213/366

I'm always looking for cute, creative, and inexpensive decorating ideas. I like the idea of creating a comfortable homey space here in Cartagena, but don't want to spend a lot of money on things we have to leave behind nor do I want to be hauling home decor along with the other 10 suitcases that accompanied me here. A few weeks ago, I saw {either in a blog or magazine, possibly Pinterest... honestly I don't remember, but I apologize for not giving the appropriate credit where credit is due} an idea that involved reusing those pretty green bottles from sparkling water and using them as a colorful vase of sorts. I didn't have any fresh flowers on hand, but I did have some mint.


Today at the gym I got to watch the US Gymnastics Team take the gold. It was an interesting experience to be the only person completely mesmerized by the competition. I had a silly grin on my face that I couldn't manage to wipe off as I watched them celebrate their accomplishment. And right then and there I decided in another life, I will return as an Olympic gymnast. That thought was immediately followed by the recognition that I can't do a cartwheel.

My wonderful friend Kate's baby boy Quentin {seen here, here, and here} recently turned 6 months. And they had the most precious pictures taken to document the occasion. Check out the most gorgeous little family and the dashingly handsome Quentin here. Be prepared for your heart to pitter patter the whole way through.
I know mine did.

212/366

When I was in Kentucky getting my bourbon on, I picked up one amazing smelling candle

and it's been burning quite often here lately.

Candles tend to be over priced here in Cartagena

and there is just something about a burning candle

it increases the feeling of comfort

helping to make an 

'apartamento' 

a home 

211/366

Today I woke up at 3:30 am.
For no other reason than I could not fall back to sleep.
So I read.
and a few minutes before 5:00 am, I shut the ipad down
and laid my head on the pillow for attempt #2.
Matt's alarm went off about 3 minutes later.
At this point, I gave up.
This is what Cartagena looks like somewhere around 6:00 am.

Worth being up for?
No.
Not really.

210/366

Matt is working all weekend
and this puzzle has been calling my name.

I've enjoyed sitting around, with music playing in the background
and even a glass of wine at night
feeling challenged
and celebrating the small feat of one piece finding it's perfect fit with another.
I'm taking the time to celebrate the small things,
because it may be a while before this puzzle comes together to create one perfect picture
{of Florence... how fitting}
It's hard.
There. I said it.
1500 pieces sounds easier than it feels.
But it's a nice reminder,
from such a simple task,
to celebrate the small things and how they all come together to create something perfect.

209/366

sometimes I look at ingredients like this and wish I had a garden full of them
but then I recall all the work
the sweat and the time
that went into landscaping our big yard in Texas
and how each year my plants ended up dead.
I guess I'm really more of a market girl.

208/366

Today while perusing Pinterest
{which is pretty much an ama de casa law}
I found this little number

Thank you Katie Schetzsle

It was a meant to be afternoon for the two of us

{Quinoa Fruit Salad & I}

as I had just picked up some fresh mint at the market

and didn't have much of a plan for it, 

other than to muddle in some green tea.

Yum.

I love it when things just work out.

Quinoa Fruit Salad

Yield: Serves 6-as a side dish

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Quinoa with blueberries, strawberries, mango, and a refreshing honey lime dressing. This easy and healthy Quinoa Fruit Salad goes well with any summer meal.

ingredients:

1 cup quinoa (I used Red Quinoa)
2 cups water
Pinch of salt

For the Honey Lime Dressing:

Juice of 1 large lime
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

For the fruit:

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/2 cups chopped mango
Extra chopped mint, for garnish-optional

directions:

1. Using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let quinoa cool to room temperature.

2. To make the Honey Lime Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the lime juice, honey, and mint together until combined.

3. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, blueberries, strawberries, and mango. Pour honey lime dressing over the fruit salad and mix until well combined. Garnish with additional mint, if desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note-Use your favorite fruit in this salad. Blackberries, peaches, kiwi, raspberries, pineapple, grapes, etc. are great options!

207/366

"You are the books you read,

the films you watch,

the music you listen to,

the people you meet,

the dreams you have, 

the conversations you engage in.

You are what you take from these.

