C & C on the Move: The Land of Beautiful People and Green Juice

Katie here...

Last week I got to take a trip to Los Angeles for work. Key word, "got to." I'm an equal opportunity traveler - work or play. But this trip was a little of both. First, the work. Our CEO delivered the commencement address at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. You may know it from Lauren Conrad and "The Hills," you know you watched it...

Anyway, between a tour of the campus where I got to see some incredible talent in action (and Monique Lhullier's sketch from her junior year) and the actual ceremony at the Staples Center with 20,000 people - it was a memorable visit. 

 

But the best part was staying and visiting with my grandmother in Pasadena. My dad grew up right off Orange Grove (you know, they've got a pretty popular parade that happens there once a year). And I took a few morning walks through his old neighborhood and checked in on the house.

It's funny, even though we never lived in California, whenever I visit, I have a peaceful sense of home. And with all the beautiful architecture (here are a few favorites)....

And scenery...it's easy to see why people live there. Oh, and did I mention the weather? Humidity...nope, doesn't exist there.

 

We had a busy weekend full of food (you must try Hugo's - it's my kind of restaurant), a little theater to see my grandmother's friend perform, and a visit to St. Agatha Catholic Church. The church going was tops for the weekend. Think Catholicism meets Sister Act (one of the members of the choir was on The Voice) and Cheers (everyone knows your name). If you're ever in the area, it's worth a visit. 

 

Best of all was spending time with this lady. A grandmother, best friend, and confidant. She's truly 86 years of pure awesome. Did I mention she golfs twice a week, volunteers at a homeless women's shelter, and drives a mini cooper?

 

It was hard to say goodbye, but leave it to LAX to have decent food at the airport to dull the pain...green juice to the rescue.

Thankfully we're off to Sun Valley Saturday for the week. On the road again. Stay tuned for pictures of beautiful mountains and Consign Design finds (follow us on instagram @CardiCouture for live updates)!

 

C & C on the Move in Cali

Over Memorial Day (I know I'm a little late to the party with this post) Dr. B, my mom, and I met up in Seal Beach, California. 

Why Seal Beach, you ask? When Regan and I were little we had several au pairs from Austria (remember Regan's visit there last year with the mini?), two of which are sisters - Edith and Gudrun. Edith is now an American citizen living in California. And when we were chatting on the phone a few months ago, she told me that Gudrun was coming for a visit with her son Yannik. I hadn't seen them since 2005, so it was a no brainer to make the trip out West (I'll take any excuse I can get to head to the "proper coast"). Best part of our visit, it was a SURPRISE. We rented a house in Edith's neighborhood on VRBO and when Gudrun thought she was going to visit her sister's friends - we jumped out! Here we all are just after - Gudrun was SHOCKED! 

We had the best trip, enjoying everything that Southern California has to offer. On Sunday we took the boat over to Catalina Island. If you've never been, it's a great day trip. 

The "May grey" quickly turned into a picture perfect chamber of commerce day. We hiked (the highest point on the island is over 2,000 feet)....

We sat on the beautiful bay....

And, of course, we ate. There's nothing like good fish tacos (I will admit I had them three times over the course of the entire weekend). 

And our way back home after getting off the boat, we had to make the necessary California stop at In-N-Out. Growing up with a dad from California, it wasn't a burger unless it was a Double-Double. I prefer mine "protein style."

On the actual Memorial Day, with more glorious weather, we took another boat trip over to the Long Beach aquarium. 

Coming from Austria, Yannik enjoyed all the sea's creatures - he certainly doesn't see them in the Alps. 

Because we do like to talk about fashion on C & C, I'll have you know this ASOS midi bandeu sundress was perfect for our excursion. 

And Edith got me the most darling straw bag from Everything But Water that was so fun to accessorize with. 

The best part of the weekend was being with these two special people. Words can't express what they mean to me. They weren't just our nannies. They are our family. I've known them for 30 years and despite distance, we've stayed in touch. Why? Because when you meet really special people in your life it has to be done. How? By making a real effort. Important relationships don't just sustain themselves. You have to foster them. While the trip out West was somewhat impromptu, it's that kind of spontaneity that allows for life-long friendships. Even that short time was enough to reconnect and remind myself just how special they are to me. 

Now I think a trip to Austria might be in order.