“It is a scientific fact that if you stay in California, you lose one point off your IQ every year.”
– Truman Capote
And on that note, I’m off to Nashville this weekend for the wedding of one of my favorite couples on the planet, Kayla and Tyler. So excited. And just a LITTLE bit excited about seeing my husband for the first time in nearly two weeks. YES.
Not too long ago, my Julian and I decided we were in need of a quick little peaceful getaway. Not having much in the way of time (and considering we did just go on a European honeymoon), we decided staying local was the best bet for us. Neither of us are from this coast, so we had to enlist the help of native friends to give us recommendations on the best places to go (I knew San Diego wasn’t gonna cut it). Knowing my taste, my girlfriend and then-coworker Lauren told me that we just HAD to go to Solvang, a little Danish town up in Santa Ynez Valley. I’d never even heard of the place at the time, but it seemed to be quite popular for LA and Santa Barbara-ites in need of relaxation. After a couple Googles, I was sold.
One of the many sweet windmills we saw. Who doesn’t love a good windmill?
We LOVED it – it was easily one of the most quaint, beautiful and peaceful towns I’ve ever been to. We ate ebelskivers, took in the stunning scenery, went on long walks through town (and an early morning run – rare for us – the things you do when work isn’t a factor!), basked in the silence, shopped in used bookstores, marveled at the cobblestone, took full advantage of the incredible breakfast buffet, made friends with a waitress who has a pig sanctuary, took photos of the various wildlife, wandered around Los Olives (MY FAVORITE), drank coffee on outdoor porches of quaint cafes, enjoyed complimentary wine tastings and dreamt about what life would be like if we lived up there. We also stayed in the best hotel ever – Hadsten House. The rooms were incredible, the rates affordable and the service outstanding. I’ve already emailed with the hotel manager about getting more of the free body butter they give you on your nightstand – it’s AMAZING. They also gave us lavender-scented linen spray.
I don’t have as many photos as I’d like, but I’m thankful to have these few. Julian, as willing as he is to take beautiful pictures for me, usually hides all the photos from our excursions on hard drives for me to never see again (until I nag him to email them), but this time, I found some on MY hard drive. It was a pleasant surprise. You can click to enlarge.
It was so difficult to choose which cafes and restaurants to stop at, they were all so adorable!
This is me, posing in the bookstore window while Julian takes a very artistic shot. I have a thing for used bookstores and he has a thing for taking pictures of me in them.
Um, I loved this house (hence the photo). My apologies to the homeowner for my gawking and pointing, but how cute is this?!
And of course, it wouldn’t be a photographic journey with Julian without taking glamour shots of moi. Any self-respecting girl just wouldn’t post them on her blog, but I kind of like ‘em.
This was his idea.
My new headshot? Dontcha love my clown blouse?
If any of you find yourself in the area, I highly recommend you stop by Solvang, even for an afternoon. It will melt all your worries away and you’ll leave a whole new person! Ok, that might be going a bit far, but it will certainly be worth your while.
Last night, after riding a pony at work (more on that later), J and I broke out the old Netflix instant queue and decided to check out A River Runs Through It. I’d never seen this old-ish (1992) classic set in the 1920s, but I loved it. The story line was well told, the relationship between the characters was touching, young Brad Pitt was captivating as always, but the scenery is what truly caught my attention. The story takes place in Montana, and as far as I know, that’s where they filmed as well. I was blown away by the the sheer greatness and splendor of the landscape – sky-scraping forests, ferocious rivers, rich meadows and towering mountains. What was once perhaps the last place on Earth I’d want to visit is now close to the top of my list. Is this one of those secret awesome places in America that people put on as being awful and boring but in reality, is gorgeous, peaceful and amazing? Hm.
Watching this film also made me realize that this genre of American dramas are probably one of my favorites of all-time. This weekend being Independence Day and all, I thought it might be a fun time to think about some of my favorite films that embrace America’s extremely diverse culture and history (the good and the bad) and spin it into a beautiful two-hour trip back in time. Tell me your favorites, too, please! We don’t have cable (by choice), so movies are kind of our thing.
Some of my favies, in no particular order:
Cold Mountain
Fried Green Tomatoes
Legends of the Fall
Shawshank Redemption
The Last of the Mohicans
Forrest Gump
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
The Cider House Rules
The Notebook
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (ok, not the best movie but an awesome book!)
Catch Me If You Can
The Bridges of Madison County
To Kill a Mockingbird
Changeling
Gangs of New York
Clearly this list is lacking. I didn’t include any films I haven’t seen myself, despite them being guaranteed awesome (i.e., Gone With The Wind, Rudy and Dances With Wolves, one of my Dad’s favorites). What are your favorite American films?!
I need to seriously limit my posts that contain the date in the title. It’s kind of irritating and not very pretty, one after another. So what’s on the agenda this weekend? A little BBQ with friends, finishing LOST once and for all (so we can get back to normal life), trying my hand at baking rolls from scratch, with a lot of errand-running and relaxing in between. Sounds like a plan! We love plans!