You are the sound of the ocean,

the breath of fresh air,

the brightest light & the darkest corner.

You are a collective of every experience you have had in your life.

You are every single day.

So drown yourself in a sea of knowledge & existence.

Let the words run through your veins

and let the colors fill your mind."

- Author Unknown

206/366

random.
ready, set, go.

still on the colorful water kick. i think blueberry and lemon is my favorite color combination


we discovered the a disadvantage to having a trash chute in your apartment...
blockage created by someone below which causes a buildup of trash until all you see when you open the chute is someone else's trash.
gross.
i did not include a picture.
you are welcome.

my daily helicopter flew by this afternoon looking a little different.

yes, those appear to be people. i have no other details.


The President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, stopped by Matt's job site today.

ciao.

205/366

we didn't think our Breaking Bad Monday nights could get any better...

but somehow they did.
it's all the couch

204/366

coffee

ships

ice cream

happy sunday.

203/366

{alice & sarah}

202/366

Question:
How do a couple of Americans spend Colombia's Independence Day?

Answer:
Sitting poolside with a 12 pack of 10 oz imported Bud Lights.

201/366

Tomorrow is a Colombian holiday
Feliz Dia de la Independencia
which means that we have a 3-day weekend to look forward to.
We discussed taking advantage of the time and traveling to another adventurous city.
Unfortunately at the time my passport was in Bogota
as my Visa was getting renewed
and there was no way we were going to book a flight without a passport in our possession
despite claims that it was on its way.
Well it was on it's way.
My visa arrived all shiny and new...
with further inspection I noticed something different.

No longer am I an 'ama de casa'
{that's housewife.. if you don't know, now you know}
my new occupation is listed as.....
{drumroll please}

estudiante.

Student of what exactly...
well that is yet to be determined.

200/366

{we got snacks}

199/366

I go through kicks.
where I can't get enough of something
it varies
from music,
to literature,
entertainment,
to food.
My latest kick...

food in my water.
Usually strawberries, blueberries, cucumbers,
and of course the traditional lemon or lime.

It's pretty to look at
flavorful
and helps this Diet Coke loving girl
get her H2O on.

198/366

I know I don't utilize my patio as much as I should.
It's one of those things...
when we first moved here I couldn't get enough of the ocean view
and after a year it's just another part of my daily life.
But I have to say, my favorite time to take it all in and sit on the patio is early morning
{not Matt early, but early for someone who never has anything scheduled before 10}
before the beach becomes littered with yellow cabanas, vendors, and people
before the cabs begin rushing down Av. Malecon with their loud horns
before the general hustle and bustle of this tourist city starts

{ha. hustle and bustle. yeah right. you get the point}
when the city if quiet and all that can be heard in the silence is the water
just me. coffee. my thoughts. the view. the water.
a perfect start to the week.

197/366

If you think I went to Price Smart and just came back with a couch...
you are crazy.
We had a nice sized cart full of American comforts, a few that I called dibs on last time and a few items I was pleasantly surprised to see.
I was particularly excited about this combination

It may not be 'milk', but it's sold in the refrigerated section, served cold, and I trust it.
So, for the first time in McQuinn|Cartagena history, Sarah had milk and cereal this morning.

Oh, heavenly day.

196/366

Last week while at Price Smart Matt saw his future.
In a love seat, double recliner, glider, middle console with cup holders, leather sofa.
I saw a couch that didn't necessarily scream recliner that looked to be far more comfortable than the couch I've been resting on for the last year.
I also saw a more permanent solution to the horrendous chair that sits in our living room today.
It's falling apart.
Literally... the fake leather is peeling off and would leave Matt's head looking like he suffered from some major dandruff.
So, I McGuyvered a table runner and placed it over the main eye sore.

Très Chic!
However, last week we rode to Baranquilla in a compact car and didn't dare trust the idea of attempting to purchase the couch and pick it up later.
So, today after Matt returned home from work, we set out for Baranquilla again, this time with Matt's driver and a truck. This is what we came back with...

This is how it arrived.

flammable, eh?
so far, sooo good.

