The Living Room in Chandler

sangria and bruschetta at the living room in chandler

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I finally made it in to The Living Room, a cozy wine bar in Chandler, one summer day when my friend Katie was in town. A monsoon storm had just blown through, cooling the temperature down from unbearable to pleasant, and they opened up the patio for us.

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The bruschetta was awesome. One kind had ripe cherry tomatoes. The other had prosciutto that reminded me of Spain.

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My sangria was ok. Turns out I’m very picky about sangria. After that, I ordered the same red as Katie, and that was really good. That’s probably what I should’ve done in the first place. Katie has great taste and is kind of a Living Room expert from her Chandler days.

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The servers came around just often enough, not so much they kept us from catching up, but enough to get our orders and bring us more bread, so we could finish off our delicous artichoke dip.

Women in the Arts and a Pop-up Makerspace

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I am in Washington, D.C., down the street from the White House in a building that used to be a Masonic lodge, and I am sifting through a basket of embroidery floss, looking for just the right combination of colors. When you have been seeing/taking in, there is something especially refreshing about making/creative output.

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My recent D.C. visit happened to coincide with the monthly community day of the National Museum of Women in the Arts and their second-ever pop-up makerspace. Inspired by several of the artists on exhibition, they had tables set up for crochet, drawing-machine making, and turning various odds and ends into jewelry.

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I made a necklace from a couple of metal washers, some thread and wire.

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The museum itself is organized into different floors for different time periods. Their current exhibition, Pathmakers, explores how women have used alternate media to create art, from midcentury to today.

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Community days are the first Sunday of every month with free admission in the afternoon.

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Last-Minute Traveler Gift Guide

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If you’re still looking for gift inspiration, here are some ideas.

All of these items are things I actually own, use, and love:

1. Designhype Metro San Francisco Cuff – Yes, there’s an actual metro map on the bracelet! Mine is for San Francisco, but Designhype also makes these for Paris, NYC, and other cities.

2. Moleskine Journal – For travel journaling, lately I’ve been starting with a blank Moleskine, writing about the day, and using washi tape to attach ticket stubs (like the transit pass from our Re:Make trip) or folded programs or whatever I happen to collect. The cahiers 3.5″ x 5.5″ size comes in a 3-pack and is really convenient for carrying with you. I throw one in a quart-size ziploc with my ultra fine tip Sharpies and washi tape and take it along, in case I want to journal on the plane or while we sit at a cafe. Some brick-and-mortar options: I’ve seen these at Changing Hands Bookstore and Target, but you can find various sizes of Moleskine journals lots of places.

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3. Sakura 18-Piece Koi Assorted Water Colors Field Sketch Set with Brush – Super portable watercolor set with a brush that holds water inside of it (so you don’t have to fiddle with a separate cup) and folds up. Since Jennifer Mack introduced this to me at Craft Camp, the link above is her Amazon affiliate link.

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4. Bodum Travel Press Coffee Maker – Basically, it’s a shatterproof French press you can drink out of. This is especially great for camping, but you could also use it to upgrade from the hotel coffeemaker. I’ve had mine for awhile, so I didn’t see this exact design – I linked to one that’s similar. I just saw these at Cost Plus World Market.

5. GoToob Travel Bottle – Humangear travel bottles are made to keep from leaking, and mine has been fine when altitude changes have made a mess out of cheaper bottles. They have this neat little ring you can twist to designate the contents (sunscreen, soap, etc.), but they’re also food safe, in case you want to fill a small one with sri racha or a bigger one with pancake batter. I’ve spotted these at my local REI and Target. I think they may have been a little cheaper at Target, but REI had a much bigger selection.

6. REI Flash 18 Pack – Very comfortable day pack with a streamlined silhouette. It’s great to throw stuff in for a day at a convention or on a hike. In the photo, Phillip is wearing it while admiring the view from Mt. Lemmon. Since this is REI brand, they’re most likely only available in REI’s stores and site.

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What travel gifts do you love to use or have on your wishlist?

P.S. This DIY spice mix is also easy to make, and there are more ideas in our last-minute Christmas guide.

Not a sponsored post.

An East Coast Winter Wedding: Figuring Out What to Pack

My cousin is getting married at the end of the year in Charlottesville, Virginia, a couple hours south of Washington DC. We’ll head out there, see Charlottesville, and spend a couple days in DC.

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For us Arizonans, it’s gonna be cold.

So, along with researching what to see/do/eat in DC and Virginia (and making a pretty serious DC/Virginia/Maryland Pinterest board), I’ve been trying to figure out how to pack light but stay warm!

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Here are a few articles I’ve found helpful:

Do you have recommendations of winter DC sights or cold-weather packing tips?

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