Good morning!  I hope that you had a wonderful 4th of July.  🙂  Ours was really the perfect day, filled with pool time, a little baking, hot dogs, and a huge amount of appreciation for the country that we live in.

I’ve been posting a little bit about our travels during the month of June, and the final place that we went was a day trip to Universal Studios while we were in California.  This was my birthday gift from Grey’s parents, and our main goal was Harry Potter World, as we are both big Harry Potter nerds.  😉

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in California is not huge — it was much smaller than we expected but total we spent about 4 hours just in that part of the park.  But let me back up…we used an awesome app called Waze to get us to L.A., and it rerouted us a couple of times during our drive to get us there quickly.  It took about two hours (maybe a little less) to get to the park in the morning.  We grabbed a couple of coffees at Revolution Roasters on our way out of Oceanside at 6:00 AM and headed out on our little adventure.

I had read that it was worth spending the extra money to get the really good parking, but when we got there the gate parking was already sold out so we went with Preferred, which was still awesome.  You get to walk a little bit through the outside shopping and dining of the park but you’re still close to the gate.  We were both really surprised at how easy it is to get around Universal.  Very stress-free.

We brought a backpack stocked with waters and snacks.  I think we brought about five waters but we ended up buying five more, so we drank 10 total during our day, not including the water we drank during meals.  It was HOT!  The park has several cool-down zones where air and mist are blasted out of a fan that you can stand in front of, so those helped so much.  I’m not sure if water is the same price all over the park, but we bought ours from the Kwik-E-Mart in the Simpson’s area at about $3.00 a bottle.  We would definitely bring more water with us next time but didn’t know what to expect!

The first thing that you need to do when you are in Harry Potter World is buy your wand.  Make sure you purchase a wand with a sensor in the tip so that you can cast spells in the windows all over this area of the park.  Ollivanders is crazy busy, even first thing in the morning, but it is worth it!

Honeydukes was so cool because they stocked all of the fantastical candy that you see and hear about in the movies and books.  You could really go crazy in here with spending all kinds of money on the candy, but we limited ourselves to just a couple of our favorite mentions from the films, like Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.  I think we got some gummy slugs, too.

 Now this… This is a purchase that I halfway regret.  I can’t remember how much it was, but I do remember my hesitation — but I had to try it!  It’s pumpkin juice, after all!  They don’t reference this in the movies much, but in the books, yes!  So, we bought some.  And I hate to tell you…it is disgusting!  Kids probably would be fine with it, but I just can’t get behind it.  😉

 Butterbeer on the other hand…  Amazing.  You can have the drink frozen or just cold, and either way you decide, you won’t be making a mistake.  We each had two Butterbeers while we were at Universal — one each during lunch, and one that we grabbed before we headed to the parking lot for the drive home.  🙂  I highly recommend this.

 Okay, so about the roller coaster.  It is described as a “family-friendly coaster,” and I would agree with that for a few reasons.  It’s really short, it’s not super fast, there are no upside-down turns, etc.  But for someone who doesn’t like roller coasters (me) and who is not a ride person really to begin with (me) and who gets scared easily by that roller-coastery sensation that you feel upon riding one (ahem, me), this ride is probably not for you.  But I feel like even if you are like me, you should probably still try it once, because it only lasts for about 30 seconds tops and then it’s over.  And then you can say you did it when your friends ask.  🙂 

 Which brings me to the Hogwarts ride, which I can’t speak of because, in short, I freaked out once we got to the part where you actually have to climb into the seat.  I’m not above admitting that, lol.  Let me just say — this is only a 3D ride.  There are tons of these all over Universal and they are so.fun.  But I tried to go on this one right after the roller coaster where I felt like I might die (kidding) and just couldn’t bring myself to do it.  This was a good lesson, though!  Because I found out that they have people who will help you escape if you need to!  Which is good to know.  But the build-up to this ride is really cool, which I did get to experience — you get to wander through meandering halls of Hogwarts and see all of the great interiors and objects from your favorite settings in the movies.  That alone was a great experience!

We ate lunch at Three Broomsticks and had Bangers and Mash, which was actually pretty good.  Plus Butterbeer, so you really can’t go wrong there.  We came back to Harry Potter World in the evening when the sun was starting to go down, before we left at 8:30 PM.  So we were at Universal for a full 12 hours.