195/366

For Christmas, Matt gave me a new charm for my bracelet. It was a small little suitcase that he said signified our life full of travels {I feel like there may have been some foreshadowing in that statement, but that's a different post entirely}. As I examined the charm more closely he chimed in with another fact, "I know there is a mention of Paris on the suitcase, but I want you to know this isn't my way of telling you we're going to Paris."

That boy, he knows me well.
But I am happy to share that six and a half months after that charm was added to my bracelet one of my dreams is coming true.
I'm going to Paris!
& London
& Nice
& Venice
& Florence
& Rome
Our dream European vacay is now very much a reality.
It's something we've dreamed about for quite some time and recently became more of a reality. So after much research {mostly on Matt's part} we've decided on a tour that travels through some of our top European spots and provides us with just enough guidance, but gives us plenty of time to create our own adventures.
On September 28th, we take flight for London and travel for 14 days full of culture and a lifetime of memories.
To celebrate, we opened a bottle of wine and a home made margherita pizza...

The Malbec tasted like Port, but sweeter so our really cheesy pizza was accompanied with a beer rather than wine. Not really the Italian celebration dinner we anticipated, but we just can't hide our
eccitazione
exitation

excitement.

194/366

I just love the look of a good storm...

193/366

new and pretty things motivate me.
for example, i scored some new purple work out pants and didn't think twice about picking the gym on a friday night over a glass of wine and a magazine
so when I saw this beauty at Target {in America... obvi} I was ever so thankful that my husband reminded me that my Spanish notebook was full

Guess who spent the afternoon working on her español?

Does it matter that I worked on it while I was waiting around for the air conditioner maintenance men who were two hours late?
Nah.
I didn't think so.

she's back

that's what they told me.
several times in the past few weeks.
they shared that since she made their house a home, they've never seen her run like this.
jump like this.
she is a ball of energy.
and she doesn't limp.
not even a little bit.
not even on the stairs.
they said she is healed.
and she must feel fantastic.
well that makes me feel
oh so very happy.

bella {july2012} from Sarah on Vimeo.

192/366

ch-ch-ch-changes.
now that I'm back in the swing of things and it's been over a year since we settled in
a few things have changed...

****
around the same time I headed to the States, my dear Americano friend Katy was packing up too... this time for good. Her fiancé had the opportunity to work on another job, so they said adios to Cartagena. I'm very excited for them in their new adventure, but I miss having my American partner and our nostalgic conversations.
Alicia aka Alice is my friend from Russia and is thankfully still here. But she's experienced quite a big change. She and her husband are expecting a little one in September. Our conversations have changed from discussing shopping at the mall and dinner reservations to total baby prep. She will be leaving next month and heading to the States to give birth and plans to return in December with her little bundle of joy {which I am quite excited about}.
My friend and Spanish teacher, Alice {two Alice's... ironic?} is now teaching English at the University and with her new position her time for teaching Spanish has declined.  But she still gives me quite the education, by taking me to spots I've never heard of that are outside of our 'zone', speaking Spanish as we socialize, and answering the one trillion questions I have about Colombian culture and 'why do they do that?'.
It looks like Rosetta and I are going to need to reconcile.

****

When we returned to Cartagena, Matt and I made the decision to join the local gym. We've been pretty happy with both the facility and our commitment to going. But when you don't have many other commitments besides work {for Matt} you just can't come up with near the amount of excuses.

****
Last year Matt and I downloaded a few of our favorite series that don't air in Colombia off i-tunes {think Breaking Bad and Mad Men... Modern Family airs here.. just a mere 6 months behind you}.  We realized we really liked having something to look forward to once a week. So this go around we decided we would download new series or get caught up with old ones. Sunday evenings we watch The Wire, Wednesdays Weeds, and starting next week Breaking Bad will be back in the mix. Pretty thrilled about this change.

