NO-vember.

YIKES. I feel off my blog game this month for sure. Its been a pretty busy past few weeks. In all of the whirlwind I did head out to California for work! I got to hang out with John and Dylan for real this time! Work and play, the balance I live for. I will be spending increasingly more time there in the future so this trip was a chill Burbank  vibe filled with food, tarot, and a fun game night.
But I'm tired. Its been pretty non-stop and the only thing really keeping me going is the Christmas Cruise and the fact that 2018 is basically over.

I am also petitioning that Jollibee opens in Portland (preferably Beaverton).
Technically this week was my first week in my new job but it was a whirlwind, I have spent no time at my desk, and CHILE.

SO TIRED, BUT WE ALMOST MADE IT TO 2019.

And yes, I did vote. Oregon makes it so easy since you vote by mail. I dropped my ballot off on my way to my fave smoothie shop. Phew.

-Tamara Altair

A NY MINUTE

I ran to New York for about 40 Hrs and tried to make the most of it. Even though most of it was for work I did hit up a cute restaurant, soho house and the glossier showroom. I'm kind of shocked I didn't grab macarons from Laduree or anything from Dominic Ansel. I need to just go for like 5 days on my own.

I did go to the glossier showroom so all was right with the world. Its in a penthouse in SOHO with a line in the front so you know its hype. You take an elevator up where everything is laid out to test. Then you order on an ipad and the pick and pack in their signature packaging and call your name when its done. I kind of wish more stores were like that. It was super simple and so pretty.... so pretty I'm redoing my bathroom to be glossier inspired. (it's extra, I know)

I ended up watching 4 movies on my total 11 hr airtime flying coast to coast:
Fahrenheit 451
Call me by your name
Love, Simon
Ready Player One
And as a bonus I finished American Vandal season 2.
I recommend them all. I cried watching Love, Simon on the plane. It was so sweet.

I only took ONE pair of sneakers and they were my most understated pair:

I present... Samba Rose.

And thats it. My New York minute. Also, why is NY so expensive? I would LOVE to live there but chile...


XO-TAMARA ALTAIR

OHIO Travel Diary

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to Ohio for my best friends Birthday. When I first mentioned the location to people I felt heavily judged but Ohio is lowkey lit. Off the Rock & Roll hall of fame alone, I would go back. I spent fourth of July weekend doing the basic: Cincinnati Zoo, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Indians Game, and Put-in Bay.

I am OBSESSED with Fiona the Hippo. She has been so adorable and her story is so sweet. She was born 6 weeks premature and only weighed 29 lbs. The normal weight for a baby hippo is 55-120 lbs. She couldn't stand and needed to be fed by bottle, this was the first time they ever bottle fed a hippo. No one prior ever milked a hippo... dead. I'm dying. After about a month she was teething and hated the bottle and she became dehydrated and had to have an IV. She has been very well on her way since then. She is definitely a sensation and made us all forget that the Cincinnati zoo is the one that killed Harambe. 

I do want to take a quick second to laugh about how my friend slipped on a tomato at the Air BNB. I literally told her it was there but she wasn't listening. 

If it didn't require living in Ohio, I think I would consider being a buyer / private label buyer for the R&R hall of fame. It is 6 levels of history that are so inspiring and aesthetically amazing. The roots of rock are Gospel, Blues, R&B, Country, Bluegrass and Folk. Rock is a vibe, its not a genre, that's why artists like Tupac and N.W.A are inductees! I loved looking at all the memorabilia and seeing the history. This is a recurring theme that I will discuss in more posts! Long live rock. 

We picked our baseball game solely because it was  $1 hotdog night. I only consumed 2 but  I regret nothing. The Indians won AND there was a fireworks show at the end. 

Have you ever heard of put-in bay? Yea, me either. Its a little island with cute shops and a cute winery. You rent a golf cart and basically just be old all day. It was fun, definitely not something I knew existed but it was relaxing AF.

Why does summer have to end? 

-Tamara

CHI CITY

When you say CHI-CITY? Okay enough Kanye quotes. He's so problematic but I kinda gotta support him because you don't bite the hand that feeds you. Speaking of, I went to CHI-CITY for work. So of course, number one order of business, see the bean. I guess the real name is cloud gate? Regardless, we got maybe 3 group photos in and it started POURING. I read the weather before I left and it did warn of lightening and thunderstorms. Did you know people exist that didn't know thunderstorms means rain? Like always means rain? We came with rain jackets because I had to explain that. I never knew people thought thunder was its own thing. But anyway, it started pouring so we ran underneath the bean to take cover. You know, its made of all metal? Neededless to say, we all got kicked out. If that thing got struck by lightening we like, would have all died. It was also flooding really bad in the manner of 10 minutes. What a memory. Of course we took a bit of shelter in the nearest thing, a walgreens... so I bought a magnet. You know, I collect them when I travel. 

I really need to go back, we ate our way around Chicago but there is so much I didn't get to try. The trip started off on a creepy foot. The inside of our airbnb was cool, the outside was really sketchy. The host was SUPER sketch, but the exposed brick will forever be interior goals. 

