Travel Jonez

What to pack.... What to wear.... {Jamaica Jazz Festival Edition}

2012-01-23T17:27:00.002-05:00

I leave in two days for sunny Jamaica. T-W-O days!!!

I'm sooooo not ready.

I don't even have a hotel room secured yet. I have a few prospects but I'm waiting on a few more emails responses. Jamaicans be on that island time for real. I'm not at all worried. My travel partner is freaking out though.

I'm more concerned about what the heck I am going to wear. I'm thrilled to be trading my parka and boots for maxi dresses and wedges. I came across JB Style Zone, fashion blog that gave me just the inspiration I need.

image credit: JB Style Zone

By the way, isn't that model's afro fierce?

Speaking of afro, let me post this and head to my local barber for a fresh fade and then off to the nail salon. Lots to do. Lots to do.

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Foodies: Gather Around...

2012-01-18T03:09:00.015-05:00

For my foodie bloggers, lovers, and eaters - there's a cool weekend retreat coming to the DC area May 4th - 6th called Eat, Write, Retreat.

The conference will be hosted at the swanky Madison Hotel. (Check this place out!!) The organizers promise an intensive weekend of bonding and learning all tools of the trade including food styling, photography, recipe development, and more. Ya'll have seen my food pictures on this blog. I can stand to learn a trick or two. Oh, and let's not forget the awesome food that will probably go down that weekend.

If you're interested in attending this unique experience, registration is now open! Just click here to get started.

In remembrance of Dr. MLK

2012-01-16T09:43:00.001-05:00

Olive You!

2012-01-16T04:25:00.000-05:00

Olive You!

Get it?

I love you. Olive you.

Ehh...never mind.

A friend of mine texted me the other day: "Can you send me the recipe for that Mediterranean dish you make with the olives and cheesy bread as well?"

I get texts/emails like these at least once a month. Especially from my Phoenix friends. I had a dinner party in my studio at least once a month. Good times.

Just so you know, my dinner parties are BOSS. You do not leave hungry or thirsty.

Anyhoo... I'm sharing the recipes with my friend and you guys as well.

The Pioneer Woman's Olive and Cheese Bread

Image source: pioneerwoman.com

This stuff is sooooooo good. You might want to double up. You can make this as a meal or an app. It will go fast. When I make this, I use less butter and mayo then the recipe calls for. Just enough to coat the stuff.

Emeril's Moroccan Style Chicken with Lemon and Green Olives

As for the chicken dish, I blogged about it a few years ago here.

Don't worry about preserved lemons if you don't have any. The fresh stuff will do. If you love olives as much as I do, definitely add extras. I also strongly recommend doubling up on the broth too. I served this dish with couscous and it soaked up every last bit of that flavor. You'll want extra broth for slurping. Oh! you totally can make this in a crockpot. Just don't add the lemons until the last hour or so. I made that mistake and my dish was exxxtra tart.

I don't eat much chicken these days but I would spring for some free range chicken and make this again. I think this is one of the few dishes that I just can't make a vegetarian meal out of. The chicken shines.

Enjoy!

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Jamming in Jamaica

2012-01-13T21:28:00.000-05:00

When I visited Jamaica for the first time back in 2010, my guide shared that every month that begins with "J", you'll be jamming in Jamaica. January is the Jazz & Blues Festival, June/July is the Reggae Fest and I'm pretty sure there's one more event that I cannot think of. That whole "Jamming and J" thing always stuck with me.

Good news. I am going to be doing my shimmy shake at this year's Jazz and Blues Festival. Totally last minute Airline is secured. Now I just gotta figure out where I am going to sleep. Ideally, I'd love to stay at the Iberostar properties. I visited several of their resorts during my last stay and they are stunning! All inclusive baby!

*shimmy shake*

I don't know a lick of soca or reggae music but I'm gonna jam any way. I'm excited. Countdown begins now: 12 days to go!

On a side note, I'm soooo ready to date again so if this happens... I'm not even gon' be mad.

Come at me, Dexter St. Jock!!

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A Fresh Start...

2012-01-11T20:56:00.000-05:00

Ya girl been slacking on this here blog! I know... nothing new...

How was your New Year's?

Of all the holidays on the calendar, New Year's is my most favorite to celebrate. Needless to say, for the 2nd year in a row, I had a horrible New Year's. I spent it in Dallas with a friend. To make a long story short, the trip was a bust. Things did not go according to plan at all.

I am going to attempt a do-over some point this year.

2012... time for new changes and fresh starts. I have lots of fabulous ideas and plans for TravelJonez. Additionally, I'm planning out my travel schedule for the year. So far for January, I'm heading to Jamaica. (again) for the Jazz and Blues Festival. I have to go to Cabo at some point this year. My sister and I talked about spending a few days in Toronto. Butta Baby wants me to go on a cruise with her. Plus I want to return to Savannah and New Orleans. One of my 2012 goals is to drink MORE wine. So lots of wineries on the agenda too as well.

I'll be updating the yearly travel schedule on the side bar in the upcoming weeks.

What exciting plans you have for 2012?
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Holiday Sangria Recipe

2011-12-25T21:33:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas

I'm posting all late but you got the rest of the month to enjoy my Holiday Sangria recipe. I made it a few days ago for my holiday party and it was delciously potent. The only thing I did differently from this recipe I put together is I added *more* brandy and I used pineapple simple syrup instead of regular.

Click to enlarge

Oh, and noshing on wine soaked cranberries is the best part of the whole deal.

Check back in a few days for my New Year's Sangria.
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Best of 2011: Article

2011-12-14T12:35:00.003-05:00

I'm going thru a transitional phase in my life right now. A phase that includes utilizing the passport more frequently and ultimately, go live in another part of the world. I'm soaking up knowledge from all these books and blogs that continues to inspire me daily toward this goal.

One of the articles that touched me is from a blog called Almost Fearless. The blogger is a 30-something who quit her full time job, sold everything, and moved across to the other side of the pond with her husband and toddler to start a new life. She wrote a blog post touching on fear, making life decisions, and how travel has impacted her outlook on life.

Here is her story ..... (click to read)

When people tell me they want to travel, but they are afraid for whatever reason, I know exactly what they mean. Life is complicated. What we want and what we are willing to give ourselves are not always the same things.

~Christine: "Almost Fearless"

Best of 2011: Car Ride

2011-12-13T10:36:00.000-05:00

My sis & I acting silly before we hit the road

I wouldn't call it the "best" but it was most certainly an adventure. My Sis and I had plans to spend a weekend in Vermont on a working trip. It was a mess from the moment we stepped into the DCA airport and found out that our boarding passes were denied because we were checking in at the wrong airport! A quick beeline to Dulles and we missed our flight by 10 minutes. After several flight cancellations, we were forced to continue our trip the next morning. Thus missing an entire vacation day. The following morning, we managed to make it as far as Philadelphia before we were derailed with more cancellations. By 2pm we were forced to rent a car and drive because there was absolutely no other flight options. $250 for that last minute, one way rental!!!

We hit the road by 4pm. I drove first shift and wouldn't you know, this chyck was sleep 30 minutes in the road trip! After 6 hours I gave her the wheel, only for me to take it back after 3 hours because she was falling asleep behind the wheel. Needless to say, with rest stops and heavy fog, we didn't get to our destination until 1am. We only had 6 hours to sleep before we had to report for duty.

Luckily, we had a smooth flight back home.
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Best of 2011: Book

2011-12-11T08:48:00.000-05:00

This year I have been making a strong effort to get back into reading paper books. I'm not a Kindle chyck. I'm old school. I want a book. Even if it weighs 5 pounds in my purse and hurts my back & shoulders from the weight.

Where Will You Be Five Years From Today?

I borrowed this book from my roommate's book shelf and became hooked. I added a lot of the principles and questions into my vision journal. If I was to consider relocating again, it will be abroad. I'd like to experience life in another country. I'm noticing a personal life pattern: 6 years in Rochester, 5 years in Phoenix... If the stars align, I just may only stick around in DC til 2015 (Lord Willing). If that's the case, I got about 3 years to save some serious money for the move as well as visit countries to see which place I'd like to call my next home.

*Bonus read

I just started reading this book last week. I'm a firm believer in the Law of Attraction and I picked up a copy to see what this guy had to say. I'm only in the third chapter. I feel some type of way because the content is good, but this author is racist!! At times it was hard to continue to the next paragraph after he says a snarky or racist comment. But I have to remember that this book was written long before I was born.

Best of 2011: Restaurant Moment at Casa Mono NYC

2011-12-09T08:46:00.000-05:00

Last October I took a trip to help a friend celebrate her birthday. We really wanted to go the Food Network Wine and Food Show but after we saw the ticket cost we said: "Hayle to the No!"

I suggested as an alternative, we go on a Food Network Restaurant tour. Basically check out a few of the FN star's dining establishments. This includes the Neely's, Bobby Flay, & Mario Batali. We headed to Casa Mono which is one of Mario's places. I let the birthday girl choose the appetizers.

A short while later, the waiter brings me this:

Pulpo with Fennel and Grapefruit

I asked my girl what is this dish and she replies: "Octopus".

Come again!?

I looked at the waiter. I looked at my girl. I looked at the plate. I looked at my girl again.

I really wanted to ask for a dipping sauce to accompany this dish. Hot sauce or something!! But this was a fine dining establishment and I needed to act appropriately.

I loaded up my fork with what I called "The perfect bite".

A lil bit of the fennel, grapefruit, tapenade, and of course, the octopus.

It.... wasn't..... bad.

Definitely an acquired taste.

We finished the dish. I won't make this a habit tho. But at least I can say I ate an octopus before.

Cheeeck!
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Best of 2011: Day 1 - Best Trip

2011-12-08T05:16:00.000-05:00

Two years ago, I participated in the Best of 2009 challenge. It was a lot of fun sharing highlights and I have decided to do it again. Sadly, (or happily, depending on your out take) the creator of this challenge no longer blogs, so I'm just going to use the same format and probably switch out a topic or two. I'm a week behind, but I'll catch up.

Day 1: Best Trip

There wasn't a lot of travel this year. I just went back to a lot of old places. Chicago, NYC (several times, especially Prince), Jamaica (again), and a family trip to Ocean City (a first!!). The best trip for 2011 was with the bestie and her babygirl for our birthday trip to Savannah, Georgia.

Do not sleep on Savannah.

It's a pretty city with a lot of charm. We went for 2 days and there was still plenty more to explore. We will definitely be back. Below are a few random pictures from the trip.

This train car is the actual Whistle Stop Cafe restaurant. Best fried green tomatoes eva!

The Whistle Stop has old suitcases for props. Butter took one down for a picture opp. The suitcase opened up and a spider fell out!

Butta Baby and Nyla being silly. That lil girl ROCKS!

The water was amaaaazing on Tybee Island. I broke my flip flop .

Visited the Spice and Tea Exchange. I left with this habanero sugar. I'm going to use it in the chocolate fondue for my holiday cocktail party.

The only group photo. Love these girls!!

That's Randy's BBQ in the background there. We attempted twice to dine and both times they were closed. They open when they feel like it. We read amazing Yelp reviews and wanted to check them out. Up close, you can smell the collard greens seeping from the bricks. The food must have been THAT good. Butta Baby was pretty sad about it.

Couldn't miss a jumping picture opp. Side note: My arms don't always look that good.

We dined at Cobble Stone Cafe. Each table had a journal where you can leave a note. Baby Nyla left her scribbles on the left and that's mine on the right. The food wasn't that great here. We liked this the least next to Sweet Potatoes Cafe.

The HIGHLIGHT of our trip was a trip to Leopold's Ice Cream Shoppe. They were hosting a major party to celebrate their 92nd anniversary. I participated in a jump rope contest. Almost lost my damn breath, but I won!!

Interior of Leopold's. 92 cent ice cream FTW!

Also check out my post on the Savannah Bee Company and my Fried Green Tomato highlights.

Speaking of...

2011-11-23T04:39:00.000-05:00

Mama grilled this bird in 2005

Sooo... tomorrow's Thanksgiving?! Where did the time go?! At this time, I'm still unsure of my holiday plans. Really, I just want to chill. I want to order awesome Chinese food, rent a bunch of movies, including watching my favorites again like Harry Met Sally & Benjamin Button, while sipping on bottomless champagne.

Cider spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and orange rinds

Speaking of drinking, all week I've been sipping on spiced apple cider spiked with rum. I was thrilled to find Jamaican Appleton Rum at my local store. This sneaky sucker is soooo good. It is my favorite, next to Captain Morgan.

Speaking of cider, I'm inspired to make an apple cider sangria. The inspiration came from Pinterest

Speaking of pinterest, I. AM. ADDICTED. An hour or two of my work day is easily gone exploring inspiration boards. You can check out my pinterest board here. I also have a badge on the sidebar. -->

Back to thanksgiving: My sisters are probably disappointed that I didn't go home. They have been asking me at least 3 times a week to join them for Auntie G's Thanksgiving dinner. I feel some type of ways because Auntie G has my phone number and hasn't called to extend me an invite. I'm just not going to just show up at Auntie's house all willy nilly like that.

Bottomless Brunch

I've debated cooking a Thanksgiving Brunch. I've been obsessed with brunch. Just haven't had time to enjoy it because I'm working on Sundays for the holiday season. Lawd, I cannot wait to get my Sundays back! Anyhoo, that's a maybe on brunch. Too last minute to invite folks over and stuff.

I haven't seen my niece/nephew since Ocean City vacay last August. I am long overdue for some Auntie time. The kids will be spending the holiday in NYC with their mom's side of the family. I'm strongly entertaining options of hopping on the megabus to spend the day with them. I'm probably going to make a decision later today or first thing tomorrow.

Speaking of nieces/nephews, I really need to adopt some local DC babies to feed the inner Auntie.

Speaking of NYC, last week I spent a day in the city bonding with a new friend that I met thru Blogalicious and we dined on Thai and explored MoSex. It was fun and informative.

I don't know what this is. It just looks cool

Retro Vibrators. Bulky and looks like they hurt!

On the 3rd floor, there is a massive collection of personal items belonging to a fellow named Samuel Steward. Dude took very meticulous and detailed accounts of his sexual ... behaviors. Google him or better yet, check the exhibit if you ever get a chance to go. It was absolutely fascinating.

Masquerade Party New Year's 2010

Speaking of travel plans, as of yesterday, New Year's travel plans have been solidified. A friend invited me to come to Dallas to ring in the 2012. The subject came up yesterday afternoon and by evening, I had secured a plane reservation. Yay! I've never been to Dallas so I look forward to lots of exploration.

All right. I'm done speaking...

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Su Vino Winery: Bottle Your Own Wine

2011-11-16T09:50:00.010-05:00

Last summer my mom and her best friend visited Su Vino Winery, a small winery in Scottsdale, Arizona. The winery not only features a tasting room, but they offer the opportunity to create your own custom wine. This is ideal for when you want to celebrate an occasion, create favors for your wedding, birthday, or do it just for the heck of it.

My mom and her bestie, both whom love their share of vino decided to do it for the heck of it and commerate their summer spent together. I'll let her tell the story..

Check out her blogpost on her Su Vino experience

I'll wait...

Two months has since passed and last month I flew down to Phoenix to spend a week catching up with my mom and old friends. I planned my visit so that I can join her when it was time to bottle the white wine they customized. The wine they created, Summer Rain, has a sweet taste similar to Reisling.

The bottling session was fun. I didn't do much bottling. I freaked out after the cork machine temporary spazzed out on me. From that point on, I was just content taking pictures and sipping wine.

Below is the play by play of the wine bottling and how it all works. Excuse the horrible picture quality. I took them all using my blackberry. Ya'll know the crackberry is wack. You may have to click each picture to enlarge.

The package came with 30 bottles of wine. The first two steps was to wash each bottle and hang it on the red thingy with branches to dry.

Next, we siphoned the wine from the jug into the bottle. The 3rd picture looks confusing/blurry so I labeled the process a bit. Once the bottle was filled, a cork was inserted into this vaccum like machine and sealed the bottle.

There was a buffet of different color toppings to choose from. Best friend choose blue, orange, and green for her selection. Ma chose purple and some other colors that I can't remember. I did ask Ma to bottle one in a silver color to save for my wedding day - - if I ever get married. She begrudgingly obliged.

Once the topper color was selected, it was briefly inserted into this heating thingy to seal. Then came the labeling. The back label with the description, logo, and bottling date was attached first.

Su Vino provides a template that allows you to create your own custom label. Ma and her bestie loved this idea and chose a picture they took the day of their barreling. They submitted the completed template to Su Vino, who then printed the labels to adhere to each bottle.

Then the front label was attached and thus completed the entire bottling session. One bottle down, 29 more to go....

Bottling was quick. We were done in an hour (or less). After that we toasted our efforts and sipped on the Summer Rain.

Ma will be returning in November to bottle the red that she and the bestie created. Sadly, I won't be there this time around but it's pretty much the same thing. I just want to drink the stuff. (Ma, mail me two bottles of red, please!)

I looooved this and I want to one day do this for myself. As much wine as I drink, I oughta be creating a TravelJonez wine and an accompany customized wine glass to sell to the masses. I guess the question is: Why haven't I done this already?!

*cheers!*

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Exploring Chile: Valparaiso - Viewpoint of a Quaint City (Part 2)

2011-11-15T11:26:00.001-05:00

Logan's back!

If you missed Part 1 from last week, check it here....

