Wanderlust Friday

Normally I try to feature a place that I've had the pleasure of traveling to or the next destination that provides me with enough daydreams to get me through the work day. Instead, today I have decided to share my "life will be complete when" ultimate travel to-do list. Yes, I am a believer in Bucket Lists, and I can't explain the satisfaction that ensues when I see another place checked off. Honestly, there are few places I would turn down a chance to travel to whether in the USA or internationally. Recently I sat down to update said lists and realized I have officially been to 31 out of 50 of the States. Bring on #32! Very rarely do I rate the order in which I aspire to visit any of the destinations, because I prefer keep it spontaneous. For example, last summer with a little under 3 weeks until departure date I booked a trip to Europe and checked off Norway, London, & Sweden even though I vowed to travel to South America before crossing the pond again. However, for years I had dreamed of cruising down a fjord in the majestic countryside of Norway so when the opportunity presented itself I couldn't say no.

MY LIFE WILL BE COMPLETE WHEN TRAVEL LIST

Morrocco

one word: majestic

Brazil

beaches, beautiful people, and a little Samba on the side. yes, please?

Thailand

 the amazing food would be worth the journey alone and the best beaches in the world

Istanbul, Turkey

modern day meets ancient exotic

Argentina

 regardless of the fact that I have heard endless amazing things about Buenos Aires I look forward to a nice full glass of Malbec while relaxing in Mendoza....I would also love to ride along with a goucho, drink some yerba, and eat a nice hunk of steak followed by admiring the lustful dance moves of the tango

Italy

 a month and nothing less

Bolivia

 while in Peru the reputation of the hearts of the Bolivians from other travelers resounded 

Costa Rica

to experience La Pura Vida

Vancouver, BC

just because

New Zealand

 have you seen Lord of the Rings?

Croatia 

jagged coastlines dotted with lighthouses and amazing views of the Baltic Sea

Ireland

 my homeland!

Isreal

would love to submerge myself in the rich history

Mongolia

arriving via the Mongol Rally would be pretty rad

Czech Republic

beer, opera, and amazing architecture oh my

South Africa

mountains, beaches, wineries

Japan

hot springs and cherry blossums

Greece

white washed buildings, blue tile roofs, and bronzed bodies

Australia

everything seems bigger and better and the accents sexier

Denmark

just to eat at Noma

Austria

to hop and skip and sing to the sounds of music in the countryside

Philippines

beautiful beaches and smiling peoples

India

a shock to the senses (isn't that often needed?) would be worth it to see the biggest love story ever written err built and the indescribable richness of the culture

So my list kept growing as I was typing, and I realized I really need to start planning my next trip.

Small Big City Living

Lately I have been perusing the internet for a bit of inspiration for small spaces. A dear friend who lives in the Big Apple is about transition to studio living on the Upper East Side. The biggest challenge she faces is paring down her current possessions in addition to figuring out how to arrange her somewhat awkward new space. She has graciously summonsed me to come to New York to assist in the process (like I needed an excuse to visit). I stumbled upon this Brooklyn charmer featured in The New York Times. Zach Motl's studio apartment in Clinton Hill is delightful....all 178 square feet of it. I love his ability to arrange the furniture in groupings to clearly define areas such as the "bedroom", "office", and "sitting room". One of my favorite parts is the bed-- complete with a Sultan Alsarp box spring from Ikea that opens up for Mr. Motl stash an array of objects.

**photos via The New York Times

MONDAY QUOTE

Wanderlust Friday: Sunny Santa Barbara

I mentioned previously that I jetted off to the West Coast to celebrate the 30th. Three of my besties joined me in Santa Barbara and, oh boy, were we in for a treat. Why Santa Barbara you may ask? Good question! I was looking for somewhere sunny yet not entirely beachy (though I love the beach I cannot sit and do nothing for 3+ days) or a yet to be explored wine country like Sonoma County. A friend mentioned that she heard Santa Barbara had both. The beach and wineries? Sold! So, the trip planning began. I opted to fly into LA and set out on a road trip adventure up the scenic Pacific Coast Highway aka California Highway 1 as many refer to it. After an impromptu stop for Lava Flow's at Duke's in Malibu we arrived at our destination in approximately 1.5 - 2 hours.

