Family Trip

We just returned yesterday from a wonderful, relaxing four days at the coast. Heart's Ease in Cambria has the BEST fairy garden behind the store! We've gone for years and the kids still love it every time.


Emma pretended that her tongue was stuck to the ice cream cone... "A Christmas Story" style.
We always have to take them to the Museum of Natural History. It's cheap enough to go every time, the kids are free and adults are just $3.

There is SO much more that I didn't share, I'm only sharing a few pics. Emma even put on a puppet show for us.
They have binoculars to borrow for the observation deck.
We climbed the steps to the top of the big rock above the museum. I probably should have listened to that voice telling me it wasn't the best idea with my knees being in the state that they are.

We like to go to Avila Beach because it's usually warmer and less windy.
We also made our first trip to the butterfly grove in Pismo.
It is a big grove of Eucalyptus trees with thousands of monarch butterflies. It was hard to take pictures with my phone, because the zoom gets blurry.
They were falling to the ground in pairs, mating.
We also saw the elephant seals, north of Cambria.
We stayed for quite awhile just watching them interact.

We visited the Cambria Nursery twice! We did MUCH more, including eating everything in sight! We visited all of our favorites: La Parisienne, Hofbrau, Bayside, Main St Grill, and more. I think I need to go spend the rest of the day on the stationary bike, haha.

Cambria Nursery

We just returned from FOUR beautiful days on California's central coast! Our teacher from our home school charter told us about Cambria Nursery that has some fairy-related stuff in their gift shop. She knows that our youngest is obsessed with all things fairies! She also told us that they have absolutely gorgeous gardens and pathways around the property. She was right! It is the most serene place, and my few pictures won't do it justice. It is REALLY big. Grab yourself a cup of coffee the next time you're in Cambria and head on up the hill on Burton Drive.There are breathtaking scenes as you walk the stone pathways through the lush gardens. I just can't express how wonderful it is. I wish you could SMELL through these pictures! The smells were fabulous!
Here are a few pictures from inside the gift shop.
I love those mirrors on the wall.




I have plans to make some of those little faux birdhouses out of some scraps I have lying around. I also want to be on the lookout for a old METAL wheelbarrow to plant in. You know the shallow old metal kind?

At the back of the path, there is a bridge going over a big stream, it's beautiful!
There is even a tiny little cottage with things planted on the ROOF! I could see through the window that it's where they keep their garden tools.

There were MANY more nooks and sections of the garden that I didn't show...there was a Asian section with a bamboo bench, pagoda porch, and koi pond; and 2-3 more little nooks on the stone path that led to private sections. I could seriously wander here all day! You should totally check it out if you're headed to Cambria!

Taste of Orange Blossom {Sunday Brunch}

Today we went to Sunday Brunch at Orange Blossom! We've been dying to go back ever since our first time experiencing their brunch! I STILL can't believe how much food you get! As soon as you sit down, they bring you warm, flaky croissants with orange marmalade butter. They also bring out a fresh fruit plate with white chocolate! Ummm...hello, lover! I'm a bit sneaky and "may or may not" have been dipping my croissant in the chocolate too! ;)
You also get your choice of OJ, Mimosa, Champagne, or House Wine. Seriously! This is all included with your entree!
I ordered the 3 eggs, any style with 4 slices of brown sugar cured OBJ smoked bacon! Let me give you a little tip...if you're at Orange Blossom and the menu says "smoked" anything...try it! They know what they're doing and you'll be one happy camper. It came with a biscuit and potatoes! This is EASILY the best breakfast around!
I have to show you what my husband ordered. They offer steak and eggs (two different steaks, actually!) and he asked if there was any way they'd bread him one and make it chicken fried steak. They obliged, and he was in HEAVEN! You can see a cup of their Linguicia Gravy on the side, I snapped the picture before he smothered it. He said it was the BEST chicken fried steak he's EVER had. Hands down.
I seriously can't think of ONE reason why you haven't tried Sunday Brunch at the Junction! It's every Sunday from 10am-2pm and you can even read their full brunch menu here. Or you can head straight to their full website here. Your taste buds will thank you. ;)

Bravo Farms

Tonight I snapped a few quick pictures while eating at Bravo Farms in Tulare. I'm hoping to be able to show you a lot more of what they can do. The menu is totally up our alley. Sometimes you want something REALLY tasty, but in a atmosphere that's low key and relaxed. Bravo's feel is totally my style. The staff is super friendly and helpful. I've said it before and I'll say it again... find a couple of places to call home and stick with them. Go somewhere where you'll be more than just a table number.

This is a wrap that I built myself, which of course would be different for anyone. The open kitchen is awesome, and allows you to watch them make your food, as you tell them exactly what you want! If you want to REALLY live...try their garlic mayo, you'll thank me! It sounds a bit crazy, but it's FABULOUS! I eat it in my wraps, on my sandwiches, AND dip my fries and cheese curds in it! It's THAT good! They have several spreads and dressings to try, and you'll have fun finding your favorite too!I can't decide between the fries or the cheese curds, so we almost always get both. Cheese, after all, IS what Bravo Farms does! These are the crispiest fries on the planet...SO good! Our kids fight over the fries all the time. There is SO much to check out: sandwiches, HUGE salads of every sort, fresh pizzas, mac and cheese with their special CHEESE sauce, and SO much more!
Wanna know another tip for Bravo Farms? When you're going to a movie, eat at Bravo first and buy your tickets there. They are only $7.50 each with any $10 purchase. You're gonna spend $10 to eat anywhere, so you might as well eat something really delicious! You simply trade in the tickets to Galaxy Theater next door and they exchange them for your specific movie. Easy and cheap!

I do promise you'll love it! Don't take my word for it though, go see for yourself! Check them out 7 days a week for lunch or dinner at the outlets in Tulare. It's the perfect place for people like us that aren't sold on big chain restaurants and microwaved food.

Book Page Wreath

I've seen book page wreaths all over the place... online and in stores. I recently had to change my shelf decor because V-day is over, and my old window frame looked pitifully lonely. I already had everything I needed to make it, all I needed was TIME!I ripped up a old book from a thrift store. First I tore strips and hot glued them around the foam circle, in case the sides could be seen. After that, it's just rolling cones and hot gluing. Super easy, just labor intensive.
I did three rows of cones.
I wanted something to go in the center, and I had these boards from Pick Your Plum. I used one, and hot glued a metal plate and knob from my stash.


I TOTALLY love it!!!

Consignment Warehouse {Shabby Chic Cart}

I got my cart out of layaway last week, and I LOVE it! It came home exactly like this, and I didn't have to do a thing to it! I got it at Consignment Warehouse in Visalia.Right now it's just holding some cake stands, but I can't wait to have a party and get to REALLY DECORATE it!
I made this chalkboard sign with a $2 silver tray from a thrift store (American Cancer Society Thrift Store on Main St., if you're wondering). All I did was paint a few coats of chalkboard paint on it and display it on a plate stand I already had.
Here is a close up of the distressed edges. I LOVE the scalloped border, it totally makes this cart!


Here are a couple of broad shots of my dining room. I tried trading the places of the cart and the hutch, but the hutch looked too big in the corner, so I switched it back. When I took the pictures, my table was set for Valentine's Day fondue.
This canister I also bought a couple weeks ago at Consignment Warehouse, and I love it! I'm undecided if it will stay here and hold umbrellas or move to a different location in the house.... we'll see.
I love my finds!