C Squared W

Thrifty Dining Room Update

2013-04-21T14:46:00.000-04:00

Our new apartment is awesome. It has lots of vintage charm, beautiful architectural details, and it's spacious (and yes, the dining room even came with that awesome chandelier!). We are loving finding the perfect spots for all of our furniture and art, but still have a few areas that are looking a little sparse. On a med school student's budget, we've had to resort to Ikea, thriftiness, and lots of DIY-ing to get our place looking the way we want it.

This weekend, we gave our dining room a little makeover with some inexpensive DIY wall art. The problem with our dining room is that it's huge with lots of wall space. We hung a large mirror at one end of the room, but still had a huge expanse of wall space that needed something (or some things) big. We have some large pieces of art, but already hung them elsewhere in our apartment.

We didn't want to spend money on more art or frames, so we tried this simple DIY that we found on Little Green Notebook: Huge prints for only $4. Jenny Komenda has amazing ideas, and I love her style! I was so excited to finally have the chance to try one of her projects.

How to make it happen:

Find some photos.
Make them black and white.
Save them on a flash drive and print them as large format architectural prints at FedEx Kinkos (around $4 each). (You can call or check out the website before you go for info on sizing and how to save your files. We saved them as grayscale images and converted them to PDFs.)
Buy some large pieces of foam core. (We found huge pieces at Dollar Tree.)
You will probably need to cut the foam core to the size of your images. Our photos ended up being 20"x26" and the foam core was 20"x28." Use an exacto knife and a straight edge.
You can paint the sides of the foam core first (I painted ours peach).
After we cut the board and painted the sides, we trimmed the white borders off the photos (the easiest thing to do is to trim them using the large paper cutters at Kinkos after you have your photos printed).
Use double stick tape to mount your photos to the foam core. So easy.
Use 3M sticky velcro picture hangers to attach the foam core mounted photos to the wall.

This was seriously so cheap and so easy! The entire project cost around $30, and we love the way that it brought some life to our dining room!

We have so many amazing photos from our adventures in the Caribbean over the past few years, and we were so excited to find a great way to put some of them on display. I am pretty proud of the fact that we took all of these photos ourselves!

Kaieteur Falls, Guyana, South America
Valley of Desolation, Dominica, West Indies
Snake Steps, Dominica, West Indies
Aba Wavine, Dominica, West Indies

*Advice for the Kinko's printing part:

Print one image first to make sure it looks good. The photos came out really dark and streaky the first time (I think the printer needed new ink?). The guy who was helping me was really nice and lightened the photos and printed them on the extra large paper, which got rid of the streaks on the edges. I think he was supposed to charge me $7/each for the larger paper, but he was nice and didn't). Asking the guy if he could lighten the images and get rid of the streaks made such a difference, so definitely print one copy first to see what you think, and ask if they can help you make any adjustments if you aren't happy with the first print. This made all the difference!

Also, these prints are not the highest quality and the paper is thin copy paper (not photo paper), but it is a great option if you want something inexpensive and dramatic. All this being said, we really do love how they turned out!

Font used: Amatic | Typekeys
Arrow Photoshop Brushes from Creature Comforts
Inspiration for this project from Little Green Notebook

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W

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Making it happen: an Etsy shop!

2013-04-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

I've decided that it's time to open my own Etsy shop! Opening my own shop and selling more of my work is something that I've wanted to do for a while now, but I've just never made it happen. I've always been too busy, too tired, or just lacking motivation. Now that we've moved to Chicago, however, I've found myself with more time, motivation, and room to paint and create. I've been blogging, drawing, painting, decorating, and just being creative, and I'm loving it!

I've gotten some amazing encouragement from friends after posting photos of some of my paintings here on the blog, on Facebook, and on Instagram. So, I've decided that it's time to make it happen. I'm going to continue working over the next few weeks to create some more pieces and to get everything set up, but my own Etsy shop is definitely in the works.

I'll keep you posted on the details! Thank you for all the love and encouragement!

Fonts & Brushes used:
Pea Roxygirl from Kevin & Amanda
Arvil by Ben Dalyrimple from Lost Type Co-op
Arrow Brushes from Creature Comforts

Art and design by Clare Wilkinson.

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Perfect little plants

2013-04-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

As you may already know, we love Trader Joe's around here. One of my favorite treats to buy at TJ's (besides anything covered in chocolate) is fresh flowers (I'm currently loving their tulips and eucalyptus!). I was so excited to discover these pretty, potted succulents at Trader Joe's last weekend. I picked up three of them to sit in the windowsill in our home office.

