Scrappy Travels

Total Travel Necessity - Sunglasses! There was a time, not too long ago when planning a trip required a trip to a travel agent, or purchasing all sorts of guidebooks and maps. That time has since passed. We're in a new age where technology reigns. There are loads of sites that assist you in itinerary planning and vacation dreaming. As someone who once loved guidebooks, I welcome this new age because what I would pay for, I can now get for free. Sites such as Travelocity, and TripAdvisor make travel planning as easy as clicking a few buttons. However, some sites exist that you wouldn't often associate with travel fun. These are the sites I tend to gravitate to. While I may not have a completely logical approach to organizing where I'll be going on vacation, my way has served me well. So, without further ado, I present to you the Kristen-approved travel planning process. First up is Pinterest. Honestly, you can find anything and everything on Pinterest. Plug in a dest...

We REALLY liked the Bubbles! After telling everyone I know how incredibly amazing Spongebob on Broadway is, I feel it’s finally the perfect time to share my feelings with you all.  In short, it is by far the most creative bombshell of a production I've ever seen. I’ve been trying to nail down my feelings on it for a while, and I’m not sure what I can say to make you understand just how much I adored every thing about this piece. I’ve been listening to people say almost the exact thing, for months but thought they were being overly excited. After the first number, I was on the same very happy train with every other reviewer that's seen the show. In the words of Maria, Let’s start at the very beginning… The moment I walked into the Palace theater, I could tell Spongebob would be an entirely different show than I’d ever seen. From the neon-lit flowers hanging from the ceiling, to the netting and other scraps that were covering almost every visible surface, I was plun...

I've never really been a fan of shows that are deemed "kid shows".  I don't know why.  As a former pre-school teacher, I love children's books and movies.  But for some reason, kid-friendly shows on Broadway are really not my thing.  The two biggest examples of this type of show are Matilda and Beauty and the Beast -  two shows I've hated for years. However, I did fall in love with School of Rock immediately, so there's really no rhyme or reason. All of this brings me to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , currently playing at the Lunt-Fontanne.  As a kid, the Gene Wilder version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one of my favorites.  It is a sweet and quite quotable movie I've watched dozens of time.  So when I heard that one of the most-talented theater actors of today - Christian Borle - would be donning the top-hat, I knew that I would most definitely need to see it, even though it was a kid-show, that didn't get great reviews wh...

A few of my faves.  You can't tell, but the Times Square card is gold embossed - so shiny! One of the best things about the arts community, is that there are so many creative pursuits within it.  Each artist has their own specialty, so there really is no limit to the art these people can create.  Basically, art begets art, which is a fabulous prospect in today's less-than-beautiful times.   One of these pursuits is the Lights of Broadway show cards, created by Squigs Robertson .  These trading cards are basically baseball cards for theatre nerds, however the design of each is about 100 times better than any old-fashioned baseball card.  Squigs designs and illustrates each of these works of art by hand.  If his whimsical artwork looks familiar, it's because you may have seen his designs around online.  For each new show that opens, Squigs lovingly creates a one of a kind design in his own style. These illustrations of shows, as well as ...

A few months ago, Travel + Leisure Magazine published an article that named Baltimore one of the country's quirkiest cities.  As a native Marylander I'd have to say I agree with that statement.  Baltimore is chock full of all sorts of  weird and wonderful - restaurants, sites, museums, and events, all rolled into one fairly lovely city. One of the quirkiest museums in town - probably THE quirkiest - is the American Visionary Arts Museum (AVAM.)  In a sea of stuffy, buttoned-up museums, AVAM stands out as one of the only in the country dedicated to self-taught art.  Each piece the museum exhibits is lovingly created by intuitive artists who have taught themselves their craft. The art is never boring or stale.  These artists dabble in all different mediums - from glass to textiles; from natural pieces to metal.  They realize that art comes in many forms and AVAM celebrates all of them in every exhibit they plan. As an admirer of AV...

Oh god...how did I get to 34? The me that lives in 2017 believes in kindness and love above all else.  She's angry at a world that seems to be replacing these virtues with hate and inequality.  For that very reason, she's touched by random acts of charity and chivalry.  And she hopes that by sharing her love and compassion with the world, she'll leave it a little better than when she entered it. The me in 2017 gets a bit angrier with the current state of political affairs than she once did. She's involved and feels very deepy about the issues that are being argued.  She truly doesn't understand how one administration can be so cold and heartless.  And she's embarrassed by her country for the first time. But she's supporting the issues she cares about openly and will continue to argue for equality, love in all forms, women's rights and the ability to create. 2017 me has finally started to figure herself out - her plans, dreams and desires. ...

A few years ago I wrote a post called "Project Life (or lack thereof.)"  In this post, I pretty much outlined every reason why I would never participate in Project Life.  At the time, I found it overwhelming and time-consuming.  I just couldn't understand how someone would have enough time in their lives to document everything in their lives while also making time to do the things they were documenting.  (In my head that sentence makes sense - I'm hoping it does when you're reading it...)  Since that time, that has been my stance on all things Project Life.  Until this year... I've come around on the whole process.  I understand now that it's more about celebrating the little things in life than actually seeking out "scrap-worthy" activities.  It's a chance to let your creativity enhance and grow.  It's a totally different mindset, that I've only recently started to "get."  I've read tons of articles and blog-posts o...

For the past 25 years, Kennedy Krieger has held the Festival of Trees.  It's their biggest fundraiser of the year.  If you're not familiar with it, the premise is simple.  Families, businesses, companies, etc. decorate Christmas trees in all sorts of elaborate themes and ornaments - some handmade, some store-bought.  Then all of the trees are set up at Timonium Fairgrounds and hundreds of people, who love Christmas, come to ogle a them. After the exhibition, the trees are sold and all of the money made goes directly to Kennedy Krieger to continue their work with children battling serious illnesses and other disabilities. Basically it's a winter wonderland for all who love Christmas.  Oh, and have I mentioned, it's pretty awesome?! Even though I've lived here in Maryland, my entire life, I'd never been up until last year.  But after seeing the spectacle for the first time, I got hooked.  One of these years, I'm so doing a tree or a wreath at the very ...