Last August, I felt like I’d been through an emotional spin-cycle and somehow came out of it feeling like someone had shoved me through two tight rollers: leveled, sore, shattered but still alive. I’d been made aware to face my demons head-on and I’d felt so emotionally violated as a result of it that, well, I shut the world out. It was revisiting a familiar place, that I seem to cycle through, only this time…this time I was armed. This actually surprised me quite a bit. Mainly, I think it is because I was open to accepting grace and through the cracks, love shined through. The other times I had been in this state of depression, I’d felt so low, I allowed shame and grief to consume me. I didn’t reach out. I didn’t feel like I could trust anyone, largely in part because I was ashamed and mostly because I didn’t want to seem weak and burden someone else with my baggage. So I held tightly onto dark experiences, never openly admitting them to anyone. I had no idea how each of those experiences had left an invisible fingerprint onto how I viewed the world…how I reacted to people. It must be state-the-obvious day, but think about it some…Have you ever reflected on those miniscule moments in time that altered/shaped you? Look at a scar on your body and remember how fast the injury happened, but that everlasting scar, undeniable, and at times, blends in with the rest, but it is there.

When I graduated from college, I was able to share some time with my grandparents. My grandfather had motioned me to him, and let me know that the secret to a long life was to have a shot of tequila every day. If I felt sick, then tequila would cure me. If I was thirsty, the tequila would help. If I was cold, the tequila would warm me. And if I was melancholy, the tequila would medicate my soul. He even presented me with a clay pot that my grandmother told me he kept cool water in, but he whispered he kept some tequila in it, too. ha! I grew up believing my grandfather was this stern, proud stereotypical Latino who loved dancing, did not at all fear hard work, and had a passion for life. I was petrified to ever talk with him as a child. I really don’t know why. I remember his large, weathered hands…hands that had known hard labor for years. The smile creases around his eyes, that I liked to attribute to the many smiles he always gave me. I remember the feel of his stubble on my face and how, coupled with is aftershave, would make my face itch and burn. I remember the blessings he’d pray over our family before we would travel back home, especially in the later years, when he was in his maroon plaid robe, pajama pants, and black leather slippers. The mess of a curl atop his head transitioned from peppered to all white the last time I saw him. When he spoke, I listened.

My first experiences with tequila were quite typical: really bad hangovers—CRUDA. When my uncle passed away, the evening after his funeral, I splurged and bought a bottle of Don Julio 1942 tequila. It was the first sipping tequila I tried and what a completely different experience! I was uncertain if the experience was altered simply because I sat around with my aunt and cousins, sipping this tequila, remembering my uncle, hearing incredible tales of his life’s adventures. My favorite, was of him joining the Navy in spite of not knowing how to swim. The one of him jumping off the ship into the ocean could’ve been horrible, but instead, it was an incredulous moment of strength of spirit and my family’s tenacity. I smell that tequila and I remember my uncle fondly. I remember that evening, and I am connected to my family all over again.

After that evening, I wanted to explore tequila with new eyes. I tried infusing it differently and making fancier cocktails based on classic recipes. I was introduced to Casa Dragones through a local store that had a free tasting. Truthfully, it was on Mama Oprah’s list of favorite things and I wanted the chance to taste a bit of what true luxury felt like.  It was winter and I went with my work buddy. He and I held onto the Riedel tequila drinking glasses and sampled the very best tequila I had ever tasted. Fruity with a peppery-spice back end, the flavors were different, yet very much complimentary. At the price point, however, I was unable to dive into a full bottle.

I kept it in my mind and left it there locked away until last August. I needed comfort. I needed reassurance. I needed something larger than myself. When faced with irrational demons larger than dragons, I needed a dragon slayer. Emotional ache…I splurged on a bottle, that has lasted us very nearly a year. The emotions poured out of me as fluidly as this nectar. But I refused to associate that taste with pain. When given the chance, we would open the bottle and pour a little out to share with friends and family.

You can imagine my excitement when I was invited to another tasting! I’d already tasted it, but this time around, Bertha González Nieves, the first ever female Maestra Tequilera and the maker of Casa Dragones would be presenting the tasting. Additionally, Katherine Clapner, the chocolatier behind Dude, Sweet Chocolate would be there to pair her tasty morsels with the tequila. (chocolate + tequila=outstanding) It became an instant date, further made even more meaningful when one of my running heroes would be joining us along with his wife. I had no idea the tequila lesson we would gain that evening, nor was I prepared to witness the levels of romanticism of my beloved.

