travel – calivintage

the olive festival

October 31, 2018 No Comments

over the weekend, we headed out to highland springs ranch & inn in cherry valley for their annual olive festival. we started going there after we moved back to redlands a few years ago, and it’s become one of our favorite “hidden gems” in the area. i very rarely even bring a camera when we go out, and i hardly ever manage to sneak my way into a photo with the kids. usually because i’m the one snapping quick snapshots on my iphone between juggling things like the stroller and the diaper bag, or handing out snacks and managing tantrums. going out with the kids can sometimes feel like running a marathon, but if i remember to slow things down just a little bit, if i stop trying to see and do everything, then we manage to have a pretty good time. and i can even stop to get a few pictures to add to our photo album.

but anyway, back to the olive festival! if you live in the area, it’s definitely worth checking out highland springs ranch & inn. they have several different festivals and events throughout the year, most notably, the lavender festival in the spring. but they also have a cultured food festival in addition to things like burger wednesdays at the restaurant or just shopping at the organic galleries on the weekends, if you want a mellow spot to hang out. in fact, i really should do a more well-rounded guide to everything they have to offer… but for now, a few more snapshots of our weekend.

eating olive oil vanilla bean ice cream with a view of the lavender fields.

my trusty gear: a bugaboo stroller and leader co. diaper backpack.

why yes, i ate a giant bowl of olives for lunch.

edie is judging me for ordering a dirty martini, but it’s the *olive* festival, you guys. i had to do it.

they have a lot of kids crafts, including these olive leaf crowns. not pictured: the inordinate amount of time spent in the bounce houses.

travel

a family trip to st. louis!

October 5, 2016 4 Comments

if you follow me on instagram, then you may have noticed that we actually left the house last weekend! and not just for a stroll around the neighborhood. we packed our bags, drove to the airport, boarded a plane, and survived a two hour layover in order to make our way to st. louis–with a 2.5 year old and a 5 month old! i know, it was no small feat, but it was 100% worth it. with the little ones around, we tend to be homebodies. we kinda stick within a few-mile radius of the house so that we can take naps, eat good food, and avoid toddler meltdowns whenever possible. but it also means that mama starts to get a bit of cabin fever. so when my friends at the alive influencer network and explore st. louis asked if we’d like to visit, i didn’t even hesitate! the last time we were in town, i was 6 months pregnant with adam and we had so much fun exploring the city. this time, things have changed quite a bit, but it’s only expanded our appreciation for just how family-friendly it is in st. louis.

city museum

this was the first place we went when we got to st. louis, so we still didn’t have our bearings. adam had a ton of fun there, but we totally forgot to take photos, so i hope that crumb bumbs doesn’t mind that i’m using some of her photos. she lives in st. louis and has featured this place a number of times on her blog, so you should definitely check her out. having said that, i can share our first impression, which is that the city museum is amazing and unlike any other place i have ever been. it’s like a giant playground for children and adults alike.

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pi pizzeria

i was really excited to visit this place because one of their claims to fame is that they make president obama’s favorite pie! in addition to their chicago-style deep dish pizza, they have a really great selection of craft beers and cocktails.

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living collective

after filling-up on pizza, we took a stroll down the street in the central west end neighborhood to this rad little boutique. they stock a really great selection of indie designers like samantha pleet, rachel antonoff, and nooworks. and they had the best halloween decorations up. not only that, but they share a space with vino gallery, so i got to sip on a glass of rose while i shopped!

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taste bar

this was my last stop for the evening because i had to get back to the kids, but it was pretty nice to sit and enjoy yet another cocktail and this incredibly indulgent ice cream treat topped with magic shell!

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strange folk festival

as luck would have it, our trip was perfectly timed so that we could enjoy not only the murmuration festival, but also strange folk! this free event takes place in the incredibly charming lafayette square. it was a seriously hot and humid day (we’re talking nearly 100 degrees), but we still enjoyed a slow stroll through this indie craft show while sipping on cold drinks. not only were there a ton of cool vendors, but the neighborhood and park were stunning. i seriously can’t get over the incredible history and architecture of this city!

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vicia

after heading back for a nap in the hotel room, we headed out to the vicia dinner pop-up to kick off the murmuration festival! they served a variety of super-fresh, farm-to-table bites and we had a chance to lounge around and relax a bit before the evening began.

