Travel Review: Santa Barbara California

I recently visited Santa Barbara, California for a weekend getaway.  The mention of Santa Barbara elicits a picturesque coastal city lined with palm trees above a bay glistening under the warm sun.  It did not disappoint!  I had a great time relaxing in the charming seaside town. I definitely recommend this spot if you are looking for a quick and quiet escape from the city with great shopping and dining. Santa Barbara has everything from beautiful ocean views to art museums and historical monuments.

I checked into the charming Lemontree Inn which is located on State Street, the main boulevard. 

The Inn has a retro 60s style with a pool in the middle and the two stories of apartment style rooms surrounding it. Each room has a balcony facing towards the pool and Jacuzzi. The enclosed garden courtyard seemed to transport me to a time of summer pool parties and playful games. I unpacked my things and started thinking of dinner.  The Inn offered a convenient onsite restaurant called the Crocodile Restaurant, but I knew I wanted to eat on the water.  I headed down State Street which led me directly onto the pier to check out the restaurants. After looking through all the yummy sounding choices I settled on Moby Dicks. 

The cute restaurant had a nautical theme and great views of the water.

 I ordered a shrimp cocktail for an appetizer and looked over the menu trying to decide between the interesting seafood platters, steak, and Spanish cuisine.  After a difficult choice, I settled on the steak which was quite tasty.  I enjoyed the live guitar music during my meal as I watched the sunset turn from pink to purple to twilight.  

After dinner the walk along the pier was almost magical with the twinkling lights and gentle lapping of the waves.  I found easy public parking (first hour is free) behind State Street and spotted a Coldstone for dessert.  The shop boasts that it hires all employees from either SB City College or UCSB hence the great service.

Upon returning to the Lemon Tree, the courtyard garden Jacuzzi beckoned me to take a quick dip.  I joined a group there discussing the nearby hiking which sounded great.  They preferred a trail called Rattlesnake, but had also been up a canyon called Seven Falls.  For me, the hike would have to wait for another trip.  The lights went out signaling it was 10:00 and time for bed.
After a good night sleep, I had to try the heated pool for an early morning lap swim.  I met a few other guests who had planned to visit Santa Barbara for just one night on their way down the coast; however they were having such a great time they had decided to stay longer.  I wanted to be sure that I had enough time to get breakfast at a wonderful French cafe called Renauld's.  They have the most delicious hot chocolate, quiche lorraine, and fruit tart. renaulds is a wel known cafe in Santa Barbara with many great reviews and the charming atmosphere certainly lives up to the reputation. It was so hard to choose between the delicious sounding tartsd with names like...

                                                

 I took time to shop along State Street in the sunshine and ocean breeze. 

 I enjoyed a delicious lunch of fajitas at The Sand Bar, a great mexican restaurant re contended to me by the concierge at the lemon tree. 

I had a delicious McConnel's ice cream for dessert; this quaint shop has many interesting flavors. 

                                           

As I wandered down the street I smelled the delicious scent of incense and stopped at the local indian bazaar to take alook. The cute outdoor marketplace had everything from cute baubles to beautiful dresses. I bought as a cute summer beach cover up on sale for a great price. I shopped in the popular Sunglass Hut; a necessity with all the Santa Barbara sunshine. 

 I visited the Museum of Modern Art in Paseo Nuevo and finally donated money towards a local cause for a complimentary massage at Aveda. The relaxing mssage was a great way to end the trip. 

                                

CDM Guide: Chinese New Year in Las Vegas

This Thursday Las Vegas was covered in red and gold lanterns and decorations to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Las Vegas is the third most popular place to celebrate Chinese New Year with Bally's, the Paris the Bellagio and many others decorating around their hotels, and holding different events throughout the day. This year is the year of the sheep. The sheep is creative, kind, and gentle and other sheep years include 1931, 1955, and 2003. I have included different celebrations from all around the town here so you'll have a complete guide for enjoying the festivities around town.

Restaurant

The Red 8 at the Wynn Hotel
The Red 8 is appropriately named for the Chinese new year and has delicious Asian food. The Wynn is also completely decked out with Chinese new year decorations.You can read more about my favorite Asian restaurant in Las Vegas at my restaurant review here.

