Faster Security: TSA Pre vs. Global Entry
Spa Spotlight: Aroma Spa at Esencia, Mexico
5 Reasons to Shut Up About the Seating and Fly Southwest
I always used to laugh when I’d reach the end of flights and the flight attendants would thank me for my loyalty. “We know you have a choice when flying, so thanks for choosing [insert name here]”. Hah! Like I really had a choice and like there was much difference between the airlines. I’d always just fly whatever was cheapest, and when I was travelling between Southern California and Colorado, that usually was America West (RIP) and Ted Airlines (also RIP, but was United’s less sucky budget airline). That all changed after I started flying Southwest Airlines a few years ago. Now,…
Good Food and Ghost Encounters in Mesilla, New Mexico
A fellow travel writer once mentioned how important it is to recognize the “spark” of any given trip, basically that moment that glimmers in your memory long after the trip is over. These moments don’t happen on every trip, but when they do, you know you’ve found a special place worth writing about. This happened to me at the Double Eagle Restaurant in Mesilla, a little historic area within Las Cruses, New Mexico. As soon as we walked in and were escorted to the back room, I fell in love. The old, intricate wooden bar looked like something out of a…
A Natural Mascara … That Works??
I worked for years as a beauty editor at a natural health magazine. We had the strictest standards around… no parabens, no sulfates, no petroleum. So, perhaps needless to say, I tested so many products that just, well, failed to do much of anything. Pretty much this: “Other brands work. Ours… are very natural.” Of course, there were plenty that did, though the general rule was the simpler the product (think lip balm and bar soap), the better it worked. One category of product where I could never find a winner was mascara. Apparently, getting eyelashes to get all voluminous…
Meet the Salvage Dawgs in their Native Habitat… Roanoke, VA
Those of you that spend way too much time on the DIY Network or HGTV (who me?) may have come across a certain show called Salvage Dawgs, where two guys go around tearing out anything and everything you can imagine from old houses. Seriously–bathtubs, light fixtures, and even door handles are fair game for these guys, Robert Kulp and Mike Whiteside, who bring it back to their massive 40,000 square-foot shop in Roanoke, Virginia. Black Dog Salvage is one of the coolest stores I’ve ever walked into. It’s the kind of place I would have especially loved as a kid,…
Best Restaurants & Bars in Portland, Maine
I love both Portlands… Maine and Oregon, that is. I even wrote about them in the same story once! But my heart will always belong to the East Coast sister (the original!). I grew up going to Maine for a few weeks in the summer every other year to visit my grandparents in Harpswell, and we’d always spend at least a few hours in Portland. Even at 8, I fell in love with the cobblestone streets, hard-knock docks, and of course, the Pirate store on Commercial Street. I’ve been back a few times since then, and only get more crazy…
September Stitch Fix Review
It’s my favorite time of the month. Stitch Fix time! Got anther great note from stylist Amy who mentioned that she has checked out my posts, which made me so happy! And it paid off too–I loved (almost) everything in this fix, and ended up keeping the whole shebang–that 25% discount is tough to pass off when you love everything as much as I did this month. I apologize for the crappy lighting in these–it doesn’t do the amazing colors justice, especially on the fab red coat, but since I’m keeping everything, I’ll swap if I remember to take some…
August Stitch Fix Review
I’m so bummed I didn’t have time to do a photo review of last month’s Fix, as it was the best yet! I snagged the most perfect wrap dress, an orange and gold amazing necklace, and a striped racer-back tee with orange detail. I’ll try to post some retroactive pics of those awesome pieces eventually, as they’re all staples in my wardrobe now. This month I had the same stylist who wrote a really cute note atop my fix! I love the personal touches Stitch Fix includes. Though the colors and styles were spot on, the fits were just slightly…
June Stitch Fix Review
Being on the road a lot this summer has left me with less and less time to actually go shopping. And since summer is my favorite time of year, I’ve been kinda bummed about that. But, thankfully my best friend from when I was growing up in SoCal turned me on to this new startup service called Stitch Fix. I described it once as Netflix for clothes, but it’s really a combination of Netflix and Birchbox (my to-die-for beauty sample subscription service). Basically, you fill out a style profile and a stylist will send you five pieces they think will…