Posts filed under 'Travel'
I’ve finally begun sorting through photos from the Europe trip, and I thought I’d share a few with you. This first set of images are all from the Dublin city centre. I’ll follow up later this week with the place that is nearest & dearest to my heart, Killiney Bay (one of the reasons I get drawn to Ireland again & again).
There are a number of fabulous hotels in Dublin’s city centre (The Clarence, The Merrion, & The Shelbourne to name a few). But for this trip, I decided to venture out & stay in a boutique hotel called The Fitzwilliam. It’s location is perfect…right on St. Stephen’s Green (the main park in the city centre). It is also located right at the top of the primary shopping street, Grafton.
The Fitzwilliam’s lobby has eclectic decor & I love the purple & green color combo. In fact the purple theme went through the entire hotel. Even the doormen wear purple coats with tails & there are purple umbrellas hanging in each room! *LOL*
When I arrived in my room, I was greeted with this fresh plate of fruit & a box of chocolates.
Orchids were sitting on a table near a window overlooking the Green.
I decided to head outdoors with my camera & get some shots of the area. I started off on the Green. On any given day, you’ll see dozens of folks lounging around on the lawn, having a picnic during their lunch break, feeding the birds, or just sunbathing (on those rare days of Irish sunshine). There are several small ponds in the Green as well as a center section with fountains & manicured lawns:
I noticed several monuments built for famous men & women in Irish history. I was really taken with the female sculpture in this one. The monument was built for a man called James Clarence Mangan who was a famous poet from the 19th century. (Some of the greatest writers in the world have been Irish by the way - Yeats, Beckett, Shaw, Heaney, Joyce, Wilde, and the list goes on. Even Bram Stroker of Dracula fame was Irish. Weird, eh? ) According to the park directory, the woman in the middle of this monument represents Roisin Dubh, the last work of Willie Pearse.
Whenever you’re in an Irish garden, you’re bound to find gorgeous Irish roses. They almost look painted here:
Most of the street lamp posts in Dublin are decorated with flower baskets like this one. I love that… just makes you smile to be surrounded by flowers, ya know?
Grafton Street is a terrific place to go “people watch”. You can see all sorts of folks there since it is the main pedestrian shopping street in the city. There are always a number of street musicians performing, like this fabulous brass band. Have any of you seen the movie “Once” that won the Oscar this year for best song? In the film, the two main characters meet on Grafton street. 
You can also find several vendors selling fresh flowers along the street. They were selling all kinds of varieties - from lilies to daisies to wildflowers. Just beautiful! If I had one of these on my street corner, I think I’d have fresh flowers in the house every day!
At the bottom of Grafton Street is Trinity College (the main college in Dublin). This is where the famous Book of Kells is housed. This beautiful monument sits in the center courtyard of the campus:
Eating out in Dublin can be a bit pricey (as can any European city with the dollar so weak right now), but there are still some great deals to be found. When I wasn’t in the mood for a big meal, I dropped into this lil’ restaurant. Not sure who came up with the name, but it’s a great place. 
It’s actually a fast food restaurant with a healthy twist. They sell stews in bread bowls, fresh lean meat & vegetarian wraps, & homemade smoothies. Really good stuff - the chicken pesto wrap was to die for!
That’s all for now - tune in for more pics from Killiney & London soon!
Hope you’re having a great week,
July 31st, 2008
Hi everyone! Have been absent from the blog for a while as I was visiting Ireland & the UK for the last 10 days. Will blog some pics when I have a chance to sort through them. Hope you all are having a great week!
July 8th, 2008
How ’bout one of these?
Or one of these?
You gotta love the ‘do…
These examples are all from the Lego store in Downtown Disney. Can you imagine how much time it took to put these samples together? And how about this backdrop on the checkout counter?!
Here’s a close-up:
They also had this really cool modular section of the store with legos sorted by color. It had a great retro design feel. Wouldn’t this make perfect craft storage? Just imagine - bins built into the wall for each color of embellishment instead of legos? *LOL* I know…I’ve got a serious addiction. 
Hope you’re having a great week,
April 24th, 2008
Last weekend, I took a long awaited trip to see my best friend Ruth who now lives in the Orlando area. It has been several years since I’ve had a chance to see her & her family and we had a blast hanging out at Animal Kingdom & Blizzard Beach.
