Monday, July 16, 2012

About Town - Ventura Beach, Liebster Award

An awesome weekend sadly comes to a close and I've got lots to share!  First I want to tell you about the day we spent at Ventura Beach, specifically Harbor Cove and the Marina Park (ventura.com).
We usually take the 126 Frwy.West because we love the drive that takes you through farming communities and the cities of Fillmore, the home of the Movie Train (here), and Santa Paula.  Driving past beautiful fields of onion, pepper, lemon trees, orange trees, vineyards and many others makes this day trip totally worth it for us.




  
On the 3rd installment of the Grey Trilogy.  It was a bit funny that this 3rd book starts at the beach and here I was at the beach; interesting feeling!  Didn't take me long to finish this book.  Double edged sword:  finish it quickly and see what happens at the end? or make it last by reading a few pages at a time and prolonging the bittersweet end?!
I've been asked whether I would do a review of these books.  The answer is no simply because I wouldn't do these books justice.  I will say though that I enjoyed these books very much, the writing is beautiful and my weak womanly heart totally fell in love with Christian Grey and his story;  I'm already missing him!


 My daughter chasing the seagulls.

We enjoyed lunch at this quaint Fish&Chips place.  Since I forgot my camera in the car but I still wanted to show you the place I included pictures that I took last year.

Visitors leave a one dollar bill with their name, etc. on it and pin it on the walls/ceiling.  How much is there?  You're gonna have to go there and see!


We usually order burgers and fries or fish tacos, which are delicious!

 On the way back to Los Angeles we stopped at Francisco Farms
 and picked up a few fresh veggies and fruits!

  

  
HONEY:  Orange, Sage, Eucalyptus, and Wild Flower

 I wish I had a pantry stocked with all these goodies!!


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I have recently been nominated for the Liebster blog award by Mrs. C of mrsjackofalltradesdaily.
I am so in awe to find out that I am her favorite blogger and wish to thank her for the nomination and everyone for visiting and commenting on my blog.
I really appreciate all the love and support from everyone. 

The Liebster Blog Award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The Meaning; Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.

Here are the rules for receiving this award:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you and create 11 more for those you tag.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. Remember, no tag backs!


 11 things about myself :
  1. I'm a true blue procrastinator; I do my best work under pressure and on a tight deadline.
  2. Growing up I told everyone I wanted to be an International Lawyer - just because it sounded good!
  3. I can watch hours of surgeries with blood, guts and all and find it totally fascinating.
  4. Never afraid to tackle any task I've gotten myself in some messy messes.
  5. Growing up sports was a big part of my life: gymnastics, volleyball, speed ice skating and track and field were my primary loves!  I actually competed in speed ice skating.
  6. I love Vampire lore (probably that's why #3); will read and/or watch any vampire books/movies; born in Transylvania I used to scare off unwanted beaus by telling them that my lineage was connected to the original vampire, Vlad Tepes! (actually worked)
  7. I love a great day trip.  Getting to our destination is the best part because I sleep all the way there (if the kids are asleep too!).  Being lulled to sleep by a moving vehicle is my biggest weakness!  Thank goodness my Hubby is a great driver.
  8. My mother worked for a sugar factory (my own personal Willie Wonka!) and I have the biggest sweet tooth.  My favorite candy bar is Twix!
  9. While attending college I worked as an Usher at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and attended the Oscar Rehearsals + worked at the Academy Awards.
  10. Living is Los Angeles and running around town I bump into celebrities a lot and don't often get starstruck but when I met Robert DeNiro I was completely speechless!
  11. I'm 1000% girly girl!  I totally revel, relish and thoroughly enjoy the whole process of getting ready, i.e, make-up, hair, clothes, shoes, perfume..  That's why I love blogging!

s   Mrs. C's questions for me are :

