postcards from california

A quick look at our little Californian adventure.

We arrived late Friday night, as it took a couple more hours to get there than normal, due to some strange traffic and construction. We were staying with Dustin's brother and sister-in-law, who just moved to Long Beach from San Diego! Danny and Erin are expecting a baby boy this October, so they're currently living with her parents until their new house is ready. 

We went to Trump International, walking along the golf course and hiking down to the beach. It was a bit muggy and overcast, but beautiful. We grabbed fish tacos for lunch in the sketchiest of all neighborhoods, fearing for our lives when a set of firecrackers went off. I think they must play that trick a lot. Dustin ducked to the side like a pro, but I'll mention that he did not try to save me from the faux-bullets. 

After that we went back to the house to get ready! That evening we were renting a Duffy boat for a few hours, to eat out on the water and toast to Dustin finishing the bar exam. A few other couple friends of ours drove out to join us, which was so much fun. We ate our gourmet hand-chosen dinners from Gelson's supermarket and chatted. It had been a long time since we were able to visit all together! All three girls were bridesmaids in my wedding, so it's always fun to look back over the course of our marriage and see how much everything has changed for everyone. I'm so glad they're still in my life.

After the Duffy boat ride a few of us went back to the house and relaxed in the hot tub in the backyard, and then ate some ice cream in front of the fireplace! Our friends then had to drive back home, so the four of us got in our pjs and slept like babies. It was the perfect day.

Sunday morning they took us to The Hangout for brunch at Seal Beach, then took a few minutes to walk along the pier. We had a long drive ahead of us, so we said goodbye to Danny and Erin and headed towards Riverside! Dustin and I went to CBU for college, so we couldn't help stopping by for some quick reminiscing. We went by our old apartments, walking hand-in-hand as we took in everything that has changed since we went to school there. It was pretty overwhelming!

We actually got stopped by a campus policeman, who apparently thought we were pretty fishy, taking photos and laughing and sighing at everything. I think he thought we were dangerously emotional. 

We grabbed some much-needed Starbucks and hopped over to Redlands to see my cousins, who just moved into a gorgeous new home (actually, into a gorgeous old home). 

It was such a fantastic weekend. Even though it took us a freakish 8 hours to get there, and almost 9 to get home (more weird traffic/construction/storm damage), it was well worth the drive. We love California!

cruisin' downtown

Yesterday, we headed downtown with my mom and some friends to check out the Saturday farmer's market and a few other shops before stopping for brunch at Market at Main. 

Downtown is one of my favorite places, and I love how bustling it is on the weekends! The market is packed with couples and young families strolling through to grab fresh produce and freshly baked bread. 

The market is extended indoors, where people can buy more produce as well as shop the various stands of handmade clothing, ceramics, art, and other goods. There's also the amazing bakery and crepe shop!

I love the unique shops downtown, and how there always seems to be something you've never seen before.
I'm constantly finding shops and restaurants I didn't know existed, and it feels like such a magical, mysterious place.
Old brick buildings waiting to be restored, ivy creeping up and around each window.
Vintage stores and antique shops filled to the brim with treasures, people window shopping and drinking coffee.
We found a new shop yesterday that I had never been in, and I really hope to go back soon! It was called Studio Eleven, and they have a bunch of unique and handmade furniture and decor.

The best part was the very back, where they had a warehouse-like assortment of furniture in need of repair and update. The store sells a special kind of chalk paint that doesn't require sanding or removing the previous paint. You just paint right on, and then seal with their special wax. It's easy to use, dries quickly, and is specifically designed for the perfect one-day paint project!
You can choose a piece of furniture from the back, and buy the paint you want - or they'll paint it for you!
Such a cool concept, especially for all those DIYers out there.

We had so much fun looking through the shop, and dreaming about what we would do with all the various furniture scattered around the back. I think my mom found a kindred spirit in the shop owner, too!

Dress (shop!)/Necklace (shop!) : Ruche, Cardigan: J. Crew, Purse (shop!): Target

In other news, this is the cutest dress ever. 

Covered in a funky vintage car print, with big black buttons, it's the perfect downtown-stroll attire. 

I snatched it up over at Ruche's Labor Day Sale!!

Don't miss out. This dress was $19.50, and they have $10, $20, and $30 bins full of goodies...PLUS 15% off all regularly priced items!

The sale ends tomorrow at midnight, so hurry over!

plaid loves to read

Two Saturdays ago, my book club had the extraordinary idea of reading a book filled with life excerpts and recipes, so that we could have an excuse to all bring tasty treats for a brunch meeting!

In case you're scratching your head trying to figure out what that plate of yumminess is, it's bacon-wrapped dates filled with goat cheese, and thank you, you're welcome, they're delicious.

The culprit for this day of plaid-wearing, book-celebrating and treat-eating is Shauna Niequist's Bread & Wine which has already become a staple in my kitchen and my heart. (You can read my full review here!).

We had a wonderful morning, discussing the recipes and what we'd still like to make.
We also had a wonderful time stuffing our faces and drinking warm hazelnut creamed coffee while we discussed the book itself.

I haven't given much thought to reading and critiquing books, other than the analyzing I did as an English major in college. I rarely get the opportunity to really dive into the content of my pleasure reads, so being a part of a book club has been enlightening, as well as fun (and occasionally savory)!
Whenever I really love a book, I try and get all of my friends to read it so I can have someone to talk to about it. Bread & Wine has been one of those books. For some reason it was exactly what I needed to read this month, and I swallowed it up in a similar fashion to my bacon-wrapped dates.
My book club has been a great outlet for that kind of one-on-one discussion over a shared piece of writing. We choose a book, and then we can all love it (or hate it) together!

Dress: J. Crew, Belt: Ruche, Necklace: Barefoot Pathways (similar on Etsy)

In other great news, our local J. Crew outlet store decided to close down in order to expand their other location, so everything in the outlet store was an extra 75% off. 

Needless to say, I took a rather fabulous lunch break with a friend and spent $30 for two dresses, a skirt and a scarf.

This dress was included! To say it was love at first sight almost seems too casual.

It was the only one in the store. One of the only dresses in the store, actually, aside from wedding dresses - it was pretty cleared out by the time we got there and I can only thank the plaid-haters out there who passed on this beauty before I arrived.

It was such a treat, and seemed to be the perfect choice for our book club brunch event.
Everyone knows that plaid loves to read. :)
Plaid and books go together like librarians and denim skirts.

Since I'm only sort-of a librarian and have semi-vowed never to wear a denim skirt, this plaid dress seemed to be the perfect alternative.
It was a happy coincidence that left me grinning like an idiot in the dressing room.
Kind of like this: