Apple Crazed

October 28, 2014 Kelly Donohue

October 27, 2014

Julian Orchard, CA.

Apple picking. Could there be a more perfect autumn ritual? And oh what lovely things come with it! Fiery fall foliage, round-red apples, and crisp fall air… well those were all the things that came along with fall trips on the farm in New Hampshire growing up. But now that I’ve found myself in Los Angeles, the season-less land of sunshine and sand, I have had to venture elsewhere to get my fill of festive harvest fun. Luckily, there are several quaint “apple towns” just a couple hours outside the city that have a far-away country feel.

In years past, I’ve spent time visiting an orchard called Oak Glen, but this year I decided to change things up and try out a little town, just an hour outside of San Diego called Julian. Lovely and not-so little, this place was full of things to do! We could have definitely spent another day there to be honest. Complete with apple orchards, candy stores, hard cider stands, wine tasting rooms, unique shops, vintage-style diners, pie shops, pumpkin patches and even chillier air, it made us all a bit more excited about the season ahead!

For my day at Julian, I decided to wear a breezy burgundy floral capped sleeve dress (on sale now!) from Forever 21 with some deep brown Charming Charlie leggings and ivory combat boots. This look was fun and femme while still ultra comfy and cozy- especially with the addition of the open-knit cardigan.

Dress: Forever 21 (ON SALE NOW!)

Open Knit Cardigan: Forever 21 (Similar/ exact is sold out)

Combat Boots: Forever 21

Leggings: c/o Charming Charlie

Home sweet home. The little town was full of adorable nooks, with a timeless old school charm waiting to be discovered around every corner.

While I don’t love buying apples from the grocery store, there is just something that makes handpicked fruit taste oh so much sweeter. Right?

Mom’s is a must. It’s full of delicious treats. We stopped in for apple pie and candied apples but they also have just about everything else that is yummy like apple cider and warmed baked treats- YUM!

Blue Door Winery was a favorite among our many stops. Not only did it have an adorable outdoor seating area, but it also had some of the tastiest sangria I’ve tried since Barcelona!

...And then this happened while I was walking down the street. I mean, who doesn't love a lama on the loose?

Oh what fun!

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Photos By: Courtney Locks (who is also in some photos this week!)

Weekend Getaway!

September 8, 2014 Kelly Donohue

September 8, 2014

San Diego, CA.

Sunny Los Angeles will forever be an ideal vacation destination. Complete with delicious restaurants on every block, year-round beach weather, and jam-packed cultural offerings, the opportunities for entertainment are endless. But sometimes, even in the most beautiful of places, a change of scenery is necessary. Luckily, with California as my backyard, weekend getaways are made easy. A quick car ride may transport a Los Angelino to the tranquil wineries of Santa Barbara, or the steamy desert of Palm Springs. A welcomed retreat from my everyday city life, I find these little breaks to provide me with wonderful relief and clarity. Thus, regardless of where you live, finding a nearby oasis may be as simple as camping out in a local park or renting a room in a bed & breakfast in your town, playing tourist in your very own city because the truth is, changing up your scene is really the best way to relax and it may not even require a two hour drive!

This weekend, my sister and her husband flew in, and we all drove a couple hours south to San Diego. Instead of showing them around this time, I enjoyed playing the role of tourist too!

We packed a lot into a couple of days. Sometimes I find that is the best way to explore a city or a town. From the beaches of La Jolla, to the nightlife of the Gaslamp Quarter, to Point Loma Marina, to hitting up shops all around the city, and exploring the USS Midway Museum, we really did it all!

The ocean was incredibly warm this past weekend, so we swam for hours between the sea of surfers at La Jolla beach and we even saw a couple of small Sand Sharks and blue ‘Sailor’ jelly-fish in the water! Although everyone kept telling us that the sharks were harmless, I was a little afraid. I mean they’re called sharks for a reason right? I have to admit swimming amongst them was oddly invigorating! We also enjoyed eating big brunches. My favorite was at Searsucker over in the Gaslamp Quarter, and when we weren’t busy beaching or brunching, we explored the city on bicycles! We rode down to the USS Midway Museum and I fell in love with the stories that lie in the nearly 50 years of world history kept treasured inside this colossal Navy aircraft carrier.