It's Cruise Time - Again!

This cruise has been in the planning stages for over a year.  Tonight, I board the Carnival Spirit with about 25 women for a 4 night cruise to Cabo San Lucas.  This is an all girls trip (ok, we did let 1 boy come along) celebrating a whole bunch of October birthdays.  Some of the girls have never been on a cruise before, and I am committed to ensuring their fun!  Bring on the Champagne and Chocolate Melting Cake!!!

Help Casita Center win a $25,000 playground

Hi Friends,

I rarely make appeals like this, but here goes. 

My son's school Casita Center for Technology, Science and Math is one of the top 10 finalists to receive a $25,000 "Imagination Playground in a Box". There will be 3 top prizes awarded so we have a GREAT chance at winning.  Please take a moment to click here , register at the kaboom.org website with your name and email, and vote DAILY for Casita Elementary. 

Casita Center is a Magnet school in Vista Unified School District.  A Magnet school offers a specialized, hands on, project based learning approach to teaching while maintaining instruction in the required Core Curriculum.   Casita is located in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, yet with the specialized Magnet approach to learning, Casita continues to excel and post high test scores among all sub-groups of students.

This Imagination Playground in a Box will further enhance and stimulate the hands on learning approach already in use at Casita.  So please take just a moment of your day for the next couple weeks to vote and help our much deserving school.  You can vote once per 24 hours and voting ends 10/15/2010.  Click here to vote http://parents.kaboom.org/voting/elections/parents

Thanks so much for your support, you are helping Travis, Casita Center and the youth of Vista!

It's Cruise Time - FINALLY

I am on a plane bound for Tampa, FL.  Tomorrow, I board the Carnival Inspiration with my best-est bud Scott as we escort about 150 fans of the XL106.7 Johnny and Jayde Morning Show on a 4 night cruise to Cozumel.  It's been over a year since my last cruise, and I am SOO looking forward to the great food and good times.  I'll post pics when I get back!

Happy Anniversary to me!

Wedding Day 9/8/1990

Twenty years of marital bliss with my beloved husband Steve.  Thanks for making me the woman I am today, and for your love and support all these many years.  I love you Sweetie!

Alaska Bound!!!

I am so excited!  I just booked my Alaska cruise for next summer.  I cruise to Alaska in the summer of 2009, and this time I am thrilled to be bringing my son and husband along for the adventure.  Alaska has so many amazing sights; from million year old glaciers, to bald eagles to whales.  You can experience this from your world class floating resort. 

I was able to secure group rates from as low as $571 per person plus tax.  Book by 9/1/2010 and save $50 per person, plus I'll throw in a $100 per cabin on board credit.  I want all of my friends and family to join us on this adventure to the Great Land of Alaska.  Click Here for the details.

OMG, I'm Club Prez!

OK, so I stole that from my new President's Handbook.  But, yes, it is official, I have been inducted as President of Soroptimist International Oceanside-Carlsbad. SIOC as we like to call it, is a worldwide service organization dedicated to advancing the status of women and girls both locally and globally.  We achieve this through fund raising, hands-on community service, public awareness and with programs and awards.  It is a very special and fulfilling part of my life, knowing that I am a member of such a great group of women, doing good for others.  OK, Plus we have a lot of fun, drink wine, build friendships,  etc.  So For more info about SIOC, or a  Soroptimist International club in your area,  click on the links above or feel free to contact me personally.

The picture is the 2010-11 Board of Directors.   From left to right: Lori Somers, Barbara Bale, Carolyn Wolf, Viki Hurst, Michelle D'Elia, Chari Goddard, Caryn Leventhal, me, Louann Gigante. Missing: Pini Byma and Penny Eisenstein.  I have a captain's hat on as my club has nicknamed me Captain of the SS Oceanside-Carlsbad.

River time - then San Francisco

Well, we leave tomorrow for our traditional 4th if July weekend at Hidden Shores.  5 nights of good times with my family.

This year my best bud Cheryl and her son will be joining us.  The boys will spend their days riding bikes, then swimming, throwing sand, playing football, getting dragged behind the boat in tubes, etc. 

A general good time to be had by all.  One thing I know for sure, the weather may be hot, but the drinks are always cold.  YUMMY.  


