TUSCANY TUSCANY

Pinterest loves Tuscany, and I love pinterest. Therefore, I love Tuscany!

I'm so glad all these things make sense.

But anyway, my main request on the trip was to drive through Tuscany. And while our time wasn't quite as romantic as pinterest and I had dreamed up, Tuscany is still incredibly beautiful! First we pulled into someones driveway where little pappi was playing (he even bombed a few pics, silly Italian children!) and the next stop was some random castle-ish-thing. (who wishes we had more random castles here? Actually, who wishes we had A castle here in America? Me, that's who.)

Okay, off to Rome. And no, don't go all Audrey Hepburn on me.

TP as in Teen Pact

The funny thing about the week at Teen Pact, was that it wasn't what I planned at all. I planned to have a terrible time, to be lonely and bored and especially miserable. But God got a good laugh out of those (what can I say? I pride myself on my impeccable humor!) and revealed his plan. And it involved new friends, so much laughter and good, good times.

Despite ALLLL the hoopla it took to get there, we arrived in Georgia and the stars aligned and we had a grand time. THOSE SOUTHERN MANNERS YA'LL, they are something else! And it was snowing and I had a buddy to whisper with and rice cake jokes and also, surprisingly I easily went a week without Pinterest? (who would have thought!)

Didn't know it was possible to love a group of silly kids this much. And sorry for all the weirdo photos, this is what happens when you don't bring your camera. Desperate blog posts call for desperate (stalking) measures, but creeping is what I was born to do and so I shall do it!

Get yourself a pencil skirt and head right on over to TeenPact. Seriously, you can't go wrong!

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE.

Ever since coming home, Paris is all I can think about! At my first social event I felt a great urge to share with everyone of my amazing experience in Paris. Person to Person was an option, but I felt like a little presentation (with pictures! everyone loves pictures!) would be more interactive option. You know, and then EVERYONE would know how magical that city is.

But since I hadn't had enough time to prepare some cheesy jokes, I just stuck to my usual plan of bringing every conversation  back to Paris. Talking about snacks "They have the best food there!", commenting on the pretty house we were in  "The houses in Paris were BEAUTIFUL!" It was a good plan! It worked! Though I'm pretty sure everyone was sick of Paris and that is a sad thing indeed.

Anyway, I made a video! It's pretty rough (someone send me a tripod ASAP) but it's perfect in it's own way because its Paris and Paris is perfect so it all works out in the end. Please enjoy a blurry view of the city and get ready for 80 million blog posts to follow, all with an underlying theme of "I WANT TO GO TO PARIS AGAIN."

Not to shout or anything, but really!




Okay, I'm gonna go cry now. Really guys, Paris is incredible, even when blurry and shaky cam are in full swing. Now, does anyone have any tissues handy?

TO JUSTIFY THIS PURCHASE...

(and these selfies) I told myself, "You only go to Paris once!"

A little bit of DC Lovin'

Good morning friends! I've been rushing around all morning, packing and what not. Of course, the term packing is used very loosely, it mainly involves me trying on a bunch of outfits, hating all of them and then ending with every clothing article I own in piles on the floor. Clearly, I have this process down to a science!

Anyway, we went to DC just after Christmas! Dad has a knack of informing us we are traveling with VERYYY late notice. I seriously think we had two days warning on this trip, which was pretty good!

▲▲ Botanical Gardens! We felt right at home in the humidity! Although, what is up with these pics? Geeze kryn, get your act together.

▲▲ I would probably air on the artist side of things, but when I go an museum I always feel like I'm betraying my kind. I really hate art, apparently! I seriously think there was one piece in the whole museum that I actually thought was beautiful. The rest? To many naked ladies and fat babies for my taste.

▲▲ Mount Vernon was so pretty, I wanted to cry. Old George (we are on a first name basis now, thanks to the great level of our affection for him) was a good, good man. Plus There's a little something about colonial charm that is just heavenly.

▲▲ Ah, yes, I promise I do own more than one outfit! But I am getting sick of seeing my one and only coat in SOOO many photos. But Alas, the downside to living in the sweat state.

Thanks peeps! And DC too, because you are real cute.

THE JUAN I LOVE (and more!)

Sorry to be bugging you with photos of tropical paradise again, but 2014 kind of got in the way of my blue skies photo spamming, so here we are again! This time to talk about San Juan. Let me be your imaginary travel agent for a moment (It's my favorite role to play.) and advise you on what to do, where to go...etc. 

In other words, let me boss you around! Like I said, it's my specialty.

 ▲▲ Make sure you head to Del Morro (or excuse me Fort San Felipe del Morro,whatever. ) on your trip! We spent the morning there and there are lots of nooks and crannies to get lost in and killer ocean views from the roof. However, as we found out the roof is HIGHLY DANGEROUS so don't go there. What's the saying, do as I say not as I do? Something like that.