We've been wanting to add a few plants to our new apartment, but have been intimidated and indecisive about what to get, where to put them, and how to care for them. These succulents are perfect, because they're low maintainance, but still have lots of personality (just the way we like it).

I'm not sure what I like better, the funky plants or their fun, geometric pots!

Font used: Sanserifing

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

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Job hunting & creating

2013-04-11T11:05:00.003-04:00

This week, I'm laying low and hunkering down on my job search here in Chicago. I've updated my resume, searched, and started filling out applications and writing cover letters. I'm looking for something that's either creative, non-profit, or in the education field, but am pretty open to doing anything that what would be a good fit for me. In the meantime I'm getting creative and trying to supplement our income with some freelance art and writing projects.

I'm loving the inspiring words on my current desktop wallpaper and am hoping that this simple nudge of encouragement to "make it happen" will help keep me motivated.

Any job hunting advice for me? Or better yet, a job? All advice and encouragement is welcomed!

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W
Desktop wallpaper from breanna rose

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My painting + Joy's Salon Wall

2013-04-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

What a fun treat to check out Frock Files this week and find a beautiful salon-style gallery wall (and awesome tutorial) that included one of my paintings (top left).

What a striking room and wall - it all looks gorgeous! I love that most of the pieces that Joy hung have a special significance - pieces from friends from different walks of like, or collected on trips to favorite and sentimental places.

For me, the art that we hang and collect is much the same way - it all has a story, and is tied to a place or memory. I'll have to share an "art walk" around our apartment sometime to show you some of our favorite pieces and the stories that go with them.

Do you have a gallery wall? I've always wanted one, and have a random assortment of photos and small paintings that we haven't been able to find the perfect homes for. They are currently living in boxes and waiting for frames... but I think that at some point, a gallery wall is in their future!

Photo by Joy Uyeno - Frock Files

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Make 'em: Ikat Knobs

2013-04-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

I always swoon over the gorgeous knobs and drawer pulls from Anthropologie, but at up $10 a pop, they can quickly become an expensive, little update. We recently acquired a cabinet for our TV on craigslist, and I wanted an inexpensive way to give it a fresh look that didn't require purchasing knobs that cost nearly as much as the cabinet itself.

My solution? DIY ikat knobs made with wooden knobs that cost less than a dollar each and some bright paint.

Hand-painted Ikat Knobs

Materials:

unfinished wooden cabinet knobs
scrap paper
pen or pencil
paint (I used leftover house paint samples from Lowes)
a small, thin, pointy ended paint brush (for the details)
a larger paint brush (to paint the background)
polyurethane
cup of water and a paper towel (to clean your brush)

Method:

a: champagne culture // b: madeline weinrib // c: shumacher // d: greenwithglamor

(a lighter color is better to begin with)

I found that the best way to achieve the ikat squiggly look was to paint diagonal line-like strokes extending across the width of each diamond section, filling in the diamond shape one brush stroke at a time.

As you begin adding colors the paint may be transparent, so you will probably need to do a few coats. I painted my design one color and one coat at a time. (First all the teal, then all the yellow, then all the coral.) I allowed each coat to dry completely and then went back in and touched up my top coats (just the yellow and coral). During the touch ups you can try to better define the ikat-look with your short, diagonal brush strokes.

Allow your knobs to dry overnight before coating them with a thin layer of polyurethane (apply according to the instructions on your can of poly).

Let me know if you make these, I'd love to see how they turn out! Not into crafting, but want some hand painted knobs? Send me an email, I'd love to work with you to make some!

Fonts used: Rochester, Type Keys

Tutorial Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.
Ikat patterns: a: champagne culture // b: madeline weinrib // c: shumacher // d: greenwithglamor

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Sausage Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

2013-04-03T12:45:00.000-04:00

While this has nothing to do with spring, it has everything to do with being absolutely delicious. I discovered this recipe earlier this year and have made it several times since. Each time, it's been a huge it. So, add this into the rotation sometime soon! The presentation is really pretty, so it's perfect to make for dinner guests, but it's also easy enough to make on any old night for dinner.

Recipe: Sausage Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Enjoy!

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Charlie's Breakfast Burritos

2013-03-30T14:14:00.001-04:00

As much as I love to cook, I also love eating a delicious, homemade meal that I have not had to cook myself. Charlie surprised me this morning with these awesome breakfast burritos that he threw together with some leftover bacon and sweet potato fries... they were too good not to share!

