Souvenirs

Here are some of the things I brought back from NYC. From top left:
1) DKNY Jeans Cozy Ease Burnout Vest - Comfy layer.
2) Madewell Firstplace Sweatshirt, cottage green, M
3) DVF Round Pyramid Stud Glove - I needed gloves. Please please don't let me leave these beauties on the subway or at the grocery store
4) Joe's Skinny Ankle Jeans, Shelby  -They have a bleach stain on the back on purpose.
5) Madewell Slim Boyjean Rip & Repair - I wasn't sure about this pair, the shop girls talked me into them. They aren't tight (like a skinny jean) or falling off (how I like to wear boyfriend jeans)...somewhere in between. I ended up wearing them Saturday and Sunday in NYC and I am now in love with the fit!
6) Trapper Hat - probably a trend that is over, but so warm, who cares!
7) Madewell Flannel Ex-boyfriend Buffalo Check
8) White tank - $12
9) Queen Tank - Queen!
10) Madewell Scarf - on sale!
11) Acne Studio Clover Boot, Rust - I have to stretch them a bit...teensy bit
12) Moma book
13) BCBG Cropped Rash Guard -for Mexico!!


Practically a whole new wardrobe!

NYC

Duration: 2 nights, 3 days
Hotel: W Union Square
Transit: Air Canada into Newark, NJTransit to Penn Stn
Attractions: Tenement Museum, Moma, 9/11 Museum, Theatre (You can't take it with you)
Food: Bao Haus, Babbo, Eataly, Dominque Ansel, Fat Radish, Stanton Social, MUD, Hu Kitchen, Mighty Quinns
Shopping: Madewell, Century 21, Nordstrom Rack

We spent Friday to Sunday morning in NYC. I came home with a carry on full of new things and a nasty head cold (poor me).

Loved the shopping, the food, the walking around. A bit disappointed with people watching. I didn't get excited by anything the girls were wearing: Boots and teeny tiny jean shorts with crop tops. Mom jeans, or at least higher waists. Not a lot of tight. Summer dresses and boots was another staple. Wide leg cropped black trousers. It's not easy to separate the locals from the tourists, so I was mainly checking out the shop girls, restaurant servers and bike riders.
 
You could spend half a day at the 9/11 museum and memorials. I feel haunted by the images from our short two hour visit. I keep dwelling on it. The entire time I type this, or while I was cleaning out the orange juice I spilled in the fridge this morning, or helping the boys put together hot wheels tracks, part of me is still walking around underground.

Moma got me fired up about Art again. LARGE ART! I want to try something. I don't want to copy, and I don't think I could come up with a masterpiece, so I will sit on my ideas a bit and see where they take me.

The Tenement Museum was excellent! Live history! I want to go back and take the walking tour. 

We went to see You Can't Take it With You, staring James Earl Jones. It was a great piece. Funny and warm! We bought our tickets at the TKTS counter in Brooklyn - there was a 35-45 minute (I really wasn't paying attention, but long) wait in line as of 11am Saturday. Not sure if the wait times for the Times Square TKTS counter is quicker.

I will write a post about my purchases soon! And you can see a few more photos from the trip here.

A Long Weekend in London

 

 

 

 

My husband and I went to London for the long weekend! We left Thursday evening, and returned on Monday. (Air Transat)

It was our first time in the city, so I drew up a full itinerary before we left. I wanted to see everything. This is what we managed to fit in:

Day 1
Arrived about 9am, took Gatwick Express to Victoria, walked to our hotel in the steady rain
Couldn't check in, so we dropped the bags and went on our way
Walked to Buckingham Palace (witnessed the changing of the guards)
Walked along Piccadilly Circus (where we first noticed that Paul, the amazing French pastery chain, is also in London!)
Through China Town to Frith Street
Lunch at Koya - Japanese noodles and tea to warm up. We were wet and cold but awake!

