day 30

This is it... Day 30
The photography challenge has come to a close.
What have I learned....
That I have a lot to learn..... but I intend to keep working at it, as well as carrying my camera around with me more often to take in all that Cartagena has to offer.
An additional positive of the challenge is that it made me accountable for blogging {even though I didn't do it daily and clumped many days together}. Therefore I will be blogging more often with the random happenings of our Colombian adventure {I'm sure this will make our mothers very happy:)}

On that note...
30 days later, here is my 'self-portrait'


While we are discussing self-portraits...

This is a weekly 'periodico' otherwise known as a newspaper. That chica in the pink with the blue balls...
That's me.

Last week a photographer came to our pilates class to take photos for the newspaper... which lead to Sarah being printed.

The headline states:
Cual es el secreto del Pilates
Kate Moss, Madonna, y Melanie Griffith son algunas de las celebridades que lo practican, por que?
What is the secret of Pilates?
Kate Moss, Madonna, and Melanie Griffith are among the celebrities who do it, why?


I suppose Sarah McQuinn needs to be added to that list....

day twenty-nine & the 2 month mark

well, well, well, happy anniversary cartagena. 

You've been hosting the McQuinn's for a whole 2 months. 

How does it feel?

Somedays I think it has flown by
and then when I think of the reality
of being here for 2 - 3 years... 

only 2 months...
really?

We're just getting started and I know there is a lot more adventure ahead of us

Day 29: Black & White

While we camped up in the Hilton for our first month we sent our laundry to be serviced. You remember their lovely laundered shirts. Well, a draw back of that process {besides my lack of control} was this...

One every piece that was laundered that had a 'tag' our room number was inked. I totally understand the point, but there is something about slipping a shirt over my head {or even putting underwear on} and seeing the number 457. Do we really need to constantly be reminded about 'el hilton'?

Last night we skyped with Bella & The Schoenfelders....

it was just what I needed

{can you tell by my reaction?}

the simple things.

today I had a beach rondezvous planned with the girls

but

I awoke this morning to a red

& itchy chest.

Is it back?

Am I allergic to Cartagena?

Oh, how I wish I knew

Yesterday was a warm day and Alice and I spent a few hours at the pool

At one point she noticed my chest was red so I put some spray 

SPF 30 {Target brand from US}

just in that vicinity.

Alice thinks it is just sunburn.

I hope she is right & recognize

that I could be slightly

'kah-razy'

when it comes to this rash/skin situation. 

I have applied some lotion to it and hoping tomorrow it 

looks a whole lot better & 

slightly toned down.

My beach day turned into supermarket day.

I bought these to make me feel better.

Disney paper towels....

and you thought I was high maintenance.

day twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight

hi.
long time, no blog, eh?
It's Day 23's fault: Sunflare
See I was working towards something like this (found on pinterest)...

but it didn't work out like that.
My hesitation started when I could barely see the sun all week. We had a lot of rainy overcast days last week. And then my timing was always off... the sun was either to high or I missed it entirely and it was set.
Therefore I am moving on and keeping it as a future challenge. To get a sunflare....

Day 24: Animal

This theme proved to have its own issues. Particularly that when I hear animal, I think "bella" and immediately get sappy and think about my boxer baby. {who, by the way is recovering from a cold, but on the mend... thanks for asking!}
Then there is the stray dogs and horses and I could not possibly subject you to them. They break my heart. So, I would like to introduce you to another kind of animal... known as my Colombian pet...

I am under the impression that this Chilean wine is available in the United States... confirm or deny?


Day 25: Something Pink
I go through fruit phases. I truly love all fruit and eat a variety of them, but there is usually one that I am completely crushing on and can't get enough of....
Until, I fall for a different one.
A few weeks ago it was mango-madness.
In Houston, I was obsessed with oranges.
Currently I am worshipping the watermelon.

I think I mentioned before that they don't have 'seedless' watermelon here, so I do a lot of unladylike behavior, by spitting my seeds.

