip comes from the garlic & vinegar, and the creaminess comes from the olive oil. This didn't actually fit into my pintxos theme, but this is one of my favorite recipes from Jose Andres and I wanted to share it. Since we weren't sitting down to any type of formal dinner, I served the soup in little plastic cups; several people thought they were shots. Nope!

Tortilla de Patatas

...not the "tortilla" you're used to! This is Spain's version of the tortilla, which has very little in common with the Mexican tortilla. As the name suggests, it is made of Patatas (Potatoes), along with egg, onions and a touch of salt; all cooked in a generous amount of olive oil. This is another dish that often fools people into thinking there is an extra ingredient - cheese. But alas, no; it is a simpler dish than it first appears. The trick is in the preparation. The recipe I used (from Jose Andres' Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America), called for the dish to be cooked in a frying pan and FLIPPED, which is quite difficult to do (I've done it a few times, with varying results). This time, I decided to simplify things a bit by BAKING it in the oven. The alternative method worked out quite well. I couldn't taste much of a difference and it was much less stressful (and fool-proof) than the flipping method. Recipe can be found here.

The Spread!

Operation Decorate

2013-02-12T23:28:00.000-05:00

I've been a busy bee this past month decorating my new condo. In many respects, it has felt like my very own version of The High Low Project on HGTV. The premise is simple: get that "designer look" without breaking the bank. But with a full time job, it is much more time-consuming than it looks! I have literally spent nearly every free moment during the past month working on some task related to decorating: searching the internet for design ideas, visiting various retail establishments, or hanging/putting together/painting/organizing the various objects I already had in my possession.

Exhausting, but also lots of fun! Even though I told myself I wasn't going to set aside any budget for decorating, I ended up spending about $1000 to make the place feel like home (because really, what good is owning your own place if it doesn't feel like home?). About $500 of that was spent during multiple trips to Target buying things like drawer organizers recycling containers, and various other things I didn't know I needed until I absolutely couldn't do without them (evil Target). The other $500 was spent on *real* furniture that I can now sit around and adore on a daily basis. I'm definitely not "done" yet (probably won't ever be), but I feel like I've gotten to a place where it feels like home and I can tackle future projects as time and money allow.

So, without further ado... THE NEW PLACE:

Living Room. /// Accent wall was already painted when I moved in. Loving the punch of color, high ceilings, big windows & crown molding. Most of this furniture I already had, but in case you are curious, here are the DETAILS: Lamps: Marshalls (my favorite store for lamps); Couch & Ottoman: Roomstore (my first *real* pieces of furniture purchase for my old apt.); POÄNG Chair: IKEA (it's a classic, right?); blue side table: thrift store find (for $15 - total score!); butterscotch Mimic cube: Crate & Barrel (found this when the Crate & Barrel store at my local mall was closing and everything was 1/2 off. The style is no longer available, but the Ditto cube is similar);

Dining Room // Accent wall was already painted when I moved in; all lighting came with the condo. DETAILS: BJURSTA dining room table: IKEA (an *extendable* table in birch veneer - makes up in versatility what it lacks in style; it works for now); VILMAR dining room chairs: IKEA (...or a similar style they used to make - in birch veneer. Really serendipitous Craiglist find a couple summers ago whereby I scored all 4 chairs for $40, just as I had almost convinced myself to spring for these very similar (but twice as expensive) chairs from Crate & Barrel: Felix Walnut Side Chair; Twist Swivel Bar Stools: World Market (quite possibly my favorite new apartment purchase to date); Peacock Quincy Chair: World Market (totally in love, especially after I spotted this almost-identical-chair (Modesto Chair from Arhaus) while browsing at a super fancy furniture store in the mall for - get this - $1200...seriously? I WIN).

Kitchen // All major elements came with the condo. Love the hardwoods & stainless steel fridge. Would love granite counter tops eventually, but that won't be in the cards anytime soon. I do love my magnetic spice jars on the fridge (really great way to organize your spices to make them visible and accessible at the same time = just $2.99/each at Bed, Bath & Beyond)

Master Bedroom // Some of you may recognize this bedroom setup from a previous post. New this year are the side tables (thrift store find w/ paint & updated hardware), along with the Adair Sconces from Pottery Barn (with nickle finish which were my splurge item for this project. I scoured the internet for a "knock-off" version, but couldn't find anything I liked nearly as much. Also, these were on sale and pretty much the cheapest sconces that PB sells, so I will suffice to say it was a justified purchase. This is is the first time in my life I have had matching bed side lamps; really makes me feel like an adult!

Thrift Store Dresser // Thrift store find + updated hardware from Amazon (definitely the best place to buy drawer pulls if you have a certain style in mind. I got these for a fraction of a cost of what they were going for a Lowes/Home Depot)

Office/Guest Bedroom // Crate & Barrel Knock-off desk from Amazon + thrift store chair + antique lamp from my parents house (one of the few items that made the trip across country with me when I moved out here in 2006) + bike that I need to ride more especially now that I live so close to the Greenway.

Office/Guest Bedroom /// OK, bare with me people. I debated whether to post this pick, because I'm not particularly proud of how this portion of the room is styled, but maybe y'all can give me some tips :). For now, I'm just happy it's organized and I haven't spent any money on this room yet. This is basically just all my furniture that was leftover after I decorated the other rooms (my B-team items, if you will). The couch/love seat is actually a fold-out HAGALUND bed from IKEA (in Idemo Beige; doesn't exactly pop off the gray walls...), along with some orange Crate & Barrel pillows (if you're going to buy anything from C&B, I suggest the pillows...the fabric/texture/design is simply unrivaled in my opinion, and its a relatively cheap way to upgrade any room). OH and don't you love the Schnauzer pillow? That was a Christmas gift this year; even though its kinda cheesy, it just makes happy. The chair to the left is a thrift store find, the white bedside table is one of the other remaining elements brought out to NC from my childhood (along with the desk lamp). The foot stool (which looks kinda awkward here, and everywhere, actually) is the matching foot stool for your classic Papasan chair sold at World Market (and no, I never owned the actual chair; this just happened to be the only ottoman that I could transport back to my apartment (by foot) while I was living in Chicago without a car. And that rug....that rug is an original purchase from my "moving the dorms" pre-college shopping trip to BB&B with my Mom over a decade ago. Don't you love how every piece of furniture has a story?

New Year's Eve, Mexican Style

2013-01-21T20:53:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! I kicked off 2013 in the Riviera Maya, where the Mexicans seriously know how to do New Year's right. I wimped out at went to bed at 11:00 pm, but my parents (yes, PARENTS stayed up later than me...sometimes I feel like that one Toyota Venza commercial), reported that it was quite the party; complete with conga line and a bag of 12 grapes passed out to each party-goer at midnight! Here are a few pics from the "New Year's Gala", which we all agreed felt more like someone's wedding that we were crashing, but was actually part of our all-inclusive hotel package at Grand Coco Bay resort in Playa del Carmen.

The Mayan "show" during dinner...complete with frankincense and elaborate feather head dresses

The band & dance floor shortly after dinner was served (at 9:30pm). Setting the scene for things to get rowdy

Kevin & I shortly after they handed out the party hats and noise makers. We took a picture and declared victory on 2012.

A Christmas Miracle: A New Blog Post!

2012-12-22T19:43:00.000-05:00

Hello dear readers -- (I know there are at least 3 of your out there, because you each expressed your concern that I hadn't written anything in a while). Anyways, what can I say, it was a busy fall!

In summary, I ran my half marathon as promised, and finished with the time of 2:11.27, just at my goal pace of 10 minutes per mile. Even though it was cold and raining by the end of it (and I started hyperventilating at about mile 9), it was an overall good experience and I am tentatively planning to do another one in the fall. I've been asked several times if a spring half marathon is in the cards. NO. I've officially been on a running sabbatical since the day after my half marathon, save for a few "fun" races: The Tir Na Nog Oktoberfest 8k (costumes, running, beer, and friends on a perfect fall afternoon; what could be better?) and the SPCA Santa Paws 5k that I ran with Barkley (surprisingly, he ran the whole time - amazing!). We finished at right around a 10 minute pace; way faster than expected considering Barkley is not normally much of a runner.

Me and Barkley with the "celebrity" Santa

Oh yeah, and I got engaged and bought a Condo too. And took a trip to Albuquerque and Boston, and MOVED, which is official the most exhausting thing ever. So it's been a little busy. Thankfully Christmas is almost here, which means 2 weeks of relaxation by the fire/beach, just as soon as I can get myself packed for a multi-stage trip involving multiple climates.

More to come in the new year, with a goal to write more "quick & dirty" posts instead of long, thoughtful post that take hours to write, which never actually get written because I'm too preoccupied by the idea that they will take too long to write. Hence, less is really more.

