Shots of Amsterdam

Absinth in Amsterdam

It was a sweet day when my boss asked me to go to Amsterdam for the annual meeting of our PR agency association, WorldCom. The four day conference starts on Tuesday, so naturally I was on a plane last Friday for a fun weekend in the city of canals and coffee houses! I'm staying in a great hostel (StayOkay, Vondel Park) until I move over to the Marriott, which is right around the corner, for work.

Jetlagged but happy on Saturday, I started my stay in Amsterdam as a voyeur. I spent the day walking in lively Vondel Park, and sitting in the city's two big squares, Leidseplein and Rembrantplein. Before and after my nap, I watched young Amsteram parade around in the sun and debated the burning question which is better Heineken or Amstel? In the evening I also stolled around the famous Red Light district with all the other tourists. It gets it's name from the working girls legally showcasing their wares in windows under red neon lights -- not good examples of Dutch beauty. Apparently the government is buying up property in this district and providing it at low cost to artists. Maybe the next time I visit here the age old area could be transformed like Disney's Times Square.

After a good nights sleep, on Sunday I went in search of beauty. I took a fun trip from the hostel out to Keukenhof Gardens, the largest bulb flower park in the world. It was magnificent! We spent several hours exploring the 7 million flower bulbs planted by hand. There were over 100 different varieties of tulips alone. The grounds took my breath away!

Back in the city, I stepped back to the 17th Century with a canal boat tour. Fabrizio, a professor of Bio-ethics in Milan (probably wouldn't be very ethical to describe him as a hot young Italian), and I spent an hour taking in the Dutch architecture. Couldn't understand the narration, but I learned a lot about bio-ethics!

After a bite to eat I hooked up with a fun group at the hostel bar and we were off on an adventure. There's always a party when Aussies are involved! Dave our ring leader from Perth was inspired by the Van Gogh museum to find genuine Absinth in Amsterdam. We swore not to allow any ear chopping and managed to step back in time and down in the basement for the mystical drink. It was a flaming experience but we chased it down with a visit to one of the local coffee shops (they don't sell coffee). Now, I've had a proper party in Amsterdam!

More to come from this enchanting city...

Vail Vaca

Just back from my annual Vail Vaca to hit the slopes and let loose with fun friends! The trip could not have come at a better time. My dear friend and neighbor, Ann, moved from New York City to Nebraska the Wednesday before we left for Vail. Ann met her fiance Mike at breakfast during this ski trip last year. Mike's inability to make espresso started it all... The Vail pilgrimage was a fun send off for Ann's new life in a fly-over state.

Once again Paula, Sarah, Maggie, Ann and I descended on the Sitzmark Lodge (right in the heart of Vail Village 970-476-5001). This year we expanded our group to include Bennett, Ghanni, and Brendon. Paula's partners Jimmy and Ken also joined in the excitement.

Our schedule is rough. Most of our group had Dr. duty at the crack of dawn each morning at the anesthesiologist conference that brings us to Vail. But, I managed to take advantage of the quiet time in our rooms to grab an extra 2 hours of sleep each morning. Thank heaven!

Six days of hard skiing included many runs that brought me closer to God. Basically I prayed for my life on many occasions! No more double blacks on the last run, Ann! It was indeed a miracle I made it to Apres Ski everyday--at either the Red Lion, Pepi's, Vendetta's or Los Amigos. We shared many great laughs, meals, and bottles of wine! Our dinner at Sweet Basil's (photo above) was one of the highlights! Time flew by and the week of R&R was over before we knew it! We're already talking about next year... I vote Jackson Hole for the Cowboys!

Sensational Sundance

After a whirlwind business trip to Chicago and Phoenix (via Albuquerque from midnight to 5am), I landed in Salt Lake City on Friday night ready for fun. Our fabulous MAX Factor team of Joy and Holly were in full swing escorting Jake Bailey, MF celebrity make-up artist, to his fashionable appointments. Our Star Magazine editor quests Tara and Taryn were also busy getting the "behind the scenes" beauty scoop. I quickly settled into our Park City "Real World" house and my roll as ski guide and networker. We had a roaring fire and enough Terlato wine and beauty products to insure a great four days!

