Madagascar Vanilla Latte
Southern Summer
Me and B.
Savannah, GA
Kayak Cafe tacos with the best scratch lime garlic dressing
Savannah, GA
Beetnix: Warrior One Pitaya Bowl sub coconut for cacao
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
The Collins Quarter: Mimosa Bondi Sunrise & Drip Brew
Savannah, GA
The Collins Quarter: The Daily Catch
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
The Collins Quarter: Eggs Benedict on Gluten Free Toast
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
The Collins Quarter
Savannah, GA
The Collins Quarter
Savannah, GA
The Collins Quarter
Savannah, GA
The Collins Quarter
Savannah, GA
The Collins Quarter
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
The Paris Market
Savannah, GA
The Paris Market
Savannah, GA
The Paris Market
Savannah, GA
The Paris Market
Savannah, GA
The Paris Market
Savannah, GA
The Paris Market
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
South Carolina Peaches
Hardeeville, SC
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
SoHo South Cafe
Savannah, GA
SoHo South Cafe
Savannah, GA
SoHo South Cafe
Savannah, GA
Savannah, GA
Jones Street
Savannah, GA
Really enjoyed meeting Rosa at RMC Boutique! Shop her fabulous boutique at www.rmcboutique.com
Tybee Island, GA
The Walking Dead Cafe
Senoia, GA
Senoia, GA
"Woodbury, GA": Senoia, GA
"Woodbury, GA": Senoia, GA
"Woodbury, GA": Senoia, GA
Bella needing a road trip nap
B crusin' in the G-Wagen
New Orleans
New Orleans
Irene's Cuisine
New Orleans
Be sure to enjoy the Lemon Basil Vodka Martini at Irene's
Cafe Du Monde
New Orleans
Hotel Monteleone
New Orleans
Hotel Monteleone
New Orleans
Hotel Monteleone
New Orleans
Ms. Monteleone!
New Orleans
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| Lake Travis, Texas |
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| Quack's Bakery in Austin, Texas |
Austin, Texas
Blanco, Texas
Blanco, Texas
Imagine Lavendar Farm: Fairy Homes
Blanco, Texas
Imagine Lavendar Farm: Fairy Homes
Blanco, Texas
Blanco, Texas
WPP: Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Mayfield Park
Austin, Texas
Mayfield Park
Austin, Texas
The Monument Cafe: Scratch Peach Jam
Cenote: Kale Scramble
Cenote: Eggs Benedict
Toby!
Travel Tic Tac Toe
Original DIY Tic Tac Toe travel game board from the 1990's
I loved this DIY Tic Tac Toe traveling game so much as a child that I still have the original game that I made. It's super easy to make for your child and even with your child that you may feel brave enough to have a large group of kiddos over to instruct. Adult Child Group Fun! a.k.a. birthday parties, project parties, rainy days, etc. The best part... The game board and playing pieces are made out of felt so that when playing in the car, the pieces are not lost. So clever.
I think I was about 6 to 8 years old, so I believe it was my awesome Sunday School teacher Denise Kistner who instructed our class to make this project. I don't want to leave out Connie Hester either...just in case it may have been her as she was another one of my awesome Sunday School teachers. Kudos!
Make it yourself using the instructions below.
The felt pieces don't fall off when tipped over
Write the kid's name and a message of your choice
Materials Needed:
- Felt, 4 different colors
- Pinking Shears
- Foam Core Board
- Glue
- A Permanent Marker
- Gallon Size Zipper Bag
Instructions:
- Measure the foam core board to 8 inches by 8 inches and cut.
- Write a message on the back on the side you have determined to be the back of the board.
- Measure felt color #1 and cut with the pinking shears. Approximately 8 inches by 8 inches (make sure it's large enough to cover the board!). Once cut, glue this to the foam board. Gluing it now will allow it to have some time to set prior to adding the next layer.
- Measure strips from felt color #2 and cut using the pinking shears. Approximately 1/2 inch by 8 inches. Not too thick, not too thin. If the fabric is cut with the pinking shear points lined up then the width may go a little over a half inch, that is okay. Make 4 of these.
- Measure rectangles from felt color #3 and cut using the pinking shears. Aproximately 1 inch by 1 3/4 inch. Again this is approximate, the main point to remember is to make sure the pieces are large enough for hands to pick up easily but small enough for them to fit inside the tic tac toe boxes. Make 5 of these and perhaps one back up if you'd like.
