loveliness.

Live, travel, adventure, bless and don't be sorry.
loveliness.
  • Home
  • about
  • travel
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • Canada
    • Indonesia
    • Singapore
    • Mexico
    • Philippines
    • Thailand
    • USA
      • Arizona
      • California
        • Los Angeles
        • San Francisco
      • Hawaii
      • Montana
      • New York
      • Oregon
      • Washington
  • loveliness
  • books
  • favourites
  • Category: travel

    • runyon

      Posted at 12:01 am by jasminedesirees, on January 22, 2014

      We had a truly gorgeous long weekend in L.A., it was upwards of 80 degrees every day we were there. One of the things I had been wanting to do was hike Runyon Canyon, we did the Hollywood sign hike last time we were in town, so even though it was sweltering, we grabbed some waters and set off.

      After spending 45 minutes searching for parking we finally made our ascent. The hike is beautiful, if a little crowded, with scenic views of downtown L.A. and the Hollywood sign. It’s also a dog park so there are dogs of every shape and size coming up and down.

      It’s not a very strenuous hike, there are some stairs that are kind of hard to navigate but other than that it’s a pretty easy, pretty quick hike, I would definitely recommend it if you’re in town and want to get some exercise and some sun.

      Hollywood sign
      Stark can not hang
      made it to the top
      Posted in California, Los Angeles, travel, USA | 0 Comments | Tagged dogs, exercise, hiking, Los Angeles, Runyon Canyon
    • south

      Posted at 10:38 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 16, 2014

      Happy long weekend!

      We are driving down to L.A. tonight, leaving right after work. I’d much rather drive down at night, it’s just 6 hours of singing and sleeping and then I wake up and we are there (sorry Derek).

      We don’t have a lot of plans, we’re going to tour a few universities tomorrow, but other than that we’re just going to creep around and explore, and try to decide if it’s somewhere we’d want to live.

      Other tentative plans include:

      A visit to the Santa Monica pier (and the Brandy Melville store right beside it)
      Breakfast at Toast Bakery
      A hike at Runyon Canyon
      Dessert at Bottega Louie
      The beach
      Visiting with Derek’s family

      And we found a really neat place to stay on AirBnB, it used to be a Catholic rectory so it has really neat architecture and stained glass windows, and a huge garden. And also a claw footed tub. I may never leave.

      I’m prettttttty excited to get going, is it 5 o’clock yet?

      Posted in beach, California, Los Angeles, travel, USA | 0 Comments | Tagged Bottega Louie, Los Angeles, restaurants, Santa Monica Pier
    • pipe

      Posted at 12:39 am by jasminedesirees, on January 14, 2014

      This video of the Bonzai Pipeline on Oahu makes my heart hurt. Hopefully I get to go home soon.

       from Eric Sterman on Vimeo.

      Posted in beach, Hawaii, travel | 0 Comments | Tagged beach, Bonzai, Hawaii, North Shore, Oahu, ocean, Pipeline, surfing, waves
    • italy in mexico

      Posted at 12:57 am by jasminedesirees, on January 9, 2014

      One of my favourite days in Mexico, my sister, my mom and I went out shopping to the downtown market. They have really cute clothes and shoes there, and it’s always really unique things that you would never find at the mall at home.

      It’s also neat to see all of the different things they sell there, in one stall you can find colourful tapestries and art pieces, and then you turn the corner and find yourself staring at a row of severed pig heads.

      Once we’d exhausted ourselves and spent most of our pesos, we went wandering the streets near the market looking for a restaurant we’d heard amazing things about, and we found ourselves in the most adorable area. It had very European architecture and so many cute restaurants.

      We ended up at a little Italian place on the corner, drinking glass after glass of cool white wine, and sharing a cheese plate and bruschetta. We sat and talked for hours, and we even saw a girl in a beautiful red dress on the way to her quinceanera.

      Once the sun started to go down, we wandered a little further and found a cute little art gallery with beautiful paintings and sculptures that also served delicious margaritas.

      I’ve been coming to Mazatlan for most of my life, but had no idea this little area existed. It just goes to show that there is always something new to discover, even when you think you know a place inside out.