After lunch we walked down Charing Cross Road (used bookshops!) then checked out the National Gallery. I really wanted to see the Arnolfini Wedding by van Eyck but it had been moved to a temporary exhibit, in the same wing, and somehow I never found it. 
Through Trafalgar Square (blue rooster?), walked down Whitehall to see Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
We took the full tour of Westminster Abbey
Walked back to the Hotel.

I was dead on my feet, my husband went out and foraged for food and wine in the neighborhood while I took a nap. Then we had a picnic in the hotel room! Treats from Paul, wine and cheese from Harvey Nichols, grub from Wagamama.


Day 2
Walked through Hyde Park to Portobello Road Market. Didn't buy anything, I just wanted to check out the scene. The weather was sunny one minute and rain showers the next.

Tube (all day pass) to Oxford Station and walked to Pitt Cue Co. for lunch. We had the pulled pork on a bun. It was delicious. Not to mention, this was the street and the restaurant from the movie, "About Time" With Rachel McAdams and Ron Weasley's brother. That movie has some whatever moments (all time travel movies do), but it will make you want to visit London.

After lunch we shopped! We hit Liberty, COS (bought two things), Salvation Army (bought one thing), Carre D'Artistes, Yellow Korner (more on that one day soon)...and that's about it. Mostly wandered around the streets people watching and window shopping.

Then we went down to Leicester Square to TKTS to see if we could score cheap tickets to Twelve Angrey Men. We aren't big theater people, and musicals are a NO! Bonus if we could get tickets to this show, since my husband was only recently telling me about the movie...but no, the play was sold out except for single seats.

We took the tube to Harrods, walked around the hood and went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

We didn't make dinner reservations, but Time Out London has a list of top restaurants that don't take reservations. We decided to Try Burger and Lobster in Harvey Nichols. Zero line up, Lobster was fantastic, the crazy cocktail was delicious.

Lobster doesn't fill you! Later that night we hopped on the tube and went back to Chinatown for some dumplings! Then hit up HK Cafe for dessert. Ducked back into the subway before midnight.

Day 3
SUNNY! Sunny and bright and beautiful! I had a bunch of plans mapped out for the day, but we reorganized and decided to hit the London Eye, walk to Tate Modern (lunch, meat pie at the Tate Cafe) and then see St Paul's.

The line up at the London Eye was extreme. I am not sure it was worth it. I mean, that's easy to say now because I got to go up. If we had skipped this attraction, I would have been bummed. London's school holiday had just begun, and it really was fabulous weather, so I think we may have experienced a longer than usual February wait time.

After the Eye we joined the crowds walking along the Thames and made our way up to Tate Modern.

Tate Modern was fantastic! I want to go back again and again. Top Shop AW14 Fashion Week runway show was happening while we were at Tate Modern. I didn't spot anyone famous but several fashion blogger types were posing and getting their photo taken.

After the museum, we walked across the millenium bridge, checked out St Paul's from the exterior, and hopped on the tube to go to the hotel. We could have stopped at Tate Britain on the way home, but the day was getting on, and we still wanted to see the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Brief rest at home, exchanged my COS sweater because I bought XS and decided S was better, then on to the V&A. The Xu Bing installation in the garden was cool, but I think it has been abused a bit by the tourists and the weather.

Decided to skip the sushi place I had picked out for a french restaurant nearby. I had the best fish of my life! It was drenched in buttery fennel, and fennel and leeks are my favorite vegetables in the world. Speaking of veggies, I feel like we barely ate any fruit and veggies the entire time. Meat and carbs. I am so glad I brought apples with me to snack on.

That was it! Our trip to London!

My first impression of the city? Why did I wait so long to visit? We LOVED London! Pricey, yes, crowds, yes (busiest place I've ever been). Polite, yummy, clean, comfortable. You can really feel at home in London. We will go back, there is so much left to see and do! 

ps. we didn't take many photos. We were too busy soaking it all in!
pps. this is the type of post I would have liked to read before the trip...so here it is, in case you are planning a weekend away!