The amount of murals is also pretty cool! Chi reminds me a lot of HTX but it gets WAY TOO COLD in the winter, so I could never live there. Visit? Yes for sure. 

Part of our food tour had us at Mahalos, Big star tacos and the famous Lou Malnati's. Is it weird that Ahi Nachos at Mahalo's was my favorite thing? I could eat it everyday. Unexpected fave, but I am here for it. 

I grew up with Six Flags but to visit the one at Gurnee Mills was still pretty fun. I rode maybe 3 things and ran to get a turkey leg. There is nowhere in PDX that I trust to get one, so I had to get my fill. I regret nothing, obviously didn't ride anything after eating which I kind of regret but my last job has be tapped out on amusements! I will be headed to Cedar Point when I travel to Ohio in July, so I will get my fill then. Overall, we managed to balance work and play very well. I thought it was going to be really rainy but luckily after our Monday bean incident everything else was fine!

LOVE, MARA

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HELLO MAY

I don't know if I will get used to May not being hot AF. Its been gloomy for the past week in Portland. Since I got back from vacation I haven't really had a minute to keep my head above water. There are a lot of things changing around me at work, life, and I have a lot going on in my head with my side projects. I think on vacation I finally, after like 5 years, took a minute to just live. Isn't that sad? I kind of thought about what I wanted to do, what I would rather be doing, what I can do but don't. I was joking a lot about 2018 being the year of "Living my best life." but its kinda true.
I think its time to do more of the things I have always wanted to do but haven't. That is so vague... I promise it will start to make sense.

LOVE, MARA

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BORACAY, PHX

I didn't expect to still be a little jet lag. It was a long week back, my life is always me running from one moment to the next. With that being said, with my trip... After landing in Manila, I took off on a small plane to Boracay!

I had the right to do one touristy thing, and Boracay is that. Outside of the locals further into the island, the beach front was full of foreigners. Prices were higher (but still reasonable), and the beaches were really pretty. Sunsets were even prettier. We snorkeled, hiked, swam, and ate well. When the beach opens back up, visit Hoy Panga! They not only have really good food, but also smoothies and smoothie bowls. They were really sweet and had really good service. 

PHX TRAVEL LOG | THE DESSERT MUSEUM

I AM BACK! I am jet lagged but I am so happy to have gone to my homeland and hang out with my family, city hop, eat good food, and just relax. My first 2 week vacation ever. Thats right. I have never been allowed to go on a 2 week vacation before, so I am extra thankful to not only have the ability to go, but also have the encouragement to take time off to myself. So where do we start? Let's start where my vacation started: MANILA.

I was born in Manila, Philippines. I lived in PH for like maybe a year and then moved to the US. I have been back to PH 4 times now, and it changes so much everytime. I am also much older now since the last time I went, but that didn't mean I didn't want to be a kid and eat desserts and play in instagram heaven. My cousin works for the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City which is just off the Mall of Asia, and also on top of the Dessert Museum. Because of my travel schedule I landed in PH before my mom, so Cyn-cha and I both had a stay at the Conrad and a mouthwatering tour of the Museum.

The Doughnut room starts out with a slide. You slide into the museum. 

A bathtub full of gummy bears is actually kind of an amazing thing. After the gummy bear room we headed into the cotton candy room. When they spun cotton candy the sprinkled it with powdered milk. I was very confused but the flavor wasn't bad. I don't prefer it that way, but it was a unique experience. 

It was really fun! If you find yourself in Manila I recommend going. 8 rooms and 6 desserts later I was a happy tourist.

LOVE, MARA

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COMPLEX CON 2017| DAY 1

The second year ever of complexcon, my first year ever attending. We decided to take day one slow and arrive a little after the opening. Lines were easier to manage and we were quickly swept into the transactional vibe of the floor that is ComplexCon.

Of course the first order of business was heading to the three stripe booth, we were here for work after all. After cutting through the velvet ropes I found myself staring up at Pharrell, Chad and Shay. The adidas booth had soooo many assets in it. Travis Barker and his son came by, Asap, and  (randomly) Ocho Cinco came by too. I didn't like how the booth only had retail and not as much interactive experience. They displayed franchises that exist, but I know there are a few new things that would have been perfect to premier here. Regardless, it stayed packed and people really loved it. It didn't look like anything else there. The only thing trendy was there was a Pusha T Bodega and I walked past maybe 3 or 4 other brand Bodegas (including the actual brand called Bodega.) Still the top booth there! Bonus points for ASAP shouting FUCK NIKE like 3 times. 

We quickly got split up and roamed the floor for a few hours. Undefeated and Nike both had a lot of hype around their booths and drops. Nike had an interactive AF1 custom lab, the only complaint I heard was how long it took to wait and then custom. Puma had a booth that looked really cool but I didn't understand it. It wasn't clear if you could buy something or listen to a panel or what? I'm keeping an eyeout for them because they did paste up the collabs coming up including ones from Fubu, Mac and MCM. I need to get my hands on something MCM or Fubu. I don't even know how they pulled either of those but thats for the culture.