We braved the Everest roller coaster…
We traveled through “Africa” on a safari & saw beautiful tigers in “Asia”…
Disney did an amazing job of making the surroundings realistic. I was particularly drawn to the Asian section & some of the sculptures reminded me of ones I’ve seen in Thailand & in China in recent years, like this one here:
We loved the Nemo musical… the puppetry was incredible, and the Lion King Festival was so much fun - the monkey tumblers on the trampoline had us totally amazed!
In the afternoon, Ruth had arranged for us to be a part of the parade! We climbed atop a float in Goofy’s brigade & went all the way through the park. I can’t remember the last time I smiled so much my cheeks hurt! *LOL* We were able to practice our princess waves too as we went through the park waving at the park-goers at the sides of the street. Here we are in our Mickey hats before the parade started.
And here are a couple of pics at downtown Disney with Annabella, Logan, & Ruth at the end of a hot & sweaty day (I think Nicholas was asleep & Eric was taking the pic).
Next stop Lego Mania…
April 24th, 2008
The final travel card in my Hero Arts series is for Rome.
When I think of Rome, I am reminded of the incredible trip to Italy that my mom & I took together in the fall of 2004. Not only were we able to see Rome, but we also spent time in Florence, Venice, Sorrento, Capri, & Pompeii. It was a special adventure for us since my mom’s side of the family is Italian.
My favorite memory from the trip, hands down, was our first gelato experience. For those that may not know, gelato is a creamy, Italian version of ice cream that is to die for. As we were traipsing through a side street of Florence on one of our first afternoons, we decided to pop into a gelato cafe. When we walked in the door, the person behind the counter asked us to pick out our cones. My mom pointed at what appeared to be a waffle cone. Little did she know what she had just ordered. About 30 seconds later, the man behind the counter handed her this:
No kidding - this gelato cone was as large as her head! *LOL* I immediately started laughing so hard that I doubled-over to the ground & she lost it as well. I somehow managed to grab my camera & take a few shots to capture the moment. Here’s another pic from the side. :) I mean really…this is ridiculous!!!
Needless to say - we couldn’t finish it & our gelato cravings were seriously diminished for the rest of the trip.
Italy was fabulous, though, and I can’t say enough good things about our tour company, Perillo Tours. We stayed in beautiful 4 & 5-star hotels like an incredible converted monastery with ancient gothic arched windows. We started off in Florence visiting some of the wonderful art museums there. We took a day trip to Venice where we travelled in gondolas under the bridge of sighs, visited the famous Murano Glass Factory, and experienced the wonderful architecture of the city. Here are a couple of my favorite shots:
Southern Italy is gorgeous…especially along the coast line. We went through Naples to Sorrento & spent a day on the isle of Capri visiting the famous blue grotto, drinking or first Limoncellos, & having lunch in a small cafe overlooking the ocean. After Capri, we went to Pompeii where we saw amazing preserved structures still standing from hundreds of years ago.
Then there was Rome. I remember the Vatican & standing in the Sistine Chapel. It was recently restored so the colors were all so vivid. Kind of surreal to be somewhere you’ve only seen in books! There was a trip to the Trevi Fountain…
…and an amazing dinner in a privately-owned castle. Of course, we also went to visit the Coliseum where gladiators used to battle to the death!
How strange that in a modern city, there stands so many ancient pieces of architecture, and yet how thrilling that it is all preserved. I used one of my snapshots of the Coliseum in the Hero Arts card below. All supplies are HA & the instructions can be found on their website here. Thanks for dropping by!
February 2nd, 2008
The third card in my Hero Arts travel series features London.
London has always been one of those cities that I have traveled through to get someplace else. I don’t think I spent any time there until the end of college when I was studying abroad. My Danish friend Maiken & I decided to take a Spring Break holiday and we chose Dublin & London as our destinations.
