– overlooking the Pacific Ocean in one of my favorite road trip combos – this Windsor Store maxi and Target hat –
– spending a beautiful day in Monterey –
We began our road trip up the coast (you might see my #cblroadtrip hashtag on instagram) on Sunday and will return home this Sunday. I’ve never been a road trip kind of person, but this trip has been a little different than road trips in the past. Christian and I have been blown away with the beauty of God’s creation. To pull over on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway and whale watch…wow.
It’s been a blast hanging out with my brother and his family and only makes me more excited about their move to LA this summer. I am a little sad however about returning from vacation life. I like drinking wine and watching the waves crash along the coast everyday, don’t make me return to a life behind a desk!!!
What are your plans this weekend!? Thanks so much for reading and for all your helpful suggestions along the way! XO –
Some of y’all may have seen on instagram that Christian and I spent Easter Sunday in Temecula Valley Wine Country this year. We went to our church for the early morning service and had brunch in Laguna Hills before joining new friends for a trip to Temecula to visit some wineries.
I’ve never been to Temecula and had no idea how gorgeous it was! Just a little over an hour and we had left the beach for the beautiful vineyards and hills. I am officially in love with this little town and have told Christian we should go back for my birthday weekend this summer. We hit some of the larger wineries in the area since some of the smaller gems were closed for the holiday. Callaway, Miramonte and Ponte did not disappoint and had we had some more time, I would have loved to hit Leoness and Wilson Creek. Until next time!
Thank you so much for your suggestions and recommendations on instagram and in the comments on CBL. Truly y’all help us out so much in navigating this enormous and fabulous state!! Have any of you stayed in Temecula before? South Coast and Ponte have been recommended but I’d love to hear what y’all think!
Thanks so much for reading and I hope y’all had a lovely Easter weekend. XO –
I’ve had my eye on this Judith March pom pom dress for months – I loved how fun and festive it is while still casual enough for sandals. You can see more L.Mae maxis I love here. This dress would pair perfectly with margaritas on Cinco de Mayo, right? Preferably the coconut margaritas at our neighborhood Mexican joint. On that note, this recipe is sounding extra delicious.
I want to let all of you in Arkansas, Alabama and Mississippi know that my heart goes out to all of you with the aftermath of these tornadoes. I hope none of you were affected and that you and your families are safe. My thoughts and prayers go to all of you.
Thank you so much for checking in and reading – XO
I recently had a conversation with my mom and I told her what the three best things that have happened to me in the past three years were. It really got me thinking about the important moments that have really shaped the past few years of my life.
I share a good bit of my personal life on CBL and y’all might find my three moments predictable, but I still wanted to share in hopes you would share some moments that have shaped your life recently. Getting to know those of you who regularly check into this site is such a treat for me and I truly love hearing more about each of you. With that said, my top three life-changing moments of the past three years have been:
1) Marrying my college sweetheart and best friend. We’ve been together for seven years now and it’s been so amazing to watch God work in our marriage and challenge us while bringing us closer as a team. It’s been an eye-opening experience moving across the country from all of our friends and most of our family (my brother and his family are in San Francisco…but they move to LA in a month!). We truly have to rely on each other for everything.I’ve loved every minute of being his wife.You can see more of our wedding here and here.
2) Having too many margaritas with my girlfriend and rescuing Lula LaShonda from the parking lot. Y’all know how much I love this cat. I’ve never had an indoor cat and am actually allergic, but Lula has been such a blessing to me. She is so affectionate and loyal. Now that she has only three legs (more on that here), she has even more of a special place in my heart if that’s even possible! Thank you those who have continued to ask about her. Her wound has healed well and now we’re just working on growing the hair back so she can be 100% back to her fabulous self!
Our next oncology appointment is May 5th where we will x-ray her lungs again to make sure the cancer from her tumor didn’t spread. Since she was rescued from the Cinco de Mayo Mexican restaurant parking lot, I think this is good luck! Any prayers for a cancer-free Lu would be appreciated!
3) Starting my marriage in California with the person who brings out my most adventurous self. Christian is the dreamer and I am the realist. However Christian is so easily content (read: low-maintenance) and laid back that he is often ok with dreaming about the possibilities rather than going out and making them happen. I’m not as adventurous as he is, but I have always been comfortable putting myself out there (evidence here of my 18-year-old self in a swimsuit on NBC when I competed in Miss Teen USA…you couldn’t pay me to do that today – I heart coverups) and I have encouraged him to follow through with his dreams.
Together we’ve become this little team, working proactively as one to make our dreams and adventures happen. It’s been essential in our ability to live in California and embrace all of the changes that have occurred in our lives in the past year.Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had a lot of fun but we’ve also had our fair share of challenges. I have a 10-month old nephew we’ve still yet to meet and that kills me, but thankfully my sister is so supportive and it only makes me miss her and her family more!
What are the three best things that have happened in your life in the past three years? I want to hear! Thanks so much for reading and for all of your kind words and support. I truly love this little blog’s community and humbly thank y’all for your advice, wisdom and inspiration. XO –
– my first surf and turf burrito, hello addiction –
– holy lemons! –
– farmers market Sundays with Bailey – and her best cobra impression –
– beautiful succulents – I’m obsessed –
– dangerously delicious coconut m&m’s –
We had such a fun and full week that I was snapping pictures left and night (Kathleen the paparazzi, that’s nothing new). It was a little cooler this week and Christian had a surprisingly light workload, so we spent a lot of time outside which is always his favorite – eating outside, biking, farmers markets, riding around with the top down and keeping all the apartment windows open. This is nothing for California locals who are used to these privileges, but we aren’t used to this kind of weather so we are obsessed!
