I was reading another blog this morning, and the post happened to be about how the writer's family is taking a visit out to Mendocino County, CA in the upcoming month. I then realized I never really let you all in our on adventures from when we went out to San Francisco/up the northern coast. You can read all about our wine tasting adventure here from our #EpEx14 series, but how about I highlight all the other amazing places we got to see on this trip of a lifetime? You all with me? Alright, well then let's go!
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As I stated on my Instagram account on Saturday (which you should follow if you don't already #shamelesspromo), I am starting a #wiw - what I wore series on here! I'm in love with the idea of blending travel and fashion because we all need some inspiration on what to pack or to wear for specific places/events right? I figured there was no better place to start then an outfit for a little holiday day date in Chicago!
Fair Isle sweater // Jeans // White collared shirt // Cords // Shirt dress // Puffer vest // Scarf // Duck boots // Slippers // Pajamas // Cozy socks // A good book // Wool coat
The holidays are quite the busy travel time and sometimes, okay most of the time, we have no idea what to pack and how to pack it all when we do figure it out. We have bulky sweaters, boots, coats, presents, and things we acquire on the actual trip. My advice for holiday travel (especially if you just want to bring a carry on) is to mix and match. Wear a sweater by itself with cords, the sweater with a collared shirt underneath with jeans, the collared shirt with a puffer vest, the collared shirt with a scarf, etc. Wear your coat on the plane or in the car/train/bus, and wear your bulkiest shoes, as well. Pack some comfies and don't forget a good book to read during your travel time and next to a cozy fire! If you pack more conservatively you'll have more room for the presents you bring, the presents you get, and anything you treat yourself to along the way! It's quite easy too to still make your outfits look fresh and different even when you re-use the same core pieces as long as you strategically pack your accessories.
I apologize for the long hiatus, friends! It has been quite the busy and exciting last couple of weeks. As a lot of you know, Caleb and I went on vacation to San Francisco/Sonoma County, California last week, which is why the posts have been non-existent. I tried to rack up some posts that could be released while we were gone, but it just didn't happen. However, I do want to share the most exciting part of our trip with you first. We're engaged! I'm still in a state of bliss and the happiest I've ever been in my whole life. So in still being in a state of euphoria from all that excitement and trying to get back in to the swing of things, that's why you all haven't seen any posts this week either. But it's time to get back in to it! A portion of our trip we planned around an #EpEx14 item and it was...
mean literally, my favorite winery of all time, Clos du Bois. We discovered Clos du Bois's Chardonnay last year at a wine event called Indulge in Des Moines. When I discovered that their winery was in Sonoma it was a must visit. Our wine pourer was fantastic. He taught us so much about the different kinds of wine and proper wine tasting etiquette. (WINE FACT: There are two different kinds of Cabernets. There is a Cabernet Franc and a Cabernet Sauvignon. A Franc is lighter than a Sauvignon and research has been done to discover that the Franc grape is the parent grape to the Sauvignon. The Franc grape hails from Bourdeaux, France.) I highly encourage you to try multiple Cabernet Francs. You have to read the label very closely to ensure that it is a true Cabernet Franc though. A lot of cheaper wines will claim they are Franc or Sauvignon, but they will actually be blended with multiple kinds of red grapes, making them not a true Franc or Sauvignon. Basically...just try to get your hands on a bottle of Clos du Bois's Cabernet Franc because not only was it my favorite but it is truly a spectacular wine. Last, but certainly not least on our first day of wine tasting, we went to Francis Ford Coppola's winery in Sonoma. For those of you that do not know who he is, he directed The Godfather. He has two wineries, one in Napa and one in Sonoma. The one in Sonoma actually houses a lot of the movie memorabilia! The wine blew my mind, of course, with the Reserve Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch being my favorite.
On our 2nd day we went down Highway 12 towards Sonoma, CA and started out at Ledson Winery. When Caleb was growing up (HUMAN FACT: Caleb grew up in Santa Rosa, CA, which is in Sonoma County) he would refer to this winery as "The Castle." So naturally we had to go because who wouldn't want to go wine tasting at a castle!? The wine at Ledson was beautiful. That's the only way I can describe it. I would have to say my favorite was the 2013 Sonoma Coast Viognier. We also deemed our wine pourer there our "wine guy" because once you go wine tasting you have to have a wine guy. When our new collection of wines starts to dwindle you can bet we will be calling him up for some more! Our last stop of our wine adventure was at St. Francis Winery. This Spanish style estate with a glorious view of the mountains was just what we needed to round out the trip. Our favorite wine from St. Francis was definitely the Russian River Zinfandel. I was dreaming of having lasagna while tasting it.
My favorite part about the whole experience would have to be just discovering new kinds of wines. We always just stuck with what we liked...Pinot Grigo/Chardonnay for white and Cabernet Sauvignon for red. Now we love Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs, and Zinfandels. We also were introduced to Viogniers and Cabernet Francs. On top of all the amazing wine, we went to some wonderful restaurants in Sonoma, as well! It was just a big beautiful food and wine adventure.