Typically we spend a full week out there, but this year, I am calling our trip short because on Wednesday, I fly to San Francisco for the 39th Biennial Soroptimist International of the America's Convention.  As the incoming president of Soroptimist International Oceanside-Carlsbad, the club pays my way - YAY!  We have several members of our club heading up to San Fran. this year, and it should be a GREAT time.  Soroptimist is a network of business and professional women dedicated to improving the lives of Women and Girls locally and globally.  Convention gives member an opportunity to meet Soroptimists from all over the world.  This will be my first convention, and I can't wait! More stories about this upon my return!

Welcome to Summer!

Yesterday was the first official day of Summer.  As a kid, summer meant swimming, running in the grass, riding bikes, long days and hot nights (I grew up in the desert).  As an adult, I most enjoy the long days and cool nights (now that I live near the beach).

This summer, I decided to keep my son home and out of camps.  Although I have a home office, I find it it's location upstairs perfectly suited to keep my business and personal lives separate.  I can be working, taking care of my clients and my business, while Travis stays busy downstairs.  The key is to line up enough of his buddies to come over during the day to keep him busy.  This week is Nolan week :)  Also, Legendary World has reduced summer hours (8:00am-3:00pm) to allow our employees the opportunity  to take better care of their families.  As a home based employee, this means I am not sitting at my desk until 5pm daily, but you better bet I still check email and voice mail regularly :)

On the travel front, I have 2 cruises lined up between now and the end of the year.  In September, I will be escorting a radio station group on the Carnival Inspiration, 4 nights from Tampa to Cozumel.   In October, I have a Girls Cruise planned from San Diego to Cabo and back.  That one is all play and no work - unless you can count gambling, drinking, tanning, drinking, eating...  as work.

P.S.  Congrats to the only 2 people who posted a reply to my last blog entry, I'll be mailing both of you a Starbuck's card.  

May Gray - NO WAY!

I absolutely LOVE this time of year.  The flowers and plants are all taking strong root and preparing to bloom in early June.  It is a good time to reflect on the regrowth of our surroundings, and focus on personal growth and transformation as well.  Each beautiful bloom is a gift from God, and I am reminded to stop, take in the beauty and be grateful!

Ahh, that felt good, but now it's back to business!  Baseball season is winding down for Travis, and summer is almost upon us.  MY summer vacation includes a couple different weeks at the river,  a few days in San Francisco for the Soroptimist International of the Americas 41st Biennial Convention along with a mini-cruise in September, and another mini-cruise in October.  Where will YOU be going for summer vacation.  Please post a reply and tell me your summer vacation plans, if you have any.   I will draw 1 random winner before the end of May to receive a Starbucks gift card!  I just want to see who is really paying attention and reading my blogs. 

Oh, and if you don't have any summer plans - can I help you?  Legendary World sells more than just cruises (although cruises are still my favorite), so if you are looking for a few days at the Hotel Del Coronado, or an exotic African Safari, to most anything in between, give me a call, I would love to help!

Remember to post your Summer Vacation Plans to be entered for the drawing!

Girlfriends, Giving Back, Gardening

OK, this past weekend was full of adventure.  Friday night the Harps had us over for Friday Night BBQ.  Lots of good conversation, sitting by the fire, chillin' with my gal pals while the guys were hanging in the garage (where all guys SHOULD be) and the kids watched TV on the couch.  Saturday was hard to get started after a long night our on Friday, but after donuts, and a mini-nap, I headed to Optimist Field for Trav's baseball game.  GREAT GAME, Trav played pitcher and assisted with a couple outs at first.  This was on top of his single and double base hits - YAY Trav.  He is certainly NOT the best player on the field, but he has the the most heart for the game, and always play with enthusiasm!  He makes me and Steve so proud!  GO METS!

Saturday night, I was honored to attend the Santa Fe Christian Schools annual fund raising event.  Legendary World and I partnered with Sea Dream Yacht Club to offer a couple of cruises for the SFCF Live Auction.  The overall event raised close to $500,000 for SFCS and the Sea Dream Voyages were a hot item which created quite a bidding war!!!  I was pleasently surprised to bump into a few of my clients at the event too, so overall an amazing evening.   Thanks so much to Loraine Dyson for inviting me to the event and to participate!