Packing Light

Mini escape coming up! Here's my plan for what to wear!

Top left: Flight outfit, top right, bottom left: sightseeing, bottom right: dinner like a lady. One pair of boots, on pair of jeans (leggings for the plane) one jacket, three sweaters and extra tank. I am going to mix it up and re wear everything!

ps. not identical to the stuff I own, except the UO scarf, Club Monaco dress, boots, and duffle. Carrying a cheap H&M cotton messenger bag with broken zipper. It is the perfect size and takes some serious abuse.
pps. TEASER!!!!

Has traveling lost it's buzz?

We took the boys to NYC for three nights, we returned home yesterday.

It was a very enjoyable trip with a full highlight reel! We had a great time...it's just that...this time...(not complaining here)...NYC seemed more aggravating than invigorating. Yes, we had a great time with only one major meltdown (at nap time). We will go back. It's just something inside me failed to launch.

When we went to LA, I enjoyed the trip, but I didn't get that high.  I thought, "LA isn't New York"...Except, New York wasn't New York either.

I am not sure how to define the thrill I expected. If you get a travel buzz, you know what I am talking about.

Now, if I can't rely on traveling to lift my spirits - not from down in the dumps, but from the ordinary into the stratosphere. If I can't get a charge out of traveling, perhaps I need to:

- seek an adrenaline rush, skydive! (or any other daring activity typically associated with a mid life crisis)
- enjoy this new even temperament, call it a benefit of aging or experience
- go on grander trips: Peru, Asia, Arctic, Africa
- go on trips where there is a point, something beyond being a tourist

Am I dissapointed? Because I got to spend the weekend in NYC? Of course not!! Like I said, it was a nice time. I guess I am moaning over the loss of my wild fancies and mood swings. I didn't expect to give them up - I thought they were a part of me!


ps. Is this what it's like to be a grown up? 
pps. while in the hotel, we made a city out of the airplane barf bags, and when we got home, we made a few more big city blocks from lunch bags 
ppps. I got the shot! I wanted to take a photo that I loved enough to hang, and well, I got the shot! Will share when I get it printed!!

Back from LA

 

LA really didn't do it for me. We had a great time, and the highlights (Getty museum, for one) were well worth the trip. However, I wasn't enamored with the city. I am completely obsessed with learning how LA developed, but not ready to pack my bags and move there. 

I keep wondering if I got my first taste for the west coast as a twenty-something, would I feel differently?  The beaches, the sun, the ocean breezes may have out-weighed the infrastructure. The character of the best scenes may have outshone the indifference in between. I just wasn't feeling it.

As a vacation, LA was a great choice! Their family friendly and educational sites must be the top in the universe. It was a fun place for us and the kids. The food was always fresh. Tomatoes tasted like tomatoes, you know?  The weather was beautiful (except for our day in Pasadena, where it was just HOT)

I would love to know what you think about LA?  Love at first sight or did you take time to warm up?


PACKING UPDATE: Four shirts worked well for my husband for 7 days (three packed in the suitcase, one on the airplane). I shopped at Madewell on Day 2 or 3, so I was set. My green jeans looked TERRIBLE after the flight. They were baggy and wrinkled and no hand-washing could fix them, they needed a dryer. I did laundry in the tub four days in a row (each morning). I should have packed two sets of PJs for the boys - one set didn't last all week. Also, I forgot nail clippers (that was annoying) and ran out of baby wipes (bought more). Air Canada forgot to charge us $25 for our suitcase on the way, but charged us on the flight home. I didn't realize they have zero free baggage allowance. We will do two carry on suitcases (or two medium, carry-on-sized backpacks) next time plus a purse, diaper bag and camera bag. $50 is not a big deal, but hands-free (backpacks) beat wheely luggage, anyday! We also took two umbrella strollers and two car seats (no fee for baby equipment).

ps. We got back last Saturday.
pss. Seven days was an ok length (vs 9 days in Copenhagen last fall). We might try 5 or 6 days next time when traveling within North America. I would rather have five great days and return home to unwind, then add extra time and watch the boys self-destruct due to fatigue. 

