Travel Page: Southern California

A month late, but at last—a recap of my trip to California to see my little sister. It was so nice to be able to take a week and pop out for a visit and some road tripping around LA. I miss her! But man, did I run her ragged during my stay. Seven days seems like so much time, but there is so much to do where she lives. What I learned: All plans need to be made with LA traffic patterns in mind. ;) Still, we had such a fantastic time. Here, some pics if you'd like to see what we did...

The weekend is here!

Happy Friday, my darling readers! I'm off on vacation for the next week to visit my little sister. Yay! We're planning a mini-detour from Laguna Beach to check out Palm Springs. I've never been and we've been eyeing the Saguaro as a place to stay. So colorful and fun, right? Wishing you a wonderful and relaxing weekend (and week) ahead. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Sad news about Squibb Bridge!

The right way to cuff sleeves.

OMG, this cover! 

My favorite Halloween classic, re-issued. 

Hilarious tee.

A cool exhibit I can't wait to check out.

Treat yo'self.

Swooning at this calligraphy workshop.

Love the modern take on French girl stripes (scroll down). 

Note to self: Learn how to knit.

(Image via My Modern Met)

Get out of town

A bit of last minute decision, but I just booked tickets to visit my little sis in California in a few weeks. Yay! I'm going for seven days and I can't wait. She lives an hour from LA in Irvine, but we're looking forward to doing some exploring and checking out some new (and car-accessible!) areas nearby. 

At the very least, we definitely have plans to soak up some sunshine at Newport and Laguna Beaches, both about a 10-15 minute drive from her place. :)

So, now I need your help: What are your favorite things to do in and around LA? 

PS: What we did on my visit last year; and on another visit before that (here and here). 

(Image 1, 2, 3)

California adventure

Finally! Pics from my trip to the west coast. Ah, just looking at these makes me want to hop the next flight back. I started the week in Southern California, visiting my younger sister in Irvine. Then, Matt and I made our way up the coast, stopping in Santa Ynez, San Luis Obispo and Modesto, before arriving in our final destination—San Francisco. Here, a few highlights:

*Wine tasting in Temecula: We stumbled upon Chapin Family Vineyards after a quick Yelp search, and loved it. It's a bit more tucked away than some of the other wineries there, but completely worth seeking it out. The 2009 Syrah is one of the best I have ever tried.

*Walking Crystal Cove Beach: My sister and I spent half a day walking this practically deserted beach. The cliffs on the coast make it feel like your own private escape. And at the end, a reward: Lunch at the Beachcomber Cafe, with outdoor seating so that you can take in the sights.

*Disneyland and California Adventure: Matt insisted we go—and I'm so glad we did. California Adventure is a completely unique experience. Grizzly Peak was my favorite part of the whole day (oh, and meeting Donald Duck!).

*Driving through Santa Ynez: It's where they filmed Sideways, but that's not the only reason we went. En route to San Luis Obispo, we stopped to check out a few wineries here. Sunstone Winery was one of the most gorgeous spots I've ever been.

*Pismo Beach: We were lucky enough to time our drive with the sunset—and got to sit on the pier and watch several surfers taking advantage of the dwindling daylight, too. What a beautiful beach! There are swings set up in a few different spots on the sand. So fun!

*Catching a Giants game at AT&T Park: Finally, I got to watch Buster Posey (one of my favorite baseball players) play at his home field. I love that kayakers actually sit out on the Bay to see if they can catch a homerun ball. Bonus: We went on fireworks night. Extra bonus: The Giants won!

*Golden Gate Park: Matt's sister and brother-in-law gave us a wonderful tour of the area surrounding the Golden Gate Bridge. There's nothing quite as exhilerating as peering over the edge of that bridge. Eek!

Have you been to California recently? What are your favorite things to do on the west coast?

The weekend is here!

My darling readers, happy Friday! It's been such a gorgeous week in New York. It's amazing to feel like spring has finally arrived. On that note, I'm off for a bit of vacation on the west coast. My little sister lives out there, and I can't wait to see her—and spend some time driving north along the California coast. Have you made that trip along Route 1? If yes, I'd love any recommendations you have for places to go, and things to see. I'll share photos of the trip when I get back! In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful weekend off. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

One of my favorite California tunes.

A blush-colored dress.

Mini-burger birthday.

For those who like kale.

New York-inspired iPhone case.

A note about the morning.

Beautiful fresh flowers.

A yellow nightstand.

Stretch your vocab.

Mac and cheese in 10 minutes.    

(Image via Pinterest)  

An affair to remember

I'm in love with the scene at this gorgeous nighttime wedding in Northern California. The bride Nadine wanted a Dirty Dancing vibe, which is exactly why she chose the summer cottages at Dawn Ranch. Don't you love the pinata? And the impressive father/daughter dance? Looks like Nadine had the time of her life. :)

(Images via 100 Layer Cake) 

The weekend is here!

Happy weekend dear readers! I just discovered these photos online from the wedding Matt and I went to in September in California. A photo booth at the reception? Always a good idea! Anyways, what's on tap for your weekend? I'm hoping to finally start my holiday shopping and check out this market in Union Square. I also want to see The King's Speech with Colin Firth. Here are a few fun posts from around the web to get your weekend started right:

A royal auction!

