Matilda says "hello."

Happy Wednesday, everyone. Little Matilda thinks she's coming with me on my trip to North Carolina this weekend, but I had to tell her no this time. (And every time.) I miss her a lot when I'm gone, so today is dedicated to the Little Tiny herself.

Love from a crazy cat lady.
K

A closer look: Chinatown!

Happy late-night blogging from Central Florida.

I'm up late updating my blog primarily for my little sister, Jaclyn, but also because I made a note that I'd do it earlier today. Sidenote: The King's Speech was a gorgeous film. I'm thinking about doing an Oscar movie post in the near future, so I'll save my reviews and comments for later.

I thought it would be fun to share a few snapshots from my trip out to the west coast. Seeing as I'm updating my blog for my little sister, it is only fitting that I discuss Chinatown. She loves Asian cultures and wants to marry a Chinese man, so she was especially jealous that we got to run over to that part of Los Angeles on the evening we landed in CA. (She was also jealous that we got to meet Ellen Pompeo of Grey's Anatomy while we were in Hollywood, but that's another story for another time, Grey's fans.)

At the recommendation of some of our friends from or Haiti trip, Jess and I decided to check out Foo Chow. Turns out Jackie Chan has put this restaurant on the map. Actually, once you're inside, you can easily recognize scenes from Rush Hour. It's pretty funny.

Hot green tea soothed my throat and warmed me up after a long day of airports and airplanes.

All in all, our visit to Chinatown was more eerie than experiential. Since we arrived so late, all the cute little stores were closed for the evening and many of the lights dimmed. However, we were still excited to have visited, and our dinner was seriously killer. Jess and I ordered sweet and sour shrimp and mixed veggies and tons of white rice. (I could eat rice daily.) She was happy to cross visiting Chinatown off her bucket list, but I'd still like to return and find that cute, kitschy raincoat I'm dreaming of. Maybe next time.

Have any of you visited a Chinatown? I've been to them in both NYC and Los Angeles, but my friends say the one in San Francisco is wonderful as well.

Have a great night!
K

Beverly Hills / Chinatown / Hollywood

Hey everyone!

My coworker Jess and I are chillin' in coach, sharing a coke, snackin' on pretzels, and finding ways to entertain ourselves on this 4+ hour flight from Cincinnati to LA. It's been a day of early flights, long layovers and some quality girl time. I really enjoy trips with Jess. She and I have very similar travel habits so it's always a breeze. That's important when you travel with someone a bunch; whether it's Haiti or Los Angeles, we've got this.

We don't have to hit up any meetings until early tomorrow morning, so we're going to meet some of our friends from our Haiti trip and head down to Chinatown for delicious noodles and red lanterns galore! I'm also really hoping to find a cute Asian-patterned raincoat. Cross your fingers one's waiting for me with a friendly street vendor.

(Image found here.)

I really love traveling. Sitting in airports all day inspired me to begin drafting a post about handy travel tips I've learned over the past year and a half. I feel like I'm far from what some may call an "expert traveler," but I do know my way around. However, my post may be majorly one-upped by this month's extra-interesting edition of ReadyMade. There are some awesome packing/snacking/planning tidbits for those already itching to travel this spring. 

Harbor and I are beginning to plan a majorly fun trip up to the DC / Richmond area this spring (if we can pull it all together). Anyone else planning a great little getaway in 2011?

More later. Have a happy start to your week. 

K

What's in my bag? An edition dedicated to business travelers.

Since I'm zipping around America this week [arrived home from Austin today, and head to LA tomorrow] I figured I'd do a "what's in my bag?" post. I feel sort of silly posting this, but every time I come home and clean out a bag to prep for another trip I always think, "Wow, I really like remembering what I've had hiding in here," plus I have a real love of organizing my bag contents into a cute pattern wherever I'm working. The same goes with packing -- I always make a list of what I need to pack, then lay evvvverything out on my bed before it can be tucked away into a bag. It's a bad habit, but the more I travel, the better I get at minimizing and organizing.

So, without further ado, HERE is what I've got in my bag when I travel!

1. My pile of work. My MacBook; a manilla folder full of directions, hotel/rental car confirmations, reminders, itineraries, etc; my notebook; and my Moleskine weekly planner. I love that thing so much -- lets me doodle, write long reminders to myself, brainstorm, or just jot down special moments on the go. I've been using it for 3 or 4 years now and I can't find a better planner for my brain.

2. My Gussy clutch! On this trip, I kept work receipts and my checkbook inside. I learned from my boss; she carries a glittery bag for things like receipts and PD. I decided that boring old receipts deserve a pretty bag to travel in too.

3. Bobby pins. I have them on me at all times.

4. Gum. Another "all the time" staple.

5. Neutrogena lip balm.

6. My MEND bag. I got this for Christmas and I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying it. I needed a good, durable bag for my travels that had enough room for a laptop, but still functioned as a weekend bag if I needed it to be. It's perfect. (I also wanted to avoid buying a leather bag... and boy was it hard.) MEND bags are sewn by Ugandan women, some of whom currently live in IDP camps. Each bag is made from Ugandan cotton, and sewn by a woman who escaped imprisonment by the LRA. Really sturdy, a great way to support our global family, plus it's versatile and very cute. My bag was skillful crafted by the lovely Ajok Betty.

7. Laptop cord.

8. Phone charger.

9. My plane tickets. In an ideal world, I get upgraded every flight.

10. A travel-friendly hairspray. I like

TRESemmé 

and Dove travel-sized hairsprays.

11. L'OCCITANE en Provence shea butter mini hand cream. Airplanes make me dry so I need something serious. Drinking a ton of water helps too, but sometimes it's hard to choose water over a free, icy coke to sip alongside those peanuts.

12. A notebook for shopping lists, quotes I find, to-do lists, inspiration, addresses, etc. This particular baby notebook is from Target.

13. PaperMate flare felt-tipped pens are my favorite of all time.

14. My marigold wallet/clutch from DSW a few years back.

15. Car keys.

16. Getting a BlackBerry was exciting. Just think how getting an iPhone will feel! (Only a little while longer until Verizon gets iPhones.)

17. Earbuds. For the iPod and for in-flight entertainment.

18. Shades I snagged from a retirement community thrift store for two bucks last summer. I love 'em!

19. Smith's Minted Rose lip balm. In the winter months I wear this stuff daily. In the spring and summer I switch to their rose salve.


So, there you have it. It really bugs me I only have 19 items and not 20. But, it's nothing to lose sleep over. I'm going to savor this quiet house with a glass of wine, a crochet hook and a suitcase full of yarn.

Enjoy your Friday night!

K