Lazy Sundays in Los Olivos

Wine tasting at Longoria

I love the little town of Los Olivos. It's such a cute little strip of tasting rooms, shops and restaurants, a perfect last stop to a day of wine tasting, or in our case, a morning stop before the drive home. We just stopped at two of our favorite tasting rooms, Tensleys, which make one of my favorite syrahs, the Colson Canyon, and Longoria, with its lovely outdoor garden. We grabbed a tri tip sandwich from the market before heading home, back to reality.

Isabel Marant Ariana jacket, Capu Elvis belt and Salome shorts, Jean Michel Basquiat Uniqlo shirt, Swedish Hasbeen x H&M sandals, Balenciaga bag and Prada sunglasses

The Ballard Inn

One of my favorite places to stay anywhere is the Ballard Inn up in Santa Barbara wine country. It's a charming little bed and breakfast a few minutes away from Los Olivos and right near the wineries on Alamo Pintado Road. We stayed in the Gaviota Room for our 1 year anniversary and this time stayed in the larger adjacent Mountain room for our fifth anniversary. Love the little touches like cookies with turndown service, afternoon wine and hors d'oeuvres, strawberry lemonade on the porch and a hearty post slight wine hangover breakfast. The restaurant downstairs is excellent, perfect for a relaxing dinner after a day of wine tasting. Best part is, you don't have to drive anywhere afterwards! I can't remember the last time we've gone out to a fancy dinner. My favorite dish was probably the beef tenderloin and we had a really good bottle of Demetria Cuvee Constantine that went perfectly with dinner.

Pork belly with napa cabbage fondue

Hamachi with soy yuzu vinaigrette

Rack of Lamb with edamame puree

Grilled Beef Tenderloin

Celebrating 5 Years

Gazebo at Beckman

We went up to Santa Barbara wine country for our first trip without little k in celebration of our five year wedding anniversary. We drove up Saturday late morning and arrived in time to visit a few vineyards: Lincourt, Rideau and Beckman. There's nothing more immediately relaxing and transporting than wine tasting amidst the beautiful scenery. We chilled in some adirondack chairs under shady trees at Rideau and had a little cheese, salami and bread picnic from Bay Cities with our wines in a little gazebo by the duck pond at Beckman.

Lincourt. Nice spot for a wedding

Chilling at Rideau

Some of the vines at Rideau

Beckman wine and cheese picnic from Bay Cities

Beckman. Always a favorite late afternoon stop

Day 1 wine tasting outfit: Etoile Isabel Marant Manuel Stars and Birds romper, Swedish Hasbeens x H&M sandals

3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Messenger

3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Messenger in Aubergine, 3.1 Phillip Lim x Uniqlo plaid dress, Swedish Hasbeens x H&M clogs and Prada sunglasses

Speaking of designer collaborations, Target's next collaboration with 3.1 Phillip Lim was announced a few weeks ago. I've always liked 3.1 Phillip Lim, I have several of his dresses and my very first Phillip Lim piece was this plaid dress from his collaboration with Uniqlo back in 2007. I like his clothes a lot, my only problem (at least with the pieces that I have) is that even the XS / 2 are a little shapeless and boxy on me.  Not sure if that's changed over the years, as I haven't bought anything from his label over the last few seasons. We'll see what he does with Target. I've admired the bags that he's released over the last few seasons, such as the Pashli Satchel and 31 Hour, but they don't really work well for me as they are a little too big and heavy for me to handle with a baby in my arms. The pashli messenger bag however, seemed to be possibly a good fit for my current needs, slightly more streamlined with the ability to stay hands free with the crossbody carry. I haven't really bought a handbag since the Balenciaga and I've been looking for something that I can use everyday casually that can withstand some abuse. It was sold out everywhere I looked online but I was able to track it down at Barneys on markdown. I think it still needs some breaking in; the leather is stiff and doesn't quite look as nice as it does in pictures online, but I do like the rich burgundy / eggplant color. I'm pretty sure it's a keeper, will just mull it over the next few days. My other obsession as of late is the Celine Trio, but I'm pretty sure I won't be able to track it down on sale. Maybe in the winter...

Isabel Marant SS 2013 Sale Haul

Etoile Isabel Marant Salome shorts in red, black Capu Elvis studded belt, and Betty sneakers, Helmut tee

Patience has its rewards and paid off when I was able to find the Etoile Isabel Marant pieces that I've been coveting all season long at the end of season sales at the lovely Isabel Marant store and at Barneys for 30-50% off. I was also able to find exactly the colorways that I wanted, which is sometimes sacrificed by the time sale season rolls around. In particular, I've been eyeing the red Salome shorts, Cooper jeans in fuchsia, and Ariana tweed jacket all season long, hoping that they wouldn't sell out before they went on sale. The black studded Capu Elvis belt and Manuel romper were additional pickups that I just couldn't resist. The Salome shorts are fun and flirty, and while quite short, not scandalously so because they are shorts not a skirt, and they are oh so comfortable. I think they are reversible with a red and blue checked pattern on the other side and therefore thicker and not as see through or delicate as the Sid pants, which I love, but have ripped several times, perhaps beyond repair this last time. Isabel Marant does the best striped pants and tweed jackets, and both this seasons Cooper and Ariana are really nice versions. I also saw the Sumac Jacket in red at Barneys yesterday and it took all the willpower I had to resist, as cute as it is and as much as I would love an Isabel Marant quilted jacket, I really shouldn't get a jacket in the exact same color and pattern as the Salome shorts or another red jacket like the Ariana. I thought that I should keep only one, either the Ariana or Sumac and ultimately decided to go with the Ariana as I think it is slightly more flattering on me because it's more fitted and slightly dressier to add a little polish to my usual very casual wear. Still want the Sumac, but I think I'm going to hold off, I've gone way over budget as usual... The fit of her clothes this season is slightly smaller than fall; I took a 36 in everything, whereas I was a 34 in last season's Ivos and Itzels.

Etoile Isabel Marant Cooper jeans in fuchsia, Capu belt in black and Dickers, Lanvin x H&M tee

Isabel Marant Ariana jacket in red, black Sid trousers, Betty sneakers

Worlds Collide

image from hm.com

So it's no secret from a quick perusal of the blog that my favorite designer these days is Isabel Marant. In fact, I recently went on a huge spring sale shopping spree at her gorgeous Melrose Place store, picking up some pieces that I've been coveting all season, including the Cooper striped jeans in fuchsia, the Salome skirt in red, the Manuel stars and bird romper in black, Ariana tweed jacket in
red, Capu Elvis studded belt in black, nice additions to my one full price purchase this season, the Sid pants in black that I've worn to death the last few months . I might have gone a little overboard, but I truly love all the pieces, pics to come. The other obvious conclusion from the blog is that I love collaborations, particularly the H&M fall designer collaborations. My favorite was the Lanvin collaboration, but the most recent Martin Margiela collaboration was a surprise favorite. Still, I was so surprised to hear that Isabel Marant was the next designer to work with H&M. While I love Isabel Marant, what I love about her clothes is the everyday wearability of them; she's not quite as high fashion or groundbreaking as the previous designers. I have mixed feelings, but will wait to reserve final judgment when the collection comes out.