Freaks of Nature

This past weekend was one for the books.

The huzband and I drove up to LA with a couple of our best friends,

to attend the Freaks of Nature concert by Kaskade.

We started the festivities off with some rooftop cocktails at The Standard,

which was quite perfect,

since the weather couldn't have been better,

and the drinks couldn't have been stronger.

From there we headed back to our hotel, The Luxe,

where we got gussied up, had dinner, and then walked across the street to the Staples Center to get our freak on.

If you ever plan to attend an event at Staples and need a place to stay,

I highly recommend this hotel.

Clean and modern, with a perfect outdoor patio where you can enjoy some tapas and drinks,

this place was just what we needed.

The concert was amaaaazing.

I've been a fan of Kaskade for about ten years,

and this is the first time I saw him live.

Beyond expectations.

If you still have a chance to catch one of his shows,

I highly recommend it!

The morning after was a little fuzzy,

but after sleeping in, we decided to spend the day on Venice Beach.

We met some other friends for brunch at Venice Ale House,

where we devoured delicious burgers and ice cold beer.

The weather was just right, so after lounging around for a while,

we all took a long stroll down the board walk.

The people watching in Venice is unlike anywhere else..

between the Freak House and the medical marijuana evaluations,

we were pretty entertained, and how could you not be?

I love shoes, booze, and boys with tattoos.

Pretty soon it was time to return to San Diego.

Aaaah, I love the feeling of coming home to my beautiful home town.

What did you do this weekend??

London Calling

The time has finally come, ladies and gentlemen!

The London Olympics are officially upon us,

and I'm just giddy with excitement. 

The anticipation over the last... 4 years has been killing me,

and I can't wait to see what Danny Boyle has up his sleeve tonight. 

Our trip to the UK is nearly a month away,

and we've definitely been taking advantage of all the Travel Channel shows centered around England and Scotland lately. 

In the meantime,

I have found my new hangout spot for the next few weeks. 

Shakespeare Pub & Grille is the perfect place to go if you want to feel like you're in the midst of all the Olympic action. 

The atmosphere is of a traditional British pub,

where you'll find authentic fish & chips and refreshing beer. 

We went there the other night,

and I instantly felt like I crossed continents. 

Highly recommend this place at any time,

and especially if you're looking for a fun place to watch the games. 

You'll probably find me there during all the swim meets. 

I see you Ryan Lochte. 

Looking good, stud. 

Let's Toast

I've been seriously MIA from my dear blog lately,

and as much as I wish it was because I've been frolicking all over Italy,

I'm sorry to say that my excuse is far less exciting than that.

In reality, I had oral surgery last week.

I won't bore you with any gory details,

but let's just say that I couldn't be more excited to get out of the house.

Speaking of Italy and getting out of the house...

If you're a San Diego resident,

or if you plan on visiting my home town on August 10th,

and feel a strong longing for an awesome wine experience,
then you should definitely make reservations for Harvest Night at Toast.

Just to give you a little background -
Harvest Night marks the first night of the year that wineries harvest their grapes.
This year, technology brings San Diegans a live broadcast of the Donnafugata harvest in Sicily,
which will be streamed in real time on televisions at East Village's Toast Enoteca & Cucina.

I know...
"uhm... I can watch tv anywhere, why should I go to this event?"

Obviously, I wouldn't recommend anything that didn't sound totally awesome,
so here are the details:
The event kicks of at 3 p.m.,
(it will be midnight in Sicily - muy romantico!)
the exact time at which the harvest begins.
The peeps from Italy will be telling you everything you need to know about elixirs of the Gods,
and guiding guests through a live tasting of Donnafugata's wines.

After the tasting event,
Toast will host a multi-course dinner paired with wine,
priced at $50 per person.
Sounds so cool right?

So go ahead... fake a cough,
escape the office a couple of hours early,
and transport yourself to Italy without suffering any jet lag!

Interested?
RSVP directly to Toast at 619-269-4207.
Complimentary underground parking will be provided.

Simple Pleasures

1. Nivea Creme // 2. Essie Good to Go Rapid Dry Coat

Wanted to take a second to capture some little things in life that I'm currently obsessed with. 

Well... "currently" may be a wrong description...

You see, the two items above have been my beauty staples for years. 

In fact, I love them so much that I figured I should spread the wealth. 

I know, I'm SO generous. 

First, an oldie but goodie. 

Nivea creme has been around for ages,

and that's about how long I've been using it. 

The original creme makes my skin as soft as a baby's butt,

and the clean scent never gets old. 

My favorite pastime is to slather this stuff all over my cleanly shaved legs and then roll around in fresh sheets. 

I may or may not do this as I blast Your Body is a Wonderland through my iPod dock. 

Don't judge me. 

As for the Essie top coat,

well, let me just tell you ladies -

this is THE BEST drug store find EVER.

I've always hated painting my own nails because I'm too impatient to ever wait long enough for them to dry,

which always results in about 7 smudged finger nails. 

You guys... this top coat is a godsend. 

Not only does it make my nails look salon-shiny for days,

but it really flash dries the polish so I can be on my way in minutes! 

This is not an exaggeration, nor am I sponsored by Essie. 

I've already gone through two full bottles of this stuff,

and as I was stocking up at Target the other day,

I figured I should tell you all about it, just in case I'm not the only one who suffers from "morning sheet scratches on your nails" syndrome. 

You know what I'm talking about, don't you?

What are your simple pleasures?

Please share, I love trying out new products.

P.S. I'm currently in Vegoose (Las Vegas + Grey Goose, naturally).

Pictures coming next week, but for now you can follow along with me through instagram, @inlovewsandiego. 

Thursday Travel Tips: Day Trip to Versailles

Oh the beautiful, opulent, Chateau de Versailles.
You can't come to France and skip the extravagant palace that once served as the center of political power in France.

Here's what  you need to know:
Versailles is not just the name of the palace that once housed three generations of French royalty,
including Louis XIV and Marie Anoinette -
it is actually a suburb located within the Ile de France region,
about 20 kilometers southwest of the French capital.

To get there,
simply hop on the RER line C1 from one of several stations in Paris,
and enjoy the 40 minute ride to the golden kingdom. 

Once you get to the actual palace,

you'll find plenty to do. 

Wear comfortable shoes, because the grounds are indeed massive. 

First thing you should do is tour the Petits and Grands Appartements,

 where the royals and their sycophants lived under constant scrutiny.

Sycopahnts... I just love that word! 

Take a deep breath before heading inside the Hall of Mirrors,

because the beauty of the chandaliered surroundings is truly magnificent. 

The palace frequently hosts various art shows in parts of the complex,

and when we were there back in 2010,

we got to catch the scandalous showing Takashi Murakami's bright and kitchy sculptures.

I'm personally a HUGE fan of his work,

however some Frenchmen thought otherwise,

claiming that the exhibit was a disgrace to the Sun King's royal apartments.

Pish posh.  

After you make your way through the inside of the palace,

head straight towards the "back yard". 

I highly recommend that you block off an entire afternoon to wander through these beautiful gardens. 

If you get tired, feel free to rent a golf cart - it's totally normal. 

Take as many "creeper" pictures as you want. It's obviously the classy thing to do.

If you have some extra time on your hands,

check out Versailles city center before heading back to Paris.

There you'll find the Saint-Louis Cathedral, Notre Dame Market,

and for all you antiquing fans, 

Passage de la Geole is heaven on earth... 

if your heaven consists of a bunch of vintage shops occupying the former royal jail.