California Dreaming

I got to join Roehl's family last weekend for a good old fashioned road trip to San Diego. I'm so lucky to be marrying into such an amazing family whom I love so much. :)

We only had a couple days, so we maximized our time by visiting some popular local haunts like Old Town, Little Italy, and Pacific Beach. It was such a wonderful breezy & dreamy weekend!

Roehl's sister Jen even came all the way from Florida! Sibling love :)

We didn't get a chance to eat tacos el gordo, but we did indulge in some delish Mexican-style shrimp and lobster in Old Town...yummy food was everywhere!

Of course, I have to post a zillion photos of this little guy!

I got caught up trying to capture all the funky logos throughout Little Italy!

While some people might find Old Town to be cliche and corny, I can't get enough of it! I feel like I'm in another world whenever I'm lucky enough to visit.

                           

an Instagram shot of my Old Town goodies! @californiapearl

I had such a fabulous time, and I was blessed to come home with a ton of family memories I'll cherish for the rest of my life. 

Backroads

I've been meaning to post these pictures from our trip to Texas for awhile...it was an amazing trip, for a number of reasons ;)

I'll start off with some shots of my cousin's lovely home in the Texas hill country.

The house is named Desiderata, meaning "desired thing". I know why because the property is gorgeous, and so incredibly peaceful. I asked my cousin Stephanie how many cars drove by a day, and her husband said, "Five cars in one day is traffic." I love that!

They took us to Gruene, this small town with its own Main Street, and the oldest dance hall in Texas! Basically, it was heaven on earth.

I fell so deeply in love with Austin, with the quirky and friendly people, amazing barbecue, natural beauty, and abundance of things to do. We visited South Congress Ave twice...you know I can't resist good vintage and cupcakes!

We made a day trip down to San Antonio from Austin, and while I tried not to bore Roehl to tears at the Alamo, we of course had to stop by the Riverwalk. It was totally touristy but still beautiful and enchanting.

Birthday & A Road Trip

This is WAY overdue...I'm sorry!  Birthday week was crazy, (as you can imagine ;)

Just wanted to share some favorite moments of my recent trip to one of my favorite cities, LA.

Griddle cafe did not disappoint.

I still wake up drooling from dreams of my Umami burger...

And oh, the salted caramel ice cream sandwich! (with macaron cookies!)

If you're ever in LA, you must see the famous Case Study House #22, The Stahl House

Dinner at our favorite downtown sushi spot, Octopus sushi

And a couple shots from my rodeo birthday bash ;)

My birthday week was absolutely amazing!  My best friend surprised me from Vegas (my expression was priceless!) 

I watched Bridesmaids twice (I don't think I've ever laughed so hard during a movie...except for I Love You Man...)

I had several great lunches and a few fabulous dinners, courtesy of my AMAZING family & friends...

and I partied my butt off (as any birthday girl should!)

I'll share more in-depth coverage soon!  I'm sad it's over, but it was a doozie! 

Xo

D