Well we had a bit more snow last night… another few inches and this snow was a very wet one and the trees were just coated in white that it was so beautiful. However it is storm that is headed to the DC area coming Friday that we keep getting warnings about. On the weather sites they are predicting over 2 feet of snow, much like we received back in mid-December.

But on a positive note, last night a group of my friends booked a vacation to JAMAICA! We are staying at the all-inclusive resort: Grand Palladium Montego Bay, Jamaica.

I can barely wait until the first of March when we leave for some warm weather and much needed sun bathing.

So the truth is, yes you can still have a spring break after college!

Well friends, it’s been awhile since I have shared some music with you. To break the long hiatus I’m sharing some tunes from a group I recently discovered.

I guess I should use the term ‘discovered’ loosely as it was more a repetitive playing of the band in my boyfriend’s car. And after having all the songs memorized, without really knowing who the group was, their story, or the names of any of their songs – my boyfriend had bought tickets for us to go to their show in DC.

The band? Tea Leaf Green, and they are playing at the 9:30 Club this weekend. While I had never heard of the group before several months ago, I’m a big fan.

If I could wear one brand for the rest of my life it would be Milly!

I love the brand so much-all the tailored details of each piece, the colors and fabrics. I always feel great wearing Milly. These are two pieces from her resort/pre-spring collection that I picked up at Bergdorf while I was in New York last weekend. If only I could afford the whole collection!

Italian Jacquard Sailor Dress

Tweed Toggle Jacket

Hello All-

Well, I spent the long weekend in New York City (and I night in the Berkshires as well). My sister recently got engaged before Christmas and so my mom, sister and a few friends met up in New York City to do some wedding dress shopping.

View from Top Of The Rock

I still feel like I am recovering from the exhausting weekend. Some highlights from the weekend:

1. Trip to Kleinfield’s- the wedding mega-store featured on “Say Yes To The Dress.”

2. Lunch and afternoon drinks at The Plaza

3. Shopping at Bergdorf Goodman- Where Anna found her dream dress- it’s beautiful!

4. Broadway Show, “Fimian’s Rainbow“

5. The Berkshires – the slow fall of the snow and white wonderland was beautiful despite the cold weather!

So, for the last several weeks I have been pondering where I would go on a tropical vacation. I desperately would love to go somewhere warm, with a beach and a tropical drink in hand to do nothing but get a tan! I have been looking for something that is all inclusive and is affordable. Anyone with suggestions??!!

I want to share with you a tradition that has been apart of my family ever since I have known and one that leaves people puzzled with the need to proceed with further explanation. If you grew up in the Bakersfield area of California, Basque food is not a new word to you and most likely you have eaten at one of the 3 or 4 Basque restaurants in the area, however for those out of town folks this is surely a new experience.

Ever year at least once around the holidays my dad’s side of the family, a good 20 plus of us, gather at Noriega Restaurant in Bakersfield for a family style feast consisting of several courses. So this is how it works:

>Dinner is served in the long dining room promptly at 7pm. The bar in the front is open some time before that maybe 5 or so and everyone gathers for a drink until the owner calls you in and says that everyone can be seated.

>The Dining Room consists of two long tables each seating about 35-40 people.

>There is no menu, dinner is a “Set Up” which means that you basically eat what is brought to the table- everyone eating at the restaurant receives the same food. Just like at the dinner table.

>Dinner is served family style with large portion plates that are shared with the people around you (even if that means you are sitting next to a stranger).

>You receive plates of beans, Cabbage soup, salsa, french bread, sliced tomatoes in an Italian dressing, cottage cheese, pickled tongue, blue cheese slices, salad, green vegetables, french fries, pasta in red sauce, two different meat plates, and dessert. Then there is also bottles of red and white wine on the table.

The evening is always shared with good company, great food, several glasses of wine and fun conversation.

Below are some pictures I took at dinner the other night.

I have a rant from a disgruntled traveler.