Sweet Potato Fry Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients:

2 tortillas (we used Trader Joe's Chia Seed Flour Tortillas)
1 cup of sweet potato fries (cooked) (we used Trader Joe's Sweet Potato Fries - from the freezer section)
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (we used Trader Joe's Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt)
1 tablespoon of Sriracha
3 eggs
2-3 tablespoons of milk
1 piece of cooked bacon (diced)
1 handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon of chopped green onion
2 cups of arugula

Preparation:

Whisk together the eggs and the milk.
Reheat the sweet potato fries. (Charlie broiled them in the toaster oven for a few minutes until they started to brown.)
Mix together the yogurt and Sriracha to make a sauce to spoon on top of the burritos (this was really, really good, so don't skip this step!).
Add the diced, cooked bacon to the pan and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pan looks greased and the bacon is heated through.
Add the sliced cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring the tomatoes occasionally to combine them with the bacon.
Add the scrambled egg/milk mixture to the pan (with the bacon and tomatoes) and scramble it all for a few minutes until cooked. Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat and add salt and pepper to the mixture (to taste).
Heat the tortillas. (Charlie used this method which he learned from his friend, Paul - I had never heard of this, but it sounds awesome and made the tortillas really tasty: Place the tortillas over low to medium flame on gas burner for about 30 seconds until they are warm and soft. Flip and repeat on other side.)
Burrito assembly: Place egg/bacon/tomato mixture on top of a flat tortilla. Place a handful of arugula on top of that. Next, add the sweet potato fries. Spoon the yogurt sauce on top and spread it over the fries. Lastly, sprinkle the burritos with green onions.
Breakfast is served!

P.S. - Can you tell that we love Trader Joe's?!? We're obsessed. I'm thinking about sharing our TJ's favorites in a post soon!

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

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New art!

2013-03-28T07:00:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been embracing my creative side and getting back into painting. The images above are some pieces that I've been working on recently. One of my goals is to really get back into it, and start doing commissions and selling more of my work. I'm excited to already have a commission for two paintings booked, and am thinking of opening an Etsy shop as well.

One of my favorite things about our new apartment is that we have lots of space, even room for a little office (where I am currently happily typing away) and a space for my easel (by the windows with tons of natural light), two things which we've never quite had room for. I'm thrilled to finally have enough room to be creative with feeling like I'm taking over our entire apartment. Our future is looking colorful!

Interested in a custom painting? Send me an email and let me know, I'd love to work with you!

Font used: Penna

Paintings by Clare Wilkinson

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And we're back.

2013-03-23T14:15:00.000-04:00

If anyone still reads this blog, thanks for hanging in there. I told you I'd be back, eventually!

So, this is the part where I start regularly writing on the blog again, and transitioning from documenting our Caribbean journey to chronicling and sharing inspiration now that we're back in the USA.

Before I do that, let me fill you in a little bit on what we've been up to since we left Dominica.

The last 6 months

In August, we spent a week visiting my little sister who's currently serving in the Peace Corps in Guyana South America.

In September, we left Dominica, where Charlie was in medical school for 2 years, and moved back to Virginia to live with my Mom while Charlie studied for the first U.S. Medical Licensing Exam and awaited his placement (anywhere in the U.S.) for his rotations for year three and four of med school.

On our way home from Dominica, we spent a few days in Puerto Rico and had an amazing time. I'm planning on sharing some long-overdue pics and info about the great place we stayed soon!

We were lucky enough to see lots of friends and family this fall. This included a family beach weekend in the Outer Banks, a family wedding in Hilton Head, a week in the mountains of Tennessee, and a Richmond wedding. It was amazing being able to do all of this after being far away for the past two years.

While Charlie studied non-stop, I spent my time working (retail, nannying, driving carpools, substitute teaching), painting, and designing.

In December, we found out that Charlie was placed at a hospital in Chicago for his core rotations, beginning in March. He is scheduled at the hospital for rotations for the next year. This time next year, he will begin elective rotations which we are hoping he will be able to set up at another hospital in the Chicago area.

After spending the fall studying hard, Charlie took his test (and passed!!!) in January.

A few weeks later, we visited Chicago and apartment hunted. We ended up finding a wonderful apartment to the west of the city.

The last few days of February, we rented a Penske truck, packed it up, and drove our car and the truck from Richmond to Chicago, with a stop to visit family in Kentucky along the way.