- Measure circles from felt color #4 and cut using the pinking shears. Approximately 1 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inch. Again this is approximate, the main point to remember is to make sure the pieces are large enough for hands to pick up easily but small enough for them to fit inside the tic tac toe boxes. Make 5 of these and perhaps one back up if you'd like.
- Glue the measured strips that you cut from felt color #2 to the felt covered foam board, using the lattice style method.
- Do NOT put your foam rectangles/circles on the foam board until you know the board has completely dried. You wouldn't want to accidentally glue pieces to the board making them permanently unplayable, would you?
- When complete, store in a zipper bag and keep it in the family car.
With Angela O'
Make at least 5 pieces each shape
BAG IT AND STICK IT! in the car
Priorities. Family. Doing What is Right for You.
To preface this post I want to give you some background. This entry was originally written last January. January 17, 2014 to be exact. It has since been tweaked to focus on the upcoming holidays as opposed to the referencing of the past holidays which was in the original writing. The exact moment I went to hit publish in blogger, my iPad cut and auto-saved. I was ticked beyond believe and some of my followers got to witness the following moments of my disappointment and pain as it deleted everything. So I immediately rewrote and was so frustrated that I couldn't bring myself to re-post that same night. I planned to go forward with publishing after a few days went by in order for me to breathe it out. Certainly, the original writing had much more of an impact and was much more deep...but seriously who can bring that out of thin air twice. The woes of journalism. Then on January 22, 2014 at 7:30 a.m. my world changed forever and this blog really hit home. The most important person, my very favorite and most cherished person of my entire 30 years of existence died. My Gramma. This blog and several others were put on hold. It became a situation of excuses, oh well I just don't know what is the best title now (specifically for this one), or this such & such, or oh that such & such. Shortly, after my Gramma left us my dearest friend found out her mother was suffering from very advanced cancer. So much has happened this year and for the first time in 31 years of my life I experienced what most feel like on a regular basis. I couldn't be me. Just me and do what I do best. I always bring my A game, 300%, I am over the top and I love my naturally creative-self. But this year was a struggle. I have never, never, never been able to empathize with someone or anyone commenting "well it is a lot you take on" or "it's too much to do" because I have never had a road block of energy or effort-resistance in my entire life. It has always been an insult for someone to say that to me because it meant they didn't take the time to know me. Well now, I have experienced it. I see what it is like. In August, I finally realized that seven months had passed by and I was not Angela....I certainly wasn't Angela O'. Now I am back and I am loving it. So here is that heart felt blog that was originally to publish in January 2014. It is far from being the best that it was but I don't fail to present.
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The holidays are coming up and the biggest pressure that is put on a couple during the season of greetings is dealing with the stress of family members. Both those by marriage and by blood. It seems to have been a bit of a taboo topic in recent past but one that has generated enough discussion for society to admit that it has become a serious source of discomfort for new and long-time couples.
{Original: Now that the holidays have passed} We can openly discuss some of the pressures that come along with vacations and holidays. Or simply put, the demands. The demands induced by family, the spouse, or your own personal requirements and goals. The demands to spend time with each and every person or to in fact spend the holidays with only "the other family".
The solution to this headache is to commit to two separate setups. No one has the right to pressure or guilt you into your choice because it is not wrong. There should be no reason that this would cause a riff with your in-laws. It should only cause appreciation that you are willing to share your significant other and recognition that you can allow him/her to to have freedom from being around you 24/7. It is okay to share and to be shared with your family and their family. You will soon enough be going back home to your couple status to conduct business as usual. The purpose of this blog is to share the words and emotions to let you know it is okay. You are not the only one caught in the middle and wondering what to do. And this isn't something new, just never openly discussed.
It is hard enough taking time off of work and coordinating your spouse's career schedule along with having to divvy out the cash to make an anticipated trip. You should be able to cherish those special bonds and relationships with the people who mean the most, knowing that you are on limited time. So if it means that you visit your parents while he visits his parents during the holiday season, that is okay. Truth be told it is however you are comfortable. And the true reason is because we don't have a very long life and our elders have a lesser length of time so why do we want to miss out on what we can partake in.