With love to you all, and to all a Merry Christmas :)

Kindred Spirits

2012-08-22T22:16:00.002-04:00

With school starting back for many folks, and everyone else begrudgingly returning for vacation, I've been thinking it might be time for another goals update. I really like sharing my goals - I think it helps me stay focused on what I want out of life instead of just letting life pass me by. And recently I've found a couple kindred literary spirits that have inspired me in terms of structuring and sharing these goals. Since these kindred spirits aren't actually personal friends of mine, but rather writers from the larger community, I'd encourage my readers to also take a look at their blogs.

12 Months of Lent, by Danne Dzenawagis, which I found via a post on Lululemon (yes, I am a total yoga groupie), is a blog through which Danne shares her progress on monthly goals (a.k.a, "lents") to focus on areas of her life that she wants to improve and/or enrich. For example, June & July were dedicated to spending every Tuesday with her "Grammy" transcribing her family's history. This month, she is focusing on sticking to a strict budget (no credit card!), and finding ways to save money.

I love this idea of constantly improving oneself - not just in big ways, but in small, yet meaningful ways. If only I could come up with an equally catchy title for my blog. Any suggestions? Also inspiring is the regularity with which Danne post to her blog: 1-2 times per week. Yikes, I need to improve. Ah, ha - a goal for September!

Meanwhile, I am plugging along at my revised goal to read two books per quarter. Since my last update, I've read:

(1) the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay , by Suzanne Collins (amazing!), and

(2) a classic that I missed reading in high school: The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald - good, but not a page turner (sorry literary friends). However, I did find it interesting to read about how life was back in the 1920's in the suburbs of New York. At least I am up to speed on "essential" American reading now (phew!).

Currently I am reading:

(3) The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun , by Getchen Rubin (also a blog!).

Although Gretchen's book doesn't really focus on "goal setting", the idea of doing things (that you maybe wouldn't otherwise do) with intention is certainly a focal point to her happiness project. Regardless of how you define happiness (it will most definitely be different for each individual), a key component to that happiness is feeling like you're getting something DONE (ie, reaching goals). So the logic follows that the more [attainable] goals you set for yourself, the happier your will be. It makes a lot of sense.

I love the idea of blogging, but I am interested in many things, so it has been hard for me to really commit to one subject matter. Today: Goals! Tomorrow: Travel! Next week: DIY projects! But I know all the best blogs have a clear purpose; to Danne and Gretchen, I am thankful for your inspiration.

Bon Bini na Curacao

2012-07-23T22:05:00.000-04:00

Bon Bini means "welcome" in Papiamentu - the local language in Curacao, which combines elements of Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese French and English. More on that later, but first, a bit about our "bon bini" to Curacao :).

June 30, 2012 - It was pitch black outside when our flight touched down at 8:30 PM at the Curacao International Airport . One of the unfortunate downfalls to visiting the southern Caribbean in the summertime is that the days are actually shorter than they are in North Carolina. Being located so close to the equator means that days are equal length throughout the year, with a standard 12 hours of daylight year round.

Despite our on-time arrival, there was quite a bit of trouble getting the jet bridge out to our aircraft. Apparently the jet bridges were a recent additional to this small Caribbean outpost and the staff was not well initiated with the operation of these new gadgets. After a 30 minute effort to get the jet bridges to operate properly, it was decided that we would deplane the old-fashioned way. And I can't say I was disappointed; there is something timeless about deplaning by stairs. Yes, it can be a bit of a hassle, but it's hard not to feel just a tiny bit important; like someone might snap your photo at anytime. Heck, that's how all the celebrities seems to exit an airplane! A pleasant tropical breeze greeted us as we stepped off the plane into the humid night air. The temperature was a comfortable 80 degrees, and as we walked down the stairs and along the tarmac, it began to sink in that we had arrived in paradise.

We passed through immigration and customs without much fuss, quickly collected our bags, and were immediately plopped back outside into the fresh air. I was surprised by the low-key group of taxi drivers that greeted us at the curb. In Mexico (along with every Latin American country I've been to), the taxi drivers bombard you with offers for their services and the whole procedure can feel quite overwhelming. This was certainly not the case here; we actually had to look around a bit to locate the taxi stand. Once we made our intentions know, we quickly secured a driver who quoted us a fair price for the 20 minute ride into town and we were headed off into the night along the quiet road leading away from the airport.

Our route into Willemstad (the capital and only real "city" on the island) took us along narrow paved roads through both industrial and residential areas. We drove along a simple two-lane road that was periodically lit by dim street lights, passed a few roadside eateries here and there, and eventually came upon the Royal Dutch Shell oil refinery perched along the shores of the prominent Sint Anna Bay. The street lights became more frequent, and the buildings taller as we entered into the commercial zone and city center, which was alive with folks out and about enjoying their Saturday evening.

View of the Otrobanda neighborhood across Sint Anna Bay in Willemstad, Curacao.

The Journey [to Curacao] is The Destination

2012-07-22T12:03:00.002-04:00

June 30, 2012 - Boarding the airplane in Miami, we got our first glimpse of the diversity we would see in Curacao. It was impossible to generalize about our fellow travelers; we were already hearing several different languages being spoken, and skin complexions ranged from pale white northern European to dark African tones. There were a few Americans here and there, but none stood out as novice travelers. In any case, it was a very different group than I had traveled with on my last flight to Cancun :).

Several folks I've chatted with about our trip to Curacao were surprised to learn how easy it is to get there. Indeed, this was a key reason for selecting it among other destinations in the Caribbean. American Airlines offers twice daily flights seven days a week, and it is a relatively quick three hour plane ride from Miami. Despite the ease of arriving in Curacao, part of its allure (to me at least) was its obscurity in the American psyche; very few Americans have any real perception of where Curacao is, let alone what type of culture exists there. This may change in the coming years as the Curacao turism board looks to grow the tourism business (their efforts were on display in a recent episode of The Bachelorette that was set in Curacao - Youtube "sneak peak" is here if you can't stand a full episode), but for now it remains a unique little island off the coast of Venezuela with a diverse mix of cultural influences and a limited number of American tourist.

Go before everyone finds out about it!

Vacation! But First, A Derecho!

2012-07-21T10:18:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm happy to report that our vacation to Curacao was a great success! It was a whirlwind week of fun-in-the-sun in the Caribbean, and I've finally found some time to share a few anecdotes from the trip. There are so many aspects of the the experience that I'd like to blog about, but I'll start with sharing a little excitement from Day 1.

June 29, 2012 - The trip started out with an eventful drive up to D.C. on Friday night due to an unexpected line of summer thunderstorms with hurricane force winds that quickly swept across the midwest and slammed the east coast mid-way through my 4-hour drive. After learning that the storms were approaching, I exited the main highway (I-95), and started up US 1 in hopes of avoiding the worst of the storm traffic. Soon thereafter, the wind picked up and leaves and other small debris started to fly across the road. It began the rain heavily, and the frequency and size of debris increased as well. The placement of the debris was difficult to anticipate and the conditions made for highly unpredictable driving. I decided to pull over, but even that choice brought potential danger as I saw the large pine trees teetering overhead. I eventually opted for a spot with minimal tree cover, tuned the radio to a "calming" classical station and put it on full blast to block out the crazy storm sounds whirling all around my lightweight vehicle. The worst of the storm passed about 10 minutes later, but the effects of the storm continued to be felt along the remainder of my route as downed trees blocked portions of the highway and slowed traffic considerably. Finally, I made it to my destination safely (albeit 2 hours later than I had anticipated), and we were able to catch our 1pm flight the next day without any issue. We later learned that the line of thunderstorms was actually a derecho, and that millions of D.C.-area residents were without power for several days afterwards (in 100-degree heat!). Our escape to 85-degree weather couldn't have been better timed :).

The Hunger Games Spell

2012-06-17T23:25:00.000-04:00

I've been reading a lot lately. Well, let me be more specific: I've been reading a lot of young adult fiction lately. Yes, the Hunger Games Trilogy has me under it's spell. I must say, I wasn't expecting this. I heard the hype, but I didn't believe I would like the books this much. The past few young-adult fiction crazes that have captured the attention of my demographic haven't exactly had me spellbound (i.e., The Twilight Saga and Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy). Not since the Harry Potter Series have I been this attached to a group of fictional characters in a book.

But really, it's the escapism aspect that has drawn me in. It is a different type of escapism than the kind I find in most of the books I read. Unlike the scenarios relayed in a funny travelogue or juicy memoir, I can't begin the identify with the situations faced by the characters in The Hunger Games. This means less time for self reflection and more time to get lost in the story. And sometimes this is a good thing.

