pool time

On the count of 3... 

I'll race you to the pool! 

1   2   3...  

Last one in is a rotten egg! 

one plant at a time

OH MY... Isn't this place so cute and quaint? I love the painted brick, slate roof tiles , stunning lanterns and beautifully maintained garden. It's just perfect! I would move in, in a heart beat! Thanks for asking! lol But, I do have one thing to tell you all, "Lets say, you don't have the cutest house on the block and a remodel isn't in the future... You can always make your garden look stunning. The moment you do that all eyes are off the home and onto your flowers. A little clean up goes along way!" I notice that when driving around. Clean up your yard, throw out excess pots, furniture, and old garden junk... Pull the weeds and plant fresh flowers. You can go slowly, but you yourself will see a huge different in your space the moment you cleanse and eliminate, trust me... You will love your space so much better!   Hey, we all are on a budget and can't go guns a blazing to do and get what we want all at once. Start small and buy matching planters for your entry... Talk to your new flower friends and watch how they'll bloom and grow so glorious! Good luck... 

happy sunday...

part 2 {santa barbara}

A promise is a promise {even if it's a few months late}... Right? Here's our part 2 {Santa Barbara} spring break adventure. We packed our bags and headed north on the train! I kept promising my little ones that we were going to take a train ride, but unfortunately with my schedule and their school/sport schedules we just couldn't find the time. It's always something! Well... I found the time!  

The gang's all here... 

{Mom, Ryan, Taylor and Alexandra}

And we're off... Santa Barbara here we come! 

I browsed Expedia and found The Goodland,  a Kimpton Hotel in Goleta. I know, Goleta of all places. That's crazy!  Well, it's starting to become so hip and chic and the deal was too good to pass up!  So, I booked it!  From the moment we pulled up to the hotel we  knew it was going to be great! To top it all off they had bikes waiting for us. Unfortunately, we couldn't use them because they were only for adults. Ryan and Taylor tried, but struggled to touch the peddles. I was really bummed about that...

The hotel had a modern boho chic vibe. Not my go to style, but I loved it! It was definitely different! Every corner we turned there was something new to see and something fun to do. The kids loved it! 

When it came time to eat... They had the neatest little restaurant called The Outpost.  We had a light dinner because of all the snacking  we did on the train. It was just perfect!  FYI... Their margaritas were a m a z i n g!    

After dinner we played at the hotel... From selfies, to swimming, to much... Much more! 

The night we arrived they were offering s'mores. So, you know who was first in line to get a s'mores fixing... ME! Had no problem elbowing a few littles to get my chocolate fix! hahaha

Ryan and I played pool... I don't know what it is, but kids and pool tables are a must!  So of course we played till it all became a blurr. Thank God there was a bar next to the pool table room. 

When it came time for breakfast... This was the part the hotel lacked {in my opinion}. It was donuts, coffee and juice. That's it... No other options.  That's ok if you don't want to watch your diet. Not saying the donuts were bad {hello my kids l o v e d the donuts}, but I can't start my day with a donut because within 30 minutes of eating one I crash. So Goodland, please get more options! 

After breakfast we were off to The Santa Barbara Mission. Oh My Gosh... It was so beautiful! I hadn't been to the mission in years. So it was nice to see everything again at an older age. I really appreciated every nook and cranny of it. Ryan on the other hand... Not so much! Taylor was on board, but once the heat set in she was starting to loose interest as well. I understood that this was possibly going to happen so through the entire tour I didn't get mad, I just took what I could get and knew that  on a later date we would go back... 

This photo cracked me up... My little Friar Family! lol

{pure l o v e}

After the Mission we did our usual house stalking... I just love how pulled together and maintained some of these houses are. Their gardens are stunning... With little picket fences to keep it all together. Every visit I take to Santa Barbara I make sure to take tons of notes for future design projects. 

I started following some SB foodies on Instagram.  This place {Santa Barbara Public Market} was a H O T  topic... So I made sure we had lunch there. FUN! 

Unfortunately I didn't get this restaurants name, but if you go it's an Asian fusion restaurant. You can't miss it! Plus, I think it's the only Asian restaurant inside! Loved the entire feel of this place! 

Next up... I stopped by my favorite store on State street, Rooms and Gardens. Their style and design is very similar to mine. I'm in heaven every time I walk in... Of course my mind starts to race again and I start aching to open up another rustic rooster. Truth I don't want the 9 to 5 retail commitment, I'm good with our Coastal Alley SALES {keep you posted on the next one}!

Our trip was coming to an end and on our final night we had dinner in Santa Barbara. Everything was perfect... As we walked down State Street to dinner, we walked through a farmer's market. I wanted to buy so much, but couldn't because we would be getting on the train that next morning... This Farmer's market was H U G E. I was captivated by all the local produce.  

OK, I saved the best for last... Another Instagram find! Plus, every local person recommended that we stop here after dinner... McConnell's Ice Cream. 

Well, thank you Santa Barbara for a fun adventure with my family! We loved this trip... 

Amtrak thank you for the fabulous train ride! Hope to see you again SB... Soon!