Road Trip Part 1: Arcosanti and Phoenix

Every year my company hosts a large conference for all of our retailer and product partners. For the first time, it was hosted in Phoenix this year. Since J and I had never been to Arizona, we decided to make a road trip out of my work trip to save on my airfare. 

J showed up on the last day of the conference and we immediately headed to In-N-Out for lunch before heading to Arcosanti. I was completely exhausted from all the early morning meetings and late nights during the conference so I was definitely a bit out of it for the first day and may have slept during the drives. Oops!

Arcosanti "is an urban laboratory focused on innovative design, community, and environmental accountability. [Their] goal is to actively pursue lean alternatives to urban sprawl based on Paolo Soleri's theory of compact city design,Arcology (architecture + ecology)." We did the tour of the grounds and it was really fascinating to learn that most buildings are oriented southward to capture the Sun's light and heat (the roof designs admit the most amount of sunlight in the winter and minimal amounts during the summer).

People come from all over the world to gain hands-on experience in a variety of fields such as construction, agriculture, archives, architecture and planning, facilities maintenance, or landscaping. About 80 residents live at Arcosanti and the rest are workshop volunteers. Most of the financial support for the project comes from the production of the Soleri Windbells.  The ceramic and bronze bells are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also produce a beautiful sound as they blow in the wind. 

After leaving Arcosanti, we headed back to Phoenix to check into our Airbnb. The small guest house was in such a perfect location and Sky was such a great host. I'd definitely recommend his spot if you're ever in Phoenix. 

Based on Sky's suggestions, we headed to the Roosevelt Row arts district to walk around. We loved all of the street art and met the coolest lady ever, Cole, at her gallery and boutique, greenHAUS. We also grabbed some drinks at The Lost Leaf - super cool atmosphere and they have free, live music 365 days a year! 

Our last stop was Green Vegetarian which was right by our guest house. 

The food was amazing! If you are ever in Phoenix and you are vegetarian/ vegan, then you must eat here. Their spicy buffalo "wings" and vegan ranch sauce were some of the best I've ever had. We even went to their sister restaurant (directly next door), Nami, for breakfast and coffee the next morning. It was that good.

After a long day, I was ready for bed and an early morning drive. 

Next stop - Sedona!

TGIF

Happy Friday, folks! 

I started my day with a 3 mile run at 6 AM! It's my first day back at running after a long hiatus so it felt so great to get back out there. My best friend, Lily, has been my inspiration. 

She's traveling all over Europe with her husband and has been blogging/ documenting her runs all around Switzerland, UK, etc. The Alps make for a nice running background! Wish I could be there too.

This weekend, we're heading to SCADpad. Students and faculty of SCAD created living spaces to fit in 135-square-feet spaces (the size of a standard parking space). They are doing tours of these pads during the weekends in Atlanta through June 1. You can read more about the urban initiative here. We're also stopping by Bell Street Burritos for lunch...so excited!

It's also my mom's birthday this weekend! 

I'm excited to celebrate the woman that she is and the woman she's helped me become. 

I love you, Mom!

Hope you all have a killer weekend!

xo

1950's Love Mix

This mix has some of my all-time favorite classic love songs. 

I oddly find my love and knowledge of oldie songs kind of a bragging right. I think I may have been born during the wrong decade (despite being glad to have missed Vietnam, WWII, etc.). 

I definitely got my love of the 1950's from my dad. 

I can be found dancing to this playlist in the kitchen most nights and weekends.

What decade should you have been born in?

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[Beau]tiful Tribute

I am a huge Jimmy Stewart fan (Rear Window, anyone?) and it's also no secret that I'm a huge animal lover (dogs, especially). So I wanted to share this beautiful clip of Jimmy Stewart reading a poem he wrote for his dog, Beau. It's such a moving and heart-wrenching piece that any animal owner can relate to. For me, it makes me feel thankful for Townes and even appreciate his little nuances (i.e., his stubborn tendencies on walks and how he lives for squeaky tennis balls).

It also makes me want to drop everything and just enjoy each second with Townes. After watching this clip, I don't mind spoiling my pup!
Unconditional love at its finest...

xo

Happy Earth Day

Today is Earth Day. There is a quote that says "every day is Earth day" and I definitely like that idea better than having a single designated day. 

There are many things that can be done to celebrate and protect our Earth. The Earth Day site has lots of ways you can pledge to help and it even has a footprint calculator. 

 Here are some of the ways I try to reduce my consumption: 

1. Vegetarian diet

2. Buy local produce (we support local farmers by getting a CSA box each week)

3. Growing our own vegetables (check out our garden here)

4. One car family (we only use 1 car 99% of the time and carpool as much as possible)

5. Recycle and use reusable water bottles

How do you help conserve resources and celebrate Earth Day?

xo

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Create Your Own Sunshine

Despite the rain today, I am looking forward to the warmer, sunny days ahead. I think all of these items are "must-haves" for this summer (minus the Hermes beach blanket, because who has $1,500 for something that goes on the sand?). I'm ready to hit the pool this summer as much as possible. To be honest, I think I need a beach trip. I'd really love to go surfing, but the beaches in the southeast just don't cut it (I think Florida has the highest number of shark attacks; however, most of the attacks are non-fatal thankfully). Maybe I need to move to the west coast...

In the meantime, I'm getting daily inspiration from my reusable water cup. The quote on it says "some days you have to create your own sunshine" and I think I'm pretty good at that (most days, at least).

I have been getting back in the gym a lot since getting back from vacation and I feel great. 

I still have a long way to go until I'm bikini-ready, but soon enough! Like my cardio funk teacher says at the end of every class: "2014 - Eating clean and working out dirty!" I'm excited about watermelon, picnics, camping trips, and maybe some trips to the drive-in.

What are you most excited about this summer?

[Summer Lovin']

Flowers In My Hair

There is something about this quote that really resonates with me. It leaves me feeling inspired and grounded. It reminds me that despite what I do for work or the routine of life, that there's so much more than meets the eye. I get so much joy out of being outside in nature, napping in a hammock, practicing yoga, laughing with friends, and dancing.  I'm trying to really focus on being the best version of myself. I get called a hippie frequently and I've decided that I'm going to embrace it from now on. 

“Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair and let us huddle together as darkness takes over. We are at home amidst the birds and the trees, for we are children of nature.” - Susan Polis Schutz

♥

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