Entertainment

The Dragon Dance at the Wynn

 

 Many different hotels in Las Vegas have entertainment for the Chinese New Year but one of my favorites is the Dragon dance at the Wynn. I love the decorations throughput the Wynn hotel and the dragon dance is perfectly synchronized. It amazes me every time. The 90 foot long dragon snakes through the hotel starting at the South Valet entrance and dancing all the way through to the Encore with 6 lions following all the way. I f you can't make it to the Wynn for some reason there are also many other places that have Dragon dances. For example I got to see one at MAGIC this year. Thursday at 4 was a celebration for the Chinese New year at MAGIC in the sourcing section complete with a dragon dance and take out boxes filled with fortune cookies and gold coins. They also passed out the red envelopes as is tradition in China. Red envelopes are generally given as gifts with money inside in China on New years. They served egg rolls and sodas and everyone enjoyed the event. The Venetian hotel also has a great Dragon dance through the shops.


Shopping
The Shops at the Bellagio

 The Bellagio redesigned their gardens with a Chinese theme and beautiful flowers. All along the hallways of the shoppes decorations hang from the cieling and the plants are filled with red flowers. the store windows even have themed outfits to look at.

Harper and Harlow in Manhattan Beach: the trendiest store in the Southbay

Manhattan Beach is one of the best places to shop boutiques, especially for one-of-a-kind merchandise. As you walk down Manhattan Beach Boulevard towards the strand, you pass by the Skechers store and the always bustling Manhattan Beach Creamery and then you will come to a little store on the left corner of the street. Harper and Harlow is located in downtown Manhattan Beach just a few steps from the pier. Shopping in this cute boutique is always fun with everyone in downtown Manhattan Beach enjoying the sun and the waves. There are many cute boutiques in Manhattan but this one is my absolute favorite. I discovered it over the summer while wandering the boulevard. It is always on trend and I love the edgy and hippy styles they have. Their graphic tee's are awesome and work great for the casual beach style. Each week a new tee with a cool saying on it is hanging in the window. The t-shirt saying this week was "save water drink champagne". The chic clothes come at a great price as well. This shop has something for everyone. I also love the cute baubles they have placed in the front of the store. I love to gift shop here as well. They always participate in the sidewalk sales and other events in downtown Manhattan Beach. So next time your in the Southbay check out this great store! Also don't forget to check out my accessories line labeled SierraClair handbags carried exclusively in Harper and Harlow! I'll be posting more about my handbag designs and the design process for you fashion junkies soon!

Holiday Shopping: Colorado Street Pasadena

If you are looking for a place to get all your last minute shopping done in one stop, Colorado Street in Pasadena is perfect. There is a store for everyone here whether you are shopping for cute clothes for kids at Madewell or some holiday glitter at Tiffany's for that special  someone. Not to mention the quaint main street feel that gives off a Christmas spirit.  You can get all the holiday cheer you are looking for in a festive ambiance with the street performers singing Christmas carols and the lights on the trees and holiday window displays. Wandering the street and enjoying the view is especially nice in the warm Pasadena weather. And of course you can't have a successful shopping trip without some great food. There are so many delicious options to choose from. The Cheesecake Factory and Bucca di Beppos are both always a delicious choice.  If you have a little more time for a 5 course dinner, The Melting Pot is a fun place for fondue. If you are looking for a more local flavor there are many cute Italian cafes to choose from. For great Argentinian cuisine, 1810 serves up tasty entrees and delicious chocolate souffle.  Some even have live music. If Sushi is what you're in the mood for the best local place is Gayu Kaku just a block away on Greene Street. I personally decided to try the 800 Degrees Pizzeria where they make a homemade pizza right in front of you as you pick from the array of fresh ingredients. I also ordered a delicious side Italian salad. For dessert I headed over to one of the cute french cafes called Aux Delices and got a tasty creme brulee. After my hunger was satisfied I could really get down to business. Shopping! I headed over to Lucky brand where I was greeted by a friendly and attentive staff. Soon I was having my own movie montage trying on every pair of jeans in the store. I was putting on a mini fashion show for the store as I picked out my jeans and outfits.Together the helpful staff and I picked out two great pairs of jeans and they found me matching shirts and sweaters. They even convinced me to try a new color palette for the winter. Check my Instagram account @cerisesdumatin for pictures! I walked away with two great outfits and everything was on sale! It was definitely a successful shopping trip. Having store personnel excited about the merchandise always makes shopping more fun! This holiday season I definitely recommend Colorado Street as the ultimate shopping destination. If you are still stressed about gifts for the family you can find everything you need as well as great food and holiday cheer all in one place! Have you ever been to Old town Pasadena? What is your favorite holiday shopping destination? Have you ever had a movie moment while shopping and found that perfect outfit? Let me know in the comments!