Travel

Spring Break in LA

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I recently had a chance to go to LA for the first time. My husband was going to a conference in downtown LA, and since it was over spring break I could leave the kids in the capable hands of my two oldest, who are now 20 and 17-yikes. (What it feels like to be a mom of a 20 year old is another topic for another time.)

Anyway, I was exited about the LA food scene, and some of the local buisnesses that have become destinations. The food scene did not disappoint. Especially Grand Central Market in downtown LA. This place is awesome on so many levels. It’s a huge warehouse with lots of different local vendors. International lunches, dessert, juice bars, craft beer, candy, cheese, coffee, produce, you name it. Our local cousin recommended Sari Saria Fillipino rice bowl place, and my husband had pupusas from Sarita’s Pupuseria. Both very tasty.  But choosing  was hard, there are so many options.  Check out their current vendors at Grand Central Market .

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LA Art District

I loved this part of town. It’s growing fast, lots of new condos moving in. After dropping off the hubs at Art District Brewery, I ventured over to 3rd street where Apolis is located. I bought one of their iconic bags, which was a splurge, but I’m super happy with it. I use it for the pool, the beach, the lake, wherever. It’s waterproof, and so big you can fit the family’s swim gear in it. And look LA cool while shlepping towels.

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Venice

Abbott Kinney in Venice was nice, I just didn’t have enough time there. I had a really good, healthy lunch at Gjelina, a hot spot in Venice, where I had my first and only celebrity sighting. I stared at her as  inconspicuous as possible. She looked familiar, but I couldn’t figure out who she was. A friendly couple, I was sharing the table with, finally told me it was Sophia Bush from Chicago Fire.

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A few things surprised me in LA.

People were really nice. From my time in Chicago and visits to NY, Paris, and London I kind of expect people form large cities to be rude. Not here.

I actually liked driving in LA. The few times I drove in our rental I really enjoyed. I should add, I never once got stuck in traffic. I was always going in the opposite direction everyone else was going. But I found the drivers a lot nicer than I imagined. A few times we took Lyft and that was also very enjoyable. My drivers were friendly and chatty for the most part, ranging from musicians, to an actor’s assistant, which was super interesting. I think Im still so used to cab drivers, who drive as their main job, and who are not really interested in talking, or playing tourist guides.

Lastly, the homeless. Wow, over 5,000 homeless in tents on side walks. Mostly near downtown and the Art District. It’s quite overwhelming.

Other places we enjoyed were the Factory Kitchen. Their handmade pasta was beyond good. Our cousin took us to the Strand House in Manhattan Beach, where you can watch the sunset over the ocean. It doesn’t get much better than that. Everything we ate there was really good.

We really enjoyed our time there, and little did we know we would be back so soon.

I stayed for three nights, cause you can only leave the kids for so long…

-Sofija

 

 

 

 

Spring Break in LA

Chimayo, New Mexico: The Perfect Mother’s Day Destination

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Mother’s Day was perfection, and I can appreciate it now, because I had some not-so- perfect ones in the past. Interestingly when the kids were little, and I worked so very darn hard, constantly exhausted, I had some disaster Mother’s Days. Now that life is pretty easy they get better and better. Just throwing it out there, in case you are not there YET.

The day started off with me waking up to a sweetly decorated table, the best crepes made by my husband, and of course coffee. And very special earrings, a gift from my son and my husband. So sweet! The girls had gotten up at 2 am to decorate. The silver ware had little notes taped to them: I love you. Melted. my. heart.

For lunch we were joined by our friends for a quick bite to eat at a local diner. I thoroughly threatened my girls not to get ketchup on their dresses, it worked, for once.

Then our friends and our family drove up north to Chimayo, a tiny village on the High Road to Taos. Chimayo is famous for its church and restaurant. We parked in the parking lot and made our way to the church. What I love about Chimayo is that it has the feel of Mexico or Spain. It’s quaintly old world. Built in 1813 the church El Santuario de Chimayo is a very popular pilgrimage and a National Heritage site. It gets very crowded around Easter. IMG_6354IMG_6355PicMonkey Collage-4

Above is my friend’s son taking a break. A rare moment I had to capture…

Below is the church. It seems to be always open to visitors. It is vey small, with a tiny courtyard.

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Here is my friend with her darling baby girl, who wasn’t feeling it at the time, but did great over the course of a very long day. IMG_6378.jpg

This was my third visit to the church, but the firs time catching the flowers in full bloom. IMG_7293.jpgIMG_6370.jpgIMG_6374.jpgIMG_6410PicMonkey Collage-4.jpgIMG_6416 (1).jpgIMG_6412

Aren’t the roses lovely?

During our drive the kids kept asking where the playground was. But then they saw this…Here is Tasha playing with my friend’s son.