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The views form the cerros are impressive enough, though walking the steep, winding streets with a bay view that are reminiscent of a San Francisco 100 years back is where Valpo boasts one if its most interesting qualities...the graffiti. An eyesore or an annoyance in many cases in the U.S., the graffiti here represents the beauty of perfection in imperfection.

On virtually every street there are amazing displays of artistic expression on walls, sidewalks, even staircases. Valparaiso is known for being a city of artists and was even home to one of, if not the most, famous Chilean poets of all time, Pablo Neruda. Neruda had three houses in Chile, but openly called "La Sebastiana" his favorite.

View from the garden at Pablo Neruda's house: "La Sebastiana"

He loved Valparaiso. He was known to take a walk every morning through the cerros to get out of the house before working his craft (and with such surroundings who could blame him!).

The hills provide great views and tucked away gems, but you'll want to use the funiculars once your legs demand it...and believe me, they will. These funiculars are simply wooden shacks placed on a platform and pulled by a giant wheel and cable system. They shake and shimmy and for some could be likened to a carnival ride. On more than one occasion I witnessed yelps, chuckles, and couples holding each other in "safety hugs". I'm not sure how old these lifts are, but they are old, real old.


Funicular

Fret not though, they are safe (I'm almost positive) and give the legs the rest they well deserve! One funicular in particular took us up to a restaurant (the name escapes me) located in a bright orange house atop Cerro Concepcion where one can enjoy fantastic Chilean wine (among the best in the world) along with an international sampling of food and a view that stretches the eye to the neighboring beach city Vina Del Mar

View from inside the funicular at Cerro Aritilleria

My recommendation would be to enjoy a bit of wine and eat lightly while enjoying this view because after a day of walking and when in the birthplace of the "Chorillana" one must, absolutely must indulge themselves in this typical Chilean dish at Bar Cinzano http://www.barcinzano.cl/

Chorillana

Here, one can also take in typical Chilean music, great wine or beer (some of the beer is Chilean brewed and is impressively tasty. There is a strong German influence in many of the Chilean craft brews) among locals and tourists alike.

It's a good thing the Valparaisians have those hills to walk everyday because between the chorrillanas, completos, and bife a la pobre, because without, one could better be rolled through the streets!

If this post were a day, we would now be somewhere in the timeframe of 11pm, as in Chile, meals and life in general are shifted 3 hours later. And accordingly, I will say my goodbyes and hope that you've enjoyed our time together, because the day is over and the night begins, and that, is an entirely different post. When you think "Chile" there are so many things to think of, but certainly remember to think of culture, art, warmth, amazing wine, and breathtaking views and geography among aging structures with new and evolving art. And most certainly, if you plan on visiting Chile, think Valparaiso...and wear good walking shoes ;)

A Prince-y Dilemma

2011-11-11T16:14:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I'm a huge Prince fan. If ya didn't know.. now you do! I've always mildly enjoyed his music but once I saw him live earlier this year... I am now a FAN and now got three decades of music to catch up on.


Purple Rain

Let me tell you... that man is talented. TALENTED. I think there is like 15 other words to describe him but I really don't need to get into it. Either you know... or you don't know. (Like Justice Fergie, for example. Check # 69 on her list)

Hey slayed me in this red outfit. SLAYED!

Fergie, He's a BIG effin deal...

Let's make a long story short. I've already saw Prince live in concert twice this year. Both times at Madison Square Garden in January and February respectively. He then continued his tour in LA where tickets where a whopping $25! (I swear, LA gets allll the good stuff!!) I couldn't afford to travel to the West. He spent his summer in Europe and after that tour was done, I heard nothing about any more dates. Until recently. He's doing a mini Canada tour, with two dates in Toronto.

Toronto?!? I can do Toronto!!

No... I haven't had enough of him. So silly of you to even ask me that question.

Here's my dilemma:
* * The only date I can do this is 11/25 * *
* * I must be back in DC no later than 3pm on 11/26 * *
* * My entire budget is $300 * *

I have a free place to stay. A friend who lives in the downtown area graciously offered me her condo. If I'm not mistaken, she lives in or near the downtown area. Close to the venue. That solves that.

Concert ticket cost me $100 for section 200-ish area. Not tooo horrible.

With just $200 remaining, there is the dilemma of figuring out how to get there. Here's the scenerios I've played out:

> Take Megabus from DC to Toronto. 22 hours (with no delay) roundtrip and the ticket cost approx $80. This option, while exhausting, is out because it brings me back to DC too late for my Saturday event

> Take Megabus from DC to Buffalo, drive to Toronto (only 2hrs from Buff) for the concert and back, then hop on the bus back to DC. *whew* This option is out because once again I will arrive too late for my Saturday event.

> Take the Megabus one way to Toronto, stay over night, and then fly back to DC first thing in the morning. A one way ticket to DC/BWI is around $300. This option is out. Kills the budget.

> Take Megabus one way to Buffalo, drive to Toronto and back, then fly home to DC first thing in the morning from Buffalo. One way to DC was approx $250-300. However, one way 10am flight from BUF - BWI was $120 on Priceline and Orbitz. This is option is doable!!! This means I don't eat in Toronto, but who cares. I'll starve to see the Purple One.

> Use my airline miles - I had enough of them to make the one way flight from Toronto but the effing airline had to establish the day after Thanksgiving as a blackout date. Out. Out. Out. *throws temper tantrum on kitchen floor*

Greyhound and Amtrak was out due to pricing (too high) and timing (not flexible enough)

If only my roommate was not so vocal about me being present for her big birthday bash Saturday night, this would have been easy. Option #1 or 4, hands down. By now, I'd just be playing Prince music 24/7 and having a daily countdown.

At the end of the day, it's a matter of what is important to me: Prince or friendship??

What would YOU do? Did I leave out any potential travel scenarios? Are you a fan? If so, what are you favorite songs?

My Top 5 songs:
Forever In My Life <-- This goes HARD.
Starfish and Coffee
Gett Off
I Hate U
Raspberry Beret

Share with me your top 5, pretty please.

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Exploring Chile: Valparaiso - Viewpoint of a Quaint City (Part 1)

2011-11-08T10:41:00.000-05:00

Let me tell you about Logan. He's one of my favorite clients and last summer he made a huuuge life change. He quit his job at a major pharmaceutical company and relocated to Santiago, Chile to start a new life. He always regales me of stories and pictures from his constant travels. He likes to tickle me and make me envious of all the fabulous vineyards he's exploring in Chile. (If you don't know, Chile produces amaaazing wines!)

I was able to convince him to share his stories and pictures on this blog. This will be a frequent thing, as long as Logan is willing to participate. The below is his first post, all his words, and all his pictures. Check it out and please leave a comment showing Logan some love!

Here's a view of Chile... from his point of view

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ever traveled to a place that made you wonder, "What and whom was happening here 100 years ago?" The peeling paint, cracked sidewalks, structures, domiciles, and storefronts that seemingly haven't changed in as much time strike a curiosity in me that feeds my hunger to explore. Most recently this place for me was Valparaiso, Chile. The city has a amazing ability to not let itself be defined. It's an old city, yet boasts thriving commerce, is full of graffiti, artsy cafes, well kept and dilapidated homes next door to each other, feels like an old friend yet can be dangerous at times. An important port city for Chile as well as the west coast of South America, the port stands on the edge of Valparaiso in more than just location as it is a giant modern looking structure among the rest of the city, which many would aptly describe as quaint or in the local language "pintoresca". The people of "Valpo" certainly take pride in this quaintness and charm that their city exudes. Even the industrious monstrosity of the port has colorful collage quality to match the city in which it resides.

Valparaiso is known as a "bohemian" city of sorts is set on a rising landscape with interesting nooks and crannies among the "cerros" (hills) holding winding staircases, cafes, local vendors, and lookout points. These images gave me the feeling of what I imagined South America to be. Family, warm, simple.

Upon first arriving you get to view the city's colors at once, but only by walking through it's inner workings, it's guts, can one truly feel it's essence. A walk through Cerro Concepcion shortly after arrival I came across row houses on empty streets painted in bright contrast and a little plaza next to a school where children played carefree.

Making my way down the hill I came across a lookout point that exuded a similar warmth...of a slightly different kind. Certain cities around the world are classified as "romantic cities" and while you may not have heard of Valpo, you can go ahead and put it on your list...without question. The mixture of near perfect weather eight months of the year, stunning views, boutique hotels tucked away in the quaintest of quaint neighborhoods, and a pace that lends itself to afternoon siestas will create the mood for any pair. Having said that, for you United-Statesians...be forewarned. Latin America does NOT shy away from public displays of affection (PDA), in fact it is a part of the culture that exemplifies its warmth.

Even knowing this fact, the reality and sight of being surrounded by couples kissing in the park, on the street, or in this case on benches at the lookout point on Cerro Concepcion was a bit overwhelming for this gringo. Though, I must admit, if you're going to make out in public, you might as well do it with a view such as this:

.... To be continued

Metrocooking Show Loot

2011-11-07T00:48:00.002-05:00

Last year when I attended the show, I left empty handed. This year, I told myself to set a budget & purchase only the things that make me jump of joy on the spot.

What's cool about my loot is everything except the coffee was locally made/produced. Feels good to keep my dollars in the DMV.

Keith's Treats and Eats Sweet Potato Bread
I haaad to get this. Last year I ate enough samples for at least 3 slices. This year, I did not hesitate. I'm pretty sure this bread is going to be gone in about 2 days.

Nature Isle Spicy Fruit Chutney
I did not jump for joy but this left such an impression on my palette, I couldn't just walk away. I gotta think of recipe ideas to incorporate with this.

Organo Gourmet Black Coffee (Red Box)
I was intrigued because the sign hyped up the coffee as healthy, but as soon as they said the coffee was instant, my *side eye* was in full effect. Last time I was served instant coffee was a few weeks ago by a friend's mother. Lawd, that stuff was harsh! I politely waited until the mother left before disposing of it.
He met my side eye and raised me by offering some kind of counter that I now forgot. So, yes, I'm skeptical but I brought it cuz I really want to believe that this is a good coffee product.

Stiff Willi Chili Pepper Sauce Now this stuff... Had me jumping on the spot. The way it was presented in the demo was the sauce was poured over creme cheese and served with a Ritz cracker.*Insert Emerald BAM here* Sold! I'm putting this stuff in my chili, my raemen noodles, and everything. I want this on my falalfel too. Man, I got ideas for this bad boy!

Cynirje Earrings

These blingy earrings was love at first sight. Literally. The designer offered them in various colors & sizes. I chose the smallest size which is the one I'm wearing in the picture, which frames my little head perfectly. Loove these!

I gave myself a $100 budget and I didn't even come close. I guess if I didn't spend so much time in the wine tent, I would have brought more stuff. (Another post later about the fabulous vinos from the show)

The only thing I'm currently regretting not purchasing is the cavi-art caviar from Plant Based Foods. It was my first time trying the stuff and I was pleasantly surprised. Hopefully I can find the stuff locally.

Any recipe suggestions for the chutney? Please share!

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Sundried Tomato Alfredo - Pasta Valente

2011-11-03T21:13:00.000-04:00

I'm hyped for the upcoming Metropolitan Cooking and Entertainment show that is happening this weekend. Last week I had the pleasure to be invited to an event meeting with the show's founder, Denise Medved, while networking with other foodie friends and noshing to small bites prepared by PS7 chef.

Bill and Denise Medved

We even took a brief moment to fellowship over wine with Jacques Pepin , via Skype. Check out this cool interview feature on Jacques via Food Network Magazine

At the end of the event, I was presented with a gift bag filled with lots of good food samples. I'll share a few of the goodies over the course of the month.

The first thing I couldn't wait to try was the sample of Pasta Valente. I eat pasta at least twice a week. For the simple fact that it is sooo easy to prepare and I can get from stove to fork in a matter of 15 minutes after a busy work day.

Pasta Valente is locally handcrafted by Fran Valente, here in Charlottesville, VA. She started cranking them out in her sewing room and selling her fresh pasta at local farmers markets before making them available at local grocery stores.

The brand comes with a handful of flavors. The flavor that came in my gift bag was the black olive and garlic. I paired it with a sun dried tomato alfredo sauce. At the time, I was pretty hungry so I skipped out the step where I usually saute some garlic & onions to accompany my pasta. After I mentioned my regret to not saute garlic, my roommate took a bite of the dry pasta and claimed she can taste the garlic pretty strong.
*shrugs*. Well that solves that.
The pasta did not take long at all. After 5 minutes of boiling, it was al dente and ready for consumption.

Here is the final product, which I garnished with sun dried tomatoes. (I was going to add red olives but roommate vetoed that.)

Verdict: This was soooo yummy. The sun dried tomaotes was an awesome touch because it added a burst of sweetness in every bite. What I loved most about the dried pasta was the short cooking time it required. That factor alone is a huge bonus for a time strapped chyck like me.

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Travel Necessity: Long Johns

2011-11-01T19:02:00.000-04:00

It's a little over a year since I've relocated to the East from Phoenix. I've been ... "okay" with the cold temps. I don't like it but I try not to complain because it's a non factor compared to the real reason why I've made the decision to move.

To keep my complaints to a minimum, I have got to make some wardrobe changes. Time to look into investing in a quality pair of long johns.

http://www.orvis.com

On my recent Southwest Airlines flight, it was cold on the plane. COLD! Despite full jeans, double socks, and full jacket/scarf/gloves, I had an uncomfortable plane ride.

Next time that won't happen. I have been hipped to silk long johns.

http://www.wintersilks.com/

Oh, this ish is about to change. my. life.

I already know it. I've been doing some research because I really was curious as to how a fabric as thin as silk can truly keep a body warm during the coldest of temps. Many forums I visited gave pure silk or pure wool long johns high marks. I'm going with silk because the thinner fabric is necessary as I don't always like to feel bulky when I'm layering up.

Once I get a pair of these on my body, no more shivering at airports or during bus rides. At least that's what I'm hoping. I've also have taken to leaving my travel blanket at home in effort to pack less so I'm hoping the long johns will fix this issue too.

I'll keep you posted.

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It's baaack! DC Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show

2011-10-31T13:40:00.002-04:00

I had a ball at last year's (click for recap) event sampling all kinds of foods and spices. I lost count how many times I went back to Paula Deen's booth to nosh on her "Shore Is Good" Seafood dip.

The Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show is back again. I'm looking forward to checking out the event and getting some inspiration as I get my party and event planning side hustle geared up.

Here some deets about the show:

PAULA DEEN, JACQUES PEPIN, GIADA DE LAURENTIIS, GUY FIERIHEADLINE NOV 5-6 METROPOLITAN COOKING & ENTERTAINING SHOW

James Beard Foundation Cooking Stage, National Beef Cook-off, 400 specialty food exhibitors, Cookbook authors set for two-day food extravaganza Food Network stars Paula Deen, Giada De Laurentiis and Guy Fieri will be joined by culinary legend Jacques Pepin at the November 5-6, 2011 Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

In addition, ten chefs and cookbook authors, all honored as James Beard Foundation winners, nominees or as guest chefs at The James Beard House, will take the Bloom Cooking Stage honoring the James Beard Foundation. Throughout the two day event there will be non-stop activities including a book signing pavilion featuring national and regional cookbook authors; ongoing demonstrations from knife skills to holiday entertaining; a beer, wine and spirits pavilion that will highlight local mixologists and the American National Cattle Women’s cooking stage presenting the winning recipes of the National Beef Cook-off plus the announcement of the 2011 winner of that competition. Known as a great shopping show, this year more than 400 specialty food exhibitors will showcase products – all for sale.

METROPOLITAN COOKING & ENTERTAINING SHOW

Saturday November 5 – Sunday November 6, 2011

Walter E. Washington Convention Center – Washington, DC

Hours: 10 am – 7 p.m. Nov 5; 10 am – 5 pm Nov 6

Ticket prices: General Admission - $24.50 in advance; $27 at the door

Children 4-12 - $12.50 in advance; $15 at the door

Children under 4 free

To purchase general admission tickets or tickets go to www.MetroCooking.com

In a few days I'll share some photos of dishes that I was inspired by the event.

Stay tuned.....

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Strawberry-Kiwi Sangria

2011-10-29T10:33:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine sent a special request for me to make him a sangria. He's always had a bit of a fruity sweet tooth so I mixed a batch of Kiwi-Strawberry Sangria for him.

Cast of Characters:

White Zinfindel Wine
Peach Schnapps
Brandy
Frozen Strawberries
Fresh Kiwi
I really wanted to use Strawberry Pucker but the store didn't have it in stock and I was short on time.

I mixed the above ingredients and after a quick taste, I was not quite sastified.

I had some Absolut Pear vodka sitting around and added 1/3 cup into the batch.

At that point, it was potent. Perfect for me... not so much for my friend. He'd want to tone it down.

To sweeten it up a bit, I added 2 small cans of pineapple juice to the batch.

Another sip... *ahhhh* Now we're talking...

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Battle of the Fried Green Tomato

2011-10-28T10:06:00.001-04:00

I think by now it's no secret that I love the stuff. I was first introduced to the dish when I watched the movie with the same name during my teens. It is one of my faves to watch on a lazy Saturday afternoon. I wished a lot more in inner circle enjoyed this movie because many times I find myself quoting it and no one "gets it."

About two years ago is when I first attempted to make my own fried green tomatoes. (FGT) I spotted them at the farmers market in Phoenix and picked up two green ones for about $2.

My first attempt was okay and ever since, I've been trying to perfect the receipe at home and enjoy noshing on them when I see it listed on a restaurants' menu.