While on the topic of pink....
This picture went out to a few friends last week with the caption:
{Notice anything different about Colombian mannequins?}

Well, do you?

Day 26: Close up
Back to the fruit obsession thing I have. These are another one...

Frozen Grapes. I love. I seriously enjoy them more than 'thawed' grapes. They are a delicious icy treat, which is such a blessing on these warm Colombian days. If you've never tried, I recommend. Rinse your grapes, then throw them in a ziploc in the freezer. You will have a new fruity fascination.

Matt and I had another nice weekend. We are finally getting settled into our apartment. I wouldn't say it feels like 'home' yet necessarily, but we are very comfortable here. Sunday we practiced tradition and spent some time at the beach followed by a steak dinner and some red wine.
And so far, I appear to be rash free. This was my first time in the sand and water since I 'cleared' up.

Day 27: Distance
Today was a Colombian holiday. There is a lot of holidays here. I believe 18 total. Unfortunately, Matt works all of these holidays, but they are observed by many people... so the beaches were filled with 'happy holidayers'.

See those yellow tents up and down the beach. Those are set up each morning by some vendors. They provide you with some chairs to sit under {I don't sit under the tent as I prefer to soak up the sun while oceanside} and you pay to 'rent' the tent per chair. I believe it's approximately 2000 - 3000 Colombian pesos per chair, which is $1.00-1.50.

Day 28: Flowers

Yes, I was that girl and worked ahead. I figured it was the least I could do for being such a slacker lately.

day twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two

These clusters of days are beginning to become a habit. 


I know your probably growing tired of seeing Sarah shots, so Day 20 went and mixed it up a bit. 


Day 20: Faceless Self Portrait.
different, eh? 
so was my take on it...
It has been established that I like shoes... so they were part of my portrait. 

Shoes and my scarred knee from a traumatic bicycle incident that occurred in my younger days. Then occurred again within the same week. Hence the 'gnarly' scar. 


Day 21: Bokeh
I'm not going to lie. I had no idea what this was...
so I googled it, as any logical person would and discovered that it was not a strange plant species, but a photography term {shows you how much I have yet to learn}

"Bokeh refers to the aesthetic quality of the blur produced from a 

shot with shallow depth of field"

Well that made sense. But I had a difficult time coming up with a shot. 

So I just went with it and made it happen {or else this blog post would have taken forever to appear}

Day 22: Hands

We've developed a bit of a routine around here.

I have dinner ready when Matt comes home around 6:15-6:30.

Let me just state for the record this is so much easier to do when you are not working full time. We did a lot of sushi & Subway last year as we both worked long hours. Now I go to the grocery store approximately twice a week, plan my meals for the week (what!) and have dinner ready when my hard working husband arrives home.

We eat & clean the kitchen (did I mention we don't have a dishwasher... that's a fun fact)

Then Matt reclines our "reclinable" couch to some degree,

grabs his i-pad,

and

starts reading.

This usually leads to him passing out.

Tonight..

7:30

Not sure he made it through that article.

day seventeen, day eighteen, day nineteen, and day of the father

guess what?

I am writing blog posts from our bedroom while I watch television. That's right folks...

We have entered the modern times in Cartagena.

No more little wireless connection that could. 

We are now working with  the 'Mateo' connection. Literally.

Which brings me to...

Day 17

Theme: Technology

Friday, my Directv amigos came and checked me out of rehab and pushed me off the wagon by providing me with television. I am in a very happy place.

Saturday, the internet providers came and gave us our own little wireless signal that CAN. 

Although there were lots of Spanish speaking strangers in and out of our home words can't describe our happiness.

Day 18

Theme: Shoes

I took the shoes from my side of the closet in the master bedroom {the rest of my shoes are in the guest room, I did bring an entire suitcase of shoes people}

These are the shoes I wear most often, lots of flip flops and wedges. My feet are pretty happy with the Latin American lifestyle as they have not been sacrificed for fashion in a while. 