As the evening progressed, it felt like we were taking a special tour through San Miguel de Allende around Tequila through the region of Jalisco, Mexico. The breathtaking landscapes, full of rich nutrients ripe for the agave plant to produce the tequila. We were taught the three levels of the glass and what each section would yield in terms of flavor and scent. The objective of attending the tasting was just to learn more and share some quality time. When it came time to make a decision as to whether or not we would make the purchase, I humbly declined, simply because we had some larger upcoming expenses. I was grateful for the experience. I leaned over to Don, asking him if he would grab a photo of me with Bertha and Katherine. If given the opportunity to meet captains of industry, I always jump on it. If faced with the chance to meet females who are captains in the industry, I MUST meet them, grab a photo, and tell their story to my daughters to inspire them of the whole world that exists before them.


I tried to not be too much of a fangirl. I was so excited and I treasure this photo photo so much!

Then Don did something…he flagged down the order taker and grabbed a box. But not only did he grab a box, he struck up a conversation with Bertha González Nieves, encouraging me to tell her my grandfather’s advice. As I told her the story, her brown eyes penetrated my soul as she listened to the story from my heart. I was overcome with pride, my voice shaky, tears streaming from my face. The conversation was brief, but all of the memories flooded the forefront of my thought.  We told her of our daughters and how we try to not only share stories of inspiration of the strong women in our family and of those we met, but also how my culture is very much a part of their lives. We told her of the dreams we had for our daughters. We shared with her the story of my uncle passing. We shared with her how Casa Dragones has been there for us, already, in times of melancholy and in times of celebration. Yes, it is a bottle of tequila, but to us, there is so very much more rooted within the beautiful package.

And so, he handed the bottle to her and asked her to personalize it (when you purchased the bottle at this tasting, a master calligrapher would inscribe your words). She’d taken some notes during our conversation, she signed the box and we told her where we wanted the calligrapher to write words. A few short weeks later, we received this memento, honoring my grandfather:



That was my husband’s gift to me. A reminder that family is important, that tradition matters, that with patience (it takes at least 8 years for the plant to grow—sometimes 12, then the tequila ages for 5 years!) all hurts can heal. Scars, whether invisible or invisible, can hurt, but with time…

Sit. Wait. Sip.  {a hug from the inside, from deep within the soul}

I adore these gestures of my beloved. I adore his romanticism. I appreciate his patience. I appreciate his ability to still surprise me. I treasure the amazing---my romantic dragon slayer.

Boulevardier & The Pin Show

We have a friend who is a budding fashion designer. We support our own. When he announced that he would be one of the 22 featured designers at this years The Pin Show, well, it was a no brainer. We would be there. We secured our tickets and arranged for a sitter.

Now here is where I have a freak-out moment. You see, we are knee deep in doing our taxes. Friday night, I’m stressing over what to wear to the show and my Beloved is sitting behind the computer stressed out. I look over to him from the random war movie I had on and my shift changed. I realized that he was processing something not at all related to fashion or what have you. I asked him about it and he said he needed to enter the receipts so we could file our taxes. (Yes, folks, we save our sales tax receipts and enter them by hand because the suggested tax amounts are COMPLETELY different than what we actually pay. Like 2-3 times of a difference, even more during years where we make larger purchases!) Seeing as how it was 10:30 in the evening, I shrugged my shoulders, gave him a hug, and asked him what I needed to do. I told him that I’d get up with him at 5:15 to do the data entry (because dontyaknow that I was an expert data entry person??). If he was gonna go to work, I’d do the work at home. And so, my mind shifted and by 10AM, I was finished. This was after a half hour delay from the Sugarbaby who awoke and absolutely refused to let me leave her alone sleeping in the bed. EXHALE

Next up, what am I gonna wear?? All fashion types are welcome. I had in my mind an outfit, but since the event was in a warehouse, I needed to be warmer. I had to return some thing to Nordstrom Rack and so I figured, I’ll browse around. I secured a peplum shirt (with a nifty zipper accent in the back that the Sugarbean loved assisting me when getting dressed) and the girls’ Easter dresses! It was quite a score. I treated them to Chick-fil-a for being so darling and helping me out with the decision. I meant to get a sweet tea, thinking the caffeine would give me a much needed zing, but when I drove home, I realized I’d gotten diet lemonade. Clearly I was an auto-pilot at that point because apparently, the last time I’d eaten there was shortly after Tesla’s birth. The meal was good and I made it a note to check them out some more because I liked their grilled “nugget” options with applesauce for the girls! <---talk about a tangent

Anyway, I shot a  text to my fashion forward thinking buddy (another one, not the one I mentioned earlier…you know, I have quite a few sartorialist friends). He suggested a fitted mini skirt to show off legs or skinny jeans. Um…all of my skirts are corporate type skirts and not so mini, but some are fitted. I don’t own “real” skinny jeans.  I decided upon wearing my recently purchased slim David Kahn jeans. This would allow me to “match” Don better. I secured my hair on top of my head using a hot bun and slapped some purple hair chalk for added effect. I also used a light purple Mac paint to highlight my eyes and put a bit of it on my lips to bring it all together. I’m wearing vintage earrings that belonged to my Beloved’s grandmother. Charming Charlie necklace and my Antonio Melani clutch was gifted to me from my mom. I wore candy apple red BCBG Girl pumps that I’d found at a resale shop in San Fran this past Autumn. I love them! Aside from the $20 I spent on the top, I had everything on hand. This was a big win for me to be able to put something together.


