Craft Closet Creation

“The imagination imitates. It is the critical spirit that creates.” - Oscar Wilde

I hate cluttered closets (and drawers). That's not to say that my house doesn't have its fair share. Well, this weekend I finally did something to solve TWO of my clutter problems! I cleaned out my back bedroom/office closet that wasn't really holding anything that couldn't be moved somewhere else. That was clutter problem numero uno.

My second constant problem is that I enjoy scrapbooking as a hobby and I often do DIY wedding projects for my work blog, but I have a hard time finding a place to spread out and work without feeling like clutter is taking over my computer desk, kitchen counter, or dining room table.

As any crafter knows, it takes just as much time to break things out and clean them up as it does to actually create your projects. So, I came up with a solution. Voila-- my new craft closet!


It's in the same office where my computer desk is, so all I have to do is roll my comfy chair over, open the door, and flip on the light!


The wire shelves at the top were already there and provide a sturdy place to store photo boxes and heavy albums. I had the white wooden shelves already, and nowhere else to use them, so I busted out my cordless drill and 'stud solvers' and slapped those puppies onto the wall.


I had one of those little folding tables that is very useful, but less than attractive, so the closet is the perfect home for it.


And here's the best part-- when I'm done or have to put things on pause for a while, I don't even need to clean up, just shut the door!

Las Vegas Vacation 2010

"The night before I left Las Vegas I walked out in the desert to look at the moon. There was a jeweled city on the horizon, spires rising in the night, but the jewels were diadems of electric and the spires were the neon of signs ten stories high." - Norman Mailer

Charles and I have not been to Las Vegas together since we were married here almost eight years ago at the Chapelle du Paradis at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. Charles has returned several times over the years with his poker buddies, but I have not made a return trip until now.

(Click any set of photos to view a larger version)


Our vacation started on Sunday, with an early morning flight to Las Vegas from Orlando, arriving just after 11:00am local time. We checked into the luxurious Wynn Resort and were absolutely thrilled to find that our room on the 39th floor included an entire wall of windows facing a large cluster of hotels in the foreground (Palazzo, Treasure Island, The Rio, The Palms, and Trump), with an absolutely breathtaking view of the city lights and majestic mountains beyond. It’s really the best view one could hope for, in my humble opinion. We can see the sunset, the twinkling lights of many a neon sign, and the Treasure Island pirate show each night (including fireworks). By day, the city dims and the mountain ranges take their rightful place at center stage.


The Wynn is absolutely as gorgeous and unforgettable as the view. I didn’t study the website too carefully before we got here because I wanted to be surprised, and it was so worth the wait! I can’t put my finger on a particular theme, but I’d have to describe it as the Las Vegas version of an enchanted garden. Glittering tile mosaics portray curling ferns and burst with brightly colored flowers; curtains and carpets feature paisley and bold stripes, and around every corner there are over-the-top live floral arrangements of purple and lime green orchids accented with fuchsia roses. My inner drag queen couldn’t be more pleased with our choice of accommodations.

I’ll briefly say this about the hotel room itself: incredibly comfortable bed, plush robes, fragrant lemongrass toiletries, and an oversized soaking tub (which was my official first stop in Las Vegas). Lord, when I die—please put me up in this hotel room for eternity. Amen.


Onto the action! On Sunday, after unpacking and relaxing for a bit, we grabbed a bite to eat at the deli in the hotel (and by this I mean, we spent $30+ for two sandwiches, drinks, and a cupcake… ouch) and explored a little. When dinnertime rolled around, we ordered room service and turned in early, as we had to be up at 4:00am for our excursion the next day.

This brings me to Monday’s big adventure—a trip to the Grand Canyon! It’s something I’ve always wanted to see, but I have to admit that after all of the horror stories I’ve heard about turbulent flights and the motion sickness they cause, I was dreading the flight just as much as I was looking forward to the destination. We dosed up on Dramamine an hour before the flight, so it would have PLENTY of time to take effect, and prayed for a smooth and safe ride.

After being shuttled to the Boulder City airport, we boarded a tiny plane along with 10 other people bound for the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. We were warned of possible inclement weather, which fortunately ended up staying away. After climbing aboard (and I do mean climbing—first squeezing through a tiny doorway and crawling through a tiny aisle, then wedging yourself into an even tinier seat), we donned our headphones to listen to a narrative of the landmarks over which we were flying as well as a soaring soundtrack of classical tunes.

