2 travel goodies

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N….in the summer time…..  can’t get that song to stop looping in my noggin.

Vacation is exciting and different and wonderful.  However……  by the sheer fact of the exciting and different part….our  “normal” comfortable routine is mixed up patty whacked.   Today, I wanted to share two things that might make your next trip a bit easier and happier.

I found a lush creature comfort that I knew I wanted to share.  (Side note:  don’t you just slump in your chair and throw your arms up when someone says, “Oh, I’ve been using that for two years now, you didn’t know?”  Urgh.)

Right, this minute, as I type, my lush, dreamy soft, Scarf/Poncho/Wrap is rolled up and stored in my carry on satchel for use next trip.

The store that I purchased it from is called Lace & Grace.  Quick service and quite a large variety of items.

http://www.graceandlace.com/

These are my own opinions & sadly, no, I was not paid to endorse my new favorite travel items.

First the details.  It is huge and yet manageable. Excellent quality, reversible with substantial buttons and rich saturated colors.   The fabric is soft, you sort of want to pet it, but that would be weird.  By the way, this company has several colors and patterns to choose from.

I have a tendency to get cold on the airplane.  Out came the scarf.  I had it rolled up inside my carry on bag, easy to get to.  I wore it like a poncho so it covered my shoulders and kept the chill at bay.   It looks great with jeans and a t-shirt, however, I did wear it one evening with bold jewelry and as a scarf, it looked rather fetching, if I do say so myself.

Next option,  I just buttoned only one of the buttons, turned it a couple times and wore it as a scarf through the airport as we caught our next flight.

During the driving….. Mr. Right logged 1,873 miles during this vacation…… I folded the scarf/poncho/shawl over my legs and was nice and cozy without blasting the heater.

I must say this garment construction is beautiful and the reverse color of soft gray and white herringbone complemented several outfits.

Overall, extremely pleased with this piece.

Next:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other best travel piece is my Berkey travel Water Bottle.   http://www.getberkey.com/

It has the filter right inside.  I pack it empty in my carry on and once past airport security, I can fill it up using a water fountain or any tap water.  (Note:  It does not filter out fluoride. I keep a list of bottled waters sans fluoride and when available I purchase those. Then I pour those into my bottle. )  Travel choices are not perfect, we do what we can.

When not traveling, I store this item alongside my travel satchel and suitcases.  A quality product that works very well.  I can’t imagine traveling without one.  I highly recommend.

I hope these gentle suggestions will make your next trip ( you are planning your next adventure, right?) a bit smoother.

In this together, friends.

Just sharing the goodness.

Chat soon.

 

 

empty envelope

7 states, 2 provinces, 1 salt cave, 1 aero car, 1 boat, 4 airplanes, 1 rental SUV, 2 Ubers, 1 Buddist Temple, 1 Greek Orthodox church, 1 beach wedding, 1 Big Fat Greek wedding, 1 Great Lake, 1 Lighthouse, 5 hotels, 26 restaurants, 2 home cooked meals, 2 catered meals, 2 foxes, 1 beaver, 5 pheasants, 2 deer, 2 t-shirts, 1 sweatshirt, 2 pieces of Polish pottery and one empty vacation envelope.

I have been quiet as a church mouse. The reason?

 VACATION!

You read that correctly, for the first time in ages and ages (read that as 17 years) Mr. Right and I took off on a couple of weeks vacation.  No, not stay home and heal kind of vacation.  An actual pay way too much for a breakfast in a resort town, pay the toll twice in 2 minutes because you get turned around, buy a banana at a gas station for .99 cents kind of VACATION!!!!

As much as I enjoy writing, I/we also need to go out into the real world with real people and experiences. We needed to jump in and learn, giggle and come home plum tuckered out.

Mission accomplished.

We experienced so much good,  my mind is still swirling.  I want to sit on the porch and drink coffee (oh, I’ve missed you dark, rich, bold, Italian Roast from the Pacific Northwest, with cashew cream) and tell you about our adventures.

I’m guessing, for days to come,  I will slip in little moments of vacation happy, here and there.  You know the stuff you never dreamed about, however, somehow managed to make the hit parade of goodness when you think back?

