Travel to Austin

Austin, TX

Recently I got to experience Austin for the first time and it coincided with the week they had their coldest weather of the year.  It was below 30 degrees and definitely the dead of winter.  Being the total tourists, my partner Daniel and I still walked all over the city center, biked through a few of the trails and spent our time outdoors as if it were 72 degrees and sunshine.  The clouds never broke through which made it feel like the same time everyday. There were no leaves on trees, it rained a couple of the days and sprinkled for the rest.  By the end of our trip I must be honest and say that yes, we would live there. The people were wonderful, the food extraordinary and navigating our way around was efficient.  The windchill cannot damper the personality and charm this great town has to offer. 

Here are my top 10 highlights. 

The JW Marriott

The JW Marriott was just two weeks new upon our arrival.  Excellent service, essentially 2-4 blocks from most anywhere in downtown and the current hotspot bars and restaurants are housed in their lobby.  They have a fitness center and gorgeous 5th floor pool overlooking half of the downtown and the Colorado River.  

http://www.jwmarriottaustin.com

Lamberts Restaurant

Lamberts is part upscale restaurant, and part live music venue. The food is unbelievable, we had the fried green tomato appetizer with crab louie served on top which was a highlight.  My personal favorite was what is considered a Texas staple, Frito Pie.  It is traditionally chili and cheese served over a bed of Frito's, but here they switch out the chili for pulled pork.  It isn't on the restaurant menu but they will still prepare it for you.  This was my favorite BBQ dish of the entire trip.  Their sauce was tangy and perfectly sweet to complement any meat.  They also give you options of three different house BBQ's varying from mild to spicy.  Reservations recommended.  

http://www.lambertsaustin.com

Sixth Street

Sixth Street is the lifeline of the city and what gives this place  the title "Live Music Capital of the World". There is something for everyone in terms of music selection and whether you're looking for a dive bar to listen to some old fashioned rock n' roll, or more of a jazzy ambience.  This area is easy to explore considering everything is walking distance.  You can check out a few clubs before you decide on one to hunker down into.  This street is the home to SXSW and no trip would be complete without a visit.  

http://6street.com

Congress Bridge

The Congress "Bat" Bridge is gorgeous to walk across any time of day.  When you stand at the south side looking north, you can clearly see the historical Capitol Building.  It makes for a great photo of the skyline.  In warmer months, it is home to 1.5 million bats that come out at dusk everyday and fly out into the city.  The bats were vacationing in Mexico on our trip there so we missed one of the key rituals, which is standing on the bridge while the bats ascend out into the downtown.  

Bat Bridge website

SoCo

SoCo is the most charming neighborhood and is short for South of Congress. It is a melting pot of antique shops, food trucks, clothing boutiques, restaurants and bars.  I highly recommend perusing it for a few hours and then stopping at Guero's for a tex-mex snack of nachos or queso flambeado to gain back some strength.  'Hey Cupcake' is one of the more popular dessert food trucks, and though I am not a fan of cupcakes, I did buy a couple to take back to the hotel, because they are moist and the frosting isn't too sugary.  The only depressing thing about walking around this area is seeing late 80's, early 90's items in some of the antique stores... when did my high school digital alarm clock become a novelty?

http://www.austintexas.org/listings/south-congress-ave-soco-/4359/

San Jose Hotel

San Jose Hotel is right at the start of the SoCo district and is where you can find us on our next venture out to Austin.  They are charming mid-century bungalows that are reminiscent of a movie set.  We got to walk around the property and it is very representative of the atmosphere and flavor of Austin. 

 http://www.sanjosehotel.com/hotel/

The Contemporary Museum

The Contemporary Museum has two locations and this review is for the downtown spot.  It's manageable size only requires that you carve out an hour or so to see any exhibit they are offering.  It won't dominate your day, but it will enhance your Austin experience.  On our visit it was the 'Boombox Perspective' and the selection with its musical aspect made perfect sense.  

http://www.thecontemporaryaustin.org

Austin B-Cycle

Austin B-Cycle is this city's answer to Citibikes and are readily available throughout the downtown and hotspots.  They are equipped with a basket so you can bring back any medium sized shopping items.  It's a bargain at only 8 dollars for the day and there are numerous pick up and drop off locations everywhere.  There are also many park trails and river trails so you can take in the outdoors, which even in the cold of winter was beautiful. 

