wanderlust.

one of my favorite things about traveling is the permission to be curious. and nosy. and investigative. (and carry my camera everywhere.)

when i traveled to india a few years ago, i remember thinking, "well, now i want to see sri lanka, bhutan, and bangladesh too!" seeing new places just inspires me to keep traveling. and everywhere i go, i want to learn, understand and experience it all.

here are a few of the places on my bucket list as of today:

1. croatia 2. iceland 3. italian riviera 4. morocco 5. peru 6. charleston

tell me, where do you want to go someday?

p.s. have any of you been to any of the places listed above? i'd love to hear your experiences.

(photo credit: cool hand luke)

la belle mariée.

this weekend, i accompanied one of my best friends on a wedding dress hunt in new york city. she's getting married in france! yes. i am good at picking friends.

all the organza, silk, tulle, ruffles, and sparkles made us giggle and swoon. i also took copious notes, and couldn't stop crying.

when it was time for a break, we stopped into eataly, the largest artisanal italian food marketplace in the world, and sipped cappuccinos.  

this was when she confessed... french weddings often last until 4 a.m., and as a bridesmaid, it is my duty to finish the cake. (okay, i made up that last part.)

the perfect weekend? oui. now, off to practice my french. xo.

today, i am wishing i was still in austin.

sigh. let's go over some comparisons.

austin was warm and sunny. boston is cold and gloomy. austin had amazing barbecue just minutes from the hotel-- the same hotel that had a roof deck hot tub! boston has, well... our boring old bath tub and a box of macaroni in the pantry.

do you want to know what the worst part is? in austin i laughed all day with my friends and simon. now i am all by my lonesome on my couch. 
i am moping. but the truth is, so far, march is turning out to be a great month. more amazing things are just around the corner... don't you think? :)

(photo credits: unexpectedtales)

austin typography.

y'all, the people-watching in austin was out of control. if i weren't so shy about taking pictures of people, i'd have quite the photographs to show you. instead... some typography. :) happy monday.

right now.

i am listening to norah, dreaming of trips to france, and waiting for my coffee to brew. 

this week has been a little blah. but i am grateful for decadent lunch dates with friends, late-night glasses of cabernet, smiling yoga students, and a husband who has been working from home for two straight weeks. 

my goal for the weekend: pick up my camera. you?

p.s. it is freezing here today. when the "feels like" number is a single digit-- like today--it's only a matter of time before i hide under a pile of blankets, close my eyes and pretend i am on the beach in california.


(photo credit: lesliee) 

happy weekend.

i stumbled on this picture the other day, and remembered that once upon a time, i walked the streets of this little town. it's called hallstatt and lies right near the border between austria and germany. on the weekend that i visited, it was covered in snow just like this photograph. pure magic.

tomorrow, i am going to enjoy my own little town and visit quincy market with a friend. clam chowder in a bread bowl here we come. :)

finally, thank you to everyone who entered the music giveaway! i was so touched to see so many comments. without further ado, the winners are: robyn, morgan, and laura. and since a few of you asked, below is the playlist. enjoy!

(photo credit: lexyman01)

my week, in photos.

hello! can you believe that the holiday season is over (sad face.) and that 2011 is here?! i don't know about you, but i'm already feeling like the new year is off to an impressive start (minus, of course, the fact that i spent the evening of january 1st eating a bag of doritos). but otherwise, it feels like it's going to be a big year. :)

the week leading into new year's i taught yoga at the studio three times, and also made time for my own practice at a great studio in colorado. i quickly noticed a theme emerge, both as a teacher and as a student. i really need to start taking better care of myself, (see above mention of doritos as an example). i'm having visions of fresh fruit smoothies for breakfast, and calming tea at night. and maybe, just maybe, i'll start eating a real dinner every day. ;)

i spent a lot of time in airports over the past week, so this is a snapshot of how i entertained myself. (p.s. secrets to happiness is a fun book.)

my sister and i baked a fantastic kransekake and i couldn't help but love the fact that it ended up looking a little like the leaning tower of pisa. perfection in imperfection, as they say.

we also decided in the eleventh hour that my mother needed new centerpieces for a big dinner party, (sorry, mom)... so we threw some dried juniper berries into a vase. i love how sweet and simple they turned out.

and last but not least, here i am with a lucky napkin on my head.

the story: dating back almost twenty years, we have a tradition in my family that as a participant of a board or card game, any of us can place a napkin on our head for good luck. (in this particular case, i was so beyond losing, the napkin didn't work. it was hopeless.)

here's to a fantastic year! xo.

cheers!

i'm signing off a little early for the weekend, because tomorrow, simon and i are heading to colorado to celebrate new year's eve with my family. we're going to bake a kransekake, play cards, and drink lots of champagne (of course).

simon is also going to experience his first raucous norwegian party, complete with pickled herring and akkevit, a strong type of scandinavian schnapps! (bless his heart.)

here's wishing you a very happy, healthy, joyful new year! can't wait to share 2011 with you. xo.

(photo credit: marie bee)

big apple.

today simon and i are off to new york for the weekend. i am so excited; i packed my walking shoes! (p.s. i know it's probably not going to snow, but it would be so nice if it did. hint hint, weather gods.)

have a wonderful weekend, everyone! i'll see you back here next week for more holiday posts and other goodies. xo.

