first came love

back from the dead

Well, it was a little over two months from this weekend that I last wrote a post. I never thought I would be away for that long but things have recently changed in my life.  News that I'm finally ready to share.  We are expecting our first child this fall!  I have been hoping for this for quite some time.  I think I always knew having children was engrained in my reason for being.  The first trimester was a bit of a challenge (heavy symptoms) but I'm now at 23 weeks and finally feeling more like myself. I'm astounded every day by the changes my body is making and that it's completely in charge of what I can and can't do.  I've always been of the idea "mind over body" but right now body wins every time.

So what does this mean for the blog?  Clearly, it was the first ball to drop when everything went up in the air but I've missed it a lot and the connections/relationships that it lends.  I will be posting more now but maybe not as much as I used to... we'll have to see.  Although some posts are sure to be baby-centric; there's certainly other beautiful things happening that I'd like to contribute to and share. As for tonight, I am going to attempt to get through some of the 1000+ posts waiting in my reader.  xx

photos above are from a "babymoon" of sorts we took last week in Barbados. the water was such a beautiful cerulean blue..

general store

This modest little store already has a lion’s share of exposure but I wanted to add an additional rave review.  We had all of twenty four hours in San Francisco on our quick trip to the west coast last month.  I had read a bit about the General Store and, since we had a borrowed car, I thought it was worth exploring.  As we drove to the Outer Sunset district, the roads emptied and the fog overhead became more expansive. One of the locals told me it’s this foggy most of the year.  Upon entering the General Store, I knew it was a gem.  Everything was so carefully curated and somehow calming. I think I could have stayed there for hours (okay, I think I actually was there for at least an hour).   Serena Mitnik-Miller (co-owner) was so friendly and helpful.  We walked away with some beautiful things and ,if we were local, I would have gotten some of the interesting plants for sale.  A charming little greenhouse sits out back designed by Jesse Schlesinger.  Lucky for all of us “non-locals” there is a small collection of products for sale on their website here.

{ We actually stayed so long at the general store that we missed our opportunity to lunch at Outerlands down the street. Merde!  Turns out they close from 3-6 between meals.  Serena directed us to Devil's Teeth Baking Company nearby which was good for a quick bite. }

west coast part two

jetlag

We are back from a very whirlwind trip to the west coast.  Short and sweet as they say.  These photos are from our last afternoon. We pulled off Highway 1 to see the beach only it was completely covered in fog.  I hope to get through some more photos to show sometime this week.

the berkshires

I tend to fall in love with a place based on photos alone without really doing much exploration of the area ahead of arrival.  This trip falls under that category. I knew I had to check out the Porches Inn before I really knew anything about the town it was built in.  From their website alone, you are drawn in by a modest, old fashioned allure that ,upon showing up, you are not disappointed.  From the antique furniture to the claw foot bathtub; I was in nostalgia heaven. The property was once a block of seriously dilapidated yet beautifully detailed Victorian row houses set right across the street from what was then a textile mill.  These days, the old textile mill is now MASS MoCA’s vast splendid exhibition space while Porches Inn is, as their website puts it: “47 rooms of retro-edgy, industrial granny chic ambiance”.

 

So we packed a weekend bag and headed in the direction of North Adams, Massachussetts. We first stepped out in nearby Williamstown for the Williams burger at The Purple Pub and then coffee at Tunnel City Coffee.  Williamstown is a quaint college town with a lot of beautiful century-old buildings.  We then headed into North Adams to explore Mass Moca as we quickly realized it closes at 5.  The feeling is very raw at MOCA. As we were so late, we had the whole facility to ourselves. We didn’t miss the lines and congestion of Moma and the Guggenheim.  We learned about a great Sound festival that will be happening here next month that might just be worth a return trip.  Over the weekend of June 24-26, there's going to be a music and arts festival curated by Wilco who will also headline the festival both days. The Levon Helm Band, Pajama Party and Thurston Moore will also be performing. Check out the entire line up here.

