Photos by Drew
Dress: Alexa Chung for Madewell
Cardigan: H&M
Sunglasses: Karen Walker
Boots: Madewell
Bag: Makr (wedding gift from Drew)
When we made the drive down Highway 1 a year ago I remember being absolutely blown away by the scenery of Big Sur. Only I don’t think I knew it was even called Big Sur; for some reason (a not so great sense of geography) I thought it was in a completely different part of California, and it took the Big Sur story/love letter in the Mulleavy sisters’ guest-edited issue of Lula to make me realize that I had driven right through it all along.
So when we were planning our latest California trip I knew we had to go. If we were trying to avoid cities on our trip then Big Sur was ideal . . . Once we drove past Monterey and Carmel there weren’t any proper towns for miles and miles, only the ocean on one side and great big mountains and redwood forests on the other. It’s a scary drive (to me at least)–Highway 1 is a two lane highway perched right above cliffs that drop straight into the ocean, cutting sharp corners around mountains and going over narrow 1930s-era bridges. It’s a nerve-wracking drive when the skies are clear, but when the usual fogs roll in everything goes white, and you can’t help but start to wonder how many people have driven over the edge.
Fortunately when we drove in this time it was sunny and cheerful and easy to fall in love with our little home of two days. We stayed at Glen Oaks Big Sur, in one of their cabins in the redwood forest that was just off of Highway 1 but felt miles away from everything. It was like camping, only not like camping at all, since the cabin itself was nice and comfortable (the bathroom floor was heated!). We dropped off our stuff and almost right away went to see a waterfall at one of the state parks along Highway 1–I wore unsensible shoes and was allergic to something and was happy when we went back. Drew started a fire in the fire pit by the cabin, and we ate a picnic lunch we packed right there because it was cold out and the fire was so nice.
The next morning we were up early again and went to Big Sur Bakery because I had read about it on a favorite blog. Also there are not a whole lot of options around Big Sur, and because of that I guess I wasn’t expecting a lot from the bakery, but it ended up being a favorite—better than Bouchon Bakery in its own way. It’s really unassuming–kind of hidden behind an old gas station, and the muffins were big and rustic-looking and really amazing. We liked it so much we had to go back the next morning too.
After another drive we got to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park to see this waterfall we had read about. In all the photos we’d seen of it it looked almost out of place in Big Sur—tropical, surrounded by palm trees and clear blue water. I almost wondered if maybe the waterfall was in a different place all together and I just got the location wrong. But when we pulled off into the park and walked a little trail we went through a tunnel, and suddenly we were in a place that seemed more like Hawaii than Big Sur. I loved it. Unlike the trail we hiked the day before this one was short and easy without any hills, so I could have been wearing much stupider shoes and it wouldn’t have mattered. It really wasn’t a hike hike—just a little walk around the edge of a hill leading down to the most beautiful beach. Which we couldn’t access, of course, but it was amazing just to look at. My favorite part of it was at the end of the trail, where there was an overlook and the foundation of a house that used to be there. Supposedly it had been built in the ’30s or ’40s by a politician and his wife, and then torn down in the ’60s when the land was given to the state. And all I could do was wish that it was still there–I bet it looked like something out of a ’40s movie, like the one Joan Crawford goes to in Mildred Pierce. (That’s what California beach houses always make me think of.)
We went back to the cabin and ate lunch and then got into sensible workout clothes (and shoes) and went to Andrew Molera State Park for a real Big Sur hike along the ocean. We started out by running, but then there was too much to see, including all sorts of weird rock formations and makeshift huts along the beach. We went back up on the trail that went around a cliff overlooking the ocean, and there were wildflowers of every color and views that kept getting better and better. We didn’t see anyone else on the trail, and after some miles the sun was getting lower in the sky and we weren’t sure where we were, so we turned around and hurried back.
We ate dinner at this place called Nepenthe that is pretty much only famous for its views (which are amazing) and for the fact that it’s been there since the ’40s. The food isn’t good at all, but we knew that going in, thanks to Yelp. Mostly we wanted to see the sunset and to spend as much time as possible outside, looking out on to the ocean. Also I only just now read that before the restaurant went in Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth owned a cabin on the property, so it was worth going to.
It was dark when we went back to the cabin, so we started another fire and made s’mores and drank gin from a flask that Drew had made for me (it has a picture of RuPaul on it–I need to take a good picture of it sometime). And I loved Big Sur but was excited to be getting back on the road, because the next day we were going to one of my favorite places in the world.
This year I’m extra excited about Christmas coming . . . which is to say that I didn’t mind one bit that Christmas decorations were out on local houses and on downtown lampposts as soon as Halloween decorations came down, or that stores are pushing sparkly shoes and cocktail dresses while I’m still wrapping my head around how to dress now that fall’s finally here. The other day I bought a glittery top from the ’90s, and I’m still not sure how to wear it (or if I’ll be brave enough to wear it) but it was a bargain and I guess I’m just drawn to anything that makes me think of holiday parties.
So of course I love Wren’s new holiday collection. It has all the rich jewel tone colors that I usually don’t like but love during the month of December, silk and velvet, and some great prints. And I love how it’s all styled with flat shoes–they make the cocktail dresses look so much more casual and fresh.