We passed over Boulder City, the Hoover Dam, and the Colorado River before glimpsing our ultimate destination—the Grand Canyon. Man, is that one BIG hole in the ground. It’s as incredible as I’ve always imagined it would be. The pictures speak for themselves, so I’ll just touch on a few highlights of our tour.

We were met at the airfield by a delightful and… uhh… “special” lady named Gigi, who turned out to be our guide. She was intensely passionate about her job as a Grand Canyon tour guide. One would have to be, in order to live two hours away from the nearest actual town. There is a settlement in the Grand Canyon area for people who work there year-round, but there are no major medical facilities, stores, or entertainment of which to speak. Once a month, Gigi drives to Flagstaff to visit the doctor or dentist, see a movie, and do ALL of her shopping. She had a peculiar way of communicating with those on the tour who didn’t speak fluent English, which was to speak much louder, and only in nouns and verbs (which silently cracked me and Charles up).

We traveled around the state park by van, making several stops at various viewing platforms. Charles’ favorite part was the extremely aggressive squirrels. Although the warnings NOT to feed the squirrels are clear and very specific, based on their behavior I can see that this rule often goes ignored by many a park visitor. At our first stop, I was approached by one who walked right up to my camera lense! I actually had to back up to take the picture. At our second stop, as we were snacking on some breakfast treats, one squirrel snuck up beside Charles and attempted to snatch a yogurt RIGHT OUT OF HIS HAND! Tug of war between my husband and a squirrel over a strawberry-banana Yoplait… was I really seeing this?! After several more assaults by these thuggish vermin, Charles and I vacated their territory and moved on to strolling around the trails and leisurely taking photos.

Our final stop at the South Rim was at a lookout point and gift shop. There were three levels and several telescopes, through which one would hopefully catch a glimpse of the hauntingly graceful California condor soaring from cliff to cliff through the canyon. We were fortunate enough to observe one such flight. They’re not much to look at when perched (somewhat vulture-like in appearance), but once they stretch their massive wings and take flight, condors are instantly mesmerizing.

I can’t fail to mention one final quirky point of interest on our park tour— the Grand Canyon mule barn. Charles is a sucker for even the ugliest, smelliest, weirdest animals and I’m a sucker for a corny picture, so off we went. We only jumped out of the van as long as we could hold our noses to snap a few quick pics and give the hardest working employees at Grand Canyon National Park a few well deserved pats on the head. There’s a jackass joke in here somewhere, folks…


After a relaxing flight back to Las Vegas, we promptly grabbed some refreshments and collapsed in our hotel room, sleeping through the cannon fire at the pirate show across the street. I love blackout curtains.

After waking refreshed and excited about the Tuesday ahead, we dressed and headed out to see some sights. Our first stop was the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. I know what you’re thinking—one day in Las Vegas and you’re already at the pawn shop! No need to worry, we were actually visiting the shop because one of our very favorite TV shows ‘Pawn Stars’ is filmed there. For those of you who may be unfamiliar, it’s a unique pawn shop that deals in not only engagement rings and Rolexes, but in items of a historical nature as well. On the show, if someone brings in something to pawn or sell that is of special historical significance (weapons, currency, rare documents), is of a collectible nature (autographs, artwork, pop culture memorabilia), or is just plain WEIRD (glass sword, mini-motorcycles, hot air balloon), they call in experts to appraise, authenticate, and inform both buyer and seller about that item. It’s a neat show, I could go on about it, but you should just check it out for yourself.


For those who are familiar with the show, they just happened to be filming that day, so visitors had to wait in line outside the shop until they were finished. Fortunately, we timed it just right and were first in line. After about a 20 minute wait, we were allowed in to look around the shop. Unfortunately, ‘the guys’ had all left to continue filming elsewhere (except for Chumlee, who was signing autographs for children only), so we didn’t get to meet Rick, the Old Man, or Big Hoss. We did see Dana, one of the aforementioned experts who weigh in on historical artifacts and documents, as well as two of the security guards (both of whom are very good at their jobs and extremely entertaining) who appear on the show regularly. We got in, got out, and bought a t-shirt. The shop looks exactly like it does on TV and we really enjoyed the experience of seeing it in person.