Onto my Beloved. Hello handsome! Wowsa…I love a man in a great jacket and a newsboy. *hotstuff* He’s wearing a newsboy cap and jacket we’d scored last year at Nordstrom Rack. The jacket is an olive green color and made Ben Sherman. You can’t see his shoes, but they were quite fun!


The new sitter was able to swing by our home half an hour before we originally planned. (by the way, we LOOOOOVE HER!!!) This was great so we could check out Boulevardier out in Bishop Arts! My next project, Worst Vegetarian Ever (blog site coming soon) wanted to check out their charcuterie plate. Ok, here’s the deal. They are a happenin’ joint. Busy doesn’t even begin to describe this place. I’m an idiot and didn’t make any kind of a reservation. I was a tiny bit crestfallen to see so many people in front of us in line and they were walking out. Heck, we were pressed for time to make it to the show, so we would wedge ourselves in any place near the bar if there was room. I found us a spot to chill, awaiting a server, who, as luck would have it, pointed us to a spot opening near their large window. As we waited, we chatted a bit with a fellow who was going on and on about the French Onion soup. I asked our server to surprise me with a drink. He brought me a Belle Femme and whaddyaknow, St. Germain is fast becoming a favorite of mine.

Then, we ordered the big board with the foie gras supplement. (see, I told you, worst vegetarian ever)and the French Onion soup. And then we were offered a table near the bar. I leaned over to the couple next to us who had occupied those seats when we did. I invited them to share a table, especially because we wouldn’t be staying long. They were open to it. And for the next hour, we had wonderful conversation with Regina (teacher) and Mike (technical writer). Strangers that we just happened to meet and it was so refreshing to just share time with them. And the big board…



Yes, some were better than others, but overall, it was a well put together and savory charcuterie. My favorites were the beef tongue (first time for me and I actually liked it), salmon, and foie (sooo good) We will definitely be back, this time with reservations and will enjoy more goodies.

We wrapped up, said our goodbyes and wished our new friends well. We headed back towards the bridge to the warehouse for the show. We secured free parking and walked over. The warehouse wasn’t too chilly, probably because it was so full of people. We had to stand in line to gain entry, then we had to stand in line to buy tickets, to stand in line to buy drinks. It wasn’t too bad, but because we didn’t secure seats in the General Seating section prior to that, the only ones available were too far to the back. We took our chances and found a spot closer to the runway on the opposite end. This was our view:


The show itself, went buy quickly! A couple of the designers really stood out for me. I was surprised and inspired. Standouts, for me:

• D.P.C. by Dora Yim (loved the open back dress from her Fall 2013 collection)
• Ann Hoang dresses…such fabulous fabrics and they were quite feminine
• Milli Starr millinery…their hats are just darling!
• Nine Muses (they had one long gown that screamed SEXY)
• Ladaska Mechelle (this white bathing suit, the 2nd to last image on the left side from the 2013 collection, is an inspiration for me to work harder in the gym)
• Tracy Popken I loved the lines on her clothes. I want to wear her clothes! The dress she was wearing was to die for!!!!! I want Tracy to be my BFF
• Hueso Outlaw (not just because he’s a friend, but his designs are fresh and unlike anything out there)

The show was quite fun, the band playing had a wonderful sound, and the entire event made for wonderful people watching. If you can get a chance to check local fashion talent, I highly recommend this show. It is well organized and fun for a date! Hopefully, you don’t stress out about what to wear like I did. They said they welcomed all and sure enough, they did welcome all!  At the end of the night, we were both spent. It had been a long day for us, so instead of hitting the town, we just went home, relieved the sitter early, rented Skyfall, and opened a bottle of vino. Cuddled together on the couch, it was so very nice after a wonderful night. I ended up skipping out on my glass of wine and missed the end of the movie. ha! But that night, with a fully belly, I had lovely dreams of fabulous clothes and large closets!! Ahhh…fashion (and delicious food)!

