California Treats and Treasures

As a little bonus to the house tour post of my sister’s wonderful house in California, I thought I would also share some fun activities based pictures from my trip out there. We were so busy and focused on having fun there, I didn’t take too many pictures, but the ones I did take are fun!

My first full day out there we went to Santa Barbara to visit one of my good friends from college (whom I haven’t seen since graduation)! It was fun to catch-up about the past three years. We went to lunch at this cute little restaurant on the sand. Here we are posing at the beach right beside the restaurant.

On this trip Jackie and I also had a chance to walk down the main strip of the downtown area there where we snagged the famous fro-yo PinkBerry. It is a  California classic, although I think it has lost some of its austerity with the surge of fro-yo places in general. Still fun and delicious!

Source

While I was out there we also spent some time at the private airport. Did I mention that Jason is a pilot and flies all around the world and has a plane with his family? It was pretty sweet to go there and hob-nob with those super cool people who are all into planes and all things with motors. We were going to go up in his plane but alas it was not working at the time. The promise of flying on my next trip is there though, and I know those will be some great pictures!

Jackie and I also went to the beach to walk Murphy and get some good sand between the toes time. Since it was a Pacific Coast beach, it was a chilly beach day (meaning no bathing suits) but it was fun to walk around, play in the sand with Murphy, and try to take some great wave shots. Ahh the waves out there are so big to all of us East Coasters. No wonder they all surf out there!

So that is the photo journey of California outside the house. Hope you enjoy this little bonus of my California time!

Daffodils in March?!

I don't know about where you live, but this winter should be said more like "winter"? Meaning, it was winter as determined by the calendar but the weather had a mind of its own. In Virginia, the weather is pretty mild but I love that it definitely has defined seasons. Except for this year. Winter decided to be downright warm, well, except for this fun snow storm. With all the warm weather, the flowers decided it was spring and blooms have begun to pop up everywhere. Including these little lovelies in the back yard.

These are definitely resilient little blooms having survived monstrous thunderstorms and tornado warnings in the past few days. Yet they bloom on, foreshadowing the early spring ahead of us.

While I was taking these pictures off my camera, I also found a few other pictures stored on there from a while ago. These pictures got me hungering after those perfect summer days. Don't you feel it from these pictures?

Ahh, can't you just imagine being in that perfect summer dusk, with the height of summer blooming around you, the quite hum of lawnmowers many homes away, children laughing from neighbor's backyards...? Just those gentle sounds of summer that make you feel so peaceful. I am definitely in the mood for days like that (and maybe a beach trip!). Oh, and fresh veggies from the garden of course!

What are you most looking forward to this summer?

A weekend recap and SNOW!

Whew, what a weekend I had with my best girl friends from high school. Who knew I could have gotten three such great friends from four years of not so fun times. They are definitely the BEST things that come out of high school. This weekend we had a reunion and boy did the good times roll. I actually think I will let my awesome friend Caitlin explain it, as I feature her blog for a second time (remember this post about weight struggles). So I thought she should explain it being the word smith and photographer she is. Thanks friend! So without further ado, read on to the Cait Strides blog to see and hear about all the good times.

Unfortunately the weekend was cut a little short with the impending storm. Yes, that is right SNOW. Might sound crazy with the balmy weather that Virginia has been having (hello 70 degrees today) but it was a delightful winter wonderful that I couldn't help oogle at both when it was snowing and in its sparkling aftermath. So I thought I would share some photos with you of it.

The snow has begun!

Baby it's cold outside but it's warm and snuggly inside!

Night-time snow all thanks to our flame thrower (aka our outside light that is very powerful!)

A very snowy garden!

The next day. Don't you love the bulb blooms in the snow?

The Cube looking even a little taller. Who thought that was possible?

Ahh how quickly the sun melt the snow gloriousness!

Our cute little tree all decked out.

Our pretty little house encased in its glittering crystals of precipitation!

Did you have a snow day? What did you do to enjoy our one taste of winter this year?