After pouring over the book a few times, admiring the wonderful photography and delightful and intriguing destinations that she presents in the book, I was thrilled to see that this book is as good as her last. She presents vacations that are "inspirational and aspirational" showing us every step of the journey. I immediately wanted to get a hold of Anita to ask her a few questions. I love that reaching authors that inspire our journey are only an email away. Anita and I began a converstation and she gratiously answered a few of my questions. I thought you would enjoy her insights.
Together We Go is the second in your Love.Life.Style. series. How did you dream up this series concept? The idea came to me because I felt there were too many people dwelling on the woes of parenthood and not enough on the joys. I truly felt that since having children my home had become more stylish and interesting and my travel experiences richer. Life is good.
The photography in the book is amazing. How did you involve the other photographers in the process of this book coming together?
Besides being an author, what other hats do you wear? For someone like me who is absolutely inspired by your style and vision, where else can we see your artistry?
I have a vision and ideas and when I am styling and art directing, ideas and images come together on the spot. Take the images in the travel book of New York City: the stop and go signs and so exciting but can all be rather overwhelming and on seeing them, I thought of the many commands we give our children and how confusing it can all be. Does red mean go today and stop tomorrow? Are we clear and consistent and if not, is it any wonder our children become fustrated? Everything I see inspires a thought and everything I think inspires an image. So I think about how I want shots to look and the story I am trying to tell and it just seems to work.
Your books are truly a unique niche in the parenting/family/design/travel market. What would you like people to come away with after they read your work?
Mostly I would love for people to take pleasure in the moment and in knowing that our children are a huge gift and that they will grow up so very fast, that rather than worry and fuss and fret, we should enjoy life. I also want people to know that it is okay to want time away from them to be a couple or be with friends or indeed be alone, as it is in those moments we can appreciate being a parent.
I have a copy of Together We Go to give away. Please leave a comment by Monday, May 18th at midnight letting me know your favorite place that you've traveled with your children or your family and make sure I can reach you if you win.
38 comments:
Sweet Memories of Family...make me smile! My husband, Frank and I, took our two daughters and their husbands to Disney World for a 10 day vacation. We left the 3 little grandchildren at home. Those 10 days were some of the happiest days of my life. Our kids spent every minute with us (by their choice). We did the rides, saw the sights, ate, drank and danced together..all had constant smiles on their faces. It truly was not only a sweet bonding time, but an embedded memory of deep love and affection between us all.
Nancy
I recently blogged how I really have enjoyed taking my children to art musuems and enjoying their reactions to famous paintings. We have visited the National Gallery of Art, Philiadelphia Musuem of Art, the Met, Musuem of Modern Art in NYC, the Louvre, the Phillips collection in DC and I really couldn't put one as a favorite. We have enjoyed them together all the same.
I think my favorite trip with the kids was when we flew to Minnesota to visit our brother and sister in law. We spent a week there, and then rather than fly home we spent over a week driving home to Oregon. (my mom was kind enough to drive our car out and came back with us...which added to the fun). We saw country we would have never seen and really spent alot of quality time together. Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, Wall Drugs, the Corn Palace, Devil's Tower, Crazy Horse, Yellowstone, Cody, Wyoming and Buffalo Bill museum...we hit as much as we could - stayed in some off the wall hotels, ate at amazing bbq joints and just had a blast. My kids kept journals and participated in the junior ranger program at each national park we hit. Just a really memorable trip and just plain old FUN! A driving trip is definitely something I would repeat. (kids were about 10 and 12 at the time)
Since our budget is tight lately we have to find outings near home. My favorite things to do with the little ones are to visit the nearby zoo. It is an amazing experience everytime to see the little ones faces light up when they see the amazing animals in person. I wouldnt trade that for the world. They are in awe everytime. Just the simplest things bring so much joy and excitement into their world.
