A place for all things delicious

champagne taste on a beer budget

Thursday, June 30, 2011

"good" sun

Do you know that there is such a thing as good sun?  When laying out or tanning that is.  I told AFG last Sunday that it didn't matter how much we lagged at this point (it was nearly 2pm) because the "good" sun was gone.  He laughed at what my definition of good sun is.  He said I talk about sun like I talk about fashion.

Good sun is sun between 11am and 1pm.  Those 2 hours are going to give you the most color.  You're still good until 2pm but after 3pm it's a lost cause in my book.  The sun peaks at noon.  Get out there at 11 and get aggressive if you want some real color.

I come from a family of sun worshipers.  All summer they can be found laying in the pool, in tubes and rafts, listening to any given country radio station that comes in at my parents house.  They use Hawaiian Tropic SPF 4 Tanning Oil like it's going outta style.  My dad could be a spokesperson for them.  That is if they were into ray-ban wearing 60 year old's in short shorts and not girls in bikini's.  He was absolutely flabbergasted when he found a bottle of Coppertone SPF 50 outside, just dumbfounded as to why OUR FAMILY has something higher than SPF 15.  It's for my face dad, I'm trying to keep the wrinkles at bay.

Copportone..Hawiian Tropic...we're available.  Somebody give us a job, we were born for this!

Since I am such a pool connoisseur, please buy these now...it feels like you are getting a spa pedicure...except you have a marg in your cup holder...if you're me that is....
Bought these for Dad for Father's day



 And I leave you with this...


That's Hawaiian Tropic Dark Tanning SPF 6.  It's her fave.  Also, please see aformentioned float in the background.


Linzo says: get aggressive and get out there before 2!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Hump-day! Cheers to being this much closer to 4th of July weekend!




Linzo says: Andre is on sale at CVS...go stock up!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

In my next 30 years...

In exactly six months...I'll be 30.

OMG. Scary.


I actually thought I would be a lot more freaked out than I am.  I know that age ain't nothin' but a numba but still, it's a milestone.  I think that for anyone, leaving their twenties behind is bittersweet.  I'm ready to leave it all behind.  As a very wise woman (Carrie Bradshaw) once said...“Enjoy yourself. That’s what your 20s are for. Your 30s are to learn the lessons. Your 40s are to pay for the drinks.”

I definitley enjoyed myself.  I traveled (crossed swimming in the Great Barrier Reef off my bucket list...and visiting Sleepy Hollow NY).  I bungee jumped!  I drank and danced and laughed.  I made lifelong friends.  I graduated from college.  Bought a puppy.  I will have been in 4 weddings.  And most importantly I met AFG...I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It seems like veryone has a 30 things to do before they are 30 list.  Well, I don't because 6 months doesn't give me enough time to do what I want to do...I dream big ok?

But here it goes...If I had millions and could make it happen, this is what I would do...

Bucket List

                                                                                    
1. Travel throughout Ireland and Scotland                                                                         
2. Sleep in a castle in Ireland














3. Own a boat
4. Go back to Australia
5. Own a Range Rover (juuuuuust like Reggie gave Kim back in the day)













6. Have a home with an antler chandelier
7. Go to Mardi Gras
8. Take a haunted tour of New Orleans

















9. Stay in a hut over the water (St. Regis Bora Bora anyone?)



10. Sleep in a treehouse (Again.  Check out this place I stayed in Costa Rica, Mono Congo)

This one is in La Fortuna and can be read about here













11. See lions and elephants in Africa
12. Visit the Greek Isles














13. See the canals in Venice (NOT in Vegas)
14. Light a lantern and let it go like they do in The Beach, Tangled and Hangover 2.  Sky lanterns!


















15. See George Strait in concert
16. Get caught in a rainstorm in the jungle (again)


Even though I didn't do them in my first 30 years, cheers to me doing them in my next!

Linzo says: stay tuned for more...

Friday, June 10, 2011

"Camping" and the Madonna Inn!

Memorial Day weekend was spent camping (sort of, if camping = sleeping in a "barn" which is really a 4+ bedroom house with granite counter tops and eating gourmet meals every night) just past the Paso Robles wineries.   I did bring plenty of dry shampoo (this one, go buy it now) with me to ensure tons of volume and a straightener.  That's basically the only kind of camping I will do...unless I am on a beach in Costa Rica.