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murmuration festival

we only stayed for a short bit, but mr. adam blended in quite well playing with my cell phone like a proper blogger, haha. the main different being that he was watching videos of monster trucks while patiently waiting for me to stop catching up with friends. it’s a 3 day festival featuring influential speakers, national innovation thoughtleaders, a juried art competition and cutting-edge music performances. innovators, scientists, artists and entrepreneurs are invited to engage the public and share their work. this was the first year of the festival, so i’m sure it will only continue to grow and feature some of the best and brightest of st. louis and beyond.

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the missouri botanical gardens

we have lots and lots of photos from our sunday morning at mobot because we were lucky enough to have the photographer, elizabeth wiseman, come along with us. she’s also the person who took most of the photos for this post. and she has a son close to adam’s age and lives nearby, so she gave us the insider scoop on the best spots for kids. they have a children’s garden with sand boxes. splash pads, a giant slide, the list goes on. definitely one of the more family-friendly gardens i’ve ever been to! definitely worth a visit if you’ve got kids!

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the preston

we rounded out our trip with one last stop for the evening at the preston inside the chase park plaza. this beautiful, historic hotel is located in the central west end, which is a super charming neighborhood right next to forest park. it’s a really great place for fine dining without all of the pretension. adam and edith were welcome to eat with us as we sampled their ecclectic menu of shareable dishes. and mom and dad got to try a fancy cocktail!

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the cheshire hotel and restaurants

and last but not least, a big thank you to the campy cheshire hotel for having us once again. we stayed there on our last trip, so it was fun to go back and say hello to the giant taxidermy bear and play on the giant chess board outside. they also have several restaurants on the property including basso, boundary, and the fox & the hound tavern. they were kind enough to supply us with a few gift cards to the restaurants, so when we weren’t out and about, you could find us sampling each restaurant while lounging around in the hotel room.

and once again, a huge thank you to the alive influencer network and explore st. louis for inviting us for such a fun family weekend!

lifestyle, home, travel

houses of redlands

March 24, 2015 5 Comments

i know i’ve mentioned this a few times before, but i am absolutely charmed by the vintage architecture here in redlands. so much so, that i find myself snapping quick pictures of my favorite houses while i wander around on walks in the historic district where i live. there are a number of buildings listed in the national register of historic places, or designated as california historical landmarks. i’ve been posting enough pictures to instagram, that i decided to start filing them all under the rather predictable hashtag #housesofredlands.

it’s just a fun little hobby for me, but it’s really been gaining steam now that i’m in the market for a house of my own. i find myself more intrigued with little details like walkways and landscaping, paint colors and porch covers. here’s a little selection of some of the photos i’ve taken. and of course, you can see more on my instagram.

lifestyle, food, travel

redlands city guide: Á la minute

March 18, 2015 9 Comments

after moving back to redlands last year, i’ve been wanting to start a city guide series to highlight some of my favorite spots in town. even though i grew up here, i was never fully able to appreciate just how charming this southern california town really is. at least not until moving back as an adult. unfortunately, this lofty project has been much harder to plan and execute than i thought, and the whole thing ended up on the backburner as a result. my series of photos from local ice cream shop Á la minute were a casualty of this shuffling of priorities, and i feel really bad that i never posted them despite the fact that we shot them back in october! better late than never?

since Á la minute opened shop on citrus ave. a three years ago, they have expanded their ice cream empire to include sister locations in historic downtown orange and the charming college town of claremont. they boast a delicious menu of ice cream flavors made with whole milk from straus organic creamery with many of their flavors being seasonally sourced from local businesses. each serving is made-to-order in a kitchen-aid mixer using liquid nitrogen to freeze all of the ingredients together right in front of your eyes. it’s quite novel to watch them flip on the machine and listen to the quick whir of the paddle as a billowing cloud of white smoke pours out, and your little cup of ice cream emerges. current flavors on the menu include orange honey made with locally sourced farquar farms citrus and soffel farms honey, and chocolate lavender made with chocolate from nearby shop parliament chocolate. this in addition to a rotating menu of seasonal delights.

so on one warm weekend morning, i met up with sisters and creative duo joy and promise newell to snap a few photos of this beloved local spot.

fashion, travel

a visit with rungolee

October 11, 2013 9 Comments

on our first day in saint louis, we were invited to visit with anjali kamra, the designer behind local brand rungolee. she hosted an incredible brunch, studio tour, and presentation in her beautifully decorated home to share her latest collection. before sitting down to a lovely meal, i got to shake hands with fern mallis, a very important guest at saint louis fashion week, and awkwardly attempt conversation before being whisked upstairs to tour anjali’s amazing home studio. we got to ooh and ahh at all of the racks of brightly colored and intricately detailed garments inspired by her world travels, and i immediately fell in love with a few beautifully embroidered tops that are oh-so-perfect for the southern california weather. and then, the finale: a cute and playful presentation in the living room that made me want to join right in and play dress up!

