Santa Barbara Getaway, Part 1

As you may remember, Mr. C and I spent our 7^th anniversary car shopping.  While that experience was super fun, we decided to plan a real weekend getaway to California during spring break as our first non-family related trip in quite awhile.  I’ve been super indecisive lately and two weeks before we were set to leave we hadn’t booked anything or even decided on a price.  We ended up booking a B & B in Santa Barbara at 11:30 on a Wednesday night.  I had done a little research and gotten some suggestions, but I really didn’t have a clue what we were going to do.  I am a planner so this was all very unlike me, but it was amazing. 

We took off for our trip without much more info that the evening we booked the B & B.  I drove for most of the morning while Mr. C napped a bit.  I can’t even begin to explain how much I love road trips.  My very favorite moments are the ones early in the morning or late at night when traffic is light, Mr. C is usually asleep, and I feel like I’m one of the only people experiencing the moment and seeing that beautiful sight at that very moment.  My moment this trip was in the morning when the mountains were breaking through the low clouds to my left and to the right the sun was lighting up the sky.  The road curved just as my favorite song came on and suddenly the low clouds broke enough for me to see the mountains and landscape in the valley below.  It was the perfect start to our weekend getaway.

We had a bit of an incident in Indio when the gas didn’t shut off, sprayed all over my car, my pants, and our shoes, and we ended up detouring to a gas station and Target.  We decided to just eat in Pasadena since neither of us thought we could hold out another two hours.  Mr. C found us a super fancy restaurant we weren’t feeling and we ended up going next door to Four Cafe.  The food was amazing, the staff was super friendly, and it was so nice to have a relaxing lunch outside.

After lunch we continued to Solvang, a Dutch town suggested by Mr. C’s cousin.  I don’t realize how much I miss the masses of greenness until we travel and I see these masses.  The drive from Santa Barbara to Solvang was one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen.  As we drove through the mountains we were overwhelmed with so many shades of green.  After about 10 minutes I declared that this was my new lottery location.  You better believe that if we win the jackpot this is where I’ll be.  We finally made it to Solvang where we were greeted with little shops, bakeries, and some of the prettiest picket-white-fence houses you’ve ever seen.  We got some ice cream and walked around checking out the shops.  Ice cream in the middle of the day says to me -“I’m on vacation and I can do whatever I want”.

The bed and breakfast we stayed at included a couple converted houses nestled in the kind of neighborhood everyone dreams of.  The smell of fresh lilies (one of my all time favorite smells) hit us as we walked into the house.  Every evening the B & B serves wine and snacks from 5-6 and we made it just in time.  We ate a bit, settled into our room, and headed out to walk to dinner.  One of the reasons we picked this B & B (aside from all the included food) was because of it’s location to State Street, an area with a bunch of unique shops and restaurants, and the beach.

Apparently the phrase “within walking distance” means something different to everyone.   Walking 2 miles to the beach and then back doesn’t really scream “walking distance” to me, especially if you plan to haul along some towels.  We got in plenty of steps each day though and being able to walk to dinner was pretty amazing.

Stay tuned for part 2!

7 Years

Mr. C and I celebrated our 7^th year of marriage this past weekend.  To celebrate the occasion we spent the weekend car shopping because what’s more fun that car shopping?  Um….everything!  I HATE needles and at one point I commented that I’d rather get my blood taken than go back out.  We went to 7 different places and spent 14.5 hours shopping and driving around, not including the hour we spent driving when we realized we forgot something and the 15 minutes the next day when we forgot something else.

Years ago we shopped for Mr. C’s truck and we were clueless.  We were young, overwhelmed, and stressed.  We didn’t know much and although my parents were with us, I felt like I was the one doing the majority of the negotiating (arguing).  I seemed crazy while Mr. C seemed like a nice guy.  We shopped around a bit, haggled, bought the truck, and have loved it.  I still remember that first ride when we were on a new car (to us) high.  The experience could have been better though and we definitely had a lot to learn.

This time around was a bit different.  I researched online for too many hours to count.   We handled financing ahead of time through our own bank on our own terms.  We knew we had some time to make a decision this time around.   We made a plan and headed out to search.  We were on the same page and we had each other’s back.  We looked at each other before answering and we said what we thought.  We kept each other from being distracted or confused by everything being thrown at us.  We knew what we wanted and we weren't willing to compromise.  We were a united front and when someone needed to the outspoken crazy one, we seemed to take turns.  One of the dealerships kept cycling managers around to us and I sort of snapped, raised my voice a bit, and sounded a bit crazy (something I don’t typically do in public) and Mr. C backed me up.  We talked through each experience and at the end of the weekend we went back to the very first place with the very first car I drove that I loved.  I drove it home Monday.  Dealing with dealerships is one of my least favorite things, but I loved what it showed me this time around.  We’ve been together for over 12 years and married for over 7 now.  It’s had its ups and downs like our car buying experience, but we’re at an even better place now than we were then.  We’ve learned a lot in general and about each other and we’re a great team because of it.  

