lucky penny‘s darling mumsy redecorated their living room (again!), so she wanted to find her a unique gift to complement the *new* room. the store up the street would not do, so our girl went overseas.

a couple of years ago, lucky penny fell in love with cambodia and people of the khmer culture. like most who journey to siem reap, the focus of her trip was to see the angkor temples.

this being a backpacking trip, she and her lovely had no interest in staying at one of the large resorts. they instead checked into a beautiful boutique hotel, bopha angkor, sang karaoke at the dead fish tower inn, and drank lots of 25 cent beers on the little pub street.

outside the hotel, the intrepid tourists met mr. pok…  tuk tuk driver, historian and guide extraordinaire. for three days, he drove the girls to the best of the over 1,000 temple ruins in the region. from the magnificent angkor wat and carved faces of the bayon temple, to ta prohm which is slowly being reclaimed by the jungle, as tree trunks wrap their way around the facade, the girls marveled at the history of this ancient empire.

on their last day, as the sun was setting over the tonle sap lake, mr. pok said that there was one more stop. this is where lucky penny discovered artisans of angkor. this school slash store teaches traditional silk weaving techniques, and patterns of the khmer empire. designs so beautiful, her credit card jumped out of her wallet, and she came home with a rainbow of raw, silk scarves.

these gorge designs are now available online… the chorebap silk throw pillows in a rich purple would add pop to mumsy’s modern living room.

lucky penny was shopping in nyc… along prince street in soho, just after lunch at the mercer kitchen (order her favourite shrimp and avocado salad)… when she spotted this particular print (entitled hobby horse) and a charming old man.

the sketch itself, only 2.5″ by 2.5″, is etched by a needle into wax, used as a stamp with ink, and then hand-painted in water colour… as explained by the artist’s father. his daughter is vartouhi zerdelian-pinkston and her delicate artwork can be found here. she has also penned two children’s books.

later that evening, she met a dear ol’ friend for dinner at an american gastropub called the lion (highly recommended by her concierge at the st. regis)… and had one of the best meals (start to finish) of her life. fashion industry’s top secret eatery! no sign of ralph lauren this time.

the girls shared every course… foie gras with toast, and scallops topped with caviar as appetizers, homemade gnocchi with chanterelle mushrooms as a main (special of the day), and cheesecake in a jar for dessert… imagine honey and maple crumbs, fresh strawberries, and a *very* full belly.

lucky penny was innocently window-shopping in chicago’s wicker park (much like ossington/west queen west in toronto) when something sparkly caught her eye.

this stunning neckpiece by elizabeth cole… graceful lines of swarovski crystals anchored by a gold-plated antique chain… made her heart skip a beat… aaaaand it was on sale. *say the magic word: abracadabra*

other chicago highlights included… more sale shopping at barneys, a few blocks away from michigan avenue’s magnificent mile. boy bestie bought his *perfect slim-fit* hugo boss suit for 65% off at saks fifth avenue. score!

don’t dare miss… “the bean” by anish kapoor in millennium park, or “the wizard of oz”-themed playground in lincoln park.

for the foodies… beautiful sleek wood décor (and food to match) at avec, hipster taco/tequila bar called big star, classic deep dish pizza at giordano’s, and room service (order the w burger with fries) at w chicago – city center. read it all starts with butter all week for more!

best. road. trip. ever.

lucky penny is not very superstitious. but from time to time, four leaf clovers and a pot of gold would be nice.

last summer, she spent a couple of weeks driving around ireland… map in hand, while cute boyfriend navigated winding roads, and swerved around herds of sheep. no matter the blood, sweat and tears… not too far behind were pints of guinness, live music and thirty new friends at the local.

st. patrick’s day may be overwrought with novelty hats (she loves them), green ale and face paint. a year ago today, lucky penny was at fynn’s of temple bar on king west.

she was particularly impressed with her friends, a trio of boys, and their custom t-shirts… each with slogans like “kiss me, i’m irish”, “eff you, i’m welsh” and finally “irish-arab, don’t hate”. hilarious.

for all the cheese on st. patty’s day, ultimately it is about the pint in front of you and the friends around you… sláinte!

lucky penny is usually not the quote unquote outdoors-y type.

she has always preferred an irish coffee in the lodge to spending long days on the slopes. which is why, when she started planning a trip to mount kilimanjaro, the general response was: “really… you?” fortunately, there was one dear friend who said, “i want to come, too!“.

the girls signed up with leopard tours and selected a 6-day trek up the rongai route. known for its rugged landscapes and wildlife. it is also less frequently traveled.

to distract herself from sheer anxiety, overplan she did. lucky penny tried a countless number of hiking boots, spent hours at mountain equipment co-op mastering the art of layering, and even bought oscar blandi dry shampoo in anticipation of long shower-less days.

all seemed irrelevant at the base of the mountain. in a rain forest surrounded by colobus monkeys, they began their trek following fearless guides, sunday and safi. over the next three days, the team scrambled over rocks, walked across the moonscape between volcano peaks, braved the cold, and engaged in the great bush vs. outhouse debate. none of this mattered, when after a long day, guides and porters would sing and dance the weary hikers into camp.

now came the main event: summit night. after a couple hours sleep, they set out at 11 o’clock and climbed into the wee morning to make the summit by sunrise. by the light of a full moon, lucky penny found the volcanic shale was like sand under her feet… take one step forward, and slide two back.

her mantra became “pole, pole” which is swahili for slow. step… breathe… step… breathe… and repeat for 7 hours. strong winds at the top did nothing to dull the exhilaration of finally reaching the uhuru peak. the sun started to peek over the horizon. (yes, that is an actual photograph from atop.)

wind-burnt faces and blistered feet were cured by a couple of days of beach time on zanzibar. on a prop plane home, lucky penny felt the true impact of such an experience… staring out the small portal window, she saw the snowy mountain peak soaring high above the clouds and realized… she was there.