March 1st, we moved to the Chicago area!!!

We've spent the past few weeks moving in, unpacking, and making our new place feel like home. We've also done a little bit of exploring and experienced our first Chicago St. Patrick's Day (they dye the river green!). We've even experienced our first Chicago snow already!

Charlie begins his rotation on Monday, so we are enjoying his last weekend of freedom before he gets back into school mode!

So there you go, we're all caught up.

Noteworthy this week:

A very accurate and insightful letter on what it's like to be a doctor today

How to move from Google Reader to BlogLovin

A crazy documentary we watched this week about people who have wild animals as pets: The Elephant in the Living Room

How to make simple friendship bracelets

Thanks for reading! I'll be back later this week with some colorful inspiration and a peek at our new place!

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2012-11-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

The lovely Joy of Frock Files!

Do you know Joy or her blog? If you don't, I highly recommend reading her thoughtful writing and visiting her gorgeous blog. It's quite a treat!

Thanks to everyone who entered to win my little piece of art! Hopefully painting will become more a part of my daily routine and I'll have more of it featured here on my little nook of the internet.

Anything you'd like to see here on the blog? I'm trying to figure out what direction C Squared W will take here in America, and I always love hearing what you think!

Fonts used:
Prophecy Script
Kraft Nine
Bergamot Ornaments

"Out West" oil painting by Clare Wilkinson.

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Well hello there!

2012-11-05T12:47:00.004-04:00

I know I've been a stranger in these parts lately, but life is crazy and full of transitions for us right now. We're back in America and have been enjoying seeing old friends and family (although I know there are still lots of favorite friends I haven't had a chance to see yet - don't worry, we'll make it happen!), traveling (to North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee), celebrating weddings, and getting adjusted.

There has been lots of studying for Charlie as he prepares for the next phase of medical school (clinical rotations) and studies for the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (Step 1). I'm a working girl and spend my days doing odd jobs, unpacking, and organizing all of our goodies that have spent the past two years in storage.

We're finally starting to feel slightly settled (for now!) and I'm hoping to figure out how to make blogging a part of my life in America. I've missed it and woke up today ready to write a post - even if it was just a quick one to say hello and catch up!

I'd like to thank everyone who reads this little blog for their love and encouragement. This blog has been a fun project and I've loved the opportunities I've had to connect with so many great people through blogging. Thanks for always inspiring me and making me so exciting to turn on my computer in the morning!

To show my thanks, I thought I'd share a piece of my art with one of you. This is a little 6" x 9" oil painting that I did a few years ago, and I know that one of you will give it a special spot in your home.

To enter to win, make sure you follow my blog and leave a comment here to let me know. You can also like our Facebook page for an additional entry, just be sure to leave a second comment. Enter between now and Sunday, November 11, and I will announce the winner next week!

Have a good one!

Oil painting by Clare Wilkinson.

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Fruit & Dog Treats

2012-09-12T07:00:00.000-04:00

Here's another Caribbean fruit that I've had once in Dominica (when I helped teach art classes at the Women's Center we were paid in fruit each week and one week it was these!), but I can't remember what they called them here. Possibly cashew pear, like they call them in Guyana?

In Guyana, we bought a few of these from the market. The following day a friend of Frannie's brought over a huge bag filled with cashew pears. We had so many the Frannie, Charlie, and I (and even Papaya) feasted on these fruits all week long! Papaya loved them - they make perfect dog treats!

Fonts used:
Ribeye
Ribeye Marrow

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

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Two Tapirs

2012-09-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

In Guyana, there are two types of tapirs. The first is a type of public transportation; the second is a four legged friend. We were lucky enough to ride both. (Just kidding - we only rode in the first kind, but we did see the second kind at the zoo in Georgetown!) A few visuals for your viewing pleasure:

Font used: Perplex

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

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America Dog

2012-09-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Font used: No Type

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

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Have you ever tried these?

2012-09-02T06:58:00.000-04:00

In Dominica, kenips (keh-neeps) are a favorite sweet, summertime treat. Vendors sell them all along the roadside, and buses will often stop on the street for passengers to pick up a bunch for just 1 EC.

In Guyana, many of the fruits and veggies readily available were similar to what we have here. Frannie greeted us at the airport with a bunch of kenips, which we learned were called genips (with a G instead of a K) in Guyana. How interesting!

