it's funny, at the beginning of the 2015 i told myself that i was really going to live it up this year. it's the last year of my twenties and who knows, possibly my last full year without children so i made a promise to myself that i would go new places, see new things, put caution to the wind and have fun like i did when i was eighteen. with this milestone birthday looming over my head i feel a certain sense of obligation to myself to accomplish some things i've been wanting for years. a few of those things being: one really amazing trip to europe or a pristine beach somewhere, make headway on my career (hairstyling and makeup), either start keeping a diary again or blogging, get my creativity back, move to california once and for all, put forth a conscience effort to eat healthy and excercise on the reg, make new friends and have the most fun i possibly can through it all.
we are only on this planet once and only have a short seventy or so years, if we're lucky, to do everything we dream of and it can slip away within the blink of an eye. i'm bound and determined to feel like i've made the most of it. i mean, i've been really shocked at how many new places i've seen and things that i've done already this year. i'm not even seven months in and already i'm really excited about everything that has happened so far. cheers to life and enjoying it!
bookshop
being from a teeny tiny town in the mountains in the throes of city life, sometimes (a lot of the time) i just want to throw my hands up in the air and book a one-way ticket to easter island or some remote place far, far away from it all. someplace where they don't even know what pollution IS. (seriously, i watched a documentary on easter island one time.) especially living in LA with 24/7 traffic and smog. but then i find a place like the iliad bookshop within walking distance from my house and i feel thankful again to live in a city with some culture. i could get lost in these aisles for hours.
el matador
we've had a lot of visitors since moving out here and we're expecting to have a lot more. it's no secret that we are kind of obsessed with malibu. benji's parents came to visit us for ten days last week and our first stop was of course, el matador beach. there was some girl make pretty art out of roses on the sand. also, this picture of benji sparked a google search to see if 'merman' is a real word and i somehow instead found a man in florida who lives his life as a mermaid. he's on youtube. look it up.
but first, chaaai.
the next day i took benji's folks to a coffee shop in burbank i've been wanting to try, the commissary. it was the best chai latte i've had and i might just become a regular.
warner brothers studios
the same day we also went on a tour of warner bros. studios here in burbank. it was a lot better than i expected it to be! the picture on the left is of their three story prop house. they found out after getting them that these chandeliers appraise at over a million dollars each. wowza. it's cool to know what lies behind that water tower i'm always driving by on the way to hollywood. also, we got to see the set, in the first picture, that they use to film a ton of their movies and shows and now i can't stop spotting it in everything i watch.
mission inn hotel & spa
this place, you guys, is nothing short of wonderful! it's so picturesque and birds are just chirping away everywhere you go. we stayed a night here in riverside california with benji's parents. we had a great dinner and brunch the next day. along with some good ole vitamin d at the pool.
joshua tree
after leaving riverside we roadtripped over to joshua tree national park. we stopped at pie for the people for lunch before heading into the park for some sight-seeing. it was so stinkin' hot compared to last time i was there when hillary and i were in sweaters! it actually felt like a desert this time.
the getty
i think if you're coming to los angeles the getty museum should be on the top of your list of things to do. good grief, it's gorgeous. i've been twice this month and i don't regret it. my in-laws loved it! this time they had better art on display. paul cezanne on the left and van gogh on the right.
pacific coast highway
when you have the option between a six hour drive and a twelve hour drive to the same destination you would choose the shorter route, right? duh! well, not us. we chose the scenic route up to san francisco, aka the PCH. all i ever hear about is 'oh, it's supposed to be the prettiest, most scenic drive in north america'. blahh, blah, blah. what they don't tell you? it's also the SCARIEST. holy shiz, you're on top of cliffs over the pacific ocean maybe 10-15 stories up the entire time. the only thing between you and a free-fall into the wildest ocean you've ever seen is a skinny little guard rail here and there. well folks, i lived to tell about it and although it's a nail biter, i'd do it again and i think you should too! it's one to check off the bucket list.
san francisco
one case of vertigo and twelve hours later, we made it! san francisco is my favorite city. i've been once before several years ago and forgot how much charm this place has. it's so unique with it's cable cars, bay bridges, row houses, trolleys and steep hills. we went to a concert, haight and ashbury, pier 29, the golden gate bridge, telegraph hill, golden gate park, berkeley, mama's for brunch (omg, yum) and other places that i know i'm forgetting.
that's about it for now. hope you all are having the summer of your life!
xoxo,
ashley
