along with cute restaurants, cambria also has many great shops! my favorites are the cute little garden shops that seem so numerous for a town so small. the garden shed in midtown is a great place to wander and look around for creative gardening ideas. i especially love their succulent garden in the back filled with vintage signs and colorful pots. someday i will have a yard filled with succulents and flowers and fairy lights but until then, the garden shed will suffice.
along with carmel, cambria is another place we try to visit yearly on our trips up north. it is so cute and quaint and has some adorable shops and restaurants. two of my favorite restaurants in cambria are robin’s and linn’s, which are both on the east side of town. robin’s, which i’ve already posted about here, is so delicious and there are quite a few vegan, gluten free options which is obviously a huge plus for me. their curries are my go to option and all the ones we’ve ordered are better than most thai restaurants i’ve been to. definite two thumbs up. at linn’s, on the other hand, finding things i could eat was a bit more of a challenge (darn food allergies) but it still ended up being a really nice meal. a few years ago, there was a fire that destroyed the restaurant but the new, redone restaurant is really nice, homey feel to it. looking forward to my next stop in this adorable little town
//robins//
//linns//
yet another trip to the santa monica farmers market! after visiting some disappointing farmers markets in new zealand (no organic produce and very limited fruits and veggies), i was looking forward to this market visit for quite some time! though the winter market is nice, i love the colors and selection of the summer market. everything is so inspiring and so beautiful! i think my best buy of the day was a few bunches of lavender that i plan on hanging to dry so i can put them around my room. nothing beats a good market day.
lately, i’ve been appreciating my time spent at home more and more. i think lazy days are what summer is all about! one of my favorite ways to pass the day is to lose track of time reading in the garden or doing yoga in my backyard yoga room. i’m so blessed to live in such a beautiful place and summers like this make me never want to leave.
my best friend ellie and i have a bible study through the book of james every week at a different coffee shop. we alternate who choses which coffee shop and we attempt to surprise each other but i have a knack for guessing ellie’s choices. this past week, ellie choose le pain quotidien at fashion island (still proud of guessing this one) and though i’ve been there many times for lunch or coffee, it is especially wonderful for breakfast. the scrambled tofu was a great vegan option and the soy belgian chocolate was par excellence! i’m so greatful for friends who are up for anything! ellie, just wait for my next coffee shop pick 😉
you know those meals that you talk about for months after and you daydream about whenever you’re hungry? this was one of those meals! i’ve been hearing people rave about gjelina’s for months but i never thought it would live up to, yet alone exceed, its reputation. it was truly one of the best meals of my life. i never thought fennel and brussel sprouts could be so luxurious but they were fabulous, as was everything else at the table (or so i heard). the desserts were also amazing and we ate them so fast, i unfortunately didn’t get any pictures! i’m happy to say that the wonderful cupcakes and cashmere has a recipe for a replica of one of the desserts we got here. already looking forward to eating here again!