Fonts used:
AW Conqueror Inline
Brannboll Fet

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

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Guyana, wild + beautiful

2012-08-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

Guyana. It was beautiful and crazy place. Parts were beautiful, parts were calm. Other parts were loud and junky. Some areas felt like busy, buzzing cities. Others were remote and so incredibly peaceful. There were horses pulling carts, donkeys in the roads, and crazy looking public transportation in vehicles called Tapirs, like the animals. (The Tapirs, automotive and four legged deserve their own post!)

There was also the most interesting mixture of cultures - Caribbean, African, East Indian, Amer-Indian... This made for some great food. Typical fare was very much like the Caribbean food we have here in Dominica or in the Bahamas, but with more Indian spices. A local meal we ate included "cook up" (a Caribbean style pigeon pea and rice dish, much like Bahamian peas and rice - sort of like a Caribbean version of fried rice, minus the egg?) - curried chicken, and daal.

Frannie's village, #56, was a small Indian Village. Her old wooden house had some really cool features like an outdoor cooking area, lots of outdoor living space, and 2 hammocks. Her wood and tile shower reminded me of the bathrooms we had in our cabins at Camp Merrie-Woode... shower nostalgia!

We spent one afternoon walking way out to the rice fields behind her house. We trekked through mud, kept our eyes peeled for caimans and scorpions, and kept a herd of wandering goats from charging her Guyanese puppy, Papaya. (Isn't that the best dog name?!?) It was close to sunset and the lighting and sky were absolutely stunning. Frannie captured the above shot of Charlie and I which I love. (Since we eloped, we never had any of the picturesque wedding or engagement photos taken, so I was really excited about this amazing photograph!)

More photos to come!

Image by Frannie Parkinson for C Squared W.

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Transition

2012-08-29T12:35:00.001-04:00

Transition mode. I feel like it's the story of our life! We have one and a half weeks left in beautiful Dominica and how am I spending them? Sorting through our possessions and selling and donating our clothing and household items. It is exhausting.

Luckily, reading The Happiness Project and Lauren's Conquering Your Closet post has given me a little in inspiration. I'm also finding that splurging and blasting the AC for three hours straight (#onlyinDominica) and jamming out to my Nicki Minaj Pandora station (thank you Tunnel Bear!) are helping move the process along. And, with a new shipment of real milk fresh on the shelves at the grocery store along with another splurge, real Oreos (most definitely overpriced), (another #onlyinDominca moment), I've been enjoying a treat or two (or fifteen) as I pack.

It's strange condensing two years of your life into 1 suitcase and carry on... crazy business!

✽ ✽ ✽

On a different note, my cute, elderly landlady (LL) just stopped by the apartment as I was typing and here's how that interaction went -

LL: (outside our door, in a loud voice) "Good afternoon... Hello? Good afternoon?"

So I open the door and say hello and good afternoon.

LL: "You have signal by you?"

Me: "Ummm.... What?"

LL: "Signal. You have signal?"

Me: "Signal?"

LL: "Yes. Signal. Television signal."

Ohhhhh, is the cable working. Too funny. #onlyinDominica

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

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A Weekend Challenge

2012-08-26T14:02:00.001-04:00

I realize it's Sunday, not Saturday, but I do things on my own time.

Great things about 2 blog friends:

Lately, Lauren from Seventeenth & Irving has been really inspring to me! I loved this helpful and honest post that she wrote about conquering your closet.

Along the same lines, I'm currently reading The Happiness Project which Joy and M.J. both raved about. I'm excited about conquering my closet and clutter, and applying helpful, practical pieces of advice to my daily life that will make me and other around me a little bit happier. Today, K.C. and I tweeted about working on our own Happiness Projects. Hopefully we can make them happen and can hold each other accountable!

Do something nice for a stranger.

Today I'm going to go onto Tripadvisor and airbnb and write positive review of hotels and apartments I've stayed in and loved over the past year:

Tamarind Beach Hotel - Canouan, St. Vincent & The Grenadines
Rosalie Bay - Dominica
Beautiful apartment in Trastevere - Rome, Italy
La Tonnarella - Sorrento, Italy

I should have done this a while ago because all of these places were really, really wonderful!

One of my best qualities:

Probably my eternal optimism. I always tend to look on the bright side, and Katie recently told me that I "love to give pep talks." I hadn't realized that I did that, but I guess I do. Need a pep talk? Apparently, I'm your girl!

I'm thankful for...

My health, my family, and the chance to travel. Seriously, I am so lucky and so thankful for all of these things!

The highlight of my week:

Traveling to Guyana with Charlie to visit my sister!