https://austin.bcycle.com 

Jo's Coffee

Jo's Coffeeshop has the best coffee we had in the city.  It had enough kick to get your day going and they serve another Texas staple- the breakfast taco.  California has the breakfast burrito, now I have had the breakfast taco and Im obsessed with both.  Jo's had a few selections to pick from and they wrap it in foil for those on the go.  They are the perfect light breakfast starter.  

http://joscoffee.com

OCH

Oil Can Harry's is a must if you are into dancing and a drag show.  The music selection is a nice mix of pop hits and not overdone with all the electronic music that isn't really danceable.  They have their schedule of performances on their website and most of the nights have themes.  It is great people watching and any fan of "RuPaul's Drag Race" can regularly see one of the current or previous castmates here.  

http://www.oilcanharrys.com

Travel to Cambria, CA 2014

Weekend Getaway to Cambria, CA

Cambria is a tucked away, cute, little seaside town along the Pacific Coast Highway.  From Los Angeles it is about 3 hours north, 4 if you take the coast.  I have visited before more as a stopover to other coastal destinations, but never really gave it a fair visit all to its own.  My partner and I had the opportunity to join my Mom out in Cambria to celebrate a Mother's Day weekend retreat and being the busybodies we are, we really got to cover a lot of territory.  So here's my 'Must List' for Cambria!

Sow's Ear

Our weekend started with this quaint restaurant on Main Street.  It has the most adorable tiny pig decorations, hence the name, and it felt like walking into your grandma's cabin home that she has been cooking in all day.  It is cozy and inviting, and your dinner starts off with the most amazing moist bread served to you in a terra-cotta pot.  I am all about comfort foods so I ordered Chicken dumplings after we shared the appetizer plate of Mac 'n Cheese.  They had to wheel me out of there by the end of our dinner.  Note to city folk: we had the latest reservation of the night at 8pm.  This town quiets down pretty early but that makes it all the more relaxing.  

http://thesowsear.com

Moonstone Beach

  

Named after the stones that used to wash up on shore, I'm not sure if they still do to this day but nonetheless, this beach is gorgeous.  It has a boardwalk thats more New England style than the ones we are used to down in southern california, and that only adds to the charm. It is literally wooden boards that you walk on and it is flanked in that beachy ground cover with those pretty little miniature pink flowers.   I love how the wind hardly ever stops coming in from off the shore, creating beautiful choppy waves and windswept looking trees all along the way.  

San Simeon Hearst Castle

 

Hearst Castle is a big draw in the Cambria area, and rightfully so.  It is our smaller scale west coast version of Versailles and offers a not so distant peek into history and Hollywood's Golden era.  William Randolph Hearst's opulence and love of art are clearly on display. There are a number of different selections of tours depending on what you are interested in seeing.  We booked the evening tour which recreates a 1933 party that Hearst commonly threw and invited many of that days biggest stars.  There are even people there in full character recreating a walls eye view for us as spectators.  The tour was unique and introspective to a side of Hearst I hadn't heard as much about.  That particular tour is only offered in Spring and Fall as it was already getting pretty warm in some of those villas due to the fact that air conditioning hadn't been invented at that time yet.  There is also a new tour called the "Hollywood VIP tour" that for the price of $100 per person gets you your own personal guide, and the opportunity to visit practically every room in the house.  Definitely something I would be interested in next time I go. 

http://hearstcastle.org

Shops on Main Street

Tourism is the business in Cambria and for that reason Main Street has everything from coffee shops, to  old school diners and art galleries.  You can spend a major portion of your day (and wallet) just cruising along.  There's something for the entire family, kids stores, culinary centric, and gardening nurseries.  The brick work, wooden cottages and two lane street make it easy to imagine what the town was like during its original inception.  

The Olallieberry 

The olallieberry is the grandchild of the raspberry, the dewberry and the blackberry and tastes similar to a boysenberry.  It grows predominantly in California and especially near Cambria.  They are served in many of the dishes from pies, to vinegars and chocolates.  We came home with a medium sized container of jam and actually just finished the last of it today.  It was perfect served on multigrain toast!  

Garden Inspiration

Fairy gardens have become more and more popular and Cambria is one of those towns that you would expect to find them throughout all the cottage homes and of course those garden shops I mentioned before.  The pictures seen here are from one of those boutiques called Spellbound's backyard.  A good quarter of their yard was decked out in a fairy village featuring walkways, bridges and even Hogwart's Castle.  Super cute!  Some of the other nurseries sell rare succulent varieties and unique Artist renditions of pottery that you can bring back with you to remember your trip.  