So I've spent the last couple weeks totally lost in a cloud of the Hunger Games world; sneaking in a chapter over my lunch break and even steaming a few audio chapters from YouTube played via Bluetooth on my car audio. Yes, it is a getting a bit out of hand. It's all I can do to wait the 5-7 days standard shipping time until the third book, Mockingjay, arriving from Amazon. But no sense rushing things, because after that book is read, I'm sure to feel the heavy loss that comes with finishing a beloved series. What shall I read next? Some have suggested Fifty Shades of Grey. But I am a bit skeptical. Comments?

Meanwhile, a full update on my reading list so far for 2012:
(Note: it's only JUNE and I've already completed my one book/quarter goal for the year. Guess I'll have to up the ante to TWO books per quarter...Go.Me.)

Poser: My Life in Twenty-three Yoga Poses By Claire Dederer
A great read for any yogi, but especially for young Moms or for those of us who enjoying hearing Mom stories in hopes of one day 'figuring it all out' before we are faced with the daunting task of being a Mom. I picked up this book on a whim at Target. Well, sorta a whim - the title interested me, so I flipped through a few pages and was intrigued (but didn't buy). On my next trip a week later, I gave in. I love how it's structured: each chapter relates a yoga pose to what was going on in the author's life; gradually telling the story of how she went from a new mom, to nearly loosing her sanity (and marriage), to how she found peace and balance in life through yoga. I gained a new perspective on my yoga practice and it was a refreshingly honest reminder that no one has a perfect life; being happy is learning to focus on the things that matter and to accept things you cannot change.

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home By Rhoda Jenzen
Recommended (and mailed) to me by my dear friend Sarah (thanks, Sarah!), this is a memoir about the author's experience of returning to her Mennonite roots after a rocky divorce (her husband ran off with a guy he met on gay.com). It was an interesting book (definitely learned a few things about the Mennonite culture that I wouldn't have known otherwise), and funny at times (although not LOL funny). I sorta felt like the author was a bit huffy about all that had happened to her and her current predicament (unfortunately, the book does not end with a hopeful romance for our heroine).

The Hunger Games (Book 1) By Suzanne Collins
The setting for this book is a bit complicated to describe in passing. It is the future (we're not exactly sure when; one assumes +/- 75 years after the 2012 near-apocalypse). The landmass formerly known as the United States is the location (our heroine is from Appalachia - the coal mining district). The Capital (now located somewhere in the Rocky Mountains) has dominated since the time of the near-appocolypse (if you've seen the movie 2012, you'll have a good guess as to why). The Capital now holds yearly "Games" in which a boy and a girl from each of the 12 districts must go and fight to their death. Sounds exciting, right? Well, it is.

Catching Fire (Book 2) By Suzanne Collins
Second installment of this highly addictive series. Basically cleaning up the mess that was created by Book 1. These books definitely read as a series. Once you read #1, you might as well just go out and buy #2 and #3, because the endings of #1 and #2 are completely inconclusive.

The Joys of Summertime: Curacao + A Half Marathon

2012-05-22T23:40:00.004-04:00

Summertime is upon us! We've had some truly great weather recently, with temperatures generally peaking at or below 80 degrees. Really a blessing compared with years past when it wasn't uncommon to see several days in the 90's during May. I have been taking full advantage; keeping my windows open during the day and enjoying long walks with Barkley in the evening.

Mr. Barkley, out enjoying the nice weather

Meanwhile, my summer calendar is really filling up quick. We've gotten our summer vacation plans squared away - Curacao was the winner from my previous post, so looking forward to that in early July. We'll be staying on the western end of the island, in Westpunt, which is about 40 minutes away from the capital of Willemstad and considered the "quiet" side of the island. Apparently all the best beaches are located here, and it's supposed to have a very "small town" vibe, with only a hand-full of restaurants and limited lodging options, most of which are apartment-style vacation rentals. The place we're staying at, Marazul Dive Resort, was rated #1 on TripAdvisor for places to stay in Curacao. Marazul is a collection of individually owned seaside villas perched atop a small cliff, with stairs leading down to the ocean for easy access to snorkeling and diving. We rented ours through Vacation Rental By Owner (www.vrbo.com) - a website I had seen in passing while looking for a ski condo this past winter, but never really taken seriously. However, I must say I have been quite impressed with our rental experience thus far. I received a response to my initial inquiry from the owner within the hour, along with with a detailed description of the condo and pricing for our stay. I followed up with a phone call the following night, which resulted in a nice chat about the condo and logistics for our arrival. The owner then sent me a detailed "Arriving in Curacao" packet, with helpful information about All Things Curacao; on par with the advice you'd find in a guidebook, but much more personalized. Needless to say, I am a bit excited for our next adventure!

Marazul Dive Resort (source: http://www.marazuldiveresort.an/)

In other news, I signed up for my first half marathon - the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon on October 7th! The route follows the capital area greenway along the Potomac River near Washington, DC area, starting at Mt. Vernon Estates in Virginia, and ending at National Harbor, Maryland. I still need to finalize my training plan, but am thinking I'll need to start training in early July after our vacation to Curacao. Not really looking forward to the 7am (6am?) wake-up calls that will be required to "beat the heat" for my long runs in July & August, but I am looking forward to having a goal to train towards, and to push myself to do something new. Unlike the 5k runs I've done in the past, I know I won't be able to "wing-it" for 13.1 miles, so it sounds like I will be spending quite a bit of my time in late summer running in the shade of Umstead Park. BRING IT!

[Source: http://www.runwashington.com]

Goals vs. Reality

2012-05-03T23:23:00.000-04:00

Somehow, it's already May (!!!), and that means that we're already 1/3 of the way through 2012. Hard to believe, but it got me thinking about the goals I set for myself back in January. With summer just around the corner, I've come to the realization that my "free" weekends are going to be few and far between for the next few months. I love being busy, but it's made me realize that in order to accomplish all the things I set out to do at the beginning of the year, I'm really going to have to get moving on making my goals a reality. I'm not sure how many of my friends/acquaintances actually read this thing, but part of the reason I'm putting my goals up here is so you guys can hold me accountable; so please - call me out if I start slacking :). I was going to list all my goals, but apparently I am a little long-winded, so I'll start with my Health & Fitness Goals for now.

Goal #1: Yoga 2x per week (1 paid class/1 free class)

Reality: Yoga 1x per week. As much as I'd like to get more yoga into my schedule, I've realized it's just not possible with my other commitments. AND THAT'S O.K.

Goal #2: Running (>30min) or walking/hiking (>1hour) at least 2x per week.

Reality: I'm walking all the time with my dog, so the walking part of this goal is easily achievable. It's the running part that's tricky. I've been getting 1 run/week in fairly consistently, but realize I really need to get 3 runs in per week to be at my desired fitness level.

Plan for achieving my goal: Designate specific days of the week as "run" days. Participate in weekly "run clubs"; make plans to go running with friends (establish an "acountabilibuddy"); bring run gear with me and change at work so I can't get distracted once I get home.

Goal #3: One bike ride per month (>10 miles).

Reality: I've only been on ONE bike ride this year :(. I love a good road ride, but it requires a big time commitment and plans can easily be thrown off by inclement weather or severely limited by the cold short days of winter. I'm starting to think I might have to tame my ambitions and revise my goal to one bike ride per quarter. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to find time for more biking next year.

Goal #4: Compete in at least one event per quarter (running race, triathlon, etc).

Reality: Does the SPCA K9-3K Dog Walk count? Well, in my book it does :). This goal is as much about the community & fundrasing aspect as it is about the exercise & competition aspect. The SPCA K9-3K was an excellent event, and I was happy to be able to bring together a small team of fellow dog lovers to raise money and awareness for the cause. Go Team Barkley! I do want to do a few more races this year, but I haven't found the next event (if you know of any fun races for a good cause, let me know!). One race I do have my eye on is the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for arthritis in December, which was a great event last year.

Sea of Dog Walkers at the SPCA K9-3k in Raleigh

Goal #5: Train & run a half marathon

Reality: I know this will require some dedicated training, but I still think it is a very achievable goal. Currently researching potential races and investigating training plans. Looking to complete this by Nov. 4th (end of daylight savings) at the latest.

Goal #6: Attend 1 yoga workshop per quarter (attend 1 out of town retreat or other all-day event).

Reality: No workshops attended so far, BUT I have been trying out several new styles of yoga, which has helped to improve my practice and exposed me to a new community of yogis in Raleigh. Thanks to Groupon (or was it Living Social?), I tried out a new downtown yoga studio - Vault Yoga - during the month of February (you can read my Yelp review here), and also attended a few Anusara ("heart opening") Yoga classes with the ever-insightful Lila Rasa Brown at Evolve, which were quite different than the Prana Flow classes I had been frequenting for the past year.

