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Northern California

    Fashion, Fitness, Northern California

    Best Weekend Hikes in SF

    June 2, 2016
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    If there’s one weekend activity that I would do every weekend if I could, it’s hike. Being from Colorado, I am very fond of the outdoors. And very fond is an understatement. Part of the reason I moved to California was to explore new landscapes and see what the state has to offer. I haven’t been disappointed thus far.

    Last weekend, Jack and I went on a hike in Muir Woods near Mt. Tamalpais. We hiked the Matt Davis trail from the Mountain Inn to the Westpoint Inn and back. It was a bit of a large hill on the way up (only uphill, actually) so your booty definitely gets a workout. I wore my new Vince & Vic yoga pants, which are actually great for hiking since they are thick and provide great coverage. I love the mesh inserts as well, sorta like these. This trend is popping up everywhere!

    Some of you may be asking, how does a native Colorado girl know what are the best places to hike in SF? Well let me tell you, I’ve got my sources… And my friend Alex gave me the best Refinery29 article I’ve ever read. Here are some of my recommendations:

    1. Stinson Beach- haven’t done this one yet, but anything with the word “beach” in it- count me in!

    2. Westpoint Inn to Mountain Inn- this is the one we did this weekend. The views from the Westpoint Inn are incredible and the hike up really works your booty.

    3. Land’s End to Ocean Beach- if you have people visiting from our of town that enjoy nature, this hike needs to be at the top of your list. The cliff views are stunning.

    4. Tennessee Valley Trail to Pelican Inn- a bit of a longer hike, but my favorite I have been on so far. The Pelican Inn has such a yummy brunch so you can fill up before the hike back. Ocean views that will make your heart jump too 🙂

    5. Pfeiffer Falls Trailhead- down in Big Sur, but another one of my favs that hugs the coastline. A must if you are down in that area.

    Let me know if ya’ll know of any more that I can add to this list!

    Love,
    Lauren

    PC: Jack my Adventure Buddy

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    Northern California

    Retreat at The Bay Club

    May 25, 2016
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    I had one of the best Fridays I’ve had in a while last Friday. I spent the entire day at The Bay Club Redwood Shores in Redwood City, about an hour drive south of San Francisco for a day of rejuvenation. And let me tell you, I needed it; between full-time work and blogging, I don’t have much downtime. The itinerary of the day was as follows: tour, yoga, post yoga smoothie, facials, relaxing by the pool, eating and shopping! It was hard to pick a favorite activity, but considering how much I love to eat, mine would probably the eating part. We ate at their Seventy-Seven restaurant in the club for lunch and the food was great- I would have to say the shrimp tacos took the cake. Here’s a little peek inside what The Bay Club has to offer…

    What I like about The Bay Club is that there is something for everyone- whether you want a place to meet or work for business, let your kids play (or be babysat!), exercise by yourself or in a group, play tennis/squash, swim, eat, etc. The Club just has it all. Definitely pay this club a visit if you are in the area to see what they have to offer!

    Love,
    Lauren

    PC: Alicia Hotson of

    *Big thanks to The Bay Club for hosting such a fabulous event!

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    Fashion, Northern California, Travel

    Tassle Dress

    May 6, 2016
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    Last weekend, I attended the Jackalope Art Fair in Pasadena, like I mentioned in one of my last blog posts. I wore this adorable tassel dress I picked up from the Crossroads Trading in Pasadena, which is one of the best Crossroads I have ever been to. I paired it with my lace-ups from The Mint Julep Boutique for a laid back casual bohemian look.

    The art fair was also one for the books! Here is a list of some of my favorite vendors at the fair:

    United by Form– everything from jewelry to candles to macrame succulent holders… need I say more.
    Sacred LA– handmade kimonos!
    Zafiro Jewelry– some of the more eclectic and creative jewelry I have seen lately.
    Loschy– handmade, uniquely designed crowns, so so beautiful.
    Cactus Club– beautiful watercolor art.
    Clay & Fabric– the absolute cutest pots you will ever see! Jack got one of his own here.
    Katie Dean Jewelry – I’ve been an avid follower of Katie, and her jewelry is some of my favorite.
    Just Jan’s– homemade jams! I bought the strawberry rhubarb, mmm.

    Can’t wait to head to more festivals and art fairs this summer. If anyone has any recommendations, I would love to hear them.

    Thanks,
    Lauren

    PC: Jack Van Leeuwen

    *Sunglasses are from Shop Ditto– use the code BOHEMIANBYTHEBAY for your first month free!

    *Dress is thrifted from Crossroads Trading!

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    Northern California, Travel

    Best Kept Secrets in Napa

    March 30, 2016
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    About two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Flavor! Napa Valley Festival, a week long festival in Napa with over forty events hosted by local wineries and caterers/restaurants. These events ranged from private wine tours, banquets, brunches, and much more. I attended two of the many events: a private Napa Valley wine tour and a brunch party. Both of these events were spectacular, especially the food- both on the wine tour and at the brunch party. But the wine tour was the event that stole my heart.

