guess who's back!

Surprise! It's me. I'm in a deep post-vacation depression (seriously, why do they go by so fast!?). I'm trying to get back into the normal groove of things around here, but really I'd rather be running all over Disney again. Here are some highlights from the trip!

First up was Animal Kingdom where I posed in a dino car, we discovered they sold beer in the parks (and had no problems with you drinking it in line. Awesome.), and rode Expedition Everest. We also went on a little "safari" where a bunch of rhinos got really close to our truck!

We were absolutely wiped by the end of the day (we went non-stop from 3am heading to the airport to 9pm falling into bed!).

 

 

 

Tuesday we hit up Magic Kingdom where we were DEVASTATED that Thunder Mountain Railroad was closed for renovations. They should really tell you what's going to be closed when you're booking these things. It was definitely construction season, lots of "Disney Dream Builder" signs on things.

I made Boyfriend go through the Swiss Family Robinson house because it was my favorite movie when I was a kid. Even though it's the lamest thing at Disney pretty much, haha.

 

Wednesday was the most important day. It was Tower of Terror Day. It's my favorite ride in the universe. We rode four times (we got to the park before it opened and were very strategic with our Fast Passes). It was amazing. We also did the Aerosmith coaster twice and I had an ice cream sundae with caramel corn on it. Caramel corn on it. And Mickey shaped sprinkles but everything is shaped like Mickey there.

Thursday was Epcot day, where we attempted to drink around the world and I wore silly hats. (Boyfriend: "You take that off, take that off right now you look ridiculous!" Me: "Take my picture!")

They had awesome topiaries for the Epcot flower & garden festival all over the place. This one was my favorite. Look at Lady's ears!

I just love Disney. It's so magical. Now all I want is to go on another vacation (preferably one with more roller coasters!).

What have you guys been up to?? Who's going to the Boston Blogger meet up this week?!

Vacation!

I'm off to Disney World for the week! I'll be back with magical posts soon!

Valentine's Trip 2012: Part II

Okay, so when I last left off I was packing up the car and getting ready to go in search of the coffee shop. Boyfriend was happily going to the top of the mountain, sliding down, and going back up again. And again. Yawn.

I had my resort map and I had my eye on a coffee shop called Java Joe's. I walked this way. I walked that way. I went up some stairs. I went down some stairs. This godforsaken coffee shop was no where to be found. I wandered around muttering under my breath about how much I hated this place, and how all the people there sucked, and why couldn't they just go to the beach like normal people?

I went into one of the hotels and asked the kid at the desk. "Oh sure!" he said, "Just go up these stairs and it's right on that side of the hotel." Well okay! Now we're getting somewhere! I went up the stairs, and all that was up there was a door outside, a conference room, and the elevator. So I rode the elevator up and down a few times in frustration. Then I went out the back door of the hotel, wandered around a corner, and behold! Java Joe's. Why didn't he say GO OUTSIDE?! Idiot.

Anyway, it was a hippy dippy little coffee shop where I had an EXCELLENT bagel and latte, so all was not lost. Plus once I had some food and coffee in me I was feeling much more cheerful. I hung out there for awhile then met Boyfriend for drinks and lunch. After that he was heading back up the mountain (so he could slide down again) and I went in search of the snowshoeing.

I drove down a long dirt road to a deserted looking building and actually got out of my car and went inside. Who am I? I was apparently bored enough that I wanted to go snowshoeing rather than sit in the car and read. So I rent my snowshoes, the guy gives me a map, says all the trails are marked, and I head out.

[this is what snowshoeing looks like]

I picked a trail that was supposed to take two hours to complete, knowing that's how much time I had to kill before Boyfriend was done going up the mountain and sliding back down again. I tramped into the woods, in my cute snowshoeing outfit with my camera in tow.

"This is great! Look at me, getting in a workout and some fresh mountain air!" Then 30 minutes went by.

"Oh my God, I'm so lonely and bored. It's just me and the squirrels out here. I guess I should take some pictures of myself to remember this by."

[here's a story, of a lovely lady, who went snowshoeing all by hersellffff]

Then 45 more minutes went by. I'm DEEP in the woods now. Things are getting treacherous. The path is leading me through streams and I really didn't want to get my fancy snow boots wet.