I'm only just now starting to appreciate how different the various styles of yoga really are; I used to think that the only type of yoga worth doing was the really athletic type (generally classified as vinyasa flow), but I have since come to appreciate more thoughtfully paced classes that focus on alignment and/or relaxation. My favorite classes are still the sweaty, fast-paced classes that challenge me with new and exciting arm balances and inversions that seem impossible at first, but become achievable through consistent practice.

Plan for achieving my goal: I have already signed up for a 3-hour workshop at Evolve this month, but I don't think additional local workshops will be a priority for me. I've realized that the main things I want to get from this goal is to (1) increase my involvement in the yoga community (2) expand my yoga practice by refining and improving my technique (3) challenge myself by taking my practice outside my comfort zone.

It is easy to get attached to a particular style of yoga or to become comfortable with a certain teacher/yoga studio. I like this feeling of belonging, and that is a big part of the reason I consistently go to the same studio and attend the same classes. However, through this goal, I want to break out of the routine. To grow. To have a story to tell.

So, I'm really focusing on finding an out-of-town retreat where I can do these things. As much as I'd love to fly off to India or Thailand or someplace über exotic like that, it's just not going to be feasible from a budgetary stand point. I've only done some preliminary research, but I'm intrigued by this option: http://www.yogaville.org/. Apparently Yogaville is a nationally recognized Ashram located near Charlottesville, Virginia. YES, an Ashram; like the one Liz went to in Eat. Pray. Love. Y'all know what I'm talking about. Too hippie? I haven't quite decided yet, but it just might be perfect :).

Goal #7: Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.

Reality: This goal alludes me like no other. It should be easy! Why am I so challenged by the concept of going to bed before midnight! It's not even like I have insomnia - I fall asleep just fine. There's just so many other fun things to do at night; like catch up on blogging!

Plan for achieving my goal: A schedule. Yes, a very detailed timeline of events that must happen in order for me to get to bed by midnight. Home by 7:30. Dog walk by 8:30. Dinner by 9:30. Limit computer time to 1 hour. Allow some time to "chill" by watching an episode of House Hunters International. Read a little. Despite my best efforts, I am not having the best success sticking to the schedule. But at least I have plan :). Next week for sure.

Vacation Plotting

2012-04-01T19:20:00.001-04:00

Lately I've been spending a lot of time plotting out my next vacation. For me, it is an all-consuming process, but I love it. I love researching the options, learning everything I possibly can about a place, finding the best deals, and selecting the perfect combination of location, hotel and flight to make for an unforgettable vacation.

Of course the first step in this process determining where in the world to go, and there are nearly always constraints involved. Time can be a consideration, but in this case I am planning to take a full week off from work (9 days total, including weekend), so plenty of time to go just about anywhere my budget allows. While not set in stone, I am thinking that the week of July 4th would be the optimal time to take this week off, mainly because July 4th falls on a Wednesday this year and I will already have that day off (thereby saving a vacation day). As I mentioned in a previous post, the places that initially topped my list were the Pacific Northwest (Vancouver/Seattle/Portland), and Northern Europe (Sweden, specifically); partly because I have good friends living in each of those locations and partly because those are two regions I have never visited before. However, a quick search on Kayak.com (my favorite flight search engine) reveals that airfare prices to Europe during the summer months are ridiculously expensive, and totally out of my budget. So, Pacific Northwest?

Then there is the question who you will be traveling with and what their preferences are. While I like to think of myself as a fairly independent person and savvy traveler, I do not enjoy vacationing by myself. I've done the solo-vacation a couple times before; back in college, before I owned a digital camera (hence no pictures here). Honestly I'm still surprised my parents agreed to let their 19-year-old daughter spend a week in southern Spain and Portugal, and then again as a 22-year-old traveling around Italy for a week. Don't get me wrong - these were both amazing trips! And because I was by myself I got to do exactly what I wanted each and every day. However, traveling alone gets lonely pretty quickly - especially at meal time. Been there. Done that. Conclusion: I can be flexible about where/when/how to travel if it means I get to travel with people I care about.

So I suggested the idea of a Vancouver/Seatte/Portland trip to my boyfriend-come-travel companion and got a lukewarm response - he wanted to go someplace TROPICAL. Okay, I get it...the Pacific Northwest isn't the most glamorous spot for a vacation. And we certainly wouldn't be coming home with a suntan. In contrast, the visual images conjured up by the prospect of a beach vacation are certainly tempting: a piña colada on a white sand beach, gazing onto turquoise blue waters with the sun shining down overhead. But in July? Won't it be hot? What about the hurricanes?

July is definitely the off-season for the Caribbean, but as I've learned from my research, that doesn't mean it's a bad time to visit. Temperatures are fairly consistent year-round, so it's only a few degrees warmer during the summer. Hurricanes can be a concern, but July is really only the start of the hurricane season, and any that do form this time of year are more likely to affect islands that fall within "the box". The U.S. and British Virgin Islands are inside the box, along with several other islands in the Lesser Antilles, so those were quickly eliminated from our list of possibilities. The Dominican Republic and The Bahamas were also crossed off the list since I had visited those islands on previous trips.

Accessibility has turned out to be a major factor in narrowing down our list of posiblities. Many islands in the Caribbean do not have direct flights from the U.S., which often means an extra day of travel (and added expense) to get to those places. If we were traveling on a larger budget, these remote options would be a very intriguing option. Several interesting places such as Tobago, The Grenadines, St. Vincent and Bonaire were eliminated from the list of possibilities for this reason.

Still up for consideration: Curaçao, Jamaica and Barbados. Each of these destinations would be interesting in their own right. Now it comes down to deciding how much we value a unique adventure (Curaco) over a relaxing all-inclusive (Jamaica), or if possibly Barbados will win out with better flight connections and the promise of good weather. Lots of factors to consider, which hopefully we'll sort out over the next few weeks. The adventurer in me is routing for Curacao. The lazy vacationer in me is routing for Jamaica. The budget traveling in me is telling me to just run the number and pick the cheapest one. But it's not that simple :). Thankfully I have the community of reviewers on TripAdvisor to provide helpful tips and photos on a level of detail I wasn't aware existed (really an amazing resource for planning any trip). And of course my handy library-issue guide books: Frommer's Caribbean 2011 and Fodor's Caribbean 2012 (I couldn't imagine planning a vacation without one!).

Willemstad - Capital City of Curacao (Source: Wikipedia)

Montego Bay, Jamaica (Source: Wikipedia)

Chirst Church, Barbados (Source: Wikipedia)

My Recent Obsession: IKEA

2012-02-26T23:48:00.000-05:00

Or more specifically, making IKEA products look even more awesome than they do in the store. And wouldn't you know it, there is an entire website dedicated to such an obsession: http://www.ikeahackers.net/. OH YES THEY DID. Unless you're planning to spend your next few weekends attempting to complete ridiculously complicated projects, I suggest you resist the urge to click on the aforementioned link. But when it's cold outside, sometimes you just need a nice, solid, time-consuming projects to sink your time (& money) into. All in the name of HOME IMPROVEMENT. Such were the circumstances that led to my recent projects.

PROJECT #1 - Modern/Organic Curtains for less than $30
DIGNITET Curtain Wire & Clips from IKEA + 6' X 9' Canvas Dropcloth from Lowes, for a total cost of 12.99 (wire system) + 4.99 (clips) + $10.98 (drop cloth) = $28.96; hard to beat for a complete window treatment.

I wanted a clean, simple window covering that was both modern (clean lines) and organic (good texture, natural pallet). I had been admiring various components of this window treatment since spotting them on Pinterest a few weeks back:

Clip drapery rings that can turn any piece of fabric into "curtains" (available at Target)
Using a painter's drop cloth as a curtain: Shabby Love, one of the many DIY blogs I attempt to emulate, has a great Drop Cloth Shower Curtain Tutorial.
Not implemented here, but my original plan was to paint on a yellow chevron pattern, as shown by Kristen F. Davis Designs in her Chevron Curtain DIY post. Although I still love the idea (and already purchased the paint!), I determined that it just didn't fit with the existing design elements in this space.

PROJECT #2 - Sleek, Modern, All-wood bed frame for less than $100
Full/Double FJELLSE Bed Frame ($49.99) & SULTAN LADE wood slats ($30.00) from IKEA + Minwax Walnut Stain from Lowes ($15.77) = $95.76.

I wanted to upgrade my simple metal bed frame to something a little less squeaky (the dang thing squeaked every time I sat down or turned over). My first thought was, "I'll just build a bed!" (how much harder could it be than building a dog bed?). So after a few hours of furious Google searching, the best thing I found was Ana White's step-by-step plan for a "Much More than a Chunky Leg Bed Frame", which really does look fabulous. But one wonders:( 1) how long will it actually take; (2) what is the likelihood that I will screw this up and; (3) will I actually save money? For me, the answers were: (1) probably much longer than I think; (2) "high"and; (3) probably not much.

