July 2017 – HilaryStyle

July 25, 2017October 8, 2017

Postcards from The American Southwest

My boys, and I* have been road tripping through the American Southwest these past two weeks, which means I’ve been out gathering a ton of fun information to share with all of you, but haven’t had time to write about it in detail yet! I thought it might be fun to give you a sneak peak at some of the amazing things we’ve experienced during this summer’s adventure, all of which I plan to write about in more detail in the near future!

Dear Faithful Reader,

Don’t you just love receiving mail! I do! We’ve been having quite a summer exploring Nevada, Utah and Arizona! It’s been so hot out and we’ve been doing a lot of driving! The USA is a vast and unique place!! Here is a little sneak peak of our Southwestern Adventures!

xo, hilary

Next stop… The American Southwest!

Dear Faithful Reader,

No road trip would be complete without long stretches of endless road. We saw this sign from the road, but when we pulled off to explore further, things weren’t quite what they seemed. Snapped a few picks, but didn’t hang around long…

xo, hilary

Next stop… Las Vegas, Nevada!

Dear Faithful Reader,

Las Vegas with kids wasn’t something I’d ever planned on… I’ll be writing more about our experiences there, but I think I’m going with my first instincts on this one.

xo, hilary

Next stop… Zion National Park!

Dear Faithful Reader,

Zion National Park has hikes and walks which are suitable for all ages! We did both the Emerald Pools hike and the River Walk!

We saw waterfalls and a tons of wildlife! It was 108 degrees, so dipping our toes into the river at the end of the walk was a welcome reward!!

xo, hilary

Next stop… Bryce Canyon National Park!

Dear Faithful Reader,

We saw this strange object from a distance and wondered… what is that?! Turns out it was the Rock Stop! There are so many of these shops, but this is the only one we saw that was actually in the shape of a rock!

We just had to stop!!

xo, hilary

Next stop really is… Bryce Canyon National Park!

Dear Faithful Reader,

After high temperatures in the 100s for days on end, the cooler temperatures in Bryce Canyon were a welcome reprieve!!

We did a moderate hike through the hoodoos. There were even a few raindrops! It was a steep climb back up, but so worth it!

xo, hilary

The next stop… ~~Arches~~ Capital Reef National Park!

Quick Stops at Capital Reef National Park and Goblin Valley State Park

Dear Faithful Reader,

Have you heard of Capital Reef?

Although it doesn’t get as much press it’s pretty beautiful! Many people say it’s their favorite due to low crowds… we saw some petroglyphs that were 2500 years old!

xo, hilary

The Next stop… ~~Arches National Park~~ Goblin Valley State Park!

Dear Faithful Reader,

The road from Bryce Canyon to Arches was so LONG….!
We took Scenic HWY 12, which was probably my LEAST favorite road ever!
It was beautiful, but so curvy!!!
We stopped at Goblin Valley State Park
for a stretch and a rest

The valley is filled with hoodoos, which one can walk among… it was hot hot hot!
Evning might have been a better choice…

xo, hilary

Next stop… Arches National Park!

Dear Faithful Reader,

I was surprised by how impressed I was by the arches! Does that sound silly?

Unfortunately, the hike to the famous Delicate Arch was in the difficult category, but there are a number of family friendly walks and viewpoints throughout the park!

xo, hilary

The Next Stop… Mexican hat!

Dear Faithful Reader,

After a few days in Moab, it was to head to our next stop: Monument Valley! This is the stop that starte it all, but I’ll save that story for a future post!!

The drive from Arches to Monument Valley isn’t too long, so wedidn’t stop along the way except to snap a pic of Mexican Hat Rock and to see the Forrest Gump movie sign!

xo, hilary

Next stop… Monument Valley! Finally!

Dear Faithful Reader,

We all loved our visit to Monument Valley! There so much history in this beautiful place!

We had hoped for some stargazing and to see the sunset over the magnificent valley, but instead were treated to quite a summer storm, complete with lightning, rainbows, and hail!

