i'm going to washington.

Today is one of those days I spend fist pumping and my mom (hi mom!) spends shaking her head in disbelief. A level-headed planner in real life, I apparently throw all my checks and balances out the window when booking vacations. It's just one of the little nuances about myself I've grown to love and my parents have (hopefully) grown to live with. In my opinion, vacations should be used as a way to relax, unwind and enjoy life. Vacation planning shouldn't be any different since that's the starting point of the whole adventure. The second vacation planning becomes stressful, so does your vacation. My advice? Keep conversations enthusiastic, itineraries flexible and react spur of the moment. This is the one time out of the year you can get away with not having a to-do list so take advantage.

That said, Jim and I bit the bullet and bought our flights and event passes to the Sasquatch Music Festival in George, Washington. Totally random. Totally off-plan. Totally exciting.

Sasquatch Music Festival

The conversation started when the Bonnaroo lineup was finally posted. We'd been talking about going there forever - almost to the point of exhaustion. But after about a week of not buying our tickets, Jim hopped on the computer in search for more options. I don't know what it was but the trip just didn't feel right anymore.

While on the hunt for vacation options, we knew two things: 1) we wanted to go to a multi-day music fest and 2) our families had the beach time vacations we always crave covered.

Which brings us back to the Sasquatch Music Festival. A 4-day, ridiculously scenic event that's chock full of bands we've heard of and bands we haven't (in a good way). Mix that with a brief stint in Seattle and a nature-filled retreat to Yellowstone National Park and you've got yourself one solid vacation. That's right. We go big or go home over here, people.

Here's our itinerary so far.

via about.com

via flickr

via wikipedia

via destination360

To be honest, we added the bonus of a two-night stay in Seattle solely because it was cheaper than flying into Spokane, Washington. We'll probably keep this part of the vacation on the super cheap because it's really just a time to breathe (and shower) before part two of the trip begins. Being in Seattle is a little bittersweet for me because 1) I'm really excited to visit the city but 2) I wish it was part of the Vancouver/Seattle/Portland trip me and my BFF Jen have been planning for centuries. The silver lining? Neither of us plan to stop being friends anytime soon and my financial status continues to move toward "not in debt anymore". This will make planning a lot less annoying and hopefully things can come together for us next summer (or this winter) depending on weather conditions. Who knows, maybe we'll mix it up and make a couple of stops along Oregon's coast to keep things interesting.

Anyway, I'm really pumped about this little adventure because I've never been on a vacation like this. Ever. We upgraded and got the premier camping package which includes free shower facilities, private bathrooms and a shuttle to and from the Amphitheatre and our camp grounds. This calms some of the angst I had around smelling like B.O. the entire time we're there and the amount of exercise I was actually signing up for. Lord knows I'm not wearing tennis shoes (ankle tan lines are gross) and you can only walk so far and so long in flip flops.

Here's to booking vacations on a single whim and driving your parents absolutely bonkers while you're at it. If you're in the position to do something like this, I say go for it. Now to figure out a place for Ruby while we're away...


P.S. Home decor post coming soon - I swear!

the houston bayou bend.

As you probably figured by my lack of posts, I've been a little light on inspiration and completely void of motivation these past few weeks. My apartment was in shambles, my outfits half-heartedly constructed and my to-do list had quickly become the size of a Jane Austen novel. So, when Jim suggested we take a trip to visit a friend down in Houston, I figured it was the perfect getaway for getting myself back on track.
Our first day there, we decided to tackle the Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens - the home-turned-museum of Houston philanthropist and Texas favorite, Ima Hogg. Nope, not kidding. That's her real name.

Long story short, Ima adored three things: her gardens, her furniture and Texas. So when it came time to decide what to do with the Bayou Bend estate, Ima decided to donate it and her entire collection of antiques to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Sigh, what a gal.

First, to get to the estate, you had to cross this not-so-Kate-friendly swaying, narrow bridge over the bayou it was built around. For those interested, a bayou is an extremely slow moving stream or river. Yes, I looked it up and no, I didn't see Troy and 'Lizabeth down there looking for alligator.

 

As soon as we were safely over the slow moving river, our mouths dropped in awe of the shear gorgeousness going on around us. Here you can see the start of a ridiculous outdoor sculpture collection, the pinkish-hued home we were about to enter and the amazing grass-covered steps I wanted to sit and read books on all day. It took every ounce of strength I had to keep from asking our tour guide what the rent might look like and when I could move in.

After wiping the drool off my chin, we headed inside for some more good, old-fashioned staring. While we couldn't take pictures of the inside of the house (museum rules), I did snag a few I found online. We had an amazingly nerdy smart tour guide that was chock full of knowledge about the ways of living back then, rationale for furniture requirements and even whispered a few estimated values of the more expensive pieces in the collection. Let's just say I now know what a $15 million piece of furniture looks like.

Here are some of the poorly photographed highlights:

pair of side chairs that marked one of the first introductions of greek detailing

a high chest of drawers with an outrageous amount of detailing on it

the easy chair I tried to figure out how to steal

portrait of a weird little boy with a wig on

After we finished oohing, awing and asking mildly inappropriate questions about anything and everything, we headed back outside to enjoy the rest of the outside gardens.  Highlights for me include these pink flowers and the random statue of a woman looking yonder while holding onto a (or maybe her?) deer.

Looking back, I think what was most intriguing were the stories behind all of the awesomeness. It was eye opening to hear about the balance between form, function and status. You could tell the color palettes, room compositions and furniture chosen came directly from the viewpoint and heart of Ima for all to see. Sorry for getting a tad deep, but I think that's what creativity and design is all about. Whether you're building or collecting, it's all about finding what you consider to be most beautiful, falling in love with it and displaying to keep yourself (and possibly others) happy. Sure, the estate screamed "look what I have" but in a way that honored and saluted those that created these masterpieces.