Sunday was a day of Nascar and gardening.  We planted a Mexican Lime tree, some boysenberries, blackberries, squash, cucumbers and flowers.  Last weekend was the tomatoes and peppers in the back yard.  I bought the pumpkin seeds, but have not started to germinate them yet.  Maybe tonight we'll prep for germination, and they'll be ready to go in the ground in a week or so.  Now I just need to keep the snails and rabbits away.  For some twisted reason, I get the biggest kick out of eating food grown from my own yard.  Come on baby plants - grow, grow, grow!!!

Looking forward to a GREAT week of Baseball (of course!), Bunco, PTA Events, Networking Events - wheeeee..  New Week, Here I Come!!!

Quick & Easy Tips for Better Vacation Photos

From time to time, I am pleased to call on my friends for Guest Blogging.  Today, I have asked my good friends Nikkie and Stephanie from BlueFlair Photography to give us some tips for better vacation photos.  


I must say, Nikkie and Steph are the VERY TALENTED photographers.  I hired them a few months ago to re-do my professional head shots.  They are patient, fun, and were able to make me laugh during the shoot.  I think they captured the real ME in this photo!


There were also selected among hundreds of other local business to shoot all of the photos for "NBC Throws a Wedding on the Prado" last fall. Click HERE for the all the details, and check out the AMAZING work they do!

Now, on to the Tips...

So you've spent months planning the perfect vacation, in the most beautiful setting, and you want to come home without great photos to remember it all.  Unfortunately, too many people return with disappointing vacation photos.  So we've put together a few tips that will dramatically improve the quality of your pictures, so they're every bit as good as you remember! 

Tip #1: The quickest and easiest way to improve your photos is to invest in a polarizer.  These are generally less than $50, and come in a variety of sizes, for a variety of cameras - from point-n-shoots to "fancy" DSLR's.  You'll need to know the size of your lens, or just take your camera with you when you go to purchase.  Polarizers work a little like sunglasses for your lens, by eliminating glare from reflective surfaces, and making the colors rich and saturated.  The polarizer screws onto the lens, and then you rotate it for the desired effect - don't forget to rotate it!  

Tip #2:  Be aware of distractions in the background.  If you're taking a photo of your travel mate near an interesting site, look for distracting signs, trash cans, and other items.  Often, simply moving YOURSELF a couple feet in either direction will give you a great angle without unwanted distractions.  

Tip #3:  Pay attention to the light.  Most people have been taught to stand facing the sun so the full light is on their face.  But what happens?  You get squinty eyes, and dark shadows under the eyes and nose.  If you're in daylight, try having your subject stand with their BACK to the sun.  This can create a nice rim light around their body.  Then the face can be brightened with "fill flash" from your camera's pop-up.  This can be the trickiest skill to master, especially if your camera has limited manual control.  If you're standing too close, and the flash "washes out" your subject, try standing further back.  You want enough light from the flash to brighten, without overdoing it.  Conversely, if your subject's face is still dark, get a little closer.  

If all else fails, we have suitcases, and love to travel! :-)  

- Stefanie Blue

Photographer/Co-Owner of BlueFlair Photography

Thanks Steph for the useful information!!!

Spring Break 2010

Steve had to work, so I decided to take some mother/son alone time, and Travis and I headed to Hidden Shores, Yuma, AZ for the first week of Spring Break.  While en-route, we stopped at Ogilby Rd off of the I-8 to do a little Geocaching, and Travis went deep in the bush to find this well-hidden cache. We ended the week finding over 25 caches.  Some we were able to get to on paved roads, and others required the Jeep or quads and definitely 4WD.   If you don't know what geocaching is, basically, it is an adult treasure hunt, with the fun being in deciphering the clues and actually finding the cache.  There are over a million caches hidden worldwide, each given specific GPS coordinates.  You log on to the website, download the location to your GPS or GPS enables phone, and start searching.  Keep in mind, some of these little buggars are super well hidden or camouflaged.  We spent the week riding the quads, practicing baseball, finding caches, going jeeping, generally hanging out and had a BLAST!  Steve joined us on Thursday and spent the weekend.  On Sunday, we headed to La Quinta to visit Steve's mom and felt the shaking of the big quake. 

