[Travel] California Trip

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to fly to California to visit my folks and grace my "Lolo's" (grandfather's) 90th birthday celebration.  It's been quite some time since I last saw him and it was a blessing that I was able to greet and dance with him.  Oh yes, it was a ballroom dancing affair. His guests looked much older than we were, clad in their Hawaiian luau dresses and shirts and heated the dance floor like no other!  For those folks, arthritis didn't seem to exist!

It was a relaxing weekend spent swimming and enjoying the California sun.  I was able to eat good fish tacos from California fish grill, bacon fried rice from The Loft, salted mocha from Flurries shaved snowbar and Ube donuts and assorted dossants from Friendly donuts.  Whew!  Way too much food.

We went to Downtown Disney where I saw Olaf... lots of happy and funny Olaf's.

I stood in awe of this colorful wall of Lego bricks... 

The Wall of Lego Bricks

...and amused by these cute fellas.

Lego characters

I also had the opportunity to worship with my aunt at Saddleback Church at the City National Grove. It was very timely because I was reading Pastor Rick Warren's book "The Daniel Plan" that time.

Saddleback Church

It was a fun-packed weekend that was too short.  My evening was cut 2 hours short coming back to Tx and as you might have guessed, it was a challenge going back to work the following day.  I thought it might be jet lag but that would be thinking too much already.

Until next time.  Be blessed!
♥  michelle

[Scenes] Sunshine, Bluebonnets and Wild Flowers

My husband and I love to go on road trips.  We have developed a system from what vehicle to rent, where to stay, what snacks and drinks to bring, which rest area to go to, and what music to play, etc. On our recent drive to San Antonio, Texas, we noticed pretty patches of colorful wildflowers along the highway.  It took us time to look for a safe spot where we can stop and take photos up close. 

Bluebonnets
San Antonio, Texas

These are Bluebonnets, the State flower of Texas.  They bloom in spring and can be seen along the highways and farmlands.  Oh, I love them!

Bluebonnets
San Antonio, Texas

These red widflowers are called Indian Paintbrush and they may be seen mixed with bluebonnets and others.  Don't they look so pretty together?

Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush
San Antonio, Texas

Pretty soon, these wildflowers will be gone and we'd have to wait for next Spring to see them again. This reminds me of a verse in the Bible:

Isaiah 40:8

"The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever."

Have a wonderful day!

♥  michelle  ♥

[Flashback] March 2013: Cowboys and Highways

Have you ever been to a Rodeo?  Well, if you're planning to visit Houston, make sure it's during the Houston Livestock show and Rodeo.  We were there this year and it was really fun!  Incidentally, "the 2013 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo attendance reaches an all new-time high with 2,506,238 visitors. This number exceeds the city of Houston population."  

I wanted to watch Bruno Mars but by the time we bought the tickets, it was almost gone.  We ended up sitting at the topmost level of Reliant - notice the aluminum siding behind us (3rd row, right most).  It was a nice concert - two children seated in front of us were grooving to his every song... they were a sight to watch as well.

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 2013

One of the long road trips that we did this year was when we attended our dear friends wedding at Hilton Head, South Carolina.  It took us a day and a half of easy driving where we ate a lot of good food.  On the way to NOLA (New Orleans, LA), we ate at Steamboat Bills in Lake Charles where we tried their shrimp etouffe pistolette.  WOW!  We arrived at 9 pm  where we had a late dinner at Deanie's Seafood.  We got to try their Barbecue Shrimp.  Delicious!

The next morning, we made a quick tour of The French Quarter and of course, we grabbed our Cafe du Monde beignets and cafe au lait.  The place is usually packed but we were fortunate that we were able to sit and enjoy.  Have you ever had a Po-Boy?  It is a traditional submarine sandwich that is served on a New Orleans style French bread.  Johnny's Po-Boys is one of the oldest and popular restaurants serving PoBoys. Oh boy, there was a long line when we got there and it took us 40 minutes to be served.  

It was a long and nice drive to Hilton Head.  The venue was beautiful and the wedding was lovely!  We were able to make a day trip to Savannah, Georgia.  We rode the Old Town Trolley which was cool because we were able to learn about the area and walk around.  We got to to try Leopold's Ice cream - it's a place with “Good Things to Eat. Good Things to Drink."

Wedding at Hilton Head, SC
Savannah, GA
Crazy Crab , Leopold's Ice Cream

See those Crazy Crabs?  Oh... yummy!  When you're there, try their "she crab soup" and those fried goodies that they call "hush puppies."
It was a wonderful vacation.  Good food.  Great company.
'Twas great to see loved ones and friends once again.