The story behind Spiderman: The Musical — and a great feature about the show's first preview this week! 

Cool Spaces! with Boston-based architect Stephen Chung. Wouldn't you love watching a show like this?

Give thanks this holiday season: post a note on New York Women in Communications' Gratitude Wall.

An Upper East Side love letter — and a post office proposal!

Cupcakes with edible gold stars? Delish.

Holiday coziness — and the perfect mirror for any room.

Such a cute little monkey! 

Raise your Glass, courtesy of Pink.

I don't own an iPhone, but if I did, I'd buy this case.

The most gorgeous (and RED!) holiday dress.

I want, need, have to have this scarf.

A holiday treat: Elf Yourself is back!

My West Coast Escape: Part Two

As promised, here it is: my California adventure, part deux. For Labor Day weekend, I flew north to San Francisco. After a beautiful (and quick!) flight up the California coast, I arrived to see this: The Golden Gate Bridge. The first day was pea soup fog, but on day two, it burned off. What a sight to see!

On Saturday morning, we left the city fog behind and drove to Napa. Our day of wine tasting began at the Robert Mondavi vineyards.

Next, we checked out the Pride Mountain Vineyards in St. Helena.

Here are a couple shots from inside the caves at Pride during our private tour. The vineyards are 50 percent in Napa and 50 percent in Sonoma, illustrated by the well-marked town line on site. I love the label on this bottle of Merlot, but Pride's best wine was definitely their Cabernet.

We rounded out our weekend with a beautiful art deco-themed wedding in Danville. The setting? The Blackhawk Country Club at sunset. Gorgeous!

Pre-ceremony, the bride and groom provided guests with a few finishing touches. Although I'm pretty sure the fans were for the ladies, Matt couldn't resist.

The bride and groom say, "I do!"

This detail, I loved. How creative are these place cards? One olive please, shaken not stirred! 

And no wedding is complete without a big sparkler send off! Until next time California. Thanks for a lovely visit!

My West Coast Escape: Part One

Finally! Snaps from my trip to the West Coast. What a fantastic vacation it was! I'm going to post pics in two installments. This is part one. It all started in Southern California — I flew into LAX and got a small taste of Los Angeles before driving north to stay with my little sis. Here I am beach-hopping — Crystal Cove, Laguna, and more. The views were to.die.for.

On my first day there, we decided to venture into LA...

We messed around with Jaws at Universal Studios and went on the Studio Tour!

Here we are outside Jurassic Park — love that Steven Spielberg signed it "Roar!"

We stopped by the Hollywood Walk of Fame to say hello to Uncle Dave...

...and rounded out the day with sunset views from Mulholland Drive.

My biggest vacation goal was to visit Santa Catalina, the island my college a cappella group sang about. We rented a golf cart to drive around and see the sights.

The golf cart allowed us primo access — check out these views from the top!

Here we are leaving the island on the ferry, called the Catalina Flyer. 

For my birthday, we went out for Mexican food and rooftop drinks on Laguna Beach.

And on my last night in SoCal, we managed to catch the most breathtaking sunset. Stay tuned for part two: my weekend adventure in San Francisco!

The weekend is here!

My dear readers, today is a special day. Not only is it the kick off to Labor Day weekend, it's also my birthday! To toast the occasion, as you know, I'm hanging with my little sister on the West coast. Not sure what we have planned to celebrate, but I do know this: the two of us haven't spent our actual birthdays together in almost 10 years. Above is a shot of us as kids, taken one September long ago. Don't you just love our stylish outfits for fall? And of course, for you, a few happy posts from around the Web to get your weekend started right.

My very favorite type of birthday cake, here, in cupcake form!

A bottle of wine I know my mom (and a few friends) would adore. 

Gorgeous shots of Santa Catalina.

An epic commercial for Chanel, directed by the one, the only Martin Scorcese.

A noteworthy rendition of Lady Gaga's Poker Face.

California dreaming

Today, I'm off! California-bound to visit my little sister Alyssa, who just moved there last year. I'm starting the week off in Irvine where she lives, then meeting Matt for a weekend wedding in Northern California (San Francisco to be exact). Alyssa and I don't have a ton of things planned, but one thing's for sure: she's taking me to Santa Catalina, 26 miles across the sea. As I've mentioned before, the Wheatones signature song pays tribute to this tiny island, a place I still have never been. So stay tuned for updates about my trip...they will be coming soon!

(Photo of Santa Catalina by butterfly1172 via Flickr)

The weekend is here!

Hello lovelies! How great is it that Friday has arrived? I am looking forward to a bit of summer cleaning this weekend, and I also need to pack. Next week, I'm off to California for some last minute summer R&R — and to celebrate my birthday too! So tell me, what do you have planned for your own Saturday/Sunday bliss? 

Here are a few happy posts from around the Web to get your weekend started right:

A few bits of summer so far.

Your chance to be as stylish as Joan on Mad Men.

A sparking blue interior.

Ice cream and cow-tipping!

An eloquent and adorable 3-year-old poet.

(Photo via It Looks Good To Me)