Girls with Glasses Event // Phoenix // March 2013

Soon after we decided on the Southwest for our vacation, I saw a tweet from The Girls with Glasses saying that they were doing an event in Phoenix while we were there.

If you haven't heard of Girls with Glasses, visit their blog through the link above. It is hands down one of my favorite blogs.. ever. It is a compilation of Brooke White (singer/songwriter, former Idol contestant) and Summer Bellessa (Eliza magazine Editor, former model). On the blog they cover many lifestyle topics like fashion, home décor, entertaining, music, movies and shopping. All things I love.

Most of their posts are in the form of videos. Always cute and fun. Recently they have started to talk about glasses because they had received a lot of questions about finding the right glasses for your face shape and coloring. So they added segments in response!

When I saw that they were having an event in Phoenix I was really excited! I have been a fan of Brooke's music ever since her idol days, and I obviously am very inspired by the GWG blog. When we found out that we would be in the area we bought tickets right away.

We drove in to Phoenix the night of the event and grabbed dinner. The event was in Biltmore Fashion Park's new area called Union. It is full of fun and unique shops which is a nice contrast to the rest of the shopping center (think Vera Bradley, Brooks Brothers, Macy's and the like). For all of you KC people the Biltmore area is very Country Club Plaza.

The group of people actually ended up being really small. Maybe 20 people. Sadly, most of the people at the event did not know who GWG were, and didn't give them a courteous amount of attention. I thought that was really too bad, but appreciated that Brooke and Summer were really flexible and went on with their presentation very gracefully.

After the presentation we had the opportunity to talk to Brooke and Summer and have them help us with our face shapes and finding glasses that worked for us. Summer had to run back to check on her kids, so I worked with Brooke. She was super sweet and thought that I had a round/heart shaped face. She showed me a few pairs that would work for me, including her own pair of Rivet and Sway's 'Punchline' in Neapolitan. After talking with her, I told her that I was a big fan and asked if she would take a picture with me. I told her that she was my favorite on idol and that I was so sad when she got voted off. I felt so silly with things just coming out of my mouth, but she was so cool about it and took a picture with me anyway! :)

I was so grateful that we got a chance to see GWG speak, and for the tips that they shared about finding the right glasses for your face. Check out their blog for video tips about finding your own glasses. It was a fun event, and clearly meant to be!

I am so excited to find a pair of frames for myself in the next coming weeks. I'll keep you posted on my progress!

What do you guys think about my face shape? I usually think it looks more heart shaped, especially in pictures where I am smiling. It's hard to tell! :)

All for now,

Alexandra

Coming Up Next: The last stop of our trip and my glasses recommendations from Rivet and Sway.

Snapshots of Amarillo and Tyler's Barbeque // Spring Break // March 2013

On our Southwest road trip we stopped in Amarillo twice. Once on the way down and once on the way back up.

On the way down we got in late and ordered a pizza in our room. The pizza was not impressive and neither was the hotel. No wifi is a sad thing on a road trip.

On the way back up, we stopped again after a long day of driving (11 hours!). We got in late again but decided to stop for dinner at Trip Advisor's number one rated restaurant, Tyler's Barbeque.

We walked in about 10 minutes before closing time and were worried that we were too late. We walked in hesitantly and Tyler himself said, "Come on in! We're gonna be here for a while!" Instantly I felt at home. After traveling through very west-coasty Phoenix where drivers are rude and people aren't much better... Tyler was the perfect person to meet! Thank you for your hospitality!

He immediately commented on Kyle's Jayhawk shirt and asked us about Kansas and being on spring break. You really miss that friendliness when you leave the Midwest, but don't usually notice it until you return!

We each picked some yummy barbeque. I loved the chicken! The potato salad was great!

The BBQ sauce and baked beans were a little spicy for us, but we were so hungry and tired that it didn't matter too much!

The atmosphere was great as well. Very country but vintage-y. Lots of hats and signs, mismatched furniture. It was really nice!

Plus, the prices were good!

I highly recommend visiting Tyler's if you happen to be in Amarillo.

Up next: Snapshots of Garland Texas and Bethany Dillon.

All for now,

Alexandra

Snapshots of Snowbird Land, The Greater Phoenix Area // Spring Break // March 2013

Is anybody else out there just absolutely crazy about their families?