Cheers!
♥  michelle ♥

Steamboat Bill's
1004 North Lakeshore Drive
Lake Charles, LA 70601

Deanie’s Seafood 

1713 Lake Avenue

Metairie, LA 70005

Telephone:  (504)831-4141

Cafe Du Monde
800 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
Telephone:  (504) 525-4544

Leopold's Ice Cream  
212 E. Broughton Street
Savannah, GA
Telephone:  (504) 525-4544

The Crazy Crab
104 William Hilton Parkway
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Telephone:  (843) 681-5021

[Flashback] January 2013: Celebration and Travel!

Nine days from now, we will be welcoming Year 2014.  Oh boy... where did the time go?  

January is our wedding anniversary month and we celebrated our 4th this year.  Oh, what a joy to be married to my husband.  God has blessed our marriage with His grace and love.  We may not have a lot financially but we never grew hungry and even enjoyed the pleasure of travel and good food.  I totally love the professional stainless steel bowls that he gave me.

We've never been to San Antonio so we decided to visit and check out the featured restaurants for the weekend.  

Carmens de la Calle -  We were able to meet the owner, Carmen and watch Flamenco.  Very nice!  

Their sangria, paella and empanadas were delicious!

Mi Tierra - The place is open 24 hours and is always packed during peak hours.  We were lucky that there was no queue when we arrived.  When you enter the restaurant, be prepared to be transformed to a place filled with Christmas lights, shiny paper and trimmings.  As their website describes:  "MiTierra is a little loco and a lot of fun!"  Wooooo!  Their chicken tortilla soup is delicious and very traditional (not like those in TexMex restos).  Oh, when you do go there and try them out, check out their mural.

Lulu's Bakery and Cafe - Lulu's takes the quote:  "Everything is BIG in Texas" to heart.  Golly!  Their "Texas sized portions of great tasting home cooking at reasonable prices" philosophy is just that.  HUGE!  They were featured by Adam Richman of Man vs. Food for their Country Fried Steak and 3 1/2 lb cinnamon roll.

They speak highly of their country fried steak which my husband really loved - he got the "Deputy Special" which was more than enough for both of us.  Our visit wouldn't be complete without trying the cinnamon roll - it was really huge but surprisingly soft, moist and not too sweet.  We had to take it home where it lasted a couple of days before we could reach the "nugget" or the yummy, center of the roll.     

San Antonio Texas, Carmen's, MiTierra, Lulu's Cafe

 The Riverwalk was beautiful!  The weather was sunny and cool, perfect to take the river cruise!

That Sunday, we went to church at Oak HIlls Church after which we had a hectic social schedule:  we met with my Uncle and his family for dinner at the original location of Rudy's in Leon Springs.  Well, I don't know if our minds were conditioned, but it tasted better than the other branches (my folks said it's this particular locations' roasters makes the difference).  After dinner, we met with my sister-in-laws beautiful niece.  I made her a polymer clay heart monogram and card.

Rudy's, the Alamo

Fun times and wonderful memories!  It was a nice way to start the New Year!

Cheers!

♥  michelle  ♥

MiTierra

Market Square, San Antonio

Lulu's Bakery and Cafe

918 N. Main, San Antonio, Texas

Rudy's BBQ

24152 W. IH 10, San Antonio, TX 78257
Phone: 210-698-2141 

[Focus on Life Week 10] All Wrapped Up!

Welcome to Week 10 of Ms. Sally Russick's Focus on Life:  "All Wrapped Up."

I will be sharing my interpretation of this challenge in a couple of ways.

First, as a jewelry designer, I enjoy working with wire though a bit challenging at times.  Freehand wire wrapping in particular is fun as it always yields a unique design while maintaining uniform shapes.  It is like being a potter who molds it to his desired shape.  

Wired beads

I would like to share with you about my first experience at the Houston Livestock and Rodeo.  I have never been to once hence the excitement!  It is the world's largest livestock show and rodeo that aims to support the youth through education and also to encourage better agricultural practices with the exhibits and various presentations.  Their banner is "Celebrating Agriculture, Education, Entertainment and Western Heritage."

Houston Rodeo 2013

Oh, there was so much to see... and eat!  One event that we enjoyed was the Mutton Bustin' where kids between 5 and 6 years old tightly wrap their hands and legs on the sheep for 8 seconds.  It was so much fun!  I never thought sheeps could run that fast.

Mutton Bustin at the Houston Rodeo 2013

We were also able to watch Bruno Mars in concert.  It was awesome!  While waiting for the show, 2 young ladies seated in front of us could not help but wrap their hands on this fluffy cotton candy.  Oh, to be young and not too scared of sugar... such bliss!

The carnival offered several activities too but we were too old scared tired to even try them. 

I love this photo - how the steel poles and lights were wrapped very securely...  Who knows how many couples have tried riding this with arms wrapped around each other ♥.   

