Bold Brushstrokes

August 27, 2015August 27, 20152 Comments

Old tee, Cynthia Rowley skirt, Michael Kors heels, Kate Spade bag, necklace from a Renaissance Festival in Germany

I wore this fun little number during a trip downtown to eat at Border Grill during dineLA Restaurant Week. I just love the bright colors and the watercolor feel of the skirt. It was perfect for a day out and even inspired a twirl or two!

This summer I have been loving the look of OPI Dulce de Leche combined with a top coat of Revlon’s Holographic Pearls – it shimmers so gorgeously in the sun! I love it on my fingers and toes!

My Mom’s opal ring that I have been borrowing for like 10 years.

OPI Dulce de Leche with overcoat of Revlon Holographic Pearls

OPI You’re Such a Budapest, hammered band from cute shop on SoCo in Austin, Pandora bracelet

A Day in Solvang

August 24, 2015August 24, 20151 Comment

Visiting the Danish village of Solvang was one of those places I knew we could not miss while living in California. Jason and I visited when my Mom and her best friend were in town back in July. Chock-full of the cutest cafes, bakeries, wooden signs, and windmills, Solvang is the sweetest little place. Spending time in Solvang was almost like being back in Europe, but with a touch of undeniable California style.

We started out the day with Danish pancakes at Paula’s Pancake House. Danish pancakes are thinner than American-style pancakes, and I ordered mine topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream and bacon. Yum! We walked around the village for most of the morning and ended our trip by indulging in a variety of treats at Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery. We shared a Danish waffle, which is two long crispy cookies filled with raspberry jam and butter cream; a Danish almond custard kringle, which looks like a huge pretzel; and a Queen Elizabeth tart which was delicious but I am having a tough time remembering what was in.

Danish pancakes at Paula’s

Little Mermaid statue

Loads of butter cookies!

Danish almond custard kringle

Queen Elizabeth tart and Danish waffle

How cute is this little bakery?!

Do and See: Little Mermaid statue – The bronze statue is half the size of the famous statue that sits in Copenhagen, Denmark’s harbor commemorating Hans Christian Anderson’s tale of the mermaid.

See the village by walking it. It’s not huge, so you can take your time and still see it pretty quickly. Don’t miss all the cute details and signs in the village!

Eats: Paula’s Pancake House – I can only speak to the Danish pancakes, which were crazy good! We all left happy!

Sweets: Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery – Everything we had there was delicious! Not pictured are their amazing iced vanilla lattes.

Aztec and Booties

August 4, 2015August 4, 20151 Comment

Target dress, Frye booties, purse from Italy

I really love booties and I am always looking for a new outfit to wear them with. Recently, I paired these studded ones with this fun purple lace dress with Aztec details. I was drawn to the bright colors of the dress and feel that they complement each other so well. The pairing turned out to be the perfect outfit for a day of exploring Pasadena and taking in the Sidewalk Chalk Festival. It was so inspiring to see the amazing artwork people created using chalk!

iPhone Snaps: Palm Springs

July 28, 2015January 11, 2016Leave a comment

We had a lot of fun browsing Dazzles. I especially loved seeing all the pins and jewelry.

Clark Gable’s Palm Springs home

Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s Palm Springs home

Frank Sinatra’s Palm Springs home

California: Palm Springs

July 24, 2015July 24, 2015Leave a comment

Do y’all mind if we talk about Palm Springs for a minute? I just love it there. It is the funkiest place, complete with so many of my favorite things: Mid-Century Modern architecture, the desert, great food, and splashes of color, everywhere!

Jason and I spent a fun Sunday there recently. We thrifted, ate lunch at Lulu, took loads of pictures of our favorite homes and buildings, and topped it off with shakes from Great Shakes.

Lulu! Such a fun little joint.

Palm Springs Airport in all its Mid-Century glory.

Marilyn Monroe’s Palm Springs home

We were so intrigued by the neon lights on this home!

I think this one might just be my favorite. The cacti, the white details with the pop of blue, the concrete wall, the flowers, everything.

Elvis’ Honeymoon Hideaway

S’mores shake with homemade everything, ice cream, graham crackers, fudge sauce and toasted marshmallows, then topped with Great Shakes’ signature mini donut!

The Blueberry Hill shake. Blueberries, freshly squeezed lemon and lavender. So good.

Mod in Palm Springs

July 21, 2015July 21, 2015Leave a comment

Old Navy dress, Kate Spade bag, sunglasses and bangles, Etienne Aigner shoes, necklace from Germany

After a crazy week and a busy start to the weekend, Jason and I cruised down to Palm Springs for a relaxing Sunday. I have fallen in love with all things Mid-Century since moving to California and this desert locale still has a high concentration of architecture from the time. We spent the day checking out former homes of early Hollywood’s elite and any other homes whose architecture caught our eye. Movie stars were attracted by the warm, sunny weather and the seclusion that Palm Springs offered.

We also spent some time antiquing and thrifting and I found some funky little treasures that I am so excited to wear! I was drawn to the long thin stem of the flower pin and the vibrant colors. The clip-on burst earrings are absolutely perfect to wear with almost anything, particularly the retro inspired dresses I just bought. Stay tuned for those outfit posts!

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Flea Finds: Rose Bowl

July 16, 2015January 19, 2016Leave a comment

Jason and I have been looking forward to the Rose Bowl Flea Market since moving to California. We were finally able to experience this mammoth flea market last month and found lots of fun treasures!

We scored two fun books, a book of tales on California’s Missions and a book to help identify cacti (my newest obsession). I found a bright, German Lebkuchen tin to add to my collection of tins and several patches to be added to a denim jacket. We scored an old metal gas can that has been repurposed and is currently being used as a kitchen table vase. (So perfectly funky!) We saw and loved this blue Ball jar and got it at a steal! We both thought the blue glass was so interesting.

I think the coolest things we discovered, though, are the railroad date nails, used by railroad companies starting in the late 1800s for record keeping purposes to track which ties were treated, when, and how. We have a few ideas on how to use them, but are still a tad undecided for now. More to come…

LA: Union Station

June 26, 2015June 26, 2015Leave a comment

A few weeks ago, Jason and I spent a day in downtown Los Angeles. Actually, it was the first day we have spent downtown since we moved to California. While I really love searching for and being inspired by all the Mid-Century Modern influences in California, there is quite a bit of Art Deco inspired architecture here as well.

Union Station is unique in that it was built in a mix of architectural styles including Art Deco, Spanish Colonial, Mission Revival, and Streamline Moderne. Built in 1939, Union Station consolidated multiple railways including Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, and the Los Angeles Railway. Today it serves as a hub for Amtrak, MetroLink, and LA Metro.

There’s something about spending time in a train station. You can’t help but imagine all the people who have traveled through a station. I usually imagine the golden age of travel. I picture people rushing for their train with their trunks and hat boxes, settling into their assigned car just before the train leaves the station, and then relaxing with a cocktail on the way to their final destination.

Golden State

June 11, 2015June 11, 2015Leave a comment

I have always been such a fan of graphic tees. Back in high school, I wore them with Levi’s flares and Vans that changed to pink in the sun. My style has changed a bit since then. Now, I generally opt to pair a fun tee with a skirt and some variation of heels. It’s so interesting to see how personal style evolves over time, but our affinity for certain things remain.

California Bucket List

June 4, 2015August 18, 20152 Comments

Jason and I have been working on our ‘California Bucket List’ since we found out we were moving here. We have about 5 months left here, before we move to the mountains of Colorado. We are so ready for our next step, but hope to cross off as many of these things as possible in the next few months.