We spent Dale’s last vacation week of the summer with a quick trip to Chicago to visit family and explore the city. My favorite parts were visiting The Art Institute of Chicago, making clover crowns and bagel breakfasts. I hope you get a chance for a quick summer getaway, too!
May Around The Web
Summer is upon us and May is already coming to a close! This month started out with our California trip and so much has happened since then! This month I’ve been working hard on an internal project on top of some fun lettering assignments, Dale and I have celebrated two weddings (with another this weekend), we spent a weekend at the lake for my Grandma’s birthday, and I’ve been to lots of Holiday Mart meetings and a few Fusion classes. The rest of our summer will be much more laid back and I’m looking forward to time at home and (hopefully) the pool. This month I also loved The Everygirl’s Summer Bucket List. I’m definitely adding the DIY Popsicle to my summer to-do’s!
I am obsessed with following Elizabeth Holmes #SMT and am on-board to test out the hatband. This one is on my wish list!
Speaking of the royals, this month Archie (in case you somehow missed it) was born!
Pretty mini-bundt cakes!
Morocco is high on my travel wish-list
Prosecco punch, perfect for a summer celebration!
A recipe I’m hoping to try!
Bookmarking this post for when I make it back to Santa Barbara
I’m fascinated by hanging florals, I just need to find the perfect occasion for some!
hello, sunshine!
Santa Barbara and LA
After a long drive through Big Sur we finally arrived in Santa Barbara. That evening we had dinner with family and then were off to bed. The next morning we stopped by the rose gardens near the Old Mission Santa Barbara before breakfast at Summerland Beach Cafe. Then we were on the road again!
Our last stop was LA! We spent two nights with friends in West Hollywood. Immediately after arriving we headed to grab ramen and then went on a quick hike up to the Griffith Observatory. That night we visited with friends and were up and going early Friday for a visit to the Getty Villa! The beautiful villa and grounds really did remind me of Italy and all the Greek and Roman artifacts inside are amazing. Our last evening was also spent visiting with friends during dinner in Santa Monica. I am so grateful we were able to fit in seeing so many people throughout the week and can’t wait for the next time we can head back!
Big Sur
Driving through Big Sur was by far my favorite day of our trip! We got on the road pretty early and headed from Carmel towards Santa Barbara. Our first major stop was the Bixby Bridge before a quick hike through Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. It was hard not to stop every few minutes to take pictures and enjoy the stunning scenery.
I was really happy we were able to see McWay Falls from the road! Julia Pfeiffer State Park is currently closed but next time I would love to hike through that park as well. I would even love to spend a few nights in Big Sur camping, sometimes one week just isn’t enough! Next stop, Santa Barbara!
Carmel and Carmel Valley
After a morning in Muir Woods Dale and I headed south towards Carmel Valley! After checking into our Airbnb we headed to Folktale Winery before an evening spent exploring Carmel. While we really only had an afternoon and evening to look around this is definitely an area I would love to come back to! Next time I would also love to spend some time in Monterey, I definitely underestimated how beautiful this area would be.
P.S. The 2017 Folktale Estate Chardonnay was my favorite!
Muir Woods
The next stop of our California road trip was Muir Woods! This was actually my third time visiting the area and every time has been equally magical. We were lucky to have a sunny morning to walk through the trees and soak up the beauty. If you find yourself near SF it really is worth the quick trip to visit!
