Teach.Travel.Find.Design

You know when you're feeling like you need help but don't know where to start to even ask for it?   I was at that point when, out of the blue, Jessica, Tesori dal Lago's first intern, reached out to tell me that her friend and JCU Marketing Major, Julianne, was looking for an internship. Sometimes things just have a way of working out.  As Julianne and I have been working together the past few weeks, she's getting a feel for what it's like to run a growing business during the busiest time of year.  My full time teaching job is demanding to say the least so our work together focuses on efficiency and prioritizing.  She's finding the delicate balance of thoughtfully planning while meeting deadlines for school. We've been working on strategies for holiday and she's graciously taking over social media, promotions, research, and show prep, allowing me the precious time needed to free my mind to create.   Speaking of Holiday, her...

Essaouira  Essaouira looks like a giant sand castle.  Unfortunately, Jimi Hendrix did not write "Castles Made of Sand" while visiting/being inspired by this gorgeous city on the sea, but nevertheless, it's a fun thought.  I can't help but hold that classic in my head when I daydream about my time in this precious seaside refuge. Essaouira means "Well designed" - I agree So, this begins the epic retelling of our 3 nights in Essaouira - we originally planned for 2 but the locals and I convinced Annie to add a 3rd - no regrets! Yes, we got a speeding ticket on the way, no, it wasn't expensive, yes, we loved the whole experience The drive was long (about 9 hours!) but relatively uneventful (minus the speeding ticket - it was a pleasant experience), we took the A1 to the N-1 and they seemed like brand new highways, traffic was light - it was fun to pass the signs for Casablanca! While the drive was pleasant, we were a bit road weary b...

When it comes to color theory, nothing beats the blue everything of Chefchaouen. Panoramic of The Blue Pearl Annie and I rented a car in Tangier so after our favorite taxi driver drove us from Asilah to the Tangier airport, we were ready for the next adventure. I'll admit, I was a little nervous about renting a car and driving in Morocco again (full disclosure: Annie did ALL of the driving because she loves driving on vacation and I was an A+ navigator) but Avis hooked us up with a diesel Volkswagon Jetta, stylish and practical, and we were headed out on the about 2.5 hour drive to the mountains.   Note: Moroccans drive on the right and the roads were in excellent condition. One of the most famous (and most photographed) blue cities in the world, Chefchaouen lived up to its hype not only because of the endless shades of blue, but also because of its hospitality and wonderful people we encountered during our stay. alley views from our roof Our Ai...