fashion, travel

touring saint louis

October 10, 2013 10 Comments

one of the coolest parts of my trip to saint louis is that we actually got a chance to be tourists and explore a bit of the city. usually when i travel for work, i just go from airport to hotel to events and then back again without ever really getting to see the city that i traveled to. so of course, i was pretty excited to that we had our very own tour about town hosted by the new startup app muzio. i had never been to the midwest before, and it was certainly a nice welcome. there is so much beautiful old architecture and plenty of city pride. i certainly hope i get a chance to go back!

sights

saint louis art museum – this was a totally unexpected surprise on our trip. nestled in an expansive park built for the world’s fair in 1922, this stunning art museum has free admission and a very extensive collection of german expressionist paintings! i don’t talk much about art on my blog, but let me just tell you, it was a very special treat for me, even if we were only there for a short time!

cathedral basilica of saint louis – this historic basilica was built from 1907 to 1914 and contains the world’s largest mosaic installation, which took a better part of a century to complete.

and elusive shot of me to prove that i was actually there! little known fact: i’m actually extremely camera shy and don’t tend to enjoy getting my picture taken. i usually dodge the camera unless it’s for an outfit shoot, and even then i have to pump myself up a little to get the job done. don’t ask me how i got into blogging… haha! wearing an asos smock dress, family affairs farrah shirt, j.w. hulme mini legacy bag, and a six month baby bump!

saint louis central public library – the central library was constructed in 1912 and was formerly occupied by the exposition and music hall before being recently renovated and returned to it’s full glory. it’s exactly the type of place where i could easily see myself spending hours poring over books and tiptoeing around looking for pretty new spaces to admire.

gateway arch – a trip to saint louis just isn’t complete without a visit to the iconic gateway arch. it is the largest arch in the world and was constructed between 1963 and 1965 as a monument to the westward expansion of the united states. the structure is clad in stainless steel and you can actually go inside and ride a tram to the top where there is an observation deck. i know that sounds mildly terrifying, but i was really looking forward to going inside! unfortunately, it was closed due to the recent government shutdown…

saint louis citygarden – our last stop on the tour brought us to the citygarden, an urban park and sculptural garden in the middle of downtown saint louis. it was the perfect spot to sit and admire the city after a long day.

hotel, restaurants, and shopping

the cheshire – we were lucky enough to stay at the very charming cheshire hotel during our trip, and i couldn’t be happier that we did! i knew it was going to be a great stay the moment i saw the giant mounted bear looming ominously over the campy hotel lobby filled with 18th century antiques. they have novelty suites like the james bond room, romeo and juliet, and brideshead revisited. exactly the type of place i love to stay in when traveling away from home!

the restaurant and basso – both restaurants are located on the hotel grounds with basso serving as a basement pub with a delicious selection of italian pastas and pizzas, while the restaurant serves up a seasonal menu of fresh foods from local farms.

winslow’s home – this was probably my favorite meal of the trip. partly because it was ravenously eaten after a very long day. it’s actually a little general store with a bit of a country kitchen vibe, but don’t let that deter you. they have a really wonderful selection of farm to table food that was so warm and delicious that it almost felt like i was eating thanksgiving dinner.

central table – i ate my last meal in saint louis at this a spacious and modern restaurant before eating an entire bag of sour candies at the airport. i ordered the baked eggs and potatoes that stuck to my ribs and held me over for the rest of the day.

retro 101/cherry bomb vintage – on my very last day in saint louis, i finally got a bit of free time and hopped in a cab with julie to see if we could find a few vintage shops. we’d heard about the cherokee antique row filled with vintage boutiques and antique shops, but we had also heard that not many places were open on sundays… it was a gamble, but we were able to stop in at this awesome shop before rushing off to the airport, and i’m so glad we did. i know it was only a teeny tiny glimpse at the vintage that saint louis has to offer, but if it was any indication, then i can only imagine what the rest is like! this place was packed to the brim with real authentic vintage pieces at pretty damn affordable prices. now i want to go back for the sole purpose of vintage shopping!

a special thanks to alive magazine, the saint louis convention and visitors commission, and all of these lovely places for accommodating me on my trip!