I can't say enough wonderful things about Santa Barbara! From the Spanish Colonial style architecture with it's white plaster and clay tiled roofs (even the gas stations!),  perfectly manicured landscapes, and quaint little State Street to the friendliness of the people, the quiet little beach less than a 2 mile walk from downtown, and the close proximity to the St. Inez Valley wine country. I couldn't stop smiling, because everything was so stinking cute! It didn't hurt that our accents charmed everyone we met. We unofficially became known as The Mississippi Girls, and I am fairly certain we left our mark on Santa Barbara. While I have always related to Tony Bennett's renowned song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", I've now decided my heart awaits me in Santa Barbara. Enjoy my photos from the wonderful weekend!

our wheels for 4 days....who can think of Cali without thinking of a convertible?

the beautiful door that welcomed us 'home' each day

 The fabulous Mississippi Girls!!

Wind Down Wednesday

Summer is almost officially here and the days are not only getting longer but hotter too. I often find myself daydreaming of being poolside or of cocktails awaiting me on my patio when I get home from work. After a bit of browsing on the internet for some inspiring new recipes I found this fabulous one for Blackberry Mint Lemonade at Savory Sweet Life. While the recipe doesn't initially call for alcohol you can easily add a shot of vodka or rum to turn into the perfect summer cockatail! Enjoy!

Blackberry Mint Lemonade

Author: Savory Sweet Life

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Serves: 8

A refreshing blackberry lemonade infused with mint.

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 18 mint leaves, torn
• 2 cups frozen/fresh blackberries
• ice
• 3 mint sprigs
• 4 cups natural store-bought lemonade
• mint sprigs

Instructions

1. Bring the water and sugar to boil in a small pot. Stir the water/sugar mixture until the sugar is dissolved then turn off the heat. Add the torn mint leave and give the pot a stir. Allow the simple syrup to cool.
2. Add the blackberries to a blender. Place a strainer over the mouth of the blender and pour the mint simple syrup into the container. Discard the mint leaves. Blend the simple syrup and the blackberries on low speed for just a few seconds at a time, just enough to break the berries apart but not enough to puree them.
3. Fill a juice pitcher halfway with ice and add the mint sprigs. Pour the lemonade and the blackberry mixture over the ice. Stir the blackberry mint lemonade and add more ice if necessary before serving.

recipe found here

Hype About Stripes

Hello stripes! Sadly, stripes have developed a bad reputation over the years with many thinking they aren't flattering. I beg to differ! They are timeless, comforting, chic, and scream of long summer days. I couldn't be happier that they are back and everywhere for that matter. I have added a few pieces to my wardrobe that I simply can't stop wearing regardless of the season. How do you wear your stripes?

via Vanessa Jackman 

Hanneli Mustaparta

Minnie Mortimer in her own design

via Phil Oh

                              

MONDAY QUOTE

Alas! I am back after a rather long vacation....literally and figuratively. My last post was just before my 2.5 week jaunt to Peru. Machu Picchu and all 3 days leading up to it on the Inca Trail were simply amazing! After my return I soon jetted off to the west coast to celebrate the 30th birthday complete with convertible mustang and 3 lovely friends. Santa Barbara is my new favorite place! A weekend full of sunshine, differences, laughter, and wine. What more could a girl ask for? This was followed by Memorial Day fun in the sun and an out of town wedding weekend.

So much to take in in such a short amount of time! I would love to say that during my vacations I took long periods of time to reflect. Reflect about turning 30. Reflect about life. The truth is I was too tired from enjoying myself to reflect. I am just now feeling half way normal and while I may not have spent endless hours "reflecting" I do know that I have realized now more than ever than I am not perfect. And although I am hopelessly filled with imperfections, I know that I have grown and evolved into far greater a person than I had once imagined possible.