This weekend wasn’t the most fun, but it was a nice reminder that we’re better together than we’ve ever been apart.  We did manage to get in a quiet early morning hike Saturday morning and finished our night off with an amazing dinner at the Melting Pot.

What are you listening to?

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a bit obsessed with my music.  I like to think I’m pretty versatile but alternative is by far my favorite and my radio is tuned to alt nation about 99% of the time.  

When I was in high school I was broke (and in debt to my dad for borrowing money) all the time due to spending almost all my money on CD's.  My BFF and I bolted out of school to get to Target to buy the "NOW" CD's the Tuesdays they were released. 

I was frequently in charge of music when I was the passenger and I happened to be a bit bossy about my requests when I was the driver also.  I considered myself an amazing mixed CD maker.  One minute Ja Rule would be on and the next song was a Christian song, followed by something country and then maybe some Michelle Branch to round it out.  Unfortunately I wasn't blessed with any musical talents other than my mix making, but my love of music is something that's never gone away. 

I remember frequently waking up Saturday mornings and deciding to get out of bed so I could listen to my new CDs.  That feeling isn't something that's common for me anymore, but the other day I downloaded some songs I loved and got up a bit earlier the next day so I'd have time to enjoy more of them as I got ready for work.  Anything that makes me get up earlier than needed on a weekday is a pretty big deal. 

I'm long overdue for a "things I love" post, so this one is devoted all to the music that's been dominating my stereo.  Also, if you haven't gotten on the Spotify bandwagon, I highly recommend it.  You can listen to entire albums for free.  While it hasn't eliminated my itunes shopping sprees, it's cut them back a bit.

The albums I can’t get enough of:

• Invisible Friends by Lily Wood and the Prick
• Favorites: Prayer in C, Hey It's Ok, Water Ran, L.E.S. Artistes, This is a love song.  The first few lines of (No No) Kids, make me laugh everytime.
• Reflections by Misterwives - Reflections is an amazing song, but I think all the rest are pretty great too.
• Montevallo by Sam Hunt - here's that country I was talking about
• Favorites: Ex to See, Break Up in a Small Town, Take your Time.
• Modest Mouse has a new album coming out soon which I'm SOOO excited about, but for now, I'm loving the song Lampshades on Fire.  It's oh-so-weird, and I wouldn’t expect anything different from them.
• Mr. C would like to also add that the Fall Out Boy album is amazing.  I knew he wanted to buy it so I downloaded it one day so he could listen to it on his way home from work. Sometimes I do sweet things.

The songs I’m playing over and over:

• Carousel by Melanie Martinez
• Bad Friend by Bear Hands
• It's a Longer Road to California Than I Thought by The Wind and the Wave
• #icanteven by The Neighborhood - I love anything by them, and I could listen to this song all day
• Honey, I'm Good by Andy Grammer - I'm glad to see there's finally a song against cheating (I do realize the song listed right before this one addresses cheating)
• All Over by CRUISR
• A Rush of Blood by Coasts
• Peaches by In the Valley Below
• Habits of my Heart – Jaymes Young

My list ended up a bit longer than expected.  Let me know what you think if you check these out!  What songs are you currently loving?

Valentine DIY: Date Jar

So many of my favorite gifts are thoughtful, homemade gifts.  One year for Valentine’s Day I gave Mr. C 12 sealed envelopes – 1 for each month containing a specific and detailed date for that month.  The dates ranged in price.  One month was the ballet under the stars (free) and another month was a day trip in Sedona which took a bit more planning and money.  He loved the gift and I loved that each month we had a fun planned date.  For our anniversary, I decided to expand on this gift a bit and brainstormed some ideas of places we had been wanting to go around Phoenix and added some fun free dates. 

I categorized my ideas into 4 different categories: home, out $, out $$, and planning + $$$.

I wrote each idea on a popsicle stick and color coded it in washi tape.  I put all the sticks in a glass jar, applied a rub-on heart on the lid, and finished it off with a bit of ribbon and a tag.

Every few weeks (theoretically) we pick a category and grab out a corresponding stick.  It’s one of my favorite gifts and perfect for your sweetie on Valentine’s Day.

Easy Roasted Asparagus

Lately my weekends fly by and on Monday morning when someone asks me what I did with my weekend I really have no idea and think, “did I really watch Friends all day Sunday?”  This weekend was a refreshing opposite, although I still may have watched a few Friends episodes….  We went for a hike, took care of the leaves outside (isn’t that what everyone is doing in January?), I did some cleaning and organizing around the house that was long overdue, finished a book, worked on tax stuff (bonus points for that!) and still had some time to relax as well.   We topped off our productive weekend with some homemade soup Sunday night and one of my now favorite sides, roasted asparagus. 

I was a bit of a picky eater at my house when I was younger.  Cooked spinach and asparagus were on the top of the icky list, but the worst nights were steak nights.  I would cut the steak into little pieces and when my parents weren’t looking I’d throw it under our big wooden kitchen table.  We had a dog, however he was not allowed in that part of the house so unfortunately my habit was discovered.  For awhile I think my mom just thought I was a messy eater.  Eventually I tried swallowing a huge piece of steak whole so I wouldn’t have to chew it and ended up choking.  My aunt gave me the Heimlich and I was never forced to eat steak again.  Score for me!  Unfortunately there were still other foods around that were just plain gross and the spinach and asparagus remained in this category for quite awhile.