All was not lost… I set my alarm for sunrise and was treated to quite a light show, the soundtrack was provided by frogs and crickets! I may have seen some bats!

xo, hilary

Next stop… Page, Arizona!

Dear Faithful Reader,

When I first considered this trip, I knew the Antelope Canyon slot canyons would have to be on the itinerary! These canyons are easilyt one the most unqiue places I’ve ever visited, and this city girl definitely had a moment when I realized where I willingly was!

Wanting to take photos, and to enjoy the moment I opeted for two tours in one day! It was the best decission! our guide was awesome and this experience was definitely a highlight of the trip!!

xo, hilary

Next up… Horseshoe Bend!

Dear Faithful Reader,

Horseshoe Bend is the most photographed location along the Colorado River and it’s easy to see why! The view of the bend in the River from 1000 feet up is pretty magnificent!

I’ve recently learned I’m not great with extreme heights, so I wasn’t able to get all the way to the edge fro a complete view, but hopefully you get the idea!

xo, hilary

Next stop… The Grand Canyon!

Dear Faithful Reader,

We’ve been on the road for two weeks, and we’ve seen some pretty amazing sights!

Today was our final stop The GRAND CANYON! We visited the South Rim, where our first stop was the Desert View.

We were pretty excited to see an endangered California Condor fly over the Canyon!

xo, hilary

Next stop… HOME (via Las Vegas)!

*Tim stayed home to hold down the fort!

Pin for later:

July 18, 2017January 4, 2018

DIY: Skateboard Decks

I love a project and I love a challenge, so with a house full of skaters it makes sense that once again this summer’s DIY project centers around skateboarding. Last year we made our own longboards, which were a huge success and have seen a ton of use, this year we decided to paint the decks!

The desire to recreate a skate shop display wall is what led to this summer’s project idea. We all admire the amazing artwork we see on the decks hanging on skate shop walls, however purchasing multiple brand name skateboard decks is cost prohibitive, so why not find a way to do it ourselves!

While we will be using these skateboard decks as objet d’art in the boy’s rooms, these boards would also be perfect for riding! Keep reading for a list of supplies, hints, techniques, and inspiration!

Supply list:

Blank skateboard deck(s)
Frisket for making your own stencils
paper/cardstock
paints – Acrylic or Spray
Paint brushes
varnish to seal your design
face mask to cover nose and mouth
disposable gloves
blue tape
table/surface covers
enclosed area for spray painting
paper towels
dedicated trash can
apron or old clothes
Board mounts

Blank Skateboard deck(s) –

First you’ll need to gather some decks! They can be used or new. We ordered our decks new from an online wholesale website, which meant a minimum order of 10 boards. Our cost per board was $15 including tax and shipping. We chose to sell some of the boards, at cost, to friends who were also interested in this fun project, however this could also make a great birthday party activitiy, or maybe you want to hang 10 boards!

Pre-Project Prep

This may seem obvious, but I feel I should mention: Prepare your work surfaces before you get started, especially if you’re using spray paint or varnish to decorate/finish your decks. You’ll want to create an enclosed area to prevent overspray, and its important to wear a mask, and gloves.

DIY Skateboard Decks — Don’t use your living room rug as a work space!

Chosing to decorate only the bottom of the decks, we used blue painter tape to cover the sides and top.

Techniques

Each of us designed our own decks and interestingly each of us had a different technique in mind. That’s the great thing about art, anything goes!

Painting

This is a great project for all ages! My younger son was able to design and paint his board with minimal help from me.

He used acrylic paints for the background, which dry quite quickly, and a cardstock stencil to create the smiley face!

I helped him finish the board off with a UV protective varnish.

Stencils

My older son has fully embraced the SoCal culture, and regularly enjoys both skateboarding and surfing, which is what inpsired my design. In order to get the clean crisp look I was after I would need to use stencils.

DIY Skateboard Decks Los Angeles California — Use an exacto blade to relase any stencils that won’t let go.