Mat Kearney at aLoft Dallas

Remember back when I did a blog review about his album “Young Love” Yeah, I flatter myself into thinking I’ve had longtime readers since day 1. Yes, I know there are a few of you lurkers who may remember this. I’ve since taken numerous road trips and have done a lot of commuting where this album has taken center stage. If you’ve been a passenger in my car during those past several months, you have unavoidably sat through this album repeatedly. Just ask my darling husband.

I was more than disappointed when I missed his Dallas show by a few weeks. It was before I was an avid follower, I suppose. No worries, because I began to stalkfollow him on Twitter. I saw he was going to be opening for Train and well, I couldn’t reconcile it in my head and in the budget. I like Train and all, but I wanted Mat fully. I didn’t want him opening. I just couldn’t justify the cost of the tickets and babysitter. It just wasn’t gonna happen. So I continued to listen to his words, many times belting out the tunes in traffic, happily clapping along, or singing along to “Down,” those words that rock my soul and connect to me as someone who knows struggle. And then magic…

THANK YOU SOCIAL MEDIA!!!

I called my beloved immediately and he sensed the excitement in my voice. After work, I trudged home through 3 major accidents on the main highway. I beat the rest of my family home because they were hanging out at Discount Tire getting a flat fixed. (surprise gift courtesy of the Rangers game we went to the past Friday, but more on that later…hi Sam! Thanks again!!) When I saw him, my heart sank because he looked like he had the kind of day like the one I’d had yesterday afternoon. He was tired, worn out, and just needing some chill time. I decided that I would do the right thing and at the very least stay home, or if I went, I’d take Tesla. But he changed clothes, prepped the diaper bag, and declared it a family date.

As we headed into downtown, I was vibrating with excitement. I couldn’t believe it! I really couldn’t believe it. Was this going to happen? Were we actually going to hear him live? We probably weren’t going to see him, after all, with the Sugarbean and Sugarbaby in tow, it would be unrealistic to be near, if there was even room. I just prayed they weren’t going to have a meltdown of epic proportions. I mean, we didn’t even bring a bottle or food for them. I hope they have food! It’s a hotel, I mean I know they have something.
We scored a parking spot across the street and didn’t have to feed the meter! This was the view from the front of the hotel.


I think that is mighty spectacular. We walked in and I saw a woman with an infant. We settled in nicely about 15 feet from the stage. We were standing behind a group of 20 somethings and they didn’t at all mind that we had taken up shop there. I scurried off to secure food for the girls. Chef Boyardee’s Beefaroni and a turkey club sandwich. Mari took two bites of the beefaroni and proclaimed that she wanted the sandwich. Tesla enjoyed it, somewhat. Don and I toasted our adult beverages, neither of really knowing what to make of the whole experience. We were still shell shocked from our working days.

It was a very intimate set up there in the lobby of the aLoft Downtown Dallas. A small stage with two bar chairs, some speakers, and all of the furniture from their lobby. The bar area packed, but not overly noisy. We were there early enough to have a good spot. Plenty of people gathered and all of the collective body heat made it rather warm, but not uncomfortably so. It felt good to be surrounded by so many fans. I prayed he started as close to 8 as possible. I hoped he’d play at least 3 songs. I cautiously looked over at our girls hoping they weren’t going to kick in to beastmode, as is prone to happen so close to bedtime. I reached for my Beloved’s hand, squeezing it, grateful that he was there alongside me, making this dream a reality.



8:15PM He came out and the crowd erupted. And he sang, and laughed, and sang some more. He introduced Nathan Spicer as the one accompanying him. He was wearing a brown tshirt, jeans, his boots, and fedora. He had his guitar, fingers dancing along the strings. He confessed that he was tasked with only singing 3 or 4 songs. But he took requests from the crowd, each of us yelling out our favorites. When he played, it sounded like the album. The crowd sang along, we clapped, we cheered. Our girls danced and clapped. I sang along and danced. I rocked Tesla to sleep. She would have slept, too, until everyone began to applause and she forced herself awake. I stood still, even, fighting back tears. Grateful that we had this opportunity to have a date, that I was gifted all of the requests that I’d made nearly a year ago: To see him perform, up close, in an intimate venue, to connect to his words in real life, to feel that emotion that can only be conveyed through live music. (Thank you aLoft Dallas and Mat Kearney for making a wish come true. We appreciated it!! These parents right here are so, so grateful!) He played for a solid 30-35 minutes…for free!! Had our girls not already been fighting the sleepies, we would have stuck around for him to sign my CD, yes, it was tucked in my purse. He played almost all of my favorites! Here they are performing “Ships in the Night.” (Go to my Google+ page to see the short video)