So, I turned to IKEA, which happily offers this cheap, unfinished, all-wood option for the eager do-it-yourselfer (yay, me!). Further inspired by brilliant do-it-yourselfers such as Manhattan Nest's glorious FJELLSE hack: A Whole Mess of Staples, I was ready to turn this simple bed into the bed frame of my dreams. All I needed was a little wood stain....

So after sifting through lots of wood & screws...

And spending an entire weekend attempting to successfully stain a bunch of pine wood (mind you, I live in an apartment, don't have any power tools (e.g., a sander would have been nice!), and it was the middle of February when I attempted this project (i.e., stain does not dry quickly when it is below freezing outside), the finished project finally emerged about four days later than my original estimates:

A few disclaimers:

Shipping cost to have the frame/slats sent to my house =$20. Less than the gas I would've spent to get to the store + reduced stress from worrying whether or not it would fit in my car + 4-5 day 'instant' gratification arriving at my door step = worth it, for me.
Staining a piece of furniture is NOT - *definitively not* - a piece of cake. Actually it is pretty difficult, time consuming and easy to screw up. If you ever hear me talk about doing such a thing in the future, please remind me that it is a BAD IDEA. Alternatively, I suggest getting yourself a nice can of spray paint (in whatever color suits your fancy) and you will save yourself a pile of trouble & time. Slap a layer of polyurethane on top, and you won't even be able to tell it's spray paint!
Resist the temptation to put together the various wood pieces until AFTER the staining/painting/spraying phase has been completed. Otherwise, you will inevitably be faced with a bunch of hard to fill-in nooks and crannies (I speak from experiences, as someone who put together both the headboard and footboard before being forced to undo my steps)
Consider your choice of slats carefully. I simply bought the cheapest option on offer, which I probably wouldn't have done if I had it to do over. Don't get me wrong, the SULTAN LADE slats are perfectly adequate. A lot of people talk about having issues with the slats falling through, but this hasn't been an issue for me at all (side note: this related video is hilarious!). My issue had to do with the level of firmness afforded by solid wood bed slats, which was a little too firm for my taste. After sleeping on the slats for a week, it isn't soo bad (with the help of a memory foam mattress cover), but I would suggest paying a little more to get the more flexible SULTAN LURÖY ($50 for Full/Double) or the even more luxurious SULTAN LAXEBY ($120 for Full/Double).

Small Town Arkansas

2012-01-15T18:07:00.000-05:00

Over the holidays, I spent five days in Arkansas visiting friends and family; exploring all my old haunts and checking out everything that has changed since my last visit. Each time I visit, I am struck by how "small-town" the place feels; it's the sort of perspective that only really comes from being away for a while. By Arkansas standards, Fayetteville is actually a decent-sized city (as of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 73,580 - the 3rd largest in Arkansas), and when you consider the Northwest Arkansas metropolitan area as a whole, the population exceeds 450,00. Despite these statistics, I run into someone I know just about everywhere I go; every other business is owned by a friend, acquaintance, or someone otherwise connected to a friend or family member; everywhere I need to go is less than a 10 minute drive away. You know, Small Town.

But I love it. I love going home to Arkansas, because it is so different than life on the East Coast. I wanted to share a few of the places I visited and the Arkansas-isms I encountered along the way.

Tokyo Sushi , which apparently has no website (WTF), has been reviewed on a couple predictable sites:

Urban Spoon, Yelp and one less predictable site: Now That's Cookin ,an Arkansas food blog. Apparently this is my Mom's favorite sushi restaurant, so I was mildly shocked when she fought the temptation to introduce my brother and I to the owner (common occurrence on past restaurant visits). We had a small crisis with the parking situation here. In 2010, the city started charging for on-street parking downtown, charging a whopping $0.50 per hour during the day, a whole dollar per hour at night. Local residents are outraged. The rates seem pretty reasonable to me; especially if it means being able to park directly in front of the restaurant. Anyways, we parked. And were promptly greeted by our friendly waiter who offered us FREE edamame, FREE salad and FREE miso soup, which is apparently their "special" every day. Not bad. Sure made up for that $0.50 we had to pay for parking. And the sushi was delicious too!

Mount Sequoyah, a small hill (mountain?) overlooking the historical area of town. Home to the Mount Seqoyah Retreat & Conference Center, along with many beautiful hillside homes with georgous views, it is also the starting point of a series of little-known trails ("The Mt. Sequoyah Woods") that criss-cross their way along the east side of the mountain. Perhaps much of the reason for the trail's anonymity is that their development is recent; according to fayettevillehistory.com and historicwashingtoncounty.org, nearly 70 acres on the east side of the mountain were bought back by The City of Fayetteville and The Fayetteville Natural Heritage Association in 2003 with the purpose of protecting the area from future development and to make it accessible for everyone the community to enjoy. My family has made it a tradition to do a hike here on Chrismas Day the past few years - it's a beautiful, rugged area not more than a 3 miles from downtown, but you would never guess it while on the trail.

Fayettechill (TM), the new hotness for the sorority/fraternity-type at the University of Arakansas. This is an impressive entrepreneurial effort by a recent U of A grad that appears to be pretty successful. Somehow this guy has convinced all the local outdoor stores to carry his clothing line, with great product placement to boot. Fayettechill is a catchy brand name, and the founder certainly seems to have some business savy, but he's just selling T-shirts. Is that really sustainable? Seems like it would be tough, but another home-grown retailer has been at it for the past 20 years: Houndstooth Clothing Company. Maybe I should sell T-shirts.

Arsaga's Espresso Cafe - With 5 locations in Fayetteville, it has been the coffee shop of choice for Fayettevillians over the past 20 years. Each location has it's own personality, but all have great coffee, friendly service, and a fun artsy vibe created by uniquely designed spaces. The cafe's success and loyalty of their customers may be part of the reason that Starbucks didn't enter the local market until 2006. TWO THOUSAND AND SIX! And you thought Starbucks was taking over the world. Not in Fayetteville. To date, Starbucks only has 2 locations in town.

Shine Salon - Owned and operated by a spunky woman named Sunshine, this salon embodies all that I love about Fayetteville. I mean, where else can you find a stylist named Sunshine? The decor is simple and bright, with a funky antique couch and mid-century coffee table rounding off the waiting area. Sunshine is always friendly and talkative, but also refreshingly honest with her cynical comments and witty banter that she offers up to even her newest client. Every time I've been there I gain some kind of helpful info; last time I got a private viewing of the latest Beyoncé video and advice on what cell phone to buy! Now that's service.

New Year's Resolutions: A look back at 2011

2012-01-01T11:16:00.002-05:00

Happy 2012, folks!

Thanks to all of my loyal blog readers (there seem to be about 8 of you out there) -- really, thanks for reading! And those of you who have stumbled upon these pages via a Google search, I appreciate you stopping by. If this is your first time stopping by, I hope my ramblings don't bore you too much and you'll come back for more. BTW, I highly recommend signing up for the e-mail updates (see right side bar for more info).

As we move into a new year, I wanted to take a minute to revisit my goals for 2011. You can call them resolutions if you wish, but I prefer to think of them as goals - not so much something I hope to change about myself in the coming year, but rather milestones I hope to achieve. This was the first year that I actually wrote down (well, more like typed up) my goals and revisited them periodically throughout the year to check my progress. Many of these goals are simply guidelines by which I strive to live my life - habits I hope to adopt that haven't (or had not) yet become habits. Throughout the rush of daily life, I found it helpful to keep these simple goals in mind, to keep a focus on what really mattered.

I categorized my goals into different pockets of life that I wanted to develop more fully. Each being important and in no particular order, below are a few of my goals for 2011:

Health/ Fitness

Yoga 2x per week (1 paid class/1 free class) - This goal was met more weeks than not. During the summer months, yoga took a backseat to being outdoors, but I made it to no less than 1 yoga class each week. Love my studio, Evolve Movement, and my wonderfully caring teachers there - definitely recommend giving it a try! Also, props to Lululemon, who recently opened up a new store in North Hills, offering FREE classes every Sunday morning. I'm a huge fan of Lululemon products (especially when they "make too much") - if you haven't checked them out, you need to go to their website today (and no, I'm not getting paid to write that!)