      Posted in family, Mexico, travel | 0 Comments | Tagged art architecture, Europe, mazatlan, mexico, travel
    • mazatlan

      Posted at 12:49 am by jasminedesirees, on January 7, 2014

      We spent a really great week in Mexico with my family over Christmas and New Year’s, it was so nice just to relax. We had a bit of a harrowing experience right when we arrived, I was trapped in the tiniest elevator possible with 5 people and two giant suitcases in 100 degree heat, on Christmas day.

      We weren’t sure how long it would take for someone to come save us, and it was a bit scary. We got out eventually, and after a few margaritas I pretty much forgot about it, although I refused to get back on the elevator for the rest of our trip.

      Posted in family, life, Mexico, travel | 0 Comments | Tagged Christmas, family, life, mexico, travel
    • 2014

      Posted at 8:26 pm by jasminedesirees, on January 3, 2014

      I was just reading back through some of my old posts from last year, and remembered this post about all of the things I wanted to accomplish in 2013.

      The one thing on my list that I absolutely wanted to do was the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, which I did with my mom and sisters in September. I also wanted to take a class, and I took several last year including pottery, chocolate making and a blog design course online.

      I did work on my spanish a bit more than I previously had, but not nearly as much as I wanted to, so that will have to stay on the list for this year. I did, however, learn to make pico de gallo, and it was friggin’ delicious.

      My other goal for 2014 was to eat more adventurously. It was a pretty broad goal, that could mean almost anything really. I did eat fish a few times, I even made it myself at home once, generally though, I’m going to have to call that one a fail.

      For 2014, I would like to:

      1. Work on my Spanish. For real this time.

      2. Travel. I have some really big plans for 2014, they aren’t ready for sharing yet but it’s going to be a very exciting year.

      3. Volunteer. I’ve volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Foster a Dream and a couple of other charities a few times, but I’d like to do it a lot more. It’s fun, it makes you feel good, and it helps someone else, so there is really no downside.

      4. Get wedding dress pictures done. I’ve been wanting to get some cool, artistic photos taken of me in my wedding dress ever since the wedding (so a year and a half now) but I keep putting it off.

      5. Finish a novel. I’ve been working on writing a novel for a few years now, I actually have two going because I kept switching back on the plot in completely opposite ways to the point where it was really two totally different stories. I’ve been scared to talk about it or tell anyone about it but I’ve decided that maybe posting about it will give me the push I need to finally finish. I don’t even care if it’s never seen or read by another living soul, I just want to know that I was able to do it.

      6. Experiment artistically. It is entirely possible that I have no artistic talent whatsoever, but in the last year I’ve started playing around with painting and pottery, and even though nothing I have made so far will never been seen by anyone (except my lovely husband who adores all of my experimental endeavours. Probably.) I think that the attempt can be just as important as the outcome. Plus, it’s fun.

      7. Photograph things. I bought myself a really nice camera last year for Christmas, and even though I absolutely love it, and just the fact that I use it instead of the old battered point and shoot that I used to take all my pictures with has improved my photographs exponentially, I still don’t really know how to use it. There are tons of cheap photography classes around, and even free meet ups where you can learn about photography, so there is really no excuse, except for possibly that the entire series of Friends is on Netflix and I can’t leave the house or shower until I finish watching it.

      It’s probably unlikely that I’ll be able to do all of these things as well as I’d like to be able to, but it’s important to set goals for yourself, even if it’s only so you can see how much farther you still have to go.

       
      Posted in happiness, life, travel | 0 Comments | Tagged 2014, art, goals, happiness, life, travel, writing
    • bonita

      Posted at 3:29 pm by jasminedesirees, on December 30, 2013

      I’m having so much fun in Mazatlan, I don’t want to leave.

      I remember now why when I was little I always wanted to move down here to go to university, and I’ve got a renewed determination to learn Spanish.

      Posted in family, Mexico, travel | 0 Comments | Tagged family, mexico, travel, vacation
    • unplug

      Posted at 4:00 pm by jasminedesirees, on December 26, 2013

      I watched this video a few days before I left for Mexico:

      I think she is definitely right in that we need to re-evaluate our relationship with technology, and make sure it’s not taking the place of actual person-to-person relationships.

      I’m taking this week away to unplug and really be present in the moment and enjoy the time with my family, and I suggest you do the same.