After we left the pawn shop, we took the monorail to the south end of the strip for some lunch at the MGM Grand (somewhere along the way, I won $38.75 on slots) and what we thought was going to be a leisurely stroll to the famous ‘Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas’ sign. Wow, I can hardly recount a time in our marriage when we’ve been more wrong! It turned out to be a very frustrating walk, as the sidewalk that seems to lead to the sign (which is located in the median of Las Vegas Boulevard) doesn’t lead you to a crosswalk that gets you safely across the packed highway. We got all the way down to the sign, only to realize that the last crosswalk was two blocks back. Thousands upon thousands of tourists visit this sign every year; you’d think there would be an easier way to access it. After backtracking a bit, we finally made it to the sign and fought a small, inconsiderate crowd of people to get our prized snapshot. We trucked it back to the southernmost hotel on the strip, Mandalay Bay, and caught a cab back to the Wynn.

After a long afternoon in the dry desert heat, where I picked up a distinct pink glow on my cheeks and shoulders (ouch), we refreshed ourselves and got ready for a night on the town! We had plans for an “evening at the circus”—dinner at Le Cirque and a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s KA.

Dinner started with our seating in Le Cirque’s intimate and charming dining room under their signature billowing, shimmery tent-like fabric treatment on the ceiling. The white clothed table contrasted the bold-colored, whimsical monkey patterned china and the table was set with a glowing, domed candle next to a bud vase of brilliant sunburst roses and bear grass. Charles ordered champagne after a brief consultation with the sommelier, and we agreed that we could listen to him talk all night with his hypnotic French accent.

Charles and I both enjoyed a rich, creamy lobster bisque and delicate but flavorful sea bass for dinner, followed by a dessert that I won’t soon forget. The chef presented his selections for dessert, which was crème brulee for Charles and what I can only describe as a giant Ferrero Rocher candy (I have no idea what it was called since I didn’t actually order it) for me. It looked like a chocolate baseball on a plate, dotted only with edible 14k gold leaf, but the real magic came when the waiter poured searing hot chocolate sauce over the chocolate ball, melting the shell right before my eyes and revealing the hazelnut ice cream inside. It melted instantly into a delicious chocolate, hazelnut soup that was simply beyond decadent.

As if that weren’t enough, we also received a silver tray of five petit fours (raspberry tart, almond bark, blueberry almond bar, vanilla crème puff, lemon meringue pie) that looked like tiny, glimmering gems in a jewelry box. Each one was tastier than the last and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this dining experience. Le Cirque was kind enough to send us away with a parting gift in the form of a tiny gold box with two compartments, each containing a gourmet chocolate, which I have not yet sampled.


After our unbelievable dinner, we headed to the MGM Grand to see our third performance by Cirque du Soleil (we have seen ‘La Nouba’ in Orlando and saw ‘O’ in Las Vegas on our honeymoon, we have yet to see ‘Mystere’ but would like to someday). As with the other two shows we’ve seen, this one did not disappoint! There’s something unique about each ‘Cirque’ show that differentiates it from the others—KA is the only show that has an actual storyline instead of just a theme, and they also do incredible things with what they call the “360 degree stage.” It really is a marvel of artistry and engineering; you have to see it to appreciate it. The story plays out on a main stage that lifts and turns both vertically and horizontally, with the usual aerial, acrobatic splendor that all ‘Cirque’ shows offer, but using yet another platform. How they come up with this stuff, I’ll never know. I just feel privileged to have the opportunity to enjoy it.

After taking the monorail and a cab back to the hotel, we promptly crashed again after another busy day in Sin City. This morning I awoke to a splitting headache from the champagne (even though I only drink a glass or two, it always ruins me the next day) and the desire to jot down some thoughts in the peace and quiet of my hotel room, while taking in the stunning view from my bed for a little longer. Charles has gone to try his hand at poker while I have one more excursion planned; I’m venturing out for some lunch and a visit to the Wynn’s sister hotel next door, the Encore. Before I return, I’m hoping to take a few more pictures and give the slots one more chance to dole out the BIG win that I’m surely due!

This afternoon I’ll pack and head to the airport, and as my Las Vegas vacation draws to a close, I am counting my blessings for all that this few days has provided: quality time away with my husband, the thrill of being in this electric city, and the abundance of great memories that will surely outlast any tangible souvenir.
Special thanks to Charles for planning this amazing getaway and to my Mom and Buz for taking good care of Holly while we’re gone. Praise the Lord for providing safe travel and the opportunity to step away from the daily grind and regain an ounce of composure and sanity.