SHTUFF:
Summer in Paris – Ah, I already miss it!! I really hope to go back sometime soon when the weather is warmer. Despite our honeymoon being in mid-May, the weather was cold, cold, cold. And rainy. And cloudy. What’s the point of bringing cute clothes if you’re covering it up with a coat the whole time? These photos make me happy.
Ever stop to look around at your wonderful life and think, “something bad is definitely going to happen soon.” You’re not alone. Jon Acuff wrote this spiritually-driven piece about that belief and why we should stop worrying and simply enjoy the goodness in our lives.
American Migration Patterns – where are people moving to and from these days? These illustrations are awesome, and very interesting. Sidenote: I am jealous of all the people getting out of LA.
Why I Quit A Six Figure Job – don’t get any crazy ideas, I’m not quitting my job. But the pros & cons measured in this quick and to-the-point blog post do a great job at illustrating the benefits and draw backs of working for yourself vs. working for someone else. I want to add an important note here: the reason this guy COULD quit that job? He has two years worth of living expenses saved up. He also seems to live a pretty low-maintenance lifestyle, something most of us could try and imitate a bit more. (Thanks for tweeting this, Chris!)
4 Tips For a Less Stressful Morning – I could definitely take some of this advice! I tried the playing music bit and it really did help! So does taking a few minutes to do something that is totally not “getting ready to head to the office.”
THE LITTER BOX. This isn’t cool and/or pretty, but it’s still worth posting for any cat owners who have ever experienced their kitties boycotting the litter box. Seeing as this is one of the BIGGEST reasons people banish their pets to the animal shelter (or worse), it’s worth taking a look and seeing what you can to to rectify the situation before resorting to extreme measures. HINT: CLEAN THE DARN LITTER BOX MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK. Would YOU want to use a port-o-potty for a week straight? Thx!
Black & White Delight is a really neat blog, if you’re into home decor, black & white, and damask.
Abandoned Hotel photos – before and after. This is so cool! I am obsessed with looking at old, abandoned (and might I add, sometimes hideously designed) buildings in LA and wondering what they looked like back in the 60s, 70s, or 80s (or even before!) when they were hip and happening. Even in a young city like this, there’s still so much history. So curious!
My girlfriend, currently living in Naples and about 17 months pregnant, sent me these PRECIOUS baby photos from a local photographer. If you don’t love babies and cute things, don’t bother looking. If you do, enjoy.
Conventional, Organic, Local, Whatever. Just eat it! Let me summarize this brilliant article for you – the benefits of eating product FAR outweigh any risk of contamination by pesticides. It beats the alternative, which is avoiding fruits & vegetables and snacking on chemically-ridden processed foods. (P.S. Thanks to my sister-in-law Jes for finding this one!)
Jacaranda Trees in LA – one of the little pleasures about living in this region. The bright purple flowers always brighten my day for these few short weeks.
Hello, weekend! It’s only been five days, but my how I’ve missed you so. Today, we’re brunching with some friends and heading to the theatre in our 3D glasses to see what Toy Story 3 is all about. I haven’t even seen the sequel, but something tells me I’ll be alright. Perhaps we’ll get a little sunny beach action on Sunday. As for you, just sit back and enjoy this fine bunch of links I’ve wrangled for you this week!
If you like home decor, Florida, fluffy furniture, taking vacations, eating key lime pie, well-lit rooms or even just think one of those things MAY be neat, you need to take a look at this incredible Key West vacation home. I would die to live there.
Fed Up With School Lunch is a blog that features photos of what public schools are really feeding kids these days. Let’s just say my cats eat better. Except for the restaurant tacos on the first page, those look pretty alright.
A group is recreating the bible on film – 31,173 different people saying 31,173 different pieces of scripture from the Bible. Cool idea, but would you watch this?
June is Adopt A Cat Month, according to my favorite animal rescue non-profit, Kitten Rescue. Buy some mega cute jewelry and 50% will be donated to ASPCA, my other favorite!! Eee cats & jewelry yes. For bonus points, check out your local shelter – your new furry friend could be waiting for you.
What Really Spoils Our Children? John Robbins is a super smart cookie, I’ve read a couple of his books. Read this article, if only for the sweet poem inside.
Pet penguins = awesome. Pet penguins wearing stuffed animal backpacks = the best thing in life. (P.S. KitsuneNoir is my friend Bobby’s super cool art/culture/design blog. You’ll read it if you know what’s good for you!)
Billionaires Set Out to Change the Face of Philanthropy. This is a pretty inspirational story. The group of high-rollers includes Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Oprah and David Rockefeller, each who are on a mission to get every billionaire in America to pledge 50% of their wealth to charity. This would mean a potential $600 billion for charity! Buffett alone has already pledged to give 99% of his wealth. Let’s just pray the benefiting organizations aren’t greedy squander-ers.
After all this time, I am still totally in love with Amy Poehler’s web show, Smart Girls At The Party, for which she recently won a Webby award for.
Now that I’m married, I can freely gush over other people’s weddings without worry that I should “totally use that idea.” Here are a few that were recently featured on my girl Amanda’s blog: pink garden, gold country, vintage books
This New Yorker cartoon is an accurate representation of Julian and I at home:
Ahahaha, just kidding. How funny is internet fame, though? Like where does it really get you, 99% of the time?