(photo credit: alexandra kob)

photos from san diego.

hello friends!
sorry for my absence the past couple of days. i missed you!

my trip to san diego was wonderful, but i forgot my camera cord, so i couldn't upload my pictures. oops! but here they are now, along with some little stories about our adventures. i hope you are all having lovely weekends and i am excited to get back to my regular posts next week.


i had a lot of work meetings in cafes... which meant lots of coffee and cute surroundings. i am also secretly thrilled that my best friend is now addicted to coffee too... it's just one more thing we can do together! ha.


when i wasn't working, i didn't hesitate to put my feet up. i slept in every morning, and curled up on the couch at night. sometimes it feels good to make relaxation a priority.


one evening we ate dinner at buonissimo. it was one of the cutest restaurants i have ever been to, and the food was amazing. (and when i went to the ladies' room, my friends told our server about this blog. i blushed.)


this sweet bike was in the courtyard of the restaurant. it made me want to set up a similar display at our wedding, but it's terribly impractical. but maybe i should just do it anyway.


and finally, i saw these purple flower bushes on the ucsd campus and fell in love. does anyone know what they are called?

we also went shopping, went to ginseng yoga, laughed hysterically, played with friends (and a baby) and talked about everything and nothing. good times. :)

now, tell me all about you. what's new? what did i miss?

bikes, fountains, buildings and elephants...

here are just a few more photos from our trip to chicago... i've been experimenting with black and white. let me know what you think!

travel tips.

no matter how much you love your new sneakers, it's probably a good idea to pack more comfortable, broken-in shoes for walking around a big city.


sit outside, sip white wine, and munch on fresh bread and salad in the sunshine. even if it's noon.



our hotel was brand new, so we got a fantastic deal, and the staff went above and beyond. i highly recommend looking for new hotels for your next travel adventure.


and our specific hotel was not only pet-friendly, (perfect for our imaginary pup) but also had a complimentary wine hour in the lounge every evening. yay!


and if you're ever in chicago and interested in visiting the top of the hancock building, skip the entry fee and simply head on up to the 96th floor and visit the restaurant and bar. beautiful view of the city.


and oh, remember to turn off the zoom when taking pictures of yourselves in the park. :)

scenes from chi-town.

hello! we're fresh back from chicago, and i'm easing back into reality by watching the boston marathon (on television) and sipping some home-brewed coffee. and of course, i am catching up on all of your lovely blogs. i missed you guys!

our weekend was incredible. chicago is an amazing city, and simon and i shamelessly ran around the city with permanent grins on our faces.

and i must say... simon is a very good travel partner. he lets me talk to strangers (which i am apt to do) and effortlessly jumps into the conversation. he also doesn't flinch when i have to stop every hour to use a bathroom, or put band aids on my feet or find a more suitable purse. :)

i took a billion pictures, so, for today, i'll show you some highlights. i'll share many more later this week!

we took a river and lake boat tour and learned all about the history of chicago and its architecture. brilliant.

we got lucky: the weather was really nice and chicago was in full bloom. so many pretty colors everywhere.

we spent several hours at the field museum and saw the world's largest t-rex!
how was your weekend?

adventure in providence.

yesterday i hopped on a train to providence to spend the day with fellow blogger, freelance writer and crafter extraordinaire christine. it was so much fun.

we had a tasty lunch, wandered around some cute shops, met her husband for coffee (he happens to know simon, too, which is hilarious) and chatted all day long about love, life, writing, blogging, crafting and of course... india.

in case you don't already know christine and her blog, you must go say hello. her creative projects have been featured all over the web, and her home was recently featured on apartment therapy. (psst. i got to see it in person and the pictures don't even do it justice. crazy beautiful.)

she's also just such a warm, fun, and graceful person; i feel so fortunate to now be able to call her my friend. hurray for blog friends!

(all photos by christine chitnis)

the surprise of the dragonfly.

one of my favorite things about traveling is discovering cute places by accident. sometimes it's because i'm lost (which happens quite frequently) or because i've decided to wander just a little further down a street. either way, there is something so satisfying about finding an unexpected treat, don't you think?

yesterday i was on my way to a little bakery in portland when i discovered the dragonfly cafe. it was so lovable and familiar, i half expected to see phoebe and monica sitting on a couch nearby. i feasted on homemade granola, sipped hot coffee while flipping through the oregonian, and watched the rain fall outside.

it was such a pleasant surprise, and all in all, quite a memorable morning. all i am wondering now is... why oh why is portland so far away from boston?

(photo credit: portland loves local)

books books books.

good morning, friends!

today i am off to new york city for 48 hours. in addition to seeing a dear friend and getting lots of work done, i have one priority: a few hours at the strand bookstore.

in case you've never been, strand books is a huge store filled with overstock, used, rare, and out-of-print books... in other words, heaven on earth.

when i was in college and living in downtown manhattan, i used to roam around the store for hours: smelling the old books, flipping through literary anthologies and looking for hidden gems.

i haven't been back in ten years, (let's ignore how old that makes me...) and i can't wait! now, if only i had an adorable little book nook like the one above to enjoy my books when i come home...

now tell me, do you have a favorite book store? if so, where is it and what do you love about it? i'd love to hear.

(photo credit: the selby, via sfgirlbybay)

guess who i met today...

...celia!

i flew to los angeles this morning (it's oh so sunny here - huzzah!) and this evening celia and i met up for some wine and snacks. we shared a couple of fabulous hours chatting about everything under the sun, and it was really amazing to meet a fellow blogger face to face.

celia is exactly like her blog: sweet, beautiful, stylish and down to earth. celia, thank you so much for our lovely time together. you seriously rock.

now i am off to sleep diagonally in my hotel bed. i hope you are all having a good start to the week.

night night!

our honeymoon.

simon and i have been brainstorming our honeymoon since the day we got engaged (priorities, you know). this weekend i think we made a final decision and we are so psyched...

can you guess where? (update: you guys are good! we're going to new zealand!)

(photo credits: amy & kimball, dubois09, colros)