Gosh I love mine.

I really think that grandparents {in my case, grandmothers}are the thread that keeps the family quilted together.

So I did what typical 22 year olds rarely do, spent my spring break with my grandma and her boyfriend on their "RV Resort" in Arizona.

.. and you know what? I think it was the best trip that I have had in a long while!

We got there and grandma and bob took us out for pizza in Mesa. After that we went back to the trailer and got ready for a night playing bingo.

I have to tell you, that bingo is a total workout for the brain! Especially when you have been driving for hours and days through two time zones. We played a bunch of different games, each with a different pattern to win like (sevens, floating chevron, blackout, regular bingo, T's etc). We also had these fancy bingo blotters that stamped the color on the space that was filled. 

Pretty nifty! We didn't win anything but we had fun!

All of the people near us were really nice and rooting for us to win, which was sweet. Most of them had adorable northern/Canadian accent too. It was nice to see grandma and Bob around their friends and looking so happy!

I kept the 'boards' because they get thrown away and I wanted them for memories/because they look neat. One lady suggested that I laminate them and turn them into placemats! Who knows, but I'm excited to find out!

That was the end of our first day with grandma and Bob.

On further exploration of the resort we found a small library, a heated swimming pool, a room with pool tables and a room filled to the brim with puzzles. Tons and tons of puzzles. So not only do they have a full social calendar between family and friends, they have plenty to do on their own time too! :)

On day two, we went to Goldfield Ghost Town for a day of Old West fun. It had a gorgeous view of the Superstition Mountains!

We shopped on the main street of the ghost town and I found a great pottery store. The man who makes the pieces was there and very nice. He even gave us a free small piece of pottery! The prices were right and the goods were legitimate, not touristy which was refreshing. We bought this magnet for our fridge! It is a Zuni bear, which upon further research symbolizes being a protector, and possessing courage, physical strength and leadership. I love the colors, and I always love learning about symbolism and other cultures!

I had never seen large cacti up close, check out how huge these things are! We did several desert units throughout my school days, but seeing these giants in person was amazing. They also vary a lot in shape. I started imitating ones I passed, Kyle caught this one on camera. :)

This one seemed to be the biggest here though! Photo credit to Kyle.

After than we spent some time panning for gold. This wasn't actually panning for gold, but it was still fun. You get a pre-filled pan with sand and added small polished semi-precious stones in it (rather than scooping up dirt and panning it), and are taught how to pan for gems and gold.

It took a long time and was fun. I found some pretty polished stones but I don't think any of my golden pieces are actually gold. You get a tube to put your pieces in, but once it is full you have to pay for a bigger one. So I say, bring a Ziploc and save your $1-$3 extra per person!

There were many other attractions in the Ghost Town (a reptile exhibit, acted out shootouts, a mystery shack, a train, horseback riding, and a mine tour) but we kept it simple. We had a really nice picnic lunch with grandma and Bob before we left, complete with ice cream.

Then we drove around the superstition mountains, which are beautiful and then stopped at the Superstition Mountain Museum.

The museum itself was not quite what we had in mind. It had a lot of interesting information ranging from geological to the history of the superstitions behind the superstition mountains. However, some parts of it seem a little dated or underdeveloped. For those of you who watch Gilmore Girls, it reminded me of the Star's Hollow Museum. For major history buffs or Elvis Fans (a chapel from one of his movie sets is there) it would be a very interesting place to visit.

That night we had dinner with my family that lives in Arizona year-round and played Farkle. Have you ever played it? It's a fun and simple dice game. I ended up winning, which is pretty unusual for me!

The next day Bob was sick, so grandma was taking care of him while we drove around Mesa and Apache Junction. We stopped in some antique and second hand stores to look for treasures. Their second hand stores are MUCH nicer than the ones we have here in town! They are huge and filled with TONS of good stuff! I found these two pieces at the Goodwill and they were just $2 each. Apparently I was on a red and white kick! Not sure how I will use them yet, but I really like them!

