Vintage beach.

Thanks to Keely, Kierstin, and Jenni, I too am now obsessed with this magical photo editing tool that makes all your photos look vintage with the click of a button! I decided to try it with some of my California beach photos and now I can't stop!

Go here, upload a photo and click the blue button to translate your photo into something like these...

Me & Suz in Destin, FL...if only we were wearing vintage suits!

I think I might frame these in whitewashed frames and put them in a grouping above my bed. Perfect. Who needs Photoshop?

A little tour of my garden.

View from the hammock

Here are some lovely things I discovered early yesterday morning in my own back yard, with a steaming cup of French press coffee in hand...

A sunflower! We wondered what this 4 ft. tall plant was going to be and it started blooming. Looks like the sunflower seed in that bird feeder decided to nestle in the soil and grow.


A red poppy bud

Papery-thin and lovely

Some micro-greens in our salad planter. Steven cut some of these for dinner and made a simple mix of cilantro, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and...what a burst of flavor! Pure, simple ingredients from our own back yard - you can't beat that.

Baby basil

More basil (an Italian girl can never have enough!) in my pail from the Nashville flea market

Random mushroom that looks like a daisy

Blackberries! They are Barbie-sized right now, and they grow out of the middle of a delicate white flower.

God is so creative!

Lovely Sunday at the Dallas Arboretum. (see last year's pics here...)

"If I had my life to live over,
I would start barefoot earlier in the spring
and stay that way later in the fall.
I would go to more dances.
I would ride more merry-go-rounds.
I would pick more daisies."
~ Nadine Stair

Me & my mama...

Me, Jessica, Michelle...

Continuing to enjoy every minute of this glorious spring.

So many things to love about California...(part 3)

Favorite #3: The Farmer's Market. Who doesn't love a farmer's market? We spent the day back in Manhattan Beach browsing in the shops and enjoying the perfect weather, and got some unbelievably huge oranges to boot.

But first, my favorite meal of the day...breakfast! We had breakfast at Uncle Bill's Pancake House with, yet again, an ocean view! I'm getting spoiled.


I had a turkey patty, eggs over medium well, and Banana Buckwheat pancakes with loads of butter. Mmmmmmmm.




Then off to buy some beautiful oranges...still with the leaves on? That's a great marketing tactic.



I brought home as many as I could and made homemade juice with our fantastic juicer. Carrot and orange and ginger juice - mmm!

Favorite #4: A Day in Pasadena with Victoria. One I was very excited about...finally meeting my friend Victoria, who is a Mocha Club member, and my email friend for the past 2 years. We finally got a chance to meet, and Jen and I spent the day with her in Old Town Pasadena shopping! Victoria has some of the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen!

First we had lunch at Gaucho Grill...


Then we spent time perusing the shops and making funny faces with the sunglasses at Banana Republic. I don't know why I find it so hilarious to try on huge glasses that take up my entire face. I also some great new shirts at H&M. That store can be so 'hit or miss'!


That's supposed to be a peace sign. What the heck is my finger doing?


It was a lovely, yet tiring, day! We made the 30 minute drive from the valley back to El Segundo and geared up for our next day or relaxation - free facials and celebrity treatment! :) (part 4)