Last Sunday in Guayna, I visited the most incredible waterfall that I have ever laid eyes on: Kaiteur Falls. It was seriously so unreal! Kaieteur Falls is 741 feet tall and is the largest single drop waterfall in the world. Kaieteur Falls is about three times higher than the Niagara Falls and about two times the height of the Victoria Falls in Africa. Impressive, no?!?

{golden frog}

We also saw a tiny Golden Frog (the size of a fingernail!), which only lives in the bromeliads by Kaieteur. Isn't that crazy? The Golden Frog doesn't live anywhere else in the world. So, so cool!

Also, in case you were wondering...

Thanks to Paige for creating this fun link-up. I've been in a blogging funk lately - I haven't felt like sitting down and writing, and have been much more excited about getting out and doing things. So thanks for giving me a few prompts to help me put together this post!

I hope you're all enjoying the weekend!

Fonts used (in order of appearance):
NeoRetroDraw
NeoRetroFill
Stefffont
Vibur
Amatic SC
Two Stick

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Me, Myself, and I

2012-08-21T15:13:00.000-04:00

Okay, alright! (That's a little Caribbean greeting for ya.)

We're back from Guyana, South America after an awesome week. I can't wait to tell you all about it and share some favorite pics. While I sort through my photos and videos, I thought it would be fun to share a few things with you about...

if I knew I couldn't fail...

I'd love to ride a bucking bronco in a rodeo and complete an Iron Man. Both are way too hardcore for me to actually do, but if I had super powers I'd be all over those.

if I only had six months left to live...

I would travel all over the world with Charlie and try local cuisine in each destination. I would visit every continent and eat and drink my little heart out.

if a front page news article was written about me, the headline would read...

True story.

my biggest pet peeve...

Rude people. Or people who are rude to waiters. Generally, they're the same people. It's just unnecessary.

my favorite chick flick...

Love Actually. So. darn. good.

Font used: American Typewriter.

Dear Mom,

2012-08-20T07:00:00.000-04:00

I hope you have the best day! I wish I was there to spend it with you!

Love,

Fonts used: Sofia
Photos by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W

Adventures: Boiling Lake

2012-08-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday, we finally did it: we hiked Boiling Lake. It's a five hour long hike through the mountains, up and down, through the Valley of Desolation, to the world's second largest boiling lake, formed in a volcanic crater. It was intense and amazing, and we've spend the remainder of the week let our ridiculously sore legs recover.

We survived Boiling Lake!

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

Adventures: Snake Steps

2012-08-14T07:00:00.000-04:00

Font used: Penn Avenue from dafont.com
Photos by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W

Lately.

2012-08-12T15:02:00.002-04:00

It's not every day you find a little island shack that matches your blog design...

Hi friends!

Sorry I've been a stranger this week, but lately it's been crazy here with lots of sad goodbyes and lots of fun trips. Basically, it's been a roller coaster of emotions. I said goodbye to two of my best friends, said goodbye to some students I've taught, visited the Carib Territory and hiked the Snake Steps, hiked Boiling Lake (a major item on our Dominica bucket list!), swam in Titou Gorge, visited Syndicate Falls, and ate the best chicken wings on the island.

Now, we're exhausted and packing for our week-long adventure in South America tomorrow. We'll be spending the week in Guyana visiting my sister, Frannie, who's serving in the Peace Corps there.

While I'm gone I've scheduled a few short posts with some island photos for you to check out while we're off in the jungle with monkeys and anacondas, eating curried iguana! Have a great weekend!

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W.

Only in Dominica...

2012-08-03T09:35:00.000-04:00

...will you find this sign beside the airport.

...does the water turn brown when it rains.

...can you choose from 3 types of snake infused rum.

...can you live in the fanciful London House apartments.

...are the sayings on the backs of trucks this awesome.

...do plastic drawers serve this purpose.

...will you see a political slogan like this.

...is this sign on display at the local credit union.

...can you shop from a junk shop on wheels.

...does your hairbrush grow mold.

...is this sign displayed in your kitchen.

...is this sign is displayed in your classroom.

...is your friend's neighbor's house this scary.

...is this sign on your college campus.

...is this my favorite car. Don't hate.

Anyone foreigner who has spent time living in Dominica has probably come to know and love the "only in Dominica" moments. Katie put together a great post today sharing some of her favorites only in Dominica moments, so I thought I'd join her. Be sure to check out Katie's awesome post as well!

Images by Clare Wilkinson for C Squared W