Kitty Deschanel | Food, Wine, and Travel Adventures in an Airstream Basecamp

For the record, I do feel a twinge of guilt at the thought that my Nana might read this. Not enough not to write it, you know, but a twinge nonetheless. Whenever possible, I try to do our grocery shopping mid-day. With the stores almost empty, I'm able to browse and meander like a little old senior, nothing but time. Of course, there's a problem with the stores being almost empty. It's just me and the actual little old seniors. And the seniors gravitate toward me as if I were QVC...or tennis balls on a walker...or a small dog to leave in the car...or an afghan to knit...or a rose show at the botanical garden. These are the things that come to mind when I think of seniors. Any chance they'll read this (excluding my Nana) and keep their distance from me? At Smith's yesterday, I was all alone in the cereal aisle, enjoying my personal space, when out of nowhere an old man came up behind me and exclaimed, "This place is almost turning into a Walmart!" ...

Guess what! I am a lucky duck. I entered the giveaway for a homemade stenciled pillow on the Cheap Chic Home blog and actually won ! I never win anything! Isn't it pretty? I put it in our little reading nook in the living room. Isn't it just the cutest little pillow ever ? On a quick side note, my bloggy friends, Wednesday is Sexy Nerd's birthday (he's so old!) I want to make him a romantic dinner after work. If you have any ideas, please send me a link. Thanks! Oh, and did I mention that it should also be inexpensive and fairly easy to make? I'm sure you knew that already ;)

*For the record, this post is not sponsored in any way whatsoever by ThredUp . I just wanted to share their awesomeness with the world! Also, to clarify, I do NOT recommend them as a place to sell your clothes, as they seem to just steal them..though if no one sends them anything, it's going to make it much harder for me to find so many good deals, so...nevermind? I have a new favorite clothing store. They're online and they won my heart after I placed my first order and saw this: (My shopping soulmate?) ThredUp sells used clothing and shoes, but only if it's name brand and in excellent/clean/like-new condition. There are things for women and children. You can also sell your top-notch, unwanted clothing, which I'm sure is great for some people. Me? I'm too much of a hoarder to part with any of my clothes and I have the outgrown walk-in closet to prove it. (Too big? What if I gain weight one day! Too small? Motivation to fit into that again....

We had a blackout here in Albuquerque tonight. Despite the heat, I used the break from Wi-Fi (it seems the only way to get me off the computer is to give me no choice) to enjoy an hour of yoga and meditation. Afterward, I stood in front of my office window, allowing the cool breeze and total darkness to calm my mind further. There's something hypnotic about watching your always buzzing neighborhood reduced to total, silent blackness. No drone of swamp coolers. No conversations escaping from a patio. Nothing. I felt renewed, hopeful for the day ahead and for life in general. Without warning, the power flickered back on, blasting the lights on porches, street corners, and from windows. And as I continued to gaze from my office, all feelings of tranquility were replaced with shock. The instant the lights returned, three people in the street took off running different directions. A man and woman together, as well as a man on his own. They were wearing all black and they'd been...

Sexy Nerd and I have a tradition of turning our travel photos into canvas prints for our home. We lounge in our loft across from a photo we took underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Our guestroom greets visitors with a colorful print of the picnic lawn and duck pond near my favorite museum. As far as a souvenir goes, you really can't top it. However, when you travel at every opportunity like we do, your trip photos can quickly outnumber your wall space (and budget!) Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 2014 Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, 2014 (Or was this the Grand Canyon?) This was taken...ummm...somewhere, 2014 (in Utah, maybe...?) As you can see from my ramblings above, it's crucial to organize your travel photos while the trip is still fresh in your mind. Before my location details got any sketchier, I ordered a photo canvas from canvaspop.com to surprise Sexy Nerd. I've used several photo canvas companies over the years. The thing that makes C...