Two family members of mine, a couple that are very experienced in marriage and even mathematically wiser in age would make regular visits to Illinois. They would pack up their one vehicle and drive for 19 hours to visit family. Both sets of parents lived in rural towns approximately 30 minutes from one another. However, the wife would choose to spend the nights with her mom and the husband would choose to spend the nights with his mom. It was fair to both of them. While they saw each other during the day sharing various activities on their calendars they knew in their heart what was comfortable to each of them and where their heart called home each night.
The second couple grew up in a neighboring Midwest state but did not meet and marry until both moved far away. Occasionally, they would make trips to see both of their families over the holidays. When the time came they were confident enough to go their separate ways and each stay with his/her own parents. A couple hours distance was between them both, but their hearts never faltered for one another.
Another Midwestern couple who moved far away to better their career and livelihood would still make regular trips to their hometown. Both of their parents believe it or not, lived only blocks from one another. You might assume that this would make their stay so much easier. But the fact of the matter is that sharing time and relationships is never easy-peasy-Japanesey. For several years, the couple would spend their nights slumber with only one parent and during the day spread out their affection with everyone. Suddenly, this year they decided to transition into a bit of a family split. She stayed spent the nights with her parents, and he spent the nights with his. It just made for ease of visiting everyone with the best quality time as possible. The sweetest couple you will ever know made a tough decision that was just the best thing for the couple. Oh yeah, and they had a baby!
The truth is that you have to do what is right in your heart for you. Spending the time with your family and friends who were a great part of your life. Whether it be your bestest friend, grandmother, grandfather, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, or group of best friendsThose bonds and relationships will be forever important and when you became an adult you don't get to encounter them the same way as you did in childhood. You never know when that opportunity will be permanently taken away from you. No one should give you any grief, guilt or pressure based on your decisions. Not parents, step-parents, in-laws, or whoever because you are the adult of your existence. Period.
With Love,
Angela O'
Pressed Pennies Tastefully Secured
Do you know all those pressed penny machines that people get suckered in to using while they are visiting a tourist attraction? They are everywhere...Disney, Universal, zoos, aquariums, skyscrapers, some gas stations. You know? The ones that you had so much fun as a kid making and your parent couldn't say no because it was the one souvenir that was actually affordable. Fifty-one cents. Two quarters and a penny. Hopefully you had a shiny penny.
Well, I have a lot of pennies from when I was younger and I really enjoy the memories for each one. During the first few years of my marriage we were on an extremely tight budget. If we ever visited a tourist location the trinket that we knew we could afford (and too avoid bringing home excessive junk) were the pressed pennies. As silly as they were we are delighted to look back at them.
At home and in the workplace I love having everything exactly in its place. I do not like junk everywhere but junk itself can be okay if setup tastefully. I have never had a nice way to store the pressed pennies and I never liked anyone's suggestions. Even the little penny books sold in the tourist retail stores were out of the question for me. So for a long time they sat in a photo box on our bookshelf. Well, eureka! I happened to come across some heavyweight page protectors that were made for slides and they measured at 2"x2" and were three-hole-punched. The accessibility to use binders for keepsakes are very important for me. All of my albums have been transferred to cloth D-ring binders by American Crafts.
Materials:
- Scrapbook Paper
- Small Labels
- Acid-Free Marker or Pen
- Glue Dots, the larger size
- 2"x 2" Slide-style Sheet Protectors, sized for 3-ring binders
- Scissors or Fiskers Photo Cutter
- 3-Ring Photo Album or Binder
Instructions:
Measure the paper down to the size of the protected pocket and cut into the 2"x 2" squares. Write a description on the label and attach it to the cut paper. Then secure the penny to the cut paper by using a glue dot. Super easy and very quick.
This is also a great craft project for kids who collect their pennies!
Angela O'
Dough Pizzeria Napoletana
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| Fior di Latte Burrata with Proscuitto & Heirloom Tomatoes |
When we travel we like to visit local restaurants. Neither John or I are a fan of famous chain restaurants were all the food is mass-produced. We do not eat McDonald's, Subway, IHOP, Burger King, Steak n' Shake, etc etc etc. The list will go on forever. Don't get me wrong, if I am in the need of some comfort food while traveling and don't plan to venture far from the interstate then I will go to Cracker Barrel to have breakfast food. But that is usually where I draw the line. Eggs, Bacon, Pancakes, etc ...not much you can mess up. Oh and I'll be upfront admit that I am a sucker for Chick Fil-A breakfast. However, it is all too obvious that if you stop and sit down for every single meal then you are not going to add much mileage in your trip and no doubt you are going to weigh a lot more on the Richter scale. When traveling rural we tend to have to suck it up and compromise with the township we are in. Usually the better choice is to find a local grocery store and see if you can piece together your meal. But this time we were lucky!