      Posted in family, happiness, life, travel | 0 Comments | Tagged happiness, Sherry Turkle, technology, unplug
    • viva mexico

      Posted at 9:40 pm by jasminedesirees, on December 11, 2013

      We booked our tickets for Christmas in Mazatlan with my family yesterday. I am so excited to go, my grandpa has a house there and I used to go all the time, but I haven’t been since I was 18.

      Most of the memories I have of being a kid are in Mazatlan, and it’s kind of weird to think I’ll be going back there and bringing my husband. I still very clearly remember stealing quietly from my bed and creeping down the stairs in my Aladdin night gown to see if Santa had found us in Mexico.

      Lazy beach day, before I realized that I should be scared of sharks

      I remember swimming at the Granada pool and playing mermaids with my sister, and then stretching out on a lounger to eat Oreos and Ritz crackers that my grandma stocked by the closet-full when we came to visit.

      A palm tree started on fire and we forcibly adopted two iguanas. Mine was named Princess. I was terrified of her.

      I loved driving my grandpa’s golf cart, visiting the crocodiles that lived on the first hole, and spending days at the beach jumping over the waves until I was too exhausted to move and then laying on the beach looking at the wares of the beach vendors and trying on jewellery.

      The money keeper around my neck is both a great place to keep your pesos, and a stylish fashion accessory

      My sister and I would creep around the house at dusk and try to catch iguanas and geckos, and spend our days trying to sneak into the pool at the El Morro so we could jump off the highest rock in the waterfall, and then reward ourselves with a dip in the hot tub.

      As we got older we’d go out drinking and dancing and maybe to a foam party or two. I know people who won’t go to Mexico because they are scared, but I’ve only had wonderful memories and met great people there.

      I can’t wait to be back there with my family again and to show all of 5 year old me’s favourite places to 26 year old me’s favourite guy.

      Posted in beach, family, life, Mexico, travel | 0 Comments | Tagged beach, Christmas, family, life, memories, mexico, travel
    • bent

      Posted at 1:31 am by jasminedesirees, on December 4, 2013

      The last few days have been kind of a blur, Thanksgiving was lovely but I was too sick to be hungry so I consoled myself with tequila and cheesecake. The next morning I got up at 3 am to drive 7 1/2 hours to Oregon to see my best girl.

      The good thing about being an adult is that for the most part you are completely in control of everything you do, there is nobody that can tell you not to do something, but that’s not always a good thing.

      When I was in high school and was too sick to move but would still try to get up to go out to a party, it was annoying, but nice in a way to have my dad there to say “You are sick, you aren’t going anywhere,” whereas now there is nobody but me to tell me not to do things when I’m sick, and I clearly won’t be listening to anything I have to say.

      Aside from waking up in a panic on Saturday morning because I felt like I couldn’t breathe, it was a great weekend. It was really nice to be back in the “winter”, well it was plus 12 most of the time I was there, but it’s as close to actual winter as I’m going to get for awhile.

      We went skating, sat by the fire, drank Caesar’s with pickle juice and ate at some of Bend’s adorable and delicious local restaurants. Why more restaurants don’t have a chicken fettucine alfredo burrito on the menu is a mystery that will never be solved.

      Oregon is sooooo lovely
      gracefullll
      brunch at CHOW in Bend. Go. For real.
      guava mimosas by the fire. I usually have some kind of make up on my hand, but that’s what life is like sometimes
      old books in an antique shop
      there should always be cupcake cafes
      way too many craft beer to choose from
      new boyfriend Koa
      cute store in Bend called Gypsy Soul. I want everything.
      Posted in food, life, Oregon, travel, USA | 1 Comment | Tagged Bend, food, life, oregon, road trip, skating, travel
    ← Older posts
    Newer posts →
    •        
    • Follow loveliness. on WordPress.com
    • Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

    • Popular Posts

      • sentosa
      • about
      • birthday-ness
    • Recent Posts

      • half dome: part 2 (the climb)
      • half dome: part 1 (before)
      • favourites
      • queretaro
      • white sands
      • orange county
      • life update
      • news21
      • land’s end
      • big sur
    • Instagram

      No Instagram images were found.

    • Categories

    • Archives

Blog at WordPress.com.

loveliness.
Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • loveliness.
    • Join 323 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • loveliness.
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...