Birthday, Part II.

At SUR, wearing on the patience of some impromptu but kind photographers.

Well, I can barely remember this trip at this point but I figure you can't leave a part one hanging without a part two!  A few weeks ago I headed to LA with my best girlfriends to celebrate my birthday.  We made it a super quick trip and flew up for just one night.  The time with my girlfriends was the best but I can't say that I fell in love with LA.  

We stayed in West Hollywood at just about the BEST Best Western I've ever seen - seriously, check out the Best Western Plus Sunset Plaza if you're in LA.  It's centrally located, down the street from the Andaz and up the street from The Chateau Marmont and The Standard, but probably half the price per night.  It also has the most darling pool.  

When we arrived we did some window shopping, some bottomless mims (evidence below) and then we rested up for a long night.  We started with cocktails at SUR.  I'm not ashamed to say I was dying to catch my favorite Real Housewife, but no luck.  Next we went to Laurel Hardware for dinner.  The food was delish and I had my first ever Moscow Mule - as an avid soda water drinker how did I ever go so long without having one?!  I think I thought it was like a White Russian.  

Anyway, the night took a turn after dinner.  We asked around about where the hot spots were and we were terribly misadvised to go to Supper Club.  Now there's a Supper Club in SF, but it's nothing like it.  The club was fine inside but it wasn't exactly my scene so we decided to try something else.  Outside, it was like an apocalypse with all these strange characters grabbing at us.  Now, I grew up in San Francisco and I've lived in some shady areas since (in fact, I currently live in a city that was dubbed the murder capital of the country - 20 years ago - it's lovely now!).  Let's just say it definitely wasn't our crowd!

Plenty of time for cab selfies.

Next we tried the Standard Downtown LA.  I'd been to The Standard in Manhattan so I had an idea of what to expect. After 30 minutes in a cab, it was less than we'd hoped for.  The view was nice, though.  We decided to call it a night and when we got back two of my girlfriends surprised me with Cool Ranch Doritos from the vending machine.  And the world was right again.  

Birthday, Part I.

This past weekend the hubby took me to Sonoma to celebrate the big 3 - 0.  Originally, we were going to go to Napa and eat at the Culinary Institute (which is actually in St. Helena), but after my husband made the reservation they called to say they'd be closed for spring break - boo!  So we decided to try something slightly new and go to Sonoma instead of the much hyped Napa.  And it was great!!  My birthday fell on Easter Sunday so I'm not sure if that made it quieter or busier but it was perfect.  

First we went to Cornerstone, which was a little development with tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops.  Next, we went to a smaller family estate, where they offered to take us on a tour of their caves when the hubby mentioned it was my birthday!

Our hotel was fab!  We stayed at The Lodge, which was a stone's throw from the charming downtown.  The customer service was great and the rate was good considering the resort atmosphere.  We stopped mid-day to eat lunch on the pool deck.  Delightful!  After lunch we went did more tasting in another little town called Glen Ellen.  

We had dinner at The Girl and the Fig, which was great.  We had some great cocktails, some mediocre rose (shhh!), and some YUMMY salad and asparagus appetizer.  We were pretty full from eating.all.day, so we opted not to get dessert.  Later we ordered room service from the hotel restaurant. This was just so so, but there is always something so luxurious about ordering room service!  

I was on the hunt for a winery that makes champagne, so the next day we stopped at a chateau with a gorgeous view, where I had just about the best breakfast I've ever had!  Yes, please!

And this is one of the things I love most about my husband - the laughter never ends.  We were laughing about almonds.  Yep.

Next weekend I'm going to LA with my girlfriends and I can't wait!  And between then and now, I'll have my head buried in books.

Getaway Wardrobe.

I've got a pretty big birthday coming up next month and to celebrate I have a couple of very special trips planned! The first trip on my actual birthday weekend is to Napa with the hubby. We're going to do some leisurely wine tasting and then have dinner at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Can.not.wait!

napa wardrobe by thedailyromantic featuring a highlander picnic basket

The following weekend I'm going with my best girlfriends to LA for a night of dress-up and dancing. Can't wait to break out the sparkles!

LA wardrobe by thedailyromantic featuring a kate spade handbag

My husband teases me that I like to celebrate my birthday for the whole month, and while I don't think that's true exactly, I do think a girl should be able to celebrate with all the special people in life and that's what I intend to do!

How do you like to celebrate?

35.

The birthday boy!

This month we celebrated my husband's birthday.  We've spent many a birthday at theme bars, going on trips, and other huge affairs.  This year was a little different!  He wanted to visit a place in Northern California - The Kefiry - that makes "soda" from a 3,000 year old recipe!  I would recommend looking into water kefir if you're into health, gourmet food, etc.

Of course I didn't think to document the trip until well after lunch, but the good news is the town of Sebastapol, where The Kerify is, is adorable!

Zazu, where we ate lunch, had the BEST gfree pizza crust I've ever had!

 All over Sebastapol were these cute sculptures, reflecting the type of businesses they stood in front of.

After The Kefiry we wandered around Sebastapol.  Everywhere we stopped, we were told to check out this new development called Barlow's.  In what is a pretty agricultural area, the Barlow district is a cool, modern area with lots of yummy food, art, and breweries/wineries.

The largest Tibetan mural outside Tibet, being painted right in front of us!

How do you like to celebrate birthdays?