Hi...The best memory is the time we put our 2 small kids in the car and drove to Florida. They knew we were going to disney...but they had no idea we would be gone for 3 weeks! It was total fun every single day! My kids loved the car ride tho long never boring. We had our week at disney, but then did 2 more weeks stopping all over the place...just showing them how to be carefree and interested in STUFF! They will never forget it, nor will we. That trip decided that we would continue car rides as my daughter did not want to fly EVER lol...these were the best trips...it never mattered where...ever..it was just great to be together. Now that their lives are busy and jam packed, they envy that time we had then...Ty for asking! I love to remember those days! xox
Cher
hilly77@comcast.net
What a wonderful book :) I would love to have a chance to won it.~~We have one child, a son, and the most memorable place we took him was in 2004 when we drove over 7000 miles around the USA in 3 weeks. We were so close to Mexico at one point, being in a southern New Mexican park digging for rocks, that we parked in America and walked into Mexico for lunch! Our son thought that was seriously cool as it was his first time in a foreign country, and he was only a couple of blocks from America!~~~XXOO, Beth
It is hard to pick a favorite, there have been a few special travel journeys with family. A particularly special one was my daughter's first trip to Disney World. My mom had been recently found out that she had Ovarian Cancer and it was wish to take her only grandchild to experience the joy of Disney. This summer will be the second anniversary of my mother's passing. She was a trooper and fought hard throughout her illness and I feel very fortunate to have these precious memmories of our trip together.
Well, I do not have kids - so I will tell you a memorable place I was taken by my parents when I was a kid...
We used to go to Sanibel Island in Fl. every year. Sometimes we flew, but sometimes we drove - all the way from Connecticut. I loved those trips. We would get up before it was light out and they would put me in the back of the station wagon with my sleeping bag so I could go back to sleep. We would stop at places along the way and that was fun. But I loved the Sanibel. We would walk on the beach and collect shells, and bring them back inside and wash them and line them up (and we always took pictures of them). And my favorite place to go was the Mucky Duck (ironically, an Engligh Pub restaruant) and after we ate we would go look for jingle shells on the beach it sat on. Such good memories...
I have a couple of favorite memories traveling with my oldest daughter, Lauren. The first is the trip we took when she was 15, with a group of eight to India to work with missionaries and their children. What an experience!! We were stretched and moved beyond our wildest imaginations. The second trip was a family affair. My husband was team captain of a team of 8 men who rode their bikes across America (Race Across America) We began in Oceanside, CA. and ended 3,000 miles later in Annapolis, MD. We completed the trip in 7 days. My daughter and I were part of the crew. At 17, she showed so much maturity and servanthood on that trip. We did it to raise money for special education in my youngest daughter's school. (she is 14 and has Down Syndrome) Together we raised $150,000.00 My youngest, Brenna met us in Maryland for the finish line.
thanks for the chance to share! Lynn
We haven't really been able to afford to go on what people call family vacations,but my girls and I were very lucky to be able to go to Virginia last year where my husband has been living/working over the past 2 years and he brought us around to some great places.We went to Star Mountain in Roanoke & he also took us to some lovely parks,one that had the most beautiful creek with beautiful stones.I'll always remember it b/c we don't get to be together much as a family and these places were so calm & peaceful where we were all alone with each other remembering how great it is to be part of a family.We were only there for 2 days but it was the best 2 days that we will never forget.I think it would be so great if they had the Amazing Race for the entire family b/c I would love to travel the world with my husband and kids.They're the best!
That sounds like a fabulous book. I love to travel with my children and to expose them to new and wonderful adventures.
Thanks for the opportunity.
Best travel memory with a child....when my oldest son and I went on a bus trip to Rome together. His Dad was in Iraq and it was an adventure for the two of us. He picked Rome and I'm glad he did.
My favorite trip with my family has definitely been to Treasure Island, Florida, which is in the Tampa area. First, we stopped over in Chattenooga to see the "Choo Choo" then is was just a week of the boys, then almost two and four, goofing in the sand. We stayed on the beach, venturing on foot in search of waffles and barbecue and other good eats, and the hardest choice we had to make all day was beach first or pool first. The boys were so small, and we let them take their favorite dumptrucks to play with, and they were so adorable in their matching trunks. Even the drive from Ohio went just fine. We really felt like a family.
