Two Tickets to California

We recently visited family in California.  Along the way we found some great spots to eat, shop, and hangout. 

[Handsome Coffee Roasters]  

Handsome coffee roasters is a fairly new shop celebrating their first anniversary on Friday still they have gotten a lot of attention. The menu is simple, just four items, but don't let that intimidate you the drinks are exceptional. 

Located in Los Angeles Arts District, Handsome is an open and inviting shop with long wooden tables and simplistic metal stools.  

[French Press]

French Press is a fantastic coffee shop in Santa Barbara, CA. Since our last visit they have only grown. 

[The Refill Shoppe]

The Refill Shoppe is a place where you can refill bottles with shampoo, conditioner, and various soaps all of which are made locally. Once you have filled your bottle you can also create a custom scent.

The colorful wool balls are dryer balls that replace dryer sheets. They reduce static and make clothes fluffy but never need to be replaced and you can add any essential oils to them.

[The Vinyl Warehouse]

We got a record player for Christmas and have been searching for vinyl to add to our very small collection. Our friends told us about a warehouse that was converted into a record store and said it was full of cheap vinyl, almost everything is 3 dollars or 2 for 5! 

[The Ventura Pier] 

A wonderful place to take in the ocean and not a crowded as the Santa Barbara Pier. Also, it was made famous by Little Miss Sunshine.

DIY // Cake Stand

When Ace and I were deciding on things for our wedding one of the first decisions we made was to have cupcakes instead of a traditional cake. Not only where they cheaper but we could pick more than one flavor. NO brainier, right? Then, we were on the hunt for cake stands of all different size and in colors that matched our wedding. I realized quickly that we did not have the money in our wedding budget to buy several cake stands.  I found an easy and affordable solution; I’ll make my own with some thrift store plates and candlesticks. Several trips to the thrift store and an afternoon of gluing we had five cake stands.  

[Supplies]

Plate, Gorilla Glue, and candlestick

[Step 1] Add glue where candlestick and plate make contact.

[Step 2] Place weight evenly on candlestick for 1-2 hours.

Scrapbook // Wedding

Creating a wedding scrapbook is a intimating task, the pressure to make something that will be passed down from generation to generation is daunting. You want it to be beautiful and capture that perfect special day. After a year, we couldn't put it off any longer. To the craft store we went.  

The scrapbook we had in mind was clean and simple with a burst of color so, we bought colored tape and a box of cute cardboard cutouts and printed paper.

This is our scrapbook:

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DIY // Valentine's Day Box

Thanksgiving is a time when we are all thankful of the wonderful things life has granted us; family, friends, delicious meals, a roof over our heads. But, we often forget about the smaller everyday things that make us smile and brighten up our day.  This Valentine’s Day project is all about highlighting those smaller moments.

This project is for everyone, roommates, families, co-workers.

Every time someone dose something special or nice or you think this person is wonderful because…write it down, fold it up and put into the Valentine’s Day box. After a week or a couple days of everyone having written messages open the box and pass it around the table having everyone taking a turn to read a message out loud.  

Supplies

[Step 1]

Wrap the box just like you would wrap a present.

[Step 2]

Cut a hole through the top of the box.

[Step 3]

Decorate, with your own handmade stamps!

[Step 4]

Cut up some paper and start leaving notes.

The Things I Carry // Tulle

[1] Magazines
Living in Chicago, I spend a lot of time on public transportation an having magazines in my bag always give me something to read or beautiful images to look at. I've been obsessed with The New York Times Magazine for several years because of it's stunning photographs and intriguing articles.   

[2] Current Project // Wedding Album 
I'm working on some hand-lettering for my wedding album and I never know when I'll have a couple minutes to doodle. 

[3] Lip Balm
When it's this cold outside I can't leave the house without it. And it never hurts to have a tinted lip balm on hand.  

[4] Pens, Pencils and Eraser 
For hand-lettering and any note taking.

[5] Food
Usually, I carry carrots or Greek yogurt to work for a mid-shift snack but lately I haven't been able to stop eating sour candy.

[6] Phone and Wallet 
Essential.  

[7] Headphones
I'm constantly in need of  headphones.

[8] Rhodia DotPad
The Rhodia Dotpad is relatively new to my life but I have grown freakishly attached to it. Not only is it perfect for hand lettering but the paper is perforated at the top so I always have scratch paper when I need it.  

Things We Carry // Wrench

Working at a bike shop I constantly get the question: What do you keep in your bag?

All of these items fit neatly into the front two pockets of my large Bailey Works Bag

{1} Bailey Works Bag
Its important to have a bag that fits comfortably and meets your needs. My Bailey Works Bag, which has a large compartment and some smaller internal and external pockets meets my needs.
{I will be doing a more in depth review of the bag later.}

{2} U-Lock

Nothing special here. The U-lock from Kryponite remains to be the standard. Its thick steel that keeps most hand held cutting tools at bay.

{3} Multi-Tool

A multi tool can be a great way to save some weight and space in your bag. This tool by Serfas contains a set of allen keys, a chain break tool, and some basic wrench sizes.

{4} Frame Pump

This will NOT get you enough pressure for a permanent fix. This will only get you home or to the nearest bike shop. An alternative would be using CO2 cartridges but these can only be used once and at 4-7 dollars each it can get pricey in the long run.

{5} Batteries

My lights use AAA batteries so I like to keep a set on me in case my lights go out.

{6} Tire Levers

Used to change a flat tire.

{7} Adjustable wrench

If you have bolt on wheels you will need this to get your wheel off. Typically, axel nuts are 15mm but I like the adjustable wrench, because I can use the wrench for other parts of my bike.

{8} Spare Inner Tube

A spare inner tube can mean the difference between running 15 minutes late or running and hour late. I prefer this to a patch kit because its faster and more secure than gluing a patch on an inner tube.

{9} Gloves

Nothing makes my commute feel longer than numb fingers. I just keep a pair of light weight gloves just in case the weather gets a bit nippy.

{10} Pen & Pad

You always seem to need a pen and paper when you don't have one, so I keep it handy.

Other things to consider: A thin light weight rain jacket and pants, Food (cliff bar or power bar), a water bottle, bungee cords

What do you keep in your bag? 

DIY // Vinyl Coasters

Excited about our new record player, we decided to run out a purchase a stack or records at our local record store. Some of the purchases we made out of the dollar bin and we were stuck with some records that were unplayable. So, we decided to make some coasters out of them.

{Supplies}

A Vinyl record that has seen better days and a tin can (choose a can that has the diameter that you desire)

{Tools}

Can opener, wooden spoon, a pair of oven mitts, and a bit of sand paper

{Step 1}

Use the can opener to cut the top and bottom of your can.

{Step 2}

Heat the can on the stove

{Step 3}

Grab your oven mitts and press the hot side of your can into the record. Sometimes the vinyl will stick to the inside of the can use a wooden spoon to poke them out. 

{Step 4}

Some of the edge may be a bit rough so go over them with a bit of medium grit sand paper

Each record will wield about 4-6 coasters depending on the size of your tin can.