 

[danger lurks at every turn!]

Then I started wondering where the hell I was. I'd been hiking through the woods for awhile. I was sweaty. I was starting to panic. This is when I realized the path I was on didn't quite loop all the way back to the snowshoe lodge like I'd thought. It seemed to end at an intersection with a cross country skiing path. I just figured I'd trudge up that a little ways and be back. 

So when I popped out onto a ski path with a sign that said LODGE: THIS WAY, I followed it. And followed it. And followed it. There were no more signs directing me to the lodge. The only signs were ones with pictures of a DeLorean or a moose. I think the DeLorean was supposed to be a snowmobile. The moose is what really freaked me out. THERE COULD BE A MOOSE IN THE WOODS WITH ME. TO EAT ME. Obviously. Then I had a short fantasy of me meeting a moose and being a moose whisperer and having it follow me home to the delight-slash-awe of my friends and family.

[I was too distraught to take a picture of the moose sign. Here is a bridge thing.]

At this point I was beginning to panic. I was at a fork in the road where I had three possible path choices and nothing to tell me which way to go. I was texting my friends in a panic. The battery on my cell phone was dying. Boyfriend unhelpfully suggested I just backtrack. Yeah, backtrack two hours through the woods? No thanks. Someone send a search helicopter! Or search DeLorean, I don't know what you mountain people use for rescues out here.

Then, luckily for me, someone came skiing out of the forest. The first person I'd seen the whole time. I begged him to tell me how to get to the lodge (it wasn't far, hooray!) and he looked at me like I was a crazy person. I don't know why. He was the one cross country skiing in man leggings. I was just clutching a cell phone in a bejeweled case, wearing designer sunglasses, and snowshoeing down a ski trail. What's the big deal?

Anyway, I made it back safely and Boyfriend and I hit the road to head home. The highlight of the drive home was stopping at  what Boyfriend calls a "Colonel Sanchez",  which is a drive thru where one can get BOTH KFC and Taco Bell, just in case you felt like being extra disgusting (which we did, obv).

I'm thinking next year we can go to a cozy bed and breakfast. Where I can sit. And read.

Tomorrow morning: Winner of the Shabby Apply giveaway!!

Valentine's Trip 2012: Part I

I wasn't expecting much for Valentine's Day this year. We don't usually do anything spectacular for it and we never celebrate on the actual day of. It's not that big a deal to me, as long as we say "Happy Valentine's Day" I'm a happy camper.

I especially wasn't expecting anything this year since Boyfriend had booked a snowboarding trip for Valentine's Day. I don't snowboard. This trip did not include me. He apparently had to pick a date at the time of purchase so he picked Valentine's Day figuring he'd definitely remember to change that. Well, the snow never came this year and prices for the trip went up, so he was stuck with last Tuesday. To top it all off, the friend that was supposed to go with him bailed at the last minute. So there was poor Boyfriend, going all the way to some back corner of Maine all by his lonesome.

 [so lonesome!]

When he called me Tuesday morning to say happy Valentine's Day I figured he was already on the road to Sugarloaf. Not so! He wanted to take me to lunch! What a treat! So lunch time rolled around at I met him at the pub down the street from my work for burgers and roses (the boy bought me roses!). He said he was leaving after lunch to head up to Maine. By his lonesome.

"Well," I pondered, "If only you could wait until I got out of work, I'd just go with you and take tomorrow off."

"But what would you do?"

"I'd read a book! ALL DAY. Oh my God, what a treat!"

So after some hemming and hawing and pondering, I decided to scoot out of work a little early and take the next day off. I am a rebel.  And also a good girlfriend. I went home after work, threw everything even remotely winter appropriate into my bag and we were off!

I seriously love road trips with this boy. I have no idea why, but the thought of being in the car for hours on end with him makes me giddy. Probably because I have him trapped and I can talk and talk and he has to pretend to listen.

Anyway, that's when he mentioned check out was at 11am the next day, so I couldn't read in the room all day like I had envisioned.

"It's okay, they'll have a lodge!" Well that sounded nice. I envisioned the lodge from when Boy Meets World went skiing. Cozy! We finally get to Sugarloaf, and can't find our room. I can't tell you how long we wandered. It took two different buildings to check in, and then roaming a third building before we finally figured it out. Already I was displeased. But then we found it, and Teen Mom was on, and I was in my jammies, and life was good.