1st attempt

My first attempt using polenta. On this one, I used too much batter. It came out more crunchy than I liked. 2/5

Every time I go to Eggspectations restaurant in Silver Spring, MD, I always order the same thing. A plate of FGT and side of potatoes & smothered onions.
4.5/5

Still not happy with this attempt because the breading didn't cover the whole tomato.

Next attempt was much better than the first. I liked the breadding (italian bread crumbs) and most of it stayed on the tomato. I also put shredded parmesan in the batter.
3.5/5

Two months ago when I went to Savannah, Paula Deen's "Lady & Sons" restaurant was first on our list of places to eat. They offered a plate of FGT with some kind of red sauce on top and an additional white dipping sauce. This was not good! The breading was way too crunchy and took away from the tomato flavor and that red sauce was yucky.
1/5

My basket came with 4 thick beefsteak tomatoes. I wanted more!

We visited the Whistle Stop Cafe which to me is straight out of the movie. We dined in a retro train car. FGT here was absolute perfection. Thick, simple, and delicious. The breading did not crumble and it came complimented with a raspberry sauce of some kind which was absolutely delicious but not at all necessary.
5/5

This taste as bad as the picture looks.

I tested a FGT at another Savannah eatery called "Sweet Potato Kitchen". A dining establishment recommended by my vacation home rental host. (Long story short: Yuck) The waitress tried to warn me that the Cafe does not make good tomaotes but I needed to find out for myself. She was right. It was greasy, and badly seasoned. I didn't even finish it and my dining companion turned her nose at the sight of it.
1/5

Earlier this month I got to check out Neely's BBQ Parlor in NYC for a friend's birthday dinner celebration. I had high expectations for this FGT. Come on, it's the Neely's!! It was oookay. The breading was awesome! That was the first thing I checked for. It was a bit on the greasy side and way too much of that onion ranchy sauce they had on top. (I ate it anyway) The tomaotes were sliced on the thin side, which I didn't like.
2.5/5

** Bonus**

Blurry Blackberry photo of this sneaky sangria

Neely's went above and beyond for a sangria lover like me and created a green tomato sangria. (Yes, you read that right.) I turned my nose but the waitress gushed and promised it was really good. I had to try it.
It IS good. Light & fruity. The tomaoto flavor does not come out strong at all, which should have been the star. I want to say the drink isn't potent (because it didn't taste that way) but after a 2nd glass, I had a really good buzz. This sucker sneaks up on you. I want to duplicate this at home and make the tomato shine. I'm still brainstorming on this one since the Neely's wouldn't share their recipe. (I already asked via Twitter.)

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner: Whistle Stop Cafe

Shout out to my good friend, Jermey who shared with me this video of Top Chef winner, Carla Hall and her FGT receipe. I'm going to try it this way next!

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Chocolate? Yes, Please!

2011-10-17T08:16:00.025-04:00

If you're going to eat chocolate in the desert, eat fast!

I came across this cool article that showcases 10 different hotels, restaurants, and spas all over the globe that caters to the inner chocoholic. Chocolate bar? Yes please. Chocolate massage? Ooh, let's try it. Make my own chocolate? I'm down!

Check out the article here.

P.S. The comments under the article made me chuckle a bit.

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Temporary Wine Fast...

2011-10-16T23:59:00.000-04:00

Earlier this afternoon my throat started to feel scratchy. Followed by a headache and heavy urge to sit down & rest.

I know those symptoms.

Further proof I was feeling "under the weather": I was in no mood to drink wine when I met a friend at a hotel for small chat. The wine was free ya'll! FREE! y inner wino was roaring. Oh, the agony!

Okay, maybe not that dramatic but I was indeed silently weeping.

Tried & true:a full pot of ginger root & lemon slices. After a day or two of consistently drinking this, my body is back to normal.

I refuse to get sick in the middle of DC Wine Week & the upcoming Blogalicious conference.

*sips more ginger tea*

Jonez

What I'm sipping on: Zafrika Pinotage

2011-10-15T11:45:00.002-04:00

$5 buck chuck from Trader's Joes

In a nutshell: this is reallly good! It's a dry one. My roommate who is not a fan of dry wine was even stealing a few sips from my glass. She says she's not a fan.(Liar, liar, pants on fire) But I'm going to make her a convert by spring!

Here is an up close of the bottle and it's awesome design

I better go stock up before they run out!
Jonez

I'm Getting All Wined Up...

2011-10-14T17:02:00.000-04:00

DC Wine Week starts tomorrow! As a proud wino I'm super excited and have been trying to negotiate my work schedule for next week so I can participate in some of the festivities. DC Wine week is a BIG deal. The ladies behind the planning pulled it all together in 6 weeks. A few days ago, DC Mayor Gray proclaimed DC Wine Week. Oooh, yea! Let's get them corks poppping!

Due to work and Beblogalicous, I'm unable to attend most of DCWW's events but you can! Check out the full extensive schedule here.

Just a small sample of the week's events:
Oct 15th - Official Opening Bash at Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar
Oct 16th - Social Sips on Sunday at Dino
Oct 17th - Twine Up at Urbana Wine Bar
Oct18th - Wine Tasting at Kramers' Books, Cafe, and Grill
Oct 21st - Chocolate, Cupcakes, and Wine at CoCo Sala
Oct 22nd - Official Closing Event at One Lounge DC

I'm salivating over this! Let me go and polish my wine glass....

Follow DCWW on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to dates on all the latest.

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I am in love with ... Illy's canned Cappuccino

2011-10-14T14:04:00.000-04:00

This stuff right here... *gushes*

My new go-to coffee that I keep stashed in my bag.

Jonez

Get yo' paparazzi on....

2011-09-28T11:10:00.000-04:00

Lawd knows I'm in the market for a new camera. This came just in time.

Check out today's Eversave deal if you are in the market for a new digital camera....

Vivitar Digital Camera

Limited Quantity: $69 for a 12.1-megapixel digital camera and accessories, shipping included ($130 value)

Expires 11:59 PM - Oct 07, 2011

A Whooole Week of Wine in DC?! Sign me up!

2011-09-27T17:01:00.000-04:00

One of my Twitter followers said "How come I am just now learning about DC Wine Week?! Because I spent too much time with ya'll moscato drink blacks!!" (@vivrant_thang)

*falls off desk chair!!*

*Attempts regular breaths after laughing so hard* She is right. Black folk love them some moscato. That wine annoys me sooo much. It taste like grape juice. They can get away with serving that wine during communion at church. No, really.

I did a double take. Did she say DC Wine Week?? A quick twitter search confirmed my excitement and I proceed to do my shimmy shake. I shouted my excitement Facebook and by the of the day, I have set a date with two girls to attend some of the weekly festivities. One of the girls whom I've grown up with on my block for years but just recently reconnected on FB and found out to my surprise she lives only 25miles outside of DC. Small effing world. Facebook is the bomb of ish like this.

Anyhoooo.... I will sooooo be there. I'm polishing off my wine glass, saving up my cash to purchase unlimited supplies of vino, and taking lots of pictures and video footage. Also if you know me, I just might be sneaking in my own bottle of vino or two.

Who else wants to join me? Part of the event conflicts with Blogalicious so I'll probably only have enough time to participate on 4 days worth instead of the whole week.

*Cheers!*

Great Grapes: Wine, Arts, and Food Festival

2011-09-09T09:59:00.000-04:00

If you had quite the busy week like I've had, you may want to consider wine'n down at the Great Grapes! wine, arts, and food festival this weekend in Reston, Va.

Rain or shine, the event is still going down. But I really do hope Mother Nature give us a break from the constant non-stop rain we've had all week. I'm so sick of wearing my rain boots. After seeing the exact same rain boots I own on the feet of several other ladies about town, I'm ready to chuck them and purchase a new pair. I was born to stand out.

I'm digressing....

The event is for two days and there are live bands and cooking demos scheduled. In addition to the opportunity to sample over 100 of different wines from local MD and VA wineries. Tickets are priced at $25 at the door, which includes a wine glass to take home. The ticket price is a little steep for this sista on a budget so to keep my costs low, I'm packing a small picnic basket loaded with lots of Vosges Chocolate.

If I'm not too exhausted from working all weekend, I'm definitely attending. I want to enjoy this last bit of summer before the fall chill hits the air and I start hibernating.

Who wants to come with me?

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Sangria: Jungle Fever

2011-09-06T20:36:00.000-04:00

I'm behind on showcasing my weekly sangrias. Here'e what I made for Labor Day weekend:

1 bottle Cabernet
1 bottle Chardonnay
1/2 c banana liqueur
1c MD 20/20 "Banana Red" flavor
Frozen blueberries and blackberries

The whole time I was creating this batch the "Jungle Fever" tune kept playing in my head so the name stuck.

Verdict: No more bananas in my wine! This is the 2nd time I've created a drink using the banana liqueur and the 2nd time I've had 'mixed' feelings about it.

This is a strong batch. I kept getting a headache every time I drink it. I think the 20/20 is to blame too. That is one ghetto, cheap wine cooler. I brought it from the liquor store in the hood and figured: 'what the heck'.

Heck NO!

This is the first time I did not finish my sangria. I got like 1/2 vase left. I just may chuck it down the drain.

(Yes, I create all my sangria's using a flowe vase. Who gon' check me, boo?)

I can already see my mama *side eyeing* me and giving me lip. Wasting all that good likka is not an option.

Who wants a sip?

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Jonez

Savannah Bee Company

2011-09-05T14:01:00.002-04:00

The very first stop during our Savannah Birthday trip was to the Savannah Bee Company. I'm not much of a honey fan but I was attracted to the option that you can sample as much honey as you'd liked while visiting the small shop.

This is not your average supermarket honey. Which I loathe. This is the good shyt. Reaaally good.

1) People lined up to taste
2) Up to 6 different bottles of pure honey for tasting
3) Apple and cheese slices with real honeycomb (Yum!!)

Butta Baby and I gushed from the second we walked into the building. She went straight for the tasting bar and I went straight to browsing at all of their inventory and displays. Including literature about each honey they have on hand and the region it is harvested from. They didn't just stop at honey. You purchase honey soap, lotion, toys, and shaving kits. Everything was reasonably priced and the staff was extremely knowledgeable.

After tasting several different honeys,our favorite was the Tupelo. Of course we had to like the most expensive and most rare kind of honey available. It taste soooo good by itself. One of the guys suggested it is great to replace sugar in baking, on fruits, and cheeses as well. We each purchased a bottle to take home. I cannot wait to think of creative ways to use the honey. So far, I've slathered them all over my biscuits. That's what they do in the south, right? (Sorry, I can't hang with Butter. The dairy product not my BFF)

There were also some cute touches such as the large beehive play house (Which baby Nyla was hardly interested in) and they had a huge autograph book on the counter for all to sign before they leave. Butta Baby and I left our mark.

At the end of the weekend, Butta Baby and I both agreed the Savannah Bee Company was the highlight of our trip. We had a fantastic time and loved the products. So weird that such a small place made a huge impact on us.

They have several locations in the greater Savannah city. We went to the downtown location since it was near by a few other restaurants we had lined up on our itinerary. Seriously make this a stop the next time you're in town. Even if you don't like honey, you can enjoy their skin products and smell just as delicious as the honey taste.

As I've mentioned before: This place rocks!!

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Psst: Don't forget to enter the EverSave Rewards contest, pretty please.

Check out this weeks wine deal:

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Today's Save:$60 for admission to the September 30th Winter Wine Event hosted by Gourmet Platters Catering ($130 value)
Expires 11:59 PM - Sep 07, 2011

Buffalo/Irene in a Nutshell

2011-09-04T00:55:00.000-04:00

* I left DC at 5:30pm and it was sunny and blue skies. My mom told me that the weather channel told her the winds would start around 6pm. It was reported to be a Category 3 storm.

* Katrina was a Category 3 storm.

* It took two hours for me to leave DC with all the traffic I was in. It was still sunny.

* At that point, I started throwing major side eye, wondering if I was tripping over the whole thing and should have just stayed my a$$ at home because it was all hype.

* Yes, I pulled over to the side of the road on Rt. 15 to make myself a peanut butter & jelly sammich. I tweeted about it and when I got home, my mom friend, who wants nothing to do with twitter found out about it. She won't tell me who her 'source' is.

* Around 1am I arrived to Rochester. Tired and in need of a serious stretch. Due to the late hour, I was not about to hit up my Rochester friends to crash. I attempted to look into a hotel. Most hotels in the area was sold out, thanks to the local area colleges starting their first week of classes/orientation around that time.

* I texted my brother (who was waiting up for me... ain't he sweet?) and told him I'll make the final 1 hour drive to Buffalo. Only to give up fifteen minutes later because I was seriously falling asleep behind the wheel. I pulled into a rest stop and slept in the parking lot for 5 hours.

* The next morning I woke up and completed the drive. Got to Buffalo by 8:30am. I woke my brothers up to have them let me in the house.

* Quickly brushed my teeth/washed my face so I can be decent for my trip to the barber shop. Not before I spent an hour cleaning up their living room.

* When I left, most trash was hauled out and you could actually see the dining room table. I bet now, a week later, that table is covered in old mail, pizza boxes, and discarded soda bottles again. My brothers live like the bachelors they are.

* Before I left, I bribed my two brothers to do my laundry. The cost: one egg McMuffin and one sasuage biscuit. Each. Greedy.

* Luckily I found a BOGO free Egg McMuffin coupon on the dining room table when I cleaned up the house. That helped my food bill.

* Got my hair cut and the barber cut my hair in 15 minutes and charged me $12.

* D.C. barbers: Learn from that shyt! A hair cut shouldn't cost me $20 and it shouldn't take 30 minutes to shave 1/3 inch of hair and most importantly, Buffalo barbers aren't using pencils and markers to color in lines and beards.

* My brother and I made a bet on what year my grandmother died. I said '92. He said '94. We ran up to my old bedroom, where I had her obituary taped to my wall. Sam won. I paid him $5.

* While in my old bedroom, I started digging around. Found lots of old jewelry, documents, and pictures. Including a bunch of things that belong to my grandmother in the garage. After a while, I bid my brothers good bye, grabbed my clean clothes and headed to my sister-in-love's apt to see the kiddos.

* When I got there, the kids were in the tub. When they saw me they yelled: "Auntie Jaaazz!" Music to my ears.

* 45 minutes later, Lil Man and I were asleep on the couch for a two hour nap.

* Awoken from nap by a phone call from Daddy. He wanted to take me out to dinner. So babygirl and I got dressed and met him for pizza.

* While at pizza spot, the tv was on the news, which announced Irene was dropped to a tropical storm. *major side eye to Prez and my mama while munching on pizza*

* I coulda been in DC catching up on my netflix.

* Went back to sis-in-love's house to get the kids packed up for a sleep over at one of their friend's house.

* Whipped up a batch of sangria. Once the kids left, sis and I each have a glass. We both fall asleep watching the new 'Karate Kid'. Yea, we are some sleepy party poopers.

* Sunday morning I attempt to visit my home church. I got the times mixed up because I arrived the last 20 minutes of service.

* Godmother invites me to Sunday dinner at her house. We stuff ourselves on mac 'n cheese, beans, chicken, peach cobbler, and my sangria. I didn't leave until 7:40pm.

* Get on the road to Rochester. The plan was to visit my RIT friends for a few hours and then hit the road for an over night drive back to DC.

* I get to campus by 9pm. My girls and I stay up talking until 5am. F-i-v-e in the morning!!

* I take a 2 hour 'nap' and on the road back to DC by 7:30am.

*I had to pull over twice to sleep. I made it to DC 12 minutes before my work shift was supposed to start. This means I had no time to return the car to Alamo, thus keeping it for another day.

* That extra day cost me $60!!!! #$%$ My favorite Alamo managers weren't there so I couldn't see about getting that extra charge reduced.

* Return to DC only to find it it barely rained and there was very little damage to my area due to Irene.

* More *side eye to Prez, my mama, the media, and the weather men who didn't graduate weather school*

In a nutshell, I'm glad I went home. It was a great visit. Expensive. But worth every sleepless second. I asked the question on Twitter before I left if you could be stuck indoors with ONE person during the hurricane, who would it be. I gotten several good answers. At the time when I posted the question, I could not answer for myself. But now I know... it can't be ONE person. It'd have to be my family.

Ain't nothing like family. Your friends and associates can burn you but your family is forever.

On that note... let's stop the sappiness right here!

Day Trip: Vintage Piedmont Winery (Pt. 2)

2011-09-03T23:59:00.001-04:00

.... to be continued from this post

Next stop, BFF and I drove down the road to Desert Rose winery. We pulled up to a ranch style building with lots of land and a small pond on site. Upon walking up the steps, we were greeted by a nice gentleman in a cowboy hat who introduced us to his porch dog and led us into the winery.

Once we got in, the place was bustling with folks getting their sample on. There is even a kiddie corner. (Yes, I side eye anybody who bring their kids to wineries. This is grown folk bidness!) Once we found a spot at the bar, we were warmly greeted by one of the attendants who gave us the wine menu. (Which I have since misplaced! *cries in my wine*) We had the opportunity to enjoy about six different wines, including one premium wine they served with a small chocolate square instead of a cheese place. No free wine glasses from this spot.

The owners, a husband/wife team, are so nice and engaging. They are from Seattle, my BFF's former home state so she enjoyed chatting it up with them. Desert Rose is still fairly new and it has that new building smell. If that makes sense. I absolutely loved their counter tops, which is filled with currency from different countries. The husband used to work for the C.I.A. (I think) and has traveled all over the world before retiring into the world of wine. Bada$$!

