Jalopy Cabins

One of a kind cabins made of 90+% reclaimed materials! Awesome!

http://www.jalopycabins.com/

http://www.jalopycabins.com/

Today's Picks!

1. This Vince sweater I spotted at Bloomingdale's has lurex in the stripes... but it's still soft! No scratchiness at all. Leave it to Vince to make yet another sweater I can neither afford, nor resist.

2. I've been eyeing this terrarium from Terrain for well over a year now, but waiting to find out where my next job will be before buying it. I think it's time to either get it anyway or make my own.

3. Check out this up-and-coming jewelry site, Wolf + Moon and you'll be ahead of the pack.

4. It's a perfect cabin blanket from Terrain. Need I say more?

5. Nature-y cups/mugs are the best to drink tea from. This one is from Terrain.

6. Fancy honey is great for yourself and impressing guests. It also makes a unique gift. This is from Savannah Bee Company. Yum! (My mom says the Orange Blossom is fantastic.)

7. I want a wardrobe of Ash. This color reminds me of my favorite crayon when I was little. Available at Shopbop.

8. These grey ones are made of animal-friendly canvas and I love the color. Also at Shopbop.

Givers

Atlantic (live at SXSW) by Givers from Big Ugly Yellow Couch on Vimeo.

Santa Ynez Day Trippin' Part V: Solvang Antique Center

Yes, the day wasn't over yet. My parents and I are determined and focused. Before dinner and the drive home we hit up the Solvang Antique Center, one of my mom's antique teacup sources. I haven't appreciated antiques in the past but I found a few treasures to hold my interest.

Santa Ynez Day Trippin' Part IV: Farm Fresh

Yes, we kept going! Our next stop was the peace barn I blogged about previously. I cannot pass this exit off of the I-101 without buying their organic heirloom tomatoes, and the pumpkin everything was delightful as well.

Wait a minute. There's more. Just past the farms is a hike so easy, it should be called a stroll. Even my mom could enjoy this one. So we took a short detour to see the waterfall and take in some fresh air.

Santa Ynez Day Trippin' Part III: Huber Cellars

Yes, we packed a lot into this one day! ...Next up was wine-tasting. This is something that my family hasn't been interested in for long, but after my parents dropped their last daughter, me, off at school in Santa Cruz, they passed through wine country and stopped on a whim. Good thing, because they could use the excitement! Now they like to do a tasting now and then. None of us have the most sophisticated taste, (I'm thinking of a certain purchase of a case of unpleasant Merlot my mom "loved.") but you really don't have to know much to enjoy yourself.

We went to Huber Cellars because the grandson of the owners sold my dad is last car. Good way to pick a tasting room right? Well, it worked. We had such a lovely experience!

The winery is run by a sweet elderly couple, who's tasting room is attached to their home on their vinyard. You drive up a dirt road lined with vines, park in their driveway, and follow the signs around the side of their house to the patio. Here you'll be greeted by a sweet dog named Heidi, who has two different colors eyes and is beautiful. The tasting room is tiny and built into the house, but we went on such a beautiful day that they'd set up outside. The tasting was accompanied by home-made treats by Mrs. Huber herself, including Jalapeno Jelly which was available for a $5 donation to the Humane Society. (Obviously this woman and I have a few things in common.) Mr. Huber poured the wine and we sat on their patio with their dog and admired the gorgeous property and weather. It was so very comfortable and so perfectly beautiful. To me this was a flawless presentation. ...and the wine was good too. We bought a few bottles of three different kinds. I loved it so much. Huber Cellars is a lovely secret to share with your friends on a beautiful day on the central coast.

Santa Ynez Day Trippin' Part II: Cold Spring Tavern

Cold Spring Tavern, in the Santa Barbara Mountains, is a restaurant my family has visited and loved for years. We even had Thanksgiving there one year, long before I became a vegetarian. I love the place and hadn't been since starting CABINOLOGY, so I ate a lot of good food and took a lot of cabin photos. So many photos, that I had to make a series of collages to make it easier to share most of them. I can't wait to go back soon.

Santa Ynez Day Trippin' Part I: Solvang

As if Catalina Island weren't enough, I then took a jam-packed day-trip North with my parents to run some errands around Santa Ynez.

We started with a stop at my mom's favorite yarn store in Solvang, Village Spinning & Weaving, which carries special peruvian yarns she can't find anywhere else. I thought I'd be bored, but the place was really interesting. (Turns out we own a small loom somewhere in the house, and I'm feeling inspired to learn to use it.)

We stopped at a mission on our way out of town. My dad and I appreciate the mossy old roof tiles:

Catalina Island, CA

The weekend did not go as planned... we went to Catalina Island instead of Palm Springs!

The trip was great. We took a motor boat out on the water to look for hidden coves, spotted garibaldi and other fish, played mini golf, bowled, played arcade games, explored the island via golf cart, vegged on the beach, etc! We happened to arrive on the day of the local arts festival in Avalon, so we listened to live bluegrass music and checked out crafts and games. There's also a Jazz festival going on during most weekends in October right now, so there were musicians and instruments everywhere we looked. We stayed at the Zane Grey Pueblo Hotel, which I've been eyeing for years now. It's not fancy... it's like a cross between a friend's ranch house and a motel... but I love it. The atmosphere is so natural and it has the best views of any hotel on the island. It almost felt like camping, but with a few more amenities at hand. I'm looking forward to staying there again.

http://www.zanegreypueblohotel.com/

And, of course, the CABINOLOGY...

already on holiday

LA is having some more warm days now, and I'm heading back to Palm Springs tomorrow to get a little more fun in the sun. I took a lot of pictures last time we stayed at the Parker, so below are a few of the many reasons I love Palm Springs:

Sweet Autumn

I'm drinking that Sweet Autumn tea from Lupicia right now (with frothed milk) and I just pulled hot pumpkin bread out of the oven. I've never experienced anything like this tea. Roasty-delicious. Perfect for a brisk Fall day. I can't recommend it enough.

Today's Picks!

I sure hope someone designs a cool knock-off of this Thakoon jacket I'll never own! Here's the tea I bought at Lupicia in Century City last weekend, and the Pendleton bag that just made the top of my wish list. At the end of the season I'll be digging through the men's sale rack at J.Crew for XS/S sweaters like this one with the adorable toggles. (Men's sweaters have been a wardrobe secret of mine since I discovered Bloomingdale's men's *washable* marino wool on sale several years ago.) Lastly, can these wedges please appear in my closet and be comfy enough to wear? I am so impressed by the attention to detail in the design. They're perfect.

Little Cup

For a foggy Fall day, I like Thao and Mirah:

Disneyland

There was a lot of CABINOLOGY to be found at Disneyland yesterday with a few of my friends.

(Special thoughts of Fess Parker. RIP.)

King Charles Love Lust

There's a hip new Tumblr in town. http://shesrantingagain.tumblr.com/. That's where I found this:

King Charles - Love Lust from Kirkwall on Vimeo.