Photos by Drew
Shirt: thrift store
Boots: Etsy
Sunglasses: Karen Walker
Skirt: Secret Squirrel (from Silent Sundays)
It really wasn’t hard to choose California as the perfect honeymoon destination–we went there a year ago and had such a good time that we were pretty much looking for any excuse to go back. This time around we skipped the big cities (except for one as a good stopping point) and stuck to the most relaxing places we could think of, and at the very top of our list was Napa Valley. Last year when we went we had no idea how beautiful it would be and only scheduled one night of our trip there, so we had to rush around in a place where you ought to be very lazy. This time we gave ourselves a few days to look around and sleep in (or try to–the time difference made me an early bird for once) and take in all the sights we could. On our first night there we were exhausted, but really wanted to try out this restaurant in St. Helena called Gott’s Roadside because we liked how it looked and read good reviews. Drew had a veggie burger and I had fish tacos, and we sat outside under lights in the magical California weather–we lucked out the whole trip and it never rained once.
The next morning I tried to sleep in but woke up at 8:30 (11:30 Georgia time, so nothing out of the ordinary for me, sadly) so we were out the door in no time to go to Bouchon Bakery for blueberry muffins and americanos. After that we went hiking in the mountains at Robert Louis Stevenson State Park, which was beautiful and unlike anything I’d seen in Napa Valley so far; I wore proper shoes and workout clothes and we even ran a bit, but not too much. We stood on rock formations and looked out over the valley, and supposedly you can walk to the spot where Robert Louis Stevenson spent his own honeymoon in 1880, but we couldn’t really find it.
We hurried back to pack a picnic to take to a vineyard before the sun went down. Drew’s friend who lives in San Francisco and comes out to Napa Valley a lot recommended one called Medlock Ames, which was a lot more modern than a lot of the wineries are. Simple and peaceful, and the wine was the best I’ve ever had. Supposedly the bar on the property is really good too, but we just had wine and cheese and crackers and chocolate and other things we’d picked up earlier.
The next morning we had a little driving to do, so we left the place pretty early and had a quick breakfast at Dean and Deluca and picked up some things for the next stop on our trip. It’s always sad to drive the beautiful road out of Napa Valley, but after some boring interstate driving we were on Highway 1, where it might have been even prettier . . .
1. 1960s Fur-Trimmed Olive Coat . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. 1960s Rosemary Smock Dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. Pink Plaid Virginia Dress . . . . . . . . 4. 1990s Floral Violet Dress.
5. 1960s Polka Dot Vita Dress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. 1960s Black Lace Rosamund Dress . . . . . . . . . . . 7. 1990s Polka Dot Laura Dress . . . . . . . . . . . 8. 1990s Angora Alice Sweater. Photos: Jamie Hopper. Models: Amanda and Kate Pulley.
Here is a giant batch of wedding photos, and I promise you that this will be the last of the wedding posts. But it really was a wonderful day that deserves a gigantic post, and Jamie’s photos do too. We got married at Serenbe, which is this little planned community south of Atlanta, with a farm and an old white farmhouse that was turned into an inn/restaurant and a bunch of old cottages on the property . . . My family stayed in an old ’30s barn that was renovated into a guesthouse, and that day I got ready in my parents’ room at the top. I was absolutely nervous–I joked around with my mom and dad and sister Ashley, and then Jamie came to help with flowers and our friend Rodney came to help with hair, but mostly he helped by making us laugh, which I really needed.
I already talked about the ceremony a little (how I was afraid I’d faint but didn’t), but it went by more quickly than I thought it would. One thing that helped out a ton was having my little nephew Jack up there. When we were planning the wedding he asked us if he could be the ring bearer, only he was convinced it was called “ring bear” and that he needed to wear a bear costume. He is a smart but strange kid (in the best way) and I thought that anything that could make us laugh and relax during the ceremony would be a good thing. My niece Stella and Drew’s cousin Tyndell were the flower girls; I didn’t get the chance to see them walk down the aisle, but I heard good reports. They are adorable.
After the ceremony and after all the pictures were out of the way we went up to the back porch of the farmhouse and sat at a long table and had wine and salad and shrimp and grits. There were flowers and candles and candy corn on the table, and I got to pick out the dessert and thought that we couldn’t go wrong with chocolate bourbon pecan pie, especially since my mom and Drew’s dad are big pecan pie fans. I had Drew on one side and Lauren on the other, and it was pretty amazing to have the ceremony done with and to be surrounded by all my favorite people in the world.
When it got dark we went to the ’30s guesthouse, where my parents put together a little after-party. It was the nicest thing–my dad and Lauren’s husband Neil are really into cooking and food, and they picked out amazing cheese and chocolate and things I didn’t eat enough of because my stomach was still fluttering around. We had more wine, and instead of wedding cake we had an improvised donut cake made of donuts from the best donut place in Atlanta, Sublime Donuts.
There were lights hanging overhead outside where we had gotten married earlier, and a fire going and people making s’mores and playing music, and it was great to be able to talk to people who had come and to spend a lot of time with our family and friends, and Drew especially.
Photo credits: All photos by Jamie Hopper except for 13 by Lauren Winter, 3. Michael K. , and 16, 17, 18, 19:. Jason W. Dress: Lover. Shoes: Rachel Comey. Hair wreath: Jamie Hopper!