Taryn and I hit the Park City slopes bright and early on Saturday. God bless the Hollywood film community for frantically making deals on Main Street and leaving the slopes empty! We made the most of Taryn's first ski trip out West until she had to dash for her make-over appointment with Jake. Taryn was ready for her close-up when we went party hopping that night! Tara's friend Jessie added a touch of charm to our entourage that evening, so we crowned him our honorary MAX Factor man for the weekend.

Swag Sunday was fun for everyone. Whoever said "Beauty is only skin deep" obviously hadn't gone to Sundance. Thanks to Tara and Taryn's afternoon visiting sponsor suites, we are all overloaded with new products to try.

When our driver/DJ returned for another night of driving the "MAX Factor models" around town, he brought mixed CD's for a party atmosphere. Our reputation proceeded us as we went in search of the best Sundance event...

Monday brought a powder day and I took Tara to Deer Valley. We hit the slopes hard and had a heavenly day making fresh tracks. Joy, Holly and Jessie joined us at the renown Stein Erickson lodge for apres ski. It just doesn't get any better!

Sundance highlights:
--Holly, hiding behind big dark shades, riding in an elevator with 50 Cent early one morning
--Joy spotting Colin Ferrell on Main Street
--Tara and Taryn seeing Jessica Alba on the swag sweep
--Leaving Salt Lake with Ashton Kutcher in the world's longest airport security line
--And, oh the Kiwi's from Kingswood...

Time to go back to work to get some rest!

Laughing through London with Mum

My parents sent me to study abroad in college and have never visited London themselves. My Dad's never wanted to see jolly old England, but it's a lifelong dream for my "Mum."

I've been planning to take Mom to visit London for years and we finally made it! We just took a 7 day Mother-Daughter trip to see the sights, shop and laugh. We stayed at a lovely boutique hotel, the Sydney House, located in a posh Chelsea neighborhood/shopping area. We had a fabulous little room with a large private terrace to watch the local action. There was even a Chelsea soccer match during our visit.

We had a wonderful adventure checking off everything on our lists. My list included the Tate Modern and V&A museums. The V&A was our first stop in London and we hit the jackpot. They had two wonderful special exhibits: The Art of Lee Miller, whom I adore, and The Golden Age of Couture: Paris and London 1947-1957, need I say more? With visions of haute couture in our head, our next stop was Harrods. We loved the energy in the food court--they even had Krispy Kreme! I must admit the sorry state of the dollar ($2 to a pound) slowed us down. But, I did manage to find a few things I couldn't live without at the big Oxford Circus Top Shop.

We made sure that Mom had the royal treatment and visited St. Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Kensington Palace. The great photo exhibit on Princess Diana and the displays of her gowns in Kensington Palace were a real treat. We had tea at the Palace Orangery in Hyde Park and felt so at home that we started to speak with a British accent.

On the sunny days we took in the view of the Thames, Big Ben and Parliament from the London Eye. We also soaked up some English history in the Tower of London. We rode the double decker bus around town on the rainy days and listened to tales of the city. We could pass a history exam about the great fire of London and of course the black plague.

We spent our evenings eating and drinking in pubs and the cute restaurants in Chelsea. We saw a fun British comedy, the Country Wife, at the Theatre Royal on Haymarket. We road around Piccadilly and SOHO after the play in a pedicab to watch young London out celebrating Halloween. Another big night was our dinner at Fifteen, Jamie Oliver's restaurant. Fifteen is his non-profit organization providing under-privileged youth with culinary skills. The tasting menu was superb and the decor was very cool.

I will always treasure our Mother-Daughter London visit. Mom's favorite story is about waking up at 3am on the first night and giggling for an hour. My favorite moment was hearing her talk about getting up at 4am to watch Charles and Diana get married right there in St. Paul's Cathedral. The trip was a dream come true for both of us!

Blowing Bubbles in Bonaire

Why Bonaire? My friend Ann and I were dreaming of a dive vacation. I suggested Belize and she mentioned Bonaire. Since I’d never heard of Bonaire I had to go!