  1. Are you a bag or shoe person?  Both!  Either matching or complementing an outfit the right bag and shoe can be the frame to the whole picture.
  2. One item you haven’t got but wish you could have?  A leopard fur coat.
  3. Finish this sentence: My favorite blogger style is ..classic, chic with a bit of edge.
  4. What does your partner/husband think of your style?  He is lovingly indulgent of all my fashion escapades.
  5. What is the most adventurous thing you've done?  Drove my brand new sports car to the limit of the speedometer past a police car.  Talk about getting your heart pumping!
  6. You have a pair of plain tee and jeans on, pick one item to dress this up?  An amazing statement necklace would add the right amount of pizzazz.
  7. What is the most you've spent on an item and what was it?  I think that if you really like something and you get a lot of wear out if it then it's not important how much you paid for it.
  8. What is your favorite clothing brand?  I love D&G for their beautiful clothing and for the fact that I share the same initals with them.
  9. What is your favorite item in your closet?  A rose colored knitted dress that my Mom knitted for my 10th Birthday party where we played Spin the Bottle and I got my first kiss from a boy I liked.
  10. You have a lunch date with your dream celebrity (Brad Pit, George Clooney or anybody) how would you dress?  First it would be a dinner date with Pierce Brosnan and it would be a duplicate of the dinner/dance date from The Thomas Crown Affair movie and I would most definitely be wearing that gorgeous black dress... 
  11. What is the best fashion advice you can give anybody?  Dress for yourself first, be comfortable because discomfort is not fashionable, don't be afraid to take risks once in a while and most of all be confident because confidence is always fashionable even in a plain tee and jeans.

My questions are :

  1. Who is your favorite fashion designer?
  2. If you could decree a fashion rule what would it be?
  3. What is your fashion pet peeve?
  4. What scares you most?
  5. If you found a Genie in a bottle would you give up your 3rd wish to grant his freedom?
  6. What is the best advice your Mother gave you?
  7. If jeans became outlawed what would you do?
  8. Beach or mountain?
  9. Is there a particular item that you would like to see become fashionable?
  10. What is your favorite movie?
  11. If tomorrow never came what is one thing you wish you had done?

11 bloggers (this was not easy) with less than 200 followers .  Congratulations to all!




20 comments:

  1. I love all your photos and this was an awesome post. I've been hearing good as well as not so good reviews about this trilogy. I guess I'll just have to find out for myself ;-) Girl we are exactly alike on your answers to #2, 3, and 6!!!

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  2. DANA, I AM TOTALLY NO.1 TOO! I WORK BETTER UNDER PRESSURE THAT IS WHY I THINK I COULD WORK IN TV PRODUCTION AND SURVIVED WHEN THE DATELINE WERE MOSTLY IMPOSSIBLE! AND OF COURSE I AM MUCH JEALOUS THAT YOU ACTUALLY WORKED FOR ACADEMY AWARD! YOUR VENTURA BEACH PIECE GAVE ME A LOT OF TIPS SINCE ME AND HUB WILL BE IN LA NEXT OCTOBER FOR ABOUT 10 DAYS. SINCE WE DID ALL THE HOLLYWOOD, SANTA MONICA BITS, WE THOUGHT OF VENTURING FURTHER :) THANKS SWEETIE!

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  3. Haha, I watched yesterday the tv and heard about this trend - to show the feets and nails on blog&faceboook :)) I have to say that you don't miss any style trend :D

    Great pictures, really relaxing.

    Kisses, Dana!

    www.nicoleta.me

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  4. Congrats on the award, Dana! How neat that you and D&G have the same initials!

    I'm on the last Fifty Shades book and I don't want to finish it because then what will I read?! I've been reading the last book sooo slowly!

    -Sharon
    The Tiny Heart

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  5. oh Dana thanks so much for nominating me urthe best i will get cracking on it later when Im home from work. Im here at the office starving and drooling over ur photos of the fish and chips. oh i.love chips wit helping of mayo.yummy. ur photos are so fabulous Im glad u enjoyed urselves. i.loved reading and learning more about u. that's so funny about being from transylvania and scareing of the would be suitors. good for u and ur skating Im so bad at sports i admire people like u who have accommplishments.i have sweet to aswell and savoury!! hope ur having great day and thanks again my beautiful friend for the nomination. big kiss from xx leonie.

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  6. Congrats! Nice blog! FOllowed you on bloglovin, maybe follow me back?

    http://mesmemosphotoblog.blogspot.com/

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  7. Congratulations on the award Dana! I learned so much about you! Loved the Thomas Crown affair, the outfits worn by Renee Russo was nothing short of fabulous and perfection too! I would be starstruck if I lived in LA and ran into celebs all the time. I'd be like OMG I just saw ___________!