We went to the famous In N' Out Burger for lunch. It was PACKED! No seats inside or out even at 1:00. So we ate in the car. It was indeed fast like the name suggests, but the food wasn't anything all that special for us. It was ok. Certainly better than McDonald's or Wendy's or something... but not better than 5 Guys, which is our favorite fast food burger place. The shake was the oddest thing. It wasn't even cold, so we are guessing it's made with some kind of mix and milk rather than soft serve or ice cream. Again we told my grandma where we had gone and she agreed that it wasn't anything special for her either.

Then Kyle had some time to himself while Bob rested and grandma and I did a bit more shopping. We ran to places that she needed to go and also stopped by a Christian bookstore. I got a copy of a resource guide called Women of the Bible for some at home study. Then we went to Kohl's and I ended up finding some shoes on sale. With my grandma's senior discount it ended up being about $80 for two nice pairs. (Disclaimer: I am not a shoe person. I rarely buy them and I stick to the ones I love on a regular basis, so it seemed justifiable to buy a few new pairs!)

It's fair to say that I have an obsession with gold sandals... and the glitter makes it all the better for me. Luckily it was warm enough in Arizona to wear them! I also got these Nike's. I bought my last pair of tennis shoes in 2008... so it was time! :)

We spent more time with family. We saw their homes and they invited us to dinner. We heard old stories of family and war, Vernon fought in WWII and earned a purple heart as well as a silver star! We also met their furry friend Diva. She was a funny little dog. Very energetic but very sweet. She and Kyle had a rousing game of chase.

The next day my second cousin Judy took grandma and I to thrift and consignment shops in the area and I came out with lots of loot! This will have to be a separate post, so stay tuned!

We took our time while we were with my family. We swam in the pool, played games, went to a pancake breakfast and met grandma and Bob's friends. It was really nice to relax for several days after so much driving and sight seeing. Kyle and I played lots of Blokus To Go in our downtime, which was really nice.

One of our last meals out was a yummy Starbucks breakfast with grandma on a swanky outdoor patio. I have never seen a Starbucks with such a patio! It had long cushioned couches and ottomans, tables with umbrellas and chairs.. I was searching for the fire pit!

As you can see, we had a great time relaxing and "rooting around" with grandma and Bob. Grandma got to know Kyle better, I got to know Bob better. We did some great thrifting and some major recreation and relaxing. It was definitely a nice middle portion of our trip!

Up next: Dinner in Amarillo.

What has been your best family vacation? What is your favorite way to spend time with your family?

All for now,

Alexandra

Snapshots of Sedona // Spring Break // March 2013

In the planning stages of our trip (you know.. like a week before..) we had read and heard so many wonderful things about Sedona.

So of course, we were curious. We knew we wouldn't have long to stay, but we wanted to see the scenery and to take some time to shop. That second part was pretty much just me...

We drove through the Coconino National Forest to get to Sedona. It was GORGEOUS! But the driving was killing me and I wasn't even driving. Nothing but windy mountain roads decreasing in elevation rapidly as we drove through. The view was gorgeous, but the roads were windy and narrow. I was glad to be out more-or-less once we made it to Sedona. Sadly, the light was too dim and my pictures of this area really didn't turn out. This one is ok, the spot on the top is a bug on the windshield.. ick.

Once we got to Sedona we were immediately out of the beautiful mountains and into and equally beautiful city surrounded by red rocks. Seriously, pick a direction to look in Sedona, and you've got an incredible view!

View from the car.

View from the street.

We got out and explored some of the shops. There were plenty of places filled with handmade items specifically from the Southwest. There were also a handful of touristy stores, but the most populous was the new age type store. We passed about six or seven shops where you could buy crystals, have your aura read or photographed, etc. Apparently people believe that since Sedona is so beautiful, the strange landscape leads to pockets of mystical energy called vortexes. This is an interesting theory, but I don't know how I feel about it yet. No matter what you believe the scenes are breathtaking.

There was a beautiful sculpture on the street with all of the shops. Maybe it's just my girly nature, but I was such a fan of this piece. It featured two dancers and it spun around to music. I thought it was beautiful!

After stopping at some shops we went to Wildflower Bread Company for dinner. Which is basically a west-coasty version of Panera bread. The food is a little more unique and quite a bit healthier, at least in spirit. I got the tuna salad and veggie minestrone and Kyle got potato soup and the continental chicken sandwich. It was good and relaxed, which is what we were looking for after a lot more driving.