My best travel memory with my now grown sons hasn't happened yet. We didn't have money to take trips when they were growing up, but were fortunate because my husband's parents always paid for them to go to 4H camp and took them for a week every summer during which they went to the Aquarium in Baltimore, the Baltimore Zoo and various other places each year. One year I did win a Father's Day trip from J.C. Penney to Virginia beach for 4 days and 3 nights and that was our best so far. I especially remember on that trip making them take a nap in the hotel room as they had gotten wild and needed some quiet time. They were so mad that my oldest told me that the reason I was sick was because his brother had been cleaning the toilet bowl with my toothbrush (he hadn't!) trying to get a rise out of me. We were planning to visit my youngest son who is living in Texas while his wife is serving in Iraq, but my surgery didn't go as planned so we are going to reschedule that trip. I look forward to the four of us visiting places around my son's new home and just being together.
Cool book!
My favorite travel memory with my family would be camping at the Black Hills in SD. It is such a beautiful place. We went hiking and roasted marshmellows!!!
So many good memories!!!
That is such an easy question.... Sweden of course. I was born in Sweden and came to the US 20 years ago. Each trip to Sweden is a memory back in time to when I was a little girl and I love sharing my Grandfathers farm with my kids.
My favorite place I traveled with my family is tough to choose!!
Sharing a NEW place together is always the best of times. Each place is so different...each place offers some wonderful memories. I can't pick just one. I'll give you the top three:
Arizona
Hawaii
Atlantis
These were all great vacations because the natural beauty and surroundings were simply amazing. Just waking up, looking around at the scenery and being able to explore in these beautiful places...together...was magnificant.
Elizabeth
when i was a child my father would go away for a week in the airforce reserves, and my mama would pack up all 6 of us kids and take us to saratoga Springs, camping. I will always remember the bubbling creek, the tadpoles, the wonderful smells and the happy times!
connie
crinwil2@yahoo.com
It's so hard to pick which adventure is the most memorable. With my kids, it's probably the trip to Disney in Feb 09 that we took to celebrate the life of my Mom after she passed away. We went with my sister's family & all 5 of the grandbabies ages 2-8, 4 boys & 1 girl. When we arrived, we realized our rooms were guarded by 4 toy soldiers and a ballerina. And at the fireworks show that night, we saw two large red hearts! A super fun trip to honor an awesome Mom & Grandma. My other favorite would be the trip I took to Paris with my Mom in 1996. We walked all over Paris, ate grapes, cheese and baguetts from the open air markets, spent leisurely moments feeding pigeons outside of the Le Louvre, shopped in antique book stores & thoroughly enjoyed one anothers company as adult daughter and Mother. Memories make all things eternal!
Thanks for introducing me to this author, I can't wait to search out her books.
Hands down it has to be taking my kids to Jamaica where we own another home. The beach, the ocean, the environment, showing them everything and just hanging out together, exploring the land was so memorable! I LOL every time I remember us running into an angry crab on the beach and us trying to simultaneously snap pictures of it and stay out of it's way as it charged diagonally towards us! I look forward to us going back there again this summer.
Hi Kari! Thank you for the tip about the estate sale at the Wayzata Bay Center...good to know!
By the way, I love your blog. So cute! I'm jealous!
Kary (Katy's sister)
My favorite place that my sisters and my mom have been to is Vermont in the fall....what a beautiful place!
Thanks for a chance to win this book!
lorifranklin@verizon.net
This past summer our family went to Mackinac Island for a few days. No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island, so you can either ride a horse and buggy or ride bikes. We rode around the entire island and enjoyed the scenery and explored the beautiful history and landscape. The kids loved the freedom of riding the bike to the stores on the main street, hopping off them to run in and grab some fudge and riding off to their next adventure.
They constantly talk about it and are begging we return again this year.
Quite honestly, going anywhere with my children is a family adventure!LOL! Seriously, our first trip on an airplane to visit Grandma was so exciting and wonderful.
**smiles**
Carol
the fave place I've gone with my children is anywhere I am with them.. as a noncustodial mom.. I'm not with my kids every day. So when we're apart, I miss them terribly. Not many really understand just how much. Anywhere with them anywhere, that's my fave place. hugs bonnierose in fargo
bonnieangel1797@gmail.com
The private beach where we vacation each summer provides a canvas to paint sweet memories to hold a lifetime. And we do.