Flying to Bonaire is a challenge, but we finally made it on American. We chose a resort called Divi Flamingo for its good dive operation and proximity to the town of Kralendijk, which I still can’t pronounce. Divi Flamingo is a great resort with friendly service and a wonderful location, but no night life. However, August is the off season in the Caribbean.

Bonaire is known for having the best shore diving in the world. We warmed up with a couple of boat dives off Klein Bonaire (uninhabited island) boasting 23 dive sites. Next we headed off on our own with a truck and our dive equipment. The western shore of Bonaire has 63 dive sites each marked with painted yellow rocks. Dive site recommendations are the topic of all conversations on the island. It’s very independent diving. People head off in white rental pick-ups with dive site maps, pull off the coast road and head out into the surf with a buddy or a few friends. Ann and I had never been diving without dive masters in the group -- we felt very adventurous!

We checked out a few of the popular resorts: Captain Don’s, great food & divers bar where the dive instructor made me an interesting offer involving Saran Wrap… and Eden Resort, had the best tropical beach bar and restaurant. The coolest dive site entry was Oil Slick Leap where we jumped off coral boulders into the water. Ann went first! My favorite sightings were a sea horse, sea turtle, and a spotted eagle ray. The tropical fish were amazing, painting the water with a riot of color. The coral was also spectacular.

Bonaire is certainly a diver’s paradise, but there were many other things to do too. We loved the eastern side of the island where we learned to windsurf at Sorobon Beach. We were taught by a local Olympian, so my poor form is certainly not from his instruction! We hit a BBQ at the Wind and Surf Beach Bar one night dancing in the sand to a reggae band with Dutch boys. We walked around the pink salt pans looking for the 40,000 Flamingos who live there and snuck a few salt crystals from the massive white piles waiting to be loaded onto freighters for export. We also drove through the mangroves by the donkey sanctuary to a new butterfly habitat.

Each day in Bonaire ends in a spectcular sunset and I hope to get back to see that heavenly sight again soon!

Puerto Rico Detour

I had a little vacation false start last week. Having missed my airline connection to the one Bonaire flight a day, I spent the first day of my vacation in Puerto Rico courtesy of American Airlines. If you have to be stranded, a tropical island takes the sting away.

By 8pm I had landed in a beach hotel with a fun salsa bar and casino. I was drinking run cocktails, listening to a big salsa band in no time! The roulette wheel was kind to me and there were other Bonaire refuges and business travelers to visit with. The next morning I spent a few hours on the beach before heading in to Old San Juan. I went to the Don Q (Premium Puerto Rican Rum) tasting room to sample the local cocktails, and then took a ferry over to the big Bacardi headquarters. The Bacardi campus was huge and the history of the company (and bat logo) was fascinating. The tour ended with a charming bartender explaining the history of the "Cuba Libre" drink, which Bacardi claims to have originated. Who knew that rum and coke had such a political history?

While not on Bonaire diving, day one of my vacation was full of sun and rum. So, I'm off to a good start!

Aspen Food and Wine Classic

I love my job! As part of my new charge to build a Food and Beverage business at Marina Maher Communications, we sponsored the Aspen Food and Wine Classic. It was a picture perfect June weekend of great food, wine, and friends. My goal was to get up to speed on the latest food and wine trends and research the exhibitors' PR efforts. Although I've been to the Aspen Classic several times, I've never been able to attend all the classes and just learn. What a treat!


My tasting notes:
Favorite class was Jose Andres' "Paella Party." The internationally recognized high-energy chef, known for spectacular twists on traditional Spanish cuisine, made four paella's in 45 minutes and left us wanting more! Who knew the term paella refers to the actual dish it's cooked in.

Danny Meyer's "Everything's Coming Up Rose" was as fun as a summer day. Loved the 05 L'Aire du Rossignol Cote de Provence, $15. Why is Rose so hot now? More tapas style dining, goes with popular spices and Mediterranean foods, low alcohol content (11% range), easy for winemakers who can use many varietals and requires no oak aging.

Grand Wines from Greece. Talk about old world. Although Rose is the biggest selling varietal from Greece, the ancient varietals are very exciting! Greece is the third most mountainous country in Europe, which provides a delicious maritime climate on hillside vineyards. My favorite is 06 Kir-Yianni Akakies (Xinomavro).


