Galen's Days in Israel: Part One

For the next 8 days, I will be traveling around Israel with a Birthright group. I'm with 39 other young (22 to 27) Jewish people from Atlanta, and we're getting crash courses in Israeli history, Jewish lore, and outdoor exploration. Galen's Days of the Week has gone international, y'all.

Jan 1:

I was told to get to Hartsfield four hours before our 5:40 flight to JFK. Good thing, because it took two entire hours to get our bags checked. As you might expect, a group of 40 does not navigate anything speedily. 

In New York, I found my cousin, Zach. We were on the same flight to Tel Aviv, traveling with separate Birthright groups. We had no idea we were both doing the trip, and less idea that we were leaving on the same flight. But there we were, speeding over the Atlantic, proving that the world and it's seven billion people is not so large after all.

It was a Wing'd Wednesday

Jan 2:

We arrived in Tel Aviv at 2:15. I had about 5 hours of sleep under my belt, plus a cup of weak airplane coffee. We met our tour guide (his name is Shabat, of all things) and we boarded our bus (285, of all numbers - a great joke for this Atlanta crew). Our first destination was a kibbutz in the Negev (a desert). After a round of icebreakers, we ate dinner and heard our itinerary for the next 9 days. I got in bed at 9:15, and fell asleep instantaneously. Some people stayed-up and drank in the courtyard; those people are insane.

What a Tired Thursday.

Jan 3:

We woke up at 4 to take a bus to Masada. We hiked a trail and watched the sunrise from the top of the mountain. Shabat took us around the site - I stood in one of the world's oldest synagogues and King Herod's secret mountain palace. I have trouble believing that something can stand for two thousand years, but there I was, among the stones. It must be easy to believe in creationism - the world seems much simpler if it is new. We came down the mountain via the Snake Path, and finally ate breakfast (after being awake a mere 6 hours). Next up, Dead Sea.

Guess what? You really do float in there - you basically have no other option. I tried to put my feet down, and the water flipped me onto my stomach. I had to paddle back to shore with my hands. I slathered my skin with mud (20 shekels a bag) - it made my skin really soft, but I made the terrible mistake of putting it in my hair. If you ever get this chance, DON'T DO IT. It will not make your scalp soft and hydrated - it will only make you crunchy. 

As I changed out of my bathing suit, I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror. I looked like a stranger - no makeup, stringy hair, a t-shirt and jeans. My face was slightly ruddy, and my arms looked strong. I liked the sight of this Outdoorsy Galen - I felt new.

We drove to Elat and passed a mountain of salt. When it rains (every few years) the mountain melts. The rocks looked like ocean waves, like blades of grass, like feathers - like anything but rocks. Lot's Wife was there, a large singular pillar apart from the rest. Our guide, Shabat, says she used to be much taller - her head fell off a few years ago. Now she's just a dress.

We're getting ready for our first Shabbat dinner. I'm showered (finally), and am wearing makeup for the first time in three days. It was a lovely luxury to paint my face this evening, but it's nice not to worry about it during the day. Who needs to see my liquid-liner skill when I'm hiking in the desert?

So ends Frenetic Friday.

Tasty Tuesday: Williamson Brothers Bar-B-Q and King of Pops

Two Saturdays ago, I sang harmony for my friend Tara at the Grant Park Summer Shade Festival. She did a set on the kids' stage, and I joined her for a few covers (including "Yellow" by Coldplay, "Folsom Prison Blues," and "Never Grow Up" by Taylor Swift). After our set. I wandered the festival in search of the perfect summer lunch - and I found it at the Williamson Brothers Bar-B-Q tent.

I've heard a lot about this restaurant, but I've never eaten there before. I love me a pulled pork sandwich, and this one did not disappoint. Plus, there were a bunch of sauces to choose from.

There are only three restaurant locations in Georgia (Marietta, Canton, and Douglasville), but they do offer catering. Plus, you can buy their sauces and fully cooked meats online. Anyone want to give me $100 so I can buy 3 slabs of spare ribs?

This past weekend, I went to another big event. There were two in town - can you guess which one? (Hint, it was in Decatur and featured lots of books)

Photo credit: Airan Chase

Some of the Hair cast reunited for a performance at the VIP party. We sang "Aquarius" and "Let the Sun Shine,"and then we had free admittance to the event. We ate delicious gourmet hot dogs, mac and cheese, and empenadas, sipped specialty cocktails, and (best of all) got free King of Pops. Normally, I'd get Chocolate Sea salt, but I was feeling adventurous, so I tried Raspberry Lime. And Peach Basil. And Key Lime Pie. 

And then I got a Bookzilla tattoo.

Temporary, mom - don't freak-out!

I'm sad that summer is ending, because so will the endless festivals. But I sure am excited for the leaves to change. 

Make-it-Monday: Painting a Bedroom for the First Time

Does anyone else hate doing new things? I get really overwhelmed when I have to do something totally new. I'm a total perfectionist, and I'm always afraid I'm going to mess-up beyond repair. Last week, I did something really intimidating - I painted my new bedroom

The first time I visited my new apartment, I fell in love with it - err, most of it. The bedroom was painted this awful dark apricot. The room gets little light to begin with, and the color made it feel like a dungeon. I've threatened to paint in the past, but until now I never followed-through. It seemed like such a huge project, something that would cause me stress and heartache, and which I'd probably just mess up. Still, I couldn't bear to live in that dark room, so I decided to take the plunge.

I don't have a natural gift for interior design (my spaces tend to look messy and cluttered and mismatched), but I wanted my new room to feel like an "adult" space. Naturally, I turned to Pinterest. I ran a search for "mint bedroom," and I found a lot of great inspiration. I after a while, I started to notice patterns - gold accents, white lights, soft blues, and pops of brighter color.

