Tomorrow I leave for my 18th trip to Disney World. My mom doubts I’ve been to Disney World 18 times, but I think she’s just not ready to confront how much money our family has spent at there in the last 30 years.

I know the place like the back of my hand. Pirates of the Caribbean? Left after Main Street, over the bridge, past the Jungle Cruise and Tiki Room, on the left. The Haunted Mansion? Through the castle, left at the carousel, past It’s a Small World and Peter Pan, under the now defunct Swiss Family Robinson tree house (Correction: it’s the defunct skyway platform, which closed in 1994. Does anyone actually go to the Swiss Family tree house anyway? Ditto Tom Sawyer island?), on the right. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride? Shut down in 1997. You need to go to Disney World more often.

I thought I’d share some snapshots from my first trip to Disney. For my fourth birthday, we ditched my baby sister (don’t worry, she’d experience her first touch of Disney magic a few years later) and headed to the happiest place on earth.

I distinctly remember a few things about this trip. 1.) We drove a sky blue Pontiac from Chicago to Orlando and I remember thinking we were going to go right off a cliff as we drove through the mountains 2.) I had a GlowWorm that I flashed at passing drivers out the back window 3.) I loving my Mickey balloon and was devastated when it was all shriveled and deflated the next morning (though I think I got another, because I remember having the balloon within a balloon, not the red one pictured).

You rock those purple pearls, Mom.

Look at those Saltwater Sandals!

The Matching Mickey sweatshirts! Layered over polo shirts! I die.

Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow! (But why is there a bird on my head?)

With those sunglasses, how could I not be sassy?

ANNIE! I’m so glad to see my favorite Cabbage Patch Doll got to go on vacation.

Let’s hurry it up, mouse man.

Are you a Disney fanatic? How many times have you been? What’s your favorite thing about Disney World?

How the devil are you? Did you have a good holiday weekend?

I was back in NYC and had a much more enjoyable time now that the temperatures are in the 70s instead of the 90s. I was still a hot mess and my feet are still swollen, but good times were had.

For posterity (since that’s what blogging is all about, right?)…

Obligatory tunnel photo upon arrival. I’m 90% sure I’ve taken this exact same photo on every ride into NYC since 2007.

My buddy, Huey. As long as I’ve got food and/or his favorite stuffed chicken.

My first trip to Brooklyn included a lobster roll at Smorgasburg and a photo with Sofie the Giraffe. The Humphrey’s were nowhere to be found.

Sunday we watched Andy Roddick play at the US Open, and while I was originally rooting against him just so I could say I watched his last professional match (how’s that for sportsmanship?), he won me over and I was cheering for him by the end.

I enjoyed the day so much I signed up for tennis lessons. Watch for me on the pro circuit soon (or never).

The B-list celebrity sitings were pretty incredible, too. John Legend, Tony Danza, John McEnroe, the guy with the fro from LMFAO, Brooklyn Decker, Kevin Spacey, Barry Gordy, Rosie O’Donnell, Josh Groban.

We had the happiest little dinner at Momofuku noodle bar.

It was seriously amaze-balls. Slushies, pork buns, mushrooms, grilled corn, ramen with slutty eggs and pork belly. Highly recommended. I want to marry whoever was poaching those eggs in the kitchen.

Alec Baldwin lives here. I didn’t see him, but he’s in there.

The Big Gay ice Cream Shop was another win (though we missed Ottavia Bourdain by an hour!). I had the salty pimp and I’d do it again.

And yes, the unicorn is wearing a necklace with a portrait of Bea Arthur.

Art around the city. Does anyone know the story behind the waving statue on the top of the random building?

While at the MOMA, my sister and I decided that we’re not smart enough to understand modern art, so we headed to the gift shop.

A final lunch at ABC Kitchen before my flight, where the sundae came topped with caramel corn. As @outsidevoice said on Instagram “is this real life?” Yes, it is. And it is awesome.

I kind of hate New York.

Not really.

But sorta.

Don’t get me wrong, there are tons of things that I love about NYC – like the parks and museums, the restaurants and street vendors, and visiting my sister. But I always come back feeling a little beat up and defeated. Know what I mean?

I’m a city girl, just not a NYC girl.

Having my Princess Di moment upon arrival.

Greeted by Huey and his much loved Chicken.

The Meatball Shop was probably my favorite meal of the trip. Classic meatballs with mushroom gravy over homemade smashed potatoes. I’d like to eat this with a spoon on the couch watching reruns of  My So Called Life.

On the way to the restaurant, I had an honest-to-goodness celebrity sighting – Edward Norton! I would have asked for a photo, but I couldn’t handle the rejection if he said no, and I get the feeling that he’s the kinda guy that would say no.

Seated Odalisque by Henri Matisse and Augustine Roulin by Vincent van Gogh are two of my favorites at the MET. Cloud City by Tomás Saraceno is worth a trip to the rooftop – you can get all up in its business for a unique view over Central Park (but I was too chicken).

My mom found her doppelganger among the portraits.

The wax figure of Yayoi Kusama in all the Louis Vuitton windows is so spot on (no pun intended) it’s scary.

The Kusama exhibit at the Whitney is a fascinating retrospective of her life and career – though I prefer her more recent works. It’s amazing that someone would have the wherewithal to save clippings and letters and fliers for 50+ years to make such an exhibit possible.