PHOTOLOG: Concrete Jungle Vibes

This post has taken longer than usual, my body is finally crashing! I have been going home and falling asleep. NO BUENO. It is luckily a 3 day weekend so I will be able to get some work done but also fit in some real rest. NY was so fun, I need to visit for fun later this year. The day we arrived it was an amazing 60 degrees, and then by day 2 we woke up to a mini blizzard. I DIDN'T HATE IT! NYC actually salts the sidewalks so it wasn't scary trying to walk around or get anywhere that we needed to be. Major WIN.

BACK FROM BELIZE

Living in Houston made it easy to take a trip to Belize for my friend Grace's bachelorette party! Southwest has a direct flight via southwest for under $300 (well when I bought it) and its only a quick 2.5 hr flight. Belize was beautiful and the weather was delightfully sunny the entire time. 

We stayed at a resort and enjoyed the beach, paddle boarding, a catamaran with snorkeling, lots of food, and lots of pool time. I am at least 6 shades darker from the sun and I regret nothing. 

Belize has a lot of cultural foods and their version of seafood ceviche was one thing I never said no to eating. On the Catamaran they made it for us and I actually was seasick! I threw up right after our first 1 hr snorkel session. Swallowing saltwater does not go well with already feeling an unbalanced equilibrium. 

Sharing a laugh with the Bride to be! 

The lovely ladies from the weekend! We are just missing Sebastian! We ate dinner at the cutest spot on the island! Everyone was so sweet. 

One of my favorite parts of Belize was Caye Caulker Island. The beach looked like a postcard. It looks so unreal. Of everything on the island Caye Caulker did look the most damaged from the hurricane. They were already in the process of rebuilding but the beach looked AMAZING. 

One of the snorkel stops was Shark Ray Alley. Im really upset that I got seasick because this looks AWESOME! Belize is somewhere I wouldn't mind going back to. In Belize we stayed off San Pedro which is a super quiet and chill smaller island. After arriving at the airport in BZE you will need to take either a small plan or a boat ferry to San Pedro Island. I took the small plan upon arrival and its only 15 minutes. THE PLANE FITS LIKE 10 PEOPLE! Its so small. After our trip we took the boat ferry which is nothing like the ferry's in Galveston. It was larger than a speedboat but I swear it went as fast as one. Our boat took about 2 hrs.
I have a few more photos from this fun trip! I'll be doing a couple more travel posts this week to share them all. I just want to be on the beach again.

UGH, Cheers to the work week!

Have a great weekend!

LOVE, MARA

HOTEL SORELLA | Holiday Vibes

I had an opportunity to immerse myself in the holiday spirit at City Centre Houston. I love City Centre and I haven't made it out there as often as I would like, so this was a great experience. I'm forward planning into New Years, it seems like a fun place to have NYE. It over looks City Centre and parts of Houston. Shopping destinations include H&M, Kendra Scott, Z Gallerie, and lots more.
As art of the penthouse hosting at Hotel Sorella we were included in  the launch of their new fragrance line!

Hotel Sorella welcomes LINOBELLO: malaga lemon essence and laurel leaf, carried by a Mediterranean ocean breeze, drift gracefully over a verdant garden. Open, linen-draped windows, welcome this crisp and refined scent.

This scent smells great! It was burning in the lobby and I was like what is this clean crisp scent? I had no clue it was from the line until I entered the penthouse and they mentioned it. I have a slight candle obsession, so this one is just waiting for me!

The rooms are very spacious and I am currently obsessed with interiors so I am lusting for design ideas. Next on my list is fur pillows! Gotta keep them away from Toshi!

City Centre is full of amazing restaurants as well. At the presentation several restaurants including seasons 52, Radio Milano, and the tasting room. You really can't go wrong with all of the selections. I did the hard task of sampling several drinks and foods for you all! I can't wait to go back. I was thinking NYE but even my birthday might be fun! I even picked up a Mulled Wine recipe that I can't wait to share with you too! I'm making it this holiday season :)

Are you getting into the Holiday Spirit yet?

 CHEERS

LOVE, MARA

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It's Like a Jungle Sometimes, It Makes Me Wonder.

I've actually never seen the tree of life in person before! I spent a week in Orlando for work and had a pretty good time. I think I'm done with work trips until January, but this was a fun experience. Basically I need to go back to Disney, and I need to renew my passport.
I wish I was better at scheduling posts, I didn't mean to not have anything all week!

Excuse me while I free fall.... it's been a long year.

CHEERS

LOVE, MARA

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Vegas: Souvenir Slow

Souvenir show, or souvenir slow?
I was away in Vegas all week for a work trip. In 4 days I maybe at 3 times, my body was not able to process food during the day. Talk about crazy. I did get to enjoy "O" the Cirque De Soleil show and i think this is the start of me needing to see all of them.  As sick as I felt at least I made it through the Souvenir show completely and made all of our appointments.

Now I'm home and just trying to adjust. I kind of want to venture away again, I guess it's cool I leave for Orlando in a few weeks. Hopefully this time I will be able to eat! Do you know how much food I missed out on?
Le sigh. Lets hope this week goes well, I am dreading all of the emails I need to answer!

CHEERS

LOVE, MARA

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