Let me start by saying how much I miss living in LA. Not because its "LA", but because I love being near the ocean. I always feel happy when I'm near the beach, and to have had the chance to live so close for a year and a half really fed my obsession! We lived so close, in fact, 6 houses off the beach in one of our rentals! So close that I had to buy a keyboard cover for my laptop after it was acting up, and the diagnosis at the Apple store found that I had sand in my keyboard!!! What?!? We are so lucky and blessed to have had the opportunity to live in some amazing places, and I love getting to re-visit my old "hoods"! Andrea, one of my BF's wanted to plan a trip to LA for girls trip, so of course I wouldn't have missed it for the world. We decided to stay in Santa Monica, I find it to be best location for what we were wanting out of our trip. We planned on going to the beach and pool, and even stayed at a hotel close to the water so we had a shorter walk. The weather, on the other hand, had a different idea! The weather was chilly and cloudy, definitely not swimsuit weather (insert frowny face here). Instead, we had 3 full days of shopping (my bank account is the proof), eating, and cupcakes! This was our last girls trip before Andrea becomes a mom, and Jen becomes a mother of 3, they are both 28 weeks here (they are only 8 days apart)!!! Cheers to good friends, good food, and the magical power of the palm tree!
Day One: Shopping, cupcakes and food!
You will see the photographer swap again during the course of these pictures!
Cupcake stop #1, Yummy cupcakes....not so yummy. Best was PB&J cupcake. At lease they're pretty!
Cupcake stop #2, my favorite, Vanilla Bakeshop! We were so full, we saved them for breakfast, and they did not disappoint!
Dinner at the Ivy on the shore. Last trip to LA for Andrea's Bachelorette party, we ate at the original Ivy on Robertson. Super yummy!
I should have gotten a picture before it got late.
This was us in 2008 at the Ivy.
View from our floor of the Santa Monica pier. Still cloudy.
View from the lobby bar.
Trying to see how the picture will come out, I had the girls get ready while I found someone to take it for us. Then, when I get in the picture, you can't see any of the background......grrrrr.
Not the picture I was going for, but whatever!
Palm tree's make me HAPPY!
A very tired tree.
Love this. Get ready....
Set......
Smile!
We ventured to main street in Santa Monica, a very cute street with different boutiques and restaurants. We had dinner at an amazing tapas restaurant called Manchago. We ordered all 3 desserts on the menu (I wish I could have gotten a picture of the waitress's face).
This is why we ordered 3.
We have officially mastered the art of 4 girls and 1 bathroom. I'll show you an example...
This was the last time we got ready at my old house in LA in 2008. You just make it work!
We had breakfast at the Griddle in W. Hollywood, where they serve pancakes the size of hubcaps!
This was missing our french toast!
There it is!
We all have really "healthy" appetites!
Brandee and Andrea have status on American, and got us upgraded to first class! We made friends with the flight attendants, and they added extra champange just for us! This is us with our friend "flat Tom Ames" he is serving our country in Iraq, 6 more month till he comes home! P.s. this is a silly picture of him, he doesn't really look like that!
GOOD BYE, LA......UNTIL NEXT TIME!
