buenos aires, argentina

second stop - Buenos Aires, the capital city, large, busy, and very European. we stayed at Mine Hotel in the trendy neighborhood Palermo; tree lined cobblestone streets with broken tiled sidewalks; small boutiques, little cafes with outdoor seating, and yummy restaurants.

La Boca - brilliant colored corrugated tin homes remind us of an older time when immigrants crowded together using whatever materials they could find.

the cemetery in Recoleta is a place you can get lost in as you navigate through narrow pathways, through the labyrinth of tombs in a multitude of architectural styles.

we walked through the May Plaza and the first cathedral, the Botanical Gardens, the Zoo, the large flower sculpture, and both museums of modern art.

click here to view the rest of my Buenos Aires photos >>

mendoza, argentina

our first stop on the trip - a quaint town called Chacras de Coria, at the foot of the Andes Mountains. the boutique winery hotel, Finca Adalgisa, was secluded, lush, and very accommodating with a free wine tasting served with cheese and bread each night. the two days we had were spent drinking wine and visiting wineries (oh malbec, my new vice), horseback riding through the Andes Mountains with four young local boys and a guide who spoke no english, relaxing pool side in the hot sun, and eating delicious dinners in the downtown area.

to view all Mendoza photographs click here >>

a south american honeymoon

after spending almost two weeks traveling across Argentina and into Uruguay my husband, the bfg, and i have returned from an amazing honeymoon. the weather was perfect, the food was phenomenal (not good for keeping up a nice figure!), and the scenery breathtaking. our last day was full of sadness, the end our honeymoon - two weeks of just us, together every minute of every day, falling back in love with each other. we left a piece of our hearts in Argentina and Uruguay and will be back (our visa is good for ten years).

pictures? alright here are a couple teasers....
the Andes Mountains - Potrerillos

Finca Adalgisa Hotel - Mendoza - pool and room entrance

San Telmo neighborhood - Buenos Aires

Cementerio La Recoleta - Buenos Aires

La Mano en La Arena - Punta Del Este

La Serena Hotel pool - Punta Del Este - sunset

more to come later this week with in depth descriptions about each stop.

itouch repeat - The shins

ever since college i have always loved listening to THE SHINS, an indie rock band from new mexico. The voice of the lead singer, James Mercer, is distinctive and calming, and the lyrics are melodic, telling simple stories in poetic ways. THE SHINS released a new album last month, Port of Morrow (funny that it is my husbands last name), and i am slowly getting into it, for it is different than their previous albums which had hit after hit. despite this, they still stay in my top 10 favorite bands.

when my family visits

st patty's day green river / rave under the bean / florence in her green tutu to celebrate conrad's birthday / my nature installation on our stoop / green trees / mom & sis / dinner party / sister's birthday celebration

spring has sprung

very early this year! for the first time since i have lived in Chicago (almost 7 years) our trees are budding and our flowers are blooming in march. usually in march we sit and wait in cold weather and snow while the rest of the world enters spring. the last few weeks have been beautiful with temperatures reaching into the 80s...yes the 80s. i'm elated, putting away winter stuff and soaking in some vitamin d. but at the same time i am questioning why is this happening? is this global warming? will our summer be dreadful? or will fall come in august? what are your thoughts on this drastic change in mother nature?

week snapshots

this weekend i got the camera out and shot what was supposed to be a weekend snapshot post for monday. ehh a few days late is okay right?

new spring shows / little isla / yoshimi begging for the outdoors / spring bloom / bracelet order

these days...

the hootin' owl has been busy making custom friendship bracelet orders. here is a set of 5 i made for a special someone and her friends. you can purchase one here --->

NEW! to the hootin' owl is the spring 2012 card collection - perfect for mother's day, easter, or just because. get one now before they are all gone --->

and finally i made it onto PINTEREST! which is way way way addicting. i have created a multitude of boards of things i love from style, to cats, to packaging, to photography. follow my boards here --->

PS! HAPPY CRAFT MONTH...take a couple hours and create something great.

best friends forever

last week i attempted a first - a 1" wide chevron friendship bracelet. it was a custom order for someone on etsy (THANKS!!) and it was quite the challenge. after reading about how many and how long my strings needed to be i freaked, wondering if it was something i could even complete. i made a little practice one to gain some confidence and then decided it was time to jump right in. i spent my nights at the kitchen table with 26 strings each 7 feet long...knotting and knotting and knotting. i was so pleased with the end results that i decided to offer it up to everyone.

now on THE HOOTIN' OWL you can purchase a custom made 1" wide friendship bracelet. you tell me your wrist size and which colors you want and i'll do all the work - just give me one week.

ORDER ONE NOW! >>>

love wisdom

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." William Shakespeare

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." Helen Keller

"Where there is love there is life." Mohandas K. Gandhi

san diego getaway

once again the bfg and i traveled south west to escape the bitter winter cold and enjoy some warm sunshine; a week in sunny San Diego, California. while there i let my hair get tangled in the salty sea breeze, walked barefoot in sand warmed by the sun, and dressed in carefree loose fitting clothes.

architecture - we stayed in ocean beach, a little neighborhood set on the pacific filled with quaint bungalows in fun colors with unique yards.

landscape - from beaches with tall palm trees to cliffs overlooking lovely sunsets to arid canyons full of cacti.

wildlife - gray whales heading south, hummingbirds, seabirds, and sea lions. oh and don't forget the random neighborhood cats found in unusual places.

january moments

so far 2012 has not disappointed me although i still will say i am not a fan because it ends with an even number. the year of 2011 was spectacular, full of excitement, strength, independence, and most importantly understanding true love. it will always remain in the top 5 best years of my life.

this is january, 2012.

twice the family fun

this year we celebrated Christmas two times, first with the Morrow family and then with the Burkart family. It was great how it worked out that we could spend time with our immediate families. here's what happened...

------> ST. LOUIS: MORROW CHRISTMAS <------

------> WINSTON-SALEM: BURKART CHRISTMAS <------