Need a Vacation?

Photos of me in Seville, 16 years old...that's 20 years ago (G*A*S*P*)

Air Transat is offering several flights to Faro, Portugal for $594.61* (all in, from Toronto) - all very last minute. It's a deal - don't dawdle!

Never heard of Faro before - me either!!!

It is at the very bottom of Portugal, on the sea. It's an easy 2 or so hour drive to Seville, Spain. Weather is between 15-20 degrees in March.

If I was looking to book, I'd fly in and after a day or two, spend some time in Seville.  From there, all of Andalusia is available to you!

Bon Voyage!

ps. not a sponsored post...obviously!!! Three weeks ago (maybe longer) I noticed flights to Amsterdam and Paris under $500...I know, right...so I thought I'd pass along any tempting deals, just in case you are an impulsive traveler! 
pps. what's stopping me?  1) Husband is wrapped up in work (good for him!), 2) Still nursing my little one, 3) Need a travel companion! 4) Need babysitter here for my older son!
 
*Feb 26 - Mar 13 // Feb 26 - Mar 6 // Mar 5 - Mar 13

New Nordic

We visited the Louisiana Museum at the end of last summer during our trip to Copenhagen. For whatever reason, I didn't buy the New Nordic catalog with details of the exhibit that was on at the time.

You probably know how the rest of the story goes...girl gets home from vacation, girl wants book, girl contacts museum, girl reconsiders, girl forgets for a few months, girl remembers again, girl pictures book on her coffee table every time she enters living room, girl thinks it is going to haunt her for the rest of her life, girl contacts museum again, museum mails book*...

It's not in English, but the pictures are wonderful!

Who wants to join me for a cup of tea and a flip through? 

*that was grating!

PS. In unrelated news, posterjack.ca is having a 20% off sale until tomorrow! We put an order in for a fairly large peel n' stick! Yes!

Travel Bug

I finished watching season one of departures. If you like to travel and/or if you have ever done something bone-headed, then this show is for you! The program is really well done - breathtaking cinematography (some scenes will give you goose-pimples) and cool music (I couldn't image the show without the soundtrack). I like the earlier episodes a bit better, since there was definitely more testosterone in the second half of the first season.

These guys don't apologize for making travel the number one priority in their lives. Watching them push their limits and meet their goals taunts me to try and do the same. 

That's why I am putting together a list of things I want to do and see. Kinda a big deal, right? Writing it down means I am attaching some expectation to it, and I will be disappointed if I can't make it happen. So, with that mind, I am setting the bar only as high as I dare. Of course I need to share it publicly. I want the universe to know that travel is one of my top priorities (behind health and family)

Things I want to do:
- hang gliding (I wish I had the money and the guts to hand glide over Larrabasterra beach, outside of Bilbao, Spain. In my early twenties, I quit my job and spent a summer in Bilbao studying Spanish. I would often take the subway to the beach along the coast, and lose my head among the sails over the cliffs. If I never go back, I will always regret it!)
- sky dive, again (because I forgot that I jumped out of a plane the first time, until I was watching departures and I was all - been there, done that!)
- cooking class in Italy
- hot air balloon ride
- spend a Christmas abroad
- live on a different continent

Places I want to go:
- Angkor, Cambodia
- Machu Picchu, Peru
- Japan
- China
- London, UK
- Grand canyon, USA
- Fallingwater, USA
- Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Petra, Jordan
- Canada coast to coast with the boys (I've only been to Quebec, Southern Ontario and Saskatchewan.)
- Brooklyn, USA (I've been to NYC several times, but I want to walk across the Brooklyn bridge)
- Iceland
- Vietnam
- San Francisco, USA

Hay

Hay. This IS my favorite store of all time. I know you will agree since it felt exactly like walking into a blog post.   

