At the beginning of February, my husband was gone for the week to Pismo Beach for a week of teaching. Muuust be nice... no naggy wife begging him to PLEEESE take out the trash!! no kids, no messes to clean or fights to settle. Just him and about 25 or so 20 somethings on the beach for a week... What ever.
Meanwhile, I was home, settling all the fights and taking out all of the trash and cleaning alllll of the messes!!
Actually, if you're like me, you get MUCH MUCH MUCH more done when your Mr. is not around...
am I right?
So the house was clean, laundry was done, kids were happy and Mama was in CRAFTERS PALACE!
hee hee
By the end of the week, I was READY for Daddy to be back! Instead, we loaded up the van and headed for the beach.
MOMMY'S TURN!
To be honest, I'm not much of a beach person, well, I like the beach, just not an ocean swimmer... or any fresh water, really... I really like chlorine.
Buuut, I do love walking on the beach, watching the kids play and sand castles aren't too bad either.
My favorite thing, like most of you I'm sure, is SHOPPING!
No, I'm totally a CHEAP SKATE! I am.
But, I love exploring the shops, and seeing what other people put together, what they find that is unique and totally different from other shops.
The Central CA Coast has TONS of great shops, but I wanted to show you just 2 that I *LOVE* and I go to every single time I take this trip.
First is the famous Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.
You can tell by the sign, that I'm gonna LOOOOVE this place...
I can't really do this fabulous place the justice it deserves, so you REALLY should check out their website, and take a tour of the rooms here. I would love to stay here some day... but I think I will have save up for QUITE A WHILE to fully enjoy my stay. Here are a few of the rooms, taken from their website.
Sugar and Spice
Love Nest
Elegance
Niiiice, huh? My kinda place!!
We usually stop in the coffee shop for salads and DESSERT!! This is a cake in the case, waiting for a lucky Birthday gal... but this is the cake I order, YUMMMY!
These are just a few of the photos I've taken while we were there...
the bathroom, "Your beauty is your smile"
dining room
yes, it is PINK!
stairwell
outside
the fountain in the garden
Needless to say, this place is FABULOUS! Stop in if you get a chance, just to see!
Okay this is getting long, but I want to share another little shop with you called The Nest. It is also in San Luis Obispo, on Palm Street, a few streets off the beaten path.
The web site is only photos, but if you ever get the chance to stop in, you MUST! Okay, so I start chatting with one of the co-owners and next thing I know, she's in tears. Sharing with me how important it is to
"do what you love".
Hmmm, I've heard that before.
Anyway, she's a doll, and loves her shop more than anything in the world, and rightly so, it IS one of the VERY BEST SHOPS I've ever been to. They have a beautiful palette... brown, cream and black with bits of aqua... and they STICK to it, and it is BEAUTIFUL! You'll find antiques, shabby painted furniture, decorative items, baby goodies, gifts and all kinds of fantastic goodness, all centered around their theme, The Nest.
A few photos...
I did purchase a few gifts from here, and also a little something for myself! (of course)
Oh my, this post has been so long!
I better be off, we went to my mom's cabin over the holiday weekend for a SNOW TRIP!
Whew. Laundry calls.
I'll share those photos just as soon as I get a few moments to edit myself out of them...
*wink*
I will come to California all the way from Germany this summer and maybe I will have the chance to visit some of these beautiful places.
Posted by: Nicole - Small Treasures | February 23, 2008 at 06:44 AM
Oh my gosh...I have been passing the Madonna Inn for years and never stopped. And The Nest! That looks like a wonderful store. Have you gone down the road further to Arroyo Grande? There's lots of fun shops there too. I am craving a trip to Pismo. Soon, I hope!!
Posted by: Betty @ She's Sew Pretty | February 22, 2008 at 09:58 PM
I get to live here. I insist on going to Madonna Inn once each season for dinner and/or just for drinks. The orchestra and ballroom dancing is so a blast from the past. You have to love it. And Nest....oh my gosh. The best shop. I love it. Want to just live there.
SLO is the best.
Posted by: Kitchen Trove | February 22, 2008 at 09:20 PM
I get to live here. I insist on going to Madonna Inn once each season for dinner and/or just for drinks. The orchestra and ballroom dancing is so a blast from the past. You have to love it. And Nest....oh my gosh. The best shop. I love it. Want to just live there.
SLO is the best.
Posted by: Kitchen Trove | February 22, 2008 at 09:18 PM
I think I have just seen 100% pink heaven on your post!!!! I have got to go online and check this out further!! great shops too! Lori
Posted by: Lori | February 22, 2008 at 04:53 PM
loved your post. will you take me there when i come stay with you? :-) missing you as usual! love love.....
Posted by: Shelly | February 20, 2008 at 09:39 PM
Oh, so Beautiful!
Sandra Evertson
Posted by: Sandra Evertson | February 20, 2008 at 08:29 PM
How fun to see your pictures. I grew up on the central coast. When I was a little girl my father would take me to the Madonna Inn at Christmas. It was always very magical.
Posted by: Becky | February 20, 2008 at 06:49 PM
You are one lucky traveler! Wouldn't we frost-bitten girls love a little getaway like that!??
Cheryl
Posted by: Periwinkle Vintage | February 20, 2008 at 03:09 PM
Wow, what a fun time at the beach, I
have to say I love the beach and wow
the place you stayed so much lovely pink.....and that shop, thank you for sharing all the pretties Pinkie Denise
Posted by: Pinkie Denise | February 20, 2008 at 03:01 PM
What lovely photos.i love the sea, its my favourite place to be...
Now that we have moved from S Africa to Ireland, I see the ocean in a different light, no longer a long stretch of sand to spend the day on and eat a picnic, its more of a "get out of the car quick,freeze, appreciate the view and the usually rough, angry, beautiful ocean, freeze some more and get back in the car, quick!"
Love "The Nest" store, looks like my type of shopping...
Great blog and I'll be back!
x
Posted by: Jasmine | February 20, 2008 at 02:09 PM
wow.... lots of beautiful places! I so wish I could visit you in sunny California... it is SO cold here in Pennsylvania!!!
I can't believe how well that shop sticks to that color scheme... that is amazing!!! It is so beautiful.
xo Heather
Posted by: Heather - Pretty Petals | February 19, 2008 at 09:10 PM
great post!! love all the pics!! I will have to stop by those places someday :-)
Posted by: britt-sparkledvintagecharm | February 19, 2008 at 06:27 PM
How fun! A Pink Booth in a Dining Room like that? Fabulous!!
I love it!
~Sadie
Posted by: sadie lou | February 19, 2008 at 05:34 PM
Ooh GREAT post! Makes me wanna go! I grew up in the Central Valley so jetting over to Pismo was the 'thing to do' on weekends. We used to stop at the Madonna Inn to see the caged lion (tiger?) out back. Now I want to go as an adult so I can get a room there!
Posted by: jen duncan | February 19, 2008 at 04:40 PM
Great post. Love the look of that beach.
Oh how fabulous is The Nest.
Love the colour of the door and shutters.
Alison
Posted by: Alison Gibbs | February 19, 2008 at 04:21 PM
Fun pics! That cake looks SO GOOD! Yes...I have 6 piles of laundry in the floor at the moment too! Yuck!
Posted by: Sarah Keith | February 19, 2008 at 03:39 PM
WOW!!! im speechless and that does'nt happen very often,
i nee to go back and look at this again.
oxcox,
jessi
Posted by: jessi nagy | February 19, 2008 at 03:12 PM