I may regret saying this, as it will likely cause my darling husband to fly into a giddy, travel-planning frenzy, but I hope it’s not another eight years before we return to Las Vegas!

Adding to my 'treasure chest of living'...

"The home should be the treasure chest of living." - Le Corbusier

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been making more of an effort lately to get out and scour local thrift stores and yard sales for treasures to rekindle my love for gently used, artfully created vintage decor.

I just happened to visit my grandmother (Omie) this week and as anyone in my immediate family knows, you can't visit Omie without taking home a "souvenir" or two. Because she has collected and sold antiques for many years, she always seems to have a surplus of inventory littering her dining room table (collectible dishes, vases, folk art, etc). "It would make me happy if you took something you liked", she always says. It makes me happy to make her happy, and some of the pieces were so darn cute, I was delighted to oblige.


From left to right, I selected: platters and serving dishes, a hand painted German vase, two (of ten) sparkly amber-colored ice cream dishes, a milk-glass candy dish, and some snazzy vintage purses.

In addition to my freebies from Omie, Mary and I hit up almost every thrift store from my house to Apopka (where Mary lives) on Saturday to see if we couldn't find some treasure-hunting hot spots. While we didn't have a ton of luck with what we were looking for (furniture and decor), I did manage to find a cute set of plastic wall hangings to repaint (for $1.50 each), as well as two super cute $3 vintage dresses.



I also caught a glimpse of a blast from the past at one Goodwill store-- a bedsheet in the same pattern that my parents had when they were married (for those of you who have run out of fingers and toes, that was 20+ years ago). In their green-walled bedroom, they had a peach'n'green lacy comforter with matching curtains, and a coordinating peach, ornate, WICKER headboard to boot. I'm sure it was the epitome of loveliness back in the day, but as I had to endure the sight of these sheets and the rest of the ensemble for MANY years after they were fashionable, I am less than fond of this particular pattern.


In case you're wondering, I didn't buy the sheets for old time's sake... I don't have to. My dad still has them.

Sigh.

A new trunk for my junk...

"We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born." -Carl Jung

I could not disagree more with this sentiment.

I was born in 1983, a year which I'm pretty sure was officially sponsored by tackiness and excess (and horrible music). I'm not sure how my love for vintage and hand-made items began. I remember visiting Goodwill stores as a young teenager and spending $20 for a whole semester's worth of polyester shirts (see 'YAB Japan' bowling shirt below), funky purses, and a mod dress or two.

(Click on any of the photos in this post for a larger view.)


I don't know if it's because my mother and grandmother, in addition to having more style in their left earlobes than I have in my whole being, dragged me to so many flea markets, auctions, and antique malls while I was growing up. I think part of it is that I still have the heart of a little girl who loves the romantic notion of owning things that lived a life before me. To me, there's nothing better than finding a vintage treasure into which someone else has poured their craftsmanship and artistry. Not to mention the quality of vintage garments, furniture, and decor was head and shoulders above what it is today.

I don't "officially" collect any one thing, but the things that tend to touch me and I end up taking home are: brightly painted wooden folk art, Japanese silk paintings, and any furniture that's classic and has great lines. I'm a big believer in the "collect what you love" philosophy, rather than collecting for rarity or value.

This brings me to my most current project. My partner in most things criminal and all things design related, Mary, and I have recently been scouring yard sales and thrift stores in search of home decor and furniture items which have "potential." Potential for what, you may ask? In truth, we really don't have any solid plans at this point beyond experimenting with new techniques to restore or refinish these treasures. We'll add them to our homes, save some for future use (nurseries), and maybe sell a handful on Craigslist at some point. For now, it's enough to have something productive and design related to satisfy our nest-feathering habits.


On that note, I'm pleased and excited to report that I struck thrift-store vintage lover's GOLD! Today, at my local Hospice Re-Sale Store, I found a Lane cedar chest for $30! Originally, it was $39.95 but it was on sale for 25% off. You'd better believe I snapped it right up!

It is in good shape, but the finish needs some elbow grease. There's also a broken tray inside, which can easily be repaired because all the parts are still intact! I was disappointed that the lock had no key, but I just happened to know that Lane will replace the locks on vintage chests at no charge. I came straight home and put in the serial number on their website-- that was it, my lock is on the way!


