Destination: Bachelorette Weekend

Planning a friend's final night in the land of the singles? Trying to decide between the lingerie shower, bachelorette weekend, or Vegas blowout? After experiencing the excitement and borderline panic of planning one of these social rights of passage I think I now have some insight on the "bachelorette" concept that as a simple party goer you might not grasp.

WEEKEND AWAY OR ONE NIGHT ONLY
As a planner, I gave my friend and soon to be wifey three options:

• Lingerie Shower
• Bachelorette Night
• Bachelorette Weekend

It is not safe to plunge ahead into the details of a party unless you understand what your bride actually wants. For instance, if I was planning for another friend she could have just wanted one big night out and a separate lingerie shower. So many times I hear of brides going to showers and parties that really don't reflect anything about them or their personalities.

Ask your friend what they want. Even if they say they don't care, let's face it...we're women, of course we care.

DELEGATION IS THE KEY TO SANITY

Unless your title is, "Official Party Planner Extraordinaire," there is a good chance that planning this party solo will cause you to age five years and completely deplete you bank account and max out your credit card. 

Chances are your fellow bridesmaids have a variety of talents, one of which probably includes being able to go to the grocery store and grab a bag of chips. This is not your burden to bear, but your ability to delegate. I know I suffer from "I'll do it myself" complex, but praise God I'm getting better day by day. 

Truly, the bachelorette weekend wouldn't have been a success without all the help I received.

DON'T GET LOST IN THE DETAILS

I am extremely detail oriented...to the point where I way overcomplicate due to my need for everything to be just so incredibly perfect! (Do you hear the crazy coming out?)

If you have the basics down and have properly delegated (see paragraph above) then all you really need are the people and the party will party itself.

What are the basics you may say? Well I'm glad you asked...

• VENUE - It can be your bride's house, a hotel suite, or in my case an adorable rental farmhouse at a bed and breakfast. You can pick something that needs a lot of decorations or a place, like the farmhouse, that requires minimum decor (for those of use who are Pinterest challenged). Just check with your budget, your bride, and booking availability.

• FOOD - Ladies, this is important! No one wants to go to a party at 5pm that only has pretzels and wine. For the sanity of your guests, inform them whether to expect only desserts at dinnertime, light snacks, or a fully catered buffet. I went budget friendly but still delicious. Walking tacos for Friday night with assorted desserts and Moscato punch, an eggs and bacon morning, and a fruit, cheese, and bread picnic for Saturday. When there is plenty of food leftover you know you did it right.

•  DECOR - This is not my strong suit. I would rather run a marathon and take a crack at bull riding then craft for an hour. Crafting to me is a necessity for an end result. That is why I chose a venue that was already adorable, so I could do as little decorations as possible. However a couple things I did do were sweet, simple, and all about my bride. Little mason jar's with tea candles helped bring a fun atmosphere, a front door bunting personalized the venue, and some pictures of my bride and her guy made it all about her...which every friend needs to realize...it is all about your bride.

• THE LINGERIE - Whether you are just doing a gift pile or the process of opening and giggling, it's important to plan some time around your friend and her new "wardrobe". As fun as the shower games are I decided against the toilet paper lingerie and wedding Madlibs. Instead I interviewed the groom to be and quizzed my friend on how much she knew about her fiancé. I knew she would want to do some kind of game but didn't want a structured night of activities. So we just made it all about the lingerie, and if you have a good group of girls, honestly, you don't have to plan much else.

FLEXIBILITY MEANS MORE FUN!

It's tempting to organize the crap out of something and then protect that well-oiled schedule with your life. However, things change, your bride may have another idea, or simply not be in the mood for whatever you planned. Have a plan but be willing to let it go.

Most of Friday night was planned out, but I had options for Saturday based on how everyone was feeling. We could have gone bike riding by the river in Tulsa or gone to the Vintage Market Fair in town, but everyone was feeling a night out in Tulsa, so we donned our cute dresses and took to the town. When plans changed after that, we got take out from a cute coffee shop, slapped on our jammies, and lived it up watching Pitch Perfect...and it was awesome.

I know so many bridesmaids stress when assigned to bachelorette duty, but honestly, how much fun to create an entire event around one of your best friends? It's like a three day present.

Just remember to make it about your bride, have fun, and take lots of pictures.

Don't forget to adventure today!

-Ray

A Morse Code Coffee Tour Guide

When you sign up to late for the actual tour, what do you do? 

Make your own, duh!

For those of us who use coffee mugs as inhalers and schedule our days around caffeine breaks, there is no better way to feel out a new city than to tour the local coffee haunts. There is actually an amazing Caffeine Crawl movement right now, promoting local coffee roasters to their communities. As much as I love my grande cinnamon dulce latte from the 'bucks, I am a small business advocate and an even bigger mom and pop coffee shop frequenter.

