More Places I Want to Go

Yes it's true that this feeling comes to me on somewhat of a daily basis, and today happens to be one of those days. While I'm sure you're thinking I'm going to say New Mexico, I assure you I'm not. Real estate prices there (at least in Santa Fe and Taos) are exorbitantly high, so no. Not there.

I woke up this morning thinking that despite the dreary sky, the temperature could hardly be more perfect. Almost immediately, I realized how short-lived this cooler weather is going to be. Naturally, a mild depression begins to sink in.

Later I begin my routine facebook stalk, and happened upon some of a friend's pictures of her daughter's birthday. What do I see in the background? Tall aspen trees? Forest? Mountains? Such is the landscape of Flagstaff, Arizona. When I think of Arizona I think of scorching temperatures and dry flat desert. Oh yes, and the Grand Canyon. I always considered it to be a fun place to visit, but not to live. I think I could be starkly wrong on this one, because check out these photos! (courtesy of Flagstaff)











Lest I forget to mention the fact that the high temperature in the summer is an average of 82 in July. Perfection? Yes. Lastly, we have the oh-so-lovely Native American element that I love.



Hopi tribe! Love the pottery and rugs. I mean, the tragically beautiful culture.

Santa Fe

The travel bug has a nasty bite. I'm dying people!!!

Is anyone else missing New Mexico right now? I think Santa Fe is especially beautiful, not to mention fun, in the winter time. If I think about it I can almost feel the cold, crisp mountain air and smell pine and pinon. I have this certain picture in my mind of the sky reflecting pink - snow suddenly starting to fall. These pictures have all been meticulously stolen off of google, so forgive me.

Margaritas at the bell tower?



Or how about the square? Natives call it "the plaza" but I like calling it the square.





All dressed up for the holidays...



Church...



My fave Cafe Pasqual...



...my Mom used to live out of this cook book. There was a brief period of time that we used to go to Santa Fe so much it felt like every weekend!



You can't tell me THIS doesn't look like a good idea - a weekend at Santa Fe's luxury spa Ten Thousand Waves.






Kevin, if you're reading this, I feel like it's pretty clear where we should be going for our next vacation! Maybe we'll pick up a few kachina dolls on the way! I loved these as a child and still do.

Furniture

Apparently I'm so obsessed with furniture that it's all I can think of to blog about...so I've started a new blog devoted to my obsession.

http://thebairdhome.blogspot.com/

One day, when I actually settle down enough to want to buy a house in an unknown city, I can refer back to this when I'm trying to pick a theme.

Recipe Boxes and Crocs

Recipe boxes.

I don't know what it is about recipe boxes, but I just love them. I've been writing down my fave recipes, discovering new recipes and pretending they're my own, trying to sculpt recipes of my mother's that were never written and transcribe them down onto index cards. Once I finish doing that I plan on finding the perfect vintage...or at least vintage looking...recipe box to put them in. I've found a couple of them that I like.

Actual vintage -


Modern but vintage looking-



On that same note, I have a cute vintage box that was my great grandmothers which she used for christmas card lists. It's from the 1930's and has this poorly rendered drawing of santa and his reindeer on it. I might start collecting these little boxes because they're so fun. One step closer to me ending up on the A&E series "Hoarders."

Crocs.

Yes I realize they're annoying because they're so popular and all of that, but those are the regular generic crocs. My compatriot Alison Hyde introduced me to the fact that crocs makes office-appropriate shoes that are shockingly comfortable. Like this little gem that's called "Lydia"



And what's this? Oh, it's my Christmas present I've already demanded of Kevin. Look how cute this is! And fuzzy, I might add....which is fantaschtic.

You're welcome

I need to come up with a theme....so....I'll just go with either a complaint or an obsession.

Today's complaint is as follows: I can't figure out how to work a baby gate.

I have two baby gates. One is a modern wonder from Target. The other is a relic from the days of Yore I expect. However, one must either a) have a PhD in theoretical physics or b) be the rain man in order to figure this out. This morning, for instance, I attempt for my first time in the day to get the baby gate up. I bruised my toe and tumultuously shouted a few select words prior to engaging Kevin in the project. Amelia's real first words (besides Mama, Dada and Up) will land her in a statistically sound likelihood of spending life in prison.

Yikes.

Also, I might add that Kevin got the thing up in two seconds. WHAT?! Okay, this is a serious problem. Wait - is it the same thing as being unable to open jars? One of those mysterious things that only guys or body-building women are capable of doing?

Hey, you know, I lift weights and stuff. Yeah, that's right! I have some 9 lb hand weights that I can do some serious damage with. And you know what? I still can't open a jar or put up a baby gate.

Perhaps this is a mental problem. With that in mind I'm off to drink a pot of coffee, draw up some schematics, a diarama with a prop baby gate, and then I'll pop in a video of Schoolhouse Rock for good measure. Wish me luck.