More Pictures

So, in the previous post I gave you the breakdown of our trip, but I also wanted to share some other pictures that I took.  The following are shots from Hearst Castle, the home of old newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hearst. 

  Unfortunately, the museum lights inside prevented me from taking many pictures, however, I did manage to snap a few, such as this one of the dining room.  

The statues that were scattered around the grounds were actually quite lifelike; original works of some of the masters of sculpture.

Did you know that the castle was never finished?  If you look to on the left side of the above picture, you'll see that the limestone facade was never completed.  Kind of weird, but the park promised to leave the house in the exact state that Mr. Hearst left it, so the construction was never finished.

Mr. Hearst collected sarcophagi, but this one is considered a fraud because some of the detailing is not as it would have been done long ago. 

Hearst also collected  ornate ceilings, and this was one of many that he stored in a warehouse before giving it a place in his home. 

The wine cellar was incredible, with so many bottles in a spacious room.  Of course, none of it is drinkable anymore, but it was still quite impressive. 

The kitchen was very high-tech for the time, complete with refrigerators and giant mixers.

The Neptune Pool is one of the more famous parts of Hearst Castle, and it was probably one of my favorite spaces.

This is the other pool, and this one's indoors.  It's quite beautiful, with the entire bottom of the pool tiled in blue and gold, but sadly, it was too dark to capture the image. 

The hillside surrounding the castle was even magnificent, with cows and (although we didn't see any) wild zebras roaming and grazing on the green grass.  There was so much to see at Hearst Castle. So much, in fact, that I took over 200 pictures.  Of course there were plenty of other great ones that didn't make this post, but overall, these really captured the beauty of a place like no other.  A place known simply as, Hearst Castle.
Kisses,
Anonymous

Up the Coast Post

Salutations Hi!  As I mentioned earlier, I went on a great trip up the California coast. 

I took this picture from our room at the first hotel we stayed at.  It was really nice there, located right on the beach in a town called San Simeon.  The town was relatively small, but it was near Hearst Castle, which was our second day's highlight.

I took this picture on the steps leading up to Hearst Castle. The mansion and grounds were incredible, although the style was rather morbid.  Did you know that Mr. Hearst collected both ceilings and sarcophagi?  Rather disgusting if you think about it.  

That same day we visited an elephant seal breeding ground, where the beach was literally covered with the creatures.  This girl was apart from the rest, with its baby near by.  It was a truly magical experience.

That night we stayed in a cabin in the redwoods and then went hiking in the morning.  I'll admit, I'm not one of those great outdoors enthusiasts, so it wasn't my cup of tea.  However, the nature was beautiful, and I'm ended up being glad that I did it.

I took this picture on the side of the road near Bixby Bridge (pictured  below).  The coastline and farmland that we passed during our drive was absolutely breathtaking, and it was nice to remember that not the entire world is made of metal and concrete. 

Apparently, this bridge is famous because it was one of the first bridges that helped to connect the California coastline. 

The last stop of our trip was in Carmel, where we stopped at the mission.  I'd only been to one other of the California missions, so it was quite interesting to see how they lived there. 

This tree sits perched above the ocean on a scenic seventeen mile drive stretching from Carmel to Monterey.  The drive costs $10, and while by the end it gets a little repetitive, it's beauty is something that can't be denied. 

Our final stop before our long and tedious drive back was at Cannery Row in Monterey, where I had some of the best clam chowder I have ever tasted. 


Overall, the trip was incredible and filled with some of the best memories (and food) a person could ask for.  See you soon!!
Kisses,
Anonymous

Big Bear Lake, California

Hi everyone!!!  So sorry for the long silence, I went on yet another California vacation (this time a road trip), and had no time to post.  I completely apologize for the lack of notice. Anyway, there is so much to talk about, I don't know where to start.  But, I thought I'd begin with the first vacation that I told you about once upon a time, Big Bear Lake, California.

