New York's Alright if You Like Saxophones

I'm so excited! After a five year absence(too long) I'm finally heading back to NY for a long weekend to meet up with my old roomie and my sister. I left NY much sooner than I ever anticipated, and while I always planned on moving back to CA I was definitely bummed about not reaching alumni status at the university I spent three years at (I'm a Chapman alum) and starting my "adult life" out there. Life is full of crazy loops and turns and you never know what's around the next corner but you gotta just keeping rolling. While my life has been turned upside down more than a few times over the last couple years, I'm always excited to see what lies ahead because it could be something fantastic like meeting up with great friends in a city I love.


P.S. I like saxophones. I actually took sax lessons for a few months when I was in 4th grade.

My parents went to Africa and I didn't even get a stupid t-shirt...totally joking

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Well, actually I didn't get a t-shirt, but I'm ok with that because I ended up with these beautiful beaded bracelets and necklace that are completely on trend right now.

My favorite is the large black and blue cuff

These pieces were made by local women my parents met while they toured around Cameroon, Rwanda, and Kenya for 17 days this month. Yep, my parents said Sayonara Sucker to me and took off on the trip of a lifetime. Actually, I'm really happy that they got to take such an amazing trip. They've been trying to organize one for the last few years, but the timing was always off. Then my sister decided to spend the summer in Cameroon interning for a human rights law group and LIGHTBULB! my parents decided it would be a great idea to visit her. When they came home my mom had almost 2000 photos on her camera. Here are some of my favorites:

Looks like Rhino Baby has a new friend. My family enjoys giving "unique" gifts that make me want to sleep with the lights on.

Big Booty Little Chief-gift from sister, Rhino Baby-from Dad, pinecone above Chief's head-from B

Now onto the real photos

Hungry Hungry Hippos!

My absolute favorite animal.

Dumbo!

Zebramania

Just a small snack.

Rhinos don't really camouflage too well.

I feel like some fire and melting clocks would make this a Dali painting.

Gorgeous. 

Brothers on the prowl.

Who you looking at?

Annual river crossing. Pure chaos.

Lion around in the road ;)

Quick Trip Down the Coast

As I said earlier the last few weeks have been very hectic for me. Finally, I got some relief on Thursday when I sent B off to Texas to spend the last few days of Spring Break with her dad and his family. I was supposed to have a small showing at my old office that day but it was rescheduled last minute due to an emergency meeting that several of the girls had to attend. Normally I would be bummed but instead I felt relief that I had a little more time to spend on my pieces and excitement because I was now able to leave for Coronado sooner. See, my mom decided to surprise my boyfriend and me with an overnight trip to Coronado, which is a beautiful island in SD that I often visited as a young girl. Let me just say it was exactly what I needed. 

Crossing the bridge to Coronado

One of the few pics I actually took of us. I also failed to get a photo of our hotel because I am so not a camera person.

 The weather was beautiful, the island was peaceful, and most importantly I was able to relax. We made it down to the island in about 90 minutes and after checking in to the historic Glorietta Bay Inn we immediately decompressed with some drinks and some lounging by the pool. When we finally decided to move our butts we headed across the street to stroll the boardwalk by the famous/haunted Hotel Del Coronado and watch the sunset. After the sun disappeared we walked into town for some tasty pizza at the Village Pizzeria. We finished the night with some drinks on our patio overlooking the Hotel Del.  The next day was spent eating a leisurely breakfast and taking another stroll around the island. We left the island that afternoon and made it home in 1 hour! Seriously, that has to be some kind of record. I usually can't even make it to my friend's place in Del Mar in that time.

Camp Pendleton is close by in Oceanside.

The historic Hotel Del Coronado. Watch Some Like It Hot to see the inside.

While the trip was short I feel that I made the most of it by doing absolutely nothing. I came back refreshed and ready to jump back into work and mommy duty. If you are ever in So Cal and are tired of LA or SD I would really recommend driving over the bridge to Coronado for a few hours or even a few days. It's a beautiful little city with a great beach, some beautiful historic landmarks, and a relaxed vibe that will immediately mellow you out.