We spent last weekend in San Diego – thank you to those who helped us decide in this post! It’s such a beautiful city and next time I need to do a little more planning beforehand to make sure we make the most of it.
This weekend we are heading to Temecula for some wine tastings with friends. After our fun anniversary weekend in Santa Barbara, we decided we should definitely take advantage of the wineries within reach, so I can’t think of a better way to wrap up Easter Sunday after church than a toast in wine country with new friends.
What are your weekend plans? Do you have any favorite spots in Temecula? Thank you so much for reading and for your input – y’all have no idea how helpful your feedback and comments really are! XO –
This Blush and Bashful Boutique maxi dress is my latest spring obsession. I am usually not one to wear orange (confession: it’s my least favorite color), but something about the adorable appliqué on the bodice of this maxi changed my mind.
All I needed to add was a chunky necklace. I wore this turquoise necklace on one of my first dates with Christian in college and it’s been his favorite ever since. He says something about it every time I wear it – I think it just brings back sweet memories! Memories of when I was sweet and charming, pretending I was laid back enough to enjoy drinking Keystone Light (inaccurate) because I was still trying to woo him. Now it’s more like dance parties in the kitchen (preferably to this song and this song), Chrisley Knows Best on the DVR and a three-legged cat lady obsession – but I’m still fun, right?
maxi – Blush and Bashful Boutique (c/o) | turquoise necklace – White House | Black Market (old), similar here and here | heels – Zara | clutch – Rumor Boutique (c/o) | cuff – Shop Prima Donna (c/o) | gold bangle – Bip & Bop | chainlink pastel bracelet – INPink (c/o) | cross my heart ring – INPink (c/o) | sunnies – Forever21, similar here | lipstick – Urban Decay Anarchy
Do you have an outfit or piece of jewelry that brings back fun memories? I’d love to hear!
In other news – Shopbop is having a fab sale today – 25% off site-wide (with some brand exclusions). Below are some items I have had my eye on – I think today might be the day to pull the trigger.
I wanted to bake something sweet for Christian when I got home from Chicago and I knew there had to be a skillet brownie recipe out there. I found this one and since I already had the simple ingredients in my kitchen, I whipped it up for a decadent dessert. So rich and delicious, these might be my favorite brownies I’ve ever made!
Y’all give it a try and let me know what you think. I’m definitely going back for seconds. Thanks for reading! XO
Happy Friday! This week was extra sweet since I was able to take last Friday and Monday off to rest at home and catch up on what I’ve missed since my two week adventure in Chicago. I loved getting back into the swing of things – taking out the pets, more follow ups with Queen Lula, cooking for Christian, the routine chores that I missed while living out of a hotel.
This weekend Christian and I plan to attend an Angels game with friends and are still debating between exploring in San Deigo or LA. It still blows my mind that both of these cities are only an hour away. These Mississippi kids still can’t believe we live here. Help us choose! Which city would you pick and why? And why isn’t there a Real Housewives of San Diego yet?
I hope y’all have a beautiful weekend! Thanks so much for reading – XO –
I’m in Chicago so often that I always seem to be recapping my trips. Are these getting old to y’all? I just take so many photos I can’t help but share! I recently spent 12 days in the city for work, and while really fun in the beginning, I found myself more homesick than ever towards the end. I ate my way through the city per usual and had a serious love affair with the eggs benedict you’ll see below. No judgement.
The best eggs benedict from W Chicago Lakeshore…I think I’m going to have dreams about it.
I recently stumbled across this food blog and immediately wanted to try this recipe. I cook mostly vegetarian and am so fortunate that Christian will go along with it. Don’t get me wrong, he asked for a gift card to The Meat House for his birthday, but he goes along with my meal plans as long as he’s not the one cooking.
A one-pot recipe, I was all in! So easy and fresh, this is definitely an inexpensive, healthy and delicious weeknight dinner. I’ll be making this again. If you give it a try let me know what you think!
An adorable Mississippi cutting board from my Aunt Re.
– beautiful chandelier upon chandelier at The Drake –
– enjoying the city scenery –
– birchwood displays along Michigan Avenue –
After two weeks in the city I finally said goodbye today and hopped on a plane back home to California. It wasn’t nearly as cold on this trip as it was the last time we were here (think like…10 degrees), so 40 degrees in Chicago is practically beach weather in comparison! I’ve really enjoyed spending so much time here, and I truly think one of the most charming elements of Chicago is the friendly people.
That being said, I still can’t wait to see my faves in Cali. I’m thrilled to share that Lula has been having great reports from her surgeon and her wound is finally healing really well. That means no more head cone!!! I can’t wait to see my furry children and hug Christian’s neck. While we live together, we really don’t spend that much quality time together because of our schedules. Of course I’d rather be around him all the time but it makes our time together even sweeter. Those of you who spend a lot of time apart from your significant other – how do you make it work?
I plan to do absolutely nothing this weekend, and I can’t wait. What are your plans? Thank you so much for reading – XO –
Another Budget Bytes recipe (you can see the first one here)! This pasta was a big hit with Christian and a fun dish to cook together (or just stuff the shells). I’ve never actually cooked with these jumbo pasta shells, but I think there’s a lot of potential for some goodness here.
Because I’m a big fan of carbs.
Big fan.
If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Do y’all have any yummy jumbo pasta recipes? Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