▲▲ After you are evicted from the roof (because with those views you'll want to move in.) wander through cat land to colorful Old San Juan. Obviously I am having way to much fun with the JUAN YOU LOVE pun, but you will love it. Pink houses, I was in heaven.

▲▲ Actually my favorite part was driving through the jungle-ly mountains. (mostly because there was AC.) My dad is king of finding random gems and we drove up this windy road and had a grand time (listening to mariachi band music no less!) Puerto Rico has no shortage of beautiful and interesting sights..!

▲▲ The square inch of beach we visited was probably the least impressive sight of our trip. And while I've heard that of gorgeous Puerto Rican beaches, the one we went to (an adventure in itself just getting there!) looked exactly like what we have here, so I was not too impressed. Better Luck next time PR!

Okay kids, that's all from sunny Puerto Rico. It was certainly good to go a different country (so to speak) and hopefully was good preparation for any other South American countries we travel too!

AND NOW, FOR NOTHING IN PARTICULAR

"Not all who wander are lost."

I really thought I could make it without the triangles, BUT NO! Never will my love for triangles in blog posts be quenched. So my geometry loving friends, enjoy the last tidbits of NYC with a touch of triangle. You know it's good for you.

▲▲ Nice light in Chelsea Market! Also, my new lens is dreamy, almost to the point of being too dreamy if that's possible. I'm still learning the ropes, but so far I'm in love.

▲▲ These succulents at Chelsea Market - oh my! Of course, I had to stop and say hi, because I am friends with succulents all over the world. Also, my cactus died, but that is for another time. A time of mourning, of course.

▲▲ To anyone who will go to New York in the next million years....GO TO B&H PHOTO! It is like Santa's workshop on steroids with conveyer belts bringing camera goodies everywhere and little Jewish elves running to and fro. And, I got to use a $3000 camera so my day was made.

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow."
I am so grateful traveling is an option for me. I am so grateful that I get to see different places and new faces. Also, for my rhyming talents which are off the charts. Traveling is my favorite - I'm so glad I get to do it.

Thanks NYC for having me, you really are a charmer.

And now, where to next?

"I have not been everywhere, but it's on my list."

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_travel.html#xryeDKmxrKoMzqKl.99

Our deeds still travel with us from afar, and what we have been makes us what we are.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_travel.html#xryeDKmxrKoMzqKl.99

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_travel.html#xryeDKmxrKoMzqKl.99

Of Heaven and New York and how they are related.

 

I have been putting off blogging, and writing more specifically for a month. A MONTH! Time is such a weird thing really, but anyway. I love blogging, I love this blog, but sometimes I don't want to blog. And if that makes sense to you then I would worry for your life. Because it makes sense to me and well....!

But now, I am here! To tell you about the magic of being 16. I don't know what happened, but something clicked in me. I'm not in limbo anymore I guess, that awkward stage of knowing you are a kid but really wanting to be older. 16 feels like "YES! I can do this!" As a result, I am much more aggressive in craft stores. And I smack my gum a little louder,  Just to let you know that I'm 16 now.

And when you turn 16, you do logical things. Like go to New York City, of course! New York is nice. But New York at Christmas? That is heaven. And if I was in heaven then that probably means I have been upgraded to Angel status, right?

For further proof, see my halo...

 Okay maybe not. It was a nice thought!

I feel as though these photos could be easily twisted into something far more poetic with a few heartfelt quotes and maybe a sad acoustic song. Thank goodness I am not the type for that! 

More coming your way....

 

Blue Ridge and Hockey thoughts (clearly related!)

HMMM....how cliche is this? Let me use this inspiring photo and make a complete left turn: HOCKEY! Our 2nd night, we went to a hockey game at Liberty and...GOOD GRAVY, HOCKEY IS THE GREATEST! I actually walked in thinking I was gonna cry (it seemed to be the thing that trip, ya know?)  It was loud and cold and LOUD. But lo and behold, hockey is the bestest! The brawling, oh my. I have never before taken delight (or even interest!) in grown men fighting but apparently, it's quite enjoyable. Anyway, left turn. Backtracking to autumnal things....

▲▲ Blue Ridge ya'll. And what is it about fall that makes me say ya'll? Rhyming, I guess, but then, I digress.

I'll stop now.

Oh, and thank you blogger for making my pictures blurry! So sweet of you!

▲▲ Clearly, I have mastered the art of looking scenic, whatever that is.

X and O's to infinity for you Fall (or let me be hipster, AUTUMN.) And if I were really hipster, I would be saying this whilst drinking a pumpkin latte or whatever those are. But I destest drinking wood, so hot chocolate for me!