Lake District Road Trip

We bought a car, woohoo! Though I realize the photo above is of a sailboat not a car... getting to that. It's a pretty big deal since we've not had a car for almost 6 years, and with two children, I'm amazed we made it that long without one. Granted our neighborhood has just about everything we need on our doorstep: butcher, baker, candlestick maker (not really that last one but I couldn't resist adding it because I'm a goof), fishmonger, wine shop, school, doctor, playgrounds, parks, all of these things within a 15 minute walk and a few of them a one minute walk, just around the corner really. We order our bulky groceries online (laundry soap, paper towels--you know, the boring stuff) and the rest we get locally, so that part of life without a car is pretty easy for us. Sometimes, though, it's been a royal pain! I have been reduced to tears on more than one occasion, standing at a bus stop in the freezing rain with two equally wet, freezing children and thought, this is nuts! We'll still take the bus to many places, but I'm really happy we finally decided to buy a car. It will make some short trips in the neighborhood easier, like picking up a very tired Lois from playdates after school rather than having to practically drag her home walking. And it means more road trips! We usually rent a car when we want to take a road trip, but that gets really expensive and is a bit of a hassle. Gotta go get the car, do the paperwork, pay the deposit, hear the sales pitch about insurance and whatnot, install the carseats each time, etc. I'm still not completely comfortable driving on the other side of the car and road, but I'm getting there. So, for our first road trip, we decided to go to the Lake District.

Summer Days

Ah, I wouldn't mind having that view again today! Beautiful blue water, warm breeze, sunshine, sand... all with family. We're back in London and have been for almost two weeks now. Alas, it seems like so long ago that we were in the US at the beach! We had a great time though, and I'm grateful we get to go home every summer for a few weeks and see our families and try to make the most of our time. We went to Cape San Blas in Florida, which was perfect. It's a bit remote compared to other summer beach cities in Florida, so it wasn't packed with people, which made being there all the more relaxing. Our girls had a great time with their cousins--lots of time body boarding in the ocean, swimming in the pool, games on the beach. We also drove to North Carolina to go to Asheville, a city we like a lot, and then up to Baltimore to see more family.

Snapshots from Cornwall

I've been so busy lately that our holiday in Cornwall with friends almost seems like a distant memory. The days just seem to rush by and it's hard for me to keep up with everything that I need and want to do. I imagine many people feel the same way, juggling the responsibilities of housework, kids, work and play. (I feel like I say that all the time!) It was great to have a break from our regular routine, though, and I wouldn't mind being back there now. The weather this week there is amazing. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great most of the time we were there, but we all had a wonderful time anyway. Our girls played with their friends from morning till night and had so much fun together. We went on some lovely short hikes, went to the beach, went to the Eden Project, Rick Stein's fish and chips, we cooked, played in the garden at the house, had an Easter egg hunt, and had a relaxing time just lounging around. The house we stayed in was amazing. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a place to stay near Bude. Here's a look at our holiday in Cornwall though instagram.

Snapshots from New York

I had a GREAT time with my mom and sister in New York! Four days with no kids (as much as we love our kids, it's nice to have a break!), just shopping, eating, drinking and exploring.  I couldn't have asked for a better girls' trip! And New York during the holidays, well, it's just magical, isn't it?

A Few Days In Marrakesh

Last February, to help keep our minds off the cold, grey days, we decided to pick out a warm, fairly exotic place to go in spring. We have a long list of places we'd like to visit while we're living on this side of the world, and Marrakesh is just one of them. It's always good to have something to look forward to, especially a holiday! So earlier this week we spent a few days in Marrakesh. We stayed at a beautiful place called Jnane Tamsna 15 minutes outside the medina, which I read about on Mr. and Mrs. Smith. We needed no further persuading after reading more about them on their web site and reading many good reviews.

La Drougerie

Ah, the weather was so nice today! Thank you sunshine! Light jacket, warm in the sun, cool in the shade. I feel refreshed! I wasn't sure that I'd make it one more winter here without buying a SAD lamp, but I just might. I've had some craft projects on the brain, like making the girls some Easter dresses (I might attempt this Oliver & S pattern). The hint of spring in bloom paired with thoughts of ditsy floral prints had me wishing I could go to La Drougerie in Paris, a real treat of a store for anyone interested in crafts. When we were in Paris this past spring I had the pleasure of revisiting La Droguerie. I was able to sneak in early and take photos, which was so exciting! If you ever visit Paris and are interested in crafts, specifically knitting, sewing, or jewelry making, you should definitely put La Droguerie on your "must see" list. Here's a little tour of the shop. Plenty of eye candy from La Droguerie to inspire your next project...

