outstanding tent, indeed

Found this gem of a tent over at Apartment Therapy.  HAD to share.  Because...well...it's a quilt tent.  And that makes it all the more cozy and fantastic, really.  Tents are by Field Candy.

gorgeous gorges

I only want to live where it is beautiful.  I hope it works out that way.

We fell in love with Ithaca.  Soooo in love.

*note - Ithaca is famous for its gorges...I didn't misspell gorgeous.  I admit I am a horrific speller...but I didn't get that wrong!

i heart travel

Found this little lovely at We Ski Slow and I think it's fabulous!  We could so easily fill it with the brightly colored maps of the dearest places to our hearts - one would be Flagstaff...one would be our current home...one would be Rhode Island...ohhhhh so fun.

vermont

Tommy and I spent the weekend in New Hampshire.  It was great fun!  But I have to say, driving through Vermont was the real gem of the weekend.  I couldn't believe my eyes.  THE COLORS!  THE VIEWS!  THE TREES!  THE CHARM!  Tommy and I have been to Vermont together...we spent a couple nights at a quaint bed and breakfast a few years ago - toured the Ben & Jerry's Factory - took in a winery - had a lovely time.  But it was in the spring...not the fall.  And the fall is divine.  Like - the stuff dreams are made of.

We decided if we can't live in Flagstaff, or Seattle, or Portland, we will try to Vermont.  We loved it that much.

to be a sloth

Meet the sloths from Amphibian Avenger on Vimeo.

Lived in Costa Rica for a little bit a few years back. The sloths in the rainforest were soooooooooooo adorable!!

the rog

As a "Welcome to Your New Town" gift, my mom sent us a year long pass to the local zoo.  Tommy's a huge fan of going to the zoo...it's really cute how excited he gets!  What's really awesome about this zoo pass is that it can be used at various zoos all over the northeast.  While we were in Rhode Island a couple weeks ago we hit up The Rog (the Roger Williams Park & Zoo).  It was fantastic!  A baby giraffe was born the day before...it was so precious!

I'm so excited to see what the zoos in our backyard have to offer!    What's your fave exhibit at the zoo?  I'm always smitten with the elephants...they just make me laugh.

gone to paris

 Cafe Love by Etsy artist alicebgardens

My parents left for Paris yesterday.   I find it wildly romantic that they opt to spend a couple weeks in Europe every year.  Last year was Greece...the year before that was Italy....this year is France (and a little slice of Italy I believe.)   I wish I could fit in their suitcase...to steal a look at those beautiful places.

My mom loves to see everything...she's so fun to travel with...high energy (she lived in France for a while...see some of her pictures here).  My dad loves to see the sites too...except his favorite Parisian activity is to sit and drink coffee at the quaint outdoor cafes, and people watch.  They are a perfect travel team.

When I said au revoir to my parents as they waited to board the plane, my heart got stuck in my throat and it was impossible not to cry like a little girl.  I guess I'll always be a little girl when it comes to my parents.

I want them to live forever.

tombstones

One of the highlights of our lil trip to Tombstone was the Boothill Graveyard. The local historical society keeps it looking fresh...probably a little more spic n span than it was in the late 1800's...but it was plenty interesting....and wicked creepy.

It was kindof sad...as most cemetaries are. There were so many tombstones that read "suicide." There was an informational packet that guides you through the graveyard, telling you a little bit more into the life, and death, of the people buried here.

There are a bunch of "ghost" tours at night...I think next time I'll do one of those.

"As you pass by,
remember that as you are,
so once was I,
and as I am, you soon will be.
Remember me."

scenes from tombstone

skulls = southwestern decor (click on the image...it's so rad...I'm proud my lil camera packs a mean punch like that!)

I took a day off this week. It's exactly what I needed to feel refreshed and alive.

"Where should I feel alive today?" I wondered. Perhaps the city too tough to die? It felt fitting.

So...Tommy and I day tripped it to the middle of nowhere...and landed in Tombstone. And it was just a glorious as I imagined. It was rustic and dusty. With crusty saloons and clean bathrooms. Some of it was really touristy...but it has a right to be. It's a well preserved bad ass town preserving everything that made the wild west amazing.

I loved it.

Even if the shoot out at the OK Corral made me giggle. I would so totally go again.

Arizona is so fun.

Everyone wears boots. Everyone.

Wyatt Earp and the boys.
note: I really wanted my picture taken with them...but they made me nervous.

Toured the oldest printing press in the state of Arizona - the Epitaph.

The Historama was this rad vintage experience....

decorated with HUGE movie posters of all the films portraying Tombstone.

Stages. I can't get over the whole idea of wooden wheels. Wha???

I am a tourist. I take pictures of things like giant wooden Native American statues.

This was one of Tommy's favorite things we saw that day. Yup.

mlk

When I lived outside of Philadelphia last fall, I lived next door to the seminary where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received his Bachelor's in Divinity in 1951. It's no longer a seminary, but a part of a hospital system where administrative offices are held.

I accidentally stumbled upon this lil gem while exploring the 'hood one day. When I read the plaque, I was practically doing cartwheels I thought it was so cool!

All I have to say is, thank you Dr. King....thank you for dreaming.

new orleans

great pic of Bourbon St. via here.

Did I mention that on our road back to Arizona from New England we stopped for a couple nights in New Orleans? I grew up hearing about New Orleans almost every day. My mom lived there for a number of years in the 70's...it's her city...her favorite place. I've always wanted to go.

We stayed at a quaint B&B in the French Quarter...dined on red beans n' rice, jumbalaya, gumbo, Hurricane's, and beignets (not in that order). We stayed up late tappin' our feet in little old jazz clubs (that don't have websites!!). I bought a painting of Pirate's Alley, in Pirate's Alley. I bought my mom "her" perfume at Hove.

It was rainy and perfect and it rocked my world.

That is one amazing place.

winter

I know it's cold, freezing in fact...it's slippery and dangerous to drive in...and its takes a special wardrobe to survive...but I love it. The winter snow. It's just so beautiful.

a midnight snow

Haunting and ethereal...the first snow of the season came late Saturday night and I was giddy with excitement! It was like a present...a cold, magical, icy, lacy, sparkling present.

We sat inside, all bundled up and cozy...watching from the big frosted windows...sipping our hot cocoa brimming with fluff...with White Christmas on in the background. I can't make stuff like this up.

Rhode Island is the perfect place for me this winter.

providence

Providence has been captured so honestly and so beautifully by RISD grad Carrie Anne Chandonnait...love her stuff.

Ok. Here I am in Rhode Island. My final month on the east coast...and what a magnificent whirl-wind it has been. Probably the most incredible four months of my life. I love that I have been able to become a part of these landscapes...to know what it's really like to live in these amazing places...to have been able to take advantage of all the tourist sites and the local faves.

Rhode Island is more like a second home to me at this point. What's fun about this tiny state is that every time I come here I find new charming places of loveliness.

Wish me luck.

philly foodie

flickr

I spent this past weekend in Philadelphia with my fiance. He was in town for a huge teaching convention...so I drove down from upstate NY to hang with him for a couple days in between his sessions. We stayed a block from his RAD old place in Olde City (he lived in Philadelphia for a while in the early days of our dating phase)....around the corner from Betsy Ross' house. I love this section Philadelphia. LOVE it. The cobblestone streets, the church spires, Independence Hall, buildings from the 1700's, all the dang statues of Ben. God. It's amazing.

This time, for the first time, we took on the role of Philadelphia foodies and ate ourselves silly at every meal. Traditionally, we are rather broke travelers, so pizza places and cheap beer are what we fuel up on. Oh friends. Life is SO much more fun eating incredible cuisine along the way. We basically camped out on 2nd and Market...delicious street full of yummy eateries.

Best weekend involving food in my life. AND it was a great rendezvous with my loverboy.

nyc

Spent a few days in New York City. Gawd. Love that place. Granted, this past weekend was rather rainy...and cold...and windy...and just perfect. I didn't take out my camera...I lived everything instead of trying to capture it. And then I found these amazing images from Porter Polaroid Project and I'm instantly bummed I didn't take any. Next time.

I have a couple fabulous friends in the city. Instead of the tourist thing, I decided to explore their neighborhood (when I wasn't traipsing about the hospitals in Greenwich Village or Park Slope.) I ate at different eateries...did the MET (obviously...I live for my excursions to the MET), studied in little cafes, and meandered in and out of the beautiful boutiques of the upper east side. It was an exquisite five days.

It would be a dream to live here one day.

trees without leaves

Birch trees - Single Stone Studios

In the one week that I have lived in the southern tier of upstate New York, the trees have become bare. It really looks like winter...and a lot like the Blair Witch Project. They are a tad more creepy than charming...but they are rather nice to look at from the coziness of my window, while I'm drinking a steaming cup of hot cocoa.

These Etsy finds look like the nature outside my door.

Winter trees - Popwall

The Wishing Tree - Salon D

Barren Tree - Uncommon Accents

Julie Webb

Winter Trees - reasdesigns