I absolutely adored their bathroom! It continues the whole cowboy theme and just flows.

We only stayed here for an hour as we were anxious to head out to the next winery, Hume winery. Which was less than five minutes away. Upon arriving on the grounds, it looks like I'm entering a big plantation field with it's neatly lined vineyards and big white house on the top of the hill.

Again I didn't take a lot of pictures here and misplaced my notes. I remember we lingered at this venue since it was pretty deserted. One of the guys working the counter was deaf/hard of hearing just like us so we enjoyed chatting it up with him. Hume had like 5 or 6 different wines on their menu, in addition to their cheese plate. I remember the cheese being really good, but not gushing over it as much as I did over the cheese at Rappahannock Cellars from the previous visit.

After an hour, we were ready to hit the road to the next vineyard. Instead of consulting with my GPS, I used a a map. I cannot read a map for shyt. Make a long story short, BFF and I drove for 45 minutes in the wrong direction before we realized my error. On that note, we decided to scrap the remaining two wineries and save them for another visit. Because of that error, it took close to two hours to return to DC instead of the 1.5 hour. It wasn't all that bad though. We rocked it out to old 90's jams on the iPod.

Now that the fall weather is approaching and Alamo is hosting their $15 weekend car rental specials, I'm ready to plan more weekend wineries excursions. Besides for my remaining Piedmont wineries I have to visit, I also have vouchers for three other vineyards in the DC/MD area to visit before the end of the year.

*Happy Sipping*
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EverSave Giveaway with TravelJonez

2011-09-02T15:31:00.000-04:00

First of all... let me apologize. I promised the giveaway would be announced yesterday. Needless to say it's been a whirlwind week, in addition to me being without internet access for two days. *cries in my wine* Anyhoooo please accept my apologies.

Now on to the fun stuff....

Two lucky winners will have the chance to earn $20 in Save Rewards deposited to their account to use towards future Save purchases. If you're not familiar with EverSave, it is a site that offers a daily deal at steep prices on everything from food to vacations. EverSave currently serves over 50 U.S. cities. Click here to see if your city is listed. Even if your city isn't listed, sign up anyway. I personally receive daily email alerts from NYC, Baltimore, Buffalo, and Chicago. Cities that I frequent often or will plan a vacation to in the near future and can use a good deal to maximize my vacation experience.

The contest is open to U.S. residents. One local D.C. winner and one National winner will be selected to win the $20 Save Rewards credits.

Contest rules are simple. Click on the below links to:
1) Sign up to be an EverSave member (Very important so we can credit your account if you win!)
2) Follow EverSave DC and/or National on Twitter
3) Like EverSave DC and/or National on Facebook
4) Leave a comment letting me know you're in and mention if you're DC or National.

Next Friday, September 9, 2011, I'll announce the two winners via random generator.

G'luck!
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Savez for Mexico, Vegas, and Vermont.

2011-08-30T15:56:00.000-04:00

The weather outside feels great now but you may want to start thinking about planning that winter getaway. Below are some hot deals in Mexico and Vegas. Both locations are warm all year around.

Check 'em out!

	Today's Save: Friendly Hola Vallarta Today's Save:$299 for an all-inclusive, three-night stay for two adults and two children at the Friendly Hola Vallarta ($726 value) Expires 11:59 PM - Sep 05, 2011
	Bonus Save: Vegas Hotel Card Today's Save:$49 for a $100 gift card toward stays at the Bellagio, the Palms, Luxor and more from Vegas Hotel Card Expires 11:59 PM - Sep 05, 2011
	Bonus Save: www.TravelocityIncentives.com Today's Save:$50 for $100 toward a Travelocity Hotel gift card Expires 11:59 PM - Aug 31, 2011
	Bonus Save: The Pointe Today's Save:From $79 — midweek night or weekend night at The Pointe at Castle Hill (up to $169 value) Expires 11:59 PM - Sep 01, 2011

Somethings to keep in mind:

* Don't forget to sign up to be an Eversave member before purchasing.

* The Friendly Puerto Vallarta resort has an age restriction: 28 and up

* A quick price scan of airfares from major cities: Chicago, NY, Philly, Baltimore, Phoenix, and DC, most round trip airfare ranges from $350 - $700 round trip for dates in September 2011 thru January 2012. Chicago provided the lowest fares. The resort is only 10 minutes from the airport.

* If you have a specific travel date in mind, you may want to call the resort to make sure it is available before purchasing the Save. Otherwise is your travel dates are open, purchase and keep your info in a handy place.

* Have any recently engaged friends? The Vegas deal would be an awesome gift to consider for a future bachelor/bachelorette party.

Contest details revealed on Thursday!

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Road Trip... Inspired by Irene

2011-08-26T18:40:00.000-04:00

Long story short: I blame my Mama & the Prez. I was cool on hurricane Irene. I was so thankful I was off work this weekend. I was gonna use the downtime to breathe from a full month of travels; catch up on my reading, blogging, and netflix, while sipping on this week's Sangria concoction. Then the Prez got on the tv talking about Irene has a potential to cause "historical impact" to the D.C. Area. Then I texted my Mama & she responded: "Go! Leave now!". Followed by hurricane details she copped off weather.com.

One of my twitter follwers said: "Irene is not playing games! She already snatched off her wig and earrings!"

*gulp*

Within 15 minutes, I booked my Alamo car rental using a 10% discount and a free rental day code bringing my total rental to a cool $99 after taxes & fees.

I spent the next hour packing & cleaning. *sigh* This packing light business of mine ... I just can't do it sometimes.

The above photo is everything I'm taking on the road with me. The red bag is full of groceries. Inside I got 2 bottles of wine, fruits, 2 pb & j sammiches, 4 rolls of crackers, a bag of candy, nutella, nila wafers, and a jar of roasted peanuts. Oh, and I packed 2 green tomatoes and panko breading. Brought the tomatoes from the farmer's market almost two weeks ago. I wanna eat them joints before they ripen. (Shoutout to JJ who showed me an awesome video with Carla Hall instructing how to make the perfect green tomato. Can't wait to try it!)

No, I'm not drinking the wine on the road. Wherever I settle for the weekend, I'm stirring up a big pitcher of sangria.

I'm doing the most. I know.

The green bag contains dirty laundry. I never get time to do laundry and I'm running low on the undies. Hopefully I can find time this weekend to get that handled.

My bookbag there has everything else. Laptop, books, notepads, toiletries, and a few more clothing items.

I'm only leaving town with three shoes. The flip flops on my feet, my birthday shoes (leopard print heels) & black Steve Madden heels. I wanted to bring more but I had to remind myself that I'm COMING BACK home in 2 days. Not running away for good.

Now I'm on the road, Chevy Malibu on the 295, Prince on the iPod, & coffee in hand. Oh, I brought my flip camera too. Hopefully lots of video footage to follow .

I think I'm being a lil silly for running outta town like this. But I kinda like the excuse to leave town. Plus I wanna see my family, get a (cheap) haircut from my old neighborhood barbershop, and eat some Leonardi's pizza while catching up with a few old friends. Oh, oh! Ted's hotdogs too!

Lemme stop blogging and pay attention to the road. I'm on the 695 and traffic is a beeeyotch.

.
Jonez

Travel deals coming your way

2011-08-25T18:08:00.004-04:00

*** Edited: Friday 9:09am - Eversave just announced they are allowing one more extra day to cash in the free save rewards. Go! Go! Go! ***

I have partnered with Eversave, a deal site that offers daily specials at discounted prices. I'm excited about this partnership because Eversave also features TravelSaves, giving you the opportunity to purchase vacation packages at great prices. A friend of mine recently took advantage of a Costa Rica all inclusive resort trip for 2 people $399.

Saweeet!

Every Tuesday, I'll share links of the featured weekly TravelSaves. Full disclousre: As an affiliate, I earn a small percentage from each sale generated when using the personal links on this blog. So, if you see a great deal to a destination, click away, purchase, go on your trip, take lots of pictures, and tell me all about it when you return.

If you are not yet a member of Eversave, click the highlighted link and sign up today to get started. Currently Eversave is running a promotion: free $10 saves and then another $10 when you spread the word to your friends and they purchase a save as well. The only catch is this promotion expires i~~n less than 5 hours!~~ Friday at Midnight.

Here's more details on the promotion which expires today:

All existing Eversave members and anyone who signs up for Eversave will get $10 in Save Rewards to use on any local, online, or travel daily deal before midnight on ~~8/25.~~ 8/26 Hurry! This credit expires on ~~8/26~~ 8/27.
Plus they have a great referral program! If you tell a friend about Eversave, you could
get another $10 in credits when that friend buys a deal from Eversave for the first time!

If you miss the promotion, don't worry. In a few days two lucky winners will have a chance to win $20 in Save Rewards from me. Deets to come...

Stay tuned for some amazing travel deals coming your way!
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Savannah in a nutshell

2011-08-24T23:38:00.002-04:00

* I am absolutely in loooove with this city!

* Southern hospitality at its finest.

* I rented an AirBnb home. My host was fantastic. He gave us an upgrade at no extra charge. Turns out he own several homes so he let us stay in one of his bigger homes.

* He turned the southern hospitality alllll the way up and gave Butta Baby and I great tips on places to see and eat.

* Speaking of southern hospitality, it was so refreshing to see people greet each other like: "How's the wife and kids doing?" And "Hey! How's your mom and dad?". They lingered during conversations. No one is in a hurry.

* These Southerners sho looove to talk.

* I was on a fried green tomato mission. I only tried three different restaurants. I wish I had more.

* Oh, that $100 budget of mine? Failed. (More deets in another post)

* I blame the dolphins.

* Speaking of dolphins, really, save your money and don't participate in the Dolphin tour.

* Back to them tomatoes: Whistle Stop Cafe had the best tomatoes. I love them for several reasons: You dine in a real train, their prices are great, and the whole scenery just remind me of the Fried Green Tomatoes movie. (More deets in another blog post)

* "You're my lil bee charmer"

* Speaking of bees, (hee hee) Butta Baby and I checked out the Savannah Bee Company. That place ROCKS!! (More deets in another post)

* Surprisingly I did not drink a lot of wine on the trip. First night I had a migrane. Second night, I was too exhausted from sight seeing.

* Butta Baby and I went to Leopald Ice cream shop on the suggestion of my host. Turns out it was their 92nd birthday and they had a huge block party w/ swing dancing, 92 cent ice cream, and hoola hoops.

* The party had a jump rope contest. When it was announced, I ran to the front and center. I told Butta Baby: "I'm in it to win it!"

* I competed with 5 lil kids and 1 other adult. I jumped and jumped... And jumped.
After a minute or two, I was about to FALL OUT! It was just me and a lil boy. I jumped and jumped and just when I was about to throw in the rope, lil boy tripped and I won. Victory! I scored a goodie bag full of toys, which I promptly gifted to my God-daughter. Should I feel bad about taking toys from a lil boy?

* The goodie bag included a big tube of bubbles. She and the rest of the party folks enjoyed the heck outta them. The event photographer took like fibty-gabjillion pics of me. I'm sure I'm going to pop up on their website or facebook page soon.

* The three of us agreed that block party was the highlight of our trip. We stayed for 3 hours and that good time only cost 92cents! Bargain!

* Wished the rest of my trip cost 92 cents.

* Another favorite about the trip: Butta Baby drove the whoooole time. Both ways. My bestie rocks.

* We loved exploring the city so much it was almost hard to pull ourselves away to enjoy the beach on Tybee Island.

* Once we got there, we were so glad we went. The Atlantic felt soooo good in between our toes.

* We only stayed on the island for like an hour. We only had 4 quarters for the meter at the beach.

* One of the gas stations on Tybee might have my picture posted on their wall as a wanted fugitive. I walked out of there without paying 25cents for a cup of ice.

* Sorta did it on purpose. Sorta didn't do it on purpose.

* Just call me the ice bandit!

* Yooooo! We checked out Lady and Son's. I was trynna stay away from most tourist traps but I HAD to try Paula Deen's spot.

* Paula's fried green tomatoes were not great at all. However her mac 'n cheese, yams and string beans were off. da. chaaain! (More deets later)

* Worst Fried Green Tomato goes to Sweet Potato Kitchen. Matter fact don't spend any money there. Well, maybe just a lil bit of money. (More deets later)

* What's up with a lot of these Savannah restaurants not having official websites?

* Secret's in the sauce! *winks* (I just had to throw that in there somewhere)

* Can you believe Butta Baby never seen the movie?! She's a movie collector! I was shocked. We'll have to fix that soon.

* My God-daughter rocks and is an awesome travel companion! Just wish that girl went to bed at 10pm so we could do grown folk thangs.

* We ate sooo much food!

* Speaking of food: We missed the chance to go to Randy's BBQ. It's hood but reviews said it was sooo good. I have to agree cuz when I approached the building to see if the establishment had hours posted, (which they didn't) I literally smelled the collard greens seeping from the bricks long after they closed!

* Randy's phone is disconnected. You just have to do a drive by.

* There's so much more of this charming city that Butta Baby and I have yet to explore. We haven't even touched on the historical parts. We spent so much time eating and dancing with ice cream in our hands.

* We agreed we will definitely come back. We love the baby, but we're gonna leave her home next time. We wanna do grown folk thangs: like Wet Willie's.

*Towaaaaanda!

* Follow @VisitSavannah on Twitter. Whoever is behind that twitter account is so engaging and informative.

* Packing light is for the m'effin birds. In my attempt to pack light I left behind my camera charger, blanket, and pillow. It was cold on the plane and my camera died Saturday night after taking over 100 photos.

* I manged three pair of shoes, 3 outfits, toiletries, 2 books, magazine, laptop in a book bag and tote bag. It felt good to pack light but next time my red carry on suitcase is coming with me!

* Butta Baby camera died Saturday afternoon but luckily she brought her charger so we had fresh batteries for Sunday's excursions. Between the two of us, I say at least 250-300 photos were taken.

* On that note: let me sign off. More details to come. No more vacations for me until October. That's when I'll back home to Phoenix. My first time back since I left last September!

Packing light... or at least attempting to do so

2011-08-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

I'm an expert at packing. No, seriously. I can fit at least two weeks worth of clothes in a carry on luggage. This is mostly due to color coordinating my outfits and rolling up each piece of clothing into small tubes or balls to maximize luggage space. I usually travel with no less than 4 pairs of shoes. One trip, I took 6. Hey, I like options!

Last weekend when I went to Ocean City with the family, I attempted to pack even lighter! Meaning I was able to stuff 7 outfits and three bathing suits in a tote bag. This also includes my toiletries and unmentionables. In a cooler bag, I packed my shoes and books. When I got to my condo, I just emptied the shoes/books and used the cooler on the beach as planned.

Even still with all that, I over packed. While in Ocean City, I was either in my bathing suit or my pajamas. I really didn't need all those extra clothes. As for the shoes, mostly I wore my flip flops.

I came across this article: "What essentials would you pack for a week long getaway?"

Hmm... it got me thinking....

This weekend I'm heading to Savannah for a quick weekend trip with the BFF. Again, our agenda will be simple. Just beach and lots of restaurants with a bit of sight seeing. I won't need to pack 5 outfits. In fact, my plan is to pack whatever I can fit into my book bag. I will also bring a small tote that will include my laptop and camera. The tote will also double as a purse during my daytime excursions.

I'm leaving a lot of stuff behind and reducing to this:

2 bathing suits

2 summer dresses

1 jean w/ long sleeve shirt

Pajama

toiletries

unmentionables

2 shoes (flip flop and wedges)

Camera/laptop/blackberry/charger

That's it.

To be honest, I'm really giving myself an epic *side eye* but I'm really going to try and attempt this.

What essentials must you take with you for a weekend getaway? A sista wants to know....

Budget Recap: Ocean City, MD

2011-08-16T09:17:00.058-04:00

Last week the family and I headed out to Ocean City. For this trip I did not follow a strict budget. I sorta wished I did, but I really had no idea how much to predict this trip would cost. My niece & nephew joined us from NY and I had them with for 5 full days. Additionally, I ended up making food purchases for my sisters as well.

However, I was spared the budget of purchasing the bulk of the food for the vacation home rental. Originally my mom & I agreed that me and one of my sisters would cover that expense. It did not happen and at the end of the trip, my mom just told me to keep the money and use that to purchase a new pair of shoes for my birthday instead. I haven't made the shoe purchase yet, but these are next on my wish list.

The travel dates were August 7th - 12th for Ocean City. My entire vacation period was August 6th - 14th. The below cost covers all of those dates.

Here's the quick and dirty break down:
Alamo Rental Car $163
Gas & toll $133.62
Liquor $14.98
Parking $3.90
Food $98.93
Entertainment $61.24
Essentials $23.21

Total: $337.51

Yikes!

A few explanations:
The rental car was an amazing deal I have secured from Alamo. I rented a compact car for 8 days. I was upgraded to a mid-size car for free. As a member I got 30% off the weekly rate, in addition to a free rental day coupon Alamo gifted me for my birthday.

Liquor purchase was contributed to making this sangria. Which my mom and I enjoyed daily.

Cabernet, peach champagne, banana liqueur, mango nectar, fresh apple and orange slices.

Entertainment included coloring books for the road trip, magazines for the beach, and redbox video rental when we had a movie night. Additionally, we spent an afternoon on the boardwalk and the kiddos enjoyed the on site amusement park.