But there's more to design than just picking colors - you have to slap it up there. I did setpainting in college, but I figured there would be more to it than just that. I found some great articles (How to Prepare a Wall for Painting, How to Paint a Room, DIY Painting Tips, Tricks..., Painting a Room Step-by-Step) that walked me through wall prep, priming, and color application. After reading all these (and more), I felt prepared. 

And as it turns out, I was! The hardest part, by far, was taping out the room and securing the dropcloths. It was tedious and boring, and took a good hour and a half. But once I had covered all the trim, the rest was a blast. Painting isn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be, once I was armed with Knowledge.

If you're looking to paint, and you're afraid you don't have what it takes, I promise you, you do. If I can pull it off, then so can you. If you still don't feel ready after reading those articles, then consider this novice's final bits of advice:

• Get supplies well in advance - Painting Days are stressful enough without running around all morning for supplies. Get everything at least 24 hours before you want to start painting.

• Buy a sample of the color you want - I wasn't sure quite which color to go with, so I bought small samples of my two finalists and painted a small patch of each on a primed wall. The next day, when I went to buy my gallons, I knew exactly which color to go for. Plus, now I have these teeny pots of paint that will be great for touch-ups or crafts.

I went for the color on the right - Icy Blue by Valspar (from Lowe's)

• Don't be afraid of cheap paint - Before you splurge on the expensive stuff, do a little research. I was interested in Valspar, but it since it was the cheapest option at Lowe's, I was a little wary. I jumped online, and read some glowing reviews of the brand. I went ahead and bought two gallons, knowing that it wouldn't slide right off the wall or dry all patchy.

• Don't do it alone - My new bedroom isn't huge, but it would have taken me a long time to paint it by myself. I enlisted a few helpers for each day, and they made the time fly by.

I'm so happy with how my room looks now. The walls are so bright, and the color is so soothing.

If you have any tips of your own, leave them in the comments. I might do another room, and I'd love your input.

Make-it-Monday: Creating a Flower Crown

Remember the charming, crafty Caleigh? She and some girlfriends have been sporting lovely DIY flower crowns when they go out on the town.

She wore this one when she came to see Hair

Naturally, I invited her over so she could teach me her ways.

This craft really couldn't be simpler or cheaper. All you need are...

• A hot-glue gun

• An elastic headband (or length of elastic fitted to your head size)

• Fabric flowers

Congratulations - you can make a flower crown! Just arrange the flowers in your desired pattern and glue them to the band. Easy-peasy.

Since Atlanta has practically skipped summer (our fair city thinks it's October already), I decided I'd give my crown an autumnal feel. I picked some orange and red leaves, and based my color scheme around them.

Caleigh made hers a little more uniformly. She alternated large white flowers with smaller blue ones, and likes to wear hers high, well above her hairline.

Nearly-Former Roomie (we're moving) used smaller flowers for a softer, more romantic feel.

Photo credit: Caleigh Allen

If you're looking for a really simple, intensely girly craft to do this week, I recommend the flower crown. You can make one for yourself, and then go crazy creating them for friends. Just make sure you wear them the next time you go to dinner!

They're a guaranteed conversation starter
Photo credit: Caleigh Allen

Thrifty Thursday: The Perils of Lace

Last Thrifty Thursday, we talked about dressing like an heiress on a starving-artist budget. If there's one absolute, all-encompassing tip I can give you on that topic, it's this: avoid elastic lace. It will betray you. That's a tip for life - not just for thrifting. Whether you're at Target, TJ Maxx, or Bloomingdale's, no matter how much you like something, if it has elastic lace, run.
Here's why:
Oh, look at this pretty navy blue dress. It's slinky and has fun sleeves, and would probably look great on your body.

Except that OH NO!

Elastic lace will hold up for one, maybe two, maayyyyyybe three wash cycles, and then it disintegrates. While that doesn't technically ruin an item (you could wear it without facing disaster), it does betray it as a piece of fast fashion. Remember, the goal of this series is to look like you paid a lot of money.

Compare that to this other dress.

This lace is inelastic; there's no stretch at all. Instead, the lining is slightly stretchy. 

The difference is enormous. On this dress (which is from Target, BTDubbs) there are no flyaway threads. There's some very slight pilling (just enough that I can tell it's been worn), but the garment still looks great. I took this dress home, shaved the pilling with a cheap razor, and it's as good as new.

Tasty Tuesday: Quinoa with White Onion and Tomato

Don't get too excited - this recipe isn't great. I just feel I should be honest with you, and share my failures along with my successes. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me - I'm not some magical fairy who does everything right. I post a lot of cute pictures and fun ideas, but I mess things up a lot. This is one of those times.

This dinner wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't good, either. I adapted it from this smitten kitchen recipe. I'd been so excited to try it out (she gives it a glowing review), but I have a box of quinoa that's never been opened, and I figured I'd use that instead of the recommended farro. I also used a large tomato instead of a bunch of cherry ones, dried basil instead of fresh, powdered garlic instead of fresh, and no cheese. Given all that, I really shouldn't be surprised that it was so bland.

I made substitutions the last time I made a smitten kitchen dish, and that one was pretty flavorless, too. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now.

If you make this meal the right way, will you tell me how it turns out?

Fashionable Friday: I Cut My Own Bangs

Last week, I decided I needed a change, so I cut my own bangs.

That's right, I'm a rebel! I cut my own hair! 

You've probably noticed that I'm a huge cheapskate. As much as I'd like to pay for fancy haircuts, I have to keep a pretty tight leash on my cash. Instead of dropping $60 every six weeks on haircuts, I paid $9 for a pair of shears three years ago, and I trim when the spirit moves me. 

I've been getting a lot of great response to my new 'do - and even better, I love what I see in the mirror.