L.A. Trip Part 1

My darling husband and I did not get to take a vacation in 2013. He has been super busy in his job, so we were confined to day trips within radius of home. I, on the other hand, did board a plane and fly across the continent to attend a doll convention. This was my first trip to California and my first Integrity Toys Convention.

I arrived at LAX the day before the shooting. I am forever grateful the shooter didn't choose that day to make his statement.

The hotel was fantastic! The convention was held at The Century Plaza in Century City and it was a grand place for a doll convention! Kudos to Jason Wu and Integrity Toys for selecting such fine accommodations for the conventioneers! From the Starbuck's in the lobby to the beds (which were just fabulous!) to the meals served at every convention event, I am certain you couldn't do better. The staff was friendly and helpful, whether you called the front desk for something as mundane as how to turn the lamp on or stopped housekeeping in the hall to ask for more body lotion! Great people!

 I loved the room! The beds were ultra comfortable and, even though I was on East Coast Time, I slept like a baby and felt rested and ready to play every day! I shared my room with an amazing woman who is making quite a name for herself in the world of doll photography. In fact, she has actually raised the bar with her unique photographic style. She lives in Burbank and has won an Emmy for a short film she directed, "Change For A Dollar," and she is a fascinating human being. I was so blessed to have this chance to get to know her and watch her work! She's inspiring! Her name? Sharon Wright. Check out her Facebook page with doll pics here or visit her flickr page here to see what I'm talking about.

 Back to the convention! There were dinners every night, each with a different theme. My favorite, of course, was the Poppy Parker Luncheon, as she's the doll that drew me here. I was not a Fashion Royalty collector, but now I have five. And, it's a sure bet there will be more! As for the Poppy Luncheon, it was all a girl could ask for! Great food, beautiful dolls, new friends and so much fun!

Sharon's "Mini Me" and my first Poppy, Coney Island

There was shopping. Wait.
THERE WAS SHOPPING!
Integrity Toys hosted a salesroom that offered Fashion Royalty dolls, Dynamite Girls, Jem dolls, and, of course, Poppy Parker dolls! There were one of a kind dolls and dioramas that had been entered into a contest and every convention attendant had the opportunity to vote for their favorite. There was room shopping, too! Doll clothes, accessories, furniture, and more dolls were available throughout the hotel as guests opened their rooms for shopping! It was so much fun!

 Then, on the final night of the convention, the table doll was Black Orchid Vanessa Perrin wearing a reproduction of an original Jason Wu design. Yes, you had to buy the doll if you wanted to add her to your collection, but your number had to be called. My number, 9, was the first number called and I snapped that girl up and brought her home with me. And, yes! I got Jason Wu to sign her. Not the box. No. No. The doll! He signed her back in gold ink!

I have decided I will attend the Integrity Toys Convention in 2014 in Orlando, and I'll be attending with a couple of my favorite doll friends! Saving my nickels and dimes and counting the days!

Henry Morrison Flagler Museum ~ Palm Beach Florida

It's been pretty quiet on my travel blog here. No vacation this year. :o(    My darling husband's business is growing and there just wasn't room in life for any time away. Next year, for sure, though! Italy is at the top of our bucket list for places to go!

We had a long weekend over the Fourth of July, so on the Friday after the Fourth, we drove about one hour north to Palm Beach and spent time visiting Whitehall, the winter home of Henry Morrison Flagler. Flagler is known throughout Florida for building the Florida East Coast Railway system that linked the entire east coast of Florida, from Jacksonville to Key West. According to the brochure, Flagler was a founding partner of Standard Oil, the most profitable corporation in history, and they claim he was THE earliest and most important developer of  Florida. Along with the FEC Railway, Flagler built a series of luxury hotels and developed some two million acres of land. The railway line is definitely his legacy, though!

I had heard about Whitehall from friends, so when I suggested to my darling husband we should head north, he was doubtful. He loves the railroad, though, so when I read to him about Flagler's background, he decided it sounded like it would be worth the trip. And, I'm happy to report, IT WAS!

We arrived about 11 AM and there weren't many cars in the parking lot. We knew a lot of folks were making the weekend a long one, so we figured they had gone somewhere else. The admission is $18 for adults and $10 for kids, and I think it's worth the cost. When you walk up to the house itself, you can feel the history. And, when you enter the house, it's like stepping back in time.