An added bonus for the Aspen weekend was getting to spend some quality time with my dear friend Dave Lane, his wife Emily and his new colleagues. Now I remember why I love working with the fabulous folks in the wine industry. Cheers!

From Studs to Coastal Living

Perhaps Hurricane Ivan ripped through the Gulf Coast a couple of years ago to tell me it was time to rennovate our family beach retreat! We heard the message loud and clear. Along with my parents and friends, I've spent the last year and a half rebuilding our condo on Pensacola Beach. I'm thrilled to report that the job is complete in time for the sizzling Summer.

The construction was complete in our unit in Sans Souci on Pensacola Beach in early April. I think my Dad will miss "overseeing" the construction crew and reporting their progress. Steve headed down South with me at Easter to test the construction and decorate like crazy. Little did he know we would spent our Easter vaca going to a thousand stores for furnishings. It took one more insane decorating trip, this time with Norm, to put all the finishing touches together. What would I do without my friends with great taste?

The white sand beaches and warm Gulf water await you. Our Sans Souci beach home is ready for company. Come on down!

Walking in Memphis

I just spent the most fantastic weekend in Memphis! The Memphis chamber of commerce needs to put me on the payroll because I keep telling everyone to go immediately and stay for more than a weekend.

I flew down to visit my fabulously fun friend Paula, an anestigiologist in town. Another one of our skiing buddies, Sarah and her husband Walt, also came in from Jacksonville to play. We were supposed to be joined by our mutual friend Ann, but sadly she couldn't make it.

The Southern hospitality started as soon as I arrived. We met up with Paula's best friend Bennett, who I've heard about for ages and hadn't had the pleasure of meeting, and headed downtown for BBQ ribs. When in Rome... We went down an ally to a place called "Rendezvous". The waiters were full of attitude and the ribs were divine! After dinner, we soldiered on down to Beale Street were the music festival folks were out in full force. It is indeed a musical city!

Saturday was simply the best! Paula and I started with breakfast at the Arcade, the oldest restaurant in Memphis dating to 1919. I couldn't have been any happier with my ham, biscuit and grits in the authentic 1950's style diner! Very full, we met the rest of our group for a look at the Power House art gallery that Paula supports before heading to Soulsville USA. We visited the Stax Museum of American Soul Music where I was truly amazed at the 2,000 musical items on display. We traced the roots of Soul music and learned about the artists through their amazing performances and interviews. The Stax artists represented the grittier soul sound when Motown was signing the mainstream performers. Stax entertainers included Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T & the MGs, Carla Thomas and many more. This is my favorite musical genre--I was in heaven!

Next stop on our musical tour was a place I've wanted to visit since I was a child--Graceland. Paula and I paid our $30 to the King's estate and entered the world of kitch. We had a fantastic time seeing everything from the jungle room to Elvis' vast collection of bejeweled jumpsuits. The people watching was almost as grand as the tour of Elvis' jet, the Lisa Marie. Much like the other major life accomplishments outlined on my travel blog, visiting Graceland was a dream come true. We finished off the day with a true southern Kentucky Derby party, a home cooked meal served on Bennett's grand dining table, and some late night dancing.

The fun didn't stop on Sunday! We got gussied up and went to Rev. Al Green's (yes the singer from the 70's) church. It was the most moving church experience I've ever had. The music was overwhelming and I shed quite a few tears. I'd always heard the word rejoice in church, but never understood the real meaning until that day. Rev Green wasn't the best preacher I've heard, but the music told the spiritual story better than any man could. After another southern breakfast at the Beauty Shop, we headed to the Civil Rights Museum built on the spot where Rev Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Again, I was moved to tears at the exhibit that told the stories of horrible cruelty and immense courage. The exhibit ended in MLK, Jr's room in the Lorraine Motel where he was shot. In some ways, Memphis still hasn't recovered from this historical milestone. However, the magic is in the musical rhythm that moves the city.

I can't wait to visit Memphis and experience the southern hospitality of Paula and Bennett again!

I'm Back!