A few things that we loved throughout the rest of the park–

The Studio Tour — this is a must-do.  The Simpson’s Ride, and The Minions Ride, actually.  Super fun 3D experiences.  The shopping is obviously really great, the little city part of the park is cool, really everything was so exciting, one of those experiences where it’s thrilling just to be there.

Let me just start off this post with…

 That is the beach in the “backyard” of our beach rental in Oceanside, California.  Let me just say — it was amazing!  Greyson’s parents took the whole family on this vacation, and ‘relaxing’ is a serious understatement.  The house we stayed at was situated right on the beach, so we were able to hang out all day near the water and were lulled to sleep at night with our windows open, hearing the waves crashing so loudly.

I haven’t spent so much time outside in so long.  During most of the trip, I was either on the deck off the main living area (pictured above)…

…Or down below.  I called this ‘my perch.’  😉  Magazines, drinks, the occasional mist from the ocean.  Seriously perfect.

The sunsets?  They didn’t disappoint, either.

There were a couple of great places that we went to, but honestly we didn’t venture too much outside of the house, which was so nice for a change.  Here were a few of my favorites:

Revolution Roasters: We walked here every morning for coffee…sometimes twice.  😉  The lavender honey latte is to die for, and the interior is modern and welcoming.  The baristas are lovely!

Reap & Sow: A great spot for holistic remedies and handmade treasures.  I bought the cutest little vase here made out of sand and beach glass.  I’ll show that off in a later post.

Captain’s Helm: A vintage shop located just a couple of doors in between both of the above mentioned places.  LOVED their selection of funky sunglasses and also found an adorable handbag for $14 — pricing is great here and also attached is a coffee shop with amazing chai lattes.

Harbor Fish and Chips: Literally next to the harbor, this was my first fish and chips experience and I can’t think of a better one!  Delish and an experience, as you are right next to all of the fishermen and weird harbor people.

The Whet Noodle: Also had my first Ramen experience in Oceanside and loved it!  We all got different variations of ingredients and everyone liked theirs — there are a lot of fun ingredients that you can pick from but two non-negotiables to me would be the soft-boiled egg and roasted carrots.

It’s been a while!  I’ve been traveling up a storm — way more than I am normally accustomed to — and I’ve got a few fun posts ahead for you.  I’ll be channeling my inner Vogue-travel-writer.  😉  Photo-heavy posts coming at ya.

Our first excursion was a little mid-week trip to Flagstaff.  We had heard great things from Greyson’s family about The Inn at 410, which is a little bed-and-breakfast downtown, and it seriously did not disappoint.  I will put it to you this way — I have never had nor will ever have an experience like that staying in another place again…unless I go back, which I definitely will.

 There are so many wonderful things about this place, but let’s start with the most obvious — which is that it is adorable, and also that it is located right in the downtown district.  Which means that you can park once and walk for the rest of your trip.  Flagstaff is seasonally beautiful this time of the year, so what a win for us!

This is a historic house, once belonging to a prestigious family in the Flagstaff community in the 1800’s, and now it is home to tourists from all over the world who stay here and experience all of its charm.  One thing that I loved reading about is that so much of the inn is original, including the wood trim all throughout the home.

 Upon arriving we were greeted by the nicest innkeeper who showed us around and to our room.  At 5:00, the innkeeper leaves and there you are, left in the most peaceful place imaginable.  In the dining room, we found fresh cookies to enjoy.  The Gingersnap was my favorite!

Also in the dining room is a refreshment bar with an amazing array of choices — coffee, tea, of course, but also alcohol, fresh juice, etc.  Grey made each of us after-dinner cocktails from this little spot, which was lit ever-so-slightly and looked so cozy upon our return from the nearby restaurant!

We stayed in The Conservatory, which is a very romantic room not lacking in whimsy or pattern.  Each room is themed, which as a designer, really drew me to staying here because there is so much attention to detail!  My sis-in-law was the one to recommend this room, mostly for privacy reasons (you don’t have to walk through the main area of the house to get to and from) but also as far as price was concerned, this room was the most affordable option for us!