 

[i don't want anything to do with this]

The next morning Boyfriend got all bundled up and hurried up the mountain while my game plan was to find the coffee shop, meet Boyfriend for lunch, then maybe think about snowshoeing. Well. That didn't turn out to be as easy and lovely as I'd hoped.

Carry On! A Lesson in Packing

I'm leaving today for a long weekend in Charlotte, NC to visit one of my bestest friends, Helen! I'm so excited to spend the weekend relaxing and having fun with some amazing ladies. This is a short trip, but whenever I fly I almost always refuse to check a bag. I know some of my friends have balked at this, saying they could never pack for any trip in a small carry-on bag. Well, I am here to tell you it is possible, and it will make air travel SO much quicker and easier if done correctly.



1: Pick your bag. Check with your airline to see what their guidelines are regarding carry on bag sizes. Anything labeled as a carry on should be fine, but some may be larger than others. The one pictured here is a duffle (because my carry on bag isn't nearly as adorable), but I prefer a rolling bag with an extendable handle. They're much easier to navigate the airport with. This Lipault bag is one I seriously want to invest in. It folds up flat and comes with it's own storage case!

2: Plan ahead. Brainstorm outfits you'll need or want to wear on your trip (check the weather for your destination first!). Lay everything out and start mixing and matching outfits. I find it easier to bring items that can be worn in many different ways, that way you always feel like you have options without taking your whole wardrobe with you. That blue sweater that only goes with one other item you're packing? Leave it at home. Get creative here! Really stretch your brain when it comes to your vacation outfits. Try pattern mixing and color blocking. You're on vacation, have some fun!

3: Edit. Really try to limit yourself to one outfit per activity on your trip. Make sure you have a couple layering pieces in case the weather turns on you, but other than that, be strict! Shoes are my weak point. I will gladly sacrifice an extra pair of pants or two if that means I can fit another pair of my beloved shoes. Decide which items you absolutely have to bring and leave behind things you can survive without.

 

4: Pack it up. Shoes and other heavy items on the bottom. Tuck small items like socks or belts inside your shoes to conserve space. I feel every nook and cranny around my shoes with stuff - jewelry, underwear, bathing suit - if it can be scrunched into a little ball and shoved in there, I do it. Next, I roll all my clothes and place them on top of my shoes and accessories. Rolling things really does take up less space, and I think it keeps things from getting too badly wrinkled as well. I tuck my non-liquid makeup bag on top and then shove in any other accessories I need into the pockets, if they fit. The pockets on the outside of the bag I reserve for things I'll need to get quickly - my one quart clear plastic baggie, for example. Which brings me to...



5: The 3-1-1 Rule. The 3-1-1 Rule is the TSA's guidelines for carrying liquids on a plane. This really isn't as hard as you may think. This is where a lot of people give up and decide to check their bags. But guess what? You seriously don't need full bottles of shampoo and conditioner for a week away. Buy a kit of small plastic bottles and decant your favorite products into them. You can also get most of your favorites in travel sizes - 3floz.com is a great resource for every product you could ever need - in carry on friendly sizes! You can use a regular old Ziploc baggie to store your stuff, or you can get a more durable one. I just bought this one. Don't panic if you can't fit everything - get your essentials in the baggie. You're probably not going to the middle of the jungle, there will be drugstores, you will be able to buy more shampoo if it comes down to it.

 

6: The personal bag. In addition to your suitcase, most airlines also allow one personal bag per passenger. It just has to fit under the seat in front of you. I put my purse, my Kindle, my phone, books, magazines, travel documents and what have you in this bag. I got this great one from LLBean and it's got plenty of compartments for keeping everything organized. It also has a strap on the back to secure it to the handle of your wheeled luggage when you're maneuvering around. Handy! I don't like to completely fill this bag. It's great back up in case you accumulate stuff on your trip or just need some extra space.

