August 27, 2013

wine country in lulu*s

Stephanie Liu of Honey & Silk wearing Lulu*s Titania dress and Chinese Laundry flats
Stephanie Liu of Honey & Silk wearing Lulu*s Titania dress and Chinese Laundry flats
Stephanie Liu of Honey & Silk wearing Lulu*s Titania dress and Chinese Laundry flats
Stephanie Liu of Honey & Silk wearing Lulu*s Titania dress and Chinese Laundry flats
Stephanie Liu of Honey & Silk wearing Lulu*s Titania dress and Chinese Laundry flats
Lulu*s dress c/o. Chinese Laundry flats c/o Lulu*s.

It's unreal to me that I actually experienced the most beautiful weekend ever in Paso Robles, when I went for my honey's birthday getaway. The destination held far more charm than it gave off through tripadvisor and even the drive up included marvelous hills and lush greenery along its windy mountain roads. This whole trip, by the way, was a complete surprise to Kyle. I'm not usually much of a trip planner - the gigantic responsibility of it all always overwhelms me, especially when I've never been to such a destination and no friends are able to offer first-timer tips. I'm more a 'we'll just see when we get there' kind of gal, but I wanted and needed to make this flawlessly special for someone whose romanticism and thoughtfulness goes beyond even the most practiced of Romeos. And so I planned, and searched for the best B&B that wasn't already fully booked a month out, and sought delicious foodie-approved restaurants to try (which Paso Robles is full of), and researched fun things to do where we could dress up. In the end, our B&B was largely gorgeous enough with its own private vineyard, garden, and pool to thoroughly enjoy through the night. We dressed up to explore the vineyards that laid behind our guesthouse and traversed steep hills and pokey weeds to examine the wine grapes that produced the fabulous, award-winning bottle of cabernet our B&B mama gave us. This delicate, billowy Lulu*s dress was reserved for just this magical moment, with the powerful, golden sun shining down on us and that astonishing kind of view laid before our eyes.

We stayed in Saturday night for a home-cooked birthday dinner by moi, during which I incompetently burned myself, but the resulting merlot buttered filet mignon was goddamn worth it. We watched an old movie in our robes and sipped our delectable wine. And for doing "nothing", we had the best time (at least I hope I can speak for the both of us). I've learned that staycations are a wonderful, simple thing that can leave the most lasting effects (memories, recuperation, or the cheek pain from smiling are just some forms). It's definitely becoming my favorite type of vacation. For any one in Southern California, I would highly recommend Paso Robles as the spot for a getaway that's only a captivating drive away.

Stay tuned for day 2 adventures along the Central Coast with my babe and Lulu*s!