May 30, 2012

Champagne Campaign

By Abby

So it wasn’t all bad… I recently mentioned all of the work commitments that led me to major burnout, and now I feel obligated to tell you that some of the events are very, very fun. (The burnout comes from weeks of not being able to get a good night’s sleep, do laundry, or spend time with my dogs, rescues from Costa Rica.) The Las Vegas Strip recently hosted a huge food and wine festival called Vegas UnCork’d, and my foodie friend Cat De Orio came in from Chicago for it. We kicked off the four-day extravaganza with (what else?) some Veuve Clicquot — delivered to our fabulous suite at the Cosmopolitan.

Don’t you think the Rubik’s Cube is a nice touch?

Continue Reading »»

May 29, 2012

Blogging Burnout in Austin

By Abby
Abby Tegnelia

Austin isn't Austin without margaritas.

I’ve been quiet lately, too quiet. As my life turned into a whirlwind of work engagements that swiftly and deftly led to bigtime burnout, my poor little blog suffered radio silence. As I write this, I am in lovely Costa Rica, where in the history of my blog is where I can always count on to rejuvenate, as it is where I lived the “good life” of expat living filled with jaunts to Nicaragua for visa runs, or maybe a weekend at the cloud forest, for one wonderful year. A few short weeks ago, I went to Austin for the weekend, so excited to run around and visit all of my favorite places, snapping photos of all of the mom and pop bars and shops that make the town unique. I lived in that hot, sticky Texan city for one year and always love visiting. This time, however, I landed at my friend Kristen’s house exhausted. We did indeed run around to some favorite restaurants and some new hot spots. I had a blast! Luckily, Kristen snapped this one very happy photo of me with a yummy margarita, because I took out my camera exactly one time:

Continue Reading »»

May 22, 2012

Wild, beautiful, breathtaking: landscapes of Sedona

By Abby

Abby TegneliaAlthough I love how exciting my life is in Las Vegas, one of my favorite parts about living there is that there are so many wonderful things to do and see within a few hours drive. I recently hit the road with my friend Diana to spend a few nights at the absolutely stunning L’Auberge de Sedona in Arizona before heading to nearby historic Jerome on a search for Quince, deemed by some (and now me!) the best New Mexican food in the southwest. On our first morning, we jumped in one of the town’s famous Pink Jeeps for a drive around the rock landscape that has made this town so famous. It was an unbelievable morning! In addition to taking in all of this incredible scenery, our driver knew all about the native plants, so we got a biology lesson along the way. I never knew anything about agave, which has a flower that grows faster than anything I’d ever heard of — and then dies after one season. Once you know where to look, you can see the plants in various states of decay all over the desert!

Continue Reading »»

May 9, 2012

L’Auberge de Sedona: the loveliest of pauses

By Abby
Abby Tegnelia

Getting some sun on my cabin's balcony at L'Auberge de Sedona.

In this world of online projects and juggling a million things at once (let alone my full time job, two rambunctious big dogs, plus three to four fancy fashion soirees, magazine parties, and premieres a week — and I try to save some time for friends), I think it’s become extra-important to take a pause every once in awhile. Stop time, turn everything off (most importantly my brain!) and just … pause. Recently I was lucky enough to land in gorgeous Sedona, Arizona, at the decadently peaceful L’Abuerge de Sedona.

Continue Reading »»

April 28, 2012

Good New Mexican Food Was Worth Risking My Life, Quince Jerome

By Abby

Quince JeromeI lived in New Mexico for only two years, although now that I’ve been visiting there for more than half my life, I consider it home. But two years or not, it was long enough to make me a food snob when it comes to the food. Ask anyone who’s put in any time in the “505″: We take our green chile VERY seriously. The first time I brought a jar home to a friend in NYC, I was horrified when I learned later that it had been poured into a bowl, mistaken for the sort of chile you eat at a football game. The New Mexican chile is an obsession put on everything from pizza at Dion’s to cheeseburgers, even at McDonald’s and Dairy Queen. But I digress. During a recent American Southwest roadtrip with my friend Diana, we received a restaurant recommendation for a good New Mexican restaurant called Quince (Jerome, Arizona( outside of Sedona, where we staying. What we didn’t know what was that the road to Jerome was a death-defying twist of asphalt heading straight up.

For New Mexican food, it was worth it.

Continue Reading »»

April 22, 2012

Drive carefully: charming Jerome, Arizona sits at 5,000 feet (straight up).

By Abby
Abby Tegnelia

Relaxing in Sedona before our death-defying drive to Jerome, Arizona.

 

Since I already hinted at a stop in the charming mountain town of Jerome, Arizona, I thought I’d go buck wild and kick off my recent Southwest road trip there, although it was technically our last stop. Diana and I went there on a whim (following a restaurant recommendation, of course), with zero expectations. As we climbed higher and higher towards this town that sits at more than 5,000 feet, my hands sweating as I rounded a few bends guarded by a barrier I just didn’t think was thick or high enough, I decided this was my first and last trip to Jerome. Diana drove the rest of the way! Once we were safely parked, however, we both fell in love with this historic mining town.

 

 

Continue Reading »»