Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

There must just be something about the month of March that keeps me too busy to blog. I didn't blog once during the month of March this year, and I didn't post anything during March last year either. But anyway, I'm back from my little break and I have lots to share with you.

First up, my favorite! Rand and I went to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival on Wednesday this week. We're both off work for Spring Break, so we drove about an hour north of Seattle to Mount Vernon, WA to see the tulip fields in bloom. The festival runs all through April and it was well worth the drive. It was breathtaking.

It also didn't hurt that it was near an adorable little town with mountains in the distance. It looked like a beautiful place to live. We stopped into a yummy Mexican restaurant called CALLE afterwards for lunch and margaritas. There were other fields we could have wandered around in, but we tried to plan our trip around rush hour times to avoid heavy traffic. I have to say, though, the drive there was also pretty gorgeous. Washington, you are a winner.

Snoqualmie

I was talking to my mom last night on Google Hangout, and she reminded me how behind I am on posting pictures on this blog. Because, while there are lots of reasons I blog, one of the main ones is so my mom can see what I'm up to.  So let's catch up!

Big Life Changes (I Live in Seattle Now!)

Hey stranger!

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that I have moved to Seattle, WA. I had planned to write a "Guess what? We're moving to Seattle!" post, but instead I had to pack the moving truck and drive across the country, so instead this is a "Guess what? We just moved to Seattle!" post.

Should We Buy an Airstream?

My husband and I have recently discovered the Airstream subculture. We've caught that bug and now we can't help ourselves. Can you blame us?

We started talking about buying one, then we started looking. Now we're hooked. We're thinking a 1970's-80's 29' or 31' Airstream camper would probably be what we're looking for.

The one on the beach is Matthew McConaughey's Airstream, by the way.

The thing is, they're expensive. New ones are outrageous, somewhere around $60,000-$80,000 for what we want. Vintage ones older than about 1970 start getting very pricey, too. If they've been remodeled inside, the price jumps up quite a bit, so now we're tossing around the idea of getting one that needs a little TLC and fixing it up. We don't want to bite off more than we can chew. But maybe we could do this. Here are some interior inspiration photos we've been admiring:

Look at all that seating and storage!

I would definitely paint every surface in the thing white. Look how big that appears, even though it is really a very tiny space. :)

The lights on this one look cozy. And I could totally install flooring and paint cabinets.

I'm not crazy about this decor, but this guy has a ton of great information on his Airstream remodel. He, his wife, and his three kids all live in their Airstream full-time.

Rustic.

Another with tons of white. I would need everything to be very white and calm.

We've been looking at a few, but we're still not sure what the perfect deal would even look like. What do you think? Should I become the queen of Rand's double-wide Airstream?

All sources for these beautiful images can be found on my Pinterest board, Vintage Travel Trailers.

An NYC Holiday Gift Guide

Good morning, friends! Today I'm happy to welcome a guest contributor! Abby currently lives in my favorite place, Brooklyn, NY, so she always seems to know about the prettiest trends and products long before we hear about them here in the midwest. She is a media professional, frequent traveler, and seeker of new food, exhibits, and happenings in NYC and beyond, and I'm thrilled to share this space with her! 

Rand and I are both very fortunate to have jobs with generous holiday breaks, so we try to make a habit of traveling over the holidays. I always vote New York, since it is definitely one of the most magical places to be during the Christmas season. Abby has created a holiday gift guide for others who like to travel during Christmas break or for those who would like some big city holiday inspiration. Take a look at all her wonderful ideas!

See? Magical.
(Photo by Samuel Zeller, via Unsplash)

New York is one of the most exciting places to be during the holiday season. If you live there, you are familiar with the high energy and buzz of the city during December. If you've never been, see the list below and skip to #10 immediately. For everyone else, I've included fun NYC inspired gift ideas to create memories that your friends and family will love. 

1. I recently purchased this assorted graphic card set designed by Rifle Paper Co. that are perfect for the holiday season. Blank cards with festive details, such as gilded lettering or fun patterns that are not necessarily holiday themed, make excellent gifts. This set in particular can be used for multiple occasions. Pink Olive Graphic Card Set. $22

2. L'occitane is the holy grail of hand lotion, which you will need during the dry winters. It feels and smells amazing, both small enough to fit in your bag yet creamy enough to really last. They typically offer gift sets that include different scents which are perfect when you need to get similar items for multiple people in a school or office setting. $28 for a gift set of three.