For exactly one minute, each exhibit visitor get to stand and take in the lights, mirrors, and water of Fireflies on the Water. They tell you over and over again that there’s no photography or video allowed, so obviously I had to stuff my phone in my bra for easy access once they shut the door.

I may live in Texas, but I don’t do heat. Instead, we bought day passes to the Holiday Inn rooftop pool and kicked it with the old-money-season-pool-pass-holders where all the dirty old men looked like leather and discussed their travel overseas. Apparently Portugal is where it’s at.

I love the graffiti in NYC, but this one definitely edges over into art, and it’s right around the corner from my sister’s apartment.

A wicked summer storm caused an electrical fire across the river and we saw it all go down. My sister said that we’d make excellent beat reporters. I tend to agree (though despite my expert hashtag usage, my Tweet didn’t gain much traction).

S’mores was the cupcake of the month at Magnolia Bakery. It’s officially the cupcake of my life.

Just strollin’ past Sarah Jessica Parker’s house, trying not be a creep.

The Foster girls in Washington Square.

Adding to my Buddha collection with a souvenir from Pearl River Market in SOHO.

And no trip would be complete without a little drama.

I had trouble starting my  car when I got to the airport at midnight, but thankfully I made it home. I wasn’t so lucky the next morning. I got stuck an hour from home in my pajamas (the ones with the bleach spot on the leg, of course) after picking up Ollie from being boarded. 7 hours and $600 later and Ollie’s expression pretty much sums up our day.

My mom has always told my sister and I to travel travel travel, and I do okay getting around the US, but I’ve only been overseas once. So last week I decided that I’m going to Europe for my birthday. Simple as that. And my sister is coming along for the ride (I think her exact words were “I’m down” when I told her my travel plans). When my mom told us to travel, I don’t think she meant “traipse around Europe with your sister,” but whatevs.

My sister and I haven’t discussed a thing, but The Google and I have been busy, so here are my top picks…

Amsterdam.
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Zurich.
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Honesty? I have no idea what there is to see in Zurich, but I just like the sound of telling people “Oh, what am I doing for my birthday? Just taking a quick trip to Zurich.”

Paris.
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Rome.
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Rome gets major consideration from me because touring the Vatican is on my 40×40 list. My sister also suggested Portofino and Amalfi.

Madrid.
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And while we’re at it, Portugal. Surely Lisbon is only a hop, skip, and jump from Madrid, right? (A little tid-bit about me; I’m terrible at geography.)

Monte Carlo.
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Twitter has been phenomenal with recommendations, so I figured I’d throw it out there again. Where have you been? Where would you recommend we go? Any specific places we should visit/stay/eat? What are some different cities that we could visit during a one week stay?

It’s time to bust out my Rick Steves DVDs and start planning (and saving)!

You think I’m joking but I really do own the complete box set. And I’ll probably need a backpack.

I live in a one-bedroom one-bathroom apartment. Which is perfect for me and my little wiener dog, but can be a tiny bit cramped when guests come to town. And living in the awesome city of Austin, guests are always in town. Since everyone shares the same bathroom, I like to spruce things up (and give it a thorough scrub-down, because Lord knows keeping the bathroom clean isn’t one of my strong suits) before visitors arrive.

Here are some of my tips to make your bathroom guest-ready…

Clean up the Clutter

The first step to any makeover is to clean up the clutter, especially in a small space like a bathroom. Get rid of what you don’t use and what you don’t want your guests to see (that means hide the plunger).

Since my bathroom connects my bedroom and closet, it tends to turn into one big messy dressing room and my accessories start to get out of control. I’ve found some really simple solutions (we’re talking dollar-store solutions, here) to keeping all my baubles tangle-free and presentable. An inexpensive mug rack makes a great necklace hanger and a paper towel holder keeps bracelets stacked and orderly.

Change the Linens

What’s one of the first things people do when they visit a nice hotel? They check the bathroom towels. Guests love clean fluffy towels. Changing out the linens is a cheap and easy way to give your bathroom a whole new look (and bonus for getting to enjoy those fancy new towels once your guests leave). Discount stores usually have matching towels, shower curtains, and even rugs that you can pick up for a steal. Just make sure your guests don’t leave with your new towels.

Swap Out Accessories

You don’t have to buy all new accessories to make your bathroom feel like new. Try swapping out accessories from other rooms of your house. A candle from the living room, a vase from the bedroom, a photo from the hallway. Just changing things around can make a space feel totally different.

Add Fresh Flowers

One of my favorite indulgences, whether I have guests or not, is a fresh bouquet of flowers in the bathroom. Since my bathroom doesn’t have any windows, it brings a little of the outside in and makes the space feel fresh. Just think of all the time you spend in the bathroom doing your hair and putting on makeup every day? Make it feel special.

Apply a Fresh Coat of Paint

This one is a little difficult since I’m a renter, but if you’re feeling ho-hum about your bathroom and are able to make a more permanent change, try adding a fresh coat of paint! It doesn’t take much time or paint and will make the room feel fresh and clean and newly renovated. Take a chance and try a funky new color or keep it spa-like with calm neutrals.

So, what do you do to prepare for guests? Is the bathroom the focus of your preparations?

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