over the weekend

Sorry for the silence around here the past few days. I've been on a writing kick lately and thoughts of anything else have basically flown out the window. I was away this past weekend, in Portland ME, so I didn't have a chance to get up my usual Healthy Sundays post, but rest assured it will be back next week. Since I'm still on a writing binge I just wanted to pop by with a quick post. Here's what my weekend looked like:

clockwise: view from our hotel room // sweet potato tater tots // sunset // old port

clockwise: occupy Portland // salted caramel cupcake // navy & brown // gritty's

clockwise: living area // bedroom // simple waffle // old port at night

You're probably looking at these pictures and saying, "Look at all that food! She totally binged!" My short answer would be: yes, yes I did. My long answer will come next Sunday. ;)

I am so in love with this hotel and I would move in if I could. It was our second time there (we go in the winter, we can't afford it in the summer). I apprently booked us some kind of mini suite this time, since we had a living area, bathroom with a HUGE tub and a bedroom. All I kept thinking was it's a perfect spot for a writing retreat. I can so see myself holed up in there for a week, writing away. Ah well, maybe someday!

How was your weekend? Where's your favorite weekend retreat spot?

country to city

A few weeks ago I went on a little road trip vacation. I thought it was finally time I break out the pictures and share them! I warn you: there are quite a few.

We started our trip in Vermont. We stayed in Stowe, and on the way up we stopped at Killington and rode the gondola to the top of the mountain and hiked around a bit. The views were beautiful, but it was very windy. There were lots of pine trees up there though, so it smelled like Christmas! It was amazing. We ran into a group of guys who were hiking the Appalachian Trail. They had all started alone, from Georgia, at the end of April and had met up along the trail. It was the end of August and they were just nearly finished! That amazed me, I could never, ever do that. I don't sleep outside, heh.

When we finally made it up to Stowe, we checked into our hotel, strolled around the quaint little town, and got stuck in a rain storm. But we got to see an awesome rainbow so that made it okay. The next day we headed into Burlington, where we saw Lake Champlain and went to the Magic Hat brewery. I love a good brewery tour, and this one was pretty great. Plus: beer.

And then, as if all that wasn't enough, we went to the Ben & Jerry's factory. AMAZING. We saw the flavor graveyard, took a tour, and got ice cream cones. I went with the Late Night Snack flavor - vanilla ice cream with a salted caramel swirl and chocolate covered potato chip clusters. Yes - chocolate covered potato chip clusters. If you love salty and sweet like I do, you need to try this.

 

From there we headed down to Atlantic City for a night, where we gambled (well, I didn't really. Not my thing) drank, ate and lounged. The next morning we were off for a day in SoHo so I could finally go to Topshop! We spent the day shopping, eating, and drinking. Eating and drinking are my favorite things, aside from shopping, so this day was pretty great.

Luckily for us, it happened to be restaurant week while we were there, so we ended up eating at David Burke Kitchen where I had a massive plate of the most delicious chicken ever and an apple tart for dessert. Perfect end to our trip. It was definitely whirl-wind, but also jam packed full of fun things. Now I'm busy planning my next adventure...

southern lady

This is the final Savannah post, which means that I guess I have to finally accept the fact that I am home now and vacation is over. Le sigh. I've totally got a backlog of outfit posts from before the trip too. I have just been chillin' over here, dressed like a bum and not taking pictures. ;)

[Dress - H&M/Sandals - American Eagle/Hat - Forever 21/Bag - Dooney & Bourke]

Boyfriend and I are kind of looking for another apartment. We're not huge on renting again, but we're also not big on living apart. We figure if we find something worthwhile we'll move, if not we'll stay where we are. Rent is just so expensive around here, and we'd still be living in a dump site in the ghetto. Damn you, Northeast! Don't even get me started on buying a house around here. I'd love to relocate somewhere more affordable, but I doubt that's something that would actually happen.

In other news, my work computer finally died! If you follow me on Twitter you may have noticed of the few times I tweet, a bunch of them have just been complaining about that shitty computer. It finally kicked the bucket yesterday and a new one has been ordered for me! I'm so pumped. Of course, until then I have to work on whatever spare computer I can find every day, which is awful, but I'll deal. There's nothing like a fresh new computer.

Jamie snapped this last pic just after I stumbled over the curb like an idiot. What a good friend, capturing a moment like that! (Okay fine, might be payback for that time at her birthday a lawn chair collapsed and instead of helping her we all whipped out out cameras...)