And then here’s the kicker…

As we left, Mari asked if we could go back. She tends to make this request when we leave someplace she has enjoyed. I didn’t fully understand to what degree she enjoyed herself. Because well, as I tucked her very sleepy body into bed, she said, “I want to see Mr. Mat Kaaaaarney again. Can we go back to that hotel with the band?” This past summer, we were treated to a live intimate concert by our friend, Ben Varela. At that time, he was up on a makeshift stage, with his acoustic guitar, singing songs (a lullaby for Tesla that he’d written for another small person), his voice echoing off the nearby canyon in that backyard in San Diego…this was her frame of reference. My cousin, when he stays for a visit, will bust out our acoustic guitar and start playing along. So you can see where a 4.5 year old thinks that an intimate live concert where the performer looks out at you and talks to you, well, she believes that we know the person, that we are friends. That’s how Mat connects with you. He’s totally people.

If you don’t have kids and you have extra money and you have some time and he’s playing nearby, you will not be at all disappointed. He’s amazing!

Villa Creek, Paso Robles

Kismet: Destiny; fate.

Back in late June, my husband and I bid farewell to our littles in Los Angeles and headed North on the 1, then veered off into Atascadero/Paso Robles for the night.

Our travel day was peculiar because we didn’t get as early of a start as we had intended. We also made an impromptu stop over at Venice Beach before checking Grandma and the girls into the hotel. My parents, Nana and Grandfather, were flying in later that day. We decided to linger until their arrival. When they did make it, we loaded up into our rented Crown Victoria and headed out of town. Except, before we left, I asked my Beloved if he minded delaying just 10 minutes longer so I could see family. It would be a shame if we were all the way out there and I didn’t at least get to say hi. He agreed, I fired up the navigation, just in time to make the turn. They were less than 3 miles from the hotel! I knew we were close because I remembered the oldest McDonald’s (Downey, CA) from previous visits.

We pulled in and I was able to see my second cousins and my great aunt and uncle. I fought tears. The last time I’d seen them was at my grandfather’s funeral in December. Oh my how the family traits run strong. When I heard their voices, I heard his voice. I was so very grateful he agreed to the quick visit. I needed to see them.

Well, we got on the highway and headed north. When Don has something on his mind, he gets this look where he goes in his head. Different times, there are different looks. This particular look, as we sat in traffic, had me wondering something. I inquired and he confessed that while he was ok with our delayed departures, because it meant we weren’t going to be able to hit up any of the wineries in the area, it also meant that we weren’t going to make it to a very special restaurant that he’d researched for us. He wanted it to be a surprise for me, and only told me about it because he still wanted me to know about the surprise. I was crestfallen, but did some quick math in my head and very determined said, “We’re gonna make it!”
As we neared closer to our final destination, he too was getting nervously excited at the thought that we might possibly make it. He was in charge of planning our Northern California outings. I was in charge of finding lodging in California.

…let’s take an aside…I was supposed to find lodging in California. ha! As we were driving to the airport the morning before we got to LA (at 6AM), I was on my phone booking a hotel! We stayed with friends in San Diego. We booked a hotwire deal in Atascadero. And San Fran…well, I actually phoned a friend who opened his beautiful home to us, but more on that later. Procrastinator much? yep…

Anyway, on that drive over, after hanging up the phone with my friend (now our friend), I looked out the window as we drove through Los Alamos and my breath was taken away. There was overcast, the clouds were hanging low, and the colors popped. That magic light was a photographers dream. Had we had more time, I would’ve insisted we stop, but no, I was hellbent on making dinner.

We were near enough that it was hit or miss. So I suggest Don call and order in advance. I’d browsed through their menu so I wouldn’t take my usual time needing to read every single item on the menu twice before deciding. Yes, I’m that girl. Don’t judge. Anyway, I knew what I wanted, I was ready. But he didn’t want to place the order because there was no guarantee that we would be there before close.

Villa Creek: Fresh. Local. Organic. Fine Dining in Paso Robles.

Hours from 5:30-10. We arrived in Atascadero at 9:43. Paso Robles is 12.3 miles away. We quickly checked in to the hotel. Threw off our travel clothes and were on the road by 9:48. And because I sometimes don’t type things correctly into the navigation system, we took a wrong turn. We arrived at Villa Creek at 10:01. !Santo Merda! We still walked in for hope against hope. The hostess kindly said that we were too late. And because I am not one to be ok with accepting the first offer, I inquired, would we still have been able to eat had we ordered our food on the phone when we originally called you? She looked at me with a bit of familiarity, I suppose, and said, “I’m sorry, no. Buuut…you are welcome to go to the bar for a drink. They might still have a couple of items on their bar menu before they close out the system.”
We’d come all that way, so we went to the bar. It was lively, full of locals indulging in libations. Our gorgeous bartender was so friendly and struck up a conversation. We told her our story and ordered a flight of wines. She said, “We have a rehearsal dinner in the main dining area. I know the kitchen is still cooking. I haven’t closed my register for food, so if you wanna eat, here’s the menu. I can get it in the system before it shuts me out.”