We picked a hotel last minute which was strange for us, but worked out just fine. We slept in a little and enjoyed how bright the sun was in the morning. It's much easier to wake up that way! We didn't plan to do much more in Sedona since we had limited time, so we grabbed breakfast at Wildflower (again) which was great. I got banana walnut pancakes and Kyle got the egg breakfast. The potatoes on his plate were AMAZING! And my pancakes were really good!

After breakfast we headed to The Chapel of the Holy Cross. This is a beautiful chapel that is built into the gorgeous red rock landscape. We waited until about lunchtime to avoid crowds, but it was still very busy! (Take note: no public restrooms!)

The drive was slow while we waited for parking, but the view was gorgeous so we didn't mind too much.

We parked and walked up the ramp to the tiny chapel. Inside it was nice and many visitors were lighting prayer candles or stopping to say a prayer. It was a little different for us since we aren't Catholic, but the beauty and symbolism was the same.

Some people who reviewed this place on trip advisor (follow me for reviews and specifics!) were making an interesting point that since they don't have mass there or perform weddings on the property, it is really more of a tourist destination. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that yet, but I am glad that we visited. It was such a unique and beautiful destination to add to our trip.

In the basement is a gift shop which contained lots of typical gifts: rosary beads, post cards, books, bibles and angel figurines. I wasn't in the market for those items, but instantly fell in love with this little votive candle holder. It was handmade in Sedona by a local artist.

Here is a little more of the Sedona landscape to end this post.

What is the most scenic destination you've visited?

Up Next: The Greater Phoenix Area and A Night in Phoenix.

All for now,

Alexandra

Snapshots of the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park // Spring Break // 2013

Our first new state of 2013, Arizona!

Not far from the border is Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert. We thought it would be a nice place so stop and rest and do some leg stretching. Plus I had made one of my 10 year goals to see 10 national parks, so we figured we would start with one right on our route! (list still coming soon, I promise!)

We started out at the Painted Desert end. We shopped the gift shops and had lunch at the café. I got an Navajo Taco.. which I love.



I also picked out some cute Southwestern printed socks.

After we ate we paid our ten dollars to take our car through the national park. We had a map and some information on the area that explained how the wood was petrified etc. We stopped at several outlook spots to take in the beautiful view of the painted desert!(no filter)

The Instagrammed Painted Desert.

Kyle and I on top of the world. No filter.

Instagrammed.

The painted desert was so beautiful! Full of reds and purples, I LOVED it!

....

But then we made it to the Petrified Forest part of the park... and boy, was it boring!

I read the pamphlet and loved learning about how the wood became petrified. It was really very interesting to me. But seeing it... wasn't as cool as I'd hoped. It was essentially a bunch of logs on the ground... for miles.

Yep, there it was. Here's another view.

Breathtaking huh? ;) It is supposedly really colorful up close, I bet that is true, but this was the most colorful piece we came across.

Later when we made it to see grandma we told her we visited the park and she immediately says "Isn't that awful!" - haha. I expected her to say, "Isn't that interesting!" or "Isn't that cool!" But no, she surprised us both by thinking that it was pretty boring too. She said that she took my dad there as a kid and he was really excited, but it ended up being a disappointment for him too.

So, I guess I have mixed feelings about this National Park. On the one hand, the painted desert is GORGEOUS! And you would miss the great views if you didn't stop to drive through the park. On the other hand, the petrified wood while interesting, was not specifically cool to look at. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I've seen it and liked learning about how it happened... but it's just not very pretty. Another downside is that the twenty-some miles in between the desert and the main parts of the forest are not particularly scenic after you have driven through New Mexico.

So I guess, this park is just like anything else in life: if you skip something boring you might miss something beautiful.

So, until the next national park...

Up next: Sedona

What is your favorite National Park? I need some ideas!

All for now,

Alexandra

Snapshots of Santa Fe and Albuquerque

On our road trip we stopped in some new-to-us New Mexico cities; Santa Fe and Albuquerque. 

(Three years ago we went to Abiquiu, for an alternative break. See that post here.)