We spent the weekend drinking, hiking, drinking, playing kickball and beer pong, drinking, sitting around the campfire and watching sunsets.  Oh and drinking.  Beautiful views and complete seclusion with NO cell phone service.  It was actually amazing to be disconnected from the world and hang out with new friends and AFG.  I love the outdoors (HELLO, it is a staple to stop at Outdoor World on the way out of Vegas) minus the bugs.  Mosquitoes, spiders and pincher bugs, OH MY!  I just can't do bugs.  When I was little I got an award at a swim team banquet and my coach started her speech about me as "this is a girl who will not swim with june bugs in her lane..."  Never could do bugs.  Although I did like frogs and lizards as a kid...strange.

Anyways, on our way back and driving down the 101 (cue: OC theme song -Caliiiiiforniaaaaaa here we come, right back where we started from...) through San Luis Obispo we stopped at the Madonna Inn.  I had seen it on the way there and knew it from the Girl's Next Door episode when Holly goes for her Birthday.






Welcome sign AFG snapped out the window

Exterior shot of restaurant

Another exterior shot


It's a kitschy little hotel draped in pink roses with themed guest rooms and was as fab as I thought it would be!  I am ashamed to say that once again I did not have my camera.  Such an inopportune time to not have a camera.  The trusty blackberry had to work it's magic again and sack up.  The reason we stopped (although inside I was secretly dying to go but didn't want the whole car to stop just for me) was because the men's bathroom apparently has a waterfall urinal.  This is true as I did go into the mens bathroom to take a peek and can confirm that it is legit and does exist. 

First we strolled through the restaurant looking for the bathroom.  We found one but alas, no waterfalls.  We did find pretty pink cakes though with curls and swirls all over them :)

  Swirly curly cake

and this written above the mirrors in the first bathrooms we found....

Your beauty is your smile.

Onto the next...we strolled through the hotel and jackpot...found it.  I went in the women's first....

 I love the tufted stall dividers!  I love tufted chairs and WILL own one one day.


chandeliers should be in every ladies room!

loving the chandeliers and red walls...


Then the men's.  I didn't take a pic of the urinal....a photo just didn't do it justice and it just looked like a big rock wall.  I did take a pic however of the giant clam shell sinks.



here's a better pic courtesy of here


We HAD to go look for souv's....I can't leave with out a souv. The Madonna Inn has their own wines that were staring longingly at me but I resisted as I can't justify spending $22 on a bottle of wine when I had a extravagant Vegas Bachelorette Party to go to the next weekend.  I did however buy a sparkly pink shot glass and we did wine taste at the tiny bar they had.






When we first walked through the restaurant I noticed the extremely ornate detailed pastel colored water goblets on the tables.  They sold them in the souvie shop but I wasn't about to drop $16 on a pink goblet. 





We meandered through the restaurant and hotel...

I believe this was the steak house...

The whole place looked like a pink Disneyland...a pink Main Street actually.

One day....maybe for my birthday or an anniversary I will go back to the Madonna Inn and stay in one of the themed rooms.  Maybe the Misty Rock room? Jungle Rock? Lucky Rock? Old Mill?  Who am I kidding, anywhere with an open rock waterfall shower.

 Jungle Room

Old Mill Room

Lucky Rock Room

Fun Fact...the large rocks used in construction of the rooms is actually from the land the hotel is built on.



Room pics from here, check it out to see even more...or just cruise over to http://www.madonnainn.com/


Linzo says: who wants to go on a road trip?

Friday, June 3, 2011

Temecula Wine Tasting with coupons!

If you take one thing away from randomly coming across this blog...let it be to not go wine tasting unless you have coupons.

Please, do yourself a favor and print out coupons prior...

http://www.temeculawines.org/wineries-vineyards/coupons.php

Monday was the perfect day for wine tasting....low 70's and clear skies and my BF and I both had the day off PLUS we had coupons (most are only good mon-thurs).  What could be better?!

AFG had never been wine tasting.  I am no wine connoisseur by any means but am PRETTY familiar with wine country and the whole process.  I might have been a time or two (or three or four or five) before.

We looked at the ones we had coupons for and went in order.