 Wallpaper everywhere…  I was in heaven.  🙂

 And just when I thought it couldn’t get any cuter, I walked outside onto the patio…

 Think tons of greenery and plant life, covered and uncovered options, a Gingersnap and lots of laughs, and magical trees with faces.  🙂  A quaint oasis that was so relaxing, I didn’t even want to get up from my chair to go to dinner!

 We asked our innkeeper for a recommendation for a quick snack, and she directed us to Criollo, which is downtown and has amazing (and inexpensive!) margaritas.  Seriously — you are hard-pressed to find a $3.5 margarita in Scottsdale that does not come from a machine, so this was a rare treat.  I had the white sangria — delicious.   We shared a small bite of calamari — ask for their house-made hot sauce if you try this!

 Our food adventure continued after lunch when we followed our noses down what seemed like a little alleyway to the side of a building where we came upon Mozelle’s Downtown Bakery.  I am not exaggerating when I say that we followed our sense of smell — we could smell the flour and butter from about a block away and when we got to the tiny bakery, Greyson picked out this scone with cream cheese and berries.  Unbelievable.  The scone — perfectly salty!  And the berries and cream cheese mixture so sweet that the balance was perfection.  I audibly mmm’ed all the way down the street!  😉

 Which brings me to the most amazing dinner we have ever had — at Brix, located conveniently right behind the inn, so you can feel free to have that extra glass of wine.

We rarely pass up truffle fries anyway, but when we saw these listed on the menu, we knew that this was not the place to miss out on them.  I believe they call them ‘Frites’ here and I made some comment to Greyson about how calling these ‘fries’ just completely misses the boat on how amazing these are.  Served with a truffle aioli.  I mean seriously, these things are incredible.

I ordered the roasted duck, which can’t sufficiently be described with words, so I will spare you; and Greyson got the steak frites, which was served with another helping of truffle fries.  How miserable for us!  😉  We ate slowly and carefully and enjoyed every bite, and we both agreed that this was the most amazing meal we ever have had.  The kind that is so satisfying and so exciting but doesn’t leave you feeling bloated or uncomfortable in the slightest.  And the presentation!  Don’t even get me started…

Finish your meal with creme brulee if you feel like it.  You won’t be sorry.

I wish I had taken a photo of the breakfast at the inn the following morning, but I forgot!  Picture the most luscious lemon ricotta pancake, hearty homemade turkey sausage (my favorite part of the meal!), fresh fruit, and a table set for two in the sunlit dining room.

Good morning!  🙂

Grey and I went to HomeGoods over the weekend to find a new bed for our pup, and while we were there, I spotted some pillows that I fell in love with!

 I haven’t purchased anything home-decor related in about 2 years (since that’s how long we’ve lived with my in-laws), so this was fun for me.  These are the colors I want in our future house, and so I made the decision that you have to make while shopping at HomeGoods — now or never.

They are down-filled and the quality is beautiful — I love the piping around the edges.   It’s difficult to tell from the photos, but a couple of the flowers have a metallic detail on the gray, which I just love since I’m all about a little shimmer.  🙂

 This is how our bed looked before.  See the orange pillows?  There was nothing wrong with these — also great quality, down-filled, cute with a little bird on the orange background…  Can you tell we like pillows?  😉

 The bedding is from Pottery Barn.  I’m big on HomeGoods pillows.  Some of these are mine, some are borrowed from my mom-in-law.

These pillows have a small flange on the sides instead of piping — still a really pretty detail to finish the design.  And in a contrasting edge — love that.

I really like the softness that these pillows add now.  They’re more detailed but also more subdued.

I’ve said it before, but pillows are my favorite way to add some fun and personality to your space.  Such an easy way to switch things up.  Keeping your furniture and other bigger purchases neutral allows you to make design decisions like this on a whim — keeps things easy!

Also, one more tip — florals and geometrics go really well together when trying to pair fabrics.  Just find one common color and you’re set.

Good morning, and happy Monday!  🙂  I hope you had a great weekend.  We are gearing up for some traveling during the next couple of weeks so there is a lot of excitement around the house right now.  I love that.  We’re buying beach bags and finding swimsuits and looking forward to two different trips (for Grey and I) in the next two weeks.  We’re road-trippin’ it, which we’re so looking forward to.