San Simeon Pines

I didn't get to stay here but definitely checked it out and will be doing so next time I am here.  The cabins have their own fireplaces, and are right across the water.   They have croquet in the front lawn area as well as a mini golf and larger golf course access.  It's the perfect spot for simple access to the beach and boardwalk, and looks like a smaller version of the place featured in 'Dirty Dancing'.  Nobody puts baby in the corner here!

http://www.sspines.com

White Water Inn 

Located right next door to San Simeon Pines on Moonstone Beach Dr. is the White Water Inn.  It has a view of the water as well in most of the rooms and the upgraded rooms feature their own jacuzzis right on the patio.  Perfect for going out to watch the stars at night, that you don't get to see as much if you live in well lit areas.  The sounds of the ocean and the cool breeze make it easy to stay in and really relax for while longer than you normally might.  

http://www.whitewaterinn.com/index.html

Robin's restaurant 

Located right off Main St. on Burton Dr. this indoor outdoor restaurant has a great varied diverse selection.  Dishes are prepared and displayed beautifully and the flavors match the presentation.  It's hard to pick just one or two things so I recommend sharing and doing tapas style so that you can try a few different plates.  A definite must try if you're only there for lunch or dinner.  

http://www.robinsrestaurant.com/home

Day trip to Paso Robles 

My partner and my mom are wine connoisseurs and I am the DD and photographer.  Paso has some offerings for the non drinker.  There are some wineries that do honey tastings, oil tastings and that serve food and live music.  The drive over from Cambria is worth it all on its own, the rolling hills, groves of trees and the farm homes are pure bliss to take in.  And for any budding photographers, it is a great place to go be distracted.  

Thanks for reading and until next week, happy travels!

Cannes Film Festival 2014

Cannes Film Festival 2014

This is my first time doing a red carpet review for this particular event and what I found interesting about it is that you have multiple events from day to evening.  The stars and stylists really have the opportunity to showcase a variety of looks and do a mini fashion tour. The fact that it also takes place in the French Riviera lends more creative freedom in some choices in terms of styling.  

 We have all heard it said that we are our own biggest competition, and that gave me the idea for the theme of this red carpet review. I will be featuring each stars looks paired alongside each other and showcase how they changed it up for the whirlwind that is Cannes.   So without further ado, I hope you enjoy it!

America Ferrera

America keeps things light with a simple preppy look, side swept waves top off the glam polo. She goes seductive good girl gown with an upstyle that allows the vavoom of the opening to take center stage.  Both hit the mark and keep her looking like America's sweetheart.    

Blake Lively

Blake is easily today's style queen. She works that mane of hair to really amp up whatever look she is going for.  Legs are the focal point in her mini dress and the look has that effortless appeal.  She amps up the curl and volume to play off of the ruffled dress, which for me, looks great up top, but something about the bottom half doesn't feel right.  She goes sleek to match the drama of the crimson gown, but nothing comes close to the perfection that is her black and white winner.  It takes something this beautiful to make Ryan Reynolds an afterthought!  The draping, the lips, the formal up style, and yes, the arm candy all make this a look that will be remembered.  

Cate Blanchett

I have to hand it to Cate for really making some thoughtful choices that are very much like art pieces.  Her daytime look draws my eye in, but the proportions make me uncomfortable, though I think this was the intent with the blouse.  The pants on the other hand, seem a bit high and stiff making this one of my least favorites.  Cate keeps a theme of color with her dress and I find the top portion very intriguing.  I like this look better and I give her credit for taking risks as she always does.  

Jessica Chastain

             

Jessica gives us the blues and I love these colors on her skin tone.  I love how she subtly shifts a few elements to transition her day/evening looks.  A flowy daytime periwinkle dress pairs nicely with the red lips on her royal blue formal gown.  Both great choices, though for me the curves on her nigthttime choice make it her winning look.  

Jennifer Lawrence

J Law is tres chic in a jumpsuit for her daytime look with a shimmery gold belt and what I believe to be hair extensions?  I love a halo couture ponytail (now available at Brush Salon!) to really change up a short haircut.  She skips the pony and goes back to short and messy for her evening design with pops of blue peeking through the outline.  

