Saying Goodbye to Summer

    As I start this post, please know that I mean summer as lightly as possible... Today is November 13th, and it was 81 degrees in Los Angeles.  I hate to complain about the weather, but I am very much jonesing for some layering weather.
    This year I really tried to make the most of my summer... I just wanted to recap some of the highlights!

First trip of the summer was to Santa Barbara!!!

The Beach!

Bikes bikes bikes

    Andrea and I have been best friends for 15 years this fall and we decided to celebrate with a wine tour in the San Ynez valley. It was amazing.  I can't say enough about how much I needed this break after a VERY long season of my show this year.

    Wine Tasting in Barnsdall Park!

Delicious wine with beautiful architecture in the background!

Complimented by one of my favorite couples!

Epic sunset and view of LA

    Once a month in the summer, there are wine tastings at Barnsdall Park, on the lawn of the Hollyhock House, which was built by Frank Lloyd Wright, one of my favorite architects. The setting is epic, the wine is amazing, and I never get to go!!! Its always on a Friday night, and I am always working. This year, I actually made it to one, and it was spectacular. Surprisingly, it was one of the more family friendly events I had been to in a long time. Lots of cute chubby little toddlers waddling around to DJ's while their parents lounged on blankets and sipped wine. It was so nice. 

Wilco and Neil Young (!!) at the Hollywood Bowl

Wilco getting ready to start!

The gang before the show!

Epic seats and sounds for Neil Young

    Its no secret that I love the Hollywood Bowl. I post about it every year. This time the lineup wasn't as amazing as I would have liked, but I did see two pretty outstanding shows. Wilco and Neil Young were both everything I had hoped they would be. Neil Young played forever, and just jammed out. You can tell he still has a solid love of performing. It was incredible. 

San Francisco, well it was just outstanding... but I think I talked enough in the last post.

Beautiful sunset while we walked.

Tea Tasting!

Chinatown

   Thank you summer/hiatus of 2012 for being so much fun and quite an adventure. I expect next year to be just as good...once the vampires go back to ground.

xo

Summerland Dog beach

Today I took a trip up the coast with Julia from Hollywood on a Leash to the Sunmerland Dog Beach!

Julia brought her pups and a few friends and we made quite the morning of it! The beach is about 88 miles north of Los Angeles on the 101 freeway just before Santa Barbara. It couldn't have been more perfect!

Aidan was actually a model citizen for once and got to be off leash...which is something I have never done with him. He was always a bit of a runner when he was little and would just take off, so he isn't really allowed to roam free. Today he was perfect!

It was so sunny, Aidan even had to wear sunscreen on his little pink skin!

The beach was super chill and and not packed at all, even for a Saturday morning when it was 112 back in town! I think we will for sure be making a habit of this!