Holland America

I was honored to accompany a small group of friends and clients for a ship tour and luncheon on board Holland America's ms Oosterdam.  This ship is home ported in San Diego, sailing 7 night Mexico cruises October through April.  From April through October, she sails the amazing waters of Alaska.  Holland America's ships are classy and sophisticated, and are reminiscent of sailing on the most famous ocean liners of the 20th Century, but with all of the modern amenities you would expect on a 21st Century, cutting edge vessel.  

Having this beauty in our own back yard for the winter months provides the opportunity to sail from a close to home port with all the luxury you would expect to see in a Premium Quality Cruise Line.

New Orleans

It's been a long 2 weeks since my last post.  Felt like forever anyway.  I had a GREAT trip to New Orleans to participate in the inaugural Mardi Gras Rock N Roll Half Marathon with my friends Karleen and Denise, and my cousin Leslie.

New Orleans is a BEAUTIFUL city, full of tastes, sights and wonder.  We ate local exotic cuisine, sampled the finest libations, and saw the city from a local's perspective.  Sure we cruised Burbon Street and had beignets at Cafe Du Monde - who goes all the way to New Orleans without visiting these hot spots - but we also took the causeway over Lake Pontchartrain and toured the Abita Brewing Company in Abita Springs, LA,  we shopped at a little boutique on Magazine Street called Trashy Diva, and we ate alligator sausage and shrimp Po Boys at Parkway Bakery.  I can't thank my cousins Ann and Leslie enough for their Southern Hospitality, and for showing us the "locals" flair of New Orleans.  I am SOO ready to go back, this time with Steve and Travis!

Baseball, Big Easy, Blogging

So Travis's baseball season has begun.  He has 2 games and 1 practice each week.  It is going to be a very busy next few months.  He is on a GREAT team, the Mets, playing with 8-10 year old boys.  This will definitely be a challenge for him, but I have confidence that he will be just great at it.  Here is his picture from last winter on the Cubs.


Exactly 1 week from now, I'll be in New Orleans - YAY!!!  My good friend Karleen and I are headed to the Big Easy to visit my cousins and, oh ya, to compete in the New Orleans Rock and Roll Half Marathon!  Our goal for the race...  to finish, and have fun along the way!  Here is my finishing photo from the October race.

Guest Blogger?  I am going to start including guest blogger pieces into my weekly blog.  If you have a specialty, a passion, or just something fun to say, drop me a line - I may feature you in an upcoming blog.

Back to work, bye for now!

Running, San Francisco, Cruising

At the end of this month, I am traveling with a friend to New Orleans to participate in the Rock and Roll Half Marathon.  This will be my second half marathon in 5 months.  Some of my friends say I'm crazy, but running/walking is motivational for me.  Plus, I get a great trip to New Orleans with a good friend.  We will be staying with my cousins who have a house there, and they have graciously offered to show us the town!  Should be fun, and I'll post pics on my Facebook account when I'm there.

Speaking of travel, in July, I will be headed to San Francisco to attend the Soroptimist International Biennial Convention with some of the hardest working and most dedicated women in the world.  Soroptimist is an International Service Organization dedicated to advancing the status of women and girls both locally and globally.  I have the great honor of serving on the board of Soroptimist International Oceanside-Carlsbad and several of my fellow club members will be headed to San Francisco as well.  Should be a GREAT TIME!

In October, I am cruising - YAY!  Have you ever considered a girls weekend, or getaway cruise?  Well, some friends and I are doing just that!  Come join us on the Carnival Spirit sailing from San Diego October 8-12.   Click HERE for all the details including On Board Credit, Cocktail Party, Wine and MORE!  I can even offer a LAYAWAY program, deposit now and pay monthly, but hurry, rates expire soon!  OK, as an added incentive, anybody booking this cruise, and referencing this blog post will get a bonus $25 on board credit!  Hope you can join me!

WOW! Pictures, Ships, PTA

WOW!  Mom and I met with Nikkie from Blueflair Photography today to preview the pics that were taken a couple weeks ago.  I think they turned out GREAT, and are a much needed to my on-line presence.  This is just one of the shots, but I think it is my favorite!   Thanks again Nikkie and Steph for the AWESOME job!!!  I can't wait for the family portrait session in April! 