Noticing the first leaves changing for fall in Northern Vermont.

Hands down, the best Italian meal we have ever enjoyed.

The moment you sit with your friend and her family around the kitchen tables with different colored Fiesta ware plates.  You eat, listen, giggle and share. Wishing you could already come back and you haven’t even finished your plate yet.

The exact moment, while standing next to your niece as she shares her completed piece of crochet work.  Stunning, inspiring and privileged that she shared with me.

Sitting in a hotel room, doing nothing, goofing off with your family, drinking Ginger Ale and eating a sinful, delicious piece of chocolate.

Shopping in the flagship April Cornell store.  I know, I know, I always say I don’t like to shop……….I mean I don’t like to shop unless it is one perfect shop in Burlington, Vermont.  Then….. actually standing there when April Cornell comes in and walks around like she owns the place  Wait!  She does own the place.   Something happened to me in that place.  Instead of me agonizing over one new blouse to buy……..I kind of lost my mind.  I bought 2 new gorgeous blouses, 1 beautiful, special dress, 1 lovely tablecloth and a grown up, beautiful pair of pajamas,  just like that.

Riding shotgun in a rental car for 1,873 miles.  Read that as talking time, singing time, eating snacks time and reading the map time. Yes, an actual paper map.

The feel & sound of your feet the moment you step on 4,000 pounds of ground salt inside a salt cave.

The water dripping off your face, on “the” (bucket list) boat ride.

Opening your hotel door, to see your brother-in-law, waiting patiently outside, because YET AGAIN, I can’t seem to get my hair to do what I want and be early to breakfast in the same morning.

Meeting table mates at a wedding that you connect with seamlessly and want to be friends for life.

Drying dishes, while sis in law washes……….like we do it every day of our lives.

Maybe for today, I will stop talking and share some pictures?  They might speak more eloquently than typed words.

It was a beautiful thing to anticipate and save for a holiday.   The adventure will bring color to our lives for days to come.

Grateful for an empty vacation envelope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mod podge, remember me?

Gosh, I just noticed the last date on a blog posting from me, May 19th.  Good Golly, I really want to say I was away on a glorious vacation…….alas, I think life just got in the mix.

Yard work has called my name.  Painting and biking and sewing have called my name.

Then the grand daddy of them all………Mod Podge.  Remember from the 70’s.  The very moment you open that lid, the first scent of Mod Podge, your brain is flooded with all sorts of fun items you made in jr. high school.  News flash:  they still sell the stuff and it is still fun to say.   All the craft and hobby stores carry it .  For under $6.00 and buy a 35 cent foam brush while you are there, you are on your way to a zillion possibilities.

I made some plant markers.  I wrote on some sticks and mod podged (is that a verb?) to my heart’s content.

The main project I was magically drawn to make were Adventure books.  If you go to http://www.polkadotchair.com    you will find the picture to down load.  She has inspiration galore, it sort of falls off the screen right into your lap.

I purchased a couple of those school scribblers.  At 88 cents each, you really can’t make a huge mistake for that price. 

Several crafts ago, I had requested maps from all the different states.  They send them out for FREE.  Which makes me smile. A snip here, a snip there and I was ready to Mod Podge. the Adventure books.

I also had some scrap, card making paper.  I used that for the backs.  

I wrote a quote inside each book.

“We travel not 

to escape life, 

but for life 

not to escape us.”

I added a fancy deep purple ribbon just for fun.  I just folded over a couple pages.  It can be used as a book mark.

I am mailing them off to some folks who are stepping out of the box this summer and spreading their wings.

Making a hiking, picnic, camping book next.

When we travel, I collect museum passes, or a parking pass, a great new recipe and of course a snap shot here or there.  (say, have you printed any pictures from your phone lately?  Might be time to print some of those. jus sayin’)

These books are not fancy.  They are not intimidating.  Just one of those things you pick up in the middle of winter, thumb through, relive a great summer memory and smile all over again.

Hello June 1.  I can smell summer from here.  Get out there!  Explore, seek, discover.

Paste it in a notebook and then relive it over and over and over again.

Good for the soul in so many ways.

Love to have show n tell.  What are you making with Mod Podge?

Better yet. tell me about your summer adventure plans.