I’m still not a fan of cooked spinach but the raw stuff is a permanent staple in our house and I now have a special place in my heart for asparagus.  I prefer my veggies with a bit of crunch and lots of flavor, so roasting is right up my alley.

This is the easiest side dish ever.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.  You can skip that step, but it makes cleanup SO much easier.  Snap the hard ends off the asparagus and throw them away.  Lay the asparagus out flat on the baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil (don’t get carried away) and top with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the tips start browning.  Usually I serve it up just like that but if you want to be fancy you can top with some shredded parmesan cheese.

When In Phoenix...The Farm

I’m starting a new section here on In the Centner of it All called “When In Phoenix” where I’ll be sharing some of my favorite restaurants, shops, and events in the Phoenix area.  Lets be honest though, most of the places will likely be restaurants. 

When I first moved here I was just excited to be in a city with an Olive Garden close.  My best friend and I used to drive almost an hour to go to Applebees in high school so living somewhere with so many options was pretty darn exciting.  Although many chain restaurants can hold their own, I really prefer the unique, home-grown restaurants that offer a different type of experience and there are so many of those here.

Last week Mr. C and I finally made it to The Farm, a place I’ve been dying to visit for at least a couple years.  The issue was that everytime I’d think about going it was summertime and the place is seasonal being that people typically don’t want to pay to eat outside when it’s 120 degrees.  I was worried that after waiting forever to try out the place I’d have built it up in my mind and just be disappointed, but disappointed I was not. 

We saw a little sign for parking and made our way to the entrance.  We started at the Farm Kitchen by placing our order.  Everything on the menu looked amazing but we both decided on the Tuscan Chicken Sandwich, passion tea, and split a pasta salad.  The sandwiches were made fresh in a few minutes and served in a cute little basket.   There are so many spots to eat, but we picked a table in the courtyard right outside.  I loved watching the birds hop around, and the view was beautiful, even in the winter when the trees were pretty bare.  Everything tasted was amazing and the pesto primavera pasta salad was possibly the best pasta salad I’ve ever had.

After lunch we walked around a bit.  There is in fact farmland at The Farm that was being worked while we walked around.  At the back of the property there are a couple other places to eat that are a bit more formal and a farmer’s market with some fresh vegetables and local products.

We stopped in the gift shop where I restrained myself from buying everything.  We had fun looking around and I did buy a beautiful black currant scented candle and some of The Farm’s berry preserves.  I love buying unique, local products and when we got up to pay the woman at the counter couldn’t help but tell us how amazing the preserves taste.  She was right – it’s so good!  Everyone we encountered was so friendly, even the cat in the gift shop.

We will definitely be returning to The Farm, hopefully for dinner next time. I also can't wait to see the landscape in the Spring.  I’ve heard it’s one of the most romantic dinner places, but if you’re also looking for a cozy lunch spot to go with a friend or significant other, Farm Kitchen is the perfect place.

The Lost Art of Thank You's

I love trees and I’m all about sustainability and recycling and being green, but I really, really, really love paper.  I really, really, really, really love paper when it comes in the form of a card (or money also).  When I get into a card shop or even the card section of a store I could stay there for hours – just ask Mr. C. 

I love sending out cards, getting cards, and buying cards to stockpile for the special and not-so-special future times I know I’ll need them.  Thank you cards (and the process of sending them) seem to get a rap for being not so fun, but I disagree.

I recently sent out a few thank you notes for Christmas gifts and thought it was a perfect topic for a post.  I was taught that when someone gave you a gift, you sent a thank you note.  Over the years I like to think I’ve done a pretty good job keeping this up.  There are definitely exceptions although I’m sure proper etiquette wouldn’t agree with me on that.   If a close friend or family member gives me a gift in person I generally don’t send a thank you note, but Christmas gifts, mailed gifts, and any type of shower gifts always get one.  There’s something about getting a hand written thank you note that’s just not conveyed in an email or text.

Here’s a few pointers for sending your own:

1. Find some pretty cards that fit your personality.  If you find cards you love, you’re more likely to want to send them.  I always find cute cards at Target but I'm dying to add these chalkboard cards, snail mail cards, and these colorful cards to my collection.  I love these fill in the blank cards for kids!

2. Use a nice pen.  I love felt pens and they always seem to make my writing look prettier.

3. Mention the gift and why you love it.  Maybe it sits on your desk and you think about the gift giver when you look at it, or you smile everytime you use it.  If someone gives me money or a general gift card I usually try to mention how I plan to spend it.  I usually add a little extra about what's new or something that's going on with them to wrap up the note.

4.  Find some cute washi tape and use it to seal your cards.  It's the extra touches that count!

Lastly, don't forget to actually mail the cards!  I promise your note will brighten someone's day!