Running (>30min) or walking/hiking (>1hour) at least 2x per week. - During the summer months, I exceeded this goal nearly every week, walking >1 each week and running 1-2 times per week. However, I've been lagging during the winter months; with fewer hours of daylight and less welcoming weather, my nightly dog walks are often shortened to 30 minutes. I still think this is a very achievable goal, and I'll continue to set this goal for myself in the coming year. I've realized that it is essential to take advantage of my weekends and get outside for at least an hour each day (whether it be running, hiking or walking - usually at Umstead Park, The American Tobacco Trail, North Carolina Museum of Art Park or Harris Lake County Park). I also want to get my day started earlier (at work closer to 8am instead of 9am) so I can get home early enough for a long walk and still have dinner at a reasonable hour.

Train for event(s) - This was one of my goals that I shared with a friend earlier this year, and I am grateful that she took the initiative to suggest we run a local 5k race together - The Jingle Bell Walk/Run 5K for Arthritis, which was held December 3rd. Thanks to Kathryn for suggesting this great event, Kevin for running with me, and all my friends and family who donated to the cause! Having an event to train for really helped to keep me on track for my running goal also. I really enjoyed this event and plan to set a goal of training for one event per quarter in 2012. Maybe a triathlon in there somewhere?

Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night - This is a tough one for me because I always get a second wind about 10:00pm each night and decide that it is the perfect time to get a million things accomplished. Not good for getting up early and doing all the things stated above. Must learn to *wind down* at 10:00pm instead of getting wound up.

Create - Design - Imagine

Spend >4 hours per week indulging my creative side. Painting/ making collages/ writing for the sake of writing/ cooking new recipes. - This blog has gone a long way in helping to accomplish this goal, and for that I am thankful. I've also been quite crafty this year in doing home decorating projects. A few photo highlights are provided below, including a hand-crafted doggie bed, refurbishing a couple chairs from thrift stores, and building shelves! I'm also appreciative to the wonderful invention of Pinterest, which provides for hours of creative indulgence. I am happy to say that indulging my creative side has become a habit, and I'll continue to set aside time for this in 2012.

Homemade Dog Bed

Refurbished Chair - $10 at Thrift Store

Read one “fun” (travel) book per quarter. - Admittedly (and somewhat shamefully) I've struggled with this goal. I blame it partly on my book selection, partly on my inability to get to bed before 10:00pm, and partly on not making reading for fun a priority. This will be on my goal list again in 2012. However, thanks to a resurgence of reading in the 4th quarter, I have read 3.5 books for fun in 2011:

Googled: The End of the World As We Know It, by Ken Auletta - an interesting work of non-fiction,which chronicles Google's evolution over the past 15 years and their impact on the technology industry and Life As We Know It. Critical reading for anyone hoping to understand how Google is changing the world, but I could have done without the last 150 pages, which seemed to drag on a bit.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, by John Berendt - Arguably the most famous book about life in Savannah Georgia (and surprisingly a non-fiction work). I picked up this book to read at the beach during our Memorial Day trip to the low country of Hilton Head and didn't finish it until the day after Christmas. Not that it wasn't a good book, but at no point did I get "hooked" on the story line. I appreciated it more for it's references to Savannah history and architecture, especially after making a trip there last February and seeing many of the sights referenced in the book.
The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance: A Memoir, by Elna Baker - Recommended to me by a co-worker after a lunchtime discussion about dating as a Mormon, this book kept my attention more than any I had read in a while. As the reviews suggest, it is truly a mix of Sex and the City wit and Eat Pray Love soul searching. This was a book that I stayed up way too late reading and finished in less than a week.
The Help, by Kathryn Stockett (in progress) - Recommended to me by Amazon.com and everyone else I know, it's easy to see why this is the book everyone seemed to be reading on the airplane this holiday season.

Entrepreneurship

Start a blog - Check! Happily blogging since May 2011.

Sell products online (become more adept at using ebay) - Somehow this fell off the list of priorities. Need to focus on this in 2012. Plan to setup an e-bay account, maybe read some library books about selling online, and try to start by sellling some things I would otherwise give away.

(Long Term): Maintain a base income ($1000/month) through involvement in business activities unrelated to my primary employment. (consulting, investing, blogging, etc). - Still a long term goal, and I feel like this blog is a start, but still pretty far off from making money. In 2012 I hope to investigate waysto publicize my blog more, bring in more traffic and organize blogging topics to make it more reader friendly.

Travel

Get out of town at least once per month. This is for my own sanity, really. I've got Wanderlust in the blood, and if I don't get out of town once a month, I pretty much go crazy. Here is a summary of places I've visited this year:

January - Chile! See all previous blog post :)
February - Snowshoe, WV & Savannah, GA
March - Jacksonville, FL
April - Fayetteville, AR
May - Hilton Head, SC
June - Pilot Mountain, NC
July - Hanging Rock, NC & Fontana Village, NC
August - Charlottesville, VA
September - Fayetteville, AR
October - Austin, TX
November - Charlottesville, VA & Washington, DC
December - Fayetteville, AR & Washington, DC

Hoping that 2012 will allow for more opportunities to get out of town! So far, things are looking up with a trip planned to Colorado at the end of this month!

Take a trip to a place I’ve never been before (1 week vacation this summer) - I stayed local with my travel this past summer, spending a week at the beach with family in Hilton Head, SC and a 4-day weekend with my boyfriend's family in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Both were places I hadn't been before, although neither was particularly exotic. Sometimes it's nice to explore the beauty close to home, and the remoteness of Fontana Village gave the impression of being in a different time and place even though we were only a few hours drive from home. In 2012, I hope to make a trip to the West Coast (Portland, OR/ Vancouver, BC) or possibly Northern Europe (Sweden) to visit old friends and see a part of the world that I haven't experienced before.

Make a point to visit/spend time with Mom & Dad at least every 3 months - Happy to say I saw my parents in January, April, May, June, August, September November, and December this year. Not bad :). Hope to have multiple opportunities to see them so often in 2012.

Visit friends living in places I haven't visited before. - This year I made trips to see two of my best friends who live in Florida and Texas, respectively. I always enjoy visiting friends who have moved to new places - not only is it great to have a free place to stay, but it really is wonderful to meet all the people in their lives and come to know their daily surroundings - it makes phone conversations so much more meaningful when you can picture the person on the other line pacing around their kitchen or lounging on their couch as you do the same in your own home.

NEW FOR 2012: Vegas, baby! - Who's with me?

Home/ Auto

Purchase new couch by April 2011- Check! Possibly the best purchase I made all year :)

New Couch!

Continue to invest in items that make my home more comfortable and more “lived in” - This is more of an addiction than a goal these days, so I guess I've successfully made a habit of it! I could say that I'm "done", but I won't. Only that I could probably do to "diversify my investments" a bit :).

Focus on upgrades for bedroom - Found a nice desk on Amazon.com, paired nicely with the refurbished chair from the thrift store, added some nice bedding/pillows, topped it off with a matching pair of framed prints I found at the thrift store. voilà! I think I'm done with this project for now.

Invest in recommended car maintenance - performed recommended maintenance on my VW Golf until I sold the 10-year-old car in October in favor of a 2011 Mazda 3s, my new pride and joy. Looking forward to regular preventive maintenance instead of anticipating a potential major repair cost (although I loved my Golf, it was time to let it go).

Zoom-Zoom, my Mazda 3s

Educational

Spend time each morning reviewing online news articles - I try to peruse any news article that is sent my way. I tend to get 5-10 links/day sent to me via the e-mail list at work, a few more via my Facebook news feed, and daily update e-mails from the Triangle Business Journal (free, with great local news updates, but a little gimmicky). It may not be the most balanced way to get news, but I find I'm usually fairly well informed of all the top stories affecting my industry, region and demographic. I could do to check actual news sites more often - something to focus on in 2012!

Use Sunday afternoons as a time to catch up on The Economist (read at least 3 articles out of each issue) - I'd say I have about a 50/50 success rate for this one. Some weeks I'll read more than 3 articles, sometimes none. I've found that this is a good thing for me to do during basketball/football games; even though I enjoy sports, I tend to get a little bored if I don't have something else to distract me.

Research other interest/goals on a more detailed level by utilizing library books - I've done a lot of researching through my blogging activities, and tend to be naturally curious for details/facts about whatever I am working on at the time. However, books do offer a certain level of thoroughness that isn't available through a quick Google search. Need to focus more on this goal in 2012.

(Long Term): Become a certified yoga instructor - Still on my list :)

Pablo Neruda's La Chascona & Other Lovely Finds in Bellavista

2011-12-18T20:07:00.000-05:00

January 8, 2011 (part II)

Arriving into the neighborhood of Bellavista, we soon encountered a large outdoor craft market selling various Chilean-made art & craft-type items. We browsed the shops before gravitating toward one of the more unique stands selling knitted items: sweaters, vest, neck warms; each designed with a very particular Chilean Style in hip, interesting colors. This definitely wasn't your cooking-cutter souvenir stand; we happily picked up a few items for ourselves and few more to give as gifts.