Using frisket, a low tack material often used by grafitti artists, I created my own stencils. The great thing about Frisket is that it creates a tight seal keeping paint out of unwanted places, but it can also be easily removed! It can be purchased online or at your local art supply store.

I used the Silhouette Cameo machine to cut my stencils, however one can easily cut these materials freehand with a razor blade or scissors.

After you apply the stencils, use paper and painter tape to protect any areas where you don’t want to apply color. You’re now ready to paint! I chose shades of blue to represent the water meeting the sky. To achieve this graduated look I used Montana Gold spray paint a quick drying paint with a low flow spray.

Give the paint ample time to dry, especially if you’ve applied a heavy coating. Once the paint has dried, carefully removes the stencils using an exacto knife. Don’t rush when you pull of the tape and stencils as you don’t want to pull off any of your design.

I finished the board off with a UV protectant varnish.

I enjoyed this process so much I made another deck, this one featuring one of our family’s favorite snacks, popcorn!

Tape off the areas you don’t want to paint.

Once the paint is dry apply the next stencil.

Remember to wear gloves.

Tape off the areas you don’t want to paint.

The paint must dry completely before applying the next stencil.

Unless you want to repaint… don’t apply the next stencil too early.

The popcorn was a multiple step process.

Simon got in on the stencil action with his Miami Sunset design!

Image Transfer

Our final technique was image transfer. Simon wanted to transfer an image he created previously, but didn’t want to recreate it, so we used acrylic gel medium to transfer the image to the deck.

DIY Skateboard Deck Los Angeles California

Gem Medium can be found in the acrylic paint aisle. Use a laser jet printer.

Prep your deck.

You do this by printing your image out using a laser printer. Paint your image with a generous amount of gel medium. Saturate everything, but don’t make it so wet you tear the paper.

Lay the image down and smooth it out. Let it dry overnight before you complete the process.

When you’re ready to remove the image use a damp sponge or smooth cloth to help you remove the paper. Don’t rub too hard! Give it a minimum of 8 hours but overnight is best!

I also wanted to try this technique, so I created a deck using an image I took at the tamago stand in Tsukiji fish market during our Tokyo trip. To create this distressed look I rubbed the image with a rough cloth and then sanded off excess bits of paper.

Remember to create a mirror image so your text won’t be backwards!

Finish up with a coating of UV protective varnish.

We still need to practice this technique but came out with two Decks we were really happy with! We all really enjoyed this project and let coming up with more and more ideas! My son’s birthday is coming up… I feel a party theme coming on!

Tips & Advice:

We purchased the a spray painting tent, disposable gloves, and masks at our local art store!
The blue tape and plastic can all be purcahsed at your local hardware store, however we found that we had many of these items around the house left over from previous projects.
Don’t rush! Allow time in between steps, especially when applying and painting stencils, or you’ll end up repainting. Trust me, I know.
Don’t worry if you make mistakes! It’s just paint, paper, etc. you can always sand off your design or paint over it until you achieve the look you want!
We plan to mount our boards with these Sk8ology hooks to give them the appearance of floating on the wall… Once I get them up I’ll update with a photo!

Pin for later:

July 11, 2017July 11, 2017

The Beverly Hills Hotel

Having first visited and now living in the Los Angeles area off and on for my entire life, I would consider myself pretty familar with the area, yet there is always something new, or rather in this case something old, to explore! Recently after driving by more times than I can count, I decided a visit to the Iconic Beverly Hills Hotel was in order! A birthday celebration with the girls seemed like the perfect excuse!

Los Angeles has no shortage of recognizable icons, the people, buildings, street names (Rodeo Drive ring a bell?), even the palm trees, lets face it the city itself is an icon. However, there are some places, that are famous the world over for a variety of reasons, even if we aren’t exactly sure why we’ve heard of them, the Beverly Hills Hotel is one of those places!