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Nearby the church are more quaint little shops, a coffee shop, and another little chapel.

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It was time to go to the Restaurant de Chimayo in time for our reservation. I do recommend making a reservation for Mother’s Day, it was packed.

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Rancho de Chimayo is a destination in itself. It has a little gift shop next to it, and is associated with the B&B across the street. My friend ordered a delicious prickly pear lemonade (pictured above), and I loved my silver Margherita. The guys drank local beer. And the flan for dessert melted in our mouths…

Another must do in Chimayo is a visit to the weaving store Ortegas. They sell hand woven rugs, purses, wall hangings, and more, made by local artists. Sadly they are closed on Sundays so we didn’t get a chance to shop.

Now you know why Chimayo is one of my favorite destinations in New Mexico.

I do hope you will visit it soon.

-Sofija

 

 

Tasha is wearing a blue dress from Old Navy, and a hat from Baby Gap. My top is from Banana Republic.

All pictures taken with a Canon 7D and a 50mm lens. I used PicMonkey for the side by side pictures.

 

 

 

 

Chimayo, New Mexico: The Perfect Mother’s Day Destination

Frankfurt Sued (Sachsenhausen)- a Local Wander Guide

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Frankfurt is one of the larger cities in Germany. It is a travel hub and an international bank city. But it is also a bunch of small villages. And those small villages are ideal for walking. A lot of guides will tell you to go to Bornheim, or the city center. But I find Sachsenhausen most charming. It has everything. It is right by the river, but also near the forest. There is Alt Sachsenhausen with its charming old houses, where most tourists go. But there are other attractions: the museums along the river Main, lots of shopping, coffee shops, and restaurants. I might be slightly biased, I grew up in Sachsenhausen. My school, friends, and job were for the most part all within a 3 mile radius. Let me take you on a tour.

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Where to eat.

Sachsenhausen has great pizza places, and nowadays Thai restaurants (of all things) on every corner. But really, do yourself a favor and eat at the local Apfelweinkneipe. There is nothing like it. The waiter will barely acknowledge you and direct you to squeeze in with the local grandmas, because these places are ALWAYS packed. And loud. So no one will hear your baby screaming, I promise. They offer Schnitzel and such, but you need to order the Rippchen (smoked pork chops) and Sauerkraut, and “Handkäs mit Musik”. And don’t ask for forks with the latter or they will know you are a tourist right away. And of course you drink apple wine, undiluted that is. If you have the audacity to order a Gespritzte (apple wine with Seltzer water), or a “Süssen” (apple wine with lemonade) the waiter will gruffly bring you an apple wine glass with an extra bottle of lemonade all the while glaring at you. And you get to figure out how to combine the two. 🙂 But really, the waiters are really nice, in a Frankfurt kind of way.

Below is a local’s favorite: Zum Gemalten Haus (To the Painted House).

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Other local favorites are Wagner and Zur Buchscheer.

“Brunchen” is a thing right now. A lot of my friends and family wanted to meet for breakfast or brunch. These were their favorite places.

Das Lesecafe 

This place has been around forever. Started by former teachers from my high school (I may or may have not skipped school once or twice to come here). It is also a bookstore.

I like how tucked away it is. Like many places in Sachsenhausen, you kind of have to know where they are….

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The coffee is great, and there are lots of breakfast and lunch options. Some with Spanish influences. Oh, and yummy desserts.

Lokalbahnhof 

This is my friend’s favorite. It is a build-your-own-breakfast kind of place. Very rustic. Good coffee.

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Depot 1899

I hate to use this phrase but “back in my day” it was a train depot. I like what they did to the place. My sister took me here. It seems to be a local favorite for families. It was packed. It has a huge self-serve buffet. Nice surprise, they had American breakfast options, which means they had bacon!!

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Where to shop.

If you like unique designer stores go to Brückenstrasse.

Goyagoya

I discovered this women’s designer store online. I was not disappointed. I wrote more about it here.

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Lieblingsstuecke

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Where you can find curated women’s clothing from Scandinavian designers.

Other stores: Ich war ein Dirndl: Clothing designed by Jutta Heeg.  Designe, Kleine featuring unique homewares by local makers.

Schweizerstrasse is my personal favorite street to shop, because it has everything. Book stores, flower shops, Butlers, drug stores, boutiques,and even an Italian shoe store. I really should have bought a pair of Italian shoes. Kicking myself….

I personally like German flower shops. Not to buy them but just to look how they pair flowers so elegantly and artistically. I was there just before Christmas.

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Butlers

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The Museums

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Das Museum für Angewandte Kunst (The Museum for Applied Art) used to be my favorite simply because it was a great place to hang out in their park and have photo shoots.

There are more museums all conveniently located right by the river: The Museum for German Architecture, the Film Museum, a couple of art museums (Museum Giersch and Staedel), and others.