Day 19

Theme: Something Orange

Now that I am beginning to settle into my new home 'nesting' is setting in {can this happen to non-pregnant woman? If not, this is not an announcement of any kind} 

The decor details of the apartment tend to take over my brain. 

The biggest detail: art

The art work that the owner provided in the living room really isn't our style and to be honest it is completely random. The color scheme and concept has nothing to do with anything else in the room. {look at the link here for previous pictures of the living room}

I saw this little project on the Young House Love blog and decided since I had some time on my hands I'd give it a go. 

It has many imperfections {especially up close} but that's a part of art, right?

It is a very different color scheme than I am used to, but when in Colombia, change it up. Matt is a big fan of orange. 

At 885, he convinced me to paint the office an orange hue because he researched that orange stimulates the mind and would be perfect for an office space. The office was orange for approximately 24 hours. Total.

The scale is a little off so I am thinking of doing some smaller canvas' on the side. It is still a work in progress.  I apologize for all my rambling. 

The bottom line: it's better than the fuchsia plant. 

Dia de Padres

Dads.

They're the greatest.

And Matt and I truly have the greatest. They are always available for us and help us solve problems from miles and miles and miles and miles away, just like they did when we were under their roofs.

Cheers Dad.

We love you.

Happy Fathers Day.

day sixteen

theme: long exposure

there is an underlying theme here as well: human error

Basically a long exposure is a long duration of shutter speed which blurs movement. {photography buffs, please excuse my horrible explanation of long exposure, thanks in advance}

Now, when that shutter speed is open for an extended period of time movement affects the finished product. A tripod is highly recommended for this kind of shot, but Sarah's photography 'career' {hahaha} hasn't made it to the big time yet and she is working sans tripod.

Now, that I have provided an excuse I present you with day 16.

bing.

bang.

boom.

day fifteen & day twelve

Theme: Silhouette





I've got to get this Day 12 crossed off my list. 
Last night I attempted to get a shot of sunset, but it was overcast.

So, here is a shot I took last week {and used in the new header, so technically you've already seen it, but my OCD can't wait much longer for the perfect sunset}...

...Back on track. 


p.s. still waiting on the internet to be officially hooked up. Possibly Friday now. The little wireless signal that could, keeps going and helping us stay connected. Thank goodness.

day fourteen

Theme: Eyes


While we are on the subject, I eyed this on Pinterest...

A Vintage Boxer Dog Planter.
I know you all probably think I am crazy but I die for this.
(the only person who probably doesn't think I am crazy is Mrs. Kate Schetzsle, are you dying?)
 I can already see it on a shelf in my home, my former home where I had shelves and lots of things to decorate with. After seeing his adorable face I was inspired to search for more vintage boxer art.
Etsy, thank you. You have opened my eyes to a world of vintage boxer ceramic art that I did not know existed.

And if you don't think I am crazy take note.
I live in Colombia, break out in random rashes, and take pictures of my eyes.
Convinced?

day eleven & day thirteen

well, it happened. I missed day 12. mostly due to the fact that the theme was a sunset and I wasn't home nor did I have my camera at sunset. so please forgive me, but day 12 will be shown out of order.

...and while we are on the subject of my skillz, check this out.

A job like that deserves skills with a 'z', right? My recipe Friday night called for some white wine. I attempted to use the standard wine opener that was provided at the apt and quickly discovered it was broken. Plan B was this "special" wine opener we bought in Napa, that we quickly discovered only Matt could use. When I attempted to use it, I ended up pushing the cork in, pressurizing (Matt's word) the bottle, and took some wine in the face. So I rewarded myself with a glass.

now, down to business.

Day 11: Something blue

Something{s} blue...

{When I was getting ready Saturday morning I realized I have quite a few blue-toned products}

{a blue bandanna. but to me it means a lot more than that. before I joined the cast of "The Real Housewives of Cartagena" I worked as a counselor for a non-profit that provided services to youth that are involved in the juvenile justice system. It was an experience that absolutely changed my life and I am so thankful for the opportunities I was provided. I met so many interesting young men and women who truly touched my heart. My dear friend and former co-worker Brandi equipped me with this blue piece as a memory of my 'gangsta ways'}

{this is the pool that is located below our patio off of the master bedroom. It's the kiddy pool. The adult pool, complete with a swim up bar (back up: this isn't like an all inclusive resort with a bartenders and liquor in the pool, there is simply a bar) is under construction, but set to open next week}

Good News.

