Twenty-Four Hours Ago I Was Eating Breakfast On A Terrace Overlooking The Ocean. It Was Warm And I Could Hear The Waves Crashing On The Beach. Today, We Woke Up To The Sound Of Our Grill Crashing To The Patio From The Freak Winds We've Enjoyed This Last Month. Yay, Winter!

Getting away from it all is really a very good thing to do.  I don't know why I always seem to forget how rejuvenated, and just happier, it makes me feel.  To go for a few days without having to plan, shop for, and prepare every single meal is priceless.  Top it off with not having to pick up the house or feel guilty because you didn't get around to cleaning the toilets (again) and you've got yourself a fabulous few days.

Not only is travel good for the heart and soul, it provides a lot of inspiration too.  We were in Santa Barbara this week and the way things are decorated there is so up my ally.  It's not that I want to capture the look exactly, but it's the feeling of Santa Barbara I'd like to weave into my own home.  There's an element of sunshine to the style - lighter woods, walls, and upholstery.  But it's anchored by dark red tiles, black framed windows, wrought iron, stone, and heavy wooden beams.  It's a very cool balance, if you ask me.  My theory is, if you decorate your home with the same vibe that a favorite vacation spot has, then you'll always kind of feel like you're on a vacation.  Right?  Still working on how to duplicate the joy a nice turn-down service provides.

So now I'm on a quest to bring a little Santa Barbara to my own abode.  I'll start by adding more wicker, a ton of hurricane candles, and some soft gold colors in my pillows and area rugs.  Would it be weird if I sprinkled a little sand here and there to make it feel like we are just off the ocean?  It probably would.  I'm always so proud when I can self edit before I do something strange.

I'm wearing this:

These jeans made it back from the trip to Santa Barbara without being worn, so they moved to the top of the heap when I was looking for something to wear.  I love the top because it's that weird gray/green - you can literally put any color with it and it works.  Plus it cost about $8 at TJMaxx so I like it even more.  The white jewelry feels like summer and wearing it makes me forget that it's not.

gratitude:  a little vacay, coming home to the kids, having the opportunity to experience some great things on our trip, my own shower

thanks and love.