$300 and created new memories with my family. I miss my kiddos already. Babygirl asks A LOT of questions. She refuses to pee in the ocean so several times I had to take the 5 minute trek back to the condo for bathroom runs. Lil Man is comical as much as he is mischievous. He loves to say: "I tooooold you!" to prove a point. I was the strict Auntie, trying to enforce mommy's 9pm bedtime rule. Grandma was like "they're on vacation... let them stay up!" This leeway cut into my Sangria dranking time. I kid..I kid... sort of.

A great vacation.

In three days I head to Savannah/Tybee Island with my BFF for another beach weekend. This time, I 'm sticking to my guns with the budget. I'm putting $100 crisp cash in an envelope and hiding the debit card. When I run out of cash... I run out of fun.

I'll keep ya posted on that one...

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Brunch at Local 16

2011-08-15T08:05:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I went to Local 16 for brunch. I took advantage of a $15 deal for an entree and unlimited mimosas. Great deal!

I love this neighborhood! (U & 16th) I got super lucky and scored a parking spot right in front of the restaurant. Once I entered, I was surprised to be met by a gentleman who was carding all the guests. I absolutely hate getting carded. Give me the wine I ordered and keep my glass filled. Don't ask me any questions.

I was promptly seated but it took a good 8-10 minutes to wave down a waiter to order my coffee. I'm a bald chyck in a bright red shirt. Really, its hard to ignore me.

When my drinks arrived, I sipped on coffee and mimosas while I waited on a friend to arrive. After 40 minutes it was clear I was getting flaked on/stood up so I went ahead and ordered. I was debating for a good 15 minutes between wood fired pizza or french toast with fresh strawberries. I was craving both! After seeing the french toast that was served at the table next to me, I knew I had to get it. It looked sooooo good. I was right. It was moist and delicious. My only gripe was I wish there were more strawberries on my plate.

Four mimosas and two cups of coffee later, I had to use the bathroom. Which was located upstairs. I used this chance to browse. Wow, this restaurant is spacious! Additional dining upstairs as well as an outdoor patio. I walked into the bathroom and I was shocked. I felt like I was in another world. The restaurant's decor is nice and elegant with cool art. The bathroom is...well.. Grungy.

Then I had a moment of deja vu. I've been in this bathroom before! Wait... I've been to this restaurant before. But it wasn't a restaurant. It was a club. I came here many moons ago with Lisa Pizza and changed clothes in this bathroom when I arrived to party immediately after a work shift. Hmmm... Was it called Local 16 then? Does this place transforms into a club?

Anyway... I enjoyed my experience there and even though it was crowded, I didn't feel pressured to leave. Luckily I brought a book and was able to enjoy my brunch for two hours. That was until my hand slipped and I spilled the 4th glass of mimosa on my lap/blackberry.

Welp. Time to go!

Beautiful brunch. Beautiful people. Awesome staff. Great prices. Yummy food! (Did I mention I couldn't finish all the french toasts?)

I would definitely return. And next time sit at the bar dining solo.
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Trynna get it IN

2011-08-13T20:27:00.002-04:00

Yoooo!!

It's my birthday!

Let's do a quick dance....

Prince!
Theme song for this b'day season: "Baby I'm A Star"

I've no idea what I'm doing tonight. It's been a long day of travel for me. Philly, Baltimore, DC. Stuck in traffic in all three cities. I brought a box of pizza and ate the entire thing in my car. Now I'm home and about to open this bottle of red. I'm trying to convince myself to go out dancing tonight. If not, it'll be a netflix movie night but umm... that's not befitting of this lioness.

Thanks to you all who sent me well wishes on Facebook, texts, and via my mom's blog post.

Love you all!

29 looks reaaaal good on me, ya'll!

Jonez Family beach trip: What I've learned so far

2011-08-11T15:59:00.000-04:00

Clearly I love the beach more than the entire family combined.

I was surprised the kiddos loved the beach. It was their first experience. They loved the water even more. Sadly, they got sick of the whole thing after the 3rd day.

I am breaking my self-imposed 4 day vacation rule. I'm with the family for 6 days. I love 'em but I'm ready to go home soon.

Lil Man met my dad for the first time. They hit it off!

My sisters are high maintenance. Multiple outfit changes and ish. Who wears wedges to the beach?!

My sisters nap. A lot.

The entire family spent a lot of time indoors during the day. Only venturing outside after sundown. Kinda defeats the purpose of a beach trip if you're not gonna spend that much time on the beach. Different folks. Different strokes.

Waking up at 5am to catch the sunrise is aweeeesome! God & his works are so amazing. The water was so calm and serene. For a brief second I remembered these same waters can cause utter destruction. I respect the ocean.
The salty breeze is absolutely wonderful.

Do not give people your magazines to read until you're done reading them. Folks will assume it's theirs to keep. -__- I'm a lil salty that my Mom T is hoarding my Oprah magazine.

Smartly, I've hidden my Real Simple & Food Network magazine in the rental car.

Speaking of rental car, it pays to have an amazing relationship with your local agency. Got another free upgrade. Riding around town with 2 kids in a roomy Dodge Charger.

I made most of the meals on this trip for the family. Which is great cuz I enjoy cooking. I really wish this was a great time to use new recipes. My family likes bland food & in the past have turned their noses up at my creative culinary creations.

I'm spoiled by my island beaches. Servers to bring my drinks and spacious beaches without the crowds.

Ocean City is nice but def not making it a frequent thing. A lil too crowded & touristy for me.

We caught a reggae concert on the beach. That was fun. Enjoyed by all.

Since I don't wear my aid on the beach much, I've been teaching the family sign language. They pick up fast. Loving it.

Mom T loves my sangria. Not before giving me a stern lecture about always drinking wine & doing it in front of the kids. I told her I will only be drinking it while the kids are in bed.

The kids are down for their afternoon nap and I was soooo tempted to bring some 'gria to the beach with me but I didn't want to hear anyone's mouth.

I need to keep the family gatherings short 'n sweet. This side of the Jonez family don't always 'get' me & that's a lil annoying.

Walking on the beach at 2am with my sisters was awesome. Bonding time is always a good time.

Jay-z, Prince, and a lil Kirk Franklin on the beach is what's going down.

I fondly remember when E and I would hook up the splitter on the iPod and have karaoke on the beach while sipping Raspberry Vodka & Cranberry juice. Good times. Good times.

It's 90 something degrees outside. Why is the lifeguard wearing sweat pants & a jacket???

I know I've said in the past that I'll avoid the internet during the next vacation. This vacation was it. Why did my family rent a condo w/ no internet connection?!??! I've been going thru serious internet withdrawals. Several of my jobs requires me to be plugged in. I'm going crazy not checking my emails & not getting things crossed off my to-do list. No bueno.

What's up with the London riots? Was there some kinda shoot out in Nyc? All of these things I'm missing out w/no internet access but I caught blurbs on Twitter.

My chocolate tan is flyyy!

Tonight's our last night in the condo. I head back to DC Saturday. I'm going to enjoy every moment. Still no idea how I'm going to celebrate my b'day on Saturday. I'm so overwhelmed, I just can't think that far out yet.

I'm sooo blessed to be able to share this experience with my kiddos. I absolutely loooove being an Auntie. It's challenging & rewarding to have the kids for 5 full days. You full time parents, I salute you.

Next beach vacay, next weekend with Butta Baby & Nyla. Nope, I'm not sick of beaches just yet.

Happy Travels...
Jonez

Daytrip: Vintage Piedmont Winery Region

2011-08-04T01:30:00.000-04:00

The BFF and I took advantage and purchased a recent online deal for wine tasting, cheese plate, and drinking glasses at five wineries in the Piedmont Winery Region in Northern Va. It was a perfect Saturday, until I gave her directions to a winery in the opposite direction, thus extending/canceling our road trip.

Let me start from the beginning.

The area is about an hour and half from the metro DC area. Give or take. I directed the GPS to take us to the vineyard that was the furthest out and then we'll back track from there. Our first stop was at Rappahannock Cellars. This is a beautiful property with a barn on site, lush grass, lots of picnic tables and a patio for relaxing.

Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by Andy, who quickly had his team whip up this delicious cheese plate for us. See that green cheese there? Yea... that was really good!

Rappahannock had some great wines. Evidenced by all the awards displayed on site. I can't share my tasting notes because I left them in the bag of wine glasses, that I mistakenly left at the BFF's apartment. After our tasting session was completed, we each ordered a glass of our favorite wine and headed out the patio to enjoy our wine with the lunch I've prepared.

Here are the results of the Lemony-Lentil Salad. It was a winner and very filling. I had to make some tweaks to the original recipe.

1) At the last minute I was forced to purchase rice. Whole Foods provided two choices: Brown or Bamboo rice. The bamboo was a green color and I thought that would be visually appealing.
2) Surprisingly, there was no lentil beans available at the salad bar. Instead we choose a 5 bean salad to compliment. No complaints there. Hardly missed the lentil.
3) The recipe calls to make your own dressing from scratch. I pulled a 'Sandra Lee' and cut corners by purchasing a bottle of ready made dressing. Again, a winner.

I also made a veggie sandwich and cut up fresh watermelon with mint. The mint came thru strongly after sitting for a few hours. Was sooo refreshing.

That's the first winery we've visited and we really liked it a lot and already vowed to return. As much as we wanted to stay, we left to visit two more vineyards before calling it a day. I'll share those two in the next posts.

The Piedmont area is so lush and beautiful! Heading up the road to the next winery.
To be continued....

Celebration begins.... now

2011-08-01T02:02:00.001-04:00

I need these shoes in my life RIGHT NOW! $5 for the person that tell me where I can find a pair in size 6.5

Leo season began a lil over a week ago but I don't start celebrating til we hit the August mark. This year I'll be celebrating the 3rd anniversary of my 29th birthday. (Don't ask questions. Don't try and figure out the math. Just go with it. Ok?)

My birthday is 13 days away but today I'm going to get it swinging with a cocktail. I am working the night shift so most likely I'll be getting my cocktail on at the noon hour. I don't give a damn who judges me. I'm a Leo, dammit. And a lush. And always looking for an excuse to drink.

On Sunday, I'll pick up the rental car and head to Philly to pick up my babies, who will be arriving in town via Megabus with their mother. It's been arranged the kiddos will spend 5 days with the Jonez side of the family in Ocean City.

You SEE these lion paw shoes right here?! Yaaaas! I want these too!

I'll return back to town on the 13th, my actual birthdate. At this time I've no idea how I'll celebrate. However, I did make brunch plans the next day at Local 16, taking advantage of a online deal. Unlimited mimosas? Yes, please. Brunch is open to anybody that wants to come.

Later that week, I'll be flying to SC to spend the weekend with my BFF, Butta Baby and her daughter, my god-daughter, Nyla. The three of us is going to have a triple Leo celebration in Savannah, Ga. We rented a beautiful vacation home via AirBnB near Tybee island, only minutes away from the beach. Butta Baby and I already agreed that Paula Deen and fried green tomatoes is on the agenda. Since we have a 2 year old in tow, there'll be very little night life. The vacation home we rented has a beautiful creek in the back yard. I forsee us sipping champagne under the stars while admiring the fire flies & getting bit by mosquitos.

This ish right here... yes, ma'am! yes, maaaa'am! You can find them here

I return the following Monday and back to work for a few days before I rent my dream car, a Mini Cooper for the day and drive up to northern Virginia and enjoy a few wineries in the region.

The last portion of the birth month celebration is still in the planning stages, but if it all works out, I'll spend a part of that last weekend in NYC. I've said it before, I'm soooo sick of Manhattan. I want to visit some place new. I'm hoping to spend the day/weekend soaking up the richness that is Harlem, NY.

Most of the planning has been completed. Stick around for pictures, updates, and of course budget. I'm always going to try and do it on a $100 budget if possible. Well... it's my birth month, better extend it to $200. I'm only 29.3 years old once.
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Labor of love

2011-07-30T04:48:00.002-04:00

Up at 4am preparing lunch for my picnic lunch with the BFF for our winery tour later today. Although our package includes a cheese plate, we're going to need some food to hold down all the wine from the 5 vineyards we plan to explore.
On the menu:
Lemony-Lentil and Rice Salad
Mediterrian sandwiches
Fresh watermelon chunks w/ mint
Nutella & Nila wafer cookies

So far I'm going to have to make a Whole Foods salad bar run before we hit the road. I totally forgot to buy lentils for the salad! In addition, the rice I cooked the night before was sticky. No ma'am. I boxed the rice up and stored it in the freezer. I will use it another day to create Biryani rice. I've also decided that the sandwiches would taste better with fresh olives inside. Which both the BFF and I love.
So this is when my labor of love turns into a fake 'n bake session.

Looking forward to an epic Saturday!

Now off to sleep for a few more hours.
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Strawberry-Basil Sangria

2011-07-29T13:03:00.001-04:00

I was inspired to create a Strawberry-Basil sangria and totally just winged it. I'm pleased to say after a lil trial and error, it came out really good!

Here are the cast of characters

Speaking of tasting, I took a sample of the frozen guava juice. It was on the tart side so I only used 1/3 of the mixture and stored the rest back in the freezer. Other than that, no measurements here. Just throwing it all in the pot. I also sprinkled some sugar on the frozen strawberries and quartered them.

Here is the finished results

Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. The longer it sits, the better it tastes.

Rachael Ray has this cool feature in her magazine where she takes a picture of a celebrity's fridge and interviews them about the items inside. So let's pretend I'm famous so I can play along for a few seconds.

A) If you have to ask...walk stage left
B) Nutella. I just learned I'm NOT supposed to put this in the fridge. It was promptly removed. Make nutella sandwiches with Nila wafers. Soooo addictive.
C) Some leftover Redbull from one of my late nights.
D) Where the hayle did "D" go?!
E) I always have wine ready in my apt. Everyday is a special occasion.
F) Save your money & don't buy Trader Joe's vodka sauce. This stuff is on the watery side.
G) I do not even know what this stuff is. I'll point the finger at my roommate.

After a few hours I sampled the batch. It was taaart. Roommate agreed. I struggled with an idea of what to put in the batch to sweeten it up. You've seen my fridge. Not much juice & sweet items. I loathe putting sugar in my Sangria. Turns out this was the best solution for this dilemma. I boiled some sugar, water, and basil leaves and made a flavored syrup that brought this sangria up a few notches.

All done!

Here is next week's sangria. I'll have to think of a name. Any suggestions?

'Emergency' Trip to Manhattan

2011-07-27T13:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday morning I woke up at 8am to a frantic text from my sister. She had plans to visit NYC and meet up with a friend there. That friend to put it mildly, ditched her. She was beyond annoyed because she did not want to visit the city for the first time all by her self.

So I did what any good sister, who always needs an excuse to travel do. I called off work, got dressed in 40 minutes, packed a toothbrush & my laptop and caught the next megabus smoking out of DC.

Sister was thankful. I told her: "You owe me a NYC Pizza slice!"

We both arrive to the city minutes apart. We only had 5 hours to explore and accomplish the things on her check list before we were to catch the return bus back home. Mind you, this chyck had Brooklyn Zoo, Avenue of the Americas, some kinda bakery, a hair salon and botanical gardens on her itinerary. I let her know right away she'll get lucky if we got two things crossed off her list.

First thing we did was set off to Miss Jessie's. Hair Salon, located near the Canal Street area. Ever since my sister chopped off her hair and went natural, she's been obsessed with the brand. She purchased her products and we snapped a few pictures and then headed back out.

On our way to go to the cafe to briefly meet up with the friend that ditched her earlier, I managed to squeeze in a bit of shopping. A new pair of shoes and 6 new pairs of earrings. Now that I'm bald, I gotta step the accessories game up a notch. All of the below was a cool $25 total!

After that 'anti-climatic' (her words, not mine) meeting with the "friend" we headed to Manhattan. She wanted to see 5th Avenue. We walked several blocks and took a bunch of pictures. I snapped the below picture of her admiring the magic and craziness that is downtown Manhattan.

This chyck is too pretty for her own good!

We both were starving. While on the Megabus, I texted a college friend of mine and let him know that I was going to be in the area for a few hours. We quickly made dinner plans and met up at Qi Bangkok Eatery.

I found this eatery directly off the subway stop. I was attracted to the ambiance, chandelier, and glass scenery. The menu prices were also extremely affordable. This restaurant was the highlight of our day trip.

My sister ordered a glass of fresh coconut juice with real coconut slices and this amazing Sesame Crusted Salmon. Amazing, I tell you!

My friend and I both ordered curry dishes. Mine was on the spicer side as requested. This was another delicious dish!

We left the restaurant with only 15 minutes to spare to catch our bus back home. We headed towards the subway. Once we got to our destination, we were met with torrential rain that came out of absolutely no where. With only 7 minutes before scheduled departure, we ran the three blocks to our bus stop, completely drenched.

We snapped this quick picture. The bus driver almost left without us!

Sister had a great time and I had a nice 'day off'. I never did get that pizza though.

The budget beakdown for those of you who may care:
Megabus Roundtrip: $35.00
Shopping: $25.00
Dinner: $10.00 (friend generously paid. I covered tip)
Snack: $2.00
Cafe: $15.00
Total: $87.00

Back to work!

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Daydreaming about T&C....

2011-07-19T18:52:00.001-04:00

This morning I got an email from JetBlue advertising another one of their $44 sales. I did a quick price check on their website because I'm forever checking for low fares to Phoenix. (Which Jetblue almost never offers...) I was pleased to see a deal for $99 one way between JFK to Turks & Caicos.

I put out a quick announcement on facebook page and was surprised to get a few responses.

Then I started daydreaming... "Hmm... how much would a trip like this cost?" I already know from working with previous clients, travel to T&C is NOT cheap. It is a luxury destination.

