China Trip

Whew! I am back safe and sound from a really good trip to the Canton Fair in China. 

I must say I faced challenges at every turn mostly dealing 

with the fact I speak/read/write English

 and not Mandarin. 

My trip mantra was,

 " Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal."

And wow, did I have quite the adventure!

This is a ginormous event held twice a year.

 Asian manufacturers have showrooms big and small

 for the wholesale buyers from all over the world to see their products.

 I can only share photos from the general areas. 

The showrooms are very protective of their goods and I totally understand and

 respect this.

What to eat was a huge ordeal adventure, but McDonald's french fries are good 

wherever you are...

Cheese pizza is not quite the same there, but to a hungry girl it was yummy!

I am glad to be home and my head is spinning with new ideas!

Traveling through Ella's Eyes

Mr. Ella and I have just enjoyed a wonderful trip that we will never forget.

We were awed by the history of the countries we visited and have tons of photos of ancient pillars, aqua ducts, temple ruins and more. 

These are what one thinks of when planning a tour of

the Holy Land (Israel) and Athens, Greece.

However, Ella's eyes seek out the old mingled in with the current.

Below are just a few photos that bring a smile to my face.

Travel along with me...

Our first stop was an unexpected long layover in Germany due to missing our connecting flight.

 (Not our fault.)

We used the time to take a train into Munich.

This was after traveling all night. I am not sure where our energy came from...

Little did we know that we would not sleep that night either and our luggage stayed in Germany as we went on to Tel Aviv.

Not good.

We would not meet up with our luggage until the fourth day of the journey.

Not fun.

We found an Antique Store, although everything is closed on Sundays. A local told us, "Just like in the U.S."

 Apparently this person has not been to the States since the 1980's.

The next photos are a mix of Israel and Greece. 

Such character around every corner.

I would go back in a heartbeat, even in stinky, dirty clothes...

The Colors of Chile

Mr. Ella and I returned last week from a Mission trip to Chile. While we were there our group was able to take a couple of days off from working in Santiago and travel about an hour to the coast.

In Valparaiso we rode an old box type elevator up the hill and was surprised to see this turquoise Victorian house perched on the edge.

The "box" to the left is what we rode in...

It is one of those things you do and just try not to think about how dangerous it is...

The houses were painted in such fun colors.

Each is their own unique color.

Paint store owners are staying busy in Chile!

(The blue basket in front is where they put their trash to picked up.)

I haven't been taking much time to browse the blogs lately, but the House of Hargrove caught my attention today. Elaine has a wonderful post on the new wallpaper trends. I was reminded of a store we ran across on our recent trip to Connecticut.

(Seymour Antiques Company)

The back room immediately pulled me in and captured my attention.

I suddenly felt the need for a good nap though...

How clever to hang mismatched vintage wallpapers. An unexpected way of decorating-my favorite...

Mr. Ella did his eye-roll thing when I told him I wanted to try this in the guest bedroom of our new old house!

Connecticut

I had the pleasure of spending a long 4th of July weekend with Mr. Ella in Connecticut. The house pictured above was the main building of the Bed & Breakfast where we stayed for part of the trip.

Our room was next door above the ice cream shop. How appropriate for Summer travelers!

We meandered around the pretty countryside and quaint towns where we found wonderful architecture.

This style of house was everywhere.

We saw so much inspiration for our Romantic Prairie home back in Texas.

Details. I LoVe the little, but eye catching details.

In Honor of Easter

In honor of Easter, I wanted to feature some photos of places of worship I have taken as I have traveled with my dear hubby over the last few years.

Moloka'i, Hawaii

St. Joseph's Church . Molaka'i, Hawaii.

Built by Father Damien in 1876. He was best known for his work with the people inflicted with Hansen's Disease (Leprosy).

Notice the Tsunami siren at the back of the building.

Statue erected next to the church building. Our tour book said it was frequently draped with leis and we were not disappointed.

The door is always unlocked and visitors are welcome.

Visitors

Please Close Door When Leaving

Mahalo ( Thank you in Hawaiian )

Molokai, Hawaii.
Beautifully silhouetted by the mountains, Our Lady of Sorrows Church was one of the churches established by Father Damien.

Maui, Hawaii.

Coral rock building.

Maui, Hawaii

Maui, Hawaii.

This photo was taken from up high on the road to Hana. I had to zoom in and hold the camera really still to get this picture. I think there is a cemetery to the side.

I am not sure if this is the 'Ihi 'ihi o lehowa o na Kaua Church or not.

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Very island looking cross.


Cozumel, Mexico.

Just moments after I took this photo a storm blew in and we had to run for cover!




Cozumel, Mexico


My husband rolled his eyes at me when I took this picture. I just liked the simple elegance, don't you? I didn't take a picture of the inside out of respect to those praying inside.

Waco, Texas

Waco, Texas

Salado, Texas
This rock wall was built by the owner of the bookstore which is at the front of the property. He also built the church building and rock walkways.

Salado, Texas

Salado, Texas

This photo is kind of dark, but it is such a quaint and charming structure, I had to include it. I took these photos with my camera phone, so I think they turned out pretty good considering how I captured them.

Salado, Texas

Now my husband wanted me to take a picture of this stone walk so he could add some character to our own backyard just like this... maybe THIS summer.

HE HAS RISEN!!!