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  8. It was so nice and funny to read those things about you! LOVE this blog!
    XOXO
    Ylenia

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  9. Thank you for nominating me and thank you for allowing us to get to know you better :)

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  10. thank you so much for the nomination ; )

    xo SideSmile,
    Ashley

    SideSmile Style Blog

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  11. That Fish & Chips place is adorable; and the food looks incredible! :)

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  12. oh my, so many beautiful and inspiring photos! I just wish I could leave for a vacation immediately, anywhere would be great :) I'm so glad that you enjoyed your weekend, and congrats on your award! You definitely deserve it!

    xx Ivana
    Macarons and Pearls

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  13. Great pics and the food ones omg! Congrats on the award! I want a leopard coat too lol! This reminds me that I forgot to do a pist on the versatille blogger award you gave me...im slacking lol.

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  14. great photos! Im soo craving a fish taco right now
    www.sugarfilledcloset.com

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  15. you are special so you make this blog great.

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  16. Thank you for the award. It is greatly appreciated.

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  17. Agreed! I totally miss Christian Grey, and would love to have some more of it. And yes, when people ask me of my reviews of the series, I tell them that they just have to read it- I can't speak enough about it!

    Your trip looked like fun. So colorful!

    Clare
    Understated Classics

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  18. I seriously loved reading all those answers you gave! Some of them made me giggle a ton (like you pretending to be a descendent to a vampire!). I too am obsessed with gore and not grossed out by it.
    Everyone and their mother has or is reading those Grey books. I MUST get on that wagon! I hear they're amazing books!
    Omg the dollars on the ceiling! If I were drinking in there I don't think I could keep myself from trying to rip them off and put them in my purse. :)
    I work SO much better under pressure too!!
    OMG Robert DeNiero. <3<3

    Thank you so much for the award! I'm honestly not too sure when I'll get around to doing this since I've done them before and they do take quite the time and right now, I already have several blog posts I'm planning on getting out. :( Do you mind if I just comment my answers here? I do hope that's alright! :)))

    Here goes:
    Who is your favorite fashion designer? I don't really buy big names but right now I'd say Kate Spade (I just got my first handbag and it wasn't cheap but it was still cheap-errr than D&G or LV lol! Thanks hubby!) As far as my favorite designer for the dresses I wear, my fave is Dahlia! I love their stuff. Always pretty peter pan collars that I can't get enough of.

    If you could decree a fashion rule what would it be? Oh this is easy. Please, please please for the love of God, do NOT wear leggings/tights/etc. as pants. They are to be worn underNEATH the clothing not as one of the key articles. I have seen to many disgusting things when girls do this. Lots of thong visibility and lots of camel toe. Yuck.

    What is your fashion pet peeve? ^^ that and certain people that are trying to create this horrible new trend where girls wear "fashionable clothing" that is twenty sizes too big for them with all sorts of other hideous accessories, all in the name of making it "cool" and "the new sexy". I just don't get it. Never will.

    What scares you most? Not being able to have kids. And definitely being burglarized. I pray to God to never ever experience anything that leaves me feeling violated and utterly vulnerable/scarred.

    If you found a Genie in a bottle would you give up your 3rd wish to grant his freedom? I honestly think I would. :) I have a big heart like that. Plus I only want kids (1st wish) and a happy & successful life.

    What is the best advice your Mother gave you? Listen to my gut. (among other more deep and relevant words of wisdom)

    If jeans became outlawed what would you do? Wave goodbye. I prefer dresses year round. Even in the brutal northern winters. I'm a trooper if it means looking cute. :)

    Beach or mountain? Beach.

    Is there a particular item that you would like to see become fashionable? None that I can think of because even if something I own or like isn't what others consider fashionable or trendy, I'd still wear it. As I know I've done with certain things.

    What is your favorite movie? Dude, I so cannot pick just one. I gave you a list of some of my favorite 80's flicks and those are in a class of their own, as are the favorites that I've separated by genres. I have way too much of an eclectic taste in the film and music industry. But I will throw you one of my top, we'll say 10, favorites: Big Fish. :) I love whimsy, color, quirky, fantastical, dark, and romantic. That movie gives me everything.

    If tomorrow never came what is one thing you wish you had done? Had kids....yeah, I think that's it. I'm very satisfied with my life and have no regrets or feel I missed out on things. I feel I've done close to it all for what would make me happy.

    I loved your questions, Dana! Thank you again! xoxoxoxo

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