travel – Page 3 – tide & bloom

delicatessen with love

It’s pretty evident that I love photography, food, and art (I mean, duh). When the three converge, whether it be through a unique dining experience or a styled shoot, it’s pretty much heaven. Gabriele Galimberti‘s photography project entitled Delicatessen With Love pays homage to the original essence and purpose of a meal – providing nourishment.

Though a simple premise, these humble portraits are mesmerizing in their sincerity and faithfulness to tradition. These matriarchs present their signature dishes, a physical manifestation of the care they provide for their families. The dishes themselves also act as portraits, imbued with love, pride, and a connection to cultural heritage.

i heart austin: sights

i heart austin: food

Recent travels have taken me to Texas, where my appetite is definitely bigger. I visit Houston at least once a year to see family, but now that I have a cousin studying at UT, a mini road trip to Austin was a no-brainer. The highlight of this weekend trip? Oysters, burgers, and barbecue. It’s a wonder how I was able to keep the button on my jeans from popping off.

The oysters at Perlas were like dipping your toes into the cold salt water of the ocean. Briny, but in the most Invigorating and refreshing way possible. I’m not picky when it comes to oysters because I’ll take what I can get, but seriously. These were amazing.

creative masters: chandler o’leary

I stumbled upon Chandler O’Leary’s Drawn The Road Again travel blog thanks to one of my favorite daily reads, HonestlyWTF. As Chandler journeys from coast to coast, her memories transform into pen, ink, and watercolor onto the pages of her many moleskin notebooks. In drawing these experiences, she honors their temporal beauty more than she ever could with just a mere photograph. The simplicity of this act is a pure revelation; paying homage through expressive representation is a tradition that goes back to the origin of art itself. With new media flying around every day, we often forget how meaningful these artistic forms can be. They serve as a relic of the cultural and physical landscape we so take for granted. They remind us that in order to cultivate and preserve memories, we must pause, absorb, and reflect. This obviously comes second nature to Chandler, but her choice to share this passionate diary is as courageous as it is generous. She invites us into her personal history and her marks guide us through a romantic look at places and things we may have never noticed on our own. I’m so thankful that she took time out of her busy travels to connect with me and I hope you feel as enlightened as I do by her sincerity and dedication to her craft.

Describe what your work is about in one sentence.

I document my life and travels via sketchbook drawings, in order to create a record of where I’ve been and what I’ve experienced.

What’s your favorite object to draw?

Lettering. I’m a fiend for type (I’m a lettering artist in my “normal” professional work), so I’m always on the lookout for found typography, hand-lettered signs, vintage neon and street lettering. There’s a treasure trove of beautiful lettering out in the world, and some of the best stuff was done by people who were never trained as an artist or designer.

meet me in st louis: the gateway

St. Louis had never really crossed my mind before I met Ben. I guess the Midwest in general just wasn’t on my radar because I had no family, no friends, no ties to the area. But as you can see from previous posts, it’s actually a pretty wonderful place if you have the right guide. We were only there for a weekend, but saw so much beauty and vitality – a truly burgeoning city. And of course, a visit to the 314 would not be complete without an up-close look at the infamous landmark arch.

In pictures it tends to just look like this big curve over the city. And while that is true, you don’t truly realize the magnificence of the structure until you’re standing right underneath it. The sheer enormity is overwhelming and though I didn’t manage to ride to the top (too long of a line for the time we had), I can easily imagine how incredible it must be.

that feeling

The best thing about late summer is that feeling. That feeling you get when you’re about to skinny dip into a lake. That feeling when you’re just tipsy enough to dance like no one is watching (and not fall over). That feeling of watching a fire burn down to just embers. Like your life is destined for a romance like the stuff of young adult novels, all starry-eyed and lovelorn. And your only goal is to continue living free.

[ image via tumblr ]

georgia country sights

When my family comes to visit me, they usually take me to places I would have never gone myself. One of these places is Helen, Georgia. In an effort to see some natural beauty, we set out on a short road trip and found ourselves meeting the Blue Ridge Mountains of North GA. Here, just a couple hours from Atlanta, is where you’ll find Anna Ruby Falls – a humble yet still gorgeous spot in the Chattahoochee National Forest. The actual trek to see the falls is really easy so it’s a bit more fitting for a leisurely afternoon stroll rather than a true forest hike.

Just as interesting as the waterfall were all the quirky country shops speckled throughout the town of Helen. The architecture of the main street is meant to be a re-creation of historical German alpine villages (I tried to take pictures but they all looked hella boring), but it ends up being sort of like a second-rate Epcot scene. While it feels a bit lame, there’s something that’s also weirdly charming about it all.

A Georgia road trip just isn’t complete without a stop for boiled peanuts and tchotchke-browsing. Although it seems like my family and I never actually manage to eat all the peanuts we buy for ourselves.

….Oh, also gem stones. Yes, I said GEM STONES. Are they real? Maybe. Are they pretty? Definitely. I didn’t purchase any because I have no earthly idea of what I would do with them. So I thought I should at least take some pretty pictures.

claim your succulence

My life has been riddled with fear of failure and self-doubt of my talent, despite all the evidence of my success. But thanks to divine luck, I have a best friend slash life coach who has a never-ending arsenal of encouraging words of wisdom. During my visit to see her graduate, she was actually the one giving me source for life inspiration. She handed me three books by Sark and asked me to choose one of them, as a gift to take home with me. I chose The Bodacious Book of Succulence: Daring to Live Your Succulent Wild Life.

For this week’s Love Yourself Linkup, I present to you my favorite excepts from this motivational read paired with pictures from a study abroad trip I took to Ireland about five years ago (I still yearn to go back).

A succulent is a plant that gets its nourishment and water from the inside – it replenishes itself.
I wish for you the ability to self-replenish, to be juicy, ripe, filled to over-flowing.

We deserve to be the caretakers for our spirits and dreams, and this means truly sensing and listening for our most alive route.

Step back into the light of your creative purpose even if you’re not sure what it is.