Amsterdam!

We're just back from a short trip to Amsterdam. I love Amsterdam! I've only been once before, but it's a top city on my list. It's cozy but doesn't feel too small (not to me as an outsider anyway); it's classy but laid back; it's edgy without falling off a cliff; it has a great mix of old a new, and it's just so pretty! I love the architecture of the houses and how the canals make their way between them. If you've read my blog a while you'll know I love them so much I made this, which is also one of my favorite things I've ever made.

Portugal in View

Oh my goodness, a few of the keys on my keyboard are really messed up, and I have to smash down on them about 30 times to get them to work! Time for a trip to the Genius Bar. So, needless to say, it takes me a while to write just a few sentences. So here's a brief summary of our Portugal week. Andrew needed to go for work so we tagged along and added a few days to the trip to make a holiday. Andrew went to Sesimbra (photo above) with co-workers and took that photo. I would have liked to go there too! Most of our days were spent in Lisbon though (photos below), and some time out and about just beyond Lisbon in places like Balem, Cascias, and Sintra (where the moorish castle is in the photo). It was a very nice, hilly city with friendly people, great food, and beautiful scenery. I loved the tile buildings. So many beautiful patterns and colors!

Belated Beach Week

Look at that cute little bottom! Lil' Miss who does not like water actually took to the beach pretty well. (Lois picked out the Peppa Pig tutu swimsuits, by the way. It would not have been my first choice, but they did look adorable in them.) It was great to see the girls on the beach and a really nice visit in general. I have so many photos that it's hard to choose just a few but this gives you a good idea of what it's like to be in Seagrove, FL with me and my family. The water and sand are amazing there. Icy blue-green water and fluffy white sand. It was aunts, uncles, cousins, my mom, my sister, her family and a bunch more. When I was growing up, we'd go to Destin, FL many summers and the last few years we've tried to get together as adults and make a big family event out of it. Last year we couldn't go because I was too pregnant, and the year before... I can't remember why we didn't go, but we went for a few years before that. In the past we met in Edisto, SC, but I prefer the gulf because the water and sand are much prettier (though you don't find the amazing seashells that you do in Edisto). We had a really good visit but were all bummed by the bad weather. Argh, that annoying tropical storm had to rain on our parade, literally! It rained, I mean poured, 4 out of 6 days of our beach vacation. I went on and on to Lois weeks before we left about how fun the 4th of July parade and fireworks show would be. Parent fail. Probably should not have said a peep as the parade was canceled and the fireworks were minimal. I also learned that riding in a car with a 4 year old who easily gets motion sickness and an 11 month old, who is not used to riding in cars, for 6 hours is not a whole lotta fun. I'm glad my mom was willing to cart us all there and back. (We don't have driver's licenses, but that's another story. I haven't driven a car in more than 3 years, which just sounds nutso to me.) So this is Florida!

Paris in Spring is a Glorious Thing!

Is that a song, or a poem? If not, I think it should be! Actually Paris is great anytime of year, especially to me perhaps in spring and winter. I haven't thought most places are a favorite in winter, and winter is not my favorite season in general (fall is), but Paris has a sleepy romance in winter that is wonderful in its own way.

Asheville Scampin'

I've been trying to write some posts for a few days now, but it just doesn't seem right after the recent shootings in Connecticut. I've felt terribly sad for the victims and their families as most people have. I can only imagine how the victim's parents and their loved ones must feel, and it turns my stomach inside out. Eventually I hope they will find peace in their lives. It's a tragic reminder to me that we have a limited time on this planet and to make the most of it while we're here, and in that vein, I'll get back to blogging and tell you about our recent camping trip. 

Greetings from San Francisco!

This week we're in San Francisco! We'll be here for a week, then we head to the east coast to spend the holidays with family. I meant to mention it before leaving but didn't get to it with all the other things I needed to do before we left. I'm so excited to be here! We got here on Saturday and have already gone to a number of places we love and miss. Here are a few snapshots of what we've been up to. From left to right... Tartine's bread pudding, the best!; a fun open air tram we were lucky to ride on; flowers at Bi-Rite market; the menu at Emmy's Spaghetti Shack (the best spaghetti and meatballs!); lil' miss kicking back, wearing my shades in Dolores Park; Lo's hot chocolate and lavender marshmallow at Craftsman and Wolves (the hot chocolate promptly covered her dress shortly after this photo); a sunrise photo in Dolores Park (we're a little jet lagged), tasty goodness at Craftsman and Wolves; a photo of Mission High School with birds. More to come soon from San Francisco!

