Do you have a signature spring/summer scent? I’m pretty consistent with my fragrance, but I’m intrigued by this tomato-scented perfume from the Demeter Fragrance Library. (It comes in green tomato, too!). I love the smell of freshly picked tomatoes—the idea of bottling it up in a jar seems too good to be true. What do you think?

My favorite warm weather scent.

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Finally! Pics from my trip to the west coast. Ah, just looking at these makes me want to hop the next flight back. I started the week in Southern California, visiting my younger sister in Irvine. Then, Matt and I made our way up the coast, stopping in Santa Ynez, San Luis Obispo and Modesto, before arriving in our final destination—San Francisco. Here, a few highlights:

*Wine tasting in Temecula: We stumbled upon Chapin Family Vineyards after a quick Yelp search, and loved it. It’s a bit more tucked away than some of the other wineries there, but completely worth seeking it out. The 2009 Syrah is one of the best I have ever tried.

*Walking Crystal Cove Beach: My sister and I spent half a day walking this practically deserted beach. The cliffs on the coast make it feel like your own private escape. And at the end, a reward: Lunch at the Beachcomber Cafe, with outdoor seating so that you can take in the sights.

*Disneyland and California Adventure: Matt insisted we go—and I’m so glad we did. California Adventure is a completely unique experience. Grizzly Peak was my favorite part of the whole day (oh, and meeting Donald Duck!).

*Driving through Santa Ynez: It’s where they filmed Sideways, but that’s not the only reason we went. En route to San Luis Obispo, we stopped to check out a few wineries here. Sunstone Winery was one of the most gorgeous spots I’ve ever been.

*Pismo Beach: We were lucky enough to time our drive with the sunset—and got to sit on the pier and watch several surfers taking advantage of the dwindling daylight, too. What a beautiful beach! There are swings set up in a few different spots on the sand. So fun!

*Catching a Giants game at AT&T Park: Finally, I got to watch Buster Posey (one of my favorite baseball players) play at his home field. I love that kayakers actually sit out on the Bay to see if they can catch a homerun ball. Bonus: We went on fireworks night. Extra bonus: The Giants won!

*Golden Gate Park: Matt’s sister and brother-in-law gave us a wonderful tour of the area surrounding the Golden Gate Bridge. There’s nothing quite as exhilerating as peering over the edge of that bridge. Eek!

Have you been to California recently? What are your favorite things to do on the west coast?

Happy Friday my darling readers! What do you have planned for the next couple of days off? I am excited to be running a 5K on Sunday—wish me luck! I have to admit that I’ve been a bit of a running slacker since my 10K last year. This race has been my motivation to get back on track. Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead! Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

Fun football moves (courtesy of NikkiFitness).

Early bird v. night owl.

Congrats to my favorite blogger, Elephantine!

A stunning blue skirt.   

Adding pesto to cauliflower soup.

Shark attack!

Because sunsets are important.

My new favorite San Francisco love song.

Floating art frames.

Subway inequality (wowza!).

(Image via Pinterest) 

As part of a book club for New York Women in Communications, I’m reading Lean In, by Facebook exec Sheryl Sandberg. Have you read it? I know some of the things she says are a bit controversial, but I love her tips about confidence and the value of a ‘fake it ’till you feel it’ mantra when you need it. She even references a study that suggests practicing a high power pose—walking around for a couple of minutes taking up space by spreading your limbs—to help you combat nerves and feel like your in command. What a great idea!

What do you do to feel more confident? It may sound silly, but I love listening to music by the Wheatones, my college a cappella group. I instantly picture myself surrounded by the strength of my own girl group! 🙂

PS—A clip of me and the former Wheatones president!

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