My rash is healing and practically gone. This weekend I was able to bare my ankles without anxiety.

Matt and I went to the Old City and wandered, hoping to familiarize ourselves with the different areas, stores, bars, etc. I am sure he is more familiar. The only way I could get you back to where we were is if I got lost and stumbled upon it.

If the pictures above look familiar, it is because I have taken pictures in the area before. And yes, I am familiar with this area. I could get your there and back. Impressed?

On Sunday, Matt and I traveled to the mall for one last large haul. This is our updated apartamento.

Notice anything different?

We picked up a few items to personalize our home. We also purchased another tv. Now we just need to get Directv out here so we can actually watch it.

Matt saw this one on sale as we left Home Center. I imagine it's color (hot) may have had something to do with it's price, but we had been looking for more seating for the patio and this little number had 4 chairs. We moved our small set to the patio off the master for now.

Day 13's Theme: You with 13 things

Random.

A few things to note: 

*Today was pilates & cleaning day. Hence my casual attire.

*Speaking of casual, I have made a decision. After weeks of blow drying & straightening my hair, only to have the humidity do a number on it, I am going au'natural. Some spray & a diffuser is much easier.

*It's hot here. Sunday was a temp of 90, but felt like 107. And the McQuinn's are experimenting. Due to the high cost of air conditioning we are seeing what it is like to leave the windows & patio doors open during the day. Some days the breeze is amazing. This was not one of those days.

1) A picture of the Bella. There are more pictures of that darling girl in this home than anyone else. I had a dream the other day that I returned and she didn't remember me... so technically I guess you could call it a nightmare.

2) My cell phone. After losing it, I don't like to have it out of sight for too long. And today I had to go to the store and pay my bill. It was much easier than I originally anticipated. I spoke all Spanish during the transaction (it was a rather quick transaction).

3) My pilates socks. 

4) The special cream Doc Cartagena gave me for my rashy arms. It was rather pricey but totally did the trick. Rash free.

5) After pilates, Alice and I took a gander at some shops near our apartment. I found some shorts. I did mention it is hot here right. And the 6 pairs of jeans I brought that I thought I would be wearing... wrong. Jeans have been worn twice. To a movie. Apparently chilly theatres is a universal thing. 

6) On my shopping trip I stumbled upon some lotion from Victoria's Secret. They do not have those stores here, so I was quite pleased to find some lotion that I know does not make me break out in a rash.

7) Nail polish. I intended to paint my nails. I can now tell you that did not happen today.

8) Agua. I received a bit of a "lecture" on the importance of drinking water this weekend. While I have decreased my Coca Cola light consumption, I still need to work on increasing the H20.

9) My mop. These white floors are my enemy. They are high maintenance and I am constantly finding my brown locks all over the place. I will be bringing a swifter back from the US. Until then, I mop. a lot.

10) I also wash a lot of towels. Here is evidence.

11) Does this look like Tide? That's why I bought it.

12) My ipad. Our Internet signal is not strong enough for me to connect to the bookstore so I have been reading a lot of the samples I previously downloaded. Last night, we visited the Alexanders and I downloaded 3 books:

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

The Smart One & The Pretty One by Claire Lazebrik

Gangs in Garden City: How Immigration, Segregation, and Youth Violence Are Changing America's Suburbs by Sarah Garland

My reading taste is quite eclectic.

13) Sex and The City: Season 3. SO happy I brought the entire series. I could watch them over and over. And they are truly my only form of television right now. Thank goodness it's good television.

Well, that brings us to the end of one really random post that has been written through the day at really random times.

And guess what?

I missed that sunset again.

See you on day 14.