3.  Any New Yorker will tell you that you've got to visit at least one museum while you're here, so be sure to research your favorite artists to see where you can find their exhibitions. Everyone knows MoMa and The Met, but looking for specific artists will take you on an adventure to excellent new spaces in any city. You will never forget seeing Lautrec at the Frick or Ai Weiwei at Brooklyn Art Museum. Costs will range by event and and admission fees. Some accept donations (The Met, and yes, you can pay as little as a $1) and some do not (MoMa $25), but set aside at least $30 for a ticket to any major exhibit. 

4. After running around the city all day, you must treat yourself to to a massage. Rather than going to high dollar spas, I recommend the small Chinese Body Work shops. It's only $50 for an hour massage and $30 for half an hour. It's pretty no frills, but feels amazing, which is what matters. They are located throughout Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.

5. I'm not totally anti-spas, but I do save money by purchasing beauty products I love at a fraction of the cost. The Boscia black mask is amazing. Buy this for your best friend and she will love you forever. It's a thick, black mud that drys to a thinner film which dries and peels off. It makes my skin soft for days. Bring a bottle of red wine and have a relaxing girls night. Way more fun than the spa!  Boscia Luminizing Black Mask $34 

6. If you have a friend that lives for lipstick, you have to go to Bite Lip Lab in SoHo. You can create your own custom lip color that is perfect for your skin tone. You work with a colorist to find your shade by mixing hundreds of pigments. Once you find your color, you pick your finish and flavor for any gloss, lipstick, or lip liner. I got the lipstick and the color really lasts. Bite Lip Lab - $48 for one deluxe lipstick

7. A great gift for any friend is a convenient wallet that holds everything you need, including your phone. Function is key in the city. I purchased a Lodis wristlet wallet and haven't needed another one since. It's cute, simple, and functional. My kind of gift! $108 

8. If you know someone who loves to create, treat them to a fun art class. The classes at the Painting Lounge are fantastic. It's a 2 hour BYOB painting session where you recreate famous works such as The Scream or Starry Night. 

Another fun options is glass blowing. You get to work with knowledgable staff and learn the tricks behind those swirly colored paperweights. 

The Painting Lounge 2-hour class - $50

Brooklyn Glass - $195 per session 

9. There is nothing better than finding the perfect holiday dress to wear to the most anticipated party. In terms of gift giving, this would fall more so under the category of gifts you'd get for yourself, but I would be delighted if my significant other surprised me with a fun new dress for a specific event (see #10!). For holiday parties, I suggest a jewel-toned color that compliments your skin tone. You will definitely stand out amongst all the LBDs. Dress by Catharine Maladrino - $148 

(Photo by Vita Vilcina, via Unsplash)

10. Booking a spontaneous trip to another city is always exciting. Surprise a friend or your significant other by spending the holiday in another city, preferably New York! If you're already here, you can also plan a stay-cation and feel like you're getting away from the grind by booking a hotel using apps such as Hotel Tonight. It finds deals on remnant hotel rooms in trendy, upscale locations at a discounted rate. You can book the day of, and now they have options to book multiple days in advance as well. Costs vary, but nightly rates range as low as $120 - $300 per night in New York, a steal for the quality of the rooms. In other cities you can find quality hotels for less than $100 a night. Locations and prices vary across multiple cities, and locations change daily, so I recommend checking often and getting on a plane. 

-Abby

NYC 3 // The Subway

No contest: My favorite thing about NYC was the subway system. Once you get a sense of how to get around, it is incredible to be able to hop on the subway and make your way around town. No warming up a cold car, or cooling down a hot car, or anxiety about parking, or always thinking your car is making funny noise, or making right turns over and over and over just to avoid making a left hand turn (is this just me?). I hate driving.

But it's not just the convenience of the subways that I love. This Time article on Christopher Morris' photos of graffiti-covered New York subways in 1981 was really fascinating. The photo collection shows ordinary New Yorkers on the subway trains; reading, sleeping, pushing their way through crowds or waiting for a train. There are so many unique faces, but shortly after each photo was taken, everyone went their separate ways, back to their lives, and we'll never know who any of them were or what became of them. Aren't we so little and insignificant in the world?