Kuma had a lot of snoozing time, of course.  Grey and I stopped at HomeGoods during our travels this weekend and we bought him a new bed and a little stuffed animal fox for his birthday last week.  I wanted him to have a bed in the room where I do a lot of my work since he visits me in there a lot.  This is a pup who needs a bed in every room of the house…I’m just sayin’.  😉  We also got a little something to refresh our bedroom, which I will share this week.

 It has been hot but the weekend wasn’t too bad, and the mornings are still nice and cool so writing outside has been a daily activity for me and I’m enjoying it so much.  The older I get, the less the heat bothers me, so we’ll see if it even gets to the point where mornings are too warm for me.  I’m thinking no!

Lots of good food to be had this weekend…including a trip to Hopdoddy yesterday for amazing burgers and truffle fries, oh the truffle fries.  Also homemade Blueberry Soda — and I am not a soda-drinker typically, but this was amazingly good stuff.   🙂  This was a little nosh I made for Grey and I last night as we binge-watched The Path!  Such a great show if you’re looking for something that will suck you in on the first episode and keep you hooked throughout!

We are so lucky that in Arizona so much of our time is spent outdoors!  There are really only a couple of months out of the year when you want to stay inside all of the time — and even still, I am writing to you outside with cool morning air this AM!  It’s pretty awesome…

There is a big backyard at this house, of course, with a lot of fun seating areas.  But there was sort of this forgotten-about patio on the side of the house that got spruced up this weekend.  I’ve been sitting out here for the last two mornings just as the sun is rising — pretty magical.  The desert is so quiet but so loud at the same time!

This patio is right off the dining room…

See?  I asked my mom-in-law where the patio furniture was from and she said just one of those patio furniture stores, lol.  They definitely took the buy-once-and-buy-well approach with their furniture but I am pretty sure they’ve had everything for many many years.  We’re getting new cushions…these are a bit dry-rotted.

 I really admire the good care that my father-in-law takes of all of his plants.  Maybe someday I will write a post showing you all of the pretty greenery outdoors.  When we have our own space, we’ll definitely need him to help us!  Everything thrives that he plants.

Hey there — happy Monday!

I hope you all had a great weekend.  We got to spend most of our time with family, so that is always fun!  That’s the way I like to spend a weekend.  🙂

 On Friday night, Grey was out, so I worked late and spent a lot of time taking selfies with this little guy.  He’s my buddy.  🙂

 Saturday was my dad’s retirement/new job party, which was so awesome.  I went over in the afternoon to help my mom get ready but she really outdid herself — I was in awe watching her and how easy she made entertaining 40+ people look!  Grey and I snapped this photo at the end of the night.

On Sunday we celebrated my brother-in-law’s birthday (lots to party about this weekend!).  Is there anything more refreshing/beautiful than summer fruit?!

We are a family of eight and guacamole fiends — it usually never makes it out of the bowl it was mixed up in.  😉  My mom-in-law always makes the best.

We can still enjoy the patio in the mornings, so we’re living it up.  This is the view from the patio on the side of the house — I will show you the patio itself in another post!  Very pretty.  It’s so quiet out here in the mornings, but buzzing about with all of the desert animals.

Good morning!  I hope you all had a nice, long weekend.  I got a ton of work off my plate on Saturday so I was able to relax with family on Sunday and Monday.  I love that!

The month of May has been busy and really full of celebration.  There have been birthdays, of course, and then there was my dad’s retirement party…

My dad has been an elementary school principal for the past several years… and an amazing one at that!  But he retired this year, and then got an opportunity for a new job with the school district that he’s super excited about.  We’re having a party for him this weekend that went from “Retirement Party” to “Congratulations on the New Job and Your Retirement Party.”  It’s funny how life works sometimes.  🙂

Summer glassware has come out and I am taking that as the unofficial sign of the start of the season!  We have had an amazing May temperature-wise, but I think this week is supposed to be full of 100+ degree days.  Time for hanging by the pool, tank tops, etc.  I’m excited!

 Someone’s got a birthday on the 6th — I can’t believe he is going to be eight years old!  Noooo!  Not my baby!