I also deciphered the serial number and found that my chest was "born" on November 13, 1961. I can't wait to spend some time fixing it up and finding treasures to store inside. I've always wanted a Lane cedar chest, and now I have one! I think I'll put my scrapbooks and keepsakes in it for now.

This chest is almost 50 years old; I can't help but wonder who owned it before me, what precious possessions were carefully stowed inside, and how did it come to be in the thrift store?


By the way, my dog (Holly) and cat (Kittums) would absolutely not leave me alone for five minutes to take pictures, so they're in the shots. They're so annoying sometimes, it's cute.

My Lane cedar chest restoration project is To Be Continued!

So... what's for dinner?

This question plagues me constantly! I'm always curious to know what other people make for dinner on a nightly basis, so I thought I'd share some of my attempts to put food on the table. My passion for cooking is, unfortunately, not as strong as my passion for consumption, so we find ourselves dining out far too often. I am trying to remedy this. For health reasons, I am cutting out sugar where I can, so a lot of my choices have to do with reducing my overall starch intake.

I went to Publix today and restocked the old icebox and cupboards.


My upcoming menu includes the following.

Breakfast: eggs, bacon, sausage, coffee, milk, All-Bran with blueberries (that's for me, ugh!), egg bagels with cream cheese

Lunch: leftovers, chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad, hot dogs (with or without chili), PB&J

Dinner: Stuffed Shells Florentine, "Omie's Chili" with cheddar and sour cream, Manwich (one of my quickie faves), Bleu Cheese Burgers, Route 66 Meatloaf

Sides: french cut green beans, steamed broccoli, salad

Dessert: Blueberry Vanilla Cups (low-starch), Breyer's low-carb ice cream bars, Turtle Brownies (uh, not exactly low-starch)

Snacks: sliced cheese, pickles, boiled eggs, string cheese, V-8, Fiber One chocolate/peanut butter granola bars, blackberries and cream (Charles' fave), and celery with spinach-artichoke dip

Drinks: diet soda, Crystal Light Pink Lemonade, organic 2% milk, water, tea, white wine

I'm waiting for Stuffed Shells Florentine to bake while I write this. It takes very little time to prepare, and even less talent, so it's a fun Italian recipe to try. I sometimes double the recipe (found on the back of the Ronzoni Jumbo Shells box, substitute Ragu Parmesan-Romano sauce because why make your own?) since the leftovers get better as they sit in the fridge overnight.

1. Buy ingredients 2. Cook the shells 3. Mix the stuffing
4. Stuff shells and layer with sauce 5. Top with cheese, cover, bake

After about 20 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes of baking, THIS is what's for dinner tonight!

Spring Cleaning

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain


It's been a busy, busy springtime! It's time to clean house and play catch up...

After our return from Atlanta in February and our wonderful cruise vacation, I was fortunate enough to receive an unexpected job offer. I had braced myself for months of scouring the classifieds and submitting dozens of resumes. I had also resigned myself to making my jobless time a productive one by turning my house back into a clean, organized, attractive home! Well, that didn't exactly happen as planned (nothing ever really does, now that I think about it). Fortunately, I was spared the tedious and excruciating chore of job hunting after I accepted an offer from a nationally recognized, Orlando based wedding planner. I now work from home, which is taking some getting used to, as her administrative assistant.

My day-to-day duties include working with brides to finalize all of the details of their ceremonies, scheduling and hiring various wedding vendors (officiants, florists, musicians, etc), contributing to our blog features on the Perfect Wedding Guide's blog (Susan, my boss, is their 'National Wedding Expert'), and dealing with whatever else comes up, quite frankly. It's a job tailor-made for me; I get to combine my creative and organizational strengths to keep things fresh and running smoothly.

More posts on the crazy happenings at my job to come, I can promise you that!


Speaking of work, Charles also works from home installing and supporting email archiving software (I'm not pretending to fully understand what that means), which --again-- is taking some getting used to. We are currently trying to find some sense of harmony with both of our schedules and develop a healthy routine that will keep us from crawling the walls and/or killing each other. We each have our own offices in our spare bedrooms, so there are lines in the sand. So far, so good...

