Spring break...covered in pollen!

Well...we're on spring break with my boyfriend's sons (11 and 9) and we're having a great time...except for the pollen! Holy schmoly...it's like it snowed yellow! My poor car is covered in it and if you stay still outside for more than ten minutes, you'll be covered with it too.

Check out my poor whip...



We have enjoyed campfires...



Turkey burgers on the grill...



And finding the REAL Farmville...LOL!!

=

We're having a great time being together and hanging out. What do you do during spring break?

Hugs,
Marley = )

Spring Break: New York City!

First off...huge congrats to our lovely Stephanie Hale for the release of her book, SPRING BREAKUP! You know you want to read it and find out what's going on with Aspen!



I remember how awesome spring break was when I was in school. The planning. The anticipating. The day the trip finally arrived!

One the most memorable trips for me was a sophomore year trip with my church choir on the train from Atlanta all the way up to Stowe, Vermont, where we skiied (okay, a couple times down the bunny hill doesn't really qualify as skiing, but still...) and enjoyed the mountains and a cool lodge. We had a stop in Washington, DC, and Baltimore, but, by far, the highlight of the trip was staying in New York City.

Wow!!

I think everyone needs to go to New York City once in their life. And don't just be shy about it. Don't be a wallflower or scared to go out and do things. Attack the city with wide spread arms. Absorb everything it has to offer! That's what we did back then.

We did a tour around the city on a bus that took us through Chinatown and Little Italy and all over the place, starting at Rockafeller Plaza where we watched this video about the city.







A visit to New York City wouldn't be complete without the forever line wait to get to the top of the Empire State Building...with views to die for!



And, although, when I visited NYC, Times Square was a bit of a rough part of town, it's now a neon adult Disney that never sleeps.



It's also a must to see the Statue of Liberty. We went right after she had been refurbished and we were so proud that our school money we collected helped restore her for many years to come.



Aside from all of the touristy things the city has to offer, there's so much culture to absorb. The city is rich with museums, galleries, and diplays ranging from art history to ancient artifacts. I highly recommend visiting the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art. You could spend a day at each.





And, of course, New York City is all about the food! If you go hungry in this city, it's your own fault! There's everything...from every culture, every walk of life, from the $1.50 sandwich that will change your life to the expensive dining experience that you'll always remember.

My favorite cheap eat...the many souvlaki stands. Mmmm...my mouth waters just thinking about it...



When my choir went, we sat at Benihaba and were entertained by our chef. Back then, it was the only restaurant...now you can see them everywhere...but it was a time!



And of course...there's nothing wrong with simply strolling through Central Park.



Hope you've enjoyed this tour of one of the most awesome cities on the planet - New York City! If you get to go, you'll have the time of your life!

Congrats again to Stephanie!!! So proud of you, hon!!!

Hugs,
Marley = )

GHOST HUNTRESS: THE AWAKENING (Coming May 2009, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
GHOST HUNTRESS: THE GUIDANCE (Coming October 2009, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
GHOST HUNTRESS: The REASON (Coming May 2010, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
CHRISTMAS MIRACLES (Coming October 2009, St. Martin's Press)
SORORITY 101: Zeta or Omega? (Available from Puffin Books)
SORORITY 101: The New Sisters (Available from Puffin Books)

Spring Break: South Beach!

Old Business: Two weeks later I've given up on Jessica. The new winner of my Valentine's contest is... Paradox. Send me your mailing info, darling.

Confession Time: I've never ever been to South Beach for spring break. In fact, I've only been once--but I'm dying to go back--and that once was more than enough to make me heart all of South Florida big time. I could write an entire treatise on my trip (like how the beach in Naples inspired a major scene in my upcoming mermaid book) but for the purposes of this post I'll just focus on my few days in South Beach. Aka the hottest spot in Miami. And maybe the world.

The reason I wanted to visit South Beach in the first place was because of this:


Some of you know that I have a masters degree in historic preservation (aka saving old buildings) and Art Deco is one of my favorite architectural styles ever. I can't tell you how many papers I wrote about the unique brand of South Beach Art Deco, but with every new thing I learned I found more to love about the "Streamline Moderne" buildings. Here are a couple more examples.



I could spend years just ... absorbing these structures. Of course, architecture is not the only attraction in South Beach. There's also the beach. I mean THE BEACH.

Now, I'm a water girl. I grew up as a swimmer, spent formative years in southern California, and love hanging at or on any major body of water. But I was completely unprepared for the utter beauty of the Miami beaches.


And it's not just about the boys, although they're there, too!


It's also about the candy-colored lifeguard stations, the super-plush loungers, and the weirdo guys in umbrella hats.

And before you go thinking, "Oh great. Architecture and beaches. Big whoop!" let me tell you the real attraction for most of the billions of people that visit South Beach annually. The night life!

Now, I didn't go to any crazy nightclubs or all-night parties (I was only there for two days ... alone) but you can kind of get the feeling for the kind of energy that brings South Beach to life at night just from these pictures.

This was the hotel I stayed at. One block from the beach with clean rooms and an elevator that almost never worked, but I would totally stay there again in a heartbeat.


And this was the street in front of my hotel. With an awesome outdoor bar/restaurant, tiny palm trees swaying in the ever-present breeze, and the staple of South Beach nights: neon!


So, what do you think? Would you visit South Beach? (If you do, I highly recommend the She-Crab Chowder at Cafe Med. It is literally the best soup I've ever eaten. Which reminds me, I totally forgot to mention food in South Beach....) Which part--architecture, beaches, nightlife, food--would be the big draw for you.

Hugs,
TLC

OH. MY. GODS. (available now!)
GODDESS BOOT CAMP (coming June 2009)
teralynnchilds.com

Reminder: The purpose of this Spring Break week is to celebrate the release of Spring Breakup, Steph's third book in the Aspen Brooks series. Come on, you know you want to find out what happens next!