Kathmandu Calling

Katmandu is one of those out-there places that lots of people probably never think of visiting. Honestly, if it wasn't for the Bob Seger song I probably wouldn't have even known the name for the capitol city of Nepal before I went there. It's not in the news much (barring the 2008 Maoist overthrow of the monarchy, which happened when we were there) and people in America aren't overly aware of Nepalese culture - which is really a shame. This country's people are friendly and peaceful, their food is healthy and flavorful, and their traditions are vibrant, unique and thriving.

For many, Kathmandu is a stop-over on the way to the trekking destinations in the Himalayas. Want to climb Everest? Stop off in Kathmandu for a day or two to work your way up to the higher altitude. Kathmandu is in the lowlands of Nepal and from the top of the buildings you can see mountains hovering in the distance. 

In this packed city, the streets are full of families, vendors of all types, and monks in their cheery vermilion robes. It's crazy and hectic, but mostly safe and welcoming. People realize that tourism is a major source of income, and even in times of turmoil, travelers are treated with care.

Many women and men still wear traditional garments and colorful prayer flags flutter from houses, shops and temples. Stop in to the jewelry stops - Nepal has amazing silver, turquoise and gemstones and the prices, even for custom work, are very reasonable.

Most of the people practice Tibetan Buddhism - local sources say the Buddha himself was born in Nepal - and bright white temples, emblazoned with the eyes of the Buddha, surround the city. 

There aren't a lot of things you have to see in Kathmandu. Most of the guidebooks list the temples, the royal palace and a few mediocre museums. Go to the temples, see the palace, skip the museums and just wander the city. You'll come across things that may surprise or frighten you - meat out in the open at the market, stray dogs begging for scraps, children scampering barefoot - but the main thing to take away from this place is the welcoming spirit of the people and the color and enthusiasm in their day-to-day lives.

And if you need a little refresher, here's the Seger-meister and his rock-n-roll serenade to the city - complete with photo tour.

On a Boat...

here and here

I spent the weekend - you guessed it - on a boat. 

Poseidon, look at me.

Yeah, the weekend was somewhere between the classy images above and The Lonely Island boys -- maybe with a bit of this thrown in:

via Pinterest

Yes, there were shenanigans involved. But mostly just a really great weekend full of gorgeous Michigan weather, good friends and some delicious homemade cocktails (thanks, Katie!) 

Now that I'm a bonafide sailor, I think I need me some of these goodies for the next boat ride:

Polka Dot Bikini, JCrew

I love a bikini with coverage on top and bottom. This one looks tummy- and bust-friendly.

Rainbow Sandals

 I can't quite get on the boat shoe trend, but I am crushing on these Rainbow flip flops. The prepsters wore these in college while I was rocking Old Navy flips. I'm ready to upgrade. These have arch support and actual leather so your feet won't kill you for dancing all day on deck.

Target shorts

I actually already have these highlighter green (they're brighter in person) shorts and I am in love. The fit is really great - the leg is longer and the waistband is not too low - and they're a cool alternative to jorts. I'm going back for another color - either white or red...

Jose Maran Sunscreen

Hallelujah! Miracle of miracles - I escaped the weekend without even a  hint of a sunburn. Most of my compatriots were not so lucky, but I was really aggressive about reapplying. It helped that I had nice sunscreen to use - this Josie Maran is really nice for the face - not too oily. I also picked up some of the natural sunscreen at Target for the body and I really liked it. Definitely felt like less of a walking oil slick than normal. 

So there you go. Everything you need to be... on a boat.
Thanks to all our friends (and boat owners) for making this a fabulous break1

How was your weekend, folks?

Terrariums! Terrariums!

Oh my goodness, you guys: We did it. We DIY'd as a couple, and didn't kill each other. Actually, it was pretty cute. Sexy, too. 

Nah, not really sexy. But cute, yes.

Saturday was the perfect day for Terrarium making. I was so excited, I made a little song that went something like this: "TerrarIUM TerrARium ...God shed his grace on thee..."  The Boy really liked that.

First up, we hit Pinterest and researched our way through the collections of adorable "easy to make" terrarium tutorials for "inspiration." This is a good one. 

We'd been collecting vessels from Goodwill, but The Boy wasn't happy with those offering so we headed to infamous HomeGoods where the variety of reasonably-priced glass goods perfect for terrarium-making was epic. We selected two and rushed over to Lowe's. There, we consulted the experts on what plants to use. Basically, open terrariums (without a lid) are good habitats for drought-resistant plants, like succulents and cacti. For closed-top terrariums, stick with ferns and leafy plants that like moisture. We had one open hurricane vase and three closed jars so we chose a variety of wet and dry plants. 

Here's the materials you'll need:

-Glass vessels (you can use vases, mason jars, bowls, anything really)

-Plants

-Large and small stones

-Potting soil

-Dried moss

-A spoon, wire hanger, or other implements to help you dig/arrange

Then from there, it's pretty easy. 

Wait, let me restate that. The steps are easy, but doing them is not so easy. We fought with our little plants, trying to get them to look perfect. And we cursed the hipster bloggers that made it look so easy. But a little patience and work paid off spectacularly - and it was fun getting our hands dirty!

-Line the bottom of your vessel with large or small sized rocks. This provides drainage. Be generous - it helps the plant stay health and the rocks look nice from the outside. The Boy was very gentle with this step...look how tenderly he cradles his jar!

Layer on plenty of potting soil. The hipsters will tell you to use special charcoal soil, but the guy at Lowe's said that's just hogwash. 

Remember, you need enough soil to cover the root balls of your plants. 

Didn't know they had balls, did you? Learn something every day.

Start planting your babies! I used a spoon to be civilized but ended up mostly needing all five fingers in the dirt to get a good result. 

I played around with the arrangement, trying to get the perfect little zen garden...

After much digging, giggling, and plant mothering (come on baby, stand up cute for mama, you can do it, there you go!) we had success! Terrariums are go go go!!

Number 1: Desert terrarium (so great I almost wrote dessert!)

In fact, maybe I will call it Dessert - look how adorable that little cupcake of a cactus is! It's surrounded by some other friendly succulents and a few baby rocks. It's going to live on my coffee table and make me oh so happy!

Numbers 2 and 3: 

The Boy's didn't photograph so well, but it's really, really pretty. Look at those great layers of rock, soil, and moss. He's got a couple different leafy plants in there - a reddish-purple one and some variegated green ones.

My second was just a left over bit of the green leafy plant with some moss. So super easy!

Number 4: I made one little baby one with all the leftovers - some moss and a few sprigs of a succulent. Doesn't your voice just go up a few octaves when you look at it??

It's a wittle baby!

So there you go! This was a really fun project and both The Boy and I were equally pleased with the process and the results. He's taking his to the office, and I have one in the living room, one in the bedroom, and I think the baby's coming with me to work. In case you know me personally, you can expect to receive one of these babies for future gift giving occasions. They're easy to personalize and just so cool.

Have you made any terrariums? Braved DIYing as a couple? Discus!!