The Beverly Hills Hotel is located in the city of Beverly Hills on Sunset Boulevard (another one of those famous streets), and opened in 1912, before Beverly Hills was even a city! You can’t miss its iconic pink paint and famous sign.

Smile for the Camera!

The Hotel’s famous pink color and Polo Lounge didn’t come along until the early 1940s, but the Hotel has long been associated with the glamour of Hollywood’s film and rock stars.

Just like all the celebritites before you, upon arrival, you’ll walk the red carpet under the hotel’s trademark green and white awning with an obligatory photo op at the end! Definitely stop to have your photo taken! What no paprazzi, no matter, a friend will do! You’ll feel just like the celebs!

The decadance continues in the lobby with gorgeous art, and flower displays that had all of us whipping out our phones for a photo.

Beverly Hills Hotel Los Angeles California

The 1912 Bar

Named for the year the Hotel opened, the 1912 Bar was a lovely place to spend an evneing. The ambiance was lovely both inside and out, so we opted for a little of both.

Starting our evening off outside overlooking the Beverly Hills Los Angeles iconic palm trees I mentioned earlier, we sipped our drinks and shared a heavenly dessert. Berry Pavlova is my new favorite dessert! I can’t stop thinking about it!

Once we’d polished off the Pavlova*, we went inside where we were treated to live music courtesy of a Noelle and Nick Fabian a brother and sister team from Nashville.

Looking for that magical far away feeling? Consider an evening at a local hotel in your town, we had the best time as tourists in our own city. While I did check an item off of my LA To Do list, I’ve now added another one: STAY at the Beverly Hills Hotel! Stay tunned… Cheers!

*I really wanted to lick the plate, but held back… after all I was at The Beverly Hills Hotel!

Pin for later:

July 4, 2017July 4, 2017

Wanderlust is Calling! Travel Resources & Inspiration Hilarystyle

It’s no secret that exploring the world and everything it has to offer is something I love and want to do more of (hence this blog), but realistically I can’t always be traveling… So how do I keep my wanderlust at bay? I admit it’s not always easy, and some who know me, mainly my husband, might say I fail miserably.

#generalife — Relaxing in the Generalife Gardens of the Alhambra Granada Spain 2015

Feed Your Wanderlust

Feeding my wanderlusting spirit is a full time job! Have I mentioned, I love my job!? Eating out and cooking food from favorite destinations, or places I dream of going is a fun way to satisfy my wanderlust. In fact, we’ve picked destinations based solely on a meal!

Our first family trip to New Orleans came about while planning a ski trip in Tahoe. Sitting in a New Orleans themed restaurant planning, we realized, why not New Orleans? We went straight home and booked our tickets! To this day we’ve never made it to Tahoe, but we do visit New Orleans every year.

#lovecitypark — Taken in City Park during our most recent visit to NOLA in April 2017.

Interested in visiting New Orleans? I’ve written a “few” Articles:

I love fish & chips, and they’re a nice reminder of our visits to London, a favorite destination of mine. We make regular visits to The Wee Chippy, on Venice Beach, and although they don’t offer mushy peas, it does help keep that particular craving satisfied.

We love the food in Spain with two of my favorite items being Manchego cheese and chorizo. I keep a steady supply of both these items in the house at all times!

I don’t know how “Spanish” the Spanish Latte at Menotti’s is, but I do love the coffee in Spain, so this is a nice reminder.

Cheese is easily my favorite food! My local market has a great selection and I was pretty excited to discover they even had Blarney Castle cheese?!

Cork Blarney Castle — Here we are at Blarney Castle in 2016

Blogs & Books

Blogs

Of course I don’t only write a travel blog I also read other travel blogs, which not only helps with planning, but they’re also great for “visiting” places I may never make it to, and for inspiration and advice!

#datdog — I met up with my fellow Blogger, Cory, from Fifi & Hop in New Orleans!

I’ve discovered many wonderful blogs, and have come across real world advice which I know I’ll use. In fact, I already have!