Last weekend, after a long hard day at Sea World we needed to fuel our stomachs for the ride home. Mobile phones are a dandy thing today. On the spot, I combo Yelped & Googled great locale fare in San Antonio. And what to our eyes did appear?? A Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives feature. A local pizza joint that does not allow call-ins because they believe in fresh quality ingredients and dining at its finest along with modest prices. A place that makes their very own fresh Mozzarella cheese in front of you and bakes a pizza to its completeness in 90 seconds. Yup! 90 seconds....DONE! Only possible because of their intensly hot brick oven.
While we were there, our service was so impeccable that we completely forgot that we came in our sweaty amusement park attire and fell into a "Date Night" mood. Amazing. This place is a must when visiting San Antonio. If it can transform your sleepy, dirty, and sweaty mood just like that then imagine their talent to transform their ingredients.
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| Fresh Sliced Prosciutto |
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| Fresh Sliced Proscuitto |
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| Fontina Pizza with Oak-Roasted Mushroom, Carmelized Onion and Parmigiano Reggiano |
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| Bufala Margherita Pizza |
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| Panna Cotta with Golden Raisins and Sweetened Cranberries |
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| Snapshot of Dough Articles on the Wall |
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| Snapshot of Dough Articles on the Wall |
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| Snapshot of Dough Articles on the Wall |
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| Snapshot of Dough Articles on the Wall |
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| Snapshot of Dough Articles on the Wall |
DOUGH PIZZERIA NAPOLENTANA
6989 BLANCO ROAD
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78216
WWW.DOUGHPIZZERIA.COM
Cabo San Lucas: Uno
This is the panoramic view I took of our hotel this week.
Grand Solmar Land's End
~With Angela O'
The Traveler's Woes
When you are young you think the transporting part of traveling is fun, especially if you are going on a plane. When you are older you tend to be more wise about the inconveniences and the sanitation ailments of an airport. It is time that I finally realize and admit that airplanes are just not meant for my type of human body. It is rough. I do not mind flying in fact in some ways enjoy it but for some reason it seems that we are not compatible.
Generally speaking, no one really is a fan of airport food either because the overly-hiked prices or the stale, mass produced food. I absolutely cannot say that I have ever met one person that enjoys standing in the long security line while being stripped by TSA of all their belongs. Ewww and especially walking barefoot on that floor to get through the conveyor belt area. Seriously, no fun.
Beyond the security and food personally I am an air traveler mess. My body freezes every single time I step onto an airplane and I am instantly sick. It only takes me about 30 minutes in the air before I have a sore throat and severely swollen glands when I am cold. Therefore, I am forced to always travel with very thick socks and some sort of jacket. I am thankful when there is a valid winter so that I can have an excuse to carry my Chicago coat throughout the airport. Not that easy of a task each time I fly along the southern coast midst of summer without looking to alert the retail LP teams or homeland security. Ugh so I just have to freeze those times. Blankets don't cut it either. I need to be bundled from head to toe.
Gosh and what about my curly hair woes. Whoever individual was that thought it would be okay for us to have only 3 ounces of liquid in our carry-on bottles never had curly hair. Three ounces of conditioner doesn't even begin to cover one half of my curly head. Three ounces just might get me by in the shampoo department. Okay and then we have to discuss the after wash products. Therefore, attempting to go with only carry-on luggage won't fly (no pun intended) unless I can get by without washing my hair for an extended period of time. Not easy to do if there is a beach nearby. Sigh. Sometimes it could be useful to just wait and go shopping after I've arrived but when I visit a small town the idea is not always available.
Oh geesh and my hands. It has become a pain to travel now that my childhood eczema has resurfaced and taken over my hands. Try adding in special soap and special lotion to your purse/carry-on limit in addition to the itch cream or creams in plural. Haha maybe next decade I will be better for travel on a plane.
