Category Archives: Travel

The Last 15 Days

Posted on January 3, 2013 | 16 Comments

Here, there and holidays

First off, Happy New Year! I’m so glad to ring in 2013 with such wonderful people in my life. I count my blessings for all the people I make contact with, both in person and online. Thank you for being in my life and for making it so rich.

The last 15 days have been a whirlwind of activity and merry-making. I’m sure it was the same for you. I took a few pictures along the way and thought you might like to see.

Left-to-right, top-to-bottom: road-trip to Aspen, me & my mom on Christmas Eve, tea at Ku Cha Tea house in Boulder, frosty cattails at the lake, outside the Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Glenwood Canyon, yummy homemade latte (thanks honey).

We made a quick trip to Aspen before Christmas and it was so worth the effort. We got to ski as a family, the day after a much-needed 15″ dump of snow (to skiers, this is paradise). The sky was blue, the sun was out and it was a fun way to spend the Winter Solstice. I also got to check out the multi-million dollar renovation at The Hotel Jerome and it was gorgeous. The lobby, bar and restaurant had a mix of glamor, alpine lodge and cozy modern feel. And the people there were just flat out glamorous (as to be expected, darling).

The rest of the time was spent back home with family, drinking tea, eating a lot and staying warm.

Hope all is well for you. I’m very hopeful for 2013. Let’s do this thing!

x Laura

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Posted in Fashion, Travel

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Inspired by: Ancient Moors

Posted on November 11, 2012 | 30 Comments

Stepping out of my comfort zone here with this colorful and bold print. But hey, the orange and very, very deep navy just made me happy. In the grey and cold days ahead, I think its cheerfulness will be a welcome sight.

Odval cardigan and jeans

Tabitha ‘Odval Cardigan’ – Anthropologie (still available), T-shirt – LOFT, Black jeans – Levi’s Curve ID.

The pattern on this cardigan reminds me of the Moorish tiles that decorate the Alcazar in Seville, Spain. Many years ago, my husband and I went on a self-guided trip of Spain and Portugal. This was pre-marriage, pre-kids, pre-Part 2 of my life. After spending a few days in Madrid (which we loved), we took the fast train to Seville, which is one of the quaintest cities I’ve seen. Seville had an intimate feel, with winding cobblestone streets, vibrant neighborhoods and old ladies sitting on their balconies.

There we went to the Alcazar, which roughly translates into castle. It was originally built as a Moorish fort when the Moors had a foothold in southern Spain, but was later turned into a royal palace by the ruling Moroccan dynasty. It remains a shining example of mudejar architecture and the tilework at the Alcazar is awe-inspiring with riots of color, intricate patterning and masterful craftsmanship. It’s probably a huge stretch that I relate this cardigan with an important World Heritage Site dating back to the 10th century, but fashion often follows art, architecture and nature — maybe this is one of those times.

Tilework at Alcazar, photo: wikipedia

Photo via Flickr

I’m linking up with Patti over at Not Dead Yet for Visible Monday.

Also, linking up with Nicole for Monday Mingle over at Momtrends.

Have a great day!

x Laura

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Posted in Fashion, Inspired By, Style, Travel

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Catching Up

Posted on August 22, 2012 | 8 Comments

Time flies when you’re having fun, so I guess that’s a good sign. July sped by with family time, hot days and travel, but I missed you guys and my blogging. With my kiddo out of school, I get wrapped up in summer activities and spend much less time at the computer, creating, writing and hunting down fashion. But now that August is here with fall fashion issues hitting the stands, I’ve been scouring my favorite magazines and dog-earring a bunch of great things.

Amusement
As a parting shout-out to summer, here are a few shots from our day at Elitch Gardens amusement park in Denver this summer: me on the carousel horse, the big ferris wheel and the Twister roller coaster sign. The Twister is a wooden roller coaster modeled on the original design of the roller coaster I rode as a kid, then called Mister Twister. Riding it took me straight back to my youth. What a rush. I would rather go on a roller coaster than anything that spins.

carosel

elitch gardens ferris wheel

twister 2 roller coaster

I managed to get some reading done too, which is great. My 2012 Reading Challenge goal of 30 books is alive and kicking, although I’ve got to get moving on it. At my current pace (13 out of 30 read), I’m four books behind. Gotta get crackin’!

I enjoyed all three of these books and they were vastly different, ranging from fantasy to mystery to humor. Click here to see my reviews.

The Night CircusThe Brutal TellingLet's Pretend This Never Happened

  1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (fantasy)
  2. The Brutal Telling by Louse Penny (mystery)
  3. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (humor, blogger)

More to come soon, with lots of fashion ahead. I hope your summer went well!

x Laura

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.
John Barrymore

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Posted in Books, Fashion, Travel

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Each Other’s Eyes

Posted on June 21, 2012 | 9 Comments
Eyes of the World via AFAR

Eyes from Around the World, Photo: AFAR Magazine

We are all unique and yet connected. I find this picture of eyes from different women around the world to be beautiful and mesmerizing. Click through to see a larger picture with the country written under each set of eyes.

“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eye for an instant?”

– Henry David Thoreau

x Laura

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Posted in Beauty, Fashion, Travel

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The Bitter End

Posted on April 5, 2012 | 4 Comments

Bucket List: Sailing the Caribbean

We had the amazing good fortune to go sailing for a week in the British Virgin Islands. Geez, pinch me please! It was one of those trips that I’ve had on my Bucket List for the past 15 years and had just never happened. Then, out of the blue, the stars aligned and we went for it.

We chartered a sailboat for 8 days and lived aboard the entire time. What an experience! Being out there on the water washed my mind clear of everything back home and we just enjoyed the sun, sand, Caribbean water and each other’s company.

After reading about this place for the past decade (or so), I finally found myself standing in front of The Bitter End Yacht Club in North Sound, Virgin Gorda. I had that giddy, butterfly-feeling in my stomach. It was even more beautiful than I had imagined and I knew I was having a moment. You know, it’s that one you feel when you’ve made your wish and you realize it’s coming true.

Here are some favorite pictures from the trip:

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Thanks for letting me share that! Now I want to know, what’s on your Bucket List??!!

xLaura

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Posted in Fashion, Travel

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