Now I have to admit that at the time, I was a pretty “enthusiastic” U2 fan. So a trip to the Emerald Isle was a sort of mecca for me. After several fabulous days in Ireland, we ended up in London not really knowing how it would compare. We had a great time during our short stay, though. I remember touring Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, seeing the Tower Bridge, London Dungeons, & Buckingham Palace. We trolled through the shops at Camden street market (bringing a few treasures home with us) & purchased discount tickets to see a production of The Phantom of the Opera (which as I recall, we watched from behind a large pole. *LOL*)
I have returned once or twice since, and there are certain things I love about the city. I love that it is a massive metropolis, and yet you can find small quaint neighborhoods with darling private gardens in the middle of it all. I love the British dry sense of humor, and how can you not adore a country that can produce TV shows like The Office, Extras, & Coupling? I love the intense national spirit of the British that emerges anytime one mentions the words “football”, “Manchester United”, or dare I say it, “David Beckham”? *LOL* …although maybe Becks isn’t so popular now that he’s joined us on this side of the pond.
Yes - London has some fond memories & is a city with many hidden gems. It’s latest is the addition of a dear friend that moved back to the city last month. I miss you Minu and hope to see you soon!!!
The image used in the card below was taken during my trip with Maiken. It was originally in color, but I converted it into B&W with photoshop before printing. Don’t you just love how striking & regal monuments look in black & white? All of the stamps used on this card are from Hero’s new 2008 catalog. The full instructions & supply list can be found on Hero’s site here. Thanks for dropping by!
January 30th, 2008
So the next card in the Hero Arts series is for New York. It comes with another trip down memory lane.
Have any of you been to the Big Apple? My first trip to New York was at the end of my Senior year in college. I had been interning for an investment bank in Dallas over the summer & flew to NYC for an interview with the same firm. It went something like this…fly to JFK, drive to Manhattan in a taxi in the pouring down rain, interview for 2 hours, drive in taxi back to JFK in pouring rain, fly back home. So I can honestly say I never really “saw” the city during that first visit, but I vowed to go back.
Within the next year, I took a Finance job at an airline and began my love affair with NYC. My first real impression of the city involved its energy. There is an indescribable “buzz” that resonates through you when you’re there. No matter what time of day it is, you can always find something going on around each street corner…art, music, theatre, amazing restaurants, etc. There’s a reason they called the HBO series “Sex AND the city”. The city played just as important a character as Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, or Samantha.
Over the years, I visited NY at least nine times. There were music trips to see concerts like Nathalie Merchant, U2, & the Tibetan Feedom concert at Carnegie Hall. There were trips to visit friends, see botanical gardens, hang out in Central Park, & troll through museums like the Met & the Whitney. I remember night visits to the top of the Empire State building, open air bicycle cab rides through Times Square, and a baseball game at Yankee Stadium.
Like everyone else in the country, when I first heard about the events of 9/11, I was in shock. During my visits, I used to stay in the Millenium Hilton which was directly across from the twin towers & was taken out the day they collapsed. There were so many people lost in a tragic moment. But in my visits since that time, I can see the resilience of the American spirit. The businesses are open again, the tower site is a memorial, and there is a sense of hope in the air. Although I don’t think I’d ever live there, I do love the city & highly suggest a visit if you’ve never been!
The card I designed features a B&W shot I took of the Statue of Liberty. The Art flowers & pearls are new by Hero Arts this year. I just love the texture they lend to cards! You can get full instructions & the supply list on Hero’s website here. Thanks for looking!
January 27th, 2008
I recently put together a series of Hero Arts stamped travel cards featuring some black & white travel photos of mine from over the years. As I was flipping through boxes of old pictures, it brought back a lot of great memories. In my late teens & twenties, travel was one of my biggest passions. I was blessed with the opportunity to study, vacation, or work in 21 different countries. Even now, I still get that excited feeling in my stomach, and my heart starts to flutter when I step off of a plane into a completely new & different culture.
My journey started when I was 17 years old and had the opportunity to fly to Paris & study abroad at the Sorbonne for a summer. (Thanks mom & dad!) What an incredible city. I had always heard stories from Americans that were treated rudely by the French, but I was so surprised at just how generous & friendly they all were during my stay. I’m sure I completely mutiliated the language, but everyone that I met was more than willing to communicate when I at least attempted my meager French. I lived in a converted convent in the middle of the 6th arrondissement, Odeon.
I’m still surprised by the memories that have stuck with me over the years…like the first time I tasted a fresh Paris peach bought from a fruit stand on the way to class. Or my first nutella & banana crepe - I still get cravings for them! (notice the food theme here? *LOL*) Then there was my first rock concert… of all things Guns n’ Roses. A bit surreal to be in a stadium of 20,000 French people yelling “Welcome to the Jungle”. And let’s not forget the art. I think Paris was my first real exposure to the artistic world. 