My first experience with the legendary "caffeine crawl" happened in the heart of java itself: Seattle, Washington. The Morse Code crawl is actually fashioned after the Seattle By Foot tour (which seems amazing and I would highly recommend), and is for the slower paced caffeine consumer, who doesn't like to commit to things until the last minute or likes to be their own tour guide.
Note: all experiences on the Code Crawl may vary due to different baristas, coffee shop picks, and or attitude/fortitude throughout your coffee-filled day. So if you're passing through the Emerald City, here are a few suggestions for a day filled with that steaming mug of happiness.

1. Buy a local roast and brew at home

Whether you rise with the sun or emerge around the brunching hour, save some cash for the rest of your day and grab a bag from a local roasterie to start off your day. I am a sucker for Stumptown's Hairbender Blend, which is also featured at one of my favorite Norman brunch spots. A little research and you can probably find other local faves, like Lighthouse Roasters' Lighthouse Blend or Seattle Coffee Works Seattle Space Blend. You may notice both these blends have hints of chocolate in them...that was intentional.

2. Start with the sweet stuff

Okay so I'm a firm believer in waiting until around 10 a.m. before breaking out the chocolate. That's late enough right? So first start on the Morse Code Crawl: Dilenttante Espresso and Mocha Cafe. There are several different locations across the city. We visited the Kent Station shop and snagged a sip of the famous Dilettante mocha. I would advise trying a truffle while you're at it.

***Tip: Buy a medium or large mocha and split between fellow "crawlers"

3. Try a chai

A close relative and fellow frothy companion, the chai tea latte is a lovely chaser to your morning joe.  Trabant Coffee and Chai was a stop listed on the Seattle By Foot coffee crawl, and we definitely tagged along on the tour. Since the shop is daily frequented by the tours they were very hospitable to our own caffeine excursion and provided us with taster glasses and some savory, cheddar scones. 

***Tip: Ask the barista for a baked good recommendation to pair with your chai--you could get a taste test 

4. On the rocks

If your going the tourist pace you've now had lunch, checked out some local shops, and are ready for the next stop on code crawl. The afternoon sun calls for something chilled. Seattle Coffee Works has an amazing cold brew. I'm typically a coffee purist, but the cold brew's potency gives me an out for a little addition of cream and a pump of hazelnut. With your cold brew in hand I'd say it's probably time to head to Pike's Place and...

5. The Mecca of Coffee

How you can come to Seattle and not just pause by the original Starbucks is beyond me. I lingered. Allowed myself to think back on how my own love affair began with this sweet elixir of life. Sigh, those bottled frappuchino's--the gateway drink. Though the line is long and the end result may seem anti-climatic, on this particular caffeine crawl there is no better end to a great day of tourism and coffee. 

    Don't forget to adventure today!

   -Ray

Destination Dubai: Trip Highlights from the Middle East

   So familiar, yet so incredibly different. That's how I describe my journey to the Middle East. Highways that replicate our American road systems with traffic signs I cannot even begin to interpret. Malls with stores like Sephora and Zara, Tiffany's and Gucci. A metropolitan paradise with luxury cars, a seven star hotel, and a desert oasis ushering in thousands of people from around the world.
My time in the UAE barely scraped the surface of the oil rich country, but I do have some highlights from my journey to the east.

5. Good Eatin'

    I'm a total foodie. Just follow my Instagram and it will become very apparent. When the perfect expression of love on Valentines Day is a food processor and a paleo cookbook there's really no room to question that fact.

    Food is a cultural expression. It tells so much about a place or person. What type of texture do they like, what takes the majority of the plate--meat, veggies, starches? Is quantity important or is the focus on three bites of a sensory explosion.

    Dubai, like any major city, offers a wide variety of experiences. The cuisine was a mix of Asian fusion, mediterranean, and western influence.

    I tried many eateries in several of the elaborate malls across the city and found, what I consider, the best eating experience in Dubai. The TWG tearoom. A friend recommended it to me and it surely did not disappoint. Every food item is infused with a different tea, and my smoked salmon eggs benedict is the type of breakfast you dream of. Combine insane food with a picturesque waterfall and gracious servers with a wealth of stories to share--worth ever durum.

   Every once in a while you also need to just pick a random metro stop, walk into a local Philippine restaurant, and tell the server you'll have what the man next to you is eating. I still have no idea what I ate, but it sure tasted good. 

  However, my favorite was no doubt the Lebanese food. Truly, I'm converted. The pita, the tabouli, the hummus...the goat. I'll never be able to eat chicken and rice happily again. It combined all my favorite mediterranean flavors and couldn't have been more authentic unless I had journeyed to Lebanon myself. 

                               

4. The Malls

    The word "mall" is not an accurate term for these arenas of cultural expression. With over 60 currently standing and several others in construction you could spend days walking through just one climate controlled complex. The Dubai mall with it's extravagance, 1 mile circumference, and fountains; the Mall of the Emirates with the famous ski center; Ibn Battuta being my favorite mall ever. Dubai knows how to turn shopping into an experience.