This looks like a lovely book. Thanks.
Oh, when I travel to Argentina, my country, from Italy with my son many years ago. He'd been there when he was almost a baby, and came back as a 14teen years old. It was one of the sweetest memories I have. We travelled for about 3.000kmts on bus, from the North, where I was born to the Iguazu Falls. Oh, I'm almost crying while I write this comment!lol. I really miss those big spaces!
In college, most of my creative writing essays were about travels we took as a family as a child. Two summers, we traveled from Montana to the Southwest US, and camped and hiked and just generally saw things. We went to Mesa Verde, but the strongest memories were from Chaco Canyon. The unbelievable desert sunsets, hot days and cool nights, and ancient Anasazi ruins were incredible. There were no showers and the only drinking water for miles was from a pump in the Visitor's Center parking lot! We all love to remember those trips to Chaco canyon. (And my email is cherrypie3208 at yahoo.com.)
Sounds like a wonderful book, Kari! As a child our family trips were driving from Florida to Virginia to visit my father's parents and other family. Loved the trips, all the historical sites, and the visits with grandparents, cousins, etc.
With our own children, we took a couple of trips into British Columbia from Montana that were lots of fun. Also always enjoyed the beautiful parks and campgrounds in Montana.
So far, with grandchildren, now in Florida once again, I'd have to say their first visits to Disney World. I'll always remember my oldest grandson saying quite seriously, after his first visit at age 3 or 4, that he really liked it there and would like to go again sometime! (That might not sound quite so funny to a non-Floridian, but it really cracked me up.)
Thanks for introducing this author.
Jane - Jacksonville
jspalmer@bellsouth.net
Seaside, Florida is tons of fun with kids.
I enjoyed the yr we took our kids to Williamsburg and to Jamestown. It was fun to climb up to the ship and realize how small those ships were. We homeschooled and it helped perspective. So many fun times.
http://www.ebelcousins.blogspot.com
In August 2007 my adult son, his wife and my (now ex-) husband went to Seattle WA area to visit adult daughter and her family. We saw the aircraft carrier on which my son-in-law serves; did the Seattle zoo and some other "kitchy" things. It was a fun vacation with all the family together.
My little Nika is 2 and we haven't done a whole lot of traveling yet. Really any place new is always exciting for her. She loves the water and we really enjoy going to the beach. Every place is an adventure at her age and I just love it! XOXO
One of our best family vacations was a trip we made in January, some years back, to Cleveland to visit some friends. Everyone thought we were crazy to go there in the winter but we did it on purpose so the kids could see lots of snow for the first time in their lives! Living in Puerto Rico means we never have snow and many kids here have never seen it. So, while people were traveling to PR for warm weather we were all excited about being able to wear coats,scarves,and gloves.
We had a great time in that winterwonderland and have some great pics to remember our vacation.
Thanks for visiting my blog. I do hope to see Danielle in Mpls! This book looks fabulous and so does your blog. I can tell home much you love creating it. Glad you found me ... or I found you.
Our most marvellous adventure was just one year ago. My hubby and I travelled with our 3 and a half year old little girl (Dakota) to the United States for a grand six and a half week trek from West Coast to East Coast and a bunch in between. I guess you could say our now seven month old, Elijah, also kind of got to go as I was three months pregnant with him at the time! We had a wondrous time and saw so much of the country. It truly is the best way to teach our kids as Dakota knows so much about America and recognises the sites when they are shown on television. We can't believe it is a year ago already and would pack up in an instant if we could go again!
Nicky
I just realised that I didn't leave any contact details - my e-mail is nickygolden@hotmail.com
Thanks for the chance to win such a great book. I'm a big fan of Anita's books.
Cheers
Nicky (mum to Dakota and Elijah)
What a great looking book!!! My baby turned one yesterday and our favorite places to "travel" is around town and our own Sonoma county. So much to see and do!!!
-Amy
(Crafting by Candlelight)
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