We didn't get to wonder around the craft market too long (probably a good thing for budget purposes ;), asit was nearing the time of our schedule tour at La Chascona, Pablo Neruda's house in Santiago), which we easily found tucked away on a side street of Bellavista. We browsed the gift shop and cooled off with some iced tea in the on-site cafe The weather was was much warmer today, necessitating a bit of cooling down after our longish trek from Providencia to Bellavista.

Now, I must admit that this is where my real-time journaling from our trip to Chile ends. Upon returning to "real life" back in the States and the demands of full-time job, I quickly lost motivation to write down a play-by-play report of what occurred during our remaining hours in Chile. But I will try to reflect on the experience a bit here.

La Chascona

And perhaps it will help that this wasn't my first visit to La Chascona. No, I also visited Neruda's Bellavista home way back in 2003; back in the days before I was using a digital camera; before Facebook had been invented; before many of the modern conveniences that we enjoy in 2011. I have pictures of this visit somewhere....tucked away in an old photo album I'm sure; certainly not available in electronic format. My visit to La Chascona occurred early in my 2003 study abroad experience, at a time when my knowledge of Chile was much more limited than in is today and my appreciation for the eccentric poet non-existent (Pablo who?). So I was thankful to have a second opportunity to visit La Chascona with the added benefit of having studied Chilean culture and Neruda's poetry in greater depth.

As Eóin's Epic Travel Blog describes, "La Chascona was actually built and named after Neruda’s third wife, Matilde Urrutia, although at the time it was built he was still married to his second wife and Matilde was a secret…Anyway, his house is just as bizarre and quirky as the man himself. It’s decked out, like all his houses, to look and feel like a ship. Curved ceilings, ship furniture, water running past the window, narrow rooms and lots of rum. You should read a little bit about his life, a life he seemed to spend constantly lying and covering things up. I suppose the title of his last book pretty much sums up his days; ‘I Confess that I have Lived’."

I particulary enjoyed Irene Gimeno Espasa's take on the life of Neruda in her post, I CONFESS THAT I HAVE LIVED: THE LIFE OF PABLO NERUDA, SOUTH AMERICA’S FINEST POET: "Chilean poet Pablo Neruda had one of those existences that do justice to life. He got a taste of happiness and love, of justice and heroism, as well as bitterness, sadness and exile."

After the tour of La Chascona, we decided to go for quick happy hour drink before it was time to head back to the hotel and prepare for my flight back to North America, cold weather and short days of little sunshine. As we enjoyed our tasty beers among the tree-lined streets of Bellavisita, Santiago summer seemed to be in full swing; groups of friends filled the cafes and street-side tables for several blocks in either direction. A warm breeze blew through the air. I could have stayed another week. Or two.

Enjoying a beer in Bellavista

But it was time to head to the airport, which was jam-packed full of other international tourist, most of whom were destined for the same fate as myself. A fate that included a 8 + hour plane ride, followed by a not-so-pleasant experience of clearing customs at 5am, followed by many hours in the Miami airport. All ending with the realization that it is wintertime where I live. And it gets dark at 5pm. And there are no leaves on the trees. And its cold.

Which is why it is so important to be thankful for those blazing hot days we had this past summer.

And that is the end of my Chilean Adventure of January 2011. Now on to other blogging topics...

Modern Conveniences in Santiago, Chile

2011-12-11T22:04:00.001-05:00

January 8, 2011

Last day in Chile - *sigh*.

Before checking out of our hotel in Valparaiso, we were able to get in touch with the Neruda Foundation in Santiago to make an appointment to see La Chascona. Unlike the La Sebastiana in Valparaiso, you can't just walk up to Neruda's house in Santiago. We were happy to secure a tour on such short notice and very much looking forward to the opportunity to have another peak into Nerudas personality through his uniequely decorated home.

We called a taxi to take us to the bus terminal (a much quieter locale than its counterpart in Santiago), and within 15 minutes of our arrival at the terminal we were on a bus headed to Santiago. I never cease to be amazed at the professionalism and quality of service offer by the major bus companies in Chile. All of the coaches I've ridden in have been very comfortable and comparable to any charter bus in the U.S. TurBus has gotten the business down to a science, and all the employees seem to be perfectly orchestrated so that departures and arrivals are exactly on cue.

Our hour and a half journey from Valparaiso took us through the wine region of the Casablanca Valley (very pretty country indeed), and around 1pm we were pulling back into the bus terminal in Santiago. A taxi ride later through the leafy streets of downtown over to Provedencia, we arrived at our "petit" hotel. The Meridiano Sur is located along a quiet street, just off the main drag in an "old money" neighborhood of Santiago. The staff of this intimate hotel were quick to greet us: a woman, who appeared to be the owners/manager, and a gentleman in his late 50's who appears to be a newly minted employee. The gentleman showed us around the hotel; a converted home completely re-done in a crisp, modern Chilean style (white walls, wood floors, lots of glass, Chilean artwork, IKEA-style furniture). There was a cozy reading/living area with travel information and a flat screen TV, along with a small but functional computer station.Instead of getting two rooms, we opted for the penthouse suite on the top (3rd) floor, which had four beds and a nice seating area.

Meridiano Sur

After getting settled into the hotel and freshening up a bit, we headed out in search of LUNCH. Hot on the Frommers trail, I selected a place on the main street (Avenida Provedencia), just minutes from our hotel, but also on the way to Bellavista, where we were headed next. Bar Liguria received a *** Frommers rating, along with a "moments" designation in the "inexpensive dining category, so we figured it was worth a visit. The food was good, the atmosphere fun and lively, and it certainly was very memorable. You could tell the place got it's fair share of tourist (our waiter insisted upon trying out his [somewhat lacking] English skills on us), but there was also a good number of locals dining alongside the gawking sightseers which helped to retain some of it's hole-in-the-wall charm. Upon sitting down, the waiter immediately asked us if we'd like to try an appetizer of machas a la parmesana (razor clams on the halfshell smothered and baked with a layer of parmesan cheese on top). Dad, ever optimistic of the palatability of seafood in Chile, promptly agreed to an order, speculating in fact that we might need a double order? No, I think a single will do...

Bar Liguria

After finishing up a tasty lunch of octopus salad with avocado, tomatoes, greens, and a light balsamic vinaigrette, we emerged from the restaurant and into the warm summertime air to continue our walk towards Bellavista. We had a little over an hour to kill before our tour was schedule dot begin at Pablos Neruda's house, La Charascona, so we were able to take our time and check out some of the sights along the way.

Fortunately, the route from Bar Liguria to Bellavista was lined with leafy trees and interspersed with grassy promenades. Walking through Parque Balmaceda, we passed by a few couples necking on park benches before stopping to appreciate the beautiful fountain (Fuente Bicentenario) and rather interesting sculpture ("Homenaje a Rodo"). Apparently both the fountain and statute are recent additions to the park; built in 2005 to commemorate Chile's Bicentennial, which was celebrated on on September 18, 2010.

Our lazy stroll through the park was interrupted by the sight of an ambulance with flashing lights and a quickly growing crowd of spectators peering in on the recent victim of a traffic accident. The scene was decidedly different than anything you might encounter back in the states, where police would have ensured that onlookers were kept at a reasonable distance from the scene of the incident.

Fuente Bicentenario

Homenaje a Rodo

Car wreck near Parque Balmaceda

Wait, There's an Armada in Chile?

2011-12-11T15:23:00.001-05:00

January 7, 2011 (part III)

After having our fill of seafood at Mis Nietos, we took a stroll along the inlet to appreciate the crashing waves and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. This particular stretch of road was well-equipped with a nice sidewalk and periodic look-out points from which to gaze upon the harbor in the distance. A strong breeze off the ocean was perfectly complemented by the brightly shining afternoon sun to make for comfortable strolling weather. We walked slowly and took many photos as we fought off the urge for an after lunch siesta.

Caleta El Membrillo

I'm fairly certain my Mom would have continued this meandering walk along the coast for the rest of the afternoon. However, we had a long list of things to see and it was already approaching 4:00pm and it was time to get a move-on. We began walking back in the direction we had come, toward the city center. On the map, it looked like our next destination, Museo Naval y Maritimo, couldn't possibly be more than a mile or so down the coast. So instead of catching a bus, we walked. And then we kept walking - for nearly an hour. Needless to say, it was more than a mile. As we walked, the scenery quickly turned from views of crashing waves and sweeping vistas to a more industrial scene. As we neared the port, we saw several university buildings for marine studies, as well as a facility for the Chilean Navy (La Armada Chilena).