Someone made a “How Deep Is This Hole?” app based on Julian’s hilarious video One Bad App that mocks Apple’s iPhone app approval process. Lols. Actual video below.
AAAAAAND finally – this is pretty stinking incredible. And you thought YOU were talented. P.S. I love how he’s wearing a full white tuxedo.
If you are into this, you should watch Heima by Sigur Ros – really beautiful look at the countryside in Iceland. Ahh so gorgeous! The music’s not half bad, either.
And I’ll be MARRIED! I’ll be a WIFE. With a HUSBAND. A hot, funny, sweet husband, but still – a husband. How crazy is that? What a year this is going to be.
Leave me comments with all the best things to do and places to go in Paris!
So, I am planning on posting a little tribute about why I am so in love/lust with the city of New York, but I just came across something so divine I had to post it now. You know those little blue paper coffee cups? They are a NY icon. I am delighted to have discovered that you can buy them, complete with “We Are Happy To Serve You” logo in a reusable, ceramic version. For only $12.
Apparently this is nothing new, as they seem to be available all over the world, but I’ve never seen them before. I want two.
And the winner of my favorite Super Bowl ad is…. GOOGLE! You know, the company that doesn’t need any advertising. Their Parisian Love commercial was just the cutest thing I have ever seen.
Maybe it’s because I’m going to Paris in about 90 days and have an infinite love for all things French. Or maybe it’s because I’m in the midst of planning my wedding to a man that I quickly and unexpectedly fell in love with. Or maybe it’s because of the huge role the internet played in our relationship. Whatever it may be, this is “très mignonne.”
It’s been a wild couple of weeks, but undoubtedly some of the happiest days I can ever remember. What is it about being newly engaged that makes you feel like you’re walking around in a dream? I feel like my head is in the clouds surrounded by little cartoon hearts. I’m back in LA, without my darling (who is still in Nashville working on some music stuff), but with plenty of catching up to keep me busy and my mind off of missing him!
The time I spent in Nashville was divine – I’m so thankful I had the chance to spend a week and a half of (mostly) uninterrupted time with my future family-in-law and all of Julian’s friends, some of whom I will know the rest of my life. So many great moments, I don’t even know where to start. The southern food, naps on the chaise lounge, Jenesis braiding my entire head of hair, wearing onesies on Christmas morning, massages on the stairs, the great folks at Eastgate CCF, looking back on baby books and love notes from new mothers, kissing my sweetheart at midnight on New Years, countless trips to Starbucks, window shopping in various Nashville malls, getting ready with Jeorgi in the bathroom and buying/cutting my own “man pants”, perusing bridal books and magazines with Kayla (also newly-engaged), awesome conversations with grandparents who have more wisdom than I could ever hope to, ice skating, laughing my face off with Julian’s siblings, watching them spontaneously write and play a full-band version of the Power Rangers theme, cuddling his stinking adorable nephews, even the pathetic snow flurries that were falling when Julian dropped me at the terminal on Monday morning.
My flight back was uneventful, always a good thing, except for the fact that airport security confiscated my brand new jar of (heavenly) Loveless Cafe peach preserves. I was planning on giving them to Lauren, who generously drove to LA from Pasadena everyday of my absence to feet Fatterson 1 and Fatterson 2, but instead, she just got a thing of biscuit mix. Merry Christmas, Lauren!
The first day back at work was busy, but not totally nightmare-ish, a lot of catch-up meetings and returning e-mails. Now I’m here at home, repainting my nails (of course) and waiting for my girl Francesca’s flight to get in from NYC. Because I’m a good friend, I offered to pick her up from the airport … even if it is arriving at 2:00am. So now I have to make the decision…. coffee? Or nap?
At least I have PLENTY to think about while I’m waiting – who knew wedding planning was such a huge task? Or shall I say, 4140371 mini tasks?! I’ve only been engaged a week and I’m already overwhelmed by the questions, the suggestions, the requests for me to tell the proposal story over and over again. I guess it’s a part of the entire experience – after all, this only happens once! I guess I should savor every moment of it. That being said, I have a few things in mind for what I want, but there is still much up in the air. I’m more looking forward to actually being married to the love of my life. This is without a doubt the HAPPIEST time of my life.
Sorry, you’ll have to forgive my abundance of barfalicious gushiness. I am just… well, if you’ve ever been engaged, you know what I mean. If not, you will understand one day!
ALRIGHT, I’ll cool it. Now that my holiday break is over, I’ll be returning to my regular blogging schedule. But one last thing before I get back to my DVR for the evening (that I must enjoy now before I get rid of my cable TV) – I am very proud to say that I managed to finish another book in my never ending stack! The Shack was awesome. I’m also working my way through C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity and The Millionaire Next Door audiobook. So much great info in that last one.. well, both, to be honest. Highly recommended.
Wonderful, you found my blog! I'm Sarah, a writer, activist, believer, artist, lover of pretty things and cats. I'm also a newlywed (aww). To learn more about me, just click here. I hope my blog brings you a little bit (or a lotta bit) of happiness today.