Thank you, Universe!

Without really looking at the menu, we ordered quickly, and browsed over the Wine Flight notes until it arrived. She said, “You weren’t kidding when you said you knew what you wanted!”


We started with the Escabeche Misto (boquerones, marinated mushrooms, marinated baby artichokes, grilled bread) and the Hatch Green Chilies, Pork, Cilantro, and Queso Fresco soup/chili. I didn’t get a photo of the Escabeche Misto, but here’s the hatch soup. Holy eff…it had animals in it, but we’d traveled all that way and I needed a taste. That was hands down some of the best stuff I’ve put in my mouth. Wow! It gave me happies. It brought out memories. It made me think of cold nights from my childhood.



And then something magical happened that made all of our delays make sense. This outing went from amazing to spectacular times a thousand. The chef, Tom Fundaro, sat at the edge of the bar right next to Don. He saw us inhaling the first course and struck up a conversation. We told him our story. We talked to him about our love of food. We talked to him about our children. He told us about his. We discussed our love affair with hatch chilies. We talked about so very much and were regretting that we only had mere hours in this fine place. But then he did us one better. He treated us to an order of his chicken and waffles and wanted us to let him know what we thought. Humbled. Magic. Kismet.

My main entrée was the Torchio & Mushroom Bolognese with wild mushrooms and parmesan. Ok, if that soup wasn’t delicious enough, this made me want to find a stranger to slap because really? No really? I didn’t even share with Don. There wasn’t time. I’d inhaled it. All of it. Used my finger to clean the plate, even, without apologies or shame. That was amazing! Ok, I gave him a tiny sliver of a taste, but that was it. I’m not completely selfish.



Don had the Salmon with quinoa lilac and a kumquat slaw. He liked it fine. I tasted the quinoa and was impressed with the use of lilac in it. Very subtle, very delicate. It went well with our wine.


And then the chicken and waffles…here they are in their glory


Gluttony at its finest. We thought the chicken was well cooked and paired well with the waffles. It was nice to taste another variation of the chicken and waffles!

While we were beyond gluttonous for that meal, we were overflowing with love and incredible conversation. The date that probably wouldn’t have happened, was born out of thin air and from it, was born one of our greatest dates ever.


If you happen to find yourself out that way or near the area, do yourself a solid and go check them out. Villa Creek in Paso Robles is divine, heart warming, and that food will satisfy your soul. The service is outstanding, the atmosphere familiar, and above all, just a darn good feel-good for your soul!

Thank you chef Tom and to the bartender who made the surprise date night (that nearly didn’t happen) possible. Thank you, Don, for not giving up and for believing in the impossible to be possible.

pssst...guess what! You can now follow Hello Bianca on Facebook! C'mon, let's be friends!

Power of Technology

I love technology. I love having magic boxes that connect us to far off places. Here is where I give mad love to companies like Logitech, Samsung, HTC, Gateway, Apple, and Skype.

Several years ago, in the early days of Skype, we tried video chatting with my folks who were on DSL, not completely broadband. There was break-ups and stop-motion video. I knew someday the technology would catch-up, so I didn’t give up hope. We tried using a few mobile device apps during the past year to stay in touch, but again, sometimes the connection was great other times, the camera wasn’t up to par.

And then this year, things changed. We were able to get a clearer feed. I was able to chat with one of my friends who was a new mother. She hadn’t been able to leave the house much, but we were still able to talk and catch up as if she was in the room with me. Before we took our big trips, we made sure that we would have some connection, some way. When we were in Costa Rica, I was able to fire up my computer, connect to wi-fi, load up Skype and stay connected to dear ones back home. What a thrill it was to talk to our little ones from so far away and see that they were having a blast! I saw many of our Costa Rica schoolmates talking with their friends on Facetime or on Skype, too. I really enjoyed the time I had to write at breakfast at the little shop in Costa Rica. I also enjoyed talking to some of my most special people in that same shop! When Don and I traveled to Northern California with friends and our girls stayed back in SoCal with their grandparents (Hi Carol! Hi Mom! Hi Dad!), each night, they fired up Skype on their iPad and we connected to wi-fi to talk to them. So very far away, yet so close.

