Day 1. Metro Hotel

the view from our room window. hello, redwood, oh how we missed you so!!


one of the nooks in the cafe. nick & i drank coffee, read the paper & made plans in this cozy area.


i noticed this vintage cash register behind the counter top.


these beautiful vintage bikes made me want to take a ride. what? they're one-speed bikes.


there was the option to stay in one of these airstreams. 6411's licence plate reads: where dreams come true. too much!!

we stumbled upon the Metro Hotel in petaluma. after speaking to the very friendly, german exchange student/inn keeper & taking a short tour, we were sold. the hotel is located in a building that was erected in 1870. major renovations occurred in 2004, but the charm of the old building is still very much present. the inn is filled with vintage european (mostly french) ephemera: metal orangina signs, milk & wine bottles, maps, chairs, postcards, etc. it's situated several blocks away from the main downtown area (it was so peaceful & quiet), but still close enough to walk to restaurants, bars, a fab grocery store & park. we loved it! we felt so lucky to be staying in such a perfect little gem of an inn.

Day 1. Petaluma

amazingly, this photo was taken along Hwy 5. it's been a while since i've traveled any portion of the 5 outside of burbank, but, i'm pretty sure the yellow & purple flowers are not a typical part of the landscape.


huge, old oak trees seemed to be everywhere the closer we got to the east bay.


we spent the early afternoon driving through san rafael & other little towns. we were looking forward to camping and reached a small camp site near bodega to take a look. it was beautiful but very cold and with more rain in the forecast we decided to make another plan. we had a genius moment where we both realized the Lagunitas brewery was in petaluma, and being some 50 miles away, we decided to take the beautiful back roads to get there. we had no idea where we'd be staying, and drove around until we say a cute little hotel. as we walked toward the hotel to get a better look, this rainbow was there, too, greeting us, and letting us know that we'd be in good hands.

we're back!!

we returned to LA last night, fully rejuvenated from our 4 day excursion to (and through) our beautiful northern california coastline. we experienced it all: heavy rain, sun, beaches where trees and grass meet the sand, the fresh scent of wet redwood trees, amazing food, beer on tap at two of our favorite breweries, many, many birds, quaint inns, happy dogs... i could ramble on for a long while. instead, beginning tomorrow, i will post photos & commentary from our adventures so you can see some of what i am talking about. but now, i've got to go. i've got a fine cold beer from Lagunitas waiting for me. after all, i'm still, technically, on vacation. cheers!

i hope your week was wonderful!! happy sunday/easter. what have you been up to?

permanent vacation

after a long drawn out bout with the flu-sinus-sickly-sick, nick & i are ready for a proper vacation! we'll be traveling to the coast of northern california, with stops in point reyes & mendocino to soak in nature, empty beaches, rain, cheese, oysters & fermented spirits. we'll return to southern california on saturday with lots of photos & stories to share. until then, take care & have a wonderful week!!

image via wet behind the ears.

oh oh, it's magic

in case you needed a little bit of magic to pull you through. xo

lovely day

in LA the weather has been perfect lately, and today is no exception. today i'm baking a pie for my sis & making a trip to see her, purchasing some new frames for 2 lino reductions i've just finished (stay tuned), and hopefully taking a late afternoon stroll. where are you & what are you up to today?

image via we heart it

for les...

happy bday! i love you.
your big sis,

nina

image via ffffound