Carnival at The Houston Rodeo 2013

And finally, we just had to get some Tex-Mex food:  Garlic Chicken Burrito.  A burrito or taco de harina is one of the more famous Mexican dish.  It makes use of a wheat flour tortilla that is wrapped to enclose a filling, whether fish, beef, chicken or vegies.   We've tried several burritos from the homemade to the fancy ones at restaurants.  This was delicious... the seasoning was perfect, not overbearing at all.

Garlic Chicken Burrito

Thanks for reading up to this part.  Have a great weekend!

It's a wrap!

♥  Michelle  ♥

[Focus on Life Week 8] Monochromatic

This is week 8 of Sally Russick's Focus on Life and the theme is MONOCHROMATIC.

I hardly use black & white and sepia in my photos so Sally really challenged me.  Both of these photos were edited using PicMonkey.  

Focus on Life Week 8
Sydney Harbour Bridge, Australia, 2012

This was taken in Sydney, Australia in 2011 during our family reunion. My husband and I took a Sydney harbour sunset cruise and it was amazing!  I particularly love this photo because it captures some of the iconic images of Sydney, New South Wales, and Australia:  the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House in the background.   The bridge is also called "The Coathanger" because of its arch-based design.  The bridge is open to tourists who are brave enough to climb it, such as Ms. Oprah in 2010.  My husband and I are working on our "height issues" so its not on our bucket list for now... or ever.

Focus on Life Week 8

I took this photo this week when I saw how the sun shined on the branches of this tree.  Its past mid February and these branches will soon turn green with life - not that it's "dead" now but it will spring with beauty pretty soon.

This exercise in monochromatic photography or editing inspired me to explore more.

I will try to take photos of people and portraits, play with light and such.

Now it's time to check out these LINKS.

Enjoy!

♥  Michelle  ♥

Crafty Traveller [Part 2: "Danchung"]

My favorite International Airport to date is in Seoul, South Korea - Incheon International Airport.  I like how they feature and promote their culture to travellers.  It takes 14 hours from Chicago to Incheon and it is relaxing to be able to visit their Duty Free stores and join their free activities while waiting for my connecting flight.

In 2011, the project that I made was a Korean Doll that we covered with hanji paper.

This time, we made a "Danchung" inspired project.  Danchung is often referred to as "decorated shapes of stone-powder paints on buildings of the past and has been usually used to deify palaces and temples."

Time flies fast when you're having fun.

Happy crafting!

Galena and Vintaj [Metal Art & Melt Art Workshop]

In the quest of knowledge, we took a 2.5 hour drive northwest to the beautiful city of Galena. IL. 

 It was my second time to visit the place, this time with my husband.  I love the vibe of the city, full of history, art, beautiful architecture and one of a kind specialty shops.



Photo credit:  http://www.visitgalena.org/



 It reminded me of Sausalito in California and Stanley Bay in Hongkong.



Photo credit:  http://www.visitgalena.org/


It was an exciting day of workshop with Vintaj:  Metal Art and Melt Art Techniques. 

I was so thrilled to meet our very talented teacher, Ms. Jess Italia Lincoln. 

She taught us many techniques that produced stunning accessories.

This weekend was just awesome!  We were blessed with great weather, a pleasant trip, wonderful people and a ton of inspiration.

Happy crafting!
Enjoy!

Rediscovering Hongkong

Cabbycraft is on super vacation mode for more than a month so please allow me to share with you a few of my recent adventures:  HONGKONG.  "Hong Kong is a kaleidoscope of life; a sophisticated fusion of East and West; a city of diversity where new and old meet at every turn. It is a unique experience shaped by a distinctive past and dreams of the future; an age-old synthesis of cultures and traditions that opens a window into what will be, while embracing what has passed" (copied from HKTB website). 

It is a beautiful country and perhaps among the top tourist destination to visit among Filipinos in particular.  You may want to check out the Hongkong Tourism board for more information HERE.  It is a country rich in history, booming with business, with many people -locals, expats and tourists; also a wonderful place for shoppers.  Transportation is very accessible via the train (MTR), trams, bus and taxi.

The photo below shows how busy the streets can be with pedestrians and public transpo during regular workdays. On weekends, the streets are filled with more people who walk so fast to the point that your calf muscles will hurt and your feet will swell especially if you don't wear the right shoes

At night, the streets light up for late night shoppers and party people.

An hour away by train from the busy streets and tall buildings, you will be welcomed by nature - green mountains and not-so-tall buildings.  My sister often tells me that it is a good respite from the stressful everyday life.  I was doing my daily morning walk yesterday when I discovered a beautiful and relaxing area.  The skies were blue and the air was fresh.  The view of the sea on one side and the mountains on the other were just amazing. 

It may take a year or even more before I can come back but I will be looking forward to discovering something new. 

I love Hongkong!