For the second post in my ‘Mexican Artisan Spotlight Series,’ I’m introducing you to Maritza Morillas. She is a painter and enamellist from Mexico City who has exhibited in Washington, Barcelona, Chicago, Brooklyn and of course, all over Mexico. Her badass kitchenware blew us away, and we *might’ve* bought most of it within minutes of seeing it….
Living and travelling through Mexico these last two months has exposed us to so many different types of arts, crafts and one-of-a-kind pieces that I’ve never seen the likes of before. It’s a shop-a-holic’s playground. The best part about it has been meeting the makers of these items, shaking their hands, learning about their work and handing them money directly for the goods they’ve made. This will be the first of a series of posts that spotlight each Mexican artisan that we’ve met and purchased from, and I couldn’t think of a better place to start than with Giovanni Andrade’s brand of steampunk accessories for women and men, Laberinto.
We’ve been lucky enough to have the adventure of a lifetime, living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for 3 months. We are halfway through our stay and have gone on a couple adventures outside of town – the first being a trip to Guadalajara, about 5 hours west of us. Upon arriving, we couldn’t help but feel both over and underwhelmed. Among old cathedrals and beautiful government buildings, were strip malls of Sbarro’s, Starbucks and shoe stores, catering to tourists and locals alike. It was also loud and gritty. We were thrown off – I think because San Miguel is so picturesque and clean. But we had only one choice – to make the most of it. And we did! Over the next 2 days, we ventured around Centro sightseeing and spent a magical afternoon in a small town outside of the city – Tlaquepaque. Read on for ideas on how to spend your 48 hours in Guadalajara.
I wrote a very thorough post last year on my thoughts around travel style – both what to pack and how to wear it. My advice was complicated, exhausting and over-thought for anyone other than those who obsess over every single outfit, every single day. In truth, my complicated clothing choices were taking up too much of my precious vacation time. Since then I’ve learned a lot more about my ‘traveling self’ and how to dress efficiently and stylishly while away from home. It all boils down to one, simple travel style pro-tip…
This December I had the opportunity of a lifetime: to go on tour with my favorite band – Jump, Little Children. Now it just so happens, my fiance Evan is IN my favorite band so that would explain why I was presented with said opportunity, but also, they’d decided to reunite after 10 years of being apart. It was bound to be an adventure, and adventure it was – including moving to Charleston for a month, styling the band, riding on a tour bus across the Southeast, getting engaged and watching a community of individuals come together in one big cloud of love, nostalgia, frenzy, and song – all in the name of Jump, Little Children.
This week while travelling to Atlanta I had the chance to attend High Tea at Tipple and Rose Tea Parlor and Apothecary in the Virginia Highlands area. It was such a wonderful way to spend an afternoon with girlfriends! I’ve tried high tea services at several different hotels and restaurants around the country, and I highly recommend this activity if you’re looking for fun ways to treat yourself or a loved one during the holiday season. Our experience at Tipple and Rose was particularly special because this little tea parlor has a wonderful charm to it and is dedicated solely to the love of tea and local products. So lovely!