Where in world has DeLisa been? At work! After nine months in the office, I am more than ready to travel again! OK, I have had a few fun travel experiences to report.

In February I skied Vail for a week with my friends Ann, Paula and Sarah. We had great powder and met some new friends, Jake and Mike, at our amazing Sitzmark Lodge. It was rough to tear myself away from the slopes and head back to the office. The new dream is to ski Colorado or Utah for a whole season. Good Lord, I haven't even worked a year and I'm ready to ski off into the sunset.

I had a few star-studded business trips to LA in March and April. (Above photos of Drew Barrymore from CoverGirl launch and two photos of celebrities in the MAX Factor Salutes Hollywood Fashion show in LA.) I stayed over each trip to play in LA and visit my Aunt Geri in her new home in Cardiff by the Sea. One of the perks of working in the cosmetics industry is throwing events with some beautiful people. It's fun to play around the celebrities and then come home with some great stories to tell.

I've also visited Pensacola about 5 times to help my family. Over Easter, my dearest friend Steve came with me and worked non-stop helping decorate our newly rebuilt beach condo. I'm headed back this weekend with my friend Norm, who sent the bulk of our new furniture down from Crate and Barrel, to put the finishing touches on the place and call it a season! Before and After photos from Pensacola Beach next week.

I'm sorry about my blogging absence. With my job under control now, our beach place back together and the travel bug biting my .... Stay tuned for new adventures!

Fall = Back-to-Work

It's back to the real world for me! As you can see from my new company headshot, I've traded in my flip flops for Jimmy Choos. I've joined a fun PR firm, Marina Maher Communications. In addition to running the home accounts here, I'm also heading up the cosmetics business. Learning the beauty industry is a sensorial experience. I have the job every 12 year old girl dreams of, I play with make-up all day!

My new agency colleagues are wonderful, and I'm once again building up my depleted frequent flyer miles. In addition to working around the clock again, I'm feeding my clothes habit and decorating my apartment with zeal. Feels like I never left the rat race. But, I do have some amazing photos on my desk to remind me of the best year of my life! Now I need to start planning my next big adventure...

My Summer Vacation

As my year+ of vacation is coming to a close, it's people not places that I want to see. In the past month, I've had the opportunity to reconnect with five women who grew up with me at Florida State. In June I called my dear friend Connie and said it was high time I visited her and the girls in Key West. With Jimmy Buffett's book Margaritaville under my arm, I flew down to the Conch Republic for 10 days of youthful love and laughter.

Connie, her husband Dan and their adorable daughter Taryn let me join the slumber party at their home. They've been in a FEMA trailer since Hurricane Wilma drowned the Keys last October and just returned to their house with major construction still underway. Rachel showed us the repair work at her house and the counter tops she perched on while watching the water rise in her home during the storm. Amber had not only the extensive damage at her home to contend with but as an elementary school principal she is in charge of building a new school in "post-flood" Key West.

When I landed in Key West, the place of so many fantastic college vacations, I learned that another of our FSU friends, Tammy, had moved from Atlanta back to FL. We convinced her to take a ferry from Fort Myers to Key West to join our little reunion. Laughing with the girls of my youth over many tropical drinks taught me a very valuable lesson. When I get back on the fast track, I must not neglect keeping in touch with old friends! Talking about how our dreams had changed and what's ahead is great for the soul!

Since I'd already learned the other important lesson, that travel is the light of my life, I did take the time on this trip to rent a car and drive over the 44 bridges to Key Largo for my first US diving experience. Another great FSU pal, Scott, lent me the use of his corporate apartment in Key Largo for a week of sun and fun. The reefs were beautiful, as always I met fun folks diving, and ate loads of fresh seafood every day! I also swam with the dolphins, which was a huge thrill! Visiting the FL Keys and my old friends was the perfect summer treat!

One friend was missing from our little reunion, my FSU roommate Eve. In a freak bit of luck, Eve was visiting NYC the week I returned from the Keys. She left her boys in camp and her husband at home in Panama City and came up for some big city fun. We had a ball catching up on ... years as we toured around the city! She is as beautiful and witty as ever!

I'm so lucky to have had the time this summer to see who I'd been missing!