.lisbon to tavira.

I left Lisbon today and headed south to the town where I will be living for the next 8 weeks! 

.turquoise.

The Native Americans honor turquoise as a sacred stone due to it's ability to absorb negative energies. Turquoise is believed to bring strength and healing to the wearer of the stone. Is that why it's such a feel-good stone?

I finished the turquoise holiday commissions. It was really special for me to be able to create these pieces. They have such a southwest energy to them. I was daydreaming about Joshua Tree while I was making them. Have you been? It's such a magical place. So combining the magic of Joshua Tree and turquoise I made a collage to show off the aeo wares. 

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday filled with warmth, good eats and reminders of love.

onwards and upwards to 2015.

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www.aliciaeo.com

.happy eve.

Today one year ago I was picking up my sister at the El Paso airport. She was picking me up at the end of one road and helping me start on a new road.We celebrated Christmas with a paper tree taped to my bedroom wall and our family’s famous Christmas morning sticky buns before loading up the last bits into my car and heading west on I-10. 

I think about that moment and feel a warm wave of nostalgia - all the FUN we had on the open road - exploring the warm winter days of the beautiful southwest. I am so grateful to have a sister who is my partner-in-adventure. Wish we were doing it all over again this year!

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

.staying present.

Sometimes with daily life I get caught up in the disconnect I create (which I usually confuse with boredom). Today I woke up to an overcast day and for some reason started thinking about last January on my road trip back to the Northwest. I had just celebrated the New Year with my Sister in Arizona and was starting the first solo leg of  the trip. I camped out at Joshua Tree. Waking up to nothing but a blank day, a mug of pour over coffee and a sunrise. I felt such a surge of freedom. All those possibilities lie in today just as much as they did then. I hold onto these assumptions and expectations that provide a false sense of reality (limitations - captivity) that that freedom can only be found moving. 

Today is a blank day, with a mug of pour over coffee and a sunrise. 

How are you going to spend your day? What are ways you stay more present in this moment? 

.weekend getaways.

It was my sister's birthday this past weekend so we decided to get out and explore the midwest. We headed north on route 12 to the dairy land of america, Wisconsin. It was miles of beautiful country roads, fresh produce stands, old victorian houses, odd circus museums, glacier lakes, SOO many cheese curds, a Ziggy Marley concert, more corn fields than I could have ever imagined, and bad country radio. It was wonderful.

.memphis city guide.

I spent 3 weeks in Memphis and this is the list of must sees, eats, and dos in the city of blues and bbq...

FOOD

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

There are a few locations in Memphis I went to the downtown one and just a heads up be ready to wait (but it's totally worth it!!). A simple restaurant where the hardest decision you have to make is how many pieces of chicken and if you want light or dark meat. It's straight up southern. Disclaimer: our waitress told us she gain 26 pounds after working there a year and her dog gained 10 pounds. It's THAT good.

Central BBQ

Memphis is overflowing with BBQ and everyone has their favorite place. I like Central BBQ. Also, BBQ nachos are the thing in Memphis and Central does this RIGHT. Do what the locals do and ask for nachos on the homemade potato chips. Whoa.

Local

A hip gastro pub with 2 locations in Memphis. Local has a great beer selections and some fun twists on southern food. My favorite was the fried mac and cheese. Amazingly cheesy and heart attack inducing delight.

Arepas and Salsa

Legit Venezuelan food in Memphis?? If you don't believe me that try it for yourself. 

Cafe Keough

A beautiful european style cafe on main street. A great place for a sandwich, coffee, or fun afternoon cocktail on the sidewalk.

Drinks

Tamps & Tap

This was my favorite hang out spot in Memphis...this may be due to it's rustic pnw vibe filled with deep leather chair, local art and tree stump tables. T & T makes their own unique simple syrups like thyme and lavender which they turn into delicious drinks like the "it's honey boo boo thyme" latte (honey thyme latte) or a homemade lavender soda. Although if you want coffee go straight for their cold brew - so good. They also serve a good variety of rotating locals beers (any wiseacre is a good bet).  

Wiseacre Brewing

Good local beer. The Anada is a nice hoppy IPA and Tiny Bomb is a winning summer beer.

Molly Fontaine

Have you ever wanted to go to a swanky cocktail house party?? Well here is your chance. Molly's is a beautiful Victorian 3 story house located in a random neighborhood in midtown. Two bars, funky art, vintage furniture, and bourbon. It feels like that sophisticated college house party you never went to with all the gay men of Memphis.

Culture

National Civil Rights Museum

This is honestly the most beautiful, educational, moving museum I've ever been too!! They just reopened after an long renovation and it's amazing. Full of interactive video and audio that tell the untold stories that need to be heard! 

Brooks Museum of Art

This is a small museum but offers a great collection. Dali had a visiting exhibit while I was there. It's only $3 for students and they offer a free audio tour. 

Metal Museum

One of the only museums in the United States dedicated to the preservation of traditional art and craft of metal work. This is a unique experience. The museum is small but more interesting is its beautiful setting right on the Mississippi river and the working resident metal artists.

Five-in-One Social Club

They call themselves kindergarten for adults, it's a small husband and wife ran business that offers fun/funky/odd low-cost art classes. We made tissue paper stained glass candle holders...with stick fingers and tissue paper stuck to our fingers, clothes, and shoes it indeed felt like kindergarten all over again. 

Best View

The Peabody

Take the elevator up to the rooftop and see where "the ducks" live and enjoy the best view of Memphis. In the summer they even have live concerts and happy hours up there. 

Metal Museum

If you are looking for a unique view of the Mississippi then this is the place. See below (too bad it was a stormy day).