I plugged in the dates of September 11th and got the $99 rate. Unfortunately, this rate only applies for US-outgoing flights only. Returning 4 days later will cost me $149, thus bringing my total airfare to $359.60

I did some hotel searching and found Beaches Turks and Caicos, which is all inclusive wanted close to $2k for 4 nights. That's a bit steep for a sista. So I'm guessing I can't do the all inclusive thang without shelling some dough that could go towards my shoe collection.

image credit: Royalwestindies.com

After some more price checking and reading several reviews, I picked Royal West Indies resort. The pics looks fab (I learned not to rely on them) and the reviews were mostly great. The price is right. USAirways vacations is offering the resort at $751 or $375 per person. *Ching Ching*

The rooms comes with a small kitchen and fridge. Reviews mentioned there is a pastry shop down the road from the hotel as well as a grocery store. I could keep cost low by eating breakfast & lunch in my room and just spend funds dining out for dinner. Turks being a chill island, there isn't much to do in way of excursions and night life. (Unless I stay at the all-inclusive resort, then my options expand) Which is just fine by me. The resort is home to the fabulous Grace Beach, which I hear is top notch. I'm content chilling by the beach all day and watching Indian soap operas at night. This kind of trip requires me to bring a low maintenance traveler with me. I can't deal with someone who is restless and wants to be on to go. Not for T&C.

$750 for 4 days on a fabulous island.....is possible. Very much possible with some flexibility and a disciplined budget. Sawwweeeet.

*Goes back to day dreaming....*

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Refreshing Raspberry-Lemonade Sangria

2011-07-19T12:33:00.000-04:00

I was inspired to make a Sangria combining the refreshing flavors of raspberries and lemon. I just took a sip of this batch. It's soooo good!

Sorry, I do not have pretty wine glasses in my apartment. That will be purchase number 3 when I move into my permanent place. Whenever that is...

I digress... Anyhoo here's what I put in this recipe:

1 box of raspberries in a bowl with a generous amount of sugar and thin slices of lemon. I covered the bowl and let it sit in my fridge for an hour.

After the hour was up, I was left with raspberries that has broken down into a thick and tart syrup.

I added one bottle of White Zinfendel wine, 1/2 cup of Simply Raspberry Lemonade, 3/4 cup brandy, and the bowl of raspberry syrup.

I let the mixture sit over night and this morning I got the above results. Quite frankly, it taste just like the juice in the bottle but after the 2nd or 3rd sip, the brandy sneaks up on you.

Oooooh yea!!

Lindsay & I are going to enjoy this Sangria while we watch the "Bridesmaids" movie later tonight.

*Cheers!*

Jonez

Getting my grub on: Taste of Reston

2011-07-18T15:55:00.002-04:00

I had fully planned on this summer being a foodie summer. I had every intention of checking out the Taste of Chicago immediately following my Jamaica vacation and then travel home for the Taste of Buffalo two weeks after that. Budget derailed my Chicago trip and highway robbery prevented me from going home to Buffalo. Can you believe Mega bus wanted $80 for me to travel to Buffalo round trip? Where did those guys get their nerve, knowing they offer horrible customer service?!

A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine from Arizona came to town for a business trip. We spent some time together. I took her out to a few drinking spots and restaurants. Luckily, she was in town for the Taste of Reston event in VA and I was able to tag her along.

I was thrilled to have a friend tag along with me during my weekend excursions!

The Taste of Reston pretty much operates the same way the other Tastes I've experienced. You buy a book of tickets which you use towards food purchases. There was about 20-30 vendors and the most expensive item was the alcoholic beverages at 6 tickets. Most food items averaged 2-4 tickets each.

** I brought my 'broken' camera with me to the event so some of my images are not centered or just all around horrible. **

A few pictures of food items offered

I decided to break my vegetarianism for one day and indulge on some of the meat items offered. A sports bar offered a plate of Bangers 'n Mash, which looked good based on the description. It was not great. The potatoes were on the thin side and the meat texture was gross. I threw it out after 3 bites.

The award for the weirdest and by weirdest, I mean the dish that got the screw face from my friend would go to the Hyatt and their offering of chocolate covered bananas.

It wasn't bad. I got two for two tickets but only ate one. One was all I could handle.

Overall, we had a great time. We only splurged on one alcoholic drink. If we had time, we would have just stopped by a store and purchased a bottle of wine to share at the event instead of wasting 6 drink tickets that could go towards food. I was pretty surprised how small the event was. Reston is a pretty small town I guess. Despite it's size, it was fairly crowded and the weather was great! There was even a live band playing on the hour.

The next food festival I'm heading to (Lord willing) is the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival, sponsored by Food Network. I just found out about it today so I'm trying to see if I can scramble a last minute road trip. I probably can't afford the last minute hotel but luckily I have an Aunt & close friend that live in the area. We'll see if I can make this happen. I just want to go for the wine.... and The Neelys.

*fingers crossed*

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Another list: Summer 2011 Bucket List

2011-07-06T12:17:00.001-04:00

Last summer I watched "The Bucket List" movie for the first time. I absolutely loved it and the ish had me curled up on my mama's couch, crying thug tears.

Later I was surprised to learn this movie was directed by Rob Reiner, the same dude that directed one of my most-favorite-movies-of-all-time, "Harry Met Sally." Hmm... go figure!

This summer I made a small bucket list of stuff I want to check off the list in the next three months.

Celebrate birthday with my Leo babies - (Baby brother: 21, Niece: 5, and Goddaughter: 2)
Perry's Drag Brunch (Thanks to Rohan for hipping me to this!)
Boat Cruise/Dinner cruise
Visit three wineries in Va & MD
Visit three museums
One more stamp on the passport (Hopefully with Ariel)
Find a summer boo (He has to expire by October 1, 2011)
Drive a Mini Cooper
Reconcile with a good friend
Perfect the art of cooking fried green tomatoes (no, seriously!)
Return to Phoenix (hopefully in September???)

I'm keeping this list short and realistic.

We'll check back soon....

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New Wine Discovery: Assyrtiko

2011-07-01T07:31:00.001-04:00

Excuse the bad photo quality: Camera phone pic

Last week the BFF and I met at a local wine bar for happy hour to catch up before I left on my vacation. Her google search led her to Vinoteca Wine Bar and Bistro located in the U Street Corridor. Vinoteca is just like any other standard wine bar with the usual $5 wine specials and $5 plates. However they stood out with an eclectic happy hour wine menu. The list featured wines I've never heard of. I was impressed. I used the opportunity to try Assyrtiko, a white wine grown in the Santorini region. It was soooo good! So, so, so good. Right now because it's been a week ago, I cannot remember the taste. I should have took tasting notes but I was focused on bonding with the BFF.

Vinoteca gets 5 stars from me for the unique wine menu and the fine, chocolate bartender with the luscious lips that tended to us. Yaaas!

Vinoteca has happy hour daily from 5-7pm. If you're in the area, check 'em out.

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Jamaica 2011 $100 dime budget breakdown

2011-06-30T17:08:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week I vacationed at the Breezes Runway Bay Resort in Jamaica. I budgeted my usual $100 and I failed miserably. The only excuse I can come up with is the moment I realized I went over budget, I gave up and just kept spending money.

Not good!

This is why I try to withdraw all of my cash before the trip and put it in an envelope. Once the envelope runs dry, so does my vacation. I didn't do that this time. I had $80 COH and since I couldn't locate an ATM in the Orlando airport, I just mentally told myself that I'll use the remaining $20 for any necessary credit card purchases.

Bad idea.

Here's the breakdown:

$36 Cab ride from greyhound to Orlando Airport
$5 Tips to various cab drivers
$50 Jetski adventure (Read about that here)
$12 Gift Shop to purchase water, postcards and local stamps
$15 One full day wifi access at the resort
$11.21 Purchase of photo after sunset photo shoot
$9.22 International ATM & debit card transactions fee.
$138.43 Total

I could have done with out the photo for sure. It would be wise to say I should not have purchased the internet pass as well. Because I was feeding my addiction to stay connected to the world, I don't feel too guilty about that splurge. However, next time, there will be NO internet. When I vacation, I just need to vacation and disconnect myself from everything and everybody. Real talk.

So with that said, yea, I failed miserably.

Butta Baby and I are currently discussing plans for an upcoming Mexico excursion. She has already filled out the paperwork to replace her lost/stolen passport. We are looking at another all inclusive resort. Really, once you go AI, why go back?

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Vacation's over

2011-06-29T13:18:00.000-04:00

Vacation's over! I kinda wished I had one more day to spend on the beach, other part of me is glad to return home. I'm ready to go back to work!

My poor maid has her work cut out for her. My room hasn't been cleaned in three days. Mainly because the safebox in my room didn't work. So I put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on my door every day to protect my valuables.

This is my third visit/stay at a Breezes Resort. While the resort is great, it is not my cup of tea.

Next week I'll put together a comparison of pro/con list of the three resorts I've visited just in case anyone wants to review.

All in all, I enjoyed my resort. The employees are great, the property is clean, and the food is decent. Would I return? Probably not. More on that later.

Jonez

Sibling Road Trip: Jacksonville, Fl

2011-06-28T07:34:00.001-04:00

For the most part it was a smooth trip. We left after midnight but not before stopping by Wawa to pick up theee best cup of coffee in the world and take a quick photo shoot in the parking lot.

Thank God for my brother who did most of the driving. Jill put in about 6 hours herself and Ariel did the remaining hour. Yes, I volunteered NOT to drive. Hey, I picked up the rental. That's the hardest part of the whole gig!

The drive was supposed to take 13 hours. It ended up being probably 14, close to 15 hours because we took more rest stops than planned. Including an hour long stop at an outlet mall. I drooled at discount Coach purses for 30 minutes before walking away empty handed.

The Love Gathering was in a nutshell: overwhelming! Lots of family members that I've met for the first time. A lot of my dad cousins mentioned they remembered me from when I was an infant. Almost every family member was shocked that my dad has 5 kids. We got the same reaction each time we were introduced to a new member. It was kind of amusing.

Friday night I succumbed to a migrane and missed most of the Fish Fry. Once that subsided two cousins joined us in our hotel room and we bonded til 3am.

Saturday was the actual gathering with extended family members. Again. Overwhelming. I don't know why name tags weren't given because I don't remember nary a person. More importantly, why wasn't a family tree created and distributed? I was excited to learn that I do have a few family members that live in DC with me. We've exchanged information so I'm looking forward to keeping in touch.

At the end of the event, Auntie G snapped this photo of me and the siblings. I say it's the best photo of the five of us so far!

After the event, Auntie G treated us to ice cream. She's the best. I'm 29 and ice cream still excites me like a 5 year old!

I didn't join my siblings on the road back to MD since I had Jamaica waiting on me. I took the greyhound from Jacksonville at 5am Sunday morning to Orlando. From there I flew to Jamaica. The whole trip went smooth. I was just super tired after all that traveling. Upon arriving to my resort, I took an epic nap.

Now us siblings have to plan another road trip. Preferably someplace that requires less driving. We definitely need a bigger SUV. The Dodge Journey we rented was way too cramped for the five of us.

Jetskiing in Jamaica: Hard of Hearing Error

2011-06-27T16:46:00.000-04:00

I'm strolling on the beach, minding my business, trynna be inconspicuous as possible. This Jamaican homie rolls up and tries to flirt. I play the deaf card. That ish doesn't work cuz he attempted to enunciate and use hand gestures to communicate with me.

*sigh*

That's impressive cuz I respect a guy who puts up with me without rolling his eyes.

Anyhoo... Make a long story short, I reject his offer to go swimming, but I point at the jet ski. I tell him that what I want to do.

He says: "It usually cost $18 for 30 minutes but I'll charge you $15"

Deal!

I leave my bag with resort security and I give him info & tell him to look for me in case I don't return within an hour. This was necessary because the fellas handling the jetski are not affiliated with the resort.

I get suited up and within minutes, I'm rolling on the waves. My mind keeps thinking back to that scene in "Hitch" where homegirl kicks Will Smith in the face.

While I was riding the waves, I'm thinking to myself: "I'm having a blast & this is the best $15 I've spent!!"

Ride's over. Snap a few pics and then I pay him the money. He gives me a look. I asked: "$15, right?". He wrote the number $50 in the sand.

Dayum!!!

Hard of Hearing error cost me $35 dollas!

No, I was not wearing my hearing aid on the beach. Why should I?

Now I'm annoyed cuz that's half my vacay budget, which is $100 and I already used $36 out of the $100 to pay the cab in Orlando. Had I heard him correctly I would have either declined the jet ski or talked him down to less money/less minutes.

I forked over the $50, but not before withdrawing an extra $20 out the atm, plus a $6 terminal fee to get extra cash cuz I didn't bother to get cash in the States.

Maaaan! I had plans with that extra money which include internet time at the resort ($15) and bringing home a bottle of Appleton Rum and a bag of Jamaican coffee. Now I just may need to leave those behind if I stick to my guns about the $100.

In a nut shell tho, I'm having fun. I'm sending Butta Baby pics every hour of my vacation activities.

In 20 minutes I'm checking out a rum mixology class. Sunset photo shoot at 6pm. Italian dinner reservations at 7pm. After that I'm chilling. Probably in bed to catch that Indian soap opera I saw on TV last night. I left off when Rafika was in the market place and the bad guys coming after him spotted him in the square. Is he gonna run from them or try and beat them up? That is an important question!

See ya!

.

Jonez

Pony Express: Postcards

2011-06-23T06:58:00.000-04:00

Here is an unaddressed post card that I wrote on the beach in Jamaica LAST YEAR for my BFF. I've been carrying it in my suitcase all this time with every intention of mailing it off.

Now my BFF will be joining me in Jamaica on Sunday. So I'm just going to hand this post card personally to her when we meet at the airport in Montego.

Yes. Go ahead and judge me.

This year I'm going to do better. Post cards will be mailed within a month of my return. Ideally, I'd like to send it off before I leave the island, but let's be realistic here.

If you want me to send you a post card from Jamaica, shoot me an email with your mailing address!

Let's see how many responses I get...

Jonez

Sibling Road Trip: Jacksonville, Fl

2011-06-17T04:34:00.000-04:00

Next week my siblings and I will be taking a road trip to Jacksonville. It will be our first time traveling to the area. My dad's cousin planned a huge family gathering dubbed "Love Fest" for three days next weekend. He's been planning it for a year and is super excited about it.

We are excited about this event because we will be meeting some family members for the very first time. The last time I saw family members from my dad's side of the family was when my grandmother passed away. I was 17 years old and that day was a blur. So many people (and many tears) so I don't really remember much about that day except for one cousin who was light skinned with freckles. She was beautiful!

Thanks to Facebook, we've re-connected with some of those family members a few months ago. I look forward to meeting them all in person next week.

Planning for this trip has been stressful. First and always, there the issue of budget. On top of that, my brother has a funky work schedule and for a while was unsure if he was going to go. Then there was figuring out the logisitics of how to get there. On top of that I'm leaving for Jamaica straight from Florida and I had concerns about my siblings driving back alone if my brother couldn't join on the road trip.

Yes, the next eldest sibling after my brother and I is 21 years old but even still, I wouldn't put her on an 11 hour road trip alone. She's just a kid! (Don't let her find out I said that.)

After weeks of planning, text messages, a few phone conferences, we finally got it all figured out. For the most part)

Rental Car: SUV via Alamo - $245

Hotel: Wyndham Wingate $133.20

Gas: $217 one way *
* Gas was estimated using AAA trip calculator. I plugged in a 2010 Jeep as our vehicle just to get an idea of the cost.

Daddy Jonez is footing the rental bill. The siblings with JOBS will be handling the hotel & gas.

The awesome thing about the Love Fest is that we don't have to pay for a thing. My dad's cousin is footing the entire bill for everyone. All he wanted us to do was get there! What a generous gift!

Any extra money that is spent out of our pockets will probably be allocated to nightlife excursions with the family and liquor.

Several major factors will shake up the budget:

1) I'm going to Jamaica immediately after. Therefore I will not be assisting with the gas cost on the return drive home.

2) Brother may opt to fly back to NY instead of joining the girls back on the road Sunday to ensure he's home in time for work on Monday

I feel some type of way about my sisters driving back alone. Especially Jill, the speed demon. But then I remember there is a beach and a bottle of Appleton Rum waiting on me and those worries start to fade.

We'll see how it all goes down!

Happy 40th Tupac

2011-06-17T00:28:00.000-04:00

I'm a few hours late on this but yesterday the world celebrated the 40th birthday of rapper, Tupac Shakur. I'm not big on hip hop but I do enjoy Tupac's music.

I recently finished reading his book of poems: "The Rose That Grew Out of Concrete". It was a quick read, but I took photos of a few of my favorite poems.

Here's one of them.

RIP

Jonez

Five Hours

2011-06-15T17:03:00.001-04:00

Is the amount of time I spent searching airfare for Jamaica.

I spent two hours last Saturday figuring prices and route options from JAX, my starting destination. I considered MCO, MIA, FLL, & DAY. Taking into account shuttle options & additional costs.

Final verdict: Will travel out of MCO, via JetBlue for $222.

I gotta bribe my brother to make the 2 hour road trip in the middle of the family reunion.

Today I spent three hours looking at numbers that hasn't changed in the last three weeks. Again debating between which airport I'm willing to fly into and arrival times. I had to stratagize what is the latest time I can leave Mobay, with connecting flights, that didn't land into DC too late. I need to be able to rely on public transportation to bring me home. I did consider an 11hr layover option in Atlanta that would have forced an overnight stay. I only know one friend in the area & it didn't seem appropriate to ask to hangout & crash just for that purpose. I also reallly wanted to avoid depending on my DC friends for a late night pick up from the airport.