****
I went on a 4 month hiatus from the kitchen. I think I cooked one meal while I was in Tennessee. No. I wish I was exaggerating. It was magnificent, mostly because my mom knows her way around a kitchen. So I've been a little more interested in things culinary lately and have enjoyed taking my time while cooking, finding new recipes, even making my own recipe book {3 ring binder} and watching this little guy grow on my window sill.

meet mr. basil

****
so theres been a few changes around these parts, some health related, routine, social, but mental as well. While in America I got used the the general pace of a busy life... full of pressing to-do lists, social calendars, and time management.  Those aren't things that we generally experience here... this latin american lifestyle is pretty easy going. Do I experience stress? Sure, sometimes. An errand gone amiss with a bit of a language barrier can really get my heart rate going and feel quite stressful. Will I have those days? Abso. I can count on that. But I want to make sure that someday when I'm sitting on my front porch somewhere in the US of A, thinking back on this wild adventure I can take a deep breath and know that I took full advantage of the moments.  Until then you can find me pool side, reading, writing, taking pictures, crocheting, cross stitching, dreaming of future travels, and enjoying time for us.
Time for me.

I'm going to take it all in.

191/366

av malecon

190/366

Road trip.
Destination: Barranquilla

The 4th largest city in Colombia, an hour and a half from Cartagena, and the birthplace of Shakira. We set out on Sunday morning and enjoyed the leisurely drive and the opportunity to see the country side of Colombia, which is quite rare since most of our day to day adventures keep us pretty sheltered inside certain areas of Cartagena.



Upon our arrival we enjoyed a snack at a restaurant on the Magdalena River and watched some local men whittle wood for a future restaurant renovation.

We got a dose of culture at the Caribbean Museum. Unfortunately all the exhibits were in Spanish so Matt and I took in most of the culture with our eyes. While the rest of me thought about the sweet little pup I met right outside the museum...

After getting our cultural fix, we enjoyed a wonderful meal at a local restaurant. We expanded our horizons a bit more and tried a traditional Colombian drink.

A refajo is a beverage made up of an equal mix of beer and Kola Roman {think Coke, but pink... I know it's strange}.  Apparently it's known for its thirst quenching abilities on a hot day {think everyday}. When I first looked at the pink concoction I expected a completely sweet, sugary, dehydrating experience. Refajo proved me wrong. It was quite good. However, I will be sticking to Coca Cola Light and aqua sin gas as my go-tos for thirst quenching.

Now we've come to my favorite part of the day. Sure, traveling to see another city in Colombia and getting in some culture is great, but to be honest, the real reason I went to Barranquilla is this....
Price Smart.
Ohmygaw...
Think Sam's Club/Costco. In the past when people spoke about it, I imagined it was too good to be true. I assumed they were exaggerating. Nope. It's Sam's Club folks. Complete with many Americano products that this ama de case can't get her manos on in Cartagena.
For example, cheese. Pretty big cheese fan. Cartagena lacks. Severely. It's a stretch to call some of the things I have been desperate enough to buy cheese. So word on the streets is that Price Smart has real cheese, as in a block of cheddar. That fact, in and of itself, had me psyched. I will admit I went out on a limb and dreamed of seeing some feta or goat cheese, but felt like I was setting myself up for disappointment. I am happy to report, Price Smart did not disappoint. As I type, I have a lot of real cheese chilling in the fridge, including feta and goat {and a wicked grin on my face}.
Matt and I wandered the aisles stopping every few minutes to point out another item that we haven't been able to lay eyes on while living on South American soil. Including this:

{'American' pie... properly known as Pumpkin Pie. Thrilled about this development for the Holidays}
Sadly I have to report I was unable to find Diet Coke in a can. I didn't dare set myself up for that kind of let down. At the end of our adventure, Matt and I went ahead and made ourselves official Price Smart members, complete with card and terrible picture. We've already discussed what we may come back with next time, but this was our first haul...

{bag of Veggie Straws}
{jar of dill pickles}
{block of sharp cheddar cheese}
{block of monterrey jack cheese}
{large bag of shredded mozzarella}
{bag of sting cheese}
{feta cheese}
{goat cheese}
I told you I was pretty serious about my cheese.

189/366

summer afternoon - summer afternoon;

to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language

- Henry James

188/366

salsa

made by the ama de case of apartamento 12D

187/366

to you, it's a rope.
to me, it's a warning...
A warning that at any moment a man could 'drop' by cleaning or painting.
I've learned this from experience.

The joys of floor to ceiling windows.