Shen Yun 2012

" The truth will break open the gates of delusion."

Buying tickets to Shen Yun was the result of a tenebrous mood and this condition called Chronic Wanderlust.

The fact that 5,000yrs of Chinese culture has been passed down and retained blows me away. My cousin and I are in the process of planning a family reunion and getting just 100yrs of family history has been a bit of a challenge.

Overall, the show was spectacularly satisfying. There were 22 different scenes lasting a little under 2.5hours. Each one told a different story. Sadness, love, courage, humor, and loyalty were all depicted through impeccable synchronization.
Recording of any kind was strictly prohibited. I am infamous for breaking that rule, but since my purpose was to escape, I decided to put the camera away and have a complete Shen Yun experience.


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Travel Tribe Memeber

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Shopping in Cape Town


My all time favorite quote reads,

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."

So when I saw this over on Pintrest, there was no question... Happy Shopping.
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Ode to Paris

I was 16 years old when I fell in love with Paris. I haven't made it yet. One day. Until then....

Kelly Rowland - "Keep It Between Us" from Kelly Rowland on Vimeo.

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DayZipping: Travel App


I found this really neat App over on Google Chrome. It's call DayZipping. It's a great resource for planning a local daytrip or discovering unique places in cities you plan to visit. I've already added several things to my 2012 Travel List.
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America's Largest Home: Asheville

2012 began with a step back in time. The crony and I took a road trip to Asheville, North Carolina to visit the Vanderbilt's.



Soror Monya and I after we did a bit of damage in the gift shop.

I visited Biltmore Estate years ago, but it was a totally different experience. Just thinking of the magnitude of wealth, audacity, and creativity George Vanderbilt needed to just envision what was suppose to be his " little mountain getaway" is overwhelming.
The brochure clearly states that photography is prohibited, but there were some people who took pictures anyway. Begrudgingly, I followed the rules. Well sort of. I did sneak in a few of the backyard.



Of course my favorite room belonged to the lady of the house.





Photos courtesy of Google Images










Library: Home to 10,000 of the 22,000 books in the house.





If you decide to visit, I recommend the audio tour. It reveals information that you'd otherwise miss during the self guided tour. For example:

  • Even though madly in love, why the Mr. & Mrs. had separate bedrooms. " The years seem all like a moment. A happy marriage is the true fortune of life." -G.W.Vanderbilt.
  • The Conservation Technician used 18,000 Q-Tips during the restoration.
  • Decorators used minuscule swatches from the 1800's to recreate silk velvet and linen walls with gilded 24ct gold leaf.
Videos linked to the Biltmore website.
Next stop on the estate :
Most people hear the name Tiffany and the coveted little blue box springs to mind. However, in addition to jewelry, the Tiffany's also had a presence in the art and home decor world.





Video courtesy of www.multivu.com

There are conflicting stories online about who was the true mastermind behind the Tiffany lamp designs, Clara Driscoll or Louis Tiffany. Either way, one will add a certain je ne sais quoi to any living room or home office.

Most lamps you'll see today are Tiffany Designed or Tiffany Inspired.
QVC has a huge collection of Tiffany Inspired indoor lamps.

Thanks for reading,
Mer
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Only a few days left to vote!!!

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