You see, it is worth a visit.

Let me know if you have been there and I forgot to mention something.

-Sofija

Most pictures taken by me, except for the one of the museum  found via Erlebnis Raum Frankfurt.   And the picture of the design store Lieblingsstuecke. Found via Miriam Beltz.

I used a Canon 5d Mark ll with a 50mm f/1.2 lens. (Thank you, Emily!)

Frankfurt Sued (Sachsenhausen)- a Local Wander Guide

Goyagoya, a Women’s Designer Store in Frankfurt

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On my recent trip to Frankfurt I had  a few new stores on my list to explore. Frankfurt is growing its design scene and exiting stuff is happening. One of the stores on my list was Goyagoya, a women’s clothing design store. I’m happy to tell you, it did not disappoint. Swiss designer Elena Zenora Hock informs her designs from her upbringing in Italy: timeless, elegant, yet whimsical and fun.

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I tried the dresses below on to the left. Oh my goodness, the colors were so flattering, and the dress as comfortable as a T-shirt, yet so elegant and tailored. This might have been my first time trying designer clothes for adults (if you have been reading this blog you’ll know I mostly write about children’s designers), and I’m hooked. The quality is just that much better. The dresses pictured were in the $200 range, not exactly in my budget. But there was a huge sale section under $100. My friend ended up getting the cutest skirt, and she wasn’t even shopping that day._mg_6304karsten-und-katharina-2img_6067karsten-und-katharina_mg_6307karsten-und-katharina

My friend bought the grey and white striped skirt pictured above (to the left),  which looked so elegant on her.  I was more drawn to the polk a dot skirts. The staff was so patient and helpful. I really felt at home.

If you are in Frankfurt, do cross the bridge to Sachsenhausen. Brueckenstrasse is right near the bridge Eisener Steg and has several interesting designer stores. You can spend all day there.

Have a lovely day,

Sofija

All pictures taken by me with a Canon 5d Mark ll, with a 50mm f/1.2 lens.  

 

Goyagoya, a Women’s Designer Store in Frankfurt

Schloss Kronberg: A Wedding in a Real Castle

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Friends,

Have you ever crossed something off your bucket list that you didn’t even dream of putting it on the list, because you didn’t know it was a possibility? Celebrating a wedding in a real castle for example? Well, this dream came through for me, I’m still pinching myself. And it couldn’t have been with a better person (other than my husband). My friend since high school got married and celebrated in Schloss Kronberg (Kronberg castle) in Germany. If you ever find yourself near Frankfurt, do visit. Or even better, stay overnight. Or best: get married!! The staff is attentive and friendly. And we even got a tour. Let me just say Schloss Kronberg is a “newer” castle for Germany. Most castles around here are from 1400 and older. This one is from 1889. And it is quite quirky, lots of layers of different styles as you might be able to tell from the outside. But the inside is elegant, yet warm.

Let me give you a tour.

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Upon arriving we went into a reception room toasting to the couple and eating appetizers, while the bride and groom got their pictures taken. I wasn’t the main photographer. I mostly tried to get pictures of relatives while the main photographer was busy with the couple. But one time I snug behind him and took the picture with the tree. My friend got married at the end of November, so everything was decked out in Christmas colors. katharina-und-karsten-am-weihnachtsbaumschloss-kronberg-inside

After appetizers we were lead to the dining room for a four course meal. _MG_6453Karsten und Katharina.jpg

The bride and the groom. Lovely!_mg_6467karsten-und-katharinaschloss-kronberg-dining-room_MG_6476Karsten und Katharina.jpg

Have you ever had cappuccino herb and mushroom soup? Sooo good! Scratch that off the bucket list…Schloss Kronberg food.jpg_mg_6456karsten-und-katharina

After hours of eating we got a tour. It was dark by then, thus challenging to get a decent picture.

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What a great day. I’d love to come back sometime in the summer, they have a lovely garden and terrace.

-Sofija

All pictures taken by me, except for the one that has me in it. My friend’s brother in law took that one. (Thank you Martin for taking a picture I like). I used a Canon 5d Mark ll, with a 50mm f/1.2 lens. 

 

Schloss Kronberg: A Wedding in a Real Castle

Rapberry Picking in Mora, New Mexico

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We went Raspberry picking last weekend and we were surprised how much fun we had. Take a look.

Upon arriving you get a small bucket to collect the raspberries. You fill those and at the end they get weighed and you pay by the pound. We paid $6 per pound. Everybody gets a row assigned to pick their berries. We were shown how to properly pick the raspberries off the stems. Tasting is allowed; we tasted A LOT. picmonkey-collage-2

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After we were done picking we went to the store to pay for our 4 lb we had collected. There was a small shop that served raspberry sundaes. So good!!picmonkey-collageimg_3470img_5348IMG_3478.jpgIMG_3343.jpg

I recommend bringing bug spray and sunscreen.Which we forgot and paid for the next day.