This picture I snapped on the way back down the mountain.  If you look at the top you can just see the snow peeking out at you.  It was a great trip and we (my family and I that is) got the chance to go both snow-tubing and skiing.  sometime this year we are also planning to go to a different mountain and learn how to snowboard.  That should be interesting.:)

Now we're getting closer to the snow.  The scenery up there was absolutely spectacular and the town itself was cute and lively.  It had the perfect small town charm that is so rare these days, but honestly, the restaurants were some of the best.  I know that may sound hard to believe, but there was one in particular, Cowboy Express, that had one of the best steaks I have ever tasted. (If the name makes you think of a fast-food place, trust me, it's not. In fact, I would get there early or make a reservation, because that place gets completely packed) 

I took this picture while driving by the lake.  Did you know that people used to put on ice skates and have a snow-mobile drag them across the ice?  Not anymore, of course.  Actually, it's illegal to go on the lake ice because it's so thin!!  Imagine how many people fell in back then. 

Well, that's about all.  I took a ton of other photos, of course, but these ones really capture the serene nature of the mountain.  It was my first time going to Big Bear, and I think that it was an experience I'd like to have again.
Till Next Time,
Anonymous

Merry Christmas!!!!

Hi everyone!! I'm back from what was an incredible vacation, but that is a post for another time.  Today, my post is all about one thing, CHRISTMAS!!! So, in that spirit, here are some "presents" to make sure that your day is merry and bright (and warm).  (NOTE: In the next few days, look for a "What I Made For Christmas" post as well as the inevitable presents post and a recap of some of the beautiful scenery of Big Bear Lake, California.)

These adorable kittens can't help but make you smile.  Video found on YouTube. 

NOBODY MESSES WITH SANTA!!!!!!(uploaded by ostapmusic on YouTube)

Okay, so maybe this one, uploaded on YouTube by ahkunsaajo, is a little gross.  But come on, it does make you laugh!!!

Have a holly, jolly, hairy (what?!?!), merry Christmas!!!
Kisses,
Anonymous

Gingerbread Mansion

Okay, so maybe it's not quite a MANSION, but you have to give it some credit.  Usually, I'm not very good at making gingerbread houses (I find that the frosting is never sticky enough).  This particular kit, however, came from Trader Joe's, and I must say that the assembly was incredibly easy. 

It was a little more work (to make the frosting you had to actually beat an egg white, lemon juice and their mix together) than a normal gingerbread house, but it made the frosting almost customizable to the texture that you wanted.  The above photo is the house before I decorated it.  Besides the easy assembly, I loved the little details on the house (roof tiles, grass) and the fact that the kit had little people that you could put in the yard.  (Do all kits have those? I don't know, but they sure are cute.) 

See, they're adorable!  Anyway, if there is a negative comment that I had about this kit, it's that the actual taste of the gingerbread wasn't very good.  I'm not saying it was horrible, but you know that it wasn't the greatest when two weeks later it has not been completely devoured by the inhabitants of my house. 

For the roof, I had some gold dust that usually comes out like powdered sugar when dusted on, so I thought that a I would use it as snow.  However, an accidental smudge of one clump of powder gave me the epiphany that you were supposed to brush on the dust for the desired gold effect (if you are sitting there laughing at my stupidity, know this, the bottle didn't come with directions:)  Anyway, my gingerbread palace ended up witha beautiful brushed gold roof.  

Now, I'm sure there's someone out there who thought that this post was going to be about some crazy intricate gingerbread castle, and for you I do not disappoint. 

mentalfloss.com

flickr.com

Victorian Christmas is the title of this piece which I found here.  The next picture is a replica of a San Francisco street and was found on the same site.

So which house was the best?  In my only partially-biased opinion, I think that my "mansion" wins (JK!!!).  Comment your opinion!!!  And if you want to try a gingerbread house of your own, remember to think outside of the box.  you don't have to be a pro to make something that will look adorable and taste good too.  
Kisses,
Anonymous
P.S.  For the next few days I will be in Big Bear, California.  I will try and post on my laptop while there, but if that proves impossible, I'll give you guys an update and more soon!!!)

Inspi-Red

Earlier while looking around on topshop.com I came across this magnificent red dress.

It's a little more daring than most of my wardrobe, but the color is what really got me going.  Lately I've been attracted to this hue, but I've yet to buy any pieces in this particular shade.  But, I think it's time I grabbed at least one piece in this color (maybe not this one, but...)  Anyway, if you like the shade as much as I do, here are some other pieces to get you inspi-red. 

(all of the dresses above are from topshop.com)
So what do you think?  Yes? No? Will you get in on this trend? Comment!!
'Till Next Time,
Anonymous