I wanted everything. EVERYTHING!

I bought a tray.

A little bit about the trip

We had a great time in Copenhagen!

We took both boys...they were on their best behavior - some of the time!

I found it challenging to keep my three year old in a happy mood.  When he is bored - he is whiny or fake crying/yelling.  If you resort to discipline, it turns into a full out screaming temper tantrum.  So we tried to keep him distracted and avoid getting to the point where everyone is in a bad mood.  Not easy, and not always possible.  We used bribes and bought quite a few toys - many of them from the thrift stores.   

The little one eats everything we do, more or less (he refuses most pureed food).   He still loves to be in the wrap. So he was ok...until the flight home.  Sorry folks!

Favorite meal was at BioMio in the meat packing district.  Or maybe sticks and sushi? The food was amazing!  We researched where we wanted to eat before we left.  We knew it was going to be expensive, so we cooked at the apartment we stayed at a few times to offset the cost of dining out.

Favorite activity was thrift store shopping (of course) and people watching.  Copenhagen is the city of sensible shoes.  I saw maybe two women in heels.  I suppose that is because everyone bikes everywhere...or maybe because skinnies and sneakers is such great look! 

Favorite memory, my son reaching the top of the round tower to proudly announce: 'Mom, I just farted'...every tourist who spoke english started to laugh.

I couldn't shake this feeling while I was there of how lucky I was.  If I ever return to the city, the sites will be imprinted with special memories of when my children where just babies...I tear up when I picture us as empty-nesters, making a return trip...knowing that I could no longer cradle my youngest in my arms and carry him around with me all day. 

ps. I have one more post in me, about people watching...and I may even show you my new pair of sneakers!    

Round Tower and Norrebro Flea Markets

In addition to thrift stores, we visited two flea markets in Copenhagen. The first was located outside the Round Tower, near the apartment we rented. I didn't buy a thing.  I did, however, eat TWO hotdogs from the Hanegal hot dog stand*

I wanted the arabia apple jam jar (to go with the plum one I recently found at Salvation Army).  Did you spot it in the third photo?  I passed it by....I know I can always buy it on etsy or ebay.  I guess I have become stingy when it comes to vintage shopping.  I don't want to pay a markup. I already have enough stuff, so it's more about the deal...

We didn't take photos of the second flea market.  It was on Saturday morning along the yellow wall of the cemetery (in Norrebro).  This market was much less formal, and quite a bit cheaper...down right JANKY.  My kind of market!!!!...I pulled out my change purse here!!


*I quit my diet while I was on vacation, and I am having a tough time getting back on track. While we were away, I didn't want to spend any time thinking about what ingredients I could or couldn't have.  I am going NO SUGAR NO DAIRY STARTING RIGHT NOW...all over again.  

It's not that I immediately felt different allowing sweets and cheese back into my life...ummm, except I definitely end the day with a balloon belly. The main reason I need to go cold turkey is to keep the cravings under control. I am having a hard time eating anything in moderation.  I lack the discipline to fight the cravings, so I want to make them go away.

GENBRUGS (Thrifting in Copenhagen)

Size 38 Jelly shoes that were a bit too pinchy (10 DKK)

We are back from our stay in Copenhagen*! What a great city!! I have so much to share!! Why not start with the Genbrugs!!!

Before we left I found this website which gave the addresses of many (all?) of the vintage stores in Copenhagen.  I plotted the charity shops on my paper map so we could pop in during our adventures.    I only took photos of three of the many many second-hand stores we went to. 

The thrift stores are clean and organized.  There is no smell.  Some of them are small, but most have room after room filled with treasures.  Yes, I bought a couple things!  

*I set up a few posts to run while we were away

ps. If you type Genbrug into google maps, you should be able to get a bunch plotted for you...my husband gave me this tip on the last day of our vacation so I haven't tried it out.