Long story short, I depart MoBay @ 8am via Delta and after connections, I'll be home by 4pm. Total: $266.

Good news is I will be home in time to make the MES mixer event at the Budda Bar that day. Bad news is I have to leave my resort at 6am to make the hour & half trek back to airport.

I plan on staying up all night to maximize on my resort amenities.

*Whew*

.

Jonez

Twelve More Days...

2011-06-14T11:34:00.000-04:00

On a yacht in Jamaica June 2010

A year ago, I visited Jamaica for the first time. I absolutely loooove the island. In 12 days, I'm returning and I'm taking my bestest friend in the whoooole wiiiide woooorld with me, Butta Baby.

We'll be staying at the Breezes Super Fun Beach Resort & Spa. All inclusive, baby!

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Jonezing for Steaz

2011-06-07T04:49:00.009-04:00

I visited my local Whole Foods for lunch and came across this beverage. It was on sale and the flavor piqued my interest. What I loved most about this product was the ingredient list. I could read and understand every single ingredient.

Posted on the back of the can and Steaz website:

Our premium brew uses the finest tea leaves and is simply made with; Filtered water, organic cane sugar, natural flavors, organic lemon juice, organic white tea and organic green tea.

That's what I'm talking about.

The pomegrante-lime flavor was a little weak in my opinion. The weather outside was 90-ish and humid so this iced tea hit the spot.

* No the company did not compensate me to shout them out. All my own opinions here

A travel journal: Burlington, VT

2011-06-06T04:44:00.000-04:00

May 26th
6am - Arise early out of bed. Shower, arrange outfits, pack contents in bookbag. Fiddle around on the computer. Move like molasses.

9am - Head out the door to catch metro to Regan Airport. (DCA)

10:30am - Arrived at DCA. My sister who Marc'ed from northern MD arrives to DCA minutes later from Union Station. Our flight is scheduled to depart at 12:35pm. Looked on board for our gate. Couldn't find the information.(Red Flag #1) My sister comments our flight is departing out of gate "so-and-so". I asked her where she got that information from. She replies: Online. She checked the stats prior to arrival.

10:37 - Attempt to scan our boarding passes at TSA using our blackberry bar code scanner. Didn't work. (Red Flag #2). Was sent to ticket counter.

10:52 - After waiting in line, my turn to speak with agent. Took him two seconds to realize I was at the WRONG DAMN AIRPORT. (*Sirens go off* Code Blue! I repeat, Code Blue!)

11:12am - Racing back to Metro to get to Dulles (IAD). Info desk lady says commute is about 40 minutes. We have to take Yellow line, switch to Orange line, and pay a $10 fare to ride the Washington Flyer Express shuttle to the airport.

11:17am - Check flight status online to see if by any chance our flight is on a delay. It isn't. *sigh*

A little after 12pm: We get on the Flyer shuttle. It wasn't long before we were on the road.

12:32pm - Arrived at IAD airport. Proceed to ticket counter to find out about travel options.

2pm - After learning we have to pay a $75 standby fee (W.T.Entire.F?!?!) We conferred with our bosses who approved of the additional fee. New boarding passes in hand. Next flight scheduled to depart 4:35pm.

2:30pm - Starved after a long morning of no food and no coffee. We pig out on Cinnabons, Pizza (for me) & burger (for sister)

3pm-ish - Chilling at the gate. Listening to music and snapping pictures. Sister is telling me about her recent break up with her boyfriend. (Who wasn't a really good bf in the first place) Around this time we learn our flight is delayed. Scheduled to leave at 5-something pm. (Oh, now we get a flight delay!)

5pm-ish - Learned our flight is further delayed. Sister & I rolled our eyes. We listen to Prince. I introduce her to some new (dirty) songs.

6pm-ish - Learned both remaining flights to Vermont is cancelled. *Frustrated sigh* While standing in line at customer service, I'm on the phone with United. Less than 10 minutes later, rebooked on flight departing the next day out of DCA. I tripled check with the agent that this was the correct airport. We would arrive at noon. This would give us two hours to check in at hotel and report to expo to work.

7pm-ish - After calling hotel and the company about new travel plans. Sister & I leave IAD. On the city bus. Fare is $4 cheaper this way. We nibble on a snack and in bed by 11pm. We sleep in our travel clothes. We have a 4:45am wake up call.

A whole vacation day lost. Had things gone according to plan, we would have been in Vermont by 2pm and a whole 24 hours before we were due to work.

Friday, May 27th
4:45am - Awake. Teeth brushed. Bags repacked. (I left behind an outfit and shoes)

5:30am - On bus heading to metro. Checking once again online that DCA was our departing airport. It was and we have a smooth commute there.

6:15am - We arrive at DCA. Pick up boarding passes.Enroute to gate and sister decides she wants starbucks. I suggest she purchase her coffee after TSA. She disagrees. After coffee is purchased, I realized at that moment that her drink will be turned away due to the whole 3oz rule. (No, seriously, I forgot to tell her this prior to her purchase) I explain this to her. She fumes and attempts to slam her drink without burning her tongue.

6:30am - At the gate. 30 minutes before our scheduled departure.

7:15pm - Boarding the plane. Chilly. Forgot to pack socks. At least I brought a blanket.

7:45am - Take off

Less than an hour later: Landed in Philly. A whole 3 hours before our connecting flight to Vermont. I have Dunkin Donuts coffee & bagel for breakfast. Sister has a strong craving for McDonalds and was willing to walk to another terminal to get it. I warned her Philly airport is huge. She shrugs her shoulders. She's a woman on a mission.

Fifteen minutes after that: We still haven't reached the McDonald's location. I park myself at A17 gate & tell my sister I'll wait for her there. I was thru walking.

Twenty minutes later: She returns with her food. I flag down a cart. We ride the long distance back to our terminal.

9:45am - Armless chairs at our gate! I spread out on three chairs for a nap.

10:15am - Sister awakes me with bad news. Flight is delayed. #%$@ !!

At this point we all knew there was no way we were going to make the 2pm check-in time at the expo we were scheduled to work.

Long story short we learned around 1pm-ish flight is cancelled indefinitely.

3pm-ish: Boss has arranged for a rental car. We are to drive 9 hours from Philly to Vermont

4:09pm - After some hassle with the rental agency, sister & I are finally on the road.

We breeze out of Philly. Hit traffic in NYC (freaking car accident) Stop in New Rochelle for road trip snacks. around 9:45pm, I turn the wheel over to my sister. Awake by 11-ish because we needed gas. We stop by McDonalds to juice up our dying blackberry phones and snack on ice cream (me) & chicken nuggets (her). Back on the road with an eta of 1:08am. We soon hit heavy fog. 12:45am, sister wakes me up. She's too exhausted to drive. I take over. Because of the fog, our eta was extended to after 1:30am. I navigate thru the fog, easily find our hotel and check in at 2am.

Text the boss to inform of our arrival. He begs me to get some sleep after the 7th text. I make sweet music to the softest bed eva.

Saturday May 28th.
6:05am - Awake and dressed in 30 minutes.

7am - 7pm - Work the Keybank Marathon Expo. Luckily a vendor was passing out free coffee. Ben & Jerry's was on site with delicious marshmallow ice cream. We are caffeinated & sugared up.

8pm - We eat dinner at Al's Fry Shack. I'm pissed cuz a large bucket of fries was like $5. Shocked to learn this restaurant won a James Beard Award. I throw *major side eye* at this tidbit cuz JB is a prestigious honor and the Fry Shack wasn't exactly a prestigious restaurant. The fries taste aiight. My sister comments her burger was the best she ever had. (She ate nothing but burgers this entire trip. I chastise her about this.)

9pm - I purchase a bottle of wine and a pack of gum.

9:30pm - We both are in bed. Wine is poured. Movie on tv.

9:35pm - Take two sips of wine

9:37pm- KO'ed asleep.

11pm-ish -Open one eye and shocked to learn 3/4 of the wine was consumed by my sister alone. Good Lord!

Sunday May 29th
6am - Awake and take a quick shower. Pack & head downstairs to handle last minute work related paperwork & shipping.

7:49am - Check out of hotel and heading to rental car agency.

8am - Car returned. Shuttle to airport.

8:15am - Check in and TSA goes off without a hitch.

9:20am - Begin boarding. Yes. Looks like were going to have a smooth trip.

9:50am - Take off. Sleep the entire way.

11:10am - Touched down safely in DC

* the end *

This whole trip has made me realize air travel simply isn't my cup of tea. Those of you who followed this blog knows of my excessive complaints from ticket prices to my annoyance of TSA and their silly rules.

I've been road tripping just about every other weekend this spring. I will need to do a separate post on just how much money Alamo collects from me. I heart them. Megabus too. I don't heart them.

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Just words: Start Running

2011-05-23T13:28:00.001-04:00

Two good words: Free and Awesome

2011-05-03T02:26:00.002-04:00

A friend of mine put together this AWESOME eBook: "50 Awesome Things to Do in the District". This eBook is the bomb and came out just in time. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I'm ready to explore my new hometown. Check out all the 'off the beaten path' sites, festivals, and fabulous wineries.

The book is free to download. All you have to do is sign up with your email address and it's yours!

While you're downloading, check out the http://district365.com/. Lots of awesome content. I enjoy following up on the countdown and as a newbie in town, the 365 site has quickly become one of my go-to websites to visit. Love it!

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This is going to be a frequent thing ...

2011-04-30T03:45:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday the weather was absolutely georegous! After spending Saturday cooped up in my bedroom, I vowed to go out on Sunday. I hopped on the Metro & made my way over to King Street in Alexandria. King Street is the home of 20 blocks affectionately known as 'Old Town Alexandria'

The block was bustling with families & pets. Many cute shops and a few major retailors line the streets. There's also a couple historical sites, walking tours, and many restaurants to check out along the way. The area is the perfect background for a photo shoot. (Note to self: Bring Jill & Dre here)

At the of the 20 blocks, there's the water front. I was not alone in my idea about wanting to lunch under a shady tree while catching up on some reading with my iPod. Luckily at Founder's Park, there was plenty of green grass and shady trees to go around. Including a patch of sand to play volleyball and a small basketball court.

Yes, that's an artist painting the landscape. His work came out pretty cool!

After I settled under my tree, I pulled out my lunch, and spent the next two hours people watching until the wind picked up and the storm clouds starting rolling.

It was definitely a relaxing Sunday and I know this will become a frequent thing as I enjoy my new city. Next time, I'll bring company to join me.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T10:10:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter!

No matter your form of travel, whether it's via plane, bus, or even metro, I wish you & yours safe travels and a blessed Easter Celebration.

The above picture is one of the finalist for the Peeps diorama entries hosted by the Washington Post. This diorama captures everything that is crazy/unique/annoying about DC's fabulous metro system. I love every single detail. From the station manager reading his paper, to the sign board stating the next train is never going to come. (Which be the case sometimes!!) Locals fondly recall when the escalator malfunctioned at Dupont and look at the tourist hogging up space reviewing the map. I can't even be mad. I was once a tourist. Heck, I still am!

Anyway... Happy Easter!

If you want to see more diorama entries, check out the Washington Post's slide show here.

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Fake It Till You Make It: Bali & Phuket

2011-04-18T10:55:00.004-04:00

One of my clients asked me to help him plan a 9 day excursion to Bali & Phuket a few months ago. It was fun planning the trip because he was flexible with his budget and he was open to new ideas. All in all - - he was very happy with his vacation. I placed him a hotel that was less than a mile from the beach and near city center where he partied every nite.

One of his hotels was adjacent to a monkey forest. So it was a regular site for him to see monkeys out his window and sometimes even in the hotel lobby!

He shared tons of vacation photos with me as well as detailed reviews of the area, culture, and hotel properties. He such an awesome client because thru his stories & his pictures, I was about to vacation vicariously thru him!

Just sharing a few of the pictures he sent me...

My favorite is the beach photo. I just may have to blow it up and have it framed in my studio.

Happy Travels!

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No Laughing Matter

2011-04-12T11:56:00.004-04:00

One of my twitter followers hipped me to Dumbest Tweets Tumblr and I lost 1.5 hours of my work day reading every.single. post.

So worth it and the perfect mid-afternoon mood pick-me-up.

I was in the library when I read the above tweet. It took everything, I mean EVERYTHING in me not to bust out laughing out loud. I was suppressing my giggles so bad, the two guys that shared the table with me was giving me funny looks.

Then this chyck right here.... *sigh* My people... my people...

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Guess who likes grits now?

2011-03-13T21:30:00.000-04:00

I detest most breakfast food. Oatmeal. Eggs. Cream of Wheat. Grits. Ever since I was a kid. Yuck!

Last week I had a real craving for catfish. I've heard, via Twitter, good things about Eatonville. The sister restaurant of Busboys & poets. I made my way over there. My catfish order came with a side of grits. I was hesitant. The waiter did offer me the option to change my sides if grits was going to be a problem. I decided to stick it out & try it. After all, they were "cheesy" grits. Ya'll know how much I love my cheese.

Long story short: Cheesy grits = win!

Foodie February

2011-03-11T19:04:00.002-05:00

February was a foodie month for me. Due to my living situation, I was unable to cook. Broke my heart & broke my wallet.

I'm famous for taking pics of my food and demanding my dining companions not to touch their food til I get that one good shot. Here's a few of the yummy delights I've had last month. *start drooling*

La Madeleine's

I was able to lure my sister to Georgetown with the promise of free breakfast if she gets out of bed at 8am and dressed in 15 minutes. That chyck was ready in 10. We browsed the shops and came across La Madeline's. The Sunday morning brunch crowd was popping and luckily we snagged a table within minutes after our arrival.

I'm not a big breakfast person, so I settled on their 'famous' tomato bisque soup with this potato patty dish. That potato patty was delicious! I wanted more but at $2.50 a pop, I made it last. Immediately following, our sweet tooth kicked in. I settled on Tiramisu and she got the Boston Cream Pie. Why didn't I take a picture of her dessert, I have no idea.

Bond 45

My favorite Auntie G came to town to visit. Due to her late arrival, we only had time to catch up over dinner. It was Restaurant Week at the National Harbor so we drove over to the area to check it out. Auntie G was in the mood for steak and/or seafood and Bond45 fit the bill.

Thank God for Restaurant Week cuz Bond's prices are on the high side. We were able to enjoy a 3 course meal for $35. I'm a transitioning vegetarian but I'm not quite ready to give up fish. After I ordered my glass of wine, the server brought out this huge bread. I know there's a name for them. I don't feel like looking it up. This bread tasted like warm, fluffy, clouds. Yum. Yum. Yum. I felt like I was eating air. As you can see, I sopped up the remaining of my 5 bean soup with it.

Appetizer: 5 Bean soup
Entree: Salmon with baby tomatoes & white beans.
Dessert: Again it has a name. Starts with a P. It's a pastry with lots of drizzling chocolate.

Here's a few more pics of my Sis' braised pear salad and Auntie G's steak. Bonus: Server treated us to fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and a shot of limoncello to cleanse our palette. Win!

I enjoyed Bond45. It was crowded and the service was fast and friendly. Awesome date night spot and they are right by the water if you want to take that romantical stroll afterward.

Lunch Break
I cant' remember the name of this restaurant so I'm calling it "Lunch Break". It's located in Old Town Alexandria.

It wasn't even 11:00am and my boss was already frustrated with the way the day was going. She blurted out that she needs some wine. I commented off hand that it's already 5'0clock somewhere. On that note, we walked three blocks to a local wine bar for some vino and a sandwich.

Wine. At lunch. During work. On the boss' dime. W-I-N!

Bosslady ordered a glass of red and I chose a sparkling wine. We both got this delicious, delicious, delicious sandwich with Buffalo mozarella, roasted red peppers and pesto. Bosslady added prosciutto to hers.

After lunch we headed next door to Lavender Moon's cupcakes. Very few cupcake places impress me and my boss was convinced that Lavender would win me over. Eh... no. So far, CocoSala wins!

I attended a party downtown hosted by Metro Events. It was an opportunity for me to network with local event planners and sample some amazing food. Unfortunately, I lost some of the pics I took and I'm feeling a little lazy to upload the video footage I took of the event. Upon entering, I was greeted with this electric blue cocktail. Taste good, but needed more champagne. In other words, not potent enough!

The star of the evening, the mashed potoato bar. Very appealing to a carb addict like myself. The bar featured 3 potatoes: yellow, peruvian purple, and sweet bourbon mashed potato. Accompany the bar was every topping imaginable including scallions, cheese, and caramelized onions.

The first picture, I got all three potatoes crammed in a martini glass with various toppings. I fell in love with the Peruvian mashed. (Before today, I've never seen purple potatoes). I love onion everything so I loaded up on the onion and sour cream. Yummmmy!!

I was craving breakfast one morning and past a restaurant that advertised a French Toast special. With agave and fresh strawberries. If you haven't tried agave yet, run, not walk, to your nearest grocery and get you some! It's an amazing replacement for honey or sugar.

This is a horrible picture because I snapped it when I was half way thru it. After the first bite, I went IN on these french toasts. You can find this plate of awesomenss at Le Pain Quotidien.

Matter fact, I'm done here. All these food pictures are making me hungry and I'm about to head right back to Le Pain for their yummy cucumber, cheddar, and avocado sandwich. I've ate that sandwich just about every day since last Friday. Who needs meat?

