Archive for the ‘travel’ Category
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
my poor left ring finger
Gross, huh? I freakishly dislocated my finger last week, while snorkeling in Maui. This isn’t the first time that my clumsiness has resulted in an injury – but at least the exotic locale sounds better than “I tripped over my cat”, right? I am making the best of it, but sewing bags while wearing a splint has certainly slowed me down!
However, I still have managed to finish a few new bags in tropical colors like Tide Pool green and Nautical Blue! These new beauties, as all the bags on my website, are in stock and ready to ship. No wait time necessary.
when life gives you lemons. . .
Tags: dislocated finger, injury, making the best of it, pleated leather clutch, stylish first aid kit, x-ray
Posted in clutch wristlet, travel |
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
I have a longstanding love affair with New York City. My first visit was during college as a fashion study tour, and even though I have returned several times since then, I am always amazed by the new things I discover. Our most recent trip to New York was to celebrate a cousin‘s wedding – where we managed to explore, celebrate, eat amazing food and visit a few of ‘my’ stores too! New York is inspiration overload: architecture, exuberant fashion and the magical feeling that anything is possible. Alas, four days wasn’t nearly enough time to get my fix, but I managed to capture a few personal favorite elements to savor for a while.
1. cousins_centralpark, 2. flower vendor, 3. night view from Matt & Nicole’s rooftop, 4. Birthday Beer at Brass Monkey, 5. taxi queue, 6. Grand Central Station , 7. Central Park lamp and blossoms, 8. it’s like finding an old friend., 9. Susan’s tree tote, 10. Tony & Tina’s Wedding Cake, 11.Brooklyn Bridge, 12. cutest ‘graffiti’ ever, 13. dancing girl’s shoes
Tags: crystalyn kae bags in central park, handbag designer visiting manhattan, inspiration, new york city, NYC, walking in brooklyn
Posted in travel |
Monday, February 8th, 2010
This weekend, we took off on a quick getaway to visit my Grandmother in Aberdeen. We called to check in with her once we were on the road, and she confessed that she had accidentally double-booked her evening. She had already made plans to go square-dancing with her new ‘friend’, but we were invited to come along and check it out too. So after dinner, they both got decked out in their Valentine’s finest and hit the dance floor at the Eagles lodge with a dozen other couples.
Tags: family, grandma, love, modern, ruffled skirt, senior citizen, square dancing, valentine's day, western dancing
Posted in fashion, travel |
Saturday, July 18th, 2009
We have decided to squeeze in one last getaway, before we start packing for our move – to take a loop through Central Oregon. Part business, part pleasure. Our first stop was my parent’s house for a little R & R for the weekend. After a good night’s sleep, my Dad washed off 4 bicycles and we set out onto the winding country roads that meander through the tiny 1 horse towns of Crabtree, Scio and Lebanon.
my cute mom and dad lead the way
huge barns everywhere you look
approaching a covered bridge
there's a swimming hole down below!
perfect rows of hay drying in the field
Tags: bicycle riding, bike, country, country road bike ride, farmland, travel, vacation, wilamette countryside
Posted in travel |
Monday, April 20th, 2009
This weekend was a whirlwind of adventures. This past week had been epic – I was in the midst of finishing a tremendous custom laptop/travel bag for a Seattle VIP (more on that later), when we got news that my husbands great Uncle Kaz had passed away. We originally had booked a beach rental in Seaside, OR with friends for a well-deserved getaway on the ocean. So although we’d have to cut our trip short, we were determined to squeeze in a bit of the Oregon coast, and make the best of it.
And what a getaway it was! We spent our first day exploring the beach at Hug point, where we discovered a little waterfall and a few sea caves that we’d not found before. Then further north we ventured into Ecola State Park (Cannon Beach, OR) where we combed the beach for treasures and spotted a few purple jelly fish. Then we ventured out for a hike above the sea cliffs. About a mile into the trail, we were scared half to death by a HUGE elk, about 10 yards away. I think we scared him just as much as he scared us! After we’d gathered our composure and marveled at the lush clover and trillium underfoot, we headed back to the parking lot. It was starting to get dark, but driving out to the overlook – we encountered a herd of 15 elk, grazing in the field!
