I am totally in love with lamp posts. There weren't any on our street growing up and I was always jealous of streets lined with them, so these ones were really making my boat float!
Another random obsession - miniatures and things that are replicas of real things. Like food for example...
I'm obsessed with restaurants that have faux cakes out on display or ones with fake loaves of bread. (This was in full effect when I was on Supermarket Sweep back in 2oo1 - yeah, not joking - where I had to fill up a bakery bag full of rolls and donuts. These bakery goods were all fake, and I was loving it!) I felt that Hearst Castle did an awesome job recreating foods that were served during parties in the 20s, so I had to capture.
Quite an excellent job with the deviled eggs and oysters. If the militant volunteer security dude wasn't following every move I made - he called me out right away for touching a marble pillar which I actually did not do - I would have touched a shrimp.
We stopped in Hearst's bedroom and I snapped a quick shot in his bathing area. The mirror lended itself for a self shot and my vintage leather jacket matched the bench.
The tour concluded and we went back to the "charming" motel that had this art on the wall.
I was afraid I was going to wake up in the middle of the night and get freaked out by it, but alas I did not. The only thing that freaked me out in the middle of the night were the barking dogs nearby and the snoring.
I got an amazing recommendation from awesome reader Terri that her brother Rick had a restaurant in Cambria. We made a trip to the Redwood Cafe and feasted on a breakfast of champions complete with a cinnamon bun we all shared. Rick couldn't have been nicer and I can't wait to go back on my next trip!!
I obviously had to stop at a few local thrift stores...
...and came across this awesome bin of wooden spools, mostly empty with just a handful with thread.
I scoured the racks and had fun just browsing.
My parents had never seen the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obisbo, so we made a pit stop.
For those of you who know or who have been here, I guess the best way to describe it is excessive kitsch with a penchant for pink and gold accents. Check out the site - Madonna Inn - each room is different and it's like a wacky Disneyland themed ride from the 60s.
I'm obsessed with the dining area...
...and obsessed with the floral carpet.
We snapped a few shots, got back on the road, grabbed some dinner to go at Pea Soup Andersen's...
...and enjoyed the coast as we cruised down the 101 back to Los Angeles.
Such a lovely little getaway! I ended up wearing the same warm clothes both days because I did not pack properly :) A new outfit will be featured tomorrow.
Today's giveaway is something that I associate with trips - stationery and Dairy Queen! Up for grabs is a gorgeous recycled paper with rose petals note card and envelope set, a lovely silver embroidered Indian silk box (to hold the stationery), and a DQ lip gloss.
To enter, leave one of your most favorite vacations - exotic and far, far, away or local and staycation style - in a comment below. Because it's another holiday weekend, the random winner will be picked and announced on Monday, 1/2/12. (That's a lovely date!!) Congrats to Deb for winning yesterday's!
One of my favorite vacations was a good few years back and the entire family on my mom's side got together in Siesta Key (Sarasota), FL. It was the last trip we all spent with my grandpa, to celebrate his 90th before he passed away. We grilled out, we beached, we sang songs accompanied by our musician family members and enjoyed each other's company. Those trips are the best, when everyone can get together to share memories, laugh, and joke around. Nothing's better than those moments to relish in how amazing family is.
