Coming Up Sunshine

A girlfriend gave me this shirt about a month ago. Up until this point I have never owned anything yellow that I've actually worn out. I owned a yellow dress once that I bought online and didn't pass muster (haha, get it muster - mustard, now say it in an Alice in Wonderland tone). This shirt sent me head over heels in love with yellow. I've worn it countless times and have even transferred the sunshine to my toes. I can't get enough of highlights of yellow in my wardrobe these days!

The cowboy hat was an experiment for fun, and though I like the look for a fun summer day, I'm not quite sure if I pulled it off.

 Earrings ~ Christine Ann Jewelry from Leavenworth, Bracelets ~ Burlington Coat Factory & Terra Toys, Faux Tattoo ~ Written with MakeUp ForEver eyeliner while shopping at Sephora by Brando Shirt ~ Charlotte Russe, Shorts ~ Grane from Macy's, Shoes ~ Target

See my previous EBEW posts here:

~Chapeaux & Lace

~Spanish Photo Shoot Florals

Glass Beach

One of the main motivations to take this road trip up to my Grandma's was the Glass Beach three hours above San Francisco.

My sister and I have always wanted to go on a road trip up there, but just didn't find the opportunity where we would take six hours out of our day driving, just to go see a beach. So this was the perfect opportunity. And, I hate to say it, but I would definitely NOT recommend making a day trip just to see this beach. While it is perfect to stop by for a road trip, there just wasn't enough to make it worth three hours of driving there and three hours of driving back. Regardless, it was an absolutely beautiful beach as all California beaches are, and we are SO glad we FINALLY got to see it and spent hours collecting sea glass.

By the end of it, we were all laying on our stomachs sorting through the glass for those we wanted to keep. It might've been one of the most relaxing times on our trip.

Two hours passed without us even realizing it.

And, sadly, it was well past time to get back on the road.

The sea glass is there because the beach used to be a dumping ground. A sad way to come about, but a reminder that even something so sad can end up beautiful. If you're willing to brave the crazy, windy, hairpin roads and are on your way up the coast up highway one, any way, I highly recommend stopping by Glass Beach in Fort Bragg.

Check out DeliciousBaby's fun Photo Friday's links here.

Northern California Coast Road Trip

I have so many photos and my iPhoto is getting a tad overwhelmed, so these road trip photos will be coming in bits and pieces as I upload my different cameras. For now, here are the beautiful pictures of the Northern California Coast and countryside.

The first leg of my trip was flying into Oakland, CA, where my sister and her friend picked me up along with two of her five sweet kiddos. From Oakland, CA, we headed to my cousin's house in the Marina (sorry, to all of you who live in San Francisco, including my best friend who introduced Brando and I and lives there- we just didn't have time to stop elsewhere!) to have lunch with her and my other cousin who was up visiting from Costa Mesa. Yet another cousin, her husband, and baby, came by to say hi after lunch and cupcakes, and then we were on our way up the coast to Fort Bragg and Glass Beach. These pictures are all taken from the car from San Francisco to Fort Bragg and about an hour beyond along the coast and highway 1.

 Golden Gate bridge wrapped in fog

 Beautiful California vineyards and countryside up Hwy 101

Drive along the Northern California Coast on Hwy 1

My Awesome Trip Itinerary

Sooo.... I've been out of touch for awhile, but I'm back now. I went to visit my Grandma for her 80th birthday in Washington via a road trip from San Francisco with my sister and her best friend. It was absolutely perfect in every way and packed from beginning to end.


Day 1:
*Flew to Oakland, just outside San Francisco
*Was picked up by my sister, her friend, and my sister's ten year old daughter and three year old son
*Met my cousins at her house in San Francisco
*Walked to lunch with my five cousins from my cousins house in the Marina
*Stopped for cupcakes at Sweet Cakes
*Saw my cousins house in the Marina
*Drove up Hwy 1 to Fort Bragg and Glass Beach

*Stopped by an old funky cop car on 101 and take pictures
*Walked thru a drive thru redwood tree - our Expedition was too big

*Drove thru Eugene, CA, Crescent City, CA, and Grants Pass, OR til' 3am stopping to sleep in Roseburg, OR

Day 2:
*Woke up and leisurely ate breakfast, swim, and shop in Roseberg
*Dropped my sister's friend off in Sutherlin, OR
*Attempted to get gas in Oregon and realize you're not allowed to pump it yourself by Oregon state law
*Drove thru Portland, OR, the Oregon countryside and the gorgeous Wenatchee Mountains in Washington to arrive at my Grandma's house by the Wenatchee River at 10pm

Day 3:
*Woke up and arrived early in Leavenworth, WA, to take photos in the Bavarian town

*Shopped in Leavenworth for four hours
*Came back home and met my Grandpa's oldest son and wife
*Went with them to Leavenworth to shop for another two hours and enjoy ice cream and gelatto
*Picked up my Grandma's birthday presents
*Watched my Grandma open her presents and LOVE the one I decided on
*Came back to my Grandma's for dinner and birthday cake for my Grandma's 80th birthday

Day 4:
*Woke up and enjoyed breakfast with my Grandma & Grandpa
*Headed to Starbucks in Leavenworth and shopped for another hour (finally found things for the boys - yay!)

*Came home and head out to rafting the Wenatchee and Columbia
*Rafted the Wenatchee and Columbia with my two sisters, my sisters' kids, and myself on a Class 1

*Came home for a BBQ by the Wenatchee river in my grandparent's backyard

Day 5:
*Stopped by Leavenworth to shop one last time
*Headed home at 11:30am driving through the Washington desert
*Stopped by Multnomah Falls

*Drove thru Portland on the way back to Sutherlin to pick up my sister's friend
*Arrived in Sacramento, CA, where my sister lives at 3am to fall into bed and pass out

Day 6:
*Had my sister cut and color my hair
*Ate at In N Out
*Drove home to Santa Cruz, CA
*Dropped off my sister's friend at her home in Corralitos
*Had my sister drop me off at my MIL's new home by the beach that she moved into this weekend
*Completely unpacked my MIL's bathroom and bedroom
*Ate dinner with my parents at my favorite, Peachwoods
*Looked at old wedding photos of Brando and I
*Fell into bed

Day 7:
*Stopped by the Farm Bakery and Cafe for coconut macaroons for Brando, lemon blueberry bread, giant rice krispie treats and earrings and a wallet for me
*Drove to my MILs house
*Unpacked my MILs entire kitchen
*Had lunch with my Mom and sister
*Went back to Oakland airport on the San Francisco Bay
*Enjoyed the ocean 100 yards from my seat while waiting two hours for my flight
*Got delayed in Phoenix two hours by a giant sand storm you could see coming from miles away - the most incredible natural sight I have ever seen
*Watched the entire outside of the airport disappear from sight in a cloud of dust
*Watched the mud rain on the windows
*Got to know a local Phoenixian who had been through sand storms
*Got back to Austin at 3am after chatting for way too long with the local Phoenixian and another person who had been on our plane that had been delayed by having to be diverted to Tucson for gas, before it came back to pick up those of us catching the layover

These photos were facebooked as I haven't uploaded any actual camera photos yet.