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Luxe Living for Less

Anniversary

Designer Destination | The Claremont Hotel Berkeley

Last weekend, the Mr and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary with a little staycation at what I’ve considered one of the most iconic hotels in California, the Claremont hotel. The Claremont has been around since 1915 and it’s like a white beacon on the Oakland/Berkeley border. It’s always inspiring to see its bright, white facade in contrast to the lush green trees and hills it’s nestled in. Growing up I had always wanted to stay there, but until last weekend that dream hadn’t come true. Spending a couple of days there was the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary. And after seeing its amazing architectural details and decor, I knew it was going to be my next Designer Destination. Just check out that pool house and deck done in all white and black, could that be any more perfect?

Copycathcic Designer Destination: The Claremont Hotel San Francisco Bay Area. An historic castle of a hotel outfitted in bright white and glam decor.
This post is in partnership with the Claremont Hotel.

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Weekend Trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea

A couple of weeks ago the Mr and I took a little weekend trip to Carmel, CA for our 7th Anniversary. How did 7 years go so fast? It doesn’t seem like that long ago I was planning our wedding.

This year we escaped for the weekend, while the girlie and little man stayed with their Mimi & Papa. First trip without kids, yay! Although I missed them, it was so nice sleeeeeping in!

Left: De Tierra Vineyards Tasting Room | Right: Maxine Klaput Antiques

Have you guys been to Carmel-by-the-Sea? It’s a quaint little Northern California coastal town near Monterey, Pebble Beach AND the Santa Lucia Highlands (wine country). I was so excited when I was offered a press tour to visit, such perfect timing.

We stayed at an adorable Danish-themed inn called the Hofsas House in the perfect location, right on the edge of town. It reminded me of Solvang, CA with it’s quaint, homey and Dutch-influenced decor. It was such a great place to stay because we were within walking distance of everything!

Here is a view of the hotel with its characteristic pink exterior, long balconies, dutch doors and ocean views from pretty much every room (the first image, above was the view from our room)!

There are so many great things to do in town, no driving necessary. Carmel is known for its art galleries, antiques, jewelry shops and more recently, wine – my kind of town! We did a ton of walking around, window shopping and eating with lots of wine tasting in-between. We also took part in the Wine Walk, where you can visit up to 14 different wine tasting rooms all within walking distance to each other. You can even buy wine walk passes at the Hofsas House for a discounted price.

We visited some amazing antique stores as well as browsed a ton of estate jewelry. I love vintage jewelry, it’s so full of character and history. We also tasted olive oil and cheese in addition to the wine!

Left: Trio Carmel olive oil tasting | Right: Hildegunn Hawley my favorite rare antique store in town


Have you guys heard of the Cheese Shop? This is always our first stop whenever we come into town. You walk in and immediately cheese samples of all sorts appear like magic 😉 And for some added bonus points: the Hofsas house welcomed us to the room with a nice bottle of wine and cheeses from the very same place!

We discovered the Carmel Belle completely by accident on our first day and went back everyday after. We even made a quick stop on our drive out for a yummy salad for the road!

left: Carmel Belle | right: Caraccioli Cellars

Speaking of tasty food, the first night we hopped in the car for a quick drive over to the Beach House in Pacific Grove. And yes, the food is just as amazing as the view!

The second night we walked to the Grill on Ocean Ave in Carmel, which was perfect after a day of wine tasting 😉 The atmosphere here was so friendly and boisterous which is always fun. I had their butternut squash ravioli which was delish! Oh and the sauce that come with the crab cake appetizer? So scrumptious.

image via

We had a great weekend full of wine, food and relaxation. A perfect way to celebrate a wedding anniversary! And even though Carmel is only a 2 hour drive away from the San Francisco Bay Area, it really feels like you’re getting away from it all. A perfect weekend destination, in my book. It’s definitely in my top five favorite California places to visit! Have you guys been? What are your favorites shops, restaurants places to stay?

Huge thanks to Hofsas House and the Grill on Ocean Avenue for the opportunity to enjoy this great getaway!

My 4th Anniversary

Today I celebrate four wonderful years with my amazing husband, Ryan. Happy Anniversary Honey!
I don’t think I’ve really talked much about my wedding with you guys, so I figured I’d share some details with you. The Mr. & I were married in beautiful wine country at California’s oldest vineyard. It was the perfect day!
My wedding was the first “real wedding” featured on the fabulously inspirational wedding blog: Once Wed. For all of you out there planning your special day, it’s an amazing resource!
Here’s a couple of pictures, but if you’d like to see more as well as a description check out the original post on Once Wed here!

 

@copycatchic on Instagram

  • I have been obsessed with this entire remodel by @jennykomenda and this dining space is just my style. 😍 We found the leather dining chair for just $112! 🖤 https://www.copycatchic.com/2019/03/daily-find-fentonfenton-leather-strapping-dining-chair.html
  • Ok folks...here's another good one. Who can pick the one that is $598 and the one that is $267? 😜I mean, you can't go wrong either way...they're equally fabulous really...comment below! And like the post if you like this format...thinking about switching it up a bit around here 😉Also...this actually makes me think this would be a good format for giveaways. Would you all like that? 🤔Let me know! xoR https://www.copycatchic.com/2019/03/daily-find-kohler-purist-widespread-faucet.html #dailyfind #copycatchic
  • Going natural for Easter this year and partnered with @worldmarket! All of the usual fanfare is just so plastic and wasteful. I try to be more conscious when creating our kids' Easter baskets. And yes, there is some candy in there. I'd probably have a full-scale rebellion on my hands if there wasn't 😉 I can get away with switching some candy out for honey sticks though 🙌🏼I also went with a "gardening" theme. There's even a kit to grow your own watermelon in there! SO fun 😁What do you like to put in your kid's baskets? Have you found any tried and true items that your kids love every year? Always "hunting" for new ideas! #wmaffiliate #discoverworldmarket #ad https://www.copycatchic.com/2019/03/gift-guide-natural-easter-basket.html http://liketk.it/2ADph #liketkit @liketoknow.it
  • Trying out a new way of posting....Who can guess which one is the more expensive one? 😁 One ladder costs $398 and the other one? Only $98. Comment below with the one you think is more expensive (first or second)! And like this post if you think this is a fun way of posting our #dailyfinds 🙌🏼 https://www.copycatchic.com/2019/02/daily-find-serena-and-lily-teak-ladder.html
  • We are sharing that industrial inspired lamp for 1/2 the price! 👉 https://www.copycatchic.com/2019/03/daily-find-crate-and-barrel-theorem-patina-bronze-desk-lamp.html #dailyfind #copycatchic
  • How fun are the patterns in this space featured in Better Homes and Gardens? The triangle rug is bold and I am loving it, we found it in this #dailyfind. 🖤 https://www.copycatchic.com/2019/03/daily-find-west-elm-abundant-triangles-rug.html #copycatchic