March 20, 2016

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 12 DAYS

All in a Day... The recap of my Birthday!

What a fantastic day!
​Some say that I really know how to pack it in - and I DO!

Yesterday was my birthday YIPPEE!!!
I had planned out the day and it was executed quite (almost) perfectly!

Not to say that there were hiccups, but there were a few unexpected occurrences...

WARNING: It's a LONG One (just how I like it!)

The day started with us heading to breakfast at the new restaurant NOOC located within the brand new Whole Foods.
However it seemed that the restaurant wasn't yet open for the day upon our arrival...

Okaaaay Plan B - grab some Smoothies, juices, Acai Bowls, Muffins and Donuts! 

I inquired and found out that the restaurant opens at 9am - how lame...I constantly find that so many places that serve breakfast (and have vegan options) don't open until 9a, 10a, sometimes even 11am!
Why on Earth aren't there more breakfast places that open earlier???

Anyhow, I wanted to be on the road by 9am, so that was NOT going to work out for us. I had originally figured that since the store was open, that the restaurant would've also been open.

I am a stickler when it comes to schedules and I although I wasn't eating the breakfast that I had expected, I was quite happy to see that because of this minor "hiccup" we got on the road ahead of schedule!

Next up was the Queen Mary and the Legacy of a Princess exhibit. ​

We were some of the first to arrive at the Queen Mary and if you didn't happen to know, this year 2016 also happens to be the 80th Anniversary of her launch!

"Today we come to the happy task of sending on her way the stateliest ship now in being. It has been the nation’s will that she should be completed, and today we can send her forth no longer a number on the books, but a ship with a name in the world, alive with beauty, energy and strength! May her life among great waters spread friendship among the nations!" 
– King George V on the Queen Mary launch

So of course I wanted to take a little peek at the ship itself (although this was not part of the original plan)

And so we did, but not seeing all that much - that will have to be saved for another occasion of which we have much more time - the ship is quite HUGE!

Once we finally found the entrance to the exhibit we took as many photos as was permitted and then sadly had to put the cameras away.

​The beginning of exhibit was quite an in depth look at the Royal Family, a bit of it's history and the connection to the Queen Mary. 

In fact DID YOU KNOW that she wasn't set to be named the Queen Mary?
(more on this and what Cunard had decided to name the ship in my full review - coming soon)

The rest of the exhibit was primarily to do with the world's most beloved Princess, Princess Di, her life, her roles in life, and how she touched humanity.

I was a definitely a fan of who she was, what she stood for, how she stood her ground in raising her boys and how she touched the world.
​
Just thinking about her ill fated, tragic and untimely death still brings tears to my eyes.
I always feel such a tug at my heart to think that her sons lost their mum who loved them so dearly (in fact, it's got me crying now as I type this).

It hit me pretty hard when I found out that she had passed on, I remember the exact moment, where I was, what I was doing, who I was with. It's just one of those things.

But really I'm going a bit off here, the exhibit was quite lovely.
Quite a bit larger than I imagined, it was several rooms organized beautifully and filled with all sorts of royal mementos, gifts, photographs, short videos, and they even had some of Princess Di's gorgeous and elegant dresses on display.

It was well worth the visit, and I was so glad to go. And although I spent a good amount of time in there, I actually could've spent even longer enjoying all that was there!

On the way out Dave had wanted to take a looksie at 2 specific rooms before we headed out, and so we went on the hunt for them, and as we went wandering about the fire alarm went off!

So that was the end of that, and the entire ship was  now rushing to escape! 

I'm certainly glad that this happened AFTER I had already exited the exhibit. 

I know Dave felt bad that he couldn't get a postcard and that we cut the visit short - but we had other things to do, and we could always make another day of it. I mean, she (the Queen Mary) isn't going anywhere!

It was now lunchtime and we were heading to downtown LA - you know what that means...MEGA TRAFFIC! 
DID YOU KNOW: The Traffic in Los Angeles is the worst in the nation!

During the drive I found out that the rest of the family would've never made it in time to join us for lunch, so I recommended that they just meet us at the next stop - the Huntington Gardens.