I remember walking into the Rodin museum, seeing the sculpture “Le Baiser” (The Kiss - shown above) and having my jaw literally drop open. Or stepping into a large room in the Louvre to find Paul Delaroche’s “La Jeune Martyre” staring back at me (pictured to left). The painting is actually the size of an entire wall, and it literally took my breath away. I bought a print of it years ago for my bedroom, but was later convinced by friends that it isn’t the best feng shui to have a drowned woman hanging over your bed. Can’t really argue that one. *LOL*
So back to the crafting…I ran across a B&W photo of the Eiffel tower and decided to use it for the first card in the series since it mimics the stamp. You can get the full supply list & directions to the card here on the HA webpage. Stay tuned for more travel stories/cards coming soon!
January 26th, 2008
On Day 3, mom cooked a great pancake/bacon breakfast and we got everything packed up to leave. Not wanting to head out of town just yet, we decided to go to the local Beaver’s Bend Nature center & ride the train that runs through the park. The area is quite beautiful.
Beaver Bend’s Nature Center is a small building. It is full of live snakes, turtles, a stuffed bobcat, some shark jaws, and a few other critters.
I’m not the snake kinda gal - so I chose to head outside & spend some time with the birds of prey. It was surprising how close the center let you get to their cages. I’d imagine some curious fingers could meet their doom there!
Next, we headed to the park train depot. Apparently, it is also a popular place to go for horseback trail rides. As we waited for the train to return, we saw this guy grazing…
Our ride rolled into the station…
And we were off on these tracks leading into the woods for about a 20 minute ride. The conductor told us that they had seen a number of animals on the protected park preserve land…including bobcats, deer, & even small black bears occasionally!
We kept our eyes open & were able to see 6-7 deer during our short trip. Poor Mia (my niece) was upset that she missed them since they were so far away. She was in luck, though, because on the way to lunch… a huge buck crossed the road right in front of the car! Funny that he wasn’t frightened of the cars or people at all. Obviously, the animals feel safe in the park environment. Is nice for them to have that security considering most deer elsewhere would have been gone in a flash.
After eating at a local diner…we headed home. This time, no rain…and no near-death electrocution experiences. All in all, a great trip…and we look forward to returning again in the future.
August 21st, 2007
During my walk around the cabin grounds, I snapped a few shots I thought I’d share.
…some simple wildflowers on the side of the road:
… a local berry plant (apparently the berries & roots of this plant are poisonous, but many people actually make salads from the leaves. I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I’d be willing to take the risk on that one!)
…a wonderfully shaped weed growing out of the surrounding stones. (Isn’t nature’s geometry fascinating?!)
…and some beautiful rock ground cover
When I took a closer look at the rocks all around the cabin, I actually began noticing that many of the stones had quartz stripes running through them. I was amazed….I’ve been collecting those stones for years, but have only been able to find them previously on the shores of Ireland & Costa Rica. To think there are thousands in Oklahoma is bizarre! I even have art prints in my house of this type of stone. I collected about 10 of them and am hoping to do some still-life photography with them soon, so I’ll post pics when I do.
My sister-in-law cooked a great dinner for us of grilled burgers, sweet potato souffle, asian slaw salad, & corn on the cob. After we had our fill, we put the kids to bed & pulled out the poker chips.
Now I have to preface this by saying…I’ve only played poker a handful of times in my life. I’m by no means a real poker player. In fact, I don’t even really know the rules because I always forget what makes a good hand & what beats what.
What I soon found out, though, was that not knowing what I had in my hand actually helped. Well - that and a dash of luck, of course! No one could read if I was bluffing or not because I didn’t even know what I was holding half the time. *LOL* Slowly my chips started accumulating. I thought it was a fluke. And for some reason, I kept getting more and more winning cards. Mike started commenting that we needed to go buy a lottery ticket…my odds were so uncanny. When it finally got down to only my brother and I left at the table and we were on the final hand (winner takes all), I was pretty sure that I had nothing. As he revealed his cards, I laid mine down and realized I had a flush. I said, “I think I have a flush thing!” We ended up doubling over in laughter because he totally didn’t see it coming & neither did I. I might have to take up this poker thing after all!
Hard to believe this was my chip pile!
August 21st, 2007
Previous Posts