I’ll be traveling throughout Nevada, Utah, and Arizona in a few weeks, and I booked rooms based on Oregon Girl Around the World‘s blog. Thanks to Tanama Tales, I learned I’ll need advance reservations for the Las Vegas Neon Museum, a place I definitely plan on visiting.

Travel Blogs I read frequently:

Clare from Suitcases and Sandcastles writes about family travel. Her photography is stunning, and her destinations are wide ranging, they include everything from remote Greek Islands to The Hundred Acre Wood (otherwise known as Ashdown Forest)!

Katy from Untold Morsels writes about her family’s travels with an emphasis on food and unique places to stay! After reading about her stay in Amsterdam I’m definitely putting houseboat on my list!

Lorelei from Caliglobtrotter is a California girl currently living in Germany. I love reading about her adventures, especially the many castles she visits! Her photography is amazing, and now I know how to pronounce Ljubljana! (Pronounced: Lub-lee-yana)!

Erin of Oregon Girl Around the World currently lives in Copenhagen, but we’re both from the PNW, and I love that we connected with eachother via blogging! She’s full of fun and eco-friendly ideas!

I always look forward to reading posts by The Adventures of Daisy the Bus, written by Jonny a father of four, who loves to travel to places off the beaten path. He paints a lovely picture with his words, his photos are pretty great too, and I have wanted to visit just about every place he mentions!

Cory of Fifi & Hop, who I was lucky enough to meet in New Orleans, writes about her family’s adventures on the East Coast and abroad! I especially loved her post on Tuscany, I was ready to book a flight after reading it!

I love reading Joy Loves Travel who seems to have some similar interests to my own! Her info on Belgium came in handy prior to my own visit there.

Dannii Jane of A Beautiful Thing writes a lifestyle blog, but features her adventures in and around London and Europe. Thanks to her we found ourselves in Camden during our last visit!

Books

I admit I have a guidebook habit. As soon as I learn I’ll be going somewhere, or even if it’s just a possibility I’ll pick up the guidebook(s). I also love travel magazines, the big glossy photos, Best Of lists and the off the beaten path recommendations all feed my passion to see more of the world!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hilary (@hilarystyleme)

Though not a book, Instagram is great for inspiration, and I have discovered not only far away places, but many fun ideas much closer to home.

Some of my favorite Instagrammers:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝐃𝐓𝐋𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐑 🙋🏽‍♀️ (@dtlawanderer)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTuIN1FA1ut/?taken-by=photosofbritain

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT_GXWOBnPE/?taken-by=pli.panda

https://www.instagram.com/p/BS_Ou6lliNX/?taken-by=emsjxo

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by WRDSMTH (@wrdsmth)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Best City Shots (@best.city.shots)

Preserve your Wanderlust

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I have TOO many photos on my computer and no idea how to manage them all! Recently I’ve started creating photo books using not only my travel pictures, but the text from my blog posts as well. They look lovely, and make great keepsakes.

We don’t just shut our photos up into books on a shelf, we love to print them out for display too! Some of our favorites from near and far are hanging in large format around our home. We love it when people come to visit and ask about the different locations!

#mpixprints — These 20 x 20 London dessert prints hang in my son’s room!

It’s not all about photography! We love a good project, and have created various pieces of art around the house, which represent loved places. Most recently I painted this “graffiti” Union Jack flag using spray paint and resin. I’m practicing for those Venice Art Walls! We can’t forget about the around the world furniture projects!

Lego Destinations

We’re big lego fans in our house and we get excited when sets are created that represent places we’ve been!

#legotowerbridge — This rather large Lego Tower Bridge lives on top of my guidebook shelf!

We built this Tower Bridge set over the winter holidays. I’m anxiously awaiting my Houses of Parliament set, which should keep me busy this summer, while planning what I hope is a Christmas trip to the UK.

Be A Hometown Tourist

Whether or not you’ve lived very long in a place, I guarantee you haven’t done it all! We’ve had such a great time this past year playing tourist in our own town, and with all that Los Angeles has to offer, I see no signs of that slowing down!