I do not like to use my blog for negativity but I sit here in San Fransisco, a stop that was not originally part of my itinerary on my way back to Bakersfield, California but then again neither was traveling on the 23rd. I was supposed to be at my parents’ house last night. Nonetheless I think we can trace many of the problems back to the storm that happened on the East Coast this past weekend. As I was snowed in from the “Blizzard of 2009,” many people where supposed to be traveling home or to visit family for the Christmas holiday and had planned to leave over the weekend. With almost all flights leaving out of the D.C. area canceled over the weekend this has continued to have a ripple affect on all other travels leaving from the area.

My original flight plan yesterday was to leave out of Reagan Airport at 5:30pm yesterday and arrive in Denver and then connect to Los Angeles, making it to my parents house around 11pm Pacific time.

This ended up being far from the case. I arrived at the airport in DC with plenty of time, knowing there were a lot of people still from the weekend trying to get on flights standby or by being re-routed through a maze of other cities to hopefully make it to their final destination.

Little did I know that weather problems and delays in Chicago would affect my flight. So I waited, hoping that by some miracle the pilots would make up the time in the air to make my flight to LAX. As time passed by my hopes dwindled and it looked like I would be spending the night in Denver. As I learned from the ticket agent in Washington DC that it was best to get out of the DC area, because being put on a standby flight the following day would mean that it was likely I would not make it to California by Christmas.

As I have seen the numerous Facebook status’, posts, tweets of friends in the DC area and beyond traveling this season has been anything but smooth.

I share with you the status of a friend, which reminds me that if anything, my situation could have been a lot worse.

C. Phillips:

“After 38 hours of travel, 4 canceled flights, 4 airports, 2 blizzards, 1 overpriced rental Mercury Grand Marquis, 1 lost bag, 5 hour energy and 11 hours of driving I am finally back on the Ranch for a few days.”

The set backs, delays, long lines, crowds, unhappy travelers surely make the process of traveling annoying but once we get to our destinations it all seems to fade away and be worth it.

I hope you have a wonderful, joyful, relaxing Merry Christmas!

Love and let’s remember the reason for the Season-

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,  Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Blizzard of 2009, Washington DC

My bags are packed and I am ready to go. I will soon be leaving behind this cold, deary weather on the East Coast for some warmer weather out west. California here I come!

On a side note, I had to email my landlord just a bit ago after I already left my apartment with bags in tow but I think I left my heater on (my roommate had already left early this morning for Christmas). I was freaking out thinking that my heat would be running the entire 10 days I will be gone not to mention what that would do to my electric bill! Nonetheless , my landlord was willing to stop by today to check on it. Thank goodness.

It is weird how as I have gotten older the less that I have impatiently anticipated December 25th. Or maybe my excitement has just changed it’s focus. As a young one, I remember having several advent calendars to count down, wondering what presents I would open on Christmas. Now, as I live across the country my anticipation is more about getting together with my family and enjoying time off work.

I must also say though this past weekend in Washington DC was fun and magical. I felt like a little kid again, enjoying the snow coming down and being amazed at home the city changed so quickly. It was a great early Christmas present and my first white Christmas!

Here are some more photos from the past weekend…

Like the song from the musical Sound of Music, one of my childhood favorites, I have compiled a list of few of the things that make me smile and can never get enough of! So here is a random post of all those things that are girly, pretty, fun and tasty.

And so in no specific order…

My favorite color..

(Tiffany) Blue

Smythson Leather Goods

Smythson Wallet

Smythson Journal

Antique Furniture and Toile Fabric

Pie and other crust-filled deserts

French Fries

Mexican Food

favorite Mexican restaurant!

Art

Watercolor by Laura Trevey

Keep Calm Gallery

Flowers

Soft, Cream Peonies

Beautiful Arrangement of Peonies

The finer things in life

Chanel Bag... one of these days

Anything and Everything Monogrammed

Monogrammed Jewelry

Koozies

Toiletry Bag

Hello friends,

As you may have noticed the last week or so I have changed Anchored around a bit, playing with different colors, themes and graphics. I have decided on a pretty clean and simple appearance with a graphic at the top that is taken from a piece that I painted a few weeks ago. Here is the painting it its entirety. I have never been a painter before but feeling frustrated I thought it would be a good outlet to explore. Maybe I’ll be making more in the future so that I can get better!

Painting from memory of my trip to Charleston, SC