It’s been several weeks since returning from my family trip to the Bahamas and my tan faded long ago. But apparently I needed a vacation from my vacation because I caught a cold right after returning from my trip. I’m finally feeling much better and am getting caught up.
My parents took me and my husband, my brother, my sister-in-law, and my twin 12-year-old nephews on a Disney cruise. While I could’ve done without all the Disney characters and crazy crowds/kids (I’m not a cruise lover and yes, I suppose I rubbed elbows a bit with Grumpy dwarf), there were some nice highlights from the vacation. Some of my favorite memories included:
Spending time with my whole family. Growing up, we hardly ever went on vacations with my parents, my brother, and me altogether (since I’m 9 1/2 years younger than my brother). So, it was nice to have a big trip with all of us.
Hanging out with my twin nephews. They’re a hoot. They loved playing games on our iPad and iPhones and they were always cracking me up.
Lounging around on floaties with my hubby in the beautiful Blue Lagoon. I could’ve stayed there all day!
Escaping to Serenity Bay, the adult’s only area on Disney’s private island Castaway Cay. The rest of the island was an absolute madhouse, but this secluded section was pretty deserted and oh, so gorgeous with its clear turquoise waters.
Seeing a screening of Toy Story 3 in 3D on-board the ship. The movie was so cute!
Taking a “how to draw Goofy” class (that’s me above with one of my nephews and my sister-in-law sketching away)
Dining at the Palo adults only restaurant on the last night. The food was absolutely amazing!! And there are my parents below enjoying a delicious dessert.
The trip came and went so quickly and I can’t believe it’s already July. It’d be fun to do another big family trip again. Maybe next time we’ll do it old school and rent a house in Mammoth during the summer.
Thanks mom and dad, for a great and memorable family vacation!
At the end of April, I took a short, spontaneous trip up to Seattle to visit with some dear friends from the leadership program I went through in 2004. Fiona was visiting from London for a weekend retreat, so I flew in to stay with her and Lisa for some much needed “beauty” time. These fabulous ladies inspire me to no end.
The last time we were together was at the end of April 2008 in London. I really love how we continue to keep in touch and support each other. Next on our list is a reunion with all four bellas in Brussels where Tina lives.
I was happy that I also got to squeeze in a lunch with my former Ladies Who Launch leader friends, the uber talented Melody Biringer (who is on the cover of the latest issue of Seattle Woman) and the super savvy Hazel Grace Dircksen of Socialbees. More inspiring women!
Thanks to the support of my girlfriends, I was finally initiated into the world of premium denim! Woohoo! I even had buying a pair of designer jeans listed as a goal/reward, so I can now happily (and fashionably) check that off the list. And I had my first reflexology treatment, too! Very relaxing.
While the trip was much too short, I enjoyed every rejuvenating moment of pampering and connecting and can’t wait to visit with them again!
Last week, Brian and I traveled to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Brian shot a wedding and I was lucky enough to tag along for the ride! While it was cloudy and rainy for most of the time we were there, I still enjoyed a nice getaway and some much needed rest and relaxation.
The morning of the wedding, the bride had arranged for a group yoga class at Yoga by the Way with the fabulous owner Ellen de Jonge. Ellen had a great sense of humor and led a wonderful Vinyasa class. I loved it so much that I made sure to get one more class in before we left! Definitely check out her studio if you’re ever in the area.
The wedding was fun and the couple topped off the night by jumping into the pool along with their entire wedding party! How’s that for taking the plunge?!
Speaking of taking a plunge, I got soaked in a torrential downpour walking back from yoga sans an umbrella. Brian shot some video of the crazy rain storm.
While Brian worked off and on, I used the rainy day time to catch up on some writing and sketch in my Art Every Day Monthmini-journal. I’ll post some of those photos soon. Hasta luego!
Last Sunday, I presented the Right-Brain Business Plan in a breakout session at the Creativity in Business Conference in D.C. I had so much fun getting to learn and play with so many creative, innovative people. Michelle James, the conference founder, did a magnificent job bringing together a community of entrepreneurs and professionals who are bringing positive change to the world of business. There were experts in creativity, storytelling, business improv, right-brain/left-brain thinking, social media, conscious capitalism and so much more.
I had a blast with my breakout session. The participants were great sports, jumping right into the experiential activities and sharing with each other. I love seeing how energized people get when they really resonate with their business vision and are inspired to move into action.
I am so glad that I said “Yes!” to Michelle’s invitation (via Twitter!) to fly out to D.C. and present. This was one of the most engaging and authentic conferences that I’ve been to and I connected with loads of awesome people who also want to make a difference in business.
To get a feel for the energy and positive vibe of the event, check out this awesome slideshow.
Following a brilliant night of creative visions at the Dream Box workshop, I had another fantastic day in D.C. I took my second yoga class at Tranquil Space and then strolled around Dupont Circle enjoying the sunshine and soaking up the local neighborhood character.
In the evening I had the chance to meet up with the lovely Ananda, another creative beauty. We enjoyed a great conversation and yummy dinner at one of Ananada’s favorite local spots, Teaism. I felt so blessed getting to connect with so many of my online blogging friends in-person during this trip!
Then on Sunday I headed to Georgetown for the Creativity in Business Conference to lead my Right-Brain Business Plan breakout session and commune with other creative spirits. What an awesome trip. I look forward to returning to the capital city again for more fun, creative adventures.
I’m loving my visit to Washington D.C. so far! Today was filled with dreamy and inspiring adventures.
I kicked the day off with yoga at Kimberly Wilson’s gorgeous studio Tranquil Space. The class was challenging and grounding. Just what I needed to decompress from all the travel. I love the quote on the wall of the [...]
What a treat it was to visit Leah in Boston this past weekend. She’s such a sweetie! Not only did I have a blast co-leading our Creative Play workshop with her, I really enjoyed just hanging out, meeting her great hubby and her cute kitties and getting the local’s tour of the city.
On Friday, we [...]
I had so much fun in Boston this past weekend visiting with Leah Piken Kolidas. Our Creative Play workshop on Saturday was a blast and it was such a treat to finally meet so many creative souls and online friends in-person.
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Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Kimberly Wilson’s Hip Tranquil Chick Retreat in New York. Two-plus days full of creativity, yoga, journaling, meditation and lots of other yummy activities – who could ask for more? Oh yeah, and some retail therapy (Kimberly brought pieces from her spring line of TranquiliT eco-clothing) so, of [...]
Name: Tracey Asai Company Name: Tracey Asai Designs, LLC Website: http://www.traceyasaidesigns.com/ Twitter: @weddingflips Note from Jenn: Tracey Asai is a wedding flip flop and accessory designer and an extremely dedicated and generous entrepreneur. Tracey participated in my last e-Course (and I mean fully participated!). She took every assignment to heart […]