Now for the vehicle...So far I am okay. I bring along my socks and I can control my own ventilation. If I am the passenger I know to bring a blanket. But there is a lot to be said about the various bathroom stops on a road trip. I have learned to always stop at a chain grocery store with a gas station nearby. Grocery stores like Publix, HEB, Randall's or Kroger's will likely have a cleaner bathroom than the disgust-o convenience stores. Luckily, I can multi-task at the grocery store stop and grab some snacks or a road meal at the delicatessen.
I have seen some pretty terrible gas stations in my short amount of time. South I-55 all through Mississippi and a portion of Louisiana the convenience store owners firmly do not believe in wasting money for hand soap in the bathrooms. One year in college I drove down to Pass Christian, Mississippi to clean up the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The caravan group stopped at a Wendy's to get food and use the facilities. I instantly walked into the one person female bathroom and locked the door. As soon as I turned around to locate the toilet I saw there were two commodes sitting side by side. Both in perfect working order ready to be used at the same time. So apparently in this location it is acceptable for women to share the air while doing their business at the same time. Zero stall doors. Haha. Gross.
You really hope that the bathrooms are the worse things that road-trips can bring. Try driving throughout the state of Louisiana were they will not commit to cleaning up the road hazards. Up and down the streets shredded tires lay everywhere from were semi-trucks have blown out. The department of transportation does not prioritize cleaning tire scraps up in a safe and timely manner along side many other weird things I've seen on the side of the road. Certainly, you have heard of incidences were people have been killed because of road hazard negligence. Famous Florida radio DJ Erika Roman died because she ran into a chair that wasn't properly strapped into another licensed driver's truck. I have TWICE experienced a ladder fly out of vehicle going approximately 60 mph or more at me on the highway. There is nothing that a bystander can do but swerve around the road and pray the ladder doesn't hit you or another car or that a car doesn't hit you or you hit them while swerving to avoid the rotten egg. It is rare for a person to experience it one time, let alone twice. Now when I drive, if there is a vehicle with a ladder strapped to the back I instantly go to the other lane.
With Angela O'
A Florida Must
Places that I make a point to stop because I love them so:
1. The Old Spanish Sugar Mill - For the 5-grain pancakes which you make yourself on a griddle in the center of your table. This cute little old mill is located inside of De Leon Springs State Park.
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| photo credit www.planetdeland.com |
2. Planet Smoothie - For a Twig & Berries smoothie but to make it better you have to ask them to add plain oatmeal.
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| photo credit www.planetsmoothie.com |
3. Fort De Soto - For multiple years this location was voted America's Most Beautiful Beach
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| photo credit www.pinellascounty.org |
4. Wahoo's Waterside Pub & Patio - We don't go for their service...oh no if you would go for their service you wouldn't walk in the door. It is atrocious. We suck up the bad service and stay there for the deliciously, amazing hand-pressed burgers and excellently seasoned fries on the side. Sit on the dock patio. Located off of Redington Shores & Madeira's Beach.
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| photo credit www.yelp.com |
5. The Columbia Restaurant - In St. Augustine, it's a Florida tradition. Get the steak saltade.
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| photo credit The Columbia Restaurant website |
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| photo credit The Columbia Restaurant website |
Happy New Year
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and fun 2014. This last year went out with a bang, so much so that I never found the time to blog the last month of 2013. We traveled to Houston for a long weekend and enjoyed watching the New England Patriots beat the Houston Texans, visited the Beer Can House, the absolutely terrible Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Houston Museum of Fine Art, NASA where we met very official people and took a small stroll in the underground tunnels of Houston. The middle of the month our dear and beautiful friend and our amazing 23 month old niece came to visit us in Austin. It was a blast and a moment that we will cherish forever. Then Christmas, well the plans that I had for my husband, friends, and adopted family of dogs didn't go over so well as I was struck with the full-blown flu. Next year!
A very fond memory I have for celebrating New Year's is the many years that we celebrated at my Gramma and Paw-Paw's house in Illinois. Every year Gramma and Paw-Paw made a very big deal of the New Year for us by getting Pizza, Mountain Dew, board games and puzzles to celebrate the occasion. We had so much fun that even my Aunts would come from time to time to enjoy it with us. Now I know, that in 2014 that may not sound to some like a blast of a celebration but from 1983 to 1997 it was amazing. I believe that they had a bit of a similar celebration again this New Year's Eve at my 80 year old grandmother's house.
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| Beer Can House created by John Milkovisch |
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| At the NASA Natural Buoyancy Laboratory |
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xoxo,
With Angela O'