   And truly, anything with an aquarium wins points in my book.

3. Desert Safari

    There is nothing more freeing than running through a sand dune.   

   There is also no better tourist experience than a desert safari. I saw my life flash before my eyes on the jeep ride across the desert dunes. I also realized that a two minute camel ride was all I really needed to get the iconic desert picture. Any longer and I'm pretty sure the camel would have turned on me. Between henna, tanoura and belly dancers, and a buffet of amazing middle eastern barbeque, this tourist trap is one worth falling into.

 2. The Burj Khalifa

   I'm sure within my lifetime another colossus skyscraper will be erected, it's peak scraping the ozone layer, but I'm still staggered at having stepped out onto the viewing area of the Burj Khalifa and seen what a city looks like from the 124th floor. They say the best time to go is at sunset. I say any time is worth it. You don't want to regret checking off this bucket list item.

   

1. Sunsets

   I can't help it--I'm a sucker for that explosion of color across the horizon. You may always notice a sunset wherever you go, but there are some sunsets you just don't forget. 

   Truly, my favorite experience in Dubai was standing in the dunes, on the beach, in the mountains, or just in the city and watching the orange, desert sun melt into the ground.

 

That caps off my top five Dubai moments.

Don't forget to adventure today!

-Ray

    

An American in Paris

My last full weekend overseas I took a mini vacation from my vacation. In Paris! I have to admit though--I did get a little bit of culture shock walking outside of the train station to grab some cash before our bus tour. People were loud, there were questionable advertisements, and all of the sudden I found myself clutching my luggage as if they were vital organs. I realized that I was no longer in the UK--I was in Europe.
   Our bus tour took us through all the major roads in Paris to get a full look of the city from the Cafe de Pais, the most expensive cafe in Paris, to the Opera house the Phantom of the Opera was first born, to our first looks of the Eiffel Tower.

                                         On the Eurostar

                                       Opera House where the Phantom was created

 After the bus tour we finally got to our hotel and had about a half hour until we braved Paris on our own. That meant figuring out the Metro line. Now, I would say that it is easier than the Tube, except that all the directions are in a different language...that part was a little confusing. But we did make it to the Louvre on our first day, and I successfully ordered a Pain au Chocolat from a little bistro completely in French! Oui, oui!
    The Louvre. Oh we DID the Louvre. We did the Louvre probably in under an hour and hit almost every major item. Venus de Milo, Nike, Egyptian artifacts, and the Mona Lisa. Check, check, and check. Dinner?

                                                   Venus De Milo

                                                      Nike                  

   My first French meal was at this adorable little restaurant on Rue de Rivoli. I got the special: ravioli stuffed with salmon in a creme sauce. AMAZING. What finished off the night was seeing the Eiffel tower again this time in its sparkling glory and having my first French nutella crepe. Tres bon!

    Day 2 begins with a delightful Parisian breakfast of croissants, fruit, and coffee and then a brief visit to Notre Dame before heading over to Pont Nuef for a riverboat cruise.  After viewing Paris along the Seine, we headed up to a soggy Mountmart for lunch. I have my first truly French, French onion soup and then browse some beautiful paintings along the artist's corner. We then go on a search for the Moulin Rouge, and then head back to the hotel for a quick nap before heading out on a bike tour of Paris that evening.

      Day 3 in Paris and things just keep getting better. Not only am I falling in love with this city, but I want to stay longer than 4 days. We first head out at 9 to Versailles, one of the most amazing places I have ever been in my life! We stood in line for probably an hour, but it was worth it to walk through the astounding state rooms, sitting rooms, royal rooms, and the breathtaking hall of mirrors. To think that people actually lived in this palace seems utterly astounding to me. My favorite part of the whole palace was seeing Marie Antoinette's bedroom restored to how it was when she lived in the palace, and a painting of her and her children.

    Not a lot could top that afternoon, but an AMAZING crepe lunch was definitely up there. I got a egg, mushroom, and cheese savory crepe with some apple juice, and a dark chocolate crepe for my sweet.

  

    After lunch we accidentally found ourselves next to the end of the Tour de France and were able to watch the winners ride down the Champs de Elysees. Then the long line to one of the best experience of my life--standing on the top of the Eiffel Tower. The view was absolutely breathtaking, and it was the perfect Paris experience. 

   Day 4 and my final day in Paris led me to Angelina's, a chocolate shop on Rue de Rivoli. If I was to describe this place it is basically the Parisian version of British tea. But I had come with one goal in mind: try Angelina's famous drinking chocolate and pastries. So as my final minutes in Paris dwindled away, I spend mine sipping the luxurious chocolate chaud and nibbling a decadent Mont Blanc pastry.

    So there it is, my four day adventure in Paris. I feel more cultured from those four days then I did a month in London. I know that if I had my choice of countries to go back to, Paris is number one on the list!