Cruise Thoughts {Last One}

One thing I've never heard anyone tell you about a cruise is: If you have an interior room, like we did, when you turn off the lights it is completely dark. Completely! 

What I learned from this is that a perfectly dark room makes for the BEST sleeping. 

I should mention that by day two I was feeling the fatigue of travel. After all, just two days before we were at the airport at the unreasonable hour of 4:00 in the morning. 

Interestingly, I was up and out before 8:00 a.m. each morning. That must happen when you have the best sleep in a perfectly dark room.  That, and the promise of a hot breakfast in the dining room. 

HGTV Inspiration Plus: I've Designed Two Rooms

Last night I sort of binged watched "Love It or List It" on HGTV. I just love a good reveal. I'm especially focused on the show because this season is filmed in the Triangle, NC. One of my friends saw them filming a home in her neighborhood. 

Do you ever do that? I like when the show is in Seattle too. I'm always trying to see if I can recognize the neighborhood. Seattle neighborhoods are unique and easily recognizable. 

I've seen several of the local NC shows. I haven't been able to recognize the neighborhoods, which I think is by design. But I have recognized the skylines and the restaurants and bars where the homeowners meet with Hilary and David. That's fun.

HGTV is very inspiring. I'm sure I'm late to this, but this weekend I discovered a new obsession:  Olioboard. It's fun. I "designed" two rooms. I'm pretty proud of my work. One thing I loved is that I can design and "see" a room without having to do any of the real work.   

Playing with Olioboard is sort of like looking through decorating magazines or retail catalogs and cutting out photos for inspiration. When I was young I used to spend lots of time with the Sears Wish Book, cutting out things that I wanted. Olioboard is like a grown-up, electronic version of cutting out pictures from the Sears catalog.

It might be a little addicting. 

Until next time!

~Kimberly

Cruise Thoughts {# 3}

Here is a pic of the boat I took while waiting in line for food. I have to tell you that the sheer size of the vessel is quite impressive. It's like a small city on the boat. There are retail shops (pricey), and bars and a casino and restaurants and a spa. They have medical personnel there somewhere too. 

The sliding doors going inside from the decks actually made a little "swoosh" sound when you entered. At least that is my memory of them.

At one point I thought, "Hey, this is just like being on the Star Ship Enterprise". I mean yeah, you are isolated in the middle of the sea (instead of in the middle of space) and yet, anything you can think of is still available.

Anything except good bottled water. Which is really what I needed to drink in the hot sun. I was struck by the fact that "free" unlimited tea and lemonade was available. For an extra few $$ you could also buy a "Bubbles" package which is unlimited soda.

But water? That you had to pay for every single time. When I got to our room there was a lovely large water sitting out for us and I was impressed at the hospitality of complimentary water in the room. --You may see where this is going…after I opened and drank some of the water I saw the $16 price tag. Oops.

Snorkelers just popped up!

The bottled water tasted terrible. I believe the endless caffeinated drinks is part of "the plan." Since your thirst is not getting quenched a $7 slushy daiquiri looks like a mirage. A cold, refreshing delicious mirage. Yeah, I figured it out.

Me? I drank my single $16 bottle of water and lots and lots of lemonade.

Our first port of call was Key West and it was a lovely day for a beach wedding. 

Our return time to the ship was 2:00 which did not leave enough time to explore. But I did snap these two pictures to get a flavor for the island. 

 

I'm glad I got to spend a little time at Key West. I can see myself going back.  I still need to see the six-toed cats. 

~Kimberly

Cruise Thoughts {# 2}

I haven't told you quite enough about the cruise. Oh I know I shared some first impressions but the trip needs more than that.

In addition to being a wedding celebration, it the trip was a family gathering of sorts, two families really. I am not a member of either family. The Bride and Groom families came from New Mexico and Detroit meeting each other for the first time on the cruise. Danielle knows both the Bride and Groom and by extension knows the Mother of the Bride and the Bride's brother. 

Two Bridesmaids came in from New Mexico and the first night on the boat was the first time Danielle met them. Groomsmen came in from Detroit. No single person knew everyone until the first night. I was the only one that didn't know anyone. 

And yet...I felt as if I knew the Bride for a year and the Groom for slightly less than that. Danielle and K. have a special bond, one that grew out of being in their early twenties and making their way in a new city on their own.

By extension, I felt like I knew K. before I even met her. And when I did meet her we embraced (and squealed a little). It was genuine affection that we both already had for each other.  Meeting the Groom felt much the same. It felt perfectly natural to be attending their wedding. 

For me, the trip was a really rich combination of activity balanced with my personal requirements for alone time. We all had dinner together in the dining room on the first two nights. I will tell you dinner was always lovely. 

Sunset on the First Night of the Cruise

After dinner, the group splintered into smaller groups. By the end of dinner, I craved time to myself. One thing about me and "time to myself" is that I don't have to be alone or isolated to achieve the "me time". Maybe this is true for lots of people. I can spend an afternoon alone with a book on my front porch or I can be on a beach chair in the middle of the pool deck (actually not the middle, but you get what I'm saying). I can feel as refreshed on the pool deck as on my own private porch. I guess what I'm saying is I can achieve my bliss of alone time even when I'm not literally alone. 

I also enjoy mixing in and out of the "party". One night I went to the much-hyped musical production in the theater. As far as I could gather there was no intermission and the show didn't captivate me enough to stay. So I quietly left. When you are there alone you can do that with no fuss. 

Not ready to end my night out and about I looked for (and found) the karaoke bar. I knew this was what the younger crowd was planning to do and I happened to come in while they were there. So I spent time with the group until the karaoke was over. That's what I mean by mixing in and out of the party.

That is all for now. I will share the rest of my Cruise Thoughts next time.

~Kimberly

National Donut Day

Yesterday was Donut Day!! And Jordan and I got a box of donuts to celebrate. I have a weakness for donuts. I have a similar weakness for cookies (not the packaged kind) and cupcakes. Sometimes I'll be watching TV and I realize, "You know what? I really want a donut." I don't remember ever having a similar out of the blue desire for cookies. Though if someone has cookies or says the word cookies I will definitely want one.  {Favorites: Chocolate Chip and Snickerdoodle} 

One night this week when I came home Jordan was finishing a serving of ice cream. As soon as I saw it I wanted it. --Are we seeing a trend? Anyway, he gave me the last two bites of the ice cream. It was vanilla with chocolate covered almonds. --So good. I must have lingered over the empty ice cream bowl too long. "We have more," Jordan told me, "just there...in the freezer." I made a mental note and planned to have a decadent ice cream snack later. By the time I was ready for my dairy delight, I was also equally ready for bed. Knowing that the ice cream will be just as good tomorrow or even the next night (or whenever), I had no qualms about delaying my date with ice cream.

But donuts? I don't have to see them to want them. It's my first thought when someone says "we should get something sweet." 

In honor of Donut Day, Jordan got us a box of donuts. We have enough to last the entire weekend. They were good last night and also this morning. Tomorrow they will likely need a little warm up in the microwave to melt the sugar and re-soften the yeasty goodness. I already know that when I put the warm sugary donut in my mouth it will be just as good the first day.

It's no secret I'm working on getting my body into shape. --Well, actually, if you went just by looking at me, it may be a secret.  But I'm proud to say went to four yoga classes this week, including one at 8:00 this morning. I'm not as proud to say that I had a donut in my mouth as I walked to the car to go to yoga. Everything in moderation, right?

Kelly Kapoor-The Office

The quote at the top is one of mine. Yes...I'm quotable. You can quote me.

Have a fun weekend!