 

 

The next day, we left our humble abode but not before we had the most adorable breakfast delivered to our room complete with lunch pail and thermos!  Although we didn’t find a lot to do in North Adams outside of good art; we would come back just for the ambiance of Porches alone. I can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed our stay.  The things we did not get to take advantage of: the fitness room, sauna, outdoor Jacuzzi/ pool and bonfire hangout.  We headed south down rte 7 since it’s the easiest way to drive through many small towns plus there's plenty of antique shops along the way. One of our favorite towns was Lenox which seemed to have a hamptons vibe on this beautiful May day.  I was disappointed to find that Nudel does not serve lunch and we couldn't stick around for dinner. This restaurant comes recommended by the Design Sponge Berkshires guide which was how I came upon Porches. We did have a nice lunch in town at Olde Heritage Tavern where we could atleast sit outside.  We stopped off at a garden shop to pick up some more plants for the backyard and spotted an adorable antique shop. If you are ever in the berkshires, you will not want to miss this one.  It's called The Little Store Antiques on Main St in Great Barrington. An entire house with each room full of antiques.  This is not to be confused with a house of "junk"; these pieces are unique, meticulous and so reasonably priced!  I walked away with an early century penny rug that I love.  We finally had to begin our trek back NY side.  We decided to take the Taconic Parkway which is incredibly more beautiful than the NYS Thruway. The drive was breathtaking as usual and always leaves us wondering why we want to live in such close proximity to millions of people!  We stopped off in Cold Spring for ice cream and enjoyed the view from the edge of town.

costa rica

 

I apologize for lack of posts over here.  I've been pretty sick for almost a week; something I can't seem to shake.  Anyway, the sky has been a relentless shade of gray so I thought it would be fun to visit a sunny spot.  I thought I could put my tripadvisor contributions to good use here.  We went to Costa Rica two years ago for our honeymoon.  As our second anniversary nears, (13 days away... unbelievable how time flies) it got me thinking about our time spent there.  We didn't plan very much and ,lucky for us, it's perfect for that. 

    We landed in San Jose and rented our little engine (I can't stress enough that paying extra for the GPS is a necessity here). We then drove to the most amazeballs spot for relaxing: Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort.   We spent four incredible days there.  The resort is built around the heart of Arenal volcano which springs fountains of thermomineral water running at a soothing 39C (102F), forming cascades and natural pools through tropical gardens, and finally resting at the resort's secluded pools.  Once you need to cool off, there is a pool with a handy swim up bar (atleast we found it handy).  It also boasts a four star spa onsite so we splurged for some pampering.  Edward tried massage for the first time and I tried temazcal which is a native purifying and detoxifying ritual performed in a sweat lodge.  I'm not sure what the temazcal did for me aside from the interesting experience but Edward certainly discovered something he didn't know he would enjoy so much!  Lastly, this place boasts some pretty incredible fresh food at both restaurants: Ave del Paraíso Restaurant and Los Tucanes.

We finally had to leave and soon we were eager to explore the Pacific coast.  This is where I need to warn you that the road conditions are extremely tough and headache inducing at times.  Once you get to the coast however (somewhere around the Liberia airport) the conditions improve.  We also ignored the fact that May is considered their "rainy" season which brought about some excellent discounts at all the places we stayed.  Our first stop was Playa Hermosa which was very vacant so we decided to move on after a day of snorkeling. We landed ourselves in one of the more popular spots: Tamarindo.  There are plenty of places to stay there and we found this great b&b Villa Alegre run by a retired couple from California. We stayed in the Russian inspired villa which was a little pricey for our budget but nothing we're not used to back home. It had a private beach as well as a pool.  Again, due to the off season, we shared in most of the amenities by ourselves. Tamarindo Beach is a short walk but not my favorite beach that we went to visit in Costa Rica.  The owner was really helpful in arranging surfing lessons, kayak tours, in house laundry service and giving us directions to a local pottery village.  All in all, it was a good time.

    We stayed there for four days and then decided it was time to go farther north.  We soon landed on Samara Beach which is still yet to be as commercialized as Tamarindo.  It makes me think of what California might have been like in the fifties.  We found another perfect b&b this time run by a couple from Canada. We spent three days at Lodge Las Ranas and really couldn't have asked for better hospitality than we had at the Lodge. It was quiet, romantic, secluded and just a short drive down to both Samara Beach and Carillo Beach. The breakfast was always great and one morning we awoke to find howler monkeys right near our window. Not to mention the view itself from the window is simply stunning!

