road trip

When a friend mentioned that she wanted to drive her car to Seattle when she moved from LA (and didn't want to do it solo), Joe didn't hesitate to offer our company.  He knew that I'd been dying to drive up to the Pacific Northwest and as you know, we love any excuse to get away. The road trip was a quick but restful 3 days and 2 nights and we took a mix of the 101, 1, and 5 highways. It was gorgeous. From the cliffs and crashing waves of Big Sur, to the charm of wine country, to the winding roads lined with majestic redwoods ... we saw it all and soaked it up as much as we could within our daily mileage/time goals.

Our first night was spent in San Fransisco with another friend who had just moved (we're all leaving LA, one by one apparently). We met for dinner and had a sleepover in an Airbnb apartment in the Mission District. Airbnb has been so good to us - if you haven't used them yet, do consider it for your next trip.

For our second night we stopped in Crescent City and got a room at the Curly Redwood Lodge. I was obsessed with this place from the moment we pulled up. The structural lines, the color and grain of the wood - it was all too perfect for a road trip crashpad. Even more perfect was that the entire lodge was made using one single Curly Redwood tree (!). Pretty much the coolest place in town.

That's the great thing about road trips. There is cool stuff out there and different roads will always lead to new experiences and ways of viewing the world. The perks of doing it via your own vehicle is, of course, bottomless snacks and unlimited coffee stops. Oh to be on the road ...

a cozy cabin christmas

Hi guys! How have your holidays been? We spent our Christmas in the mountains just outside of LA and it was perfect. We booked a great little cabin via Airbnb, rented a car, and loaded up on firewood and groceries for plenty of cooking, drinking, and snacking. The plan was simple: relax and indulge.

Other than driving ten minutes to Lake Arrowhead for a brief visit, we stayed cozied up inside with a roaring fire (Joe is a great Boy Scout) and ate whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. Christmas Eve dinner was just right but the food highlight of the holiday was my batch of Colombian buñuelos. I made them for Christmas in London but last year we sadly had to go without the traditional fried cheese balls of goodness since the cheese we needed simply didn't exist in KL. However, it only made them taste that much better this time around, especially since I got to share them with my family! My sister, brother-in-law, and nieces joined us on Christmas Day, just in time for my girls to help me roll the maza into little balls. After tamales and buñuelos, my nieces and I did Christmas arts and crafts and roasted marshmallows with Tio Jojo using sharpened branches he collected. Needless to say, those girls were two very happy campers!

And so was everyone else. Joe had been happy since we arrived because he finally had an excuse to use the hatchet I bought him three Christmases ago (couldn't take it to London with us) while my sister and bro in-law were happy to kick up their feet and relax while Tia Mu (me) entertained the girls with activities.

It was absolutely perfect. The family time, the quiet time, the nature time. I can't think of a better Christmas gift than the gift of an experience with the ones you love. So happy.

the door is open!

Happy Friday, guys! Joe and I are road-tripping to Sedona, Arizona for a friend's wedding and while there, we'll be staying at a place we booked via Airbnb.

Airbnb is all about Mi Casa es Su Casa so I thought that today was perfect for sharing some fun news from the Muñoz family. If you caught this post from our wedding/holiday in Colombia then you might remember that my parents were planning on opening up our family country home, aka finca, as a bed & breakfast for travelers. Well, the day has come and their door is open - they're now official Airbnb hosts!

If Colombia and the coffee region have ever been on your hitlist, do consider staying with my folks. My mom is crazy for hospitality (her breakfasts have gotten rave reviews!) and my dad loves nothing more than to share his beloved Colombia with people. Seriously, he kept a stack of Colombia related books on the coffee table that he would open up to show to everyone who came by our house.

Now he and my mama are back in Colombia and they can share the real thing from Finca La Hamaca ( the 'hammock country house'). All of the info is on their Airbnb page where they also list some recommended sights to see and things to do. In addition to a hearty breakfast, the price per night includes transportation and guided day trips by my dad - a huge plus in the coffee region where things are spread out and most locals don't speak English.

I could talk the finca up for days but I'll stop myself now in case you do find yourself there. I wouldn't want to spoil all of the surprises ;)

Happy Travels!

bienvenidos

Welcome to our finca, my family's country home in Pereira, Colombia! Before I get to sharing wedding photos I wanted to show you why we chose to get married there. It's not just because it was free or because we had our pick at fresh fruit and eggs all day and everyday, but because it is beautiful and tranquil beyond belief. And...it's our casa.

This is where we spent a good part of our trip prepping for the wedding, relaxing, eating and simply enjoying each other's company. My parents have been painstakingly renovating and decorating it for the past ten years and though they still have big plans for it, it's already perfect in my eyes. It's nature all over...the flowers, plants, fruit trees, free range chickens, ducks, dogs, neighboring farm animals and our reliable entertainment, tropical birds. Bird watching alone made me forget all about internet access and what happened on The Walking Dead that week. Joe had his fair share of hamaca (hammock) naps and I just loved being around my mom and dad, seeing what they were up to, enjoying the proximity for impromptu hugs and kisses to/from them.

The finca has all of the collected touches that my parents taught me to appreciate. They made every effort to bring antique and country-style finds that they had bought while living in LA for the one day that they moved back to Colombia and could really make the finca the home they always wanted it to be. So much has been made by hand, too, with materials found around the property and a little ingenuity. My mom and dad are so creative that I can't wait to see what the place looks like in a few years. But of course, we won't be waiting that long to go back. Joe was scheming up ways to work there as the innkeeper and maintenance help just so that we could stay! You neevvveerrr know.

If you're planning on visiting Colombia (which you totally should if it's not already on your 'places to go' list) my parents will soon be posting the finca on Airbnb and offering guided day trips around the Coffee Triangle. They are the most amazing people that I know so yes, staying with them comes highly recommended, bias or not :)

happy friday!

I've spotted these tiles around our neighborhood and I'm on the hunt for more. There's just gotta be more!

Here's to a weekend of discovery and taking note of the interesting things around us. Enjoy!

This week's three rad links... • the art of making bread by Kinfolk. so beautiful and simple via EcoSalon • okay, jennifer of I ART U has officially convinced me to book with Airbnb. check out that space! • i love the way sharon designs her yummy instagram photos - that girl can sure cook (and sketch)