Since we were heading to Phoenix, we didn't have a lot of time to spend in each place. So we decided to plan just a few things in each city.. hoping not to get overwhelmed and it ended up working out really well!

Santa Fe

We spent an morning through lunch in Santa Fe. Our "big" thing here was the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. For those of you who don't know, I am a an ex-art history major and long time artsy kind of person.

Seeing this museum was eye-opening for me. While the museum was small and didn't contain a large body of O'Keeffe's work, it ended up giving visitors a wonderful glimpse into her life.

They displayed copies of her letters that showed her beautiful penmanship.

There were display cases that contained her paints and pastels.

They even had some of her clothing there.

These little touches brought O'Keeffe's world to life for me.

The other exhibits in the museum contained some of her rough sketches and landscapes from Ghost Ranch, which we visited on our trip three years ago.

There was also a gallery full of beautiful photographs of her rafting trips by one of her photographer friends. They depicted a small elderly woman, taking on nature. She looked so small and fragile, but you can tell that she felt fearless. And she was. She took her last raft trip at the age of 83. We should all be so lucky to have that kind of vigor in life.

Before we left the museum we went into the movie gallery and watched two short films about her life. It was so special to see O'Keeffe herself talking about her work and her life. I learned about her husband and her home in Abiquiu. I learned that her work was never intended to be sexual in nature, which was something that was discussed in my classes. It turns out that she was really hurt by that interpretation, and turned to painting pieces with obvious subjects to avoid more accusations. It was really touching to hear about it with such authority. Now I don't wonder anymore.

I learned so much about her. This museum is a testament to her life not just her paintings. Which is so much more worthwhile.

There was also a fantastic Annie Liebovitz exhibit that had some really beautiful photographs in it. Many of which were pieces of historical figures' lives. I learned so much. I especially loved the images of Annie Oakley's boots and the heart that she shot through on a playing card. Just little images that brought these figures to life for me. It was really incredible. If you are visiting Santa Fe soon, go see it before it is gone!

Then we hit the gift shop and picked up a variety of souvenirs for ourselves and our families. I found a cookbook of O'Keeffe's own recipes that I purchased to add to my collection. A perfect souvenir for me!

After we finished at the museum, we walked back out into the beautiful town square. There were live musicians, street vendors and merchants starting their days. We spotted a food cart and ordered two chicken fajitas and two fresh limeades.

 It was some of the best food I have had in a while.

It was pretty spicy, but completely delicious. We even went back for seconds on our limeades!

The prices were incredible too! Five dollars for the fajita and one dollar for the limeade! That's a cheap lunch!

Albuquerque

After we finished our lunch we drove to Albuquerque and checked into our hotel. We were pretty tired from the driving, so we took a nap before heading out to the Sandia mountains to the Sandia Peak Tramway.

The mountains are only ten minutes outside of the city and they are gorgeous! We did the tram ride. It is the third longest tramway in the world and very impressive! It cost twenty dollars each for a thirty minute total ride and sightseeing at the top. I think it was worth it!

View from the ground.

View from the tram.

View from the top!



Another view from the top!

It was colder and windy up top, but it was so breathtaking. Even on such a cloudy day you could see for miles. It really puts your life into perspective and gives you a chance to marvel at how beautiful the world is.

I don't think I have ever reached that high of an elevation, but was really relieved that I didn't feel sick from the altitude change like I sometimes do on the drive!

After we were done in the mountains we headed back to Albuquerque and explored the Old Town area. There were more musicians in the park and people were out dancing in the warm evening air. Most of the shops and restaurants were touristy or closed, so there wasn't much to do. Finally we settled on a quirky little 1950's diner in the University District of town. It was called Route 66 Diner.

The place was covered in kitsch and I LOVED it! Even the waitresses wore matching old fashioned uniforms. I learned about the original route 66 route as we ate. Plus they had a pez collection above the counter! Which was really fun for us because Kyle's mom collects Pez dispensers.

The food was pretty good, but the atmosphere was the best part. Don't order the onion ring appetizer, it's about seven dollars! Crazy. Anyhow, it was relaxed and we enjoyed it.

Next up, The Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park.

Have you ever visited somewhere that just took your breath away? Or somewhere where you learned so much? Let me know where!

All for now,

Alexandra