I have to admit that I am at a loss for words to describe what I saw and smelled and experienced. Nothing was overlooked in the creation of this "house." From the wood floors to the frescoed ceilings, and all the details in between, it was clear that money was no object and the Flagler's wealth was on display for all of their friends to enjoy!

The breakfast room, above. Lace curtain detail below.

The ornate lamp shades caught my eye, as did the carpets.

There are a lot of statues throughout Whitehall.

Second floor guest rooms open onto this wonderful porch!

Each bedroom has its own unique design style and appears authentic.

I loved this room! You can see the bed reflected in the mirror.
The detail, below, is one of many charming accents throughout.

I tried to capture a detail in each of the rooms. The above statue was on
the bedside stand in the room below.

What can I say? Great use of color!

The lighting in these rooms is minimal, making it feel so authentic.
On the day we visited, it was overcast with clouds, so there was
no sunlight to aid the photographer, and flash wasn't permitted.
Above and below are glimpses of the "master" bedroom.

If you'd like to see more of the photos I shot during our visit, please visit my Flickr page here for the entire set. And, if you're considering visiting Whitehall, here's the link to their web site. I promise: if you love Florida's history, you'll enjoy this place! Thanks for visiting my little travel blog!

Welcome to Summer 2013

So where have YOU been?

Me?

I haven't been anywhere since my step-daughter's wedding. No summer vacation. No Christmas vacation. No place. Not even a weekend away somewhere. Bah, humbug, for sure.

Then, last weekend, the travel drought was ended. The Redlands Orchid Festival was going on in Miami-Dade and my darling husband and I decided we'd go there. I particularly wanted to visit the bonsai nursery in the area. So, off we went last Sunday morning, driving for more than an hour, following the directions of the GPS voice and ... the bonsai nursery was closed.  :o( Sad face.

We kept driving, south and west, and then, there it was ... right on the corner where we left it! Robert Is Here Fruit Stand!

We were greeted with these gorgeous sunflowers and the place was teeming with people standing in line for their fruit shake and colorful fruits and vegetables. I was so glad I had my camera ...

There were these wonderfully funny coconut banks, each one
different, painted with funny faces and kooky straw hats!

It's mango season in south Florida, so,
of course there were lots and lots of mangos!

As the sign says, these are Jackfruit. They're nearly as big as watermelons.

And, here's what they look like up close and personal ...

We took some of these gorgeous tomatoes home with us,
and they were melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Fresh and flavorful, just like they say!

I decided to try a couple of "shot from the hip" shots, and I got this!
I read about the technique on one of my favorite photo blogs,
and doing this is meant to encourage creativity. I took four shots
and got this one, which I like. Next time I'm going to shoot people.

So, here is your "contrast and compare" shot ... a lemon and a Persian lime,
the kind we commonly find in our grocery stores.
They are keeping company with Key Limes.
Note how small the Key Limes are.

Sunflower field ... we encountered this as we were leaving.

If ever you visit south Florida, I recommend a visit to Robert Is Here!
My darling husband and I enjoyed fruit shakes,
him strawberry, me Key Lime!

Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida

I've lived in south Florida since 1975, and I had never been to Coconut Grove. So, on a beautiful Sunday in January, my darling husband and I decided it was time to check it out! I took lots of pictures, uploaded them to my computer, sorted through them (I shoot in the RAW format), labeled them, then, promptly forgot about them! What's the matter with me?
I admit the past three months have been busier than usual, so, I suppose 'better late than never' ...
The drive is less than an hour from our house, and here's where we started our little day tour! A big circle at Cocoplum Road and Old Cutler Road. There were these huge pink snails ...

As we walked around the circle checking out the pink snails, dh crossed the road (which is scary!) and was checking out a nearby canal. When he yelled, I ran over and, sure enough! A manatee mama and baby! Dh had never seen one before, so that definitely made this a memorable adventure!

We piled back in the car and made our way to the area referred to as "CocoWalk." Now, when you talk about an arts and entertainment district, THIS is what you think about! There were these amazing peacocks all over the place, and this is a premium people-watching place!

Then there's "window dressing..." What fun that was!



They say one picture is worth a thousand words, so I hope these few thousand words help you to see what a great place this is to visit! You'll see interesting architecture, colorful art and a vast assortment of people and their pooches to watch! There's a Starbucks, too! Get yourself a cup of joe, sit on the sidewalk, and enjoy!