our anniversary trip!

The Husband and I celebrated one wonderful year of marriage with a day trip out to Santa Cruz Island, part of the Channel Islands National Park off the coast of Santa Barbara. Santa Cruz Island has an amazing history. The Channel Islands have never been attached to the mainland, so there are many native species found nowhere else in the world. Santa Cruz had also been used for ranching, sheep raising, grape growing, and a ton of other functions in the 1800 - 1900s, before the island was purchased by the NPS. It is currently being restored to its original / native state.

whimsy in carpinteria

Over the weekend, my best friend (and Man of Honor at my wedding) came up to SB for a long-overdue visit. We spent a lovely Saturday in Carpinteria, a town that makes SB look bustling and fast-paced. The beach is absolutely gorgeous and peaceful, and it was so amazing to lay in the warm sun and listen to the waves. Summer is coming!

(isn't The Husband handsome?)

We ended up wandering into Whimsy, one of the million antique / shabby-chic little shops on the main drag in Carp. It's a little bit expensive for my taste, but in retrospect things weren't terribly overpriced. Regardless, it's a great place to wander around and get decor or project inspiration!

I really wanted this giant metal star from an old barn:

And how cool is this arrow?

There were a ton of old photos for sale. I don't know how I would feel having a stranger's personal photos on display in my house, but they were certainly fun to look through. It was really neat to see old Model T-era cars and women in Victorian clothing.

(I really wanted this "O")

santa barbara farmers market

One of my favorite things about SB is the Farmers Market. The cost of living isn't exactly the lowest in this town, but having affordable fresh organic produce is a definite plus. My sister, who lives in a food desert, cannot even stomach the little produce she finds in her area; after growing up in CA, she knows what a carrot is supposed to look like, and the ones at her local Walmart are not cutting it.

(this is what a bunch of awesome carrots look like.)

The Husband and I generally drive or bike downtown for the Saturday market, and grab whatever we need for juicing (we're stereotypical Californians, I guess) and recipes for the week. I also almost always pick up a bouquet of flowers or a new plant. All my favorite flowers are blooming right now (ranunculus, anemones, sweet pea, poppies) so The Husband had to put the kibosh on my flower buying spree. We now have white anemones all over the house and they make me SO HAPPY.

(spring is springing)

Our favorite vendors are Tutti Frutti Farms (we asked one of our favorite late-night dining spots where they get their amazing veggies, and Tutti Frutti was the answer!) and Fairview Gardens. There are a ton of other amazing vendors selling baked goods, farm-raised meat, and cheese. 

(tutti frutti's amazing selection of greens)

One thing I have learned in choosing vendors is that not all farmers market vendors are selling organic produce. Keep an eye out for "Certified Organic" labels, certificates displayed, etc. If you aren't sure, ask!

(gorgeous haworthia. ignore my unmanicured nails. they are now bright pink. also i feel stupid and narcissistic posting a photo of myself. oh well.)

I also picked up the little guy above. A friend of mine informed me it is called a haworthia and is part of the aloe family. I just bought it because it has stripes.