Photos from things I read:
Believe!
On the hustler note, I challenge you to NOT dance during this ridiculous song:
Here’s to the hustling, the moving, and the (booty) shaking, to make life what you want it to be.
How are you making things happen?
#LifeOfAHuster #DoIt #GameOn
At least that’s what we did yesterday! Can’t keep me inside when It’s 75 and sunny, on a weekend or a week day. (It’s Monday and I’m typing this from an outside patio table; my office for the afternoon.)
Here’s our view from the top of the mountain:
As seen in these photos, things are not quite blooming and green yet, but even though most the color was brown, the skies were still blue- so I was happy. (Obviously.) Minus the littering idiots who left their Dean & DeLuca lunch garbage all over the place, it was a perfect day. (For god’s sakes, people- stop littering!)
I think winter has reared It’s ugly head for the last time this year. (At least in NC, anyway.) Time to grab yourself, your family & your friends- and go play outside!
How do you enjoy the great outdoors?
#Hike #NC #LetMeBeFree
Today was nice. 74 degrees nice. This is the first time in a lot of months it has been this nice.
Each year when I try to be all “First world problems! I’m fine!”- when I’m freezing my ass off & feel depressed about the crap, cold weather. I can’t lie; I really want to stab myself in the face when It’s cold and cloudy endlessly, and snow happens. I hate snow. I hate cold. I hate it. Period. Vermont girl who despises the white stuff with everything in my being. I hate cold temperatures. I get bitchy, mean, and all those other things that I never want to be and that are scary to most people. Yep. I’m happy-happy joy-joy until it gets to be about this time of year and I think- Dear God, if it doesn’t get sunny and warm soon, I might have to buy a plane ticket to wherever the hell it is NOT 30 degrees and never come back again.
And then there is a day like today; 74 degrees and sunny.
THANK.
GOD.
(Or whoever.)
Hallelujah! Just when I felt like I was about to lose it, someone delivered me some sunshine & warm. I feel like a new human. As I sit here in the dark, with our living room garage door wide open, I can’t help but wonder how anyone lives through the 10-months-of-winter life each year that happens in so many states. I can’t imagine. Hat’s off and then some, to all those people out there who are tougher than me.
Here’s to “springing forward”, sunshine, warmth, and flip flops being the only shoes I ever need.
A photo I took in December as we floated away from Ft. Lauderdale on vacation:
…just a little nod to the sun and warm, so it stays around.
What season do you look forward to?
#SunshineGoddess #SnowNeverAgain #IBelieveInFlipFlops
Those rare times when someone takes a few extra minutes out of their day, just to be nice, do something good or go the extra mile. Those are awesome times I wish would happen more. The below email popped in my inbox unexpectedly last week from someone we met on vacation in December of 2013:
Dear Diane and Kevin,
I just took a Facebook tour of your photos. It totally amazes me just how much you have traveled and how much you two have seen. I am so pleased our paths have crossed. Knowing people like you and Kevin has certainly enriched my spirit. I guess I am getting older and I am definetly not the man I use to be but when you share your life through photos like the ones on Facebook I am so grateful I did what I did when I was a younger man. So keep on doing what you are doing. Be happy, smile, love, live. Life is like a grain of sand on the beach. So small and so precious. Keep me in the loop with the Blue Lollipop Road .
Your admiring friend,
Andy
How sweet is that?
If had to guess, Andy is mid-upper 60’s. He’s single and travels alone a lot. When we met him he wasn’t afraid to sit down and talk to us (or anyone else for that matter.) He was kind, funny, and full of stories. I could tell he was a hard worker. An all-around interesting guy. We shared several meals with him during that week of vacation- we kept running in to each other and we all enjoyed spending that time together. And the end of the week we exchanged contact information and from there we’ve just kept in touch a few times via email.
This is letter makes me smile huge, and feel thankful, proud & motivated- to do more.
Everyday I wake up trying to think of ways to motivate and inspire people to be fearless, get out and travel, to explore beyond their everyday surroundings, and to talk to strangers. I know travel changes and teaches people, in a way that nothing else does and it is my biggest wish that everyone do more of it. I lobby to convince scared parents to let their kids take a Gap Year, or go on an exchange program, I try to convince adults their lives aren’t going to fall apart if they decide to quit that job or person they hate and go on a walkabout to get to know themselves again or to recharge, I myself explore all the new people, places & things I can on a regular basis so I keep pushing and stretching myself- and so I have stories to share here. Hopefully these are the reasons people like Andy above write me and tell me to keep doing what I do. I love that.
Here are some photos from that holiday vacation:
Ahhh…the Bahamas.
Dear Andy,
Thanks for cheering us on! I promise we will keep being happy, smiling, loving, and living. You are right- life is like a grain of sand on the beach, so small and so precious. We’re glad there are people like you out there who recognize these things, live accordingly, and share in our adventurous spirit! We hope to see you “on the road” again.