Saturday, Scott and I had the opportunity to visit Oceania Cruises' Regatta in San Pedro.  She is a BEAUTIFUL vessel, accompanied in dark woods, elegant decor and Versaci China.  Another WOW!  Click here for a little video I put together.  When you are ready to experience Casual Luxury, let me know!

I am the Secretary on the board of the PTA at Travis's school.  Casita's PTA Board consists of a group of dedicated and caring parents and staff.  Our big push this year is to raise funds for new playground equipment.  We have raised $20k so far, and we have another $80k to reach out 3 year goal!  The Family Valentine's Day Dance is on Feb. 11th, and should be a good time - my little man (Trav) has promised his mommy a dance - I can't wait :)  Anybody out there interested in donating money or in-kind gifts for our fundraisers, let me know (wink, wink)

Big Birthday Party this weekend for Travis - excited to see family and friends.  Until next week...

Pamper weekend, Busy Week

Saturday, I went to a birthday party for one of Travis's friends, then as the boys (Steve and Trav) headed to Monster Jam, the girls (me and my gal pals) all went for pedicures - ooh la la. Sunday, mom and I had a photo shoot with my friends Nikkie and Stephanie of BlueFlair Photography.  What a BLAST.  It started with a professional makeup session with Christie Stevenson, then Nikkie and Steph shot us each in 3 or 4 different outfits.  Some head shots, some full body, and some with me and mom together.  The purpose of the photo shoot was to get a few new shots that we can use on our social media sites, websites, business cards, etc.  Boy did they do a GREAT job - if I do say so myself!  We should have the proofs next week sometime.  If you are looking for an updated look or image, DEFINITELY give these ladies a call!

Monday started off with a bang - can you believe round trip airfare LAX to Barcelona for only $600 including taxes??? YEP, want to go to Europe, off season/October is the time my friends.  I've been busy this week helping my friends book some FABULOUS vacations for 2010 and early 2011.   This reminds me...  I NEED TO CRUISE!!!  It's been about 7 months since my last cruise, and I am dying to get on another boat! 

My Social Schedule this week is kinda light - Bunco Wed., PTA Committee meeting Thu., Soroptimist on Friday, Heading to LA to visit the Oceania Regatta on Sat and day of rest on Sunday.

Catch ya next week!  Hopefully with some great pics to post!

It's a Blustery Day, Pooh...

Wow, wild weather in San Diego this week. We are supposed to get 10 inches of rain this week alone, and San Diego's average ANNUAL rainfall is just over 10 inches. Lots of wind, rain and even a TORNADO watch - CRAZY...

That said, I've been keeping busy speaking with my clients and planning some wonderful vacations. The first few months of a new year are commonly referred to as "Wave Season" in the travel industry, and is our busiest time of the year. Long hours, lots of activity, and lots to do - but, I LOVE my job and my clients, so it is all worth while. On January 3rd, I had the pleasure of visiting the Azamara Journey while she was in the port of San Diego. Azamara Club Cruises is going through a change to become more inclusive, and to truly become a unique product in the luxury cruise market. Some of these inclusions are: Gratuities, wine with lunch and dinner, free shuttle into town, and more. I think you will be hearing more about Azamara Club Cruises in the future.

Saturday Night, my boys (hubby and son) are headed to Qualcomm Stadium for the big Monster Truck show with some other dads/grandpas/sons - sounds like a good time for a nice relaxing book and bubble bath - ha ha - can anyone say SPA RETREAT?

Bye for now!

Welcome to 2010

WOW, 2010! It's Very Cool to say. So many people are writing these days about how bad the economy is, housing, unemployment, etc, but I am NOT going to go there.

I woke up today with my family and my health, and I am alive. 2010 is going to be a GREAT year for me, because I say so, and I'll make it GREAT for me.

This is the first post of my NEW blog and my NEW blogging regimen. My goal is to keep my readers entertained and educated about who I am and what I am doing personally, about the travel industry, and about my community. These are my core passions - Family, Work, Community. I hope you enjoy the read, and please feel free to post a reply, or just say Hi.

PS, If you are on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, please see my profile details and friend/follow me on these Social Media sites - I'll be sure to friend/follow back.

Happy Monday!!!