fashion, travel

#stlfw

October 9, 2013 2 Comments

i know i shared plenty of photos on my instagram last week, but today i wanted to take a moment to share my experience attending saint louis fashion week. we had a jam-packed schedule during the five days we were in town, but the industry night hosted by fern mallis was the highlight of the trip. it was so refreshing to see the enthusiasm and excitement of the local fashion scene free from all of the pretension and drama that you might find at, say, new york fashion week. fashion can be found in pretty much every corner of the world, and st. louis is no exception, with talented young designers who are just getting started. it was such an honor to be able to attend, and to support the local talent.

before the start of the runway show, we attended a presentation of emerging designers including genevieve cortinovis, anna friss, and pauline gibson. my favorite collection was by suzanne lay (seen above) with a bright and bold collection impeccably styled with the prettiest hair and makeup!

wai ming – designer emily was born and raised in st. louis and attended both boston university and parsons school of design in new york before returning to her home town to launch this sophisticated collection of chic clothing for the modern woman. i really enjoy her minimalist approach and you can tell that her clothes are cut with a woman’s body in mind.

laura kathleen – another st. louis based designer, you may recognize laura kathleen from season 9 of project runway. since then, she’s been focusing on her collection for the strong and confident woman, filled with body conscious designs and her very own jewelry collection.

jennifer chun – jennifer was born in south korea and raised in ohio where she discovered her interest in fashion. she launched her collection after attending pratt institute and showed a very cool runway show with and interesting mix of fabrics and super sporty vibes.

samantha pleet – you all know how much i love samantha pleet, so it was a delight to be able to spend a bit of time with this new york designer and to get yet another peek at her upcoming spring 2014 collection filled with ethereal dresses and resorty vibes. also gotta love her shoe collaboration with wolverine!

eva franco – traveling from los angeles, eva franco shared a collection of super feminine and flirty dresses with a super vintage aesthetic. there was plenty of color and cheeky accessories for a very playful finale to the show.

later that week, we were invited to saks fifth ave for an exclusive tess giberson show featuring a mix of her fall 2013 and spring 2014 collections of very wearable knitwear.

followed by a neiman marcus cusp show to benefit the st. louis center of creative arts.

we were also very lucky to be the first group to preview the upcoming exhibit, a queen within, at the world chess hall of fame. we weren’t allowed to photograph most of what we saw, but i was able to share at least a teeny tiny sneak peek for you.

a huge thank you to alive magazine, the cheshire hotel, and the saint louis convention and visitors commission for the lovely trip!

my style, travel

outfit: out-of-towner

October 8, 2013 17 Comments

i just got back from my trip to saint louis, and after a day of recovery, i am finally getting around to posting an outfit from my trip! the weather was quite hot and humid almost every day, which is why this new dress came in handy while i was there. the loose tent shape kept things cool while the dark color is definitely more suited for fall. throw on some red lipstick and a pair of low heels and it’s kind of the perfect thing to wear when you’re six months pregnant and still trying to look pulled together for events and things. i also didn’t realize it until later, but i am also totally channeling hannah in this look. blogger inception haha!

not gonna lie, traveling at this point in the game is starting to get pretty exhausting, but i’m so glad i went! saint louis is such a charming place and we really got the v.i.p. treatment while we were there. it was actually my first introduction to the midwest and it couldn’t have been any better. and in addition to my instagram feed, i have like a million photos from the trip that i will hopefully be sharing this week!

wearing: dear creatures diana dress, make a scene heels courtesy of seychelles, j.w. hulme mini legacy bag, nars heatwave lipstick

my style, travel

beachy

April 3, 2013 17 Comments

still slowly easing my way back into the real world post vacation. things are crazy busy with life plans, work, blogging, etc. instead of boring you with the details, i’ll just share this quick snapshot of my loeffler randall starla sandals on the beach, so while i dive in to my mountain of work, i’ll have beachy scenes floating around in the back of my mind…

my style, giveaways, travel

enter to win a parker barker for lime ricki swimsuit!

April 1, 2013 281 Comments

today i’m excited to share with you my latest giveaway courtesy of parker barker for lime ricki! if you haven’t already seen the collection, it’s an adorable swimwear collaboration designed by fit graduate hayley parker-barker, inspired by the beverly hills hotel and vintage photos from the 60s and 70s. i wore my seberg suit while on my trip to hawaii, but there is a selection of several more suits to choose from.

to enter, simply visit lime ricki and tell use which parker barker swimsuit is your absolute favorite in the comment section below.

only one entry per person. this giveaway is open to international readers, so anyone can enter. winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email after monday, april 8.

and don’t forget our discount code! limericki is also offering you 15% off any item from the parker barker collection with code “calivintage” now through april 10!

UPDATE: THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER, SARAH!

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