    

Day Ten

Theme: A Childhood Memory


I knew this was going to be a challenge. In fact, the conversation last night surrounding this topic went a little like this:
S: Guh, tomorrow's theme is childhood memory. How am I going to do that? I live in Colombia.


M: Sarah, it's not that hard... Think about it. I know this doesn't apply to you, but let's pretend as a child you would go to your grandparents and ride horses. You could go take a picture of a horse and that could be your childhood memory. It's not like you have to take a picture of a specific toy, that you specifically played with in your brother's room when you were 8 years old.
(does he know me or what? except for the playing in my brother's room, maybe he doesn't know my brother...)


But, still I struggled. Childhood memories flew through my mind...

{the backyard swing set & sandbox, Santa coming to the house, 

Worlds of Fun & Disney World, Oatmeal Cream Pies, 

feeding the ducks at the airport, Hart Ranch, Bear Country USA,

Mt. Rushmore, painting pumpkins for Halloween before we carved them, 

swimming lessons with Gigi & Mitzi, my carousel horse collection,

picnics in the backyard, reading Laura Ingalls Wilder, 

the 5 time flower girl & Les Miserables playing

 on Saturdays as mom cleaned}

Then I had an idea.

This is a photography challenge right. It just so happens that I have a childhood memory that is fitting of photography.

This is how I recall it:

When I was in kindergarten some representatives from Better Homes & Gardens came to the school. I suppose they were there looking for students to be in a new line of children's craft books they were publishing. 

And I was a chosen one.

Now, I know you're probably really impressed right now, but I think there were 3-4 students chosen from my half-day kindergarten class alone. A model I am not. 

Here is the book:

(If you are curious it is available on Amazon brand new for $1.50. If that is not in your price range the used books start at $0.01)

What is funny is that I totally remember this entire experience. I recall exactly what I was wearing {if only I could find a picture of that shirt}, going to the studio, being shown how to hold my hands & pose, etc.

Oh, did I mention what my craft was. I made a peanut butter monkey sandwich. What is that?

Guess what?

You're in for a treat! 

Sarah's Peanut Butter Monkey Sandwich

22 years later

{disclaimer: this is my recollection. Actual process of Peanut Butter Monkey sandwich could be much different)

These are the materials needed.

Using a glass {I don't recall if they used a glass. For some reason I am under the impression they used a cleaned out can, like of corn. That doesn't seem very kid-friendly. If you have not yet, please see the disclaimer above} make 2 circles of bread for your monkeys head!

After putting your sandwich together, it's time to make your monkeys face. {I don't remember how they applied the peanut butter to the raisins to make them stick on the bread, so I just put some peanut butter on the cutting board and dipped the raisins in it}. I don't remember getting to snack on the raisins as I placed them on the sandwich. 22 years later, I snacked.

Here if your finished Peanut Butter Monkey Sandwich. 

{apparently I needed a director for this photo shoot, you can't even see the subject, the monkey}

Happy Friday. 

Enjoy your Peanut Butter Monkey sandwiches.

Day Nine

Hi.
Today I went to the doctor. He was pleased by how my legs are healing.
He was not so happy to see my arms.
We are chalking it up to new lotions and soaps. So Dr. Cartagena {this is not his real name} instructed me to get rid of the lotions and soaps I am using, which have all been purchased locally since I ran out of my American supply.
I was instructed to shower with water solamente. {this is not a forever thing, just until I unrashify myself}
Don't fret. I can wash my hair.
I just can't use any product to cleanse the rest of my body. Could be an interesting habit to break...
I was given an additional "calming" lotion to use 3 times a day and some allergy pills.

What have I learned from this situation?
Apparently I am sensitive {I knew this about my feelings... I did not know this also applied to my skin}
and I need to watch what I buy here.

What else?
When I return to the States, I am devoting a suitcase to lotions and body washes.

Today's theme: Someone You Love


Why do I love him?

Well, there is lots of reasons.

#1 on my list right now...

...He loves me regardless of my rashy situation.