My girls have been sick this week. This is also the first full week of “normal” as we know it. Normal is where we all get up by 6:30AM. We all rush off to our schools/work, then we come home, eat dinner as a family, and then my husband goes to his part-time job (What, he has a second job? Yes, he does. You didn’t think that the sabbatical trips were free, did you? *grin*) while the girls and I clean up dinner (he and the girls prepare it) and do our night routine. He does have a few evenings off where we can enjoy it as a family, but this weekend, he and I are having a weekend date (thanks Mom & Z!!!), so he is working different days to maintain his hours. Needless to say, I was on the brink of a serious pity party in the evenings (hello, extrovert doesn’t do well alone). Since the girls had the nasty coughs, there were a couple of times where I had to sit quietly and do my best to revisit the magical memories made in the past few months. I held my little blessings tightly and just as they slumbered, the blue notification light on my phone lit up, notifying me of a message. During this time, I keep my phone on silent to not disturb them.

“Get online and let’s chat in a bit!”

My fabulously talented cousin who is an esthetician and a professional make-up artist…on real-life Hollywood stars…like at awards shows like the Oscars…for money…was wanting to have a video chat with me to give me the requested tutorial on the list of products he’d recommended to me! (I’ve committed to taking better care of my skin and wearing more products, but more on that another time.) That night, I was having some brain issues (light-headed/dizzyness/spots), but when we connected on that phone and were dressing up my face, I felt brighter and happier! Heck, after the conversation, I felt beautiful even, because my face was wonderfully painted! Tesla had awoken during that call and was happily busying herself with my meager bits of makeup. I got to see his new addition to the family, the beautiful and furry Thor and hollered hello to his partner.

Another time, I saw this on my Instagram feed…


I’ve been hanging with these boys for years. They come up for a visit a couple of times a year and we get to hang out when we go to Lubbock for visits. It was night time, I’d put the girls down and they were sleeping, so I responded with this…


Satellite Party! (Malibu for me…American Honey in honor of my cousin on the left in the above picture…Crown Royal Black for my Brother, in his shot glass that I bought him in Costa Rica that lives at our home—I didn’t actually take their shots. I’m saving them for when they come visit.)

“Where are you online? Get your webcam ready and let’s do this!”


Cheers! Oh but wait, another buddy showed up on their end…


And then our favorite San Diego gal had seen the images and texted me this…


In those ten minutes, we were all giggling, laughing, telling jokes, taking shots, toasting and you know…being social.


I couldn’t wait for Don to get home so I could tell him all about it. He said it best, “This is what social media is really about.” You know what, it is! There are wonderful causes to support, that can unite and divide equally. But this…video chatting with some loved ones in other time zones, in other parts of the world, it’s what connects us. All of the crappy snark, political comments, self-loathing, you know, the stuff that mucks up my social media feeds (thank God for the hide features on those things so I can respectfully remove myself from the negative without completely deleting) is not what it is about. If I want depressing, then I just go to the news site.

Having a quick date from far away just to see live-motion, hearing the words, simultaneously seeing the facial expressions…you know all that non-verbal communication…is awesome! Adding video chats with my faraway (and not-so-faraway) loves to my list of weekly to-do’s.

How do you all stay in touch?

Mackinac Island

As you've guessed from the past couple of days, our final big adventure of the summer consisted of a trip up North to Michigan for our dear friends' wedding. My beloved and I were chosen to be the photographers and the Sugarbean was selected to be the flowergirl. I’d never been to Michigan before, nor had I ever heard of Mackinac (pronounced mack-in-awww) Island until our buddy asked that we watch Somewhere in Time to familiarize ourselves with the location.


To get there, we hopped a plane to Detroit, had about a 45 minute layover, then hopped a smaller jet to Pellston, Michigan, hopped a shuttle to the ferry, took a 20+ minute ferry ride over and then we were there. We flew Delta. While the acronym (doesn’t ever leave the airport) lived up to name for members of the wedding party and folks we met there, for us, we were lucky. We experienced one twelve minute delay that actually worked to our benefit because it allowed us to get a better meal while we waited in Detroit.

Anyway, Pellston, MI airport is a small regional airport nestled amongst the tall trees, I would dare to call it a forest, even. Upon arrival, you immediately see the baggage claim area. so.not.kidding. rawr!


The Sheriff’s office was also located in the airport, too! (nice bass)


We loaded up the shuttle and waited for the rest of the people who were sharing our shuttle van to arrive. While sitting there, we were wired with nervous excitement for the weekend, not to mention, worn out from the travels. And then, not 5 minutes of waiting, I was stung by a deer fly. Nature loves me. I must say, that bite hurt like crazy, became many different shapes/textures, but after 5 days, my arm finally went back to normal.

Anyway, our shuttle took us to the Econolodge in Mackinaw City and wow, it was fancier than any Econolodge I’ve ever seen. They had an indoor waterpark and half of the hotel looked like tiny cabins. The other half were regular hotel rooms, but the insides weren’t drywall, but actual wooden cedar planks that gave them a log cabin feel. We had a lovely stay there. We didn’t get to visit the waterpark because we hung out with our friends at their cottage that evening.

The next morning, we set off to the island. Immediately, we saw the horse carriages and were overwhelmed by the amount of bicycles. You see, on the island, no motorized vehicles are allowed. The only time they were there was during the filming of the aforementioned movie, that’s it. The island is 8 miles around and you get around by walking, bicycling, or horse carriage. Yes, there are quite a few hills in the middle of the island, so you can get a nice workout while walking!






Yes, I even rode a bicycle (without any crashes or injury!).


We stayed at the Lakeview Hotel and upon arrival our bags were there waiting for us. Our room was comfortable and fit our family perfectly! They had an indoor pool, which we were able to enjoy one night. The girls had a ball! I really enjoyed the hot tub!


Our friends were married at the Somewhere in Time Gazebo at the top of the hill near the fort. The scenery was nature just showing off, and the light was divine! Here’s a candid moment caught when the minister told a joke about kissing practice.


We rode the carriage up to the gazebo with the bride, her parents, and the bridesmaids capturing some beautiful moments. hello gorgeous!!


After the wedding, we rode the carriage down with the rest of the bridal party and happened upon this fella on his unicycle. All sorts of folk live on the island, I tell ya! (I even heard several Jamaican accents which had me second guessing where we were for brief nanoseconds.) Disregard the horse bombs in the road. They actually do a decent job of cleaning up the poop.


Their reception was at the Lakeview. We ate there for breakfast every day and dinner two of the three nights (rehearsal dinner and wedding reception). This is food from the rehearsal dinner.



CUPCAKES!!! They were filled with a crème surprise in the center. Delish!


We also indulged on the local pizza for lunch and again for dinner another night. Island Slice was decent and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the island and in need of a pizza fix. It was on the pricier end of pizza, but I expected as much because of where we were. I was in love with their veggie pizza! Regular whole wheat crust, caramelized onions, olives, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, with pesto, marinara, and mozzarella…yum!


No visit to Mackinac Island would be complete without a visit to the fudge shop. After all, you will find one every 50 feet or so when you are in the main shopping part of town. Horror of all horrors, but here’s a secret…I don’t like fudge. aaaaack…the tragedy of it all!



What I do love is coffee. While their espresso machine wasn’t working when we stopped by, their coffee hit the spot. Thank you Lucky Bean!


I went a little bananas over the coffee, it was very nutty in flavor. LOL I crack myself up!


Anyway, it was a wonderful adventure. One we will always treasure and made quite an impression on the Sugarbean. As we pulled away on the return ferry, she said, “Goodbye Mackinac Island. I had a great time and I miss you already.” She already has the travel bug, but I don’t blame her. After all, before she was a year, she’d visited both coasts and had been to Las Vegas at 6 weeks.

Congratulations Will & Nicole! We love you dearly and are so very, very blessed by your friendship! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of such a special time!

Cottage Visit in Michigan

When we were up in Michigan, we had the honor to have dinner with our friends at their cottage near Rainy Day lake. We grilled out, ate yummy food, and the girls went on their first pontoon ride. Something that I wasn’t expecting was the incredibly cooler temperatures. I’d planned for the Sugarbean, but had forgotten to pack a sweater for the Sugarbaby (awww). She is very hot natured, so she hardly noticed anyway.

These are the photos from that adventure…

We left Mackinaw City and headed out on 75 towards…well, I really don’t know which direction, to be honest. I’d popped a Benadryl to ward off any allergic reactions to my deer fly bite that I became quite a bit woozy. I did snap this picture on our drive out there mere moments before I passed out. Isn’t it lovely? It was so cool and clean smelling!

Dining al fresco


Exploring their backyard, we found this jungle gym. Our little acrobats had to play on the rings!



We were ready for the pontoon ride! They were incredibly excited about the boat ride!



The sunset rivaled those West Texas sunsets…gorgeous!

For an added treat, our gracious host insisted that the girls try their hand at driving the boat. Tesla was excited to turn right.


The Sugarbean was beside herself with excitement at being the Captain!


We capped off the evening with a generous slice of freshly made apple pie with a healthy dollop of Cool Whip. It was oh-so-very good! (clearly because there isn’t much remaining on my plate when I snapped this photo!)


And I must mention that I had 3 cups of coffee (Dunkin Donuts home brew for the win!)to stay awake from that tiny Benadryl. It still wasn’t enough to keep me awake on the hour and a half drive back in to town. Before I fell asleep, though, I did notice the bright stars in the sky and saw a lone falling star. I knew it was going to be a magical weekend!