Rancho Bernardo Inn

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My husband and I were recently in San Diego for his cousin’s wedding and were lucky enough to stay the weekend at Rancho Bernardo Inn.  A hidden gem in the hills of San Diego.  This was our second stay at the hotel and it was really nice to be back!  We spent our short stay enjoying the spa, a workout, and lunch by the pool.

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Approaching the spa, and all over the resort, are beautiful lanterns hung in the trees.  Everything is so well done from a design perspective.

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Here I am enjoying one of the many fireplaces located throughout the resort…a sister-in-law had come up behind me and said that I actually looked really zen and relaxed.  I suppose being on vacation without my kids will do that!

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Spring Updates

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As soon as March hits each year I get the urge to update something…paint, reorganization of furniture, or new projects to update our nearly 100 year old house.

This year the projects have been a little more extensive than usual.  New landscaping for the front yard, a brand-new kitchen door, the backsplash that I have wanted to put in since we remodeled our kitchen seven years ago and a deck and set of stairs off of the kitchen.  The latter being the most important in the grand scheme of things.  The concrete steps that we had before were a kid and wine glass hazard!

Starting with the kitchen before and afters…other updates in posts to come.

Kitchen Before

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I still love our kitchen which we had gutted and remodeled when we moved in.  The white cabinets, black countertops, and slate floors remain timeless but i always wanted a backsplash.  After considering marble, a glass and marble mix (that ended up being shockingly expense), and ceramic we ended up going with the marble…and it’s perfect.

The after…the kitchen feels complete.

Tile from Tile & Designs in Pittsburgh.

All roads lead back to Santa Barbara

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My very first post!  This site has been a long time coming and since its name has its origins in Santa Barbara (see the ‘About’ page) I thought it fitting to officially kick it off while here for a short visit.  I can hardly believe that it’s been 13 years since I lived in this beautiful spot so aptly termed the American Riviera.  It’s stunning and best of all the home of one of my dearest friends, Darian, who encouraged me to dive right in and kick-off this journey once and for all.  So here I am with a little post about my most recent 36 hours in Santa Barbara.IMG_0125

While much has stayed the same there are a lot of changes very fitting to the town I once called home.  Lots of new restaurants, wineries, and little shops abound especially in the Funk district which was once a bunch of old warehouses and cool artist havens.  An entire block is comprised of awesome food and drinks:  Lucky Penny, The Lark, Figueroa Mountain Brewery, and Les Marchands.  All new to me – and all fantastic.  Darian happens to have an adorable six-year-old so pizza and brews were our food of choice one evening.  Lucky for us that Lucky Penny delivers pizzas to go to Figueroa Brewing!

The coolest little shops can be found in and around this area of town too particularly The Blue Door  and the Guitar Bar.

It’s not a trip to Santa B without an excursion to Wilcox, now officially the Douglas Family Preserve.  It’s where I used to walk my dog, Zoey, and generally feel most at peace.  It’s a stunning ocean side preserve set on top of huge cliffs with miles and miles of shoreline, mountain, and island views.IMG_0120

Best of all my time was spent enjoying good friends, good wine, and the smells of Santa Barbara.  Yes, the smells.  If someone could bottle up the town and sell it they would make a killing.  Eucalyptus, star jasmine, Bougainvillea, sea salt, and mountain air.  That is what makes it feel most like home.  And hopefully that is one thing that will never change.