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Meet Charmaine

2011-02-28T21:07:00.002-05:00

Scene: Week before Christmas. Jermey's studio. Chillin on the couch. Jazzy sipping wine. Pizza sipping on spiked cider.

Cast of Characters:
Jonez - I need no introduction
Pizza - Canadian BFF
JJ - The man every girl wants to marry but can't have

JJ: Jazzy, name your favorite Cosby show character.
Jazzy: *ponders* ... ... ... Oh! Charmaine, with her fast talking self!
Pizza: *giggles*
JJ: *Hands Jazzy a gift bag* This is from Pizza & I.
Jazzy: *Opens gift*
JJ: Her name is Charmaine!
Jazzy : *beams* & *hugs stuffed moose*
Pizza: *giggles*
{The End}

Charmaine, my new travel buddy

Hostelin' it up in NYC

2011-02-23T07:38:00.003-05:00

I went to NYC twice in a three week span. For the exact same reason. To see Prince, live in concert.

By the way: Price = Epic.

Most of the time, when I visit NYC, hotel is hardly an issue because I have a ton of friends in the area. Then there are those few times when I'm just in the area for a quickie & want to keep a low profile because time doesn't permit me to reconnect with my friends, that's when a hotel stay is in order.

Love staying in hotels but I cannot justify paying prime market price for a room that I need to borrow for a quick shower, change of clothes, and a nap. So with that said, I was looking for something cheap and still close to the city/subway lines.

This proved to be a challenge. Which I love. I'm all about the thrill of the chase.

It didn't take long before I was becoming a little frustrated with my Orbitz/Travelocity/LastMinuteTravel/Expedia hotel searches - - the sites were not producing cheap enough options. Even Priceline's "Choose Your Own Price" option laughed in my face. Just when I was about to settle one one of these overpriced hotels, my girl Nina hipped me to Airbnb.com.

If notice from my past trips, I avoid hotel chains much as possible. I'm into the boutique, off -the- beaten-path, kinda places. I definitely don't sleep on BnB's either but sometimes they fall out of my price range. I can't *do* couchsurfing, altho my mom had some great experiences couchsurfing while in Europe last summer. AirBnb is like a step up from that and I fell in love... quick.

With only hours before my departure, I did a quick scan of the available options, made contact, and secured my room with relative ease. The site is very easy to use. I type in my destination, desired travel dates, and sorted my options by price. Sent a quick email to the owner and await a response confirming wheather my inquriy is accecpeted or declined.

My first contact declined, saying the room was not available. Immediately following, Airbnb sent me a $5 "Try Again" discount coupon. I contacted a second owner and after a few quick email exchanges, it was a done deal. After my coupon, I paid $35 for a room at the Central Park Inn. Payment was handled thru Paypal. This feature I absolutely love! My paypal account is like my "play money" that I keep stashed up. I liked that the expense didn't come out of my wallet, even though it's still a 'budgeted' expense.

That last sentence may only make sense to me.

Central Park Inn is a breeze to locate. They are located literally steps away from the subway, which is a plus. The neighborhood is "okay". I didn't feel totally unsafe walking back to my hostel at 12:30am but I still need to keep two eyes and my one good ear open. This is NYC, after all.

My room was literally just that. A room. A very tiny one. I was in heaven. No, seriously, I was.

As soon as I stepped in, there a small table, safe box, and a neat pile of towels. Above the table is a rack & hangers for clothing. A quick turn to the right and there is my full size bed. Which you can see takes up the whole space of the room.

(RIP to my red blackberry, that crashed & died a few hours later at the concert, after being dropped one too many times)

(Yes, Jermey & Lisa, I brought Charmaine to NYC! I absolutely love her!) Charmaine is my stuffed moose who is quickly becoming my new travel buddy along with my trusty giraffe print travel pillow.

That's it. That's the whole room.

Upon entering the main lounge area, I was pleasantly surprised how clean the hostel is. Very clean. Even the bathrooms (two on each floor) were sparkling. I already knew that I'd be back.
1) hallway leading into the kitchen/lounge area.
2) One of the bathrooms
3) Lounge area with flat screen tv, dining area, and couches
4) Kitchen - offers free coffee & tea, plenty of shelving space and cabinets for long term guests

Three weeks later, I sent the owner, Dave, a quick email letting him know that I will be returning to the area and would like to stay at the Inn again. I requested the same room budget room I stayed last time and Dave did me one better. For the same price, he upgraded me to the larger room. (Picture above)
Full size bed and twin bunks. Not too shabby. You already know I slept on the bigger bed.

The Inn is going to be my new go-to spot on my solo travels. It clean, simple, and meets all the bare minimum basics. Also provides free, high speed wifi. The extra money I saved gets spent on food and cocktails. Win-Win.

Readers: Help me out a bit. I keep returning to Manhattan when I visit the city. This needs to stop! Not that there is anything wrong with Manhattan, but I know there are many more hidden treasures & vaults within the city I've yet to discover. Hip me to some new food & destinations for me to check out. Off the beaten path. Please and thank you.

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All right Megabus, you win, but you still got some ish to improve

2011-02-08T11:17:00.000-05:00

All right .. I concede. I cannot avoid Megabus.

Mega is cheaper than Bolt & I cannot deny scheduling. They depart almost every hour between DC & NY and that makes all the difference in the world sometimes.

Bolt doesn't service Buffalo, my next out of town trip. So I scored a Mega ticket for $12. You can't beat that with a stick.

Megabus: Please work getting your buses to run on time! And just like Bolt, you should have some kinda rewards/loyalty program. I'm paying all this money for lackluster customer service, I should at least get something in return.

Thank you,
A reluctant fan.

Jonez
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Busin' it

2011-01-25T05:26:00.003-05:00

Since I've relocated, I've visited NYC several times. My primary mode of transportation: the bus.

I absolutely love it!

No TSA molestation. My luggage stays with me. Most importantly, It's CHEEEEAP!

The four hour trip is an awesome excuse to catch up on my web browsing (when the free wifi is working properly) or catch up on some much needed Zzzz's.

I've tried four bus companies in the last three months. Here's the quick run down:

DC2NY
Pros:

- Clean
- Comfortable seating
- Water bottle provided upon boarding
- Movie optional*
-wifi worked great
- Great pick up/drop off location (Union Station/Penn Station)
- Apparently travel to near by beaches. Something I'll have to try in the summer

* Passengers take a vote if they want a movie viewed during the ride. Majority wins.

Cons:

- Late arrival
- Pricey $28 o/w
- Not really active on social media sites
- limited services

Vamoose Bus
Pros:

- Comfortable
- On time
- Several pickup/drop off options from DMV: Bethesda Lorton, or Arlington
- Good drop off location in NYC: near Madison Square Garden
- Awesome & prompt communication via Twitter & Facebook
- Two Bus options: Regular & Gold (1st class)
- Free Wifi
- Effortless reservation change process

Cons:

- outlet didn't work *
- Pricey $30 o/w for regualr or $50 o/w for Gold

* When I mentioned this on Twitter, I got an immediate response suggesting I ask the driver to simply re-set the switch

I used this bus service to return back to DC. I arrived well after midnight and was dropped off two blocks from the Metro station. I kinda wish the drop off area was a little closer. That's my only main gripe.

Mega Bus
Pros:

- Cheap
- Huge buses - - some are double decker
- Frequent schedules - - hourly
- Good pick up location (DC)
- Free wifi

Cons:

- Horrible communication *
- Annoying pick up location (NY) **
- Changing schedules was a pain

* This was my bus service of choice when I traveled to the area for Christmas. This company was the first to cancel all bus service between the 2 cities, well before the storm started. Which did not sit well with me. (At least the other companies continued to operate until weather conditions deteriorated.) Communication was sparse during the weather cancellation. I got an email Monday morning, advising me of the previous Sunday's cancellation! I was owed a partial refund, which I never got & quite frankly, they can keep my money because I won't use them again unless it's a life and death situation.

** I can't remember off the top of my head, but I believe I had to meet the bus on 9th & 31st. Which is out of the immediate Times Square area. I wasn't feeling that.

Bolt Bus
Pros:

- Cheap (maybe $2-3 more than Mega)
- Clean bathroom!!!! (I was surprised)
- Frequent schedules -- hourly
- Good pick up location (DC)
- Good pick up/drop off location (NY)

Cons:

- Wifi didn't work
- Sparse social media interaction

I didn't care too much that the wifi didn't work during my trip because I was utterly exhausted both legs of the trip. (Packing prior and partying with Prince afterward) I avoid public bathrooms on buses if I can. I've been known to hold the bladder for the entire duration of the trip. But I wanted to use the restroom to clear my system for the long slumber. I was surprised at how clean and odorless the bathroom on the bolt bus.

Conclusion:
I like the Vamoose the best. Communication goes a long way for me and this company delivers. It is a splurge so when funds are fluid or I'm wanting just a little bit more comfort, I'll purchase from them. Otherwise, Bolt bus is going to be my bus of choice. Both Mega & Bolt bus advertise fares as low as $1 but I haven't come across them yet. It is worth noting that each reservation was booked 24 hours or less prior to departure date.

Next NYC trip: Feb 7th - - if all goes well.

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I'm always the last to know about the good stuff...

2010-12-31T15:00:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I stopped by the grocery store and was in the check out line when I spied the groceries the women behind me put on the belt. Two bottles of sparking cider, a bag of collards, chicken stock, black eyed peas, and cornbread mix. I turned to her and told her: "I like your dinner menu. I want to come to your house to eat." We exchanged a quick laugh and kept it moving.

Later that same night, someone on Twitter asked if anyone was cooking black-eyed peas for their New Year's dinner. *blink .... blink*

Apparently this is some kind of New Year's tradition in the South and yesterday was my first time hearing about this.

I only ate them once and it definitely wasn't New Year's the day I consumed them and deemed them inedible.

*side eyes my momma* for making me missing out on years of fortune and good luck.

I did a quick google research to learn more about this tradition. I learned the peas symbolize good luck. Some go as far to cook only 365 beans in a pot and add a coin into the pot. Greens indicate money and fortune. Cornbread is supposed to represent gold, but I agree with this autho r, it is a good accomplice for soaking up the peas.

So it is decided, I'm having this for dinner tomorrow night. I really don't know the first thing about making black eyed peas. I remembered I didn't like them once, but my palette has since matured and I'm ready to give them another chance. I just happened to browse over to Pioneer's Women cooking site, and found an awesome and simple black eyed pea recipe that includes cooking my peas in bacon fat. Yaaaasss!

Picture credit: Tasty Kitchen - click on photo visit recipe

Many blessings and good luck to you in the 2011 year... Lord knows, I need it.

I (Still) Suck

2010-12-29T23:28:00.000-05:00

*Major side-eye* to myself for not posting in over a month. I'm totally embarrassed.

Merry belated Christmas to all 4 of my readers. How was your holidays?

Mine was epic. I took a whirlwind holiday vacation to MD, DE, PA, & NY in a span of 5 days. Two of those days I got stuck in that annoying blizzard.

I was gonna blog & share pictures but my laptop won't let me be great! I've gotten a nasty virus the past month and haven't quite recovered.

{Message to hackers and virus developers of the world: May your suffer the pain of 1,000 papercuts!}

I'll *try* to come back tomorrow if my laptop wants to behave.

A final note: Can you believe that there is only 1.5 days left til 2011?! I'm astonished! Where did the year go?! Seriously?

Jonez

What are you thankful for?

2010-11-25T22:41:00.007-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I had a lot to be grateful for. I spent most of the day on Twitter spitting out random ish. I'm too blessed to be stressed.

I had an amazing Thanksgiving. Shout out to my Elkton family, LisaPizzeria, and Fergie for making it special.

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DC Metro Cooking Show Recap

2010-11-20T10:52:00.006-05:00

Last week's Metro Cooking event was a blast. There was all kinds of food, kitchen, housewares for display and sale. The venue was super crowded and it was a great turnout. Because I spent most of the morning lounging on the couch, we didn't get there until after 1pm. I missed a few classes and demos that I wanted to check out.

Lisa Pizza was particularly disappointed about missing the tea and chocolate pairing tasting. I told her I'd make it up to her by hosting a similar event in our apartment.

I missed Bobby Flay, and I skipped Paula Dean to enjoy the rest of the expo, but I made sure I was available to catch Mrs. Racheal Ray. She was awesome and cooked halibut with a cornmeal & old bay seasoning crust, with leeks, cherry tomatoes, and bacon. We are sooo going to duplicate that meal again in our household.

One of the highlight of the event is meeting a local company, Catalyst Gourmet that specializes in teas & spices. At the expo, the owner introduced a new line of chocolates that the company will be rolling out for the holiday season. I instantly fell in love with their Tantalizing Turmeric chocolate bark. The name says it all. Fergie and Pizza were not as impressed with it as I was. I went back three times for samples! The owner was gracious enough to give me a small jar of Turmeric so that I can attempt to recreate the chocolate bark at home. Look for an upcoming post on that.

Last Sunday, I live tweeted a lot of photos of the different foods and sights I saw at the expo. Here are a few of my favorites:

The pics are too small but a sample of some of the eccentric foods I've came across includes Ginger Beer, Potato Chip coated peanuts, a plethora of vinegars & oils, and I love this ginger/pepper label design.

Indian Curry Ketchup ... I'm not a ketchup fan, but this was good!

A local BBQ company featured a chipotle chocolate dry rub! {{chocolate!!}}
I got to find their business card among my stash so I can share the name

I've lost track of how many samples of Paula Dean's "Shore is Good" Seafood dip and Keith Foods Sweet Potato Bread. Sooo good! I'm kicking myself for not buying some to take home.

Lisa & I checked out a cooking demonstration

Foodie Weekend

2010-11-14T10:21:00.008-05:00

The past three days I've been on a foodie roll. My wallet curses me, my belly is giving me the *side eye* and my tongue has been saying "Thank you, Sweet Jesus!"

The adventure started Thursday afternoon when I dined on an amazing salad from SweetGreen. I love this restaurant's concept and you should check them out when you get a chance. I devoured the Chic P salad within minutes. A vegan salad with Falafel, chick peas, veggies, and a lemon hummus tahini dressing.
Photo courtesy of SweetGreen

Later, I was strolling through the Georgetown area looking for a place to dine when I came across Paolo's. I was attracted to their happy hour menu. $3 cocktails with awesome titles like Sir Kir Royal, Buttery Nip.ple, Toasted Almond, and Blue Hawaiian to name a few. For $3 I got a good buzz. Gold star for the bartender not watering down my likka.

I ordered a second Nip.ple and asked the bartender for some chocolate syrup. The cocktail was 10x better with chocolate. Seriously, everything taste better with chocolate.

Do I need an intervention?

For apps, there was several mouth-watering options such as fried mozzarella, prosciutto & arugula, and shrimp scampi. My dining companion and I settled for the Paolo's pizza with pesto and sweet red peppers. This was divine! I used my crust to soak up the remaining olive oil.

I will def be going back.

Afterwards, we ventured across the street to Neyla for some fabulous Mediterranean cuisine. A beautiful, cozy, intimate restaurant. Upon being seated, the waiter presented us some some baked pita bread with yogurt and olive oil to get us started. The pita was loaded with spices and was baked to a perfect crunch.
Having already loaded up on half a pizza, I knew I wanted to just have a light dinner. Their Falafel filled the bill! I've been on a Falafel roll lately. Pun intended? It came with a spicy sauce which was a great compliment.

My dining companion was a bit more hungrier and settled on a chicken entree with Jasmine rice. I didn't taste the chicken cuz I was in a "vegetarian mood" but the rice was off.the.chain. It was spiced with something that I couldn't quite put my tongue on. Cinnamon, perhaps? Nutmeg? Whatever it was, it was goood!

Neyla gets a *side eye* from me though. What public business protects their tweets!? Seriously!? I just can't.

The next day, DC gave us beautiful weather. A perfect blue sky day, with a crisp breeze for strolling. I strolled on over to Teaism to warm up. I was surprised to learn that Racheal Ray featured this cute place on her $40 a day show. Is that show still airing? I haven't seen it in a while.

I was attracted to the lavender peppermint flavored tea and ordered a hot cup to enjoy. Sadly, this brew was a letdown. The lavender did not come thru at all.

After more strolling around DC, I was ready for some chocolate! A friend was in town to celebrate another birthday and I promised Coco Sala. I'm so thankful my friend enjoys chocolate as much as I do! Having already been there once, I knew exactly what I wanted. I ordered the Chiptole Coco, hot chocolate spiced with hot peppers and fresh marshmallow, with a Coco Cupcake. This cupcake is the bomb.com! Chocolate, with chocolate frosting, with chocolate candy, and chocolate balls. Yummy. yummy. yummy. So good, I ordered two of them thangs!! Real talk.

I was comatose after that. I came home to a wonderful apartment smelling of cinnamon and cider. Turns out my roommate had spiked cider with rum, cinnamon sticks, and orange slices brewing on the stove.

Saturday, Lisa Pizzeria had a groupon for Cooper Canyon and we were long overdue for a margarita date. What I love about CC is their signature margarita. They serve a generous portion - - as in a whole shaker - - with olive and limes.
Yes. A good buzz indeed. To accompany our margarita, we shared Fiesta egg rolls and pulled BBQ Chicken sandwhich. Both were good. I was so into my dinner convo and meal that I forgot to snap a picture.

Today... the adventure continues. We're soon heading downtown to check out the DC Metropolitan Cooking and Entertainment Show.

... be back later!

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