New Orleans Or Bust!

I don’t remember if I told you this but I am heading to New Orleans today! My sister has finished her masters degree and a celebration is in order (Congratulations Alissa Faye!). The entire family is flying out for the occasion and I’m so excited for us all to reunite in this southern state.  I am enxious to get out of town, let the humidity take over my hair, and sip a strong southern cocktail on a porch somewhere- total bliss!

In case you missed it, take a look at my last trip to the Big Easy. Oh, and check out this cool food navigation map by Berning Marketing below (click to enlarge).

A Coffee Bar Of My Very Own

Hello and good afternoon and thank goodness it’s Thursday. My apologies for the lack of posting- I seem to be on a mental vacation (as well as a blogging vacation) since my return form Australia. This departure from reality has been teamed with the dream of building a coffee bar in my dining room. I am talking about a space devoted to the consumption and love of liquid caffeine. I’d like to start with a table or cart…

And add a fancy new brewing machine of some variety…

And complete the look with colorful mugs, cups, and accessories…

A girl can dream, can’t she?!

Aside from this necessary coffee bar project, I am back to the usual comings and goings of daily life. You can take this post as an indication that I am also writing again. It’s cold and snowy in Minnesota, and I’m completely over it. But while the weather is below zero life is good. I found myself driving to work this week thinking that everything was just right and the stuff  that has been giving me doubts would work itself out. It was a liberating feeling that I hope carries through to the content of my posts as well as the coming spring season.

I’ve been sending out a lot of notes and cards via U.S. post lately which is a nice change of pace from email. I got these notes for Christmas from my sister, which I find so charming. I’ve got guests coming for Thursday night dinner today and I’ll be making this dish, which I would hesitate to call stir-fry but should be delicious regardless of the name. And yeah… that pretty much brings us up to date.

Cheers for Thursday and future Abby’s Road postings!

PS- These Pantone paint chip cookies are fantastic!!

Some Beach, Somewhere

I love the way art and novels can get you lost in other worlds and alternative spaces in your mind, it makes the everyday a vacation. Now, I don’t make my desktop wallpaper sandy beach destinations because when I think of a vacation that’s not what comes to my mind, However today is the exception.  I am feeling inspired by unplanned road trips that find you sleeping in your car or waking up in the sand which is why I love this picture.

I love…

• the way it is not sunny but over-casted
• the way I believe it smells
• that the sky and the water are green rather than blue and although its in Cuba, I feel like I could find this space on almost any beach in the world
• how the green colors make the concrete look orange and rusty
• that no one is at the beach (that I can see), there is something special about having a public place all to yourself even if its only for ten minutes or even if you have to get up at 4am to make it happen
• the way this picture makes me feel today