Before you think we've both turned into hermits, we actually have made a concerted effort to get out of the house on a regular basis. In April, we joined our first bowling league! Anyone who knows Charles will not be surprised to find that he has fully immersed himself in this extracurricular activity. We bowl our league games on Wednesday night and attend Saturday morning open practice. I'm pleased with my bowling equipment (purple and pink flame shoes, a sparkly purple ball, and matching purple bowling bag). My husband has managed to get himself outfitted with every conceivable piece of bowling equipment and is reaping the benefits; his average trumps mine by a solid sixty pins. There's no danger of me joining the pro tour, I'm just casually enjoying our new hobby. Bowling, priceless people watching opportunities, and killer snack-bar French fries in one place? I'm there.


What else? Some honorable mentions include...

Activites: We've recently joined a local country club. It was almost the same price as joining the YMCA, without having to deal with a bunch of screaming kids, so we're looking forward to using the pool, the gym, and maybe joining a social club or two this summer. Many thanks to Charles for the brilliant idea, I think this is going to be a lot of fun!

Church: We're super excited to be attending our home church of First Christian Church of Winter Park again. We have missed our friends there terribly and are glad to be meeting with the Young Married Couples' Group again!


Family: It's good to be back in the swing of visiting my Mom, nephews, and family on Saturday mornings again (when we can). My Dad's side of the family all came over to our house for a 'BBQ & Bowling Birthday Party' last weekend. We celebrated "Jergi's" 61st birthday in style; it was great to see everyone and I think we all enjoyed ourselves!


The Pets: They've adjusted quite well to being back in Florida. I don't think Kittums noticed a difference (it doesn't matter where the laundry basket is, he'll still sleep in it 20+ hours a day), but Holly was going a little stir crazy in our apartment. The freezing cold weather didn't afford her the opportunity to get out much in the winter, as she hates anything cold and damp (much like her owner).


Travels: We will be on the road next weekend for my sister-in-law Hope's wedding in West Virginia! Later this summer we have a trip to Las Vegas planned. In the fall we are expecting to visit my grandparents in North Carolina, although the details have not been worked out yet. I hope to visit Atlanta with Charles before the year's end; I MISS my friends and favorite places up there. We'll cap off the year with a Caribbean cruise with my Mom and Buz in December... "I cannot wait" does not do my anticipation justice!

That about wraps things up for now, I'm all caught up and looking forward to updating more frequently now that I have my life back on track after an unexpectedly amazing year last year. By the way, my scrapbook on Atlanta is almost complete! Once it is, I'll feel like I have a sense of closure. Thankfully, since returning home, we have been blessed with many opportunities both personally and professionally and we're doing our best not to take them (or time with family and friends) for granted.

"If you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are. For where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained. Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing." - Saint Augustine

Bon Voyage: Our Cruise Vacation

"A vacation is like love: anticipated with pleasure, experienced with discomfort, and remembered with nostalgia." - Author Unknown

One week after our move home from Atlanta, Charles and I took a five night cruise to Cozumel and Belize City on Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas. After all of the stress from the past year, we needed a getaway! I barely had time to say hello and unpack our things before it was time to pack again, say goodbye, and head to the port in Miami on Monday morning.


Other than forgetting to pack Charles' tuxedo shirt (rented one onboard, crisis averted) and forgetting Charles' wallet (it fell out in the car, but wasn't a problem because we didn't actually need anything in it... fortunately, I had the passports and money), our departure was smooth-sailing. Pun intended.


This will be our fifth cruise with Royal Caribbean and our second time sailing on the lovely Navigator of the Seas. We thoroughly enjoy this class of ship, as it is very large and offers a variety of activities and venues, but is not so large that it's cumbersome to traverse.


We particularly like the gorgeous three-floor dining room, the Royal Promenade with its cafes and shops, solarium-style pool deck with hot tubs, Las Vegas-style casino, ice skating performances, not to mention the various lounges with great live music and trivia games! We also managed to find a secluded area where we played a few rounds of shuffleboard. It was pretty windy, so we never got to play mini-golf on this trip.







Something we take verrry seriously is our ongoing Monopoly Deal tournament. The card rooms (usually bursting with Memaws playing bridge) are a relaxing way to spend a few hours; just imagine being surrounded by breathtaking views of clear blue skies and the endless tranquil ocean while serving up a hot plate of Monopoly whoopass (sorry Charles). Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars!