The next morning, we introduced our friends to low tide at Haystack Rock, where starfish, mussels and sea anemones covered every nook and cranny. I also geeked out on finding my first nudibranch (a furry orange and aqua sea slug) in the wild. Then we relaxed with our friends, devoured too much wonderful food and drove back to Seattle in the wee hours of the night.
Tags: beach, Cannon Beach, jellyfish, mussels, ocean, sea anemone, starfish, tide pool, travel, vacation
Posted in travel |
Friday, March 20th, 2009
Thanks to everyone that ordered a bag this week! We are on our way home to Seattle, and will ship your orders first thing tomorrow morning. Please check your ‘in box’ for something special and thank you for your patience!
Tags: airplane, california, clouds, plane, travel, vacation, window
Posted in travel |
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
I say this every time I come here, and this time is no exception. It also amazes me, that although I swear I would drop everything and move here – that I can never seem to find my way around when I get here. Call it stimulation overload: sunshine, shopping and the laid-back vibe. It’s too much for this Seattle girl to handle! This is the last day of our California adventure (and A’s birthday!) and we are going to squeeze in every minute of natural goodness that we can manage before our flight.
After my appointment to show off bags at a boutique, we were free to roam. First stop was the Lighthouse beach, where we gawked at the surfers and admired the flocks of pelicans overhead. We continued on to the Natural bridges and marveled at the sea-salt corroded handrails, nearly as much as the succulents that covered the cliffside.
Tags: beach, ca, california, natural bridges, ocean, pacific ocean, santa cruz, sunshine, surfers, surfing, travel, vacation, waves
Posted in travel |
Tuesday, March 17th, 2009
After visiting the Elephant Seals, we made our way to Hearst Castle visitors center in time to take a 2 hour tour of the hilltop estate. I had no idea that it was such a big deal. There were buses awaiting to take a load of tourists up the winding 5 mile road to the top. We first stop on the guided tour was the esplanade and gardens – filled with exotic plants, citrus trees and ancient Greek and Egyptian statues that Hearst had collected. The Neptune pool was immense and sprawling, and was festooned with large columns and archways that incorporated actual Roman ruins. The 18 room, 18 bathroom (yes!) guesthouse, Casa del Sol, was spectacularly furnished and had the most amazing carved wooden ceilings. This was nothing compared to the extravagance of Hearst Castle itself. Incorporating a mix of priceless art, Spanish antiques and Flemish tapestries - the Casa Grande was truly a fascinating pastiche of eclectic styles.
Hearst built the estate on the 250,000 acre land he inherited from his father. Designed by the patient and ingenious architect, Julia Morgan, was able to interpret Hearst’s ever-changing vision, often tearing down and re-creating structures as his ideas grew more illustrious. The ever-evolving building project began in 1919 and continued until 1947. During these years, Hearst entertained celebrities, aviators and politicians with his sprawling grounds, tennis courts, billiard room, 2 pools, movie theater, and world’s largest private zoo. After Hearsts’s death, it was donated to the state of California and is a National Historic Monument.
Tags: beach, california, castle, decor, historic, home, mansion, travel
Posted in travel |
Monday, March 16th, 2009
We continued north towards San Simeon, hoping to see the Elephant Seals we had accidentally discovered a few years back. This time we were lucky to find over 50 young pups basking in the sun, with 8 HUGE males keeping watch. There were so many – they almost looked like drift wood! The rugged coastline was truly breathtaking. . . surpassed only by the glowing orange sunset that evening.
Tags: beach, california, elephant seals, travel, vacation
Posted in travel |
Monday, March 16th, 2009
After saying goodbye to our friends, Aaron and I embarked on a mini-road trip north up the California coast on Highway 1. Our first stop was Montana de Oro Beach, near Morrow Bay – which was rumored to have great tide pools. We drove through an immense grove of Eucalyptus trees lining the winding road. The road ended at a pebble-covered beach, scattered with seashells and deep pink seaweed.
Although the tide was high, we were able to walk out onto huge pillars of rock to explore the sea life below. From there, we noticed that the tilted layers of sea wall had been carved by the waves – creating an arch!
Truly, this beach was so amazing – I almost kept it a secret!
Tags: beach, california, travel
Posted in travel |
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