France Photography Workshop Update

I'm back from France now but had a nice time at the photography and food styling workshop. Unfortunately the weather was a real drag. It was rainy, windy, and cold for 4 out of the 5 days of the workshop, which threw off the itinerary and prevented us from getting outside much. It was a shame in such a beautiful place (southern France, in the Languedoc wine region) where the weather is normally sunny and about 75 degrees most days this time of year. Alas, we can't control weather, so nothing could be done about that but make the best of our indoor time. But it was great to meet and learn from Beatrice Peltre and Lara Ferroni, and I met a lot of nice people who came from all over the world for the workshop. Here's a peek into our workshop days.

Paris Days with My Mom

I've been having a great time with my mom. So far we've done lots of walking, browsing shops, eating, and really just taking it all in. Above is a bit of Paris through our eyes. Macaroons, flower shop petals, petit dejeuner (breakfast the French way), window shopping in the 3rd, Stroher pastries to take home, La Droguerie craft shop, more deliciousness from La Grand Epicerie, and Au Petit Bonheur La Chance. 

More photos coming soon from La Droguerie and Au Petit Bonheur La Chance--two of my favorite Paris shops so far. 

Flaner

I read that "flaner" means "stroll" in French. I think I read that in Paris Made by Hand (if you don't already have it, it's a wonderful book about unique, beautiful Paris shops). We've been doing lots of strolling and I think it's the best way to explore a city, to wander and get lost in the nooks and crannies and see sights and find things you weren't expecting. I especially think that's the best way to find interesting shops, but we've also been going to some larger (more touristy areas) like the Tuileries for picnics and playground fun and seeing the Eiffel Tower light up at night.

Paris Days

Carousels. No shortage of carousels in Paris! We always stop when we see one. This one above is at the Hotel de Ville. I've gotten a little behind in posting our Paris outings. I have a lot of catching up to do! We usually go out once a day to a park or playground, but we also try to check out a few other places, like bakeries or shops, for as long as Lois will let me anyway. Here's some of what we've been up to the last two weeks.

Around Town

We've had a really nice first week in Paris. We've mostly been getting to know the neighborhood (we're in the 6th arrondissement for now, in a temporary apartment) and exploring some parks. We took Lois to the Tuileries Garden to run around and check out the playground and the sailboats there. I love that kids can rent sailboats and push them around with a stick and watch them sail. We also took her to Luxembourg Gardens, where they have a great playground and a very old, charming carousel. 

By the Bay

We had a great time in San Francisco! It went by way too fast. Ah, well, time does fly when you're having fun. Not much can be done about that. We mostly re-visited some of our favorite places to eat, saw friends, strolled around the city, and just took in the beauty and charisma that is San Francisco. Here are some snap shots into our visit, all with my iPhone. Starting at the top left corner, going clockwise: our plane ride, Dynamo Donuts, a restaurant in North Beach, pizza in North Beach, Lois checking out murals in the Mission, Pop-up Magazine at Davies Symphony Hall, Sutro Tower from Valencia Street, 826 Valencia, Coit Tower, Lois at the Embarcadero, Chinatown paper lanterns, Tartine breakfast, and the Transamerica Pyramid. And that's just a few highlights. More coming soon from our hotel (which I loved) and one of my favorite SF shops. 

Taormina, Italy

We're back from our Sicilian adventure but had a great time, as great of a time as we could have with little bit in tow anyway. It's not exactly a snap traveling with an almost three year old, but we did have a very nice time. Our hotel was comfortable and in a great location with a spectacular view. We could see Mt. Etna (an active volcano) from our lovely hotel patio, and the charming town, Taormina, was just a short walk from our hotel. We enjoyed the beach, the food, the scenery, a wonderful boat tour, a walk up to the Greek Theater, and the people were so friendly too. I'd love to go back when Lois is a bit older, when we can go snorkeling, take an excursion up to Mt. Etna, eat out past 7PM.... 

All photos here with my iPhone, using Instagram.

Bath

Last weekend we made a quick trip to Bath, which is just 1.5 hours west of London on the train. I thought the town was really lovely (though quite touristy), and I'd like to go back one day. I really enjoyed the hills. It's quite hilly there, and London is mostly flat, so it was a nice change of scenery. Our view from the hotel was pretty amazing (seen above, when the weather was taking a turn). I liked seeing the houses rolling along the green hills. We toured the Roman baths, went to Bath Abbey, relaxed in the Parade Gardens where we could admire the Pulteney Bridge, had tea with Mr. Darcy in the Jane Austin center, strolled around the town, took a sightseeing bus and the skyline bus, which cruised the outskirts of the city up along the hills, and we had a delicious dinner--Indian food. Yum. 

And Lois got to chase a hot air balloon. She wanted to catch it.