We stopped at the Inn at Churon first.  I had never been and after a little googling, we thought it would be worth our while.  Since it was a Monday and dead, there was only one other group tasting with us.  We went down a spiral staircase to the tasting room/gift shop and had the place almost to ourselves.  We sprung for the $12 tasting so we could keep a glass (duhhh you need a glass from everywhere you go and I don't have a Churon glass yet).  The lady serving us was super nice/helpful.  Our favorite by far was the Golden Nectar.  Super sweet and fruity a.k.a. dangerous.

 that's golden nectar on the left :)

 tasting menu




Next we hit up Maurice Car'rie.  I'm a fan because they have pineapple champpers.  It doesn't so much TASTE like pineapple as it does smell like it. Mmmmmm.  They also have some infamous bread they sell (and serve hot on the weekends) stuffed with brie.  I never even knew about this but apparently it's to die for.  Although at $16 a pop we decided to wait and actually eat lunch somewhere and have a real meal that included more than carbs and cheese.  Delicious but I need to be a lot drunker to order that or with be with a bunch of my brie obsessed girlfriends.  Their wines are just OK...but they did give us both of our glasses to take home which was nice and unexpected since we were using coupons.

 front 

 Zin!

 menu




Faulkner was next for lunch and tasting.  We decided on them for lunch (even though we had no coupon for the restaurant).  We googled Pinnacle's menu and the ahi sandwich screamed my name. 

I ate:
Gourmet Ahi Burger
Soy marinated and grilled Ahi tuna, wasabi aioli, fresh lettuce and tomato, served with sweet potato fries

AFG ate:
Baked Chicken Cannelloni
Chicken, lemon, artichokes, mushrooms, and asparagus rolled in delicate crepes, topped with Alfredo sauce & Parmesan cheese topped with sun-dried tomatoes and parsley

They were both good buttt the kicker was the fresh baked bread and olive oil/herbs/balsamic vinegar.  Best part of lunch hands down!  I may be slightly biased though as I have been depriving myself of all carbs and pretty much anything delicious for the past week or so.  It was garlicky and delicious!


After lunch at Pinnacle, we tasted at Faulkner.  It wasn't my favorite but the lady was super nice and gave me a glass even though we bought the cheaper tasting which did NOT include a glass.  I asked her if I could just pay more for a glass and she happily wrapped one up for me, no charge :).  Honestly, I wouldn't have minded springing for the more expensive tasting but in all honesty, we did not need 7 tastings...4 would do just fine.  We were feeling pretty happy at this point and AFG even got caught in the act belting out Zac Brown Band in the parking lot.

walking up to Faulkner

walkway

wine country!

I like the Vegas chips to keep track of your tasting




Ponte was next.  I've been a few times before and love it.  I've eaten there and loved it.  My parents are also members.  Soooooo all sign point to YES.  GO.  Please go to Ponte if you are a Temecula virgin.  They have a large tasting room and lots of cute kitchen-y, entertaining, little decorative accents in their shop.  The back patio and grounds are beautiful as well.  Their wines are delicious.  We liked every single one we had there.  Out server was fantastic too, super nice and explained everything (and gave us both our glasses to take home despite our coupons).  I seriously cannot say enough good things about Ponte.  It's delicious and beautiful.

 Ponte

 tasting menu

 took our tastes outside since we had it to ourselves

 up close

 in the golden afternoon...

vineyard flowers

Ponte vineyards




We were definitley feeling all our tastings but I had to show the BF what South Coast is all about.  I am a huge fan of Southcoast!  I love their tasting room that is loaded with fun stuff to buy and the stuffed cougar in the corner.  I don't know the "cougar story" but apparently you're supposed to ask about it when you visit.  I never have.  Oops.  We heard from some people at Ponte that South Coast had a great happy hour so decided to check it out.  It was a pretty amazing menu! 


South Coastttttttttttt!


I'll take one of everything.


HAPPY hour :)


Stella, Stone, or Sam Adams for $1.75?!  Unheard of!  The sliders were pretty good...I tired to get aggressive and order the antipasto salad too but was so lovingly reminded how much bigger my eyes are than my stomach and resisted.  And we got a beer because I'm just such a sucker for a good deal.



Fantastic wine tasting trip!  Next time I'm going to Longshadow Ranch.  I mean...a winery/ranch?!  YES PLEASE.

Linzo says: Don't forget the coups!