Finally, we arrived at the base of Ascensor Atilleria - the elevator that would take us to our destination at the top of the steep hill. Like the other ascensores in Valparaiso, La Atilleria looked as if it had received few repairs since it was originally built in the late 1800s. Unique to La Atilleria is that it is much larger than the other ascensores of Valparaiso, with capacity for 10-15 people vs. the 4-6 person capacity of the other elevators we had ridden in. The views on the way up the ride up were especially rewarding; this was the first time we had been up on the hillside while the sun was out and the blue sky provided a nice contrast to the brightly colored buildings and lush gardens that were in full summer bloom.

Ascensor Atilleria

At the top of the elevator, we found the usual lively scene that we had begun to expect at the top of an ascensor in Valparaiso: vendors selling souvenirs, musicians, a cafe with an excellent view, and of course other fellow tourist. There was also a nice gazebo and pleasant tree-covered Paseo 21 de Mayo that provided a nice setting for some panorama photos of the city (the promenade is named to commemorate a naval battle that occurred on the 21st of May, 1879 in Iquique, Chile during the War of the Pacific). We spent a bit of time looking at the souvenir stands; Mom was on a bit of a gift-buying shopping rampage - fair warning to any of our relatives that receive kitsch little South American trinkets this holiday season ;).

After some effort, we were able to pull her away from the souvenir stands and up the flight of stairs leading to the Naval Museum. Housed in a grand old white building at the very peak of the hill and surrounded by a well-cared for lawn, it seemed a world away from the grit and grime of the harbor below. Along the pathway leading up to the museum, a friendly golden retriever was enjoying a lively game of fetch by hoisting his chew toy (an old plastic coke bottle filled with sand) over the 4 ft. tall fence so that it could be thrown by passersby . Great fun and seriously entertaining for all involved.

Up at the Museo Naval y Maritimo, we paid our entry fee and browsed the many different rooms that recounted Chilean naval history. I was surprised to learn that Chile had been involved with several major conflicts over the past 200 years since their independence from Spain. When considering the length of Chile's coast, it really shouldn't be that surprising that their navy is as prolific as it is - in the harbor earlier in the day, we had seen row after row of navy ships. I suppose these are the things one becomes enlightened about through travel and museum visits such as these.

Museo Naval y Maritimo

After another ride on the ascensor, we were back in the flat area of the city. Unable to locate a taxi (a noticeable trend during our stay in the area), we hopped on a city bus that delivered us to the base of the street leading up to our hotel. This cut our journey in half but we still had a hefty uphill walk ahead of us. Thankfully we continued to be blessed with especially nice weather that day, which made the never-ending walking a little less arduous. The route up the hill took us on many of the stairways and narrow pathways that we had traversed the day before. En route, we picked up our two bottles of wine and water for the night and retired to the Hotel for a bit of R & R before dinner.

Happy to have a little down time after a long day of walking and sightseeing, I spent some time in our lovely room peering out the window overlooking the hills of Valpo with a pleasant breeze blowing through the curtains as the sun began to set and the city lights began to twinkle. With wine glass in hand, I enjoyed the beats of typical Chilean music playing from the stereo (a CD my Dad had bought from one of the musicians who had serenaded us at lunch today) while catching up on some journal writing.

Once the bottles of wine were empty around 9:30, we walked the few blocks down the hill to the cluster of restaurants we had eaten at the day before. Seeing as how we had once again managed to get a late start on dinner, our dining options were limited by the amount of seating still available (waiting on tables is uncommon in Chile; it is expected patrons will stay for the better part of the evening, so it is not likely for a table to become available halfway through the dinner hour.) After peaking in a few different restaurants, we decided our best bet would be Almacen Nacional - the same place we had eaten at for lunch the day before, but hard to disagree with given it's convenient location, convivial atmosphere and reasonable prices. We ordered a couple tablas (appetizer trays) that included meats, cheese, veggies and olives prepared in typical Chilean styles. Good, but nothing to rave about. After a quick walk up the hill, we were headed to bed at the early hour of 11:15.

Almacen Nacional

Conger Eel, Say What ???

2011-12-11T13:53:00.001-05:00

January 1, 2011 (part II)

By the time our harbor tour was over, the morning fog and clouds had given way to beautiful blue skies. As we turned our thoughts to lunch, we decided to take a local bus down the coast a few miles to check out a spot recommended to us by one of the friendly staff members back at Hotel Thomas Somerscales where we were advised that we would find good, fresh, typical Chilean seafood.

Arriving at Caleta El Membrillo ( "Quince Inlet" - This inlet owes its name to the grove of quince trees that was once there.), we were immediately swarmed by a half dozen waiters from each of the seafood restaurants clustered here. We decided to let Mom choose the spot this time, and she selected Mis Nietos, which had an upstairs dining area with lots of windows that provided sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. There was nothing fancy about the restaurant, but the tables were colorfully decorated in bright pink and purple table cloths that matched the uniforms of the friendly and attentive wait staff. There were only a few other tables occupied when we arrived shortly after 2pm (a normal hour for lunch in Chile), but the spacious dining area was by no means packed. Our fellow dinners appeared to be local middle class Chileans, along with a couple other groups of Latin American tourist. We were definitely off the tourist map here (both literally and figuratively), which added an element of adventure and made the reward of a an authentic experience even more special.

Mis Nietos - "My Grandkids" - Seafood Restaurant in Caleta El Membrillo

Our waiter friends at Caleta el Membrillo - soliciting our business at the various seafood restaurants

The waiter recommended the Congria (Conger Eel), Corvina (Sea Bass) and Reineta (white fish, found exclusively in Chile), so we ordered one of each and hoped for the best. Dad decided to take a chance on the seafood soup, despite our prior experience with the dish back in Santiago. After we ordered, the waiter came by to ask if we'd like an Apéritif ("de la casa" - FREE). Well, sure. Why not? We were each given little shots of pisco sour (which were much better tasting than the strait pisco that we were given back in Vina de Mar)along with a plate of super delicious empanads de marisco (fried seafood turnover). Next came the Reineta (white fish), simply grilled with butter and served on a fish-shaped plate. Dad's seafood soup had the same funky taste as the one at the fish market in Santiago. At this point we had determined that this was not the result of spoiled seafood but rather a by-product of the clams or oysters contained within; at any rate, I don't think we'll be ordered anymore seafood soup on this trip!

Caleta El Membrillo

Sea Lions & Cargo Ships in Valparaíso

2011-11-24T19:12:00.001-05:00

January 7, 2011 (part I)

I love old houses. This is likely due to the fact that I grew up in a Victorian farmhouse and spent many a-weekends perusing antique stores with my Dad looking for period pieces to decorate our old home. When we were planning our trip to Valparaiso, my Dad made a special request to stay in one of the old Victorian mansions that line the hillsides of the port-side city. We certainly found what we were looking for in Hotel Thomas Somerscales, and on our second day in Valparaiso, we finally took some time sit around and enjoy it's beautiful decor while enjoying a breakfast of fresh orange juice, furit, pastries, jam, cheese and of course cafe con leche served in one of the elegant vaulted rooms downstairs.

Decor at Hotel Thomas Somerscales

Around noon, we set off down the hill to the Prat Pier (Muelle Prat). Today our intention was to take a boat tour around the harbor. When I had visited Valparaiso in winter 2003 (North American Summer), we had gone out in a little fishing boat all by ourselves (at least that is how I remembered it). Today, the fishermen were sending out boats filled to capacity with large groups of tourist. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long for a tour - a boat quickly came along and we were hustled into the hull along with 30 of our closest friends. The seating arrangement was chummy at best - a clear example of how "personal space" has a different definition in Latin America. And I tell you, if this had been a boat full of Americans, they would have protested to the high heavens (my Mom was about to, if she didn't get a life jacket "right now!").

Boat Tours - CLP $2000 - about $4 USD

The guy in charge of filling the boat had a few people straddling cross beans and anyone under the age of 8 was kindly asked to sit on their parent's lap. No one on the boat ride was cold for the lack of body warmth! The entry to the boat was another interesting aspect - the boat rocked back and forth vigorously, only held to the shore by a few ropes that the skippers held onto. Everyone from grandmas to small children were helped on with a friendly hand (or two, when necessary).

Welcome Aboard!

We didn't leave the dock until the boat was 100% full; and surprisingly everyone was given (and expected to wear!) a life jacket. The boat organizer-come-tour-guide commenced yelling over the motor to provide us with information about the boats in the harbor as we made our way up the coast, past large freight liners carrying fruit, a line of 100+ newly disembarked cars (presumably from Asia), as well as a group of sea linoins perched on a buoy sunning themselves. We also passed by a magnetic crane at the unloading docs where thousands of containers were being moved. Quite the logisticial feat! After about 45 minutes we disembarked from our boat tour and began our search for lunch.

Yep, that's a sea lion!