Julianne Moore

Julianne did some heavy promotion for her upcoming role in 'Hunger Games: Mockingjay' showing up in a number of outfits.  Her first look with the pale lavender is a bit too plain and the upturned neckline makes her bust look non existent.  Her second look with the burnt brick leather and flared out black patterned skirt is outrageously hot.  Edgy without trying too hard, this is one of her best looks in a long time. Now her emerald toga, I'm not feeling as much.  It has no shape or form, and her hair bun up like that make it Pebbles Flintstone.  And then there's her pièce de resistance, her pearlescent slinky floor-length gown.  It's vintage and makes a statement.  I typically favor a more body defining dress, but something about it makes me really like it.  It looks like Sesame Street meets Rodeo Drive in the best sense so I will just leave it at that.  

Marion Cotillard

Marion's pleats her way down the red carpet and in her daytime look those shoes completely overshadow the softness of her dress.  She redeems herself to an extent with the silhouette of her evening dress, though theres just that extra bit of fabric that seems misplaced, and the wrinkling with that color drives me crazy.  

Naomi Watts

Naomi keeps it super simple and pretty in pink, in the sense that it looks like she had Aniie Potts make it for her. It's as smooth as pepto bismol. But I am really loving the transitions of hairstyles, here in her day look it's loose and then it shifts to a more polished curl for her fantastic evening piece.  This dress is incredible.  The color, the layering of the fabrics and the asymmetrical neckline catapult this to one of my favorite looks of the festival.  

Nicole Kidman

Nicole cements herself as one of Hollywood's style icons with two mesmerizing dresses.  I love the open pops on the sleeves of her daytime wear, and the way it looks almost like a trenchcoat wrap at the bottom.  It looks smart, comfortable and timeless.  She goes futuristic for her evening gown, the detail is spectacular!  I love the juxtaposition of the tech-exposed hardware with the delicateness of the blue lace.  Original and fresh.  

Paris Hilton

Paris is my guilty pleasure, my Kim Kardashian.  I mean, to me she is the original sex tape reality TV star, but I digress.  She has moved away from her princess barbie looks and hired herself a good stylist judging by these two looks.  Her daytime look is entrancing and fun.  Her hair looks healthy and has moved into a more believable blonde.  Her evening gown is drama drama, and makes me say "That's Hot!"

Rosie Huntington-Whitely

There's no denying how gorgeous Rosie is, and I try to not include models into my red carpet reviews unless it is an event that pertains to them.  Technically she is a model turned actress so she makes the list.  Rosie is one of those lucky people that can look good in anything, and for that very reason, I don't like her black dress.  Just because you can, doesn't mean you should; it's a bit too much with the exposed brassiere feature and the open leg.  However, her silver garment is why she makes the cut.  It is superb.  That's all. 

Ryan Reynolds

Now for a little man break.  I am loving Ryan's new haircut, and slightly distressed but still chic style.  The brown jacket with the patterned shirt, and red kerchief is on par.  Anyone that knows me, knows that I love a vest, and his second look is so nerdy hot, 

I'm stealing this look.  Win win. 

Ryan Gosling

It's a showdown between the Ryans here and it is a close race.  I love his retro button down and slim pants, the combo of pale blue with brown looks great.  He takes it super sharp with his tux and though at first the no accessories jarred me, but it works with his scruff and unkempt hair.  

Sharon Stone

I love Sharon Stone and typically she wows on the red carpet, but at this festival she has a couple missteps.  Her daytime look is a bit too fresh from the pool, "I have a swimsuit on underneath this"and not stylish.  Her second look works but isn't exciting, and it feels dated with the jewelry choices.  

Sophia Loren

Sophia stays true to her italian style and though it's a bit too much red for my taste, it works on her especially for an event like Cannes.  Her champagne hued gown is classic and ageless, and showcases her beautiful jewelry. It's just a bit monochromatic, and I would change up the purse color or the shoes. I do love the tousled hair and layers.  

...a few other standouts

Jane Fonda

This is in my top 3 for this review, the detail, the color, the hair, Jane knows how to rivet the red carpet.  Superb from head to toe, every part of this look was fully thought through, she makes it look easy. 

Uma Thurman

She makes an entrance, this screams to slow down and take a photo.  I love the Kill Bill yellow, the sleeve/cape detail and the walk is runway du jour.  

Salma Hayek

Salma plays down the girls for a change in this fuchsia strapless dress. It's a simple look, and different for her, I like that she went carefree chic.   Her haircolor is St. Tropez gorgeousness with those highlights breaking up the dark brown.  

Thank you again for reading, and make sure you sign up with your email in the top right area to stay updated with each weekly post!  Until next time, 

Take Care!