Outfit details - Shop the Look:
Chambray // Tank // Skirt // Sandals (Color unavailable) // Sunglasses // Purse (Unavailable but other options) // Bracelet // Watch Maxi dress (Not available online) Location details: Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate & Gardens - 5007 Fulton Rd, Fulton, CA Clos du Bois - 910 Lytton Station Rd, Geyserville, CA Francis Ford Coppola Winery - 300 Via Archimedes, Geyersville, CA Ledson Winery - 7335 Hwy 12, Kenwood, CA St. Francis Winery - 100 N Pythian Rd, Santa Rosa, CA Look for the Sonoma County city guide in the near future for more details on food and shops! Also have no fear! Even though summer is coming to a quick end, we will be putting together a fall/winter #EpEx14 list. Join in on the fun this fall and use #EpEx14 to share your fun adventures, too! If you have any questions regarding wines, wineries, or any of the places we went to on our trip PLEASE send me an e-mail or leave a comment because I would love to share more about our experience with all of you!
We all get so excited for upcoming road trips and then the night before the trip we realize we have to pack. I'm definitely an over packer, but I feel like I'm starting to get past the overzealous packing stage of my life. A few weeks ago, I went on a road trip out to Ohio/Detroit for my cousin's wedding, and I think I did pretty dang good on the packing front...at least with my clothing bag I did!
As much as we want to bring our whole closet with us on trips it's just not possible. Pick pieces that will take up minimal space that you can mix and match if you're staying longer than a couple days. By packing a couple dresses, a couple pairs of shoes, small bags, and reusing jean shorts, you'll be able to fit everything in to your weekender bag, look fantastic, and maybe even have some room to bring back some extra stuff!
What are your go to pieces when going on weekend road trips?
Happy Monday!
This "weeks" #EpEx14 actually spanned over 2 weekends. And let me tell you, these past two weekends have been two of the most fun weekends I've had in a really long time! They were filled with great music, great food, and great company.
An ankle strap flat for the office, a leopard pair because leopard is the new neutral, and red to brighten up your day. Moccasins for around the house, loafers for taking the pup out, and boat shoes for a day out on the water. Black & nude because they're classic, rain for jumping in puddles, and canvas for quick trips to the market. There ya go, your shoe collection is happy and complete :)
Caleb and I were able to continue with our Epic Exploration list this past weekend! We've had to take a few weeks off due to some busy weekends we had, but now with summer in full swing, there is nothing holding us back now!
Mass at Holy Name Cathedral
Yes, we have been to Holy Name Cathedral before. However, we haven't had the opportunity to take the Eucharist together at Holy Name. We are now able to celebrate that part of mass together, so we made our way downtown yesterday morning and attended their 9:30 mass. Just being in that cathedral is mesmerizing. To be able to spend even an hour of your week in such a beautiful place is amazing. It was a great way to end last week and start this week. Whether you are Catholic or not, Holy Name is a place to go and see when you are in Chicago. We learned back on our first visit that due to the fire that took place there a few years back, they had to redo the entire ceiling. Every piece of wood on that ceiling was hand placed. That's mind blowing, at least to me it is!
After mass let out, we of course had to grab brunch at our favorite spot, Bistrot Zinc. I recommend this little French bistro to everyone and anyone visiting Chicago. It's located in the Gold Coast, only a few blocks down on State St. from Holy Name Cathedral. They have the best service, atmosphere, and most importantly, food. It never disappoints!
Bistrot Zinc is located at 1131 N. State St. Chicago, IL.
Outfit Details: Sweater // Oxford (no longer available) // Skirt (no longer available) // Loafers // Watch // Purse (no longer available) //Sunglasses // Necklace Happy Memorial Day!
With summer quickly approaching and the music festival season already starting, it's time to start thinking what we're all going to be wearing to these awesome but probably pretty hot outside concert events! The key of course is to look cute but stay cool. Whether you're going to Summerfest, Bonnaroo, or Firefly next month, Country Thunder in July, Lollapalooza in August, or any of the other awesome festivals that will be running this summer, here are a few outfits to go off of to get you through the long hot days:
Happy Almost Summer!
Last weekend I was fortunate to go on a mini weekend getaway up to Wisconsin with my family for my parents' birthdays. One of the most important factors of a getaway is what to pack/what to wear, right? I believe it is important to, of course, pack for the weather, but also wear what is appropriate for where you're going. When I think Wisconsin in the winter, I think cozy.
Even though I'm dying for it to be spring, if I have to "think cozy" with these fabulous pieces for a little longer, I think I'll live. Stay warm, friends!
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All photos are taken by Caleb and Diana Cabrera unless otherwise stated. These photos are property of Yellow Mondays. Thank you.
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