Diane 🙂
Here’s to never knowing who you’ll meet and what friends you’ll make!
How do you connect to make new friends?
#LettersOfInspiration #RoadFriends #LiveLikeYouMeanIt
It is almost St. Patrick’s Day after all, so ’tis the season for green beer, Shamrock Shakes, and feeling lucky, baby!
I’ve never understood this green shake obsession. When I’m in the mood for something ice-creamy & mint, I go straight for the classic Ben & Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Cookie– but to each their own. I’m just happy when adults still get excited about a milkshake. (Or anything for that matter.)
Check out what I found staring up at me as I was getting out of my car to start my day this morning:
I picked it up for luck of course. (I believe.) Why not?
What makes you feel lucky?
#LuckyPenny #MorningSurprises #KissMeImIrish
The schedule for our 4th Annual Play It Forward Event has been set! See full details here.
If for some crazy reason you are on the fence about whether or not you will be participating, maybe I’ll inspire you by sharing a photo from each of our first 3 events…
2012:
2013:
2014:
Get on the bus, Gus! We’re doing good things, having fun and we want YOU! Won’t you join us?
Today is the day. What are you waiting for?
#PlayForwardGiveBack #RememberCelebrateLive #LoveHome
I took this photo in the Caribbean during December. It’s now February 25th and I’m thinking next year we should save our time in the tropics for this month! (Why do I always forget how long February feels each winter?)
As the south freaks out about the impending couple inches of snow we are supposed to get tonight, I’m channeling the warmth I felt from this blue-striped beach chair I sat in a couple months ago.
Spring, we love you. Please come see us soon!
What beach are you daydreaming of during the winter chill?
#SendMeToTheTropics #BLROnTheBeach #ToesInTheSand
This sassy, fashionable, world-traveling, 77-year-old, was the hostess of the Oscar Party I went to on Sunday night. I’d heard about how fabulous Ms. Grazia was for weeks. That was true and then some. This woman has the smile, energy, and the sharpness of a 27-year-old. She’s warm and welcoming to everyone around her. We had a blast.
Don’t you just love the sparkly vintage gown?! (Perfect that Lady Gaga is in the background on TV, too.) I’m about 40 years behind this lovely woman, but I hope to carry half the effervescence and joy for life that she has- for the rest of mine.
You inspire us with your never-ending smile, Grazia! – And absolutely embody my remember, celebrate, live mantra, by truly celebrating life. Love it!
How do you all out there, celebrate life Grazia-style?
#Oscars #LivingItUp #Ageless
…that’s what I used to say as a kid about the white tasteless veggie. Don’t even get me started on brussels sprouts during my younger years. Thankfully the farm-to-fork/localvore/farmers market/back-to-basics/foodie movement has boomed over the past few years, so not only are we all eating a little bit better and more local (yay!), but chefs far & wide are creating all kinds of delish cauliflower and brussels sprout recipes, that are making big kids like me run back for more of those foods we once winced at.
We found a cauliflower recipe recently in Food & Wine Magazine that I’m in love with. This is our tray full of goodness:
So good. So cheap. So easy! I love when simple fresh stuff like this, tastes amazing and looks fahhhncy too.
To make you will need:
1 head of cauliflower
1 lemon
Parmesan cheese (shaved)
Fresh parsley (chopped)
Salt & pepper
Butter (for stove top option)
1.) Cut cauliflower into small pieces, leaving enough of stem to hold florets together.
2.) Cook on grill or brown with butter in a pan on the stove top.
3.) Place on cooking sheet.
4.) Squeeze lemon over each piece.
5.) Sprinkle with salt & pepper, parsley, and parmesan.
Voila!
There you have it from the kitchen of Blue Lollipop Road!
Now I’m hungry…
How are are you reinventing your veggies?
#FoodPorn #EatYourVeggies #Foodie
…and my boyfriend is from Louisiana, and it is a snow day here in NC:
…we made beignets of course. And Chicory Coffee with our eggs for this lazy cold Tuesday breakfast:
As you can see from the top corner of the photo below, my sweet partner in crime takes no prisoners when it comes to noshing on these deeeeeee-lish French doughnuts:
…he usually has powdered sugar all over his hands, up his arms, on every button of the stove, every drawer handle, and of course- all over his face by the time the whole make and eat process is done. The kitchen often looks like a white powder bomb went off, as if a 2 year old, or the family dog found a 10 pound bag and just shook it all over the place.
A small cleaning price to pay to be able to have these treats if you ask me. I’ll clean up that mess any day to have a snuggly, warm, yummy breakfast like this with my sweet, messy, Cajun partner in crime.
How do you snuggle in on a snow day?
#MardiGras #BeignetLove #Winter