    I’ll take you inside some of the best wineries I have ever been to…

    1. Spring Mountain Vineyard: This place is magical. From the original old architecture to the abundance of plants engulfing the property, it really and truly was my favorite winery I have been to in Napa yet. Oh, and the wine is good too.

    2. Rudd Oakville Estate: From the expansive fields of wine and crops to the underground cave, this winery will make you never want to leave. There was something new around every corner at this winery- when you think you have seen it all, you really haven’t. I suggest taking a tour downstairs to the private dining room underground if you can! Their Samantha’s Cabernet Sauvignon is incredible.

    3. Nichelini Family Winery: This winery is very family driven, and very welcoming because of it. They have a great selection of red wines, be sure to try Red Reserve if you do a tasting here.

    4. Goosecross Cellars: I will one hundred percent go back to this winery purely for the company. Our hosts were fantastic, primarily for their sense of humor. The back patio is a great place to do a tasting and there was a very accepting, laid back and young vibe at this winery. Also, their new 2013 Sauvignon Blanc is to die for.

    If any of you have any recommendations for Napa I would love to hear them!

    Definitely consider trying out these wineries next time you are in Napa.

    Love,
    Lauren

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    Dressy, Fashion, Northern California, Travel

    What to Wear to a Winery in the Spring

    March 21, 2016
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    Happy International Happiness Day everyone! This weekend was magical and filled with happiness. I attended some events for the Flavor! Napa Valley festival, which was a five day extravaganza in Napa with over 40 events. The first event I went to was a guided wine tour to four boutique, under the radar and spectacular wineries, complete with our own Sommelier. It was fantastic. I’ll have more details (including the wineries you MUST go to) in a later blog post this week.

    I was on the fence about what to wear to this event, mostly because I didn’t know what the weather would be like since it has been super rainy on and off in SF lately. I decided to go for one of my go-to winery staples, the maxi dress. It’s casual yet dressy enough to wear for a day in the vineyards. This one from Free People, is one of my favs. It’s boho yet has a bit more edge with it’s black color. And oh my, is it soft. It’s all sold out online, so I linked a few under the “SHOP THE POST” section that are similar.

    Okay, I’ll give you a hint as to what winery these were shot at since I know you all are dying to know. It’s Spring Mountain Vineyard in St. Helena. One of the most if not the most beautiful winery I have ever been to. Such luscious gardens, old architecture and a smooth Cab.

    Can’t wait to show you guys my next posts- I’ll take you inside the events at Flavor Napa!

    Love,
    Lauren

    PC: Jack Van Leeuwen

    *Bag is from Ashley Bridget, but I linked one similar!

    *Necklace from Love & Co. Designs!

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    Casual, Fashion, Northern California, Travel

    Grey Shearling Sweater

    February 16, 2016
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    This long weekend, I headed out of the city to get a taste of nature. I made the journey to Copperopolis, California to my friend Emily’s lake house. If y’all don’t believe me that that is a real place, just google it! Anyway, I was in desperate need of a relaxing weekend (I even disconnected from my a bit, which is big news for us bloggers).

    For one of the days this weekend, we went about half an hour down the road to a small town called Murphy’s to do some wine tasting. Murphy’s was having a festival for President’s Day weekend where you could buy one wine glass and do a tasting at all the wineries on Main Street. That was quite fun indeed. For this occasion, I wore my new grey shearling sweater from SheIn (formerly SheInside). It was actually fairly hot outside, so I carried this sweater around until about 4pm when it started to get chilly. I paired the sweater with my favorite ripped black jeans from GAP. I’m all about the ripped jeans nowadays, especially black. The more ripped the better- like these from Missguided.

    I love exploring new towns and local shops, it’s one of my favorite past times. I hope you all had a lovely long weekend and spent it with ones you love, as I did!

    Love,
    Lauren

    PC: Jack Van Leeuwen

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    Casual, Fashion, Northern California, Travel

    Bundled in Tahoe

    January 21, 2016
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    As many of you well know by now from my last blog post and my , I traveled to South Lake Tahoe last weekend with a few of my besties. We stayed in an Airbnb, just 20 minutes from Heavenly in the Tahoe Keys neighborhood. It was a nice little place and great area if you are looking to explore the South Lake Tahoe area.

    For a day of exploring around the town, making the occasional snowman and drinking hot toddies at Azul Latin Kitchen, I wore this long North Face jacket courtesy of my friend Melanie. I paired it with this mock neck sweater dress from Asos to create a dressed up mountain chic look (as dressed up as I get in the mountains… most of the time I am in my sweatpants)!

    To add a touch of glam to this outfit, I wore my boysenberry drop pendant from Honeybee Boutique. Also, this jacket is so great for mildly cold to really cold weather, I may or may not steal it from Mel when she isn’t looking…

    Stay tuned for an exciting post tomorrow featuring a collaboration with Rocksbox and BRIT + CO!

    Love,
    Lauren

    PC: Melanie Ulrich

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