It's the anonymity of life in New York that I love. There are many, many people in the city, and everyone is so busy that no one really notices you. Being from southwest Missouri, where every stranger in the checkout line wants to strike up a conversation, I was really grateful to just feel invisible. I wore all the clothes I don't have the courage to wear back home, and I was able to recover from public displays of clumsiness and cluelessness instantly (like getting my arm caught in the train doors... eye dart). Existing was easier.

As a result, you see some strange people on the subways. Never a dull moment. 

New York City 2 // The Highline

If you're looking for ideas for what to do in NYC, I recommend that A Cup of Jo should be one of your first stops. I've learned so many fun things about the city, and it was in this article that I first learned about the Highline. The Highline is a park that has been built on an old elevated freight line. It's lush and green, with seating, food vendors, a splash pad, and incredible views of Manhattan. Since I was by myself during the day, this was the perfect place to just wander around and watch the people.

Seating was available all over the place, and I wondered what all of these people were doing with this kind of time on their hands. How do you afford to live in New York and spend a Monday afternoon napping in the sun on the Highline? Or maybe they were all just tired tourists. I liked it though, since I like to watch people and I don't mind being around lots of strangers who don't try to talk to me,

I didn't have any cash on me, plus I was a little overwhelmed, trying to follow the flow of traffic as I entered the Highline, so I missed my chance to hear this guy (turns out his name is Will Barnet) perform a bit of Shakespeare. I have made it my mission to hunt this guy down and hear a performance the next time I visit the City. I'll find you, Will! And I will request the prologue of Romeo and Juliet. :)

Of course, the views of Manhattan, the Hudson River and New Jersey were the greatest treat for me. I walked the entire length of the park twice and discovered that if you put in headphones and listen to music as you walk around this city, you'll feel just like you're in a movie. :)

More photos coming soon!

New York City 1 // Brooklyn

Big news! I had a very exciting "first" this summer- I traveled all by myself. And the destination I chose was my favorite city in the whole world. The entire thing was an incredible experience, including the good and the bad (I missed a plane...but we'll talk about that later).  First, let's start with some adventures I had in Brooklyn the first couple days I was there.

I arrived in New York on a Friday. Flying into Newark International Airport was quite a bit cheaper than La Guardia or JFK, so that's where I went, even though I knew I would have to travel farther across the city to Brooklyn, where I was staying. From the airport, I took the New Jersey Transit Train to Penn Station, where I transferred to a subway train, and then another and another until I made it to Sunset Park, where I stayed for the first half of my trip. On Saturday, I met up with my friends Nick and Abby for lunch and exploring their part of Brooklyn.

The little boy above was sitting on that plastic chair on the patio of a restaurant called S'Nice on 5th Street. I was amazed at how he must be a NYC kiddo, because even though there were so many exciting things happening all around him, he was mostly just focused on balancing on that chair. He fell over the second after I snapped this photo, poor guy.

The City features some eclectic boutiques, including one that sells nothing but superhero supplies. Yes, that's a gallon of vengeance in the photo. It would have made a great souvenir if I could have fit it in my suitcase to fly home.

The food and drink in Brooklyn was excellent, and it was not nearly at pricey as I had expected. Most meals out ended up costing me around ten dollars. The meal in the photo was at a beautiful little place called S'Nice in Park Slope. They actually had vegan options on their menu and the one I had was delicious. And then there was this little place, the Savoy Bakery in Sunset Park.  The most incredible iced coffee of my life for $2.50.

On Sunday, Abby and I went to Coney Island. I love that this city has everything, including access to the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. It wasn't too busy that day, because although it was warm and beautiful, it was crazy windy! Abby and I got some great exfoliation thanks to the sandstorm we laid out in.

Abby wasn't afraid to try out this funky bench on the pier, where several people were sleeping. Seriously, do you think there's any way I could build one of these for my backyard?!

Those were just my first couple of days in Brooklyn, so I've still got to much to share with you! Stay tuned!

Headed to NYC

Photo by Piotr Kwiatkowski via Unsplash

At the age of 29, I am taking my very first trip by myself. I'm visiting my favorite city for a few days. Be back soon!