Be sure to check Salman Raspberry Ranch’s website before you go, fields and stores are not always open. They update daily.

Have a lovely day,

Sofija

 

Rapberry Picking in Mora, New Mexico

A Photo Shoot with the Girls in Taos

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Friends,

Last week the family spend the day in Taos. The hubs took our 12 year old son river rafting on the Rio Grande, while I took the girls to Taos. They had a blast. First they humored me with a photo shoot of yet another adobe church, and then they got rewarded with Slushees and a trip to their favorite playground. Here are some pictures…

First we dropped the boys off along the Rio Grande to go river rafting. They had a blast and I would highly recommend this for older kids. There are two ways to get to Taos coming from Albuquerque or Santa Fe: the High Road, and the Low Road. While I am a huge fan of the High Road, I have to say the Low Road is pretty awesome in the summer, as well. There is a little rafting shack with a coffee shop; there is Heron Brewery, and cute little fruit stand next to it.  Lots of places to stop and linger along the Rio Grande. And places to picnic right by the river, too.

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After dropping them off, we headed to San Francisco de Asis Mission Church in Taos. It is easy to miss, you don’t see it from the road, thus  I have passed it a few times without knowing. Georgia O’Keeffe painted this church and Ansel Adams photographed it. I can see why…

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I love the softness of the adobe churches and the white and beige detail of this church. So lovely.

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A random house near the church with the signature blue shutters and red chilis hanging from the roof. IMG_3697.jpg

What a great day!

This summer we didn’t really have time or finances for a vacation. Day trips like this make a staycation a lot more bearable for me. Exploring new places and spending a lot of time in the pool is what gets me through the long and hot New Mexico summers.

Have a great day,

Sofija

 

 

A Photo Shoot with the Girls in Taos

Los Poblanos, the Perfect New Mexico Summer Escape

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Los Poblanos is many things, most of all a great escape, a relaxing way to spend your day with your best friend, your partner, your mother. The restaurant has fresh farm to table food, the shop is full of lavender products, the grounds invite to stay. Oh, and there is an inn, too, making it the perfect place for a destination wedding.

The tree lined entrance alone is worth a visit.

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The shop

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The lavender field

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The Inn

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The view of the mountains from the parking lot. IMG_2587IMG_2561 (2)

Their lavender hand soap is my favorite. My husband and I have eaten here for our anniversary, it was lovely.

Have a great day,

Sofija

 

 

Los Poblanos, the Perfect New Mexico Summer Escape

Modern General, Santa Fe

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I have a new favorite store in Santa Fe: Modern General. It has quality gardening and kitchen tools, but it also serves as a lunch and meeting space. And their smoothies are so good. And super healthy.

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I was surprised to see Hartwood here, a cook book from a restaurant in Tulum, Mexico. I’m kind of Tulum obsessed and I had seen the book mentioned on Instagram. So cool to find it here. modern general 4modern general collage

It’s a good place to bring kids. My youngest felt really comfortable here. And she liked that healthy smoothie, too. So now I’m thinking I need the recipe for my picky 12 year old who never eats vegetables. _MG_3726modern general 5.jpgmodern general collage 2_MG_3711

I love when a store owner puts so much thought into design and purpose. If you find yourself in Santa Fe, be sure to check it out. It is not too far from the plaza and the train station.

Have a great  day,

Sofija

All pictures taken by Sofija Burton

Modern General, Santa Fe

Desert Child

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I have been thinking a lot about what it means to raise children in the desert. It is such a unique experience and one that I never anticipated. I grew up in Germany in a city near a dense forest. Everything was small, green, and urban. New Mexico is almost the opposite. It is vast, brown, you can see for miles and miles, and it is wild. There is hardly any grass, just a sea of rocks. I wonder if the surroundings will affect their views on life. Will they see this world as big and limitless and be eager to discover it?

Bringing Tashi to White Mesa made me realize how much at home she is in this terrain. There was no: “I’m bored, what is there to do?” She immediately started walking and interacting with her surroundings. She could have spend all day there.

 

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She found some chalky rocks and was delighted that she could draw pictures with them. IMG_2011

She decided the rocks would make excellent furniture. Here she is holding a couch, but it looks more like a telephone….IMG_2026IMG_2038IMG_3512

I have been reading a lot about forest pre-schools in Europe. Children spend all day outside in the woods. I guess my children have been going to rock school…

Have lovely day,

Sofija

On :

Pants: H&M

Top: Olive Juice

Vest: Old Navy

Cat Socks: Gymboree

Shoes: Hand me downs

 

Desert Child