If you ask me, the evening is the best part about cruises. I love getting dressed up each night for dinner in the elegant dining room followed by taking in an ice show, the Love & Marriage Game Show (think Newlywed Game), or The Quest (adults only scavenger hunt... you just have to see it). We have rarely missed a formal night and even though I HATE packing all that extra stuff, in the end it's worth it. When else do you have the chance to dress up besides the occasional fundraising dinner or wedding? It's not like I have to badger Charles into wearing a tux... quite the opposite, he's the rare gentleman who likes formal wear. One of his many, many charming quirks. I'll scan our formal portraits eventually...


Enough about the ship and all the fun things on board! The point of a cruise is to actually GO somewhere and this trip took us to Cozumel and Belize City. Unfortunately, it rained the day we were in Cozumel so we stayed on the ship and relaxed. At our second port of call, we booked an excursion that would take us cave-tubing and hiking through the jungle in Belize. It was, in a word, spectacular. Please note, as this was an extremely WET excursion, I did not bring a camera along. It would have been too distracting to juggle a camera and as your body is half-submerged in an inner tube, putting it in your pocket is futile. I kicked back and really enjoyed the moment instead of fumbling with the camera and I just found some pictures online that represent our experience. They're from the EXACT river and caves we explored in Belize City with "Major Tom and the Fun Team", which I highly recommend.


We took an hour bus ride from the port, during which our tour guide educated us on the finer points of daily life, geography, and culture in Belize. Points of interest include the country's ONE stoplight (technically, there are a total of four but only one works), miles of banana and cashew tree farms, and heavily armed guards charged with preventing any undesirable "cash crops" from crossing the border.

Once we arrived at the cave-tubing facility, we received our flotation devices and proceded to march down a rocky path into the Belizean jungle, crossing a river and passing through dry caves, upstream toward our entry point into the waterway. The guides were kind enough to stop periodically and tell us about the local wildlife (tarantulas) and vegetation (various rash-inducing vines, medicinal ferns, and different types of wood including the native prized mahogany).


After our jungle trek, we came to a steep hill and at the bottom we found a very shallow, crystal clear river leading into a dark and foreboding cavern. The riverbed was lined with smooth stones in a dazzling array of color. Before you could say "claustrophobia", we had hopped onto our tubes, linked up into a long chain, and drifted into the current which would gently guide us through the "entrance to Hell" (according to the ancient Mayan civilization).


Drifting through the alternating darkness and light of the caves was surreal. We lazily floated past protruding stalactites and stalagmites, shimmering mineral deposits in every imaginable shape and texture, and glimpsed the occasional bat. We passed a modest waterfall inside a large, echoey cavern which distorted the sound so that it seemed as if the tiny cascade eclipsed Niagara Falls in size. The most beautiful of all the sights (and I wish I could find an exact picture of it) was an opening from the cave to the sunlit jungle above, called a cenote. The vines and roots had grown down into the edge of what is basically a large hole in the floor of the jungle exposing the limestone caves. If the caves were said to be the entrance to Hell, then the cenote by comparison looks like the gates of Heaven.


In conclusion, we floated out of the caves and down stream to the end of our run. I must not fail to mention that we learned a new phrase on this journey: butts up! When you're floating down the river and the stream gets shallow in places, or there's an upcoming rock that threatens your caboose, the guide calls out "BUTTS UP!" That's your fair warning to lift your fanny and avoid a "free massage with black and blue tattoo souvenirs" as they say in Belize.

We ate a delicious lunch of coconut-milk-cooked red beans and rice with jerk chicken. After a nap on the bus ride back to the port, we were tendered back to the ship and sailed off into the sunset. That concludes our adventure in Belize.

The fun on the ship was not done! My last photos were taken as we were leaving the ship in the Port of Miami during an absolutely stunning sunrise!




I have absolutely no idea what these guys were doing... some kind of lifeboat inspection or something. I just thought it looked neat!


As you may have guessed, we had an absolutely fabulous trip and can't wait to go on our next cruise THIS DECEMBER! Let the countdown begin...


Special thanks to my mom and Buz for watching Holly and custom making Charles' cravats, and to Bernice for taking care of Kittums while we were away! We couldn't have gone from our stressed-out "before" picture (above) to our stress-free "after" picture (below) without your help!