All in all, the trip was a wonderful way to unwind, have fun and get things moving again. Be on the lookout for some new ideas and projects to come!

on the road.

Heading back from a weekend visit to Cleveland. Filled with Farrel's, high school football, tons of food and - believe it or not - great weather, it proved to be a great time and just what we needed to get ready for the week ahead. I took a couple of shots while watching the Eagles victory over Moeller but haven't had a chance to upload and post. For now, here's some of the flat, boring scenery Jim and I have been checking out on our way back to Cinci. Good think for sports radio.

Go Browns!

29 Before I'm 29.

Today is my birthday. I'm 28. But instead of showing pictures of pretty cakes or party decor or a DIY craft for party games I've decided to hold myself accountable to a list of goals. Sounds fun, right? Inspired by similar lists on Making it Lovely and My Little Apartment, I'm wanted to come up with 29 things (big and small) I want to accomplish by this time next year.


Ok, ok, pretty pictures at the bottom. Only they're of ATLANTA. Because that's where I'll be THIS WEEKEND. At MUSIC MIDTOWN. BOOM. (thank you, Jim)


Anyway...

1. Get out of debt. Period. 

2. Put another stamp in my passport.

3. Visit Austin to checkout the food trucks.

4. Teach Ruby how to roll over.

5. Bake and decorate a birthday cake (I’ve never done it!).

6. Finally lose the 10 lbs. I’ve been lugging around since college.

7. Learn how to legit upholster.

8. Deposit something into my savings account every month.

9. Relocate out of Cincinnati.

10. Learn how to cook Indian food.

11. Make (and successfully not kill) an indoor herb garden.

12. Learn how to sew a dress. Actually, I'd even settle for a skirt.

13. Go on the Portland/Seattle/Vancouver trip Jen and I have talked about since 1992.

14. Figure out a continued(ing?) education plan.

15. Figure out if I want to get that tattoo or not.

16. Continue to regularly blog.

17. Start recycling.

18. Regularly exercise. Like, 2-3x a week regular.

19. Start biking or walking to places more.

20. Invest in my undergarments.

21. Upgrade both my TVs to flat screens.

22. Learn how to take really good photos.

23. Buy a proper camera to take really good photos with.

24. Quit biting my nails. (enough already!)

25. Minimize my road rage. And improve my driving skills.

26. Get a facial.

27. Visit a museum I've never been to before.

28. Face something I'm scared of. 

29. Meet someone famous. 

Fingers crossed I cross at least some of these off the list by next year. And maybe see a Desperate Housewife or two! Until next week... xoxo

Atlanta Fulton Central Library

Piedmont Park

Fox Theatre

A San Francisco treat.

Just a mere two weeks after returning from Puerto Rico, I am off yet again heading out west to The City by the Bay only this time with the fam, not the boyf.

Per usual, I am excited, not packed and counting down the minutes.

To celebrate this exciting news (and make sure I have enough time to pack), I've decided to let you in on my five favorite things about San Francisco to-date. My goal is to post a photo every day I'm out there but I can't guarantee. Worst case, I'll write all about it when I get back!

#1: Full House

(for the mullets, Kimmy Gibler, 90's wardrobe and

great moral lessons via Danny Tanner)

#2: Alcatraz (which we are touring while we're there!)

#3: San Francisco's collection of Painted Ladies

#4: Tim Lincecum and his uncanny resemblance to Mitch in Dazed and Confused

#5: Mike Holmgren, Alicia Silverstone and Steve Jobs

(I couldn't decide)

San Juan, Puerto Rico.

One of my favorite buildings in Old San Juan. Marigold, peach, pink, teal. You name the color - they have a building painted it. And with the rows of balconies across everyone, this place is screaming with character.

San Juan, Puerto Rico.

A fabric and rope teal chair at our hotel in San Juan, The Conrad.

Voy a Puerto Rico.

Countdown: 1 day until Puerto Rico!
I am so unbelievably excited for this upcoming trip I can't even stand it. I mean, it's to the point of not being able to concentrate on anything else but the fact that, at this time tomorrow, the boyf and I will be on a plane heading there. And even though I am crazy excited, I have (true to form) still somehow managed to procrastinate packing. I've made the list (I LOVE lists), purchased all the supplies, started laying out what seems like everything in my wardrobe, all of which have yet to make it into the suitcase.

That said, I was originally going to write about what I packed and how I was planning to style my way through Puerto Rico. But, since absolutely zero of this has been nailed down yet (and likely won't until later tonight!), I thought I'd feature some photos of Old San Juan to kickoff our upcoming departure. As you can tell, the Italianate architecture is making me drool already. Enjoy!

big huge labs

wikimedia commons

md shots of the day

cervantes boutique hotel

gopuertorico.about.com

countryside tours

petchie (of course there's a Starbucks)

Greetings from San Fran (well, almost).

With one summer vacation booked and another in the works, I'm having a tough time thinking about anything else. I know, tough problem to have right? Anyway, one of my favorite ways to remember the great times had is by purchasing a piece of artwork that really captures the moment. This can be through street vendor artwork, a great photograph or even a good, old fashioned postcard. After a while, the single pieces turn into a collection that's impossible not to display. While mine are dispersed throughout my apartment now, I'm thinking of reconnecting the pieces back into a collection in a way that's a dramatic but still has a casual tone.

Instead of just the typical framing and hanging, here are some composition ideas that skip the frame all together, creating a connection between each individual piece. Experiment with grid-like and organic patterns to find the one that best suits your style.

Royal College of Art (via zimbio)

the estate of things

casa sugar (keep adding rows the more you travel!)

hgtv

madison in june

house to home