Writing all of this down makes me a little wanderlust on top of being sick!  I hope you enjoyed the flashback as much as I did.  Are you interested in more travelogues like this?  Have a lovely week if you don't hear from me, I might be in bed.

what new zealand gets right

 









Wow, there are no words to describe how much I loved our time in New Zealand.  It was laid back, breathtaking and absolutely peaceful.  We rented a campervan making it possible to drive along lakes, glaciers, rainforests and beaches sometimes all in one day!  The land is so preserved and accessible at the same time.  The people are friendly and helpful.  We ate fresh fish on the coast and relaxed in natural hot pools near the glaciers.  We kayaked in the fiordlands with dolphins swimming by and went horseback riding in the mountains.  We also learned a lot about the culture and I brought home some insights.  I have not researched the things I'm about to tell you nor am I a wikipedia.  These are simply things I noticed that made me pause and think "man, these kiwis are really doing it right".  Also take into account that I live in a city so some observations might be amplified due to this fact.  Case in point, this first one:

- I saw a lot of people in barefoot throughout parks, in small towns and sometimes in the street.  I later realized this is because there is no broken glass or garbage.... anywhere.  (um, .... winning!)

- Everyone I saw looked to be in incredible shape; young and old.  I did decide to look this one up and the statistics that I found are the following:  1/3 of Kiwi adults are overweight  where 2/3 of American adults are overweight.

- Typically, houses were modest one story and built to blend in with their landscape (what a crazy idea!).

- They are very advanced with their energy conservation and they have a genuine passion for protecting the environment.

-  It's strongly encouraged by schools and the workplace to take time off to travel the world.

- The integration of the native (Maori) tribes into the present culture is much more substantial than I've ever seen in any other country.  They have their own government funded television station and Māori words accompany the English names at popular destinations and airports.  Presently, Māori make up about 15 percent of the New Zealand population.

Anyway, just some things that inspired me to think we could do better...  We are already talking about when we can go back!  It's easily a destination that you could explore for months on end.  There were many things that we couldn't pack into our two week stay so a second trip is paramount. I also want to acknowledge how rare it is for the two of us to spend such a long period of time alone together even when we live side by side.  I think the city is tough that way and why disappearing for a while is crucial.  I will expand on the places we stopped and parks we stayed at on my tripadvisor account and provide a link. 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

//photos by alyce gorch

trip inspiration

Thought I would share everything I'm pining over for our trip!

wooden sunglasses  /  comfort scarf   /  tribal pattern cover up  /  polaroid camera  /  durable duffle

glamping.

If my husband had his way we would be living in the middle of the woods with gas lanterns and a wood stove.   Unfortunately for him, he married a city girl.  Over our seven years together; we have tried camping many times.  The first time we were on a cross country trip and Edward (not used to having a lady friend at camp) packed a one person tent and sleeping bag.  The second time we were in very populated campground and I tried sleeping in the car setting the car alarm off….twice.  We’ve gotten a lot better (atleast I think so) but it’s still not something I look forward to. So you can imagine my excitement upon discovering the new activity sweeping the nation: Glamping!  Glamping is sleeping in the wilderness among fine linens and gourmet meals!   The tents are usually heated and there are usually toilets!  I've found a great resource for glamping today: glampinggirl.com  Here are a few standouts.

 

Moscow, Idaho

Mary Jane runs an outdoorsy Idaho bed-and-breakfast, offering nights in her wall tents and dining on Shirred Eggs Florentine around the campfire. She also manages her PayDirt Farm School, which is an apprentice program. For more information, see the www.maryjanesfarm.org.  I had the opportunity to stay here a while back and it's just as beautiful as it looks. 

 

Marfa, Texas

"El Cosmico is part vintage trailer, yurt and teepee hotel and campground, part creative lab, greenhouse and amphitheatre - a community space that fosters and agitates artistic and intellectual exchange."

As part of the overall aim to build community in a creative and sustainable space, El Cosmico offers accommodations in several renovated vintage trailers, reinvented yurt structures called eco shacks, a traditional 22 ft. diameter Sioux teepee, and a number of tent campsites. Visitors are encouraged to explore and use the communal spaces on the land including an elm grove full of hammocks, a community lounge and mercantile, and an outdoor kitchen and dining space. El Cosmico offers wood fired Dutch hot tubs seasonally and, eventually a large pool and pavilion will lie at the Bedouin heart of the village to offer an oasis for guests and Marfans alike.

 
Elqui Valley, Chile

I realize that Elqui Domos is not domestic but I had to include it.  We stayed here in Chile a while back and enjoyed it so much.  Living in a bubble is so surreal and looking at the stars from our bed (there is a flap at the very top of the dome that can open and your lofted bed is only about two feet away from it) was romantic. The hotel organized a private tour for us on horseback at night where our guide was able to point out all of the constellations.