I'm in love, I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!! (Please see here if you need help getting that intonation right...).

Jimmy asked me to marry him on Sunday evening during the last night of our beautiful getaway to Joshua Tree. In true Allie/Jim fashion we were on an excursion down a long, beautiful dirt road, which ended in an amazing 360 degree view of Joshua Tree and the surrounding area. The sun was starting to set, we had the entire place to ourselves, and we were reminiscing on what a perfect vacation it had been. I always thought I'd be completely expecting it when the time came, but he really managed to surprise me (probably because he surprised himself)! Turns out the ring had been burning a hole in his pocket for days as he waited for the perfect moment, so I don't even think he knew it was the right time until about 2 minutes before :).

He even managed to get it on camera! Well actually, I did...I had set up our camera's self-timer for a long overdue vacation shot, and he embraced the moment, getting down on one knee just as the countdown approached zero.

Jimmy, I can't wait to continue this adventure with you.

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In case you care to peek, here are some photos from our magical Eureka Peak sunset.

Getaway Weekend :: Palm Springs

I spent last weekend soaking up the 97 degree sunshiney weather with two of my besties from Boston. We enjoyed our days baking in the sun, eating amazing (and surprisingly healthy) food all over town, diving deep into life analysis, people-watching L.A. socialites by the pool, hanging out in dressing rooms a-la The Sweetest Thing, and discussing our skincare routines in detail. It was perfect. 

Trip planned to Palm Springs?? Bring me with you. And in case you're interested, here's what I'd recommend...

Eats

Spencer's upscale, insanely beautiful setting, delicious food

Birba candle lit, tree surrounded setting creates a romantic ambiance + best flat breads and salads

El Jefe perfect happy hour margarita and nachos after the pool

Cheeky's best brunch ever, cannot say enough about this place, just GO

Palm Greens healthy, yummy, perfect in every way - great for dietary restrictions of any kind

The Tropicale bright beautiful setting with amazing food options (very PS)

Ernest Coffee perfect for an afternoon pick me up of coffee + charcuterie

Shops

Trina Turk brighty poolside fun (when in Rome?)

Wil Stiles like Trina but with more variety and better price tags

Stay

The Saguaro colorful, lively pool scene, quirky and delicious

Do

Palm Springs Tramway conquer your fear of heights!

Thursday Night Market shops and eats and shows, great way to experience downtown

Pack

almost nothing (seriously... it's incredibly hot and it's all about the pool wear!)

I have a long list of to-do's for when I go back next (which will hopefully be sooner rather than later!), so I guarantee a Part 2 (someday...)!

Getaway Weekend :: Truckee for the 4th

It's hard to come back from a weekend like this. I already miss the life of lazy coffee mornings and exercise that feels like play and wearing the same outfit for 3 days straight and sunshine and beach games and fresh air and big laughter.

We visited our bests up in Truckee for the long weekend, spending time on all sorts of lakes. We stayed away from the big lake (Tahoe) in favor of lakes Donner, Serene, and Independence. We paddled, boated, swam and soaked in the sun. I realized that I love beach volleyball and can manage to stay on a paddle board.  We made fancy cocktails and not-fancy (but yummy) BBQ fare. I finished my book. We found secret spots with free boat rentals and rope swings. I bought a cute dress for Kauai and the comfiest shirt ever. Jim and I celebrated an anniversary.  It was the summeriest of summer weekends. 

Hope you're all recovering better than I am from your long weekends - cheers to July! 

Getaway Weekend :: Lost Coast Backpacking

We had an amazing Memorial Day weekend up on the Lost Coast with Steph & Tyler and the pup. We started at Usal Beach (Sinkyone Wilderness Park) and hiked in about 5 miles to the most adorable little campsite in the world (called Dark Gulch).  There was a clear, cold stream running through it, so with the help of our trusty purifier we had endless fresh water. There were separate little areas for tents, fire and sitting (everything having it's place feels so darn homey). We skipped over a "bridge" of rocks to cross back and forth across the stream, hung our food from a tree (though that's not the recommended mode of bear protection!), and cooked over a tiny flame.

We spent our second night camping right on Usal Beach. There's nothing better than waking up in the middle of the night to let the dog do some business, and hearing the dark ocean crashing beside you and seeing the Milky Way in full force above. Our neighbors on the beach invited us to share their (larger) fire, and we discussed the glory of Route 1 and the happy ability Sinkyone offers to pop up camp without much planning or forethought whatsoever. We fell asleep to puppy snuggles and a crackling fire dying down outside the tent. 

Monday was about taking the long way home (per usual), stopping in Mendocino for brunch and our favorite wineries for "dinner", and rolling into the bed with the exhaustion of a thousand lives. Thanks, Lost Coast - each time is better than the last.