We finally made it to Grand Central Markets in the heart of downtown and it was quite bustling!

​I actually don't think that the rest of the fam would've enjoyed the crowds/atmosphere all that much...even Cosette was grumbling about it.

Lunch was ordered and served. We were having Ramen (Dave had opted for a Rice Bowl), and it was soooo good - Mmmmmm... I just might have to fit it in for a feature on a future FOODIE FRIDAY!

And off we were again...

To the Huntington Gardens - 
This is where we finally met up with the fam bam and we toured some of the beautiful grounds, including but not limited to the 59th Annual Bonsai Show.

Photo Credit: Cosette

I love the gardens, and it was all so lovely.
​
Again, I could've spent so much more time here too. But since Cosette's feet were hurting and my mom had enough walking, not to mention that it was nearly closing time, we started heading out.

Photo Credit: Cosette

And were eventually off to the last stop of the day before heading home - Ice Cream!!

I had recently found out about a new (I didn't realize how new) local Ice Cream shoppe.

​Upon our arrival, we had notice a line outside the storefront. We stood in line and then found out that this was the Grand Opening and that they were giving away free scoops! SCORE...not too many places where you get free vegan ice cream!!

It was then time to go home and have dinner, cake and and open presents!!!!!! 

After sitting in an insane amount of traffic, we made it home.
I donned my apron and began warming the Lasagna that I had previously prepared.

With that we had that with some wonderful fresh baguettes and my homemade butter for dinner, and as filling as a meal it is the gang all went in for at least seconds (I won't name any names - but there were several third helpings being served!)

Presents before cake, and I received some absolutely lovely, thoughtful, and beautiful gifts. Thank you to all xoxo!
Cake was last, and definitely not least. I found a new baker to test out and it was a definite WINNER!

What an absolutely GRAND day it was!!

Can you imagine if someone happens to be flipping/scanning through the pictures on our cameras - they would never believe that this was all in a single day!

And don't think for a minute that I'm done celebrating...come back tomorrow and I'll have plenty more to tell ya about today!

Gots to go now.
​Toodles,
-T

Elisa's Daily Scoop
DEPARTING TODAY FOR FLORIDA

Florida...Here We Come

Hey there!

I'm leaving on a jet plane...this afternoon!!

Heading down to the Sunshine State with my two favorite girls to spend Easter vacation with Grandma and Grandpa.

What I love about my South Florida trips is that I don't have to pack much.  Staying with Mom and Dad makes it very casual and not much need to pack lots of clothes and necessities.

Additionally, the whole aspect of "toiletries" is cut right out since they maintain a private bathroom for all "us" kids to keep our grooming supplies.  It's one of the more easy trips for which to pack. 

Today, March 20th is Macaron Day 2016!!!

If you remember, last year, for Macaron Day 2015, I participated in the NYC Macaron Crawl with the girls and my friend Alycia and her daughter.

This year, unfortunately, I'll be traveling so I won't be able to enjoy all the yummy goodness at the participating bakeries. 

A little bit of history about Macaron Day...
In 2010, François Payard, chef and owner of FP Patisserie, François Payard Bakery and Payard Patisserie & Bistro, organized the first annual Macaron Day in NYC.

Macaron Day NYC is inspired by and coincides annually with Jour du Macaron in Paris, created by La Maison Pierre Hermé Paris in association with the Relais Desserts. Macaron Day will always take place on March 20th, the first day of Spring.

MACARON DAY 2015

ALL PROCEEDS FROM MACARON DAY NYC GO TO CITY HARVEST

In addition to promoting these delectable pastries,  bakeries across the city come together on Macaron Day NYC to help raise awareness (and money) for City Harvest.  

Participating locations will provide one macaron per customer, with limited quantities by location, between 10am and 5pm, or until supplies last. To receive a free macaron tell the shop you are there for Macaron Day NYC.

Here's a little flashback to my Vlogging from "Macaron Crawl" 2015 as we ate our way from one macaron to another around NYC!!

Well, I'm just doing a few last minute chores around the house before heading to the airport.

I'll be chatting with you tomorrow from The Sunshine State!

-E
xoxo