I seriously cannot believe how fast this year flew by!!! Here are some highlights. I have a feeling that 2010 is going to be the best year yet. Wishing you a VERY happy and safe New Year.

My brilliant idea to cut bangs. Fun for about a week.

Started my new hobby… photography.

One of our many trips to Palm Springs.

My old stopping grounds….Brentwood, CA…day trip to Santa Monica.

Accomplice Hollywood.

Thanksgiving in Redding, CA.

Diamond Head Hike on Oahu.

Sunset on Oahu.

See you in 2010! xoxo

We’re baaaaack!

We took off a few days from work and made the holiday weekend a mini getaway in Palm Springs! Our new tradition is to try a new hotel each time we go and this time it was the Movie Colony Hotel. It was exactly what we were looking for…rest and relaxation. This is a very small boutique hotel that only has 16 rooms and although the place could use a small face-lift, we had a great time. We had a terrace room overlooking the pool but we requested the room farthest from the street since we read that there was street noise on one side of the hotel (p.s. the street noise was not bad from any location as far as we could tell). The hotel has a complimentary continental breakfast spread that is included with your stay every morning from 9am to 11am as well as a wine happy hour each evening at 5pm. They also have beach cruisers that you can rent for free each day…we had a BLAST on the bikes. The Movie Colony Hotel is a really mellow low key, yet relaxing stay. It would definitely not work for a wedding location, but could be a relaxing honeymoon.

The GOOD: location, price, quaint 

The BAD: needs a little fixing up…tvs are old old old (maybe they are going for the fifties look…not flat screen), decor is a little ragged, towels/robes are so scratchy they feel like they were dried outdoors.

P.S. This hotel does not have any restaurants/bars on site and is not the place to go if you are looking for a party scene…BUT it is close to the downtown strip. 

We went to the Riviera Resort & Spa for a much needed relaxation weekend getaway…and it was fantastic! The Riviera originally opened it’s doors in 1959, but just underwent a $70 million dollar renovation and it is spectacular! If you are considering a mini destination wedding, look no further than the Riviera in Palm Springs! This location would be PERFECT for a Hollywood Glam themed wedding. With all of the beautiful chandeliers and damask print, it would almost be as if the whole resort was decorated just for your wedding! Food and service were excellent. The only thing we were a little disappointed with was the spa…towels & water were low or empty and there were NO clocks anywhere. The locker/steam rooms are teeny tiny, but the Buddha Lounge is cool and the massages were great. I also got a sugar scrub which was fantastic. Spa prices were very reasonable as were our rooms. We didn’t go in the pool, but it was a fun atmosphere…perfect for a bachelor or bachelorette party.

(Pics from our trip…sign in the front of the resort, Chris & I lounging near the pool table, pool table, and a photo montage so you can see a bit of the decor…all taken with my iphone of course!)